"Tomorrowland: A World Beyond"

I have wasted 130 minutes of my life watching this pile of trash, so I am not going to prolong the agony by spending more time than necessary reviewing it.

Dull, boring, at 2 hours 10 minutes, it could have easily, and I do mean easily have had 40 minutes shaved of it, to at least try and minimize the risk of falling asleep, which I did several times, and this was during an IMAX screening !!

Almost certainly guaranteed a place in my list of worst films of the year.....3 out of 10

"Gravity"

I had hoped to see this movie on the IMAX, but then it had to make way for "The Hunger Games", boo, but thankfully it has returned to this superior format and this morning I had the pleasure of seeing what is possibly the best film of the year so far.

Dr. Stone has created a piece of equipment, and given that it can be used on the Space Shuttle, her expertise is pivotal for mending said equipment, so she finds herself high above the Earth with Space veteran Dr. Matt Kowalski. All is going well, that is until the Russians decide to destroy a rogue spy satellite. That is not what initially causes the problem, but the debris from the destruction of that satellite crashes into some others, and creates further debris and unfortunately it is heading at a very fast speed in the space crews direction.
They execute an immediate evacuation, but alas time is not on their side, and their craft is hit with the full force of the debris. Naturally there are casualties, and the crew have to work together in order to get to a neighbouring station, and get back to Earth.

As the debris approaches, the tension is really cranked up to a nailbiting level. You are willing the film to move faster so you can find out the fate of the space crew. The combination of the amazing camera work and the score make it one of the most tense scenes I have seen on film.
George Clooney is on great form as Kowalski, the leader of the team, the figureheard, the voice of experience and authority, a role he plays well. The real surprise is Sandra Bullock, whom you would not necessarily peg for this role, but she plays it so well, I would go as far as say that it is a career best performance from her. She excels as Dr. Stone.

Regarding the climax, and lead character Dr Stone has accepted her fate, whatever that may be. The question is, if she has come to terms with her possible impending death, would the outcome be more sentimental if she dies and is reunited with her daughter, or that she survives and lives a full life back on Earth .

Visually the film is of the highest level, from remarkable images of the Earth, to when the shuttle is bombatded by the debris. There is also an amazing shot as we close in on Dr. Stone, as we get ever closer to the visor in her spacesuit, then the next thing we are actually in the spacesuit helmet with her, all done in one take, quite something.
Never has silence been so brilliantly used in a film, especially when in action films there are explosions and loud bangs galore, "Gravity" stays firm to the principle that in space there is nothing to carry sound, and it is illustrated so well in the opening frames of the film, and carries on throughout.
The score is another high point, from Composer Steven Price, in fact it was so good that upon getting home I purchased said soundtrack.

Yes there has been alot of hype about this film, and every word that is positive is true. Every box has been ticked, it delivers on every level. I normally have a Cineworld Unlimted card, and alas left it behind thus having to pay full price, and having watched the film, I did not begrudge one single penny, as it was an absolute delight to watch.

Has everything that you could want from a movie........10 out of 10

"The Descendants"

Life in Hawaii must be idyllic. Swaying palm trees, beautiful waters to swim in, what could be better than that?  Matt King may have a different opinion. He has his own Law Practice, he is also head of  family gathering who are deciding who to sell a sizable chunk of land to that they have been bequeathed. On top of that he has two very wayward daughters who are making his life difficult, and on top of that his wife has been in a power boating accident and now she is in a coma. Life is far from peachy for Matt King.

The detachment from his children could be that he is very work obsessed, it could also be the reason that he discovers that his wife has been far from faithful. Naturally this comes as a shock, and if his wife had not already been in a coma, he would no doubt have hospitalized her himself.
The film has two journeys, one is Matt trying to come to terms with the infidelity of his wife, and also to meet the man she has been sleeping with. The other journey is the one that the family as a whole have to take as they come to terms with the fact that mother / wife is not going to recover from the coma.

It is well written and Directed by Alexander Payne, who has shown past genius with films like "Sideways" and "About Schmidt". The only problem that I have with "The Descendants" is that the majority of characters in the film are all arseholes, and as such you have trouble giving a toss about them.

A great film that could have been, is merely a good film. Top marks however for the closing scene.........5 out of 10 (Revised from previous score of 6)

"The Ides of March"

The political drama is back, and on top form. 
Governor Mike Morris is running for President, and along side him is his trusty team. One of those being staff member Stephen Meyers. Very idealistic and committed to the cause, and getting his boss into The White House. He becomes involved with one of the interns, but to save any embarrassment, in other words, he does not want his colleagues to know about her, he refers to her as 'the cleaning lady' when asked who is in his room. This becomes quite a joke for them, until it is apparent that she has been 'cleaning' for the Governor also.
Meyers is also approached by Tom Duffy, the Campaign Manager of the Governor's opponent. This meeting will cost Meyers dearly.

It is a compelling story told brilliantly in the 100 minute running time. Clooney excels both in the Director's chair, and also as the charasmatic Governor. The film boasts an all star cast, all delivering top notch performances, the best of which comes from Ryan Gosling, who can do no wrong, his films are coming thick and fast, and each as good as the other, though I have yet to see "Crazy Stupid Love". Certainly the man of the moment.

There are plenty of twists and turns, and more than a fair share of back-stabbing. Great story, fantastic cast, what more could you want?    8 out of 10