Saturday 6 August 2016

Sweet Dreams are made of this

As mentioned in my last post, here is the dream I had a few weeks before meeting Jeremy at LFCC...

I wasn't sure how I was walking, my whole body was convulsing with shakes. If it weren't for Sam supporting my arm and propelling us both forward I was sure I'd be sitting on the floor rocking back and forth in a puddle of my own pee. We were through the door now and I could see him. He was wearing a suit. I wasn't expecting that, I thought he'd be dressed more casually. He turned around when he heard us enter the small studio room and a beautiful smile broke across his face. That perfectly rugged face. Don't pass out, don't pass out.

I wasn't aware of Sam letting go of me, I seemed to be floating towards him now. He held his right hand out to me as I approached the desk he'd been sitting at.

"Hi, you must be Kath, Sam's told me all about you." He gestured towards the second empty seat at the desk.

"Oh god." I whispered, not thinking she'd said anything bad, just trying to process the fact that he was speaking to me. I didn't think he'd heard.

"It was all good I promise." He chuckled, and the sound reverberated through me. I was grateful of the chair.

I was aware I was still holding his hand. "I'm sorry!" I said as I let go.

"Don't be. It's all good mama."

Oh god!!! He called me Mama. Did he? Or did my brain just make that up? I tried to be more human and less like a weird, unspeaking, shaking and sweaty mess. I thought I might be sick.

I swallowed and tried to think of something intelligent to say.

"Can I shake your hand?" Is what tumbled out of my mouth instead.

"Sure." He held out his right hand which confused me. He could obviously tell as he followed that with "I shake with the right, left shakes just throw people."

An entirely filthy image entered my mind then and I grabbed that hand and held onto it for much longer than I should have. I wasn't really shaking it either, just sort of stroking it with my thumb and trying to force myself to remember what it felt like, the weight of it, the smoothness in parts and callousness in others.

"Shall we take the picture or do you need another minute with my hand?" He chuckled again and had the filthiest grin on his face. He knew exactly what he'd said.

I looked over at Sam sitting behind another desk. She was trying not to laugh.

I reluctantly let him go. "I'm good. Lead the way."

We stood up from the desk and made our way to the backdrop. I was so grateful to Sam for arranging this private shoot for me.

"Do you have a specific pose in mind?" He asked, stopping on the marked position on the floor and turning to face me.

"Just hold me."

"You got it mama." He opened his arms and I stepped forward into my moment of bliss.


I didn't get a 'mama' on the day but ironically Sam did. Maybe next time I'll get one too. Oh, and the calloused hand from the dream? Not at all in real life. His hand was smooth as silk. And very warm.


Adventures In Fangirling - LFCC Day 2

Day 2 of our crazy LFCC Renner weekend began with a catsuit, and ended (for one of us Rennerwomen) in tragedy. 

I had decided in my infinite wisdom that it would be a good idea to recreate the below 'budapest' scene from Avengers for my photoshoot with Jeremy. I figured that I could take Jeremy the bow and "arrows" I used for my Catniss cosplay, and if I couldn't speak to explain what I wanted, I could simply show him the image and hope he understood what I wanted to do. 


However, a couple of weeks prior to the event, I had a dream that I'd been unable to attend the photoshoot, and that my friend Sam, who in the dream was Jeremy's assistant, had arranged a private meeting with Jeremy (and a photographer) so that I could finally get my picture. It's only now, after what happened that day that I see this as something of an omen, just not for me. 

I typed up the dream at the time and forwarded it to Sam in the hope that not only would it make her smile to have featured so prominently in my subconscious world, but also in the hope that it would give her some much needed strength. I hoped it would allow her to see that we all had the same fears, and nerves, as ultimately in the dream she was the much stronger of the two of us, and helped me get through the experience. Much like on the day itself, although I had several friends who helped me through the weekend overall because I'm a super lucky lady like that.

Anyway, I'll post the dream after so you can all have a chuckle at how pathetic and hopeless I truly felt in the weeks leading up to meeting Mr Renner.

So because of the dream (which you'll understand when you read it), I had pretty much abandoned the idea of posing with Renner, and especially as I hadn't been able to get a hug the day before (despite my GIANT birthday girl badge) I wanted a hug. Just once. And so it had to be in our photoshoot. 

I wore the catsuit anyway. It was the only clothing I'd brought with me so I kind of had to, and I figured it would make for some cool photos anyway.


Thankfully the catsuit did make it feel a lot less like my dream, as I had been dressed normally in that; although as we queued for our pics Sam was directly behind me (as she had been in the dream), although this time she didn't have to push me - which I'm sure she was grateful for.

The queuing was over in no time, the pictures are taken so fast, I barely had enough time to pass on a fan letter to Kris (Jeremy's business partner) and take a deep breath before it was my turn. I very quickly asked Jeremy for a "full on hug" and told him it was my birthday recently, he said of course and grabbed me into a bear hug. I dimly recall saying "you really do give the best hugs" and I started to float away, then he took me by both shoulders, looked me in the eye and said "Happy birthday baby". I was in a total daze. I almost forgot to pick up my picture and then had a sudden moment of horror when I thought, I don't think I even looked at the camera! I was convinced the picture was just going to be me, snuggled into Jeremy, heaving a great sigh as he held me for a few seconds. 

