We Are Your Friends

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This is without a doubt Zac Efron's greatest performance yet. I would give We Are Your Friends an 8.5/10.

This film has an exceptional story that really shows character development at it's absolute finest; Cole evolves from someone who doesn't do much in his life to a world or partying that has a lot of consequences to it. The final scene in which we see Cole play his track is without a doubt the perfect build to what has been an exceptional plot, truly fantastic pacing. The cinematography is really good because it doesn't stay still; it works closely upon taking in detail. The music for this film was stunning, I think we should have more films with a sound like this. Beyond that the special effects were fantastically used, the animation done in the art gallery scene is one of the most beautiful things I've seen recently in a film.

Zac Efron, who played Cole, crushed it as a leading protagonist; his quiet and humble role went through such extreme changes that Efron just nailed at every turn. Emily Ratajkowski, who played Sophie, was a very straight up role, I liked the honesty of her and how desperate and upset we see her get. Jonny Weston, who played Mason, was a very grounded character; I actually thought he was very amusing even if it was through some awkward humour at times. Jon Bernthal, who played Paige, gave the perfect performance as a real estate shark; his entire tone reeked of something from Wolf of Wall Street and I think he was one of the best performances of the film.

However the best performance came from Wes Bentley, who played James. Bentley can perform drunk/high really well, like the scenes where he was intoxicated were very convincing. Beyond that he played the arrogance of his role well, you could see how disconnected from his own mistakes he was. The moments where he lost control or grew violent were intense; none more so than the brawl in the strip club. Ultimately Bentley's chemistry with Efron and Ratajkowski was exceptional and some of his really nice scenes came out of interactions with these two.

One thing I didn't like about the film was it probably dragged it's protagonist through the dirt a bit more than he needed to; there were some borderline moments where you no longer felt like you could root for Cole and that let the plot down in my eyes. Beyond this the story around the woman who's house was in foreclosure felt really unnecessary and a bit out of place at times.

Shiloh Fernandez, who played Ollie, had absolutely no screen presence; his role often had very little impact upon the group as a whole and he certainly had no connection to anyone in the film. Alex Shaffer, who played Squirrel, wasn't a great performance; his tone fell flat a lot and it reached a point where his death mattered more because of how other reacted than how you felt about the character.

Ricki And The Flash

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Meryl Streep's choice in films has certainly taken a turn for the worst. I would give Ricki And The Flash a 3.5/10.

The music within this film is exceptionally well done; in some ways the technique of music is at the heart of the film and is one of the few things that propels the film forward.

Meryl Streep, who played Ricki brought a lot out of a really dislikeable character; her singing is exceptional and she has some nice chemistry with Gummer. Ben Platt, who played Daniel, was a really fun small role; I liked his groupie vibe and the enthusiasm he brought to the film. Kevin Kline, who played Pete, was terribly awkward and that really made him quite entertaining as a character; Kline presented a character who struggled to relate to others and who bumbled over interactions which was really something I liked about his performance. Audra McDonald, who played Maureen, crushed it in this film; honestly her brutally honest character who was so cool and collected really stood out in terms of performance.

However the best performance came from Rick Springfield, who played Greg. Springfield starts this film with blowing us away with his singing ability as well as his stand out guitar playing. But he's more than his musical role; he shows this when he develops the awkward relationship between himself and Streep to one that is exceptionally intimate and sweet. Springfield is portraying a very grounded role who makes a lot of personal sacrifices that you empathise with.

This film could have been better if the plot had been similar but with some characters who were written nicely; as it stood most good characters were only that way out of good performances not good writing. The pacing for this film was really slow, and I question the need for full musical numbers being shown. One or two full musical numbers would have been fine but more resulted in a film that felt crammed up with clutter. The cinematography was dull, we barely see anything exciting throughout the film. The editing certainly didn't help, cuts were few and far between and only served to make the film drag longer.

Mamie Gummer, who played Julie, was just plain emotionless; she yelled a lot but I don't think her performance was really all that convincing. Sebastian Stan, who played Josh, is a boring role; he has a few lines but has no screen presence and is happy to sit in the background. Nick Westrate, who played Adam, could have been interesting if he had been used; as it was he started a commentary on the perception of homosexual people in the States but that ultimately went nowhere. Hailey Gates, who played Emily, was a character that you just plain hated despite her awful screen presence; she was never much in it but when she was she was thoroughly dislikeable right up until a miraculous character change that happened over the course of seconds and made little sense.

