★ Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Naomi Watts, Chris Cooper, Judah Lewis, Heather Lind Film Review by Kieran Freemantle On the surface, the comedy-drama Demolition has the qualities to be a great film. It stars the likes of Jake Gyllenhaal, Naomi Watts and Chris Cooper and was directed by Jean-Marc Vallée - the man who brought us Dallas Buyers Club and Wild. But those talents are not enough to salvage a terrible screenplay and a repulsive main character. Davis Mitchell (Gyllenhaal) seemingly lives a perfect lifestyle - he is a successful investment banker, has a beautiful wife and has a nice modern house outside New York City. But after his wife - Julia (Heather Lind) - dies in a car accident, Davis is unable to process his grief, he cannot cry, he goes back to work and his only outlet is writing letters to a vending machine company after trying to use a faulty machine. These letters grab the attention of customer service rep Karen Moreno (Watts) who sets out to befriend the lonely man. Demolition sets out to be a tale of misfits coming together and helping each other in their time of crisis - decent enough territory for any comedy or drama and many indie films have done that. But Demolition is a film that is trying too hard to be quirky as it tries to mix the drama and comedy. It is a film trying to push as many indie buttons as possible: the lead character is going through a tragedy and reacts with strange behaviour - some unconventional friendship being formed particularly between an adult and a teenager, a single mum struggling with a tearaway child and a teenager with sexuality issues. There is no cliché left unturned during the run time, making the 100 minutes feel like an age. These story elements could easily work on their own and they have been handled much better in other films. The film has a great cast and there is no denying their talents. But the writing lets them down. Gyllenhaal has given some great performances over his career but his character is so unlikeable that it is hard to even engage with the film. It is confounded more so because Gyllenhaal has played a vile character in Nightcrawler, a film where the protagonist did some appalling actions but it was still a compelling film because of what he was doing and why. The hook of Demolition is fine; exploring how a man is unable to feel anything after his wife’s death - despite how much he tries and the letters to the vending machine company is a cathartic experience for him. But Davis does not act anything resembling human - Davis burying himself in work and writing the letters is all well and good, but when Karen makes contact, Davis turns into a full blown stalker doing everything he can to find her. Davis also acts like a total jerk towards his father-in-law. Chris Cooper's Phil is meant to be unlikeable - being an aggressive banker - but it was a lot easier to sympathise with Phil then it was Davis. As well as dealing with his grief of losing his daughter, Phil has to handle a selfish man-child who has no respect for Julia's memory or even has any basic social skills. Davis was a character who deserved a big slap. Despite Vallée's clear ability to work with actors, Demolition felt like it came from a first time filmmaker, someone who just left film school and got backing from mummy and daddy and thinks they are a lot smarter than they really are. It's a film trying to be profound and failing miserably. There are attempts of being philosophical with Davis saying he sees everything as a metaphor and he has to take everything apart to see how they work. But it is all a means to nothing as Davis resets his life. Vallée also felt compelled to use arty vignette - jumping back in time to see the relationship between Davis and Julia or simply editing the film like a Quentin Tarantino and Guy Ritchie romp - deliberately telling events out of order. Other attempts of being arty include Karen's son Chris (Judah Lewis) locking himself in a bathroom playing with a gun before Chris and Davis get to play with it. There are moments of very overdone dialogue, particularly between Gyllenhaal and Watts as their characters discuss their relationship and what it is meant to be. There is also the occasional moment that raises a chuckle. One of them is when Davis gives Chris (Judah Lewis) advice on how to use the f-word. But these moments are few and far between to redeem the film. Yet another scene of Davis dancing around New York causes Spider-Man 3 flashbacks. Demolition is like being trapped in a lift with people you do not like or even want to be around. There is no way to feel anything for Davis - despite what he has been through. It is a slog of a film that its actors cannot redeem despite their best efforts. More Film Reviews if you please #JeanMarcVallée #JakeGyllenhaal #NaomiWatts #ChrisCooper #JudahLewis #HeatherLind #KieranFreemantle #filmreviews #filmreviewsUK #1Star #filmreviews2016

★★ Directed by Jeremy Saulnier Starring: Patrick Stewart, Anton Yelchin, Imogen Potts, Joe Cole, Callum Turner, Alia Shawcat, Macon Blair Film Review by Colin Lomas Hard core punk band the Ain’t Rights are on a tour of America in their small splitter van; singer Tiger (Turner), guitarist Pat (Yelchin), bassist Sam (Shawcat) and drummer Reece (Cole) managing to travel between venues only by syphoning fuel from parked cars and feeding on incredibly limited supplies. When one of their gigs is cancelled and replaced by an embarrassing affair in a local café, the guilt-ridden local promoter secures the band a matinee gig for his cousin paying two hundred dollars and with the guarantee of a sizeable crowd. After performing in front of a room full of boot-and-braces Neo-Nazis, the band stumble across a situation in the dressing room which results in them being kept captive by the club workers with fellow detainee Amber (Potts) until owner Darcy (Stewart) arrives to attempt to resolve matters. What follows is the story of the band attempting to escape from the venue with their lives. Green Room seriously suffers from a lack of identity. At points it feels like a slasher horror, at others a parodic teen comedy, yet the gore is boringly obvious and the comedy far too predictable to make any discernible impact. To truly connect with a situation of tension or terror, it’s imperative that an audience can relate to the actions of the characters, and at no point does this happen. A constant feeling of ‘Why would you do that?’ rings throughout and soon becomes irritating. The