★★ Directed by Christian Ditter Starring: Dakota Johnson, Rebel Wilson, Leslie Mann, Alison Brie Film review by Kieran Freemantle The rom-com, a genre that has been often seen as an excuse for studios to release lazily made films by filmmakers phoning it in for an easy pay cheque. But in recent years films like 500 Days of Summer and I Give it a Year have tried to subvert the conventions of the sub-genre and How to be Single attempts to follow their example. How to be Single follows four women in New York City - Alice (Dakota Johnson), a recent graduate from Wesleyan University who puts her relationship on a break; Meg (Leslie Mann), Alice's sister who has focused on her career as a doctor instead of looking for a man or have a child; Lucy (Alison Brie), a woman looking for her perfect man but goes full bunny boiler when she is in a relationship; and Robin (Rebel Wilson), Alice's new co-worker and a hard drinking, hard partying woman who is looking for men to sleep with. All four have to navigate the city to find love and fulfilment in the Big Apple. How to be Single is basically a female-centric movie version of How I Met Your Mother, having a similar style of comedy, visuals and philosophies on romance. Throughout the film characters like Lucy and Robin tell how difficult it is to find “the one”, even in a city the size of New York and that Robin is of the view that women should have fun and hook-up with everyone and anyone. She is the female version of Barney Stinson who looks to find new ways to pull men, waking up not remembering if she slept with someone and should be a walking collection of STDs. Robin's pearls of wisdom even have an air of Barney to them like her description of a drink limit that a couple needs to reach so they can sleep with each other. How to be Single was directed by Love Rosie's Christian Ditter and he borrows visual tricks from How I Met Your Mother, like numbers coming up on beers that had been drunk and showing one character looking for wifi signal. Other visions are displayed like when text messages could be argued are just part of the modern film landscape. Unlike How I Met Your Mother, How to be Single is more raunchy than its small screen counterpart. Rebel Wilson was basically told to be Rebel Wilson, keeping her shtick of being very crude, talking about her sex life and getting very drunk which will lead to questions about how is she able to keep her job. Other jokes revolve around one man's impressive erection that was on full display and an unfortunate date for Lucy where her companion for the night tells us all his sexual kinks. There are more low key moments of humour in the film that could have fit in How I Met Your Mother like Lucy meeting an engaged old school friend in a bar while she was wearing jogging bottoms and Alice's banter with Damon Wayans Jr's David - a wealthy single father and potential partner. However these moments are very light with Wilson having to do most of the comedic heavy lifting - meaning your liking for this film depends on your tolerance for her style of comedy. If it wasn't for Wilson's presence then How to be Single would have been a dramedy more than a comedy. There are also moments where the characters break down for the purpose of comedy, but it's just tragic. Dakota Johnson is playing a character similar to Anastasia Steele in Fifty Shades of Grey, a slightly naive recent university graduate who moves to the big city (she went to the same university as three of the How I Met Your Mother characters), someone who needs to be shown the ropes (pun unintended). She was a likeable if dull presence. Leslie Mann too was likeable as Meg (even if you cannot get Family Guy references out of your head) and acts believably as an older sister - one moment that rings very true is how she wakes up her hung-over sister. Though she suffers from her arc of being an independent woman to someone who feels she needs a baby. Alison Brie's character has no interaction with Alice, Meg or Robin - only having tenuous links to them, going to the same bar and sharing a love interest with Alice. She could have been cut from the film and it would have made no bearing to the rest of the movie. This is indicative of the film as whole, that it was more a collection of events then a coherent plot. There are some narrative through lines and arcs for character but it is kept in the background: making How to be Single into an aimless experience. How to be Single does offer the occasional laugh out loud moment, but its trailers were misleading, making it look like a wall-to-wall laugh fest. It is a very messy film, filled with needless subplots, characters and Rebel Wilson looking like she came from another film. We have more films reviews than these characters have STDs...we think! #KieranFreemantle #TheatricalReleases #filmreviews #Comedy #DakotaJohnson #RebelWilson #LeslieMann #AlisonBrie #ChristianDitter

★★★★ Starring: Bryan Cranston, Diane Lane, Helen Mirren, Louis CK Director: Jay Roach Film review by Colin Lomas America is in the throes of mass paranoia, hysterical rhetoric from politicians presaging the clandestine terrorists next door, the evil doers secretly undermining a fine country through their schools, their hospitals, their media; how every man, woman and child must stand against this insurgence for the good of all. Won’t someone think of the children!? Sound familiar? Well for once, this isn’t a reference to (God help us all) President in waiting Trump and his fear-mongering contingent of minions, but the post-war setting of biopic Trumbo, switching modern day Islam for cold war Communism. After opening credits disturbingly similar to that of Murder She Wrote, Trumbo begins in late 1940s America, showing news footage of Stalin flexing his military muscle to set the scene for the freshly