The Ides of March 13/11/11

The Ides of March follows a presidential primary in Ohio in its last competitively contested days. Directed by, written by and starring George Clooney (as Governor Mike Morris) this slick, well acted film is a triumph.

From the off you get the feeling that this film isn't going to be anything other than dark and cynical. While this is not telling us much about politics that we don't already know in regards to corruption and disloyalty the script is believable and intelligent, if a little unremarkable. What the script does do, however, is create a terrific tension that is maintained throughout the film's 98 minute duration and while it isn't revolutionary in any way; it is a vehicle for some incredible performances.

Ryan Gosling and Evan Rachel Wood's chemistry while short lived in the film is mesmerizing. Gosling does an amazing job with a complicated character and really brings Stephen Meyers to life; this, another captivating performance in an extremely successful year for the 31 year old Canadian. Clooney himself puts in a solid performance and while you feel that the seasoned talents of Paul Giamatti and Phillip Seymour Hoffman have been wasted slightly they still strengthen the film with terrific supporting roles.

It will be surprising if the Ides of March doesn't receive an Oscar nod or two come February and they will be well deserved. Clooney is carving himself out an impressive career as a director, looking forward to what else is to come from the Silver Fox!

Gotham Independent Film Awards 2011

So the Gotham Independent Film Awards happened in New York last night where Charlize Theron still managed to look this good even when tripping over...

 

FML. What a babe.

The winners were:

BEST FEATURE

TIE between The Tree of Life by Terrence Malick and Beginners by Mike Mills

BEST DOCUMENTARY

Better This World, directed by Kelly Duane and Katie Galloway

BEST ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE

Beginners

BREAKTHROUGH DIRECTOR

Dee Rees for Pariah

BREAKTHROUGH ACTOR

Felicity Jones in Like Crazy

BEST FILM NOT PLAYING AT A THEATRE NEAR YOU 

Scenes From A Crime directed by Blue Hadaegh and Grover Babcock

AUDIENCE AWARDS

Girlfriend directed by Justin Lerner

SPECIAL TRIBUTE AWARDS

Charlize Theron, Gary Oldman, A Dangerous Method director David Cronenberg and Fox Filmed Entertainment CEO Tom Rothman

Trailer Trash!

Welcome to another edition of trailer trash!

These beauts are from viewings of The Ides of March, The Help and The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1.

The Iron Lady
The phenomenal Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher. The Academy might as well deliver that award right now...

My Week with Marilyn
 My Week with Marilyn is getting rave reviews, as are its stars Michelle Williams and Eddie Redmayne. Blistering cast.

Man on a Ledge
Ludicrous title but looks pretty interesting. Sam Worthington, Elizabeth Banks and Jamie Bell star.

New Year's Eve

Huge all star cast in this film about the lives of several couples and singles in New York on New Year's Eve. The American Love Actually if you will. P.s. Hiya Zac!

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol
Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Paula Patton, Simon Pegg, Tom Wilkinson, Josh Holloway and the list goes on. 

Apologies...

...for being such a slacker, once my course is finished and my holiday is out of the way you won't be able to get rid of me - all in time for awards season!

Coming up I have 3 reviews and some trailers :)

Trailers are up first, got some beauts on the way...

Reviews coming shortly will be:-

• The Ides of March
• The Help
• The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1

I have to squeeze a lot of viewing in this month, so much to do, so little time!

Happy Wednesday to one and all! :)

In Time 04/11/11

Written and directed by Andrew Niccol, In Time is a Sci Fi Fantasy film where noone ages over the age of 25 and the world's currency is time. In order to acquire more time to survive people must work. Therefore the rich can effectively live forever and the poor die young.

The story follows Will Salas (Justin Timberlake) a 28 year old factory worker who lives with his 50 year old Mother (Olivia Wilde - thinking of her as a 50 year old really is as odd as it sounds!) in the ghetto. Salas aquires a century of time on his life clock as a gift from a suicidal 105 year old Henry Hamilton as a result of helping him escape an attack; this leaves him in a position to take his Mother to the rich 'time zone' but is also being pursued by the police for Hamilton's suspected murder.

