A United Kingdom

A nice historical education for someone as young as I am. Sitting in the cinema with people who were old enough to be my grandparents and listening to the comments that they made about remembering Churchill being elected into parliament made me realise just how little I knew about all this and how much I had to learn.

A United Kingdom, starring David Oyelowo (Spooks, Jack Reacher) and Rosamund Pike (Pride and Prejudice, Die Another Day), is all about Botswana becoming a republic, discovering that there were diamonds in the soil and how the British government were so afraid of South Africa during Apartheid that they did many irresponsible things and made many lies and broken promises. As said earlier, my historical knowledge of this event comes solely from the film, I have no real understanding of history at this time so I don't know if he was the first man of importance to marry someone of a different ethnicity to him but the film certainly made it out like it was something new and certainly a very big deal.

What everyone has in this film is emotion. Seeing the change between a nation who would not accept this woman as their queen to a nation that would let the same woman build a well with them is fantastic. Yes, she had a child whilst she was out there and that may have helped to change things but even so, the transformation was short, much shorter than I was expecting. How many times have I written posts on films which star actors who are incapable of showing any kind of emotion? I love it when I can see actors cry and fight together and not fighting with guns and weapons, fighting with clever words and songs. These films are films that every single person in the world should go and see. Every single person should be educated on this matter but should also admire the quality of the film. A United Kingdom will probably miss out on all the awards because it is not a blockbuster hit but it is a film that everyone should go and see, either to help them remember their past or to learn something about the history of the world.

Little Shop of Horrors.

Solid opening tune and another musical like Rocky Horror Picture Show with some fantastic music. How this musical escaped me and I have been torturing myself with the likes of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and Carousel instead of listening to memorable tunes and watching a genius-ly simple plot is way beyond me. I will blame my friends for this most serious crime against musical watchers.

I didn't know anyone in this cast so at least this review wont be focused solely on one person. Let's start with the technology. This film was made in 1986, it screams out that it was made in the eighties as the plant looks like it was made out of paper mashe. The fact is that this film is clearly a low budget film, with the setting of only a shop, a street and a dentist the money clearly wasn't spent on location and extravagant plot so it must have been spent on the music- which is what we like to see in musicals.

With your typical somewhat nerdy, unpopular protagonist motivated to try and impressive the beautiful blond who is in a relationship with a bad man in comes the plant and the way to make Seymour (Rick Moranis) famous and gain the attention of Audrey (Ellen Greene). A small and somewhat unusual plant turns out to be a man eating plant (voiced by Levi Stubbs) and is demanding blood. Who shall they feed to him first? With guest appearances from Bill Murray (Ghostbusters), Steve Martin (Bow finger) and John Candy (Cool Runnings, Planes, trains and automobiles, JFK) this film has a solid foundation underneath it.

Try not to be too critical of the film. Rick Moranis was exceptional at playing the somewhat pained and emotional young man but not so great at doing anything else. With Ellen Green taking on the role of 'dumb blonde' so convincingly she could have really made us think that she wasn't acting. It wasn't the most exceptional display and it didn't have the stellar performances from the lead characters that Rocky Horror did but instead it has some fantastic music and is really easy to enjoy. It may take time for you to go near plants or dentists again after watching this film but it is well worth the watch!

A Street Cat Named Bob

A film that I feel will not get the attention and credit it deserves thanks to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them. The thing is, A street cat named Bob is based on a true story- the book was released in 2012 so even though it didn't go down in history and wasn't the story of the news making the headlines it is a good story, as good as Fantastic Beasts and it is true, we should appreciate what James Bowen went through.

Luke Treadway took on the role of James Bowen and was fantastic. Even though he didn't have the same hair colour he still played the part very well. It's not so much about him, his character is the same, he never looks clean but he also doesn't get particularly animated, except for when he was going clean. It's all about the cat. 

The feel, the struggle, the buzz that you got whilst watching the film is why everyone should go and see it. This film is not a 'feel good' film but it one that speaks to a lot of people. We've all seen 'junkies' and we've all wanted to help them but mostly at times we can't. Seeing the way that his father rejects him and he has to lie to this woman who he really likes is painful but in the end everything is alright- the struggle is worth it and seeing the lengths he goes through to keep the cat safe is really moving. Go and watch it.

