Part One: Liberty

Three Colours: Blue (1993)

Directed by Krzysztof Kieslowski this film stars Juliette Binoche, Benoit Regent and Emmanuelle Riva. The wife of a famous French composer recovers from the death of her husband and daughter in a car crash.

This is the first part of a trilogy of films on France and French revolutionary ideals with a plot that advances the fairly common theme that no person can be an island. Clearly this is a story of a person coming to terms with grief and while it is well handled I am not sure that it offers much new to a well covered subject. Where the film is excellent is in it's execution, the film makes great use of colour and especially music to highlight themes as well as tie the story together.

4/5

The Okinawa not adventure

The Karate Kid, Part 2 (1986)

Directed by John G. Avildsen this sequel again stars Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita. Mr Miyagi and Daniel travel to Okinawa to visit Mr Miyagi's dying father while settling a matter of honour.

What the plot of this film has in it's favour is that it is not retread of the plot of the original which is too often the case but is rather aimless at times. There are a couple of elements of the story that rub me up the wrong way like the girlfriend from the original being written out fairly harshly and having a final big fight in a film promoting pacifism. Mostly the film is well made but despite good intentions this is a fairly week effort.

2/5

Rebel with cause

East of Eden (1955)

Directed by Elia Kazan this film based on the novel of the same name stars Julie Harris, James Dean, Raymond Massey, Richard Davalos and Jo Van Fleet. On the eve of WW1 a young man tries to find his father's love and his estranged mother.

When it comes to the plot of the film this is not a very strict adaptation of the novel it is based on but does retain the major themes. There are some nice biblical parallels with in the story and the character arc of the protagonist works really well. Mostly the film is well made and James Dean gives a good debut performance.

4/5

To become immortal then die

Breathless (1960)

Directed by Jean-Luc Godard this French film stars Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean Seberg. After killing a policeman a criminal spends time in Paris trying to convince his American girl friend to leave for Italy with him.

Coming with a big reputation this film is an interesting experiment in going against the norms of the studio films that had come before it. While the film no doubt has it's interesting elements it is one of those films that has a bigger impact in it's era than on modern audiences but is still well worth watching for those interested in film development. The plot is not bad but like the execution of the film is a bit of an anti-film at times focusing on the down time between the big events which works surprisingly well.

4/5

over connect disconnect

Disconnect (2012)

Directed by Henry Alex Rubin this film has an ensemble cast that includes Jason Bateman, Andrea Riseborough, Paula Patton and Alexander Skarsgard. The darker side of the internet is explored through three different stories.

In general this is a really good showcase of the negative effects of the information age on our lives that actually understands the technology involved in the stories shown, which can be rare for Hollywood. While the final message maybe a little unsubtle the rest of the film deals with the stories really well showing a fair amount of nuance and understanding. There decent performances and the final transformation sequence is really well shot.

4/5

Cliche squad

Gangster Squad (2013)

Directed by Ruben Fleischer this film inspired by real events which stars Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Sean Penn and Emma Stone. A special team of cops are put together to go outside the law and after an organised crime boss.

Despite having a lot of acting talent involved with this film the script includes nearly every genre cliché in the book and does little of interest with them. While the film claims to be based on real events it seems to have taken a pretty fictional route and leaves a number of characters, such as Emma Stone's, rather undeveloped. The direction is not bad but does not do much to make up for all the other deficiencies in this film.

2/5

Snikt

X-men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

Directed by Gavin Hood this prequel stars Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber and Danny Huston. After killing his father in 1845 a young mutant and his half brother go on the run fighting in various wars before becoming transformed into Weapon X.

The real basic problem with this film is not the departures from comic book canon, which are not overly egregious, but that the film never really connects on an emotional level rather seeming to be a check list of events the writers felt the had to cover. While the plot is not too bad it really lacks any depth and could have been a lot better given the iconic nature of the central character. Where the big problems come are in the really weak CGI used in the film that lets the action sequences down big time.

2/5

Fin-ished

Jaws 4: The Revenge (1987)

Directed by Joseph Sargent this film stars Lorraine Gary, Lance Guest, Mario Van Peebles and Michael Caine. After the death of the youngest Brody son his mother becomes convinced that a shark has followed her from New England to the Bahamas.

This film comes with a pretty bad reputation and to be honest it is hard to find any redeeming features. Largely the plot is silly, unrealistic and has plenty of holes in it. Even the special effects, which are key for a film like this, are not special and worse than those used in the original.

