Get Hard

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I guess it's time I admit it, Will Ferrell just isn't funny anymore. I would give Get Hard a 4/10.

The best thing about the plot is a few select scenes where the comedy was okay; however most of these scenes were just the ones from the trailers so don't hold your breath. The editing in Get Hard was good, you have some really noteworthy moments because of it like the unveiling of how Ferrell looks before the meeting with Russell. The music for this film was great; it was a really good comedic use of a soundtrack.

Kevin Hart, who played Darnell, had some great moments within the film; in fact Hart operated best when he was acting on his own for long periods of time which showed his talent as an actor. Ariana Neale, who played Makayla, was a fantastic child actor; her moments of comedy really worked well. John Mayer, who played Himself, was a fantastic cameo; his smarmy arrogance was really amusing to watch.

However the best performance of the film was Edwina Findley Dickerson, who played Rita. Dickerson had great chemistry with Hart but wasn't bogged down by unnecessary dialogue or plot; she had a role that was great to watch throughout. She was funny, having some great moments where she outshone Hart and her other cast members. Not only that but she felt grounded as a role, which I think Dickerson worked hard to portray and that really paid off.

This film suffered from a long dragged out script, frankly most of this film is incredibly pointless. Why train for prison school when you could just follow the paper trail? I mean honestly this guy was a major businessman who if he looked hard enough could have solved this in a few seconds flat. The premise of this film is ridiculous and this makes the film hard to watch. Also there is only enough borderline racist, rape and gay jokes that could be made before the film stops being funny and starts being offensive. The cinematography was horribly basic and there was no effort for original style at all.

Will Ferrell, who played James, was disappointing as one of the comedic leads of this film; he proved that making weird noises, basic slapstick comedy and swearing a lot does not in fact make you a half decent comedic actor. Craig T. Nelson, who played Martin, was a weak antagonist; he was monotone and did not feel like a threatening figure at all. Alison Brie, who played Alissa, was just a sex figure; a very generic female antagonist for these kind of films and I was hoping for more. T.I., who played Russell, was quite a weak gangster performance; it was hard to see what the writers thought he would add to the film.

Cinderella

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This is one of the most beautiful and well made films I've had the pleasure of watching this year. I would give Cinderella an 8.5/10.

Cinderella is an incredibly well written film that frankly outshines the classic Disney animated film. Within it we see some brilliant pacing as well as fantastic new scenes that really expand upon character's backstories and personalities. You also have to admire the cinematography and editing within this film, every shot celebrates what is created in this film, in essence a true fairytale world. To compliment this the music is beautiful, a truly inspired score that adds to the magic of the film. The special effects are also great, with some exceptions, and really sets the bar for future fairytale films to come.

Cate Blanchett, who played the Stepmother, was really impressive as the film's antagonist; she brought a lot of depth to a role that originally lacked it. Richard Madden, who played the Prince, really did make a charming character out of his role; his every moment onscreen felt strong and charismatic. Nonso Anozie, who played the Captain, was quite an enjoyable minor role; he was comedic but also a really great counterpart to Madden. Derek Jacobi, who played the King, brought a great father figure image to the film; his chemistry with Madden was great and his death was a true blow to be felt. Ben Chaplin and Hayley Atwell, who played Ella's Father and Mother respectively, were some of the most heartfelt performances of the film; the tragedy around their stories at the start of the film is incredibly strong thanks to their incredible performances.

However in my opinion the best performance of this film was Lily James, who played Cinderella. I'm not normally one to find the lead the best performance but this film thrives on James' performance. She really embodies the heart, the compassion and the kindness of her role; you love this character because she really does feel so good. James also captures the tragedy of Cinderella, we see her grief and her sorrow and we also feel it. Not only is this the best performance of this film but it's some of the best acting I've seen this year.

I really think the CGI animals was a bit poorly done; it made the film suffer in the same way the first Hobbit film did. That is it looked like something made for a film rather than something from a fairytale world. The film was also let down by it's tendency to diverge to concentrate on minor character's and events; it happened far too often and it really took away from the film.

Helena Bonham Carter, who played the Fairy Godmother, became an annoying performance very quickly; I'm sick of seeing the same thing from Carter in her performances this flippant crazy mood swing. Stellan Skarsgard, who played the Grand Duke, was a minor antagonist that really felt like a push to keep the plot moving; his sinister presence really felt like no threat at all. Sophie McShera and Holliday Granger, who played Drisella and Anastasia respectively, are best described as scene stealers for all the wrong reasons; their over the top performance pushed it's way into every scene they were in to the extent that you became tired of watching them.

Shaun the Sheep Movie

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Once again I am shown how an old animation style can remain timeless. I would give Shaun the Sheep Movie an 8/10.

I think the really great thing about this film is the stop motion animation used, the attention to detail and the extent of the film really highlights how much of a task this film would have been to create. All I can say is that that work paid off in full, this was an incredible looking film. This film thrived in it's simplicity when it came down to the plot; the comedy was plentiful and yet at the bare bones of this film was some great moments of really touching dramatic plot. The music used within this film was another highlight, the balance of comedic use of songs with touching moments of soundtrack was really well done.

