Directed by Mark Bousfield Starring Bruce Lawrence, Joe Sowerbutts & Charlotte Mounter Short film review by Sarah Smeaton Ghost Nets sets itself up to be a really fresh, indie film. What follows didn’t leave me feeling so satisfied. The best part about this film has to be the breathtakingly fantastic shots of English coastline. The dramatic cliffs of Joss Bay in Kent provide the perfect ambience for this film. Literally on the edge of the world as they know it, the characters confess untold hidden truths, discover dark recesses of themselves and find themselves thrown into a world of immense repercussions from one small find. For me the plot here tries to accomplish too much for one short film. Attempting to tackle years of what appears close to hatred between two brothers in just two days, and what is effectively under thirty minutes of screen time, was always going to be a difficult challenge. The audience is expected to buy into their relationship as it stands, which is standoffish from both sides. It’s evident that older brother, Jack, (played by Bruce Lawrence) holds a massive grudge against younger, bookworm brother Neal (Joe Sowerbutts). What we have reuniting them, though, is the death of their father and they’ve embarked on a surfing trip with Jack’s partner Matilda (Charlotte Mounter) camping on a secluded and deserted section of beach. Not only do we have a dysfunctional fraternal relationship to get to the bottom of, we also have the heart of the plot, which is essentially a thriller. Unfortunately, though, the believability that surrounds the very first event, which creates the snowball effect of all the characters’ demises, is very hard to buy into. The only real answer being that Neal truly is the eccentric, kooky person Jack sees him as being, because if I found a severed hand on the beach I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be picking it up and putting it in my bag. This plot is not ground-breaking in direction either, where the main focus is them discovering a mysterious suitcase of money (after Neal’s found the hand). Unfortunately this has of course been done many times before…and better. I’ll say one word…Fargo. So what we have is a few different subplots to take this in a different direction, which perhaps could have worked if we’d had more time to explore such serious themes. But we don’t, and as such the touching on themes such as abuse just feels a little rushed, and left me unable to truly empathise with any of the characters. Mark Bousfield has very nicely directed this film, the shots are stunning and the syncing of the music at the end by Ruby Warman and the Heavy Weather is simply sublime. I could not, however, get away from the plot often feeling unfinished and rough around the edges, which was a shame as this was set up to be such a beauty of a short film. #Shortfilmreviews #filmreviews #SarahSmeaton #filmreviewsUK #Britishfilmmaking #Indiefilm #SupportIndiefilm

★ Directed by Cedric Nicolas-Troyan Starring Chris Hemsworth, Emily Blunt, Charlize Theron & Jessica Chastain Film review by Alexander Halsall I don’t believe sequels/prequels in and of themselves are bad things. If there is a worthwhile story to be told and the motivation behind a film’s creation is driven primarily from a desire to create something of value rather than simply using a recognisable property to make some easy money then why should a film be devalued because it is a continuation, or a remaining? However, when a film does feel unwarranted, and offers a minimal appropriation for its own existence, it is rather natural to become somewhat frustrated at the lackadaisical attitude of filmmaking on display. With that in mind let’s take a look at The Huntsman: Winter’s War. Taking place before the events of Snow White and The Huntsman Freya (Emily Blunt), sister of Ravenna (Charlize Theron), has given birth to a child. When the baby is killed by its father, Freya’s dormant ice powers burst forth and she kidnaps children from their families in order to build an army. Two of these children, Eric (Chris Hemsworth) and Sara (Jessica Chastain), fall in love (which Freya has forbidden) leading them to rebel against her rule. The film’s overly convoluted narrative structure makes it a strenuous and confusing viewing. It serves as both a prequel, and a sequel, to Snow White and the Huntsman but feels unimpressively stitched together. It never finds a unique voice of its own, whilst being riddled with cliché, and incoherent storytelling. The addition of Emily Blunt as Freya seems like an attempt to appeal to the massive Frozen fan base to see a grittier live action interpretation of the character of Elsa, one whose motivations seem ridiculous and implausible. I’ve never seen Emily Blunt seem so lethargic and lifeless. As a fantastic actress it has taken some truly exhaustively dour writing to dull her remarkable talents, but dulled she is. Charlize Theron doesn’t chew the scenery, but delves into a three course meal of performance excess, whilst Jessica Chastain is wasted completely as the shallowly characterised Sara. Hemsworth has a lot of charm and charisma, but even he wears thin as the film concludes. The comical support of Nick Frost, Rob Brydon and Sheridan Smith as a group of dwarves are pretty hit and miss, though Smith is unarguably the stand out ensemble performer. Winter’s War is the directorial debut of visual effects artist Cedric Nicolas-Troyan (who worked on the previous film) and unsurprisingly some of the interesting visual designs are the film’s strongest aspect, such as Ravenna’s magic mirror and Freya’s ice owl. Winter’s War is a poorly constructed time sink. A handful of nicely assorted special effects and a couple of astutely choreographed fight scenes aside there isn’t anything of merit or substance. If you were a fan of the first film and are searching for more detail and backstory regarding the characters then this may have some interest for you, however the incoherence of the narrative and the competency of the execution may leave you wanting. Again sequels/prequels are not negative things in of themselves, and there are numerous examples to prove this. The Huntsman: Winters War is not one of these though, and hopefully we will see the talented cast and crew of this feature embark on a project more deserving of their time in the future. Looking for more Film Reviews? #CedricNicolasTroyan #filmreviews #TheatricalReleases #AlexanderHalsall #ChrisHemsworth #JessicaChastain #EmilyBlunt #NickFrost #RobBrydon #SheridanSmith #UKfilmreviews #InUKCinemasNow #1Star

