Quick Reviews #22: Oscars 2019

With the Oscars tonight, I thought I would share my thoughts on the films nominated that I've seen (and haven't already reviewed on here). So read on and enjoy my reviews of Shoplifters, The Favourite, BlackKklansman and If Beale Street Could Talk.

Shoplifters

The film's vagueness takes a moment to get used to but once you're invested you won't want to leave the beautifully layered characters portrayed on screen. This family of misfits are flawed, they make mistakes, they are human and you are completely suckered in by them. It's a slice of life film unlike any I've seen before and although it may not be action-packed, the emotions run high and really stay with you, this is also helped by an amazing final shot that still lingers in my mind.

4/5

The Favourite

It’s no doubt a Yorgos Lanthimos film with its weird offbeat tone, jarring visuals and witty comedic writing. However, this does feel a little safer than the director’s previous works, still not conventional but definitely less out there. It’s a solid film, the story works, the jokes hit and the performances are amazing but it just lacked that extra something that I was looking for from the director to make it a true masterpiece. 

4/5

BlackKklansman

One of the only things (if any!) to look forward to from the Trump presidency was the art that would be made in response to it. This is one of those stories that really needs telling right now and it really hits a nerve that I don’t think could have been hit at any other time. The film isn’t subtle about its approach but for the most part it works, it tells a very interesting story, suckers you in and then knocks you out with its ending, which is one of the best of the year for me. Great performances, cool music, a resonant story and a good balance of humour and emotion, this film is very well rounded and it’s a hell of a ride.

4/5

If Beale Street Could Talk

The film is just a mix of so many wondrous elements. I’m a romantic at heart and I absolutely loved the flashback sequences, they’re overly sentimental and gorgeously shot, fully capturing the relationship on an emotional level before pulling back the curtain to the tragic present of the story. The supporting cast truly supports the film, the characters feel real and you want to see as much of them as you do the leads, it’s a marvel on both a writing and a performance level. There’s so much great in this film it can barely contain itself, not to mention the score which is absolutely beautiful and has not left my head since the film finished. I think I actually preferred this to Moonlight, so it’s crazy to wonder how this wasn’t nominated for more Oscars.

4.5/5

What did you think of these films? Good, bad, okay, let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading!

Quick Reviews #20: Oscars 2018 Edition

The Oscars have been and gone; this year with less drama and more predictability (for better or worse). I've been pretty good at catching the nominees this year - seeing all but one from the best picture list. I haven't reviewed them all though, so here's my Quick Reviews post for you guys to see what I thought of the other nominees - other than Get Out and Dunkirk that I haven't reviewed before. So read on and enjoy. 

The Shape of Water

A new film with an old school feel, from the plot to the pacing. It’s typical Guillermo del Toro, one of the best auteurs working today, his style is all over it and the story is the right mix of strange and beautiful to have come from his mind. It didn’t strike me as much as some of his previous films, however it is still an amazing watch. Its story of outsiders strikes a chord right now still making it worthy of its Oscar win, even if - yes - I do think there were better films in the line-up this year.

4/5

Lady Bird

I went through all the emotions watching this film. Greta Gerwig has made a gut-punch of a film; a coming of age story that’s all about walking the dangerous line of being an individual and wanting to fit in. I dare any millennial not to relate to this film: the feelings and the emotions just rang so scarily true. This is the kind of film I’ve always wanted to write, I’ve even tried to, but I don’t think I would ever be able to perfect it the way Gerwig has.

5/5

Call Me by Your Name

A fairy-tale romantic film set in the Italian countryside that’s bursting with sex and sensuality. As coming of age films go this one can be a hard watch at times. As you know the flourishing romance has a time limit on it; this is all going to end in tears. Knowing this I tried not to get too attached to the main characters but it was impossible to do so. Their chemistry, despite the age gap, is electric and I was a mess when it all came to an end. The whole thing has a love song music video vibe to it. I loved it.

