August: Osage County!!!!

August: Osage County.

What started out as a play by Tracy Letts has been transferred and made for the big screen with what is this years biggest high profile cast for a film. The original storyline is that a family is brought back together to the family home after a tragedy takes place, together they all reveal their own problems and thoughts of each other. 

The film itself takes place in the family home in Pawhuska, Oklahoma where husband and father Beverly Weston (Sam Shepard) an alcoholic poet is interviewing a young native american woman Johnna (Misty Upham) to be a stay at home cook and carer to his wife Violet (Meryl Streep) . A drug addict and woman who speaks first then thinks afterwards is certainly a handful and who has been diagnosed with mouth cancer. 

As disaster strikes the family Violet rallies round the family members to return to the family home. First is her sister Mattie Fae (Margo Martindale) and her husband Charles (Chris Cooper), next is the youngest daughter Ivy (Julianne Nicholson) the quiet single one. Barbara (Julia Roberts) the oldest arrives with her husband Bill (Ewan McGregor) and her teenage daughter Jean (Abigail Breslin). Finally middle daughter Karen (Juliette Lewis) arrives with her new fiancée Steve (Dermot Mulroney). 

Finally all assembled at the family home they all soon enough start tearing into each other, Violet lets her family know what she really thinks of everyone and lets her bitter tongue do it's work. With Barbara and Bill's seperation revealed to the whole family she is in the firing line of Violet's vicious words. As a late running Little Charles (Benedict Cumberbatch) arrives revelations are soon revealed as to who he is seeing and also the shock of his real father. The sisters sit down together at last and talk and the truth finally comes out as they open up for the first time and what they think of each other.

The family itself all turn on each other, reminiscing of old times and how each sister is so closed and apart you see the fraught situations life can throw at you. The family you see on screen is how not to be as a family in real life, people cope with life in many different ways and this family on screen does everything the wrong way. 

It has to be said Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts are seriously impressive as they are both stripped right back to just dialogue filled scenes. Streep as Violet the bitter and opinionated mother matriarch is on top form and plays the drugged up mother perfectly. Of course the scenes where we see Streep and Roberts together are just perfect as they both bounce off each other certainly are able to bring out their characters with ease. 

A film that doesn't have all the big budget effects or seat gripping thrills but what it does have is dialogue filled to the point drama and with such a big named cast they pull it off. If anything this for me has to be one of Streep's best films since The Iron Lady and is Roberts best film in years as she is taken back to basics of just acting and dialogue. For anyone who enjoys a good dialogue filled drama with top performances from top actors showing off their raw acting talent then go watch it as you'll thoroughly enjoy it. 

8/10.

Delivery Man!!!!

Delivery Man.

I have to admit this was an odd choice of film for me mainly because I don't tend to see comedy films at the cinema not unless I've heard great reviews. But going into this film I went in with open eyes and didn't have a single expectation or prior knowledge about the film with only what I had heard from other people who enjoyed it.

Delivery Man sees the main character David Wozniak (Vince Vaughn) living his life day to day as a meat truck delivery man for his fathers butcher shop. Soon enough his past comes back to haunt him as a lawyer turns up from a sperm bank saying a mixup at the clinic states he is the biological father to 533 children and 142 of them want him named.

With a lawsuit on his hands in which he would be named as the father he enlists his out of practice friend Brett (Chris Pratt) to help him with his case. Given a folder of photos of some of his kids he sets out to see them but instead ends up helping each of them with a random act of kindness. Slowly seeing them over time and learning about their lives and also learning to love them as his own kids he has a moral dilemma and needs to work out what to do next.

Vaughn is of course his usual self and what you expect from him is what you get, funny quips about fatherhood and his usual style of humour are all here to see. The storyline is a nice one as it flows along quite well being a straight forward feel of a film with no added frills or tricks. It is at times a very funny film as simple things like falling off a diving board gets alot of laughs, Vaughn is of course in his own comfort zone and he does it well. 

Obviously the film is too generic for me it has the usual themes we have seen a thousand times before, funny it may be it didn't interest me too much. But it did entertain me, this being the key thing it is clearly a film to just sit and have on in the background and even if you miss a part you know what the ending will be.

For fans of any of Vaughn's previous films will love this and for anyone who likes a comedy that has a heart and something to entertain you as well.

6/10.

Nebraska!!!!

Nebraska.