Directed by Manos Ioannou Starring Jonathon Kemp, Sidney Dean, Jasmine Joans Short Film Review by Andrew Moore An official selection for the 2016 London Short Film Festival, Manos Ioannou’s film Dilip’s Castle is a twisted and nefarious film, in which we witness the dry and detached central character Sidney (Jonathon Kemp) discover what lies under the suburban, metropolitan veneer when he decides to peer behind a darker veil. Spiralling deliberately into a booze induced haze after his wife’s infidelity we witness Sidney being rebuked by a girl in a bar after stumping up (as he begrudgingly notes) the cost of a few drinks. She goes back over to her boyfriend and Sidney (cut to later that evening) gets a whack on the nose for his troubles as we see him checking his plaster in an off licence security mirror (it’s going to be one of those nights)! This incidentally is where Sidney meets Dilip (Sidney Dean) who’s haranguing the shopkeeper to let him owe the price of his shopping bag until another time. Sidney, whilst buying his own ‘top ups’ for his continuing evening of obliterating descent, kindly offers to pay for Dilip’s shopping, and so their jovial banter thus ensues. Dilip invites Sydney over to his place and the scene is consequentially set as we follow the pair in conversation down the road. Anyone who’s had a reasonably active social life in London (and I’d assume that’s most of us) will recount many a time we’ve ended up at some kind of ‘after party’ populated by certain characters who only seem to inhabit this secret otherworld, ones that exist in dimly lit, smoke infused rooms behind the drawn curtains of perfectly normal looking suburban backstreets. Well then, inside Dilip’s place Sidney meets two of his friends with a joint on the go, and later Sarah (Jasmine Joans) whom Sydney very nearly hooks up with (after he initially collapses in the upstairs bathroom suffering from a strong hit on the homemade bong downstairs). Alas, after failing to perform with Sarah, Sidney decamps off for more booze to baluster a second attempt! En route he discovers the property’s true owners, bound and gagged. And so the twist here is that Dilip and his cohorts choose to inhabit/takeover other people’s suburban idylls and you’re certainly given the impression this is an ongoing lifestyle of theirs and not a one off. There are of course hints at underhand things afoot initially, the strange dialogue delivered by Dilip regarding house fires and the smell of human bacon ending with him stating “who’s to say you’re not food for me” while Sydney of course comments on Dilip’s ‘big place’ as they enter (strange considering he can’t afford his own shopping) and even upon entering he’s jumbling unnaturally with the keys (and why’s there all that bleach?). Of course this is the point; we’re supposed to notice this, slowly cranking up the sense of disquieting unease. Right from start the film’s underlying sense of the intrigue has been perfectly captured by Alex Grigoras’ acutely observed cinematography; from the dimly lit bar to the scenes in the house, you feel that the camera is following the night’s events as much as witnessing them, which really allows the viewer to saddle up to the intrigue in Dilip’s Castle – you’re very much along for the ride! That said, this would be nothing without believable acting and here it’s professional and accomplished with Jonathon Kemp’s wry laconic delivery of his lines against Sidney Dean’s friendly camaraderie but with its manipulatively sinister Mansonesque undercurrents; in his last scene, Dilip unnervingly drops his amicable Irish accent for a more abrasive London one (the mask is of)! This is augmented by a decent script with dialogue that’s completely believable, on the nail and feels natural within the parameters of the scenes. Technically speaking none of Manos Ioannou’s film would look out of place in a full feature. There’s an argument that Sidney’s bolshie ironic ‘I’m climbing into a dark hole because I bloody want to’ nature subconsciously seeks out Dilip who points out in their parting scene (whilst Sidney’s handcuffed to a bed) that his little dramas don’t matter because “not everything is about Sidney!” The nature of a good film short is the questions it throws out into the abyss, what it asks the viewer of its characters beyond its short filmic life, this film succeeds on every level in that sense. As of its potential to become a full feature, by keeping Sidney’s dry sense of disdain juxtaposed against Dilip’s darker, philosophical knife tearing through petty suburban concerns I’d consider it sitting closer to something like Danny Boyle’s 1994 film Shallow Grave (as opposed to going in the direction of something bleaker and solely nihilistic like Mike Leigh’s 1993 film Naked). Of course, in the emerging daylight Sidney does get to return home (minus trousers), closing his door upon the night’s events and us the viewer, and yet considering his original wish when we first met him to avoid this maybe I’d secretly hoped that Sidney had stayed with Dilip in one of his many castles after all, now that’d be fun to watch! Want to read more Film Reviews? #filmreviews #Shortfilmreviews #AndrewMoore #ShortFilms #IndieFilmreviews #cinematography #DannyBoyle #MikeLeigh

★★★ Directed by Ben Wheatley Starring Tom Hiddlestone, Jeremy Irons, Sienna Miller, Luke Evans, Elisabeth Moss Film review by Colin Lomas Arguably JG Ballard’s most prophetic and politically acerbic critique on society, High Rise has been passed around studio after studio as a movie option for almost twenty years. Written in the early seventies in the initial throes of Thatcherism, the story describes the lives of the residents of a new totally self-contained residential block in east London. Amazingly pre-dating uber-luxurious glass monolith Pan Peninsula in Canary Wharf by nearly forty years, it portrays a building with everything an occupant could ever need; a school, a swimming pool and gym, a supermarket. As friction starts to build between the different floors (each advanced level analogous to the increasingly affluent steps on the social middle class ladder) and the building starts to have technical teething problems, humanity soon dissolves into mayhem and murder as the inhabitants quickly devolve to their pure animal instincts. The narrative follows new resident Robert Laing (Hiddlestone) as he attempts to integrate himself into the building’s frivolous party scene, quickly discovering the underlying condescension of the upper floors toward their lower floored incumbents. He