Young French/Arab sent to prison for six years, Corsicans force him to do "job" for protection, gets more confident, more jobs, drugs, money, deceit.
Excellent French prison drama which, although very brutal in places, has you reeled in from the start & doesn't seem as long as its 155 minute running time.
Really good mix of a cast too portraying the different groups within the prison & Tahar Rahim excels in the lead as Malik.
People dropped into jungle after being abducted, unsure why they are there, feeling of not alone, start being hunted, etc, etc.
ClichÃ-fest from start to finish with one dimensional characters, & at points, pretty much copying the wonderful original.
Adrien Brody is really badly cast as the gung-ho mercenary complete with Christian Bale Batman voice & it's quite laughable when he tries to replicate Arnie towards the end.
SFX are average and the music is pretty much regurgitated from the original.
Duke of York, has stammer & speech problems, goes to unconventional therapist, King/Father dies, Brother abdicates, made King, has to overcome disability.
Wonderful film which is moving, warm & funny with superb performances from both Colin Firth & Geoffrey Rush.
Authenticity & casting are spot on with good support from Helena Bonham Carter & Guy Pearce although wasn't too convinced by Timothy Spall's Churchill.
Second part of Stieg Larsson's "Girl Who" trilogy.
Not as good sequel to the brilliant first film but once again great casting & well acted & Noomi Rapace is outstanding.
It's beautifully shot once again & one or two wincing moments but nowhere near as dark & mysterious as the first film.
Rich family takes in homeless teen, help him get grades, starts playing football, gets good at it, tough childhood keeps haunting him.
True story based on a book about Michael Oher who went on to play in the NFL.
Sandra Bullock shines as the very driven Leigh Ann Tuohy with her no-nonsense approach and mentions too for good performances by Tim McGraw, Jae Head and of course Quinton Aaron as Oher.
Slightly predictable pacing but an enjoyable watch.
Girl missing for 40 years, head of family asks journalist to find her, journalist under investigation, gets help from unexpected source, dark secrets unveiled.
Film version of Stieg Larsson's amazing book & transformed very well with the whole cold yet beautiful winter Swedish setting drawing you in from the start.
Excellent casting with Noomi Rapace standing out as Salander & Michael Nyqvist putting in a good turn as Blomkvist.
The film does miss quite a bit out of the book but pulls off the scenes competently (the darker ones are quite harrowing) & I'm looking forward to the second part.
Ex-war veteran, wife dies, hates everyone & everything, Korean neighbours, son in with gang, son tries to steal war veteran's prize car, takes young Korean under his wing.
Nicely played out but very predictable affair & with Clint as good as ever.
It very much follows a formula with the master/pupil route & is quite heart warming but also very brutal along the way.
Man gets secrets & ideas by entering people's dreams, on the run, given chance to be free if he does one last job, agrees, not everything so straight forward. Brilliant film in pretty much every aspect with a superb cast (Tom Hardy & Joseph Gordon-Levitt were the standouts for me), great script, fantastic action sequences & some great music to back it up. It has a real potential for getting messy & confusing but never thought it got too muddled despite all the dream shenanigans going on.
Two years after the hullabaloo from the first film, reporter's book made into film about events, killer returns copycat style.
Entertaining but slightly silly second film in the Scream trilogy with most of the cast returning. The humour is still very self-mocking & funny but just didn't think it had the tension, a weaker storyline & is a lot more predictable than the first film.
Federal Marshall investigates strange goings on at hospital on island, girl missing, girl returns, Marshall has visions & flashbacks, gets paranoid, weirdness.
Well played out thriller with a very talented cast, a good script & a story that's gets darker as it goes along & equally disturbing.
The main problem it does have is that you can see where it's going quite early on so the twist isn't really that shocking by the time it gets to the end.
Man goes to work at radio station, strange events happening at Doctor's surgery in town whilst on air, trapped in radio building with producer & engineer, Doctor shows up, gets stranger.
A brilliant idea & a good take on the zombie genre but let down by its execution & stupidity in parts.
The film is mainly shot in one set, which is the radio station, with a few scenes of outside & it really does give a claustrophobic feel as it goes along.
The cast play it out pretty well but I really wanted Sydney dead about half way through due to her stupidity & plain annoyingness.
Post-apocalyptic times, man wanders along his "path", encounters raiders, cannibals & unsavouries, comes across a town, head of town wants him to find a book, man doesn't want to, head tries to persuade him unsuccessfully, carnage.