I didn't even see Sam get her picture taken and she was right behind me in the queue. I waited what seemed like an eternity for my picture to come out and then there it was. I did look at the camera, and I don't think I've ever liked a picture of me as much as I love this one. 


You'll have to excuse the quality. I haven't gotten my digital copy of it yet. But look at those faces. Gosh it's sad how happy this man makes me.

Still feeling euphoric from my Renner pic experience, I suddenly remembered the reason I had signed up for Comic Con this year! Harold! We made our way through the crowds and found his autograph queue virtually empty. I quickly paid my £20 (thanks for remembering to get cash out Donna!), and waited my turn. When I got to the front I was again thankful of my decision to wear the catsuit as he asked me who my Avengers character was and proudly told me he'd just watched Iron Man the other night. Seriously Feige, get this guy in a Marvel movie stat! I told him I'd just met his friend Jeremy (as they are buddies in real life and have worked together a couple of times), and I showed him my picture of the two of us. I encouraged Sam to come over so we could tell him how much we loved The Unusuals, and how sad we were that it got cancelled. He shook my hand and happily stepped out from his desk to take a picture with me. Such a sweetheart of a man. If anyone gets the chance to see him at another event like this I would highly recommend it. He was so genuine and lovely. 


But unfortunately the day couldn't go completely without a hitch. Our friend who was coming for an afternoon photoshoot dressed as the human car crash known as Hawkguy (Clint Barton in the Fraction/Aja comics), actually had a real car crash right outside the event. As a result she couldn't come in to get her photo as she had to go to hospital with a broken wrist! 

Knowing how we would all feel if that were to happen to any of us we clubbed together and bought her a get well autograph from Jeremy. We told him what had happened and he was obviously concerned (as was Kris) and they asked if she was okay. I know the autograph won't make up for what happened but I think it at least made her smile. 


I just want to sign off by saying a huge thank you to everyone who supported me this weekend, everyone who came, who took pictures, all of the new awesome Rennerwomen I met, all of the people who have listened to me relentlessly go on about this (before and after it happened) and to Jeremy and Harold for being tremendous human beings. I love all of you guys, you're awesome. 

Thursday 4 August 2016

Adventures In Fangirling - LFCC Day 1





The last time I put type to screen about my fangirling it was about a year and 3 months ago. I had just come back from the Avengers: Age of Ultron premiere and I'd had a terrible day that had turned itself around. You can read about it here; and the prelude to that day, where this adventure all began is here.

I had been hoping to have something to report after the Captain America: Civil War premiere in April but unfortunately that was a terrible day that never improved.

We'd gone up to London 2 days previous to the date of the premiere to collect wrist bands for the event (as for some reason the event organisers felt this was a better idea than giving them out on the day). We left at the crack of dawn on the day, and were subsequently pushed so far back that not only did I not get a decent picture of Jeremy (below was the best one), I couldn't even see him. A second autograph was definitely out of the question.




I left feeling tired, frustrated and completely let down by the whole day. Unsure of when I would be able to see Jeremy again I tried to put it out of my mind. The one good thing about the day was that I had the good fortune to meet yet another lovely Rennerlady, and our little band of 4 premiere-goers subsequently went as a group to go and see Civil War a few weeks later.

I had just started a new job in April too, so I had that to concentrate on, and a busy few months ahead. Then in mid June I decided to book tickets for my best friend and I to go to London Film and Comic Con on Sunday 31st July, as part of a belated birthday weekend for me (as it was my birthday on the 26th July). I made that decision based on Harold Perrineau appearing as a guest, as an autograph or photo with him was only £20, and I've liked him since I saw Baz Luhrmann's Romeo and Juliet.

At the end of June came the announcement that Jeremy would be joining the star guests at this year's event. My excitement hit peak level (or so I thought). I was due at a friend's birthday party on the night the announcement came in, and was characteristically late because I'd been sitting at home in a bit of a daze after purchasing my diamond pass which allowed me a photo with Jeremy, a ticket to his talk and an autograph.





We arrived rather late on the day and so I went straight in to get my autograph. I'd opted to take my Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation poster with me which I'd been sent by the film's director Chris McQuarrie, after myself and 3 of my 'Rennerlady' friends had done an impromptu location hunt for the London locations in the movie. You can read about that here. He'd been kind enough to send posters for all four of us that he and Tom Cruise had signed, and now I wanted to add Jeremy's signature to that too. 

I waited in line with my friend and when I was finally standing in front of Jeremy I started telling him he'd already signed one of those today (as my friend who also received one had already been in for her autograph on the same poster). I quickly realised however that I wouldn't have time to tell him how I came by the poster, so I asked to shake his hand and told him it was a pleasure to meet him. On my way out I made sure to say bye to his business partner Kris who was sitting on the sidelines watching the proceedings.

