Silver linings playbook

 Often confused and always predictable is an accurate description of nearly every 21st century 'rom-com' to date, used as a cheap way to lure couples and unwilling men. The newest in this dying genre is the lavishly named Silver linings playbook, a film which looks to be a 'game changer' displaying an interesting premise that has otherwise been largely ignored. Although this film proves to be impressive from the exterior, as you delve deeper into the film and whittle down it's tough shell, it begins to show it's true bland colours.

With clear intentions to be a sophisticated tale, pandering to the mature audience, and with desires to be considered for an Oscar nomination, Silver linings playbook became discombobulated in it's storytelling, unsure of what its themes were and who to aim them at. Beginning with rich depth and intrigue we follow Bradley Cooper a recently heartbroken husband who went into a state of mild insanity after he found his wife with another man. He attends daily treatment after his short term stay at the mental institute as he attempts to escape his past, however despite his efforts he cannot seem to forget his wife as he attempts to frequently visit her. Soon after his release he's invited to a friends dinner whereby he meets Jennifer Lawrence a young relatable woman with similar issues.

 Throughout the course of this opening quarter we follow his daily life and are introduced to a number of possible meaningful themes however none are fully explored, instead the remainder of the story ensues in all it's idiocy. What should've been an intellectual study into the pathways of love, instead transformed into a naive view of relationships tentatively poking at a plethora of meaningful themes but rarely delving in deep. This subsequently led to a bland two hours of bad jokes and whimsical dialogue as the characters failed to create any connection to the now tiresome audience. The only characters that make this picture bearable is the bulging personalities of the two leads, Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper, although a connection to the audience fails, a connection to each other was certainly present providing some fantastic chemistry from the contrasting bland screenplay. This provided for the odd occasion of genuine emotion and sincerity that is to be expected from a film of this calibre. 

 Irritation soon seeps in as an obvious half hearted effort is inserted, both in the areas of screenplay and acting performances. The extensive supporting cast do little at all to support the two lead characters, only providing the occasional unnecessary appearance and comment, and in the rarity that they do appear they're all piled together in one room which adds no meaning or relevance only unintentional humour. The performances of the fantastic De Niro and Weaver are as still as good as ever however alike the majority of the films burdens, they're done an injustice by the poor screenplay giving neither of them any where near enough screen time as is necessary. 

 With the potential to be a true 'game changer', Silver linings playbook disappoints in nearly all areas, providing an uneven mess of a narrative to pathetically fuel the apathetic cast 'over the finish line'. With Lawrence finally beginning to find her feet in the industry, this films few saviours appear in the performances of the two leads as well as De Niro and Weaver, their involvement may not have been fully abused however when it was we saw glimpses of brilliance. Interpreted as an ignorant route towards Oscar nomination, Silver linings playbook contains little substance and near to no 'silver lining'.

50%- Like a dry cream cracker, bland, boring and with no substance.

 Calum Russell

Paranormal activity 4

 After the 2007 release of the widely acclaimed Paranormal Activity, the franchise has become a certain staple in the season of Halloween, despite it's slated sequels. With no intention of a further branching story, the first installment provided a simple, low-budget chiller which although is criticised for being linear and boring, is undeniably frightening when it wants to be. Inevitably following it's success has come the line of sequels increasing in budget and decreasing in originality, with the second films flimsy story paving the way for the subsequent films. Although totally minimal in it's storytelling this narrative has become increasingly intriguing as the films progress, if not frustratingly slow. So as the fourth installment dawns on our screens we are barely past the first page, yet it's weirdly gripping.

 You know the score! Half an hour of anxious faces carrying out their daily routine, when suddenly the paranormal is discovered and their lives resort to recording endless hours of virtually nothing on seemingly immovable camcorders, only to catch 10 minutes of actual footage which creates our climax. This installment sees the paranormal haunt the life of a modern family, as we follows the story of Alex the daughter, as she becomes increasingly obsessed with the mysterious goings on. This leads to the introduction of various security cameras and the new addition of the incoherently idiotic 'skype' feature, which involves the family walking nervously round the house holding an open laptop!?

