"X-Men Days of Future Past"

Following on from the events at the end of "The Wolverine", we find that the feuding mutants have joined forces, to try and do battle with an adversary that seems unstoppable.
The sentinels seem to be the all conquering opponent, and there is very little that the mutants can do to stop from having their kind destroyed.
So, in a plot reminiscent of a certain James Cameron film franchise, their aim is to go back in time and avert the creation of the Sentinels by killing their Creator.

It may sound like a brief overview but literally that is all there is to the film. Now the delivery is another matter. We see Wolverine step into his past, meeting up with younger versions of the characters that he knows so well from the current day. At this stage, in the past, there is still some animosity certainly between  Xavier and Magneto, and takes some effort from the others to get them to combine their powers.
There is an additonal strand to the story, and the possible repercussions of the timeline involving Mystique. It all adds to the wonder of this entertaining movie.

There is the whole question of whether the film breaks the rules of time travel, and I am sure if one sat down and gave it some thought it would all become clear as to whether it does. But then one could end up destroying the fun. Best not to think about it too much.
Bryan Singer returns to the Directors chair, and fashions these characters that he so wonderfully brought to life in the original film.

I do really enjoy seeing two great thespians like Patrick Stewart and Sir Ian McKellen on screen together. It is a real treat for any film fan. It is a shame that they have so little screen time. But at the end of the day the film is about the past.
As one would expect there are some excellent set pieces and action sequences, all delivered with great cinematic style, and a delight to watch. There is one stand-out sequence involving Quicksilver  when the gang are seemingly surrounded.
One of the few downsides is that there are so many mutant characters in the series, that as many of them appear in this new film, some have just so little screen time. I know that Wolverine is probably the most popular character, and he had rather taken over the francise, but it would be nice to have some expansion on some the other characters.

A fantastic, Xciting, Xcellent romp with great visuals, and a great cast.......8 out of 10

"12 Years A Slave"

Solomon Northup was black but most definitely a free man, even in a time when slavery was rife throughout America, and many other countries. He was also living a very comortable life, his wife and children by his side in their lovely home.
The family take a brief trip away leaving Solomon on his own for a short while. His skills with the fiddle come to attention of some  Circus owners. They persuade Solomon, who is at a loose end, that he while away his time doing what he loves and also be paid for it.
Unfortunately, the said gentlemen have other ideas, and after wining and dining him one night, the following morning he finds himself in chains and no longer a free man. Sold into slavery his ordeal begins.......


What is at the heart of this film is a truly extraordinary story, and a true one at that. Of man who refuses to be broken by the circumstances that surround him, who remains strong in his knowledge that he is a free man,  at times knowing when he must speak out for the wrong that he sees, even when it dearly costs him, and also knowing when to stay silent. Always firm in the belief that he will again hopefully walk the Earth as a free man.
And central to this story is a quite remarkable performance by lead actor Chiwetel Ejifor. He conveys the bravery, the wisdom and the humanity of Northup in a career defining performance, and in any other year would be the front runner for Best Actor at the forthcoming Academy Awards. I do fear he will be beaten by Matthew McConaughey.
There is very strong support from the rest of the cast too. Evil can come in many forms, and in this film it is no better shown than by the performances of Paul Dano, Michael Fassbender and especially Sarah Paulson, who is positively sickening scary at times. How any lady of society could act the way she does is quite something.
With evil comes goodness, and that is personified in a great performance from Benedict Cumberbatch, one who clearly has Northup's interests at heart, and although can do nothing about his freedom, can certainly do the best to make him comfortable.

Northup shares his plight with Patsey, a plucky young girl, who carries favour with Epps, the sadistic landowner played by Fassbender. But she too suffers tremendously, in one particular scene we see first hand the pain and suffering of a good whipping, and it is not for the faint hearted. In a first time major film performance Nyong'O gives a truly remarkable turn as 'Patsey', one that you will not forget.

Yes it is a film that has to be seen, and has praise heaped upon it from the highest height, may only gripe is that there is no sense of the length of time that Northup was in slavery for, and given the lengthy amount of time involved, it was something that I felt should have been conveyed. Maybe I am being too picky.

Will it win Best Picture at The Academy Awards?  Almost certainly. Should it?  Yes, but for me personally it should be "Gravity"...........8 out of 10

"The Counsellor"

What a combination......an amazing cast, Directing legend Ridley Scott, and a screenplay from Cormac McCarthy, who wrote "No Country for Old Men", surely a match made in heaven........