When I got outside to my waiting friends I was shaking like a leaf, but I do now have Jeremy's signature on my poster, which I would not have been able to get any other way.


Next up was the talk, which sadly unlike conventions in the US we were not allowed to film at. Jeremy was quite animated throughout and answered each fan question as though it was the first time he'd been asked "what other Avenger would you like to be?" I had planned to ask a question about his tattoo, as I'd been curious as to when he got it, but as the time dwindled I found my hand was still not in the air. After a few not so subtle prompts from my bestie and the Rennerlady on my left, I eventually mustered the courage to put my hand up. And in a strange twist of luck, because the lady behind me managed to ask a question, she handed the mic straight to me after and I finally got my chance. 

Being the short ass that I am, Jeremy couldn't see me in the audience so they asked me to stand up. My legs were shaking as I told Jeremy my question was frivolous, to which he told me he would give me a frivolous answer. The interviewer on stage with him joked that I 'knew all his tattoos' because I'd said that the one in Senior Trip, although being in the same place as his own Renner crest tattoo, didn't look to be the same, and I wanted to know if it was a cover up or if he'd not yet gotten his tattoo when that film was made. I informed the interviewer that he only had one (to my knowledge) and I resumed my seat. Jeremy said he didn't remember but he didn't think it was a cover up as he only got his tattoo in 94/95. Good enough for me. 






We grabbed some lunch after the talk and accompanied our friend to her first photoshoot of the weekend. Understandably she was a little shaken up afterwards, but her picture was adorable and immediately made me wish I'd signed up for an additional shoot. Mainly because I was worried that the one I had booked for the day after would be terrible. Why had I made the decision to go in my Black Widow costume?


We posed for a couple of pictures, went for a cuppa before our separate trips home, and then very quickly started to droop after dinner. 


More from Day 2 tomorrow...

Thursday 21 July 2016

Archive Cinema Visits 2012

Pitch Perfect ~ 30/12/2012
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 ~ 12/12/2012
Gremlins ~ 11/12/2012
End Of Watch ~ 05/12/2012
Silver Linings Playbook ~ 04/12/2012
Ruby Sparks ~ 02/12/2012
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 ~ 15/11/2012
The Sapphires ~ 15/11/2012
Argo ~ 08/11/2012
Rust And Bone ~ 04/11/2012
Frankenweenie ~ 23/10/2012
On The Road ~ 21/10/2012
The Perks Of Being A Wallflower ~ 07/10/2012
Looper ~ 07/10/2012
Hysteria ~ 28/09/2012
Lawless ~ 25/09/2012
Paranorman ~ 23/09/2012
Anna Karenina ~ 20/09/2012
The Watch ~ 07/09/2012
The Bourne Legacy ~ 05/09/2012
Total Recall ~ 28/08/2012
Ted ~ 27/08/2012
The Wedding Video ~ 26/08/2012
The Expendables 2 ~ 26/08/2012
The Bourne Legacy ~ 24/08/2012
The Dark Knight Rises ~ 19/08/2012
Brave ~ 19/08/2012
The Hunger Games ~ 01/08/2012
The Amazing Spider-Man ~ 22/07/2012
The Dark Knight Rises ~ 22/07/2012
The Imposter ~ 21/07/2012
Magic Mike ~ 12/07/2012
The Five-Year Engagement ~ 10/07/2012
Katy Perry: Part Of Me 3D ~ 09/07/2012
The Amazing Spider-Man ~ 08/07/2012
The Amazing Spider-Man ~ 04/07/2012
Friends With Kids ~ 30/06/2012
Snow White And The Huntsman ~ 20/06/2012
Jaws ~ 18/06/2012
Prometheus ~ 17/06/2012
Avengers Assemble ~ 27/05/2012
American Reunion ~ 22/05/2012
Avengers Assemble ~ 17/05/2012
Dark Shadows ~ 13/05/2012
Avengers Assemble ~ 08/05/2012
Silent House ~ 07/05/2012
Avengers Assemble ~ 02/05/2012
Avengers Assemble ~ 30/04/2012
Salmon Fishing In The Yemen ~ 29/04/2012
Avengers Assemble ~ 26/04/2012
The Cabin In The Woods ~ 16/04/2012
Mirror Mirror ~ 08/04/2012
Titanic 3D (IMAX) ~ 06/04/2012
A Dangerous Method ~ 02/04/2012
Wrath Of The Titans ~ 01/04/2012
The Hunger Games ~ 23/03/2012
We Bought A Zoo ~ 21/03/2012
John Carter ~ 18/03/2012
Bel Ami ~ 14/03/2012
This Means War ~ 06/03/2012
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close ~ 04/03/2012
The Vow ~ 26/02/2012
Safe House ~ 25/02/2012
Man On A Ledge ~ 17/02/2012
The Muppets ~ 16/02/2012
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace 3D ~ 15/02/2012
Big Miracle ~ 12/02/2012
The Woman In Black ~ 10/02/2012
Man On A Ledge ~ 09/02/2012
The Descendants ~ 05/02/2012
Like Crazy ~ 31/01/2012
Like Crazy ~ 27/01/2012
J. Edgar ~ 25/01/2012
The Artist ~ 22/01/2012
Haywire ~ 21/01/2012
The Darkest Hour ~ 17/01/2012
War Horse ~ 15/01/2012
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol ~ 11/01/2012
The Iron Lady ~ 07/01/2012