discovered anxiety for the red under the bed. In reaction, the House Un-American Activities Committee (yes, that was a ‘thing’) has been set up to investigate and prosecute anyone suspected of subversive activities, a vague notion many considered to be a breach of the First Amendment. Dalton Trumbo (Cranston) is about to become the highest paid writer in Hollywood but, along with a number of other highly successful Hollywood screenwriters, comes under scrutiny from the Un-American committee due to their open support of the Communist party. Fuelled by gossip columnist and staunch anti-Communist Hollywood powerhouse Hedda Hopper (Mirren), ten of these Hollywood writers, Trumbo included, are sent to prison for refusing to testify in front of the committee and are subsequently blacklisted from the industry. What follows is the story of how Trumbo spearheaded an underground guerrilla writing team, using pseudonyms and real non-blacklisted writers to get their scripts realised as movies. It’s appropriate that the film never tries to portray Trumbo through rose-tinted glasses. As well as revealing the genius behind the typewriter, it exposes the obsessively selfish worker, the bully who forces his children to miss out on school work and personal activities to deliver manuscripts, the father who doesn’t have a spare minute to leave his office to watch his daughter blow out the candles on her birthday cake. It frequently shows that Trumbo, whether his fight is righteous or grounded in self-interest, forcibly compels everyone in his wake to follow. Cranston’s performance perfectly captures this complex and at times hypocritical man, his unrelenting single mindedness. When quizzed on how he can encourage socialist beliefs while surrounding himself with the material treasures of a multi-millionaire he responds: “The radical may fight with the purity of Jesus. But the rich guy wins with the cunning of Satan”. Mirren rarely renders a character who is to be trifled with, and her portrayal of Hopper is no exception. Throughout the film, Hopper stops at nothing to make sure her rules are obeyed; from the fake smiles flashed at the cameras and her devious manipulation of everyone around her through to her brutal threats to the head of MGM should he not follow her request to sack Trumbo and co from the staff. The script is sharp and it’s difficult not to delight in the vicious pleasure Trumbo takes from the rebuffs he doles out to anyone in his path, at one stage asking John Wayne where he was stationed during the glorious war effort that he constantly revels in; ‘On a movie set, firing blanks wearing make-up?’. It is a beautiful film to look at, from the idyllic American family abodes to the wonderful forms of mid-century cars, it’s the American dream carefully draped over the ingrained suspicion of the time. It’s also worth staying around a few minutes into the closing credits to see an interview with Trumbo himself as he talks through the struggles of anonymously winning an Oscar. Trumbo is a really enjoyable film and, although a little clumsy and predictable at times, works well as an interesting portrayal of a fascinating man in a dark fear-filled period of American history. Click here for more film reviews. #ColinLomas #filmreviews #TheatricalReleases #Biopic #JayRoach #BryanCranston #HelenMirren #LouisCK

Filmmaker Feature by Lorenzo Lombardi Stanley Kubrick The man, the myths, the filmmaking legend. Often hailed as “The Master of all Genres” Stanley Kubrick directed 5-star films in streaks, and left a level of impact most other filmmakers can only dream of. He has been sighted as an influence by many of the world’s greatest directors including Martin Scorsese, the Coen Brothers and Ridley Scott. Every film he did has cemented their reputation in the minds of the film-going public in one way or another. Whether it was the groundbreaking effects and brain-pounding wonder of 2001: A Space Odyssey and its ambiguity, A Clockwork Orange’s profound themes of free will and violence, or The Shining’s influence on popular culture with eternally traumatizing imagery, Kubrick is always relevant and present in the film world, and will be “forever…and ever…and ever”. Indie Kubrick: Capturing the Big Apple & Debut Stanley Kubrick was born on July 26, 1928. Entering the early years of adulthood, Stanley Kubrick became a photographer for Look, a now-discontinued American magazine. The meticulous attention to detail that he would soon be infamous for is seen early in his photos, obtaining stunning framing, varied angles and thematic lighting delicately interwoven in most of his photos. These were mostly set in New York and Chicago, and would often tell a story, representing his cinematic possibilities. In 1951, he directed his first film titled “Day of the Fight”, a short film which Kubrick financed independantly, going on to sell it to a company called RKO-Pathé for $4000. After his success, he decided to leave Look and become a filmmaker. After a couple of more short films, Kubrick released his first feature film in 1955 titled “Fear & Desire”. It was critically acclaimed upon release, but failed financially. Just a year after, though, his unparalleled cinematic prowess would start coming to fruition. The Dawn of Kubrick The date is May 20th, 1956, and Kubrick’s first great film is released. Titled “The Killing”. It follows a criminal who plans to rob a money-counting room of a horse racetrack; all while a big race is on. This film also financially bombed, but was and still is critically acclaimed. Highly influential on the crime genre, Quentin Tarantino stated that the film is a big influence on Reservoir Dogs; with him even saying Dogs was his own take on The Killing. The film started Kubrick’s focus on human elements; in this case, the lengths people will go to. The