Dunkirk & War for the Planet of the Apes

Well this past weekend was pretty awesome one for film. I saw both War for the Planet of the Apes and Dunkirk, and instead of dedicating a post to just one of them, I decided to review both. Read on to find out what I thought. 

Dunkirk

I’m a big fan of Nolan but wasn’t overly excited for his latest project, nothing against war films but they don’t usually do it for me unless they have Star in the title. This one blew me away though, a tightly executed film that felt like the third act of a film stretched into an hour and forty minutes from three different perspectives.

As soon as the film starts you know what you’re in for, the great score once again composed by Hans Zimmer moving the action along, creating enormous amounts of tension from the unseen threat and pumping in tonnes of emotion, heart and most importantly hope.

There’s mixture of great characters in here with a vast cast of excellent performers giving it their all. Mark Rylance was the heart of the film, Tom Hardy was the hero and newcomer Fionn Whitehead is the audience’s way in. And being Christopher Nolan the story is cut into a slightly more complex than it should be narrative that transcends time, sometimes distracting from the story as you try to figure where each scene places. A small criticism in a film that is largely incredible.

The sound was booming and there wasn’t a peep in my cinema that brought in a wide variety of audiences young and old, it was something to be admired. I don’t know how it will play in the States but over here in the UK the cinema was packed and it was quite an experience to see it on the big screen. There was one scene in particular, where a boat is sunk after being torpedoed, that made me think instantly of my Great Grandad that died in WW2 in a similar fashion, it was hard to watch but also something that will and has already stayed with me.

I think that’s what this film gets right, although mostly bloodless, the horrors of war are shown in a completely different way and the desperation and psychological elements engage the audience and make you think long and hard about what the soldiers had to go through. The only thing I could think of that was as good as portraying this was Spielberg’s Band of Brother TV series.

Was this Nolan’s best film? No, but it was still another great addition to filmography. It’s an experience that grabs you by throat and never lets you. It may be his most compact film but it’s still trying too hard to be complex, which is strange considering the story alone is legendary enough to behold on the big screen. It is still done in masterful form, incredibly shot, a flawless mix of live action and CGI, an experience to watch on the big screen, go watch it now. I’m rating Dunkirk a 4.5/5.

War for the Planet of the Apes

The reboot Apes films have always been good but then they kind of drop off the ‘pop culture’ radar after each film. It’s weird considering they are so widely beloved but also good because I was not expecting what I just saw…

War of the Planet of the Apes is a masterpiece in blockbuster franchise filmmaking. It’s a grim and dark film that twists and turns, it’s heavily subtitled and deeply political, how did this film get greenlit and how did this film only get a 12A/PG13 rating? Don’t get me wrong I’m glad it did, I didn’t expect what I saw in this film, each trope was subverted and every moment you thought you knew what was happening it would go the opposite way. The moral dynamics that made Dawn so engaging are back but they are done so much better and the fights seems a lot more personal and emotional, something that was lacking from the last one.

The film is so personal to Caesar’s journey and it’s intricately woven with his mirror image antagonist played excellently by Woody Harrelson. War is kind of misleading with its title, there is action and it is cool but the war is more inner turmoil than external and it’s so well realised and beautiful. Even the big ‘war’ scenes are slowed down for the personal fight and moments between one or two characters.

The cinematography and score is excellent and just to top it off the effects are insane. Like actually photo-realistic insane. It’s got to be seen to be believed but I actually felt like I could reach out and touch each character, I’ve never seen anything like it. If it doesn’t win the Oscar for best special effects next year then it will be a crime, this is the best CGI I have ever seen.

This is a fitting possible ‘conclusion’ to the Apes reboot prequel trilogy and this film really is the icing on the cake, if I was to make any criticism it would be the lack of female characters, but that aside War delivers, firing on all cylinders. The Batman is in good hands of director Matt Reeves who has shown with this film he knows how to handle characters, morality and big themes seriously and with depth and emotion. I’m rating this film a 5/5.

Yes, don't shoot me, I enjoyed War over Dunkirk but only just by a little amount...

What did you think of the films, has this been the best month for film in 2017 so far? Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading!

Quick Reviews #12

I have seen a bunch of cool films (and one bad) recently, all of which I really wanted to review, so here is another round of quick reviews! This time I will give my brief thoughts on six films; The Overnight, Legend, Unexpected, Tomorrowland, Magic Mike XXL and Me and Earl and the Dying Girl. Read on and enjoy!

