Stuck for something to see at the flicks this week? Not too sure if a three hour film about some Hobbit you thought you had left behind in Lord of the Rings is the one for you (no offence but I am kind of anti-fantasty in some respects)? Well Jack Reacher is an easy choice as it combines all the great things that make a good film with one of the great action stars who is now doing a role suited to his age yet still a badass (a short bad ass but a badass none the less).
What a film! Tom Cruise is believable and it has a great action/comedy mix! I really enjoyed trying to figure out who was behind the crimes and it had some great acting to boot! Good casting and a sound storyline.
Another demon possession film...this time based on a young girl who becomes possessed...sound familiar? Yes this storyline has been exhausted so why use your hard earned money to take a trip to the cinema to watch this latest edition of possession films?
Well firstly, the plot regarding the yard sale and the Jewish demon box that hoards evil spirits is quite interesting, the way it tries to find innocent minds to lure them into a friendship, manipulate them and eventually become them is a slight twist on the other humdrum films. I like that element and the acting of young Natasha Calis is worth a watch regardless as she is menacing and creepy while maintaining a likeable and innocent aura.
Secondly there are some genuinely creepy moments that will keep you on the edge of your seat, mainly watching Em’s violent outbursts and discovering what is actually inside her but in general the film does have a very similar outline to that of The Exorcist and The Exorcism of Emily Rose and I would say the second of those films is slightly more scary than this film. The only other downfall to this film is the slightly silly ending. I always find if you see too much, the mystery is over. That can be said for any paranormal/horror films. They always take it too far and spoil the initial suspense and fear.
I would say watch this film if this is your kind of genre as having the cinema atmosphere does make it a little scarier but it does have a familiar format with a few new twists.
Well what can I say - Shia Lebeouf and Tom Hardy in one film....thumbs up just from the casting! I did really enjoy this film purely for the thrill factor of manly violence! The film focuses on the three Bondurant brothers who have a reputation for being invincible and it is all about their perils in the illegal alcohol business during the Depression-era.
A crooked police officer (Charlie Rakes) is after their shares and will go to any extreme to either put them out of business or take it for himself. Pearce plays this slimy character with great conviction and he leaves you with a bitter taste of disgust from his very mannerisms to the low-life violent acts he commits.
What I love about this film is the brothers’ loyalty and tough nature. The two eldest brothers show Jack tough love to help make him a man as at first he really cannot handle himself and is not really worthy of the invincible tagline the brothers seem to have developed as a reputation.
Hardy is the real star here showing a side to a lawless villain that most don’t see. At first you would assume his lifestyle is unsavoury (which it is) but you would associate a negative persona with this but he is in fact a caring and protective sort who has just chosen a different path to go down during hard times.
To be fair many seem to have chosen the same path in this lucrative business but with less profit and fear factor. He is violent but only when necessary and knows how to look after himself. He is a fair character who doesn’t want his brother (Jack) to be in the business at first, other than as the ignorant driver but eventually has to ease him in after he discovers his business and his brother’s well being is at stake. He is a survivor and seems to find himself escaping death on more than one occasion.
Charlie underestimates the brothers as well as their influence on the locals. He feels he is above the law as he has them wrapped round his little finger but it is in fact the Bondurant Brothers who eventually stand up to him and take back the towns dignity. There really is a sense of mutual relief and victory when they all take a stand against Charlie which is what everyone wants in a film - someone to hate and see purged ensuring justice is served!
Overall this film has everything you could want - action, a touch of comedy and a hint of romance. Excellent acting and some very poignant scenes that really reflect the calibre of acting for this new generation of Class A actors! A must see in my view and it definitely deserves the 18 rating!
From the trailer alone I can see this film is going to be amazing! I love Christian Bale as Batman (I think he is one of the best) but there are some new additions that can make this even better! Anne Hathaway stars as Catwoman but more importantly the sexy Tom Hardy as Bane. Hardy is really choosing his films well and I can't wait to see him as a villain!
The last time he was featured as one of the villains, it was in Batman and Robin (1997) which was more of a comedy version of this much loved comic and it also featured Mr Freeze and Poison Ivy. Funnily enough I actually enjoyed this film as a child but now, I prefer the more serious and dark take on the mysterious Batman.
I look forward to seeing this and reviewing it as soon as I can. I still have The Pact and The Chernobyl Diaries to review. Sorry for the delay but I will get these up shortly!
I made my way to the cinema this weekend to watch the film In Time featuring the singer-turned-actor Justin Timberlake. I was very interested to watch him in a feature film as he has worked hard building up his acting portfolio with well chosen roles and films. He has recently been the lead in the film Friends with Benefits which I have not seen yet but this film took my fancy as it seemed to be a novel concept and an action-thriller which is my kind of film!
The film is based around the idea that people are genetically engineered to live up until the age of 25. After that point they live on a year by year basis and use their time as currency. This being the case, bills and payments mean they lose their valuable time just trying to live. Once your time is up however, if you cannot keep your clock ticking, you time out.
This then highlights the fact that the rich can live on forever as they have the availability of money to keep on buying their time, while the poor are living in the ghetto struggling for survival. They end up living by the day or hour fighting for their time. This results in having time-keepers to keep track of those living in the ghetto and those called 'minute men' who steal people's time. Naturally in hard times, there will be thieves and enforcers and the film focuses on the idea that people will do anything to keep on living forever; keeping the balance between the rich and poor.
The film begins with Will (Timberlake) being given time as a gift from a man who has enough funds to be able to be immortal but he is mentally unable to cope with living beyond his 105 years. This gift brings inevitable trouble for Will as he is hunted for this time by those who want to keep the balance and those who want to steal his Centuries.
I was pleasantly surprised by Timberlake's performance throughout the film. He had a very good screen presence and was believable as a tough-guy. Amanda Seyfield has always been a favourite actress of mine as she has such beauty and poise. She was perfect for the role as the frivolous rich girl who wanted some thrills in her never ending time battle.
Sylvia (Seyfield) is kidnapped by Will to help him stay alive while he is investigated for the death of the man who gave him his precious time. She is from the wealthiest family and romance inevitably blossoms between these two while on the run. She becomes engulfed in this battle to help those less fortunate to have their much needed time. She plays the bad-ass character very well and is quite believable as this reckless fugitive.
People in the ghetto were also able to give each other time to help each other out, or in other cases, fight each other for their time. This applied to the rich but was not as openly used other than for gambling or gifts. This is an interesting and not very well explained concept. The idea that you can transfer your time is a necessary element to the film as this is how they survive but the whole idea of how this idea came about is not explained in the film other than the illusive 'genetically engineered' tag.
I do however, love the question that this films brings to the forefront of the viewers mind throughout. Would you live forever? This question is riddled with possibilities but it does highlight the fact that we are born to die. Our bodies are designed to grow old, along with our minds. This films stresses the idea that we could be designed to stay young and have our minds grow old and how this would take it's toll on us. I love how this film brings so many questions of our existence to light.
My view: A very interesting concept and some very well acted scenes. The scene with Will running towards his mother just as she times out is one of my favourites and highlights Timberlake's acting abilities very well. This film has some missing explanations but is well thought out nonetheless.
