Sin City: A Dame to Kill For

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We have waited many years for a sequel/prequel/anything that carried on Sin City and damn did the makers of this film do their best to disappoint us. I would give Sin City: A Dame to Kill For a 6/10.

This film had a wonderful visual style, it felt like a live action comic book which was very visually impressive. The effects and the cinematography were also terrific and really heightened the film's visual style which is in itself very unique. The musical score is the one thing that stood out in this movie as it was this return to a classic film noir score that really drew me to the film.

Mickey Rourke, who played Marv, was quite clearly the fan favourite returning to the franchise and managed to appear in every individual story told; he did a great job in his rather epic return. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who played Johnny, was a new character with incredible acting talent; Gordon-Levitt's story was by far the most interesting of them all. Eva Green, who played Ava, had a very lackluster introduction but really nailed her role after that as she became more villainous; Green became one of the leading antagonists of the entire film. Christopher Lloyd, who played Kroenig, was one of the better cameos within the film and excelled in his scene; he was a hysterical role.

But it was the baddie of the film Senator Roark, played by Powers Boothe, that really was in their element. Boothe had a dark and twisted malice that was perfectly captured in the noir setting. In fact I looked forward to every scene Roark was in. An actor underused last time, this time Boothe was everywhere and pulling out all the stops to present one of the most nightmarish villains of the year.

This sequel/prequel felt flat on it's face the second it tried to be more than the first Sin City. The style was completely off, the effects were ramped up far too much and the editing was rather sloppy in places. The story also completely broke from the old style of Sin City storytelling, gone was the collective stories that interplayed alongside one another. Instead we had to wait an entire hour before the Johnny and Nancy stories were continued. It wasn't like the main Dwight story was very interesting either, in fact it was probably the worst of the two.

Jessica Alba, who played Nancy, didn't really bring much back to Nancy the second time round; well unless you count bad acting as something. Josh Brolin, who played Dwight, was a poor substitute for Clive Owen and seemed a bit like a weaker Marv rip off. Rosario Dawson, who played Gail, did not have an exciting return and was in fact a really disappointing performance to watch. Bruce Willis, who played Hartigan, did a terrible job in his cameo; giving a tired performance that strongly suggested he'd forgotten all about Sin City. Dennis Haysbert, who played Manute, gave a melodramtic performance and didn't really seem to belong in a film noir story. Christopher Meloni, who played Mort, gave a cardboard cut out performance and wasn't really interesting onscreen. Jamie Cheung, who played Miho, failed in her badass role to demonstrate a ruthless demeanour or convincing stunts. Julia Garner, who played Marcie, was the worst actress in the film and really was one of the only flaws about the Johnny story.

Predestination

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Predestination is one of the strangest yet most clever films I have ever seen. I would give Predestination a 7.5/10.

What this film doesn't do is flaunt, it does not brag about it's captivating and clever cinematography and editing; nor does it dwell on the cinematic effects that are so so incredible when we see them onscreen. No, Predestination does not need to brag about these things because Predestination has the script to pull it all off. It's a time travel movie done exactly right and it's themes are groundbreaking I felt, I was just simply impressed. And yet in saying that there was nothing simple about this film, you had to be prepared to be shocked, to experience issues of the transgender, basically this case studied a lot of humanities failings towards women and the flaws in a patriarchal government. This is big, and I think if you ever have free time go out and see this movie because it is probably the best thing out in it's genre.

Ethan Hawke, who played The Bartender, did a great job observing and guiding this movie, he handled the manipulation of events flawlessly. Noah Taylor, who played Mr Robertson, was a great figure, he seemed kind but he had a sinister side to him that can only be linked to that distrust of government power systems.

Yet it was Sarah Snook, who played The Unmarried Mother, that stole the show in this film. She played a hermaphrodite, which was an incredible performance in itself. She also showed several cases of mental illness, maternal feelings and that of a woman forced to become a man. This is an actress who owned the movie through narration, performance and presence. She deserves awards and praise for this movie for a long, long time.

However this movie did have a few contradictions, which isn't too surprising considering that it is a time travel film. In fact the entire premise of the big twist of the film is in itself a puzzle that didn't make a lot of sense. Nor is the ending immensely satisfying, it's a little confused and it leaves a lot of questions. However I will argue that i liked that aspect, and I think if I were to watch this film again my score for it would be even higher a second time round.

