I'll admit that at times this review might be seen as biased as I am a massive Tarantino fan and always have been since I first saw Kill Bill 1 when it first came out. This film of course has plenty of Tarantino's traits, a great cast, some funny comedy, extreme violence and plenty of blood as well.
So to start with the film starts with the scene shown in many trailers before the films release. As Django (Jamie Foxx) is walking along a dusty track in a dark wood with some fellow slaves and his two masters, Dr King Schultz (Christoph Waltz) trundles along with his cabin to buy Django from them. As negotiations go wrong between Dr Schultz and the two masers and blood is shed Django and Dr Schultz make a pact and both ride off into the night.
The film itself follows of course the character of Django as he is saved and made a free man by Dr Schultz, in return Django must point out the Brittle brothers in which Schultz is looking for. As Schultz trains up Django to be a bounty hunter they travel around the different plantations and take out anyone that has a hit on their head. As the duo continue with their work they decide to go and find Django's wife Broomhilda von Schaft to save her from slavery and let Django and his wife live happily ever after.
As the duo come across a plantation owner Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio) they both realise it is his plantation where Broomhilda is being held as a slave. With Candie being away from the plantation from time to time he has his own personal plantation assistant Stephen (Samuel L. Jackson) take charge. As the trio converse over the buying of some Mandingo fighters what will happen?, will Django and Schultz get what they've gone for or will Candie find out their true intentions and have them killed?
The film itself is the most linear of Tarantino films as the storyline moves along at a steady pace and doesn't cut back to previous scenes or different characters. It sticks with Django and Dr King Schultz and stays with them right through to the end which is what makes this more accessible for people. The storyline is of revenge just like many other Tarantino films but that is to be expected though. Being set in the spaghetti western era where slavery is a common occurrence it allows for some violent scenes to take place in which Tarantino handles in a serious manner. A scene of two dogs attacking a runaway black slave, the whipping of Broomhilda and Mandingo fighting where two slaves fight to the death are all shocking but bring a more serious side to the film and show what slaves will have had to endure.
The performances are memorable, Christoph Waltz is great as he shows a side of wit and intelligence to his character of Dr. King Schultz. Leonardo DiCaprio's character of Calvin Candie is a great performance as it is the first time we see Leo take on the role of a truly evil and nasty person. He fits into the role well, showing some slight intelligence in one scene he can then jump to show a more violent and sadistic side to his character. Samuel L. Jackson who plays Candie's right hand slave Stephen has to be the best character in the film mainly because of all the funny lines he has. He plays a inquisitive yet harsh man who has grown to rule over Candieland while his master is away and controls everything that happens at the plantation.
Now some people will think I'm unhinged when I type this but trust me if you're as big a Tarantino fan as myself then you will understand what I am about to say. The gun fight scenes in which showcase all of the blood that splatters the walls to me was comedic genius as I laughed so much at these violent scenes. I say this with great respect and sincerity, the scenes are at times ridiculous with the amount of blood that comes out of the bodies but it does make you laugh. It wouldn't be a Tarantino film if their wasn't any form of blood being splattered up the walls and across the sets..
One downside to the film is the length, I myself didn't notice the time and I happily sat and watched the film without thinking of when it would finish. But for some people who find long films a little bit too much to bear then it is best to wait for a DVD release. Another thing I found was that I didn't particularly warm to Jamie Foxx's portrayal as Django, his one liners seem to be said half heartedly and with no passion.
Overall it is another great addition to Tarantino's filmography and sees him return to top form as a writer and director. If anyone else was to do this film it wouldn't be received too well but because it's Tarantino we all accept it and love it for what it is. He can safely tick off another era on his list, maybe next he will try his hand at a sci-fi, superhero or romcom film..........who knows?
When I first heard about Zero Dark Thirty and what the storyline of the film would entail I thought to myself that it couldn't be done, especially in a respectful way and to not cause too much offence. But then I heard about who would direct the film, The Hurt Locker's Kathryn Bigelow and my faith was restored in the film straight away.