aftermath of this release had Kubrick following up his dark thematic approach with his next film. One of the most beloved war films of all-time, Paths of Glory, is Kubrick’s next film and was released in 1957. The film’s unflinching and bleak tones of war, honour and sacrifice still resonate now as much as they did in ’57. One famous and stunning sequence epitomizes the loss of war, as it shows a platoon of soldiers forced to take a German position called “the Anthill”, with most of them dying instantly as they sprint through No Man’s Land. Here is Spartacus (1960), an epic picture that cements itself as a watchable but conventional classic. Although Kubrick himself disowned the film, it launched both the Director and Kirk Douglas’ career. In 1962, his first truly controversial film is released, titled “Lolita”. It follows a man’s infatuation for a teenage girl, stirring up fury with audiences. Of course, the film was initially misunderstood, but grew to acclaim. Dark comedy would be a double whammy as his next film Peter Sellers-starring film shows. The Masterpiece Collection Highly regarded as the greatest black comedy of all-time, Dr. Strangelove, another anti-war film, was released in 1964. It deals with war again, but this time in the form of nuclear annihilation, as a crazy general purposefully launches a code to bomb Russia. Dr. Strangelove is perhaps the best example of Kubrick’s focus on the dark side of human nature, with the characters of Dr. Strangelove being selfish, malevolent and disdaining (of the Russians, in this case). How I Stopped Worrying and Loved a Bomb showcased the real-world possibility of the world’s leaders creating mutually assured fallout, and because of a few proceeding incidents of this danger nearly happening, this one is ahead of its time, just like so many of Kubrick’s films. 2001 A Space Odyssey (1968) is Kubrick’s psychedelic foray into science fiction. Perhaps his magnum opus, this film is more of an experience than a conventional film. This odyssey breeds wonder and awe, all with only half an hour of dialogue taking up a 2h41m running time. Its groundbreaking effects created the first modern Sci-Fi, and its ambiguity is so layered its transcendent. Pertaining to the effects, they were so convincing that a conspiracy theory followed which stated that Kubrick actually filmed the 1969 moon landing footage. Hal-9000, a character from the film, is frequently mentioned in wide topics such as science and artificial intelligence, making the film relevant in a number of fields too. Other than obtaining one of the most memorable characters in cinema, 2001 has a seamless flow of beauty and complexity that makes it timeless even over 45 years on. Overall, no film has made people look more up at the stars. Another film way ahead of its time is A Clockwork Orange (1972). Set in a dystopian future, the film follows Alex Delarge & his “droogs” as they go and partake in crimes they would like to refer to as “ultra-violence”. Typically labeled as one of the most controversial films ever released, Kubrick himself had to ban it from showing in British cinemas, and it stayed banned for 27 years. However, the controversy was unfounded, as the violence served as an analogy for morality and a plot device for themes of choice. In the novel version, the “Clockwork Orange” is a metafictional book, which is about a man who is turned into a robot against his will. This profound piece of cinema encapsulates this idea, focusing on a wrongdoer that society had to fashion alongside everything else --- making it a totalitarian “future”. Underrated period epic Barry Lyndon was released in 1975. It is one of the finest tales of power and family ever put to film. Scorsese has cited this as his favourite Kubrick film, and a big influence on his power-themed plots. Using groundbreaking camera techniques, the film was shot in natural light to immerse the viewer in the setting. This was done with the same camera as the Hubble Space Telescope, so the natural lighting (with candle sticks to match) could look even more natural, making it state-of-the-art for the time and even nowadays. Nightmare-inducing The Shining (1980) is up next, and needs no introduction other than a quote that shrieks “Heeeres Johnny!” What 2001 did with Sci-Fi is equivalent to what The Shining did with psychological horror, as it became a staple of the genre after it was released. Jack Nicholson’s performance is explosive, and the hotel the film is set in is terrifying in and of itself, as we do not know its history other than the Grady twin murders. A sense of dread is always present, but not much is shown until the relentlessly horrifying and twisted finale. As the saying goes: less is better, and this film makes you overthink about these scenes you can never unsee. No wonder it has been widely touted as the scariest and greatest horror film ever. The Final Films Similarly to Paths of Glory, Full Metal Jacket (1987) is a much beloved anti-war film. This Vietnam-set piece follows a platoon of soldiers as they are transformed physically and emotionally. The film is split into two distinctive acts: recruitment training and deployment in Vietnam. Ultimately, the training camp scenes are more renowned as they represent the psychological weight soldiers have to bear. As a whole, Full Metal Jacket deals with moral affect on people during war time. Paralleling A Clockwork Orange’s robotic man, the main characters are represented as tools for the government. The main character, Joker (Matthew Modine) is particularly interesting as Kubrick focuses on his morality in the form of a peace symbol button pinned along with his helmet, which reads “Born to Kill”. As the character puts it in the film, it is the “duality of man”, and at one point, his peace symbol is obscured when he does something unspeakable at the end. Lastly, provocative feature Eyes Wide Shut was released in 1999. It stars Tom Cruise as he goes on a journey of sex and moral discovery, and inadvertently stumbling across a secret society. The film is much less renowned than his other films, but still incites a lot of wonder, albeit in an unexpected way, as the secret society aspect of the film has been perceived as the illuminati. Kubrick died on the 07th/03rd/1999. He reshot films in masses of takes. He directed the Drama, Comedy, Horror, War and Thriller genres. And he perfected all of them. “If it can be thought, it can be filmed” – Stanley Kubrick. #LorenzoLombardi #StanleyKubrick #filmreviews #FilmmakerFeatures #Filmmaking #Comedy #Horror #WarFilms #Drama

