A Bigger Splash

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This film is boring, dull and pretty much carried by Ralph Fiennes. I would give A Bigger Splash a 2.5/10.

While the plot is very overbearing and drawn out there is a fantastic build to Fiennes' death scene; it's very raw and well executed, a glimpse into what this film could have been with a better narrative. The cinematography is exceptionally unique, I loved how inventive some of the choices made by the director were.

Dakota Johnson, who played Penelope Lanier, is the perfect example of a great Black Widow (not the famous Marvel character but rather the film trope); this is probably one of Johnson's best performances that I've seen. Tilda Swinton, who played Marianne Lane, for a performance that was mostly silent Swinton really brought forward a lot of emotion; her frustration and inner conflict was great to behold.

However the best performance came from Ralph Fiennes, who played Harry Hawkes. Fiennes was a dramatic wild card in this film, he absolutely brimming with an energy I did not expect. His impressions and singing really were a great part of the film and led to some of the more memorable scenes. Fiennes is a master of line delivery and shows it in this film; not least because he has about 80 percent of the dialogue.

The plot for this film is long and dull, you are confronted with a number of varying scenes that don't really excite you nor do they advance the plot or develop the characters. Frankly a lot of this film seems to be going round and round in one big predictable loop right up until Fiennes is killed off. I don't even think there was much of an underlying message to this film as the murder had no consequences. The 'flashbacks' in this film served no narrative purpose and felt a lot like filler scenes. The editing for this film was awkward and felt like someone's first time editing a major film, at the very least the editing made the film drag out longer. The score for this film was minimal and poorly used, the soundtrack was a lot of fun but quite inconsistent.

Matthias Schoenaerts, who played Paul de Smedt, was giving a performance that could have put anyone to sleep; Schoenaerts doesn't seem to put much effort into creating an interesting character. Aurore Clement and Lily McMenamy, who played Mireille and Sylvie respectively, were only in this film to give more people for fiennes to bounce off; frankly these women weren't even treated as characters so much as they were props. Corrado Guzzanti, who played Maresciallo Carabinieri, was an almost cartoon like performance; Guzzanti was certainly not the right actor to be playing a homicide detective. Elena Bucci, who played Clara, had no screen presence in this film; Bucci was a strange go between that didn't really need to be in this film.

Grimsby

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Someone needs to stop Sacha Baron Cohen from producing these atrocious comedies. I would give Grimsby a 4/10.

The beginning of the film is really funny and well executed, it felt like a parody film of the spy genre with the sidekick being a really entertaining small town British working class man. It's a shame the way this film progresses because from a technical standpoint this is actually pretty solid for a comedy film. The score for this film is perfect for an action comedy, it's very over the top and can contrast with certain moments that take place in the film quite well. The special effects also look pretty good, I liked the car flying off the bridge as well as the firework effects at the end of the film. The cinematography is particularly impressive, There are some stunning shots as well as many multiple diverse shots throughout this film.

Rebel Wilson, who played Dawn Grobham, had a lot of chemistry with Baron Cohen in this film; her character's openly sexual nature actually really worked quite well in this film. Freddie Crowder, who played Tsunami, was one of the few child actors that were Nobby's kids that I liked; his rough attitude and ability to contrast innocent behaviour with very unexpected crude comedy was well done. Mark Strong, who played Sebastian, is the perfect actor to play a secret agent; Strong has a rough presence and a very convincing hard edge in this film. Lewis Johnson and Gabriel Chay Palmer, who played Young Nobby and Young Sebastian respectively, were an incredible pair with brilliant chemistry in this film; the backstory delivered by these two results in some of the best scenes in the film. Penelope Cruz, who played Rhonda George, was a good choice for the film's antagonist; despite having a character with weak motivations she is clearly one of the better performers with some of the best dialogue delivery in the film.