As a fan out the game Fallout 3, this film really appealed to me & also having the bonus of my two favourite actors in the lead with the gorgeous Mila Kunis along side them.
It's a pretty basic story with a man's journey to his destiny played out in a grisly, desperate world with Washington & Oldman as great as ever & the whole setting, backed up by some great music, really **** you in from the start.
Didn't see the twist coming & maybe need to watch it again to see if it worked.
Man makes "legal high", crime boss wants formula, man goes to England to sell formula, things go wrong.
Loud, crass yet entertaining comedy-action film set in and around Liverpool & features a very strong cast. Did come across as a bit of a poor man's "Lock Stock" & does wander into clichà territory now and then but does have a number of funny lines & moments. Stand-outs are definitely Rhys Ifans, Sean Pertwee & Meat Loaf all hamming it up although not sure about Robert Carlyle & Emily Mortimer's Scouse accents.
Socialite meets writer who has moved into apartments, become friends, she wants a rich husband, both have secrets, he falls in love with her.
Iconic early sixties rom-com before the word was invented with Audrey Hepburn, George Peppard playing off each other with great chemistry and dialogue.
Despite the comedic face of the film, there is quite a dark under-current throughout which surprised me but wasn't keen on the awful stereotype played by Mickey Rooney. Lovely music also with "Moonriver" used in many different guises.
Planet about to explode, parents send son to Earth in capsule, old couple find capsule & adopt son, son is not all that he seems.
The film that made Christopher Reeve & he really does excel in the lead as both Clark Kent & Superman. Has a hell of a cast around him too with Gene Hackman hamming it up as Lex Luthor, a bumbling Ned Beatty & a very sexy Valerie Perrine as his assistants.
The first hour is very well done setting up the background & the hero growing up but I felt it got a bit silly later on when everything becomes a cheesy catalogue of disaster & the effects haven't dated too well either.
John Williams's score is huge, the main theme being the highlight, but there is a lot of similarities with Star Wars in the incidental music.
Fox retires from stealing chickens, becomes a journalist, wants to steal from three big farms, doesn't tell wife, farmers want him dead.
Brilliantly animated adaptation of Roald Dahl's book which is helped by solid voice work from George Clooney, Bill Murray & co.
The Stop-Motion reminded me of 1970's Eastern European fairytales which I'd seen when I was younger & really does add to the whole feel & setting of the film.
Some nice music used throughout as well.
Couple at wedding, get engaged themselves, long drive home, take wrong turn & get puncture, stop at castle, gender-bending mayhem.
Richard O'Brien's musical which has caused students to dress up in underwear everywhere and do that bloody dance!
It is very tongue-in-cheek, and the songs are well written, mostly in that early 70s style with a fifities feels that was going on at the time, although some of the acting a little wooden. Tim Curry however stands out oozing sexuality as the cross-dressing Frank N Furter & blows everyone else away whatever scene he is in.
British reporter trying to uncover CIA dodgy operation, Bourne comes out of hiding to help, CIA want him dead again.
A lot more fast-paced than the first two but also a lot more brainless with smart & clever plots replaced by stupid OTT action.
Most of the action scenes are edited in short bursts that you can't tell what's going on the half the time & you're glad when they're over.
The ending is pretty good but a bit of a let down after the first two decent films.
Tim Burton's re-imagining of Lewis Carroll's classic fairytale using his inevitable dark ,Gothic style. Really enjoyed this and it's a mixture of the original book & Through the Looking Glass. As expected, the visuals are brilliantly surreal, voice acting great & with Johnny Depp & Helena Bonham-Carter hamming it up as the Mad Hatter & Red Queen respectively. Danny Elfman's score plays a big part too in keeping the tone as he's done with most of Burton's work.
Bourne & girlfriend now living in India, assassin comes after him, tragedy, goes after the CIA to find out what's going on.
Not as good sequel to the excellent Bourne Identity which does have it's moments but seems to lack something that the first one had.
Decent cast once again adding Joan Allen & Karl Urban to its roster & Brian Cox is the stand-out this time appearing a lot more.
Thought it got a bit stupid towards the end too with the silly car chase.
Unconscious man gets rescued in the sea by fishing boat, amnesia, has "special" skills, someone trying to kill him, befriends German girl, tries to find out what's going on & who he is.
Sharp action-thriller which has its fair share of twists and turns and outright action with some great fight choreography.
Strong cast helps it & Maaaaatttt Daaaammmon is very believable as Jason Bourne. Good turn too from Franka Potente, Chris Cooper & Clive Owen as the deadly sniper.
