One Day: Movie Review

One Day: Movie Review

One Day
Rating: 4/10
Cast: Anne Hathaway, Jim Sturgess, Rafe Spall, Ken Stott, Patricia Clarkson
Director: Lone Scherfig
Based on a tremendously well received book, One Day stars Anne Hathaway as Emma Morley, and Jim Sturgess as Dexter Mayhew.
The pair have just graduated from Edinburgh on July 15th, 1988 and very nearly fall into bed together.
However, they don't quite make it and thus begins a 20 year friendship, charted on screen by following the pair every year on July 15th to find out where they are.
Emma is an idealist; a wannabe writer and working class girl who always seems thwarted in her attempts to achieve greater things, ending up in a relationship with Rafe Spall's terribly dull stand up comic, Ian.
Dex, meanwhile, seems to have it all - a TV career fronting a music show and women, booze and drugs on tap. But unsurprisingly, he's a mess.
Can the pair realise what they truly need has been under their noses for the past 20 years?
One Day is pure romantic fluff drama; some will swoon and fawn over it and others will absolutely hate it.
While the recreation of the relevant decades is brilliantly realised - right down to the music choices which evoke the era within seconds of you hearing them in the background, the main plot device (jumping a year) starts to grate very quickly.
The trouble is that the central conceit makes each visit feel a little like a disjointed vignette and it's hard to really engage with or care about the characters.
Sturgess and Hathaway have little chemistry together - and while Hathaway's attempt at a Northern English accent isn't as bad as you may have read, she certainly doesn't impress as much as perhaps she might. There's some disarming charm in the dialogue and some good one liners but to be honest, you can see where this film is going from the beginning.

Ultimately, One Day is a little polarising; some will adore the true love storyline and tearjerking moments whereas others will simply roll their eyes and wait for it to end.

Midnight in Paris: Movie Review

Midnight in Paris: Movie Review

Midnight In Paris
Rating: 7/10
Cast: Owen Wilson, Michael Sheen, Rachel McAdams, Marion Cotillard
Director: Woody Allen
Owen Wilson stars in Woody Allen's latest, a whimsical look at life in the French capital.
Wilson is Gil, a screen writer for Hollywood who's served up some trashy stuff before and is looking to broaden out his horizons by writing a novel.
He's in Paris with his fiancée Inez (McAdams) holidaying with her family and dreaming of a romantic life in the city of love, with walks in the rain, sauntering down the streets during the day and reflecting on what future may lie ahead.
But one night, after leaving his fiancée to go dancing with some mutual friends, Gil finds himself transported back to Paris of the 1920s when midnight strikes and into the world of some of his literary heroes.
This latest from Allen is a slight, uncomplicated and sumptuously shot piece. Opening with a jazzy soundtrack and some picture postcard moments of Paris, it's clear, for once, the writer/ director's gone for something simpler and something which wallows more in the nostalgic side of life.
Wilson is in fine form as essentially, an extension of Woody Allen; McAdams and Sheen are quite insufferable though as a fiancée and friend who clearly don't like or respect Gil so it's hard to see why exactly you should feel any sympathy for them when they get their comeuppance.

But it's the period detail where Allen's latest shines; the recreation of the 1920s scene is amazing and fantastical. With the usual smattering of some good one liners, this is a frothy piece of escapist cinema, which is light and breezy and extremely likeable.

Dr Who - Day of the Daleks - DVD Review

Dr Who - Day of the Daleks - DVD Review

Dr Who Day Of the Daleks
Rating: PG
Released by BBC and Roadshow
This two disc release from the Classic Dr Who archive is something to be treasured for fans of the show - but not for the main attraction, it has to be sadly said.
The story is a four part adventure from 1972 and sees Jon Pertwee's Dr and assistant Jo Grant caught up in a potential war between the Daleks and mankind. On the eve of a peace conference between China and the rest of the world, the Doc's called in to investigate reports of ghosts. Soon, he finds himself facing his deadliest enemies.
The main story is itself a little slow paced and a bit of a mish mash of political machinations and a lot of talking, with very little action. It also suffers from a dreadfully simplistic denouement and gives some credence to why Dr Who of the 1970s was occasionally scoffed at.
However, the special features rise this average, but much loved, tale out of the mire. With a raft of documentaries and tidbits, there's already a lot to savour. But throw into that mix, a remastered version with special effects from today's CGI standards, brand new Dalek voices and some specially shot sequences, and you've got a tale which stands out a little more. It's a great touch to the range and while some purists may feel the special edition has gone a little too far, it really does much to enhance the overall feel of the adventure.

Rating: 7/10 

Paranormal Activity 3: Movie Review

Paranormal Activity 3: Movie Review

Paranormal Activity 3
Rating: 8/10
Cast: Lauren Bittner, Chloe Csengery, Christopher Nicholas Smith, Jessica Tyler Brown

