Spy

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The best way to describe this film is that it contains fifty percent vulgarity and fifty percent decent action/comedy film. I would give Spy a 6.5/10.

Spy thrives in that it has a well paced plot that quite thoughtfully constructs a female lead who we really come to empathise with and enjoy as she develops. The story itself is quite a fun parody of usual spy film tropes, all while creating a strong story about character development. The soundtrack for this film was incredibly good, most noteworthy being the Bond intro parody. The fight choreography and car stunts were exceptionally good, the action moved very quickly.

Rose Byrne, who played Raina Boyanov, really makes quite a mark as a cussing antagonist; her sudden mood swings make her a lot of fun to watch. Melissa McCarthy, who played Susan Cooper, was a brilliant lead; her natural humour and ability to deliver fantastic dialogue really showed consistently throughout the film. Jude Law, who played Bradley Fine, was the perfect stereotypical spy; his egocentric role was delightfully smooth and charming. 50 Cent, who played Himself, had a great cameo; his dig at Kanye West was a perfect scene stealer.

However the best performance of the film came from Jason Statham, who played Rick Ford. Statham used his natural presence for action films to complete parody his usual performances. Essentially he made a character that mocked classic spy heroes by arrogantly claiming he was the best of the best. Statham put a great deal of arrogance into the role yet the comedy was more subtle; showing some of the smartest uses of comedy within the feature.

The cinematography in this film was kind of forgettable; there wasn't any attempt to create memorable shots within the film. The special effects also left a lot to be desired, the scene where she puked in particular was incredibly fake. Spy also suffered from a sense of vulgar humour, sex jokes or curse language mainly. This sense of humour really took away from what could have been a fantastic comedy. Furthermore the very end of the film really took away from the film's message of creating a strong and empowered female protagonist.

Morena Baccarin, who played Karen Walker, was a very insignificant character that lacked screen presence; frankly she was just used as a plot device and that was it. Allison Janney, who played Elaine Crocker, had some of the worst moments of comedy within the film; she also wasn't even remotely convincing as the head of a spy agency. Bobby Cannavale, who played De Luca, was a terrible final act antagonist; his motives and role within the plot were about as non-existent as his screen time. Peter Serafinowicz, who played Aldo, really embodied everything I didn't like about this film; his constant sexual humour just brought this film down and he really got more screen time than he deserved. Miranda Hart, who played Nancy, had a role that was all over the place; the real let down was that while her character was great at times she often undermined herself by coming off as a bad stand up comedian who had worked into a Hollywood role rather than an actor.

Mad Max: Fury Road

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While certainly not the 'groundbreaking' film it's being lauded as by some critics this film is still one of the better films produced this year. I would give Mad Max: Fury Road an 8.5/10.

This film thrives on it's car stunts, props and environments which are all mostly existing and workable parts; Miller goes to great lengths to provide a world that feels real. Furthermore the special effects that can't be created physically still look stunning. The fight choreography is a bit basic but in a way that you can see that these are people without training who are trying to survive. Beyond this the cinematography in the film is beautiful, one of my favourite shots of the film is when Furiosa is on her knees letting out a cry of anguish. Fury Road also boasts one of the best scores of the year, the music is erratic and fast paced essentially fitting right in with the Mad Max world. The plot is also very well paced and has a great structure, analysing this post-apocalyptic environment in a very thoughtful way.

Nicholas Hoult, who played Nux, had one of the greatest arcs of the film; his character went through great periods of evolution and development in a way that took a very great degree of talent on Hoult's part. Hugh Keays-Byrne, who played Immortan Joe, was a terrifying antagonist; the incredible rage and aggression he put into his role as well as countering it with unusual displays of affection and weakness was very powerful to watch.

However the best performance of the film came from Charlize Theron, who played Imperator Furiosa. Theron threw herself into these agressive role that kept to herself in every way except for when it came to the protection of the ladies she was with. In this manner Theron brought a great deal of caring and compassion to her role as well. Furiosa is one of the best female performances in an action film, not just this year. but perhaps in the decades of cinema we've had.

Mad Max:Fury Road paid attention to detail when it came to it's world but then failed to give the same degree of detail to a lot of it's characters, as such you could only be so invested in them as characters. Beyond this the moments of conflict and tension were very repetitive and didn't go to any great lengths to be unique from the structure of the past mad Max films.

