Insanity isn't even the start

Birdman (2014)

Directed by Alejandro G. Inarritu this film stars Michael Keaton, Edward Norton, Emma Stone, Naomi Watts and Zach Galifianakis. A film actor famous for his work on a super hero franchise tries to put together a play with artistic merit to create a legacy for himself.

At times it is hard to pin down what this film is preciesely but it is always entertaining and has plenty of depth. The plot is very much poking at the life of actors as well as the world of theatre and film with an interesting intertwining of the protagonist's life with the role he has in the play he is working on. There are a ton of long takes shot with steady cam that give the film a frenetic energy and must have been very hard to pull off.

5/5

Japan's first

Maple Leaf Viewing (1899)

Directed by Shibata Tsunekichi this short film stars Onoe Kikugoro V and Ichikawa Danjuro IX. A swordsman defeats a demon disguised as a Princess.

This is the earliest Japanese film and to be honest the image quality is not great. I found it hard to make out what was happening despite the really simple plot of the story. As a historical record no doubt this is an important film but for viewing entertainment it does not have much going for it in my opinion.

1/5

It's to Bollywood that we go, for this tale of Juliet and her Romeo

Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela (2013)

Directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali this film stars Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone. A man and woman fall in love but their relationship is hampered by the fact they come from rival crime families that divide a small Indian town.

This is Romeo and Juliet filtered through Baz Luhrmann by way of Bollywood with a final third that is more like The Godfather (1972). As a straight up adaptation of Romeo and Juliet the plot wandered too much for my taste but was still entertaining through out. The protagonists are a little old to really capture Shakespeare's tale of teenage obsession but the colour and pageantry of the film are worth seeing.

3/5

Clingy love from beyond the grave

Burying the Ex (2014)

Directed by Joe Dante this film stars Anton Yelchin, Ashley Greene and Alexandra Daddario. When he starts to pursue a new relationship a young man finds his clingy ex-girlfriend has come back from the dead.

There is a fair amount of promise in the premise of this film but it does not go anywhere especially interesting. Most of the plot is as you would expect and while there is the odd funny moment as a comedy you would not say this film is especially funny. The cast do what they can but there is not a huge amount to work with really.

3/5

Indian blockbusting bonanza

Chennai Express (2013)

Directed by Rohit Shetty this film stars Shahrukh Khan and Deepika Padukone. An unmarried 40 year old gets on a train and ends up kidnapped along with a mobster's daughter who is facing an arranged marriage she does not want.

Ending up as something of a mixed bag this film mashes up Rom-com, action comedy and screw ball comedy into a film that is a bit long and often not as funny as it should be. There are some hints at something more beyond the basic plot with a lot of the comedy based around the language differences in India and the idea of India as a nation of different peoples. The editing is really slick and the cinematography is full is amazing colours but at times over sentimentality is used like a sledge hammer.

4/5

Bored by the board

Humours Phases of Funny Faces (1906)

Directed and animated by J. Stuart Blackton this is a short animated film. Various short scenes are shown drawn in chalk on a blackboard.

There is not a huge amount to this film in terms of content but it is well known as it is considered to be a historical milestone. Using stop motion animation of chalk figures is created with occasional real time interaction by the animator. For a short distraction this is not too bad but it is not much more than that.

3/5

The path of true love is as clear as mud

Mud (2012)

Written & directed by Jeff Nichols this film stars Tye Sheridan, Jacob Lofland, Matthew McConaughey and Reese Witherspoon. A 14 year old boy and his friend discover a man living in a boat up a tree in the woods.

This is a coming of age tale rooted in the Mississippi and the legacy of Mark Twain. While there is not a huge amount that is strikingly original here it fits solidly in as a genre piece that covers the points you would expect well. Sometimes the story elements are sign posted a little too clearly but otherwise this is a well made effort.

3/5

Lashings of abuse

Whiplash (2014)

Written & directed by Damien Chazelle this film stars Miles Teller and J. K. Simmons. A 19 year old aspiring jazz drummer joins the jazz band of a bullying, abusive teacher.

