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The Five-Year Engagement
Anthony Macali
Tom proposes to his girlfriend, Violet, but unexpected events keep delaying their marriage.
"The Five-Year Engagement" is all about hanging in for the long haul, withstand those tumultuous times and you will be rewarded. The film has much in common with the couple at its centre. There are ups and downs along with a series of funny bits that don't add up to very much. Thankfully, the characters slowly grow on you (in particular the impressive and ever-charming female lead), emotion creeps in, and the messages about relationships defy Hollywood convention and actually contain some truth. Nobody's perfect.
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest
Tom Jones
Lisbeth is recovering and awaiting trial for three murders. Mikael must prove her innocence, but Lisbeth must be willing to share the details of her sordid experiences with the court.
Millennium fans will be fulfilled by this portrayal of the final book of the series. The magnitude of this story is handled well, despite feeling a little rushed at times. The quickened pace impacts on the suspense, which is never given enough time to really build. Consequently, the film feels less like a thriller and more like a courtroom drama. However, the acting is superb, the story is bold and the climax… revenge has never tasted so sweet. She's kicking nests... and goals.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Anthony Macali
Journalist Mikael is aided in his search for a woman who has been missing for forty years by Lisbeth, a young computer hacker.
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" is a classic whodunit set in Sweden and is genuinely captivating from start to finish. A rich set of characters drive the story, each with their own motives, and at times, sinister agendas. Our young heroine is the most impressive in a striking and memorable performance. Just be warned, the film is long, and there are some particularly disturbing scenes, but they all play their part in the arresting plot. Can't wait to see the girl again.
The Green Hornet
Anthony Macali
Following the death of his father, Britt Reid, heir to his father's large company, teams up with his late dad's assistant Kato to become a masked crime fighting team.
"The Green Hornet" tries to be cool, tries to be awesome... and fails dismally on both accounts. Our hero duo are completely uninspiring, and the film's meager amount of laughs are drawn from nothing but their bitterful banter and marvellings at high-tech creations with self-indulged clamour. The action scenes do their job, and there is an interesting sub-plot of media politics, but it arrives far too late in the piece for salvation. It sting's, it hurts, and has been done much better before.
The Grey
Andrew O'Dea
In Alaska, an oil drilling team struggle to survive after a plane crash strands them in the wild. Hunting the humans are a pack of wolves who see them as intruders.
This tale of survival is a surprisingly philosophical one. "The Grey" is still punctuated by enough action to thrill, but at its core remains a meditation on existentiality and an intelligent snapshot about man's primal will to live. Unsparingly bleak, the film's spiritual agenda is stripped as bare as the cold and wild backdrop it's set against; carried by some superb characterisation and the commanding presence of its leading man. Once more into the fray...
The Hangover
Anthony Macali
A Las Vegas-set comedy centered around three groomsmen who lose their about-to-be-wed buddy during their drunken misadventures, then must retrace their steps in order to find him.
"The Hangover" premise is familiar and simple, the perfect breeding ground for plenty of laughter and stupidity. While the trailer might steal most of the best moments, the film is still hilarious. The characters are half as likeable as they should be, but it does make it funnier when bad stuff happens to them. It only struggles towards the ending, as jokes resort to bad cameos and slapstick. Despite a few headaches, it's still a winner.
The Hangover Part II
Stefan Bugryn
The wolfpack get themselves in trouble again days before Stu's Thai wedding.
This sequel is no more than a duplicate of the original... just in another country. There are a lot of moments where you will feel like you've been before, but the characters are likeable enough to allow them to just get away with it. Some laugh-out-loud scenes manage to carry the film only so far, and while the neat ending is a little too didactic, it's still worth seeing. Watch out for the cringe-worthy musical performance by a well-known boxer; it could well be cinema's worst. He was probably hung-over.
The Happening
Luke Bartter
When large amounts of people start inexplicably committing suicide in America, panic ensues.
