The Other Side of the Door - Film Review

When was the last time a horror film was set in India? Seems a long time ago! The country is underused as a haunting backdrop, a country filled mysterious locations for filmmakers to explore. For instance abandoned ancient temples, claustrophobic jungles, the different mythological creatures told in Indian folk law. It is an untapped resource, a fantastic place to gather ideas for a psychological thrill ride. Offering a contrasting option to the usual heaven and hell, the devil's gonna get yer story seen a million times before in horror films, The Other Side of the Door tries to venture off the beaten track from the tired cliche setting in an attempt to show audiences that there is more to the genre than a creepy old house with rotten basement. A young married couple from America decide to settle in Mumbai with plans to start a family together. A terrible accident tragically ends with the death of their young son Oliver, as a consequence the mother struggles mentally to cope with his passing. The housekeeper tells the mother of an old temple located near her childhood village that allows the living to speak with the dead for one last time. One golden rule however is that she must not open the door (please bear this in mind).

I was invested in the story for the first fifteen minutes as the film offers a heartfelt opening in the hope of leading to a psychological story, rooting for the main characters to battle with the grief surrounding the family. Then the film collapses like a drunk mate attempting to play Jenga. One word can summariae this film, wasted. Whilst the backdrop and imagery is unique, the story, the scares and the dopey characters follow the same cliche twenty first century horror film plot that you've seen so many times previously. The characters in this film are yet again written to be morons. This isn't a spoiler but as the housemaid describes instructions to the mother, the one rule is that she must not open the door whilst in the temple. Have a guess at what she does........ garrrrrrr! As per the norm, the creepy things start to occur. Everybody in the house senses the supernatural presences, even the dog. The dad however as in every single modern horror film is clueless to it all. He has no idea that an evil spirit is haunting his family, why is this the case? There isn't an explanation other than it is terrible writing. There is no reason for him to be in this film other than to make love to his partner. He is a sex slave. Horror's get bashed for poor writing but this has got to be up there with the worst. I don't mind for example if it was another Final Destination sequel because it is written and directed to be more of a comedy. The Other Side of the Door takes itself so serious that you can't help but laugh at some of the scares. Imagine if your sibling tiptoed to the kitchen munching quietly on a midnight snack, you spot them, sneak up perfectly behind them, sibling turns around... 3,2,1.... BARGH! I got ya! The level of scares you'll receive in this film ladies and gentleman. Predictable and rubbish. The endless actions the mother takes to protect her family from the evil spirits are over the top to say the least. If this was your mother, you'd be signing her up for placement in the maximum security mental asylum. Again the film is taking itself so seriously, I couldn't help but laugh! Why can't horror films be written to a acceptable standard anymore? We aren't all muppets. The film even manages to break its own rules on how to get rid of the evil demon. The ending makes no sense without having to think deeply. It really is hard to describe but I won't spoiler in case you do want to see this film. This is taking writing to a whole new level of crap. Do you remember the days growing up watching classic horror films such as The Excosist, The Omen, Poltergeist, Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street? Why can't Hollywood create more masterpieces like them?

Ok so I've had my rant. I think it was my frustration of most horror films of today just boiling over. The film's direction isn't bad, the acting for the most part is solid in particular to the housekeeper. The production and set designs are very well crafted. It's such a shame that an interesting and promising idea turned out to be a typical horror cash grab. Booooo!


3/10


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Film Nerd Squads #1 - Wizards

Teams, factions, squads, groups, shared universes etc. are now becoming huge money spinners for film studios. Marvel took the first giant leap with the release of The Avengers, expanding their own cinematic universe, taking the once bankrupt comic book company to a thriving multi billion pound pioneering studio. Warner Bros and DC Comics have taken their first steps into creating a universe for their well known beloved characters with the release of Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice nearly 2 weeks away, setting up a The Justice League film due for release towards the end of 2017. So I had an idea. Why not create my own fantasy squads of film characters for a bit of a laugh. No serious film critic rabble, this is purely for fun. Lets see I can form a team that could potentially work well together using their strengths, covering any weaknesses hindering other members, picking a wide variety of well known iconic characters as well as more obscure ones, creating one awesome group of crime fighting world saviours. There will be a a couple rules to make things harder as follows:

• A team consists of 6 characters with one leader

• Using one character from each film/franchise/shared universe that they appear in e.g. I'm not allowed to pick Hulk, Iron Man or Captain America in the same team.