 Yes, all the familiar idiocies we all know and love within the series are present, as well as the expected additions of largely poor acting and a plethora of unexplained incidences, however if you can somehow part the fog, and look at the positives, you'll be surprised to see that this fourth installment offers a significant amount to the series; introducing some intelligent plot devices as well as some unexpectedly creepy moments.  The 'xbox kinect' feature is certainly one of those new features and is up for much deliberation. Yes, the products name is said an unnecessary amount of times meaning that it can be easily seen as a blatantly obvious piece of product placement. However the sheer extent to which it's used throughout the film, redeems it's blatant money making scheme with some truly chilling images created by the products motion tracking feature. Although possibly overused, usually acting as the centerpiece for the majority of scares, on the occasion that it is used at the right time it is used to excellent effect, imprinting a disconcerting image onto the minds of the audience. The scares themselves are usually legitimately frightening, however the inevitably alarming jump scare is also predominantly present, acting as a cheap way to scare audiences yet again. Contrary to the previous films however, Paranormal activity 4 does a brilliant job in keeping those scares to a minimum and instead using it's brain to create something significantly uncomfortable.

 Remaining loyal to it's original, alike the previous 2 films, the fourth boasts an unknown cast of anxious victims, which despite the franchises failures is one of the few aspects that works heavily in its favour. Casting a refreshingly realistic tone over the horror franchise, the use of an unknown cast aids in adding an unnerving dose of realism into each film. Usually hindered by a hackneyed script, the casts praises usually end there, however with a predominantly relatable screenplay this fourth installment almost seems realistic! This allows for an out pour of creative characters to be released,  which happens most poignantly within the character of Ben, the boyfriend who is the comedy refreshment, sparking witty, relevant jokes with perfect comic timing.

 Being considerably better than it's two predecessors, Paranormal activity 4 remains riddled with it's franchise's issues, however does an excellent job in attempting to overthrow these through the additions of some intelligent features. The effort is beginning to become clear once again from this seemingly derailed series, and could eventually produce something truly special with it's next few installments if it's willing to try. Suffice ably frightening and increasingly intelligent, this injured franchise is beginning to find its feet.

60%- A surprising advancement on the previously dull series, the problems remain but the progress is evident.

Calum Russell

Skyfall

 Shortly after the worldwide success of the critically acclaimed Casino Royale came , questionably,  bonds worst outing yet, in a title that isn't even worth mentioning due to it's unnecessary amount of syllables. After it's release bond hit a brick wall, procrastinating in development whilst production teams thought of ways to repair the badly injured franchise and MGM sorted out their money issues. A refreshing four years later, whereby audiences had discarded Bonds previous outing and Bond hit the magic age of 50,  Skyfall had finally been completed, with the prestigious mind of Sam Mendes at the helm. Boasting an impressive cast and crew to match, it almost seemed inevitable that Skyfall would bring about better things for Bond, and that's certainly the case, this is well worth the wait.

 50 years after the loved and perhaps missed style of the classic 60's bond, comes Skyfall a 21st century  impression of the bond we all know and love, made relevant to today's society through a contemporary narrative. Following the story of MI6 as it comes under a hugely relevant 'cyber attack', Bonds loyalty to M is tested as he faces the repercussions of her past. Through this plot, he is put up against the deeply intimidating 'Silva', leading the attacks for a largely realistic reason.

 Although humongous volcano lairs, containing eccentric traps of dangerous animals, is quite sensibly a thing of the past, their was an aspect of such bizarre narrative that seemed to gel successfully. After all Bond is one man on a slightly unrealistic mission, a hint of fun should be effortlessly inserted. Evidently such ambitious strongholds remain buried in the 1960's, however that's not to say aspects of such classics should be forgotten. Contrary to recent Bond films Skyfall enjoys itself, whilst immersing it's audience within the suave and sophisticated world of Bond. Such audacious features may not be as prominent, but they remain present providing a comforting 'nostalgia blanket', whilst still keeping it contemporary. The film begins in familiar Bond style, in the form of an exhilarating, if not slightly ridiculous chase sequence which does wonders in setting the tone for the remaining film. Immediately a sense of relief was felt, as Bond makes chase on foot through the bustling streets ,before taking to the rooftops on a motorbike. The chase is extensive and exhausting, due to the fantastic cinematography reminding you of the similarly brilliant chase in Craig's first outing. The scene soon draws to a close in dramatic style as the classic title card sequence begins with familiar punchy artwork and a riveting score to match

