A Review Of The Oscars 2016

This review will announce news surrounding the Oscars so be warned, also the following is very much my opinion versus my normal reviews so be aware of that.

So before I go any further I will be providing a list of categories that I won't be discussing which are: Best Foreign Language Film, Best Documentary - both feature and short subject, Best Live Action and Animated Short Film and Best Visual Effects. This is because I have not seen the films Son Of Saul, Amy, A Girl In The River: The Price Of Forgiveness, Stutterer, Bear Story and Ex Machina.

I will rank the Award's that have been given as:

• Agree
• Neutral
• Disagree

 So without further ado a critique of the 88th Academy Awards...

Best Film Editing: Mad Max: Fury Road (Disagree)

This one is a tough call for me because I love Mad Max: Fury Road and I thought the editing within it was great, it really aided the hectic pace of the film. Frankly Mad Max does beat out most of the nominees in this pool but there is one that I thought was the obvious victor: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens. Now Star Wars really did boast some of the best editing I've seen and really knew how to create a phenomenal flow to the film as well as paying homage to the original Star Wars films with certain transitions. Ultimately Mad Max won this award because it is more of an 'Academy' film than that of Star Wars.

Best Costume Design: Mad Max: Fury Road (Disagree)

Mad Max: Fury Road had a some really unique displays of costuming in this film, the style of the various factions in this film as well as the two main characters of Max and Furiosa look incredible. But it certainly wasn't the strongest feat of costuming out of these nominees. In fact for me there was really one that stood out which was Cinderella. I loved Branagh's depiction of Cinderella and I have read many articles of how much time and effort was put into blue dress that the Fairy Godmother gives Cinderella in the film. It's one item that blows Mad Max out of the water in my opinion.

Best Makeup And Hairstyling: Mad Max: Fury Road (Agree)

I loved the hair and makeup design in Mad Max: Fury Road, it showed great creativity. The particular work upon the War Boys and Immortan Joe really impressed me however there were several characters in the background that looked great and part of this post-apocalyptic film. There hair and makeup added a barbaric extra edge to the end of the world.

Best Cinematography: The Revenant (Neutral)

This is a hard call for me, I love the cinematography in The Revenant it's probably the best quality of that film. The shots are beautiful and even majestic, the camera stays with the action for as long as possible and is something I'd like to see in other films. However I also thought Mad Max: Fury Road had a great visual style and really deserved recognition in this capacity as well. All I can say is that if i were an Anacademy voter this one would have been tough to call for me.

Best Production Design: Mad Max: Fury Road (Agree)

I think this one comes as no surprise to anyone though not to discredit the amazing work that took place in George Miller's post-apocalyptic epic. The vehicles and locations that exist in this film were functioning elements and a return to practical effects and sets. In my opinion this award had no competition as it was destined to be in the hands of Mad Max: Fury Road.

Best Sound Mixing: Mad Max: Fury Road (Disagree)

Sound mixing is a tricky award to understand and award so here's how best I'll describe it: sound mixing is the recording of natural noise onset as well as the balancing of sounds within the film. Mad Max: Fury Road generated a lot of great sound and it was one of the most interesting films to listen to but it didn't deserve this award. The Revenant in my opinion deserved this award a lot more for it's great use of natural sound as well as how well the sound was balanced.

Best Sound Editing: Mad Max: Fury Road (Disagree)

Sound editing is the award for generated sound as well as how the sounds of the film are pieced together. Once again Mad Max: Fury Road offered some incredible sounds in this capacity and really stood out in this category but it didn't deserve to win. The obvious choice in my opinion was Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens. Just imagine how much painstaking effort was put in by the Star Wars team to create such an incredibly masterful film with a diverse range when it came to sound design.

Best Original Song: 'Writing's On The Wall' From Spectre (Agree)

When your competitors are from 50 Shades Of Grey and a whole horde of miscellaneous films that no one watched it's not hard to see why Sam Smith won this. I have to admit I really enjoyed the song itself and I think he really set himself apart as one of the singers who will be remembered for their efforts towards the James Bond franchise. I still am deeply perturbed by the weird hentai looking music video from Spectre.

Best Original Score: The Hateful Eight (Disagree)

Yes I get it you need to give Quentin Tarentino something or he might start crying and give up directing films but honestly The Hateful Eight did not deserve any awards at all. I am baffled how Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens did not win this. John Williams returned to the most memorable franchise to date and created a wonderful score that hearkened back to his original numbers alongside some brilliant new pieces.