• Using one portrayal of a character e.g. I can't pick Christian Bale's Batman and Michael Keaton's Batman in the same squad

Choosing a squad of wizards was rather difficult when the time came to drafting up a team. I could have easily picked 3-4 characters from the Harry Potter franchise but as per the rules I could only choose one from the series. Options were limited! Below is my squad of wizards, attempting to blend youth with experience, their different skills and weird and wonderful personalities.

Here are my picks:

Gandalf (LOTR and Hobbit franchise) - Leader

An obvious first pick for the squad, Gandalf is one of the most natural leaders in novel and film history. A protector of the free folk of Middle-Earth, Gandalf shows endless acts of courage and shares his wisdom with Frodo Baggins' fellowship, aiding with the destruction of the one ring. He even goes as far as to sacrifice himself by killing the Balrog, a evil demon of the ancient world so that his friends could flee to safety. Gandalf is like having a Grandad guiding you through the good times and the bad. He appears to be a complete nutcase, setting off fireworks for the kids and smoking weed with his mate Biblo in The Shire but in reality he's a true warrior of men. In the films, he does not use many magical powers but for the leadership skills and having a dictionary brain full of knowledge, Gandalf is the undisputed number one for the leader role.    

Tim the Enchanter - Monty Python and the Holy Grail

The squad's comic relief and resident pyromanic, Tim the Enchanter's skills are unique. A wizard who appears clumsy yet has a useful ability to conjure fireballs from out of the blue could be handy in a difficult situation. There's always room in my squad for a John Cleese voiced Scottish wizard wearing a rams head. And look at that beard and them wacky curly eyebrows, what bad guy wouldn't fear that in a dark alley at 3am in the morning. A definite pick.

Harry Potter

The most famous wizard in pop culture, Harry Potter was inevitably going to be in squad. And for good reason. I didn't want the squad to be all stereotypical wizards, old blokes with birdnest beards and hair greasy enough to fill a McDonalds fryer. Harry's rough childhood and his constant battle against the odds, defying all challenges thrown at him make for a true underdog. He moves on that broomstick like a flea and expertly puzzle solves Dumbledore's unnecessary riddles (why the old bugger insists giving him clues hence not explaining to Harry the actual truth I'll never know!). A quick learner, Harry tends to be good at everything the first time he tries activities, an uncanny comparison to that annoying kid at school always excelling while you're struggling to put on the best interested face. Harry, you're in the team.

Lo-Pan - Big Trouble in Little China

I'd love to choose a proper villain in the wizards squad and ideally I wanted to pick either Saruman or Voldermort. But I've found a great alternative. Lo-Pan still creeps the sh*t out of me. Just look at that face. Arnold Schwarzenegger wouldn't bother to take this guy on. Lo-Pan has peculiar motives in life. His life goal is to marry a woman with green eyes to regain his human form then sacrifice her to his emperor, as a result returning from beyond the grave and attempting to conquer the universe.... Creep. Just who I want in my squad, another weirdo. On a side note if you've not seen Big Trouble in Little China it's a superb 80's John Carpenter film, please watch it if you haven't :)

Merlin - Excalibur (1981)

There have been a number of different Merlin characters in films over the years. I've chosen a unique, younger portrayal who can kick some ass. In Excalibur, Merlin is more of a warrior of men than a bumbling wizard yet he can he still possesses the ability to charm dragons and mythical beasts. He is much more cunning than the Merlin in Disney's King Arthur adaptation The Sword in the Stone, proving to more than match the powers of Morgana (Dame Helen Mirren no less). Another little fact about Excalibur, "particular set of skills" man Liam Neeson is in this film too!

The High Aldwin - Willow

Not because he's particularly powerful nor useful, The High Aldwin face in this picture looks like me on a night out trying to concentrate on a conversation that goes straight in one ear and out the other. In all seriousness, the little wizard has the potential to see magic in ordinary people and gives encouragement to those with low confidence. How great is that! Definitely an attribute that could be useful to the squad.