5/5

Phantom Thread

It's gorgeous to look at, as it entices you in, captures you and takes you on a dark and twisted ride through a relationship like no other seen on film before. A superbly crafted film with excellent performances all round and a surprising and darkly funny script. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this one. It’s a shame it never got as much hype as some of the other films on this list; it deserved to. It's a good one to end on for Daniel Day-Lewis, too bad he didn’t get the Oscar for it.

4.5/5

Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri

I’ve been struggling with what to write about this one. I really liked it but at the same time I acknowledge the problems it has. They should never have tried to redeem Dixon, he was a great villain and should have stayed that way. We’ve had nonredeemable characters redeemed in the past but the way this film tried to force this one left a bad taste in my mouth. It is just a bad choice in what is an overall good film. A film that could be dark and funny before switching to sweet and sombre within a moment.

3.5/5

The Post

My politics ruined some of my enjoyment of Three Billboards but in this film it elevated the experience. The film might as well be called 2017, the parallels are scary and the Spielberg sentimentality really works and is very much needed right now. It’s very well rounded, has great cinematography, great performances and a great score. Spielberg isn’t losing his touch any time soon.

4/5

What did you think of these films? Did the Oscars get it right this year? Let me know in the comments below

Thanks for reading!

Quick Reviews #16: Oscars 2017 Edition

Another year, another Academy Awards. This year, apart from the snub of Silence, is not as controversial as many before it, in fact I would go to say that this is one of the strongest years of the Oscars yet, I would happily give the Best Picture award to most of the nominees. Why can’t we have these kinds of films spread out across the year, I spent most of 2016 thinking it was a bit rubbish for films, how wrong was I! Now I’ve already spoken about a few of the nominees in previous posts, so I’m allowing this edition of Quick Reviews to be focused on the one’s I haven’t spoken about yet. So read on and find out what I thought about some of this year’s Oscar nominees.

La La Land

The film industry’s darling and the favourite for nearly everything at this year’s Oscars, and do you know what, it’s actually quite good. It’s mix of exciting drama and musical numbers really helps elevate it as something quite special with the performances of its stars, especially Emma Stone, being the cherry on top. Personally not my favourite film on the list of nominees but a great film none the less and one that I would not be upset about if it does end up winning best picture.

4.5/5

Moonlight

Incredibly well shot and beautifully acted, Moonlight brings us a story not like one we’ve seen before, but one we can all relate to in one way or another. It’s great to see these kind of stories on the big screen, characters that haven’t been represented enough before. It’s easy to see that director Barry Jenkins has poured his heart out into this script but has weaved it together into a poetic and moving piece of cinema. For me it lacked that final bit of something to make this stand out among the rest, it slowed down too much for me near the end and it left me wanting something more to go home with. Maybe that was the point…

4/5

Manchester by The Sea

This film will make you laugh and it will make you cry, almost in equal amounts, it’s an emotional roller-coaster of a ride. It’s a story so well told and structured in a way that keeps you engaged at all times, a true character piece and one that reveals layers upon layers of depth all the way until the end. If this one doesn’t win Best Original Screenplay I will be very surprised. A really beautiful and human film.

5/5

Loving

This is an incredible true story but the film’s slow pace failed to get me more invested in the characters rather than just on a surface level. I loved some of the story choices made, such as choosing to focus on the relationship rather that what it meant on a bigger scale for social injustice, though this is still of course embedded throughout. It had great potential but it unfortunately failed to grip me like.

3/5

Jackie

This film was absolutely stunning and truly uses the full scope of the medium to tell a small and incredibly important snapshot from the life of Jackie Kennedy. The film is almost dreamlike, it cuts around from at least three different timelines, held together by a beautiful and haunting score that creates a sense of dysphoria, much like the mind state of Jackie herself, a woman who is simply trying to process an horrific experience which nobody around her wants to talk about. She’s lonely, isolated, lost in the world and every aspect of the film reflects this.

5/5

Arrival

One of the most gripping Sci-Fi’s I have seen in a long time. This film is one of the most beautiful looking, amazing sounding and really thought provoking films to have come around recently. I’m not even sure I blinked when I saw it, I just wanted to soak it all in and understand it. It’s not a cold film either, it hits you emotionally and this is very much helped by the performances from its great cast. I’m sure it won’t be for everyone but I personally couldn’t find anything wrong with it.

