Ten Most Anticipated Films of 2011, etc

Well it's been about two weeks since my last post- this is mainly due to being ridiculously bogged down with uni work of late, as I once again left myself far too much to do in such a short period of time! I had 2 4,500 word essays due in, one which I wrote on the themes of temporality and 'boredom' in Andy Warhol's films, and the other on Scorsese's classic Taxi Driver, from its creation to the legacy it has had since 1976. Both went ok, and most importantly, both are now handed in! Now I have a week of 'downtime' before I start my new uni courses (the ones I will write my dissertations on- eeeeek!) for this term, and this week I intend to get some reading done, making a start on Simon Pegg's autobiography and a 100 Greatest Thrillers book that I got for Christmas. I also hope to get some serious scriptwriting done, now I'm in a more motivated and productive mode!

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After publishing my 'Review of 2010' I decided it was time to look ahead to 2011 and what should be a fantastic year for films. Here, listed below, are my ten most anticipated films of 2011. I am not judging these films on any possibility of critical, commercial or awards success, but am instead simply listing the ten films that are most on my radar for the year, films that intrigue me in some way and that I cannot wait to see. Some I know lots about and am fairly confident will be good, while others I know little about and could go either way. Of course, there are plenty of films that are not 'on my radar' and will take me by surprise this year. This list will not, I know for sure, look a lot like my 'Review of 2011' blog post will at the end of the year. But that's the beauty of looking ahead I suppose- it's all unknown. There were several films that just missed the cut, including Duncan Jones' Moon follow-up Source Code with Jake Gyllenhaal and Vera Farmiga, Joe Wright's girl-assassin flick Hanna, Jodie Foster's bizarre-looking, Mel Gibson-starring comedy The Beaver, and The King's Speech (which I think missed out because I have heard so much about it and will be seeing it next week). I also once again chickened out of ordering the ten!

- THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO - 26th December 2011

David Fincher's new film is the Hollywood remake of the hugely popular Swedish original, which was itself based on the equally popular book by Steig Larsson, the first of the Millennium Trilogy. Script by Steve Zaillian (considered to be more of a new take on the book rather than a direct remake of the Swedish film). It was recently announced that Trent Reznor is on board to contribute the music, having written a superb score for Fincher's last film, The Social Network. Rooney Mara is the girl tasked with trying to match Noomi Rapace's feisty, punky, terrific performance in the Swedish trilogy- she has big boots to fill, and it will be interesting to see how she copes with this challenge. The film will also display the acting talents of Daniel Craig, Stellan Skarsgard, Robin Wright and Christopher Plummer. Intriguingly, this remake is being filmed in Sweden, and there have been rumours that the actors will speak with Swedish accents. Whether this is true remains to be seen (personally, I can't see that working). But the original material does seem a perfect fit for Fincher and I am very interested to see how this film plays out upon its December release.

- BLACK SWAN - 21st January 2011

Written lots about this already. Has been on my radar for a very long time now, and the anticipation isn't dipping as the release date comes around. Darren Aronofsky is one of the finest directors working today, and his latest is getting all kinds of success with the critics and with various different awards from various places. Natalie Portman looks like she could be putting in a career-best performance, the trailer has hinted at a dark and rather twisted tone, and Aronofksy's regular collaborator Clint Mansell (the man behind that superb theme for Requiem For A Dream that you hear EVERYWHERE) is providing the score. Should be seeing this very soon after it comes out- can't wait!

- X-MEN: FIRST CLASS - 2nd June 2011

Very interested to see what is done with this X-Men prequel of sorts, or a 'Young X-Men' as it could be called, following the early relationship of Charles Xavier (here played by James McAvoy) and Erik Lensherr (Michael Fassbender), the two men who would become Professor X and Magneto respectively. The pedigree involved with this film is terrific, with director Matthew Vaughn and writer Jane Goldman coming into this off the back of the hugely popular Kick-Ass, McAvoy, Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence (after her superb turn in Winter's Bone), Kevin Bacon, January Jones and Nicholas Hoult providing the impressive acting talent, and of course the story being a particularly intriguing one for X-Men and comic book afficionados. The X-Men series took a downslide with X-Men 3 and Origins: Wolverine , but hopefully this new film will be closer to the superb first two instalments. We shall see!

- TRUE GRIT - 11th February 2011

The Coen Brothers very, very rarely let me down. In fact, only The Ladykillers could I say I didn't really like. Which, in the long and productive career they've had, is pretty damn good. Critics have raved about this new Coens film, a Western and adaptation of Charles Portis' novel, so far and it topped the North American box office last week. The acting talent on display is incredibly solid (I'm a huge fan of Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon and Josh Brolin) and the story sounds like something the Coens will handle effortlessly. Look forward to seeing this one as soon as it comes out.

- SUCKER PUNCH - 1st April 2011

Zack Snyder's latest is one of those I mentioned that could very much go either way; it doesn't seem like we are looking at a film that could be average here, rather amazing or terrible. What it seems that it will definitely be is... crazy. Completely barmy. It seems to be Snyder's take on girl power, as a posse of institutionalized girls (led by Emily Browning's Baby Doll, and also including Abbie Cornish's Sweat Pea, Jena Malone's Rocket, Vanessa Hudgens' Blondie, and Jamie Chung's Amber) try to devise a plan to escape the facility. It is here that it descends into the chaos that the trailer hints at. And DRAGONS. On the face of it, this film looks a little like my teenage fantasy squeezed into 2 hours. And my excitement for this film has nothing to do with how Emily Browning looks in those outfits. Absolutely nothing.

- BLUE VALENTINE - 14th January 2011

Written about this one a lot too. The Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams starring indie flick has been described as one of the worst date movies ever, aiming as it does to paint a portrait of a couple very far away from happiness. The film has gained some great reviews thus far, and plenty of plaudits heading Gosling's and Williams' way. They're both fantastic actors, so I look forward to seeing how they work together. Should be seeing this next week if all goes to plan!

- HUGO CABRET - 9th December 2011

Martin Scorsese's new film looks like it will be fairly unlike anything the great man has ever done- a possibly family-friendly film in the pre-Christmas period? Genuinely intrigued as to how this will turn out. Not a lot is known about the plot- IMDb has it down as thus- 'Set in 1930s Paris, an orphan who lives in the walls of a train station is wrapped up in a mystery involving his late father and an automaton.' The cast list looks very impressive, with Chloe Moretz, Jude Law, Emily Mortimer, Ben Kingsley, Christopher Lee, Sacha Baron Cohen, Ray Winstone and Richard Griffiths all involved (but then when has Scorsese struggled to get good actors involved in his projects?), and Asa Butterfield as the titular character. How will Scorsese deal with material so unlike what he is used to? Fantastically, I can only imagine.

- RESTLESS - 11th March 2011

Gus Van Sant, a man responsible for the brilliant likes of Drugstore Cowboy, My Own Private Idaho, Good Will Hunting, Elephant, Last Days and Milk, sees his new film Restless released in March. The film concerns itself with 'the story of a terminally ill teenage girl who falls for a boy who likes to attend funerals and their encounters with the ghost of a Japanese kamikaze pilot from WWII.' (IMDb) Sounds interesting, different, and stars the growing talent of Mia Wasikowska in the lead role.