The latest film from director Alexander Payne (The Descendants, About Schmidt) sees him cover the subject of an ageing man with onset dementia set on going to Lincoln, Nebraska to get his one million dollars. 

Woody (Bruce Dern) wanders the highways trying to walk to Nebraska but is always picked up by the Police, David (Will Forte) is Woody's son and receives countless phonecalls about his father being picked up at the side of the road. With his mother Kate (June Squibb) pretty much leaving him to it and saying "he never told me he wanted to be a millionaire" they have a ageing style marriage.

David soon decides to let his father have his way and he decides to drive him to Nebraska to show him that it is nothing but a scam. On their way there Woody has a fall and the pair detour to their old town in which they used to live, Hawthorne. While there they bump into and meet a whole bunch of people Woody knows, his old business partner, old friends, old flames of his past and of course his family who have stayed in Hawthorne. 

With the news of Woody winning a million dollars word gets around and soon enough they all start coming out of the woodwork asking for money. People saying that they're owed a certain ammount of money and then family members also asking for money in which they gave to Woody back when he was an alcoholic. 

Soon enough Kate arrives and becomes the wife she has always been, defending Woody and fighting his battles for him she confronts the family members and tells them where to go. Humiliated by the locals and his old friends and family David tries to convince his dad that it is a complete scam but he is having none of it. 

Arriving into Nebraska the pair finally learn if Woody has really won a million dollars and will he be able to drive back through Hawthorne with his head held high?.

The film for me is really impressive but also really funny in its own quirky way, the subject matter is simple yet allows for characters and situations to come through so easily. Situations with quick whip lines between family members and how family members interact after being apart for so long are covered in a funny way. Bruce Dern was made to play the role of Woody as he plays him with such ease, at times you feel like your watching a documentary of a real life situation and this film could really happen as well. June Squibb is perfect as the wife and mother Kate as she brings her own humour to the film but also is a perfect wife and mother defending her husband who you can see she puts up with all the time. 

The humour and comedy in the film is perfect, from long pauses and stupid glances at the dinner table to a scene where Woody and all his brothers are sat watching TV it's funny but so real and relevant today. The stupidity of family members who also get sucked into the scam has the "I told you so" moments for David. Shots of the vast landscape show how desolate and unpopulated the areas are in which they travel and also live and let you know the towns are small and everyone knows everyone. 

One theme I saw was acceptance, acceptance of each others situations and that at times you have to accept who your family is no matter what situation their in. Learning to see who your real family and friends are and realising what you had and what you have now as well. 

For me it's one of the best comedy's of the year and from a seasoned professional like Alexander Payne who we can say has made yet another great film that no doubt will be in many category's come award season.

10/10.

The Family!!!!

The Family.

Robert De Niro is obviously known in the world of films for playing gangsters, two most poignant films being in The Godfather II as Vito Corleone and then Jimmy Conway in Goodfella's. Both parts were to gain him BAFTA and Oscar nominations in which he took the Oscar for his role in The Godfather Part II, it's safe to say he is one of the screens best gangsters. But it has to be said that De Niro has lowered his guard with this film as it has all the hints of being a good gangsters film but in the end it just feels flat and bland which is a shame. 

Starting out by telling the story of the Manzoni family you see Giovanni (Robert De Niro) being blown away by a sabotaged barbecue. Driving down a country lane Giovanni and his family, wife Maggie (Michelle Pfeiffer), son Warren (John D'Leo) and daughter Belle (Dianna Agron) are looking for their new home in Normandy, France. Relocated yet again the family have been placed into witness protection after Giovanni decided to tell on his own mod family and have mob boss Don Luchese arrested and imprisoned.

As the family try to settle in things don't go according to plan, Giovanni hospitalising the local plumber, Warren embezzling and blackmailing students, Belle fighting off sleezey boys and Maggie blowing up the local store. The family is of course looked after by FBI agent Stansfield (Tommy Lee Jones) who is tired of relocating the family and just wants them to all "blend in" but to no avail. 

Soon enough the family are tracked down and Don Luchese's hired men arrive in town and set out to take out the whole family and leave no-one alive. With the family split up and their lives in jeopardy their going to have to work together as a family and use their killer instincts to survive.

The film is ok but is honestly nothing more than a entertaining gangster style comedy film, it could have been alot better but it just seems to skim over the characters and finishes too abruptly and quickly. De Niro you can tell will take any role involving a gangster to get viewers to pick up some of his better older films like Goodfellas. This has to be Luc Besson at his most complacent and feels like he is just making the film to entertain and not really bring anything new to the table. 