The Overnight

The Overnight is one the surprise films of the year, I didn't even realise the film existed until recently and as soon as I saw it I fell in love. It's strange, thrilling, honest and absolutely hilarious. It's hard to talk about because it's one of those films that you have to figure out what's going on as you watch it and constantly keeps you guessing as to the intentions of the different characters. Easily the best comedy I have seen this year if not just one of the best overall! Go and check it out! I'm giving it a rating of 5/5.

Legend

Legend is one of those classic gangster films, it's violent and brutal but also really quite funny. I am a sucker for these kinds of gangster films and I absolutely loved this one as well. Tom Hardy proves yet again he is one of the best actors around by playing both of the notorious Kray twins, his performances are so good that you forget that it is just one man performing both. My only problem with the film is the character of Reggie's wife who's troubled history is always hinted at but never actually explained, leaving us wanting more in order to care about her. Apart from that it is a quality film. I'm giving it a rating of 4.5/5.

Unexpected

Unexpected is one of those nice personal stories that can easily connect with audiences. It's about a pregnant teacher and the friendship she has with her also pregnant student. Both are from different backgrounds but they both share the joy and fear that is motherhood. Cobie Smulders is the main character here and she is really good in this film, she goes through the motions of an unexpected pregnancy convincingly. The production is great as well as there is not one fake looking baby bump, (not that I saw anyway), a problem a lot of films dealing with pregnancy have! Like I said at the start, a really nice film, it's not grounbreaking but it's still a good watch that I'm rating 4/5.

Tomorrowland

I think I liked Tomorrowland more than a lot of other people. This film received a lot of negativity when it came out but it ain't half bad! It's a great family film about dreaming, imagination and inventing, you don't get more family friendly then that. It's a bit long and could be streamlined a bit but the production value and special effects are amazing and enough to keep you glued to the screen throughout. Most of the performances are good but there are few dodgy acting moments from some of the younger cast. It doesn't ruin it though, to me it was a really fun and inspiring adventure film. I'm giving it a rating of 4/5.

Magic Mike XXL

I would like to state that I actually liked the first Magic Mike film, it surprised me, for a film about male stripping it had a lot of heart and dealt with a lot of serious issues in a great way. Now we have Magic Mike XXL, a film that promised to be more fun and less serious but ultimately is just not very good. It's constant build up to the final strip leads to a pretty dissapointing finale and whilst we wait to get there the crew of strippers drive from location to location being all bro-y and cool whilst completely contradicting some of the messages of the first film. The conversation barely changes from them constantly making excuses as to why some of the actors from the first film aren't in this one or Channing Tatum awkwardly flirting. This film was made purely on the success of the first but doesn't do anything to recreate the magic, I just didn't care. I'm giving it a rating of 1/5.

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

I absolutely adored this film. It's smart, funny and quirky. It features some great characters and truly dives deep into the mind of a teenager whose having to grow up. It's sad, but not in a way like many films dealing with cancer are, it's never glum but almost bitter sweet and deals with the subject more realistically than others. It's uplifting and inspiring, it's a film about film making which obviously resonates with me and it's full of references that any cinema lover will get giddy over. The story is great and the cinematography beautiful, so many weird and wonderful shots that at times it reminded me of a more contemporary Wes Anderson movie. This film has a lot going for it and it's no wonder it won big at the Sundance film festival this year. Easily one of the best films of the year, a solid 5/5.

Well I hope you enjoyed my reviews. Have you seen any of the films above? Let me know what you thought in the comments below!

Thanks for reading!

GUEST POST: The Odds for the Film Underdogs

Something a bit different today as Alex's Essential Movie Blog has its first ever guest post! The post is written by Katrina Hinrichsen and looks at underdog films and what the character odds might be if you were to actually bet on them.

Katrina Hinrichsen is a Literature and Art History graduate with experience of writing on a wide range of subjects including the Arts, Travel and Marketing. She likes weird and wonderful films like Pan’s Labyrinth and Fight Club. You can connect with her on Twitter@katcuriosity!

Read on and enjoy!

You’ve watched them from your couches and cinema seats, waited with baited breath to see if they would triumph, and jumped up and fist pumped the air when they soared to glory despite the glaring unlikelihood.

But what, you wonder, are the precise odds for these athletes and sports teams’ eventual outcomes within these inspirational films? 