Will Smith was very good but I wanted to see more about what happened out of the ring, more about the man himself. Yes we all know he beat Foreman, Liston, etc in those fights, so why go on so long with them?
Should have brought it up to date with his later fights, Parkinsons Disease, etc rather than stopping in 1975.
Not really a Joy Division fan but enjoyed this. Beautifully shot, moving & some excellent acting by Sam Riley, Samantha Morton & the ever brilliant Toby Kebbell.
Nice to see Macclesfield getting a bit of recognition.
Anthony Hopkins can't really shake off the Hannibal Lector tag & I kept expecting him to put on a blue jumpsuit at any moment. And what was his accent all about? Welsh, Irish, American? Few twists here & there & pretty well acted throughout.
Well it has some funny moments but the story is so ridiculous it's untrue. A few nice cameos here & there but nowhere near as good as Pegg's other work. Dylan Moran plays himself yet again as well.
Certainly breathing life into an old format, I enjoyed the majority of it. The characters are believable & the "hand-held" feel adds to the tension & drama.
I would have given in an 8 but the last 10 minutes really let the film down badly for me.
Well the first hour sort of plods along then the last hour & a half is excellent. Casey Affleck is very good as Bob Ford as is Brad Pitt. Music is also excellent & a nice cameo by Nick Cave (who did some of the music).
Vampires come to Alaska taking advantage of "30 days of night" in the winter.
The big problem for me is that the vampires really aren't scary but unintentionally funny. And the main one looks like Fat Boy Slim.
If you said to a 10-year old "Be a scary vampire" they'd act like the vampires in this.
Ironically the scariest vampire in it is a 10-year old.
Bit silly all round really although some nice axe action.
Childish, terrible story, vulgar, ridiculous, silly & cliche ridden but made me laugh more than I expected & I enjoyed it..
I'm still laughing at the wedding band now. I'm sure I once saw a band like this in Oldham!
Watched this again & it is a great film.
Superb performances from a mainly British cast & Cillian Murphy is fantastic as Dr. Crane/Scarecrow.
Some of the driving bits are a bit OTT but the story flows well & a great way to end ready for the next installment.
Austrian film about Saloman Sorowitsch, a Jewish counterfeiter who was spared the concentration camps in WWII to run a fake currency production for the ****.
Moving, disturbing & great performances from Karl Markovics in the lead & Martin Brambach who gives Ralph Fiennes's Amon Goeth a run for his money as the thoroughly unpleasant Holst.
Definitely worth a watch.
Based on Frank Miller's graphic novel, beardy Spartan King & his 300 bodyguards take on the Persians to stop their conquest of Greece.
The battle scenes are excellent with great choreography & decent special effects.
People have complained about the "look" of the film but I thought it added to the whole experience & atmosphere.
Where is does fall down is the acting &, with the exception of Gerard Butler & Lena Headey, it is pretty shocking.
Hunter/cowboy bloke stumbles across a load of cash after a drug deal shootout in the middle of the Texas desert. Javier Bardem comes after him.
Very well acted & shot & the scenes with Bardem are fantastic. The "Where does he work?" & Gas Station scenes are just superb.
The only problem was the last half hour which went a bit up it's own arse.
Comedy horror from New Zealand about genetically "altered" killer sheep.
Well it kills an hour & a half.
It's predictable, silly & gross but it never takes itself too seriously.
Oh & the Were-Sheep are just disturbing.
Shane Meadows on form with this moving & occasionally disturbing film based, like most of his stuff, in the East Midlands.
Acting is top notch as you would expect but I was still in awe at how good Paddy Considine is as the unhinged yet childlike Morrell.
Based on actual events that took place in 1999, drug dealers fall out, kid brother gets kidnapped, shenanigans happen.
I have never seen a film where I wanted all the characters to die within the first five minutes of them being on screen. Tries to be slick, witty & wit da kidz but just comes across as brash, brainless & plain annoying.
Sequel to the hot & cold 28 Days later.
Britain has been cleared of the Rage infection/virus so the intention is to re-populate. Americans get involved, probably looking for oil under Canary Wharf.
It plods along at an ok pace, few twists & turns here & there but nothing really special.
Top marks for the scene in the subway with the sniper night scope sight though.
Guy Ritchie's interpretation of Conan-Doyle's famous sleuth with Black Magic, bare-knuckle boxing & general 19th Century japery.
Nice to see GR back on form in this action-adventure romp which has its clever twists & turns with a very strong cast (even Jude Law is good!).
