Film Review | Fast & Furious 6
With Fast Five (2011), director Justin Lin – with a little help from Dwayne Johnson’s likeable Agent Hobbs – managed to reinvigorate the then-ailing Fast & Furious franchise. Racing to $626 million at the global box office, it’s no surprise that everyone is back for another round of vehicular warfare. Offering more of the high-octane action that the series is famous for, Lin’s Fast & Furious 6 (2013) is easily the most ridiculous blockbuster of 2013 thus far; and also one of the most enjoyable.
Film Review | Deadfall
Having picked up the 2008 Best Foreign Language Film Oscar with The Counterfeiters, Austrian filmmaker Stefan Ruzowitzky now makes his English-language debut with Deadfall (2012). Penned by screenwriter Zach Dean, this neo-noir thriller heads into UK cinemas under the radar despite the star-studded cast. Eric Bana and Olivia Wilde play Addison and Liza, devoted siblings on the run after a successful casino heist. When a car accident leaves their driver dead, the pair decide to split up and make a run for the Canadian border in the middle of a blizzard – a stylishly-shot opening sequence that immediately gets you hooked.
Film Review | Star Trek into Darkness
J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek reboot was a surprise hit back in 2009, satisfying diehard fans as well as being accessible to newcomers. Four years on, the follow-up Star Trek into Darkness is one of the most anticipated films of the year. Thankfully, the sequel takes everything that was great about its predecessor and amplifies it, in doing so producing an entertaining thrill-ride of a movie that is one of 2013’s must-see blockbusters.
Film Review | Life of Pi
The American Academy recently awarded genre-hopping director Ang Lee the Best Director prize for Life of Pi (2012), and it was well-deserved; Yann Martel’s prize-winning novel, long-thought unfilmable, has been brought to life superbly in a visual masterpiece that won’t soon be outdone. The tale begins with an avid writer (Rafe Spall) whom, upon hearing of a story so incredible it will “make him believe in God”, travels to Montreal to talk with Piscine Molitor ‘Pi’ Patel (Irrfan Khan). Beginning with his upbringing in Pondicherry, India, Pi recounts his days grappling with different religions and meeting the girl of his dreams.
Film Review | Iron Man 3
Much like Tony Stark, Marvel Studios have been tinkering with Iron Man for over five years now, striving to upgrade and improve upon the previous model. In some ways, the success rate of the franchise mirrors Stark’s own cinematic journey. The first Iron Man (2008) was an unexpected hit, delighting cinemagoers whilst sowing the seeds for Marvel’s ‘Phase One’. Iron Man 2 (2010) saw both protag and film succumb to expectation, whilst Avengers Assemble (2012) took the character’s popularity to new heights. Enter Shane Black’s Iron Man 3 (2013) - a fun, action-packed superhero yarn that’s arguably Marvel’s best solo instalment to date.
Film Review | Promised Land
Director Gus Van Sant reunites with Good Will Hunting star Matt Damon for Promised Land (2012), which finally makes its way into UK cinemas this week. Whilst enjoyable and thought-provoking in parts, a third act revelation is more frustrating than shocking, leaving us to rue what might have been. Damon plays Steve Butler, a farm boy-turned-smooth-talking corporate salesman who’s rapidly rising up the ranks of his gas company. His latest, biggest assignment sees him and sales partner Sue Thomason (an entertaining Frances McDormand) dispatched to the rural town of McKinley to acquire the drilling rights to their properties.
Film Review | Olympus Has Fallen
The first of two films this year to use the White House as its setting, Olympus Has Fallen (2013) is the latest film to adopt the time-honoured one man army vs. terrorists plot-line, and it accomplishes its task in entertaining fashion. Directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day), it sees former presidential head of security Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) infiltrate the famed building when the White House – dubbed ‘Olympus’ – is captured by a group of highly trained terrorists. Out-manned and out-gunned, Banning must use his extensive training and detailed knowledge of the residence to rescue the President (Aaron Eckhart).
Video Film Review | One Mile Away
Hello readers! Hope we had – or for some people, are still having – a great Easter break. You may have noticed that things have been a bit quiet on http://www.amonymousblog.com of late, but there are a couple of big announcements coming up in the next few days! To tide you over until then though, you can watch me talking about Penny Woolcock’s award-winning documentary One Mile Away on CinePolitics by clicking here.