The Neon Demon (and a mini review for Ghostbusters)


Where do I begin to paint the picture of how very bad The Neon Demon is? Bad taste, badly edited, overly stylised direction, barely any script, but then again it is "written" by Nicholas Winding Refn (who apparently now refers to himself as NWR so I shall do the same), and he's not exactly known for his dialogue; but no, it's mostly just bad in sense that it leaves the taste of eyeball in your mouth at the end.

This is the story of a girl who wanted to be a model, and who undoubtedly would have made it had she not been so shitty to those helping her to the top of the ladder. I get the metaphors too, modelling is dog eat dog (literally) and if you're big headed and rude to the people helping you on your way up, they're likely to be the ones to push you off the top. I get it. But I didn't really need to sit through 2 hours of strobe lighting and over-long scenes where nothing (and I mean nothing at all) happened, in order to get it. 

It's so sad too because they have some really great people in the cast. Keanu Reeves is criminally underused, Jena Malone, you can do so much better than this honey, what are you doing? And even Elle Fanning who showed real promise in Super 8, is above the level this movie stoops to. Character wise, did we need to know that the crooked motel owner was also a paedophile rapist? Or that the make up artist was a necrophiliac lesbian? No, I really don't think we did, and shocking for the sake of shocking is so very 90s.

I enjoyed Drive, even though it too was over stylised and under dialogue-d on reflection, but at the time it came out it was different, refreshing even. I missed Only God Forgives in cinemas and when I attempted to watch it on TV I only managed to watch about half before I was so bored I gave up. If I'd watched this at home I don't know that I'd have made it half way, but I paid my £8.70 dammit and I was determined to get my money's worth. 

So we're three major films in to NWR's career (I'm aware that in total he's got 13 director credits) and I already feel he needs to try a different tactic, because this one is now old hat. It's clear that after the success of Drive he believed his own hype, and now has no originality left. 

Before the film started there was an advertisement for a season of films that "inspire" NWR. One of those films was Under The Skin. "Inspired" is a funny word when used in this context because if you played Under The Skin and The Neon Demon side by side, you'd see a lot of similarities. The music is one, the look of the film is another. And if you read my review for that movie you'll know what I thought of it. This too has no real point to it, nothing of any value to really say for itself, no likable characters, in fact nothing really to redeem it at all.

The irony is that everyone has praised The Neon Demon and criticised the hell out of the rebooted Ghostbusters, but I actually enjoyed that much more, and thought it more original even though it was a reboot of an existing film. It felt more fresh, the cast were all superb, it features a some fantastic role models for women and young girls, it prominently features both a funny and knowledgeable woman of colour, AND a kick ass and smart gay woman. If you have to pick between the two, go for Ghostbusters. It's not perfect, I think it would have worked better as a sequel rather than trying to be a stand alone movie, but it's been done this way, and as it stands I would much rather see a sequel for this new team of Ghostbusters than sit through the tripe that was The Neon Demon again.




The Neon Demon 1 out of 10 / Ghostbusters 6 out of 10

The Neon Demon Viewing Date - 20th July 2016
The Neon Demon Release Date - 8th July 2016

The Neon Demon Cast Overview:
Elle Fanning ~ Jesse
Jena Malone ~ Ruby
Karl Glusman ~ Dean
Bella Heathcote ~ Gigi
Abbey Lee ~ Sarah
Christina Hendricks ~ Roberta Hoffman
Keanu Reeves ~ Hank
Alessandro Nivola ~ Fashion Designer (uncredited)

Written and Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn (with assistance from Mary Laws and Polly Stenham on the script)

Ghostbusters Viewing Date - 11th July 2015
Ghostbusters Release Date - 11th July 2015

Ghostbusters Cast Overview:
Melissa McCarthy ~ Abby Yates
Kristen Wiig ~ Erin Gilbert
Kate McKinnon ~ Jillian Holtzmann
Leslie Jones ~ Patty Tolan
Chris Hemsworth ~ Kevin

Written and Directed by Paul Feig (with assistance from Katie Dippold)

Wednesday 18 May 2016

X-Men: Apocalypse

http://www.foxmovies.com/movies/x-men-apocalypse

Before anyone points out to me that I have not written a review for Captain America: Civil War, I will just say that I was disappointed with the movie and have no intention of elaborating on that in a review at this time. It's the unpopular opinion as everyone on general consensus seemed to think it was the best Marvel movie yet and I'm tired of explaining why I don't agree with that. Let's just move on shall we?