The main problem with this film is it's lack of any substatial plot and a fairly weak script. The concept and ideas are clever and the film definitely touches on interesting issues such as mortality rates and the class system but even in this instance you feel like these issues are been rammed down your throat somewhat; by this I mean with a more intelligent approach this film could be a more sophisticated finished product with more layers and depth.

Solid performances from a believeable cast make In Time watchable but if you're a keen Sci Fi fan I feel you will leave feeling disappointed with a wasted 109 minutes and an ultimately wasted idea. Personally I left feeling entertained but with the feeling that this movie could have been much stronger with more thought and focus on the script and plot.

Plan of Action...

So it's been all quiet on the western front from me of late. I've been here, there and everywhere, well everywhere apart from the cinema clearly, but that's all about to change!

I've missed out on much viewing this month but am attempting to catch up as best I can!

So by the end of this very week I am going to try and see the following (please note I'm on holiday from work!)

• Contagion
• The Help
• The Rum Diary
• The Awakening
• The Ides Of March

Here's hoping!!

Trailer Trash!

Hello! Welcome to another edition of Trailer Trash! I've got 7 beauts for you today, hold onto your hats!

Happy Feet 2

Very cute, I don't like cartoons but this definitely made me smile...

War Horse

Epic. Literally can't wait. I predict I will get through approximately 5 packets of pocket tissues.

In Time

Starring Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried. Saw it on Friday, review to follow shortly!

Dream House

Starring Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz. Looks like it will definitely be worth the entrance fee...

Justice

Starring Nicholas Cage, January Jones and Guy Pearce. Again, very very interesting.

The Awakening

Delightful British cast. Very spooky.

The Thing

Starring Joel Edgerton, this is a prequel to the 1982 film of the same name...

Real Steel 30/10/11

'Hugh Jackman's arms' is all you ever really need to lure you in to a film starring the Aussie hunk and Real Steel is no different.

This Fantasy Drama is set in the near future in a world where robots have replaced humans in the boxing ring. We follow Jackman as Charlie Kenton, a washed up and self absorbed ex boxer who now scrapes a living putting together old robots for underground fights. We soon discover Charlie has a young son called Max whom he has never met. After Max's Mum dies, Charlie comes to have custody of him for a summer while his Aunt goes on holiday. Please note this information is all very trivial and, in actual fact, the story line is very basic and pretty shallow.

This is a typical Hollywood underdog story, following a down and out man finding his feet again with the help of his child. It's not a story we've never seen before and although director Shawn Levy has tried to put an original twist on it, this is never really enough to pull this film up to the standard of others in a similar genre.

Notable mention goes to Dakota Goyo as Max. It would have been very easy for such a young boy to be irritating in this role, especially when his character is so willful. His talents for a child actor are impressive and hopefully with the right guidance he will have a long career.

Even though I've put about negative comments, I fully enjoyed the 2 hour and 6 minute duration of Real Steel. There's just enough characterization, character chemistry and action to satisfy and because the structure is 'tried and tested' the audience recieves a comfortable and reliable Hollywood spectacle.

Film Releases - October 2011

28th Oct - The Ides of March 

28th Oct - Sket 

28th Oct - Suicide Kids 

28th Oct - Anonymous 

28th Oct - All American Sex Diaries 

26th Oct - The Help 

26th Oct - The Adventures of Tintin 

22nd Oct - RA. One 

22nd Oct - Miss Representation 

21st Oct - Will 

21st Oct - We Need to Talk About Kevin 

21st Oct - Reuniting the Rubins 

21st Oct - Restless 

21st Oct - Paranormal Activity 3 

21st Oct - Monte Carlo 

21st Oct - Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer 

20th Oct - Four 

21st Oct - Contagion 

20th Oct - Waltz with Bashir 

17th Oct - Umbrage 

14th Oct - Texas Killing Fields 

14th Oct - Sleeping Beauty 

14th Oct - Retreat 

14th Oct - Real Steel 

14th Oct - Parked 

14th Oct - Footloose 

14th Oct - First Night 

14th Oct - Everything Must Go 

14th Oct - Dolphin Tale 

14th Oct - Albatross 

13th Oct - The Ballad of Mott the Hoople 

12th Oct - The Three Musketeers 

10th Oct - How to Stop Being a Loser 

9th Oct - The Theatre Bizarre 

9th Oct - Largo Winch II

8th Oct - The Reverend 

8th Oct - Some Guy Who Kills People 

8th Oct - Dead Heads 

7th Oct - Urban Explorer 

7th Oct - Tyrannossaur

7th Oct - The Lion King (Remastered) 

