My Top Ten of 2011

My top ten includes my favourite theatrical releases of 2011, but due to film festival goodness this year at TIFF and LFF not the best films I have actually seen and you can look forward to in 2012. At LFF I was blown away by Steve McQueen’s second feature, Shame, a film that delves into the world of sex addict Brandon (Michael Fassbender). Chicken with Plums comes from the creators of Persepolis and is an adaptation of another of Marjane Satrapi’s award-winning graphic novels. It is a beautiful melodramatic story about how art sometimes comes from a painful place.

Comedy was strong at TIFF this year, the Duplass brothers returned with Jeff, Who Lives at Home which has one of the funniest opening scenes I have ever seen. Jason Segel, Ed Helms and Susan Sarandon star. The Oranges is dark comedy from Julian Farino in his debut feature, whose name may sound familiar from the TV show Entourage. I was worried too, but it is a total change of pace as he explores the family dynamics of suburbia. It boasts a fine cast including Hugh Laurie, Allison Janney, Catherine Keneer, Oliver Platt and Alia Shawkat (Maeby from Arrested Development).

You can read my top ten over on Cinetalk here.

Dads

On Wednesday 3rd March 2010 Florence Katherine Davis was born to Brett and Laura, two of my closest friends. Giving birth is an anxious time for any family but for Brett and Laura it was the start of a scary journey as Florence was born with a life-threatening heart condition called dilated cardiomyopathy.

I can never claim to know what Brett and Laura were going through at this time, all I can do is tell the story from my point of view. As a friend you feel helpless, you want to be there for them, but you also don’t want to be overbearing. It is a very personal situation and people deal with shock in their own way. Florence spent the first part of her life and was cared for at Great Ormond Street Hospital. When the time came to visit Florence she looked so fragile, but with the support of her family and a team of amazing doctors she showed fighting spirit to defy the odds.

After watching the trailer for Dads it got me thinking about how far Brett, Laura and Florence have come in the last couple of years. While Florence was in the hospital so were Brett and Laura, barely sparing any thought for themselves. Their strength during this time was unbelievable and inspirational. Florence finally arrived home on 14th June 2010 and it was a triumphant day after such a long time spent in hospital. The film focuses on Brett and five other dads from three other cities. Brett is the cockney one! The bit where Brett talks about Florence in the incubator makes me cry every time but they are tears of joy. Florence is now full of beans and keeping her parents busy in her own cheeky little way. And what more could you ask for:

Photo by James Diggle

I haven’t seen the full film as yet, but hope to watch it in the near future. Brett’s story and those of the other dads will hopefully give an uplifting message about fatherhood and remind us to be thankful for those special people in our lives.

If you would like to make a donation to GOSH: http://www.gosh.org/gen/donate/
Dads was made by http://www.thesoundresearch.com/

Have a wonderful Christmas!

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

There is a great scene in the film where Blomkvist is attempting to use a laptop and Salander rolls her eyes at how inept and slow he is. In my mind I am the tech savvy Salander; in reality I am the bumbling Blomkvist irritating the hell out of you. 

I thought it was a great adaptation. 

So what if Lisbeth Salander doesn't look like Davey Havok 

 anymore?

You can read my review over on Starburst here.

Las Acacias, Happy Feet and The Interrupters

Las Acacias is a charming film that will warm your heart. You can read my review over on Cinetalk

Happy Feet Two managed to keep both the kids and myself entertained. A kid poured chocolate milk all over me at the screening and I still left in a good mood! Best thing about the film is the Krill voiced by Matt Damon and Brad Pitt. Worth watching for their wisecracks. You can read my review on Cinetalk

The Interrupters is out on DVD on Monday and I highly recommend it. Ameena Matthews is an extraordinary woman. Watch her in action here:

You can read my review over on Cinetalk

Hugo and Marty Scorcese

Hugo is an exceptionally well crafted movie from Martin Scorcese about his love for film and the importance of preserving and respecting this magical art form.

Some of it was filmed at The Gate (see above), a lovely, cosy cinema in Notting Hill.

You can read my review over on Starburst Magazine 

 

I also attended the press conference for Hugo - Martin Scorcese was there and Chloe Grace Moretz, Asa Butterfield and Sir Ben Kinglsey all referred to him affectionately as Marty.

He totally lit up the room and came across as extremely passionate about his craft.

You can read my report from the press conference over on Starburst Magazine

Mental Illness, Cancer and Melodrama

Michael Shannon is marvellous as a man on the edge in Take Shelter - a film that mixes horror, thriller and drama - highly recommended. It may even make it into my top ten of 2011. You can read my review over on Cinetalk.