soon meets pregnant outcast Helen Wilder (Moss) whose violent husband Richard (Evans) has taken it upon himself to lead the lower floor revolt for his own selfish ends. Laing’s regular squash matches with building architect and penthouse owner Anthony Royal (Irons) are soon cancelled as the division between the various floors turns violent. Laing then finds himself on a voyage of self-discovery as he attempts to find his rightful place among the warring factions. Amy Jump has done a masterful job at converting a novel which many have said was impossible to transcribe into a full length movie. However, her commitment to the original book is actually one of the movie’s main pitfalls. As with the original novel, the violence and floor snobbery quickly becomes extremely repetitive. Only so much time can be spent observing fights between various floors of an apartment block without becoming a little desensitised, the latter parts of the film suffer somewhat from this evident monotony. The other issue with converting the novel is that although Laing is the main character for the first third of the novel, Wilder takes over those duties for the majority of the rest of the narrative, a precarious coup to attempt in a film which generally requires a consistent protagonist throughout. It therefore starts to feel that Wilder and Laing’s characters are awkwardly battling for screen time and neither really win out. The film’s visuals glow absolute beauty and must have been an assignment sent from heaven for the set designers who have lovingly painted it with the extravagant yet tacky plastic curves and floral friezes of the era. Costume designers have also had a field day; the cast’s post-revolt visual appearances are ludicrously brilliant. Reece Shearsmith’s post-apocalyptic gaffer tape outfit as Nathan Steele makes him look like Immotan Joe from Mad Max: Fury Road should he have kitted himself out at Wilkos. It’s a shame but it’s difficult to truly love or hate the characters because, even though Hiddlestone, Irons, Evans and Miller all put in solid performances, it always feels like they are circling the event horizon of the true main protagonist, the building itself, which again, works brilliantly in the novel but not so well on screen. High Rise is a fabulous film to examine, a slightly trickier one to truly enjoy and an almost impossible one to genuinely love. Whether it is relished or not will come down purely to how it is approached; If it’s taken as a mad-cap two-hour excursion of fun, death and orgies then it could be cherished, but if you expect it to be as thought-provoking and politically cutting as the novel then you may be a little disappointed. Film more Film Reviews click here #filmreviews #TheatricalReleases #InUKCinemasNow #ColinLomas #BenWheatley #TomHiddleston #JeremyIrons #SiennaMiller #LukeEvans #ElisabethMoss

Directed by Nathan Suher Starring David Kopcych, Gio Castellano & Lindsey Elizabeth Cork Short film review by Sarah Smeaton This short film is as terrifying as it is disturbing. A torturous story of unrequited love and a man who is willing to do anything, become anything, to have the woman he has his sights on. Next/Door right from word go sets up main character, Otto Wells, as being a simple, if somewhat lazy, average Joe, as the film opens on him slobbing out on his shabby sofa when he hears the unthinkable happen next door. He overhears an altercation between a couple and what appears to be a gunshot. Coming to the rescue only once the man of the house, Hector, played by Gio Castellano, leaves we have an immediate understanding that this guy, Otto, is never going to win any bravery awards. His astuteness is further solidified when he enters his next-door neighbour’s flat and finds the woman of the house, Patty, (Lindsey Elizabeth Cork) on the bed covered in blood, to which his immediate response is to stay where he is and ask, “Patty are you okay?” This has got to be the first alarm bell that this guy is not normal. And he most certainly is anything but. It must be said that David Kopcych plays the role of average bachelor meets psychopath exceedingly well. The mundane nature of his actions is thoroughly well performed. Team this with the perfectly timed and harrowing music, composed by Kevin Macleod, and we’ve got ourselves an extremely creepy and macabre horror. What’s so morbidly delightful about this short film is how well the mundane aspects of life are seamlessly juxtaposed with the outright grotesque and gruesome nature of murder and psychoticism. The overlaying background noise of the shower running and rhythmic, repetitive music while Otto talks to the now dead Patty, reinforces how normal and natural Otto feels about this situation, whilst also having the impact of making this scene that bit more terrifying for those of us having to view Otto’s unnatural and disturbing behaviour. It is completely normal to Otto that he’s just done something so horrific that it’s what nightmares are made of in order to obtain Patty. Another mark of fantastic directorship here by Nathan Suher in Next/Door is in one of the most disturbing scenes in this short film, where we have a frantic shift between a beautiful, bright and airy scene of Otto and Patty dancing and beginning to make love, with the awful reality, which is shot in black and white of Otto and a what is essentially an inanimate corpse. We’re then quickly snapped into morning light, with Otto back on the couch by himself, making us wonder if this was all a dream. I can’t quite put it into words just how thankful I am that this is not how the film finishes. This wonderfully dark film needed an ending to fit. If for nothing else, watch this film for the ending. It’s simple yet remarkably clever in nature. This is a wonderful piece of filmmaking. More Film Reviews here. #Shortfilmreviews #SarahSmeaton #filmreviews #Horror #filmmaking #shortfilm #FilmReviews #UKFilmReview

