Balls of balls

Balls of Fury (2007)

Directed by Ben Garant this film stars Dan Fogler, George Lopez, Maggie Q, Christopher Walken and James Hong. A washed up table tennis start that failed at the 1988 Olympics is recruited by the FBI to infiltrate a secret table tennis tournament set up by a crime boss.

There are a ton of sports film parodies out there and this one does very little to stand out from the crowd. At times it seems like the plot is just going through the motions and does not really hold together that well. Jokes are a little too sparse for this to be a full comedy and only Walken doing one of his bizarre performances holds your attention at all.

2/5

Machete don't tweet

Machete Kills (2013)

Directed by Robert Rodriguez this sequel stars Danny Trejo, Michelle Rodriguez, Amber Herd and Sofia Vergara. Our hero is sent South of the US-Mexico border to deal with a revolutionary holding the USA hostage to a missile attack.

There is not much subtle about this homage to exploitation cinema but it is a pretty fun ride even if it occasionally bogs down in exposition. Occasionally the film hints at some fairly relevant issues to do with immigration and US-Mexican relations but these are mostly just as a back drop. Some of the special effects are intentionally clunky and the direction does capture that cheap grindhouse feel.

3/5

Better than expected

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)

Directed by Chris Columbus this film stars Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Tim Curry and Catherine O'Hara. While his family is heading off to Miami for Christmas our mischief maker accidentally ends up in New York.

For most of this film the film makers manage to keep the tone of the original without repeating events too closely as to make this seem like just a remake. Oddly it is the big battle finale which goes too close to the original for my taste but still this is an entertaining watch and a good sequel. The film is well made and manages not to ram the Christmas message too strongly down the throats of the audience.

3/5

A play without a play

Glumov's Diary (1923)

Directed by Sergei Eisenstein this is a collection of inserts from an adaptation of the play of the same name. The scenes star Grigori Aleksandrov, Aleksandr Antonov and Mikhail Gomorov.

Watching these inserts by themselves it is pretty hard to work out any plot or connecting threat so in that sense this is not really a film, short or otherwise. Where the film has it's strengths is in some nice early special effects that show the start of the career of one of the masters of early Russian cinema. There is entertainment to be had here but only as a curiosity really.

2/5

If Pixar and Marvel had a child....

Big Hero Six (2014)

Directed by Don Hall & Chris Williams this film based on the comic of the same has voices from Scott Adsit, Ryan Potter, Maya Rudolph and T. J. Miller. Following the death of his older brother a teenage genius adapts a medical robot to help him find out what happened.

This film deviates in a pretty big way from it's source material and more of what you would expect of a Pixar take on a Marvel film. As enjoyable as this film is it lacks some depth and does not really explore the themes of loss fully enough. Despite all the flaws I really enjoyed this film, there is plenty to like here, it is just a shame it does not fully explore the idea of a Japanese team of super heroes like the comic does.

4/5  

Mossy on down to the Red Sea

Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014)

Directed by Ridley Scott this Biblical epic stars Christian Bale, Joel Edgerton, John Turturro and Ben Kingsley. A man raised by Egyptian royalty finds he is of Jewish decent like the salves the kingdom relies on.

Starting from a modern view point I found this to be a slightly different and interesting take on the well known story. The story unfolds well and while not completely faithful to it's source material I found it entertaining as a non-believer. Some of the casting is a serious problem but if you can look past that then this is a decent entry into a nearly dead genre.

4/5

A monster in New York

Cloverfield (2008)

Directed by Matt Reeves this film stars Michael Stahl-David, Odette Yustman, T. J. Miller, Jessica Lucas and Lizzy Caplan. Attractive 20-somethings try to escape New York during a monster attack.

Thanks to being presented as a special effects film this is essentially a special effects film with bad camera work which is kind of a bad idea in my opinion. Both the characters and the plot have no depth which is a shame for a film made when New York under attack was still a very raw and topical subject. I found that all this film succeeded in doing was giving me a head ache thanks to the shaky and often unintelligible camera work.