5/5

Hacksaw Ridge

The first half of this film does not deserve an Oscar as much as the second maybe does. It’s quite corny and not very subtle in its approach when it comes to the drama. The war scenes however, are as viscerally amazing as they are brutal, they are very well done and truly pack a punch. It’s a solid war film that’s heart-warming but also a bit heavy handed at times. At least it earned Andrew Garfield the nomination that he definitely deserved for Silence instead… (he’s still very good in this though!)

3.5/5

Moana

I loved how colourful this film was, some of the visuals were absolutely gorgeous. The music is really powerful and I loved how it was used thematically and not just for the big set pieces (though ‘How Far I’ll Go’ is on repeat right now…). A great story for both adults and children, a brilliant and well-rounded family film. Just as good as Disney Animation’s previous film Zootopia, are they becoming the new Pixar?

4.5/5

Hell or High Water

This film is one that’s smart with its simple approach. It’s deeply layered in a way that never makes you root for one side of the characters over the others, the cops or the robbers. It’s a solid thriller with some great performances from all involved, worth a watch but probably not going to rake in the awards like some of the other films in this post.

4/5

Well there you go, I'm actually a little excited to see how this Oscars goes down, is it La La Land's show or is something going to come out a steal its thunder? Do you care? Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading! 

Quick Review #14: Oscars 2016 Edition

Below are some quick reviews/thoughts on some of the films I have watched recently that are in the running at this years Academy Awards. 

Bridge of Spies

I watched this film just before I went on holiday to Berlin in order to enlighten myself on some of the city's history and it did not disappoint. Spielberg and Hanks are always a winning combination. This film is an absolutely solid drama/thriller and piece if cinema.

4.5/5

Trumbo

A well-made, enlightening drama on a cause and a period of time that I had little knowledge about. It also made me want to write, which is never a bad thing.

4/5

Spotlight

This film is great. Solid performances, solid script, solid directing and a true story scarier than any horror film.

4/5

Room

I have not been invested in a film this heavily for a long time. This film had me gripped from start to finish. It didn’t take me long to care for these characters who were brought to life by the two incredible leads, both worthy of winning all the awards this season. This film was so powerful and it wasn’t just the obvious moments that I teared up over, it was the small moments, the one off comments that seem like they don’t mean much but in fact they mean so much more, these moments were so perfectly interwoven into the film that I am in awe of both writer and director for accomplishing a film just as good as this one is.

I can’t stop thinking about it.

I absolutely loved it.

5/5

The Big Short

I liked this film; it’s an intriguing take on what could have been a dull subject. I felt at times the film was trying too hard to be smart but overall I enjoyed it. I hope it doesn’t win best film at the Oscars, it doesn’t feel original enough to do so. Performances however are all on point.

3.5/5

Carol

I had a hard time with this film, between the meandering pace and the unlikeable characters I found difficulty investing myself into any of it. You can’t criticise the two lead performances but I went into this film expecting more and just came out feeling bored. I realise I am in the minority on this one but this film just didn’t grab me like it has obviously grabbed others.

2/5

Brooklyn

This film gets all the emotional beats just right, I’m not going to lie I was a bit of a wreck by the end of it. I’m sucker for a good romance and this is definitely one of those. A few odd character choices near the end didn’t make this one flawless however Saoirse Ronan’s performance definitely was. It’s between her and Brie Larsson at this year’s Oscars.

Loved this film!

4.5/5

So there you have it! I think it's pretty fair to say that if I wanted any film to eat up all the awards this year it would be Room, I absolutely adored that film!

Who are your favourites in the Oscars race? Let me know in the comments below!

Thanks for reading!

Nightcrawler

Nightcrawler was pretty much unknown to me until about a couple months ago when the excellent trailer came out. I knew straight away it was something I really wanted to see. Unlike last week's Fury, Nightcrawler did not disappoint at all.