- COWBOYS AND ALIENS - 12th August 2011

Not two groups of beings that you generally see combined in film. Could well make for a fantastically barmy combination, if done right by director Jon Favreau. The talent's there, with Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde, Sam Rockwell and Paul Dano on board, and of course the fabulously B-movie sounding story. One to watch this summer- could be one of the more inspired blockbuster efforts.

- CONTAGION - 21st October 2011

Steven Soderbergh is an extremely prolific director (the last few years he has made two films each year), but his latest Contagion seems like one to particularly watch out for, in large part thanks to the fabulous cast he has managed to put together- Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Marion Cotillard, Kate Winslet and Jude Law all have major roles in this 'action-thriller centered on the threat posed by a deadly disease and an international team of doctors contracted by the CDC to deal with the outbreak.' (IMDb) Sounds like a film for our times, with bird flu and swine flu scares setting off worldwide paranoia.

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Reviews of a few films I've seen in the cinema of late.


THE TOURIST - 2/5

Considering Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's last film was 2006's magnificent German conspiracy thriller The Lives of Others, his English-language debut is something of a disappointment. The film takes the implausible plot turns a little too far, and the much-anticipated chemistry between Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie never quite hits the highs that it could have. The film is plenty of fun, however, two hours in which to forget about everything, sit back and enjoy the silliness of this Venice-set caper.


LONDON BOULEVARD - 3/5

Writer of The Departed William Monahan combines with producer of The Departed Graham King on this film that is remarkably similar to The Departed. Well, a British-set The Departed. And nowhere near as good as The Departed. Monahan's directorial debut, that somehow managed to go fairly unnoticed by critics and audiences, is a strong enough gangster film, full of violence, liberal use of the C-word and of course Ray Winstone (what modern gangster film would be complete without him? He does rather phone this performance in though). Colin Farrell's cockney accent takes a while to get used to, but he puts in a decent performance- the same of which can't really be said for Keira Knightley, who once again shows herself to be the queen of bland. The supporting performances are the strongest, especially from David Thewlis, Ben Chaplin and Anna Friel. The film is full of plotholes and probably takes itself more seriously than it should, but it's an entertaining enough thriller.


SOMEWHERE - 4/5

Sofia Coppola's latest is more Sofia Coppola than anything she has previously done- anyone that found Lost In Translation to be a little laborious need not bother with this, the film playing out at an almost unbearably slow pace as we begin to feel the boredom that lies within Johnny Marco's (Steven Dorff) outwardly glamorous and cool lifestyle. Audiences unready for this slow pace may well be asleep within the first half hour, but the film majorly rewards the patience of those who aren't. Marco's life is finally given some meaning when his daughter Cleo(Elle Fanning) has to stay with him for a while- he doesn't seem to see it like this, however, and fails to give Cleo the time she really deserves. This film has the subtlest beauty I have seen in a film in some time, helped by fantastically good work from Dorff and Fanning (a performance that should make her a star, if there is any justice). A lot of the people who don't understand this film are probably those who want emotion forced upon them- fine, but Somewhere is really a film for those that want to do some searching, to attempt to get inside the characters and understand their every minor facial twitch and tones of voice. If this can be managed, the film is a very rewarding experience indeed, particularly in one line that Johnny utters to Cleo above the noise of a helicopter (a nod of sorts to the whispered line at the end of Lost In Translation).
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Just a few little snippets of recent film news that has caught my eye.

NATIONAL SOCIETY OF FILM CRITICS AWARDS - The Social Network cleaned up at this year's awards ceremony, scoring Best Film, Best Actor for Jesse Eisenberg, Best Director for David Fincher, and Best Screenplay for Aaron Sorkin. Giovanna Mezzogiorno won Best Actress for her performance in Vincere, Geoffrey Rush was Best Supporting Actor for The King's Speech, and Olivia Williams Best Supporting Actress for The Ghost Writer.

NEW YORK FILM CRITICS AWARDS - Best Film was once again The Social Network, which also scored Best Director for David Fincher. Annette Bening was Best Actress for The Kids Are All Right and Colin Firth Best Actor for The King's Speech.

RISING STAR AWARDS - The five nominees for the Orange Rising Star Award at this year's BAFTAs are Gemma Arterton, Andrew Garfield, Tom Hardy, Aaron Johnson and Emma Stone. You can vote for your favourite here- http://bafta.orange.co.uk/. My vote went to Andrew Garfield!

SCORSESE AND DE NIRO TO WORK TOGETHER AGAIN - The great old team is back. Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro haven't worked together on a film since 1995, but they appear to have finally found a project they both want to work on- a film called The Irishman, based on a book by Charles Brandt (Steve Zaillian is working on the script). The story revolves around the life of Frank 'The Irishman' Sheeran, a labor union official with ties to organized crime. De Niro hasn't starred in a truly great movie in what feels like forever, but with his old pal Scorsese at the helm this may well be the boost that he needs. Great news.

BOND 23 CONFIRMED - Things are finally kicking off on the long-mooted 23rd James Bond movie, with a release date now pencilled in for November 9th 2012. Daniel Craig is back as Bond, with Sam Mendes directing.

Review of 2010

Well here we are, 2010 is drawing to a close and 2011 is nearly upon us. Not a clue what happened to 2010 to be honest, I don't remember a year ever going by so quickly! But it was a good year for movies, and as more and more magazines, websites and bloggers choose their films of the year I felt compelled to write my own review of the movie year. Actually looking back on it, I was surprised how much has happened in the film world in 2010. Some writers have questioned whether 2010 has been a good year for films or not, but I think, looking back on the output from Hollywood and around the world, that it's been strong, and certainly an improvement on 2009. The summer was poor, admittedly (only Inception, Toy Story 3 and Scott Pilgrim made a real impact), with us unfortunate audiences being subjected to the dismal likes of Clash of the Titans and Prince of Persia, but either side of it we saw a number of terrific movies ranging from the small to the big, as well as some genuine, and much needed, originality. In one of my next blog posts I'll list my predictions for film in 2011- I have high hopes!

TOP 10 FILMS OF 2010 (I must confess that I have wimped out and chosen not to order these films. It was too hard to compare films that were so wildly different in genre etc. Therefore these are just the ten films that I most loved this year. I am also taking into account only the films' UK release dates, which means that there can be no place for films already out across the Atlantic but not out here till Jan or Feb. Films such as Black Swan, The King's Speech, True Grit, Blue Valentine, Film Socialisme and Biutiful may all find themselves in contention for my 'Review of 2011' post next year! Meanwhile, I hadn't seen Sofia Coppola's brilliant and rather misunderstood Somewhere until after compiling this list, and it may well have found a place in my 10. I was also disappointed to look afterwards and discover that I had included no foreign language films, so I've created a new category to try and amend this! Finally, it should be noted that Toy Story 3, Up In The Air, Let Me In and The Town were all very close to receiving a place) ---->

THE SOCIAL NETWORK - One of the best directors around (David Fincher), one of the best writers around (Aaron Sorkin), a hugely talented musician scoring (Trent Reznor) and some of the best up and coming acting talent (Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, Rooney Mara) combined to create, forgetting the geek-speak, forgetting the making of Facebook, what was at its bare bones an incredibly effective character study of a young man blinded by the promise of power and wealth. We see the things he gains, but most importantly the things he loses. Intelligent and haunting stuff.