Best Animated Feature Film: Inside Out (Disagree)

I loved Inside Out almost as much as the next person but honestly I'm so tired of Disney winning just because they're the Disney film. The real winner of this category in my personal opinion should have been Shaun The Sheep Movie which was a fantastic return to claymation alongside a really fun and family friendly script with a range of humour that would have appealed to all ages.

Best Adapted Screenplay: The Big Short (Agree)

As much as I loved The Martian I have to say The Big Short deserved this award. The critique of American big banks as well as that of the recession itself was a really enlightening journey. This script was funny but it was tragic and while you were entertained there was nothing short of horror felt by the whole audience at the end of the film.

Best Original Screenplay: Spotlight (Agree)

This film is one of my favourites and really displayed an intelligent script. This film is gripping and engaging and really unveils the horrors inflicted upon people by members of the Catholic church. I really enjoyed the witty dialogue but also the emotionally intense scenes this plot managed to confront the audience with. Spotlight will leave you questioning everything.

Best Supporting Actress: Alicia Vikander (Disagree)

I love Vikander as an actress and she is one of the best performers within The Danish girl but she simply wasn't worthy of this award and really The Danish Girl didn't deserve any nominations at all. There were two other performances far better than that of Vikander's. Kate Winslet in Steve Jobs was incredible and a true powerhouse against Michael Fassbender. the other performance and probably the one that should have won was Rachel McAdams in Spotlight; McAdams brought forth an investigative journalist who really connected with the issue of the film and displayed empathy while remaining detached.

Best Supporting Actor: Mark Rylance (Disagree)

Bridge Of Spies wasn't that good no matter how great Tom Hanks and Mark Rylance performed, like The Danish Girl and The Hateful Eight there shouldn't have been any awards for this film. Immediately I have to wonder how Christian Bale didn't win for his socially awkward trust fund manager in The Big Short, or how Tom Hardy's sadistic violent role in The Revenant didn't get an award. The real steal here though? Mark Ruffalo in Spotlight who deserved numerous awards for his hard hitting journalist in Spotlight, there were scenes of that film that will be etched in my brain forever due to Ruffalo.

Best Actress: Brie Larson (Agree)

Larson seemed to me to be the obvious choice for this category, her work in Room was incredible. The range of emotion she showed in this film is enough to make anyone burst into tears. I think the work that brie Larson did to show what it is like to be trapped, to be raped and to never really feel free all while portraying a mother is what has really set the bar for actresses for this coming year.

Best Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio (Disagree)

Yes, yes Leo won an Oscar, good job. The question is did he deserve it? No, not at all. Absolutely for Wolf Of Wall Street or Django Unchained Or Inception or heck even Gatsby! But The Revenant? No not really. Michael Fassbender did better work playing Steve Jobs than DiCaprio did playing Hugh Glass. Ultimately the actor who deserved to win this award was Matt Damon for The Martian. Damon presented a fun charismatic character that was alone for most of the film and made it one of the best experiences I had last year. very similar to DiCaprio except Damon presented more of a character than DiCaprio brought to the party.

Best Director: Alejandro G. Inniratu (Disagree)

This film is a visual masterpiece and shows a great deal of control from it's director to make a truly stand out film, but it just doesn't feel like the right call to me. Adam McKay did better work in The Big Short creating a fast paced comedic telling of the economic recession. Tom McCarthy who directed Spotlight might not have had the most visual film but his direction to his actors and how scenes should play out felt very clear in his film. But it should have been George Miller's award. Mad Max: fury road was an onslaught of pracitcal effects, stunning visuals and performance all masterfully put together by Miller in a film that easily overshadows Innaritu's.

Best Picture: Spotlight (Agree)


As I said earlier Spotlight shed light upon an issue that is so globally enormous that it needed to be told and I don't think it could have been told better. this won't go down as the most visually impressive film of all time but it has one of the strongest plots, ensemble performances and themes that I've seen in a film this year. Spotlight is a film that was against the odds and I'm so glad it made it's mark at the Oscars.   

A Violent Prosecutor

This review may contain spoilers!

Korean cinema really knows how to nail the crime and thriller genres. I would give A Violent Prosecutor a 7.5/10.

What this film presents is a really intriguing takedown of a corrupt politician and his criminal organisation, you care about the protagonists and their relationship as they work together to take out the film's antagonist. The really fun dialogue and characters as well as engaging storyline makes the pacing for this film fairly smooth; it slows down in places but I felt hooked throughout. The cinematography for this film is really good, what I particularly like about Korean cinematography in general is that framing is always so crisp and nice looking. The score for this film was quite unique and something that really worked to the film's favour; I loved how the sound felt like an 80s tv serial blended with modern techno to create an incredible accompaniment to this film.