2/5

Chicken Dance

Hen Hop (1942)

Directed by Norman Mclaren this is an animated short film. A chicken dances round to music as the animation becomes more abstract.

This is a pretty simple film with a simple animation style. The chicken and bits of chicken dancing round is entertaining but not especially insightful. As a passing distraction I found this enjoyable but not much more.

3/5

The daddy of Norfolk radio returns

Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa (2013)

Directed by Declan Lowney this film based on the television series of the title character stars Steve Coogan, Colm Meaney and Felicity Montagu. A small time local radio host with an ego and aspirations beyond his station finds himself the centre of a hostage crisis.

Taking a television character to the big screen is not easy but it works well here and the film is amusing through out. The story has a few digs at the direction of modern radio while providing plenty of laughs and cringes at the protagonist. While the end result is not very “cinematic” it does work in a longer version.

4/5

All the wrong moves

Suzanne (2013)

Directed by Katell Quillevere this film stars Sara Forestier, Francois Damiens and Adele Haenel. A 17 year old girl gets pregnant and over a number of years we watch her make all the wrong decisions.

I found this to be an entertaining watch but I never felt we really got inside the head of the protagonist or the feel had any deeper message. There is not really much growth for the protagonist just a series of bad choices. The cast give some good performances and the direction is solid.

3/5

Gonna party like it's 1899

Cinderella (1899)

Directed by Georges Melies this film stars Mlle Barral, Bleuette Bernon, Carmelli and Jehanne d'Alcy. A young woman is not allowed to attend the ball, thankfully her fairy godmother rocks up to save the day.

Benefiting from being based on a well known story this film does not necessarily give the complete tale of Cinderella but it does manage to squeeze a lot into six minutes. As with an Melies film the special effects and more dream like sequences are the highlight of the film. This may still be early in his film making process but this is a good watch from Melies.

3/5

The shoe fits

Cinderella (2015)

Directed by Kenneth Branagh this adaptation of the well known fairy tale stars Lily James, Cate Blanchett, Richard Madden and Stellan Skarsgard. A young woman who is used as a domestic slave by her step mother and step sisters falls in love with the prince of the land.

This is a pretty gentle and traditional adaptation of a very well known story. Somewhat disappointingly there is nothing fresh or any real finesse about this version given all the talent involved. Probably the best thing about this film is the supporting cast but even they mostly seem to be just picking up a nice pay cheque.

3/5

A happy robot chappie

Chappie (2015)

Directed & co-written by Neill Blomkamp this film stars Sharlto Copley, Dev Patel, Ninja, Yolandi Visser and Hugh Jackman. In South Africa a police robot is given an experimental AI and raised by a criminal gang.

At times both the plot and characters of this film are a bit too simplistic, with the script never really delving into the deeper sci-fi or human themes. Where the script does work is in the charm of it's title character and his growth giving a small window into how some are raised into a life of crime in South Africa. The special effects are decent and so are the performances but it feels like the script needs another draft or two despite having some charm to it.

3/5

The morning train

Daybreak Express (1953)

Directed by D. A. Pennebaker this is a short film set to the music of Duke Ellington. We explore the early morning commute in New York.

There is not a huge amount to this film but the camera work is really nice. The images capture the city in the early morning and has some nice cityscapes . I found this to be an entertaining little documentary that is not really that experimental.

3/5  

Contra to popular belief

Kill the Messenger (2014)

Directed by Michael Cuesta this film based on a true story stars Jeremy Renner, Romsemarie DeWitt, Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Michael Sheen. During the 1990s a reporter at a minor American newspaper investigates alleged links between the CIA and drug dealers.

While this is an entertaining watch I am not sure it ever really gets to grips with the contraversial nature of it's subject. The script is a little too far on the side of the protagonist to handle things objectively. Despite the flaws I enjoyed the film and it has a great supporting cast filling many minor roles.