I don't have much to say in terms of voice cast as most of the film was governed by noises rather than actual dialogue. So while there was a voice cast I won't mention them, thought that isn't because their work added nothing to the film. In fact this consistent style of noise rather than spoken word or dialogue only served to enhance the feature.

This film was let down by it's predictability, you knew how the scenes were going to unfold and you could guess the ending from very early on. Due to this you never really felt like any character's were in peril and so the film really lacked a lot of tension.

Seventh Son

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I feel like we haven't seen a good fantasy film released in a very long time. I would give Seventh Son a 4/10.

Seventh Son is the film that worked hard on it's special effects and so this became the highlight of the film, looking at the dragons, disintegrations and animated suits of armour you see where the film thrived. The editing is also very smooth and sets the scenes in a good light; moving the action along well. The fight choreography was great to watch too, there was a lot of fighting for the sake of it but it all looked sharp.

Kit Harington, who played Mr Bradley, really suited his apprentice role quite well; in fact he probably would have fitted the lead of this film much better than Barnes did. Djimon Hounsou, who played Radu, was easily the best of the witches; he managed to not play into stereotype and instead became an incredible warrior menace that entertained onscreen.

The best performance was absolutely Jeff Bridges, who played Master Gregory. Bridges fits well into a mentor role and always knows how to evolve these types of roles in a way that is satisfying to watch unfold. I struggled with his choice of voice for the role at first but it did add to the effect of grouchy teacher. His comedic wit and his nicely placed banter and one liners made Bridges stand out amongst the rest of the cast.

This was classic B-list plot, a tale fabricated in a way that wasn't grounded and really lacked purpose or empathy. The plot dragged for a long time, you really got tired of seeing these countless scenes filled with exposition. Not to mention how utterly predictable the film was and how moments of tension were completely removed because of this. A lot of scenes introduced plot points for the sake of advancing the story in a convenient way. The score was annoying, in fact the best way to describe it would be to say that it was repetitive and lacked diversity in how it sounded. I also thought the cinematography was incredibly basic, there was no sense of originality or exploration in how shots were constructed.

Ben Barnes, who played Tom Ward, was a terrible lead; his performance lacked a sense of emotion and I'm not convinced that he really formed an understanding of his character or the script. Julianne Moore, who played Mother Malkin, really does underwhelm me when she plays a role in a blockbuster film; she otherwise goes for monotone drone or the incredibly over the top and exaggerated performance we got in this film. Alicia Vikander, who played Alice, wasn't very convincing as Barnes' love interest; in fact she had no chemistry with Barnes and felt incredibly stiff in her performance. Antje Traue, who played Bony Lizzie, lacked chemistry with Vikander and Moore; she also had very little screen presence and was just used as a special effects prop in the end.

Chappie

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A fantastic film that is hampered by it's weak and strange ending. I would give Chappie a 7.5/10.

Chappie had a brilliant original story that was classic Blomkamp to watch, we had themes of poverty, the soul, society and conformity and a great many other important concepts. This was all done through the great medium of this intelligent robot 'Chappie', who we came to see humanity and the world through. The use of CGI and animation around Copley's movements meant that the special effects became some of the highlights of this film and once again showed that Blomkamp's style thrives upon science fiction. The cinematography and editing has some great attention to detail in the way this was filmed and put together; the pace of individual scenes moves effortlessly well thanks to this. The music within this film was also incredible, a powerful score combined with some genuine South African music.

Dev Patel, who played Deon Wilson, was incredible in this film, his drive and resolve in his quest to create what is deemed the impossible is a real strength of the film. Ninja, who played Ninja, really did a great job playing this modern 'gangster' role; he became a symbol for the reality of the world in a really significant way in this film. Yo-Landi Visser, who played Yolandi, was a really charming role onscreen; her nurturing and caring mannerisms made her the heart of the film. Hugh Jackman, who played Vincent Moore, was a fantastic Blomkamp antagonist; he bordered the comedic yet psychopathic line that is so noteworthy of these films.

The best performance of the film was absolutely Sharlto Copley, who played Chappie. We see a really human element in how Chappie moves, as such Copley balances the line between a role that is fictional with a natural movement style. His voice work is really what makes the film, we see this robot evolve in his childhood and conscious awareness due to this work that Copley does. Chappie and therefore Copley is really what makes this film, it's a performance of innocence, comedy, tragedy and incredibly intelligent exploration of what it means to be alive.

This film's plot suffered from some pacing issues, scenes dragged on for too long or events took so long to happen that you started to feel like the film was losing it's sense of purpose. Which brings me to the significant problem with this film, the ending. The end of Chappie was so convoluted and undermined so many of the film's themes and messages that you were left wondering if they had ended on the right note at all. The film by any means should have ended with tragedy and not this weird 'everyone lives but the Latino guy' twist.

Jose Pablo Cantillo, who played Yankie (Amerika), was just a backing character to Ninja and lacked a strong presence in this film. Sigourney Weaver, who played Michelle Bradley, was one of the worst performance sof the film, her monotone drawl was ahdr to listen to and her role in the film felt incredibly minor. Brandon Auret, who played Hippo, was one of the most basic antagonists I've seen and did not need as much screen time as he got.

Insurgent

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A really disappointing sequel through and through. I would give Insurgent a 6/10.

