Film Review: Spotlight

"I Know There's Things You Can't Tell People, But I Also Know There's A Story Here People Will Hear About..."

Before we begin, let us look back at the year of 2015 in film, a film in which Spotlight director Tom McCarthy decided it was best to embrace us with a continuation of one Adam Sandler's career with the release of The Cobbler, a film so inept in quality and clouded with sheer hatefulness, one could argue it was set to ignite the downfall of McCarthy's career, a career that so far had included critical successes with directorial credits on films such as The Station Agent featuring Peter Dinklage, and writing credits for being the mastermind behind the script of Disney Pixar's Up, a film which generated similar critical acclaim. So the question remains, how on earth did the fundamental talent of Mr. McCarthy end up creating one of the real stinkers of 2015, a film so terrible it holds the distinction of being placed on this sites' worst films of last year, pulling in at a wholly unremarkable third place? Do I have the answer? No, but thankfully with a new year there is always new surprises, and with the release of Spotlight, a biographical drama focusing on the investigation into the widespread cases of child sex abuse in the Boston area in 2002, it can be safely said that McCarthy is back in the good books. And some. 

After being blacklisted in 2013 as one of the many unproduced screenplays around Hollywood, Spotlight attempts to portray the investigation from the Boston Globe's titular Spotlight team into the seedy truths behind one of the worlds most hideous and horrific crimes within recent memory and with its' core narrative based around the true-life tales of child sex abuse and rape, it is completely understandable why so many may have been put off by bringing such a terrible tale to the big screen. Within the hands of Tom McCarthy however, a man hell bent on cinematic redemption, Spotlight disregards the dramatic tendencies it may have resorted to and instead focuses primarily on the dying art of investigatory journalism, a decision that proves key when outlining the films' many successes. In a similar fashion to Lenny Abrahamson's Room, a film with a similar dark plot at its' core, Spotlight refuses flat out to present dramatic representations of the many startling acts that took place within the Boston area and instead encompasses the point of view entirely from that of our characters within the Spotlight team, a cinematic trope that shares parallels with Room, a film in which we see the events of the film from the point of view of young Jack who unbeknownst to the terrible events that occur in the film, save the audience from a full understanding and instead leave the terrible events in a state of ambiguity, a key decision that ultimately has worked for both films, both of which share horrendous events within its' DNA.

Of course, resting the films' drama entirely on that of journalists, lawyers and other white collar characters as well as countless scenes of characters talking within office spaces, meetings, town halls and a wide range of other suit-and-tie surroundings, the film needed to have a equal balance between script and acting, and with acting pedigree such as Micheal Keaton, Mark Ruffalo and Rachel McAdams, it is unsurprising that that is exactly what Spotlight achieves. Spotlight is a film about something, something terrible, something that will stay with people for years to come, and the way in which each and every actor embraces their role on-screen is a true work of art. Never before have I seen a drama so powerful and startling it could be mistaken for a horror film, with one scene in which a priest completely confesses his crimes entirely straight-faced and without one shred of remorse particularly frightening, a credit to the films' underlying stance on squeezing tension from the most remote of scenes without resorting to melodrama. If Spotlight brings with it a sense of redemption for director Tom McCarthy, then it verges on the level of Shawshank, with Spotlight being a highly intelligent, engrossing and fundamentally nightmarish cinematic experience that will no doubt leave viewers reeling from a wide range of emotions that the movie evokes. One week ago, The Revenant was top form for Best Picture at the Oscars. Move over Alejandro, Tom McCarthy has just made his masterpiece.

Overall Score: 10/10 

TV Review: The X-Files Revival Episode Two "Founders Mutation"

"All We Can Do Scully Is Pull The Thread, See What It Unravels..."

Typical. You wait fourteen years for one of your favourite shows to return and then you get hit with two new episodes within the space of just twenty four hours. It's like London buses. Kind of. If the first episode was let down by its' extreme determination to shove as much in your face as humanly possible with the return of the shows' overlying mythology, then the second adheres to the secondary X-Files plot basis with the return of the "Monster of the Week" stories whilst featuring a heavy dose of looking back in regards to the long lost William, the son of both Mulder and Scully whom they gave up for adoption in Series 8. From the off, it is fundamentally wonderful to witness a programme as loved as The X-Files back on the small screen, and those that may have been let down by the premiere of the latest series will hopefully have their faith restored with "Founders Mutation", an episode in which it reminds us of the good old tales of the paranormal in which the original series made its' name. And oh, with added blood and gore. 

After the supposed suicide of a scientist, Agents Mulder and Scully, recently back on X-Files duty, unravel the strange circumstances regarding his death, eventually resulting in the discovery of a laboratory in which testings are made upon young children, each with extreme genetic deformities as well as dangerous and powerful paranormal powers. Sounds like an atypical episode of The X-Files does it not? And in proper succinct fashion with classic monster-of-the-week episodes, "Founders Mutation" does what X-Files has always done best; show off a creepy story with a rather mind-boggling plot but keep it together with the chemistry of its' two leads. If Duchovny and Scully were in danger of being recognised as actors who had perhaps just decided to "phone-in" their performances within this latest series, then this episode alone shows off how inherently excited and proud they must be to back in the show that quickly made them household names in the 1990's. They're having fun and so is the audience, with a script so stark-raving mad it verges on X-Files satire with the violence being turned up way past eleven it makes a Tarantino flick look harmless. It's X-Files 101 and I love it. 