INCEPTION - The film that finally gave the summer blockbuster some brains. We may have all left the cinema slightly baffled by what we had seen, but we were also aware that we'd seen one of the greatest cinema spectacles in some time. Christopher Nolan showed that sometimes a huge budget really can be worth it, as he spent his millions crafting the idea that he'd had in his head for several years into the stunning visuals we were exposed to. Inception was more than just stunning visuals, however, and offered a dense and intriguing plot filled with cracking performances.

KICK-ASS - An original take on the comic-book movie with two of the most memorable characters in modern film history in Chloe Moretz's Hit-Girl and Nicolas Cage's Big Daddy. Managed to mix laughs and violent action well into this hugely contemporary, fast-paced geekgasm of a movie. Deserves to make stars of Aaron Johnson and Moretz, and Matthew Vaughn and Jane Goldman should have a very exciting few years ahead of them after this. Shows the level of film that can actually be created outside of the studio system.

WINTER'S BONE - Beautifully poetic indie flick set in the Ozark Mountains. Competently directed by Debra Granik, this gave us an insight into a culture near unseen on screen before- a culture dominated by crystal meth addiction and a mistrust of everyone around them. Following a young woman's efforts to track down her missing father, this featured one of the performances of the year from Jennifer Lawrence.

A SINGLE MAN - A delicately handled portrait of grief. Colin Firth's gay university professor begins a day expecting to be dead by the end of it, determined to end his own life with the gun he keeps in his house, stricken with grief at the death of his lover. During the course of this day, he runs into his neighbour (Julianne Moore) and a student (Nicholas Hoult) who force him to think about things. Incredibly stylish (as you'd expect from Tom Ford's debut feature film), this is a movie all about the small things in life and what a profound effect they can have upon us.

THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT - Brilliant dysection of family life, as two children (Mia Wasikowska and Josh Hutcherson) decide to get in touch with the sperm donor (Mark Ruffalo) who helped their parents (Annette Bening and Julianne Moore) to have them. Though this may be a pretty unusual situation, the surprise of The Kids Are All Right is that, when it comes down to it, it actually looks in at a lot of the problems that any family might encounter, and is funny and sad in equal measure. The film features quite possibly the best ensemble cast of the year, with Wasikowska, Hutcherson, Ruffalo, and in particular Moore and Bening (both fantastic, both deserving of awards) all putting in truly noteworthy performances.

ANOTHER YEAR - Mike Leigh's latest is one of his very finest. Split into four sections, for the four seasons, this is a simple and yet beautiful glance into people in the autumn of their lives- the happy Tom and Gerri (Jim Broadbent and Ruth Sheen) and the very much not happy Mary (Lesley Manville- awardworthy without a doubt). Scenes vary from amusing to absolutely heartbreaking, and in the Leigh tradition we leave with a lot to think about. One of those where not a lot happens, and yet everything.

THE ROAD - Shamefully underlooked, this film was well received by the critics but failed to ignite the box office and many of the critics that raved about it seemed to have forgotten about it by the end of the year in their 2010 reviews. It's hugely deserving of a place, though, with one of the most disturbing visions of an apocalyptic future ever set on film. Based on Cormac McCarthy's award-winning novel, this is one of the tonally bleak films I have seen in a long time, full of unrelenting darkness but very much necessary darkness. Viggo Mortensen's performance as The Father was 100% one of the very best of the year, his bearded, grizzled look unable to hide the haunting grief of his character. Kodi Smit-McPhee, meanwhile, is a revelation as The Son and should have a great future. Disturbing and depressing, but brilliant.

EASY A - Very funny and very quotable, Easy A might well be the best teen flick since 2004's Mean Girls, and the best chick flick that guys can like too as well. Should (and does appear to have, if her casting in the new Spider-Man film is any indication) make an absolute star of Emma Stone, so incredibly likeable in this as main character Olive who uses the school rumour mill to advance her social status. Stanley Tucci (a world away from his creepy appearance as the killer in The Lovely Bones this year) and Patricia Clarkson are brilliant as Olive's open and accepting hippy parents. Well worth a watch.

SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD - Included mainly for originality. Edgar Wright's big move to Hollywood paid off as he pulled together elements of video games, contemporary youth culture, laughs, frantic action and romance into a satisyingly fresh and very much of-its-time whole. A glorious mish-mash of a film which should, if justice is served, see Edgar Wright catapulted to the forefront of the Hollywood directorial crop.

ACTOR OF 2010 -- LEONARDO DICAPRIO, COLIN FIRTH (shared)

The first of a number of categories in which I was simply unable to choose between two very deserving contenders. Best Actor is shared between Leonardo DiCaprio (for his roles in Martin Scorsese's Shutter Island and the summer smash Inception) and our own Colin Firth (for A Single Man and the upcoming The King's Speech). DiCaprio confirmed his true capablilities as a leading man this year and his place as one of the finest actors of our generation. His turns in Shutter Island and Inception (admittedly two very different movies) were both fine examples of characters haunted by their pasts, and DiCaprio manages to bring an intensity to his roles that many of his peers fail to reach. Firth, meanwhile, had perhaps been seen prior to 2010 as predominantly a bumbling English gent in such romatic comedy films as Love Actually, Bridget Jones's Diary and Mamma Mia. In 2010 we saw Firth gain real Oscar buzz at either side of the year, for the portrayal of a man struck down by grief at the loss of his lover in Tom Ford's directorial debut A Single Man, and for his much-lauded role as King George VI in The King's Speech (released in January in the UK).


ACTRESS OF 2010 -- JENNIFER LAWRENCE

A tough one to call, this, (Lesley Manville and Noomi Rapace were close) but the female performance that stuck with me most this year was Jennifer Lawrence's in Winter's Bone, one that showed maturity far beyond her years and should rightfully cement a solid acting career ahead of her. She brought light to her character Ree who is trying so hard at such a young age to look after her siblings and her mother, all the while trying to track down her missing father. The plight of her character is so great that it was vital that Lawrence really made us feel sympathy for her, and she manages it with great aplomb.