50/50 is another excellent film out this week. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is wonderful in the lead role of this comedy about cancer. It could have gone horribly wrong, but due to a strong script from Will Reiser it manages to strike the balance between comedy and drama. 

You can read my review on Cinetalk

The Deep Blue Sea should have made me cry but it just didn't. Wonderful to watch and captures the era perfectly. I would recommend catching it at the cinema as it looks so beautiful. 

You can read my review on Cinetalk

Interview with Ryoo Seung-wan

Korean Director Ryoo Seung-wan's films ooze cool.

Die Bad was his debut feature back in 2000 and it is a violent commentary on gang violence. I would recommend catching it if you can. I also loved the insane music pumped out at intervals throughout the film. The London Korean Film Festival showed a retrospective of his work last week and I had a chat with him (through a translator). It was a strange experience as I had never interviewed someone who didn't speak the same language as me before.

I managed to catch some of his other films including Dachimawa Lee (which made me laugh out loud on a few occasions as it was so silly) City of Violence (sooo cool) and The Unjust ( a change of pace in my opinion, but what do I know?) We talked about it for quite a while... you can read the interview here: Ryoo Seung-wan interview

Here is the trailer for The Unjust where random phrases are inserted between footage from the film.

"Justice is a Deal"

Rum, Serial Killers and Showing Off

The Rum Diary was released last week and although it was a bit boring I still very much enjoyed looking at it! You can read my review here on Cinetalk

Snowtown is released on 18th November 2011 and it is a must see. An Australian film directed by Justin Kurzel (this is his feature debut) about the "bodies in barrels" murders that took place in the 1990s. It will leave an indelible impression. 

You can read my review here on Cinetalk

I had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing the engaging, intelligent and fiercely passionate Fancy Chance recently. She is the reigning Alternative Miss World, a pageant show that has been going since 1972 and is the subject of the documentary The British Guide to Showing Off that is out in the UK now!

You can read the interview here on the fabulous Filmoria

And check out Fancy Chance's website too.

London Korean Film Festival 2011

Last year I picked a bunch of random films to watch at LKFF and it was a mixed bag! An enjoyable one though.

This year there is a Ryoo Seung-wan retrospective finishing with his most recent film Unjust at the closing gala at the Apollo cinema in Piccadilly. For more information:http://www.koreanfilm.co.uk/london-korean-film-festival-schedule

Check out this awesome trailer for Die Bad

London Film Festival 2011: My Top Ten Films

I managed to see forty films at LFF this year, here are my personal highlights:

1. Shame 

“We’re not bad people; we just come from a bad place.”

 

Director Steve McQueen's second feature film delves into the life of a sex addict. 

2. 50/50

3. Chicken with Plums

Beautiful melodramatic story about how art sometimes comes from a painful place. I shed a tear...or two. 

4. Dreams of a Life

 

5. Take Shelter

 

6. Martha Marcy May Marlene

7. The Future

8. We Need to Talk About Kevin

9. Into the Abyss

10. The Monk

Vincent Cassel is PURE SEX in this film.

You can read all my reviews over on Cinetalk.

Review: In Time

 Read my review of the new Justin Timberlake flick over at Starburst Magazine.

Review: The Future

I LOVE MIRANDA JULY. THE END.

(click above to read my review on Cinetalk)

London Film Festival: We Need to Talk About Kevin

 

Another excellent film showing at London Film Festival this year. You can read my review over at Cinetalk here.

My Top LFF film so far: Shame

You can read my review here.

FrightFest Coverage 2011

At the end of August I headed to the Empire cinema in Leicester Square to watch a plethora of horror films. It was Frighfest time and I was ready to be scared!

You can read my coverage here over at Starburst Magazine including reviews of The Glass Man, Tucker & Dale vs Evil, Troll Hunter, The Innkeepers, Sennentuntschi: Curse of the Alps, The Woman, Panic Button, Kill List, Fright Night, The Holding, Midnight Son, Urban Explorers, Chillerama and Deadheads.

55th BFI London Film Festival Quickie

LFF is under way and it is showing some abosolutely top notch films this year.

All my reviews will be posted on Cinetalk so please follow them for my coverage this year.

Reviews so far below:

50/50

Like Crazy

The Future

Take Shelter

Las Acacias

I'm Carolyn Parker

Interview with Andrei Konchalovsky

I did this interview back in January for Cinetalk. It was pretty daunting to meet such an acclaimed Director, but he set me at ease and was very friendly. The film I knew him best for was Runaway Train which was nominated for three Oscars and starred Jon Voight with support from Eric Roberts.

He is also pretty famous for directing Tango & Cash in his Hollywood era.