 Skyfalls forceful drive is very much due to its immersive, contemporary narrative that is usually dismissed for an overused archaic ' world dominance plan'. Although it has it's incoherent times that come with the use of a technological narrative, it does a good job in tying the story together into a neat, streamlined picture. With this narrative comes the frightening dominance of the anti-hero 'Silva', played by the excellent Javier Bardem who displays a sophisticated attire within a mind of insanity and a perfect 'blonde mop'. Such a villain has been unheard of previously in the Bond series, but he has no doubt been catapulted up to stand with the very best through his rich character depth and oddly alluring personality. A scene in which Silva and Bond are introduced for the very first time, contrasts the two giant persona's perfectly, with the controlling Silva ultimately providing the background narrative for his motives, in a scene of pure enjoyment and art. A similar intimidating theme continues throughout the film until it's thrilling climax, where we discover the perhaps unnecessary inclusion of Bonds past whilst preparing for a stunning action set-piece. This climactic action sequence mostly delivers however does have the tendency to trip over into the ridiculous at times, inadvertently becoming quite rushed, especially compared to the amount of build up that was given to set the scene.

 The Bond franchise needed redemption, and to achieve this Skyfall needed to prove itself, it needed to prove Casino Royale was no fluke and that Bond is still relevant and popular in a modern society. Skyfall achieves this in sublime style, through a fresh plot full of creativity facing a realistic and furthermore relateable  threat that is unprecedented within the Bond series .Bond may be ageing but he is very much better than ever.

90%- The Bond flame is rekindled with style as we celebrates his 50th

Calum Russell

Beasts of the southern wild

Hailed for it's heartfelt prowess and inspiring performances, beasts of the southern wild has already won various amounts of awards, most prominently from the Cannes film festival. Dealing with a relevant yet seemingly bizarre concept revolving largely around the change in climate and the resulting emerging events, Beasts of the southern wild does a fantastic job in gripping the audience whilst seducing you into the beautiful world of 'the bathtub'.

 Stricken with a desperately ill father, and the constant fear of possible flooding, Beasts of the southern wild follows Hushpuppy, a tenacious child who must learn the values of life as the world around her falls apart.

At the unbelievable age of six, the narrative is very much driven by the fantastic performance of Quvenzhane Wallis with her subsequent supporting cast of equal passion following closely behind. Every character looks up to Hushpuppy as a figure of power and control as she steals every scene with her charming presence. Although their are minor aspects that don't quite piece together, the majority of the narrative is delivered with meaning and heart. This is largely due to the fact that the subject matter is all to relevant to current audiences, nearing the future this dark fantasy could soon become partial reality. The beasts themselves worked to an extent, more as a strong metaphor rather than a literal threat, the few scenes containing them felt irrelevant and oddly forced, detracting you from the preferred story at hand. Fortunately these beasts are not as relevant to the story as initially imagined, until the climax at least ,instead they serve as a further threat impacting on the the lives of the community.

 Throughout the opening minutes of the film an immediate connection is felt to Hushpuppy, and our relationship only improves during the remaining course of the picture. Whilst she emotionally adapts to the dangers of the world around her, our attachment grows ever stronger to the extent that we feel like the mother of the ever hopeful child. This feeling of attachment is heavily aided by the emotionally invigorating score, which delivers variations of a similar track throughout, until the final climactic song of pure beauty and awe is unleashed with the complete orchestral expression.

 Full of pure love and heartfelt emotion, Beasts of the southern wild is a truly fantastic film which perfectly encapsulates the innocence of youth as well as the and the unity of community. Delivering relevant messages  of threat through the angelic viewpoint of the young, this is a deeply meaningful film that can't be missed.

85%- Delivers heartfelt emotional power, through the eyes  of the innocent. This will surely mean wonders for the 6 year old star.

Calum Russell