Sightseers Review

Over the weekend I had the chance to go to the Cornwall Film Festival, due to other commitments over the the three days, I was only able to watch one film. Thankfully though, it was a film I had been looking forward to seeing. That film was Sightseers.

From Ben Wheatly, director of Kill List comes his second film about a couple of misfits on a rather bizarre camping trip. The outline goes like this; 'Chris wants to show girlfriend Tina his world, but events soon conspire against the couple and their dream caravan holiday takes a very wrong turn.'

The film goes a certain way that makes this seem like the British version of God Bless America. Again this plot type can be very controversial and is not for everyones taste. Three people actually walked out of the cinema during my screening, which to my guess is because of the amount gore and violence involved in the film. The violence is matching to that of what we saw in Kill List. The film gives a whole new meaning on the perspective of sex and violence.

The two leads, Steve Oram and Alice Lowe actually wrote the script for the film. They are also incredibly funny actors and strangely brilliant at playing two oddballs in love. The two of them really have created some cracking one liners for the film that are guaranteed to make you laugh out loud. They are a great pair and the film would not work without them. I really hope that they are picked up as screen writers and comedy actors in the near future! The supporting cast in this is great as well with some great stereotypical characters. If you want to see more of Alice Lowe she actually plays a lot of supporting characters in the new Harry and Paul series which is on BBC 2 at the moment. 

The film is very vibrant and the cinematography reflects this with some great lighting and colour grading. For a film with little budget, it sure did look good. One of the best thing about this film was it's incredible soundtrack. Mainly filled with classic 80's tunes, it really did help create emotion and some great comedy sequences.

The social commentary in this film is not as apparent as it is in God Bless America but I do think that this film was funnier. The lack of this commentary did let the film down in places and made some of the plot points seem a bit stupid in places. But overall it was a great and very funny film. Personally I preferred this to Kill List.

I had a great time at the festival even though I was only there for it's opening evening but I hope to spend the whole weekend there next year. Thankfully the film I saw was of great quality and an example of great British comedy films. That is why I am rating Sightseers a 4/5.

If you live in America then you may not have heard a great deal about this film, but I assure you that you should check it out for sure! 

If you have seen it, let me know by leaving a comment below. 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!