The real highlight of Insurgent was the special effects; in fact the scene in which Tris fights herself was incredibly well made visuals. I also have to say that the cinematography was great, some really good shots both in action, in capturing dialogue or establishing. The score that came with this film was also really impressive; it gave the film a heightened sense of danger.

Jai Courtney, who played Eric, was really the best antagonist of the film; his raw drive as well as his portrayal of someone who'd become psychopathic under a regime was great to watch. Shailene Woodley, who played Tris, did a good job in her leading role again; this time her performance was really focussed around the psychology of her character which was interesting to watch unfold. Theo James, who played Four, really came into his own this film; we see him get pushed to the extremes of his emotional range and I think James did a good job in portraying that. Octavia Spencer, who played Johanna, had a very minor role that stood out in a big way; her passionate voice of reason and conscience was great to watch. Daniel Dae Kim, who played Jack Kang, was another minor role that really stole the show; his Kandor leader was this perfectly calm figure of law and order and a fantastic new addition to the series.

However the best performance within Insurgent was Miles Teller, who played Peter. Teller presented a performance that was a cut above the rest of the cast and that felt a lot more real. His presence was felt in every scene he was in, his natural comedy combining with a very cunning personality. Watching his character evolve from traitor to ally was a really great transition.

This film suffered from it's inability to deliver a great story in the way that the first film did. There wasn't a great sense of understanding the passing time or events that happened between films and many new plot points that were brought up within the film only made the confusion worse. The pacing was awful and this plot really dragged and was bogged down by a lack of action. You really felt suspended between events, like something exciting was about to happen but first this entire film had to happen first.

Kate Winslet, who played Jeanine, continued to remain this uninteresting antagonist; still she lacked backstory or depth in her character which made for a very stock standard performance. Mekhi Phifer, who played Max, was given a bigger role in this film but sadly felt like a back up to every major antagonist in the scenes he was in; he probably should have stuck with his background role. Ansel Elgort, who played Caleb, continues to annoy me as a performer; he seems incapable of playing up any degree of convincing emotion. Zoe Kravitz, who played Christina, was given a much smaller role in this film which I am so thankful for; her acting is wooden and she lacks chemistry with the cast. Ashley Judd, who played Natalie, was a much advertised return performance, but one that failed to impress or provide impact to the plot. Ray Stevenson, who played Marcus, was completely pushed to the side in this film; in fact he just feels like a plain unnecessary character. Naomi Watts, who played Evelyn, was a performance that felt wrong to watch; she looked to young for her part and lacked a strong screen presence. Maggie Q, who played Tori, was wasted in her return performance, her role was completely put on the sidelines.

Home

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Another interesting film from Dreamworks that hasn't really done much to stand out in a big way. I would give Home a 6.5/10.

Home had some great animation; the sort that did stick to the usual Dreamworks modern animation style but still found ways to be original and creative. The plot had some great themes about friendship, family and cultural understanding which I thought was really well presented.

Steve Martin, who voiced Captain Smek, was a brilliant sort of antagonist; his goofball antics mixed with his over the top arrogance made him quite an amusing character.

Jim Parsons, who voiced Oh, was undoubtedly the highlight of the film. He really knew how to make this quite quirky outsider character really stand out. Parsons voice work meant that Oh had the balance between a cute role and a very indepth character. I think the development we see in this character in that they go from cowardly to courageous is great to see.

I think this was a plot that felt really dragged out, it nearly ended so often that by the end of the film you didn't really care anymore. Every part of the plot was quite predictable, even Oh's death scene wasn't all that believeable. The character chemistry and dialogue felt really forced and it certainly was quite a basic animated film. The music was also terrible and felt really disjointed, the only piece I'd say was any good would be 'Towards the Sun'.

Rihanna, who voiced Gratuity 'Tip' Tucci, was just an awful protagonist; she did not sound her age, she never really progressed much as a character and Rihanna sounded like she was reading her lines. Jennifer Lopez, who voiced Lucy, lacked screen presence and was kind of put to the side when her character was finally in it more. Matt Jones, who voiced Kyle, was just annoying to listen to, his entire character felt like a background character given more purpose than was needed.

Run All Night

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This is one of my favourite Liam Neeson films to date. I would give Run All Night an 8/10.

Run All Night is an action film sure, but one that has had it's plot crafted perfectly. There isn't a fight scene for the sake of it, this is a film that has value in each scene that was written. As such the pacing of this film is really good; the progression of the feature moves at the exact rate the action needs to unfold. Also the cinematography and editing within this film are something else, such a smooth and polished looking film that really had a strong visual sense.

Liam Neeson, who played Jimmy Conlon, was able to take quite a restrained step back from his usual strong leading presence; instead he felt more like a guardian angel' his chemistry with Harris and Kinnaman setting his character more as someone who reacts to others rather than act for himself. Joel Kinnaman, who played Mike Conlon, was quite a strong protagonist; you really felt his contempt for the criminal world and yet his moulding to being able to confront it was a really good transition. Vincent D'Onofrio, who played Detective Harding, gave one of the best performances of the film; his rough straight cop was a great balance of anger and righteousness.