   Viewers who are perhaps less than informed with the overarching mythology of the series' earlier seasons may be rather alienated by the plot thread of William, but it was interesting to see the correlation between the investigation and our agents' personal lives, one in which the discussion of their long lost child has been a good way to keep relations to the earlier plot lines established across the mythology. Perhaps the realisation of Scully's DNA being part alien will tie into the rediscovery of their adopted son, something of which may in turn be exposed in the remaining four episodes. Whatever the ultimate goal of this ever-so-short revival inevitably is, whether it be to see if interest in the show is still rife today, fans across the globe are just happy to see its' return and with "Founders Mutation" being a stark improvement on the first episode, things are only getting better.

Overall Score: 8/10

TV Review: The X-Files Revival Episode One "My Struggle"

"I'm Always Happy To See You..."

Here we are at last. After fourteen years of a anxiety-ridden wait. remedied slightly by the second feature film in 2008, The X-Files finally returns to the small screen, once again helmed by the creative genius of Chris Carter and starring, of course, David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson as Agents Mulder and Scully respectively. Picked up by those over at FOX for a six episode event, this ever-so short revival of one of TV's greatest ever cult shows has a lot riding on it, particularly in the case for its' hard-hitting fans, myself included, who have watched endless repeats of the first nine series, due in part to the wonder of Netflix, and who most definitely have questions to answer and notions to convey but most importantly, should be the sole basis and focus of the shows' return. Sure, the series has a lot of plot lines to fill over the course of just under five hours worth of alien-goodness, but the main concern of the revival is its' desire to not let the reputation of the past be tarnished by something not entirely up to scratch. So, speaking from the heart of a true X-Files fanboy, the first episode of the series' return is everything you would expect, alien conspiracies, the end of the world, and men in black suits, but the real question remains; Is it any good?

Beginning with a heavy dose of X-Files exposition, which strangely enough doesn't even scratch the surface on the underlying mythology of the series, "My Struggle" quickly delves into the lives of present day Mulder and Scully, with the former seemingly hibernating in a dingy, dark hideaway whilst the former continues to blossom in the career of medicine, yet these lives are swiftly combined once again when they are asked to meet up with celebrity online forecaster, Tad O'Malley whose heavy sense of paranoia and strong beliefs mirror that of a much younger and much fresher looking Agent Mulder. The rest of the episode then attempts to cram pretty much everything you could think of when it comes to the plot lines of original series. Men in black. Roswell. Alien abductions. Whistleblowers. It's a strange and overly rushed start to the revival, with little chance for characterisation on anyone's part, whilst the word cameo doesn't even come close to the return of fan favourites such as Assistant Director Skinner and of course, spoilers incoming, William B. Davis as the rather aged and decrepit Cigarette Smoking Man, whose fleeing appearances seem rather thrown in for good measure.

On the other hand, the unbreakable bond of familiarity between the two leads is still fresh and ripe, even after 23 years, and its' the two central characters in Mulder and Scully which makes the episode strangely hypnotic and engaging despite its' rather obvious flaws. Beginning with a mythology led episode was inevitably going to be the way to go and for fans of the original series, it is undeniably exciting to witness its' return in the 21st century with added conspiracies of governmental control on money, resources and even food. Those poor chickens. If it was any other show, it would have lost me, but the undeniable sense of happiness to see Mulder and Scully on-screen together for the first time in years cannot be disregarded and amongst a sheer ludicrous plot, slightly ear-bouncing dialogue, and dodgy CGI, the return of The X-Files is a time for rejoicing, not one for critcising. Welcome back Agents, it's been too long.

Episode Score: 7/10

Film Review: The Big Short

"We're Going To Wait Until They Feel The Pain, Until They Start To Bleed..."

To say Adam McKay was the last person on my mind to be at the helm of a film regarding the events leading up to and beyond the financial crisis of 2007 and into 2008 is quite a monumental understatement. Although previous movies of McKay, including Step Brothers, The Other Guys, and of course, Anchorman, have left with me with a fundamental sense of believing American comedy is well and truly heading down the toilet, The Big Short is a movie that tackles a ridiculously complicated subject matter for a member of the lay public without a background in hard economics, and throws in a surprisingly effective comedic element, one in which proves, when diverting from teeny-angst rubbish which has encompassed his previous selection of movies, that in fact, Adam McKay can in fact be a successful director in the hard-nut genre of comedy. With a strong band of actors such as Christian Bale, Steve Carell and Brad Pitt, The Big Short is a movie of a highly enjoyable pedigree, if one that ever so slightly goes over your head in a "I'm so much smarter than you fashion," but hey, who the heck knows what a credit default swap is anyhow?

Based on the book of the same name by author Michael Lewis, The Big Short details three intertwining stories of events proceeding the financial crisis of 2007/8, beginning with Christian Bales' slightly exuberant and wholly unsociable Dr. Michael Burry who predicts the impeding collapse and leading on to Steve Carell's Mark Baum and Ryan Gosling's Jared Vennett, all of whom are attempting to benefit from the ticking time-bomb of the US's fraudulent housing market system. Like 99% of cinema goers who will go and see The Big Short, most of the film, I can freely admit, I was completely baffled, with the film being jam-packed with speech and set-pieces that make absolutely no sense whatsoever, with talks of hedge funds, CDO's and subprime lending meaning absolutely zilch, and to be fair, it shouldn't, I'm not exactly a top end economist. Thankfully, and critically, The Big Short knows this. Although its' attempts to try and explain goings on with weird impulsed celebrity cameos just feel plain wrong, the film's baffling nature is ultimately put to one side due to the sheer power of its' actors and the swift nature of its' comedic quips.