However the best performance comes from Sacha Baron Cohen, who played Nobby. Sometimes it's those who created the film that do the best in it, they're the ones who know what they're making and are willing to put they're all into creating it. Baron Cohen is clearly one of those people, he takes his role to every possible scenario and really delivers a strong in-character performance each time. I have a lot of respect for his ability to run with a joke and create a character that is funny in the given plot.

There's apoint in this film where you start to stop enjoying what you're watching, around the point where Nobby has to suck poison out of Sebastian's testicles. From this point onwards we're treated to the second half of the film which is rife with crude and offensive humour that never really lands. Frankly it seems to me that they just started aiming for shock value and gave up on delivering a good product. Because of this sloppy second half the film had awful pacing, I was bored and uncomfortable for the rest of the film.

Jon-Jon Lockwood, Shaun Thomas, Claudia Adshead, Miles Evans, Amaan Hendricks, Zak Sutcliffe, Mika Behrman and Laura Therese, who played Jason, Skeletor, Britney, Django Unchained, Gangnam Style, Luke, Nobby's Daughter and Stella Artois respectively, weren't great child actors and actresses in this film; they served to be an oddball backdrop with very little purpose in this film. Isla Fisher, who played Jodie Figgis, served to advance the plot without ever really displaying a character; Fisher's screen presence was weak and forgettable. Scott Adkins, who played Pavel Lukashenko, was a very generic hitman in this film; his confrontation with Nobby wasn't very good at all. Matthew Baldwin, who played Fake Radcliffe, was the butt of a not very funny AIDs joke; this was a hallmark Baron Cohen created character (which isn't saying much). Yusuf Hofri, who played Schlomo Khalidi, was another butt of an awful joke towards disabled people; there was nothing witty or funny about this role. Sam Hazeldine, who played Jeremy Chilcott, was a big talked up antagonist who wound up having zero presence in this film; you didn't find Hazeldine's role even remotely menacing. Annabelle Wallis, who played Lina Smit, was this promiscuous role that you didn't care much about; the scenario she was in wasn't even very funny. Barkhad Abdi, who played Tabansi Nyagura, is a strong reminder that every awful comedy probably has an awful drug related character in it too; I say awful in the sense that you can have drugs and a funny character but too often it's used in a lowbrow way like in this film. Gabourey Sidibe, who played Banu the Cleaner, isn't funny at all; frankly she's just used as the butt of a weak seduction and sex joke. Ian McShane, who played Special Branch Chief, said 'My God' about fifty times in the film and that's about all he did; I expected a lot more from someone as accomplished as McShane.

10 Cloverfield Lane

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This film is an insanely good thriller right up until the science fiction genre is rammed up your nose at the end of the film. I would give 10 Cloverfield Lane an 8/10.

Well I have to say this is an incredible edgy thriller for most of this film, this exploration of being kidnapped and adapting to over come each new obstacle makes for a really interesting film. This film boasts a cast of three who each present really interesting characters that enhance this film. This film for me had a great sense of pace and knew how to create a twist that would keep you engaged in the story. The cinematography and editing for this film is absolutely beautiful, even when the action moves down to the bunker this film displays a keen visual style. Even though I disliked the aliens at the end of the film even I have to admit they looked really good, there was quite clearly a lot of work put in to making the special effects in this film look very smooth and realistic. The score for this film is extraordinary, the sound is so unique and has fast become one of the best scores of the year thus far.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who played Michelle, was an incredible lead protagonist in this film; her ferocity and fight made her really compelling and you were rooting for her in every scenario she found herself in. John Gallagher Jr, who played Emmett, was a really fun role; Gallagher Jr made Emmett a quietly courageous role who was really relatable and grounded.

However the best performance came from John Goodman, who played Howard. I had no idea Goodman still had a role like this in him, this was truly one hell of a performance and if you're a fan of this actor I really recommend seeing this film. In the scenes where Goodman isn't viewed as an antagonist he presents a very awkward and unpredictable character, there is something so fundamentally interesting in this character that you are paying attention to every scene he's in. However when you're aware of him as an antagonist Goodman is intimidating and frightening, he becomes wild and his presence takes up all of that tiny bunker that makes up this film.

