Take this waltz

 The 'Rom-Com'. Perhaps the most downtrodden film genre ever to bare our screens with most, if not all concepts being murdered by the continuous manufacture of countless 'tween' dramas and bigoted quirky comedies. It takes a substantial amount of effort to be noticed in such a genre frequently slammed by critics and whilst Take this waltz may bare a hugely pretentious exterior title it proves to differentiate itself from the ever growing crowd being gorgeously alluring with the absence of suspected whimsicality.

 Displaying a schmaltzy facade, Take this waltz doesn't aid itself in the originality category telling the story of a happily married woman, Margot, (Michelle Williams) who falls for an artist (Luke Kirby) living across the street. This narrative is lovingly pieced together in the opening half an hour, introducing the audience to the life of Margot and as we follow her noticeably jolly yet oddly tedious lifestyle. Following a clearly defined plot for the most part it does tend to lose it's way in the opening hour or so proving to become mighty bland as it procrastinates to a seemingly non existent goal. However once the films processed the fact that she's a 'lost soul' it eventually finds it's grove boasting a truly riveting narrative, mainly due to the terrific performances of the polished cast led by Michelle Williams. The almost sociopathic performance of the deranged character of Margot was excellently delivered with pure emotion and drive supplying the films vital pragmatic punch. Following in suite was the equally excellent role of Seth Rogan, proving that he can deliver outside of his stereotypical role of 'comedy stoner', providing the loving relatable soul that this film bases a majority of it's messages on.  The inconsistencies of the opening hour do continue in a minimalistic form, becoming prominent on occasion,  most notably the bizarre sexual undertones of the concluding half hour are slightly unnecessary detracting from the rich depth of the story at hand.

 Aside from the tendencies to slip in and out of coherency  Take this waltz largely coagulates fantastically providing some truly beautiful scenes that display the complicity of love and happiness. This is as much a study as it is a piece of entertainment with obvious deeper undertones present throughout. It's true triumph is in the fact that it takes a rusty, delirious narrative and transforms it into something powerful and heartfelt.

7.5/10- A film with much more substance, feeling and originality than initially expected, despite it's frequent tonal issues.

Calum Russell

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

After the worldwide success of the universally praised Lord of the rings series it was almost inevitable that it's child friendly predecessor would follow suit with a feature film adaptation. Many years later after much cast deliberation and technical issues, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey has wondered onto our screens boasting a crystal clear higher frame rate as well as the modern blockbuster necessity 3-D. With much hype to live up to The Hobbit didn't have a particularly easy task, transcribing the innocence of the children's novel with the previously established gritty world of middle-earth ; and whilst it was pleasant to revisit Tolkien's universe, the Hobbits journey felt slow, forced and tediously childish.

 A seemingly forgotten fact surrounding The Hobbit, is that it's very much a children's novel, following the adventure of a mythical Hobbit being taken on a quest to a mountain guarded by a vicious dragon. It's a classic children's novel with obvious coinciding themes. However the problem lies when Jackson attempts to merge the gritty sensation of Lord of the rings with the totally contrasting themes of The Hobbit. This results in a giant mess of Dwarves, dragons, necromancers and nonsensical folk-law  A clear target demographic is not present and in an attempt to appeal to everybody it coincidentally appeals to nobody. One scene you find yourself in the company of a jolly naturalistic wizard tending to the needs of the local wildlife, the next he's being confronted by the deeply intimidating shadow of the necromancer. This unproductive contrast between every scene makes for a totally inconsistent tale of messy fantasy. 

 Many of the cinematic issues with the Hobbit come as a result of the brilliantly told, yet undeniably faulty tale of the novel. Most notably the Dwarf pack was simply too large for the audience to care for each one of them, so in an attempt to display individual personalities Jackson tries to give each one sufficient screen-time  yet even still, the most memorable ones are the ones which are simplistically stereotyped for the joys of a younger audience. Characters are forgotten as the story becomes overwhelmed with sophisticated ideologies instead of focusing on character depth, which it's Lord of the rings counterparts achieved with excellence.

  CGI which was previously used sparingly as a tool to sustain an audiences belief and enhance the visuals, in the Hobbits case has now become an easy way to show off the worst of a wonderful universe. This overindulgence of hackneyed special effects detracted from the story completely, forcing you to think that your watching a low budget B-movie rather than a cinematic spectacle. This extensive use seemingly poor CGI, wasn't aided by the technical addition of a higher frame rate, only highlighting the prosthetic and computer animated negatives. This unrepresented technology did near to nothing to enhance the viewing experience of the audience with the exception of the fluid movement and crisp imagery during the establishing shots of vast nature.  It's increasingly useless counterpart of 3-D followed in an all too familiar suit, proving to be useful in the first 5 minutes yet simply being an irritating 'dimmer switch' in the events proceeding.