The real disappointment about this movie stems from it's obvious lack of quality throughout. Other than a few intense scenes, it's dull and long-winded, so your curiosity runs out regardless of the unusual phenomenon. When you stop caring about the 'why' or even what happens to the characters, watching feels like a task. Tedious and lifeless, the most mysterious thing is how "The Happening" managed to get made into a feature film.
The Help
Anthony Macali
An aspiring author decides to write a book detailing the African-American maids' point of view on the white families for which they work.
"The Help" is a remarkable film that tells an important tale without being heavy-handed. It succeeds in reflecting the period effortlessly, but the true brilliance is in the story-telling. All the characters have an interesting experience to share, with a common agenda to highlight the glaringly obvious injustice of the time for both maids and women alike. While it's not without some humour, this movie is essentially heartbreaking and heart-warming stuff. No assistance required to watch this one.
The Holiday
Anthony Macali
Two women, both with men issues, go on holiday for two weeks by swapping. This can only lead to love.
A romantic comedy with characters you are entirely unsympathetic for. It wouldn't even classify as a comedy, as the over-the-top antics on display are not lovable, only annoying. It wouldn't even classify as a romance, as the contrivances that bring the leads together leave little work for them to impress each other. This movie is simply stupid and it hurt watching it.
The Hunger Games
Anthony Macali
Set in a future where the Capitol selects a boy and girl from the twelve districts to fight to the death.
There's so much going on in "The Hunger Games" that you're bound to find something to cheer for. In a world of poverty and social class, it explores themes of politics and power, while emphasising the unsavoury demand for reality entertainment and violence. All these observations warrant our likeable heroine to do battle, an exercise that will satisfy the more bloodthirsty of fans. The build-up to the ceremony still ranks best, its history and spectacle matched by the lavish make-up and fashion on parade. Captivating and intense, the odds are definitely in its favour.
The Hurt Locker
Andrew O'Dea
In a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse in the chaos of war, an Army bomb squad unit must come together in a city where everyone is a potential enemy and every object could be a deadly bomb.
"The Hurt Locker" is far from being just another war movie; it's a brilliantly directed human drama and intense psychological thriller. It ignores plot conventions, pompous flag waving and political commentary in favour of a gritty realism that unceremoniously hurls you onto the front line. The film doesn't glorify violence, yet somehow we're absorbed by an inescapable tension and this supremely masculine story that so vividly presents a sense of what it's like in war-torn Iraq. Simply dynamite.
The Ides of March
Stefan Bugryn
A game of dirty politics plays out behind the scenes of the campaign for a Presidential candidate.
This is minimalistic film-making at it's best. The movie tackles some truly hard-hitting notions, but packs its punch with the little things. It's captivating to watch the actors hold back the emotion, where the drama is implied rather than thrown in your face. The long stares. The knowing eyes. It all sizzles in the background… but you can definitely feel it. The director could have easily gone for high melodrama, but instead went for the complete opposite, and it paid off remarkably. A vote of confidence.
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Anthony Macali
The story of Dr Parnassus and his extraordinary 'Imaginarium', a travelling show where members of the audience get an irresistible opportunity to choose between light and joy or darkness and gloom.
"The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" daringly paints a picture of the adventurous world that is your fantasy. The mystery behind the mirror provides plenty of curiosity and suspense, as we take a front-seat to the allure and charm of the 'Imaginarium'. To our modest disappointment, the production loses some of the gamble on its hollow and luckless storyline. Creatively colourful and grand, this film is an entertaining show for those with an open mind.
The Inbetweeners Movie
Anthony Macali
Four socially troubled 18-year-olds from the south of England go on holiday to Malia.
"The Inbetweeners Movie" will make you do at least one of these two things: encourage you to get completely drunk, or cringe and wince with embarrassment. It's safe to say friends of the show will love this film, as this extended episode takes our gang to a foreign country where trouble and hilarity ensue. For others, catching up with the teens' brash vulgarity shouldn't take long. Each character banters and dances, always poking fun and searching for the girl of their dreams. Exploiting the naivety of youth has never been so funny. Boys will be boys in this trip to remember.