Vacation

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This film is more often cringe-worthy than genuinely funny. I would give Vacation a 3.5/10.

Vacation had some genuinely entertaining scenes that brought the film up in places; these particular scenes felt more like great skits than anything else but they did serve to make the film more enjoyable.

Ed Helms, who played Rusty Griswold, was a great protagonist within this film; he really did a good job of working his character into scenes in a comedic way. Skyler Gisondo, who played James Griswold, really had some fantastic awkward comedy; he put a lot of enthusiasm into his performance which made him entertaining to watch. Steele Stebbins, who played Kevin Griswold, worked reall well as an aggressive character; he embraced the bratty confrontational brother role really well. Regina Hall, who played Nancy Peterson, was absolutely hilarious in her cameo, I loved the commentary on social media that she presented in her role.

However the best performance came from Charlie Day, who played Chad. Day was full of energy the minute he appeared onscreen in his cameo role. His quips really worked well with his parody of someone who works at an attraction. I liked the small arc of his character and how it was very melodramatic. Day's a performance that always manages to stand out comically.

The film's overall story was kind of poor, the characters didn't go through major development and it just reached a rather absurd point as it went along. The pacing was pretty bad to go hand in hand with this, it felt like the story was going through the motions of a skit show rather than a well written plot. The cinematography felt kind of basic, there wasn't anything there to make Vacation stand out. Beyond that the special effects were very artificial looking, the poor modelling work is presented to us from the start with the shot of the plane. The soundtrack for this movie, with the exception of "Kiss From a Rose", seemed mismatched and a poor attempt to somehow make the film funnier.

Christina Applegate, who played Debbie Griswold, was quite a stiff performance in this film; her attitude and manner never really changed. Chris Hemsworth, who played Stone Cransdall, was a let down of a cameo; his repetition of the same jokes combined with his dislikeable character made him a poor point in the film. Leslie Mann, who played Audrey Crandall, just felt like a side piece to Hemsworth in this film; it was actually frustrating to see her so under utilised when she's proven herself to be a fantastic comedic actress in other films. Chevy Chase, who played Clark Griswold, was far too over the top; I wouldn't call his performance acting so much as I would call it going through the motions of slapstick comedy. Catherine Missal, who played Adena, was the unfortunate actress assigned to the very standard romance subplot; it was awkward and there was no chemistry at all between her and Gisondo. Ron Livingston, who played Ethan, was an awful antagonist; I have no idea why it seemed necessary to bring him back at the end but it wasn't a well written decision. Norman Reedus, who played Trucker, was another disappointing cameo; the humour around his role was just awful and I feel like the bar for the jokes could've been set higher. Keegan-Michael Key, who played Jack Peterson, was a cameo that was just terribly underused; his simple dialogue with Helms was more cringe-worthy than anything. Nick Kroll, Tim Heidecker, Kaitlin Olson and Michael Pena, who played Colorado Cop, Utah Cop, Arizona Cop and Nex Mexico Cop respectively, were all awful cameos; the scene they were in wasn't very funny and was yet another scene that fell flat.

Southpaw

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Some great fighting and acting but a story that drags flat in places. I would give Southpaw a 7/10.

The soundtrack and score for this film was very powerful, it absolutely worked with the flow and style of this feature. The cinematography was really interesting as well, the change of focus and unpredictable movements went along with the psyche of the main character. The wrestling choreography was brilliant, these were gritty fights that felt real. The film also delivered emotional climaxes exceptionally well, the most noteworthy being the death of Maureen.

Jake Gyllenhaal, who played Billy Hope, was a fantastic lead, Gyllenhaal really embraced the role creating a whole array of mannerisms or characteristics that really made his performance unique. Rachel McAdams, who played Maureen Hope, was a really lovely performance, she was the heart of the film and seeing her die was exceptionally tragic. 50 Cent, who played Jordan Mains, worked really well as this shifty fight organiser; he made you feel uncomfortable and oozed a very shifty vibe.