The best performance of the film was undoubtedly Ed Harris, who played Shawn Maguire. Harris set himself up with a powerful screen presence from the get go; even showing a broad emotional range. He then went on to show great chemistry with Neeson, a chemistry that really set this film apart. But then when he descended into grief over his son we saw him develop into a truly terrifying antagonist.

The plot suffered from moments of stereotype or playing into genre tropes that meant the film got bogged down with predictability issues; this was probably the greatest let down in terms of writing. I also had a huge problem with the score, the constant fanfar of horns was over done and didn't offer a lot of diversity between scenes.

Boyd Holbrook, who played Danny Maguire, was a very weak antagonist; his motivations were unclear and he had no strength in his performance. Common, who played Andrew Price, brought a lot of menace with no depth; a good presence does not make a good character.

Kidnapping Mr Heineken

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I suppose after a long season of Oscar worthy biopics we had to reach the trashiest biopic/true story film I've seen in a long time. I would give Kidnapping Mr Heineken a 3/10.

I mean at the very least what this film got right was it's three act structure; the structure was very clear and so that made it a simple film to watch unfold in terms of plot.

Sam Worthington, who played Willem Holleeder, was one of the better performances within this film; he really captured this stubborn and unstable man perfectly. Ryan Kwanten, who played Jan 'Cat' Boellard, had some really great development; he went from jumping right into the criminal activity to freaking out in a really controlled manner. David Dencik, who played Ab Doderer, portrayed the fear of his containment perfectly; you could really see the impact of being confined through his performance.

However the performance within this film that was really a cut above the rest was Anthony Hopkins, who played Freddy Heineken. Hopkins was complete in his performance of remaining calm and collected yet paralleled this with his final break down near the end of the film. He had a strong screen presence and outshined everyone no matter which scene he was in.

This film was boring, it dragged and dragged every scene. The story itself was poorly written; the action feeling very tame as well as the crimes. In fact the motivation for the characters to descend to crime was a bit vague as was how they were able to afford the equipment to chain up Heineken. The cinematography and editing left a lot to be desired; the shots moving far to slow and the colouring very grey and dull. The music was also quite tame, a quite basic score that really did not add anything to the film.

Jim Sturgess, who played Cor Van Hout, was an awful lead; his deadpan tone and wooden acting made him a poor choice for the role. Jemima West, who played Sonja Holleeder, had no chemistry with Sturgess and as such her entire role felt quite redundant. Mark van Euwen, who played Frans 'Spikes' Meijer, really put no effort into creating an interesting character; we are told in the end that his character is institutionalised into a mental hospital yet the actor puts no work into setting this up. Thomas Cocquerel, who played Martin 'Brakes' Erkamps, had no screen presence; often enough I forgot he was in the film until he was placed in an important position within scenes.

A Little Chaos

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I'm not a big fan of period dramas but this film was quite a joy to watch. I would give A Little Chaos a 6.5/10.

I think what I need to start off with is that this is a great story, a really engaging piece about a woman with brilliantly original ideas creating a garden for people far above her social status while coping with personal loss. Excellently done. I should also add that the cinematography was great, there were some very powerful shots used to convey setting or theme. So that showed a lot of good decision making by Rickman in his directing.

Stanley Tucci, who played Philippe d'Orleans, didn't have a lot of screen time but really owned his moments onscreen; his aloof but sincere nature was quite whimsical and refreshing to the plot. Alan Rickman, who played King Louis XIV, was jaw droppingly good in this film; his smooth grace meant that he was always a show stealer in every scene he was in. Matthias Schoenaerts, who played Andre Le Notre, gave a brilliant performance of character growth; we saw the range of his performance from somber master through to passionately in love. Steve Waddington, who played Duras, was a really enjoyable character; the scene in which he connects and gets along with Winslet is one of the better scenes in the film.

 However the best performance of the film came from Kate Winslet, who played Sabine De Barra. I'm not usually a big fan of Winslet, especially after Divergent, but she owned as the lead for A Little Chaos. She stepped up as a leader but also we could see that balanced with the uncertainty and doubt of achieving her task. The romance plot between her and Schoenaerts didn't feel forced at all; the pair shared some great onscreen chemistry. I think the best thing about her performance was her portrayal of grief, there was a major backstory of people who had died that were close to Winslet's chaarcter and she showed this grief incredibly.

One thing that made this film feel like a basic amateur film was the editing; the cuts came very quickly and really pulled you out of the film. I also thought they could have had a bit more range in their music, each piece of the score sounded the same and there was nothing impressive about it. The pacing lets the film down a bit, there are moments where scenes dragged longer than they needed to. I also thought the end rushed to tie up several plot points, it took away from some big moments that we had been waiting for.

Helen McCrory, who played Madame Le Notre, was a very tough actress to watch onscreen; she was over the top and her character seemed to just be an antagonist for the sake of necessity.

Focus

A moderately good film about con artistry and love. I would give Focus a 7/10.

This film has a beautiful visual style, the cinematography sweeps across a scene in a way that makes you feel like you're surveying the con just as the conmen are. Not to mention the editing, the way this film is cut to heighten events at the exact right moment and play with the focus used in different shots. I also have to mention how well the main plot about pulling off con jobs is done, the best of which was the football gambling scene and the interrogation scene at the end of the film. This film had perfect pacing with a three act structure that you saw unfold smoothly and casually.