BUT, to this very day I have never seen a little film he directed in 1989 - Homer & Eddie - which stars James Belushi and Whoopi Goldberg. The guy who wrote it (Patrick Cirillo) also wrote a Bruce Willis movie I have never seen, Tears of the Sun, which I may have to watch next. AND he is the cousin of a guy that once appeared in How I Met Your Mother. I am a Whoopi fan, so I am determined to get my hands on this so I can watch and review ASAP!  

The synopsis is below:

"A retarded man gets help from a sociopathic woman when she tries to reunite him with his dying father, who years earlier disowned him." (IMDB)

I think this movie may make me cry, I can only hope.

Anyway, here is the link to the interview:

 http://www.cinetalk.tv/post/9581997546/andrei-konchalovsky

Cowboys & Aliens, Tony Todd, some 3D sex and Jim Sturgess

I fell for the Cowboys & Aliens marketing campaign, hook, line and sinker.

The tag line was cool: First Contact. Last Stand.

Harrison Ford and Sam Rockwell were in it, the posters looked great, Favreau was directing... and it was a wicked idea for a film that I thought would just be a cool, fun explosion extravaganza.

I was wrong. You can read my review in Starburst Magazine here

It is out in the UK now.

I hadn't heard much about Final Destination 5 before watching it - how much do you need to know really?? I was extremely pleased to see Tony Todd reprising his role as Bludworth and he was as creepy as usual. I liked the first few films of the franchise, and would even go so far as to say I loved the first one.  I thought the film was great fun and it is a horror film I would recommend catching in the cinema as the 3D is pretty special in some of the kill scenes.

It premiered at FrightFest last night and is on general release in the UK today.

You can read my review in Starburst Magazine here.

3D Sex & Zen: Extreme Ecstasy was one of the strangest films I have watched in a while. It started off exactly as I expected, a silly sex film, but then things got DARK and it made me feel a little sick.

It is released in the UK on 2nd September and you can read my review over on the wonderful Cinetalk here

SO... I have been harping on about this film for a long time now and I finally got to see it a couple of weeks ago thanks to the lovely people at Feref. Generally speaking, when it comes to adaptation the film is never as good as the book, so I was prepared for the inevitable tinkering of source material and for some content having to be taken out. It is a very large book. I loved the final outcome, and just from looking at the picture above I really want to go and see it again. Jim Sturgess was pretty perfect in his role and Anne Hathaway...well, you can read my review over on Cinetalk here

What can I say, I love a good romantic film! 

I also had time to watch this little gem on DVD

 that I would suggest watching if you want to be totally creeped out.

You can read my review of Lake Mungo over on Cinetalk here.

Interview with Joe Dante

It has now been over a year since I started writing about films and I have enjoyed the experience so much I thought I would revisit some of my early articles... this could be embarrassing, but everyone starts somewhere!

One of the most interesting and fun times I had was interviewing Director, Joe Dante, he was so friendly and I was really honoured to meet him. I have enjoyed nearly every single one of his long list of films that include The Howling, Innerspace, Gremlins, The Burbs, Piranha, Explorers, and Matinee to the TV show Eerie Indiana. I grew up watching these gems and hold them very dear. Meeting him was always going to be a high point and I can't believe I had the opportunity to do so at such an early point in my film writing journey.

I interviewed him for Obsessed with Film, which is now called WhatCulture! You can read the interview here! Someone called "guest" is credited for the article, and personally I think everything they have written is pretty good, for example check out their review of The Hole, what talent!

Hope you enjoy reading the interview as much as I enjoyed doing it. I have a couple of interviews set up which I am really looking forward to doing. In fact, looking to do more of this, so drop me a line if you think of anyone suitable.

Apes, Penguins and Smurfs

There are currently two films on release at the moment about apes, one is fact, one is fiction, and they  both pack an emotional punch. You can read my Rise of the Planet of the Apes review in Starburst Magazine here and my review of Project Nim on Cinetalk here

I have to admit it, I was looking forward to seeing The Smurfs movie, big time. It looked like a lot of fun and I thought they would aim it as much as the parents as the kids. I was wrong, this film is for young children with a few moments of fun thrown in for the parents (or adults who just really like smurfs). Mr Popper's Penguins was on about the same level as The Smurfs, good fun for young children, but nothing more.

Reviews here and here!

Competition Time!!!

I have 5 pairs of tickets to give away to the Friday 12th August screening of Teen Wolf that is being shown as part of the LoCo Comedy Film Festival's week of Transformations.

All you have to do is Retweet any of my tweets with #locotransformations to win.