The film starts quite shockingly with a pitch black screen and all you hear is the audio of workers in the twin towers speaking to emergency service workers after the first plane hit the north tower. The film then jumps to two years later in a small tinned roof hanger where CIA agent Dan (Jason Clarke) is asking a detainee some questions, it then gets intense as Dan waterboards the detainee to gain valuable information. Looking on and watching the torture is a new recruit in the form of Maya (Jessica Chastain) who has alot to learn while living and working in Pakistan.
The story follows the main characters of Dan and Maya working as CIA agents in Pakistan with other government agents tasked to try to find out where the location of Osama Bin Laden is and to take him down and stop the threat posed by Al-Qaeda.
As the film progresses at a steady pace you become totally submerged in the narrative of the film, as the C.I.A team gather information from waterboarding detainees and working on leads to the top men they come across no valuable information. With top bosses coming in and demanding "I want targets and I want them dead" it's a very stark reality that what they are doing is finding out where the top Al-Qaeda men are and taking them out one by one. The film is mainly aimed at following the long ten year career of Maya so we see all the terrorist attacks around the world in her ten year career on screen and in my opinion handled with such great care and respect.
As C.I.A agents come and go over the ten years you see that Maya is adamant on finding OBL and taking him down once and for all, stopping at nothing to find him. With torture being dismissed by President Obama via a real interview conducted with the President shown on a TV the team adjusts their tactics. With some leads finally coming up Maya is adamant on working on a courier lead that she believes will lead them to OBL and his whereabouts. Meeting with top official C.I.A Director Leon Panetta (James Galdolfini) Maya and her team must convince him that the third male person in the compound they have found in Pakistan is the wanted Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden. Soon enough they get the go ahead and a strike force team is setup to fly in by two helicopters, enter the compound, take down OBL and collect as much evidence as possible.
Soon enough your in the helicopter with the special agents about hit the compound and the film shifts gears and slows right down with some of the most intense scenes I've seen this year. Your hands start to sweat and your heart beats really fast as your on the edge of your seat and sucked right into the action. Even though you know what outcome of the film is going to be you become truly immersed in the scenes.
The film itself in my eyes is a triumph, the storyline of the film shows the meticulous work that goes into evidence gathering and how they follow up possible leads. The use of fast paced scenes for the first three quarters to then juxtapose and slow right down to the last quarter of the film is very well done. With just low light and sound used in the compound scenes it has a simple feel to it and is nothing too overly "hollywood" and feels truly real. Jessica Chastain's character portrayal as Maya is flawless, she starts off as a shy, timid agent straight out of Harvard and transforms into a swearing, confrontational, determined agent who will stop at nothing to take down OBL. The film doesn't dwell on past attacks, it shows them briefly and moves on handling them with the upmost respect. If their was any film this year that I would highly recommend seeing then this would be it as it is a truly amazing cinematic film and well worth a watch.
One film that I have finally seen after putting off seeing for weeks it's The Impossible, a hope filled story about how amazing the human spirit can be.
Based on a true story it sees the Bennett family decide to go on a Christmas Holiday break to Thailand, upgraded to a beach side villa they spend time with each other at the beautiful holiday resort. While the family are sat by the swimming pool that's when disaster hits, a tsunami hits the resort washing away trees, buildings and of course all five family members.
As Maria (Naomi Watts) and Lucas (Tom Holland) are left to drift in the water they finally unite and learn to help each other out to find safe shelter and help. As you follow their story you see how strong the mother and son bond is and how much they both depend on each other in order to survive. The simplest of emotional scenes where a mother looks at her son and then another stray child they've found in the water just shows the caring side of a family unit.