So there you have it. Over to you, who would you pick in your save the world wizard squad? I've tried to mix a variety of different characters and I will try to do the same in following blog posts. Who would you pick instead. Would you choose Dumbledore over Harry Potter? Comment in the section below, comment on the Facebook page or tweet me :)


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London Has Fallen - Film Review

Sometimes in life you need to enjoy personal guilty pleasures. Things that your friends and family believe are ridiculous and time consuming for no reason other than to waste away the day but you hold dear to, like an old one eye teddy bear than you'll never throw in to the bottomless pit of junk. It is deeply special. It gives you a unique personality. I can't help but love cheesy over the top action films from the 80's and 90's. They are brilliant. If I catch one on the box, I'll choose it over a soap opera or a Simon Cowell produced eyesore on ITV. I would rather engross in Jean Claude Van Damme tearing up cliched Eastern European bad guys with his pinky than Jean from Somerset giving her over produced sob story and her 5 minutes of fame. I am that type of man. From an artistic standpoint of film making, I fully accept Jean Claude Van Damme film's are shitty. The nonsensical plot to Jean's body made of granite. Cringeworthy dialogue written by a nine year old and them horrendous mullets your dad thought were sexy. But I love it. The entertainment value is unbeatable. Them were the days when the actors sold the film, an incredibly rare breed to find now. Stallone and Arnie in the 80's, Tom Cruise in the 90's. Film stars. Olympus Has Fallen took audiences by surprise three years ago, rediscovering the soul of a classic cheesy action film. The film far surpassed expectations, grossing double its $70 million budget and became one of the blockbusters of that year. Audiences enjoyed the film's crisp visuals, solid performances from Gerard Butler, Morgan Freeman and Aaron Eckhart plus the well directed action sequences. A simplistic fun summer action film. In the laws of Hollywood though, a money maker must become a sequel regardless of any moral circumstances. Hey presto! Here's a sequel!

London Has Fallen brings back the original cast with Gerard Butler as a special agent/particular set of skills badass, deploying terminator accuracy with a gun, Aaron Eckhart as the damsel in distress President of the United States who needs rescuing more times than Lois Lane and Morgan Freeman.....being Morgan Freeman. The president is schedule to attend a high profile funeral in London along with Butler as his bodyguard, unaware that middle eastern terrorists have infiltrated the capital and intend to kill all the leaders present to gain revenge on a previous personal incident to the terrorist's leader. So now IT'S PERSONAL! If you do decide to go and see this film over the weekend, please be advised that London Has Fallen is absurd and ridiculous. The plot is cliched to the point that the film becomes a comedy in the final act, the script is dumber than dumb. The scriptwriters wrote the bad guy into the script as "Elderly Muslim bad guy with deep menacing accent". The conversation on the creation of the villain took five minutes, I guarantee it. London Has Fallen CGI discovered from the middle ages, unearthed by archaeologists in the movie archive. Richard Donner's Superman had better explosions. If there was ever a time to hire Michael Bay as explosions technician, this was it. The big sweeping shots of the London Skyline looked like they were animated by a group of friends who had played drinking games all night, woke up and realised they had to get the effects rendered and finished by lunchtime with a stinking hangover. They are horrific. Blatant and cheap. That's me putting on my professional critic hat, I've bashed down this film enough. The truth is when I sat back and forgot about the awful production value, I had a flashy gameshow host grin walking out of the theatre. Why? Because this film is blissfully entertaining!

If you love action films, you'll forgive this film for being naff. London Has Fallen offers edge of the seat action sequences that are at times edited seamlessly. Butler and Eckhart have the common sense to understand the core of the film and enjoy the silliness and chaos ensuing in front of our eyes. Their chemistry works perfectly and it's refreshing to see actors not taking the material seriously when necessary. Vintage one liners paying homage to classic action films, bring a few chuckles along the way. The film has all the ingredients to be a guilty pleasure. If you think this film is a complete waste of time, I wouldn't disagree with you. It is rubbish. But as a fan of action films, I can't help but smile. And I'm still smiling now! 