No doubt this film has great performances from it's leads and does a really good job of putting the viewer in the position of being as nervous as the protagonist at when his abusers next explosion will be. On the down side I would say that the plot is rarely subtle and I have some reservations about the implications of the plot. If nothing else this is an intense watch that captures an abusive relationship excellently.

4/5

Round things

Circles (1933)

Directed by Oskar Fischinger this is an experimental animated short film. Animated circles move and pulsate to music.

Compared to Allegretto (1936), which I really enjoyed, I found this to be a weaker film which is probably not surprising as it was made earlier. The animation is not really that remarkable and while it does fit the music it is not as good of a fit as Allegretto. No doubt it required skill and patience to make this film but I would point views the way of it's successor.

3/5

Average Mike

Magic Mike (2012)

Directed by Steven Soderbergh this film stars Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer, Cody Horn and Matthe McConaughey. An aspiring entrepreneur working as a male stripper takes a younger man under his wing and introduces him to the world of stripping.

This is a pretty familiar cautionary tale about living a hedonistic life style with the only “fresh” element being that the film is about male strippers. I did not find the film had much of interest to say about the world it is set in but is a decently enough made effort. While it is disappointing that there is not more to the film beyond the surface elements it still has more than a steady hand walking us through proceedings.

3/5

Bizarre brothers

Being Bhaijaan (2014)

Directed by Shabani Hassanwalia & Samreen Farooqui this is a documentary from India. We follow two super fans of Bollywood star Salman Khan.

What starts off as a pretty innocent look at those obsessed with a film star takes a turn when it reveals some of bizarre/darker views the subjects have on women and sex. While the subject matter of the film is narrow and the run time short this film does give a good window into both modern India and cult of cinematic masculinity there. I found this to be a really interesting lens to look at life in India through.

4/5

The problems with time travel

Project Almanac (2015)

Directed by Dean Israelite this film stars Jonny Weston, Sofia Black D'Elia, Sam Lerner, Allen Evangelista and Virginia Gardner. A high school student that wants to go to MIT discovers plans his father left for a time machine and time travels with his friends.

There is a lot of promise in the premise of this film but it falls far short of doing anything interesting. Events become a bit of a jumble thanks to all the time travel and I do not think this is an intentional affect like in Primer (2004). The worst part is presenting the whole film as found footage which is seems to be an excuse for some really annoying camera work that constantly took me out of the film.

2/5

A bit of leg leads to trouble

The Gay Shoe Clerk (1903)

Directed by Edwin S. Porter this short film of the silent era stars Edward Boulden. A young lady shows some leg to the clerk fitting her for a new shoe, he kisses her and the lady's escort hits him with an umbrella.

There is not a huge amount to this film and it barely lasts more than a minute. The plot is pretty much as described above and might raise a momentary chuckle at most. It is hard to expect much more from these early shorts but I suppose for the era this is a well made film.

3/5

Wacky heroes of cinema

Supermen of Malegaon (2012)

Directed by Faiza Ahmad Khan this this is some where between a making of documentary and an exploration of a sub-culture. Impoverished Muslims in an industrial Indian city make near zero budget parodies of Bollywood and Hollywood films they love.

This is a fun look at the love of cinema and the way it inspires people to create themselves. Despite having few resources pretty impressive results are achieved by those working on the fan film which is a real inspiration. The film manages to capture something universal even though it is looking at a very unique situation.

4/5

Too British

The Theory of Everything (2014)

Directed by James Marsh this film based on the story of Stephen Hawking and his first wife stars Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones. One of the great minds of our time finds himself trapped in a body which he is slowly losing control of.

There is something quintessentially British about the gentle and reserved nature of this film but I think it does the film's subjects a disservice by not being a warts and all piece. At times the film's agenda is just a little too clear, straying from history too much for my taste. Clearly the highlight is Redmayne's performance in the main role and he does a great job physically transforming himself.