I almost wish this film hadn't gone back to it's science fiction roots at the end of the film, this sudden plot twist and genre change came out of nowhere and didn't really serve the film well. One might argue that you should expect the science fiction themes because of the first Cloverfield film; however there are no ties to the last film which is another problem. There is no follow on from the first Cloverfield (not even the aliens look the same), in fact this film is so incredibly different that I wonder what the point of naming the film after Cloverfield is. There also needed to be more attention to building up the character backstories, I never felt like I got to know who Michelle was before the bunker and there were several questions around Howard that were never answered which bothered me.

Mahana

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A beautiful film with a really great look at Maori culture and heritage. I would give Mahana a 7.5/10.

This film is an incredible exploration of a family turmoil and the division that takes place within this family, there is an incredible rivalry between grandson and grandfather at the centre of this plot. Beyond this however what I really appreciated was how respectfully Maori culture and lifestyle was portrayed in this film, there's a great look at Maori family values as well as discrimination in the justice system against the Maori people. The soundtrack for this film has some great well placed numbers, yet it is the score of this film that invigorates scenes and really graces this film with an incredible accompaniment. The cinematography for this film is really well framed and shows an artistic sense of movement many times throughout, the camera work here is a great reminder of how beautiful New Zealand scenery is.

Akuhata Keefe, who played Simeon Mahana, is definitely finding his feet in this film but ultimately I think he does a great job as the lead for this film; Keefe plays a great instigator and really does a good job in the major scenes of the film. Jim Moriarty, who played Rupeni Poata, gives a really intriguing performance in this film; Moriarty develops a role that you grow to like and respect more and more as the film progresses. Maria Walker, who played Huria Mahana, has a fiercely strong presence in this film; Walker is a powerful actress and really plays a mother figure to Keefe really well. Sienna MacKinlay, who played Gloria Mahana, is a pretty good child actress; her line delivery is fantastic and she keeps up with the mature actors beat for beat. Fraser Brown, who played Mr McKenzie, gives a fairly solid performance as Keefe's teacher in this film; I liked the care that Brown portrayed as well as how well he presented important thematic ideas to the film. Stephen Lovatt, who played Judge Hughes, was a crucial part of my favourite scene of the film; Lovatt's humble role in the courtroom scene was a crucial element.

However the best performance came from Temuera Morrison, who played Grandfather Mahana. I knew Morrison would be playing an incredibly intimidating patriarch in this film but I had no idea that would also extend to such a complex antagonist. In a very similar way to how Moriarty built up a character you respected, Morrison slowly plays up the arrogance and rage of his role to create a thoroughly deplorable character by the end of the film. Morrison has a powerful presence in this film and steals most every scene that he's in.

This film has a pacing that isn't too bad but slows right down in a few places, a few unnecessary scenes and characters could have been dropped to remedy this. The editing for this film is a big reason for why this film is so slow, the cutting takes far too slow a pace to compliment the cinematography.

Nancy Brunning, who played Ramona Mahana, gave a very wooden performance in this film; Brunning's performance was one of the most disappointing as her character was one of the most important to the film's plot and she just didn't rise to the occasion. Regan Taylor, who played Joshua Mahana, had a really weak presence in this film; Taylor also didn't really have much chemistry with any of the other members of his family. Eds Eramiha, who played Pani, didn't really have much impact in this film; his romance with Piripi is one of the more forgettable subplots of the film. Ngahuia Piripi, who played Miriam Mahana, isn't given much of an opportunity to act in this film; I found far too often there were characters speaking for her. Miriama McDowell, who played Aunt Saphora, gave a really annoying performance; her character was very antagonistic but without any motive as to this form of attitude. Yvonne Porter, who played Poppy Poata, was one of those unnecessary characters that I mentioned earlier; I really didn't need to see the potential romance subplot play out between her and Keefe. Te Kohe Tuhaka, who played Caesar Poata, had next to no presence in this film; Tuhaka fell into the background more often than not. Grae Burton, who played Young Collins, displayed some of the worst acting in this film; his line delivery in particular was awful.