DIRECTOR OF 2010 -- CHRISTOPHER NOLAN

2010 was a big year for Chris Nolan, as his grand-scale summer blockbuster Inception became one of the highest-grossing films of the year but also one of the greatest critical successes of the year too. It confirmed his status as one of the very finest British directors working today, and reminded people that he is capable of great work outside of the Caped Crusader. Some have been quick to call Inception his best film thus far, which seems perhaps slightly hasty considering this is the man behind Memento and The Dark Knight. But Nolan did manage to craft a blockbuster actioner that was genuinely original- a rarity these days. Hopes are absolutely sky high for his third Batman film, due out in 2012. Honourable mentions for this award should go to David Fincher and to Edgar Wright, both narrowly missing out.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM OF 2010 -- A PROPHET

The Beat That My Heart Skipped director Jacques Audiard's next film, four years on, was this epic crime drama about a young man who is sent to a French prison and gradually works his way up the ranks to become a mafia kingpin. Dark and gritty, A Prophet does prison-as-hell perhaps better than any other film that I can remember. The violence, the drugs, the sex, the corruption, and we see just what an effect prison life can have on a man. Beautiful direction, beautiful cinematography and a terrific lead performance from the unknown Tahar Rahim. Honourable mentions for this award should go to Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives.

BREAKOUT STAR OF 2010 -- CHLOE MORETZ

What a 2010 it has been for Chloe Moretz. Firstly, hers was the standout turn in the terrific Kick-Ass, a ballsy performance as possibly the most memorable character of 2010- the potty-mouthed, bad guy ass-kicking Hit-Girl. Moretz followed this up with another brilliant performance in Hollywood remake Let Me In as the vampire Abby. Once again, the best performer in another film full of great actors and actresses. She spent the latter part of the year working with one of the all-time great directors, Martin Scorsese, on his latest flick Hugo Cabret, due out in December. The future seems very bright indeed for Chloe Moretz. Honourable mentions for this award should go to Andrew Garfield, Noomi Rapace, Tom Hardy and Emma Stone.

WRITER OF 2010 -- JANE GOLDMAN

Prior to 2010, Jane Goldman was still, for many, 'Jonathan Ross's wife'. This year saw her gain huge kudos in Hollywood after scripting one of the coolest and most-quotable films of these 12 months in Kick-Ass. The working relationship Goldman began with director Matthew Vaughn on 2007's Stardust and of course on Kick-Ass has continued with X-Men: First Class (Goldman's biggest gig so far) which is due out in 2011 and Kick-Ass 2: Balls To The Wall, due in 2012. 2011 should be the biggest year for her yet, as along with the new X-Men film we will see her efforts on the Daniel Radcliffe-starring spooker The Woman In Black and a 60's set thriller The Debt, with Sam Worthington and Helen Mirren. Honourable mention for this award should go to Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network).

SCENE OF 2010 -- HIT GIRL'S FIRST APPEARANCE IN KICK-ASS & THE BREAKOUT SCENE IN TOY STORY 3 (shared)

Another tie. Both brilliant scenes, both worthy of an award. The standout scene of Kick-Ass (though there were many terrific scenes), Hit-Girl's arrival at an apartment in which our lead character Kick-Ass is about to get, fittingly, his ass kicked by five 'baddies', is a triumph of sharp editing, inspired musical choice, slick violence and the introduction of possibly the best character of 2010. The Dickies' song Banana Splits (or just La La La La La, if that helps jog the memory) plays out as Hit-Girl dispatches the bad guys in more and more ludicrous and violent ways. See it here- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QberrwlFUNg.
The Prison Break scene in Toy Story 3, meanwhile, is a prime example of everything that has made this wonderful trilogy of films, as well as Pixar itself, so popular- brilliant animation, moments of genuine thrills and spills, horror and comedy rolled all into one genius scene as our favourite toys attempt a 'prison break' from Sunnydale. Spanish Buzz Lightyear, the cymbal-playing monkey, the monster that is Big Baby, and Mr Potato Head as Mr Tortilla Head- it's all inspired, superb cinema.

SCENE-STEALER OF 2010 -- KIERAN CULKIN IN SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD & TOM HARDY IN INCEPTION

Shared between two actors who managed to steal scenes from each film's leads- Culkin as the title character in Scott Pilgrim's gay roommate, and Hardy as the sharp-tongued associate of Leonardo DiCaprio's Dom Cobb. Culkin provided some superb comedy in Scott Pilgrim and some of the more memorable quotes (impressive in a film littered with memorable quotes), while Hardy, an actor with a very bright future indeed having been cast in, amongst others, the upcoming 3rd Nolan-Batman film, offers a much-needed comic edge to Inception and sparks off well with the other actors. Both used small-ish roles as effectively as they possibly could in order to standout in overall well-acted films- no mean feat.

SOUNDTRACK OF 2010 -- SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD

The Scott Pilgrim soundtrack, a terrific compilation of popular music, both new and old, from various artists, layers itself wonderfully over a movie where music is so important. A number of the songs (the ones actually performed in the film by the onscreen bands Sex Bob-Omb and Crash and the Boys) were written especially for the movie by Beck, who also performs himself the rather beautiful Ramona. Inbetween the rather amusing songs written for the film like Sex Bob-Omb's I'm So Sad, So Very, Very Sad, we have some inspired choices of popular music, with songs from Black Lips, T-Rex, Blood Red Shoes, The Rolling Stones and Broken Social Scene (Anthems for a Seventeen Year-Old Girl, one of my very favourite songs) brilliant in the film and brilliant on record. Honourable mentions for this award should go to Hans Zimmer's Inception score and Trent Reznor's work on The Social Network.

POSTER OF 2010 -- BLACK SWAN

There were a lot of good-looking film posters released this year, but this one is simple and yet very effective, creating a beautifully haunting atmosphere- something I very much expect from the film itself when it is released next month. Honourable mentions should go to Inception, The Social Network, Blue Valentine and True Grit.

TRAILER OF 2010 -- THE SOCIAL NETWORK

No competition in my mind, this was hands-down the trailer of the year. No other trailer made such a fantastic choice of music- the orchestral version of Radiohead's Creep was good enough that it probably should've made it into the film as well as the trailer, summing up through its vocals and its lyrics the poetic and unsettling mood of the film. The trailer manages to do what all good trailers should- explain what's going on in the film, without spoiling anything and while leaving us desperate to see more. It sets up the character of Mark Zuckerberg well, the themes and tone and geek-speak of the film and gets the ball rolling on a terrific promotional campaign for a terrific film.