Director: Luke Aherne Writers: Luke Aherne, John Jamieson Stars: Duncan Airlie James, Andrew McIntosh, Simon McCay Short Film Review: Andrew Moore In the 23 minute film short Fanatic we see an ex Special Forces officer Major Doug Bormann (played by an imposing Duncan Airlie James) pulled out of retirement into a covert operation to engage with an old combatant (the Fanatic) who’s apparently resurfaced in an obscure eastern European republic somewhere, but during the course of this short narrative several plot anchors are dropped to imply all may certainly not be as it seems. Seeing that this film short ends with a ‘to be continued . . .’ cliff hanger and not a conclusion as such I felt that perhaps the luxury of a little more character background could have been developed. Of course it’s time is limited but given that its setting up a story with no need to conclude it (and thus projecting a narrative into the future) a stronger character identification with Major Doug Bormann who serves as a pivotal point of interest could further augment the film. That said, the film's central dialogue (along with family scenes) gives us enough to develop interest in the central protagonist (although perhaps not his nemesis). Fanatic has good production values with an engaging gun fight and the prescribed explosions, concise editing, decent cinematography by Alan McLaughlin that includes an impressive green hue to the military scenes in The Republic of Rabashah and the majority of the performances are strong enough. Along with this Fanatic is well scored creating just the right amount of intrigue and suspense. By creating a dual narrative in Scotland and The Republic of Rabashah (not to mention the spurious goings on within The Merchantile Gentlemen of Glasgow Club), the film achieves a depth to the narrative which is impressive for its brevity and certainly hints at a far wider story ahead for Major Doug Bormann and his interlocutor. Maybe a victim of this was that some of the plot devices were a bit unoriginal, types of scenes we’ve all seen before done in a way we’ve all seen before and some of the dialogue was a bit too ‘on the nail.’ An exception to this would be the hidden tracking device on one of the rescued characters at the end, which once more hints at a wider story developing and alternative motivations of key characters. This intrigue was previously racked up too as we wondered why an ex Special Forces colleague Eddie had told him to “watch his back,” and why does he have a gun in his gym bag (who is he really)? Agent Grant’s character (Emma Spence) back in Scotland (who protects Bormann’s family from attack) again projects towards strong future dual narratives and a decent female supporting role. It should also be noted that a female character appears to be running the nefarious dealings in The Republic of Rabashah too! I felt that there could’ve perhaps been a few stronger visual clues to the location The Republic of Rabashah to create a sense of ‘somewhere else’ than just the use of names ending in ‘ovich’ which is fine in itself but not when unaugmented by anything else. The violence and intimidating aura did of course achieve some sense of geographical juxtaposition. I was left thinking about the motivation for the title Fanatic at the end though. Why Fanatic? Who was fanatical, had been fanatical (and if so why) or was becoming so Luke Aherne’s film. In spite of this there was certainly enough revealed to develop this exponentially in the multiple plot lines laid out (which was surely the premise of the short film's motivation) and flesh out the characters roles within them consequentially. To this extent Fanatic fully achieves its goal. Beyond this, personally I’m rooting for a future narrative deviation with Major Doug Bormann tackling a new take on the predator or even Neil Marshall’s 2002 film Dog Soldiers (come on Luke, you know it makes sense)! Want to read more film reviews? #AndrewMoore #Shortfilmreviews #filmreviews #ShortFilm

Written & Directed by Johnny Herbin Starring Evan Bennet, John Gaffney, George McWilliam, June Hazel, Calum Macaskill & Rasmus Kul Short film review by Sean Drake Johnny Herbin writes and directs this gritty and grounded sci-fi set in a not too distant – somewhat dystopian - future. Electric Faces follows Tom (Evan Bennet), a young, unemployed, recovering drug addict who is forced to turn back to crime to provide for his fledgling family. After failing to convince his old pal Lucas (John Gaffney) to join him in his plan to rob unsuspecting banker Sam (George McWilliam) Tom hires an old disused robot named Hugh (Calum Macaskill, Rasmus Kul) to help him complete the job. As a science-fiction short film Electric Faces does a lot of things right, Herbin shows a real aptitude for building context without relying upon long drawn out explanations. Through visual and audial nods we quickly come to realise we are in Glasgow in a future where unemployment rates are at an all-time high, - not so different then - robots work in bars, guns have ditched bullets for laser