As they both find help from the local people and are taken to the local hospital Lucas is told to help other people find their lost family members. The story then turns to the father Henry (Ewan McGregor) , as he walks through the mud he is eventually re-united with his two youngest sons Thomas (Samuel Joslin) and Simon (Oaklee Pendergast). With the mother lying in hospital it's up to eldest son Lucas to find his other two brothers and father in and amidst the complete chaos at the local hospital. With chance meetings running through some of the scene's it's a question of will the mother survive? and will the family be finally re-united at last?.
The most impressive scenes in the film have to be that of the tsunami and the aftermath as the scale of the scenes are impressive. The way in which audio and sound are used during the film really make it feel real, from the whirling of the water and the burst ear drum whine it's clever.
Of course it has to be said the film belongs to Naomi Watts and Tom Holland as the relationship between them as mother and son is really impressive and shows how strong a mother and son bond can be. With mother and son swapping places from a scene at the start and end of the film it's a nice little swap with poignancy behind it.
The only downside I can find with the film is that some of the scenes are a little too predictable and you can guess what will happen next. Sometimes you feel the film could have gone into different territory and finished off some other peoples stories in the film but it's nothing too bad.
Overall The Impossible is to be seen as a film about how amazing the human spirit can be and how important family life is as you never know what can happen next.
Les Miserables.
If there was one film I vowed last year I would avoid seeing it would have been Les Miserables mainly for the reason I particularly avoid musicals and any type of musical style film. I went into this film like a blank page, not knowing anything of the story of the film, I was open to everything and certainly kept an open mind as well.
From the very start of the film you see the sheer size of the production of the film as Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) along with other prisoners are seen hauling a massive sailing ship into port as Javert (Russell Crowe) looks down on the men. As Valjean changes his ways, becomes a model citizen and mayor of a small town and breaks his parole he vows to change his life for the better. Of course the ever present Javert is always around and still searching for Valjean.
With Fantine (Anne Hathaway) thrown out of Valjean's factory she turns to prostitution where Hathaway tackles what is one of the films most iconic songs 'I Dreamed a Dream'. It has to be said that her vocal performance is one of pure perfection and she is able to lead you down a path of misery with a certain fragility ringing out in her voice. The pure emotion that comes out of her voice is mesmerising and it certainly had me welling up and on the verge of tears.
What follows is of course a story of Valjean vowing to look after Fantine's daughter Cosette. With the inclusion of the Thenardier's (Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter) they bring a sense of fun and liveliness back to the film especially after the previous emotional scenes from Valjean and Fantine.
Of course there has to be a story of love as delicate Cosette (Amanda Seyfried) and strong Eponine (Samantha Barks) both fall in love with Marius (Eddie Redmayne). With Marius involved in the student uprising it sees Valjean take their side and fight the French army, cue plenty of gunfire and some big cannons. As the film progresses you see the aftermath of the rebellion, the result of the love triangle and of course the culmination of Valjean and Javert's cat and mouse relationship.
If you were to strip the film down and take away the singing the film would suffer as some of the best emotional performances are poured out through song. The only downside being that of Seyfried's voice it can be at times a little bit too trilly and Russell Crowe's voice has a certain rock feel to it.
But credit goes to director Tom Hooper who decided for the actors to sing and record vocals live during the filming which brings out an authentic feel and shows off the true potential of the actors. Especially Hathaway and Jackman as they both shine and impress with strong vocal performances.
Overall I would say Les Miserables is truly an emotional, staggering film. The storyline that runs throughout the film has you emotionally up and down, the actors performances are stirring and mesmerising at the same time. Even if your like myself who avoids these types of films, once you become immersed in the storyline you will truly enjoy it.
When I look back at 2012 I realise that I have missed seeing some of the years best films at the cinema. SO this year is going to be different and I can happily say that there are plenty of varied films for you to go and watch.
So the list I made for my top films to see of 2013 came to a total of 51 films which is alot of films to hopefully go and see this year. But I have narrowed the list down and have come up with my top 10 films you should go and see this year.
