The Lucky One
Tom Jones
A Marine travels to North Carolina after serving three tours in Iraq and searches for the unknown woman he believes was his good luck charm during the war.
If you start to notice more and more photos of women popping up in obscure places, this film is to blame. It gives single women hope that a man could be out there trying to find them right at this minute. Some may call it stalking, but apparently if he's incredibly good looking and has a pet dog it's not weird at all. This film ticks all women's boxes. It is romantic and sad at the same time. If this is what you're looking for, you're in luck.
Romantics Anonymous
Tom Jones
What happens when a man and a woman share a common passion? They fall in love.
This film is an endearing story of a chocolatier and her boss, both of them as hopeless as they are romantic. Set against the backdrop of a chocolate factory, in the city of love, this tasteful portrayal of boy meets girl will be the topic of conversation at all nursing home water-coolers. Even the sex scene is appropriately edited for its intended audience. The real charm of this film is found in the refreshing and smart slapstick comedy. A tasty delight.
The Raid
Tom Jones
A SWAT team becomes trapped in a tenement run by a ruthless mobster and his army of killers and thugs.
'This film contains scenes of violence' is an understatement when it comes to "The Raid". It's all violence, with a handful of scenes to remind you that there is a point to this mortal combat, even if that point is going to be forgotten as soon as the credits role. Surprisingly, the acting in these scenes is seriously impressive and actually heightens the reality and terror of the situation. But it's the fight scenes which will draw the crowd, and they are as ridiculous as they are entertaining. Finish him!
A Little Bit of Heaven
Tom Jones
A guarded woman finds out she's dying of cancer, but when she meets her match, the threat of falling in love is scarier than death.
This film is the most superficial and farcical depiction of a woman battling cancer ever to grace our screens. It goes so far the wrong way (think puns about colon cancer) that anyone who has experienced or been affected by the disease is likely to be offended by the way the subject is treated. The acting is of a quality you'd expect from a high school drama class and the script is terrible; heaven is a white cloud. Hard to like, even a little bit.
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
Tom Jones
A nine-year-old amateur inventor, Francophile, and pacifist searches New York City for the lock that matches a mysterious key left behind by his father, who died in the World Trade Center.
The centre of the world and its inhabitants, as seen and experienced through the eyes and mind of a young boy, are dynamically depicted in this film about loss and the journey one takes to feel found. The central plotline struggles to sustain your interest for the entirety and the loose ends could be tied quicker, but the moments where life and all its eccentricities are pulled back to a very literal and innocent place are quite compelling. All in all, extremely heartfelt, incredibly nice.
Shame
Tom Jones
In New York City, a man's carefully cultivated private life, which allows him to indulge his sexual addiction, is disrupted when his sister arrives unannounced for an indefinite stay.
It's ironic, a movie with a one-worded title conjures up so many more. To name but just a few, "Shame" is explicit, dark, confronting, honest and in every essence of the word, brilliant. Everything, absolutely everything, about the central character and his lifestyle is exposed, and yet at the same time the audience is denied a lot of context surrounding who, what and why for the film's entirety. However this conflict, along with everything else, simply works. In one word... shameless.
Man on a Ledge
Tom Jones
As a police psychologist works to talk down an ex-con who is threatening to jump from a Manhattan hotel rooftop, the biggest diamond heist ever committed is in motion.
Any film that starts with a car chase in a cemetery is bound to be good. "Man on Ledge" is packed with non-stop drama, suspense, action and characters. There are so many players in this game, each with their own rising stakes, and the way the multiple stories unfold simultaneously, with not a minute of screen time wasted, is incredibly smart and highly entertaining. Don’t let the title deceive you, the plot is a lot thicker and will keep you on the ledge of your seat.
The Darkest Hour
Tom Jones
In Moscow, five young people lead the charge against an alien race who have attacked Earth via our power supply.
