Zero Dark Thirty

 As universally recognised as it was many were oblivious to the pain-staking years of effort that went into the hunt for 'Osama bin Laden'. Unlike various similar situations this hunt was largely a silent one, done behind the closed doors of CIA offices instead of the brutal front line, suggesting that perhaps Kathryn Bigelow's newest Oscar contender 'Zero Dark Thirty' isn't the action spectacular that many expect it to be.

 With Oscar nominated Jessica Chastain leading the hunt as 'Maya' a CIA officer, this film largely follows her inner struggles of desperation as her job and patriotic pride hang on thin strings, and for the majority her performances truly drives the film along with the remaining male cast running obediently behind.She leads the narrative as thin as it proves to ware, showing to be of smaller substance as initially perceived with many scenes showing almost identical subject matter to the previous. It's largely brilliant in captivating it's audience through political discussions and the tedium of the lengthy hunt, however its not helped by it's occasionally poor screenplay that acts as irregular comic relief as unknown sub-characters blurt convoluted phrase's with near to no following explanation. Almost inevitably a huge sense of 'deja-vu' is felt as the film procrastinates in it's progression through bogs of unnecessary dialogue .This may be an unintentional positive however as that's how the process played out in reality, this wasn't a months work as most CIA thrillers display it to be, this was a 10-year hunt, constant revisits to the 'drawing board' are to be expected.

 Aiding in Maya's hunt is 'Dan' (Jason Clarke), a fellow CIA officer with perhaps more brutal tactics than the initially disgusted protagonist, displaying controversial scenes of reportedly 'stylised torture scenes'. This is in fact far from the case with Zero Dark Thirty only providing an all too realistic depiction of the torture involved with such a brutal hunt, little felt stylised with most feeling aptly uncomfortable. In fact looking on the whole the most poignant of positives that this film beholds is in it's terrifying authenticity, every scene of violence is seen through the lens of reality with little left to the imagination. With the majority of the film being dialogue between political and military figures, it comes as quite the expectation to see the resulting raid and assassination, and although it lasts for around 25 minutes it certainly proves to be one of the most accurate and exhilarating action scenes in recent memory. Transitioning between night-vision POV and 3rd person personal view, this scene is a perfect example of directorial excellence, with the audience feeling part of the troop as they squeeze through tight spaces and detonate intense controlled explosions.

 In comparison to Zero Dark Thirty's Oscar nominated, declassified counterpart Argo, this picture proves to be significantly more indulging and interesting, containing a much broader and largely stronger narrative. What this lacks however is dramatic flair with interest barely maintained during the seemingly unnecessary sections of repeated dialogue.  It does however significantly pick up towards the end, showing Bigelow's directorial finesse proving to be crucially accurate in it's depiction of silent and dramatic warfare.

7.5/10- As disturbingly dark as it is terrifyingly realistic

Calum Russell

Django Unchained

 In a medium where little refuses to be transcribed onto screen it was almost an inevitability that the dark story of the slave trade would fall into production and typically into the hands of the universally praised Quentin Tarantino. Famous for his relentless violence and quirky protagonists, recently Tarantino has found his films follow a descending spiral as a victim of his own overactive imagination. With Django Unchained being perhaps his most controversial yet, desires for the 'classic Tarantino' to return ran high and although for the most part this is true he remains undoubtedly shackled to his familiar overindulgence's.

 Following in his trend of re-casting, Django Unchained sees the return of Christoph Waltz after his Oscar winning 'Inglorious Bastards' performance now in the lead role of Dr. King Schultz a German bounty hunter searching for the help of slave, Django played by Jamie Foxx in order to track down the criminal 'brittle brothers'. Soon enough a friendship forms and they both agree to form a pact which results in the hopeful retrieval of Django's enslaved wife. As we follow both heroes on their journey through picturesque 19th century western America we are instantly reminded of Tarantino at his very best. With his heavily stylistic tones and eccentric characters driving the film through vastly entertaining sequences of hilarity and over excessive violence. This coinciding with an excellent score encouraging the characters and providing an extra blow in the action sequences, results in some of the most impressive and restrained scenes of violence in Tarantino's bloody collection  Being based on a very taboo subject it comes as a surprise to say that Django Unchained is a very funny film, heavily working in it's favour  Rarely are Tarantino movies put under the analytical microscope in search of hidden themes and underlying messages, he has a knack of making films that stand alone as being extremely entertaining and subsequently engaging. The comedy is more than appropriate in this picture in order to balance the film's dark tones with uplifting entertainment, less can be said however for the films violence which once again proves to be horribly gratuitous and unnecessary.  It can be argued that this only adds to the enjoyment which is correct to an extent but only if it's within context, most notably a scene in this film where a slave is ripped apart by savage dogs was not only disturbingly unpleasant but also totally irrelevant to the story at hand,  feeling like it was implemented only to bring about controversy.