My Top 10.
Les Miserables (Jan 11th) - I have to start with what is going to be one of the biggest films of this year and love it or hate it but it does look impressive. Directed by Tom Hooper whose previous directorial movie was the highly successful The Kings Speech shows that the film will be of a high calibre. The story of the film was of course made famous by the stage production that can still be seen in many different countries around the world. For the people who don't know the story of Les Mis it's a tale of fight, dream, hope and love set in a 19th Century France.
With the list of cast members including Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Redmayne, Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter you can expect some truly inspiring and memorable performances. Of course with the story starting out on the stage expect plenty of singing and some great vocal performances from the star studded cast. I myself will admit I'm not much of a musical fan and at first I saw this as a film to avoid but take away the singing and you have a great story of fight, dreams, hope and of course love.
Gangster Squad (Jan 11th) - This has to be one of this years best gangster films, maybe the ONLY gangster film out this year. The film itself is based in the turn of the 1940's and 1950's where East Coast mobsters turned to living in the Los Angeles area and made the LA area their base for organised crime.
As East Coast main mobster Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) arrives in LA he's met with opposition from a group of no holds barred cops including Sgt. John O'Mara (Josh Brolin) and Sgt. Jerry Wooters (Ryan Gosling). Cue the inclusion of the very cute and attractive moll of the film Grace Faraday (Emma Stone) and you've got a great gangster film with plenty of explosions, car chases and bullets flying.
Django Unchained (Jan 18th) - The new film by Quentin Tarantino and of course you can expect the usual Tarantino traits, plenty of blood, violence, a story of revenge and maybe even a mexican stand off. The story is based around Django (Jamie Foxx) who is saved from slavery by Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz).
Django is trained as a bounty hunter and both are on the hunt for two brothers, instead they turn up at the plantation of Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio) where Django's wife is being held as a slave. With Leonardo DiCaprio playing a vicious plantation owner it'll be interesting to see how he plays a much nastier, darker side that he's not used to. So if your expecting a good old revenge blood fest then by all means watch Django Unchained as it'll be right up your street.
Lincoln (Jan 25th) - If their is one politically based film you have to see this year it has to be Lincoln, aptly about the sixteenth President of the United States of America Abraham Lincoln. A story of conscience as the President must choose one of two paths to either save thousands of lives, bring peace and end the American Civil War or end slavery?.
With Steven Spielberg at the helm of the film you can expect a truly memorable and cleverly thought out film. With Daniel Day-Lewis playing the role of Abraham Lincoln it truly is scary at how much he looks like Abraham Lincoln. From the trailer you can see that the film will strike a chord with everyone to think about not just the film itself but also our own countries situation and maybe inspire a feeling of patriotism in us all.
Oz: The Great and Powerful (March 8th) - The award for the film which is the most visually spectacular it would have to be this. When I first heard about this film being in production I dismissed it and thought it would be a stupid concept. But from the trailer (below) you can clearly see that it is visually spectacular and the storyline and cast lineup is looking good as well. With the Spiderman Trilogy's Sam Raimi directing the film it see's his return to the big screen and what is looking like a great/alternative/fantasy film.
The story see's a stage magician Oscar Diggs "Oz" (James Franco) transported to the fantasy land of Oz where he meets three witches. The three witches Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams) aren't convinced Oz is the real wizard of Oz everyone has been expecting. Drawn into the land of Oz he must find out and use his magic and illusions to find out who is good and who is evil before it's too late.
Byzantium (May 3rd) - Now this is probably a film that not alot of people will have heard of but I'm really excited by this film. The main reason is that it's a vampire film, I know you'll sigh but trust me this will be a return to how vampire films SHOULD be done. With the director of Interview with the Vampire (Neil Jordan) at the helm you can expect plenty of blood and an intricate storyline running throughout the film.