Pfeiffer, Agron and D'Leo are all good and add to the film in their own way but they don't impress and only add to the fast paced moving storyline.  The action is fast and slick but again it moves along just too quickly, leaving you satisfied it doesn't have you guessing and feeling you've seen something new and impressive. 

Overall a nice action film that if you want to watch and have on in the background you can do as even if you miss parts of it you'll still understand the ending. 

6/10.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire!!!!

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

The second film in The Hunger Games book trilogy this film has alot of anticipation and of course the return to screen for the Oscar winning actress Jennifer Lawrence. 

The film of course starts as we see the changed lives of Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) who live in a seperate winners village. Travelling around the various districts to thank them and to show the world their true love for each other they have to keep the people peaceful. 

President Coriolanus Snow (Donald Sutherland) is constantly watching the couple and advises Katniss that she convinces the people of the districts her love for Peeta to keep the peace of face the consequences. With some advice from Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour Hoffman) he wants Katniss dead so he changes the 75th annual hunger games reaping. The winners from the past 74 hunger games will be chosen to represent their district in the 75th hunger games (The Quarter Quell) which means Katniss and Peeta will be fighting to survive yet again. 

With the build-up to the hunger games Katniss and Peeta must make allies to fight with when in the arena to survive. Each competitor showing off their skills most of them are impressed with Katniss's archery skills and decide to be allies with her. Finally in the arena they are all up against different various challenges, raving mad baboons, acid gas, a river of blood and flocks of mockingjays they have a big task ahead of them. With everything against them, the threat of their families being killed and President Snow set on having Katniss dead what will happen to Katniss and Peeta?

The film itself is a big improvement from the first one and it has a great pace to it, building up from all the preperation your soon enough thrown right into the action. Seeing Katniss and Peeta back in the arena and this time with alot more allies gives a more unified feel to the 75th quarter quell. The different elements in which they are up against is a great idea as they are not only fighting for survival but also fighting the elements as well. 

Jennifer Lawrence is again just on fine form and you can tell she has become an impressive actress who falls into the character of Katniss so easily and no doubt she'll get better and better. The supporting cast of Hoffman, Sutherland, Harrelson and newly added Jena Malone and Sam Claflin give the film a bit more variety and brings in more characters to progress through the film.

For a second film in the hunger games franchise it is a step up and really impresses, with the same director on board for Mockingjay Part 1 you can expect something just as impressive and action filled with yet more big name actors added to the franchise. 

9/10.

Don Jon!!!!

Don Jon.

Numerous actors are trying their hand at writing and directing, Joseph Gordon-Levitt is another one of those people and not only has he written and directed the film he also is the main star.

"My body, my pad, my ride, my family, my church, my boys, my girls, my porn" is the list Jon Martello (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) rhymes off that are the most important things to him in his life. A promiscuous male in which every night-out ends with him bedding a girl and the nickname Don Jon he is soon not satisfied with the sex so he turns to one of his obsessions, porn. 

Then one night a girl arrives into his life that makes him change, Barbara Sugarman (Scarlett Johansson) is out with friends and he soon enough works his moves and tries to take her home but to no avail. Tracking her down and asking her out for coffee the two hit it off and a relationship starts to form but he just isn't completely satisfied. Caught watching porn by Barbara he vows to her that he doesn't watch porn and that only men who don't get any watch it. 

Now changing the error of his ways he takes night classes and soon enough the urge comes back and he starts watching porn again, caught watching it on his phone by Esther (Julianne Moore) he feels embarrassed. Esther sympathises with him and at first mocks him but then she understands him and tries to make him see the error of his ways and that porn isn't all it's cracked up to be.

With Jon's family loving his new girlfriend and the relationship potentially on the rocks if he gets caught again and the guidance from Esther he has some serious thinking to do but what outcome it is is up to him.

For what is a film about the male man finding love and learning about the error of his ways Levitt has touched upon a subject that is never really addressed head on and at times in a funny way. Lines like "they give awards for films......they also give awards for porn" just shows at times the naivety men can have. Levitt plays a great character who goes through the motions of what he thinks and feels love is to him, a proud man of his posessions, his boys and family he's every girls perfect guy. Johansson is of course allowed to be at times overly sexy, tight pushed up dresses, teasing and the prominent accent all add to the possessive fantasy character that Barbara is. 