Film Review | Jack the Giant Slayer
My thoughts on this week’s big UK release, Bryan Singer’s Jack the Giant Slayer, can be read on What Culture here.
Film Review | My Brother The Devil
My Brother the Devil (2012), the debut feature from writer-director Sally El Hosaini, has won a host of awards since its release last year – and with good reason. Newcomer El Hosaini has managed to breathe new life into an increasingly clichéd genre with substantial skill and sensitive insight. Focusing upon a Muslim Egyptian family who live on a run-down estate in Hackney, the film follows the divergent journeys of Mo (newcomer Fady Elsayed) and his charismatic older brother Rashid (James Floyd). Mo idolises his elder sibling – a dealer who is part of the local ‘drugs, money and guns’ gang – and is eager to follow in his footsteps.
Film Review | The Master
After a five-year hiatus, Paul Thomas Anderson follows up his Oscar-winning There Will be Blood (2007) with The Master (2012), an overly complex tale which is nonetheless magnificently acted and shot. The film begins and ends with Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix), a WWII veteran who is having difficulty adjusting to life after war. Mentally and emotionally disturbed, Freddie bounces around from one job to another, unable to find peace due to his violent outbursts and alcoholism. One night, Freddie sneaks his way onto a yacht belonging to Lancaster Dodd (Phillip Seymour Hoffman), the founder of a radical new movement called ‘The Cause’.
Film Review | Oz The Great And Powerful
Hello readers! My latest review for What Culture is now online! Have a read of my thoughts on Sam Raimi’s Oz The Great and Powerful here.
Film Review | Broken
Winner of the Best Film award at last year’s British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs), theatre director Rufus Norris’ debut feature Broken (2013) finally gets its UK release this week, courtesy of StudioCanal. An adaptation of Daniel Clay’s novel of the same name, Broken is jam-packed with ideas, almost all of which are well-executed. The narrative centres around 11-year-old tomboy Skunk (magnificent newcomer Eloise Laurence), a type 1 diabetic who lives in a suburban cul-de-sac with her older brother Jed (Bill Milner) and single father Archie (Tim Roth). Through Skunk’s eyes, we see the troubled lives of those around her unfold.
Film Review | Argo
If Ben Affleck’s directorial prowess wasn’t already evident with the excellent Gone Baby Gone (2007) and sophomore effort The Town (2010), with his third feature he has further cemented his status as one of the best current filmmakers in the business. One of the best releases of 2012 – an assertion given greater credence following the film’s recent Best Picture triumph - Argo is nail-biting cinema at its finest, blending tension and humour with an incredible story to impressive effect.
Film Review | Song For Marion
British features centred around the older generation are becoming more and more commonplace of late, with the latest filmmaker to focus their attentions upon senior citizens being Paul Andrew Williams. Looking at Williams’ work to date – which illustrates the director’s affinity for the crime and horror genres – his decision to tackle a comedy-drama would seem a curious one. However, thanks to two excellent lead performances, Song for Marion (2012) eventually proves to be a heart-warming watch.
Film Review | A Good Day to Die Hard
To this day, Die Hard (1988) is still regarded as one of the quintessential action movies of our time. It birthed a new action hero in John McClane, and it helped make Bruce Willis one of Hollywood’s premier action stars. Twenty-five years on and three sequels later, with the fifth instalment of the franchise nonsensically titled A Good Day to Die Hard (2013), it’s disheartening to see how much the quality of the films has fallen. Directed by John Moore, Die Hard 5′s problems run far deeper than just the 12A rating.
This time round, NYC cop John McClane (Willis) travels to Moscow to help his wayward son Jack (Jai Courtenay) after he is arrested for murder. Unbeknownst to John, Jack is now a CIA operative on an undercover mission, and soon the two McClanes find themselves being pursued by Russian terrorists.
Read the rest of this review at CineVue here.
Film Review | This is 40
After a handful of producer credits, Judd Apatow is back in the hot seat for romantic comedy This is 40, the sort-of sequel to 2007’s Knocked Up. This time the director has turned his gaze on the difficulties of marriage, and his typically perceptive examination proves equally insightful and enjoyable.
The narrative focuses on the marriage of frustrated couple Pete (Paul Rudd) and Debbie (Leslie Mann) on the eve of their 40th birthdays, and as the party approaches the pair must overcome their midlife troubles, in business and with one another.