3/5

Close encounter of the turd kind

Hanover Street (1979)

Written & directed by Peter Hyams this film stars Harrison Ford. Lesley-Anne Down and Christopher Plummer. In London in 1943 an American bomber pilot falls in love with a woman who turns out to be married.

Taking homage from romantic war time films of the 1940s and 1950s this film attempts to mix romance with action and ends up missing the boat completely. Nearly every cliché in the book is attempted and goes wrong here with a story that is massively disappointing, filled with paper thin characters. It is hard to find much to praise here and I only watched this film as it has Harrison Ford in it.

2/5

Seven years, several changes

Seven Years in Tibet (1997)

Directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud this film based on real events stars Brad Pitt, David Thewlis and B. D. Wong. In 1939 an arrogant Austrian climber travels to the Himalayas, becomes a POW and escapes to live in Tibet for seven years.

While this is a story based on true events history does not get in the way of the film maker's agenda. The story manages to stay clear of what could easily be an overly melodramatic change for the protagonist and is entertaining even if not completely truthful. What is clearly the highlight of this film is the scenery and locations which are pretty stunning, unlike Brad Pitt's attempts at accents.

3/5

Dancing bridges

Bridges-Go-Round (1958)

Directed by Shirley Clarke this is an experimental short film. We see a montage of various New York City bridges set to music.

I actually enjoyed this short quite a lot and while it does not have a lot of depth it is a nice experiment in using a camera to create motion in things that never move. The various sky lines and bridges are good to look at and provide a nice back drop for the film. Certainly this is one of the experimental films I have enjoyed more.

3/5

Red-y for a better sequel than this

Red 2 (2013)

Directed by Dean Parisot this film stars Bruce Willis, Mary-Louise Parker, John Malkovic and Helen Mirren. Our heroes are on the run again after details of a secret operation from the Cold War is leaked online.

Again there is a great cast with even more good actors added in this time but this sequel fails to really capture the fun of the original. Most of the time it feels like the film is just going through the numbers. Our protagonists also seem to slaughter a rather large number of people that are not bad guys and just trying to protect the world which does not really sit right.

2/5

Losing focus

Focus (2015)

Directed by Glenn Ficarra & John Requa this film stars Will Smith and Margot Robbie. An experienced con man takes an inexperienced woman under his wing to learn the tricks of the trade.

Unfortunately this film is not as intelligent or as slick as it thinks it is and the characters are disappointingly lacking in depth. While the film may be superficially entertaining it never really surprises the viewer, telegraphs it's twists and does not always hold together. The cast do the best they can with what they have but the script needs some extra work in my opinion.

2/5

An 1890s tale of cockblocking

Pauvre Pierrot (1892)

Directed by Charles-Emile Renaud this is an early animated film. A man goes to woo a woman only to have pranks played on him by a rival lover.

What stands out about this film is that the animation and art are really high quality, especially for being one of the first animated films ever made. The plot is pretty simple but compared to some of the animated films that follow this the standard of image is much higher. While the story might not do more than raise a slight chuckle in places it's still a good watch.

4/5

A journey through defeat

Lore (2012)

Directed by Cate Shortland this film based on a story from the book “The Dark Room” stars Saskia Rosendahl, Kai Malina and Nele Trebs. In the days after the end of WW2 the eldest daughter of an SS officer leads her younger siblings across Germany to try to get to their grandmother in Hamburg.

The plot of this film is about the clash between the Nazi ideology the protagonist was raised with in and the defeated Germany she finds herself in. It seems there are some deviations between the film and it's source material but this is still a strong story reminiscent of Germany, Year Zero (1948). Directed in a very slow and withdrawn style I found this to be a really enjoyable film that really captures the mood of it's characters.

4/5

Weak YA adaptation

How I Live Now (2013)

Directed by Kevin Macdonald this film based on the novel of the same name stars Saoirse Ronan, Tom Holland and Harley Bird. A 16 year old teenage girl from the US is sent to spend the summer in the English countryside with her cousins just as WW3 starts.