4/5

Delusions not taken seriously

Lovesick (2014)

Directed by Luke Matheny this film stars Matt LeBlanc, Ali Larter and Adam Rodriguez. The principle of an elementary school becomes delusional every time he falls in love.

This film's big mistake is trying to make a cute romantic comedy out of what is a pretty serious mental health problem and would result in dangerous behaviour in real life. Unfortunately it's hard to get passed that major misstep and see much more here. The cast do their best but to be honest there isn't a lot to work with anyway in terms of humour.

2/5

Fly buzz

A Legy (1980)

Written and directed by Frenec Rofusz this is an Academy Award winning animated short film. From the point of view of a fly we buzz about a house.

This film is pretty much what it says, an impression of what it is like to be a fly buzzing about in it's day to day life. While this is a fairly well made film I would not say there is much remarkable or any great depth about it. The animation style is decent enough but did not do much for me.

3/5

A Tamil cinematic origin story

An American in Madras (2013)

Directed by Karan Bali this is a documentary on the American film maker Ellis R Dungan. An American heads to India just as cinema is making the transition to sound and becomes one of the pioneers of Tamil cinema.

This documentary is an interesting look at one of the more unexpected careers in cinema given how separate we imagine American and Indian film making to be. The documentary does a good job of collecting together relevant contributors and has moments of criticism as well as praise. While this may not be a particularly deep documentary it is certainly an interesting diversion for 80 minutes.

3/5

Missed the meadows

Miss Meadows (2014)

Written & directed by Karen Leigh Hopkins this film stars Katie Holmes and James Badge Dale. A prim substitute teacher who seems like she would be better off in the 1950s also kills criminals as a vigilante.

I have seen this film listed as both a drama and a thriller but it could also be a dark comedy, the problem is it fails to be none of these consistently. The film never hits a tone that it manages to carry all the way through, it is not funny enough to be a comedy but far to odd to be ever taken seriously. Katie Holmes is not too bad in the title role but much like the rest of the film I do not think she ever hits her stride either.

2/5

If you can take it you can make it.

Unbroken (2014)

Directed by Angelina Jolie this film based on a true story stars Jack O'Connell, Domhnall Gleeson and Miyavi. Louis Zamperini is the son of Italian immigrants to the US, he becomes an Olympic athlete then is captured by the Japanese during WW2.

There is not a lot that is unique or special about this survival/POW story, it covers a lot of familiar ground but does so well. While there maybe the odd element omitted it seems that this film largely sticks to historical facts. In the end this is a solid but not particularly special genre entry.

3/5

Gambling on a remake

The Gambler (2014)

Directed by Rupert Wyatt this film is a remake of the 1974 film of the same name and stars Mark Wahlberg. An English Literature professor has a gambling addiction coupled with a self destructive tendency.

There is plenty I enjoyed about this film, I thought it captured the protagonists dark side really well but was undercut by a disappointing love story that was unconvincing at best. Compared to the original it does seem this is a weaker effort even if it does a good job of showing some of the sickness of a gambling addiction. Most of the supporting cast are decent but the ending is a real let down in my opinion.

3/5

Voyage into Phalke and Benaras

Rangbhoomi (2013)

Directed by Kamal Swaroop this is a documentary presented by it's director and others. Searching for the life of Indian film pioneer Dabasaheb Phalke after he turned his back on cinema and became a recluse working in the theatre.

This is not a straight forward documentary, it uses portions of Phalke's autobiographical play of the same name as a starting point to explore the subjects later life. Mixing excerpts of the play with anecdotes from those living in Benaras is a little confusing at times but does manage to open up on the Phalke as well as the nature of art. No doubt this experimental effort will not be for all but is an interesting watch none the less.

4/5

Not as funny as it was contraversial

The Interview (2014)

Directed by Evan Goldberg and star Seth Rogen this film also features James Franco, Randall Park, Diana Bang and Lizzy Caplan. The host of an entertainment talk show scores an interview with the leader of North Korea and is tapped up by the CIA to kill him.