However the best performance came from Forest Whitaker, who played Tick Wills. Whitaker was rough in this role, he bore a heavy chip on his shoulder and it really worked with the tone of the film. His banter and chemistry with Gyllenhaal was a real driving force of the second half of the film, it brought the film back to something that the audience connected with. You believed Whitaker was an expert of wrestling from how he was so genuine and fell into the training scenes; especially when it came to the defense scenes. The most powerful moment from Whitaker was when one of the young children who went to his gym was killed and he broke down, it was one of the best scenes of the film.

Unfortunately the film's editing was fairly basic and didn't blend well with the great cinematography; it was a steady progression of cutting with nothing out of the box thrown in. The plot itself had a lot of failings in that the intensity dropped several times. There was a lot of focus upon Billy's grief but it went to such extremes that he no longer was likeable as a character and I still question whether or not he was really redeemed at the end of the film. Suddenly Billy was forced to live a life where he made little money and this was painted as hell for him; yet he was someone who had apparently grown up in this environment so there was a double standard in the writing there. The introduction of Wills was a bit problematic as his connection to Billy before they met in the film was never really explained. Ultimately the film's pacing was all over the place and more often than not you felt like the film had gone on for too long.

Oona Laurence, who played Leila Hope, was a bad child actress; her dialogue delivery and motions felt forced and she had absolutely zero chemistry with Gyllenhaal. Naomie Harris, who played Angela Rivera, was in the film out of plot necessity; she just spewed lines that Gyllenhaal responded to most of the time. Beau Knapp, who played Jon Jon, was this annoying role that was around to fill in a few scenes; he wasn't important and had very little screen presence. Miguel Gomez, who played Miguel 'Magic' Escobar, gave a very wooden performance; he was quite a cut and dry antagonist.

Hitman: Agent 47

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The stunning technical work put into this film doesn't really excuse the awful plot and cast. I would give Hitman: Agent 47 a 3.5/10.

Hitman really flourished with some extremely good visual effects; The explosions and slow motion visuals really made a great style within the film. The cinematography really compliments the action sequences that dominate this film; the shots are ever-changing and blend really well. The fight choreography was a high point of the film; these sequences were appropriately brutal. The score for the film was epic, the sound was very unique and really amped up the film.

Dan Bakkedahl, who played Sanders, was a minor role that really stood out; he acted out being manipulated extremely well in one of the best scenes of the film. Ciaran Hinds, who played Litvenko, gave a very genuine performance; his outbursts of guilt and big scenes with Kretschmann are some of the high points in the film.

However the best performance came from Thomas Kretschmann, who played Le Clerq. The film would have really been advantaged if there had been more scenes with this character. Kretschmann was a very calm and collected villain, he was methodical and calculating. Yet the scene where Kretschmann flourished was when he threatened Hinds and lost his cool. Suddenly he stripped his character back to a very raw performance that was brimming with rage.

This film went on for far too long, which is embarrassing considering the film only went for an hour and a half. The action sequences were stilted and over the top; sometimes they took place just because the film needed another beat.The story itself was filled with plot twist after plot twist to the point that you stopped caring about the ever evolving narrative. The motives of 47's organisation were exceptionally vague and to go beyond that and so shamelessly flaunt a sequel within several scenes was embarrassing to watch.

Angelababy, who played Diana, was this very nothing character; she had next to no screen presence but was talked about as if she were important. Rupert Friend, who played Agent 47, was an awful lead; he was exceptionally quiet and his monotone performance meant that he never really connected with anyone else in the cast. Zachary Quinto, who played John Smith, was a role that made me want to put my head through the screen; the style of his dialogue constantly changed and his deadpan delivery really did not help with this at all. Hannah Ware, who played Katia, looked like she didn't understand what was going on for most of the film; she really didn't fit her role nor did she seem to work well inside the action genre.

Trainwreck

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This film starts off a bit of a trainwreck itself, but quite like the film's protagonist, picks itself up as it progresses. I would give Trainwreck a 6/10.

Trainwreck was an exceptional comedy in that it knew how to create some fantastic comedic chemistry and deliver brilliant one liners. Beyond that the very natural progression around the character of Amy was some well written stuff, the character really evolved before the audience's eyes even if this wasn't performed so well.