script is boringly fatuous and lacks any spark of originality. The narrative aches for a twist or two yet none is ever forthcoming as the linear plot frustratingly ambles along, clumsily and thoughtlessly linking the various action set pieces. Stewart’s odd slurred accent makes him incredibly difficult to understand and there are points early on where the dialogue is almost completely incoherent. Although the band members all pull off acceptable performances, the ridiculousness of their actions and total lack of any personality, complexity or charm afford them neither empathy nor concern. Only bar manager Gabe (Blair) displays any depth or moral uncertainty about proceedings, and it’s telling that his half-decent performance outshines the rest by a country mile. The accuracy of the filthy punk venue is visually rewarding and the musical dialogue reference points are diverse enough to feel true, but unfortunately that’s where the realism ends. The ending prolongs the frustration, merely dwindling away with no particular sense of finality or impact. Green Room is a muddled, juvenile affair and, but for Stewart’s baffling decision to be cast, would have deservingly missed out on any showings at the multiplexes and tumbled headfirst straight to Netflix. We have more Film Reviews this way #filmreviews #filmreviewsUK #TheatricalReleases #ColinLomas #JeremySaulnier #PatrickStewart #AntonYelchin #ImogenPotts

Directed by Marcus Flemmings Starring Guy Faulkner, Shuna Iljima, Raymi Renee & Nick Berger Short film review by Chris Olson This ethereal, abstract short film, written and directed by Marcus Flemmings, revels in its obscurity whilst delivering a truly engaging drama about a man who seeks revenge for the killing of his love against a sadistic ne’erdowell. The titular character is played by Guy Faulkner, who we are introduced to lighting up a cigarette on a rooftop in the darkness. This picturesque contrast of bright flame and sheer darkness is the perfect metaphor for King’s overall atmosphere, where Flemmings’ film pits love against hate, innocence against jealousy. There is an attention to the filmmaking here that should not go unnoticed, with focus slipping in and out of scenes as the characters face off with each other. A complex barrage of slippery sequences and quick editing compliment the poetic nature of the script, which seems fluid and compelling. As a short film of just knocking on 8 minutes, King manages to inconspicuously dip its toe into several movie genres, including Gangster territory, with one particularly great scene between Faulkner and Raymi Renee at a dining table which looks like it was lifted straight out of a Godfather film! The crime themes are mixed with romance, thriller and drama, all with a sumptuous backdrop of classical music, creating an elaborate buffet of spectacle, like the most delicious film feast. On the critical side, it could be argued that King bombards the viewer with too much spectacle, there is a chaotic nature to the narrative which some may find difficult to penetrate. That being said, I think Flemmings attempts to purposely deliver a maelstrom of conflict and in doing so chooses a rapid pace to reflect the nature of the events taking place. Decisions are at the heart of this piece, and the human reactions behind them which are shaped ultimately by exterior influences. This lack of control is then experienced by the viewer who is being swept away without much chance to take stock of their perspective. The performances are very grounded and effective. At first it seemed a little hackneyed having the prose being delivered through overvoice, and then the thespian style dialogue of the scenes was a little dangerous, but this actually is pulled off really well. It has a timeless feel, which blends nicely with the urban landscapes and violence which give it a more modern twist. Renee is marvellous as the twisted villain, coming off like something between a Bond villain and a Corleone. There is a boldness to King which was quite refreshing. It unashamedly pirouettes through a catalogue of cinematic devices and artistic flair which ultimately ends up leaving a mesmeric spectacle on screen. Click here for more Film Reviews #filmreviews #Shortfilmreviews #ChrisOlson #filmmaking #SupportIndieFilms #Indiefilms #moviereviews

★★★★★ Directed by Joe Russo and Anthony Russo Starring Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Sebastian Stan, Scarlett Johansson, Elizabeth Olsen, Anthony Mackie & Don Cheadle Film Review by Chris Olson Superhero fatigue is a real thing. Cinema has been utterly dominated by Marvel over recent years, and now their stranglehold is to be coupled with Disney's Star Wars films which look to monopolise the winter market, like the Empire that stole Christmas! So why should audiences embark on yet another comic caper of these established characters out for another jaunt of smashey smashey? Well, basically they should because Captain America: Civil War is the perfect antidote to superhero fatigue and one of the best in the series. Following on from the previous Cap film Captain America: The Winter Soldier, as well as The Avengers 2: Age of Ultron, the plot sees our merry band of villain-busters being called to agree upon a self-imposed sanction of their activities in the hope of reducing the smashey smashey. This decision is the catalyst for the film, with the characters falling into two camps, for and against, and the internal strife (or civil war) this causes. There is one set opting to sign the accord (headed by Robert Downey Jr's Tony Stark) and those who don't want to submit to the agendas of a U.N council (led by Chris Evans as Captain America). When an explosion goes off during the signing of the accord, and Cap's pal Bucky (Sebastian Stan) is implicated, these two sides becoming opponents in a battle more serious than just quipping at each other. It is great to see Marvel still delivering fantastic movies. The quality seems to stay on a level or upward trajectory and Civil War is a monumental jewel in its cinematic crown. The ensemble is fantastic together, with characters that previously suffered from weak exploration, being given enough screen time for audiences to genuinely connect with their roles in the MC Universe. This is not just a Cap and Iron Man film, every character, from the beginning and those introduced later, has an importance and significance which makes for a much more fulfilling viewing experience than say Age of Ultron. Even though the film does