blasts, and the popular hardcore drug is a blue powder referred to as “the blue stuff”, something Tom knows of all too well. The film strikes a strong balance between its more realistic themes and the elements that lend themselves to the science fiction genre. The script is relatively tight, Herbin sets up the narrative so the audience can sympathise for Tom’s ordeal regardless of his criminal acts. The dialogue feels authentic for the most part, particularly with the Scottish dialect, although at times the delivery is a little rigid and flat. It is through sound and visual style that Electric Faces stands out the most. Herbin shows a knack for some intricate framing and dynamic camera work that allows events to unfold at a steady and seamless pace, whilst engaging the viewer as events unfold. This works in tandem with some clever uses of sound that reinforce the science-fiction tropes Herbin is trying to demonstrate. Hugh the old, disused robot Tom hires to assist him is the standout example of this; we get a real sense of his clunky junkyard structure and the robotic mechanics behind his movement. The cast is a mixed bag; Evan Bennet is more convincing during the emotional moments of the film, successfully conveying Tom’s desperation throughout. John Gaffney who plays Tom’s reluctant friend Lucas gives possibly the most full and authentic performance and it’s a real disappointment he only plays a minor role. George McWilliam as the banker Sam is solid, croaky and quite menacing, and shows a real contempt towards Tom. Overall Electric Faces is an intelligently made short film that manages to create its own dystopian world through minimal visual nods and exposition. Some of the science-fiction elements are convincing, whilst others feel slightly out of place, however Herbin makes up for this through a slick visual style and a sharp use of sound. Do you need more film reviews in your life? #SeanDrake #Shortfilmreviews #filmreviews #ShortFilm #Scifi

★★★★★ Directed by Tomm Moore Starring David Rawle, Brendan Gleeson, & Lisa Hannigan #ThrowbackThursday film review by Alexander Halsall This hand drawn animated film is the second feature from Irish based animation studio Cartoon Saloon, following 2009’s The Secret of Kells. As with the previous film the main creative force behind Song of the Sea is that of director Tomm Moore, who also receives a story credit. The studio has been successful in the past by adapting native folk stories to the big screen and introducing the wider world audience to the highly colourful heritage of Irish mythology. Ben (David Rawle) lives with his father Conor (Brendan Gleeson), the lighthouse keeper, and his pregnant mother Bronagh (Lisa Hannigan) on a small island off the coast of Ireland. However Ben and his father are left devastated when Bronagh disappears without explanation one evening, leaving behind new born daughter Saoirse. Years later Conor is depressed and isolated towards his children. Saoirse has never spoken, and Ben blames her for Bronagh’s disappearance. The phenomenally vibrant traditional animation techniques applied by the artists of Cartoon Saloon are some of the most beautiful I have ever seen. The layers of imagery on the screen rendered my thesaural like methods of praise muted, as I sat back and drank in with fervour the collaborated efforts of what are clearly some of the finest animators our hemisphere has to offer us. In the age of Disney, Ghibli, Pixar, Laika, Aardman and countless others, animation aficionados are truly living in what I will have to describe as a form of ‘golden age’ despite my disdain for the phrase. The voice work is mostly fantastic, with Rawle, Hannigan and Fionnula Flannigan all giving great vocal performances. The story is fantastical and majestic, complementing the films style, the narrative clear and concise, and the music strikingly atmospheric, courtesy of composer Bruno Culais, Irish folk group Kila and Hannigan’s stunning vocals. As I mentioned earlier I was very impressed with the performances, but I did find Brendan Gleeson’s deep tones somewhat distracting. Not that his lines are poorly delivered or out of rhyme with the speech of his character, but every time Conor speaks I was very aware I was listening to the actor. This may be due to Conor being such a desolate presence that Gleeson’s vocal range is quite slim and monotonous, which fits with the character, however the thought never left me throughout the film, and was slightly bothersome. I do though hope it speaks to the quality of the experience that my only complaint is one of little real basis, and may simply be something applicable to myself as a huge fan of a lot of Brendan Gleeson’s work (him being a fantastic actor) that I found it harder to divulge the voice of the actor from that of the character. If you’re a fan of animation, Ireland, Gaelic music, sheepdogs, or have an hour and a half or so spare then I recommend you find yourself a copy of Song of the Sea, one of 2015’s finest offerings, and I hope you enjoy the experience as much as I did. More animated film reviews here. #Animation #AlexanderHalsall #BrendanGleeson #TommMoore #filmreviews #animatedfilmreviews