Colin Quinn, who played Gordon, was a very gruff likeable character; he really connected with Schumer onscreen and built up a chemistry that made the film quite sad when his role died. John Cena, who played Steven, created an exceptionally emotional role that was one of the comedic high points of the film; his homoerotic based humour was really just perfect. Brie Larson, who played Kim, gave some of the best social commentary in the film and a really grounded performance; her emotional range onscreen really hit home in some of the more touching scenes. Bill Hader, who played Aaron, was very awkward and bumbling but rather sweet and charming; most importantly he felt real and was one of the main reasons the film became so revitalised. Daniel Radcliffe and Marisa Tomei, who played The Dogwalker and The Dog Owner respectively, gave a very entertaining cameo; the melodrama of this cameo was what really made it stand out.

However the best performance of the film came from LeBron James, who played Himself. James related big pointless speeches about moments of his life in perfect deadpan comedy. More than that his natural physical presence combined with a great sense of wit and line delivery made his performance rise above the rest. His chemistry with Hader is really the cornerstone of the film and some of the best scenes stem from it.

The pacing in this film is awful; mostly this stems from the scenes feeling like skit comedy more often not, or emotional scenes are undermined by the incessant one liners. The cinematography within this film is boring, there aren't any interesting shots that will blow you away. The editing doesn't rise to the occasion either, with some basic cutting to go hand in hand with the basic shots. The soundtrack and score for this film is barely noticeable; with the exception of Billy Joel's 'Uptown Girl'.

Amy Schumer, who played Amy, gave a very powerful performance in a couple of scenes but mostly her performance felt deadpan; she was constantly spewing one liners in a way that messed up the flow of the film in a major way. Dave Attell, who played Noam, was just this fould dirty character who had little relevance to the film; if anything his role was representative of everything wrong with Trainwreck. Vanessa Bayer, who played Nikki, was quite a crude character; her chemistry with Schumer just wasn't there and it's kind of questionable why her role was even in the film. Tilda Swinton, who played Dianna, was just loud in this film; she made noise but that does not mean one is funny. Randall Park and Jon Glaser, who played Bryson and Schultz, respectively, were just a slew of one liners; they had very little screen presence and contributed nothing to the film. Ezra Miller, who played Donald, was one of those characters that was poorly written for plot purposes; it opened with a mild awkward performance from Miller which quickly became this strange out of character fetish role. Evan Brinkman and Mike Birbiglia, who played Allister and Tom respectively, were these weird caricature characters that just felt out of place; they gave this exaggerated performances that were kind of cringeworthy to watch.

The Man From U.N.C.L.E

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Forget the superhero genre; 2015 is the year of the epic spy films! I would give The Man From U.N.C.L.E an 8.5/10.

This is classic spy thriller at it's best; with some incredibly funny material, fantastic character chemistry and some high stakes action sequences. The plot moved at a really enjoyable pace; this was aided by the revelations of new plot twists that really kept the film feeling fresh. The cinematography had excellent flow, the shots felt snappy and quick or they were grandiose and spectacular. Finally the soundtrack and score for this film has to be one of the greatest that I've heard this year.

Armie Hammer, who played Illya, gives quite a powerful performance as a very intimidating KGB agent; aside from his immediate chemistry with Cavill and Vikander what really sets Hammer's performance apart is the really dark portrayal of Illya's psychology. Alicia Vikander, who played Gaby, is a lead who has some really good development; what sets her character apart is that she feels very natural but is capabale of dropping the big twists and betrayals that we as an audience begin to expect from Cavill and Hammer. Sylvester Groth, who played Uncle Rudi, was enjoyable as this narcissistic character; his big torture scene is one of the most intense in the film and by far one of my personal favourite scenes. Hugh Grant, who played Waverly, is a rather smug performance that you can't help but like; everything from Grant's mouth is a brilliant quip that is exceptionally delivered.

However the best performance in this film came from Henry Cavill, who played Solo. Cavill suited the role of cocky and arrogant spy from the get go, embracing the persona of Solo from the very first strut in his very first scene. From there on out this just snowballed, with Cavill ramping up the performance as the feature moved onwards. He had some great chemistry with Hammer and Vikander but also with Debicki; he knew how his character would interact with others and brought that forward really well. He was a true joy to watch, and an exceptional spy.

The film's editing suffered in several places; my major disappointment was how shots were cut to show multiple shots at once which was quite disorienting. Beyond that the way in which subtitles were used in this film felt gratuitous, it was quite blocky and basic. Finally the special effects more often than not looked quite fake; particularly in chase sequences.

