White House Down!!!!

White House Down.

Before you start thinking "wait I've already seen a white house siege film this year" and you would be right. Gerard Butler's film 'Olympus Has Fallen' was released this year and had a slightly same running theme as this film but they are different in certain ways. 

I could go through the whole storyline of the film but from what the trailers have shown you have already seen what the main storyline theme of the film is. As John Cale (Channing Tatum) is a U.S Capitol Police Officer he works constantly and never gets the chance to have some quality time with his teenage daughter Emily (Joey King). As John gets two tickets for a tour of the white house for his politics mad daughter he combines the visit for a Secret Service job interview with an old college acquittance Carol Finnerty (Maggie Gyllenhaal).

With father and daughter seperated and the White House under attack from the inside the safety of the President James Sawyer (Jamie Foxx). As John is caught up in all the drama he decides to take matters into his own hands, vows to save his daughter, save the president and stop the terrorists who have taken over the White House. 

The storyline doesn't particularly deviate too much from this plot line, the odd few generic twist and turns that you could easily work out take place. Seeing a scene at the start showing head of the Presidential detail Martin Walker (James Woods) taking off his US flag pin badge from his lapel on his jacket clearly gives away straight away who is going to be behind the attack. Some scenes do escalate and at times you think "really oh so it's getting that ridiculous".

Tatum as the hulking hero fits into the film perfectly as he jumps, fights and shoots his way through the White House and looking unscathed at times. Foxx plays a more stupid, naive yet verbally articulate and at times geeky president which can come off as a homage to Barack Obama. 

A film with plenty of action yet the storyline is to be desired at times, if your after non stop action with clichéd plot twists that you could easily work out and don't need to think much about it then you'll enjoy this. An entertaining yet predictable film that brings the action, explosions and interesting storyline. 

5/10.

Side Effects!!!!

Side Effects.

From what is to be Steven Soderbergh's last full length directoral film 'Side Effects' is a film which tackles the subject of what happens when people are put on various medications and what it can lead too in life.

The film starts out with the character of Emily Taylor (Rooney Mara) who awaits the release of her husband Martin Taylor (Channing Tatum) from prison. Soon enough the day comes around and she couldn't be any more happier but underneath it all she's depressed and can't cope. After an incident in a parking lot where Emily is hospitalised she is sent to see a psychiatrist, Dr. Jonathan  Banks (Jude Law) where she is prescribed a course of drugs to settle her mind, help her sleep and handle her anxiety. 

As Emily takes more and more different drugs with different "side effects" she starts losing it, as Dr. Banks consults and speaks to Emily's old psychiatrist Dr. Victoria Siebert (Catherine Zeta-Jones) he decides to give her a new pharmaceutical drug called Ablixa. With Emily now more active and happier she looks in control, little does she know of how much an effect the new drug is having and Emily's life suddenly spirals out of control.

Without giving too much away Dr. Banks investigates Emily's deterioration and what went wrong in her life. Was it the drug he gave her?, was it all Emily's fault? or was it a culmination of the wrong drug at the wrong time?.

The hows and whys of what happens next in the film is for you to find out for yourself. It is a great twist and turn, suspense filled, thriller that certainly had me guessing what would happen next only to be the total opposite of what I had guessed. It is a smart film that is cleverly thought out and will have you scratching your head even to the very end when the credits role.

Of course this is Rooney Mara's first lead role since her appearance in 'The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo' she plays a depressed Emily with such fragility and vulnerability that you almost think to yourself your watching a real person breakdown on screen. It has to be said that the film is pretty much Jude Law's as he plays Dr. Banks with such intelligence and charm. He holds things together at the start and slowly loses everything but soon enough he comes back up to be the shining light at the end. Catherine Zeta-Jones gives a strong, powerful performance as a stern but at times naive psychiatrist, Channing Tatum stands as the hulking husband to the demure Mara and brings an air of strength and safety to Emily's crumbling world.

Overall 'Side Effects' is a great suspense filled thriller film, a film certainly for the older adults as the twist and turns of the films narrative could be seen as a bit much for a younger audience. With the surprises coming thick and fast during the film it has you on edge and has you guessing which I love as I like a film that challenges me mentally. 

As this is Soderbergh's last feature film that we know of as we lose him to theatre and the TV world of HBO this is a fine film to finish your movie career off with.

8/10.