Flash scenes of how Jon goes to church and confesses in the confession box are at times too repetitive but it adds to what is Jon's repetitive lifestyle. Some scenes in the film can be seen as quite erotic especially when he is stood outside Barbara's apartment  stood behind her wanting to go "inside" and instead he "goes" in his trousers (pardon the pun/innuendo's) you can guess what happens in the scene.

For what is Joseph Gordon-Levitt's first directoral  full length film he has produced something that is essential in today's modern day society, yet he keeps it tongue in cheek as well. Strong performances from the man himself, Johansson and Moore keep the film heading down a straight path and not becoming too funny or too x-rated he balances both quite well. 

For anyone who enjoys a good romance film with some porn and life lessons thrown in then this is the film for you.

8/10.

How I Live Now!!!!

How I Live Now.

One thing that was close to happening in the UK in the early 1960's was the Cuban Missile crisis where the UK was at panic stations and under threat from all out nuclear war. With the United States finally agreeing to a un-heard kept quiet arrangement with Cuba the threat of Nuclear War was to be stopped dead in its tracks. 

This is where the premise of How I Live Now comes in. A young girl Daisy (Saoirse Ronan) is flown from her home in the United States to spend a summer in the UK with her cousins Edward (George MacKay), Isaac (Tom Holland) and Piper (Harley Bird). As the three are left to fend for themselves in the countryside while Daisy's Aunt Penn (Anna Chancellor) travels back and forth to London as she works for the government the four get along well. Daisy soon starts to become attracted to Edward as he shows her that she doesn't need to be so uptight and nerurotic all the time, finally giving in the two soon become a couple and enjoy each others company. 

As a bomb goes off in London the whole of the UK is now into lockdown, with a US consulate arriving to give Daisy a flight back to the US she has to decide what to do. Staying with her cousins they are soon rounded up by the Army and are sent to different locations within the UK. Edward shouts to Daisy to travel back to the house if they have the chance as he will meet them there and they can be together again as a family. Situations change for the girls and for the boys, being attacked and nearly held hostage, staring death in the face and learning to love what you have in life now they go through alot of motions. 

For a film that has the underlying theme of a Nuclear bomb going off in the UK it shows how the government would have reacted to this and how to protect their own residents. It is of course a typical boy meets girl, get seperated, vow to find each other, bad things happen, find each other and live happily ever after type of film which I didn't expect. Ronan as Daisy is the main impressive force in the film and you see her character change and learn to be a better person over the course of the quite short film. The on screen love story between Ronan and MacKay could be seen as happening for real on screen as the two outside of the film are now dating. 

For a film about a Nuclear threat I found it too bland and not enough information was given out, who attacked the UK, what happened to change the situation in the end, what was the resolve and what happened to the mother/aunty. Obviously it wasn't to go into too much detail as it would baffle and confuse a much younger generation in which this film is mainly aimed at. A nice film that lacks that information based history that I wanted to get from the film but praise to Ronan again showing she is a strong actor and on the verge of great things. 

7/10.

Prisoners!!!!

Prisoners.

A film that took me by surprise this year is Prisoners mainly for the fact it was certainly under the radar and not particularly hyped up by any film or online websites. It certainly is a film that has everything you want from the style of abduction and search film that this is and it has everything and more to keep you hooked. 

Set in the state of Pennsylvania the film sets the scene in a quiet suburbia where two family's are enjoying each others company with two little girls running around outside with their siblings. As the two girls decide to go back home to look for a whistle they set off on their own and soon enough you don't see them again. 

As the film moves along you see the two fathers Keller (Hugh Jackman) and Franklin (Terrence Howard) frantically search for their daughters. A young mentally challenged drifter Alex (Paul Dano) is arrested in his mobile home which was spotted on the street the girls were playing on, searched and forensically checked his mobile home comes out clean and he is released with no charge. Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal) is soon put on the case, a detective that has solved every single case that he's been given. Soon enough Keller see's that Loki isn't doing enough and decides to take actions into his own hands. 

With a storyline that twists and turns it keeps you hooked all the way through the film which I was surprised at. Covering all the characters back story's we see the very American Keller who is a hard working joiner and hunter who stockpiles food for emergency's he's a true hearted American. Franklin is a more reserved straight down the line family man who rarely strays from the path of good. Alex is a loner, mentally challenged young man who is just in the wrong place at the wrong time, he is a victim of circumstance. 