Magic in the Moonlight

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I have never met a period film that was so utterly dry, awful, disrespectful and blatantly bad before in my entire life. I would give Magic in the Moonlight a 3/10.

This film had some delightful sets and costumes that really grounded this film within the era it was set. I also loved the musical score; it was adventurous and it too played perfectly to the era of the plot.

Colin Firth, who played Stanley, did a great job portraying a man who was kind of dislikable; in fact a main lead written this badly and unappealingly is very hard to pull off and Firth does a great job with it. Eileen Atkins, who played Aunt Vanessa, was in her element in this film; her quick wit and her immediate sass were some of the best moments of the film. Marcia Gay Harden, who played Mrs Baker, did a great job confronting Firth multiple times; it was her feisty character that kept this film feeling grounded in many scenes.

Yet it was Emma Stone, who played Sophie, that showed herself to be the best actress within the film. Her natural demeanour is what really helps the film thrive, she uses dialogue in a way that makes the rest of the film engaging. She also did a wonderful caricature of a psychic and that was in itself a major pull for this film.

The film itself is overloaded with a plot that has no excitement, no real drama or tension or conflict; it is so deadbeat dull that Woody Allen may need to reflect on his scriptwriting. The humour deadpans as much as it draws a laugh, and the themes are so blatantly said that they are told to the audience; there is no room for the audience to draw it's own conclusions. I also found the romance plot insulting, the fact that Firth and Stone both string their romantic partners along is appalling and then to think Firth would develop a relationship with someone who lied to him didn't make sense. More importantly the fact that Stone or anyone in this film could love or care for Firth's character is hard to believe, he is a jerk and he is constantly written as a jerk till the very final scene. I have never witnessed such a poorly written protagonist in a period piece.

Simon McBurney, who played Howard Burkan, wasn't a great actor; in fact he consistently gave facts or details but rarely engaged with any other character in any convincing way except to depart information. Erica Leerhsen, who played Caroline, talked over people and created the effect of someone who didn't know their lines rather than a realistic setting. Jeremy Shamos, who played George, seemed to lack emotion and had nothing that made him seem like someone with empathy. Hamish Linklater, who played Brice, didn't feel like he attempted to act in a period film, rather he seemed to be in a modern film with the way he talked and acted. Jacki Weaver, who played Grace, used the same consistent voice and tone which made her feel like some kind of background nobody character rather than an important member of the cast.

Before I Go To Sleep

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I'm not usually a Nicole Kidman fan but this one really aced it for me. I would give Before I Go To Sleep a 7.5/10.

This film had a story that moved in such an intriguing fashion that I was hooked each and every minute. In fact the way this film made you question who was telling the truth and who was lying all by using the narrative of Christine's warped psyche was inspired. I also have to commend the brilliant cinematography and editing which gave this film a sense of the horror genre as well as the ver downward spiral of Christine as she learns more and more about her past.

Nicole Kidman, who played Christine Lucas, did a wonderful job as the lead in this film; I feared for her and I shared in her downfalls and her triumphs and that connection to a character alone is praiseworthy. Mark Strong, who played Dr. Nash, did a great job in a role that was essentially a fantastic red herring.

It was Colin Firth, who played Ben Lucas, that did the most outstanding within this film. He displayed so much pain as a man who constantly had to go through the toil of making his wife remember him. However when he was revealed to be the villain I saw a side to Firth I had very really seen before, this savage man that was so full of malice. I have to say Firth was at his finest in this role.

This film had a soundtrack that did not leave much of an impression upon me. Furthermore the romance aspect between Christine and Nash within this film was a little unnecessary and didn't add much to the overall plot. I also found the time frame of the film and the constant addition of extra details to be a bit confusing and the movie was by no means cleanly constructed in how it delivered information to the audience.

The Giver

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I think the number of inappropriate jokes to be made from Jeff Bridges announcing that he was the Giver will prove to be more amusing than the film I just watched. I would give The Giver a 4.5/10.

