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.

Films of March

Broken City ***

Russel Crowe and Mark Wahlberg were strong, gritty and played their roles well in this suspense filled crime drama. However, the storyline was rather predictable, and it appeared to me that it was just a matter of time before Mayor Hostetler (Crowe) was going to be taken down by the good guys.
This is still a film worth seeing, as it has the edge of the seat thrills and spills to keep you entertained throughout.


 Robot and Frank ****

Set in the near future, Frank, played by Frank Langella is an old man who is living by himself and slowly losing his memory. His son decides to give him a robot that will help him in his daily tasks, while trying to improve his condition. The relationship between Robot and Frank is a touching one. Frank doesn't like the robot, but they become friends and the film is an interesting story of what life could be like in the near future.

For once a film set in the future was realistic, unlike most films that over estimate technological advancements in such a short jump to the future.


The Incredible Burt Wonderstone ***

I wouldn't say that this was Carell's best film, but there are still a lot of comical scenes involving Carell, Carrey and Buscemi. Burt Wonderstone (Steve Carell) is a selfish, ignorant magician and like the majority of the films I have watched this month it followed quite a predictable route. However, that wasn't as much of an issue here, with it being a a fun comedy to sit back and enjoy. Olivia Wilde, who seems to pop up in a film every month these days, had some of the laugh out loud moments.

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone is an enjoyable comedy with an inevitable ending.


Side Effects ***

Steven Soderbergh's last film Side Effects is a well made crime drama with a big twist, which wasn't obvious, but also wasn't much of a major shock. Nevertheless it is still a tense, well acted story that keeps your mind running throughout.
This is supposed to be Soderbergh last film. However, he is only 50 and I very much doubt this will be the last we see of him. Soderbergh is not the only one to say they're retired and inevitably return, just look at Liam Neeson. Why Soderbergh hasn't just said he's taking some timeout instead of pretending he's retiring I'm not too sure. Maybe it's to create more hype for his next film.


G.I Joe: Retaliation **

I decided to go see G.I Joe in 3D, as I had seen a 3D trailer and for once the 3D actually seemed good. However, the 3D was the best aspect of the film. It was an all action blockbuster, with a lot of guns and explosions, which is enjoyable but the acting was rudimentary and the enjoyment of this film was up and down, as a comical scene was followed by a corny scene or vice versa. The ending was also painfully corny and patriotic.

Films of February - Part 2

Wreck It Ralph ****

   Although Wreck It Ralph is only Disney and not Pixar, this animated movie is original and enjoyable from the off. I loved the idea that the characters in the arcade games are real and once the arcade closed then their work shift was over they could head to 'Game Central Station' which meant catching a train through the electricity wires into the plug socket.
   I actually didn't know what was going to happen as the film built up to it's finale. This is an animated film for the kids and the grown ups and is well worth going to see.


A Good Day To Die Hard ***

   When I saw the trailer for the first time I was desperate to see the film. I thought Die Hard 4.0 was awesome and expected the same with the fifth installment, but after seeing A Good Day To Die Hard I felt strangely deflated. Bruce Willis is his usual super cool, but he is almost playing 2nd fiddle to his son Jack, played by Jai Courtney. This is bad in itself as Bruce Willis is John McClane and John McClane is Die Hard.
   The action scenes are exciting and varied. There are Die Hard style bad guys, but they are nothing compared to the baddies of the previous films. By the end of it I just felt that it was all a bit too easy. Willis didn't seem like he cared, he almost appeared tired with his role....maybe he too realised that this fifth installation in the Die Hard franchise simply wasn't up to scratch.


This is 40 ****

   Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann reprise their roles from the painfully unfunny Knocked Up, in this comedy about a couple who reach 40. I found that This is 40 was an excellent film. Paul Rudd played the exact same character that he always plays, but fortunately I like him. Not only is it incredibly funny through out, with many laugh out loud moments, but it is very real and is a very important story about ageing and growing up. I'm sure most people who see this film will be able to relate some part of it to their own life.

   The running joke of the oldest daughter, Sadie, watching Lost was especially funny. This is not just a film for women or couples, anyone can go and see it and find it funny and enjoyable.

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunter **

   Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton star in this 3D action packed fantasy based on a well known children's story. I had my hopes up that this was going to be a good film, but sadly that isn't the case. There is never any worry that something will happen to Hansel & Gretel, or that the Grand dark witch played by Famke Jansen was going to succeed in her evil plans. However, if you are looking to see a film jammed packed with action and gore then this is for you, but there is little else there for anyone else.

Films of February - Part 1

Hyde Park on Hudson ***

Bill Murray puts in an enjoyable performance of the American President Franklin D. Roosevelt, in this story of when The King and Queen of England visited the President at Hyde Park. However, unlike Daniel Day Lewis' magnificent performance of another President, Lincoln, all I saw with Bill Murray's performance was Bill Murray...

This is a predominantly lighthearted film which unveils a true story that had been unknown for decades until Daisy's (Laura Linney) secret letters were found after her death.


Flight ****

Denzel Washington deserves his Best Actor nomination in this powerful performance of an alcoholic pilot, who comes under heavy fire when alcohol is found in his system after the plane he is piloting crashes. Whip Whitaker (Washington) is a character you can't help but like, even though he's a selfish alcoholic in denial. Flight is one of the best films of the month.



Zero Dark Thirty ***

It was always going to be intriguing to see how Zero Dark Thirty played out, especially with Bin Laden being killed in real life. So this had to be the ending for the film but without making it some sort of God bless America situation. Although this is a good film, well acted, tense and a true story based on real events, there's a annoying sense of generic familiarity to it.

Jessica Chastain plays the hardened female character who is career obsessed and has no personal life, while also not being afraid to swear at and argue with people in authority to her. This has been done a thousand times and in my opinion was an error by the director.



I Give it a Year ***

It was nice to go see a romantic comedy that was a bit different from the usual tripe. Nat (Rose Byrne) and Josh (Rafe Spall) get married after 7 months and their marriage is a struggle as they begin to realise that they are not meant to be together. As the viewer you are actually hoping for the couple not to end up together, which made it different. There was a lot of humour too and this is a very good Couple's comedy.