1/5

Airplane '53

Island in the Sky (1953)

Directed by William Wellman this film stars John Wayne, Lloyd Nolan, Walter Able and James Arness. An army cargo plane is forces to land in uncharted territory in Northern Canada which rescue teams struggle to find.

This is an early attempt at a disaster film and while it lacks some tension and does not really focus on the survival aspects of the story it is not bad. Unusually John Wayne plays a more reserved character that has to sit around and wait to be saved rather than the more proactive roles he is known for. Mostly the script sticks to realism and the special effects are not too bad but the film does lack some character depth.

3/5

McCorleone

The Wee Man (2013)

Directed by Ray Burdis this film based on real events stars Patrick Bergin, Martin Compston, Simon DeSilva and John Hannah. A young man grows up in Glasgow and becomes involved in organised crime.

Much like one of the characters in the film at times this film thinks it is the Scottish version of The Godfather (1972) but falls short. The script spends too much time on the actions of the characters rather than the motivations and does seem to have strayed from or over looked parts of the real events it claims to be based on. Mostly the film is not badly made but really could have done with a better script to start with.

2/5

Not exactly a steam train through a saloon

Joe Kidd (1972)

Directed by John Sturges this film stars Clint Eastwood, Robert Duvall, John Saxton and Stella Garcia. A former bounty hunter gets involved in a land war between a white land baron and a Mexican revolutionary.

This is a pretty standard Clint Eastwood western and one of a number of westerns by director John Sturges. The plot holds little in the way of surprises and covers much of the same ground as many other revisionist westerns of the period. There are some nice shots showcasing the mountainous landscape used as a back drop but otherwise the execution of the film is pretty average too.

3/5

A long walk

The Way Back (2010)

Directed by Peter Weir this film is inspired by the book “The Long Walk” and stars Jim Sturgess, Ed Harris, Saoirse Ronan and Colin Farrell. During WW2 a group of prisoners in a Soviet Gulag undertake a mammoth trek to freedom in India.

The plot of this film is fairly simple as the protagonists struggle to survive in changing landscapes with meagre resources. At times realism and believability do fade away slightly but otherwise the action depicted is well grounded, never egregiously going beyond belief. While there are some great locations the film some how never really manages to capture the scale of the journey or offer much depth to the story so in the end this is a pretty average watch.

3/5

Not so revolutionary

Les Miserables (2012)

Directed by Tom Hooper this film based on the musical and novel of the same name stars Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway and Amanda Seyfried. An ex-convict that has broken his parole tries to do good but is pursued by a policeman in 1800s France.

It seems that the plot of the film largely follows that of the musical on which it is based with the main theme being can a person change their nature. At times the plot diverts a little too much from the story story of the Valjean and Javert for my liking but over all works fairly well. There are some good performances from the cast but when it comes to the staging what is impressive in a theatre is less so when you take away the restrictions and have CGI in your arsenal.

4/5

Parent problems

As Cool As I Am (2013)

Directed by Max Mayer this film based on the novel of the same name stars Sarah Bolger, Claire Danes, James Marsden and Thomas Mann. As a girl turns 16 she starts to realise that her parents will never be the people she wants them to be and becomes an adult.

Seeming to stick pretty close to it's source material this film is a pretty standard coming of age tale. There might not be much new here but it is still a fairly well told story that does most things right. Overall there are some decent performances but nothing special and it is nice to see a cameo from Peter Fonda at the end of the film.

3/5

Dark days in the California sunshine

A Place in the Sun (1951)

Directed by George Stevens this adaptation of the novel “An American Tragedy” stars Montgomery Cliff, Elizabeth Taylor and Shelley Winters. A working class man gets a job from his rich relatives, gets a factory girl pregnant and falls in love with a socialite.

Initially this seems like a fairly average melodrama but the plot takes a decidedly dark getting some serious mature material past the production code of the time. Where the plot falls down slightly is the romance between the protagonist and the socialite being too quick to be believable but otherwise is an interesting watch. What is most impressive is that despite the events the film manages to portray all the characters in a sympathetic light right up to the end of the film.

4/5

No sequel for you

Last Action Hero (1993)

Directed by John McTiernan this film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Austin O'Brien, Charles Dance, Anthony Quinn and Bridgette Wilson. A young boy obsessed with action films gets a magic ticket and ends up inside the sequel to his favourite film.