Took me a while to warm to RDJ's Holmes as he is very much a hyper-active thuggish brute but by the end I was won over.
The whole thing looks great too with Tower Bridge under construction, scaled down Piccadilly Circus & a great authenticity.
Soldiers in training for fighting in Vietnam, tough boot camp & drill Sergeant, some go to war, some don't.
Stanley Kubrick's powerful Vietnam fest that I'd not seen since it came out in the late 80s.
It is very much a film split into two parts starting with the new recruits in the boot camp being ferociously barked at by the brilliant R. Lee Ermey as Sergeant Hartman. A great turn too by a young Vincent D'Onofrio as the blundering Private Pyle.
The second half of the film sees Matthew Modine's character go into the action in Vietnam & I think it loses a bit of steam here.
It is well written, the action scenes with the sniper are intense but it doesn't really go anywhere.
Mention also for the great soundtrack featuring the Bird is the Word & Woolley Bully!
Warts n all documentary following Metal behemoths Metallica & the making of their album, St. Anger.
Entertaining is probably the best way of putting this documentary. I neither love or dislike Metallica but I do enjoy music documentaries & this has lots of squabbles, ego clashes & musical differences including singer/guitarist James Hetfield leaving for six months to go into rehab.
Lars Ulrich does start to grate a bit but there's no denying the talent that these people have, even if they are no longer the garage band/everyday Joe's they used to be.
If you love Metallica, you'll love this but it's also a good watch for general music fans too.
Events based on the aftermath of the death of Diana:Princess of Wales.
Great performances from Helen Mirren, the wonderful Michael Sheen & Mark Bazeley as Alastair Campbell.
Moves along at a decent pace & enjoyed it more than I expected.
The one thing they did get wrong is that Cherie Blair is quite sexy in it.
A wonderful performance from Marion Cotillard as Edith Piaf.
With a strong supporting cast, the film keeps your attention for the whole 2 & a half hours.
The incidental music is superb, so much that I bought the soundtrack.
Space crew go off to save the Earth by dropping a a bomb into the Sun to re-ignite it.
Chutzpah & nonsense happen during the mission.
The first 3 quarters of the film are fine with the usual space mission going well & then not so well. It's the last quarter where it sort of runs out of steam & ideas.
Yuppie bloke goes bonkers, has a breakdown & kills lots of people. Or does he?
I'd never read the Brett Easton-Ellis book but had heard a lot about it before seeing this when it came out.
Bale is excellent as Patrick Bateman & the mood & feel of the late 80's is very well done.
Certainly listening to Phil Collins is understandable that you'd want to kill someone.
Great performance, if brief, by Willem Dafoe as Detective Kimble.
Oil that is, Black Gold, Texas Tea.
Daniel Day Lewis is "into" oil & makes his fortune, sometimes at the misfortune of others.
Weighs in at just over two & a half hours but I didn't think it dragged too much & the authenticity of the film is superb.
As to be expected, Lewis is brilliant but so is Paul Dano as Eli.
Not to everyone's taste but I really enjoyed it.
I'm finished!
Russian film where the the Forces of Light battle the Forces of Dark in a nutshell. Vampires, decent effects & general all round mayhem.
Borrowing from Star Wars, LOTR & the Matrix to name a few, it is very slick & well directed.
I can see why it is considered a "cult" classic but really not my thing at all.
The fall & rise of Anthony (Tony) H. Wilson & his part in Manchester's cultural uprisings.
It looked a lot of fun to make but I found it a bit too self-indulgent.
Steve Coogan does tend to be more like Alan Partridge than Wilson although there are some similarities.
The Joy Division bits seem a bit lame now, especially if you've watched the fantastic Control.
Great performances by Danny Cunningham as Shaun Ryder & Andy Serkis as Martin Hannett though.
Korean film about a man imprisoned for 15 years without really knowing why.
He is released then looks for revenge.
Stylish, slick, gruesome & some fantastic twists & turns.
I'd heard a lot about this film & it really is as good as people say.
Min-Sik Choi is brilliantly intense as the lead with a good supporting cast as well.
Comedy from New Zealand about a relationship between two "losers".
It's quirky, sweet & some nice laughs.
Did remind me of Napoleon Dynamite in parts but probably not as funny.
Based on a true story, cockney geezas rob a bank then it's a right knees-up & barrel of monkeys.
Does what it says on the tin, Jason Statham plays his usual whispering cockney self but quite entertaining overall.