★★ Directed by Dexter Fletcher Starring Taron Egerton & Hugh Jackman Film review by Alexander Halsall Following the success of his two previous efforts, Wild Bill and Sunshine on Leith, Dexter Fletcher directs this “feel good” biopic of notorious British ski jumper Eddie “The Eagle” Edwards, with Matthew Vaughn producing. Eddie Edwards (Taron Egerton) is a young man who has spent his entire life dreaming to be an Olympian. Having eventually settled on competing at downhill skiing in the Winter Olympics he is turned down by the British Olympic Association, but discovers he could have a chance of making it as a ski jumper instead. Along the way he meets former ski jumping athlete Bronson Peary (Hugh Jackman) and despite initially rocky beginnings forms a partnership in attempting to fulfil his Olympic ambitions. First off Egerton and Jackman have a lot of chemistry together, and their scenes have a succinct, enjoyable rhythm both comically and in the film’s more dramatic moments. I was impressed with Egerton’s performance as Eddie, and felt he accomplished ably within his role in the film. Whilst Jackman is an experienced and charismatic screen veteran on point and at times enjoyable and humorous. However, yes I’m sorry there is a however, pretty much everything else about Eddie the Eagle felt somewhat underwhelming. I understand the presence of cliché and formula within filmmaking and that when used effectively they can create a narrative structure within which a film can build upon and develop into something unique to itself, but an over allowance of such can create a sense of uninspiring familiarity. No one should have any business not enjoying a film about a man called Eddie the Eagle, an underdog, rising above his comrades by fighting for his right to be an Olympian, to be recognised for his attributes. Personally I love that kind of stuff, sign me up. Rocky? I love it. The Karate Kid? Must have seen it fifty times. Rudy? Tear jerking stuff. Eddie the Eagle? It comes across as shallow and formulaic. Like a check list of things needed to make a film about a sporting underdog. The real issue underlining this, well, have you heard of a film called Cool Runnings? I’m quite the fan. When I saw the poster I assumed Hugh Jackman was going to be the North American former pro who disgraced his own coach and now lives an introverted existence haunted by the guilt of what he did in the past, a bit like John Candy in Cool Runnings. Turns out I was right; though Candy was Canadian I suppose. What Cool Runnings had was an absurdist premise that was universally laughable. The challenge seemed greater, the film was funnier, and the execution was tearfully gratifying. It’s ideological consensus about the Olympics being an advent not of success in victory, but in teamwork, sportsmanship, and the struggles of competing itself were inspiring in 1993 and are still sort of now, twenty three years later, with Eddie the Eagle. Cool Runnings wasn’t without cliché or familiarity, but between the structure that these clichés created were interesting characters, great writing, and a swaggering reggae energy that gave the film a unique voice. Something Eddie the Eagle lacks. Eddie the Eagle isn’t dislikeable. It lands a couple of steady emotional punches, but it doesn’t swing with anything you wouldn’t expect. Perhaps it’s fitting that a biopic about Eddie the Eagle should be a likeable underachievement. It sticks the landing and gets on the board, but does little else. If you haven’t seen Cool Runnings then it could be worth checking out. Or even better just watch Cool Runnings and, like me, you’ll be singing songs about the Jamaican bobsled team. Want to read more Film Reviews? #filmreviews #AlexanderHalsall #HughJackman #TaronEgerton #DexterFletcher #Sportsmovies #Underdogs #Filmmaking

Directed by Don Hertzfeldt Starring Winona Mae & Julia Pott Short film review by Lorenzo Lombardi Fresh off winning an Empire Jameson award for Best Short Film - although inexplicably snubbed for the Oscars - World of Tomorrow is a transcendent and masterful odyssey into what makes us human. Themes of memory, love and desire are all profoundly interwoven through a combination of visceral backgrounds, a visionary observation of the world to come and an emotional insight into how society will be affected by the new world. The short film follows a little girl named Emily (Winona Mae) who is taken on a tour of the future. Guiding her through this is a future version of herself: a 3rd generation version Emily (Julia Pott). Touring this future (227 years from the present), Emily delineates the abilities technology and science will wrought. Society can now clone, which is mainly used as a platform to subsequently store memories into, ultimately achieving immortality. Virtually all of the world can be solidified digitally into another platform: the “Outer-net”, the next stage from the Internet. Here, limitless opportunities are possible, which include the ability to view any event in history, or to materialize any bit of consciousness. Completed with time travel, science and technology have distorted time and space. Notwithstanding the astounding evolution of this new world, it also has a bittersweet impact. Perpetually repeated, people have gradually become emotionless and mentally disintegrated using cloning. Lower class people are particularly affected, with millions dying over a cheap time travel method. And - a real possibility - the reliance of virtual reality has blurred the line between real and digital. This film imposes many questions and ideas. With cloning, will love become obsolete? Is the fear of the unknown our downfall? Audiences may feel confused upon a first viewing, but repetition will help to understand it viscerally. A viewer shall realize why the clones’ memories are abstract: because they are comprised of digitalised memories. They did not experience them. Alike the director’s previous film, It’s Such a Beautiful Day, Don Hertzfeldt uses an emotionally fuelled narrative. World of Tomorrow’s animated style of the characters is charming, and they fit well with the bleak abstract backdrops of the film. Little girl Emily is funnily and spontaneously voiced by 4-year-old Winona Mae, making the character’s reactions feel genuine. Julia Pott voices Emily’s clone understandably plain, but you can make small resonations with what sounds like feelings when she recounts her relationships. Coinciding magnificently with Hertzfeldt’s beautiful use of classical music from the likes of Strauss and Gliere, this film invoked a lot in me. It taught me to value my life that tad bit more and to consider to what extent should the human race achieve their evolutionary goals. Needless to say, World of Tomorrow conveys more in 15 minutes than most features do in 120. Click here for more Short Film Reviews. #filmreviews #Animation #animatedfilmreviews #LorenzoLombardi #Shortfilms #Awards #Jameson #DonHertzfeldt