 The narrative is satisfyingly entertaining supplying the film with a base whereby it can splash it's creative features and ambition, however it does ultimately prove to ware thin and tired towards the end of the films tedious running time. Following in the odd tradition of extended running-times Django Unchained would've worked much better as a simple one and a half hour feature film, proving to drag very much in the concluding hour. Including almost three stations in which the film could've and should've ended, the film never ceases to conclude continuing with a story which has now bared thin and contains little relevance or artistry. With this comes possibly some of Quentin Tarantino's worst sequences of film-making the most poignant of which involves a cameo of himself as an Australian miner, which is as idiotic as it is poorly performed. Within the final sequences however also comes some excellent performances inside some creative set-pieces of action and compelling dialogue  The performance of Leonardo DiCaprio most prominently reminded the audience why he's one of the most accomplished actors in the business with his dominating screen presense fueling his intimidatingly sinister nature. Similarly Christoph Waltz also provides an excellent performance no matter how comparable his character may be with his 'Inglorious Bastards' role.

 Upon conclusion an irregular sense of tiresome incompletion is felt. No matter how entertaining the film may have been it is ultimately unsuccessful in leaving a lasting impression. With the shroud of 'style over substance' wavering proud above Tarantino, this film shows to follow having real comedic flair and satisfyingly gruesome action scenes yet no real aim. Ultimately the most recent in Tarantino's proud collection proves to have little substance and relation only providing blood guts and quirky characters to tend to the needs of it's craving audience.

7/10- Despite it's fun nature, Tarantino proves to once again go overboard showing too much and providing little substance.

Calum Russell

Les Miserables

 Tom Hooper, director of the Oscar dominating King's Speech sees a return in search for further success with the adaptation of the much beloved novel turned musical, Les Miserables. Boasting the perfect ingredients for significant Oscar praise including several heartthrob vocalists and a tear-jerking guarantee, Les Miserables sees the gradual continuation of musical adaptations following 2008's dismal 'Mamma Mia'.

 Tending very much to a middle-aged audience this striking period piece follows the life of former criminal ' Jean Valjean' ( Jackman) in 19th century revolutionary France when he breaks parole and finds himself in pursuit from 'Javert' (Crowe), a ruthless police-officer. There is clearly more to this story then its striped narrative makes there out to be, following also the life of a young girl 'Cosette' after her mum tragically dies and 'Jean Valjean' agrees to look after her. However when looked at it structurally it's crucially lacking in any depth following the story of just one man and his inseparable life issues. This isn't necessarily a bad thing however as it does provide for a more detailed analysis to be provided for the plot at hand making it all seem thoroughly more realistic and immersive despite it's inexcusable pacing issues.

 Introduced immediately to the hardship of Valjean's captivity through a visually stunning scene of evident emotional and physical depravity, Les Miserables rarely let's up from this point proving to be just as consistently impressive. Coinciding with the spectacular introduction we are also met by Hooper's ambitious attempt for praise with nearly every piece of dialogue in the film being sung. With such an audacious inclusion the film did reasonably well in making this seem as authentic as possible with the songs also being sung live on set. This inclusion not only helped to make every number seem all the more emotionally engaging but will also considerably aid in the probability of Anne Hathaway and Hugh Jackman receiving deserved academy awards. Most notably the performance of Anne Hathaway was absolutely breath-taking, most poignantly whilst singing the musicals most universally known song of 'I dreamed a dream' which sent the audience into an emotional silence whilst Hathaway held them in the palm of her hand for what seemed like seconds. This scene is certainly the most memorable with the camera never leaving her face in this impassioned scene which acts as one of the most powerful moments of cinema in recent years, almost making surrounding scenes seem sub-par in comparison.