Awards, Nominations, Lists and Trailers

AWARDS -

The Social Network has made some big strides towards a possible cleaning up at the major awards (particularly the Oscars) this week, winning Best Film at the LA Film Critics Awards, Boston Film Critics Awards, New York Film Critics Awards and the Richard Attenborough Film Awards (The first serious acknowledgement of the film in British awards territory). So that's 4 major Best Film wins in the space of a week- not bad at all, and a clear indicator of what may come in the more serious Golden Globes (Jan 16th), BAFTAs (Feb 13th) and Oscars (Feb 27th). With the LA Critics, possibly considered the more important of those 3 Critic Awards, David Fincher and Aaron Sorkin also triumphed with best director and best screenplay for The Social Network. Inevitably, and quite deservedly, Colin Firth won Best Actor for The King's Speech and Toy Story 3 won Best Animation. The Boston Critics gave Jesse Eisenberg the Best Actor award (although Colin Firth is probably a dead cert for the Oscars, Eisenberg deserves all plaudits that come his way) and Natalie Portman Best Actress for Black Swan (another film garnering a large number of award wins and nominations). They also gave Best Supporting Actor to Christian Bale for The Fighter, which was in a way overlooked during awards predictions but is steadily gaining more and more recognition in the nominations (and wins). The New York Critics went against both Firth and Eisenberg and instead plumped for James Franco as Best Actor for his tour-de-force performance in 127 Hours, but agreed with the Boston Critics on Best Actress for Natalie Portman (she seems the current favourite for the Oscars) and Best Supporting Actor for Christian Bale. The Richard Attenborough Film Awards tend to bring in slightly more mainstream fare alongside the arthouse cinema, meaning Christopher Nolan won Best Filmmaker, Chloe Moretz Best Newcomer (very much deserved) and Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows part 1 Best British Film (not so deserved- compare it to something like Another Year and there is simply no contest). Colin Firth won Best Actor and, surprisingly but pleasingly, Noomi Rapace won Best Actress for The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.

NOMINATIONS -

The 2011 Golden Globes nominations were announced this week and have produced more than a few surprises (in fact Empire Online features an article dedicated to the cock-ups they appear to have made this year). The King's Speech leads the nominations with a total of seven (including, unsurprisingly, Best Film and Best Actor), followed by The Social Network and The Fighter with six each. Black Swan, Inception and The Kids Are All Right all pick up four. Amazingly, the distinctly average likes of Alice in Wonderland, Burlesque and The Tourist have managed to pick up three each. Johnny Depp, admittedly a terrific actor, is an undeserving recipient of two acting nominations for the aforementioned Alice and The Tourist. The surprises don't stop there, as (Empire Online points this out specifically) the nominations seem to have completely missed out The Coen Brothers' upcoming Western True Grit. The Musical or Comedy category that the Golden Globes bizarrely continue to use, proves itself to be a complete non-worker once more with the above three odd picks combined with average flicks like Red and Love and Other Drugs (such movies may be entertaining enough but should not be considered awards-worthy). The Kids Are All Right should win by a mile in that category with such average competition. There are of course more pleasing aspects to the nominations- Inception breaks down the mainstream/awards barrier to receive a Best Picture nomination (though the winner is much more likely to be The Social Network or The King's Speech), the incredibly talented Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams pick up acting nods for Blue Valentine, and Emma Stone gets a fully deserved Best Actress (Musical or Comedy) nomination for her turn in Easy A.
In the Critics' Choice Award nominations, Black Swan reigns supreme with 12 nominations (a record amount for the Awards), True Grit (making its absence in the Globe nominations even more strange) and The King's Speech received 11, Inception got 10 and The Social Network 9. There are few surprises to be found.
Meanwhile, the Screen Actors Guild Awards (SAGs) have announced their nominations for 2011, with The King's Speech and The Fighter leading the pack in the ceremony that rewards acting talent alone.

LISTS -

The American Film Institute have released a list of their top 10 films of 2010. The AFI's list, in no particular order, reads as thus- Black Swan, The Fighter, Inception, The Kids Are All Right, 127 Hours, The Social Network, The Town, Toy Story 3, True Grit and Winter's Bone. No major surprises there, but nice to see Ben Affleck's rather excellent The Town gain some end-of-year recognition. Scott Pilgrim vs The World director Edgar Wright has announced his 5 favourite films of the year- The Social Network ('Hugely entertaining... [like] a gangster saga'), Black Swan ('Sinister, sexual, and captivating'), Toy Story 3 ('in the pantheon of dark Disney greatness'), Enter The Void ('A total out-of-body experience') and 127 Hours ('Ninety-five amazing minutes'). Hollywood's Black List (which details the ten best unproduced scripts of the year) for 2010 has been released, and you can read the short synopses of each one and their possible futures at http://blog.moviefone.com/2010/12/13/black-list-2010-best-unproduced-screenplays/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter.

TRAILERS -

Just a few trailers doing the rounds this week-
1. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides - the big one this week. Looks like it could be a lot of fun, hopefully having more of a focus on Johnny Depp's superb Captain Jack Sparrow than the last two rather disappointing parts in the series had, while bringing in the talents of Penelope Cruz and Ian McShane. Trailer here- http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/pirates-caribbean-on-stranger-tides.html?showVideo=1#belowNav

2. Tree of Life - Terrence Malick's much-anticipated and much-delayed latest feature looks brilliant and bonkers, and features the acting talents of Brad Pitt and Sean Penn. Trailer here- http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi612735001

3. Water For Elephants - A rather interesting looking circus-set drama, based on a novel by Sara Gruen, that stars Reese Witherspoon, Robert Pattinson and Christolph Waltz. Trailer here- http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi663197721/

December 2010

Just a few bits and bobs to mention, particularly as publications begin to release their 'best of 2010' list. At some point in the next couple of weeks I intend to blog my own 'best of 2010', including my top 5 films of the year, my actor and actress of the year, best newcomer, and best scene.


- SIGHT AND SOUND '2010: THE YEAR IN REVIEW' here- http://www.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/polls/films-of-2010-intro.php

Sight & Sound's top 12 films of the year were, as follows-
1. The Social Network
2. Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives
3. Another Year
4. Carlos
5. The Arbor
=6. Winter's Bone
=6. I Am Love
=8. The Autobiography of Nicolae Ceausescu
=8. Film Socialisme
=8. Nostalgia for the Light
=8. Poetry
=8. A Prophet

An interesting list, which (being Sight & Sound and all) is slightly more alternative than Empire's (which I shall discuss in a minute) and features some intriguing selections. A Prophet, Winter's Bone and Another Year all seem like very strong shouts and will be equally strong contenders to make my top 5 list, while The Social Network is definitely a deserved victor, an underdog of a film (despite its impressive cast and crew) that shook off the doubters to prove itself a mesmerising representation of power and greed, the creation of Facebook told as Greek tragedy, anchored by a superb breakthrough performance by Jesse Eisenberg. Meanwhile it's fantastic to have watched Apichatpong Weerasethakul gain the credit he so deserves this year with his film Uncle Boonmee's success at Cannes (it won the Palme d'Or) and now a placing of second in this list. The Thai director is incredibly talented and if you ever get a chance to see Uncle Boonmee then take it, it's a weird and wonderful experience. Finally, since Jean Luc Godard's new release Film Socialisme is yet to be released I cannot really comment, though my university tutor saw it at the London Film Festival and said it was a bit mental but fantastic, so I eagerly await its release (if it is to get one in the UK). Check out the above link if you fancy reading Sight & Sound's reasons for picking each film.