Hail, Caesar!

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This is an incredibly bizarre film but despite that it proves to be extremely funny and witty. I would give Hail, Caesar a 7.5/10.

This film is filled with some of the best displays of wit I've seen in a long time, this isn't just comedy for the sake of it but carefully crafted humour placed amongst a host of entertaining roles. While the structure of this narrative has some glaring problems I found that the plot of Mannix finding his place and purpose and dealing with each individual subplot was incredible, I was really engaged with this film even if it baffled me at times and I really thought there was a good understanding of pacing displayed. The score for this film isn't the most memorable but it really serves the film well, The Communist score for the Russian sub appearing was one of the best displays given by the score. The cinematography for this film is incredibly framed, while there aren't many unique shots I was really impressed with how well the shots were set up.

Josh Brolin, who played Eddie Mannix, was the perfect lead protagonist for this film; Brolin's rugged and worn down exec who just made everything work was a really engaging character and performance. George Clooney, who played Baird Whitlock, had a very fun role in this film; I loved watching him slowly get absorbed by the Communists' meeting. Alden Ehrenreich, who played Hobie Doyle, gave an incredibly charismatic performance in this film; Ehrenreich easily delivers one of the most likeable characters of the film. Scarlett Johansson, who played DeeAnna Moran, had such a great and fierce presence in this film; the entire subplot around her character's pregnancy was a lot of fun. Tilda Swinton, who played Thora and Thessaly Thacker, did a really good job at playing these twin contrasting reporters; I loved the haughtiness of her characters and the stiff antagonistic relationship she developed with Brolin. Channing Tatum, who played Burt Gurney, was a fantastic shock antagonist in this film; the relationship he had with his dog and his Communist allegiance was some of the funniest content in the film. Jonah Hill, who played Joseph Silverman, gave a great comedic cameo in this film; his line delivery was superb and lead to a subtle display of humour. Veronica Osorio, who played Carlotta Valdez, had some great chemistry with Ehrenreich in this film; Osorio showed her role slowly fall in love with his character very well. Aramazd Stepanian, Allan Havey, Robert Pike Daniel and Robert Picardo, who played Eastern Orthodox Clergyman, Protestant Clergyman, Catholic Clergyman and Rabbi respectively, delivered one of the funniest scenes of the film; this debate around the casting of Jesus Christ and who's religion was the correct one was tastefully executed and well performed. Geoffrey Cantor, who played Sid Siegelstein, wasn't a major role but delivered a really fun couple of scenes; Cantor's display of excitement over the idea of Johansson adopting her own baby was hilarious. Robert Trebor, who played the Producer of 'Hail, Caesar!', was a performance that was very realistic; Trebor nailed the boisterous and exasperated Hollywood producer role.

However the best performance came from Ralph Fiennes, who played Laurence Laurentz. Fiennes was perfectly cast for this high strung artistic director role, the minute he appears onscreen you are bowled over by the amount of presence he has. The slow loss of patience that Fiennes displays towards Ehrenreich is well built up and I enjoy the dialogue exchange that takes place between the two of them. Ultimately Fiennes can probably boast the best scene of the film and a terrific performance in it to boot.

The narrative structure of this film is all over the show and it often can mean there isn't enough focus upon a particular character, moment, or subplot. A film doesn't have to have a linear structure by any means but the film should ultimately make more sense to the audience than this one did at times. The editing for this film was rather bland and moved quite slowly, I wish the Coen Brothers had gotten a bit more creative in this area.