With the help of betting experts at Bookmakers.tv, I had a look at what the odds would be if you were to actually bet on your film favourites coming up top.

Rocky (1976)

Who isn’t familiar with the infamous rags to riches story of Rocky Balboa, or at the very least its iconic theme tune? Made on just a budget of around $1million and shot in 28 days, this film became the highest grossing film of 1976 and sprung Sylvestor Stallone to stardom.

The film draws inspiration from the careers of at least three boxers. Stallone’s story initiates when challenger Mac Lee Green pulls out of his bout with world heavyweight champion Apollo Creed. Local working class Italian-American fighter Rocky is then handed the chance to step into the ring for an exhibition match.

Rocky is 100/1 to take out the champion, yet he knocks him down in the first and despite taking incredible punishment, goes the full 15-round distance. Creed wins on a decision, but Rocky proves his worth.

Chariots of Fire (1981)

This film is set in a class-obsessed and religiously divided United Kingdom in the early 1920s. It is based on the true story of two athletes in the 1924 Olympics: a devout Scottish Christian named Eric Liddell who runs in his worship of God’s glory, and Harold Abrahams, an English Jew who runs to overcome anti-Semitism.

After being well beaten in the 100 metre final, 8/1 chance Harold Abrahams puts in the performance of his life to win gold in the 200 metres. Meanwhile, Eric Liddell's religious convictions make him miss his preferred 100 metre final on the Sunday and he is given little chance of winning over 400 metres. However, he too beats his American rivals to take gold at odds of 10/1.

Chariots of Fire became a recurring theme in promotions for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, and a stage adaptation was even mounted in honour of the recent Olympics too. The film’s director, Hugh Hudson, stated in the Evening Standard that "Issues of faith, of refusal to compromise, standing up for one's beliefs, achieving something for the sake of it, with passion, and not just for fame or financial gain, are even more vital today."

Hoosiers (1986)

Hoosiers is a sports film lightly based on the Milan High School team that won the 1954 state basketball championship. Angelo Pizzo, who wrote the original screenplay, knows about small-town sports, and this helped his film to achieve very positive reviews for its sincerity and resonance with high school students.

Coach Norman Dale's unconventional methods initially attract only derision from the people of Hickory, but he sticks to his ways to somehow lead his small, un-athletic squad all the way to the Indiana State Championship final. In the final they are 14/1 to defeat a taller, fitter South Bend team, but a last second score seals an unlikely victory!

Cool Runnings (1993)

What a classic comedy. This film tells the true story of four Jamaicans, who decide to embark on a bobsledding challenge of a lifetime, by competing in the Winter Olympics despite never even having seen snow before. With the desperate motivation of a former champion runner within their team, these Jamaicans are set out to become true Olympic contenders.

The team begin the games as 250/1 outsiders in the four-man bob and were out to 500/1 after their placing last on the first run, yet they still came within a whisker of beating 4/6 favourites Switzerland to the gold.

Their tale is truly inspiring, demonstrating that when one door closes, alternative routes to success are still possible.

Warrior (2011)

Warrior is a modern American sports drama starring Joel Edgerton and Tom Hardy as estranged brothers whose entry into a mixed martial arts tournament forces them to confront each other and their past.

U.S. Marine Tommy (66/1) and Brendan (50/1) are outsiders to scoop the $5m Sparta prize, yet they both overcome the odds to battle their way through to the final, where they are finally reconciled as Brendan (8/11) forces Tommy to submit in a brutal bout.

The film has received a lot of praise for its approach to the themes of forgiveness and family bonds. It also puts a spotlight on MMA as a sport that’s growing in popularity.

All these films are successful examples of the classic underdog formula, where the viewer gets to watch and support their favourite characters as they overcome serious challenges to become sporting champions (or close enough to it)!

What are your favourite inspirational sports films to watch and would you have ever bet on the athletes’ triumph? Share with us in the comments!

Thanks for reading!

Katrina Hinrichsen
@katcuriosity

Arising The Dark Knight

Most of the world is anticipating the release of The Dark Knight Rises this coming week and hopefully all expectations will be met! Those expectations are high though, especially after the masterpiece which was The Dark Knight, argued to be one of the best superhero movies ever made! The universe Christopher Nolan has created for Batman is a million miles away from other incredible films in the genre such as The Avengers. Batman deserves a decent send off and if anybody is going to do this threequel justice it is the same man that brought him into this new world. The man who hasn't made a bad film yet! In this post I am going back to the first two films and finding out what made them great and what will make the third greater. In Nolan we trust.