The Giver had a great story in terms of rediscovering humanity; basically the people are given injections and are taught to be like uncaring robots whereas at the end of the film they are taught to remember the emotions that come with humanity in one of the best scenes of the film. I also really enjoyed the editing of this film, the cutting between imagery of memories that represent a specific emotion as well as the shifting tones of colour were just fantastic. I also liked the effects, namely the flying airships, even if these effects were very minimalist.

Meryl Streep, who played Chief Elder, did a wonderful job as a restrained dictator of sorts; she was foreboding while very good at hiding behind a mask of leadership. Katie Holmes, who played Mother, did a very good job at being this harsh face of oppression within the film; I enjoyed the fact that she was so deep in the system that she allowed her son to be hunted. Taylor Swift, who played Rosemary, had a surprisingly decent cameo and it actually made me quite interested in this neglected subplot about her character. Emma Tremblay, who played Lilly, seriously needs to stay with whatever acting agent is representing her because this kid is in great films and doing a good job in them.

It was The Giver himself, Jeff Bridges, who did the best job in the film. His pain over the hostile memories within him and also at the loss of his own daughter was incredible to watch. I enjoyed how strongly he desired to change the system in place, his love for humanity and Jonas were very well portrayed and it was an outstanding performance from this title character.

However The Giver was a story rife with contradiction, there were some major plot issues that weren't addressed; such as how humanity reached this point or why there was a log cabin at the end of the film. What really bugged me was that it only took one receiver to fix the system and Bridges character had clearly wanted to do this all his life; so surely he could have gone to the boundary and fixed things whenever he liked. I also thought the cinematography wasn't very creative it felt lazy and unimaginative. The music followed the same path as the cinematography, falling flat on the ears and never really doing much to create atmosphere.

Brenton Thwaites, who played Jonas, is officially one of my least favourite actors out there now; he has been the low point in so many movies that he should consider a new career path. Alexander Skarsgard, who played Father, was a big disappointment; he showed a lack of engagement to his role that the other actors did and he seemed to be merely blundering through scenes. Odeya rush, who played Fiona, was so close to doing well in this; she had some major emotional arcs but could never quite reach the level of sincerity with her portrayal. Cameron Monaghan, who played Asher, was the worst actor in this movie and couldn't create an engaging role on a good day.  

Into The Storm

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Into The Storm is a disaster film done right, still loaded with stereotypes, but at least it's a decent movie. I would give Into The Storm a 6.5/10.

This film had some wonderful visual effects; the danger of this storm felt very real and was incredibly convincing. I also found that I really enjoyed how this film was shot, despite my gripes on loose lost footage continuity, the film itself was shot in a great and appealing way. I also liked the fact that the plot wasn't about some hyper storm that no one predicted that would destroy the world; this storm was a large tornado set in an area plagued by tornadoes and the destruction took place in one city which was all relatively realistic.

Richard Armitage, who played Gary, was a strong leading figure in the film and played a good father figure. Sarah Wayne Callies, who played Allison, was one of the smartest characters in the film, and had a great aspect of her character in the sub plot about being separated from her child. Nathan Kress, who played Trey, showed a lot of promise as a young actor in this film; he was comedic but also very helpless which fit into his character very nicely. Jeremy Sumpter, who played Jacob, did a great job of portraying a character out of his depths and his death scene was one of the best in the film. Kyle Davis and Jon Reep, who played Donk and Reevis respectfully, were fantastic comedic relief and didn't undermine the plot of the film but rather heightened it at exactly the right moment.

It was Matt Walsh, who played Pete, that really impressed me. His arrogance and constant drive to achieve his life's work was vehement but felt real. Which made his development to saving everyone at the end of the film that much more noble a sacrifice. This was character development at it's best.

This film was apparently a 'found footage' shot movie and yet there were some blazing continuity errors and it was hard to believe that there was a constant camera presence in every scene which really pulled me out of the film. The movie itself was also still resolutely loaded with stereotype and that really bugged me that the disaster film couldn't escape the boundaries of this after so many years.

Max Deacon, who played Donnie, did a terrible job and felt like an actor from twilight because he was that stiff and wooden in his performance. Alycia Debnam-Carey, who played Kaitlyn, was confined to a stereotypical romance role and never worked to give it more depth than just that. Arlen Escarpeta, who played Daryl, had very little screen presence and I didn't realise when his character actually left the rest of the main cast. Lee Whittaker, who played Lucas, was essentially a tripod as he had no character to him at all; he was basically there so that there was an extra camera to film with.