manage to set up several other events for later films, these do not come across as brutally crowbarred in. The action is perfectly intense and fun, delivering some of the best visual spectacle in a blockbuster in a long time! Which is a pretty Marvel-ous achievement. One sequence at an airport has to be up there as one of the best action scenes in a comic book film, and the well executed narrative does well to add depth and emotion to what could easily have been just another smashey smashey. Another sequence involving a chase has a Nolan-esque quality to it, reminiscent of The Dark Knight. Watch the Movie Trailer for Captain America: Civil War above From the outset, the Russo brothers deliver a film that you never feel worried that it will falter or that you are ever in unsafe hands. The pacing is perfect to let the action sequences shine between the more dialogue driven scenes, humour is injected in a myriad of ways without resorting to feeling overly jokey or quippy. What was fantastic to see, in a film which could so easily have suffered from superhero fatigue, that it actually delivered a brilliant character piece - letting us explore where some of our favourite characters are now (like Tony Stark's more conscientious approach or Cap's rebellious streak) as well as paying attention to the newer generation in ways which were engaging. I for once actually cared about Falcon (Anthony Mackie)!! Reluctant to call any film perfect, there were minor faults with Captain America: Civil War which were completely forgivable. Things like sidelining Vision (Paul Bettany) or avoiding more common sense reactions to big events for the sake of a larger narrative (seriously Cap, Bucky is bad luck whichever way you cut it, don't side with him!), are ultimately fine because the narrative is still really strong with them and Civil War is one of the best Marvel films in terms of combining all past, present and future elements. More Film Reviews this way #filmreviews #TheatricalReleases #ChrisOlson #Marvel #Superheroes #JoeRusso #AnthonyRusso #ChrisEvans #RobertDowneyJr #SebastianStan #ScarlettJohansson #ElizabethOlsen #AnthonyMackie #DonCheadle

Directed by Daniel Harding Starring Meryl Griffiths and Neil James Short film review by Sarah Smeaton This is an intriguing short film with perhaps more slapstick humour than I would have liked to have seen in what could have essentially been a great dark comedy. What should have been a very macabre scene of finding a severed hand instantly turns into absurdity. Ms Whitman (Meryl Griffiths), a professional-looking housing developer, picks up a dismembered body part with her bare hand before dropping it and wiping her hands on Trevor (Neil James), a building contactor. The ever bright character of Trevor responds with, “Oh my god, is that a hand?” Right from the offset, it’s therefore pretty hard to identify with these characters, and consequently empathise with what happens to them. The acting throughout could have been more believable, which also countered the plausibility of the shocking events that unfold. The fact that this film refuses to become serious on any level is perhaps its biggest downfall. The Missing Hand has the bones of being a great black comedy and does have a similar to vibe to films such as Very Bad Things, where you can’t believe what you’re watching with such outrageous events disrupting the lives of such ordinary people. This short film’s saving grace is the choice of setting. The normality of this Essex wasteland and the everyday characters juxtaposed with the macabre event of finding a severed hand does most certainly hold the attention and leave you wanting to find out more. I just at times wondered what exactly it was that I was watching as this doesn’t seem to directly fall into any set genre. It doesn’t really know what it is…a black comedy, a horror, a fast-paced action or just a plain and simple comedy, it never really becomes evident which. Writer and director Daniel Harding has focused on a very interesting idea here, and I think what works in this film is that most people will be able to put themselves in the shoes of Ms Whitman and Trevor when they find the unthinkable. I would have liked to have seen this plot taken further with more solid backstory building, as the end result felt quite rushed and incomplete. In all a neat idea, lacking in essential follow-through. We have more Film Reviews this way #Shortfilmreviews #Shortfilm #SarahSmeaton #filmreviewsUK #filmreviews #SupportIndieFilms

Paul Thomas Anderson (P.T.A) Filmmaker Feature by Lorenzo Lombardi In the ‘90s, the world of cinema witnessed the debuts of many great directors. There was excellence from the likes of Joel Coen, Quentin Tarantino, Richard Linklater, Darren Aronofsky and David Fincher. All of these visionaries have demonstrated their perfected auteurism, but one filmmaker has arguably conquered his decade of talent when it comes to sheer directorial and artistic craft. That director is Paul Thomas Anderson. Known for his inclusion of provocative scores (frequently composed by Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood), complex and transformational character studies, adversarial and existential themes, brilliant exposition, and the ability to get the most out of his actors, P.T.A has more than shown his capability to becoming an all-time great director. P.T.A: An early start P.T.A was born in California on June 26, 1970. He was among a household of 9 siblings. His father, Ernie Anderson, was an actor, and so encouraged his son to ultimately become a director. At the age of 8, Paul created his first film, a sign of his abilities to come. Throughout his boyhood, he furthered his hobby of filmmaking by experimenting with different kinds of cameras, including a Betamax, 8mm film, and 16mm film. Entering adulthood, he created his first film at 18 --- a half-hour mockumentary titled The Dirk Diggler. Anderson attended a college and a university before dropping out prematurely of the latter to put all of his energy into filmmaking. In 1993, he made a short film called Cigarettes & Coffee with a $20,000 budget. He submitted it to the Sundance Film Festival, where he then had a chance to truly get into the filmmaking business. P.T.A: The Naturalistic Phase Striking a deal with Rysher Entertainment, he decided to direct his first feature film. This was Hard Eight (1996). It is a solid noir, but it was only a practice mood piece for PTA. A large ensemble drama called Magnolia (1999) was subsequently