Jackman is intense and at times really scary as he comes across as a desperate man who will do anything to get his little girl back. He is a strange character as you side with him at first then you turn on him and then you side with him again it's very back and forth with him. Dano plays the vulnerable Alex well even though he doesn't have many lines he physically shows the lost character.

For a film that I wasn't too sure of to start with I have to say I was hooked and drawn in, I sided with characters throughout the film, I wished things to happen to characters and I still didn't figure out the ending. It takes a good strong twisting and turning story for me to not work out the ending of the film but it got me I couldn't work it out. A really impressive film that is really dark at times and shows the lengths people will go to to find their kidnapped loved ones. 

9/10.

Ain't Them Bodies Saints!!!!

Ain't Them Bodies Saints.

When you watch a film and all of you senses are heightened be it visually, from the sounds and the whole image and feel of the storyline you know your onto something special. This latest film from writer director David Lowery really is something to admire, sit back in awe and get fully transported back to the mid south of America. 

A story of love as Ruth Guthrie (Rooney Mara) and Bob Muldoon (Casey Affleck) rob a local shop their soon on the run from the police and end up in a Bonnie and Clyde style gun fight cornered in an abandon house. As Ruth shoots and injures local cop Patrick Wheeler (Ben Foster) Bob decides to give himself up and take the blame for shooting the cop, thrown into prison he's forced away from his love and un-born child. 

With Ruth spared jail, sent back home and setup in her own house by Skerritt (Keith Carradine) she lives a simple lifestyle with her new born daughter. As news arrives to her that Bob has escaped from jail she is soon questioned by Patrick about his whereabouts and whether she has hears from him at all. Soon enough gangsters and the police are looking for Bob and he is forced to go on the run, fend for himself and also try to contact Ruth and see his daughter for the first time as well.

Bob is determined to win back Ruth and stick to his promise that he would find her and they could live happily ever after. Obviously he has alot going against him with Skerritt telling him to leave Ruth alone and leave town and not come back he has more enemies then friends. Ruth of course strikes up a friendship with Patrick and has some soul searching to do, does she start a new life with Patrick or does she stick with her promise to Bob. 

The film visually is stunning, some Malickesque images are their to be seen but don't linger on screen for too long and cut away quite quickly. I have to mention Bradford Young's cinematography as it is spectacular, using old style cameras it has that grainy dark feel to it which gives that gloom type of feel that is needed for this at times dark style film. Sound is used to not just bring in music but also sound effects with the sound of crickets and bugs heightened it transports you into the heart of the mid south. 

All actors have their time on screen and are allowed to shine and let their characters grow and flourish on screen. Mara plays Ruth with a melancholic and confused demeanour and at times you do feel for her, Affleck plays a quiet yet confident character who deep down knows he's a weak and beaten man. Foster is a nice addition as Patrick as he brings in a more confident and solid male figure into Ruth's life which she really needs. 

A really impressive film that takes you back to the 70's style western era with some strong visual images that really pop out on the screen. With the combination of background sound, a great soundtrack and some impressive performances it is a impressive film and no doubt a stepping stone for greater things for writer/director David Lowery.

9/10.

We're The Millers!!!!

We're The Millers.

Yet another funny laugh out loud comedy comes to our screens and I have to say for once I fully enjoyed myself. Given the stupidly at times ridiculous earlier years release of This Is The End I found this film alot more grounded and an all round funny film.

As we see a drug dealer David (Jason Sudeikis) selling his usual marijuana to his clients he soon enough is robbed of his stash and has to go speak to his boss Brad (Ed Helms). The only way to wipe out his debts is to go into Mexico and pick up some drugs for Brad and bring them back into the US, simple right, no. 

Thinking about how to get the drugs back into the country he comes up with a genius idea, pretend to be part of a travelling family as they always get past the police and are un-noticed. Recruiting the geeky kid Kenny (Will Poulter) from his building as his son, a runaway homeless girl Casey (Emma Roberts) as his daughter and a stripper Rose (Jennifer Anniston) from his local strip club he is soon on his way to Mexico.

As the pretend family pick up the drugs they soon enough encounter a whole array of situations, from breaking down and meeting a swinging couple to Kenny being bitten by a tarantula the fake family goes through everything a normal family would. As a mixup of identity's the family is soon on the run and it's a race against time to get the RV and drugs back to Brad in time for David to get his cut of the money. 