What this film lacks in originality, it makes up for in its effects. The cinematography is seriously cool, particularly the large-scale depictions of Moscow as a ghost town, which will have you wondering 'how'd they do that?' The acting falls a bit on the melodramatic side and you kind of wish the invisible threat, which they are all running from, was more frightening. For a big budget, end of the world flick this does not fail to capture you for a darkest hour (and a half).
The Descendants
Tom Jones
A land baron tries to re-connect with his two daughters after his wife suffers a boating accident.
The depiction of suburban life in Hawaii adds some interest to this film, but the central dramas are not particularly compelling or original. The moments of potential intrigue don't last long enough, so the stakes for the hero character are never raised high enough to set your heart racing. The narrative voice-over is unwarranted, something the director obviously worked out a third of the way into making the film, as it's nowhere to be heard in last two thirds. Descending in more ways than one.
The Iron Lady
Tom Jones
A look at the life of Margaret Thatcher, the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
Romance or political drama? "The Iron Lady" could be shelved under either genre as it depicts the political rise and fall of Margaret Thatcher against the backdrop of her mourning the passing of her husband. There is a nice balance of both plotlines and the inclusion of real footage adds conviction to this film. The performance of the lead is so convincing it's like a Madame Tussauds figure coming to life. Thatcher herself endorsed 'doing something' rather than trying to be 'somebody'. With that in mind, do something... go and see this film.
New Year's Eve
Tom Jones
The lives of several couples and singles in New York intertwine over the course of New Year's Eve.
Another occasion where 99.9% of the funding is spent on star power and the rest goes to the scriptwriter. Remember show and tell? Well New Years Eve is more tell, without the show. Characters relay so much information about themselves and the situation in every line, but you never actually see anything. It is over the top. The ball dropping at midnight is treated like a military operation complete with presidential style press conferences. When it comes to New Years, hold out for the real thing.
Something Borrowed
Tom Jones
Friendships are tested and secrets come to the surface when terminally single Rachel falls for Dex, her best friend Darcy's fiancé.
If any actor is quoted saying it was the 'great script', which attracted them to this film, they are lying. Sure the movie promotes itself as a romantic comedy, but it fails in both genres. Every time there are glimpses of comedy, the script turns it on its head and it all becomes really deep. You almost feel sorry for the actors who try their best to make lemonade out of lemons. "Something Borrowed" will borrow your time and never give it back.
Fast Five
Tom Jones
Dominic and his crew find themselves on the wrong side of the law once again as they try to switch lanes between a ruthless drug lord and a relentless federal agent.
After watching this film, the drive home will feel slower than ever before and any muscles you thought you had will look more like excess skin. The cars and the men in this film put all to shame. The car chases and action sequences are non-stop, over the top, till you drop... and then some. The story, which follows a trio of crims on the run ties these amazingly shot scenes quite nicely together. If you have the need for speed, fasten your seatbelts.
The Lincoln Lawyer
Tom Jones
A lawyer conducts business from the back of his car while representing a high-profile client.
Films depicting client/lawyer relationships always make for compelling viewing and "The Lincoln Lawyer" is no exception. It's a classic cat and mouse chase, as both client and lawyer work to stay one step ahead of each other until the fat lady sings... seriously. This film seems to end four times before it actually ends. The acting is one-dimensional and there are a few sub-plots that are devoted too much screen time, but the central story will have you hooked. Any appeals to this judgement are denied.
The Mechanic
Tom Jones
Follows an elite hit man as he teaches his trade to an apprentice who has a connection to one of his previous victims.
Sure the plot-line is uncomplicated, the acting is over-the-top and the stunts impossible, but who really cares? "The Mechanic" is pure entertainment. The hero himself, with his 'take no prisoner' attitude, will have men wanting to be him and women wanting... are there any women in the audience? This film is definitely one for the boys, with the uncensored action/violence sequences, the guns and good guys vs. bad guys battles. Broken down? Go see the Mechanic.