Directed by Bobby Hodgson Starring Tom Carter, Mhairi Calvey & James Kirk Short film review by Monica Jowett Short crime thriller Gemini keeps you wanting more throughout its duration. The film follows Mr Kendall (Tom Carter), who is struggling in an awkward situation of having an affair with a co-worker and then becoming embroiled with a dangerous heist. The narrative follows a simple structure, yet the clever dialogue from writer and director Bobby Hodgson leaves you wanting more as each scene hints that something more intriguing could be going on and we are rewarded with exciting twists. The film has the right pace for a 30 minute short, and no stone is left unturned. Tom Carter is the stand out star of Gemini as he gives an outstanding performance as Mr Kendall, the emotionally uncertain bank manager. He provides the perfect balance of a man who seems perfectly in control and yet someone who has nothing in his life in order. Supporting character Jessica (Mhairi Calvey) is almost like a femme fatale, we see that she is manipulative yet she clearly has a vulnerable side that is compelling to view. The Jester (James Kirk) is a terrifying antagonist for Mr Kendall, brilliantly creating fear through just his voice and body movements. The cinematography and editing in Gemini really stand out. The use of jump cuts and flashes, layering each shot gives it a feeling that each scene is a blurry vision for our central character of Mr Kendall. The cinematography combines bright high key lighting and dark shadowed lighting that increases the tension and furthers the atmosphere of confusion surrounding Mr Kendall. The music is used creatively during the short film. Certain scenes are void of music, yet the quiet background noise or silence is just as effective as an emotive score. When other scenes need the added intensity, the screeching and jumpy music keeps you on the edge of your seat. However, there are certain scenes and lines of dialogue that feel unnecessary, and though they make the film cohesive it does make it drag on a little. Nevertheless, Gemini remains completely enjoyable, and each new development keeps you enraptured. Visit our Film Reviews page for more like this. #filmreviews #Shortfilmreviews #MonicaJowett #ShortFilms #shortmoviereviews #supportindiefilms

★★★★ Directed by Marcus Flemmings & Haider Zafar Starring Haider Zafar, Daniella Down, Anna Leong Brophy & Michael Keane Indie film review by Chris Olson Madcap dark comedy The Conversations is the zany love child of filmmakers Marcus Flemmings and Haider Zafar that takes a boy-loses-girl story and delivers it with incredible freshness, biting comedy, and poignant melancholy. Dentist-cum-Stand-Up-Comedian Al (Zafar) has his heart broken in the opening moments of this indie film, when his American girlfriend Ellie (Daniella Down) ends their relationship after some banter and snacks. Al’s coping mechanism seems to be replaying the events of their courtship blended in with bizarre, Mighty Boosh-esque sequences that transcend linear storytelling and deliver abstract commentary on the nature of love and loss. Punctuated with stand-up routines and endless repartee, there is a clear passion for comedy in The Conversations, which benefits from a sharp script and inexhaustible enthusiasm. Utterly bizarre references are thrown in with reckless abandon which, instead of spoiling the flow, perfectly complement the tone of Al’s suffering and his loosening grip on his identity and reality. Furthermore, the comedy is never left long enough to curdle, instead balanced with emotional depth and poignancy which are arguably the stronger moments of the movie. Some of the science fiction tropes which are lobbed in have a levity and enjoyable lightness, but add little to the punch behind the film's themes and main plot. A couple of scenes are let down with some wooden acting and the supporting characters are left quite underdeveloped but one has to enter The Conversations as a very much one-sided discussion. This is an introspective exploration of emotional ruin that splashes human foibles like a scattergun with endless ammunition. Also, there are some fantastically amateurish special effects like a ray gun and a rainfall of golf tees which need to be seen to be believed. The structure of the film is slightly irksome, patched together like a BBC3 sketch show that plays heavily on an audience’s short attention span, opting for a smorgasbord of locales and characters instead of developing the ones already established. However, the aforementioned balance of jokes and emosh is maintained enough that you feel connected to Al’s journey and want to see its conclusion. Zafar's performance remains steady to the end, coping well with the tumultuous instability of his character as well as the comical scenes. With a very funny script and equally sorrowful depth to the scenes, The Conversations is a beautifully tragic depiction of a break-up, one to be celebrated if only for revelling in the bizarre quirks that come with one. More Film Reviews this way. #filmreviews #ChrisOlson #indiefilmreviews #IndieFilm #SupportIndieFilms #Comedy #filmreviewsUK

★★★★ Directed by Dan Trachtenberg Starring John Goodman, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, & John Gallagher Jr. Film review by Alexander Halsall In terms of marketing, the Cloverfield franchise, as it is now, has been one of the most innovative of the 21st Century. When 2008’s Cloverfield trailer first dropped it was one of the cleverest and most impressive pieces of viral marketing ever produced. Using the growing success of YouTube as a launch pad and with social networking starting to consume the cyber sphere of the internet, getting people sharing the trailer through Facebook and Twitter prompted everyone to ask what is Cloverfield? Despite what you thought of the finished product the film made serious financial ‘bacon’ and in January 2016, two months before release, 10 Cloverfield Lane’s trailer dropped. This was the first mention of a supposed sequel and history repeated itself as people liked, shared and wondered what this new entity was. Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) has left her husband and is driving across the country when she is involved in a traffic accident. She awakes restrained in an underground bunker and is greeted by Howard (John Goodman) who tells her there has been an apocalyptic event and he brought her to this location, saving her life in the process. There is another man in the shelter, Emmet (John Gallagher Jr.), but Howard says everyone else is dead. 10 Cloverfield Lane is not connected to its predecessor, and according to J.J Abrams he hopes to turn Cloverfield into an anthology franchise telling separate stories that are linked by theme/genre. An interesting premise that takes the recognisable ‘brand’ of the Cloverfield name and applies it to original ideas to help them appeal to a wider audience. With a first time director at the helm (Dan Trachtenburg) I was surprised by the impressive use of control the film has. It utilises the cramped conditions to create tension between the characters using the claustrophobic setting to trap Michelle in a paranoia inducing space. The lack of privacy, coupled with the unknown motivations of the characters makes an intriguingly taut thriller. What really makes the film so fiercely watchable are the performances of the triumvirate of Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Gallagher Jr. and John Goodman. Winstead and Gallagher are both terrific; especially in the scenes their characters spend together. Their chemistry is fantastic, and the writing by Josh Campbell, Matt Stuecken and Damien Chazelle (of Whiplash fame) allows the actors to take already great material and build upon it with a pair of hard working performances that amplifies the films unsettling atmosphere. Then there is John Goodman. Simply put, he nails it. As brilliant as the other performers are Goodman is a revelation, a pleasure to watch. A terrific actor, he manages to turn in a performance that is at times menacing, pitiable, hilarious and terrifying. Also I give a tip of the hat to Bear Mccreary for his tense and interesting musical score, after his rather uninspired work on The Boy, a welcome return to form. The film's climax may divide people with the direction it takes, however I found its final resolution highly fulfilling. 10 Cloverfield Lane takes a rather simple premise and excels beyond expectations through great direction, fine writing and storytelling and some wonderful performances by the three main players. I hope if you decide to visit 10 Cloverfield Lane, I do recommend it; that you are as entertained as I was. Want to read some more Film Reviews? #TheatricalReleases #filmreviews #AlexanderHalsall #JohnGoodman #MaryElizabethWinstead #JohnGallagherJr #DanTrachtenberg #Thriller #JJAbrams

Written & Directed by Dan Tonkin Starring Ivan Berry, David Hughes, Helen Clapp, & Laura McAlpine Short film review by Sarah Smeaton Switching Beers is a light-hearted, romcom short film, with a bromance at the heart of it. We follow friends, Mark and Chris, as they discuss the future of their relationships with long-term girlfriends, Becky and Jessica. The main theme tries to get to the bottom of the benefits of marriage. Mark is contemplating proposing to his girlfriend but Chris openly has serious commitment issues and spends the short film trying to convince Mark to not go ahead with his proposal to Becky. I feel sure this is meant to be a comedy (I’m not sure what other genre it can fall under as not a lot happens) but the laughs were few and far between. In fact Mark, the advocate of marriage, spends the majority of the movie being highly misogynistic and outright insulting toward the opposite sex. When Chris asks him what the point of marriage is, Mark helpfully comes up with several reasons, including; having someone to clean the house, to do the shopping for him and to fetch beers. If this isn’t insulting enough, Chris has some counter reasons as to why women can’t even do these jobs properly as if they were given the responsible task of the weekly shopping, to quote they’d; ‘end up getting the wrong thing and taking twice as long’. Not only this but the wife would no doubt have the audacity to buy something for herself on the joint credit card, likely ‘a dress that she’d wear once and never wear again’. And of course she’d muck up buying beer as she’d get the alcohol free ones. How anyone could see the humour in this I’m not so sure. This felt like an awful imitation of Men Behaving Badly. It’s got the lazy men who like to get drunk all the time down to a fine art. But I couldn’t find anything that resembled comedy no matter how hard I tried. The production is simple in form and doesn’t attempt to break any boundaries, so I’m afraid Switching Beers didn’t gain any points in this department either. This was Dan Tonkin’s first foray into writing and he has gone on to write several more short films, but the plot of Switching Beers was lacking in any real direction. We are left at the end of the short film no further on than when we first started, apart from that Mark probably dislikes women even more, and Chris has trained his girlfriend to buy in the strong beers. Hooray. Click here for more Film Reviews. #Shortfilmreviews #filmreviews #SarahSmeaton #Comedy #supportindiefilms #shortfilmreviews #Shortfilm

★★★★★ Directed by Zack Snyder Written by Chris Terrio & David S. Goyer Starring Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, Gal Gadot & Jeremy Irons  Film Review by Dean Pettipher Not quite a week following the first day of spring, just in time for the lusciously sweet-scented, chocolate-filled holiday period, which year after year gushes with temptations aimed at provoking acts of kindness, known by all as ‘The Easter Weekend’, the cinema calendar slot into which DC launched its worthy answer to Marvel’s superhero assemblages could not have been better. Here and now is a time when divisions in societies across the world appear forever unbridgeable, in the midst of fundamental conflicts between liberty and security where both sides appear convinced that they are unequivocally “right”, while the opposition is at worst corrupted by the purest of evils, or, at best, tragically deluded by their desire to make a positive difference. Hence, the visionary director, Zack Snyder, a page-to-screen adaptation veteran, who was praised for his remarkable leadership by the actor presently and eloquently portraying Superman, Henry Cavill, with the utmost genuineness at a recent advanced screening of the picture in London, could not have given audiences a greater cinematic gift. While perhaps not quite possessing enough novelty to excite audiences whose minds have been numbed in the wake of a ceaseless onslaught of superhero movies, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) offers, with impressive and sincere conviction, enough freshness to re-ignite the passions of both avid and causal fans of the genre. The most immediately striking quality of the feature, which shall undoubtedly separate it from the civil war currently underway on Netflix between Daredevil and The Punisher in Marvel’s Daredevil (2015-Present) and the battle between former allies prepped and ready for the month of May, led by principle Avengers in Captain America: Civil War (2016), is how it consistently effloresces with varied and vivid colours, courtesy of a surprising amount of globe-trotting that was mercifully one of the few story qualities not given away by the determined but often careless advertising campaign. Such beautiful, rich cinematography, however, has come to be expected as an absolute minimum bar from collaborations helmed by Snyder, most notably as a result of 300 (2006), Watchmen (2009) and, of course, Man of Steel (2013).  