Tom hardy, who played Max Rockatansky, was a really poor casting choice for Max; his voice changed several times between scenes and he often looked like he was going through the motions of the character without really understanding the psychology of the role. Zoe Kravitz, who played Toast the Knowing, was used as a damsel indistress at the end of the film and read out their supplies; beyond this she had very little presence in the film. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, who played The Splendid Angharad, was used as the pregnant target; she was killed off quick because she added very little to the story and she would also draw sympathy from the audience. Riley Keough, who played Capable, was diminished to Hoult's romantic interest as the film was winding down. Abbey Lee, who played The Dag, was just terrible in her performance; she felt like she was reading her lines without putting any emotion behind them. Courtney Eaton, who played Cheedo the Fragile, was quite a flippant character to watch and was more annoying than she was engaging to watch.

A Royal Night Out

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Admittedly I went in with some very low expectations for this film and I wound up having a great time. I would give A Royal Night Out a 7/10.

This film was surprisingly well paced and had some moments of great comedy, even at the expense of the royal family more often than not. Furthermore the plot delved into the mindset of soldiers and the state of England post-World War II as well as analysed the detachment between upper class familes (like the royals) and those of the middle and lower classes of the time. It gave some very powerful messages and was quite an interesting exploration of British history. The music for the film was also perfect, styled in a very classic and historically influenced way.

Sarah Gadon, who played Princess Elizabeth, was wonderful as the leading role; her determined presence and constant exploration of the film's themes made her really stand out as bith a character and an actress. Rupert Everett, who played King George, was quite whimsical in his father figure role; he also really embodied the nervous and uncertain personality of the King in a strong way. Emily Watson, who played Queen Elizabeth, was a very shrewd mother figure; her strict personality lead to some great moments of high tension and her voice work on the role was great. Bel Powley, who played Princess Margaret, was the best comedic character within the film; she had a high amount of energy and presence in every scene she was in.

However the best performance in the film came from Jack Reynor, who played Jack. Reynor had a very rugged and begrudging soldier character that he worked really hard to make likeable. Through Reynor we were shown the impact of war and the pain of losing a friend in combat. Beyond this we also got some great commentary on why there was some hostility felt towards the royal family by a few people after the war.

The cinematography and editing for this film was quite uninteresting; it followed a very basic sequence that showed a lack of creative filming and post-production effort.

Jack Laskey and Jack Gordon, who played Captain Pryce and Lieutenant Burridge respectively, really undermined the film as a whole; they were very basic comedic performances that had little other purpose in this film than to be slapstick.

Fast and Furious 7

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Compared to some of the past films this latest instalment is a bit of a let down. I would give Fast and Furious 7 a 7/10.

This film has some fantastic special effects which really show us how far this franchise has some from it's early beginnings. I also think that the car stunts and fight choreography has only gotten better too, it really filled the film with some fast action. The cinematography really went hand in hand with these elements, there were some beautiful shots within this film. The music, both the score and the soundtrack, felt very classic to the franchise and worked well with the film. The tribute to Paul Walker really was the most heartfelt moment of the film and was very moving to watch.

Vin Diesel, who played Dominic Toretto, really leads this franchise with such brilliant direction; he's always one of the strongest presences onscreen. Paul Walker, who played Brian O'Connor, had some brilliant chemistry with Diesel; this was a very strong last performance and he will be missed on and off screen. Jason Statham, who played Deckard Shaw, was a fantastic antagonist; Statham creates a role full of menace but also one who carries themselves right in the role that they play. Michelle Rodriguez, who played Letty, really showed how great an actress she was in this film; the subplot of her memory loss and coping with it was really powerful right up until the ending thought that certainly wasn't on Rodriguez but rather bad writing. Tyrese Gibson, who played Roman, was a really entertaining role; Gibson is always on fire when he's onscreen and he keeps the film feeling fresh. Ludacris, who played Tej, worked well with all the tech vernacular he had in this film; he really stepped his role up and showed where his talents lie. Dwayne Johnson, who played Hobbs, is really one of the most badass characters in the franchise; he has an incredibly strong screen presence.