Of course the storyline of the film is based on two sisters Clara Webb (Gemma Arterton) and Eleanor Webb (Saoirse Ronan) who seek refuge in a deserted guest-house called Byzantium. As Eleanor befriends Frank (Caleb Landry Jones) she tells him their secret that they are 200 year old vampires. As the knowledge of their secret is spread their past finally catches up with them with deadly consequences.
With no official trailer being released for the film yet, check a blood filled scene out below of Saoirse Ronan's character quenching her thirst for blood.
The Great Gatsby (May 17th) - From visionary directory Baz Luhrman who brought us the modern day adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, Moulin Rouge and Australia comes his next film The Great Gatsby. An adaptation of F.Scott Fitzgerald's novel set in Long Island- New York it tells the tale of Jay Gatsby.
As Nick Carraway (Toby Meguire) a mid-westerner moves to Long Island he becomes fascinated with his neighbour, Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio). As he gets into Mr Gatsby's inner circle he sees what his life is really like, full of obsession, madness and tragedy. The film itself does look extravagant and truly shows off the style, class and lavish lifestyle the people of the 1920's lived in New York.
Man Of Steel (June 14th) - This has to be one of the superhero films of the year that will be watched under a microscope and will be the big talking point in the Superman fandom. Not directly being called Superman but Man of Steel it has a feel of a new beginning for the superhero from Krypton. The story is of Clark Kent (Henry Cavill) who is sent to earth by his biological father Jor-El (Russell Crowe) after the destruction of Krypton. Adopted by Johnathan (Kevin Costner) and Martha Kent (Diane Lane) he struggles to understand who he is and hides his powers. As Earth is under threat from refugee Kryptonian's led by General Zod (Michael Shannon) he must use his extraordinary powers to protect and save Earth.
The main reason for people (including myself) to be excited about this films is because of the production team behind it. With Zack Snyder the director of Watchmen, Sucker Punch and 300 directing the film, Christopher Nolan of The Dark Knight Trilogy producing and co-writing the story with David S Goyer of The Dark Knight Trilogy it's a phenomenal trio. Lets hope that this trio and the cast make a film as memorable and long lasting like previous DC films but also re-invigorate the Superman franchise as well.
Pacific Rim (July 12th) - Considering their are over ten or more sci-fi films coming out this year alone, this one has definitely caught my attention. A film set in the near future, it shows how portals open up under the sea letting giant "kaiju" monsters through to attack Earth. Of course Earth builds giant robots "Jaegers" controlled by humans to fight off the monsters. But with the monsters coming through alot more frequently they employ a washed up Jaeger pilot Raleigh Becket (Charlie Hunnam) and his Jaeger to deal with the problem and head into the fight.
The visuals from the trailer clearly show that it is giving every sci-fi film a run for its money and what do you expect with Guillermo del Toro directing the film. Yes the Pans Labyrinth, Hellboy 1+2 director is directing what is to be his first ever sci-fi film so you can expect stunning visuals and an interesting maybe quirky storyline as well.
Monsters University 3D (July 12th) - The last film on my top ten list has to be the one animated film I'm really looking forward to. It is of course Pixars next outing the pre-quel to Monsters Inc it's Monsters University.
With the plot for the film still under wraps all we know about the film is what the trailer shows and part of the film will be about friendship. Set ten or so years before Monsters Inc Mike and Sully are part of the same fraternity at University aiming to graduate and become scarers. The pair are rivals at first but at some point the pair become best friends which obviously forms part of the plot of the film but how do they become best friends?.
This is obviously a Pixar film so you can expect to see something truly visually astounding, the storyline will be something either tragic or endearingly heart-warming. But from the pairing and friendship of Mike and Sully it will be a story of friendship and their will no doubt be plenty of laughs along the way.
So this is my list of recommended films you should go and watch over the course of this year. It is a list of mixed films from musical dramas, an epic sci-fi film to a superhero re-invigoration their are plenty of films out there for you to go and see.