 After the emotionally draining performance of Hathaway has ended the film gradually descends into a slightly cumbersome and confused picture as it simply procrastinates, lying in wait for the next song and for a performance that fulfils a similar emotion.  This arguably comes at the appearance of comedy duo Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter in their bizarrely extraneous humourous number and performances to match. Surrounding such a light-hearted scene are moments of a somber nature and to see such a contrasting scene in comparison to the remaining narrative felt totally out of place if unarguably refreshing. It felt as if though the film had realised it's depressing features following the completion of the film and simply decided to shoe-horn in a comedic scene to make sure 'audiences were crying for the right reasons'. The performances of both extremely talented actors were of course fantastic, they just felt a little out of place.

A sub-plot to the bulging personality of the main narrative is the love story between Cosette (Seyfried) and Marius (Redmayne) which may be touching and emotional but is also undoubtedly jagged and unsettled. The relationship felt forced and un-established feeling almost devoid of emotion at times. The only element of this plot which was fleshed out was the relationship between Marius and his envious secret lover Eponie (Barks) who provides a powerful performance with a fantastic solo number to match standing almost as impressive as Anne Hathaway's effort. Although it feels shoe-horned it's oddly fitting that the relationship feels this way as this coagulates with the feelings of both characters, whether this was intentional or not is impossible to tell, never the less this felt more of a hindrance than a fitting love story.

For a picture that is a proud musical, of course actors of a fine-tuned vocal nature are expected and are mostly provided but are not helped with the occasionally disjointed background score that came as no fault of the actors. Most notably the performances of both the award nominated Hathaway and Jackman were outstanding as well as the overlooked performance of Russell Crowe who although leans towards a cabaret singing style on occasion, mostly holds his own and provides a passionate performance giving heart behind a character who is widely hated.

 Les Miserables is even more impressive when considering it's ambitious properties and although it falls flat at points proving to be more overly-excessive than cinematically fascinating it remains to be a truly commendable piece of cinema. Each and every performance is fantastic with help to their finely tuned vocal chords of even the extras, an aspect which is excellent and highly overlooked. Similarly to nearly every Oscar contender this could do with a cut down in running time with it's conclusion edging on tedious, however it proves to be a momentous achievement despite it's (les) miserable features.

8/10- An enthralling picture with fantastic performances full feeling sure to make your eyes water.

Calum Russell

2013- An alternative guide

2012, a year dominated by superheros, hard hitting blockbusters and breakthrough indie hits has finally come to a close; forcing audiences to look ahead to the seemingly dull year to come. In comparison to 2012 this year has a lack of assured blockbuster successes with only films such as Man of Steel and Star Trek: Into Darkness really standing out from the crowd. Yes there are further 'blockbuster epics' being released like sequels to both The Hunger Games and The Hobbit however neither seemed to create substantial buzz on release or in the hunger games 2's case it's miniature teaser. If 2013's a year for anything it looks as though it'll be a year for Horrors and big budget sci-fi's with over 20 horror films being released this year and widely discussed sci-fi's such as Pacific Rim and Elysium.

But what about those breakout films that aren't your typical blockbuster, whats going on behind the facade of  superheros and sci-fi? Well that's exactly what this article is intended to inform with 10 (mildly) alternative films to look forward to in 2013.

 Antiviral

David Cronenberg, most famous in the 1980's for his wacky horror classics has given his son (Brandon) a chance in the limelight with his directorial debut surrounding the virus/medicine of the future. This dark thriller  has an extremely interesting and original premise that concerns a futuristic injection that allows average civilians to have a taste of celebrity stardom no matter how grim the consequences. With no trailer available, only an image of a psychotic man (seen on the left), it's utter intrigue and originality that makes this film so exciting. We saw it with Looper last year, a sci-fi that seemed to come out of nowhere and steal the show being gritty and knowingly intelligent it proved to deliver on many different levels. Similar hype for Antiviral will hopefully be supplied as it sounds a perhaps even better premise than it's 2012 counterpart.