However the best performance of the film was Kurt Russell, who played Mr. Nobody. Russell was hilarious, frankly he had the best dialogue of the film. This was balanced with some fantastic energy onscreen, he was always the strongest performance in any scene he was in. Furthermore Russell felt like a fresh character and has really helped these films evolve.

This film really suffered from it's weird pacing; the space between the action is very drawn out. Plus the structure is quite odd, every action scene the heroes fight Shaw inexplicably. Beyond that the plot doesn't make a whole lot of sense; if they had never gone after the hacker and her invention in the first place then they would never have the escalated conflict that they did in the final scenes. This film was also bogged down by some terrible subplots that really drew away from how good the film could have been.

Jordana Brewster, who played Mia, really lacked screen presence; I'm tired of watching her sit on the sidelines and do nothing. Lucas Black, who played Sean Boswell, was an unwelcome cameo; his voice and connection to his character was clearly long gone. Nathalie Emmanuel, who played Ramsey, was one of the worst performances of the film; her role was very monotone and this was nothing interesting about her beyond the fact she was just a plot device. Elsa Pataky, who played Elena, lacked screen presence; it almost felt like they were just trying to force her character to have a reason to stay in the franchise. Djimon Hounsou, who played Jakande, was a really disappointing villain; he was born out of a plot that should never have existed and felt little more than a minor villain until he was forced to be made more important than he was.

Pitch Perfect 2

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This film had many absolute hysterics throughout and also had some brilliant dramatic moments. I would give Pitch Perfect 2 a 9/10.

This film was incredibly clever in how it delivered it's comedy; there was constantly a great degree of quirky personalities and hilarious lines. Furthermore the way the dramatic plots played out was also well written, the focus on moving on into getting a job after school as well as finding your place is a huge focus of the film. Pitch Perfect 2 was really well paced and kept you engaged throughout. The cinematography and editing was very sharp; it knew how to blend between fast moving shots during performances and the slower shots for when the action wound down. The musical numbers within this film really make it; the Bellas number, the DSM numbers, Steinfield and Kendrick's duet and Wilson's solo/duet with DeVine were all sensational moments.

Anna Kendrick, who played Beca, really thrived as quite a natural character; her awkward role was interplayed as the glue of the film and it was a very solid performance. Rebel Wilson, who played Fat Amy, has an incredible comedic screen presence; her personality is very quirky and she never stops stealing scenes out from under people. Hailee Steinfield, who played Emily, was a fantastic new addition to the cast; her character was very earnest and meek so watching her role develop was one of the best parts of the film. Brittany Snow, who played Chloe, had a much larger role in the dramatic element of this film; her drive to help the Bellas and her avoidance of graduating was a really strong subplot. Adam DeVine, who played Bumper, had fantastic chemistry with Wilson; his charming role had some brilliant moments of arrogance and comedy. Katey Sagal, who played Katherine, was a pretty great parent figure; the chemistry she had with Steinfield felt very real and the reveal of her with the rest of the old Bella members was very moving. Anna Camp, who played Aubrey, was a nice surprise to see again; she picked her old role right back up and had a couple of great cameos. Ben Platt, who played Benji, was a very charming role; watching the romance subplot between Steinfield and him was one of the more charming moments of the film. Alexis Knapp, who played Stacie, was one of the more subtle entertaining characters; her very open sexual performance was amusing without feeling like the usual American sex jokes. Ester Dean, who played Cynthia Rose, was one of the most talented performers; she really made some great comments about representation and owned the Bella songs. Birgitte Hjort Sorenson and Flula Bjorg, who played Kommissar and Pieter Kramer respectively, were fantastic antagonists; they had the best group performances and some brilliant deadpan comedy. John Michael Higgins and Elizabeth Banks, who played John and Gail respectively, had some very amusing running commentary in this film; they certainly pushed the bar but then this film series is known for it's edgy humour. David Cross, who played Rip-Off Host, was a sensational quirky character; he was very original and quite a hilarious role as an acapella off host.

However the best performance of the film was without a doubt Keegan-Michael Key, who played Beca's Boss. He quite clearly took his role very seriously but went at it with the same energy he would bring to the skit characters he is so famous for. In fact it is the way he portrays his role that makes him so funny; he's erratic and has a short fuse. Furthermore the very pretentious aspect of the character is something Key thrived in showing. He was quick on his feet and he really lifted the scenes that he was in.