The film follows Lou Bloom, a man who is in desperate need to make it in the world. He finds himself in the world of crime journalism and becomes a freelance nightcrawler, filming urban street crime for news channels. 

Lou Bloom is a very weird guy. He's intense, creepy and has a dark side which comes into play when he starts to blur the line between observer and participant in the crimes he is filming. Bloom is played by Jake Gyllenhaal, who is at the best he has ever been in this film. Gyllenhaal is pretty much unrecognisable in Nightcrawler and lost a bunch of weight to play the character. Bloom may not be a character you particularly like but he is so interesting and unpredictable that you will be on the edge of your seat for the whole duration wondering what crazy stuff he will be doing next. He isn't a character you sympathise with, but you will see a man who has been shaped by the economic climate and has also been overloaded with a bunch of information from the Internet on how to make it in the world. Jake Gyllenhaal should definitely being seeing some Oscar nods for his incredible performance. Other great performances come from Rene Russo who is excellent as news director Nina. And Riz Ahmed who plays Lou's partner Rick, also really good in his role.

The film is really dark and is very good critique of media culture, especially news corporations and the lengths they will go to get their ratings. It may not be as subtle as the message was brought across in Gone Girl but it still is a lot of fun and very thrilling film to watch unfold. The relationship between Lou and Nina is played out really well and although it goes to some really messed up places it is never unbelievable. I found it similar in theme to Breaking Bad, with idea that bad guys make it in the world whilst the good ones get left behind.

The cinematography is great, the film is very good looking and portrays the streets of downtown L.A as dark, gritty and a scary place to be. This is the directorial debut of Dan Gilroy, previously a writer of films such as The Bourne Legacy, and he has gotten off to one hell of a start. As an aspiring filmmaker myself, one could only dream of writing and directing a film as good as this to begin with, I can't wait to see what he does next.

As you can tell, I really, really loved Nightcrawler. It is definitely one of the best films this year and I hope it generates a lot of awards buzz. I am giving this excellent film a rating of 5/5.

What did you think of Nightcrawler? Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading!

The Oscars Predictions 2014

The Oscars are just round the corner and I thought I would give my thoughts and predictions on the nominees this year. I'm only going to do the categories that I have seen most of the films in, I'll tell you who I want to win and who will most likely win because unfortunately they are rarely the same.

Best Director
David O. Russell – American Hustle
Alfonso Cuaron – Gravity
Alexander Payne – Nebraska
Steve McQueen – 12 Years A Slave
Martin Scorsese – The Wolf Of Wall Street

I'm a massive fan of Scorsese and would love to see him win this award, however I think it will go to Steve McQueen.

Best Picture
American Hustle
Captain Phillips
Dallas Buyers Club
Gravity
Her
Nebraska
Philomena
12 Years A Slave
The Wolf Of Wall Street

The film I would most like to see win this is The Wolf of Wall Street. All the films this year are brilliant but The Wolf of Wall Street tops it, however I think it will be 12 Years A Slave that gets it.

Best Actor
Christian Bale – American Hustle
Bruce Dern – Nebraska
Leonardo DiCaprio – The Wolf Of Wall Street
Chiwetel Ejiofor – 12 Years A Slave
Matthew McConaughey – Dallas Buyers Club

Hands down Matthew McConaughey, I feel for Leonardo DiCaprio and I wanted this to be his year but I want McConaughey to get it and think he will also.

Best Actress
Amy Adams – American Hustle
Cate Blanchett – Blue Jasmine
Sandra Bullock – Gravity
Judi Dench - Philomena
Meryl Streep – August: Osage County

This is probably the category I am least sure about. My favourite performance on this list is from Amy Adams so I hope she gets the award.

Best Supporting Actor
Barkhad Abdi – Captain Phillips
Bradley Cooper – American Hustle
Michael Fassbender - 12 Years A Slave
Jonah Hill – The Wolf Of Wall Street
Jared Leto – Dallas Buyers Club

I really want Michael Fassbender to get this one, he was one of the best things about 12 Years a Slave. However there is a lot of hype around Jared Leto so I have feeling he could be taking the award instead.

