haukyn

Ok, this was pretty nasty. It might have worked if the plot had provided better motivation for the events that unfolded, particularly why Fassbender's character got involved in the drugs trade. But it seemed really to be trading on the No Country for Old Men formula ... or is it the Game of Thrones formula? Happy endings are not on the menu.

Charming film set in Laos, the story of a young boy who thinks (because he was born a twin and village tradition suggests he may be evil) he’s trouble, especially after – a moment that made me jump out of the seat! – and the trials & tribulations he, and his family, face, once they’re dispossessed from their land for a dam project. That condemnation could have been stronger, but it's good to see current politics referenced as well as the appalling legacy of the illegal war waged by the US in Laos. Anyway, all ends well, as we knew it would, once he enters a rocket competition in a nearby town. Boom! Very nice.

This was one of those films where the parts were greater than the sum of the parts. Mathematics may not be my strong suit, so let me explain. There were some excellent performances, Jennifer Lawrence in particular I thought really warmed up as the film went on, but in the end it didn’t work for me. The weakness lay in the character of the New Jersey mayor ... not Renner's acting, just the way it was conceived. While the rest of the baddies were stereotypes, and the good guys comic, here we had someone with a bit of complexity, who became the real victim. Overall the film just seemed a bit too far-fetched, and didn't quite hit the mark. But it has 10 Oscar nominations … I must be wrong!

Another powerful film by the director of A Separation, with this having less of the obvious dramatics of the former, but a similar exploration of moral uncertainty and, perhaps, the anguish of human experience. The Past employs a similar set of characters – modern Iranian woman, nice but slightly ineffectual husband, difficult teenage daughter, woman in a menial role who plays a catalytic role in the film. This time it was Paris, not Teheran, and Marie-Anne’s husband flies in from Iran to sign the divorce papers. To find his wife ... you'll have to see the film! Anyway, lots of subtle twists & turns in the plot, and the agony of the children caught up in these adult dramas powerfully captured. And the film ends with you left wondering about what's happened, and what happens next. A great way to leave the cinema.

As Gertrude Stein might have said, a soap is a soap is a soap. And this had everything you'd expect of the genre - here's a hint, how many soap-related words can you think of beginning with 'i'? Actually, you could pick any letter of the alphabet and ask the same question. What makes this stand out, however, is the quality of the performances. Meryl Streep may dominate, but they're uniformly good. And what makes this fine story-telling is the arc from opening to penultimate scene; it's like the trajectory from the handing over to the taking up of a, shall we say, burden. Both clever & satisfying.

Am in two minds about this film. I didn’t like it. The story of a serial killer at work in a small gay cruising community. Seemed almost anti-gay. On the other hand, though, no question but that it was powerful. Almost theatrical, with a limited number of repeated sets. It's like a series of repeated scenes, with each scene moving the story on. You can admire the film-making craft, But there were puzzling elements, annoying details too. In the end I decided to read the film as an AIDS allegory …. but maybe that was from a desire to make sense of what would otherwise be a nasty & pointless thriller.

A division in the office. One person walked out. Another loved it. I had to see it. And, wow. Yes, it's misogynistic. Yes, there are lots of drugs. Oh, and yes, there's lots of swearing. But diCaprio delivers a fantastic, high energy performance, and there's never a dull moment. What makes it a truly great movie, however, is the ending. As the credits roll we get the message ... the beat goes on ... the amoral greedies are still in Wall Street!

Disappointment, thy name is Emma. While it may not be fair to single out one actor from this ensemble class, she is the highest profile of the crew, and thus a box office draw card. This film won't convince anyone of her acting ability, but, to be fair, that's scarcely her fault. The Bling Ring suffers from an execrable script that allows for absolutely no character development. The characters are not particularly likeable, it's unclear why they do what they do, and between them they seem light on intelligence. You burgle celebrity homes and don't expect security cameras. Doh!