5/10

Star Wars: The Force Awakens - Review

There are landmarks in cinema history then there are landmarks in pop culture. The Star Wars franchise has without doubt magically combined both worlds and the enormous global behemoth has continued to grow throughout the generations. Endless productions of toys, video games, clothing, collectibles, novels, comics, re-releases to special edition Blu-rays etc etc. Even if you have no interest in films or simply don't care full stop, you've heard of Star Wars. It's unbelievable that a small nerdy sci-fi idea on the verge of being shoved to the bottom of the corporate bin for being "too geeky for audiences" has taken to the hearts of millions of people. People who grew up watching the original trilogy have fond special memories, a huge chunk of glorious happiness from their childhoods that never went away. Many of these people were hurt by the 3 follow up prequels for being out of tone and a poor recreation of what they love. Style over substance, poor cheesy dialogue, Hayden Christensen being more wooden than Noah's ark, Jar Jar Binks being a useless bumbling idiot. I don't hate the prequels. They were my first introduction into the Star Wars universe. I did and still find enjoyment in what was a clear step down from the original galactic brilliance. This new film is a chance in these fan's opinion for redemption, a clean slate. Bringing back the old Star Wars magic that had undoubtedly vanished. Fans demanded a new film to rewrite the wrongs and not to leave the saga on sour terms. And three years ago it was announced Disney bought Lucasfilm for $4 billion. Their wish was granted. Pandemonium erupted out of control. Star Wars 7 was coming. Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher were coming back. The promise of practical effects, proper old school lightsaber duels, a villain to match Darth Vader, no more political trade federation snoozefest garbage. A dream scenario for fans. Then last Christmas the first teaser trailer dropped online. The internet exploded. Speculation and theories sprung up within minutes. I've never seen so much pure adrenaline and raw excitement over one thirty second teaser. People went mental. If there's one big criticism of marketing teams in studios it is feeding fans too much information. They'd be shit at planning a surprise birthday party. However, the marketing team for The Force Awakens need pay rises. Every trailer and TV spot has been of the highest quality. Ticket websites were not so impressed. The public quickly crashed their home pages within minutes. I'm used to buying tickets for popular events over the internet, it's an essential part of 21st century life. But trying to purchase opening night tickets for this film had been bloody hectic. I had to go for plan b. It involved painfully rugby scrumming through a queue of people at the cinema. Carnage. Made Christmas shopping look like a Caribbean holiday. So finally, after all the sweaty nerd build up, the time has come. It's now upon us, Here we go.....

Our new adventure begins with John Boyega's character Finn, a stowaway Stormtooper, escaping from The First Order (The New Empire) after discovering the horrors that his masters inflict on the innocent civilians of the planet Jakku. After stumbling into a local scavenger Rey (Daisy Ridley) the two embark on a quest, along with some help from familiar Star Wars characters, to discover their true purpose in life, seeking redemption and fulfilling a parallel burning desire to become greater than what they have become. A very basic plot summary I know but I can't give away too many little gems and clues because it'll ruin the overall experience. What I can tell you though is after all the over saturated amount of theories and speculation bombarding across the web and the pain of having patience worse than a toddler in a car journey, this film is superb. Within the first ten minutes of the film we were back to the classic Star Wars vibe. The sense of adventure that had been vapourised from the prequels has returned. The new characters are well written and have personalities that you care about. The acting has vastly improved from previous installments and the shoddy green screen CGI has all but gone. The actors can actually be allowed to act instead of being told to match the tone of an Andy Murray interview. Our new main heroes Rey and Finn ooze charisma, have fantastic chemistry, seamlessly blending in with the Star Wars family. Oscar Issac as Po Dameron, a talented pilot in the resistance fleet, brought energy to the film and had the lovable rouge element. The little droid BB-8 had the personality that R2-D2 once brought to franchise. Imagine if RD-D2 and Wallie had met. That's BB-8. Cute but badass. The old beloved characters, Han Solo, Chewbacca and Leila bring back the nostalgia without getting too sappy and mushy. A big criticism I had of Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was that he didn't play the character Indiana Jones very well and his commitment to reprising the role had been lazy. This fear got blasted into deep space oblivion. He was magnificent. So many one-liners without trying to steal the show and bringing surprising amounts of emotion to the character. His scenes with Carrie Fisher were engaging and heart warming. Both characters had been through so much conflict and pain since throughout the 30 years that they've been absent from our screens. So sad! I was thinking to myself "Don't tear up Middleton, it's not that bad". Tough to do I tell yer! If you've seen the trailers you will know that the main antagonist is Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). The "new Darth Vader". Besides the costume design and the voice, look at that lightsaber. If I was ten years younger I'd be begging Santa for that. His character was the biggest surprise. He isn't the typical cliche, "I'M THE BAD GUY AND I'M EVIL FOR NO REASON." The best villains are the ones with understandable motivations of what they're trying to accomplish. Kylo Ren's backstory was explained perfectly and without giving away spoilers there was emotional stakes behind his character, similar to Vader in the original trilogy. You feared this guy. His control over the dark side was raw and vicious. Uncontrollable and chaotic. Loved him.