Best Supporting Actress
Sally Hawkins – Blue Jasmine
Jennifer Lawrence - American Hustle
Lupita Nyong'o – 12 Years A Slave
Julia Roberts – August: Osage County
June Squibb – Nebraska

Out everybody on this list Jennifer Lawrence is the stand out performance for me. However I can see The Academy giving it to newcomer Lupita Nyong'o, either way they it will be well deserved.

Best Original Screenplay
Eric Singer & David O. Russell – American Hustle
Woody Allen – Blue Jasmine
Craig Borten & Melisa Wallack – Dallas Buyers Club
Spike Jonze – Her
Bob Nelson - Nebraska

For me this is a showdown between American Hustle and Her. I have no idea how it might turn out though. May the best screenplay win!

Best Adapted Screenplay
Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy & Ethan Hawke – Before Midnight
Billy Ray – Captain Phillips
Steve Coogan & Jeff Pope – Philomena
John Ridley – 12 Years A Slave
Terence Winter – The Wolf Of Wall Street

Hands down Before Midnight should get this award! However because of the dodgy rules of adapting it might not be held as highly as its other competitors because it's not really adapted from anything apart from the characters from previous films in the trilogy. Fingers crossed though!

Best Cinematography
The Grandmaster

Gravity

Inside Llewyn Davis

Nebraska
Prisoners

It's got to be Inside Llewyn Davis right? Surely...

Best Film Editing
American Hustle - Jay Cassidy, Crispin Struthers and Alan Baumgarten

Captain Phillips - Christopher Rouse

Dallas Buyers Club - John Mac McMurphy and Martin Pensa

Gravity - Alfonso Cuarón and Mark Sanger

12 Years A Slave - Joe Walker

When editing I have always been told that more is better. So why Gravity is on this list and The Wolf of Wall Street isn't is beyond me! However I feel it will be either Captain Phillips or 12 Years A Slave because both have excellent editing.

Best Original Score

John Williams, The Book Thief

Steven Price, Gravity

William Butler and Owen Pallett, Her

Alexandre Desplat, Philomena
Thomas Newman, Saving Mr. Banks

Best Visual Effects

Gravity - Tim Webber, Chris Lawrence, Dave Shirk and Neil Corbould

The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug - Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon, David Clayton and Eric Reynolds

Iron Man 3 - Christopher Townsend, Guy Williams, Erik Nash and Dan Sudick

The Lone Ranger - Tim Alexander, Gary Brozenich, Edson Williams and John Frazier

Star Trek Into Darkness - Roger Guyett, Patrick Tubach, Ben Grossmann and Burt Dalton

Gravity should definitely win both of these, the score was great and come on, the effects were mind blowing! And who nominated The Hobbit? Apart from Smaug that film's visual effects were terrible!

So that concludes my opinions on The Oscars for 2014. It's a strong year, most of the films nominated are really, really good so I'm happy.

Do you agree with who I want to win and who I reckon will most likely win? Let me know in the comments below!

Thanks for reading!

Her

I had high expectations for Spike Jonze's new film Her and I can safely say that those expectations were met. Her is a really sweet film about human emotion, love and happiness and the different ways we seek it. I am big fan of romance films that push the boundaries and try something new, hence why Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is one of my favourites. Her takes the sci-fi element of A.I and doesn't have it destroy the world at the end, it uses it in a different way, to explore the need for social and human interaction.

Set slightly in the future, Her follows Theodore Twombly after his recent breakup with his wife. Lost and lonely Theodore finds love with a new A.I operating system named Samantha. The two go through the highs and lows of relationships as well as exploring what it means to be human, especially if you can't be because you're a computer.

The relationship is helped made real by the brilliant performances of Joaquin Phoenix and Scarlett Johansson, who really are good in this film, they turn the unconventional relationship into something believable. This is more Phoenix's show though, he holds the piece together as the ever sweet and lovely Theodore, you can tell Spike Jonze knew this as well because the film is pretty much made of just close ups of his face.