 Insidious: Chapter 2

Excluding it's vague release date of 2013 near to nothing is known about the sequel to arguably one of the best Horror films of the last decade. It had bulging miss-steps and idiotic sequences appearing mostly in the concluding half hour however for the most part this film proved to be not only oddly stimulating but also refreshingly terrifying. Using jump scares sparingly with most coming from it's simplistically uncomfortable atmosphere and eerie concept. Fan excitement is perhaps the only thing keeping the sequel anticipated with a lot of things that can go wrong but a lot of things that could go magnificently right. Totally clueless of what the narrative could follow this could go either way.

The Place Beyond The Pines

Debuting at Toronto international film festival last year, The Place Beyond The Pines has already seen momentous praise from audiences and that's no surprise coming from fan favourite Ryan Gosling and the director of the acclaimed Blue Valentine, Derek Cianfrance. Although this looks almost identical to the universally loved Drive with the inclusion of a motorbike instead of a car, it remains to look boastfully stylistic and appealing to the gritty thrill seeker. With an almost jaw-dropping cast including Bradley Cooper, Ryan Gosling, Ray Liotta and Eva Mendes this film should surely deliver to a impressive extent, well given the undoubtedly awesome title how could it not.

Trailer- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G07pSbHLXgg

Only God Forgives


Ryan Gosling seems to have the knack of choosing films with the most stylish titles, with his second most notable film of the year Only God Forgives concreting him yet again to the role of 'the king of cool'. Perhaps even more anticipated than the previous film mentioned this sees the return of Nicholas Winding Refn, director of the critically acclaimed Drive in which Ryan Gosling also starred. Containing maybe the most simple yet oh so appealing premise of any film to be released this year Only God Forgives follows the story of a police lieutenant and a gangster settling their differences in a Thai boxing match. With this film already winning the award for the coolest poster of 2013 expect a considerable amount of buzz to come it's way when it's released later this year.

This Is The End

With nearly every 21st century comedy icon included and the writers of the hilarious 'Superbad' at the helm, This Is The End has the perfect formula for success  With a story which is to be recycled this year in another comedy, This Is The End follows the story of various celebrities as there faced with the apocalypse whilst attending a party at James Franco's house. Following a dire year for comedy a much needed 'raunchy-romp' is required for this year, with this release looking to most likely to fill those shoes. As comedies go this one looks to go further than most with a seemingly hefty budget and A-list cast, this film can't afford to flop which is why it should almost definitely be a comedy success on unprecedented levels.

Trailer- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgClpA2HS64

Alan Partridge: The Movie

To all the state-side readers this man will be perhaps unheard of however the fairly old yet undoubtedly gleaming comedy Icon played by Steve Coogan is widely recognisable in the UK. As previously mentioned 2013 follows a year awful for comedy releases and tragic for one in particular that involved  the use of televisions most disliked star, Keith Lemon. With such an embarrassing attempt being made last year it seems all too fitting to have another more sophisticated attempt with the much more accomplished Alan Partridge. With writers of the nationally successful series returning this TV adaptation is sure to be a hit especially when considering the last TV adaptation of this kind was the beloved Inbetweeners movie.

The World's End

There are few directors with a winning streak similar to Edgar Wright creator of Shaun of the dead, Hot fuzz and comic adaptation Scott Pilgrim Vs The World. With this being his 5th directorial picture and his final film in the 'cornetto trilogy' it's justified to say that there is significant hype surrounding this release. The Worlds End sees of course the return of two of Hollywood's most accomplished comedy duo Simon Pegg and Nick Frost as well as a small collection of British acting talent including Martin Freeman and Paddy Considine and follows the story of five friends who reunite to improve upon their 'epic' pub crawl of 20 years earlier only to discover they'll soon become mankind's last hope of survival. Evidently the narrative isn't structurally clear however that's the magic of Mr Wright he seems to create masterpieces out of the most simple of ideas.