I feel I should preface this review by saying I'm not a huge X-Men fan, although I have seen all of the X-Men movies (original trilogy and current trilogy) and all of the spin offs too (X-Men Origins Wolverine, The Wolverine and Deadpool). I liked the first X-Men, wasn't keen on X2 (again unpopular opinion) and to be honest I don't remember much about The Last Stand. I was not a fan of either of the Wolverine films as they contradicted each other, and the X-Men movies to date, and to be honest that kind of annoyed me. I had a lot of time for Deadpool, especially as Ryan Reynolds got to make it his way. Of the prequels, I enjoyed First Class but not enough to buy it, really liked Days of Future Past, and that brings us bang up to Apocalypse.

So why am I reviewing this movie when I'm much more invested in the MCU? Well, I felt I had more to say than would fit into a Facebook status update, that's why. Let's get the synopsis out of the way...
The Apocalypse of the title is the world's first mutant. Looked upon a something of a God because of the powers he possesses. Unlike other mutants, he can transfer his essence to other beings, therefore once his current body is all used up, he can put himself into a shiny new one. The great thing about this is that if the new body has abilities too, different to the ones he already possesses, he takes those on, this is why he's much more powerful than your average mutant. The opening sequence of the movie is the transference and then for reasons I won't spoil, Apocalypse has a bit of a snooze and wakes up in the 1980s. Which is where we pick up with our heroes after we left them in the 70s at the end of DOFP. Some are at Xavier's school for the gifted, some are off by themselves, helping mutants, or hiding their powers, and some are just discovering their powers. Ultimately they all come together, some on the side of Apocalypse, becoming his four horsemen, and others against him. Let battle commence.

Some of this movie works really well - Quicksilver's scene at the school is a film stealer for me, absolutely perfect - and some of it is distinctly average. I do feel as though the parts that work really well overall make the movie better than average, and I did enjoy it, and unlike Civil War I didn't come away disappointed. But that may be because unlike Civil War, my expectations weren't too high for this one.

As much as I hate to say it I think Oscar Isaac was this movie's downfall. He was catastrophically mis-cast in this movie. He's a fantastic actor, but this character needed to be physically and mentally menacing, all powerful, he needed to be a tall, hulking man, who made you feel nervous as to what he would do next, and unfortunately I just didn't ever feel like he was. Plus it was a travesty that they covered up his beautiful face with all those horrid prosthetics. Before you say that I am shallow, it does add credence to what I'm saying. Why even hire Oscar Isaac if you could have had anyone in that suit and they would have looked exactly the same? Hire a wrestler, hire a stuntman, what does it matter, no-one can tell who it is anyway?

Sadly I also felt like the ending was kinda predictable. I'm not usually the one that spots the plot twists in movies, but I saw the ending of this one coming a mile off. These are my only two bugbears with the movie but unfortunately they are kind of big ones. 

The rest of the movie worked fine, the new backstories for the characters we know and love were all decent, the film moves along at a good pace, the big scenes of destruction look great, but without a really good villain the whole thing leaves you wanting.

Finally, for those of a delicate disposition, I will warn you that although the film carries a 12a certificate, this comes with a warning of bloody images. There are at least five bloody/gory scenes which I can elaborate on in the comments if required.

Not a bad third film by any means, but it doesn't surpass DOFP and the villain leaves a lot to be desired. 6.5 out of 10. 


Viewing Date - 18th May 2016
UK Release Date - 18th May 2016

Cast Overview:
 James McAvoy ~ Charles Xavier
Michael Fassbender ~ Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto
Jennifer Lawrence ~ Raven/Mystique
Oscar Isaac ~ En Sabah Nur/Apocalypse
Nicholas Hoult ~ Hank McCoy/Beast
Rose Byrne ~ Moira McTaggert
Evan Peters ~ Peter Maximoff/Quicksilver
Josh Helman ~ Col William Stryker
Sophie Turner ~ Jean Grey
Tye Sheridan ~ Scott Summers/Cyclops
Lucas Till ~ Alex Summers/Havok
Kodi Smit-McPhee ~ Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler
Ben Hardy ~ Angel
Alexandra Shipp ~ Ororo Munroe/Storm
 Olivia Munn ~ Psylocke

Director ~ Bryan Singer
Writer(s) ~ Simon Kinberg (Screenplay and Story), Bryan Singer (Story), Michael Dougherty (Story), Dan Harris (Story).

Wednesday 30 March 2016

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice


Where do I begin? Anyone who follows this blog will know that I am a huge Marvel fan. Having said that, I very much enjoyed the recent Bale/Nolan Batman movies and have been a life-long fan of Superman - up to the release of Man of Steel. For anyone who missed my thoughts on that you can read them here

Despite my loathing of Man of Steel, and despite my trepidation for what Ben Affleck would bring to the role of Batman/Bruce Wayne, I wanted to see Batman V Superman. After all, I cannot critique a movie I have not seen. And after seeing said movie, I can tell you I didn't hate it.