Although it mainly is made of close ups the film still looks really beautiful. The soft camera focus really brings warmth to the story as well as helping realise a futuristic hipster like Los Angeles. There are some really cool looking gadgets in the film that are never to far from the reality of today. The whole film doesn't seem to far from a truth that could soon be realised.

I spent a lot of the film wondering how it would end and I think Jonze did too, because unfortunately the final act feels a bit rushed compared to the slow burning build of the relationship throughout the film. The film connected to me on a basic emotional level but I was still left wanting more. Don't get me wrong, I still think Her was great and I was happy that it was as good as I had hoped it would be, but it did not hit me as hard emotionally as I thought it would.

The writing and style of the whole piece is really well done and I feel that Jonze was able to get across his message nicely in the film, however I do feel it could have been a bit shorter as it started to drag a little near the end. The good points of this film very much outweigh the bad, that are really just small personal niggles for me. I am rating Her a 4/5.

What did you think of Her? Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading!

Quick Reviews #7

Odd selection of films for this post of quick reviews. Two Oscar nominated films and one that should have been in for Best Animated Film, if it had come out earlier. Read on to find out what I thought of The Lego Movie, Inside Llewyn Davis and Dallas Buyers Club.

The Lego Movie

This animated film is brilliant. It is a very nostalgic piece that brings you back to your childhood and reminds you of all the crazy and weird things you can do with Lego. The film feels like a child could have written the story and I do not mean that in a bad way! The story is big and wild as you follow Emmet, the special one who has been prophesied to save the word from the evil Lord Bussiness. Emmet however is a pretty average figurine living in a world run by one company, with their views and beliefs being chucked down his neck. Yes The Lego Movie is also political, but it's not distracting from the amount of fun you can have with it if you just sit back, relax and expect stupid hilarity that will have you laughing throughout. The Lego Movie is one of the smartest animated films I have ever seen, even though it is one big product placement, it never takes itself too seriously and never fails to make you laugh. It's just a lot of fun and so it should have been because that's what playing with Lego is all about. The film makes you feel like a kid again as you remember the wonders and imaginations of Lego with stunning CGI and stop motion animation. Bringing characters like Batman into the mix makes my inner nerd squeal and putting them into the crazy adventure is all a plus. I also saw it in 3D which was good but I wouldn't say it was necessary. I am giving the film a rating of 4/5. Take your family and go see it!

Inside Llewyn Davis

The Coen brothers latest film is a treat. The beautifully shot Inside Llewyn Davis follows a folk singer as he tries to get through life after his music partner has committed suicide, and whilst his luck is generally just going down hill. The film is bittersweet but Oscar Issac manages to bring a softness to character who seems unlikeable but by the end of the film I was really caring for him. The film has the most amazing lighting, every shot looks incredible and a lot of care has gone in to them, as you would expect from a Coen brothers film. The best thing about this film is it's relationship with the music, much of the film is full of musical performances but every single one feels unique and adds a new depthness to the already well written characters, never getting boring. The music itself is also great and there is a great selection of songs on the soundtrack, which I bought immediately after seeing the film. It's a tragic yet sweet story that is put together so well with its great shots, lighting, dialogue and performances. The Coens always bring lightness to a bad situation with their brilliant writing style. I know Inside Llewyn Davis is going to be one of those films that I can watch over and over again. I am giving it a rating of 5/5. I wish it all the best at the Oscars this year!

Dallas Buyers Club

I knew this film would be good but I didn't expect it to hold up so well against the other Best Film Oscar contenders this year. I was wrong, Dallas Buyers Club is an incredible film that feels very relevant for the time we live in. even in our world now, there is still a lot of prejudice against homosexuality and AIDs and this film strives to change our views even though the film is set in the 80's when our prejudices were worse than they are now. I would give an Oscar to Matthew McConaughey right now if I could, he has my metaphorical vote for his performance as  Ron Woodworth, a man who strived to get medication to AIDs patients after being diagnosed himself. It's a truly powerful and uplifting story despite it's heavy topic, the way it unfolds took me by surprise and kept me hooked to the screen at all times. This is a really brilliant film that needs to be seen by everybody, its story is one that needs to be told even though it took an age for the film to be in development. The use of sound and cinematography heightens all emotions as you start to feel for a character that began as racist, homophobic cowboy. The other highly commendable performance that everyone is talking about is Jared Leto's. Believe the hype, he is great, but I think the spotlight deserves to be on McConaughey, who really does go all out for the character. I loved this film, it is amazing and therefore I am also rating it a 5/5. It may not win Best Film but it should win Best Actor hands down!