Star of the show is no doubt Steve Carell, whose character not only feels like the most three-dimensional out of the key components of the film, but it is a character that most people will find it easiest to associate with, especially in a stand out scene in which Baum is told straight-faced about the sheer unbelievable nature of the housing market by the creator of synthetic CDO's, one of the core instruments in the downfall of the economy, a scene in which we witness Carell change from a state of interest to one of sheer shock and disgust. It's a great scene and one in which embodies the hatred behind the capitalist, greedy nature of the US economy. If The Big Short makes you feel anything by the time the credits roll, it's one that mirrors the state of Baum in such a scene. Hatred. Shock. Disgust. Feelings not aimed at the film in any sense, but feelings that are aimed towards the top one percent, those who watched millions fall to pieces around them whilst they sat and watched, earning profits in the process of doing so. The Big Short is not perfect by any means, but it is a film that encourages you to feel, and that, it sure did. Comedic in places, but straight-faced come the end, The Big Short is The Wolf of Wall Street reversed, attempting to show the sheer horrendous effects of greed and selfishness in a way that is enjoyable and entertaining whilst satirising the corporate nature of the US in the 21st century. Hollywood 1, Wall Street 0.

Overall Score: 8/10

Film Review: The Revenant

"I Ain't Afraid To Die Anymore. I've Done It Already..."

Within the space of just twelve months, director Alejandro G. Inarritu has swiftly become the toast of Hollywood, a man whose last film Birdman generously took home the best picture award at the Oscars as well as slowly but surely imprinting it's own brilliance upon myself after an initial bout of skepticism and uncertainty. Continuing such critical success is The Revenant, Inarritu's adaptation of Michael Punke's novel of the same name which focuses on the real-life story of American frontiersman Hugh Glass and his quest for revenge. So after the success of Birdman last year, what on earth would you expect Inarritu to do in order to try and replicate such critical attention just one year on for his latest pet project? Keep to what you know and love of course, with the commanding presence of Inarritu being sent aid from the returning duo of cinematographer and two-time Oscar winner Emmanuel Lubezki as well as editor Stephen Mirrione, and it is this triplet that once again leads to success with each upping their game and becoming the sheer backbone of The Revenant, a film in which not only has a undeniable film-making sense of beauty but one that surely, surely, surely finally wins Mr. DiCaprio his long-awaited Oscar. 

Although slightly stealing tactics originally from Hitchcock in Rope, Inarritu's much acclaimed use of the seemingly one-take tactic of Birdman is ditched within The Revenant yet the Sergio Leone-esque desire to shove the camera right into the face of each and every actor that was prevalent within Birdman makes it's way instead, with Inarritu choosing to place the viewer right into the heart of the danger and chaos that ensues throughout the many set pieces within the film. This particular way of filming is undeniably breathtaking and creates a sense of pain-staking realism on a entirely new level, resulting in being the first film in a long time to physically make me turn away and close my eyes from what our man DiCaprio has to endure in order to survive. Of his miraculous tale of sheer human endurance is the much talked about bear attack scene, a scene in which, although CGI designed, is without limits in showing the sheer brutality of such an attack. It's a scene reminiscent of the velociraptor hunt within Jurassic Park but with an added R rating, and a scene which sets up the tone for the entire movie. It's hard to watch, but beautiful nonetheless.

With twelve Oscar nods on its' side already, The Revenant is undoubtedly a classic in the making. A dark, desperate revenge thriller that feels as claustrophobic as it does epic thanks to the sheer brilliant cinematography by Mr Lubezki, a man set to win yet another Oscar, whereby the breathtaking wilderness is gorgeously examined all within the backdrop of natural light, a time-consuming yet worthwhile tactic that has resulted in in The Revenant being a true cinematic experience, one that should most definitely be witnessed on the biggest screen possible. Understandably, all the talk has all been pointing towards the performances of both DiCaprio and Hardy, with the former literally going through hell in order to adhere to the realistic feel of his surroundings, and even though it is a performance of little speech, it is one of sheer brutality, one that brings with it a sense of sympathy for a man who so clearly wants to collect that prestigious academy award. Don't let DiCaprio's performance be the only thing you take from The Revenant however, it is a film made with exquisite skill and talent, a film that creates a world of dark, desperate despair and a film that, Hardy's sometimes inaudible dialogue aside, is pretty much perfect. A excellent example of modern cinema.

Overall Score: 9/10

Film Review: Room

"Hello Jack, Thanks For Saving Our Little Girl..."

Starting slightly off topic, Lenny Abrahamson's latest, Room, based on the novel of the same name by Emma Donoghue, is a strange case of reminding me of the success of Disney, particularly that of the works by Pixar, in regards to how films such as The Lion King, Wall-E, and most recently, the simply wonderful Inside Out, could take important and sometimes dark subject matters such as loss, human consumption and the development from child to adult, and present them in a fashion both uplifting and engaging for everyone no matter what their age. With Room, a film that similarly has a disturbing, twisted narrative at its' core, its' one of those rare cases in cinema in which a film brings with it an abundance of different meanings, whether it be psychological, mental, or particularly, social, and that alone succeeds in making Abrahamson's latest a riveting success, one that is both emotionally draining as well as being undeniably life affirming, a strange yet incredible combination if ever there was one.

Beginning by delving straight into the lives of Joy and Jack, the mother and son combination held captive by "Old Nick" within the less-than spacious titular "room", Abrahamson's latest begins by showing us the world in which the young Jack is all but used to, a world in which life begins and ends with that of the four walls of "room", a world in which mother Joy has had to endure ever since her kidnapping at age seventeen. From such a setup, a fundamental fear began to arise in fearing what Room could have potentially become if left in lesser hands, with it perhaps playing out in a Panic Room style thriller, one in which substance was left behind in favour of drama and thrills, yet the true winning formula of Room is in its' tendency to show the events of the film from that of young Jack, where the dark subject matter, although inherently present, is left in a somewhat ambiguous, confused state in line with our young character's state of mind, brought on by his sudden change of lifestyle and the existence of, Aladdin reference inbound, a whole new world. It is this point of view that allows the film to present a wide range of sociological and psychological problems that the all too real crime of kidnapping and captivity brings across the world. It's a film that encourages to think outside the box.