The laughs are funny and the gags are something you wouldn't have seen before. How the four of them get along is just like what a normal holidaying family would go through as they protect Casey from pressuring boys David and Rose step in to the role as her real parents. As Kenny learns how to kiss for the first time Casey and Rose are on hand to give him advice and some practice as well which obviously ends in an awkward situation. 

I can't give too much away but if your after a bit of a laugh and a film to just not think about and go with the flow then check it out. The storyline is basic and it does have a nice ending to it about how they change as people and are brought together for an extra period of time. Anniston is on form as Rose and really excels as the stripper, with some impressive dance moves which have been sexed up to pull viewers in she is impressive. Sudeikis plays the obnoxious, lazy, self centered father figure well who only looks out for himself. Poulter and Roberts are great kids and really bring some laughs on screen especially Kenny singing along to the radio. 

This film is what it is, it's a funny comedy film with a basic storyline but that's what it was made for to be a funny comedy film. You don't have to think about it just watch it and enjoy the laughs along the way.

7/10.

What Maisie Knew!!!!

What Maisie Knew.

A film that really impressed me and also hit me emotionally is 'What Maisie Knew', set in New York we first see Maisie's (Onata Aprile) parents arguing over who has custody over their daughter. As Susanna (Jullieanne Moore) and Beale (Steve Coogan) argue over their daughter Maisie just gets on with things, answering the door to the pizza man and paying him you can tell she's become an independent girl. 

As Susanna hangs out with her rock band friends and records new music in the studio Maisie is left again to her own devices and soon enough a nanny arrives, Margo (Joanna Vanderham) is blonde and beautiful and the perfect companion for Maisie. Being picked up and carted backwards and forwards to her mum and dad's houses Maisie just takes it all in and acts like a child. As the two parents still fight over their daughter they soon enough get married to help stabilise their appeal for full custody of Maisie. 

With Susanna now married to Lincoln (Alexander Skarsgard) and Beale married to nanny Margo the two couples have everything they could want. With Susanna going away on tour and Beale flying back and forth between New York and London both parents never truly connect with their daughter who they fought so much for. Soon enough Maisie and Lincoln strike up a relationship and the pair start to enjoy themselves despite the drama happening between his new wife and Maisie's father. 

As she soon enough is let down by both her parents and both their marriages have broken down Maisie is left stranded and it is the parents ex partners who have to pick her back up. As Margo takes her off to a remote destination she finally has the stability that she has always needed, Lincoln soon arrives and starts up a relationship with Margo. As the three come together to form a little family it shows at how happy Maisie can be when she has that loving, caring, stable life. 

The film has a great narrative that runs through it, from the chopping and changing of her parents love lives it's surprising that true happiness comes from two non paternal adults. Little scenes that show how much both parents don't know their daughter are also shown, Beale getting Margo to decorate Maisie's room shows he doesn't know his own daughter. Susanna walking in on Margo helping Maisie pick out what clothes to wear and just saying "put that on come on we have to go" shows she spends no time with her daughter or even care. 

Harsh scene's where Susanna says to her own daughter "I married Lincoln for you" shows she will do anything to gain custody of her daughter which includes marrying someone Maisie has never met or knows. At times it is heart breaking to see Maisie go through so much in her life because of her parents, it makes you think that some children will go through this in their life which is quite sad.

For a film I thought I would not like I really was sucked into the film and felt every little thing that Maisie went through, Onata Aprile has to be the cutest little girl I've seen on screen in recent years, I really hope she carries on with acting and becomes the next Drew Barrymore as she plays Maisie flawlessly and really brings joy, sadness and laughter to the screen with ease. A great emotional film for a topic that has become so common nowadays.

9/10.

You're Next!!!!

You're Next.

When it comes to horror films I tend to stay away mainly because the "horror" films put out in cinemas tend to be more of the jumpy kind and tend to be less blood filled. I haven't seen any blood filled horror films this year at the cinema until now, You're Next has plenty of blood and gore.

As the story starts we see a young couple enjoying their down time together, as the guy showers and walks back into the main room he see's a massive "You're Next" scrawled on the wall and see's his partner dead on the floor in a pool of blood.