This is a film that knows what it is, not an overly intelligent satire but funny enough to keep you entertained. While there is nothing intelligent about he humour either it has it's moments and is some what more kind hearted that might appear on the surface. The performances are as you would expect from the stars but nothing remarkable.

3/5

If you go down to the woods in yesterday's era

 Desperate Poaching Affray (1903)

Directed by William Haggar this short film stars Sid Griffiths, Will Haggar Jr. and Walter Hagger. A group of hunters come across some poachers and it all kicks off.

There is little plot here but this is an early action sequence that will entertain for the short time it runs. If you want a bit more story you have to look elsewhere but this is a pretty good piece of action for the time it was made. Very occasionally some of the acting might be a little weak but things move to fast to dwell on such small problems.

3/5

Painting plagarism

Big Eyes (2014)

Directed by Tim Burton this film based on a true story stars Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz. A woman leaves her husband and moves to San Francisco where she marries an aspiring painter who takes credit for her work.

Surprisingly different from the rest of Tim Burton's work this biopic is in an interesting look at the art world and raises some pretty good questions on what art is. For the most part it seems that the film sticks to historical events, not taking huge liberties as some films do. Nothing stands out especially about the execution of the film but Waltz gives one of his usually wacky performances.

4/5

Not as cute as it seems

Sixteen Candles (1984)

Written & directed by John Hughes this film stars Molly Ringwald, Michael Schoeffling and Anthony Michael Hall. Waking up to find she feels no different on the morning of her sixteenth birthday our protagonist also finds her family has forgotten her birthday too.

This film does a good job of capturing that teenage insecurity when it comes to love and sex even if the plot is a little generic at times. Strangely for a John Hughes film there are sub plots with some really lazy racism and date rape vibes. If you can look past the flaws this is still a decent coming of age film and fits in well with John Hughes other films.

3/5

Musical revolutionary in Indian cinema

Pancham Unmixed (2009)

Directed by Brahmanand S. Singh this documentary features contributions from a large number of people in the Bollywood music business. We follow the career of R. D. Burnman also known as Pancham da who is credited with revolutionising the music of Bollywood.

As someone with little knowledge of Bollywood or music I thought this film did a good job of explaining what was special about it's subject but could have done a better job at showing what the state of Bollywood music was like before he began his career. Some more comparisons to contemporaries might have helped but this film does not fall into the the trap of just being hero worship at least. I really enjoyed the small glimpses of the different films from across the ears of Indian cinema that this film provided.

3/5

Under stated

Under the Skin (2013)

Directed by Jonathan Glazer this film based on the novel of the same name by Michel Faber stars Scarlett Johnasson. A strange woman drives round Glasgow in a van picking up men.

While undoubtedly there is something going on under the skin here I found the execution of the film to be too slow and vague even for my tastes. The script ends up straying pretty far from it's source material and while you can tease out some themes of race and genre from the film just far too much is left unexplained. Scarlett Johnasson gives a good performance as a protagonist that essentially has no personality but otherwise this film bored me a little at times.

2/5  

Meat mugging

Stop Thief! (1901)

Directed by James Williamson this short film from the silent era stars Sam Dalton. While carrying a joint of meat a butcher is robbed of by a tramp.

This is a simplistic short film that pretty much is exactly what it says on the tin. There is a bit of action in a chase sequence but there is not a huge amount to go on here. For what it is the film is fairly well made but at just over a minutes run time there is never going to be any depth here.

3/5  

Paint on film

Fiddle-de-dee (1947)

Directed by Norman McLaren this animated film features the song “Mocking Bird” played on a fiddle. Painted shapes dance and twist to music.

Painting directly onto film gives this movie an unique look and it does a really good job of visualising the music that accompanies it. While there is no narrative or attempt to add depth it is an interesting watch. You have to admire the skill that has created this animation frame by frame if nothing else.

3/5