Oldboy

In a remake of the highly acclaimed South Korean Drama, Oldboy, a man finds himself unwittingly imprisoned for 15 years until he's released and given 5 days to discover why. Although not perfect the original film was fantastic and totally undeserved of a remake with worldwide fans worried the remake will curse the original. However with previous foreign remakes they've usually been of films with a fairly simple narrative, Oldboy is quite the contrary proving to not only be significantly more convoluted then remakes of a similar nature but also significantly darker. Directed by the respectable but by no means perfect director Spike Lee and with an impressive cast including Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Olsen and Samuel L Jackson, Oldboy is above all intriguing.

A Field In England 

Much like Edgar Wright, a relatively upcoming director Ben Wheatley has got an impressive run of three brilliant films including one of 2012's only comedy hits, Sightseers. This horror release follows the events of an aftermath of a civil war battle whereby soldiers are captured by treasure hunting alchemists and psychedelic happenings follow. Perhaps one of the only reasons this film looks considerably better than surrounding releases is the fact that Ben Wheatley is at the helm who already has shown that he can perfectly combine gritty violence with blood curdling fear. This coinciding with a brilliant cast of Michael Smiley, Julian Barret and Reece Shearsmith mean A Field In England could prove to be the surprise Horror hit of the year.

Mama

Any film that's even associated with a relatively successful director seems to pick up momentum these days with Mama boasting the executive producing skills of Guillermo del Toro. Aside from this fact however this Horror film based on a intensely unsettling short film by the same director looks to hopefully get the Horror proceedings off to a bang. When two nieces are taken in to a relatives home after living on their own in the forest for five years ghostly occurrences begin to in sue. Starring the increasingly impressive Jessica Chastain and  Nikolaj Coster-Waldau Mama looks as though it could be a groundbreaking Horror for the first time director.

Trailer- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Am7i7uM9r0
Short film- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRqS6pBC42w

Calum Russell

Top 10 Films Of 2012

Until the already much anticipated year of 2015 dawns upon audiences, it's justified to say that 2012 has been a year dominated by 'epic blockbusters' hauling in billions with the aid of less than impressive 3-D. With the top two highest grossing films of the year being superhero movies it seems as though the genre has taken over becoming the easiest and most popular genre in which to create top dollar. The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises were of course these two films and whilst they may have not been the most impressive films of the year they certainly supplied much needed high end entertainment that cannot be argued with. Whilst all this buzz was surrounding these and similar blockbuster events, a realm of independent films formed in the background providing the quality products that will eventually most likely end up with Oscar Nominations. Leos Carax's Holy Motors baffled critics praising it for it's outlandish themes and it's study into film production, it may have not been exhilarating entertainment but it certainly provided something totally original for the art-house craving audiences

 As previously mentioned there were a plethora of brilliant films to be released this year in the UK (meaning films showing in America at the moment may not be released in the UK meaning they will not be on this list), too many in fact that they couldn't all fit on a list of 10, here are some films that just missed out.

The Cabin In The Woods- A much more meaningful and impressive film than it imposes to produce, it's a deeply interesting and entertaining view on the cliches of cinema.

Dredd- Not excellent but most certainly entertaining, it sticks to it's source material with precise honesty displaying a suitably violent thriller which lives up to it's name.

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower- A sweet and beautifully depicted study into childhood and it's coinciding issues. Relatable and alluring if occasionally whimsical.

You've Been Trumped- One of the most powerful documentaries to be released this year riveting the audience to the screen where they'll be red with anger.

 Jeff Who Lives At Home- A wildly overlooked indie drama that tells the heartwarming story of a troubled man controlled by fate. Boasts originality and fantastic performances.

The Raid- An insane unrelentless action film that is as physically painfull as it is momentously entertaining.

Safety Not Guaranteed- A heartwarming rom/com with a meaningful message and excellent cast to match.