Batman Begins
I remember enjoying this film when I first watched it but because of the other colourful and campy superhero films out at the time it never stuck in my mind the way it does now. Maybe it was because I was younger and now that I am a bigger film fan I realise how awesome this movie is! Rewatching this makes me realise how special this version of the Batman is. Nolan takes the character who's previous incarnations had a wide range of being hit or miss. Best we forget nipple suited George Clooney, no matter how much I love that man!

Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne was brilliant choice as he really throws himself into the role, as is expected from the method actor who bulked up to play the role. Other great casting includes Michael Caine, Liam Neeson and Cillian Murphy.

The great thing about this film was that it took Batman and brought him into a Gotham that was believable, even the Batmobile was created in real life and was originally being designed for the armed forces.

The scarecrow was a great villain and kept with the theme of fear and coming to terms with it. It is not a perfect film but not all origin stories are. It does take ages for Bruce to don the cape and cowl! Action is solid and most of the acting is too. A great film but unlike the next it is not perfect.

The Dark Knight
Now my first viewing of this film was completely different to how I viewed Batman Begins. The Dark Knight blew me away. I didn't know what to expect from this film but after the first viewing I couldn't wait to watch it all over again! The story, acting and film making is just spot on. This is one of my favourite films ever, I cannot describe how much I love it! I may not be as big a fan of the character of Batman as I am of Spider-Man but this film was just full on awesome!

Heath Ledger's performance is just incredible, his version of the Joker is now one of cinemas greatest and one of the best cinematic villains ever. Everything about this film is perfect, the only thing that is a bit off is Batman's voice which seems a bit over the top but will hopefully be toned down for the threequel.

Incredible.

The Dark Knight Rises

Well the wait is almost over. The final instalment in the Dark Knight Trilogy. This could be the highlight of Christopher Nolan's career and hopefully will be his best film yet! I trust Nolan even if I was bit iffy with his decision to include Catwoman in the mix. I'm confident Anne Hathaway will do an excellent job though. This time the villain is Bane played by Tom Hardy who is a brilliant actor and I can't wait to see what he does. A flying vehicle called the Bat has also been included and this promises to bring some exciting new action sequences. Trailers look awesome and the 13 minute featurette just blew me away. I love Nolan's work on using old school techniques in modern day blockbusters.

Unfortunately I won't be seeing this until I get back from my holiday late July. Which means my review may not be up until August. I am sure it will be worth waiting for!

So amped for this, best film of the year/ever? I blooming hope so! I wasn't looking forward to this as much as I am now at the start of the year as I was worried as to whether Nolan could pull it off or not, but... In Nolan we trust.

Although on holiday I do have a post ready to be released whilst I am away which contains reviews of two brilliant comedies, God Bless America and 21 Jump Street. So please keep an eye out for that on the 24th of July!

Thanks for reading!

Some Films You Should Watch!

So I'm back from my holiday now and I thought I would give you some reviews on the films I have watched over the short period. Overall the class of films I watched was surprisingly high and some even stayed with me for days with their superb story lines. Here are the films I watched and a brief review of each:

The Ides Of March
The first film I watched on my holiday and one of the best also. I heard mixed reviews of this film but was pleasantly surprised by the talent on and off screen. This is the first film I have watched that has been directed by George Clooney and I was taken away by his style. On screen the acting was incredible from the ever brilliant Ryan Gosling and side roles from acting greats like Paul Giamatti and Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Overall a great political thriller that isn't afraid to show the dark side of American politics, a must see for anyone interested in the topic.

Bronson
After watching Drive I had to watch the previous film from director Nicolas Winding Refn. Like his latest film it was great! Tom Hardy plays Michael Peterson who is a criminal who becomes famous for starting fights within prison as his stage name Charles Bronson. This film really shows off Tom Hardy's acting talent and you can see why he was picked to play Bane in The Dark Knight Rises. The film was surprisingly funny and had great style. The second half of the film is personally not as great as the first but still manages to entertain on all levels!

Kill List
This film was loved by the critics and I was wondering why by the end of the first act. Thankfully it picks up a becomes a great, but possibly not as good as the critics have hyped it up to be. In the end though it was a great film. Who doesn't want to see hit men kicking the crap out of paedophiles! The end was great but a bit confusing and I would have liked it if they explained it a bit more. Though still a good film that was surprisingly scary in places!