That's not to say I liked it, there was a lot that I took issue with. The continued underdevelopment of Clark Kent as a character, some absolutely appalling dialogue that made me angry rather than just having me shaking my head, and some very unnecessary dream sequences. But on the whole, it was a much better movie than Man of Steel.

Ben Affleck actually isn't awful in the Bruce/Batman role. But Christian Bale he is not. So you really have to go in there with a fresh slate in mind. If you can do that, he does an admirable job. Gal Gadot was surprisingly good in the Diana Price/Wonder Woman role, even if she doesn't have a lot of time to create those much needed foundations for her character (this is still a Zack Snyder movie after all). All those reviews that say this is 3+ movies rolled into one, are all correct. But it's watchable. Even enjoyable in parts.

For me, Jesse Eisenberg didn't work at all as Lex Luthor. And I'm not one of those people who thinks he's annoying in everything he's in. I grew up watching Lex Luthor being portrayed as a very powerful man. He may not match Superman in physical strength, but you always felt he was fiercely intelligent and matched him in other ways. I do not feel this about Eisenberg's portrayal. And I do think that is one major chink in the movie's armor. 

I am trying to keep this review as spoiler free as possible, so I will end with this. There is a moment at the end of the film where you are compelled to feel something for Superman. I say Superman because in this Snyder led world  there is only really Superman, because he's not bothered to introduce us to Clark at all (we're two movies in and I still don't feel I know Clark at all in this universe). 

As I sat there, knowing that I was supposed to feel something, I recalled all of the previous versions of Clark that I have known and loved, and I did feel the thing they were striving for. But it was not as a result of the writing or directing that made me feel those emotions, but rather the memories of the Clark's that came before. Because ultimately, the way to make your audience care about Superman is to have them fall in love with Clark. Maybe not in the traditional sense, I'm not saying that all the little boys who looked up to Superman were really in love with Clark, but what I mean is that without introducing Clark to the world, a guy we can all sympathise with and connect with, the world doesn't care about Superman. 

Someone really needs to explain this to the writers before they make their Justice League movie. If you don't get to know the men and women behind the masks and capes and tights, you're not going to care about the invulnerable heroes either.

After thinking about this a lot in the hours that followed my viewing of BvS, I decided to re-watch Lois and Clark, the TV show that really solidified my love of Clark Kent, and in turn Superman. The special effects may not have held up but the storytelling certainly has, the characterisation, especially of Clark, has. I just wish Zack Snyder and David Goyer had watched that, or any of the preceeding Superman movies before they made the monstrosity that was Man of Steel, and continuing their legacy of under-appreciating their characters further in Batman V Superman.

A 'better than Man of Steel' but still disappointing 6 out of 10.


Viewing Date - 28th March 2016
UK Release Date - 25th March 2016

Cast Overview:
Ben Affleck ~ Bruce Wayne/Batman
Henry Cavill ~ Clark Kent/Superman
Amy Adams ~ Lois Lane
Jesse Eisenberg ~ Lex Luthor
Diane Lane ~ Martha Kent
Laurence Fishburne ~ Perry White
Jeremy Irons ~ Alfred
Holly Hunter ~ Senator Finch
Gal Gadot ~ Diana Prince/Wonder Woman 
Michael Shannon ~ General Zod
Kevin Costner ~ Jonathan Kent

Director ~ Zack Snyder
Writer(s) ~ Chris Terrio, David S Goyer (Written By).
Bob Kane and Bill Finger (Batman Created By)
Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster (Superman Created By)

Saturday 13 February 2016

Spotlight and The Big Short

You might be wondering why I have chosen to write a double review on these two very different movies. 

Although their stories are different, they do share common themes. A large and very recognisable cast, which means a lot of characters to get to know, a lot of names. A complex (and not exactly riveting) subject matter. A lengthy running time. One I loved and one I didn't. Here's my reasoning for why. 

Let's tackle Spotlight first. 


A movie based on a true story about child abuse and the Catholic Church doesn't sound like it will be fun. And upon seeing the trailer for the movie, one of my friends commented that it was in poor taste as the filmmakers were making money out of a horrible situation.

Whilst I agree with that on some level, I also think that you can't deny that the paper that reported on the scandal, The Boston Globe, also made money out of it. But the purpose of the article was to bring the public's attention to this epidemic of dirty priests and those who cover up for them. The film is doing that too, but on a much more global scale. 

So, a film about child abuse within the Catholic Church and the paper that broke the story. Why should you go and see it?

The subject matter is handled extremely well. It's not subtle, but then it can't be when this is the story they are telling. But it's handled sensitively. 