Will Smith, who played Nicky, was a fantastic lead; he weaves himself into so many different roles and personas that we are shown the incredible scope of Smith's acting. Margot Robbie, who played Jess, really matched Smith play by play with his ever changing personality; the evolution of her character was great to see and she obviously put a lot of work into creating a seemingly naive character that had a lot more depth to her. Adrian Martinez, who played Farhad, was a great source of comedy within the film; he also had some great chemistry with Robbie and an incredibly heartwarming scene with her. BD Wong, who played Liyuan, was an amazing character in one of the best scenes in the film; he bordered between dangerous and comedic in the football gambling scene practically making the scene his. Brennan Brown, who played Horst, was really great at playing a smooth operator; his efficiency and capability at fitting into the role of a professional criminal was exceptional.

The performance that really stole the show in this film however was Gerald McRaney, who played Owens. McRaney really came into his own with this gruff hard role; incredibly good at balancing irritation with comedy. His entire role was such a twist to watch unfold, to see him shoot Nicky and then to be revealed that he was Nicky's father was a brilliant moment. From there out we saw another side to him, and he became a really wise mentor figure. A very impressive performance that really stole the show.

While this film had a solid plot for the most part there were some failings; Robbie's character never really developed in a satisfying way, nor did the romance between her and Smith feel incredibly strong as a plot. The music of this film was also erratic, the chosen songs not always working in well with the action onscreen.

Rodrigo Santoro, who played Garriga, was an awful antagonist; he never displayed the capacity to feel dangerous or like a threat but rather more like a rich crybaby. Robert Taylor, who played McEwen, was really obnoxious onscreen; his acting style was annoying and he sounded like he was just saying lines more than he was actually acting.

Unfinished Business

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Some wonderful themes packaged into one of the most subpar comedy films of the year. I would give Unfinished Business a 4/10.

This film held some great themes about never giving up, fat shaming, childhood bullying, distant parenting and the negative effect of the cyber age. I thought the way these themes were explored was masterfully done and quite impressive. I also really enjoyed the music in this film; it was light but added to the comedy of the film.

Tom Wilkinson, who played Timothy McWinters, rose above what could have been the dregs of shameless raunchy comedy to emerge as one of the better actors in the film; his chemistry with Vaughn was phenomenal and he really brought a lot of heart to his role. Dave Franco, who played Mike Pancake, was such an entertaining light performance; his character was aloof and a lot of fun onscreen. Britton Sear, who played Paul Trunkman, did a great job of playing a victim to bullying; his portrayal of Vaughn's som was so incredible because he thrived despite a lot of lack in chemistry between him and other characters. Ella Anderson, who played Bess Trunkman, was a brilliant child actor, who chemistry with Vaughn was great and she was really great in how she showed her desire for attention. James Marsden, who played Jim Spinch, was a really fun minor antagonist; his ruthless yet jovial performance was great to watch.

The best performance of the film was actually Vince Vaughn, who played Dan Trunkman. His leading role was a surprising stand out, he really had to wade through cheap and sleazy humour to show it but he stood above this bad writing to really stand out. Vaughn made the family subplot so interesting, his strong presence in presenting the themes was powerful. I also think his struggle to close the deal was well portrayed; the end where he succeeds to close the deal was brilliant. Overall a well rounded and genuine performance.

The humour in this film was one of the greatest let downs, there was nothing but cheap jokes and toilet humour to the point that you had to wait for the serious dramatic scenes to stay entertained. Obviously for a comedy that's a major flaw and as such really messed with the pacing of the film. The cinematography and editing within the film was far to basic; there was nothing really exciting in how the film was presented. I also think the way it's subject matter of business and the business world wasn't just a boring topic for a comedy film but a poorly depicted one.

Sienna Miller, who played Chuck Portnoy, lacked a strong screen presence; her character was also terribly written because a successful business woman would never act in the way that this character did. June Diane Raphael, who played Susan Turnkman, had no chemistry with Vaughn and had no real role other than to provide exposition. Nick Frost, who played Bill Whilmsley, was a rather weak role; he was bogged down by cheap humour and undermined by other roles and performances.

The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

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A rather dull film that felt more like an epilogue or footnote than a sequel. I would give The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel a 4.5/10.

One good thing to be said about this film was the beautiful music, the strong presence of Indian music blended with elements of Western pieces really stood out. I think the elements of Indian styled dancing stole the show as well in a big way.

Maggie Smith, who played Muriel Donnelly, brought such development to the bitter Muriel; as an audience we see such growth in terms of her compassion and character relationships. Judi Dench, who played Evelyn Greenslade, was quite a bit of fun to watch within the film; her escapades in her new career was an incredibly amusing subplot. Bill Nighy, who played Douglas Ainslie, was a fantastic amusing character in this film; he made his bumbling awkward role a real highlight of the film. Celia Imrie, who played Madge Hardcastle, was an incredibly thrilling performance to watch; yet her arc had such a strong emotional payoff that she played really well. Ronald Pickup, who played Norman Cousins, was probably the best source of comedy throughout the film; his erratic charm was very slapstick. Tina Desai, who played Sunaina, gave a strong performance; she challenged and complimented Patel in a way that brought out the best in them both. Rajesh Tailang, who played Babul, gave a heartwarming performance that really brought up the Madge subplot; a really nice and humble performance. Lillete Dubey, who played Mrs Kapoor, basically excelled in her performance and outshone Gere easily. Penelope Wilton, who played Jean Ainslie, gave an incredible cameo that was so good I almost placed her as best performance of the film; her cynical role really contrasted to and refreshed the film.