 The novel, although providing some nuisances does however provide the sturdy foundations for this epic adventure tale, which in itself is sweet and nostalgic. Displaying scenes of creative imagination for the most part, despite it's obsession with special effects. The novel however is transcribed in a bizarre fashion, dragging each chapter to unbearable lengths in the hope that they'll fortunately piece together making the shape of an 'epic trilogy'. The obsession of money is a clear drive behind the narratives procrastination, with greedy box-office numbers getting the upper hand on cinematic beauty.  

 Much of this films faults come as a result of it's tonal inconsistency, which is a shame as there's much to be admired here if it wasn't for the sticky facade of issues. Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins is the link desperately holding the story together, providing a performance that was not only relatable but also innocently charming. The best scene, displaying middle-earths magic once more, appeared from the magnificent chemistry between the performances of Freeman and the iconic Lord of the rings creature, Gollum. This scene perfectly encapsulates the excellent performances of both actors as well as being one of the few scenes which truly balances witty humor with child friendly storytelling. Issues arise when observing the bigger picture, with two more installments on the horizon and little explained in 'An Unexpected Journey' the Hobbit needs to rethink it's demographic and find harmony in it's tones.

60%- Middle earth is as much missed as it is infested with issues.

Calum Russell

A movie christmas

It's that time of year again, put up the lights, set the table and dust off your ultimate Christmas DVD, because the merry month of December is here. Whilst we're amidst the buzz of Oscar season, we cannot forget that this holiday period is a time strictly dedicated to the viewings of multiple Christmas classics. With the inevitable family debate of personal cinematic Christmas favourites just around the corner, a definitive guide to your Christmas viewing is compulsory.

Which is why in the true spirit of Christmas, here is THE Christmas guide.

For the family friendly, festive night in

The very first pick of the best family Christmas films is one that delivers the classic tale of Dickens' A Christmas Carol, through the use of our furry cinematic friends, The Muppets. A Muppets Christmas Carol remains to be the best adaptations of the classic novel to date, despite the relatively recent attempt from Jim Carrey and his motion capture technology. It combines clever, familiar Muppet wit that we all know and love with the already excellent tale of kindness and happiness. It also gives a touch of magic through it's musical numbers which will have you grinning uncontrollably as two elderly men sing 'we're marley and marley'. This is a true Christmas classic that shouldn't be snubbed because of it's childish use of puppetry, this is not just one for the kids, this is a fun and festive family film.

The second is the most recent on the list, produced by the increasingly impressive stop-motion animation studio Aardman, Arthur Christmas is a truly excellent tale that encapsulates the true meaning of Christmas. What with the boom in technological advancements, tradition has partially gone out of the window with the new 'easier way', such a complex idea would surely be unheard of in kids animation. Well not exactly. Whilst kids may not fully understand the moral message behind the film, the message remains prominent for every loving adult who sits with their child to watch this modern classic. Alike the previous film in the list, this film is truly one for the whole family, it's surprisingly hilarious as well as lovingly heartwarming not to mention so elegantly gentle in it's storytelling. This is an ease to watch on a cold, tired winters evening give it a watch and remind yourself of 'the true magic of Christmas'.

Perhaps the most popular Christmas film amongst kids and early teenagers on the list is the comedy sensation Elf starring the excellent Will Ferrell. Following the story of an overgrown elf living in the north pole as he ventures into New York city to find his true identity. Alike many films on the list this one is also a harmless comedy that has jokes for both young and old, making way for a truly hilarious 90 minutes of fun. Contrary to most however, Elf finds the perfect balance of drama and comedy, displaying a consistent even tone that will flow fluidly throughout it's running time. This is an elegantly hilarious film for the whole family, a true modern Christmas classic.

 The concluding, and debatably best, addition to this category of the list follows the story of Kevin Mcallister when he's left Home Alone at Christmas. Proving to be one of Macaulay Culkin's first and notably best roles, Home Alone delves deep on the reality of loneliness as well as the true meanings of Christmas. It may do this in a cheesy and sadistically violent manner however it mostly remains within it's childish narrative, proving that a brick to the head is a minor injury when using slap-stick comedy. It's a lovingly innocent look at a child's alluring immaturity and seemingly ingenious 'trap-setting' skills that never prove to become old. Christmas would be lacking without a dose of Home Alone!