made, which follows a number of stories that ultimately get interwoven. These stories make for some grounded and layered characters. Actors deliver some of their career-best work, including Tom Cruise, Phillip Baker Hall, and John C. Reilly. Each recurring character plays their part in this expansive piece, and most of them are meaningful and relatable. PTA enacts themes of forgiveness, loss, longing and fate through this spectacular but grounded showcase of well-written characters and scenarios that happen to be connected to one another. It reminds us of the adversities that some people have to deal with, but the miracles that can occur, all through hope. The beginning of his career --- short film The Dirk Diggler --- served as inspiration for P.T.A’s next film: the sprawling Boogie Nights. It follows Eddie Adams (Mark Wahlberg), a dishwasher who adopts the screen name Dirk Diggler and gets into the pornographic industry during its golden age. Boogie Nights’ rise and fall story is one of the most entertainingly effective in cinema history and manages to be crudely funny while still having stunning supporting performances from the likes of Philip Seymour-Hoffman, Julianne Moore and Burt Reynolds (the latter of whom both received Oscar nominations). It is a well-made haze of violence, drugs, and porn, carried along by a charismatic breakout performance from Mark Wahlberg. His energy and seductiveness are perfect for the style and subject of the film, and The Dirk Diggler also manages to be humorous in self-referential and unexpected ways, most notably the ending, which is a masterful parody of Raging Bull. It is a fascinating insight of the vices of the adult film industry, and the definitive fictional delve into the ‘70s. P.T.A: Brilliant Characters In 2002, Punch-Drunk Love was released. It was the start of his newfound style and narrative. Unlike the first 3 movies, this film has a distinctive visual flair that favours exposition over dialogue. This was also the beginning of his sincerely emotional character studies, with fewer actors cast in order to focus on the protagonist(s). Punch-Drunk Love follows Barry Egan (Adam Sandler), a reserved man who sells novelty items. Feeling lonely and alienated with his big family and the failure of his business, he seeks succor. Barry then gets himself into an outrageous extortion plot and a romance that might perhaps save his soul. Alike his previous film Boogie Nights, PTA focuses puts a developmental spin on yet another insightfully written character, showing Barry’s transformation from alienation and loneliness to love. This also sparked a new outlook on Adam Sandler, as it demonstrated what he could have achieved as a more serious actor. Incorporating once again a constantly moving camerawork, you can feel the messiness of the character’s lonely life. This is furthered by an innovative use of an avant-garde score (Jon Brion) which punctuates a feeling of French-esqué romance as well as a paralleling sense of alienation and distress during the more frantic scenes. Punch-Drunk Love fantastically achieves conveying this world through those visual and audio cues, and you will not see Adam Sandler the same way again. It is 2007, and the greatest film of the decade is released. There Will Be Blood is about Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day Lewis), a miner-turned-oilman and his strive to succeed among those around him. We witness his rise to power from striking his first well of oil to the development of his newly conceived operation towards an oil-filled land in California. We also see how he manipulates the people around him for his own benefit. Firstly, Daniel Day-Lewis gives one of the most memorable and complex performances ever put on screen, resulting in a performance that will be renowned for generations to come, both with analysis and an epitomizing example of acting overall. What also makes this sprawling picture radiate is its themes of religion, family and power. These are predominantly conveyed in the transformation of this character from ruthless businessman to a fully-fledged monster. Supporting this powerhouse performance is an exceptional turn from Paul Dano in the form of Eli Sunday, a preacher cautious and demanding of Plainview’s deeds. As the plot develops, the more he becomes a threat to Plainview, adding intensity. The film is a tale of manifest destiny, capitalism, family ties and religious zeal all gone wrong. Including one of the greatest performances ever and an enormously provocative and original score (by the great Jonny Greenwood), this is a decade-defining vision of a man whose greed and hatred decimated his soul. The Master (2012), another character study, is like There Will Be Blood’s spiritual successor. Some incorporation pertains to similar themes such as success and instability. Overall, though, this is a different beast of a film. In The Master, we follow a World War II veteran, Freddie Quill (Joaquin Phoenix), as he tries to find his place in the world with mental side effects against his journey. He inadvertently meets a sophisticated leader of a cult known as “The Cause”. The Cause is thinly disguised as Scientology, and as a result, the film was controversial. But the film is mainly about the feeling of belonging. In a career-best performance, Phoenix portrays Quill to such a believable degree that the audience forgets they are watching a performance, but a complex human with needs and desires. As the film follows his lust for love and meaning, the film becomes more and more emotionally engrossing. Arguably, the late and great Phillip Seymour Hoffman also delivers his defining performance through the equally complex Lancaster Dodd --- leader of The Cause. Lancaster Dodd also has his desires, and similarly to Daniel Plainview, his eventual fame and power overwhelm him. Quill forms a close and fatherly-like bond and defends his deceptive and convoluted ideologies. This is where familial themes are found again, as Quill treats The Cause as his family. Whereas Punch-Drunk Love ends on newfound love, The Master ends on coping with a lost love. By the conclusion, the audience has felt his almost tangible pain. Polarizing Inherent Vice was released in 2014. It focuses on private detective “Doc” Sportello (another Phoenix role) as he takes a case from his ex-girlfriend (Katherine Waterston) to solve a suspected plan that her boyfriend might be kidnapped and sent to a mental hospital. What follows are complicated and sometimes superfluous storylines of neo-Nazis, revolutionary groups, and corrupt cops. Even with the abundance of tidbits to remember, the scheme of things here is investing. Phoenix often holds up the film with another stunningly believable performance. This picture’s humour was effective as well in its dry manner, with the hippie-stoner-surfer era of the ‘70s playing to its advantage. It was one of the greatest offerings of 2014. Far out. Paul Thomas Anderson is a director who explores themes that we can all relate to, uses a constantly moving camera for a one-of-a-kind burst of energy and has made some of the greatest films of the past 3 decades. He is PTA. “I have a feeling, one of those gut feelings, that I'll make pretty good movies the rest of my life.” - Paul Thomas Anderson. Yes. Yes, you will. #PaulThomasAnderson #FilmmakerFeatures #Filmmaking #Filmmakers #LorenzoLombardi #DanielDayLewis #TomCruise #PhilipSeymourHoffman #PaulDano #AdamSandler #film

