David Brent: Life on the Road (Review)

David Brent: Life on the Road (Film Review) 2016

Directed by: Ricky Gervais
Starring: Ricky Gervais and Doc Brown
Genre: Mockumentary

Brent is back, the star of the British mockumentary TV show The Office.

The film is definitely funny. While some laughs are a little low quality, David Brent: Life on the Road definitely achieves the goal of being a good comedy. Ricky Gervais' wit shines through in this character.

A major issue with the film is its pacing. Once Brent begins his Reading gigs, the movie slows down and becomes repetitive. It feels as though the cast are really getting nowhere, the plot likewise. I really enjoyed the office scenes and lead-up to the band's playing.

Some of the on-camera interviews seemed quite forced, mainly the interviews with the other band-members. Unlike with Gervais and the office crew, the band's comments felt forced and unnecessary.

I really enjoyed the style of the film, with some interesting visual choices. The documentary spoof seems very natural, save a few mistimed interviews, almost convincing the audience that David Brent is an actual person.

Although the plot was relatively predictable, it's still a fun and witty film that I would recommend if a laugh is what you're after.

7/10.

Rated 16, runtime 85 minutes.

The Neon Demon (Review)

The Neon Demon (Film Review) 2016

Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn
Starring Elle Fanning, Jena Malone, Keanau Reeves
Psychological Thriller

The Neon Demon, visually, is a masterpiece. Every shot is like an individual painting, meticulously coloured and set. If I was to rate the film solely on its visuals I would have give it a 10/10, but a film is more than just visual.

I don't believe the plot and theme are as complex as some choose to claim. A slightly overdone message on the dangers of vanity and industries which obsess over beauty and youth. I don't believe its disturbing scenes are gratuitous, emphasising how far the idea of beauty can influence people. There are some very interesting visual metaphors throughout the film, also.

The performances in the film were solid, but not exactly extraordinary. Elle Fanning definitely has fun in her role, but her given dialogue was bland. The same goes for the remaining cast, no performances really shone through. It is possible that the simplistic dialogue adds to the theme of vanity.

The film has another 10/10 aspect, its score. Finishing with a powerful piece from Sia, the film is littered with haunting and modern pieces which stick with the viewer. The trailer clearly displays the film's mastery of music.

The Neon Demon is an art film. I am in no way surprised by negative or positive reviews, and it seems the negative to positive review ratio seems to be about 1:1. Its visually and musically amazing, but I personally found the theme to be slightly shallow with some less than stellar dialogue. Although, the visuals and score did effect me more than the latter.

8/10.

Rated 18, runtime 117 minutes.

Ghostbusters (Review)

Ghostbusters (Film Review) 2016

Directed by Paul Feig
Starring Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Leslie Jones, Kate McKinnon and Chris Hemsworth
Fantasy/Sci-Fi

Following the absolute hatred which I've seen displayed by die-hard Ghostbusters fans, I had very low expectations for this reboot. I was pleasantly surprised by an entertaining and funny fantasy film which understands what kind of movie it is. ''Ain't no bitches gonna hunt no ghosts'' is a great reference to this fan hatred.

The comedy aspect of the film definitely worked. I was laughing throughout, although there are some missed jokes present in the script. Some of the humour, namely that involving Chris Hemsworth and Leslie Jones, was overdone and reenforced stereotypes. I was surprised by the problematic loud-mouthiness displayed by Lesley Jones character, the only non-scientist ghostbuster, who also happens to be a black woman. This is especially for a film which prides itself on its inclusivity.

The plot has some shady logic, but clearly isn't going for anything other than fun. It is similar enough to the original to evoke nostalgia, but different enough to warrant a reboot.

The visual and special effects were very well-done, especially in the first two acts, although the CGI gets excessive and cheesy in parts of the end-battle. The film maintained being entertaining for the entire three acts, although I would have to say I preferred the beginning acts.

Overall, Ghostbusters is nothing like a ''bad film'' as many original fans claim. It is a decently-made, funny and entertaining reboot. I enjoyed watching, and so did most of the people at the cinema, to my knowledge. It doesn't pretend to be superior to the original, but is a fresh take on a fan favourite.

7/10.

Rated 12a, runtime 117 minutes.

Tale of Tales (Review)

Tale of Tales (Film Review) 2016

Directed by Matteo Garonne
Starring Salma Hayek, Toby Jones and Vincent Cassel

The film is split into three distinct plot lines, an infertile queen longing for a child, two old women longing for beauty, and a king and his flea. I found the ''Two Old Women'' plot line to be vastly superior to the other two. It was the most intriguing and never felt dragged out. The majority of the third act is dominated by the flea story, one which I felt ran overtime, but was the most humorous. The queen plot line also didn't intrigue me to the same extent, having some low-interest moments.

While the acting wasn't the aspect of the film which stuck with me, there are no complaints about any of the actors. Salma Hayek felt so natural in her role, along with Vincent Cassel.

The set design and makeup design was remarkable, completely transforming the film into an authentic middle-age tale. Mixed with the cinematography, Tale of Tales was visually amazing.