Onto the top 10 beginning with

10- Beasts of the southern wild
Following the story of a tenacious young girl and her relationship with her father and the world around her Beasts of the southern wild is a fantastic adventure told through the eyes of the innocent. Constantly in danger from impending floods due to the melting of the ice caps this story is as realistically relatable as it is an artistic portrait with a plethora of colours and rich messages. The central performance here is absolutely astounding from Quvenzhane Wallis, at the mere age of six years old her performance is as good if not better than any adult female performance of this year. The fantasy does begin to get marginally convoluted as the it draws to a conclusion but thankfully it ends on a perfectly understandable and charming way tying together each message, giving hope to the lead character of Hushpuppy; which is only aided by the fantastic score. This film should surely receive plenty of Oscar buzz and hopefully an unprecedented win for the outstanding performance of the young Quvenzhane Wallis.

Full review- http://wfilmr.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/beasts-of-southern-wild.html

9- Rust And Bone

The first of two french releases on the list Rust and Bone concerns the story of two unlikely lovers a single father and a majestic killer whale trainer after she suffers from a tragic accident. Not only does this film respectively delve deep into the tolerance of disability but it is also very much a character study of two contrasting people. The acting here is fantastic with both leads displaying heart and emotion in their performance which ultimately drives the story to into it's heartwarming conclusion. This allows for a perfect connection between character and audience to be made, making each move of the characters seem all the more meaningful and relatable. This is a beautiful film with some truly powerful themes that shouldn't be missed. Forget the wrongfully acclaimed silver linings playbook, Rust and bone is the best romance of the year.

Full review- http://wfilmr.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/rust-and-bone.html

8- The Intouchables
Similar to the previous film in a variety of ways, Intouchables follows the story of a quadriplegic man and his newly appointed assistant who proves to be more sensitive than initially believed. Beginning relatively slow this film more than makes up for it in it's remaining minutes displaying scenes of pure beauty and heartfelt emotion. The performances here are fantastic from Omar Sy and Francois Cluzet, their chemistry only makes the film that more believable and alluring. It's a film about finding trust in the unlikely and it achieves in portraying this message in a terrific way. Never does it prove to be cheesy or cliched, it may not be the most riveting of cinema but it certainly warms your heart from the opening minutes to the overwhelmingly loving conclusion. The various tones that it clearly set out to coagulate is achieved perfectly, appropriate heart is supplied as well as fitting comedic moments. Watch this classic before the inevitable American remake.

Full review- http://wfilmr.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/intouchables-review.html

7- Looper
Much like 2010's Nolan epic Inception, Looper brought complicated yet eventually understandable sci-fi elements to the attention of the general audience. Set in 2074 where Time travel has been invented but it's very much illegal a gang use it's properties to send people back from the future and exterminate them in the past, so that they never existed. Although occasionally bewilderingly confusing Looper does a good job in making sense of it's narrative and making it accessible to a worldwide audience. The story works on multiple levels until it's unpredictable climax and just goes to show that blockbusters can be intelligent as well as being  entertaining.

Full review- http://wfilmr.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/looper-review.html


6- Skyfall
Ever since the abysmal Quantum of solace audiences were skeptical that Bond would ever return to quality form and thankfully the worlds worry's were quelled as Skyfall was released, taking the world by storm. Claiming the worthy title of the best Daniel Craig bond film and perhaps the best ever since the Sean Connery era, Skyfall made James Bond suave once more just in time for his 50th birthday. This was achieved through an excellent coagulation of old and new, the cheesy volcano lairs of 60's Bond films are of course absent however no longer are all of their novelty gadgets and death sequences a thing of the past. Paying homage to early Bond, Skyfall did a brilliant job in integrating the old into the new as well as creating it's own identity with some excellent action scenes and sophisticated humor  Perhaps for the first time ever Bond felt oddly relatable as he fought his physical hardships and fought against the emotionless psychopath Silva, played by the brilliant Javier Bardem. Action scenes were intensely thrilling and each hit was felt by not only Bond but also the audience as we rooted for him like never before.