Although Brie Larson has understandably been taking all of the plaudits for her simply brilliant portrayal of the captive mother, caught between making a better life for her son in that of "room"whilst being entirely aware of the power of the outside world and its' effects it potentially could have on her young child, the film no doubt belongs to Jacob Tremblay, the nine year old actor who, in the face of an intelligent, thought-provoking script, portrays the character of Jack in sheer heartbreaking fashion, with his ability to convey the emotions of a socially-inept child, one who is simply baffled and completely frightened at the prospect of understanding the newly found world, truly outstanding. It's a performance worthy of examination from a wide range of angles, whether it be from that of one either sociological or psychological, and one that deserves all the attention it can possibly get. Tremblay's performance is one of the many talking points which results in making Room a truly exquisite experience and one that won't be quickly forgotten. Room is a film of sheer, unquestionable power and one of the strongest of the year so far in the race for Oscar supremacy. 

Overall Score: 9/10

Film Review: Creed

"One Step At A Time. One Punch A Time. One Round At A Time..."

If last year's Southpaw was an example of cinematic cliches at his finest when it comes to live-action takes on the world of boxing, then the return of Philadelphia's finest in Creed proves that the final nail in the coffin is not entirely sealed in place within both live-action takes on the sport itself and the everlasting Rocky series in which many thought had died all those years ago with the less-than impressive Rocky V. Then Rocky Balboa happened and everyone suddenly pricked up their ears again, wondering whether there was still life in the old dog yet. Now we have Creed, the second feature from director Ryan Coogler, the man behind the critically acclaimed Fruitvale Station and the upcoming Marvel addition, Black Panther, who, reunited with Michael B. Jordan, has succeeded in regaining popular interest within the land of The Italian Stallion through the age-old winner of adding deep substance over style, with Creed being a exciting and engaging sports drama which attempts to delve deeper into the characters rather than focus detrimentally on that of the sport and the twelve rounds that tend to follow.

Estranged from birth from his biological father Apollo Creed, Adonis "Donnie" Johnson (Jordan) is eager to follow in his deceased fathers' footsteps without the need to rely on his fathers' reputation to gain success and exposure. Travelling from Los Angeles to Philadelphia, Donnie locates the aged Rocky Balboa (Stallone) and asks to be trained and supervised under his arm. After success at a local fight, Donnie's hidden identity as a Creed is revealed, resulting in a chance to fight the fiery "Pretty" Ricky Conlan (Tony Bellew), the world light heavyweight champion, yet Donnie's initial enthusiasm slowly turns to reluctance in fear of damaging the reputation of his father as well as letting down the one man his father new best, Rocky Balboa. Where Creed ultimately succeeds is in its' similarity to the formula used to make Rocky II, which happens to be my own personal favourite in the entire Rocky canon, with the dramatic final fight being possibly the greatest to be seen throughout the series so far. Adding to the drama of the first sequel within the series is a deeper sense of characterisation and a tightly woven comedic element that was strangely absent from its' predecessor and it is these elements that Creed seems to abide by in its' many successes. Interesting characters with complex emotions, a desire to channel between the dark and light subject matters, and two fights that earn the right to be shown on the biggest screen possible. It's cinematic sport at its' peak.

Although fundamentally a Rocky flick, the films' core is with the rising star that is Michael B. Jordan, an actor who after tasting success with HBO's The Wire has gone on to much bigger things, although not always good, with last years' Fantastic Four being a triumphant disaster, yet his performance in Creed is that of a man who has taken his character to heart, using the big emotional speeches to enhance an understanding of a character who without a father figure in his life has attempted to form his own fate. Add into the mix Sly Stallone as the ever-aging Balboa, and the films' father figure is presented, with the relationship between the two being ultimately the cornerstone of the movie with arguably the sport coming second. Is Creed the best film in the Rocky canon? Arguably, with its' reliance on similarity, particularly in the fundamentally limited conclusions that can occur within a boxing match, being the one major criticism, as harsh as that ultimately sounds, yet that alone does not thwart the chance that Creed is perhaps the single greatest sports film of the last few years. Welcome back Italian Stallion.

Overall Score: 8/10

   

Duo Film Review: The Hateful Eight

Dan's Review

Loved from an early age, Quentin Tarantino has no doubt had a astronomical effect on the early stages of my cinematic knowledge with Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction and to an extent, his work elsewhere on True Romance and everyone's favourite guilty pleasure, From Dusk Till Dawn, being early examples of a somewhat unhealthy obsession which over the years has strangely subsided due perhaps to my ever-increasing age or Tarantino's failure at creating something that topples the magnum opus of his early, and better, work. Reuniting with actors such as Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, and of course, Samuel L. Jackson, The Hateful Eight suggested somewhat a return to Tarantino of old, whereby nostalgia and almost cringe-worthy attempts to reassert Tarantino's love for cinema of the past would be discarded in place of a film that is in fact, wonderful. Staying away from trailers and fast-tracked reviews in the build-up to its' release, the experience of watching The Hateful Eight was similar to that of watching your dad attempting to dance at a wedding, where although some parts are cringe-worthy and incredibly misjudged, on the whole you are quite amazed and taken aback, with Tarantino's latest being a weird mixture of thrills, spills and blood, lots of blood. 