Gang Don-Won, who played Han Chi-Won, was one of the funniest protagonists of this film; his ability to play a multitude of roles as this con man character really impressed me. Lee Sung-Min, who played Woo Jong-Gil, was an incredible antagonist in this film; I think the way he was quietly threatening and manpulative made his breakdown at the end of the film all the better.

However the best performance came from Hwang Jung-Min, who played Byun Jae-Wook. This is character development at it's absolute best, I'm speechless at this man's performance. He shows the youthful ignorance of his role at the start of the film, a very brash and unrestrained performance. By the end of this film we're shown a whole new character, one who's stern, calculating and above all else genuinely sorry for the person he was in his youth. I liked the journey Hwang Jung-Min took us on and I really praise his performance.

This film had a lot of plot twists as could only be expected, however most of the twists I felt like I had seen play out a thousand times before and in that regard it meant this film never had the wow factor that I hoped for. The editing in this film was slow to cut at times, I think it was simple and didn't show a very creative capacity.

Park Sung-Woong, who played Yang Min-Woo, was never really given much focus in this film which his role so desperately needed; ultimately there was potential in this performance but it never played out onscreen. Joo Jin-Mo, who played Judge Choi, was an antagonist that probably needed more focus in this film; his character barely reared his head and was crammed into this story more out of necessity rather than anything else. Shin So-Yul, who played Kim Ha-Na, was a very two dimensional role; her romance with Gang Don-Won felt very basic and forced in this film. Kim Hong-Fa, who played the Prison Warden, was yet another antagonist with a lack of screen presence in this film; a significant portion of the film was in the prison so it would have been nice to have seen more antagonists there.

Gods Of Egypt

This review may contain spoilers!

It seems the gods have made their decree: a film identical to Clash Of The Titans every two years! I would give Gods Of Egypt a 3/10.

This is beyond a shred of doubt a special effects film, the look of these effects in this film is incredible particularly the gods transforming into their armoured animal counterparts. The cinematography goes hand in hand with these effects, the broad expansive shots really add to the fantastic style of this film. The fight choreography is also pretty good, there's especially some great stuff with the weapon work in this film.

Courtney Eaton, who played Zaya, is one of the most likeable roles in this film; her earnest and optimistic qualities were very endearing. Elodie Yung, who played Hathor, has a really strong presence in this film; I enjoy how she is able to seduce and manipulate her way through the film and I really liked the sacrifice she for Thwaites' character. Gerard Butler, who played Set, was the perfect antagonist for this film; he had an intense ruthless quality that really set him apart from the rest of the cast. Goran D. Kleut, who played Anubis, brought a very intimidating role to the cast; this was just a minor character but he immediately became one of the most intriguing in the film for me. Geoffrey Rush, who played Ra, brought an interesting take upon this benevolent all-father; I think for me the scene between Butler and Rush was one of the best and most emotional moments of the film. Lindsay Farris, who voiced Older Bek, was a really good narrator for this film; he had engaging voicework and I liked him a lot more than his younger counterpart.

However the best performance came from Rufus Sewell, who played Urshu. While Sewell was not the major antagonist of this film he definitely was my favourite antagonist. Sewell can convey a sinister character really well and this quality helps him create an antagonist that the audience will love to hate. I really enjoyed the chemistry between Sewell And Butler, particularly seeing Sewell so nervous and on edge. I also thought the adversity between Sewell and Thwaites and Eaton was great to watch, it was one of the few things that made the mortal lover storyline even remotely interesting.

The plot of this film is horrendous, the storylines are very over the top and illed with the usual blockbuster nonsense. The problem lies in that you don't care about either of the two main characters and their respective quests therefore the film fails to pique your interest for most of the time. It's pacing slows right down because of this and you're left wondering when this film will ever end. I also thought the focus upon Thwaites' role was a poor decision and that they should have focussed the film upon it's title characters: the gods themselves. The score for this film wasn't very unique, frankly I've heard this big fanfare in blockbusters before and I've certainly heard the more 'Egyptian' elements before too.