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-EMPIRE'S TOP 20 FILMS OF 2010

The January 2011 issue of Empire features their Review of the Year which contains within it their top 20 films of 2010. The list goes as such-
1. Inception
2. The Social Network
3. Toy Story 3
4. Up In The Air
5. A Prophet
6. Scott Pilgrim vs The World
7. Bad Lieutenant
8. Shutter Island
9. Winter's Bone
10. Kick-Ass
11. Four Lions
12. How To Train Your Dragon
13. A Single Man
14. Monsters
15. The Kids Are All Right
16. The Secret In Their Eyes
17. Exit Through The Gift Shop
18. Valhalla Rising
19. Lebanon
20. Precious

Takes in more mainstream efforts than Sight & Sound's list, best showcased by Christopher Nolan's genius sci-fi Inception taking top spot (I anticipate this will quite easily find a way into my list too). At number 2 though is Sight & Sound's top pick The Social Network, the greatest example of similarity between the two lists. This bodes well for the awards chances of Fincher's film; I for one would be delighted to see it achieve success at both the BAFTAs and Oscars. The only other two films that can be found in both lists are A Prophet (Jacques Audiard's unflinching portrayal of prison life) and Winter's Bone (which I reviewed a few blog posts back and definitely consider one of my films of the year). I can find few faults with Empire's list, and it is nice to see recognition for the two geek guilty pleasure hits of the year (Kick-Ass and Scott Pilgrim, though I would've swapped round the placing of them) which played a huge hand in making the multiplex cinema an unusually exciting place to be in 2010. Best of lists have a tendency to forget fantastic films released near the beginning of the year, so I am glad Empire has chosen to include Up In The Air, A Single Man and Precious, all 3 beautifully made, beautifully acted awards-friendly movies. Documentary rarely finds these lists either, but Banksy's highly amusing and fascinating Exit Through The Gift Shop is well worth its place.

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- So as I say, I'll be back with my own best of 2010 soon. Moving on, I must broadcast my delight that Shane Meadows has been given the greenlight by Channel 4 to begin work on the follow up to his completely brilliant four-part series This Is England '86, which recently finished on our television screens and is new to DVD. The new series will be entitled This Is England '90 and will reportedly feature 'a continuation of the same characters four years on, looking at rave culture and the World Cup. Shane is brimming with ideas and we are really excited' (the words of head of C4 drama Camilla Campbell). I will watch anything that the talented Shane Meadows makes but the idea of returning to the worlds of Sean, Lol and Woody is one that is particularly exciting.

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- The teaser trailer for Kenneth Branagh's eagerly anticipated comic book adaptation Thor, due out in June next year, has just been released to the world wide web and can be looked at here - http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=29704

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- I reported in my last blog post that the Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams starring drama Blue Valentine was struggling to lift the NC-17 rating (which drastically limits the number of theatres that will show a film) that the MPAA had hastily bestowed upon it. Happily in the last few days the filmmakers have won their appeal and the MPAA have reversed their decision, instead stamping Blue Valentine with the much more box office friendly R rating. Great news for the film, which looks terrific. However Scott Mendelson of hollywoodnews.com says that despite this reversal, the original trouble over the film's rating has shown cracks within the MPAA system, especially with regards to the NC-17 rating and what is considered 'bad' enough to receive it- http://www.hollywoodnews.com/2010/12/09/blue-valentine-demonstrates-the-problems-with-how-the-mpaa-is-implemented

Awards Season

Some upcoming film releases on my radar as movie awards season begins to heat up...


BLUE VALENTINE - Currently no UK release date

IMDb- 'The film centers on a contemporary married couple (Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams), charting their evolution over a span of years by cross-cutting between time periods'. A bit like a much more serious 500 Days of Summer, perhaps? And much much more serious by the sounds of it, with some controversy surrounding the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) awarding the film, due for a late December release in the States, an NC-17 certificate across the Pond. NC-17 is often seen as a death knell for a film's chances at the box office, and the Weinstein Company are campaiging hard to try and get this lifted and reversed to an R (worth signing their petition- http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/blue-valentine-mpaa-rating-appeal/). Fair play to first-time director Derek Cianfrance for sticking to his guns and refusing to cut material from his already much lauded debut feature, which is rumoured to include very frank scenes of sex and also an attempted abortion. Michelle Williams believes the MPAA's decision 'unmasks a taboo in our culture, that an honest portrayal of a relationship is more threatening than a sensationalized one', as though we almost have a fear of what is brutally honest and true to life and instead find our comfort zone in much more unrealistic and more obviously cinematically pleasing portrayals of life. The film is gaining some terrific pre-release buzz, with blog.moviefone.com calling it 'the most impressive and moving film at Sundance' and The Telegraph describing it as 'one of the stand-outs of the (Cannes) festival'. I'm a massive fan of the two leads and really do consider them two of the finest actors of their young generation (I could watch Ryan Gosling in pretty much anything), and their performances in this film have garnered some extremely positive early reviews. Grizzly Bear's music soundtracks the film. Blue Valentine is yet to receive a UK release date, but hopefully it won't be long before we see it on our screens! Trailer- EXCITEMENT LEVEL - 9/10

127 HOURS - RELEASED 7 JANUARY 2011 UK

Danny Boyle's latest, based on the real life events of Aron Ralston, a young mountain climber who took on what should have been a relatively straightforward solo canyoneering venture in the Utah Mountains in 2003, only for his right arm to become trapped by a boulder (leading to him having to amputate his lower arm with a dull knife), has received extremely positive reviews thus far and debuts in UK multiplexes on the 7th January. James Franco's performance as Ralston has already been talked up as a dead cert for an Oscar nomination, his being the only face we see for so much of the film's running time. It will be testament to Boyle's brilliance as a filmmaker if he has managed to craft an entertaining and suspenseful movie out of a subject matter that generally requires its main character to spend a lot of time just (literally) hanging around. Reviews suggest he has managed it, though, and the film looks set to build on the critical, commercial and awards success he received with his last feature, Slumdog Millionaire. The amputation scene (supposedly shot in one take) should make particularly unsettling viewing but reminds audiences just what us human beings can be capable of when in such extreme circumstances. Trailer - EXCITEMENT LEVEL - 7/10

THE KING'S SPEECH - 7 JANUARY 2011 UK

IMDb- 'The story of King George VI (Colin Firth) of Britain, his impromptu ascension to the throne and the speech therapist (Geoffrey Rush) who helped the unsure monarch become worthy of it'. The King's Speech, directed by Tom Hooper, is another film that has run into issues with the MPAA, who have bestowed upon it an unfair R rating based on swearing (used in a scene in which Rush's speech therapist gets George VI to do it in order to aid his confidence in talking). My excitement levels for this film have greatly increased in the last few days after reading Empire's glowing 5 star review, which calls it 'unexpectedly good' and 'the Oscar favourite'. It seems like it will play less like a standard, rather dull and sluggily paced period piece and more like a pleasingly straightforward tale of an underdog rising up to achieve success (think Rocky, think even Eminem's 8 Mile), with the twist of the 'success' being simply the test of someone trying so hard to reach the end of a sentence without error. Features the ensemble cast of, as well as Firth and Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Gambon, Derek Jacobi, Guy Pearce and Timothy Spall. Trailer- EXCITEMENT LEVEL - 7/10


