"King of Thieves" - preview screening

One almost feels like this story revolving around the Hatton Garden Diamond job by a group of more mature thieves has been done to death already. Don't quote me but I believe that this is at least the third production involving this storyline. I guess that what gives this one the edge is the very top notch British acting talent involved. Any Director would say goodbye to some serious anatomy parts just to get one or two of these actors involved, let alone having 5 of the very best.  For those of you who may have been blissfully unaware of what happened, basically a group of senior aged thieves planned a robbery in the famed Hatton Garden area of London during the Easter Bank Holiday. There will be no staff to cause distress to, and the area will be deserted and in theory no one will realise what has been done til everyone is back at work the following Tuesday. The ideal opportunity.

Sir Michael Caine plays Billy, the brains behind the scheme. And he assembles a motley crew to help in the caper, all with their own skills and personalities, and as mentioned, bringing these characters to life is some of the very best British acting talent.
It is hard to say what kind of film it is trying to be, whether biopic, comedy or drama, all these boxes seem to get ticked. And unfortunately it means that the film is a little bit all over the place.

Sir Michael Caine and Ray Winstone are playing characters that we have seen them play before, and in fairness, in far superior films, but there is still much to enjoy about "King of Thieves", most notably Jim Broadbent in something of a departure role. And Tom Courtenay is highly entertaining as a gang member with a hearing problem.

There is a riotously funny highlight of the film and it involves the introduction of Michael Gambon's fence character, and Sir Michael Caine in bewilderment.

Seeing the cast together is the main reason that many will enjoy this film, and rightly so, but it could have been a real great, up there with that other Ray Winstone masterpiece "Sexy Beast"....6 out of 10

"The Theory of Everything"

From the moment I first saw rhe trailer, it was obvious that the performance by Eddie Redmayne would be an Award winner, and sure enough he has already bagged himself a Golden Globe and rightly so. But more on that later.

This remarkable film looks at the lives of Jane and Stephen Hawking, a couple of students who meet, and fall in love. Clearly very happy together, all is going well. But then everything changes when Stephen is affected by motor neurone  disease. The prognosis is not good, as he is told that his life expectancy is just a mere two years. It is a lot for someone, anyone to take in, and he inevitably gets angry, and draws within himself. But it is the love of his wife Jane, that holds strong, as she stands by his side in this battle. Both are determined that two years will not be the end.

Many will no doubt know the genius of Professor Hawking, but not necessarily this look into his early life, and the relationship that he had with his first wife. It really was a Herculean battle that they both undertook, and it is a real testament to their strength and love.
It is remarkable what they went through, as there were many knock on effects of the diagnosis, dealing with pneumonia, and the throat operation meaning he would potentially never talk again. All these obstacles he has tackled and won, and continues to win.

There are excellent performances from both leads as the Hawkings. It is nice to see a rising actress like Felicity Jones in a high profile role, getting to show her talent.
As for Mr. Redmayne, what can one say that will be shouted out by many a film critic across the Globe. It really is an Award winning performance, on every level. We share his delight at meeting Jane, falling in love, we share his pain as he discovers his medical condition, and marvel as he and Jane, side by side, take on all that it encompasses. A great performance, and quite uniquely there is a very strong resemblance too.
Nice support from the likes of Harry Lloyd and especially David Thewlis.

A remarkable story, and a remarkable film, which gets 2015 off to the best of starts......9 out of 10