Film feature by Amaliah S. Marmon-Halm Back in October 2015, in a rather swanky Soho hotel, the first glimpse of the next Kung Fu Panda was shown. The “weight” was truly over. As this is the third offering in the franchise, Kung Fu Panda 3, due for release on March 11th, has the job of trying to achieve the high notes of KFP1 and not repeating the lows of KFP2. So where are we now in the story? Time for a slight recap. Kung Fu Panda burst on to our screens with such awesome energy and introduced us to Po the panda (Jack Black), who works in his family's noodle shop and dreams of becoming a kung-fu master. His dream becomes a reality when, unexpectedly, he must fulfil an ancient prophecy and study the skills with his idols, the Furious Five (Lucy Liu, Jackie Chan, Angelina Jolie). Po needs all the wisdom, strength and ability he can muster to protect his people from an evil snow leopard. In Kung Fu Panda 2, now known as the Dragon Warrior, Po protects the Valley of Peace alongside his friends and fellow kung fu masters. However, a dangerous villain threatens Po's awesome new life with plans to use a secret weapon to wipe out the martial art and conquer China. In order to defeat the new enemy, Po finds he must recall his past and unlock secrets of his mysterious origins; only then will he find the strength to vanquish his foe. Now, for a third time, Po realises that he has a lot to learn if he's going to fulfil the next challenge from his beloved instructor. After reuniting with his long-lost father (Bryan Cranston), Po must transition from student to teacher and train a group of fun-loving, clumsy pandas to become martial-arts fighters. Together, the kung-fu brethren unite to take on the evil Kai (J.K. Simmons), a supernatural warrior who becomes stronger with each battle. In what was only a 3 minute clip, Jennifer Yuh Nelson and Alessandro Carloni wanted to show exactly what sort of fun and action was in store. We saw Po’s latest foe, Kai, showing his might. J. K. Simmons plays the role so well, showing a slightly comedic side for a change. They gave examples of classic animation, as this has become a trend with this franchise, by using classic Chinese art to depict Po’s back story. Yuh Nelson told us that when we watch Kung Fu Panda, no matter if it’s the kung-fu action scenes, the way the pandas behave or the art style, it all must be as authentic as they can. Even the snippet of the unfinished score by Hans Zimmer was absolutely beautiful – he is a master after all. We all had to admit, although most were reluctant, we left rather impressed. For those who are fan of Dreamworks and the Kung Fu Panda series is sure to have a great time with this one. Maybe, this is case of third time lucky? I’m starting to think so. Watch the movie trailer for Kung Fu Panda 3 below... #amaliahsaramarmonhalm #Animation #Dreamworks #Filmfeature #SneakPeek

Directed by Ben Bloore Starring Michelle Darkin-Price & Phil Molloy Short film review by Monica Jowett Seven minute short film Crossing Paths from director Ben Bloore is a dramatic yet and ambiguous tale of what brings two strangers together. Allison (Michelle Darkin-Price) meets Matthew (Phil Molloy) on a bench, where she is sat in stunning sunlight. We are quick to establish that Allison has had a tragic and tormented past, but we don’t know why. Through flashbacks, we also learn Matthew has been through a tragedy, and that he is not on the bench with Allison by coincidence. Through the dialogue between Allison and Matthew, and through the revelation of what happened to them, we learn that this is a story of regret and grief yet also a chance of redemption. The two sit on the bench and look back at what has happened to them both, yet know the only thing that either of them can do is move forward. A small cast of only four works well for the short length of the film. Though they follow the script in its basic and enigmatic form, the actors have also added their own take on each scene and show a freedom with the interpretation of it, which adds another layer of intrigue to the affecting film. The cinematography throughout the short is used well to enhance and reflect the themes of the film. The flashbacks are in low lighting, everything is in shadow which suggests the darkness of their pasts, yet when Allison and Matthew are sitting on the bench, it is sunny weather, and everything is clear and bright. The filmmakers have purposefully kept the film ambiguous throughout; creating tension by posing questions like why they are on the bench? And how did they come to be there and where they will go from there? This gives a great opportunity for the audience to draw their own conclusions about the characters’ stories, a chance that is all too rare in films which are gift wrapped perfectly for audiences. Crossing Paths is a great example of a well-crafted film, bringing together an intriguing story, good acting and gorgeous cinematography. We have more film reviews, movie trailers and #SupportIndieFilm goodies for you. #MonicaJowett #Shortfilmreviews #filmreviews #SupportIndieFilms #Filmmaking

★★ Directed by Craig Gillespie Written by Scot Silver, Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson Starring Chris Pine, Casey Affleck, Holliday Graineger, Eric Bana, Ben Foster Film review by Marko Mandic  The events that this new Disney blockbuster depicts are nothing short of astounding. A Pendleton T2 oil tanker (a very big ship to us sea faring rookies out there) splits in half during a fierce storm in 1952 off the coast of Cape Cod. A four man Chatham Station coast guard rescue party went out in search of the tanker led by the oldest member of that party 24-year-old Bernie Webber (Chris Pine). In case anyone missed that, the oldest member of this suicidal rescue team was 24 years old! As bad luck would have it another tanker had split in half at the same time, meaning that the boys from Chatham Station were on their own. Nonetheless they went out and managed to rescue 33 members of the tanker crew. For the most part the film’s narrative sticks respectably close to the true story, this is a wise move since the events it depicts are remarkable enough to hold their own against anything Hollywood can conjure up. For the bulk of the action we follow two lead characters. Bernie Webber and Ray Sybert (Casey Affleck) chief engineer of the Pendleton. The film is at its best when we are on the doomed ship with Affleck. The tension and drama is palatable as is the ingenious methods utilised by the crew to keep their ship afloat long enough for a rescue. Affleck shines as usual and steals the show as the reluctant leader of the crew; giving a self-effacing performance while showing us Sybert’s human flaws as well as his capabilities. We don’t get a lot of back story but through Affleck’s performance we can see why the crew acts the way they do towards him. He is not the born, flawless leader most films of this breed churn out. The scenes on the ship come across as realistic and accurate. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for the scenes on land which slip heavily into melodrama. The acting seems a lot more unnatural here, Eric Bana in particular looks to be on autopilot through the whole film, a shame since his portrayal of a character besmirched for his duty as a coastguard officer could have been handled better and with more vigour. We are treated to the obligatory romantic sub-plot. Bernie’s soon to be wife (Holliday Grainger) is provided with some action and her role is justified in the end by somewhat illogical means (if you watch it you will know what I mean). The film could have done without this sub-plot. They kept close to the true story and the filmmakers should have carried that on in regards to Miriam Webber; Bernie and Miriam were in fact already married by this point and though Miriam did work as a telephone operator she spent the whole storm at home due to a case of the flu. Other areas take yet more away from the story’s impact. The CGI, though good in some places pales in comparison to similar films such as the 2013 Robert Redford picture ‘All Is Lost’. Even Wolfgang Peterson’s ‘The Perfect Storm’ despite its many misgivings outshines The Finest Hours with its depiction of an oceanic storm.  In essence, The Finest Hours is hampered by predominantly sub par acting (with some notable exceptions), shallow characters and the seemingly inevitable Hollywood endeavour of fixing things that are simply not broken. The film succeeds in bringing this incredible true story to people’s attention but unfortunately cowers out of putting all its faith into the story alone without the standard bells and whistles tacked on to most modern blockbusters. How cool would it have been for Disney to cast a 24-year-old in the role of Bernie Webber, just to show the audience how fearless the kids who performed “the greatest small-boat rescue the Coast Guard has seen” really were? Read the true story then go watch this, if only to be amazed and inspired by the perseverance of the human spirit, just don’t expect a great film to go along with the great story. Click here for some more film reviews. #MarkoMandic #TheatricalReleases #filmreviews #ChrisPine #CaseyAffleck #EricBana

Directed by Andy S. McEwan Starring Steven Patrick, John Gaffney, & Darren McColl Short film review by Alexander Halsall A short comedy film written and directed by Andy S. McEwan, his first time behind the camera, set in East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, from where McEwan was raised. This is the first film produced by Pentagram Productions UK and sees McEwan realign with regular collaborator Chris Quick. A pair of removal men, Frasier (Steven Patrick) and Tam (John Gaffney), find a chest full of old records in one of the houses they’re working at. The two believe the contents to be of a high value due to the pre-war age of the records, and think they have struck it rich. However Jim (Darren McColl), a young co-worker, overhears the pair and wants in on the deal, otherwise he will tell the owner of the house about the theft. This leaves Frasier and Tam having to devise a way to keep all their ill-gotten earnings for themselves. It was wise of McEwan to set his film in East Kilbride, utilising his knowledge of the area, and the people who live within it. The films lead pair have good chemistry and deliver the majority of their dialogue with a naturalism that allows the conversations the pair have to flow with an entertainingly fast paced rhythm. They are a double act who play off each other well with the idiotic spontaneity of Tam contrasting nicely with the slightly less idiotic ‘straight man’ Frasier. The film is well shot, without being too imaginative, with a nice variation of angles for what is such a low budget film. However when a film is described as a comedy you can’t ignore the elephant in the room, and you have to ask, is Broken Record funny? With sadness I must admit it is not. I like the idea of some of the comedy set pieces, the heist wherein Tam tries to hide his face in a rather unusual method should be funny, but the structure of the gag is broken. We are introduced to the heist half way through the act and following the theft Frasier acts like he has only just noticed Tam’s ill schemed thought. The logic of the scene does not hold up and the gag falls flat. Later in the short film we are introduced to a character by the name of Cecil Hardcastle (Alan Cuthbert) who talks and dresses like he owns most of South Lanarkshire but appears to be living in a small flat in a rather atypical street. I understand the film has a low budget and I do not expect Cecil to wander out of a country estate, however could we have not met the character on neutral ground? Rather than outside his small flat in East Kilbride? Broken Record is a short inoffensive moral tale that engages without impressing, is competently shot and directed, with its greatest strength that of Steven Patrick and John Gaffney who bring as much energy and enthusiasm to their roles that they can. However the stories predictability, allied with the lack of wit and humour the film has mean that I can’t insist you see it. Even though at ten minutes in length if the premise does sound appealing, you don’t have to commit too much time. More short film reviews for your pleasure. #AlexanderHalsall #Shortfilmreviews #filmreviews #Comedy