What did you think of the films I have reviewed? Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading!

Rush

You do not need to be a fan of Formula 1 to watch and enjoy Rush. All you need to be a fan of is great stories and tremendous film making. Fortunately for me, I am a fan of all three and absolutely loved Rush and believe it to be the best film of the year so far!

Rush tells the incredible true story of the rivalry/friendship of Formula 1 drivers James Hunt and Niki Lauder. As an F1 fan I am aware of this story but it was great to see it unfold on the big screen that truly captured the narrative in an exciting and emotional form. One of the greatest things about seeing the film is the brilliant casting, the actors were almost identical to that of the real people involved. Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Brühl give off the best performances of their careers whilst looking perfect as Hunt and Lauder. With the Oscars already starting to be a talking subject I could definitely see their names being thrown about as well as the film itself.

The film has a very stylish look and it seems hit and miss director Ron Howard has put a lot more effort into this film compared to his last effort with the disappointing The Dilemma. The film takes you straight back to the 70's with it's excellent cinematography that recreates races perfectly and puts you in the drivers seat getting up close and personal with the drivers themselves. All with a nostalgic aesthetic and an awesome score from Hanz Zimmer that makes this film feel very, very cool.

But it's not really about the racing, although it does play a big part in moving the story forward, it's more about the two maverick drivers. Both different, both with pro's and con's that make you empathise with each driver in different ways. The script by Peter Morgan is very good at not making you root for just one of the driver's but seeing the different points of view of both. 

The dangers of F1 are considerably lower now than they were in the 70's and the film questions what type of men wish to risk their lives racing cars, men who have nothing to lose?. These questions of morality and love make Rush deeper then just your average biopic and Ron Howard succeeds in making one biopic about two men and events that would change both of their lives. The film is a fast paced emotional rollercoaster from start to finish, that packs a punch for audience member whether they be F1 fans or not. Rush is not just the best film of this year, it is also one of the best I have ever seen, a truly inspiring work of film making that I am giving a rating of 5/5.

Did you love Rush as much as I did? Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading!

Quick Reviews #2

So here is another round of quick reviews for you. This week we have a couple of Oscar contenders, a bromance and a Kevin Smith classic. Two of the films have Ben Affleck in them and two also have John Goodman. So please read and enjoy:

Flight

Oscar contender number 1 and the first of the films to star John Goodman (who is comedy gold in it). Flight's plot goes like this; 'An airline pilot saves a flight from crashing, but an investigation into the malfunctions reveals something troubling.' When I first saw the trailer for this film I expected a pretty fun 12A certificate film starring Denzel Washington as the hero who saves a plane full of people. Instead this is a 15 certificate film that deals with anti-hero who suffers with alcohol and drug addiction. This is not a warm an fluffy film, it's pretty hard hitting stuff at times. This is not the Denzel Washington we are used to, here I didn't know whether I wanted the guy to go to jail or not. For the most part I ended up liking the performance but disliking the character. My praise for this film goes to the first and last 30 minutes. The start of the film is thrilling and terrifying, director Robert Zemeckis creates yet another incredible plane crash that had me scared to the bone. After the start it slows and turns into what can only be described a boring old 'oscar bait' it has it's moments and pays off in the end but I was disinterested throughout the middle of the film. I realised that the rest of the film was not going to be as thrilling as the start but I didn't realise just how slow it was going to be. There is no doubt that this is a strong film and a good return to live action for Zemeckis but I just wish I had a been a little bit more involved and had a character I could invest in and want good things to happen to him/her. A great load of performances but it probably won't win a lot at the Oscars. This film varied between a rating of 3 and 4 for me so therefore I am going to give it a 3.5/5. 