★★★ Directed by László Nemes Starring Géza Röhrig, Levente Molnár & Urs Rechn Film Review by Chris Olson Award-winning Hungarian war drama, Son of Saul (originally titled Saul fia), is a technically daring and cleverly obscure piece of filmmaking that triumphs in its method but limits its own narrative freedom. The film tells the story of Auschwitz prison inmate Saul (Géza Röhrig), who is a member of the Sonderkommando; a band of inmates who scuttle around the infamous concentration camp wearing garish red crosses stamped on the back of their clothing, signifying their roles as the unfortunate clean-up crew, responsible for scrubbing down the gas chambers, piling up the bodies (or "pieces") and submissively doing anything the guards order them to do. After one horrific chamber scene, Saul finds the body of a young boy still breathing, who is then quickly suffocated by a doctor. This moment is the catalyst for the story, as the boy may well be Saul's offspring, who now strives to get his son a proper burial, much to his own personal risk. Told using a myriad of long takes, close-ups and shaky tracking sequences, every single inch of Nemes' screen is brutally intense, rendering the viewer a fellow victim of this devastating place. Certain sequences are eloquently beautiful, as the camera traverses huge distances in a harrowing journey through this hellish location. Piggybacking Saul, the audience catches glimpses of the horror without ever being allowed to linger, in fact many of the threat elements happen off-screen or are obscured by Saul himself. The frustration this causes the viewer is intentional, given that the method is maintained until the end, but sadly limits the film's narrative from ever breaching the boundaries of shocked bystander. A foothold is never gained into the implied gut-wrenching nature of the events taking place, that even Saul is a character difficult to wrestle with emotionally, his stoicism reflecting the dehumanisation he has endured. From the outset, though, Nemes never tries to achieve too much. He pushes Saul through the labyrinthine chaos that is Aushchwitz with a frantic abandon which is compelling if not ultimately engaging, a smorgasbord of despairing characters his only company whose battle for survival is as tragic as our protagonist's. These are also not explored with much fervour, every character is a dispensable addition to the mise en scène adding to the nightmarish horror of the atmosphere created. No attempts at explaining the situation, or trying to find some semblance of reasoning, are made, much to the credit of the director, who tells the story without resorting to sentimentalism. It seems a shame that the only perspective we are offered is so overwrought with numbness that an attachment is never allowed to be made and audiences will leave the film feeling little more enriched by the experience. The horrors of the concentration camps have been well documented and the sheer scale of the damage well recorded, what's needed from filmmakers and storytellers is to inject the humanity, something which Nemes sadly refrains from. Click here for more Film Reviews #filmreviews #ChrisOlson #TheatricalReleases #WorldCinema #LászlóNemes #GézaRöhrig #filmreviewsUK #WarFilms

★★ Directed by James Watkins Starring Idris Elba, Richard Madden, Charlotte Le Bon, Kelly Reilly & Anatol Yusef Film Review by Alexander Halsall From director James Watkins is a foray into the action genre with Bastille Day. His past work has been primarily in horror, with acclaimed hits Eden Lake and Woman in Black. Set in Paris a con man Michael (Richard Madden) steals a bag belonging to Zoe (Charlotte Le Bon) which unknowingly to him contains a bomb. When the device detonates in the city centre, CIA agent Sean Briar (Idris Elba) is put in charge of tracking Michael down. Idris Elba and Richard Madden play off against each other very well, Elba as the super serious Briar and Madden as the immature conman have great chemistry together. Elba is blessed with a natural charisma that makes him easy to watch even when armed with the most underwritten of characters. Whilst Richard Madden holds his own as an entertaining pickpocket, with a few humorous moments. Neither of the pair completely master the American accents, but we’re also not in Dick Van Dyke territory so it doesn’t become too off putting. The action is suitably slick and steadily directed, though there are a lot of rapid cuts which threaten to break the cohesion of the action. The camera does remain steady though, allowing most of the fight scenes to remain coherent. The style seems evocative of the Bourne Ultimatum and Taken, without ever excelling beyond either of these modern action favourites. The pickpocketing scenes are presented stylishly and are entertaining, especially compared to something like Focus from last year that made Will Smith’s thief seem somehow super-powered. However despite being superior in these circumstances Bastille Day constantly seems to be an imitation of other popular features released in the past few years without ever developing into something more unique. Setting the movie in Paris against the backdrop of the current tensions following the terrorist attacks is a weird choice for a film that seemingly doesn’t want to delve into such a highly divisive issue. The conflicted atmosphere of the city’s multicultural classes is extorted by the film’s plot, but is never explored beyond the simplistic. Kelly Reilly is wasted as one of Briar’s co-workers; in a part that could have been portrayed by a