Set almost entirely within a theatre in Broadway, Birdman stars Michael Keaton as an actor who starred as Birdman in a superhero movie 20 years ago, who now is struggling to remain in the public eye and make a living and resorts to putting on a play on Broadway. There is a certain reality in the casting of Keaton, who obviously is most famous for playing Batman in 1989 and whilst having some smaller parts in big movies, has not had much of a staring role just lately.
I really enjoyed this film and the performance from Keaton, especially the single handed scenes where he is wrestling with the voice of Birdman in his head. I also enjoyed the cinematography, with very long takes and one scene flowing into the next without an edit point, which adds to the overall feel of the movie. 9/10
Saturday 3 January 2015
The Theory of Everything
The Theory of Everything is a biopic of Prof. Stephen Hawking, played by Eddie Redmayne. It is based on the book by his first wife Jane, and as such is a less about Professor Hawking's academic achievements and much more about his personal life and relationship with his family.
As someone who knew very little about Stephen Hawking, this is a very interesting movie, and I learnt a lot about a remarkable man. Given the subject it would be very easy for this film to be quite depressing, but it is laced with quite light and sometimes funny moments which make this a joy to watch.
It is undoubtedly a superb performance from Redmayne, playing Stephen from his PhD through his diagnosis with Motor Neurone Disease and his subsequent degeneration as his muscles give up, leaving him as the Man we know today, in a wheelchair with a computerised voice, as awards season approaches I'm sure he will be nominated. 9/10
As someone who knew very little about Stephen Hawking, this is a very interesting movie, and I learnt a lot about a remarkable man. Given the subject it would be very easy for this film to be quite depressing, but it is laced with quite light and sometimes funny moments which make this a joy to watch.
It is undoubtedly a superb performance from Redmayne, playing Stephen from his PhD through his diagnosis with Motor Neurone Disease and his subsequent degeneration as his muscles give up, leaving him as the Man we know today, in a wheelchair with a computerised voice, as awards season approaches I'm sure he will be nominated. 9/10
Friday 2 January 2015
2015 - Oscars and Beyond
Many of the best films seem to be released in January Ready for Oscar Season, obviously there are still several contenders to see, and I am really looking forward to seeing The Theory of Everything and Foxcatcher in the coming days. Obviously I have not seen these films yet, but at the Moment my Front Runners for Oscar Glory are Benedict Cumberbatch for The Imitation Game, and Rosamund Pike for Gone Girl.
Other notable releases in the coming weeks include Disney's Big Hero 6, from the same people who brought us Frozen, Taken 3, which won't have to try hard to be better than Taken 2 and Whiplash, which looks quite interesting.
There are also two very different "Spy" films coming out in January, Mortdecai, Which based on what I have seen of the trailer is likely to be extremely Sexist, and Kingsman: The Secret Service, which stars Colin Firth and looks like it might be worth a watch.
Looking Further into the year, I am looking forward to Insurgent, the second part of the Divergent trilogy, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Avengers: Age of Ultron and Definitely The Minions Movie will be the highlight of the summer.
Towards the End 2015 we Have Spectre, the latest James Bond film, Star wars 7, which I really hope isn't going to disappoint and of course the climax of the Hunger Games.
As always, I'm sure there will be many surprises along the way, and probably my Favourite Film of 2015 isn't even on my Radar Yet, that's the beauty of movies.
Other notable releases in the coming weeks include Disney's Big Hero 6, from the same people who brought us Frozen, Taken 3, which won't have to try hard to be better than Taken 2 and Whiplash, which looks quite interesting.
There are also two very different "Spy" films coming out in January, Mortdecai, Which based on what I have seen of the trailer is likely to be extremely Sexist, and Kingsman: The Secret Service, which stars Colin Firth and looks like it might be worth a watch.
Looking Further into the year, I am looking forward to Insurgent, the second part of the Divergent trilogy, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Avengers: Age of Ultron and Definitely The Minions Movie will be the highlight of the summer.
Towards the End 2015 we Have Spectre, the latest James Bond film, Star wars 7, which I really hope isn't going to disappoint and of course the climax of the Hunger Games.
As always, I'm sure there will be many surprises along the way, and probably my Favourite Film of 2015 isn't even on my Radar Yet, that's the beauty of movies.
2014 in Review
At the start of the 2014, I had hoped to see 120 Films (10 a month) and work out a saving of £1000 with my cineworld unlimited card (120 films at £10 = £1200 less £200 cost of the card) as It turned out I didn't quite hit these targets managing 97 movies and a saving of around £750
Many of my highlights of the Year were the January round of Oscar releases, which technically are 2013 films, The Outstanding 12 Years a slave, The Wolf of Wall Street and Dallas Buyers Club were some of the best movies I saw in 2014.
The most surprising film of the year for me was the March Release of Divergent, the latest Young Adult dystopian Fiction to be dramatized for the big screen. I enjoyed Divergent so much, not only did I borrow the Books from the Library I also bought it on DVD, which for me is a rare thing.
The Best film of the summer was definitely Marvels Guardians of the Galaxy, which was a whole lot of fun and made a light hearted change from the usual run of superhero movies.