Tale of Tales is an eccentric and visually beautiful film, although it drops in intrigue in its finishing act.

7.5/10.

Rated 15a, runtime 134 minutes.

The Nice Guys (Review)

The Nice Guys (Film Review) 2016

Directed by Shane Black

Starring Ryan Gosling and Russel Crowe

The Nice Guys is a 2016 buddy-cop, action-comedy. Action-comedy, a genre I always must be cautious of. The Nice Guys falls short of my approval.

Neither of the genre's points work or flow. The action/thriller aspect of the film failed, due to the fact that the film is simply not thrilling. The characters cannot be described as engaging, and I therefore felt no empathy towards them, or their fate. The ''comedy'' was generally slapstick humour, mostly consisting of feminine shrieks from Ryan Gosling.

Russell Crowe's performance was wooden and constricted by his masculine character. The child actress (Angourie Rice) was unimpressive, and at times, irritating. Though, overall, I found the performances to be quite weak, there were some above-average performances from some side-characters.

The plot wasn't entirely flawed, although the movie did not benefit from withholding the amount of information that it did until the finale. It's introductory scene did utilise withholding of information well, infusing the film with mystery. I felt that the film took a dip following the first act or so.

Overall, The Nice Guys is a buddy-cop film littered with flaws and unimpressive performances. 

5.5/10.

Rated 15a, runtime 116 minutes.

Nola and The Clones (Review)

Nola and The Clones (Film Review)

Directed by Graham Jones

Starring Caoimhe Cassidy

Nola and The Clones is a 2016 Irish indie film, released entirely on YouTube as part of gthe cinematic movement ''Nuascannan''. The film follows a homeless woman fleeing the societal pressures put on women. She begins to meet a series of men ''appearing strikingly similar to each other''.

The city of Dublin is depicted beautifully visually. It was surreal to recognise landmarks and buildings, but presented in such a cinematic quality.

Caoimhe Cassidy's performance is impressive. The feminist statement of her character is definitely intriguing and though-provoking, although marginally exaggerated. Cassidy is a convincing and natural actress.

The film is quite slow-burning, and very stereotypical of an indie. A minimalist plot, and old-fashioned dialogue and camera-work. The music compliments the visuals very nicely.

Although it may not interest everyone, Nola and The Clones is an Indie worth watching for those more inclined, with an interesting political message and metaphorical resonance. It's definitely worth a watch on Youtube. The entire film is available below.

7.510.

Warcraft (Review)

Warcraft: The Beginning (Film Review) 2016

Warcraft: The Beginning is a 2016 fantasy film directed by Duncan Jones (Moon, Source Code).

Warcraft follows an ongoing battle between the human Alliance and the orc army Horde. The Horde create a magical portal to the human realm to conquer their world.

I received free tickets to the preview of Warcraft in the Savoy, and have to say I wouldn't have gone otherwise.

Warcraft is a mindless fantasy film designed solely for fans of action or the Warcraft franchise. I don't feel the film has the ability to stand on its own due to its low quality. I found the title, ''Warcraft: The Beginning'' to be over-confident, assuming box office success and therefore a sequel. I feel that the film is too weak to perform well a second time.

The plot was underdeveloped and was got convoluted easily. At some points during the film, I dropped my concentration and missed some plot points, and I have to say that I really didn't care. The film was so unengaging that I forgot most of the characters' names and felt hardly anything towards them.

The film wasn't complete trash. While I am not a fan of the fantasy or sci-fi genre, the CGI and visual effects were quite good. I felt that some of the visual effects, such as the spells used by some characters, were very impressive. Some of the characters also had interesting CGI designs. Although, the CGI was extremely excessive at some points.

Warcraft can be described simply as fun and mindless. The former only applying if you're a massive fan of this sort of film.

I give Warcraft: The Beginning 4/10.

Runtime 123 minutes (feels twice as long), rated 12a.

Eye in the Sky (Film Review) 2016

Eye in the Sky (Film Review)

Eye in the Sky is a 2016 political thriller starring Helen Mirren, Aaron Paul and Alan Rickman.

A military colonel orders a drone strike on a terrorist group in Kenya, but the ethics board worries about the morality of killing innocent civilians.

Eye in the Sky is very tense, and the great cast's acting also adds to the intensity. The feeling of limited time is portrayed very well.

I can't deduce whether its accusations of propaganda are true. I felt that both sides of the drone strike were portrayed as mixed morally.

The movie didn't have any major flaws, but wasn't ridiculously impressive. Some characters should have been developed more to add to the film's engagement. It was a very enjoyable and tense movie.

I would give Eye in the Sky 8/10.

Rated 12a, runtime 103 minutes

Hush (Film Review) 2016

Hush (Film Review)

Hush is a 2016 home-invasion horror film directed by Mike Flanagan and starring Kate Siegel.

Hush follows a very well-known home-invasion formula, but with one major difference, the homeowner is deaf.

I felt that the difference, while impressive, isn't as impressive and risky as some viewers claim. The formula of the film is very, very identical to almost all other films of the genre. I think the film could have taken more of a risk, possibly by muting or muffling sound effects, which the film did not do. I feel that the film did add some elements to the plot which separate it from other home-invasion movies, but not enough in my opinion.