The first third of this film is a really bad teen romance with a standard manic pixie dream boy and the rest of the film never gets to grips with the darker side of the material. Kids living through WW3 is an interesting hook but the film never lives up to it's promise sadly. It also feels like a lot of the character depth that may have been in the book is dumped out to make the plot fit into a film.

2/5

Not a piece of

Cake (2014)

Directed by Daniel Barnz this film stars Jennifer Aniston, Adriana Barraza, Sam Worthington and Anna Kendrick. A woman who lives with chronic pain struggles with the loss of her son and the suicide of one of the members of her support group for people with chronic pain.

There is nothing especially original or insightful about this film but it is a well handled film about a subject that could easily stray into melodrama. Thankfully the film ignores the overly sentimental pitfalls to give a well balanced feel to the film. The performances are decent but at times it feels like there is some scenes that must have been cut with so many big name actors in supporting roles that are barely on the screen.

3/5

Reasonless

Return to Reason (1923)

Directed by Man Ray this is an experimental abstract film. Various objects, shapes and textures jiggle about on the screen.

Another abstract film, another fruitless search for meaning on my part. While there are some interesting shapes and textures on the screen I could not find any more to the film. Thankfully this is not a long film and some versions come with a later musical accompanyment.

2/5

Taken on a plane

Non-Stop (2014)

Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra this film stars Liam Neeson, Julianne Moore, Michelle Dockery and Lupita Nyong'o. An alcoholic air marshal finds himself the centre of a ransom plot as an unknown person threatens to kill passengers on the plane he is travelling on.

The plot of this film paints itself into a corner and ends up finding it has no clever way out. While the story is not too bad it is not really believable and at times it feels like only token efforts were made to flesh out characters. Surprisingly there is a really strong supporting cast but they do not really have much to do.

2/5

No hope, only confusion

Paradise: Hope (2012)

 Directed by Ulrich Seidl this film stars Melanie Lenz, Verena Lehbauer, Joseph Lorenz and Viviane Bartsch. While her mother is on holiday in Kenya a 13 year old girl spends the summer at a fat camp where she forms a crush on the middle aged doctor.

 This film is fairly ambiguous at times which leaves you wondering just what has happened in some scenes. There are plenty of scenes that make you uneasy but I am not sure the story ever really makes clear what it is talking about. I thought the acting and direction was good but found the story a little hard to pick apart for deeper meaning.

 3/5

T-t-t-t-that's a winner folks

Knighty Knight Bugs (1958)

Directed by Friz Freleng this is an Oscar winning animated short with voices by Mel Blanc. King Arthur sends a court jester (Bugs Bunny) to recover a singing sword from the Black Knight (Yosemite Sam).

Despite being the only Bugs Bunny cartoon to ever win an Oscar I do not think this is the best or funniest of Bugs's cartoon. There are some good jokes but not as many as I would expect and the pacing is a little slow. The animation is good but not stand out levels.

3/5

More sick relatives than you can shake a stick at

Paradise: Love (2012)

Directed by Ulrich Seidl this film stars Margarethe Tiesel, Peter Kazungu, Inge Maux and Dunja Sowinetz. A middle aged Austrian woman travels to Kenya as a sex tourist.

This is a fairly unique film in that you rarely see the topic of women that pay for sex covered and it does a good job of exploring the topic. I found the film very reminiscent of Our Trip to Africa (1966) with interesting comparisons and contrasts in what has changed in the way Europeans exploit Africa. There are good performances from the cast, especially Tiesel who really captures the woman naively looking for love.

4/5

Basement buddies

Me and You (2012)

Directed by Bernardo Bertolucci this film based on the novel of the same name stars Jacopo Olmo Antinori and Tea Falco. A 14 year old Italian boy's plans to bunk off a school ski trip and spend a week living alone in a basement are interrupted by his older half sister.

Given the age of the protagonist you can easily guess this is a coming of age story and it does not offer a huge amount that is new to the genre. The story moves a long at a fairly sedate pace and does not really do anything wrong. With a director of the talent of Bertolucci things are handled well but there is not much that is remarkable about this film.

3/5