12 Years A Slave

     The good films of 2014 keep on coming! After the end credits began to roll in 12 Years A Slave I began the thought process on what score to give it. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't find fault with this flawless film by Steve McQueen.
     The story and writing were excellent and the film was crammed with countless talented actors performing at the top of their game. Chiwetel Ejiofor played the role of Solomon Northup and it was his best ever performance to date. Michael Fassbender was a brilliant baddie and was also one of the main sources of humour. Also, Lupita Nyong'o as Patsey puts herself on the map as a talented actress. Smaller supporting roles from Benedict Cumberbatch, Brad Pitt, Paul Giamatti and Paul Dano added to the gravitas of this film.
      The violence was very real and harsh, which depicted a stronger realism to the story. The 12 years of Solomon's slavery were not stated. This was a thumbs up idea, as it meant you weren't sure when Northup was going to escape slavery or how.
     I have not watched a faultless film in a few years and may not again for sometime. So there is a good chance that 12 Years A Slave will be my best film of 2014. But of course, there is plenty of time to go yet.


Stars *****

An Exciting Start!

     After 2013 being a hit and miss year for films I was hoping for a good start to 2014. I have not been disappointed with the first three films I have seen this year:


American Hustle

I am not surprised this is being nominated for awards. American Hustle is a great film by David O. Russell about a con man (Christian Bale) and his partner (Amy Adams) who are forced to work with the FBI. Christian Bale once again shines bright. He also goes all out for his performance physically, sporting a weighty stomach. He has morphed his body before in The Machinist, losing an incredible amount of weight and in Batman he pumped up to become very muscular. So he deserves credit in what he does, but I don't know if this will mean an Oscar.
Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence also deserved to be mentioned for their strong performances. American Hustle is a exciting, funny and well written film and will do well throughout the Award season.

Stars ****


 The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Ben Stiller is main star and Director in one of his best films to date. Stiller plays the part of the day dreaming Walter Mitty wonderfully. Being a day dreamer myself I connected well with the character. I loved the score and this is a lovely film to go and see.

The only criticism I have is maybe it all happened a bit too easily or quickly from Walter Mitty being the under achieving lonely day dreamer to breaking that mould and going on an adventure. Apart from that there's very little to knock about this movie and Stiller has done a rare act and that is make a film that is not based on a true story...albeit a remake...

Stars ****


Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom

A biopic is always difficult, for the simple reason that there's too much to say in such a short time. Therefore a film about the life of Nelson Mandela was always going to be a tricky one. However, I believe that they did a good job. The film was always going to be long, weighing in at 2 and a half hours. But I didn't feel like it went on for too long, nor was it especially rushed. Saying that, I do believe the story could have been better told in some sort of a 10 part TV series.
When I heard the brilliant Idris Elba was going to be portraying Nelson Mandela I was slightly sceptical because I didn't see a resemblance. However, Elba was brilliant. He went out of his comfort zone in many aspects in my opinion., but sometimes (especially when he played the young Mandela) all I could see was Idris Elba rather than Mandela. This distracted me from the story at times. Long Walk To Freedom is still a remarkable film and I'm surprised at how Elba and Naomie Harris were both shunned from the Baftas and the Oscars.

Stars ****

Films 2013

         There were a lot of great films in 2013, but there were also a lot of poor ones. If you missed any then I would suggest keeping clear from The Internship - where Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson rattle off their usual characters in a very average comedy. Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunter - a very poor spin on the fairytale, which has Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton performing well below par.and Hangover: Part III - the worst of an average trilogy. They should have kept it at one film, but they got all excited with how well it did and had to kill it. The awful Fast and Furious 6 - There's been about 6 films too many in this series. Last of all, Pacific Rim - this is probably my worst film of 2013. Yes it was quite exciting watching Godzilla fight the Transformers, but the acting was atrocious and even the awesome Idris Elba couldn't save this abomination.