Full review- http://wfilmr.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/skyfall.html

5- The Grey

Due to recent half-hearted action flicks Liam Neeson has become partially typecast as a 'badass OAP' with the likes of Taken and Unknown of the last few years. Nearly all hope had depleted until earlier this year when the totally unexpected critical acclaim for his newest film became evident. With a seemingly cliched narrative of plane crash, survivors looks for civilization  this film shouldn't be shunned as this may not be the story from the basic exterior however as the story progresses and plot points are uncovered this proves to be a surprisingly deep study into fate and courage. A shining performance from the fantastic Liam Neeson can be witnessed here providing so much emotion behind his performance, a scene where he desperately shouts to the heavens proves to be one of the most powerful in the whole film as well as one of the most poignant scenes of the year. The finale ties up the events perfectly as well as supplying it's own satisfying, heartfelt twist which will alter your perception on the previous hours, making the film that much greater. Don't dismiss this for 'another survival action'.

Full review- http://wfilmr.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/the-grey.html

4- Argo
For a film with the credentials of a political thriller this is by no means a dialogue heavy bore, with Ben Affleck proving once again that he's more than just a fantastic actor. Argo follows the unbelievable true story of 6 American diplomatic personnel being extracted from a revolutionary Iran. Yes the story may be rather dramatised with the climactic scenes feeling more like a Bond sequence rather than an intelligent get-away, however this tone was vital in making the film what it is, appealing to the masses. If you marketed Argo as a political thriller following the guidelines precisely, a predictable target market would be drafted however stick to the event and make it dramatic, now you've got an audience. The final scenes of this film are more intense than any film of the last year, to create such tension behind a story with little actual action and a near total lack of violence is unbelievably commendable.

Full review- http://wfilmr.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/argo.html

3- Sightseers
Ben Wheatley is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with despite this being only his third feature film, having an evident knack for dark horror in his 2011 epic Kill List, Wheatley converted his knowledge and mixed it with very British humour creating his hilarious comedy Sightseers. This follows Chris and Tina, two slightly obscure yet traditional adults who take a caravan holiday only to watch it spiral to disaster after a very wrong turn. Being by far the best and most inventive comedy of 2012, Sightseers brings comedy and makes it both delightfully awkward and deeply insidious. With the plot however does a come a message which is both heartwarming as it is deeply unsettling and not to mention horrifyingly relatable. Far too often have holidays taken a similar turn, people met along the way could very easily be 'that weird couple on the campsite'. Sightseers does an absolutely perfect job in nailing that tone, making the audience as paranoid as the characters as they face their annoyances. It's God bless Americas British counterpart but it's miles more accomplished.

Full review- http://wfilmr.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/sightseers.html

2- Moonrise Kingdom
Wes Anderson, king of the quirky returns with Moonrise Kingdom a heartwarming tale of an intelligent American scout as he finds love and experiences adventure. Coming of age films have been done to death however few have delved into the young age bracket and none have done so with the prowess of Wes Anderson. By viewing the story through these innocent eyes messages arise and plot points become ever more interesting and alluring. It's a fascinating scope that is perfectly portrayed with the help from the two leads who feel more like adults than there supposedly naive age insinuates  This is a loving drama that perfectly captures the innocence of childhood as well as the gradual steps to maturity.

Full review- http://wfilmr.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/moonrise-kingdom-review.html

1- Life of pi 

If stated after 2003's Hulk that the director Ang Lee would continue to adapt one of the most acclaimed yet 'unfilmable' books of all time onto the big screen, it would be greeted with hysterical laughter and criticism. However now that Life of Pi is a critical smash, Ang Lee is sitting smug in his comfortable armchair soaking up the praise and quite rightly so. Life of pi is an absolute masterpiece. Any director able to stimulate an audience with two characters in relativity the same setting for a good hour is commendable enough,  any director who does it with so much meaning and power is truly outstanding. The acting throughout the whole cast is brilliant most notably Pi (Suraj Sharma) carries the entire film on his shoulders especially considering the fact that he's acting against blue screen with a similar CGI character to interact with. The visuals are overwhelmingly fantastic looking even more triumphant in one of the only useful uses of 3-D to date. It's truly magical storytelling with some beautifully subtle symbolic moments which can be easily withdrawn and used as valuable messages. Life of Pi is the film of the year.

Full review- http://wfilmr.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/life-of-pi-3d.html

Calum Russell

Safety not guaranteed

 Already this year we've seen Looper, the gritty realistic time travel based film in which one man faces his future self. Now imagine Safety not guaranteed as it's younger more playful brother, less convuluted, less dark but a whole lot more meaningful. It's not every day that you see a film similar to this, an indie sci-fi that's more a rom/com with complications. Surrounding the fanatical advert written by an eccentric man, Safety not guaranteed explores the themes of regret, love and happiness without diving in head first.