This film was really owned by Dev Patel, who played Sonny Kapoor. Patel had incredible chemistry with whoever was onscreen with him, enhancing a lot of scenes. His energy was phenomenal and it was obvious that he really threw himself into the role. His humour, his earnest nature and his charm all came through in a character that really stood out amongst a very strong cast.

However a strong cast does not a good film make. The plot dragged on and on, basically feeling like it went for an hour longer than it actually did. There really was no demand for a film like the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel to be made into a sequel; the first one already felt very standalone. This film felt more like a forced ending in which all the characters found romantic interests; it was a story that grasped desperately at straws. Not to mention how predictable the film was, you knew every decision and outcome at least twenty minutes before it happened and sometimes these miraculous endings were aided by an out of nowhere plot development that showed signs of lazy writing. The cinematography and editing added to this tired sequel by moving slow, taking it's time to cut and lingering far too much. It was very easy to become bored.

Diana Hardcastle, who played Carol Parr, lacked screen presence and developed a character that was challenging to enjoy or empathise with. Shazad Latif, who played Kushal, gave a performance that could best be described as cringeworthy; he was so wooden that you basically began trying to just will him out of the scene from your cinema seat. Tamsin Greig, who played Lavinia Beech, was annoying to watch; her character twist was obvious and her accent change was such a ridiculous scene. Richard Gere, who played Guy Chambers, gave a tired, monotone performance; His charm and allure has certainly faded.

The Interview

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The film that has made me permanently question my morals as I guiltily admit to enjoying it a bit. I would give The Interview a 4.5/10.

The Interview is surprising in that it has dialogue that thrives with great character chemistry and a brilliant sense of pacing. The use of music for comedic purposes is incredibly well done, I have to give a special mention to Katy Perry's 'Firework'. Another high point was the great special effects, the drone, the tiger and Kim Jong Un's death were some beautiful moments of special effects.

Seth Rogen, who played Aaron Rapaport, was quie a cynical and restrained form of comedic performance; he thrived on acting a role rather than acting out the punchline. Lizzy Caplan, who played Agent Lacey, was a strong role; her sassy hardened agent heightened the drama and action elements of the plot. Randall Park, who played President Kim, was exceptional; his constant comedic brilliance was only countered by his great ability to switch to a very serious role and performance.

Yet it was James Franco, who played Dave Skylark, that stood out in this film. He wasn't just funny or a good actor in this; he made it fun. He said every joke he delivered perfectly, he made his performance incredibly engaging. His character chemistry was fantastic, especially with Rogen and Park. Franco's performance probably made the film.

I have to critique the editing and cinematography of this film, the editing moved to quick and the cinematography was jarring and often cut off people in awkward ways. The comedy played too close to being offensive and racist; it was cheap basic humour and didn't really set this comedy apart from other films. The story also strayed into intense moments of gore which really took you out of the feeling of this comedic film and brought the film down.

Diana Bang, who played Sook, was a character that became Rogen's love interest quite out of nowhere; her sudden change undermined her entire character and made her role very redundant.

Jupiter Ascending

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This beautiful film was only laboured by it's soap opera like plot and dialogue. I would give Jupiter Ascending a 6/10.

This is a really hard film to discuss as it is worth celebrating the originality of it in terms of it's story and style; but there is a general dislike of this film for a good reason. The cinematography and editing of the film makes it an incredible spectacular in and of itself; the great balance of fast paced action shots, beautifully balanced dialogue shots and great sweeping effects shots really make this film stand out. I also have to point out how good the special effects of this film are; Jupiter Ascending is a sci-fi epic in terms of the effects it presents immediately having some of the best effects this year (so far).

Mila Kunis who played Jupiter Jones, was a brilliant lead; she had a really humble character that grew into her strong defiant role that spearheaded the cast of this film. Channing Tatum, who played Caine Wise, was a great anti-hero; his rough demeanour coupled with his great presence in action scenes made him a great character. Tuppence Middleton, who played Kalique Abrasax, was probably the only good actor of all the Abrasax siblings; her very presence felt regal and empowered.

Sean Bean, who played Stinger Apini, gave the best performance of the film. He had a gruff demeanour that rivalled and trumped Tatum's but his brilliant sculpting of the character's personality wasn't just his best trait. In fact it was his delivery of lines and dialogue as well as exposition that defined Bean as the best actor of the film. He grew the lore of this universe in a way that was engaging and quite enchanting to listen to. Also the surprising twist of him managing to not die was a huge surprise.

Ultimately this was a poor plot; it displayed a very basic structure that really lacked a lot of tension, forced a romance plot where one wasn't needed and discussed a lot of backstory without making it very necessary or important. To top that off the pacing was all over the place and the dialogue very clunky and forced. The fact that They had Tatum save Kunis the exact same way like five times in the film was also quite a tired piece of the action.