          There were also quite a few disappointments...A Good Day To Die Hard - I was so looking forward to the next instalment, especially after how great Die Hard 4 was. I loved the trailer and that got me really excited, but the film was painfully average. Anchorman 2 - suffered from similar problems. The trailer was very funny, but it was a timid shadow in comparison to the original. Many of the jokes fell flat and some scenes were just too silly. The Wolverine was another failure, but then again the first Wolverine wasn't that great either. I was also not that impressed with The Hobbit : The Desolation of Smaug - I accept that there will be a lot of softness, as Percy Jackson loves a bit of corniness and wetness, but I actually thought in this 2nd Hobbit instalment that some of the characters were going to break out into song. Hopefully the final film will restore my faith in this rather unnecessary trilogy.

         Anyway, enough of the crap from last year and now to the good shit...Some of the enjoyable films of 2013 were World War Z - Brad Pitt does his usual top notch job in a very exciting and action packed spin on a "zombie flick". Special mention has to go to Chris Hemsworth for his two brilliant performances in two of the top films of last year, in Rush and Thor: The Dark World. I didn't think that Thor was going to be any good, but it was one of the happy surprises of 2013. Hemsworth was awesome, as was the very talented Idris Elba as Heimdall and Tom Hiddleston as Loki. What really made this a good film was the amount of humour that actually worked! Hemsworth also did a very good job in Rush, as the legendary Formula 1 driver, James Hunt.
I enjoyed Ironman 3, even though not many other people seemed to. It was the least best out of the 3 but it still had all the characteristics to be a very good blockbuster. The lovely Robot & Frank should also get a mention. This is a great film to watch if you want to see a strong performance from Frank Langella who plays an ageing man in the near future and becomes friends with a robot who you cannot help but like. Alan Partridge 'Alpha Papa' is funny and adapts well to the big screen, as Steve Coogan reprises the role of the hilarious Alan Partridge who gets caught up in a siege in his own radio station.

         Now for my top 5 films of 2013


5. Mud
Matthew McConaughey proves once again how good an actor he can be in a very tense and well made thriller. Good acting by the children also has to be mentioned, as so many films can fall short when it comes to the kids needing to act.

4. Lincoln
This epic feature by Steven Spielberg had to be up there. Daniel Day Lewis deserved his awards for portraying Abraham Lincoln so well. Even though the film was almost flawless it doesn't make my top 3 because it just needed that extra 'something' which the top 3 films in my opinion had.

3. Star Trek: Into Darkness
I loved the first Star Trek back in 2009 and as ever I am always wary of sequels to great films. Because as shown with Anchorman it's not that easy to recreate a good thing. However, Star Trek: Into Darkness managed it. Chris Pine as Captain Kirk and Zachary Quinto as Spock made a fine pairing once again. Also Benedict Cumberbatch was superb as ever, as the villain Khan.

2. Captain Philips
I always look forward to any film that has Tom Hanks in and I certainly wasn't disappointed with another master class performance. This was a very well written and edge of the seat thriller, based on the true story of a Captain Philips who had his ship taken over by Somali pirates.

1. Django Unchained
My best film of 2013 has to go to one of the first films I saw in 2013 and that is Quentin Tarantino's awesome Django Unchained. Jamie Foxx put in his best ever performance by far and the wonderful Christopher Waltz was at the top of his game. Leonardo Dicaprio and Samuel L. Jackson are brilliant and very likeable bad guys in this wild west epic with a classic Tarantino spin. I would also have to say that Django has to be one of Tarantino's best films, maybe just behind Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs.

The Iceman

   Michael Shannon pops up in two films in quick succession. As a film The Iceman is being overshadowed by the blockbuster Man of Steel. Nevertheless, this takes nothing away from this superb true story based on the notorious contract killer and loving family man Richard Kuklinski. Shannon is excellent as the contracted killer, nicknamed the Iceman. He is supported by a brilliant cast, Ray Liotta, Winona Ryder, Chris Evans and the rarely seen David Schwimmer.
    Based on a true story Roy Demeo (Ray Liotta) takes on Richard Kuklinski (Michael Shannon) as a contract killer and after years of juggling his dangerous profession without his family knowing, things finally unravel, leading to tough decisions to be made from Kuklinski. .
   The film hasn't lasted long at the cinema, which isn't surprising because of it being blockbuster season. But this is a must see once released on DVD.
    I especially enjoyed the unusual and well acted roles of Chris Evans and David Schwimmer.

For fans of true stories, great acting and classy killings.