Read the rest of this review at Screen Geek here.
Film Review | The Dark Knight Returns – Part 2
Marvel may be leading DC when it comes to live-action superhero films, but their rivals have long held the upper hand in the animated arena. Many of those features involve Batman, and fans were treated to a brilliant interpretation of half of Frank Miller’s seminal The Dark Knight Returns late last year. The conclusion to that memorable story arc is hitting DVD and Blu-ray stands this week, and once again, fans will not be left wanting.
Whilst The Dark Knight Returns: Part 1 dealt with Batman’s return and his victory over the mutants, here the focus is on the aftermath. Batman’s renewed activities have revived The Joker from his catatonic state, new police commissioner Ellen Yindel brands the vigilante a criminal and issues a warrant for his arrest, and the President orders Superman to intervene should Batman continue to defy the law banning superhero activities.
Read the rest of this review at Hey U Guys here.
Film Review | Bullet to the Head
This year has already seen the return of one 1980s action star to big screens, with Arnold Schwarzenegger’s The Last Stand (2012) hitting cinemas last week. Fellow ‘Expendable’ Bruce Willis will be playing an old man coming out of retirement to fight bad guys no fewer than three times this year, but before that comes Sylvester ‘Sly’ Stallone’s 2012 buddy-cop film Bullet to the Head, an adaptation of the French graphic novel by Matz. Directed by Walter Hill – no stranger to the sub-genre, having brought 48 Hours and Red Heat to life – his latest effort has just enough panache about it to remain watchable despite some obvious flaws.
Read the rest of this review at CineVue here.
Film Review | Django Unchained
Quentin Tarantino’s latest offering, spaghetti western blaxploitation movie Django Unchained, is one that has yielded much discussion in the past few weeks. Slavery, a topic so frequently tiptoed around by filmmaker’s, has been tackled with an affront that can surely be expected of any Tarantino flick. Here it forms the backdrop to an engaging revenge tale. Already proving to be very successful in America (at least, at the box office) there’s a lot to appreciate in Django Unchained. However, some moviegoers may be put off by Tarantino’s take on the horrors of the time.
Read the rest of this review at Yin & Yang here.
Film Review | Gangster Squad
Hello readers! My first article for WhatCulture! is now live. It is a review of Ruben Fliescher’s Gangster Squad, out in cinemas everywhere today.
You can read the review at WhatCulture! here.
Film Review | Midnight’s Children
Much like Ang Lee’s Life of Pi (2012), Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children (2012) is another Booker prize-winning novel that has been dubbed unfilmable. Whilst Lee’s cinematic adaptation rose to the challenge admirably however, Deepa Mehta’s Midnight’s Children is not as successful in making the leap from page to screen. For those unfamiliar with Rushdie’s novel, we follow the story of Saleem Sinai (Satya Bhabha), who was born midnight on 15 August, 1947 – the moment of India’s independence from Britain. Swapped at birth with the privileged Shiva (Siddharth Narayan), Saleem soon discovers that he is able to communicate with other ‘midnight children’.
Read the rest of this review at CineVue here.
Film Review | Pitch Perfect
An analysis of the Step Up! and/or Bring It On franchises would show that both sets of films follow a particular formula. Directed by Jason Moore, Pitch Perfect (2012) is very much of the same ilk. Clearly inspired by TV shows such as Glee and The X Factor, this ensemble comedy should be commended for being an entertaining watch despite its predictable nature. Anna Kendrick stars as Beca Mitchell, a rebellious college freshman who’d rather spend her time producing music than attending classes. Her father (John Benjamin Hickey) wants her to broaden her horizons, and soon she finds herself auditioning for The Bellas, an all-female a cappella group. Led by Aubrey (Anna Camp) and Chloe (Brittany Snow), The Bellas need new members to challenge for the international championship of collegiate a cappella.
Read the rest of this review at CineVue here.
Film Review | Rise of the Guardians
Just in time for the holiday season comes DreamWorks Animation’s second feature of the year,Rise of the Guardians. Based on the series of books by William Joyce, this story of childhood heroes uniting to stop a common threat often feels like the child version of the Avengers, and it will doubtless entertain many a young audience as Christmas approaches. However, although it makes for fun viewing, Guardians is ultimately bettered by many of its contemporaries.
Read the rest of this review at Yin & Yang here.