Brenton Thwaites, who played Bek, is one of the two terrible protagonists in this film, I thought Thwaites character was used far too much and he just felt unnecessary. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, who played Horus, is the second ot the two part terrible protagonist team; Coster-Waldau does his job of making Horus vain and dislikeable too well and the character never really grows on you in the film. Rachael Blake, who played Isis, has no screen presence at all in this film; it's bad enough Brown has barely enough attention paid to him but we see next to no interaction between Blake and Coster-Waldau. Bryan brown, who played Osiris, was probably the worst choice for this role; his portrayal of this god was so pathetically weak and generic that you didn't so much as bate an eyelash when he died. Emma Booth, who played Nephthys, is just yet another of the many unnecessary characters in this film; her supposed relationship with butler comes out of nowhere and doesn't make you care about her anymore than you already do. Chadwick Boseman, who played Thoth, has me really worried for his role in the Marvel universe because I've yet to see him play one good character; Boseman tries way too hard in this film and ultimately doesn't seem suited to the character that he is portraying. Yaya Deng and Abbey Lee, who played Astarte and Anat respectively, were the token minions of this film; they were there more for the effects and costume than they were for their acting ability.

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers Of Benghazi

This review may contain spoilers!

While not the greatest war film that I've ever seen, Michael Bay delivers an action packed glimpse into the onslaught between American and Libyan forces in Benghazi. I would give 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers Of Benghazi a 6.5/10.

This film creates a great atmosphere of foreboding and terror, you feel in danger alongside the main protagonists of this film as events escalate. Ultimately the greatest part of the plot is the combat engagements and character deaths; the engagements are brutal and very raw moments of action in this film while the deaths are incredibly well done and make you feel a strong emotional response for characters you hadn't even cared much about up until that point in time. The special effects in this movie look great, the explosion effects especially are really visually appealing. The score for this movie is dark and really backs the film well, it becomes the pulse of the film and allows you to know when to be scared and when to be on the edge of your seat. The cinematography is probably the best part of this film, what's presented here is a really aesthetic and at times horrific glimpse into war.

John Krasinski, who played Jack Silva, was a pretty good lead for this film; Krasinski has some great chemistry with Badge Dale in this film and some of his best acting comes at the end where we see the losses his role has experienced harden his character. Pablo Schreiber, who played Kris 'Tanto' Paronto, was a great source of comedic relief in this film; the slippery slope for his character of not being able to tell the attackers from the civilians was really interesting. David Constabile, who played Bob, was a character you loved to hate in this film; I enjoyed seeing his rather incompetent character spiral out of control and slowly lose more and more power to Badge Dale. Toby Stephens, who played Glen 'Bub' Doherty, wasn't in this film much but was easily one of the stand out performances; Stephens had the intimidating gravitas of a leading military man and had the most presence in this film.

However the best performance came from James Badge Dale, who played Tyrone 'Rone' Woods. Badge Dale introduces us to this Libyan world where war rages on the streets and in Benghazi has devolved to a black market arms race. I immediately felt that he was one of the funniest characters in this film as well as one of the most charismatic. He had a lot of presence, creating quite a big impact as the leader of these contract soldiers. His chemistry with Krasinski was great and his rivalry with Constabile even better. His death was one of the most emotional of the film as he was set up to be one of the most likeable roles.

The plot of this film was far too long, there were copious unnecessary scenes and it felt like a lot of stuff shouldn't have made it out of the editing room because it affected the film's pacing. The story itself didn't pay a great deal of attention to it's characters until about halfway through the film which i felt was a bit poorly executed. Ultimately this was a good war film but a plot that had more focus and attention to detail would have been better. The editing for this film was very quick and at times jarring, I also thought the transitions with the blue screen was a bit inconsistent.

David Denman, who played Dave 'Boon' Benton, wasn't particularly memorable in this film; his witticisms didn't really land in the scenes he was in. Dominic Fumusa, who played John 'Tig' Tiegen, lacked screen presence in a big way in this film; he didn't seem to have much of a role in this film. Max Martini, who played Mark 'Oz' Geist, was the most forgettable of the soldiers in this film; Martini's character could have been quite interesting if the plot had paid any attention to it's characters. Alexia Barlier, who played Sona Jillani, is a character that I didn't really understand; she served absolutely to no purpose in this film and didn't really need to be in it. Peyman Moaadi, who played Amahl, was this quirky dorky character that felt like cheap unrealistic comedic relief; he was a bit of a throwaway role in this film. Matt Letscher, who played Ambassador Chris Stevens, had next to no screen presence for someone who was so important to the narrative; he was one of the few characters that you didn't care about when they died. Demetrius Grosse, who played DS Dave Ubben, was a role that was crammed into the story and there was clearly an attempt to give him focus; however Grosse's performance lacked presence and so he became easy to forget about. David Giuntoli, who played DS Scott Wickland, gave a really forced performance in this film; while Giuntoli is great at portraying shock his performance as a soldier wasn't very convincing. Freddie Stroma, who played Brit Vayner, was this really wooden performer who had the same problem as Barlier; there wasn't much reason for his role to even be in 13 Hours. Christopher Dingli, who played Sean Smith, was immediately forgettable in this film; his character didn't need as much screen time as he got. Wrenn Schmidt, who played Becky Silva, was at the forefront of one of the most boring subplots of the film; we didn't care about Krasinski's home life and therefore we didn't care about Schmidt.