TRUE GRIT - 14 JANUARY 2011 UK

New Coen Brothers film- need I say more? Well ok, I will a little... This is a new version of the 1969 film which won the legendary John Wayne his only Oscar, being more a new take on the original book rather than any kind of direct remake of the Wayne-starring film. 'A tough U.S. Marshal (Jeff Bridges) helps a stubborn young woman (newcomer Hailee Steinfield) track down her father's murderer'(IMDb). Bridges takes on the Wayne role of Rooster Cogburn- it's The Dude taking on The Duke. The film also features Matt Damon, Josh Brolin and Barry Pepper and looks terrific. We'll know more when the reviews start rolling in soon though. Trailer- EXCITEMENT LEVEL - 8/10

BLACK SWAN - 21 JANUARY 2011 UK

I've already written lots about how much I'm looking forward to Darren Aronofsky's (definitely one of my favourite modern filmmakers) latest, the twisted ballet thriller starring Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis, so I won't go into it more. Currently the best reviewed film of those I've mentioned though, and Oscar nominations (especially for Portman, who is said to be superb) seem certain. Looks like psychological horror of the highest ilk, very much in the Pi and Requiem For A Dream vein. Trailer- EXCITEMENT LEVEL - 9/10

NEVER LET ME GO - 11 FEBRUARY 2011 UK

Already mentioned this one too. Carey Mulligan won Best Actress at the British Independent Film Awards last night for this film, Mark Romanek's sci-fi of sorts scripted by celebrated scriptwriter Alex Garland, and based on Kazuo Ishiguro's novel. Also starring Andrew Garfield (young actor of the moment, having been named the new Peter Parker in Marc Webb's new take on Spider-Man) and Keira Knightley. Early buzz is very positive, and I'm looking forward to this one. Trailer- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXiRZhDEo8A EXCITEMENT LEVEL - 7/10

Honourable mentions should also go to Javier Bardem-starring Biutiful (28 Jan: EXCITEMENT LEVEL - 8/10), David O Russell's The Fighter with Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale (4 Feb: EXCITEMENT LEVEL - 6/10), Clint Eastwood's ethereal latest Hereafter (28 Jan: EXCITEMENT LEVEL - 7/10) and the TV show satire with Harrison Ford and Diane Keaton, Morning Glory (21 Jan: EXCITEMENT LEVEL - 6/10) and romantic comedy with-a-twist Love and Other Drugs (EXCITEMENT LEVEL - 6/10). Should be a very exciting few months for cinema!

Some further reviews

Going to just write some short reviews of more films that I have seen in the cinema recently, starting with....

THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT - 4/5

Quirky, entertaining and thought-provoking comedy that is lifted by superb all-round performances, particularly from Annette Bening (who has been rightfully tipped for a nomination at next year's Academy Awards) and Julianne Moore as Nic and Jules, the couple who find their comfy little world rather turned upside down when their children (played by Mia Wasikowska and Josh Hutcherson) decide to contact their sperm donor (Mark Ruffalo). Though this situation is certainly ever so slightly more wacky than the general family set-up, really at its bare bones the film is essentially a cutting insight into family life, a trip into the home of a family and all the standard issues that come with it. Nic and Jules must deal with, for instance, the growing up of their children (Laser chooses his own friends regardless of their criticism, while Joni is off to college), same as all parents at some point must. Instead of senselessly finding comedic material out of the couple being a lesbian one, as a lesser film might, The Kids Are All Right handles this sensitively, bringing to light both Nic and Jules' contrasting and also complementary dynamics, and the problems that can come from two people in a marriage wanting two very different things from life. As Jules puts it in a moving speech towards the end of the film, 'Marriage is hard. It's really fucking hard. It's just two people slogging through the shit'. The Kids Are All Right hits all the right notes and is most successful in its creation of five incredibly human, imperfect and beautifully real main characters whose lives you truly invest in.

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LET ME IN - 3/5

Having seen the original film, the beautiful Swedish thriller Let The Right One In, and loving it, I find it impossible not to write a review of this Hollywood remake, directed by Cloverfield's Matt Reeves, without comparing it to its source. They can say what they want about it being a new take on John Ajvide Lindqvist's original book, rather than a direct remake of the film, but this version's creation almost certainly occurred as a result of the original film's success and, especially considering how close together their release dates come (just 2 years' difference), I cannot help but look at them both comparatively. It is within this comparison that Let Me In falters somewhat, as it disappointingly does away with a lot of the Swedish original's moving poeticism and instead goes for the feel of a more straightforward horror. As a film alone, and taken as a straightforward horror, Let Me In is actually very successful, and would've been more likely to receive a 4 star review from me. It gets the tone of a creepy horror right, while keeping the central relationship between young outcast Owen (Kodi Smit-McPhee) and vampire Abby (Chloe Moretz) as the key. A wise choice, both as this was so important to the beauty of the original, with its quite cute telling of a young romance (of sorts), but also because Kodi Smit-McPhee and Chloe Moretz are both fantastic and completely believable in their roles. They build on their superb performances in The Road and Kick-Ass respectively, showing themselves to be actors capable of versitlity and subtle emoting, and clears the path for them to be two of the most exciting young talents working in mainstream film today. One improvement upon the original is that that Let Me In does away with that film's awful 'cat' scene. It decides, as the original did, not to refer explicitly to the book's creepy and perverted relationship between Abby ('Eli' in the original and in the book) and her 'guardian', as well as also her past as a boy who was ritually castrated. Let Me In is also exceptionally well shot, to which credit must go to Matt Reeves and cinematographer Greig Fraser. Each scene looks absolutely stunning. It is just a shame that the beauty of not just the cinematography, but also the young romance, could have been carried over from the original.

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WINTER'S BONE - 4/5

Debra Granik's unflinching and atmospheric film, about a young girl living in the Missouri Ozark Mountains, invokes issues of community while successfully presenting a region of America generally untouched by cinema, and indeed untouched by modern civilisation. Their community remains probably not far from the way it was a hundred years ago; you cannot imagine anyone here knowing the first thing about iPods or Blu-Ray or indeed many things far less recent than that. Many of the community have developed a dangerous addiction to crystal meth. There is a prevailing sense of distust amongst the people and disputes are settled with cold violence. And in amidst all this bleakness, this stark landscape and its often unlikeable inhabitants, 17 year old Ree Dolly (played by Jennifer Lawrence) must take care of her two young siblings and her near enough mute and unmoving mother while undertaking a desperate search for her drug-making, drug-taking father who has skipped a court appearance and gone missing. Ree is sure in her heart that her father is dead and that that is the reason behind his non-attendance at court, but unless she can prove it and present to the police a body then her and her family will be forced to leave their home and find themselves out in the cold with no one to go. The bleakness of the film, its characters and its story, is essential in emphasising the warm spirit and loyalty that exists within Ree, allowing us to root for her and deeply empathise with her situation. Her face barely ever allows a smile to cross it; it seems that she has had to go completely without a childhood, and is now emotionally far beyond her years. The connection that we as an audience make with Ree is testament to the acting ability of little-known Jennifer Lawrence, who produces an Oscar-worthy performance of subtlety and deep sadness.