After a series of fortunate events lead to an array of characters being bundled in to a place of shelter away from the snowy storm of a time soon after the American Civil War, tensions soon begin to mount regarding the real intentions behind many of the occupants who may indeed may not be who they say the are. In the middle of such is Samuel L. Jackson as Major Marquis Warren, a.k.a "The Bounty Hunter", a man whose intentions mirror that of Kurt Russel's John Ruth, a.k.a "The Hangman" who is escorting the captured criminal Daisy Domergue to Red Rock in order to face swift and meaningful justice, yet their forced stop at Minnie's Haberdashery leads to a turn events seemingly based around the captive Domergue whose real identity is equally ambiguous as the rest of the occupants within the stagecoach lodge. Following in light of its' title, The Hateful Eight does indeed feature a rafter of characters all hell bent on being more vile and unlikable as the next, with both Warren and Ruth being violent, notorious bounty hunters whilst Domergue being completely unparalleled in her disgusting nature, all the while being beaten, strangled and flayed in blood over the course of the movie. With such characters at the heart of the film, it is indeed hard to engage emotionally with any of them, resulting in a strange situation similar to that of Pulp Fiction whereby although most of the people portrayed on-screen are inherently bad, it doesn't stop from them being rooted for in some sense, with the character of Warren being my personal choice throughout most of the film even when told of his downright disturbing history as a bounty hunter and killer. 

In terms of the film's successes, the movies' cinematography, direction, and score all deserve a sincere amount of applause, particular the former and the latter, with the swerving scenic scale of the mountainous surroundings being a beauty to behold and then brought right back down to earth within the confines of the cabin, boosting the tense atmosphere that takes note from Tarantino's debut Reservoir Dogs rather too obviously, whilst the return of Ennio Morricone also marks the best score within a Tarantino film since Kill Bill: Vol 1 and should indeed reward him with yet another Oscar. Positive too is the acting trio of Jackson, Russel and Leigh who combine to become the standout performances, whilst the utterly stupid amount of violence that resonates within the film is not only ridiculously enjoyable but taints the film with Tarantino's lust for a sense of exploitation he has always seemingly been after since the days of Pulp Fiction, which although may not be for everyone, added to the film's overall sense of fun and B-Movie grandness. 

Where the film is ultimately knocked by any chance of gaining full marks is its' ridiculous need for a strong-willed editor to come in and say, "look Quentin, can we lose at least half an hour of the film?", particularly in the first act in which the endless waves of dialogue start to become tedious and un-engaging, something of which I kind of expected when seeing its' eye-popping runtime, whilst the inclusion of a nonsensical voice-over by Tarantino himself, the pantomime performance of Roth's attempt as an Englishman, up to the final act, and a borderline racist, cliched inclusion of the character of Bob, a.k.a "The Mexican", result in The Hateful Eight being a few steps away from the masterpiece many have proclaimed it to be. Highly enjoyable but with rather too many obvious flaws, The Hateful Eight is a strong return for Tarantino yet continues my willingness to see another masterpiece in line with his better and bolder earlier work. 

Dan's Score: 8/10

Pete's Review

As you've probably noticed, Dan is a big fan of Tarantino. Myself however, not so much. I watched Pulp Fiction many years ago and honestly didn't pay much attention to it as I had other things to be doing and seeing snippets of crude, over the top violence didn't really do it for me. It felt like he was always trying too hard to be edgy and I couldn't stand it. Until Django came. Django was the film that peaked my interest. A topic that's typically trodden delicately around was attacked with brutal honesty, a western flair and little discretion. It's cast were huge, it's acting was on Oscar worthy and the music still livens up my commutes 4 years on! You'd suspect those 4 years to reward those patiently waiting with something as equally delectable but I can't say I'm impressed. Dan and I have seen two variations of the film.  For some reason, somewhere along the line, something was cut out which equated roughly 6 minutes less for Dan's viewing alongside no interval break while I was "treated" to the original cut. So, what was this space filled with and why? We don't quite know. It certainly wasn't the excruciating "Chapter" breaks throughout that took your immersion and used it to floss and spitting you break a dribbled mess. Perhaps it was the rolling credits at the very beginning of the film that informs you of an actor that you spend the majority of the time waiting for to pop out of the woodwork while you watch a horse drawn cart get pulled through the snow several miles away. We don't quite know.

 My Mum and Dad always taught me not to play with my food so lets be frank. Its OKAY. That's it. Sure, the filming is gorgeous and the scenery locations are real pretty to look at and all but you can't polish a turd. While Django pulled no punches and its actors were on top of their game, The Hateful Eight swung and missed. Samuel L Jackson is back to his usual self as there is a fair bit of consistency with him. Tim Roth however is a completely different kettle of poison. I liked him in Lie To Me and hated him in that one Hulk flick that no-one talks about. The stereotypical British accent was god awful. Its almost laughable until you realise that this isn't a comedy. The stereotypes all the way through are painful and feel like more of a joke than actual characters. Even more so when you consider that Tarantino actually tried to develop some of these characters. Instead he just gave up and insulted them all by making them utterly annoying and dull as doorknobs.  Does the story pull it together, Pete? I don't feel it does. As I mentioned previously, you are waiting for a certain actor to appear who is the catalyst to the whole situation and that really ruins any sort of surprise. Now as a premise, the story could be great. Eight bounty hunters locked up in a blizzard with one prisoner with a huge bounty on their head. But logic defies these guys. Everything is coincidental and was actually rather lacklustre in execution that bored me for the majority of the time. 