Directed By Simeon Lumgair Starring Fabien Lucciarini, Mouna Bouchouk Short film review by Marko Mandic  It is an uncomplicated idea with stylistic aspirations to Jean Pierre Melville (particularly his 1967 Le Samourai). The film’s theme and underlining story is interesting and could in fact be extended into a longer running time. When the end comes I would like to delve deeper into the film’s myth and I am intrigued to know more about Felix’s back-story. Unfortunately the 10 minute running time does not account for this and thus it takes away some of the impact the story potentially has. We have some teething problems from the outset, the score, although haunting and appropriate is misused a lot of the time. It is overbearing and although in some cases using a shift in score to parallel the shift in mood can be well implemented here it seems somewhat forced. Five compositions are used for as many scenes and the parallel between scene and score is too basic and stapled together to produce the effective ambience the filmmakers are trying to present. This is especially true in a dark pursuit scene near the beginning, it starts out suspenseful but due to the protracted chase scene the tension gets lost along the way. Vijey Anant’s cinematography is very well done, exploiting night time central London to good effect and remains in keeping with the film’s overall style. We do see some technical problems arise; close up and tracking shots in particular suffer at certain moments due to poor camera focus. The editing is not always in sync which goes some way in disturbing the flow of the film. Another downfall is the script, it is rather simplistic. This could be forgiven to an extent due to the running time along with the fact that the majority of the short film has no actual speech. The filmmakers seemingly needed to provide as much exposition as they could in a short length of time but despite this the conversations between the two central characters come across as artificial. This is a shame because the acting (from Fabien Lucciarini especially) is decent for the most part. He skilfully utilises acting nuances into his performance which do not give too much away but upon re-watching fall into accordance with the character’s actions and motivations. Generally Éluder is a mixed bag, a solid idea discredited by a few rookie problems which could have been avoided. It would have benefited greatly from technical and editorial improvements along with better soundtrack implementations. Saying this, it was brave of the filmmakers to attempt it with the running time and resources at their disposal; the overall narrative and characters are strong enough to warrant further attention should the director decide to revisit them. Want to read more film reviews. #MarkoMandic #Shortfilmreviews #filmmaking #filmreviews #WorldCinema

★★★★ Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Tilda Swinton, Matthias Schoenaerts, Dakota Johnson Director: Luca Guadagnino Film review by Colin Lomas World famous singer Marianne Lane (Swinton), temporarily mute from a recent throat operation, is enjoying a relaxing holiday with her doting film-maker boyfriend Paul De Smedt (Schoenaerts) on a remote idyllic Italian island. Much to their initial annoyance, Lane’s manic music producer and ex-boyfriend Harry Hawkes (Fiennes) turns up with his newly discovered daughter Penelope (Johnson) to gate-crash the tranquillity. A Bigger Splash is a character development masterclass by Guadagnino. Over the first hour, the film gives everything to build up the intricacies of each character’s attributes so that every subsequent variation and elaboration feels exhilarating. This is a film about people and relationships; how different associations can sometimes coalesce yet at other times grate, how secrets and history must awkwardly co-exist with the fantasies of perfection. Fiennes is simply superb. He absolutely nails Hawkes extrovert nature, perfectly mixing it with the selfish dark underbelly which success invariably requires. Swinton marvellously continues to build her rapidly emerging reputation with a multifaceted character that says less than a hundred words throughout the entire running time. Both Schoenaerts and Johnson are solid but are unluckily eclipsed by Fiennes and Swinton’s sparkle. In fact, such is Fiennes utter dominance early on, there feels a distinct possibility he will overshadow not only the other actors, but the film itself. Fortunately, as time passes the rest of the cast get their chance in the sun and, to their credit, pull it back just before it becomes the Ralph Fiennes Show. The friction between De Smedt and Hawkes is always at the forefront; the protective grounded boyfriend against the vociferous music producer ex. Hawkes tempts Lane to speak at the dinner table, De Smedt knocks him back, Hawkes dances to a track he produced for the Rolling Stones, De Smedt pulls Lane closer on the sofa. It’s the subtle fragments of both loving and sexual tension which keep the flow of A Bigger Splash so thrilling. When the plot eventually makes its move, sides are taken, suspicions are rife, relationships are both strained and solidified. Only then do you realise just how well the film has branded its characters into your hide, and how much you are desperate to know the outcome. Until the last half hour or so not much really happens in A Bigger Splash but you simply don’t notice, such is the utter delight in watching a great cast develop complex characters with a wonderfully astute script. More from us at UK Film Review. #TheatricalReleases #ColinLomas #TheatricalRelease #filmreviews #RalphFiennes #TildaSwinton #MatthiasSchoenharts #DakotaJohnson #LucaGuadagnino