7th Oct - Perfect Sense 

7th Oct - Midnight in Paris 

7th Oct - Johnny English Reborn 

7th Oct - Don't Be Afraid of the Dark 

5th Oct - Irvine Welsh's Ecstacy

4th Oct - George Harrison: Living in the Material World 

2nd Oct - The Limelight 

2nd Oct - Oxy-Morons 

1st Oct - The Wayshower 

1st Oct - Smoking Laws

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark 16/10/11

As a rule I am a jumpy person. I had nightmares about The Strangers for weeks and had to go and see it again to get over it. Scary Movie even frightens me to an extent (I wish I was joking). I'm pretty sure giggling most of the way through a film intending to be scary is a bad sign at the best of times, but from Wimpy McGee over here, it's worse than bad.

The trouble with one man producing films with similar values, themes and visuals is you can't help but compare them all with the one you loved the most. In this instance Pans Labyrinth is the benchmark and it isn't even close to being surpassed by Del Toro's most recent effort.

 The cinematography here is typically Del Toro and visually it is gothic and rich. You find yourself admiring the setting but wishing there was far more substance. Unfortunately, this remake never really gets past its aesthetics. In the opening scenes you think you're in for a treat, with darkly intense suspense on display but sadly it never gets better than this.

Katie Holmes and Guy Pearce do their best with a weak and predictable script and pacing issues mean whatever interest was held about the outcome is lost half way through. With forced frights, intentionally scary monsters which in actual fact are quite cute and contrived creepy moments you feel that Don't Be Afraid of the Dark is trying too hard. As a result, this movie is surrounded with a strong sense of spoof for most of the 1 hour and 40 minute duration.

If you fancy a laugh then give it a go!

Melancholia 03/10/11

Melancholia is a haunting portrayal of an impending apocalypse; split into two parts, we are shown the separate perspective of two sisters.

It is no secret that I do not rate Kirsten Dunst as an actress but she has knocked this one out of the park producing the performance of her career playing Justine, a woman battling with seemingly severe depression. You can only assume she is using method processes, drawing from her own experiences with depression to encapsulate this illness so perfectly.

In the film, Melancholia is a planet moving towards Earth and 'experts' have calculated that this planets' path will avoid any impact. The spectacular opening scenes (extremely reminiscent of Terence Malick's The Tree of Life, released earlier this year) show the inevitable end of our planet and yet the whole way through you are willing this not to be the case.

This film, similar to The Tree of Life, is encouraging the audience to contemplate the meaning of life. Justine is welcoming the end of the world and this makes such a huge contrast with her sister Claire (Charlotte Gainsborough - captivating); she is frantic that her son won't get to grow up and that the family won't grow together. This is where the film being split into the perspectives becomes important because this shows us how the sisters' differing values and emotional states determine how they cope with and what they want from the situation.

Just a quick mention for the soundtrack - Wagner's Tristan and Isolde in this film is used to create incredibly powerful, hair-raising atmospherics.

These apocalyptic films are becoming more and more prominent and in this age of terrorism, conspiracy theories and large numbers of natural disasters you can really understand why. This never fails to make me feel more anxious; the more I see, hear and talk about it, the wilder my imagination becomes.

Upon reading more about writer and director Lars Von Trier you learn that he has many phobias and is quoted to have said:-

"Basically, I'm afraid of everything in life, except filmmaking."

Upon recognising his anxieties he has channeled everything he fears into the one thing he doesn't and from this process has produced a very special, visually bold and terrific film that will no doubt split opinion all across the world.

Apologies...

...for the delay on the Melancholia review, will be posted very soon!

Busy busy busy and all that!

In other news Sunday I will be seeing Don't Be Afraid of the Dark and Real Steel with a glamorous cinema companion.

So in honour of Real Steel and Hugh Jackman I bring you Total Film's feature...