Rather than drag on for too much longer, I'd like to note a few more things. The violence, while excessive was alright, the effects for it were fairly lacking and with The Walking Dead's Greg Nicotero involved, I expected a higher quality of visual gore. I also expected a lot more from the soundtrack. John Legend's "Who did that to you?" is a common tune for my playlist and Rick Ross' "100 Black Coffins" joins that also but I've got nothing from this. The songs mirrored the movie incredibly well while Hateful Eight's soundtrack merely blended into the background. I don't feel that the Hateful Eight was a film for the consumer. It was no where near complete and didn't have the pizazz needed to contend with its big, badass brother. Tarantino has been noted over the years talking about wanting to make a western film and it seems he's probably riding that wave and letting the marketing sell the product no matter what. So overall what do we have - An exceptionally long experience which left me with nothing more to say than, "Meh."

Pete's Score - 6/10

Overall Score: 7/10

Film Review: The Danish Girl

"I Think Lily's Thoughts, I Dream Her Dreams. She Was Always There..."

Beginning with The King's Speech and continuing with Les Miserables, director Tom Hooper has now gained the rather envious typecast of being a filmmaker who is infatuated with the award season and the ultimate array of glory and praise that follows it at every turn. Add into the mix last year's Oscar winner for Best Actor, Eddie Redmayne, and a story focusing on the tragedy of love, desire and ultimately, human identity, it would be easy to assume that The Danish Girl would be another success story for Hooper at this year's incoming award season yet the reality is, superb acting aside, Hooper's latest is unfortunately a rather plodding, shallow and cold adaptation of David Ebershoff's 2000 novel of the same name which focuses upon the life of Danish painters Lili Elbe and Gerda Wegener and the struggle of the former's attempt at gender reassignment surgery, one of the first recorded persons to have done so back in the mid-1920's.

It's hard to examine The Danish Girl as anything other than a rather disappointing experience, with the hype of a emotional, compelling drama led by the brilliance of both Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander being completely overshadowed by the lack of distinct emotion within the plot resulting in there neither being a sense of sympathy or empathy for the character of Lili/Einar even when played flawlessly by Eddie Redmayne. It is certainly strange for the pedigree of an actor such as Redmayne to convey a character so well on-screen yet still failing at any attempt to convert similar emotions onto the viewer, showing that perhaps the weak script is the central problem is failing to resonate any true feelings towards the film. Furthermore, the film's central performance arguably is not from Redmayne himself and instead, is that of Vikander, the ambiguous, titular Danish Girl perhaps, who seems to be the easier of the two to fully embrace and understand resulting in a conflicting battle between a love for the acting and disappointment at the script.

In a roundabout sort of way, The Danish Girl is a fine example of a movie that is solely saved by the pedigree of its' cast rather than that of it's script and emotional impact, showing that for all its' weaknesses, Tom Hooper's latest will indeed carry on his proud awards success but for it's acting alone, with The Danish Girl saved from being a forgettable, drab biographical, built only on the reputation of Hooper thanks to both Vikander and Redmayne. Oscar wins? Maybe not, but nominations is a sure thing, evident by their recognition by the Golden Globes, yet if wins were secured by either actor, it would only be remembered as a win for "that film about gender reassignment", not the legacy I'm sure Hooper intended.

Overall Score: 5/10

Film Review: Joy

"Don't Ever Think The World Owes You Anything, Because It Doesn't..."

Although I'm fundamentally confused and sometimes disorientated at the sheer amount of Oscar-waving movies that are dumped upon our screens within the space of around eight or so weeks at the beginning of each year, there is a sense of wonder when examining what makes the blueprint of a film destined for awards from all corners of well, Hollywood. Beginning my venture into the year of film in 2016 is Joy, the new film by David O. Russell, the man behind the simply brilliant one-two of The Fighter and Silver Linings Playbook and the rather tedious twiddle that was American Hustle, but hey, you've got to take the bad with the good. Ever since the success of Silver Linings Playbook, there is always a guaranteed set of events that are set to follow when a O. Russell film is announced. One. a cast that includes Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro in a supporting role. Two, a story that is overtly dramatic but relies mainly on performance rather than a presence of underlying depth, and finally, Oscars. With Joy, Russell's latest indeed features the first two and may indeed end with the latter but in an overall summary, Russel improves on the no-show of American Hustle but fails to live up to the exceedingly high watermark of The Fighter and Silver Linings Playbook.

Loosely based on the real-life tale of Joy Mangano, Joy, features Jennifer Lawrence in the titular role, a over-worked single mother, basked with the responsibility of not one, but three generations of family from grandmother down to daughter and son, but with mother, father and half-sister seemingly being the hardest to comprehend and control. After a ring of unsuccessful attempts to spring out from obscurity, Joy begins to design the "miracle mop" with the financial help of her father's partner and the advertising of Neil Walker (Bradley Cooper), a leading executive at QVC, yet it soon begins to materialise that perhaps Joy's attempts at gaining success and riches are as difficult as controlling her stereotypical family of madness. Much like the life outside the ring for both Dickie and Micky in The Fighter, Joy is at its' best when the real-life trivialities of family life is exposed, with its' surprisingly limited comedic element only being adhered too during such scenes, scenes in which sibling rivalries are effectively propositioned by the acting talents of Robert De Niro and Diane Ladd as the one-two mother and father, and Elisabeth Rohm as Joy's estranged and slightly jealous half-sister.

Where the film ultimately succeeds is it's reliance on the strength of Lawrence's leading performance, a testament to her incredible abilities as an actress who, at the age of 25, seemingly has accomplished much more than most of the veterans of today's acting establishments, yet Joy not only gives her room to expand her vast array of acting talent in the titular role of her character's single mother lifestyle, it also proves that even with a minimalistic plot that Joy unfortunately has, Lawrence can propel a film into something actually quite good rather than just being okay. Saying that, Joy indeed is the best film you will see this year about the creation of a mop, and as a starter for the year in film, it's not a bad one. Not quite The Fighter, but definitely better than American Hustle, Joy is a heartwarming addition to the filmography of both Lawrence and Russell. 