How To Be Single

This review may contain spoilers!

Whoever wrote this film should maybe re-evaluate their career as a screenwriter. I would give How To Be Single a 1.5/10.

There were some genuinely funny scenes in this film, I think where it really excelled were the great one-liners.

Rebel Wilson, who played Robin, didn't have much in terms of a character but was easily one of the funniest roles of the film; some of her quips were so good that you had to wonder how much was adlib or good line delivery or both. Damon Wayans Jr, who played David, played one of the more genuine roles of the film; I enjoyed his chemistry with Johnson as well as his interactions with his onscreen daughter. Anders Holm, who played Tom, gave quite a fun laidback performance in this film; I liked that he displayed some great chemistry with Johnson and Brie. Jake Lacy, who played Ken, had a rather charming bit of onscreen chemistry with Mann; the scene where he discovers that she's pregnant is one of my favourite scenes of the film. Jason Mantzoukas, who played George, wasn't in this film much but is immediately as fun as he was in Dirty Grandpa; the scene in which he tells Holm to stay away from his fiance is hilarious. Alison Brie, who played Lucy, is one of the funniest actors of this film; her scene where she breaks down in front of a group of children is without a doubt my favourite scene of the film.

However the best performance came from Leslie Mann, who played Meg. Mann is definitely one of the more seasoned comedic actors in this film; she knew exactly how to land her jokes and where to place them. However I think what eclipsed her comedic talent was her incredible portrayal of her character's decision that she wants a baby, it's a great transition and quite a moving scene. Her chemistry and relationship with Lacy is great and really well explored.

The plot of this film is a shambles, I still don't think there was a point to this movie so I'm just going to unpack it a bit. Throughout this film where are told this story isn't 'like all the other stories' but this isn't the case; we're treated to just under two hours of a woman going through several relationship to eventually discover her own self-identity. Sounds familiar right? Beyond Johnson and Mann there is no real attention to characters, Wayans Jr has a sudden breakdown over his dead wife even though we haven't been told about her yet, Wilson is revealed to be rick for no apparent reason and Holm seems to be this fictional mythic guy who sleeps around and has designed his apartment to be a fortress against relationships. Alison Brie is a great performer but i still don't really understand what her role was doing in this film; it seemed like an incredibly unnecessary subplot. Ultimately you get bored of this generic romcom, you aren't attached to these characters and you feel bogged down with unnecessary scenes and subplots. The cinematography is lazy in this film, you feel bombarded by the same static shots over and over again. The editing for this is simple, you're even assaulted by some jarring and sudden cuts at times. The soundtrack for this film is filled with popular music, seemingly for the sake of it because the music serves no purpose to the film itself.

Dakota Johnson, who played Alice, was an awful protagonist for this film; I thought she couldn't do worse than 50 Shades Of Grey but here we are. Nicholas Braun, who played Josh, is about as appealing as a rotten grape in this film; his chemistry with Johnson is almost nonexistent and rather cringeworthy.

Concussion

This review may contain spoilers!

Will Smith just keeps delivering some great films. I would give Concussion a 7.5/10.

This film exposes an incredible story around the discovery of a gridiron football related disease and the immorality of the NFL as an organisation. I found this plot staggeringly good and I really enjoyed the moral debate that took place throughout; what really made this film so engaging was that the lead protagonist was a Nigerian immigrant who wasn't taken seriously so it brought out a lot of fantastic cultural identity themes as well. The editing for this film is what gives this film such artistic quality, most every cut had purpose and the way the film moved through more intense moments is really masterfully done. The score for this film is intense, the dark brooding music really heightens the narrative of Concussion.

Will Smith, who played Dr Bennet Omalu, was a fantastic protagonist in this film; Smith delivers one of his most emotional performances yet in this feature. David Morse, who played Mike Webster, was one of the only characters who showed the deterioation of his character well; it's so haunting to see the pain that Morse displays in this film. Arliss Howard, who played Dr Joseph Maroon, is one of the few antagonists that I enjoyed in this film; Howard's ignorant and almost indifferent character brought out the perfect emotional responses from Smith in their scene.Eddie Marsan, who played Dr Steven DeKosky, is a very intimidating and blunt role; I loved watching his perspective of Smith change from indifference to agreement.