The other reason you should see this movie is because despite being filled to the brim with recognisable actors, they're all excellent. They all lose themselves in these characters and I honestly couldn't fault a single one of them. It's a sterling cast and a film not to be missed. My only niggle (and it really is a tiny nitpick in an otherwise blemish free film) is that the actors didn't really attempt a Boston accent. And the ones that did had mixed results at best. I think as The Town is one of my favourite movies, I have been a little spoiled where accents are concerned, and it definitely doesn't effect the overall message of the film or how good it is. 

On to The Big Short



The two films are quite similar in the sense that they were potentially quite dull subject matters, Spotlight focusing on the journalism industry, and The Big Short on banking, and both films have a lengthy running time of over 2 hours. But whereas Spotlight handled it's story brilliantly and thoughtfully, creating a layered story with tension, The Big Short felt like it was having to explain things to the audience all the time. And like they were annoyed that they had to do that. 

An approach like that doesn't work for me. It doesn't get the audience on side, it just makes them annoyed, and feel a little stupid. Or at least that's the effect it had on me, and I work in the financial sector. 

The main difference between the movies is that Spotlight doesn't try to glamorise the facts of the case, it's not sexy and it doesn't try to be. The Spotlight team work out of the basement. They live in homes that seem fitting for the jobs they do. I'm not saying Spotlight wins points over The Big Short because it represents "real" people. I know there are two sides to the coin, and that the rich people depicted in The Big Short are also based on people who actually exist in the banking world. Both films are based on horrific real events, but while Spotlight handles the subject sensitively, The Big Short rubs it in people's faces. You might have lost your home but look how much these already rich people made off the back of that. Oh and these guys are the heroes of the story because they saw it coming. There's a very sour taste left in your mouth when a movie does that to it's audience. 

The cast also didn't work for me with The Big Short. They didn't really gel with one another, and why was Brad Pitt even in there? It's like someone said "hey, we need another big name" and they just pulled him out of a hat. None were particularly convincing as banking experts. Which made the whole 'dumbing down' exercises even more unnecessary. 

Ultimately my advice here is to go and see Spotlight. It's a better film, better acted, with likable characters, drama, tension and even the occasional laugh. 

You should also stay and read the sum-up in the end credits. I spotted my home town on the list of places where cover ups involving priests was discovered. One of my friends called it blood chilling. That could not be more accurate. I've never been so happy that my parents weren't religious in my life. 

Spotlight 9 out of 10 / The Big Short 4 out of 10

Viewing Dates - Spotlight 29th January 2016 / The Big Short 6th February 2016
UK Release Dates - Spotlight 29th January 2016 / The Big Short 22nd January 2016

Cast Overview Spotlight:
Mark Ruffalo ~ Mike Rezendes
Michael Keaton ~ Walter 'Robby' Robinson
Rachel McAdams ~ Sacha Pfeiffer
Liev Schreiber ~ Marty Baron
John Slattery ~ Ben Bradlee Jr
Brian d'Arcy James ~ Matt Caroll
Stanley Tucci ~ Mitchell Garabedian
Billy Crudup ~ Eric Macleish

Director ~ Tom McCarthy
Writer ~ Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy

Cast Overview The Big Short:
Ryan Gosling ~ Jared Vennett
Christian Bale ~ Michael Burry
Steve Carell ~ Mark Baum
Marisa Tomei ~ Cynthia Baum
Adepero Oduye ~ Kathy Tao
Rafe Spall ~ Danny Moses
Hamish Linklater ~ Porter Collins
Jeremy Strong ~ Vinnie Daniel
John Magaro ~ Charlie Geller
Finn Wittrock ~ Jamie Shipley
Brad Pitt ~ Ben Rickert

Director ~ Adam McKay
Writer ~ Charles Randolph and Adam McKay (Screenplay) and Michael Lewis (Book)

Sunday 24 January 2016

Room / Creed



It's been a one word movie double bill over the course of the weekend, starting with Room yesterday.

I haven't read the book but I've heard it's amazing. Having seen the film I can bet it is.

The story is a simple one, Joy and Jack live in 'Room'. Joy was kidnapped when she was 17 and when we meet her she's been held captive for 7 years. She has been raped, and her son Jack was born out of the situation with her captor. Jack is now 5 and Joy decides he is old enough to understand why they live in 'Room' and what is outside of it. They devise a plan to get Jack out, and hopefully, Joy too. I won't spoil what happens next.

Room surprised me on many levels. Going into it I thought it would be harrowing but a well made film which handled it's subject matter sensitively. And it did both of those things, but so much more besides. Jacob Tremblay who plays Jack is mind-blowingly good. I'm not even going to belittle his performance by uttering those words so often spoken about young actors and say 'for his age'. For any age, his performance is stunning. You believe completely that he has never known the world, and that his whole life has been this room, and his mother. He is completely mesmerising and you absolutely cannot take your eyes off him.

Whilst Jacob will get most of the praise for Room it has to be said that Brie Larson's more understated role required her to be in her own head a lot of the time, and that's not an easy thing to pull off.