Overall Score: 7/10

Film Feature: Looking Forward to 2016 in Film

Looking Forward to 2016

Another year always brings with it a heightened sense of hype for the new array of movies that are set to be distributed across out screens over the course of the next twelve months, 52 weeks, so many days, etc. and it is no surprise to say that 2016 is set to be another significant time for the self-proclaimed cinema lovers throughout the country with distinct directorial returns, sequels upon sequels within respective universes and of course, the treasured independent low-key masterpieces that tend to spring up out of nowhere and make stars out of certain hidden newcomers. With this in mind, it's time to examine those films that are set to grace our cinemas over the course of the year and highlight some of my personal favourites that are set to be released throughout 2016.

The opening few months of the year always brings with it the head-scratching, elongated and highly overrated ceremonies that attempt to tell anyone and everyone what indeed have been the finest works of cinema over the course of the past six months or so. Of course, coming from that of a film critic, I can hardly snot my nose at someone's attempt to proclaim whether films are indeed any good or not, but sometimes it does get rather harrowing when facing the prospect of a whole bunch of Oscar contenders within the space of 8 weeks or so. So to begin our year of film, we are treated to a wide range of films inherently laced with Oscar-based catnip, particularly films such as Tom Hooper's The Danish Girl and David O. Russell's Joy, both of which have already had substantial attention drawn in its' general direction. Elsewhere in the Oscar calendar, we have The Revenant, the new film by Oscar winner Alejandro G. Inarritu and a film that has a substantial amount of buzz regarding the performance of Leonardo DiCaprio. Could it finally be the year he wins an Oscar?

Also upon the grapevine is the new Tarantino film, The Hateful Eight, a film so ambiguous in its' nature that Tarantino himself has decided upon himself to release different versions of the film depending on the time and place you see it. Okay Quentin, we get it, you love the old fashioned way of cinema. Please stop becoming an embarrassment in the eyes of a massive fan. Cheers. Not only do the big hitters get the floor but we also have the indie-sensation, Room, which like its' predecessors has also gained substantial awards buzz, as well as Creed, the latest installment in the Rocky series, a series in which many thought it had truly run its' course with Rocky Balboa in 2006 yet continues to flourish under the guise of Fruitvale Station director, Ryan Coogler. Ending the first month of the year is the biographical drama Spotlight, Tom McCarthy's take on the investigation into the widespread reports of child sex abuse cases in the area of Boston featuring a cast of A-Listers including Micheal Keaton, Mark Ruffalo and Rachel McAdams. Check it out.

Heading into February and March we have a wide range of distinct and different title heading our way including the new Coen Brothers picture Hail!Caesar! which, from the trailers, looks like a wacky, zany and completely ridiculous comedic venture similar to that of previous Coen pictures such as The Big Lebowski and Burn After Reading. Moving swiftly on we have the return of the mega-buck comic-based movies such as Deadpool and everyone's favourite of the year already (NOT) Batman v Superman, directed by the self-proclaimed auteur of modern amazingness, Zak Snyder, the "genius" who brought us Sucker Punch and Man of Steel. Oh boy, how I am eagerly waiting. March also brings with it two of my own most anticipated pictures in the form of The Witch, a dark and delicious Gothic horror, and Anomalisa, a remarkable piece of animation which looks like something completely radical and is set to continue the rafter of success in the animation category over the past few years or so. 

Into the halfway point of the year we have anticipated sequels in the form of X-Men: Apocalypse, Independence Day 2, and of course, Captain America: Civil War, the continuation of the Marvel universe in which our beloved Captain seemingly has a tiff with Tony Stark and half the Avengers team excluding, of course, Thor, Hulk, and erm anyone else with their own standalone films out soon. How we love the MCU. More importantly, we also have the release of Oliver Stone's Snowden, a biographical drama based on, you guessed it, Edward Snowden, as well as Zowie Bowie's (I mean Duncan Jones of course) Warcraft, maybe the first attempt at making a proper decent movie based on a popular video game. Heading into July, we have the return of Spock and Captain Kirk in Star Trek Beyond whilst we have Paul Feig's "re-imagining" of Ghostbusters featuring (EEK) Melissa McCarthy who somehow has managed to become the hottest thing in comedy since evs, much to my own bemusement. Adding to the shock factor is the upcoming remake of Ben-Hur around the same time. I mean come on guys, why? 

 Finishing off the year, where there are so little confirmed movies at this moment in time, is a rafter of movies such as David Ayer's much anticipated Suicide Squad in August, Patient Zero in September featuring the Eleventh Doctor himself, Matt Smith, whilst October and November bring with it Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange and Eddie Redmayne in Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, the newest incarnation of the Harry Potter universe. Finishing off the year in style is the spin-off Star Wars pic, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, directed by Godzilla's own, Gareth Edwards, whilst Macbeth's trio of Fassbender, Cotillard and director Justin Kurzel reunite for the hugely anticipated live-action take on Assassins Creed. Surely not two good video game adaptations in the space of a year? 2016, you are spoiling us already. So all in all, a pretty fab year in film is upon us and we should all be rather excited. I am for sure, but the real question is, are you?  

Black Ribbon's Top Film's of 2015: Part Two

Top Films of 2015: 10-1

The first weeks of 2016 dawn upon us leaving the success or failures of 2015 swiftly in the past, a year in which I have well and truly have had to wait until the last week of the year in order to fully decide my top ten favourite films thanks to the late, late release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the continuation of the famous saga which, unless turned out to be absolute an absolute drag, was inevitably going to end up being one of my favourite films of the year. With this in mind, the final list has finally been completed and the best 2015, in terms of movie magic, has had to offer begins with...