Stars ****

Iron Man 3

    I was concerned with this latest installment of the Iron Man series. Since Iron Man 2  there has been Avengers Assemble, and I was very intrigued with how they were going to integrate that film into Tony Stark's history within his own franchise.
    I found myself rather pleased with how it was done. Iron Man 3 was a kind of sequel to Avengers Assemble. Stark finds himself to be suffering from anxiety and panic attacks brought on by what he had to go through in the Avengers. The fact that none of the other Avengers were in the film was also handled well, as Iron Man wasn't saving the world, but saving himself and the people he loved. It was made a personal vendetta.
    The villians matched Stark in humour and stage presence. Guy Pearce as Aldrich Killian and the brilliant Ben Kingsley as The fearsome Mandarin were excellent.
   Although probably not as good as the previous two installments in the franchise, Iron Man 3 still hit all the right spots for any fan of the comic book hero. Remember to stay to the end of the credits, as there's a funny scene that should not be missed.

For fans of Iron Man, comedy and an action packed ride.

Stars ***

Bernie

   In my opinion Jack Black  has struggled in recent years to star in anything even half decent. Films such as Year One and Gulliver's Travels were big disappointments, so I almost passed up on Bernie.                              
   However, that would have been a mistake, as Bernie is a very good film based on a true story about an assistant funeral director who strikes up a companionship with a mean wealthy widow, played by Shirley MacLaine, in the small town of Carthage, Texas. Her meanness towards him leads towards her death by his hands and he goes to great lengths to cover up her death. 
   Jack Black is excellent as the incredibly friendly and slightly camp Bernie and there are other good roles from the likes of Matthew McConaughey. Bernie is funny, intriguing and actually quite a sad film. It is good to see Jack Black still has the ability to act and pick films with substance.

For fans of Jack Black, true stories and slightly camp expressions.

Stars ****

Films of April

Identity Thief ***
Sandy Patterson is a nice businessman who has his identity stolen by an apparently harmless looking woman. He has to travel from Denver to Miami to track the thief down as the Police do not have the jurisdiction.
Jason Bateman plays his usual role as the friendly hard done by funny guy. However, he never fails in making me laugh and his co-star Melissa McCarthy pairs up well with Bateman in making this enjoyable comedy.


 Trance****
Danny Boyle's latest film lives up to the expectation. The story is interesting, exciting and keeps you on the edge of your seat. I'll keep this short, as the film is riddled with twists that turns the film upside down and inside out.

James McAvoy improves in every film he is in and annoyingly I missed his other film 'Welcome to the Punch' which was released in the same week. The great Vincent Cassel adds to the well picked cast.


 Jack The Giant Slayer**
This adaptation on the old children's story is fun and enjoyable, but will not be in the top ten at the end of the year. Ewan McGregor and Stanley Tucci always put in a enjoyable performance, while the young Nicholas Hoult is building up his prestige as a recognisable actor that can be the lead actor in a Hollywood film.


Oblivion***
The ever reliable Tom Cruise stars in this beautifully shot futuristic film, in which the earth is a baron planet after humans won a war against an invading alien force, but sacrificed the planet in doing so. Oblivion is a really good Spring blockbuster, packed full action, suspense and magnificent special effects.
I was only satisfied with the ending, as I feel the easy way out was taken.

The Place Beyond The Pines****
The Place Beyond the Pines is an incredibly well made film and story. Once again I don't want to give away any spoilers so I'll step lightly around this one. This film is like 3 stories in 1, which gives it an unusual feel as you have to adapt to the story as it evolves.

Beyond the Pines is one of the best films of the month and a must see.


Oz:The Great and Powerful**
Set as a prequel to the Wizard of Oz, Oz the Great and Powerful does a respectable job of creating a back story to a well known classic. However, after a promising couple of scenes involving Oz, Finley and the china girl, where there are several laugh out loud moments, the film struggles to reach that level again and slowly trails off.



Olympus Has Fallen**
Olympus Has Fallen is a high action robust film, in which the White House is hijacked by terrorists and it is up to Gerard Butler and his shady American accent to save the day. As I am not a insanely patriotic American I found it best to switch off my common sense and political correctness.

I never had a tense feeling in me about whether the good guys were going to win. I just hoped the ending wasn't to God bless America, but it was rather painful and red, white and blue. Remember to set your nausea level quite high.