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HARRY POTTER AND THE BEATHLY HALLOWS part 1 - 3/5

Well, this is something- A Harry Potter film without Hogwarts. Or as the Empire review puts it, Harry Potter as road movie. Now how much you will appreciate this latest addition to the stratospherically successful series will depend on the general sort of film you enjoy. As a fan of darker, more psychologically engaging films, The Deathly Hallows part 1 works for me, far trumping the disappointing last two entries in the series and probably being one of the best transfers of a JK Rowling book to screen. People will still argue the point (other than commercially, of course) of splitting the book into two films; very little in the way of action actually happens in this film, and yet it is still 2 and a half hours long- kids may well get bored. This is by far the most grown up of the Harry Potter films; at times the tone of it is almost unsettlingly dark for a film essentially meant to be a family film. Hints of humour and lightness are rare. Though much improved since the early films in the series, Daniel Radcliffe is still no powerful actor, and this script that spends the vast majority of its time focused entirely on himself, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson exposes his flaws and his inability to realistically emote more than the last couple of HP films. One particular much talked about scene (completely non-existent in the book, added bizarrely by the filmmakers) features Radcliffe and Watson slow-dancing in a tent, and is the absolute epitome of cringeworthy-ness. Why they felt it necessary to include such an uncomfortable scene is beyond me. The film actually boasts easily one of the greatest collective casts of all time, including amongst others Bill Nighy, Alan Rickman, Ralph Fiennes, Robbie Coltrane, Helena Bonham Carter, Jim Broadbent, Richard Griffiths, Julie Walters, Jason Isaacs, Timothy Spall, Michael Gambon, Brendan Gleeson, David Thewlis, John Hurt, Rhys Ifans, Imelda Staunton- it reads like a comprehensive who's who of British acting talent, which makes it very disappointing when so many of them have been reduced to such miniscule parts. What is refreshing about the Harry Potter series, though, is the fact that each film has been very different in many ways- in a series of 8 films, this is vital to its success. It looks likely that none of these 8 films will be viewed over the years as masterpieces, but The Deathly Hallows part 1 certainly offers enough to make it very much worth a watch.

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ANOTHER YEAR - 4/5

First and foremost, Another Year is unlikely to win over many new Mike Leigh films. It is totally and completely a Mike Leigh film, its fly-on-the-wall social drama reminiscent of everything that he has done over his fabulous career, while returning to his usual darkly emotional character studies after the uncharacteristically sunny Happy-Go-Lucky. Focusing primarily on married couple Tom and Gerri's (Jim Broadbent and Ruth Sheen) happy move into their autumn years, while significantly less happy Mary (Lesley Manville) finds herself relying more and more on their support and friendship, the film is at times, just as in all Mike Leigh films, almost unbearably true to real life. Leigh should be commended for a career which has featured so many films unafraid to depict unflinchingly the problems, the embarrassments, the depression that can litter the everyday event. Where film is generally seen as a chance to escape real life for a couple of hours, Mike Leigh films are different- in them, you watch real life occurring right in front of your eyes. Another Year shows that this element is with Leigh more than ever- split into four titled sections, 'Spring', 'Summer', 'Autumn' and 'Winter', the film does not allow for our not previously knowing the characters, as they share private jokes which are lost on us, and attend a funeral of a character we have neither met nor heard of. All this adds to the startling effect that Leigh tries to create in each of his films, making us feel as though we are sat in the room with these very real, very human characters. The acting all round is wonderful. I consider Jim Broadbent to be one of the most fantastic British actors of all time and very much underrated, and he puts in another sterling effort here, totally and completely believable as Tom. All the plaudits, however, will be reserved for Lesley Manville, who has awards buzz steadily building around her and who truly does produce a superbly moving performance as the unhinged and desperately lonely Mary.

So, to November!

Long time, no blog. There seems to be such little time for anything at the moment! I have a to do list that is far too long but it will be nice gradually working my way through it, most of it will be enjoyable creative stuff. A fair bit of that nasty uni work too though! Howeeeeever... I'm kinda enjoying my uni courses this year. Only a bit mind.

Been making regular trips to the cinema of late...

THE SOCIAL NETWORK- 4/5 Being such a (on the face of it at least) departure for both Fincher and Sorkin, they handle this new material incredibly well. Sorkin works his way through the internet code jargon (which may lose a fair bit of the audience for a while, but it is not only worth persevering through but also demonstrates the level of Mark Zuckerberg's computer-savviness) and manages to create a world and characters in which we can invest ourselves, no mean feat with regards to a film detailing the creation of a website. Fincher has always been a master of the character study, and The Social Network is nothing if not an accomplished study of a character driven by the idea of success, a study of the psychology of greed and desire and its often hugely detrimental effect upon those around it. Jesse Eisenberg gives a fantastic performance as Zuckerberg, unveiling unseen depths as an actor and somehow managing to strike some empathy within the audience for such a deeply unlikeable character. It is easy to see why Mark Zuckerberg wasn't too happy about the release of this film, but whatever the truth may be about him or the court case, this is still a compelling film very much of its time. It is far from a perfect movie, but I would urge anyone to see it simply, if for nothing else, for the fact that it is a film that represents a whole generation, a whole movement towards a completely new social culture. And those that consider the creation of Facebook unsuitable for the plot of a film, think again, because it is an event that has quickly impacted massively on our culture, on our methods of communication, and has come almost to define a generation.
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EASY A- 4/5 Not only the best teen flick since 2004's Mean Girls, but also probably the chick flick most likely to appeal to male audiences since that Lindsay Lohan-starrer too. Emma Stone leaps from fantastic comic supporting actress (Superbad, Zombieland) to a bona fide star with her hugely likeable turn as Olive, a high-school student who finds her life paralleling that of the book she is reading in class, The Scarlet Letter, as one white lie spirals into an out of control assault on the high school rumour mill. Easy A is not only very funny, but also very smart, and could easily be said to sum up a generation as well as The Social Network has, its events almost intrinsically linked to the all-social networking, all-blogging world of today. The film also benefits from some great supporting turns from Amanda Bynes, Thomas Haden Church, Lisa Kudrow and Malcolm McDowell, though the most special mentions must go to Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson as Olive's very funny and very open parents.
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I should be hitting the cinema to see The Kids Are Alright, Winter's Bone and possibly Let Me In over the next week or so, so I'll try and put up reviews of those soon too.

Finally, I've decided to start up a Youtube channel (www.youtube.com/dburtonwood), for my own personal pleasure but also so that I can begin to upload any short pieces of film I have shot, as I have maaaaaany ideas rattling around and ready to make the move onto camera. The first video I've uploaded was part of the larger project I began over the summer, but seemed to work quite well as this smaller piece, just showing myself and my friends waking up and getting ready after a (heavy) night out. Have a look!