Eddie Redmayne, who played Balem Abrasax, proves to us all that he won that Oscar for one thing, his impeccable ability to talk weirdly; Redmayne is all over the place in this film never really sticking with a consistent tone, voice or presence. Douglas Booth, who played Titus Abrasax, was incredibly over the top in his performance; every scene he was in brought the entire film down.

50 Shades of Grey

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It's essentially a porno with less sex and just that really awkward plot and bad acting, but really you know what you're getting walking into that cinema. I would give 50 Shades of Grey a 3/10.

The one thing I immediately do encourage you to do is rather than see the film just listen to the soundtrack; it essentially makes the film. Also I have to admit the cinematography was great, just some spectacular long and wide shots that captured beautiful sequences such as helicoptor flight through the city or driving at night.

Max Martini, who played Taylor, did a good job in a minor role; he certainly gave the most consistent and realistic performance.

Dakota Johnson, who played Anastasia Steele, gave the best performance of the film. To be fair she still had to slew through a lot of terrible dialogue and she had no chemistry with pretty much anyone onscreen but from what I'm aware of when it comes to production that's honestly no surprise. What I really want to give Johnson credit for is her ability to still manage to show a great emotional range as well as the moments of the film where we saw humour or personality that we can quite clearly identify as belonging to her. She's one of the only people who managed to bring some genuine personality to this cold film.

Well to begin with I need to counter what I said previously about the good cinematography with the film's bad editing; the way it was put together felt slow and everything lingered a lot longer than it should have. What was really frustrating was this long drawn out plot that went absolutely nowhere, It was one of the more maddening films I've seen in my life. Essentially the romance is very forced and is replaced with a relationship that you read as more creepy and abusive than anything that's even remotely romantic or erotic. I'd describe it as more of a stalker film or a predator film than I would a modern romance.

Jamie Dornan, who played Christian Grey, was terrible at connecting with anyone; his entire character was more menacing than romantic and he seemed capable of portraying only one emotion and tone. Eloise Mumford, who played Kate, was a shockingly over the top actress who's rampant interest in her fiend's sex life seemed borderline unhealthy to say the least. Victor Rasuk, who played Jose, was apparently someone who had a strong friendship/relationship with Anastasia already; however this was not played well at all and to top it off he was punished for doing exactly what Christian was doing to Anastasia all film proving to us all that as long as your rich you can be a bad person. Marcia gay Harden, who played Mrs Grey, was a nothing character; her screen presence was minimal and it was unclear why she was even in the film.

The Theory of Everything

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If you can handle the grainy and dull visual style then you're in for an incredibly good film. I would give The Theory of Everything a 7.5/10.

This is a really charming and quaint biopic, it feels very modest and the script doesn't push the boundaries rather it plays quite safe and simple with the source material. What we have in this film is a beautiful love story as well as a harrowing look into the torment of ALS and how it impacted Stephen Hawking's life. The emotional range of the script was incredibly well done and as such it is very clear how easy it is to connect to these character's struggles.

Eddie Redmayne, who played Stephen Hawking, did an incredible job at showing the personality of Hawking and not just the aspects of his pain and torment; a very calculated and subtle performance. Harry Lloyd, who played Brian, was incredibly entertaining in his moments onscreen; he also quickly formed some great chemistry with Redmayne onscreen. David Thewlis, who played Dennis Sciama, gives an exceptionally strong performance in his role of encouraging mentor. Charlie Cox, who played Jonathan Hellyer Jones, was remarkably kindly in his portrayal; his very naive and yet gracious role was wonderful to watch onscreen.

However this film was completely dominated by Felicity Jones, who played Jane Hawking. She gave such incredible range in her performance, from her initial moment of falling in love with Stephen to the intense journey she went through trying to cope with Stephen's illness and in turn assisting him and living with him. We see her stand as a strong and determined family woman, but we also see her break under the pressure and have heavy moments of self doubt. She certainly brought the best performance to this film and was absolutely not overshadowed by Redmayne at all.

The pacing within this film was awful, it dragged a lot, you certainly got easily bored during some scenes. The cinematography was quite simple and mundane, it didn't go to great lengths to bring any creativity to the film. The editing was probably what let the film down the most, not least because of the dull colouring that made the film look like a cheap television film.

Simon McBurney, who played Frank Hawking, gave a very monotone performance; he in no way seemed attached to any characters at all and he certainly had no chemistry onscreen. Maxine Peake, who played Elaine Mason, gave a very over the top performance; She seemed more like a child than supporter.

Kingsman: The Secret Service

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The action comedy epic that has easily laid claim to one of the best films of 2015. I would give Kingsman: The Secret Service an 8.5/10.

Kingsman has one of the best scripts I've seen this year, even surpassing many of the so called Academy Award worthy scripts. The intriguing new spy story comes fully loaded with comedy, megalomania and an incredibly masterful degree of self awareness. The pacing of the film moves perfectly, in fact the story is crafted so well that every moment hits the mark. The cinematography moves quickly, keeping this fast action film intense at all times. That's not to mention the incredible fight choreography that makes the film so memorable, just watch the brilliant church scene and you'll see what I'm saying. The special effects were quite fun, and while a little artificial they certainly added to the film's comic element. Which is what the music of the film aimed to achieve as well; enhancing each scene with a piece of music that parodied classic spy films.