Son Of Rambo
A nice Brit film that looked at two children making a Rambo film together. For a childrens film the morals were a bit over the place and the plot was slightly confusing. A lot of the sub plots could have been taken out but overall the film was good. It had a nice style and is great for fans of the Rambo films.

Unknown
If you like cheesy action thrillers then this is the film for you! Watched this with the family and they were all happy with the outcome of the film, if not a little confused to the mind bending storyline, which goes like this; A man awakens from a coma, only to discover that someone has taken on his identity and that no one, (not even his wife), believes him. With the help of a young woman, he sets out to prove who he is. The ending I guess is ok but the morals of Liam Neesons character seem all over the place. The film trys a little too hard be the next Taken yet fails but still an enjoyable film.

Perfect Sense
This film has also had mixed reviews from critics and I watched it thinking I wasn't going to like it but I finished with my opinion the complete opposite. I loved it! The plot goes like this; A chef and a scientist fall in love as an epidemic begins to rob people of their sensory perceptions. The film is beautifully shot though there are a few bumpy camera moments, you will know them when you see them. Ewan McGregor and Eva Green act really well together although I am confused with Eva Green's accent, what accent was it? Their relationship is portrayed brilliantly throughout the epidemic even if they are naked half the time! the end of the film really hit me hard emotionally and the result had me thinking for days!

The Truman Show
I saw this film a couple years ago and loved it! The second time I loved it also. Introduced it to my brother over the holiday and he also loved it! A great film that is scarily close to what could happen in the future in regard to reality television. A one to watch if you are a media student or just someone who enjoys good thought provoking movies. Even though it is 14 years old it still stands today, possibly even more so then it did back in its day. A great film for the family also, everyone loves a bit of Jim Carrey!

Fish Tank
The final film I watched and another great! The acting and directing style was superb. The plot goes like this; Everything changes for 15-year-old Mia when her mum brings home a new boyfriend. The film is quite hard hitting and you should be warned this isn't a nice film to watch with your parents. Hard hitting and edgy but overall a very good film. Another great performance from Michael Fassbender who is proving to be a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood.

Everybody would gives these films watch as they are all great. The filming for my short film Snow Dream also took place over the holiday. I got some good footage but not as much as I would have liked due to weather conditions but I will be editing it together soon and will post it online as soon as i have finished.

I have finally hit over 1000 views on this blog so I would like to thank everyone for reading it! More posts will be coming soon!

Thanks for reading!

It's Like Fast & Furious But Good!

I am of course talking about the sensation which is Drive. Drive is one of those word of mouth films which critics and the public have both loved, Total Film named it their film of 2011. So obviously I thought that I must check this film out! And after a long wait I finally got round to seeing it and I was amazed!

I do not always agree with the critics but on this occasion I do! Drive is one of those films which is incredibly cool and no matter what situation the main character is in you want to be him! The main character is played by Ryan Gosling who is personally one of the best actors around at the moment. And his performance as the driver is one of his best. And he was brilliantly partnered with actress Carey Mulligan who is also at the top of her game at the moment!

The plot goes like this; A Hollywood stunt performer who moonlights as a wheelman discovers that a contract has been put on him after a heist gone wrong.

That sounds familiar, almost like the plot of Fast & Furious movie. If you sit down expecting one of those monstrosities of a film you will be deeply disappointed. This is a driving movie for film buffs. It takes its style from films of the 1970's and 80's. The soundtrack is uber-cool and will send shivers down your spine whilst you watch the masterpiece.

It is quite violent in places and sometimes you have to watch through your fingers. It seems 2011 was the year of the hammer for movie deaths as it was used once again in this film. I think I am actually starting to develop a phobia of hammers after the amount of pain I have seen them inflict on the big screen! Thor, Kill List and now Drive when will hammers be banned!

But I haven't talked about the cars yet which are obviously a big part of the film. The cars are super cool and the chases in which they are involved are too cool to handle. The opening sequence is one of the best getaway car chases I think I have ever seen!

I have never seen a film by Nicolas Winding Refn but after watching this I will definitely see more! I hear Bronson is a good film and I need to catch up on Tom Hardy's films before I see him in The Dark Knight Rises!

The film is superb and I just can't get enough of Ryan Gosling at the moment! I'm off to see War Horse at the weekend so I will post a review of that on the blog soon!