There are no complaints about the acting or scariness aspect, only the basic plot and the sometimes questionable or unrealistic aspects to the actions of the characters.

I have to comment that I definitely enjoyed watching Hush. It is definitely an entertaining movie for anyone to watch in groups around Halloween, or alone. I do admire the deafness aspect of the film, and is probably the first strong deaf character I've ever seen in a film, which is a positive.

I would give Hush 6.5/10.

Rated 15, runtime 87 minutes

Currently streaming on Netflix.

10 Cloverfield Lane (Film Review) 2016

10 Cloverfield Lane (Film Review)

10 Cloverfield Lane is a psychological thriller directed by Dan Trachtenberg (début) starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead and John Goodman.

The film begins with Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) waking up in the bunker of Howard (John Goodman), along with Emmett (John Gallagher). She is told that the outside world has been ravaged by nuclear war and that she must stay inside, but this is the word of a man she has never met before.

The film relies on psychological tension, rather than gore and jump-scares. 10 Cloverfield Lane is probably one of the most tense movies I've seen, I constantly felt on edge.

John Goodman plays a character very different from his tradition comedy roles. Mary Elizabeth Winstead portrays her confusion and conflicting thoughts very well with minimal dialogue which is impressive.

Without spoiling, I was extremely disappointed with the ending sequence. I felt that the writers could have gone with a much more intelligent ending, but I could understand how some viewers could like it.

I give 10 Cloverfield Lane 8/10. 

Rated 15, 106 minutes

The Witch (Film Review) 2016

The VVitch (Film Review)

The Witch (A New-England Folktale) is a 2016 horror film directed by Robert Eggers (debut) and starring Anya-Taylor Joy.

The film's opening scene follows a Puritan family being exiled from their church due to the father's ''pride''. They attempt to form a normal living on their own accord.

One of the film's highlights is its realism. Impressively, the child actors in the film were on-par with the older actors. The dialogue is entirely in old-English, which I found irritating at the beginning, but I realise it definitely added to the realism of the rest of the movie. The film is shot without black borders to allow full viewing of the forest trees. The cinematography is clearly impressive if they were willing to alter the aspect ratio.

The horror in this film, while minimal, is very haunting. Child and animal possession, along with very disturbing imagery is common. The animal trainer should be congratulated for their work with the goats and rabbit. I felt the hold-back on the horror added impact to the very disturbing scenes.

Possibly a commentary on religious and marital pressures put on women, The Witch is a film which will keep you thinking well after the film's conclusion.

I give The Witch 8/10.

Rated 15, runtime 93 minutes

The Revenant (Film Review) 2016

The Revenant (Film Review)

The Revenant is a 2016 historical action adventure drama directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Domhnall Gleeson and Tom Hardy. The Revenant has been nominated for 12 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Lead Actor, and Director. 

The story follows Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his survival in the wilderness following a bear attack. He has been abandoned by his team, and must survive with life-threatening injuries on his own.

The Revenant is primarily a survival film. I found that the amount of filler in the film was huge. While the cinematography was great, there was only so much of Leonardo DiCaprio crawling through a forest that I could be interested in. The performances from both Tom Hardy and Leonardo DiCaprio were very strong. The acting and cinematography of The Revenant was definitely its strong suits. The choreography of various fight scenes was also impressive, along with the special effects and make-up used.

The story was not very strong, in my opinion. I could see most of the cinema checking their phones or speaking to each other throughout. While the way in which it was filmed, and how the film looks is of very high quality (most likely to win Best Cinematography, etc.), I found the film to be very slow overall.

I give The Revenant 7/10. 

Rated 16, runtime 156 minutes.

Room (Film Review) 2016

Room (Film Review)

Room is a 2016 drama directed by Lenny Abrahamson, and starring Brie Larson. Both Abrahamson and Larson have been nominated for Academy Awards for this film. 

                                                                                               

The story follows Joy (Brie Larson) and Jack (Jacob Tremblay) who are captives of a man whom they call ''Old Nick'', in a garden shed. Joy had been in captivity for 2 years, and then she had Jack. Jack is 5 years old when the story begins, and ''Room'' is all he knows. 

The plot is very well developed and executed perfectly. It is adapted from the novel of the same name by Emma Donoghue, and is very likely to win the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. The claustrophobia of ''Room'' is portrayed very well, through cinematography, and the very natural acting of both Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay. Brie Larson definitely never over-acts, and I definitely expect her to win the Academy Award for Best Lead Actress. The characters all felt completely real.

The story is so well developed and interesting that there is not a single moment when anyone could feel bored. 

Overall, I have no major criticisms. The film is very moving, and it is so dark that many people may find it disturbing. But this reflects the subject matter.      

I give Room 9/10. 

Room was nominated for Best Director (Lenny Abrahamson), Best Lead Actress (Brie Larson), Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Picture. It was nominated for 3 Golden Globes and 2 BAFTAs.

Rated 15, runtime 118 minutes.

TRAILER CONTAINS SPOILERS