 BEST & WORST: HUGH JACKMAN

Enjoy!

October Releases...

October is another month filled with treats for the cinema goer.

I have a hitlist of 10 to see this month - now I've got the ol' Cineworld Unlimited card, the movie world is my oyster!

To follow will be my review of Melancholia.

• Don't Be Afraid of the Dark - I posted the trailer for this film in an edition of Trailer Trash. Super creepy! Starring Katie Holmes and Guy Pearce...

• Midnight In Paris - Written and directed by Woody Allen, starring Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Michael Sheen and Carla Bruni. Looks silly but fun!

•  The Three Musketeers - Action adventure starring Orlando Bloom, Milla Jovovich and Matthew Macfadyen...

• Real Steel - The delightful Hugh Jackman stars in this action drama. Exciting times...

• Retreat - Really looking forward to this. Thandie Newton, Jamie Bell and Cillian Murphy star.

• Contagion - Blistering cast, awesome concept, bring it on...

• We Need to Talk About Kevin - as I said in the previous trailers post, this looks creepy as you like. 

• The Help - So far the book is unputdownable - lets hope the film has the same effect!

• Anonymous - Really interested to see this. I love period films, I hope they get it right...

• The Ides Of March - This film screams Academy Award nominee...

Trailer Trash!

Another edition of trailer trash for you to feast on!

I have a delightful little mixture for you today...

We Need To Talk About Kevin

Looks seriously chilling. Tilda Swinton is getting rave reviews...

The Help

Currently reading this book, I must finish it before it comes out. Blatantly so I can complain how the film isn't as good as the book...

Midnight in Paris

Super odd - but looks as though it could be a lot of fun...

Tower Heist

Could be terribly predictable, but comical nonetheless...

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

This trailer is insane - Rooney Mara looks like a different woman...

Drive 25/09/11

Ryan Gosling is 'The Driver' (he is given no other name throughout), a Hollywood stunt driver moonlighting as a getaway driver for criminals. The driver lives and works in Los Angeles. Gosling's performance is incredibly controlled and captivating as the quietly charming Driver. The beauty of this performance lies with the minimal dialogue we experience from him; he reveals all we need to know with body language, facial expression and his eyes.

The control of the driver is greatly contrasted in later, more action packed, violent scenes. We follow this character closely throughout and soon come to acknowledge that he is a 'loner', with his only apparent companion being his boss at the garage, Shannon (Bryan Cranston). When he meets young mother Irene (Carey Mulligan), we see a love blossom between them ever so subtly.

Other greatly notable performances include Albert Brooks as Bernie. He is fantastic and utterly believable as the weathered mobster tired of the lifestyle and wanting a ticket out. Carey Mulligan is also worth a nod as she convincingly portrays Irene in a tender way; she is gentle and understated which is exactly what the role calls for. This film is so deliberate that none of the performances are out of place.

What grabs and pulls you in with Drive is its apparent 80s theme. This whole movie is fantastically retro; it exudes cool and is one of the slickest Crime Drama's in years. It is artfully stylish, intensely paced and shockingly violent; all of this keeps you gripped for a relentless 100 minute ride. The tension created by this pacing really produces something special; these controlled moments set up the sudden bursts of violence and action to perfection.

You get the thin plot, shallow story feeling but all is forgiven with the gorgeously shiny finish of this skillfully put together movie.

Hands down the coolest film of the year so far.

