Fair!!!!

Fair cinema?

Obviously this isn't a movie review but instead just a grievance I have with cinema and the approach it has towards films. When I got to a cinema I expect to see all kinds of films, independent films, low budget films and high end budget films. But recently I have come to the conclusion that cinemas can pick and choose what films they want to show and some like my own cinema only show the major money making films. Now I don't know the whole business side of cinemas and who gets what films and whether or not some production companies show some films at certain cinemas but to me it's getting annoying.

Pretty much four times this year I have wanted to see a film at the cinema and I can't because it is only showing at a certain cinema which I have to pay out in travel to go see it. The first film I wanted to see was 'The Place Beyond The Pines' and was soon with the predicament of it only being shown in Manchester which was my closest cinema for the film. The second film was the highly rated 'Mud' in which again was not being shown in Preston and the nearest showing was Manchester. The third film was 'The East' a kind of anti establishment style film which I had read really good articles about in Total Film and Empire magazine. Again the nearest cinema was in Manchester for me to go and see it in which I couldn't really do. The fourth and final film was the recently released 'The Bling Ring' an anti celebrity film about the real life robbery's of celebrity's homes in the US. Yet again the only place it was being shown near me was Manchester, this is becoming a recurring thing.

Now two films I have seen this year was 'Stoker' at my local cinema which only had a one week run at the cinema which I think is ridiculous as it was and still is in the list of my top 3 films of this year. Another film in which I travelled to Blackpool for was 'Byzantium' a vampire return to form film for Neil Jordan featuring the very beautiful duo of Saoirse Ronan and Gemma Arterton.

You can obviously see my grievance here, films that have some great real-life stories behind them that really make people think about either their social situation or the environmental issues of company's today and they only get shown at bigger cinemas. For too long cinema is only showing mainstream films and shuns the smaller budget films that myself and no doubt other film lovers yearn to see and would love to see as well. Now people can say that I should just travel to Manchester to see it which is true but then a return on the train is £7 and a cinema ticket is £8 that is early £15 to see just one film is a little bit too much for me to be honest as I'm not made of money. 

I really hope smaller films get shown alot more and get give the chance to be shown on a big screen. As for me I'm contemplating going to Manchester to see The Bling Ring and making a day out of it as well. Anyway rant over as this was something I've wanted to air my thoughts on for quite some time.

Byzantium!!!!

Byzantium.

A second vampire film from director Neil Jordan and a return to ways of how a vampire film should be done, dark, sexy and filled FULL of the good red stuff, blood. Yes Byzantium is directed by the man who brought us the classic vampire film 'Interview with the Vampire'. Deciding this time to use the story/play of Moira Buffini it sees the story of a centuries old mother and daughter in modern day life struggling to stay alive.

The film starts out with audio dialogue of the daughter Eleanor (Saoirse Ronan) telling her story and how she arrived at the place that she currently lives. Cutting to a lap dancing club you see the mother Clara (Gemma Arterton) giving a client a lap dance in order to make some money. As a man arrives in the club holding a picture of Clara she's soon being chased by him on the streets as she runs for her life, caught she leads him to her home where she beheads him with some cheese cutter wire.

Setting fire to the flat to destroy the body the mother and daughter leave and end up in a small sea side town where Clara meets a crying grieving client Noel (Daniel Mays). Finding out he has inherited a hotel 'Byzantium' from his deceased mother Clara befriends him and moves herself and her daughter into the hotel.

Soon enough a wandering Eleanor becomes friends with an old gentleman who invites her to his home and explains how he has read her story of her life. He accepts death and allows Eleanor to drain his blood and end his life for him, using her growing nail she slits his wrist and drains his blood. As she wanders into a hotel to play a piece by Mozart on a piano she gains an admirer in a young waiter Frank (Caleb Landry Jones) who follows her and tries to become friends. Deciding to join a college course she finally gets the chance to write about her life story and tells Frank her and her mothers secret which draws in some rather unwanted attention from her tutors. 

As the police find the burnt out flat and the old age pensioners blood drained body the mother and daughter are soon being tracked down by two men, Darvell (Sam Riley) and Savella (Uri Gavriel). Both men look and act mysterious and want to track down the mother and daughter as soon as possible.

As the relationship between the mother and daughter becomes strained and the relationship between Eleanor and Frank becomes stronger what will happen to the two bonds. Will Eleanor and Clara finally escape the sights of Darvell and Savella and how did the both of them become vampires.

The movie is interesting and brings in some different origins and ways in which vampires act and live in the real world during daylight. With the use of a growing finger nail to slice peoples wrists or necks to suck the blood out of victims is unique and a little twist on the usual fanged nocturnal vampire. The way in which they become vampires is like more of an old ritual in which they voluntarily take part in and is impressive with blood flowing waterfalls and packs of black birds swirling in the sky. 

Saoirse Ronan portrays Eleanor really well and plays the innocent young victim daughter with plenty of emotion, Gemma Arterton portrays the young mother who would do anything for her daughter well and shows how much she loves her daughter. I liked the addition of some UK tv actors like Daniel Mays and Tom Hollander as it gave it a more home UK style film and also the fact it's partly filmed in the UK as well. 

Overall it's the type of film for the people who complained about Twilight not being a vampire film, they would love this film. It's dark with plenty of blood and a brooding underlying storyline of love and loss and new relationships. There are no special effects or anything it's a straight up low budget style film that really hits every point of a vampire film. For any Twilight haters go or Twilight lovers go and watch this film and see how a proper blood filled vampire film is done.

8.5/10.