Colin Firth, who played Harry Hart/Galahad, was incredibly powerful in his role as a mentor but also stood out as one of the biggest action heroes of the film. Mark Strong, who played Merlin, was quite a bit of fun as a tech savvy instructor; his subtle humour really made the film. Jack Davenport, who played Lancelot, had a fantastic cameo; he really set the tone of the film from the get go. Taron Egerton, who played Gary "Eggsy" Unwin, was a brilliant lead and has immediately set himself up for an incredible future career. Geoff Bell, who played Dean, gave a great domestic antagonist; his performance was very intense and menacing. Bjorn Floberg, who played the Scandinavian Prime Minister, was one of the most entertaining performances of the film; his remarks about politicians were hysterical.

Yet it was the stand out villain duo of Sofia Boutella and Samuel L. Jackson, who played Gazelle and Valentine respectively, that made this film. Jackson's squeamish megalomaniac with a lisp was a huge hit, he had immediate chemistry with anyone he was with onscreen not least of which was Boutella. Boutell on the other hand made leaps and bounds as being the most graceful and intimidating character of the film. She also has a huge stake as being an incredibly cool amputee character.

There probably should have been some more effort to make it feel like the main character of Eggsy was in danger as you never really felt like he was threatened throughout the film.

Samantha Womack, who played Michelle Unwin, gave a very stereotypical and melodramatic performance. Mark Hamill, who played Professor Arnold, gave a very underwhelming cameo as a leading scientific mind; his stilted moments of fear could have been a lot better. Michael Caine, who played Arthur, had very little screen presence; in fact as far as antagonists go he was quite disappointing. Edward Holcroft, who played Charlie, gave a very monotone performance and quite like Caine was a very unimpressive antagonist. Sophie Cookson, who played Roxy, was quite an underused character and had very little screen presence. Hanna Alstrom, who played Princess Tilde, was reduced to a cheap joke; her character felt different every time we saw her in a scene.

Selma

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To the people who are beginning to say black civil rights films are getting boring you are so damn wrong. I would give Selma an 8.5/10.

The writing for this film was stupendous, an incredible balance of African American history and experience as well as the responsibility of white culture to support civil rights. This film wasn't able to use MLK's original speeches but you could never have known from how masterfully the dialogues and speeches were written. Beyond this the film's musical score as well as the original song 'Glory' go a long way to creating the powerful atmosphere that impacts each scene so strongly; expect this music to carry you to some intense emotions while watching this moving film.

David Oyelowo, who played Martin Luther King Jr, was incredibly powerful in his performance; his speeches were moving and inspirational. Oprah Winfrey, who played Annie Lee Cooper, played a character who looked so tired and downtrodden by the white bureaucratic system that when we saw her intense displays of anger we could see the justification in her actions. Andre Holland, who played Andrew Young, gave a strong minor role performance. Ruben Santiago-Hudson, who played Bayard Rustin, was very witty and humourous, yet he also had some powerful chemistry with Oyelowo. Colman Domingo, who played Ralph Abernathy, gave a great performance in his role, and had a couple of scenes where he really stood out. Common, who played James Bevel, really gave a firm and kind portrayal in his softer spoken role. Wendell Pierce, who played Rev. Hosea Williams, gave an incredibly strong performance, the assault upon the bridge was one of his most memorable scenes. Stephan James, who played John Lewis, was quite petulant in his initial performance but really developed his character to be a powerful supporter by the end of the film. Henry G. Sanders, who played Cager Lee, was one of the most heartbreaking characters to watch; the loss of his son was felt by all who watched this film. Tim Roth, who played Gov. George Wallace, was an incredibly sickening character to watch; the racism he allowed into his politics was disgusting to see unfold. Nigel Thatch, who played Malcolm X, in one brief cameo of the film was nothing short of terrific; he really captured the role.

Yet of all the performances within Selma it was Tom Wilkinson's portrayal of President Lyndon B. Johnson that really stood out in this film. Now ultimately I think it's a bit contradictory for me to pick the white guy as the best actor out of an incredible African American dominated film, however I think what Wilkinson did with President Johnson was worth noting. Johnson started the film as being quite ignorant, not seeing that there was still a lot to be done about civil rights, yet by the very end of the film he is giving a speech to all of America about the damage done to African Americans by denying them basic voting rights. He had fantastic chemistry with Oyelowo and Roth. In fact his scene with Roth where he chose to be a supporter of King rather than a politician like Wallace was one of the best scenes of the film.

The cinematography and editing within Selma wasn't very imaginative or stylised, it was quite basic and blocky which didn't help with it's pacing issues, To expand upon that the story itself was very slow, there was no sense of urgency or action within the film.

Carmen Ejogo, who played Coretta Scott King, was a character without much purpose; she was molded to be a counter character to Oyelowo's Martin Luther and she never really aimed any higher than that in her performance. Giovanni Ribisi, who played Lee White, had no screen presence and was overshadowed by every other actor in the scenes he was in. Lorraine Toussaint, who played Amelia Boynton, was a sharp character; she was hard to like and her chemistry with other characters wasn't really there. Trai Byers, who played James Forman, felt like a side character; he had a wooden performance and little screen presence.