Film Releases - September 2011

• 30th Sept - What's Your Number
• 30th Sept - The Debt
• 30th Sept - Red, White & Blue
• 30th Sept - The Woman
• 30th Sept - Shark Night 3D
• 30th Sept - Red State
• 30th Sept - Melancholia
• 30th Sept - La piscine
• 30th Sept - Broken Lines
• 28th Sept - Abduction
• 23rd Sept - Warrior
• 23rd Sept - Tucker & Dale vs Evil
• 23rd Sept - Soul Surfer
• 23rd Sept - Killer Elite
• 23rd Sept - Drive
• 23rd Sept - Crazy, Stupid, Love.
• 16th Sept - You Instead
• 16th Sept - Turnout
• 16th Sept - Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
• 16th Sept - The Change-Up
• 16th Sept - I Don't Know How She Does It
• 16th Sept - Episode 50
• 16th Sept - 30 Minutes or Less
• 14th Sept - Echoes of the Rainbow
• 14th Sept - Big Fat Gypsy Gangster
• 10th Sept - Give Up Tomorrow
• 10th Sept - Darkwood Manor
• 9th Sept - Way of the Morris
• 9th Sept - Troll Hunter
• 9th Sept - The Holding
• 9th Sept - Kes
• 9th Sept - Jumping The Broom
• 9th Sept - Jane Eyre
• 9th Sept - Friends With Benefits
• 9th Sept - Colombiana
• 7th Sept - A Lonely Place To Die
• 6th Sept - The Only One Who Knows You're Afraid
• 5th Sept - What If I Was...
• 3rd Sept - Utopia London
• 2nd Sept - Weekender
• 2nd Sept - The Dead
• 2nd Sept - The Art of Getting By
• 2nd Sept - Self Made
• 2nd Sept - Robotropolis
• 2nd Sept - Kill List
• 2nd Sept - Fright Night
• 2nd Sept - Days of Heaven
• 2nd Sept - Apollo 18
• 2nd Sept - Anchor Baby
• 1st Sept - Revenge: The Movie

Warrior 25/09/11

Now I am in no way exaggerating when I say I love Tom Hardy. Not just for his aesthetically pleasing appearance and 'Jack the lad' demeanor but because his acting talent is enviable, frighteningly complex and compelling. This film is not the Tom Hardy show and that fact is a credit to the writing and direction of this sporting drama because my god does he put in a game changing turn as ex-marine Tommy Riordan.

For 140 minutes I was gripped to this exceptionally well written narrative; what made this so for me is you never truly know who you are rooting for, who's story you find more tragic or who you ultimately want to win. It is no secret that brothers Tommy (Hardy) and Brendan (Joel Edgerton) will meet in the final of an Ultimate Fighting Champion tournament (the poster tells you all you need to know in this respect) but along the way in this type of film, you always presume that there is a side you will favour more than the other by the time this final comes; this never happens. The amount of time we are given to explore each characters story is key in this. These brothers have not seen each other in 14 years, with their father (Nick Nolte - incredible) being an alcoholic and their mother not able to take the abuse she receives as a result of this anymore; they have to choose which path they will take. At 14, Tommy moves away with their dying mother and Brendan, at 16, stays with the love of his life.

Tommy is actually shown to be somewhat unlikable in the way he presents himself and the way he speaks to and treats others but what has happened in his life (this is given to you in small and teasing doses) makes you want him to prevail. Brendan is the likable teacher and family man with severe money problems, you instantly warm to him and are also firmly on his side. Australian Joel Edgerton is fantastic throughout and with this performance stamps a massive mark on Hollywood to show he is now a contender on the big stage.

Nick Nolte is mesmerising as Paddy Conlon, a reformed alcoholic and the boys' father. Paddy, in his recovery from addiction and the loss of his family has turned to God and has almost reached his 1000th sober day. In extremely gut wrenching and emotionally charged scenes we see him fighting to regain his children's trust and to get himself back in their lives and them his; their sheer resistance to allow this gives you a poignant insight into the pain he has put them through in the past.

This is not just a fight movie, this is a movie about broken families, and the dynamics between the characters involved. There is one particular scene which made me feel like I had taken a firm blow to the stomach - you will know when this scene comes; it is surprising, emotional and an important moment in the development of 2 characters.

Warrior is the best film I've seen all year and I realise how much of a statement that is. This film was flawed, at times cliche and yet no other film this year so far has put me through as many emotions and made me feel as strongly about it as I do this one. The way Warrior has been shot, the characterisation, the impressive physicality of the fighters, the fight scenes themselves and the pacing of the story, together makes for an engaging drama. You can smell the Oscar nominations now.

Crazy, Stupid, Love. 23/09/11

Purely for my absolute love of a tanned Ryan Gosling, I had been looking forward to seeing this film for months. I would honestly hate to think how many times myself and my reception compadre have watched this trailer - but we're talking seriously high numbers.