Frances McDormand, who played C.C. Calhoun, was a rather oddball cameo in this film; beyond a passing gag her appearance isn't very noteworthy. Heather Goldenhersh, who played Natalie, had a lot of screen time in this film but not a lot of presence; her performance was constantly being overshadowed by Brolin's. Alison Pill, who played Mrs Mannix, is a character I wish we had seen more of in this film; Pill lacked chemistry with Brolin in a big way and didn't really suit this character. Max Baker, Fisher Stevens, Patrick Fischler, Tom Musgrave, David Krumholtz, Greg Baldwin, Patrick Carroll, Clancy Brown and John Bluthal, who played Head Communist Writer, Communist Writer 1-7 and Professor Marcuse respectively, were weak antagonists in this film with a disappointing display of line delivery in this film; maybe if a better ensemble had been cast these roles as a collective would have wored better as a comedic aide to this film. Ian Blackman, who played Cuddahy, had very little screen presence in this film; his scenes with brolin were very forgettable and a lot of that was on him. Christopher Lambert, who played Arne Seslum, wasn't a very memorable cameo in this film; Lambert's appearance fell into the background against Tatum and Brolin's respective performances. Michael Gambon, who voiced the Narrator, was a bit annoying and overbearing in this film; the narration itself was rather pointless and only served to drive in the punchlines of a few different jokes.

Ride Along 2

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While not better than the original this film certainly is a worthy sequel that carries the story on extremely well. I would give Ride Along 2 a 6/10.

This film creates a strong comedic scenario, in fact a greater majority of this film (particularly the action sequences) are incredibly well written and some of most well written humour that I've seen since Daddy's Home. The cinematography in this film is some of the best that I've seen in a comedy film, it's not all particularly mind-blowing but this film has a great sense of style to it. The special effects, particularly the explosion effects look really good in this film; however the opening car/foot chase and the CGI alligator also look really good. However it is the soundtrack of this film that really stands out, not only is this fitting for an action film but it is also perfectly timed and chosen to aid and enhance the comedic moments of the film.

Olivia Munn, who played Maya, is a really strong lead that mirrored Cube extremely well; I love that she could steal a scene and demand the most attention in any given scene. Bruce McGill, who played Lt. Brooks, is just as enjoyable in this film as he was in the first film; his gruff play on the generic police captain is immediately one of the most entertaining characters of the film. Sherri Shepherd, who played Cori, is an incredible presence in this film; her comedic and intimidating role overshadows Hart in every scene she shares with him. Carlos Gomez, who played Captain Hernandez, is yet another commanding police figure that I liked in this film; I liked that Gomez's role was charismatic but also showed an incredible display of anger when given cause. Tyrese Gibson, who played Mayfield, is a really good cameo in this film; Gibson's strong and intimidating police detective really works well alongside Ice cube's performance.

However the best performance came from Ice Cube, who played James Payton. Cube is the strongest leading performance of the film who embodies the intimidating and skilled cop extremely well. He has a strong presence onscreen and you enjoy seeing him play a role in the action sequences and interrogations. He's one of the funnier performances almost out of his character's resistance to Hart's role; you enjoy how much he antagonises his annoying sidekick.

The plot of this film is another generic crime story, the type that has come to exist as the backdrop to all the action/comedy films and is by no means memorable. This film really kicks off on a high note but about halfway through the film this energy peters out and the action slows right down, from there on out the film suffers a lot of pacing problems even heading into the final action scene. The editing isn't anywhere near as good as the cinematography, the cuts are very basic and don't aid the pacing problems at all.

Kevin Hart, who played Ben Barber, tries far too hard in this film; his comedic onslaught is too much and someone probably needed to tell him to dial it back. Tika Sumpter, who played Angela Payton, was one of the best parts of the first Ride Along and is completely underused in this film; I wish Sumpter had been given a stronger screen presence in this feature.Benjamin Bratt, who played Antonio Pope, gave a very generic performance of an antagonist in this film; I think Bratt did a good enough job but there is just simply nothing that makes his character stand out. Ken Jeong, who played A.J, is a very crude and annoying character in this film; Jeong is one of the characters who contributes the least to this film and he is given more screen time than he deserves. Michael Rose, who played Gates, was a very generic hitman to Bratt's generic antagonist; it ultimately felt like Rose wasn't even playing a character so much as a man wielding a gun. Arturo del Puerto, who played Alonso, has a really weak presence in this film; he only has scenes in which the film needs someone to help advance the narrative along. Eric Goins, who played Assface, was overused in the first Ride Along and he didn't even need to be in this one; Goins isn't funny and adds nothing beyond a pointless minor character to this film.