Director: Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman

Horror franchises - let's be honest, they start to run out of steam after maybe the second outing, right?
Not in the case of Paranormal Activity.
Following on from the sleeper success of the first film which saw Katie Featherston's Katie being terrified by a "ghost" in her home, a second was rolled out within a year; and now the same's happened with the latest as the studios aim for an annual Hallowe'en release. But it's good news for fans of this particular genre, because the latest outing is a deeply unsettling and unnerving experience.
Essentially, it's a prequel to the first film and delves back into 1988 when Katie and Kristi were young girls living with their parents Dennis and Julie in California. Once again, there's an entity spooking the house and so Dennis, an amateur wedding video creator, decides to set up cameras around the house to try and find out what's going on. Coupled with the fact Kristi's got an imaginary friend Toby, there's plenty to keep him occupied.
But over the course of some 14 nights, the presence really makes itself felt and things escalate into a terrifying conclusion...
I'm loathe to give away too much of this film for the simple reason that a lot of the fun/ heart in mouth moments in the Paranormal Activity films tend to come from not knowing what's ahead - sure, there's a few predictable shocks and jolts, as well as a couple of fake outs, but it doesn't stop what unfolds on the screen in the dark of the cinema from being quite horrifying.
I think half of the horror of this film is due to the fact it involves young children. The young Katie and Kristi are well played by their kiddie charges and you really feel their terror as the entity exerts its might. Lauren Bittner and Christopher Nicholas Smith play the parents well and there's a primal fear being played to here that they can't appear to protect their own in their home which really does grip you.
In the days pre-cutting edge technology, the 1988 setting gives an occasional feeling of retro as video cameras are mounted on desk fans to ensure all sides of the rooms are covered - it's a clever touch which forces you to quickly look at what's on the screen and identify any fleeting images as it pans left and right. It's a smart move and adds to the tension - particuarly during key scenes in the kitchen areas.

Ultimately, some may argue this latest is very similar to what's gone before and there's a chance the ending may polarise some like The Blair Witch Project denouement did; but Paranormal Activity 3 is a thrilling, horrifying, unsettling, heart in mouth rollercoaster ride, which is packed full of genuinely unnerving scares.

Snowtown: Blu Ray Review

Snowtown: Blu Ray Review

Snowtown
Rating: R18
Released by Madman

Dark,bleak,unrelenting and tense,Snowtown is an Aussie flick about John Bunting,their worst serial killer who targeted alleged paedophiles and gays back in the 90s.Daniel Henshall is utterly mesmerising and supremely chilling as the chubby faced charmer Bunting,as he swings from foster father to killer behind closed doors.
The film's strength is it doesn't show the violence or killings - bar one occasion- and because of that, this is extraodinary filmmaking which doesn't skimp on the atmosphere or the fear;unsettling it may be to watch for 2 hours but it's yet another sign the Aussie industry is in rude health.
While there's some who feel that there's hardly anyone to back in this grimy, gritty film(a young teen who the film initially focusses on soon becomes Bunting's accomplice),there's no denial it's a tough watch but it's rewarding and haunting in the extreme.

There's an air of menace running throughout and thanks to some great imagery,Snowtown remains with you long after it's done.

Extras: Commentary, deleted scenes, casting, docos, short films from director

Rating: 8/10 

The Company Men: Blu Ray Review

The Company Men: Blu Ray Review

The Company Men
Rating: M
Released by Madman Home Ent

An impressive ensemble cast come together in this film about downsizing and the effects it has on a man's psyche.

Ben Affleck plays ambitious Bobby Walker who has it all - a lavish house, a sports car and everything money could buy. But his world changes when he loses his job at the GTX Corporation during a downsizing, he's forced to re-evaluate his life.

However, he's not alone; Chris Cooper plays Phil Woodward, a middle manager at the same company who also finds himself in the same position but faces different hurdles because of his age.

At the top of the corporate chain is Tommy Lee Jones' Gene McClary who helped found the company along - eventually he finds himself in the same position as those further down the ladder.

The Company Men is a well acted, if occasionally slow look at the effects of the recession on three walks of life; granted, it's a little hard to sympathise at times with Affleck's Walker as he initially continues to live in the grand house and drive the swish car while the hard times hit. But you can understand how pride is the biggest hurdle during recessionary times.

However, this drama from the writer of ER is really about how people are forced to re-evaluate their lives and outlooks; it's perhaps telling that this happens in slower ways than you'd expect - Walker explodes during an interview for a position he's overqualified for - and because of that is a little more effective.

By putting three different faces on the downsizing impact, Wells crafts a good story and gets to the psyche of what's continuing to effect many both in America and worldwide. Every single one of the cast delivers a strong performance and together, they show what a truly impressive ensemble can achieve.

Extras: Commentary, alternate ending, deleted scenes and a making of

Rating: 7/10 

Barney's Version: DVD Review

Barney's Version: DVD Review

Barney's Version
Released by Hopscotch Ent

Based on Mordecai Richler's prize-winning comic novel, Barney's Version stars the ever wonderful Paul Giamatti as Barney Panofsky, a TV show producer who's in the twilight of his life.

He's the kind of guy who tells it like it is in places and doesn't suffer fools gladly - but he's prone to making errors in his life - as his numerous marriages display.
But as well as the multitude of highs, he reflects back on his lows too - including the death of his friend Boogie (Scott Speedman) who mysteriously disappeared after an alcohol fuelled row with Barney and whose disappearance saw Barney pursued by the cops for murder.

Over four decades and three wives, we follow Barney and his relationships with lovers, children and occasionally work colleagues. The first ended in tragedy; the second ended when he fell in love with another woman on his wedding night and the third falls apart because of his own fallability.

Barney's Version is an odd sort of film; it meanders as Barney recalls parts of his life as he battles with a fatal illness towards the end. Perhaps that's some of the point of this film that it moves around and is told by an unreliable narrator; but it's an oddly cold kind of film which doesn't really engage on an emotional level.

Granted, there are some wonderfully comic touches and deft moments; and at the centre of it all, there's a ferocious tour de force from Giamatti himself; every emotion is etched on this sad sack's face and his on screen presence demands you watch. With great supporting performances from the likes of Hoffman as his Jewish dad and Rosamund Pike as the love of his life, it's a solid affair

Rating: 7/10