Alas far from it. And it is the mighty pen that fails here. The story is rather lacking, and whilst being a dialogue piece, what made the Oscar winning "No Country" so successful was that it was compelling viewing, it did not need big action scenes, the sharp words, great characters and brilliant performances are what made it the hit it became. And unfortunately that has not reoccured with "The Counsellor".

The Counsellor works for some dubious characters, especially Reiner, a drug dealer who has many deals in the making. Through  circumstances, the Counsellor is believed to be involved in a heist which sees the theft of a high quantity of drugs. The owners of the drugs naturally assume that the Counsellor is involved, and slowly he sees the world around him begin to fall apart.

Given the talent involved with the film, this should have been a movie to keep you glued to your seat, but it wasn't. There is a great look to the film, compliments to Mr. Scott for that.
There is no doubting the capabilities of the highly talented cast, but they can only be given a chance to shine if the material they are working with is of high quality,The look of the character, Reiner, played by Javier Bardem, had me hooked after watching the trailer, and as one would imagine, he does give a fantastic performance.

Similarly to McCarthy's earlier work, "No Country", it is surprising how many of the lead characters do not make it to the end of the picture, and there are some interesting demises. But on the whole it was a rather disappointing effort.

Ok but have seen far better...............6 out of 10

"Prometheus"

Every so often, along comes a special film, what I like to call an 'event' film. Being such a fan of the "Alien" franchise that I am, it was only natural that I would be majorly looking forward to this film, especially with having 'Alien' Director Sir Ridley Scott back at the helm.

So what do we have to expect from "Prometheus"?
We see life on Earth, or rather its very creation. Then we jump to the future, not too far, and a team of Scientists happen upon a cave, and within is a drawing, having been there some considerable time. It turns out that the same pattern is turning up in cave systems all over the planet. They eventually work out that it relates to a star system. Could this be the key to the very foundation of life on Earth? Is there where our humble beginnings started?

The crew set off on a journey, on board the Prometheus. Once settled on the Planet, they start a survey of the area. They come across a cave system, and it looks remarkably like something we may have seen before. They find some cannisters, almost egg shaped. What could be inside? The team get seperated, and two members are left in the cave system. Unfortunately things do not pan out too well for these crew members. And things in general do seem to take a turn for the worse.
One of the Crew members is David, and he is an android, and seems to have a hidden agenda. Have we been here before I ask myself?

Whether you class this as a prequel to the Alien franchise is one for each individual viewer to decide. Personally I think it is, but it is hardly in the same league as the 1979 masterpiece.
The plot is very sloppy, at times very predictable. Although Ridley Scott has assembled some great names to appear in the film, very few come away with any high marks.  Worst of all has to be Oscar winner Charlize Theron, if the Acadamy asked for their Oscar back, I would not blame them.
Noomi Rapace  and Michael Fassbender do fair better in their respective roles.
One cannot argue that the film is visually stunning, but this does not compensate for where else the film is lacking.

For such a huge build up, this film majorly failed to deliver, there were a lot of unanswered questions, presumably to lead to a sequel, but ultimately what was it all for? A real shame......5 out of 10

"Shame"

Director and star of the biopic "Hunger" are reunited for this look into the life of sex addict Brandon Sullivan.

Brandon clearly loves sex, whether it is free or to be paid for, whether with women he knows or does not, whether in person or online,  he just wants to have sex, and as much as he can possibly get. But his sex fuelled life changes when his somewhat troubled sister, Sissy, arrives and ends up staying in his apartment. It makes it tricky now to bring women back for sex, or even to pleasure himself in his bathroom without his Sister bursting in on him.
I am not sure whether I read it wrong, but one wonders at times during the film whether there is more to relationship between brother and sister. There is a great scene when Sissy brings back to the apartment one of Brandon's work colleagues for sex, and upon hearing their pleasure from the bedroom, Brandon exits the apartment very quickly.

As actors go, Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan are at the very top of their game, and continue to show why they are on the wish list of every Casting director in the Movie business. The fact that they are both British makes it all the more sweeter. And both also love making smaller independent films, and are not swayed by the big bucks of Hollywood, and this is so much to their credit.

There are those who may be bored by the film, as one wonders how long you can be entertained by watching lives on screen, people at work, on the subway, and the occasional sex scene. But it is compelling and makes for great viewing, especially watching Fassbender, in one of this best roles to date.
And Director Steve McQueen shows why he is one of the hottest talents not only in Britain but in the whole Film industry.

The best of British at work.......7 out of 10