Elizabeth Debicki, who played Victoria, was a rather hollow antagonist; her motive had very little focus beyond "She's a NAZI!!!!" so I think the film really had quite a disappointing antagonist in her. Luca Calvani, who played Alexander, really contributed nothing to the film; he lacked chemistry with Debicki and as such his relationships in the film became kind of hard to understand.

Fantastic Four

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This film is anything but fantastic. I would give Fantastic Four a 3.5/10.

What this film had going for it was a good first act, the beginning of the origin story could have taken quite a compelling direction.

Jamie Bell, who played Ben Grimm, was quite a subtle soft spoken performance that really worked; he had a lot of chemistry with Teller and embodied the gruff best friend role quite well.

However the best performance came from Michael B. Jordan, who played Johnny Storm. There was a lot of controversy around Jordan's casting due to the character's race being changed; considering the quality of the film that should have been far from a concern. Jordan stepped up to this role in a really strong way, his cocky performance worked excellently for Storm. He had some immediate chemistry with Teller which was a fun relationship to watch onscreen. I think the way he brought Storm to audiences as this rebellious character who showed a very intelligent side was superb.

This film suffered majorly because the story dropped off after maybe half an hour, suddenly we were presented with terrible lines and scenes that were rushed. It felt like this entire film had had far too much cut from it and as such not a whole lot made sense within the film anymore. As a result the pacing of the film was immensely screwed up and the film dragged for quite a while.The action sequences were few and far between, The special effects, while good in places, more often than not looked exceptionally artificial and fake. The cinematography was boring, there were no signs of interesting shots in the film. Finally the score for Fantastic Four was weak, it was just filled with some bland, basic tones.

Miles Teller, who played Reed Richards, was an exceptionally boring protagonist; more often than not it felt like he'd act out of character and abandon past aspects of his performance. Kate Mara, who played Sue Storm, just looked like she didn't want to be there in her scenes; she was incredibly unlikeable and had no chemistry with any of her fellow cast members. Toby Kebbell, who played Victor Von Doom, was an abomination of a character; the film's biggest antagonist was reduced to a whiny lovesick anarchist. Reg E. Cathey, who played Dr. Franklin Storm, just failed to really connect with Mara or Jordan in any way that mattered; his voice droned and he was quite a boring role. Tim Blake Nelson, who played Dr. Allen, was another awful antagonist; he had no presence and felt unimportant throughout the film.

Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation

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This film is something that has really revitalised this franchise in my eyes. I would give Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation an 8.5/10.

This is such a seamless spy/thriller film; one that's just immensely enjoyable. There were a lot of twists within the film and the moments of tension were perfectly timed. One of the best parts of the story of this film was how the bad guy was constantly contrasted to Ethan Hunt; the ending of the film even mirrored this brilliant match off. The action sequences and stunts were some of the best I had seen this year; the best part was that each one was so unique and memorable. The special effects weren't gratuitous but in the scenes they were present I thought they looked really good. The cinematography for this film was exceptional; everything moved to provide a full perspective of the scene and the shots moved quick to cover the action exceptionally too. One of the best things about the Mission Impossible franchise is that the score will always stand out; the music within this feature was brilliant.

Jeremy Renner, who played William Brandt, was used in a significantly different way within this film; I liked how he embraced a more political and lawful element within this film. Simon Pegg, who played Benji Dunn, has fast become one of the characters that is the heart of this franchise; Pegg's natural comedy and energy makes him a stand out role within this film. Rebecca Ferguson, who played Ilsa Faust, had some exceptional chemistry with Cruise in this film; I think what really made her stand out was that she played the duplicitous nature of her character incredibly well. Ving Rhames, who played Luther Stickell, was a role that was sorely missed after Ghost Protocol only gave him one scene; in this film Rhames' great chemistry with Cruise and Renner is front and centre and his comedic talent really brings Luther back in a big way. Simon McBurney, who played Atlee, was very good at playing quite a standard cloak and daggers British Intelligence head; he was very bureaucratic in his performance and certainly was a very shifty character. Alec Baldwin, who played Alan Hunley, had the natural gruff edge that set him against Cruise and Renner really well; I liked the menace behind him and how a by the books character was made quite humourous by Baldwin.