 Kenneth (Mark Duplass), a seemingly insane 'wannabe scientist' is met by Darius (Aubrey Plaza) after her and her fellow magazine co-workers reply to his advert asking for a time-traveling companion. What may seem to be a rather disjointed narrative proves to form a formidable foundation for the most part however once events unfold and the climax is reached the story finds itself frustratingly tangled. This isn't until however the joyous events of the first hour of the film unfolds bringing heart and perfect comedic moments.

 Being as much a comedy as any coinciding genre portrayed, this film brings some truly hilarious moments that feel relevantly fitting largely provided by the both naturalistic and well executed comedy prowess of Arnau (Karan Soni); Aiding in the films near-perfect tone. Each individual character provides a personal story and a hugely recognisable personality to match, most notably the whole aura of Mark Duplass' character is perfect in making this film what it proves to be, a loving drama with hidden but undoubtedly present messages. Although vague the message is relevant and meaningful once touched upon however it tends to be seemingly apprehensive in doing so, tentatively skimming the surface but rarely delving in deep. This led to a lot of frustrating scenes that not only felt pointless but were also unnecessarily convoluted, giving the whole film a misty facade that obscured the otherwise pleasant view. These scenes almost inevitably concluded in a disappointing finale that did near to nothing to justify the previous hours of film making it all seem a little irrelevant as it ended on a pitiful, nonsensical thud rather than a meaningful elegant close .

 With the attempt and ambition clearly present Safety not guaranteed does a brilliant job in creating a realistic and heartfelt romance but fails to withstand it's success as the film draws on. For the most part it is a brilliant film, there were just too many short moments containing irrelevant major aspects making it seem more audaciously flashy rather than lovingly niche. Enjoyment is guaranteed, a consistent plot however is not.

7.5/10- A fun and reflective rom/com if unnecessarily contrived and nonsensical.

Calum Russell

Argo

True stories can go two ways. Occasionally they stick tight to the event, following it's every move to cinematic boredom however on other occasions there're well executed bringing a deceased icon to life once more or in Argo's case highlighting an otherwise unknown event to the interest of the public eye. Once an A-list blockbuster actor and now also a certified successful director, Ben Affleck began his directorial career with his debut of Gone baby gone and then certified his talent with his 2010 thriller The Town. Argo is a step up with the daunting relatively complex narrative based on an unbelievable true story coming also with the pressure of delivering after his past two successes.

 Set in the 1980's Argo follows the true operation to extract six fugitive diplomatic personnel out of a revolutionary Iran. How stereotypical political thrillers go, they often find it difficult to penetrate into the heart of the narrative procrastinating in dialogue heavy office scenes, Argo barely suffers with similar issues as for the majority it proves to be a riveting thriller captivating the audience in militant Iran despite it's obvious dramatisation. For the most part of the first thirty minutes of this film it deals with ensuring permission to carry out the operation as well as making it look seemingly legitimate  Pacing issues are present but seem irrelevant in comparison to the surprisingly engaging debating scenes of the office that prove to be humorous as well as realistic due to the seamless script. The momentum only builds from this point gathering plot points and  intrigue as the film goes on, always placing the audience into the heart of the action with a total lack of any form of dull moment. Each character holds their unique personality and attributes, throughout the course of the film we see them adapt to their current situation with growing discomfort whilst being performed with emotional prowess making each of them and their feelings seem realistic and understandable.

 Argo is the best thriller to be released in 2012 and in fact one of the most engaging of the past few years. To be able to provide an intense thriller which has a near total lack of (usually present) violence is a momentous achievement  The concluding moments of the film engage the audience to new levels to the point of literal anxiety. The more Affleck immerses himself within the world of directing the better he becomes, his successes have certainly rocketed him to directorial acknowledgement with Argo being his most impressive achievement.

9/10- Bringing a poltical thriller to the interest of the general audience with extraordinary success.

 Calum Russell