However the best performance came from Albert Brooks, who played Dr Cyril Wecht. Brooks was having the most fun in this film without a doubt, I feel like he easily had the best line delivery. His mentor character to Smith is a really important part of this film and I enjoy how much camaraderie we see between these two characters. Brooks brings a character who'll be defiant and caring, funny and tired and a whole number of conflicting emotions that are presented brilliantly in this film.

The love story between Smith and Mbatha-Raw's roles was really agonising to watch in this film; frankly if this had been cut down or given less film then this film wouldn't have dragged it's heels as much. As it stood however this film was a little slow, it took time to pay attention to details and this did have a negative impact upon the film's pacing. However my biggest gripe about this film is the cinematography which just didn't do this great story justice; the shooting didn't display a clear sense of direction and the framing was awkward more often than not.

Alec Baldwin, who played Dr Julian Bailes, didn't play his role very well in this film; I normally love Baldwin but he just didn't display a character or performance that was very interesting in this film. Gugu Mbatha-Raw, who played Prema Mutiso, brought the quality of this film down in my eyes; the entire romance subplot around her character wasn't vital to the story at all. Mike O'Malley, who played Daniel Sullivan, was an antagonist character to Smith that you just didn't care much about; his rivallry with Smith was never explored and neither was his character. Hill Harper, who played Christopher Jones, was an antagonist with no focus in this film; Harper had weak screen presence and didn't feel like a part of the plot. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, who played Dave Duerson, had no real reason to be in this film; as it stood his character had zero impact to the film and was barely in the story up until his death. Stephen Moyer, who played Dr Ron Hamilton, had no screen presence in this film; he is quickly overshadowed by Smith, Brooks and Marsan. Sara Lindsey, who played Gracie, really should have had more focus as the nurse aiding Smith in this film; as it was she barely got to speak despite having significant screen time in this film. Matthew Willig, who played Justin Strzelczyk, gives the worst performance of the film; his acting when his character 'breaks down' isn't very convincing at all. Bitsie Tulloch, who played Keana Strzelczyk, shows a lot of potential in this film but ultimately isn't given the screen time to act upon this; there should have been more time given to the football players who died after Webster rather than Smith and Mbatha-Raw's romance.

Dad's Army

This review may contain spoilers!

This film reminds us that sometimes you shouldn't make a film adaptation of a great TV show. I would give Dad's Army a 4.5/10.

This film contains several scenes and instances that are quite whimsical, a few genuine moments where the mood of the film really perks up and reminds you of the great comedic potential this film has. The score for this film is quite unique, a great blend of the original music of the series alongside the fantastic strong tones of a modern blockbuster.

Michael Gambon, who played Private Godfrey, is one of the funniest actors in this film; his slow witted soldier lands so many amazing jokes in this film. Toby Jones, who played Captain Mainwaring, is a pretty good protagonist in this film; his comedic blundering creates a great new interpretation on the Mainwaring character.

However the best performance came from Catherine Zeta-Jones, who played Rose Winters. Zeta-Jones creates an amazing antagonist in this film, her elegant line delivery immediately seperates her from the rest of the cast. A big part of her playing an original character is what gives her the leg room to stand out and show up this tired ensemble cast. Her sarcastic jokes and mocking nature overshadows the film's heroes and sets Zeta-Jones apart as the best performance in the film.

This film is trainwreck in slow motion from start to finish, attempting almost a little too hard to replicate the magic of the original TV show. The humour in this film is otherwise poorly delivered or few and far between; more than that whenever the film attempts to reference the original series it almost completely fails to enhance the film. Dad's Army has a predictable plot with completely dislikeable characters, this is without a doubt one of the slowest comedies that I've ever seen. The cinematography is bland and rather simple, I don't think there are many shots in this film that even indicate a hint of consistent visual style. The special effects in this film are cringeworthy at best, just look at the CGI pigeon or aircraft to see what I'm talking about.