Despite bombing at the time of release this is actually a really fun film with plenty of genre references and cameos. While the plot may not exactly be subtle it is still an interesting idea and shows a refreshing level of self awareness in a genre that often trends towards the silly or unbelievable. Some of the special effects are not exactly perfect to modern viewing but largely the film holds up well and Arnie is perfectly cast in the lead role.

4/5

Two best moments of a viewers life

Hide Away (2011)

Directed by Chris Eyre this film stars Josh Lucas, Ayelet Zurer, James Cromwell and Jon Tenney. A man grieving for his wife and children buys a dilapidated sail boat.

This is a slow moving and minimalist film that really struggles to fill it's run time. While the plot is handled fairly sensitively and without drifting into melodrama it never really goes into enough detail to properly tell the story at hand. Mostly the film is well shot and acted but that does not make up for the lack of content.

2/5

No regrets

La Vie en Rose (2007)

Directed by Olivier Dahan this film based on a true story stars Marion Cotillard, Gerard Depardieu and Sylvie Testud. This is the story of Edith Piaf from her youth in poverty to success as a singer and eventual health problems and death.

It seems that mostly this film sticks to historical events without getting involved in too much speculation but there is a pretty obvious omission of anything involving the singer during World War 2. The story is very much a warts and all account told in a non-linear fashion which is slightly confusing at times but not overly so. Clearly the best part of this film is Marion Cotilard's Oscar winning performance in the title role which is massively impressive and worth watching for alone.

4/5

Unchained melodies

Django Unchained (2012)

Written and directed by Quentin Tarantino this film stars Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington and Samuel L. Jackson. A former slave attempts to free his wife with the help of an eccentric German bounty hunter.

As with any Tarantino film this film is a synthesis of many different films and stories but manages to be both funny and entertaining despite it's dark subject matter. While the film always holds your attention it does seem to lack the depth of Tarantino's other films, especially in contrast to Inglourious Basterds (2009) for example. When it comes to Tarantino's direction the one question for me has always been could he shoot landscape but here he proves he can with some really great mountain and snow sequences in particular.

4/5

Reboot leaves you Cross

Alex Cross (2012)

Directed by Rob Cohen this film based on the novel Cross stars Tyler Perry, Matthew Fox and Edward Burns. Police hunt a contract killer who is hunting down corporate targets before coming after the police as well.

This is a reboot of the Alex Cross character who previously featured in Kiss the Girls (1997) and Along Came a Spider (2001) which stared Morgan Freeman in the same role. Most of the problems with this film come from the plot that would better fit a 90s cheesy thriller than anything that claims to be at all serious, think too much or at all here and you are going to have a bad time. When it comes to the lead role I am not really sure that Tyler Perry has the chops to replace someone like Morgan Freeman and seems fairly out of place in this film.

2/5

No truth, no dare

Truth or Dare (2012)

Directed by Robert Heath this film stars Florence Hall, Liam Boyle, David Oakes, Jennie Jacques and Jack Gordon. A group of teenagers head off to celebrate a friends birthday at a remote cabin on a private estate.

Although this is billed as a horror film it is never really scary and simply relies on gore and a bit of tension to get by. Nearly all the problems with this film come from the script which leaves you with barely anyone to route for as nearly all the characters are pretty horrid. While the director does not have much to work with there is no much tension here and little to scare you other than the poor choices the script takes.

2/5

Yet more dinosaurs

Jurassic Park 3 (2001)

Directed by Joe Johnston this film stars Sam Neill, William H. Macey, Tea Leoni and Alessandro Nivola. Doctor Grant is tricked into returning to a dinosaur infested island to help a couple find their missing son.

Nearly everything about this sequel is a token effort, from the plot on down it is a check list of items to fill out the requirements of getting the job done. In places the story gets a bit silly even for a franchise about dinosaur cloning and none of the action sequences are that impressive. The special effects are decent but seem to include a fair amount of green screen work.

3/5

Going South in the North

Bear Island (1979)

Directed by Don Sharp this film based on the novel of the same name stars Donald Sutherland, Vanessa Redgrave, Richard Widmark, Christopher Lee and Lloyd Bridges. An international group of climate scientists travel to a remote Arctic island but is everyone who they claim to be?

As you would expect with any film based on an Alistair MacLean novel there are plenty of twists along the way in this thriller but it does not exactly stick that closely to it's source material. There is a good cast but the script does not really play up the tension inherent in the situation of unknown killers among stranded scientists. We get some nice snow scape footage but nothing remarkable and in general this is an average execution of an average thriller plot.