The Lady In The Van

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Not even Maggie Smith can make this dry British comedy entertaining. I would give The Lady In The Van a 4/10.

What was really engaging about this film was the backstory of Miss Shepherd, it was made so engaging by unpacking a story about death, musical talent supressed by religious order and the mental tortures experienced by Miss Shepherd as a result of these things.This film had a great score, the classical range displayed in this film really worked well with the story.

Roger Allam, who played Rufus, is exceptionally witty in this film; Allam's role is rather self absorbed but also has some really funny insightful lines in this film. Pandora Colin, who played Fiona Perry, presented a character that worked to what the narrative was saying about middle class everyday people quite well; she was very unobservant but acted kindly towards Miss Shepherd to make herself feel better. Frances de la Tour, who played Mrs Vaughan Williams, was fantastic as the street's resident gossip; de la Tour's very exaggerated and almost mocking tone made her a fun character in this film. Cecilia Noble, who played Miss Briscoe, was one of the funniest characters in the film; the scenes between her and  Jennings resulted in some of the most entertaining exchanges in the film.

However the best performance came from Maggie Smith, who played Miss Shepherd. Smith had some really fun dialogue in this film and presented her character as quite peculiar and full of witticisms. I liked seeing her play the scenes in which her character suffers terror at the memory of the man who died in front of her, you feel afraid and sad for her. Frankly the scenes where Smith plays the more dramatic elements of the film is where her performance really comes to life and where The Lady In The Van will really hook you.

For a film that is so centred upon comedy it isn't very funny, I found myself laughing only a couple of times throughout the entire feature. I also hated how the narrative was told through Alan Bennett arguing with two versions of himself; it resulted in a very narcissistic tone to the film. The ending for this film came very abruptly and seemed over the top and absurd, beyond this the story itself was very predictable and holds no surprises for the average viewer. The cinematography in this film is extremely static, I wish beyond anything that the camera had moved more or been framed better to make a film that was the least bit exciting. The editing was just as bad, the cuts were slow and didn't give the film anything other than a slow dragged out pace.

Jim Broadbent, who played Underwood, is quite an exaggerated and over the top antagonist in this film; I hated that he confessed everything right at the end of the film because it honestly made no sense for his role to make that choice. Clare Hammond, who played Young Margaret Fairchild, should probably have had more of a focus in the flashbacks; these scenes were interesting and I felt like the film was doing itself a disservice by not utilising them more. Alex Jennings, who played Alan Bennett, was an awful protagonist for this film; his unbearable droning voice and dislikeable character rendered the narrative of this film extremely stale. Deborah Findlay, who played Pauline, gave a very artificial performance; her chemistry with Allam wasn't there and her line delivery simply didn't match up to his or Smith's. Dominic Cooper, who played an Actor, absolutely baffles me in terms of his presence in this film; there's really no feasible reason or purpose behind Cooper's cameo. Tom Klenerman, who played Tom Perry, isn't a very noteworthy child actor; his screen presence often leads him to the background. Gwen Taylor, who played Mam, has very little chemistry with Jennings in this film resulting in a mother/son relationship that isn't very convincing; beyond this her dementia performance is extremely weak and one of the worst that I've seen. Claire Foy, who played lois, has very little screen presence in this film; her character is immediately forgettable and her interactions with Smith and Jennings not very impressionable. James Corden, who played Market Trader, is a cameo that is exceptionally fleeting; what makes this cameo bad is that you literally see very part of it in the trailer for this film. David Calder, who played Leo Fairchild, isn't given enough focus in this film; there is potential with this performance and the story behind this character but it is never used to the film's advantage.