Bill Nighy, who played Sergeant Wilson, doesn't seem to be committing all that much to this film; he certainly doesn't portray the role of Wilson very well at all. Sarah Lancashire, who played Mrs Pike, has absolutely no chemistry with Nighy in this film; I was annoyed by the love triangle/affair plot between her, Nighy and Zeta-Jones. Tom Courtenay, who played Lance Corporal Jones, is another actor who couldn't quite bring to life his role; mind you Courtenay's role wasn't given focus until far too late into the film so that might play a part in it. Mark Gatiss, who played Colonel Theakes, didn't have much screen presence in this film; Gatiss didn't add much to the film and he certainly wasn't funny. Blake Harrison, who played Private Pike, gave what can only be described as a cringeworthy performance; his constant referencing to classic films grew very tired very quick. Daniel Mays, who played Private Walker, didn't really show much connection to the character he was playing; I can only be thankful he barely had any screen time. Bill Paterson, who played Private Frazer, wasn't given much focus in this film; Paterson had comedic talent but this film didn't give him the attention he deserved to show it. Holli Dempsey, who played Vera, was only in this film to give Harrison's role validation; I thought it was a cheap romance sub-plot at best. Felicity Montagu, who played Mrs Mainwaring, gave a very wooden performance in this film; there was a chance for this character to have been much more engaging if she had been better cast. Martin Savage, who played Warden Hodges, was a great antagonist from the show that just didn't translate well to film; I was disappointed immensely by Savage's role and performance.

Deadpool

This review may contain spoilers!

This film promised so much and delivered all of it. I would give Deadpool an 8.5/10.

Deadpool is the funniest superhero film of all time; period. I mean this plot has such great structure, with a detailed origin story, a great opening and an epic final fight. Deadpool delivers a whole new type of superhero film the likes of which is incredibly refreshing to watch. The fight choreography in this film is some of the best that I've seen in an action film in a while, the action feels as bloody and brutal as the film makes it look. The special effects in this film are incredible; there are a lot of commendable effects but I really liked the look of Colossus in this film the most. The cinematography is absolutely inspired, just watch the overpass sequence and you'll know what I'm talking about. The score for this film is good but what's even better than that is the great soundtrack, I especially enjoyed how 'Careless Whisper' by WHAM was used.

Karan Soni, who played Dopinder, was a really fun side character in this film; the exchange between him and Deadpool about love is some of my favourite stuff in this film. Ed Skrein, who played Ajax, was a great antagonist in this film; he was incredibly easy to dislike and really had some good rivalry going on with Reynolds. Stefan Kapicic, who voiced Colossus, made me really happy that we finally have a Russian Colossus; I enjoyed that Kapicic immediately captured Colossus's boundless and naive optimism. Brianna Hildebrand, who played Negasonic Teenage Warhead, was a really exciting new X-Men character to watch; I loved the sassy banter exchanged between her and Reynolds and thought that her line delivery was brilliant. T.J. Miller, who played Weasel, was one of the funniest roles in the film; his chemistry with Reynolds was incredible and you enjoyed the friendship these characters shared. Morena Baccarin, who played Vanessa, was the perfect choice for leading actress in this film; it's a hard pick to say who was more entertaining between her and Reynolds. Jed Rees, who played the Recruiter, delivered a very shady character; I thought his pitch (while a little genric) was very impactful and well delivered. Leslie Uggams, who played Blind Al, gave a great gruff and belligerent performance; the back and forth between her and Reynolds was a lot of fun.

However the best performance came from Ryan Reynolds, who played Deadpool. Reynolds has been waiting for this role for so long and it's very clear that he was committed 110% to this performance. Honestly he has you in hysterics pretty much every scene that he's in, he doesn't carry Deadpool but he sets the tone throughout. However this film isn't just a comedy and there are a few scenes where you see the pain Deadpool is going through after his violent transformation; the scene where he goes to visit Vanessa after escaping is one of my favourite scenes of the film because reynolds portrays his role's pain so well.

One problem with most superhero films starting out is that the origin story isn't as interesting as it used to be, and while Deadpool had a great backstory there were points where it dragged and slowed the film down for a bit too long.

Hugh Scott, who played David Cunningham, didn't really have much screen presence in this film; Scott's role had a lot of potential to explore another prisoner in this film but he was very swiftly discarded by the plot. Gina Carano, who played Angel Dust, gives a very wooden performance in this film; frankly she's just a glorified henchwoman with a minimum number of lines.

Zoolander 2

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I think the careers of Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson and Penelope Cruz are in their death throes after this. I would give Zoolander 2 a 2/10.

What I do have to say for this sequel is that there were some nice special effects, the scene in which Zoolander wrecks his car is especially good. The score for this film really shows the tone shift of the sequel to a sort of spy film quite well, the soundtrack on the other hand has some fun throwbacks to the original Zoolander which was nice to hear.