3/5

Another wannabe thug

My Brother the Devil (2012)

Written and Directed by Sally El Hosaini this film stars James Floyd, Fady Elsayed and Said Taghmaoui. The younger son of a family of Egyptian immigrants in London looks to emulate his older brother and become involved in the criminal life.

Despite being pretty well made in all areas this is a fairly average entry into a crowded genre of coming of age stories told against the background of low level crime. About the only unusual element here is the inclusion of a gay story line but while unusual is not exactly ground breaking. Most of the direction and acting is good but like the rest of the film it is solid rather than impressive.

3/5

More strangeness in the neighbourhood

Ghostbusters 2 (1989)

Directed by Ivan Reitman this film stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver and Harold Ramis. Five years after the events of the first film once again strange things are happening in New York and you can guess who is on the case.

At the time of release this film was a smash hit at the box office but the plot is no great shakes. Most of what you would expect goes on here although Ernie Hudson gets a surprising lack of screen time like no one knows what to do with his character. Most of the effects are decent like the original but the film is not as packed with humour as it's predecessor.

3/5

If it bleeds we can kill it

Predator (1987)

Directed by John McTiernan this film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger and Carl Weathers. A group of mercenary soldiers are sent into the jungle in central America on a rescue mission but get more than they bargained for.

What plot there is for this film is fairly thin but honestly if you came to this sort of film looking for plot then you are probably in the wrong place anyway. The story works pretty effectively for what it is but does have the odd hole here if you stop and think about what is happening. Some of the special effects, such as the predator vision, have dated but mostly the film holds together as a fun if over the top action film.

3/5

Ar Go Fuck Yourself

Argo (2012)

Directed by Ben Affleck this film stars it's director as well as Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin and John Goodman. In 1979 during the Iranian revolution 6 American embassy workers manage to not be caught and held hostage like their co-workers but need a way out of Iran.

There is plenty of this film that has it's footings in what really happened but there are also plenty of departures from real events with in the story as well. The script does a good, if slightly cynical, job of crafting a taut and suspenseful escape from a dangerous situation. Probably this film is one that has been over praised but it is still a good watch if not a film that will go down as a classic.

4/5

In a flap

The Birds (1963)

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock this film inspired by real events and the novella of the same name stars Rod Taylor and Tippi Hedren. A socialite visits a small sea side town and the town is menaced by crazed birds.

The plot of this film is nothing special and the characters themselves do not really have much depth or growth. Compared to any number of other Hitchcock films of the same era this is not his best work but it is still serviceable. As you would expect there are some nice touches from the master director and the set pieces work well without the special effects dating as much as you would expect.

4/5

WW2 spy games

Cottage to Let (1941)

Directed by Anthony Asquith this film stars Leslie Banks, Alastair Sim, John Mills, Carla Lehmann and George Cole. During WW2 one of the new arrivals at a scientists country estate in Scotland is a spy but who is it?

This spy film is pretty standard fare and fits in well with other period propaganda and paranoia pieces. Most of the plot is fairly simple and as you would expect, it is not an overly complex mystery but it does give away the game a little too early to be very gripping. George Cole in the child evacuee role has the potential to be an annoying no it all but actually works pretty well with in the film.

3/5

A big reject and lots of little ones

The Bad News Bears (1976)

Directed by Micahel Ritchie this film stars Walter Matthau, Tatum O'Neal, Chris Barnes and Jackie Earle Haley. An alcoholic former baseball player gets paid to coach a team of rejects in a childrens baseball league.

This is a fairly simple and uncomplicated film that brings a rough edge to an otherwise mostly light hearted genre. While the film is mostly well made and well intentioned it is a fairly easy watch that does not really challenge the viewer and is not exactly full of comedy. The film is largely well made but I am not sure it has enough personality to really carry the story it is telling.

3/5

Workers of the world unite!

Strike (1925)

Directed by Sergei Eisenstein this Soviet propaganda film was the director's debut film. Workers in a factory go on strike after a worker wrongly accused of theft is over come with shame and hangs himself.

As with all propaganda cinema you have to take the highly biased content of this film with a rather large pinch of salt. In the opening parts of this film there are some really nice use of image such as the repeated use of circles to imply unity and solidarity but this is not really sustained through out the film. There are some decent elements to this film but as with many first efforts it is a director still trying to establish a style.

3/5