The scene in the movie where they are putting their plan into action has got to be one of the most tense scenes I have ever sat through. My heart was pounding and I was unable to stop myself from shouting out even though we were in a packed screening. It's truly terrifying, and this coming from a horror fan. It's also got moments to make you cheer and cry and laugh and everything in between. So much that it's hard to imagine how one Room can make you feel so much. I will definitely be reading the book. 9 out of 10. 


Viewing Date - 23rd January 2016
UK Release Date - 22nd January 2016

Cast Overview:
Brie Larson ~ Joy
Jacob Tremblay ~ Jack
Joan Allen ~ Nancy
William H Macy ~ Robert
Tom McCamus ~ Leo

Director ~ Lenny Abrahamson
Writer ~ Emma Donoghue (Screenplay based on her own novel)


Creed was a totally different kettle of fish. The latest in the Rocky franchise, it tells the story of Apollo Creed's illegitimate son Adonis - Don or Donnie to his friends - as he tries to step out of his father's shadow and prove himself in the ring. He does this by enlisting the help of Rocky Balboa, his father's infamous opponent and friend.

I will admit that I am a fan of the Rocky movies but I did not see the last one, even though I understood it to be a return to form. I probably wouldn't have seen Creed if not for my friend in the states who saw it last year and recommended it to me. I'm glad she did as I actually thought it was a good addition to the 'legacy' as the press are calling it, and more importantly that the performances turned in were really good.

It should speak volumes that Stallone has been nominated for (and won) a couple of major awards in the supporting actor category, and after the steaming dump that was Fantastic Four, it's nice to see Michael B Jordan in something worthy, and see him put in a great performance.

A special mention must be given to the make up department on this movie. The shot of Donnie's eye in the final fight has stayed with me long after the credits rolled. It's also nice to see nods to the original movies. I won't spoil it by saying what, but there are is a lot of recognition given to the previous films and I always think that shows a lot of respect.

If you liked the other Rocky films, or like a good boxing movie, this one is definitely for you. 7.5 out of 10.
 

Viewing Date - 24th January 2016
UK Release Date - 15th January 2016

Cast Overview:
Michael B Jordan ~ Adonis 'Donnie' Johnson Creed
Sylvester Stallone ~ Rocky Balboa
Tessa Thompson ~ Bianca
Phylicia Rashad ~ Mary Anne Creed
Tony Bellew ~ 'Pretty' Ricky Conlan

Director/Writer ~ Ryan Coogler (Direction and Screenplay) and Aaron Covington (Screenplay)

Saturday 2 January 2016

The Danish Girl


The Danish Girl begins it's story with married Danish artists Einar and Gerda Wegener. The couple lead a happy and passionate life, but despite this they have not produced a child that they long for. When assisting his wife by sitting for her in place of her model, Einar is asked to wear stockings and heeled shoes with a dress draped over him. Unbeknownst to Gerda, this awakens his inner identity of Lili Elbe, and so begins a journey of discovery and change for the both of them.


I saw the trailer for The Danish Girl a while ago, and having watched Mr Redmayne last New Years Day in The Theory Of Everything, which was a wonderful film with a fantastic performance from Redmayne, I was very keen to see him again in this movie. The other draw for me towards The Danish Girl was Alicia Vikander who I first saw at the end of 2014 in an advanced screening of Testament of Youth. At the time she was a complete unknown to me, and then she blew up on the big screen in 2015, appearing in Ex Machina, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and Burnt. For me, her finest performance came in Testament though. She came from nowhere and put in this absolutely heartfelt performance that completely blew you away and made you feel every aspect of the war around her. And it was because of that movie that I knew she would be amazing here.

Of the two lead roles in this film, you cannot deny that Redmayne's is the showy award winner. I have no doubt that he will at the very least receive countless nominations for his performance here. And he should. It's an important story of one of the first recognised transgender women who underwent reassignment surgery, all when such procedures were experimental. However, it is Vikander's understated performance which grounds this film, and one which ultimately breaks your heart. Gerda loves Einar and supports him though the changes he ultimately needs to make in order to realise who he he truly is. Without Gerda's unwavering support Lili would take a lot longer to be realised, if at all. But all the while Einar is going through emotional and physical changes, it's Gerda we feel has to change the most. She goes from having a husband she adores, to a friend she cannot turn away from, no matter how much it hurts her to be there for Lili. She is simply superb and I hope she also gets the attention she deserves from this performance, because without her, I don't think this film would work.


You should see this if you are a fan of fantastic acting, and important stories that should be told. 8 out of 10. 




Viewing Date - 1st January 2016
UK Release Date - 1st January 2016

Cast Overview:
Eddie Redmayne ~ Lili Elbe / Einar Wegener
Alicia Vikander ~ Gerda Wegener
Matthias Schoenaerts ~ Hans Axgil
Ben Whishaw ~ Henrik
Amber Heard ~ Ulla
Sebastian Koch ~ Dr Warnekros

Director ~ Tom Hooper
Writer ~ David Ebershoff (Novel) and Lucinda Coxon (Screenplay)