I think this film crossed the line with some of it's comedy a bit often; it blurred being funny and insensitive to it's audience a fair degree.

Skylar Astin, who played Jesse, really lacked screen presence in this film; he also seemed to have very little purpose being there. Hana Mae Lee, who played Lilly, was a role that wore a bit thin; her comedy is exactly the same from the first film which really shows a lack of creativity. Chrissie Fit, who played Flo, was a very racist role; it was annoying to watch a character reduced to Mexican stereotypes. Snoop Dogg, who played Himself, was a terrible cameo; his jokes fell completely flat which was a bit embarrassing to watch.

Paper Planes

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This film has a spectacular subplot that is only bogged down by the horrendous stereotypical Australian film making and cast. I would give paper Planes a 4.5/10.

This film's triumph was in it's well written sub plot focussing on the main protagonist's mother being killed in a car accident. This film also had some really nice cinematography; the way the paper plane competitions as well as exploration of new cities was incredible to watch.

Terry Norris, who played Grandpa, was a hysterical character; he was always ready with a comedic high point for the film even if the moments did punch above the film's G rating at times. Julian Dennison, who played Kevin, was another humourous character that stood out; his development from bully to friend was quite touching to see play out as well.

However it was Sam Worthington, who played Jack, that really stood out in this film. Worthington's character moved so rapidly between moods that you could see how deeply his grief for his wife had affected him. Yet the scenes where he engaged with Oxenbould as a father figure felt incredibly genuine and quite a bit of fun. To counter that the hopeless form of despair and the way he just shut down was a display of the depth Worthington brought to his character.

This film dealt out quite a basic and generic narrative, one that was bogged down with Australian and Japanese stereotypes. The pacing for this film was also quite drawn out; the film certainly seemed to drag on. Beyond this the music accompanying this film was a very basic score and a forgettable soundtrack. The special effects were terrible; the paper planes looked completely fake.

Ed Oxenbould, who played Dylan, was a terrible lead; you can see him acting rather than playing a role in almost every scene he's in. Nicholas Bakopoulos-Cooke, who played Jason, was a very stilted actor; he was very monotone and a basic antagonist. Ena Imai, who played Kimi, felt like she was reading her lines; I struggled to deal with her acting in her scenes. Peter Rowsthorn, who played Mr. Hickenlooper, gave the most stereotypical performance I've ever seen; it's easy to play a stereotype and I'd say Rowsthorn gave one of the easiest performances of the film. David Wenham, who played Patrick, looked like he didn't want to be in the film; he also lacked screen presence in a big way.

The Gunman

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Frankly this so-called 'action film' had more men grumbling at each other than any real action. I would give The Gunman a 6/10.

The Gunman had some great stunt work where action scenes were present; the fight choreography moved really well. I also thought that a lot could be said for the cinematography, visually this film always had a really distinct and gritty style. This film also had some really well written dialogue that served to ground the characters.

Sean Penn, who played Terrier, was a good leading man; his smooth and calm air in the action sequences was countered by his fantastic wild outbursts in dialogue exchanges. Javier Bardem, who played Felix, was a chaotic role to watch; this obsessive and envious civilian role showed Bardem's strength as an actor. Idris Elba, who played DuPont, came into the film and brought it right back up; his role was very formal and laid down ultimatums in a very intimidating and calculated way.

However it was Mark Rylance, who played Cox, that really stood out in this film. Rylance took the tactical role of this character very seriously; showing a great deal of intelligence in his performance. However he also made Cox raunchy and a bit sadistic in his humour. Rylance also developed the character well; turning the role into a corporate war-monger that thrived on greed and self-preservation.

This film suffered majorly in how it was paced, the action was far too drawn out and the scenes dragged out. The editing didn't help this much, using basic cuts to jump the action in slow and unappealing ways. Furthermore the plot as a whole was a little weak, it didn't have the suspension of disbelief that the Taken films allowed for but rather seemed to pull Penn out of the fire by happenstance.

Jasmine Trinca, who played Annie, was a character that really bugged me; she was a classic damsel in distress and was caught in a cock fight between two characters that didn't really deserve her loyalty. Ray Winstone, who played Stanley, was a very boring character; I completely forgot about him at one point until the film picked him back up out of necessity.

