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.

The Wolverine!!!!

The Wolverine.

When the world of X-Men was released to the world one of the main characters who came out as a big fan favourite was Wolverine (Hugh Jackman). Three films into the franchise and the world finally got a Wolverine only film 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine' which wasn't received very well. But this time round it feels that the Marvel franchise have got things right deciding to carry on the story after the death of Jean Gray. 

Picking up after the third film it shows how a  down and out Wolverine is living in the wild with a grizzly bear and has recurring nightmares of killing Jean Grey. As he gets into a fight in a local bar a young Yukio (Rila Fukushima)  intervenes and saves him from killing anyone. Explaining who she is and who she works for he is soon flown to Japan to meet his long lost friend Yashida (Ken Yamamura). Finally meeting the older Yashida (Hal Yamanouchi) the story of how they both met is played out on screen as you see Logan saving a young Yashida's life and in exchange for him saving his life he says he can make Logan mortal again. 

Soon enough Logan is approached in his sleep by Viper (Svetlana Khodchenkova) who implants something into his body which he has no knowledge of as he thinks it was a nightmare. As Logan is attacked and fights his way to save Yashida's daughter Mariko (Tao Okamoto) he sustains cuts, stab wounds and gun shot wounds to his body but yet he doesn't heal like he used to. Hindered by this affliction he carries on as normal trying to find Mariko and also try and regain his superhuman powers as well. 

With a final showdown with a massive metal samurai you finally see who is behind it all and what they truly want. Will Logan unleash the Wolverine and save Mariko and will he regain his superpowers again?

One thing I loved about this film is the setting, set in Japan it gives the film a different feel and using Japanese characters really does bring something fresh to the table. Hugh Jackman looks incredible, it has to be the most ripped he has ever been to play the rabid Wolverine and it really shows on screen. During fight scenes you see all his veins pop out and you see the stress lines on his face which just gives that ferocious image that better edge. The storyline is a clever one and I like how it follows on from the third X-Men film instead of being a complete new story and allows the story to possible follow on even more. 

With the added Marvel scene after the credits have rolled by it shows and sets up what we can expect from the next X-Men instalment film: X-Men: Days Of Future Past.

8/10.

Les Miserables!!!!

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.

9/10.