The screening will take place at Wilton’s Music Hall, Doors @ 6pm Show starts @ 7pm.

For more information visit: http://www.wiltons.org.uk/listings/transformations.html

Winners will be notified on Thursday 11th August.

Captain America, Super 8, Horrible Bosses and much more!

This is Summer Blockbuster season and I have been pleasantly surprised by some of the films on offer this year. I loved the nostalgic 70s feel of Super 8 and the sense of adventure. I was also thoroughly entertained by Captain America: The First Avenger. You can read my reviews of both over on Starburst Magazine: Captain America & Super 8

In other film news I was amused by Charlie Day in Horrible Bosses, to be honest I think I am a little obsessed with him as you will probably be able to tell from my review. If you haven't already seen a little TV show called It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, I suggest you check it out as it has both Danny Devito and Charlie Day in. Win! I absolutely loved Ewan McGregor and Christopher Plummer in Beginners , a wonderful exploration into a father/son relationship. I caught up with the latest Japanese release Sawako Decides, which was genuinely unique and enjoyable. I wasn't "clever" enough to LOVE The Tree of Life but I certainly enjoyed aspects of it. I was slapped round the face with an account of the atrocities of the conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina in As If I Am Not There based on the book by Slavenka Drakulic.

I managed to catch the post-apocalyptic vampire flick Stake Land and thought Mel Gibson was particularly impressive in The Beaver

I thought Diaz was a devilish delight in the comedy Bad Teacher and watched the mildly entertaining horror flick Mother's Day . And finally I  unapologetically got caught up in some dance movie love for Honey 2!

PS. Some of the older links on my blog are not working at the moment due to some technical issues, but they are being updated at the moment.  

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two

In 2001 I was studying at the University of Reading when Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was released at cinemas. Having read all four of the books that had been released I was extremely excited to be able to experience Harry Potter on the big screen. I wandered down to the local Vue cinema for a midnight screening with my boyfriend’s sister and can remember wholly enjoying the film. I thought the casting was perfect and the visuals were magical; I was hooked. Looking back it is pretty obvious some of the acting isn’t that great and the films all fall down on certain things but the essence of the book has been captured with its childlike innocence and focus on the importance of friendship, love and integrity set in a world of wizards and magic.  Watching the final Potter film at a press screening in 2011 would not have been imaginable to me back then, but there I sat feeling slightly nauseous at having to say farewell to this fabulous franchise. I can’t believe it’s all over now but I am sure I will be enjoying the films for a long time to come. You can read my review of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two here

X-Men: First Class, documentaries galore and some ferociously funny comedy

I went to see the stylish X-Men: First Class and wrote my first review for Starburst Magazine. I really enjoyed the film and thought it was a a great start to a new trilogy. Fassbender and McAvoy owned the film. If you want to read any features or reviews on the Starburst website you need to register (which is free) by clicking on the register tab on the left hand side of the screen.

I was a hater when it came to The Hangover Part II which didn't make me laugh, not even once. Some serious issues were tackled in the South African drama Life, Above All. I was wonderfully surprised by Xavier Dolan's second feature film Heartbeats which inspired me to watch his first film I Killed My Mother  (on Film4 recently.) Hopefully they will show it again soon as it is definitely worth a watch.



Bridesmaids is a film I would really recommend catching and it is out in the UK from 22nd June 2011.

A step in the right direction for a film featuring such ferocious female comedic talent.

Cinetalk got a makeover and is looking fabulous! You can read my review for Donor Unknown which is a fascinating documentary about the sperm trade, out in UK cinemas now and showing on More4 on 28th June.

The film that has stuck with me most over the last couple of weeks is Rio Breaks a documentary about two kids growing up in the Favela's of Rio de Janeiro and their love of surfing. It is out in the UK now and I urge you all to watch it, please do let me know what you think, it blew me away.

What I've been up to

In the last few weeks I have been madly reviewing the latest releases over on Cinetalk. I have seen some homage to French new wave in Submarine which I saw as part of the LoCo Film Festival who strive to bring great comedy to the big screen in an inventive way. Visit their website for more details http://locofilmfestival.com/

I got excited by Korean fantasy flick Demon Empire and met some lovely people from Epic Asia at the screening.

I went to some special Q&A sessions at my local Picturehouse cinema including a satellite link-up with Werner Herzog about his 3D film Cave of Forgotten Dreams. I also saw the much anticipated Attack the Block that had an in-house Q&A with Joe Cornish and the cast.

Foreign cinema didn't let me down with a pretty cool heroine in the guise of Adele Blanc-Sec and a brutal account of a couple of real-life serial killers in  Cold Fish.

I also fit in some Statham time by watching his new flick Blitz which is out at cinemas now.