I think when Disney announced they were doing their first Star Wars film, their first objective wasn't necessarily about making money but to bring fans back on side and erase the memories of the prequels. I don't blame them. These fans felt like were sliding back down the snake all the way to square one. George Lucas went from a Luke Skywalker hero to a Jar Jar Binks stinkbomb. Fans were crying out for redemption. A director with the experience to bring back the old times, rewind them to the golden era in the 70's and 80's. To a favourable vote of confidence by fans, J.J. Abrams was appointed director. He brought Star Trek back from the depths of extinction. He was the clear choice for the job. They say how much a football manager is under pressure to succeed straight away. This was nothing in comparison to J.J's weight of expectation. If he didn't win over the fans, nobody could. And he has, and some. The Force Awakens has beautiful real sets, action that looks stunning and engaging fight sequences that don't feel choreographed and fake. The extra effort of practical effects will always beat any complex CGI creation. The humour injected in the script was flawless and witty. People were roaring with laughter and it created so much fun and enjoyment and that's what is at the heart of Star Wars. It's not about being complicated and brain challenging for the purists to pick apart every possible flaw. It's a big long hug keeping you warm, secure and loved. My only slight niggle with the film was that there are too many conveniences towards the third act of the film that couldn't be glossed over no matter how much you tried to clear them from the back of the mind. But that's me being a little pretentious and picky.

The Force Awakens is what the fans wanted. An incredible set up to the new Star Wars Universe that successfully introduced us to wonderful new characters whilst bringing back the beloved characters from the past to create this superb film. The passing of the torch is in clear progress and this film is the perfect early Christmas present. Star Wars is back and breathing once again. Well done J.J. Abrams! 

9/10

Macbeth - Film Review

Remember those English Lit lessons at school which required cocktail sticks being stuck to your eyes to physically stopping them from dropping down and causing your body to switch into a coma state? That happened far too many times when I was at school. I didn't have much interest in the complex intellectual world of William Shakespeare. We spent a year planning and analysing Julius Caesar and Romeo and Juliet, the intricate hidden messages and meanings, why was it important to have this act structured in this particular way etc etc. Honestly, I couldn't give a shit. As a 14 year old, I just wanted to get home and play PS3 games all evening and lock myself away from the rest of society whilst being glued to my virtual reality. Then we watched Romeo + Juliet starring a young Di Caprio who at the time still screamed like he was a 12 year old girl. And the only name he knew was Rose because repeated it 1000 times during Titanic. It's a decent film, bringing the iconic play into the modern age. Two rival gangster families at war and firing AK-47's at one another. Sounds good to me. Macbeth is a play that I've never read fully but I know the basics of the story. We haven't seen a Macbeth film for over 40 years which was directed by Roman Polanski. From what I've been told it's more of a horror adaptation. If this new film followed the horror genre trends nowadays, Macbeth would be running around holding a chainsaw and for some random reason, a grouse would aimlessly fly in front of him and cause a jump scare. Really sums up horror films today. However with Michael Fassbender starring as the leader of men, Marion Cotillard as Lady Macbeth, this has plenty of potential to be an acting masterclass. And it certainly is.