10. Wild Tales

Deliciously dark yet uproariously hilarious, Damian Szifron's anthology of revenge leans heavy on the use of black horror and dry wit whilst not shying away from the ridiculousness of primal human nature in society today. I mean come one, almost everyone on the planet has had a barmy with a traffic warden and it is situations like these that are turned well and truly on their head and portrayed with a pulpy style reminiscent of the best comic violence auteurs like Tarantino and even Sam Raimi. Check it out now. 

9. Mad Max: Fury Road

George Miller's completely off-the-chain, ludicrous and wholly spectacular revamp of the famous cult classic Mad Max franchise in which a baby-faced Mel Gibson has been replaced with the stern English chops of Tom Hardy has ultimately in retrospect thwarted all previous expectations of its' critical sustainability due in part to it's simply mind-blowing stunt work and artistic tendencies with John Seale's cinematography being a standout performance. Sight & Sound voted it the third best film of the year but for me it sneaks just in at ninth. 

8. The Gift

Oh Blumhouse Productions, how you make me weep with both resentment and sheer admiration on a rather annoyingly regular basis. How can a production company resort to releasing such turgid disgraces to horror such as any of the Sinister, Insidious sequels but then also create films like The Gift, a cleverly scripted and brilliantly acted chiller thriller written, directed and starring Joel Edgerton which brought about one of the most horrific jump scares I can recall in recent memory. If there ever was a blueprint for heading in the right direction for Blumhouse then The Gift is it. Please abide by such. Please. 

7. Birdman

Preposterous and simply bewildering on first glance, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's satirical glance on the state of Hollywood and the trials and tribulations of actors and actresses in general definitely takes some warming to and ultimately becomes a better film with each and every watch. Winning the Oscar for best film in 2015 was met with a whole lotta skepticism by many but in a strange, roundabout sort of way, by allowing the Oscar ceremony to fully embrace a film that basically sticks it's two fingers up at the current climate of Hollywood is rather comedic in itself. Birdman works, it just takes some time to fully understand why.

6. Star Wars: The Force Awakens

"Every generations has a story" claimed Disney and boy were they spot on. From the minute John Williams' famous Star Wars overture blasts on to the screen within The Force Awakens, you know you are in safe hands, yet J.J Abrams' continuation of the famous saga does more than settle for returning back into the saddle again after the peril of the prequels and instead introduces a new set of heroes for a new wave of Star Wars fans in the form of Rey and Finn whilst incorporating a complex, evil, and wholly interesting villain in the form of Kylo Ren. Simply marvelous. P.S, who else got a remote controlled BB-8 for Xmas?

5. Spectre 

There is something rather strange and fundamentally patriotic about my undeniable love for the James Bond series, a series in which its' peak was arguably tipped by the release of Skyfall back in 2012 and a film that SPECTRE had a barrel load to live up to, yet after the dust has settled and feelings have finally settled down, it seems there isn't much point in comparing the two with both strangely enough being completely different movies even if being molded by the same franchise. SPECTRE has strangely had some bad press by many, particularly across the sea in the US of A, but for me it continues the success of Skyfall and allows the beauty of Bond to continue well into the future. 

 4. Macbeth

Shakespeare meets Kill List with a hint of 300. What more do you want? After the dark and desperate display of directing in Snowtown, Justin Kurzel attempts to go full throttle darkness with the latest desperation of the famous tragedy starring the wonderful Michael Fassbender and the equally majestic Marillon Cotillard in the roles of Lord and Lady Macbeth respectively. It may not be for everyone, granted, but for the Wheatley-love that resides within me, Macbeth is the closest thing to a all-out cinematic blackout in terms of tone I have seen since Wheatley's own masterpiece, Kill List. 

3. Sicario

With the sequel to Blade Runner in the hands of Sicario director Denis Villeneuve, I can safely say my original feelings of utter horror and sheer doubtfulness have well and truly been grounded due to the continuation of Villeneuve's remarkable career so far. Continuing his success story of Incendies, Prisoners and Enemy, is Sicario, Villeneuve's white-knuckle thriller focusing on the dodgy dealings of the US Government around the Mexican border and the Cartel. Two set pieces particularly set the tone for the film with the tensest traffic jam ever and a venture into a dark and dangerous tunnel, combining in a film so engrossing it's hard to not talk about it after every watch. 

2. Inside Out/Song of the Sea

A bit of cheating here but it was simply impossible to decide which was better out of the two best animated features of the past few years or so, if not ever, with Disney's Inside Out sharing a wide range of similarities with Song of the Sea, a beautifully crafted animation based around Irish folklore and featuring some of the best use of music that has been heard this year. What do both movies have in common I hear you scream, well a wide range of imagination for starters as well as a sheer amount of attention to detail and scenes that are guaranteed to pull tightly at the heart-strings. Who says these films are for kids? If so, class me a child and I will wear it with pride if animated films continue to be this rich and rewarding.

1. Whiplash

If you are a regular visitor of Black Ribbon, you will no doubt be aware of my sheer admiration for Whiplash, Damien Chazelle's simply masterful and dramatic exploration of desire, admiration, willingness and eagerness in the world of music, helmed terrifically by the most deserved Oscar winner for Best Supporting Actor in recent years in the form of J.K. Simmons as Terrence Fletcher, the menacing and simply terrifying musical teacher who obviously takes his educational standpoint from that of Drill Sergeant Hartman in Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket. If you haven't had the chance to check it out yet, please do, and you will witness the best film of 2015. Trust me.