box with the words “unimportant character” written on it. To have such a talented performer like Kelly Reilly in such a pointless role is mind boggling. Whilst Anatol Yusef (of Boardwalk Empire fame) is Briar’s superior, the one who likes to do things by the book and hates Briar for being such a loose cannon. Yusef is little more than a cliché obstacle whose main service to the narrative is to recite expositional backstory on other characters. As a whole Bastille Day is little more than a run of the mill actioner, with nods to Taken, Focus and even Die Hard, it struggles to find its own path. Elba and Madden do a fine job together, but there isn’t much to either of their characters worth thinking about. If you’re a fan of action then this may be something worth checking out, but be aware that there isn’t anything revolutionary about this Bastille Day. More Film Reviews...for your pleasure. #filmreviews #filmreviewsUK #AlexanderHalsall #IdrisElba #RichardMadden #JamesWatkins #CharlotteLeBon #AnatolYusef #KellyReilly

★★★★ Director by Joachim Trier Starring Gabriel Byrne, Isabelle Huppert, Jesse Eisenberg, Devin Druid, Amy Ryan Film Review by Andrew Moore Norwegian director Joachim Trier’s third film (and his first in English) is an accomplished piece about an upcoming photo exhibition, retrospective and article on a revered deceased photojournalist Isabelle Joubert Reed (Isabelle Huppert) by the Times newspaper. It examines the effects of this on the subtle equilibrium of the remaining family member’s lives as they tear backwards burrowing into the past. Whilst the film has far more adult scope to it, it certainly sits well as a big brother to 2011’s excellent Oslo August 31 which ended in a suicide, whilst Louder Than Bombs in turn deals with the aftermath of a suicide. Sharing its sense of lingering poignancy with Trier’s previous film it’s a very intimate affair, we are on the inside watching failing family members, there’s older brother Jonah (Jesse Eisenberg) who chooses a circumstantial lie (leading to a later infidelity) within hours of his son’s birth whilst later at the family home discovering evidence of his mother’s infidelity. Then there’s father Gene’s (Gabriel Byrne) misdemeanours such as hiding from sensitive younger son Conrad (Devin Druid) his affair with his teacher Hannah (Amy Ryan) whilst procrastinating upon an even bigger truth, that of the true circumstances surrounding his mother’s car crash which thus bears down on him as the countdown to the exhibition ticks away (and what will be its truth revealing article). What is supposedly gone was never more present (if it was ever gone at all). The true tide of a history of withheld truths and their effects seem to filter down on the young Conrad to the greatest extent and sadly the only real truth we see in the family is in Conrad (and that truth is suffering), far younger when his mother died and who unlike his father and older brother is unaware of the circumstances surrounding his mother’s death (believing she fell asleep at the wheel). To this extent we witness much of the film through his eyes; he seems to unluckily have become the lowest common denominator on the trajectory of truth (the fate of the youngest child?). His father’s concern is revealed early on in a scene where he follows him after school. What’s interesting is Trier shoots this first from his father’s perspective, then far more revealingly from Conrad’s, and later still further light is shed (and not without humour) as Conrad reveals in conversation with his older brother his knowledge of his father following him at the time and the reasons behind his actions. All this serves to emphasise the sense of distance between the father and his youngest son, his inability to reach him. He has even tried to covertly connect with Conrad through the online gaming world (but his son’s character slaughters him instantly). Furthermore, that Conrad is unaware of hidden past events doesn’t mean he is unaware per se (as is revealed in his writing which he shows Jonah) – the repressed effects borough up through him. Of course all of this is ultimately bringing us to the exhibition of his mother’s work (with the revealing article) - the exhibition is the litmus for all the film’s events. We can see Louder Than Bombs as a film that is essentially about fallout, the trajectory of damage. The effect of a catastrophic event, bad as it of course is, often pales into insignificance against the effects and influence it creates and projects forward (and retrospectively as well) – hence the title, ‘Louder than Bombs!’ Of course there are wider contexts here too. The mother has spent her life documenting suffering, stealing, framing and editing images of it, whilst spending long periods away from her family, having an affair with her fellow photojournalist and then ending her life in what some would consider a selfish act of extreme violence without consideration for others. Did her career infect her life and then her family’s too? Have moral compasses been left askew, truths been edited and cut (like war reportage) and silent conflict been imported? To bring the war home so to speak, and Conrad spends most of his nights fighting virtual ones online much to his elder brother’s concern (but then who’s he to judge)? In one scene from the past we see a young Conrad present his mother with a drawing he’s done of her in an explosion (given to her whilst she’s recovering in hospital from the circumstances of the explosion). It should be duly noted that this isn’t solely a film about negative circumstances and their effect on the family, yes it shows imperfect people (who isn’t) dealing with an awkward past and buried truths that come to light, but also their attempts to find a way to go on from this point. Unlike Oslo August 31 we have a more positive beginning after the long journey to a rising dawn. Conrad eventually asks his dad “Am I really that hard to talk to” and prior to the exhibition the father openly talks with Isabelle’s ex colleague Richard (David Strathairn) about her affair with him and their line of work. After the exhibition the father drives Jonah (along with Conrad) back to his wife and new born child (because of course he belongs here – not hiding his family’s past) and this part of Jonah’s life has been woefully neglected by him! And so the three of them are travelling in the car together again, a point has been arrived at so to speak. Conrad is aware of his father’s relationship with Hannah but he is