My Film of the year though was Pride, as I said on this blog at the time, it is a very rare film tat can take you from the edge of tears one minute to tears of Laughter the next. This was by far and away the best film of 2014.
At the other end of the spectrum my worst films of the year are ones that others seemed enjoyed. I thought The Muppets Most Wanted went to far in its characterisations of Russians/French/Irish and was actually offensive, I also thought that Spike Jonze's Her, whilst a brilliant idea, took its central relationship one step to far and then became just utterly ridiculous.
Worst Film of the year though for me, was definitely Dumb and Dumber To, As a fan of the original it seems like all they have done is recycled the same jokes, but 20 years out of date. It is the one film I walked out of, because I couldn't take any more.
Many of my highlights of the Year were the January round of Oscar releases, which technically are 2013 films, The Outstanding 12 Years a slave, The Wolf of Wall Street and Dallas Buyers Club were some of the best movies I saw in 2014.
The most surprising film of the year for me was the March Release of Divergent, the latest Young Adult dystopian Fiction to be dramatized for the big screen. I enjoyed Divergent so much, not only did I borrow the Books from the Library I also bought it on DVD, which for me is a rare thing.
The Best film of the summer was definitely Marvels Guardians of the Galaxy, which was a whole lot of fun and made a light hearted change from the usual run of superhero movies.
My Film of the year though was Pride, as I said on this blog at the time, it is a very rare film tat can take you from the edge of tears one minute to tears of Laughter the next. This was by far and away the best film of 2014.
At the other end of the spectrum my worst films of the year are ones that others seemed enjoyed. I thought The Muppets Most Wanted went to far in its characterisations of Russians/French/Irish and was actually offensive, I also thought that Spike Jonze's Her, whilst a brilliant idea, took its central relationship one step to far and then became just utterly ridiculous.
Worst Film of the year though for me, was definitely Dumb and Dumber To, As a fan of the original it seems like all they have done is recycled the same jokes, but 20 years out of date. It is the one film I walked out of, because I couldn't take any more.
Happy New Year
Happy New Year Everyone
I realise I have not posted a review since the Hunger Games back in November, so my new Years Resolution is to update this blog regularly. I'm of to see the Theory of Everything this evening so expect to see a review posted tonight or tomorrow.
In the meantime I will post a couple of year end posts looking back at 2014 and looking forward to 2015
I realise I have not posted a review since the Hunger Games back in November, so my new Years Resolution is to update this blog regularly. I'm of to see the Theory of Everything this evening so expect to see a review posted tonight or tomorrow.
In the meantime I will post a couple of year end posts looking back at 2014 and looking forward to 2015
Thursday 20 November 2014
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1
Having read the book I was a little concerned that Mockingjay Part 1 would struggle to meet the standard of the first 2 movies. It covers the period between the 75th Hunger Games quarter quell of Catching Fire, and the assault on the Capitol in Part 2, as such there is very little in the way of action and fighting.
I needn't have worried, despite the lack of action, Mockingjay Part 1 is an intense psychological thriller, full of propaganda from both the capitol and the rebels, and a fight for power. The District 8 scene in particular was deeply emotional.
Jennifer Lawrence puts in a decent performance, but for me Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket steals every scene she is in.
All in all this is far better than I had feared going in, yes it lacks the action of the games from the other movies, but more than holds its own compared to Hunger Games and Catching fire 9.5/10
I needn't have worried, despite the lack of action, Mockingjay Part 1 is an intense psychological thriller, full of propaganda from both the capitol and the rebels, and a fight for power. The District 8 scene in particular was deeply emotional.
Jennifer Lawrence puts in a decent performance, but for me Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket steals every scene she is in.
All in all this is far better than I had feared going in, yes it lacks the action of the games from the other movies, but more than holds its own compared to Hunger Games and Catching fire 9.5/10
Saturday 15 November 2014
The Imitation Game
Benedict Cumberbatch stars as Alan Turing in this biopic of the man who broke Enigma and shortened the second world war.
Turing is a very complex character, and Cumberbatch puts in a masterful performance, doing justice to a man who to modern eyes is a genius and war hero, but who at the time was seen as something of an eccentric. Whilst parts of Turing's story are widely known, there is much in this film that I did not know, and I left the cinema with a much better understanding of the man and what happened to him.
The film jumps between 3 time periods, his school days, his work at Bletchley Park and his arrest for Indecency, but it works this very well and it doesn't feel unnatural in its chronology.
This is a superb biopic with a very intriguing subject, and I highly recommend it 9.5/10
Turing is a very complex character, and Cumberbatch puts in a masterful performance, doing justice to a man who to modern eyes is a genius and war hero, but who at the time was seen as something of an eccentric. Whilst parts of Turing's story are widely known, there is much in this film that I did not know, and I left the cinema with a much better understanding of the man and what happened to him.
The film jumps between 3 time periods, his school days, his work at Bletchley Park and his arrest for Indecency, but it works this very well and it doesn't feel unnatural in its chronology.
This is a superb biopic with a very intriguing subject, and I highly recommend it 9.5/10
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