Other films that I have watched and reviewed are Patagonia, The Eagle, Hop, Rubber, Tomorrow, When the War Began, Insidious, Water for Elephants, Hanna, The Way and Risen

I am also now writing for Starburst Magazine who focus on Sci-fi, Horror and Fantasy and should have some reviews/features on their website in the near future.

LA Noire

LA Noire is out now on Xbox and PS3 and the gameplay looks fantastic, they have used motion scan technology that creates pretty impressive facial animation. In the game, developed by Team Bondi and Rockstar,  you play a detective in the 1940s who has to solve murder cases and deal with police corruption.

The game looks all encompassing with a soundtrack composed by Andrew Hale (who created the score for Scott Pilgrim vs the world) and featuring music from Billie Holiday and Thelonious Monk.

I will be buying a copy in the near future and hope to feel like I am in LA Confidential - but which kind of cop will I be - a fame seeking, money grabber like Jack Vincennes (Kevin Spacey), a rule breaker like Bud White (Russell Crowe) or a golden boy like Ed Exley (Guy Pearce)?? I'll let you know how it pans out.

Here is a clip featuring gameplay and also that meathead, Matt Parkman, from Heroes.

LA Noire Official website

Trailers From Hell - Sean Connery Week!!

I love this website, and if you haven't visited it yet go now: http://www.trailersfromhell.com/
Breaking down classic trailers and introducing the next generation to some forgotten gems.

This week they are focusing on Sir Sean Connery featuring trailers of Dr. No, The Man Who Would Be King and The Hill.

Personally I would have included Highlander or Zardoz where Connery sports some sexy red knickers, enjoy!

Attack The Block Screening and Q&A

So, the much anticipated ATTACK THE BLOCK is out on Friday 13th May...ooooo, spooky. And it just so happens the Stratford Picturehouse will be hosting a special screening and Q&A with Director, Joe Cornish and Luke Treadaway and Jon Boyega on that very evening.

To purchase tickets click here.

This should be wicked and I have already bagged myself a couple of tickets.
Review to follow next week!

One Day Trailer

For anyone who has read the David Nicholls book, One Day, you will understand why I am already weeping at the trailer for the film adaptation. Starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess as the two friends who meet each year for one day.

Lone Scherfig is in the director's seat, and I am hopeful for the finished product as I enjoyed her previous film,  An Education, where the acting (especially from Carey Mulligan) was of the highest calibre.

One Day is a character driven story and hopefully Scherfig will direct the actors into some stellar performances. Nicholls describes London and Scotland in such intricate detail I am hoping for lots of location shooting to portray the ambience of  each city.

One Day is due for release in the UK on 30th September 2011.

Thor

Thor, the hammer wielding Thunder God gets his own movie as part of the Marvel Universe of movies. When he is banished from Asgard by his father for an unauthorised attack on the Frost Giants he begins a new life on Earth where he meets a group of scientists who help him in his quest to avenge his name.


Kenneth Branagh has created three separate worlds in this comic book adaptation of Thor that all have elements of the bizarre; the imagination and the difference in each of the worlds and the tonal shifts create superb superhero spectacle. The realm of Asgard, where Thor resides is an opulent, golden vista of metallic beauty and similar to a South Korean fantasy flick in all its lavishness. Entering the realm of Jotunheim where the Frost Giants live we are taken into a dark and ominous place full of threatening landscapes, which took me back to my childhood in its resemblance to the Nome King’s realm in Return to Oz. Earth is a small American town with a diner in the middle of a desert and when fantasy characters swoop into this reality it is reminiscent of General Zod’s appearance in Superman II with all its cheeky awareness.

Chris Hemmings was a great choice for the role of Thor and he delivers arrogance, humour and a dramatic demeanour. Natalie Portman plays the love interest and her character was just as endearing and strong in her role as an intelligent, determined scientist. But I just felt there was no real connection between the two – the relationship wasn’t developed enough to make me believe they were in love. Tom Hiddleston takes on the villainous role of Loki; Thor’s long suffering, overlooked brother and takes malevolence to theatrical proportions.

I have to give props to Branagh and the writers for creating female characters that weren’t just eye-candy and in fact, comedic relief. Kat Dennings, cast as the funny lady added a special something to the film. As small as her role was, she delivered the one-liners with precision timing and I was pleased to see her on the big screen in such a winning way.

A superhero film that delivers some thrills and great family entertainment. Branagh cleverly puts a Shakespearian spin on this film full of betrayal, father issues, comedy and the struggle between good and evil. Stay till the very end for some Samuel L Jackson post-credits Avengers plot development.