For the days of anticipation

An unlikely yet certainly deserved reservation for the one and only Christmas documentary on the list appears here in the form of 2011's Becoming Santa. This film takes an in depth forage into the stressful yet rewarding lives of the USA's 'commercial santas', dedicating their lives to brighten the hearts of children around the country. We follow Jack as he takes upon the decision to 'become a santa' after the late death of his Christmas loving father, throughout his journey we see his physical transformation as well as his emotional one. With this one singular story proving to be fairly linear this documentary does an excellent job in breaking the film into enjoyable chunks, separated by a study into the history of the Christmas icon. These pieces of historical information initially proved to be drawn out as near useless information about his origins were thrown effortlessly at the screen, however as the film progresses these scenes became increasingly more interesting providing more relevant and interesting information. The films 'other half' of the story of Jack takes a similar route proving to procrastinate towards the beginning, but picks up towards the end until it's heart warming finale. The conclusion of this film is it's most poignant and memorable scene, showing the magic of Christmas that we see regularly in animation but very rarely in reality. This lovingly realistic climax to this film is truly beautiful and shouldn't be missed.   (For all you UK 'netflixers' this is available to stream)

For the elders

Almost certainly, the most dark and eerily uncomfortable film on this guide is Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale, set in the mountains of Finland where the much loved Christmas icon Santa Claus proves to be a sinister creature. Although this may be dark and at some points extremely dreary, it does provide a refreshing twist on the familiar tale of Santa. With it's bizarre tones running wild throughout the film, this is not for everyone, earning it's place in the 'anticipation' category simply because if it's disliked it will cast a creepy shadow over your Christmas viewing. With it's '15' certificate, this is most definitely not suitable for kids encouraging them to discard all loving memories of Santa in place for new deeply intimidating ones! Never the less it's a hilarious romp for adults allowing for a breath of fresh air after multiple cheesy viewings of family favorites, give it a go.

A raunchy Christmas comedy is almost taboo in a genre dominated by family films however one has found a niche space and has wriggled perfectly in it, Bad Santa fulfills the needs of any comedy craving festive individual. Opposing the Christmas conventions with magnificent style Bad Santa 'bad mouths' tradition in place for it's new unashamed immaturity. The true star of this film comes in the adorable package of Brett Kelly, playing 'the kid' with near perfect comedy timing, no matter how many times he offers sandwiches he never fails to produce a flurry of laughter from the audience. The cohesion between him and Billy Bob Thornton also works to brilliant comedy effect, similar to the banter between two beloved comedians its easy to forget your witnessing a conversation between a naive boy and an alcoholic santa. Surprised at just how well this film holds together with it's thin narrative, Bad Santa proves to be the raunchy Christmas comedy alternative to the family friendly 'Elf'.

A quick taste of Christmas

Too busy for a lazy afternoon in front of your favorite festive movie? Then why not watch the beautifully heartwarming tale of The Snowman as he prances through the air.  This animated adventure follows the story of a young child when he makes a snowman come to life of Christmas eve, based on the beloved children's novel this wordless animation perfectly captures the child-like wonder of Christmas. Aided handsomely by it's exhilarating score of 'Walking in the air' this 30 minute short will leave you speechless, craving that innocence once again. The whole film is available on 'YouTube' so there is simply no excuse to discard this spectacle, it's short, sweet and succinct  (Here's a handy link to take you straight to the film at hand-  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgTpoy91nWo)


'But where is the Christmas classic It's a wonderful life, not to mention a Miracle on 34th street' these are simply films on the must see list, and since it's Christmas time they will be watched in a matter of days, to most probably be marked on the list next year. These films will most likely fill the heart with joy and Christmas spirit, like the films on the list will also do.It's the best genre, we all know it, Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without the films.

Merry Christmas one and all!

Calum Russell

Sightseers

 We've seen love stories before, enough that (for most films) the whole narrative can be predicted from the off, the cheesy, the 'kookie' and the childish it's justified to say that the rom/com genre has been near enough murdered. One thing we haven't seen however is a love story between two equally insane 'serial killers' like in Ben Wheatleys much anticipated film Sightseers, and judging by his previous film Kill List, despite it's comedy properties Sightseers is likely to be pretty dark.