Gosling exudes wit, cool and arrogance as playboy Jacob Palmer and he executes this with perfection. It would have been so very easy for him to play Jacob as a truly unlikable chauvinist type but you never find yourself disliking the character, in fact quite the opposite, the charm he portrays makes him the most watchable and engaging character in the film. Gosling along with Steve Carrell, Julianne Moore, Kevin Bacon, Emma Stone and Marisa Tomei all put in classy performances which combined spell an impressive cast for this quirky romantic comedy.

The characters are likeable and believable and this is the first step towards the movies success. Crazy, Stupid, Love is an intelligent and funny representation of modern relationships and while the situations might not be relatable to all, aspects of characters and scenarios are. We follow many different stories of love in different stages, forms and age brackets. The central story is that of childhood sweethearts Cal (Carell) and his wife Emily (Moore) after she requests a divorce. This is where Jacob, the ladies man extraordinaire, comes into play; he meets Cal in a bar and offers his services as 'life coach' in order for Cal to recapture who he is. Think Hitch with a twist. Cue montage of Cal's transformation to reclaim his masculinity.

 My only concern with this movie is that in the final third it becomes a little too sentimental. Throughout the story the onus is more on the seriousness of the situation rather than the comedic opportunity. You come out feeling satisfied with the resolution and the amount of clever dialogue you witnessed, sure, but you do feel fairly short changed of real laughter. Also, at almost 2 hours long, you do feel like it could have been a little more concise in some areas. I do, however, feel there is enough humour and punch in the overall product that all of this needn't be too much of a problem; Crazy, Stupid, Love is a refreshing take on the exhausted romantic comedy structure and a must watch feel good movie.

Gosling - 10/10 for torso. The above picture was always going to be the one. Win. Thankyouplease.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy 17/09/11

This remake of the 1970s TV series based on the John Le Carre book boasts an impressive British cast, exudes class and is executed almost to perfection.

The Cold War is the era and the focus is an infiltrated MI6. The plot is intelligent, complicated and complex and if you lose focus for one second you may become lost. However, concentrating on this sumptuous and meaty plot is certainly no hardship because to lose yourself in this wonderful 70s setting is somewhat a treat; this film is aesthetically very pleasing and the detailed period costume, set and editing is spectacular. The whole film is a class act and very rarely these days do you come across a film with so few faults.

Credit must go to director Tomas Alfredson for taking on the daunting task of adapting a much loved British television series and novel and as a result creating such a mesmerizing feature length portrayal.

As previously mentioned, the cast is a huge element in this movies' success. The calibre of this British juggernaut of a cast is actually fairly breathtaking; this is not just a bunch of familiar faces, these actors are a mix of Academy Award winners, established film royalty and young actors who are surely the future of British performers on the Hollywood stage. When you analyse it, you have John Hurt, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Mark Strong, Ciaran Hinds, Philip Martin Brown, Kathy Burke and Toby Jones who have all had, and will continue to have prolific and impressively successful careers. You then come to the young guns Tom Hardy and Benedict Cumberbatch who are both ridiculously exciting talents and their careers are, by all means, only now kicking off.

Now I realise I'm gushing and all but why not? It is a year to be very proud of British talent, and that I am... No phone checks whatsoever!

Trailer Trash!

So over the weekend I have abused my newly acquired Cineworld Unlimited card and saw Crazy, Stupid, Love, Warrior and Drive. Reviews for those 3 and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy to follow this little collection of trailer treats...

The Ides of March

Starring Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood...

 Justice

Starring Nicholas Cage (how he still gets leading roles I will never know), January Jones and Guy Pearce.

Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark

Guy Pearce and Katie Holmes star in this Horror remake written by Guillermo Del Toro.

Footloose

Remake of the 1984 dance extravaganza starring Julianne Hough.

Red State

Academy Award Winner Melissa Leo stars in this Thriller set in Middle America. Sinister stuff. 

Anonymous

A wonderful British cast brings to life the conspiracy theory that Shakespeare was, in fact, a fraud. 

In Time

Justin Timberlake, Olivia Wilde, Amanda Seyfried and Cillian Murphy star in this Sci-Fi Thriller. Interesting concept and cast.