Boychoir

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This film has quite quickly one me over as one of my favourites of the year. I would give Boychoir an 8/10.

This film has a plot that is really grounded in creating and developing a character who you really come to care about and enjoy. But more than that this plot is exceptionally fantastic in both it's pacing and the way it handles success and elitism. The cinematography really captured the performance of these characters and musical numbers in a very careful and grandiose way. The music itself was exceptional, the vocal range that we're presented with as viewers is a real treat to listen to.

Kevin McHale, who played Wooly, was quite convincing as a teacher figure; the amount of immediate chemistry he had with his fellow actors and his very light and happy attitude in his performance was great. Garrett Wareing, who played Stet, was a fantastic leading actor; he developed his performance in a way that showed a lot of talent and he brought the pain and pent up anger of his character to the surface in a very realistic way. Joe West, who played Devon, was a fantastic antagonist; I really enjoyed his smug arrogance and vicious need to succeed over others. Kathy Bates, who played Headmistress, was a very amusing role; the superiority she brought over Hoffman, Izzard and McHale was brilliant. Eddie Izzard, who played Drake, brought the cynical and arrogant egoist that this film needed; his constant battles with Hoffman as well as his collaboration with West really made the film in places.

However the best performance of the film came from Dustin Hoffman, who played Master Carvelle. Hoffman built a closed off, cynical mentor figure that was hard to like at first. But this was very intentional as we see Hoffman transform the role into a caring and motivated tutor that helps Wareing through this fantastic film. Hoffman makes for some comedic moments, for some intensely dramatic moments. But no matter what each scene he's in is always to a high standard.

One thing that this film struggled with was the editing, the cutting was very basic and didn't move the film in exciting or engaging ways.

Josh Lucas, who played Gerard, was a character that was confusing to watch; his pride for Stet seemed to only stem from guilt and as such the ending where Stet goes to live with him seems rather forced. Debra Winger, who played Ms. Steel, had some very ambiguous motivations for wanting to help Stet; she seemed like a character that served the plot rather than herself. River Alexander, who played Raffi, was an awful child actor; his performance felt very forced.

Testament of Youth

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The rather bland and stale war story that really just feels like a philosophy essay. I would give Testament of Youth a 5.5/10.

This film had some beautiful camera work, the attention to detail and perspective of it's characters was portrayed brilliantly. There was also some incredible exploration upon the effects of war on the youth of Britain within World War One.

Joanna Scanlan, who played Aunt Belle, was a really humourous character; her role in the film was both entertaining and an example of very carefully acted comedy. Emily Watson and Dominic West, Who played Mrs and Mr Brittain respectively, were really great in their stern parental roles; but it was the moments where we see Mrs Brittain losing herself after the impacts of war or seeing Mr Brittain break down after his son leaves for war that really shone through. Alicia Vikander, who played Vera Brittain, was a wonderful lead in this feature; she spearheaded and lead the drama in a really engaging way. Taron Egerton, who played Edward Brittain, was quite a strong performance even if he did play it a bit camp at times; his good humoured portrayal and chemistry with Vikander meant he was fantastic to watch onscreen.

However it was Hayley Atwell, who played Hope, that really stood out in this film. Atwell was in one scene but it was a scene where I was shown a caliber of acting that was on a higher level than the rest of the cast. Atwell had some fantastic energy, stealing the scene and the film. She was funny, but you could see that she had constructed a character who's comedy stemmed as a mask against the horrors of war.

This film as a whole is best described as dry and slow, you get bored quite quickly. The film attempts to create a real state of consciousness with it's plot but fails to do so because of the pacing and the mundane plot. The editing within this film didn't help the pacing much; everything was gradual and took far too long to move. The score also fell flat and wasn't very memorable.

Colin Morgan, who played Victor Richardson, was really quite an awkward character to watch; he lacked substance and presence. Julie Vollono, who played Mrs Ellinger, was a very stiff performance; it felt like she was just going through the motions of her character. Jonathan Bailey, who played George Thurlow, had next to no presence; he was talked about like he was important but was stripped of any meaningful screen time. Kit Harington, who played Roland Leighton, was a confusing character; his motivations and personality were constantly in flux even before the way and I really didn't see much appeal to his performance at all.