 Chris a seemingly proud and proper English gent offers to show his girlfriend, Tina, his world of 'caravan luxury' however as events soon conspire against them, the trip takes an unexpected turn. Imagine it as an ' uncomfortably dark rom-com road trip'. Unlike Wheatleys previous work which proved to be barely watchable at times, Sightseers displays a much lighter tone that will most likely appeal to a much larger demographic of people. A frequent issue when dealing with such a contrast in dark subject matter is finding that perfect balance between humorous and uncomfortable, Sightseers manages to find that perfect balance, creating for bizarre contrasting scenes of absolute hilarity and horrific violence. At times the film leans towards an uncomfortable dark narrative, momentarily forgetting about it's comedy roots and producing some uneven tones. This is largely when the bulk of the underlying themes are becoming prominent, however this did happen a little too often.

 Unlike this films American counterpart 'God bless america' which deals with similar contemporary themes, Sightseers manages to handle it's narrative with care, never forgetting it's true meaning with the characters performing the murderous acts with legitimate justification. This provides for some truly hilarious death scenes, which are usually followed by an apt one-liner giving the film a necessary playful personality. This personality is mainly injected by the uncomfortably excellent acting performances of the two lead roles, Steve Oram and Alice Lowe who provide a totally convincing depiction of two abnormal pissed off psychopaths. Every action they perform is utterly unpredictable displaying just why they are such a couple to be feared, the totally normal yet contrasting psychopathic tendencies that the couple posses prove to be oddly relatable as most of their frustrations are shared with the audience. This could easily be 'that odd couple you meet on holiday'.

 Sightseers does an excellent job of mocking English traditions with a perhaps unintentional patriotic view of Britain and In a year of completely underwhelming comedies certainly proves that you don't have to be big to be the best. Tending to the needs of it's comedic half and it's contrasting dark undertones, Sightseers manages it's narrative with direct precision from start to end supplying for a much more heart-felt finished product than expected .This is the best British comedy in years and by a mile the funniest, most gruesome, most romantic comedy of the year!

9/10- Traditional psychopaths in the English countryside, whats not to love!

Calum Russell

The Grey

Liam Neeson once provided some of the most impressive cinematic performances seen on screen however after his 'family was taken' back in 2008, he's been very much typecast as the 'aging action hero'. From the exterior it seems as though Neeson continues his caricature in The Grey as he is forced into treacherous conditions after a plane crash in Alaska. However as the initial formulaic plot is drawn back a totally unexpected fresh one is put into action, revealing a truly fantastic narrative rich in heartfelt meaning and emotion.

 From a sub-genre which is mostly totally exhausted of unique ideas, The Grey does the almost impossible task of bringing life to an otherwise bland narrative. The story at hand is as simple as previously described as Neeson finds himself tackling the local weather conditions as well as the blood thirsty inhabitants of Alaska. The difference is however that unlike many films of a similar genre, The Grey isn't just about fighting for survival  it also produces some rich undertones that tackles the sensitive subjects of religion, faith and desperation. This allows not only for an intellectually developed narrative to unfold but also for a handful of  intriguingly rich characters to carry the story.

 Although undoubtedly stereotyped the largely unknown supporting cast of sub characters do an excellent job of conveying emotion through their performances. Occasionally they did fell like 'bait' for the wolves in order to 'tend to the needs of the audience' through a gruesome death scene however for the most part they provide a excellently realistic structure for the film to mold itself . When the wolves did attack they did so in a repetitive manner picking them off one by one as the group ran away in comic style, this created for some unintentionally silly scenes of unrealistic nonsense, fortunately these scenes are kept to a minimum and for the most part the audience sympathises with the characters as a much loved member passes away. Liam Neeson leads the group at the helm, proving that he hasn't simply become an 'action dad' delivering a truly endearing
and believable performance of heart felt emotion and genuine fear.

 These underlying subjects  implement an extra dimension to the film, acting as the most poignant aspect that makes this film so memorable. This more realatable deeper narrative, increasingly builds up until the astounding climactic scene of unexpected beauty, that is surprisingly intelligent as it is meaningful.

The true excellence of The Grey is its surprise factor, expecting a dull formulaic story of escape and instead being delivered with a heartwarming tale of one mans inner battles. Instead of insulting audiences with a simplistic plot, The Grey challenges them to uncover the deeper themes of the narrative and make an informed decision of how the film ultimately concludes. This is an exemplary example of an intellectual Hollywood blockbuster that went totally overlooked but should be lovingly praised.

8.5/10- Neeson at his very best in this meaningful portrait flowing with creativity and emotion.

Calum Russell

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