The new adaptation doesn't try anything out of the ordinary. The film tells the classic story of Macbeth and the prophecy he receives from witches that he is destined to be King of Scotland. From then on his life descends into a world of mayhem as he struggles to contain the guilt that consumes him. I really enjoy the direction that the film took. This didn't feel like I was back at school. The film made me feel like I was watching parts of Braveheart, incorporating the heart and soul warrior grit, mixed with 300's stylistic action sequences that the director Justin Kurzel manages to craft expertly. The cinematography is sublime. It captures the heart of medieval Scotland. A cold, damp war torn battlefield placed on picturesque countryside. What stood out to me most about the film was the story arc that Macbeth goes through, from the respected masculine warrior to a witless worm. He isn't just a simple, mindless, jealous man who takes too much advice off his nutty wife. Due to the endless years of enraging war, the battle scars takes its inevitable toll on the man he once was. In essence this is Macbeth with post traumatic stress and that interesting aspect of the character allows Fassbender to shows off his incredible acting talent. Marion Cotillard as Lady Macbeth was an unusual casting choice. Could she pull of a Scottish accent? Not quite. But the weird sort of English accent doesn't suck you out of the movie to the point of cringing. It's not Angelina Jolie Tomb Raider horrendous. However during the infamous Lady Macbeth's sleep walking scene she pulls of the best piece of acting I've seen all year. The ambition and hatred that flows through her veins just pours open and it's magnificent. She might not have such a major role as she does in the the play but she dominates her screen time and her presences engulfs the screen. Superb.

I'll admit though for all the perfection, the film might not appeal to the average film goer. Macbeth is a theatre experience transferred to the big screen. I'm not always a fan of period pieces as they can be too pretentious and full of themselves at times. This take on Macbeth is a breath of fresh air that fits into the visual style of modern cinema. Even if you're like me and don't adore Shakespeare, I think you'll find enjoyment from this. A message to all schools, please take note. This is the film for your Shakespeare lessons. It will keep the students engaged without them making pea shooters or throwing rubbers at the whiteboard. Damn, I wished this film came out 7 years ago.        

8/10

The Martian - Film Review

Sir Ridley Scott. He reminds me of a sibling. You love them to bits but on occasions, can be a right pain the arse. But the man knows his sci-fi. That is what I adore him for. If Hollywood had a Mount Rushmore of cinema sci-fi pioneers, I'd put him up there along with George Lucas, James Cameron and Stanley Kubrick. Along with a massive spaceship on the top. Maybe just throw in a couple of lightsabers for decoration too. Perfect. What isn't perfect is the consistency of Scott's films is the last 15 years. From winning an Oscar for the best swords and sandles film ever made Gladiator and creating the highly underrated American Gangster, to making films that deserve to be used as medical aiding equipment for people with sleeping disorders, The Counsellor and Exodus: Gods and Kings. When the latter was released just before Christmas last year, I thought it'd be a return to form for Sir Ridley. An epic biblical tale showing off the wonders of the latest CGI effects, a talented cast and a chance to show off his talents as a visual director. As usual he executed the widescreen shots beautifully and the film was an eye pleasing spectacle. However the two fundamental foundations of any film was enough to turn the sea red on its own. The writing and the acting. Both were hopeless. Minus Christian Bale, he was acceptable I guess. But I can't take Sigourney Weaver running around in a Egyptian costume seriously. If you want to watch the Moses story, The Prince of Egypt will do just fine. Childhood memories. That might have been the first time I went to a cinema. Wow. That aside, I was still pumped for The Martian. Ridley Scott going back to his roots with the sci-fi genre, an epic engrossing trailer, Matt Damon as an astronaut. What's not to get excited about?! And did the film live up to the big grandeur billing? Oh yeah, this film is f-in awesome.

The Martian is based of the novel by Andy Weir that tells the story of a crew lead by Melissa Lewis (Jessica Chastain) who land on the surface on Mars and one of the crew Mark Watney (Damon) gets left behind. Biggest oh sh*t moment for a human imaginable. As Mars isn't exactly just down the road, he has to survive on the red planet and use his scientific knowledge on how to growth food and create water on a planet where nothing grows whilst NASA attempt a rescue mission to get him back. Many people were grumbling and speculating that the film would be Interstellar part 2. Forget it. The Martian is completely unique on its own, blending together the best parts of Apollo 13 and Cast Away to create this amazing piece of work. I mentioned before that Ridley Scott knows his visuals and they are incredible in this film. Mars looks beautiful and all the shots are well crafted. It doesn't feel like you're looking at a film set with a gigantic green screen. Matt Damon's performance as this isolated astronaut was terrific, his best work in a long time. He brought so much hope and charisma to the character. You are with him the entire time because he's always trying to make light of the traumatic situation and even when certain events occur that could easily break a persons determination, the drive to survive powers through. Possible contender for an Oscar might not be such a crazy punt. What tends to happen with these sci-fi rescue films is the dialogue and acting on Earth does take away the thrill of the film. Not here though. Jeff Daniels plays the head of NASA and Chiwetel Ejiofor is the head of the Mars missions. They were both superb. They managed to keep the audience engage and the back and forth conflicts between the two characters on the rescue plan is riveting. I think what surprised me most and caught me off guard was the excellent screenplay. It was really funny and the explanations behind the science was relatable and not ridiculously complex to the point of your brain going into a meltdown. In a strange way it reminded me of a "based on a true story" film even though it is complete fantasy. I think the film benefited by not going down the cliche"there's a bad guy asshole and we need to stop him" because there just wasn't any need for Hollywoodised storylines. Refreshing. Sean Bean makes an appearance and there was a quality Lord of the Rings joke thrown in a scene as a meeting was taking place and I tried to cover my laugh because I don't think the rest of the audience are as sad as me. Even the 3D is worth the money and I'm not a big fan of it!