30 Minutes or Less 17/09/11

Following on from his success with Zombieland, Ruben Fleischer deals out an intelligent, funny and entertaining comedy. Jesse Eisenberg's delivery makes him captivating to watch and he is the perfect mix of geek and cool for his pizza delivery driver character Nick. It is Aziz Ansari however who is the out and out comedic triumph of this film, outshining McBride and Eisenberg by a country mile. Ansari until now has played small parts in comedy films and TV programmes but will surely now be handed more leading roles as a result of 30 Minutes or Less.

In comparison to Zombieland, (which I loved by the way) 30 minutes or Less doesn't really compare in terms of originality and character establishment. This is due to the script aiming more for laughs rather than commonsensical storyline. Even though this is the case, the amount of laughs you get throughout the 83 minute duration more than make up for this short coming.

This is one of those comedies you buy on DVD and throw on when you want to watch a film that will ultimately make you laugh but you don't have to worry about concentrating too hard. A new Superbad, Forgetting Sarah Marshall or 40 Year Old Virginesque cracker to add to your collection. A perfect Sunday film!

The story line is utterly ridiculous but its concise duration makes sure that 30 Minutes or Less is fast paced, gripping, funny and entertaining. Due to its shallow nature, however, the jokes are unfortunately fairly forgettable. Zero phone checks though - I didn't have time!

The Change-Up 17/09/11

While not expecting too much in the way of depth from a body-switch comedy, The Change-Up has a fairly thin and uneven plot and disappointingly the jokes are largely forgettable.

One positive is the obvious chemistry between Jason Bateman and Ryan Reynolds. A redeeming feature is the rapport between the leads. They do their best with often vulgar material and it is clear that they have studied each other's mannerisms thoroughly. The characters (especially Reynolds') are unfortunately rather unlikable; Reynolds plays Mitch, a struggling actor displaying obscene behaviour and Bateman is Dave a high flying lawyer with a busy family life.

Now I am usually one for crude comedies; I like them slightly crass, embarrassing, cringe worthy and with a healthy dose of swearing so I don't know if I got out of the wrong side of bed on this day but I really didn't find the jokes as funny as I wanted to. While on the surface I watched the film, let a lot of the jokes wash over me and giggled a few times, there were a few moments that irritated me and put my back up a tad. My cinema compadre laughed the whole way through The Change-Up and found it hilarious so I would say it's most probably a matter of taste.

To summarize this crude comedy leaves a rather indifferent taste in the mouth. I was so hoping for this to be a new favourite for the DVD collection but director David Dobkin and writers Jon Lucas and Scott Moore have missed the mark and left me wanting. If you are easily offended - don't watch. If you like a cheap laugh or five then give it a shot but it won't end your world if you don't see it!

P.s. That process was painful because I massively crush hard on Ryan Reynolds and love Jason Bateman a little more than I should. Sob.

Trailer Trash!

So yesterday, like a super huge geek I spent almost the whole day in the cinema. I sat through 3 screenings, reviews for the below films to follow:-

• The Change Up
• 30 Minutes or Less
• Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

As you can imagine I saw a lot of trailers during this day so have a nice little selection to share with you...

The Help

Emma Stone stars in this Drama set in the 1960s circling around an aspiring author writing a book about African American maids and their lives working for white families.

Drive

This Action Drama stars Carey Mulligan and Ryan Gosling. Gosling is a Hollywood stunt performer who discovers a contract has been put on him. Violence ensues...

Contagion

AMAZING cast. Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Marion Cotillard, Jude Law, Laurence Fishburne and the list goes on. Directed by Steven Soderbergh. Truly cannot wait for the 21st October!

The Debt

Helen Mirren, Tom Wilkinson and Sam Worthington star in this Spy Thriller. The trailer gives away just enough to tickle the taste buds...

Warrior

I wasn't really thrilled with the idea of this film, then I saw the poster and was still slightly "meh" about the whole thing, then I saw the trailer and cannot wait to get involved! Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton and Nick Nolte star.

Killer Elite

Another Statham Action Thriller. Credibility factor heightened here by Robert De Niro and Clive Owen.

What's Your Number?

Sporting some seriously botched collagen lips Anna Faris stars in this comedy alongside Chris Evans. It all looks pretty terrible...