now more importantly aware of the true circumstances of his mother’s death (unlike all the imagined versions he’s created) which seems to be to his ultimate benefit. That said, subscribing to dreary cathartic epilogues isn’t the main premise of this story, its Conrad’s journey to the knowledge of the true circumstances of his mother death and the roles his family must play in this – Conrad’s legacy of truth. The performances are excellent, in flashbacks Isabelle Huppert manages to appear a loving mother whilst also a determined detached one (and more often both at the same time) augmented by Gabriel Byrne as the suffering and often failing father grasping at the reins of family life. Devin Druid’s role as the young unstable emotional buffer for the family’s fault lines is played seamlessly as is Jesse Eisenberg’s role as failing equilibrium between them. I liked this film a lot, it sits quietly and allows you to observe it (I liked Oslo August 31st too for the same reasons) and whilst appreciating his style may prove divisive, Trier’s hypnotically subtle yet intense observational style and occasional dreamscape sequences reveals his characters, you remember them when you leave the cinema. Additionally, competent editing by Oliver Bugge Coutte means there’s never any confusion between past and present. After two Norwegian films (the other the equally impressive Reprise in 2006) and now his first English Language film (again with screenwriting collaborator Eskil Vogt) Joachim Trier has developed what I’d consider a confident directorial style he can call his own. Click here for more Film Reviews of movies in the cinemas now! #filmreviews #filmreviewsUK #AndrewMoore #TheatricalReleases #Drama #JoachimTrier #JesseEisenberg #AmyRyan #DevinDruid #IsabelleHuppert #GabrielByrne

★★★ Starring Craig Cobb, Jeff Schoep, Ryan Schock, Kynan Dutton, Deborah Henderson, Bobby Harper Directed by Michael Beach Nichols, Christopher K. Walker Documentary Film Review by Colin Lomas Leith, a registered ghost town in North Dakota, is home to twenty people and a single shop. The almost entirely forgotten town suddenly becomes the most discussed settlement in America as renowned white supremacist Craig Cobb moves in to buy up land and property to rent out or give away to the country’s most notorious Nazi groups. Cobb’s grand plan is to become mayor of the town and create America’s first legal white-only town. With its isolated small town backdrop and bleached, low-contrast colourisation of the stock, Welcome to Leith gives the impression of a fictional horror movie. During the winter months, you could be watching Fargo. As the feeling of threat and dread hover over the dinner table during the resident’s mealtimes, it appears to come straight from a M. Night Shyamalan nightmare. Cobb’s appearance is part aging thrash metal guitarist, part Peter Stringfellow with jovial smiles that betray the viciousness below the surface. Dutton is an Iraq war veteran with possibly the worst Hitler moustache in history who seems to gain more sympathy from the audience than loathing. It feels that Dutton, although harbouring abhorrent beliefs, is principally concentrating on receiving approval from Cobb, who takes on an adopted father figure role. It’s Dutton’s girlfriend Deborah Henderson who is the truly chilling one, with a vicious uncompromising hatred for non-whites and a predatory growl constantly smeared across her face. What Nichols and Walker do exceptionally shrewdly is to give both corners of the ring the time to discuss their particular point of view. What this effectively does is give access to all of the players, something rarely achieved in a documentary about extremism, and this produces a wonderful insight into evil-doer’s everyday life. Seconds after seeing Dutton performing aggressive sieg heils at a town meeting in the face of Leith’s only black resident, Bobby Harper, we see him making banana fritters in his kitchen discussing his dreams of becoming a celebrity chef. The writers realise that given enough rope, the white supremacists will happily hang themselves anyway; the exasperated cries from the Cheyenne plains are clearly audible as Dutton argues that white births are now in the minority for the first time in American history. Cobb takes a DNA test on national television to prove his racial purity, only to find out he’s fourteen percent African. This even handedness rightfully reaps rewards towards the end of the film as they manage to obtain video footage from Deborah Henderson’s smartphone. This shows Cobb and Dutton marching through the town with loaded rifles shouting racial slurs at the residents. It is at this moment, with whispered comments such as ‘Make sure they shoot first’, the realisation sinks in that for all the talk and arrogant discrimination, there is a true threat of lethal violence involved here. Another attractive observation is the charming naivety the original residents have to extremism. Mayor Schock freely admits to not even knowing what a white supremacist was before meeting Cobb. It is refreshing then to observe how a community can pull together to defend one another’s rights, and you get a stimulating insight into the way America works at ground level as the council try to work around the first amendment excuses Cobb obsesses on so well. When does one’s right to freedom of speech become another’s illegal hate-crime discrimination? The town’s council at one point pass a new law requiring every living accommodation to have plumbed sewage, in one clean sweep making the majority of Cobb’s rental properties, housing the white supremacists, illegal. This is a fascinating move to counteract Cobb’s completely, and astonishingly, legal Nazi hate-speech and threats of gun violence. Welcome to Leith is a terrifying yet fascinating account of a dark recess of American society and culture. It is made with clarity and observed impartiality and stands out impressively against previous documentaries of a similar ilk. Click here for more Film Reviews #filmreviews #Documentaryreviews #Documentary #ColinLomas #FilmreviewsUK #documentary