Fortunately, Batman v Superman will be remembered as an ultimate illustration of redemption in Hollywood, which, while certainly far from Christ-like, definitely amounts to an inspiring scale of biblical proportions. Ben Affleck has ascended above the enormous levels of pressure and hatred against him, which have sporadically risen and fallen like the most turbulent tides of the ocean, ever since the announcement that he would portray ‘The Dark Knight’ way back in 2013, to craft a wiser, more noticeably war-hardened ‘Caped Crusader’ than audiences have heretofore witnessed on the silver screen. The most blatant accomplishment for which Affleck deserves at least a small degree of credit, which should justly be conceded by lovers and haters of the artist alike, is the payoff granted to his physical aesthetics as a result of admirably hard work at the gym. Affleck, now at 43 years of age, is the oldest actor ever to be cast as Batman/Bruce Wayne. He stated in an interview with ABC News, “I worked out for almost a year before this movie started, to get into becoming a superhero at my advanced age.” He added afterwards, “that was not easy but that’s what audiences have come to expect.” Both Affleck and Cavill clearly endured physical trials with success that consequently brought about fruits that audiences look upon with envy. Incidentally, when the latter artist, Cavill, came upon the stage to introduce the film at the aforementioned London performance, a woman shouted with glee, “Take your top off!” After a brief silence, Cavill replied, “Thank you but no,” warranting a pleasant eruption infectious laughter from the entire audience. Regardless, no amount of eye candy can distract audiences from the quality of acting for too long and nor should such a treat hope to do so. To the great relief of those rooting for Affleck in particular to succeed, the artist has clearly learned from his mistakes, made evident through believable facial expressions and vocal control, with shouting especially that both go on to convey a far greater emotional depth to his character than many thought possible regarding Affleck’s ability with the acting craft. Affleck’s interpretation of Batman cannot be overstated, for while he successfully manages to come across as a powerful force to be taken seriously, he does not manage to breach the gates into Oscar-worthy territory. On the other hand, harsher critics will never forgive him for the apparent disaster that was Daredevil (2003), even after commendable efforts as both an actor and director in The Town (2010) and Argo (2012). The shock of his excellent presentation as Batman does not quite hit as swiftly as Heath Ledger’s did as Joker in The Dark Knight (2008), however, the tale of how Affleck rose above the nay-sayers to create a perfectly plausible DC icon, which accurately aligned with Snyder’s vision, will be forever recorded in memory as a beacon highlighting the importance of self-confidence and determination for all in the real world, regardless of the differences in their own personal struggles. Additionally, a final consideration lingering after Batman v Superman, relating to Affleck’s part in the production, is a notion put forward by a former Batman, Christian Bale, who said: “The talking doesn’t matter. It’s the actual doing. As someone who knows how films are made, you sometimes read reviews and you go, ‘Clearly that guy doesn’t actually get how films get made because he’s blaming the wrong person. They don’t actually understand about how films get made, about the decisions get made and why things end up and why things are not in there.” In spite of having not even a clue about the audition process that Affleck went through to get the part of Batman, the more polite critics asserted with authority that he was not their first choice for the role, while the more ballsy or perhaps simply crueller spectators condemned Affleck, without a second thought, as a joke, a weird rumour or, with an assortment of naughty words to support the belief, just not right for the role. On this occasion, they were wrong. There may be a better Batman candidate out there but Affleck does well enough to warrant optimism for DC’s future Batman movie endeavours. When exiting the movie theatre once the film has concluded, one will almost inevitably overhear criticism of the script at the forefront of discussion. While all characters have a decent part to play and a respectable level of screen-time, there are a number of occurrences that some will understandably find ridiculous. For instance, the cause of the epiphany that suddenly resolves a central confrontation in the movie comes across as a bizarre coincidence that would furthermore be unacceptable, were it not delivered with such high levels of emotional intensity and supported by a fairly swift story pacing that learns from Man of Steel’s gravest mistake: fight sequences with destruction that at times seemed to drag on towards no purpose whatsoever and consequently cause their more graceful sections to become overshadowed by repetition and excess, which only delayed a foregone albeit perfectly desirable conclusion. Chris Terrio, the Academy Award-winning scribe of Argo and David S. Goyer, a highly experienced screenwriter of the superhero movie genre for both DC and Marvel, with credits including Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Trilogy (2005-2012) and Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2011), together have written a script that sets the stage for a superb multiplicity of action scenes. All of which are determined not to extend to unnecessary longer lengths and risk losing the focus of their initially enthralled audiences, even when the clash between the titanic protagonists around which the movie is based is set in motion. An enjoyable amount of subtext, calling to mind Batman’s past in particular, is sprinkled throughout the picture, allowing for the story not to drown in the deep waters of backstory overload. Once or twice, the mood dulls in the midst of just a little too much exposition