However the best performance of the film came from Tom Cruise, who played Ethan Hunt. Cruise is the Mission Impossible movies; that's just how naturally these films come to him. He plays up the cocky side of his character well, so he banters exceptionally. He also has a great presence within the action scenes, I think it's great that Mission impossible can still pull out all the stops with Cruise in these scenes. Furthermore Cruise really let out a darker side to Hunt in this film, we see Hunt out on his own and fearing failure so constantly that there are a few scenes where Cruise brings him to a breaking point. Cruise works great with his co-stars and has some fantastic chemistry with practically all of the main cast.

Where Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation suffered was it's pacing; the film had some great narrative and exceptional action sequences but the whole thing took far too long to play out. Beyond that the antagonist of the film, the Syndicate, didn't feel like all that big of a threat. In fact beyond chasing Cruise we only see the Syndicate commit one major act of terror that warrants them as any sort of threat to the world as a whole.

Sean Harris, who played Solomon Lane, was a terrible antagonist; he too often strayed into playing up quite a stereotypical villain by using a very stock voice and downplaying his presence in scenes.

The Gallows

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A fairly simple horror that terrifies so incredibly well. I would give The Gallows a 7/10.

This film has a decent amount of scares, yet where the horror element really thrives is the tone that it sets throughout the feature. The pacing all works really well, there's a great introduction to all the characters and the deaths that follow move the plot along exceptionally. A lot has to be said for the sound and music used within the film, there is some seriously haunting stuff used that really amps up the scares a lot.

Pfeifer Brown, who played Pfeifer Ross, was quite a powerful performance; her smarmy arrogant theatre nerd quickly became someone who was very much a convincing horror victim only for it to be fantastically revealed that she's complicit in the haunting.

The best performance of this film came from Ryan Shoos, who played Ryan Shoos. Within this film Shoos was quite a funny component; he brought a very light role at points where it was most needed. This got even better when the students first encountered the spirit within the school as Shoos really broke his character down. It was a complete change in how the character of Ryan was delivered to us and it was very vulnerable.

The 'found footage' style of cinematography is really getting tired; it's become such a common trope of the horror and disaster genre that it's just not worth using as much anymore. The editing is another tired blend of long takes with sudden abrupt cuts; it's just too much of the same and it's not at all original.

Reese Mishler, who played Reese Houser, was a terrible protagonist; he just didn't seem to connect with any of his co-stars on-screen. Cassidy Gifford, who played Cassidy Spilker, was just the generic hot girl that screamed and cried a lot; there wasn't a hell of a lot to her performance.

Mr Holmes

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I've never seen a Sherlock portrayal that just deserved to be on the small screen more than this. I would give Mr Holmes a 6.5/10.

This film has it's charming elements to say the least, the way the narrative is presented is very reminiscent of many Holmes narratives. This is especially clear in the strong second act of the film, namely when Roger suffers from the wasp stings. Beyond this the music for this film is very quaint, it has the gentle tones that go quite well with this more art haus Holmes.

Milo Parker, who played Roger, was a very genuine likeable portrayal; his earnest relationship with McKellen is such a strong part of what makes the film good.

However the best performance of the film came from Ian McKellen, who played Sherlock Holmes. One of the best parts of his performance was how McKellen portrayed his character with Alzheimer's. It takes a great amount of skill to be able to show such a serious disease in such a powerful and respectful way. McKellen manages to master the disease as well as show the frailty of this legend who has now grown quite old. McKellen works perfectly as Holmes; he's brimming with cynicism and wit. But I think it's how he can just launch into the famous Holmes deductions so effortlessly that make him such a phenomenal Holmes.

This film tends to drag on for quite long, heaped down with otherwise boring plot or completely unnecessary subplot. I think one of the best examples of this was the Japan subplot in which we gain very little interesting backstory and are bogged down with a plot twist that never really pays off. The cinematography within this feature is very dull, the shots seem pulled right from a TV film. Beyond this the editing is kind of all over the place; sometimes there are interesting transitions but these are quickly replaced with some very basic cutting immediately after.