The Hundred Foot Journey

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A wonderful blend of food, culture and the importance of family; classic cinema formula at it's best. I would give The Hundred Foot Journey an 8/10.

The Hundred Foot Journey is a brilliantly written film, it's pacing is fantastic and the depth of it's themes are great. This blend of two cultures coming together is very powerful and a very necessary message. The love stories aren't overly accentuated which is a good thing. The scenery is splendid and visually impressive, as well as the diversity of food shown within the film. I must also add that the music is incredibly heartening and I loved every single track in that film.

Helen Mirren, who played Madame Mallory, excelled in her very regal role as owner of a Michelin Star restaurant; she had a sense of elegance that could only be displayed by an actress as talented as Mirren. Om Puri, who played Papa, was the soul of this wonderful film; he had me hooked from the very beginning. Charlotte Le Bon, who played Marguerite, was a charming actress who refused to be confined to a love interest and displayed skill as mentor and rival within the film. Amit Shah, who played Mansur, was a talented minor role who brought dramatic tension at the start of the film but also great comedic relief at the very end of the film.

It was Manish Dayal, who played Hassan, that simply stole the show as the lead within this film. This actor spearheaded a film about cooking as both an art and a passion. He also broke cultural boundaries in a fantastic way. I truly loved his acting in this film and he really headlined a fantastic cast.

This film's final act really suffered and started to slow down near the end. I also found that the plot lacked strong tension, nothing ever truly felt like it was in jeopardy.

Farzana DuaElahe, who played Mahira, did not serve a strong role in this film and was given very little screen presence. Dillon Mitra and Aria Pandya, who played Mukthar and Aisha respectfully, were terrible child actors and did not do a great job in this film.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

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This movie needs to crawl back into the sewer it came from and just die. I would give Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles a 4/10.

This movie had some decent effects visuals despite some very select poor design flaws that I will cover later on. I also have to say that the music as well as the use of music for comedy purposes was pretty solid. The film was even a little self referential in some of it's choices of plot or humour and I have great admiration for that.

Will Arnett, who played Vernon Fenwick, landed the comedic sidekick in this film and he did not strive to be more than that; in some ways his complete sense of cashing it in heightened his role in the film. Noel Fisher, who played Michaelangelo, was a strong comedic character who brought a few scenes down with cheap humour but was also a good representation of the original character.

However it was Alan Ritchson, who played Raphael, that really made this movie. It was very clear who Bay's favourite turtle was in this feature. Raph had this killer and rough edge that was just a perfect replication of the character made so famous many years ago. In fact this character had more fight time onscreen than the rest of his turtle brothers and if that doesn't spell out how good he was I don't know what will.

This movie had some minor visual failures, the one that holds in my mind most strongly was that of the design for Splinter; it was done particularly poorly. The story itself was a slap in the face to fans of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Michael bay should be ashamed of the monstrosity he has created. The origins of the turtles is a bit on the nose and the fact it links to the Foot Clan's major plan only meant that the baddie seemed more minor than he did in the show.

Megan Fox, who played April O'Neil, needs to seriously give up on acting; she's just not getting the message at all and neither is her acting coach apparently. William Fichtner, who played Eric Sacks, did a wonderful job of overshadowing the major villain of the franchise while still remaining oblivious to what his character's purpose was each scene, for example the Japanese history lesson was one of the most confusing scenes I've ever had to suffer. Johnny Knoxville, who voiced Leonardo, was one of the least memorable characters of the entire film which is a shame because he was apparently the leader of the team. Jeremy Howard, who played Donatello, was a horrible stereotype and I was appalled at what they had done to my favourite Ninja Turtle. Tony Shalhoub, who voiced Splinter, has ruined Splinter forever and it was painful to see how much a character can be brutalised by Michael Bay. Tohoru Masamune, who played Shredder, is forgettable which is unfortunate when you're playing the major villain. Whoopi Goldberg, who played Bernadette Thompson, was one of the laziest celebrity side roles I've seen in a Bay film. Minae Noji, who played Karai, was one of the stiffest actors in the film and should not have been added or at the least should have had less lines.