regarding scientific theory, which keen fans of the comic books will still appreciate and those who do not grasp its significance right away will be swiftly carried along regardless by the fantastic and ferocious musical score by Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL. The involvement of the former composer has never been the wrong decision for any film under his belt and Batman v Superman adds yet another piece of supporting evidence to such a claim, boasting an original score no less epic than Gladiator (2000) or Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003). While not detrimental to the script’s overall quality, the hints relating to the future of The Justice League are much less subtle than the equivalent methods witnessed in the Marvel films but they remain as thrilling as ever as indications of what lies ahead for the DC cinematic universe. Similarly, if the world was not already aware of the plans for Wonder Woman to have her own movie in 2017, fans of the character might be far less forgiving of her role in Batman v Superman, which, by direct comparison with the two titular heroes, is far less substantial but, in the grand scheme that considers the overall direction of the series, remains a worthwhile inclusion in the present chapter.  Arguably the greatest quality of the writing is its commendable attempt to a genuine imbroglio for which no clear distinction between right and wrong can be made. Thus, a great evil, in the form of Lex Luther, excellently presented in a furtive manner by Jesse Eisenberg, is allowed to take full advantage of the chaos and therefore provide a decent level of suspense that, while not quite reaching the heights of Heath Ledger’s Joker or Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin, is still able to be taken very seriously, chiefly when a major denouement in the story takes place and when he repeatedly forces both Batman and Superman into tense displays of forbearance. However, events continue to play out in a manner that feels too familiar to previous superhero gatherings. The principal challenge for the writers and all with whom they work in the future for the next chapters, hopefully aiming for a panoply of DC heroes if circumstances permit, will be to ensure that plot twists are much less predictable while remaining true to the source material behind the comic book icons. At present, though, considering the momentous challenge of the task at hand, the writers and other artists who brought their words to life can be proud of the present installment. The exact financial cost is unclear; the total budget for Batman v Superman, from production to promotion and beyond, has, without a doubt, run into the hundreds of millions. Accordingly, there are ambitious hopes for the film’s potential at the box office. That is to say, at least one important figure supporting the project would see the film comfortably exceed one billion dollars as a minimum for there to be any hopeful indication that the DC cinematic experience could rival Marvel’s more comfortably established one. Will Batman v Superman achieve that target? No sane individual could honestly claim to know the answer with total certainty. On the other hand, does the movie deserve to reach and surpass that target, bearing in mind that only twenty-four films, according to the website, www.boxofficemjo.com, have done so? Yes. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice would be a worthy recipient of a spot on the list as the twenty-fifth movie to make a worldwide gross of at least one billion dollars. Concerning the aforesaid, rather bold claim, while sitting in the movie theatre as the credits roll briskly downwards, the final, more sombre scenes of the feature prompt the digestion of a thought that is not unfamiliar. What if one could like Marvel and DC heroes in equal measure and remain at peace about it? The two universes are much like red and white wine, for preposterous superstitions are entrenched within so-called respectable circles, such as the idea that the two wines drank in combination, as opposed to red wine alone, will result in a hangover. Adam Teeter on www.vinepair.com, however, insists that such a belief is not true, since what causes a hangover is, frankly, a lot of wine, whether it be white, or red. Similarly, there is nothing wrong with some friendly competition between two comic book factions but there is also nothing at all wrong with enjoying both of them without fear of refute from fellow film fans.  Batman v Superman is essentially about uniting over dividing people, which at present in the real world appears to be a fantasy. Yet, the hopeful optimism instilled within audiences will be appreciated regardless. Both DC and Marvel have experienced critical movie disasters, with Green Lantern (2011) and Fantastic Four (2015) respectively as just a couple of many examples. More crucially, both universes have been supporting, intentionally or otherwise, the fight to ensure that movies and television shows of the superhero genre are one day taken just as seriously as those of any other genre. It may yet be a long time before superheroes are no longer snubbed at prestigious awards ceremonies and dismissed as the sexual fantasies of the socially inept. Still, Batman v Superman is a reminder to all pondering over debate around whether or not superhero films will go, as Steven Spielberg put it, “the way of the Western,” implying that there will come a time when nobody wants them anymore, according to David Crowe of www.denofgeek.us. That reminder, put simply, is that for the foreseeable future at least, superhero movies are not going anywhere since, as Chris Evans stated, “as long as the filmmakers keep on reinventing the flavour and the approach and the tone, audiences are going to still go.” Snyder and the team have crafted a painting in motion that evidently builds upon successes and failures of the past, instilling within viewers a sentiment of delirious enthusiasm, most notably in the aftermath of the furious fighting. In the end, therefore, there are far worse ways to spend the invaluable time for restoration of all guises granted by the Easter holiday, or even the many spring and possibly summer weekends that will follow, than watching Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Read our Filmmaker Feature on Zack Snyder, or watch the trailer for Batman v Superman below... #filmreviews #TheatricalReleases #Superheroes #DC #ZackSnyder #DeanPettipher #BenAffleck #HenryCavill #JesseEisenberg #AmyAdams #GalGadot #jeremyIrons