Soon enough we see the Davison family one by one arrive at their holiday home out in the remote Missouri woods. As the family sit down to their first meal things go from bad to worse as metal crossbow arrows come flying through the windows and one hits a member of the family. As the family realise they are under attack they all become hysterical and try and work out what to do next as an unlikely person steps up. Erin (Sharni Vinson) steps up to take charge and soon enough directs the family as to what to do to survive.

As the three masked gang, Tiger, Fox and Lamb masks take on Erin they all are surprised by what they're up against as Erin fights back. As traps are set and Erin picks up whatever she can and uses it as a weapon as the death toll soon rises and Erin is fighting for only her own survival. As the true nature of the invaders is revealed it will side swipe you and is not anything you would think would happen which is always good.

I can't give too much away as the film has a basic storyline to it but it's the action and really black humour that sets it apart from other horror films. With a twist of the girly girl being the person who can fight back it fits and works well, giving her a good back story as to why she's a trained survivor it's not absurd. 

The way in which the deaths take place are enough especially for myself to sit there and laugh and enjoy them as they are full of blood and at times ridiculous. As you get brought into the film you soon enough take sides and get involved shouting and wanting to see people get killed. At times it can be predictable as well with working out and guessing exactly what will happen next but it's all part of the black comedy.

THE horror film of the year in my opinion, taking horror films back to how they should and used to be, full of blood, plenty of deaths, at times funny and has a nice little storyline to it. 

8/10.

The Croods!!!!

The Croods.

The second animated film of the year for me and it's Dreamworks newest outing in The Croods featuring an array of of well known voice actors. This time round Dreamworks have decided to touch upon the story of a stoneage family who go through "the end" and the journey they take to survive and the family problems they encounter along the way as well.

So onto the film itself, as I described above it is about a family (The Croods) who as they put it are the last remaining human beings alive. Father of the family Grug (Nicolas Cage) is an overprotective dad who tells the family anything new is BAD and will kill them all if they do anything new at all. Mother of the family Ugga (Catherine Keener) is a typical mother who fusses over her family and makes sure they're all ok and keeps Grug in-line at times as well. Son Thunk (Clark Duke) is a typical teenager, he has hardly any sense at all and runs around without any thought in the world and is easily amused. Smallest child Sandy (Randy Thom) is an animalistic little kid who runs around and awesome speeds and is generally a childish character. The older member of the family and the mother in-law Gran (Cloris Leachman) is an old wise woman who always has the line "I'm still alive". And finally we have Eep (Emma Stone) who is an inquisitive girl who wants to do nothing more than to venture out of the cave and explore new things.

As the scene is set you see how frightened the family is of the outside world and how much the father figure states that new things are bad for them. As you see the family go on a hunt for a dinosaur egg to feed the family you see how each member works within the family.

But soon enough Eep sees a bright light pass the cave and decides to follow it and leaves the comfort of the cave and her family. soon enough she gets into trouble and that's when a saviour comes to her aide, Guy (Ryan Reynolds) saves her from being eaten and thrusts fire into the air saving her. As she talks to him she soon realises that her family is not alone in the world and that their are other people out there. As she narrowly just makes it back to the cave to her family with the help from her father Grug she tries to tell family members about who she has met.

As the family cave is destroyed and the threat of being eaten again they finally call upon the help of Guy who comes running in to save the day again. He shows the family members some new inventions like fire and shoes. As each family member learns new things about the world and their eyes are opened their is one person who is not buying this new lifestyle, Grug. 

As the family carries on trying to find shelter before "THE END" takes place the family must learn to trust new things, trust Guy and last of all to accept new things as their not all bad. What happens next I will leave for you to watch, will the family survive "THE END" or will they all stand by Grug and stick to the old ways?

Overall the film is entertaining......for little kids, for adults they will find the film a little bit flat and at times a little bit ridiculous. The voice acting is ok but in my opinion Nicholas Cage just doesn't have that animated film style voice he sounds out of place and just too dull a voice for a kids film. The storyline is to be desired, a simple yet quirky storyline it's fun at times but for most of the time it's just tedious. 

Visually the colours are great, the coloured landscapes and animals featured all show off the animators skills and the 3D for the film just adds more depth to the on screen animation. But don't expect anything deep, thoughtful and emotional like a Pixar movie because you're not going to get it from this film. What you do get is a fun, bright coloured, kids film that all children will truly enjoy and adults wish would be alot shorter.

5/10.

The Impossible!!!!

The Impossible.

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.

8/10.