Boston's boss

Black Mass (2015)

Directed by Scott Cooper this film based on true events stars Johnny Depp, Joel Edgerton, Benedict Cumberbatch and Rory Cochrane. In 1975 a crime lord of Irish decent in Boston is recruited by an FBI agent as an informer.

Using a large cast this film tells this story in a realistic and unglamorous way but always feels a bit more like a highlight reel than an in depth exploration of the characters. Covering a lot of familiar genre themes there is not a lot original here but it is well handled. Probably the highlight is seeing Depp give his best performance in a long time, certainly the most different character he has played in a while.

3/5

Fun with magnets

The Magnetized Man (1907)

Directed by Louis Feuillade this is a short film from the silent era. After an attempted mugging a man commissions a suit of armour but two young boys play a prank by getting the armour magnetized.

This is a pretty simple story built around one joke that while not especially funny at least works. I found the film entertaining if not deep. The direction and acting are all passable, the special effects for the gag work fine as well.

3/5

Murky moors make murder most maudlin

Macbeth (2015)

Directed by Justin Kurzel this film based on the play of the same name stars Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard. During a time of upheaval a Scottish lord is tempted by the prophecy of witches that he will become king one day.

Adapting it's source material well the only real question facing this film is that of execution. Never has Scotland or Macbeth looked as dark and moody as it does in this adaptation, providing excellent mise en scene through out. I have long been a fan of Kurosawa's version of Macbeth but this is now the best film version of the Scottish play to date.

5/5

A girl failed

Girl on the Edge (2015)

Directed by Jay Silverman this film based on a true story stars Taylor Spreitler, Peter Coyote, Gil Bellows and Amy Price-Francis. A 15 year old girl with substance abuse problems is sent to a treatment facility after being date raped.

Taking pretty dark subject matter this is unfortunately a weak story that offers little insight beyond simple platitudes. We never get enough depth on the supporting characters in particular and while the film claims to be based on a true story the fact it states it is loosely based on two treatment facilities but only shows one makes you more than suspicious. I also found the sound levels to be all over the place with some scenes inexplicably quieter than others.

1/5

Making a monster of a monster story

Victor Frankenstein (2015)

Directed by Paul McGuigan this film stars James McAvoy, Daniel Radcliffe and Jessica Brown Findlay. Saved from the circus and cured of being a hunchback a young man becomes the assistant to a medical student conducting dark experiments.

Taking a classic story this film attempts to put a modern twist on it but ends up being decidedly disappointing. Shoe horning in action and rattling through things at a break neck pace just dilutes the content leaving a weaker version of Mary Shelley's classic tale. James McAvoy does his best to chew the scenery but can't manage to carry the film.

2/5

Luke warm revenge

Badlapur (2015)

Directed by Sriram Raghavan this film stars Varun Dhawan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Huma Qureshi and Divya Dutta. Following the death of his wife and young son in a bank robbery a man seeks revenge on the criminal responsible.

Taking an twist on the usual revenge style thriller this film attempts to show the decent into darkness of it's protagonist and redemption of it's antagonist. While the plot provides a nice change unfortunately the character arcs do not work fully as it seems plot comes before character moments at times leaving the story to not be full convincing. The performances are decent but the screenplay needed another revision or two to really make this film work.

3/5

Two for one deal on spies

Bridge of Spies (2015)

Directed by Steven Spielberg this film inspired by real events stars Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance and Amy Ryan. During the early cold war an American lawyer is hired to defend an alleged Soviet spy then helps broker an exchange deal.

Surprisingly for a film directed by Spielberg with a script from the Coen brothers this film comes off as heavy handed and does not have a huge amount of depth to it. While this is an enjoyable watch with some interesting characters it is all just a bit too easy and the focus is on Tom Hanks's folksy charm winning the day rather than the more interesting characters. I suppose this is a decent film in the tradition of a Ford/Fonda collaboration but it fails to challenge the viewer or it's characters really.

3/5