Fantastic beasts and where to find them.

Released today in the UK. You can imagine the build up and hype to it because it is another wizarding film, another part of the 'Harry Potter' franchise because any Potter nerd will tell you that this is the text book that they use in their care of magical creatures lessons throughout the entire franchise.

I don't want to give away too much about the film because I do advise you all to go and see it. It is NOT a Harry Potter film and is actually not what you are expecting at all. Yes, the twist was what I was expecting but there was quite a lot which I couldn't have picked up from the trailers. Most of the plot can be put together from watching the trailers but there was a different type of magic and my fear of them reaching the non-verbal stage of magic where they don't bother to actually say any spells at all was not necessary because they keep all the spells that we learnt from the previous magical films.


Eddie Redmayne took the lead and carried on the idea of British actors taking main roles in this franchise. With the film set in New York we had to make way for some American actors to enter the setup as well but they did it with style. What this film had that made it noticeably different from the previous magical films was no unnecessary extra action (like Dragons ruining the castle just because they can) and it had just the right amount of animation (which even though it is getting better is still not quite at the level that it needs to be- how is it that J.K.Rowling is about 5 years behind everyone else in terms of animation??).

It is easy to enjoy this film, never are you on the edge of your seat and it has a dark feel to it but because there is not a large amount of action and it is more about the beasts, admiring their beauty and the little bits of comedy that are actually in the film it is much easier to just pleasantly enjoy it in the cinema next to you without jumping up and down or shouting at the screen.

The ending of the film left no opening for another film but with the rumour of five films being made I can see how that would possible after watching this film. The lack of action may have been down to it actually being a textbook and a lack of realistic material (although that never stops anyone in film business) or it may have been down to their being another 4 films scheduled, assuming that this film does well in the box office. However, due to the huge play on the character of Grindelwald there has to be more films, there has to be more into his character, his turn from friend of Dumbledore (albeit when they were younger and more foolish) to feared wizard and the ideal enemy, example for Voldemort.

Just make sure to go and see it. It is difficult to review without spoiling it and as it has only just made it to the UK I don't want to spoil it. I thought that Redmayne was impressive but it would be good to see if his character can development and give him a chance to prove himself, his character was very trapped inside one emotion throughout this film.

Arrival

Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner and Forest Whitaker are the names boasted on the cover. A story about an alien invasion, haven't we heard it all before? Why is this film different? Simple, because it's not really about an alien invasion. Instead of just opening fire on everything and everyone the world's military organisations stop to think about it, try to communicate with them and get translators in to help them with all of this.

It felt quite a short film. moving nicely along but without too much action to be noted. It's a sci-fi film, not an action film and most of the film is spent either inside the army base in Montana or in the Alien pod teaching them how to understand human speech and teaching themselves how to work out what the alien writing language is. The twist to the film that I didn't see coming and sort of imagine that no one saw coming was spectacular. You think that you are watching a film about something so obvious but when you finally discover why the aliens are here it is something of a shock (in a nice way).

You're almost there, the finish line is in sight and you are just waiting for the expected ending. No cheesy lines or romcom like feel to it until that awful ending line- they just couldn't resist it. I don't know of anyone who would approach a woman that they have no previous relationship with other than a working relationship for about 2-3 months who would hug someone after saving the world and say 'Do you wanna make a baby?' That is just a terrible line and they had done so well to avoid any sort of predictable yet mushy, vomit inducing relationship that seemed like an obvious plot. They had managed to create this idea that men and women can work together even on something as important as saving the world without sleeping together or getting married but then they ruined it searching for that happy ending.

Not everything does have a happy ending so not every film should have a happy ending. It is okay to show the pains of the world and saving the world and the day can be enough of a happy ending. Take nothing away from Amy Adams, in the clips of her being a mother she was entirely convincing and quite surprising. Having seen her in 'Sunshine Cleaning' it was hard to imagine her as a mother or really as someone who could be in a decent, stable relationship with anyone but a decade has passed since that film, she has become Lois Lane and has become more mature and more of a strong maternal figure than expected. Emphasis on the 'strong' because her character is strong, not crying out for help, she can carry the weight of the world until her death without falling down and calling for Strider all the time.

Great film, very memorable but not a film to be watched on loop.