Laura Linney, who played Mrs. Munro, is a very stiff performance, her chemistry with Parker is off and she isn't very reconciliable to watch as an audience member. Hiroyuki Sanada, who played Tamiki Umezaki, spearheads one of the most worthless plots of the film; by the end of the film his character is reduced to little more than a whiny child. Hattie Morahan, who played Ann Kelmot, lacks screen presence; her performance doesn't reflect the importance stressed upon her character. Patrick Kennedy, who played Thomas Kelmot, was a character who just didn't connect to those within his plotline; what was really needed was a scene to prove that he had chemistry with Morahan.

Paper Towns

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This is such an incredibly engaging film with a really powerful message. I would give Paper Towns an 8/10.

I think what's really important about this film is what the narrative has to say, we are as an audience are treated to some incredible themes. Throughout the film we follow Quentin's quest to declare his love for Margo, all this only for him to realise the futility of his journey. He doesn't really know Margo, he just loves the idea he has in his head of her. The pacing for this film is perfect; we move along this journey at just the right speed. The editing is very fun, it moves shots or the way things blend in a creative way. The music and soundtrack for this film feels fresh, it's full of energy and works incredibly alongside the rest of the film.

Nat Wolff, who played Quentin, is an incredible protagonist; he portrays the unhealthy determination Quentin has really well but also the exceptionally fun awkward personality that makes his character such a stand out role. Justice Smith, who played Radar, is quite a witty actor; he gives a very basic yet subtle performance that is quite likeable in this film. Halston Sage, who played Lacey, is a brilliant character within this film; we learn that she's more than just her appearance which is a fantastic theme.

However the best performance came from Cara Delevingne, who played Margo. As Margo, Delelvingne presented a character who was exceptionally adventurous and quite fun,. Then as the film progressed she gives a very convincing portrayal of Quentin's fantasy in one dream sequence. But her best comes to fruition when she talks to Quentin and reveals that he can't love her. It's a really grounded moment, and it's presented very naturally in what's actually quite a vulnerable moment.

The cinematography within this film was a plethora of quite basic shots, you start to realise this after the cinematography doesn't step up in the same way that the editing did.

Austin Abrams, who played Ben, was a very annoying main character; he wasn't likeable and he did very little to redeem this fact throughout the film. Jaz Sinclair, who played Angela, had far to little screen presence; she was a character that would have had more value with a few more scenes.

Self/Less

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This is like a very toned down and boring version of Limitless. I would give Self/Less a 6/10.

Within this film the cinematography is really well done; sudden tracks or close ups really show people's perspectives in a very visually powerful way. Furthermore the score of this film is quite retro, it blends well with the film especially in the New Orleans segments. The themes of immortality and what we'd morally be willing to do to survive is quite interesting.

Natalie Martinez, who played Madeline, was really good at playing someone reacting to Reynolds; she's freaked out and quite at the end of wits after learning that her husband isn't who he says he is. Victor Garber, who played Martin, was a very charming yet frantic character; he had some great chemistry with Kingsley but later when he learns the truth about shedding he reacts fantastically. Derek Luke, who played Anton, was quite a fun performance to watch; his cocky attitude was very charming and then the sudden reveal that he was a antagonist was perfect. Jaynee-Lynne Kinchen, who played Anna, was a great child actor; she was quite bubbly and worked really well alongside Reynolds and Martinez.

However the best performance for this film came from Ryan Reynolds, who played Young Damian. Reynolds really is quite a comedic role, he banters with various characters exceptionally. When first we're shown Reynolds as Damian there's a really powerful performance where we see the character get used to a whole new body; this is a very stunning moment that stands out in this film.He has a very strong action presence, his role as an action hero is front and centre once the film's major twist happens. Furthermore he portrays the side effects of withdrawl in a very convincing way; it's kind of harrowing by the end of the film.

The editing for this film really pulls one out of the film, the colouring was dull and the way sequences were cut didn't always go with the great cinematography. The pacing for this film really drags out; it feels far too long by the end of the feature. Beyond this the plot of the film isn't all that engaging or convincing, the character of Damian changes the minute Reynolds steps up to the role. We're no longer convinced that it's the same role.

Matthew Goode, who played Albright, was a terrible antagonist; he was just too generic and exceptionally predictable. Ben Kingsley, who played Damian, was just a bit out of sorts in this film; it wasn't a great role for Kingsley and his choice of accent really didn't suit him. Michelle Dockery, who played Claire, lacked screen presence in a big way; she had no chemistry with either Kingsley or Reynolds.