End of Watch

This film was the biggest surprise to me. End of Watch’s plot goes like this; 'this film follows the daily grind of two young police officers in LA who are partners and friends, and what happens when they meet criminal forces greater than themselves.’. I was first surprised at the camera work, the trailer led me to believe that this going to be yet another hand held found footage films but in fact only parts of the movie are like that. However a lot of the camera work it is still hand held and the shots last no longer than 3 second before cutting to another angle throughout most of the film. This technique might not be to everyone’s taste but it did add that extra tension and made for a very fast paced film, where you are on edge throughout the film, feeling a lot like the characters do. The story to this film is good but it would be nothing without the chemistry between Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena's Characters. Their friendship/bromance makes this film! I have never seen chemistry like it, their connections seems so real and it really makes you fall in love with the two of them. It is definitely the best bromance I have seen and there have been some good ones in the recent years. I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed this film, no matter how exaggerated some of the situations may be or how many ‘f’ words a stereotypical Mexican can say in one sentence, there is something about this film that draws you in and engages you to the very end and even after that you are left craving more. It’s thrilling, exciting, scary, emotional, powerful and full of kick ass action, I am rating this film a 4/5.

Mallrats

The first film in this post starring Ben Affleck. These last couple months I have been going crazy and watching loads of Kevin Smith films. Why have I not seen these before? The guy basically writes characters who are nerdy teenagers and chucks them into hilarious scenarios. Not everyone may want to hear about what would happen if Superman got Lois Lane pregnant but this is just the kind of rubbish I will talk about with my friends! Anyway Mallrats’s plot goes like this; 'Both dumped by their girlfriends, two friends take refuge in the local mall'. This film isn't going to blow your mind, it's just going to make you laugh and have a good time. The characters are lovable idiots and you enjoy watching them. Like in mist of Kevin Smith's films, Jay and Silent Bob are up to no good yet again, causing mischief and attemting to use 'the force' and other hilarious stuff, I will never grow bored of the two of them. It is unfortunate that we get no dance scenes from them however. The film is just stupid, but a good stupid. A familiar face turns up also (not that he was familiar at the time) and I'm not just talking about Stan Lee, you can also see Michael Rooker at his worse. Yeah the guy who plays Merle in The Walking Dead and my oh my have the years done his acting talent well! All in all this film is not amazing and not many people will remember it but people like myself will love it and that is enough to call it a 'cult' film. I love Kevin Smith but to me this isn't his best film, therefore I am giving Mallrats a rating of 3/5.

Argo

The second Oscar contender and the second film starring Ben Affleck and John Goodman. This film has a lot of hype and I can see why. It’s not your typical ‘Oscar bait’ but it sure is damn good. Argo’s plot goes like this; ‘A dramatization of the 1980 joint CIA-Canadian secret operation to extract six fugitive American diplomatic personnel out of revolutionary Iran.’ This film is tense, really tense. And that is just how a thriller should be. It’s hard and scary to believe that the events that take place in this film really happened. Ben Affleck and his team’s attention to detail to make this film historically accurate is astonishing, not one piece of set or prop looked out of place. It's not until the end credits do you realise how similar all the actors look to the real people they were portraying, a true achievement in attention to detail in the make-up department. The story is the strong point though, I love a bit of espionage and spy work! And the story is then held by an amazing cast of actors including my favourite at the moment, Breaking Bad's Bryan Cranston, who is making his transition from TV to film, he stands his ground among a crowd of very talented actors. This film just is pure great and another great film from Affleck, a director/actor who is now at the top of his game and shrugging off previous projects such as Daredevil. I am hoping Argo will sweep the board at the Oscars soon as it deserves it! Finally a film I can get behind that has a good chance of winning. Personally I would prefer Django Unchained to win best film but we can all guess that it is unlikely. Either way Argo is brilliant and I am giving it a rating of 4/5.

Thank you for reading! Do you agree with my reviews? Please comment below.