At the grand old age of 77, Sir Ridley Scott has created yet another sci-fi masterpiece that showcases his talents as a visual director, a top notch cast that took the material seriously whilst not making the film melodramatic and boring and a screenplay which is written to perfection. It is on a level with Mad Max as my favourite film of the year so far. Top marks for The Martian.


10/10      

Amy - Film Review

Hooray I've got the week off work! So what plans did I have conjured up? Was it to get away from it all via the airport and chill out on a beautiful sandy beach? Unfortunately not. I was on a mission this week to try and find a screening of Amy. It was a pain in the backside but thankfully by going a little further afield, I managed to find somewhere. The reasons for the extra effort were simple, the buzz. It was universally acclaimed at Cannes Film Festival earlier in the year. It wasn't even heckled and booed which is amazing for that place to be honest. Quite clearly the classy establishment of Cannes is full of bloody hooligans. 

Amy is a documentary directed by Asif Kapadia and tells the story of the short life of Amy Winehouse through various outlets of footage using both unseen approved home footage by the star's friends and family as well as the national media's TV channels and paparazzi images. The film has a genuine, brutal honesty about Winehouse's struggles which was apparent not just through relentless media attention and the pressures that come with sudden fame and fortune but her problems through her childhood with depression and bulimia that sadly plagued her. The film has a continuous commentary style of narration by all of the people involved in Amy's life, her family and friends, boyfriends and the music company themselves. All the interviews are recorded by audio which plays on top of the superbly edited footage so that the focus is never diverted away from Amy herself. It's such a clever simplistic technique. 

What I particularity loved about Amy was the balance and the direction that the film took, reminding the audience of her highlights and what was so good about her life, her unique voice and her songwriting ability. It surprised me at how much the film focused on her downward spirals into constricting alcohol and drug addiction that led to her tragic demise which at times was physically hard to watch especially with all the flash photography in the clips of Winehouse's attempts of escaping the media circus that she never wanted to be apart of. The horrific truth of 21st century tabloid media. The documentary goes into intimate details about her relationships with her family and her ex-boyfriends, some such as her close friends and managers tried to point her on the correct path whilst others such as her father, used her fame and money for their own gain rather than for Amy's best interests. The family aka her dad has publicly expressed his anger at the film stating that:

"The film is representing me in a not very good way. There is no balance. It's portraying me and Amy in not a very good light. Half of me wants to say don't go see it. But then the other part of me is saying maybe go see the videos, put your headphones in and listen to Amy's music while they're watching the videos. It's the narrative that's the problem."

Funny coming from a man who authorised not only this film's production but created a reality TV show at the height of his daughter's fame without her permission. Hypocrisy at its finest. When you hear the other side of the story through an archived interview, you begin to realise that Mitch Winehouse really is a nasty piece of work. Amy explains in the interview that her father was never in her life through the toughest years in her childhood and that he wanted nothing to do with her. He fuels my anger unfortunately. Nothing more than a greedy talent-less money grabber......

OK I can breath now! I had to get that off my chest!


Amy is a magnificent piece of work from Asif Kapadia that is harrowing and heart-breaking to observe. You don't have to be a fan of her music to understand how difficult her life was and the cold realisation of how ultimately she fell so low to the point of becoming a regular punchline on comedy shows. A devastating look at how celebrity culture, media and drug addiction can grip hold of even the most talented of people. Brilliantly truthful and compelling.

9/10