Ghostbusters 2

I have been putting this one off because of the recently released film which seems to sort of mash the two films together whilst adding a few bits of its own but it was either this or a Ben Affleck film so it had to be this one.

I may now have to go and watch the first film to freshly remind myself of what happened because I am starting to blur it with the other film that was released in July in the UK. This film was a lot harder to follow because I don't really remember the end of the first film. I thought that it ended with them up on top of some huge building and they saved the day. Now in this film they have stopped being 'The Ghostbusters', are doing children's parties and are separated. When they come back together they are hated, mocked and even though they are needed a certain two people are afraid of them and wont call them until they really have to.

Bill Murray is arrogant, this film is about Dan Aykroyd, his control, how he pulls the team together. There wasn't enough in this film to make it as good as the first film. There wasn't really anything in it accept a few ghosts, a plot to take over New York and a small amount of action for the guys in suits at the end. I still prefer the newest film, it has more action and more logic along with more comedy and more quality but we can't or shouldn't take anything away from the original film. This film was not great but there are far worse sequels out there than this one.

It was good to hear the old theme tune, see the car driving around and see the old team back together. There should be a Ghostbusters film where they actually embrace the Ghostbusters and just let them work. If people believe in ghosts then there is always going to be a need for people to help them to settle their fears and demons and these guys (or women) manage that so just make a film that is a little different and stop trying to run the same plot over and over.

Did You Hear About The Morgans?

Critics rated this film very badly. Often critics are actually correct, with the rare times that they are wrong about a film which I have liked or enjoyed. This however, was not the case. A film with Sarah Jessica Parker and Hugh Grant almost creams 'Get Away' before you have even taken the disk out of the case. Sometimes you should take notice of that and spare yourself the trouble but if I did that then there wouldn't be a blog!

What can I say? This is the woman who starred in Sex And The City, which I haven't seen and who made a huge name for herself in about 2008/9 so with all that hype I would have expected a little more from her than what was given. She was not the worst thing about the film- Hugh Grant was equally as awful. There was a time when playing the pompous character (otherwise known as himself) was exactly what he needed to do but this isn't the case anymore. We have all seen the multiple films in which he just plays himself and we do not need to see another film with him starring as himself, we would like to see a film in which he actually acts. This film is cheesy and predictable.

When they kiss, it's ugly and it takes such a long time that it seems ridiculous. I have no idea why they thought that this would be a good idea. Making a film like this was never going to be a good idea. Also, having sex in someone else's house whilst they live there is just a bit disrespectful and dishonourable. The stupid blonde is not something that amuses anyone anymore and it didn't amuse anyone in 2009. Trying to find something good about this film just simply comes down to Sam Elliot and Mary Steenburgen. They held everything together, they pulled all the strings and provided the comedy factor as well, without them this film would have been so rubbish that you would never have got past the opening clips of Hugh Grants talking on the phone.

If you haven't seen it, you don't need to.

Zero Dark Thirty

Another film into taking down a known terrorist suspect. I'm thinking of films like 'A Bridge of Spies' and 'Eye In The Sky' that would fit into the same category as this. I remember Zero Dark Thirty being released in the UK, I remember not knowing anything about it but it winning awards at the Oscars.

Agencies attempting to bring down Bin Laden, the film was released after Bin Laden was actually murdered. You can google it or IMDB it to get the synopsis and doing so would be better than me trying to accurately explain what is going on in this film. All that you need to know is that the undercover operations show just how difficult it was to gain any information on some of these targets. Not only is it incredibly dangerous but it is harder than one of the Mission Impossible films.

With Edgar Ramirez featuring in the most recent post (- The Girl On The Train) I couldn't not notice him and mention him in this film. Different role but nice to see where he emerged from. Not a main man in this film but always playing the supporting role with care and quality. Likewise, Mark Strong just slipped in and out of a few scenes to keep the movie rolling along. The names staring are names that I don't recognise but it says a lot if you have stars like Mark Strong only featuring in smaller supporting roles. Through all of this I could not take my eyes off of Jessica Chastain (The Martian, The Help). Her hair colour, if nothing else makes her memorable but I will remember her character, the woman who wouldn't back down, who was shot at repeatedly in a car but still wouldn't give up her fight. I know that there are risks that you take when you become an agent and that being shot at is part of the job but there are some things that you don't have to do and actively pursuing someone who is a known terrorist, who can't be found and who is going to come after you is something that you don't have to do. Her courage is unquestionable and I don't know if the character was true or not but the character in the film is incredible.