Directed by Ryan McLoughlin Starring Sophie Barker & Oliver Monaghan Short film review by Monica Jowett Short film Sammy Can’t Dance blurs the lines between reality and fiction, as Sam struggles to cope after his girlfriend ends their relationship. Directed by Ryan McLoughlin and co-written by McLoughlin and Salar Moorgan, the film shows a dark side to a lonely boy. The film opens to video footage taken by Sam (Oliver Monaghan) of him and his girlfriend Janice (Sophie Barker); they are happy, affectionate and seem to enjoy each other’s company. Yet the scene cuts to a flat, with Sam huddled on a sofa, clearly, something in the relationship has changed. The story develops to show how Sam deals with this change. Sam acts tough, shows a lot of attitude and also appears incredibly narcissistic, possibly due to his over privileged life – his father is an actor - and this makes him hard to like. However it is obvious he is very lonely. His father is never seen, and he only talks to him on the phone and Sam shares a similar relationship with his mother. The heartbreak he suffers from his estranged parents and girlfriend makes you realise how damaged he is. Monaghan gives a good performance showing the various personalities Sam seems to have, leaving you unsure which one is real. The dark cinematography of the short film adds to the solemn nature of the story. Cutting between normal shots of Sam while he watches on TV, and videos he has filmed of himself, we see how the different sides of him emerge. The mixture of footage gives the film a personal touch, as though Sam has filmed everything himself. The music in Sammy Can’t Dance works alongside the cinematography. The screechy techno and electronic score makes you feel tense while watching the scenes. Intercut with silence and regular sounds of a phone ringing, you slowly learn how to determine what might be real and what is not. The acting, cinematography and music work well in favour of the film, yet the story still does not quite seem well defined even by the end. Though Sam wanders aimlessly in the movie – and you suppose life in general – the film feels lacking in a satisfying conclusion, and there is slight disappoint the lead up to the ending is a little absent in drama. Nevertheless, the filmmakers have made an interesting film, exploring the loneliness and sadness of what could happen to a teenager left all alone. #Shortfilmreviews #filmreviews #MonicaJowett #filmreviewsUK #ShortFilm #IndieFilm

★★★★ Directed by Sebastian Schipper Starring Laia Costa, Frederick Lau, Franz Rogowski, Burak Yigit, Max Mauff Film Review by Colin Lomas Ok, let’s get it out in the open right away; Victoria has recently gathered a mass of attention specifically due to one single reason; that the entire movie was shot as a continuous take. Given that the film is almost two hours and twenty minutes in length, it appears an almost psychotic undertaking from director Schipper. Of course, technical adulation will undoubtedly be heaped upon him along with his crew and cast but, at that running time, no amount of gimmickry and technical genius will result in an outwardly enjoyable film unaided. The celluloid elephant in the editing suite was always going to question whether the movie could stand up respectably alone, or whether it was simply a cap-tipping academic experiment into the inventive horizons of filmmaking. We are introduced to happy young Spaniard Victoria (Costa) struggling to make herself understood among her predominately aloof fellow revellers while dancing in a nightclub in East Berlin during the early hours of the morning. As she exits the club she meets cheeky fun-loving locals Sonne (Lau), Boxer (Rogowski), Blinker (Yigit) and Fuss (Mauff) who convince Victoria to let them show her the Berlin that only locals experience. The group come across as naughty but genuinely pleasant chancers as they steal beer and peanuts from sleeping shopkeepers and ride drunkenly on bikes around the city. Soon however, events conspire to pull Victoria into the quartet’s out of depth involvement in a terrifying criminal situation. The narrative basically slices the movie into two totally separate sections; the first a fun-filled, silly drunken escapade through Berlin, the second an edge of your seat crime thriller. Whether one is of the opinion that the single shot premise is gratuitous posing or an ambitious inventive piece of filmmaking, it’s fair to say that Schipper did not make this easy for himself. This is by no stretch of the imagination a simple shoot. The action weaves through the streets of Berlin, in and out of nightclubs, in cars and taxis, up ladders, in lifts, through subterranean car parks, in hotels and on bikes. You feel that primary cameraman Sturla Brandth Grøvlen (tellingly the first name on the credits) must have had a serious lie down after the final (and only) cut. The actors look genuinely exhausted towards the end and, as most of the film’s dialogue was apparently ad-libbed, this is a truly impressive feat in acting, particularly from Costa and Lau who are on screen almost continuously throughout. Costa and Lau are both excellent and all supporting cast, especially Rogowski as Boxer, always quick to excuse his prison background as a good man who made a silly mistake, do really well. None here have done any harm to themselves in pulling this off and, although at times the dialogue feels strained, at no point do any of the actors fall out of character or feel like they are struggling for inspiration. During a couple of tellingly long periods, music overdubs the dialogue; the only moments where during post-production Schipper realises that certain stretches of the ad-libbing hasn’t quite come off. These are thankfully rare enough however to fall away forgotten fairly quickly. Forgetting the one-shot principal for a moment and considering Victoria as a stand-alone film, the movie drags quite heavily during the latter sections of the first hour as the scenes at times meander aimlessly around the streets of Berlin. The second half of the movie suddenly shifts into a genuine edge of your seat thriller and it excels during this period. As Sonne becomes scattier and nervous, Victoria takes control over events and, although the narrative feels a little improbable at times, proceedings noticeably shift from technical gimmickry to full throttle thriller material. Victoria is a particularly difficult movie to score. Taken as a stand-alone film, it’s a slightly above average crime thriller about comradeship and local chancers well out of their depth in an underground crime scene. Taken as a technical and acting experiment it is a truly astonishing achievement. Either way, it’s a movie that deserves discussion and analysis for weeks after viewing. We have more Film Reviews this way... #filmreviews #ColinLomas #TheatricalReleases #WorldCinema #Filmmaking #filmreviewsUK #SebastianSchipper #LaiaCosta