Watch it with your full concentration. A topic that is educational and needed. Don't shy away from it because the filming and the acting is very good. Yes, it's a film about taking down one man but it was a significant even in modern history, it wasn't a war film and it was both interesting and full of action.

The Girl on The Train.

A thriller and the first thriller that I have seen in cinema since seeing The Woman In Black many years ago.

This wasn't the same type of thriller. People have been put off going to see this film because it is classified as a thriller, yes, it is psychological and very well done but it is not scary in any way. This film just focuses on something real, a topic that we don't often see in films and it should be praised for that.

Emily Blunt looked like a transformed woman. At times I questioned if it really was her or not but underneath when you stop and think about it the answer is yes- it is her all the way. From the adverts you think that she is crazy, you are lead to believe something completely different and I love that about it. Cutting it up in the way that they did makes you think something completely different from what you actually see. I don't want to spoil the film, I don't want to give anything away but it is not what you expect, not what you think that you know. At times you can work out what is going to happen next but just when you think that you have worked it out you start to realise just how wrong you have gone somewhere along the line.

With a cast like this, one where you watch it and see faces from the past and faces that you can't put the name to you know that something big is coming your way. Luke Evans (The Hobbit 2+3) is one of the two recognisable faces that I struggled to put a name to, with the other being (rather ironically) his wife in this film- Haley Bennett (Music and Lyrics, The Equalizer, The Magnificent Seven), who looks a lot like Jenifer Lawrence but isn't. Both of them were brilliant, controlled but everything that was expected of them.

With a film like this it is not about the words, it's about the psychology. The way that Blunt is so convincing in her role, the way that her character changes and you can see every change. When she is angry she really looks it, you could believe that she could kill someone out of anger. That I admire in her, it's not about looking like you are wanting to hit someone, there is more to anger than just clenching your fists- being able to show anger when the camera only shows your face is a true skill. Watch this film if only to admire her when she is angry and the skill that she truly possesses. Everyone in this film was like Emily Blunt, they were able to hide or convey everything through facial expressions only.

One of the best psychological thrillers out there. The adverts show little of what the film truly is.

Kung Fu Panda 3

After learning the well kept secret that he was adopted in the last film this film is all about the panda training, finding his dad and becoming a panda.

I think that many of us were wondering how they were going to make a third film. Kung Fu Panda films are genius and really quite silly (in a good way) but I certainly felt like this film may lack a story at certain points. It didn't- it was brilliant in every sense but it did seem like a filler (if anyone is familiar with anime) for the next big plot in the story line.

Having now watched the entire film instead of reviewing as I go along (to save time) I can now reflect on the entire film and how it was more comical than the other films but still a very good film. Kung Fu Panda is going to be something that has the potential to be consistently good. The first one was still the best and there isn't necessarily an obvious way for a fourth film to be made but I would go and see the fourth film if it were to be made because these films have been very enjoyable. We all need that film which helps us to feel like a child without being ridiculously cheesy and for me this is the film which does that.

The most touching moment came from when all the panda's put their chi together to help Po out when he is losing a battle. We all love seeing him with his father and his adopted goose father but there is nothing nicer than seeing panda's roll around and helping each other out. We all knew that one day he would get back to his panda village.

Comedy line 'Even master Chicken is going in and he's a chicken!'. There were probably better lines than that but each to their own and nothing makes me laugh more than that line. Not that we don't enjoy watching the panda dance around with the all important staff and becoming a ninja but I am a Dustin Hoffman fan 'till I die and I wanted to see more of him in this film. Yes, there was development in his character and some great development that is key for the story but he should have featured much more in this film than he did. Monkey was pointless and useless in this film so I am questioning as to why his character was even included in this film and overall we would expect a little more than what we saw from each of the masters but I guess that we can't have everything and the script writers did not write it just to please me (would be nice if they had!).

I hope that you enjoyed this film as much as I did and if you haven't seen it then you should definitely set aside a few hours to watch this film and to just enjoy it. Don't expect too much from it, it is after all, one of the best animated films made within the last five years.