Benedict Cumberbatch, who played All, was the centre of a great joke about the modern fashion industry as well as perception of gender in this film; it was a fun scene and Cumberbatch was clearly having fun. Penelope Cruz, who played Valentina, was great as the law enforcement agent in this film; she was very forceful and had quite a commanding presence. Will Ferrell, who played Mugatu, was such a joy to see reprising this role; I love seeing Ferrell's megalomaniac rants in this film. Ben Stiller, who played Derek Zoolander, did a good job as the title protagonist; Stiller's quite comfortable in this role and has the basic style of Zoolander down. Owen Wilson, who played Hansel, finally has his moment in the spotlight in this film; there are several instances in this film where you feel like Wilson carries the action and has the most engaging subplots. Justin Bieber, who played himself, presented one of the greatest intros to a comedy film that I've seen in a while; as much as I enjoyed seeing him die I have to commend Bieber for having one of the best onscreen cameos in this film. Kiefer Sutherland, who played himself, had so much chemistry with Wilson in this film; I really enjoyed the rather bizarre love story between those two characters. John Malkovich, who played Skip Taylor, had a great cameo and fashion rant in this film; I felt Malkovich's cameo went back to the core humour this film was grounded on. Neil deGrasse Tyson, who played himself, had one of my personal favourite cameos of the film; his Magnum was by far the most standout of all the cast. M.C. Hammer, who played himself, was another great cameo in this film; the humour that can be done with Hammer can be very repetitive but it certainly lands in this film. Susan Boyle, who played herself, had a great memorable cameo in this film; her crude brushing off of the paparazzi was hysterical.

However the best performance came from Sting, who played himself. I love that Sting could deliver the zaniest, most outlandish and poorly written monologue I've ever heard with such a flawless and interesting tone. Frankly he was in the middle of a rather awful storyline and he made it fun with his immense screen presence. I liked the chemistry between him and Wilson and it was very gratifying to see that paid off with the reveal that he was Wilson's father at the end of the film.

The story for this film makes zero sense, it's hastily cobbled together and leaves you bored for long periods of time. Ultimately what we're presented with is a story that feels like it's from a D grade science fiction writer, implausible plot points and stupid twists. The comedy in this film isn't really there at all; even the throwbacks to the original film can be very hit and miss. The editing for this film really bugged me, the transitions through people's eyes into the next scene looked awful. The cinematography for this film was rather simple and looked downright awful in some scenes, if they were going to make Zoolander 2 a spy film they should have upped their camerawork.

Kristen Wiig, who played Alexanya Atoz, just felt like she was trying too hard in this film; Wiig's role was incredibly redundant and probably didn't even need to be in this film. Justin Theroux, who played Evil DJ, is as forgettable in this film as he was in the first film; I honestly barely noticed him and still don't really understand why he was brought into the film. Milla Jovovich, who played Katinka, was revealed probably a little too late into the film; i wish her role had been treated better when she had appeared rather than put into a cheap joke with Cruz. Christine Taylor, who played Matilda Jeffries, didn't really need to be back in this film; the jokes around her being dead weren't even all that funny. Billy Zane, who played himself, had very little screen presence in this film; Zane delivers dialogue pretty terribly in this film as well. Katy Perry, who played herself, has a very forgettable cameo in this film; in fact her cameo is immediately overshadowed by deGrasse Tyson. Fred Armisen, who played VIP, was a rather annoying role; he wasn't a very funny performer. Cyrus Arnold, who played Derek Zoolander Jr, couldn't act to save himself in this film; worse than that was he and Stiller had no chemistry in this film. Nathan Lee Graham, who played Todd, was another returning performer that just didn't deliver in this film; Graham's performance just dwindled in the presence of Ferrell. Kyle Mooney, who played Don Atari, wasn't a very funny side character in this film; the jokes around his character were very repetitive and grew tiresome quickly. Anna Wintour, who played herself, was the headliner of a set of cameos that were just boring in this film; I really hated the Fountain of youth scene and a big portion of that was the weak cameos Wintour and her co-stars provided.  

The Monkey King 2

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This is a colossal improvement from the first Monkey King film. I would give The Monkey King 2 a 4/10.

Where this film really excels compared to the original is that the plot has a cohesive plot that follows some form of structure, this is a quest film so you can get easily engaged with the plot. The special effects are another improvement from the first film, while some of the effects still look quite fake most of them are visually impressive and really sets this film apart as a film that is constantly reliant upon the effects. The cinematography in this movie is expansive and really has a big blockbuster feel, the battle sequences are incredibly shot in particular. The score for this film really aids the action of the film, however I like it most in the more contemplative moments where the themes reflect the characters' current state of mind.

Aaron Kwok, who played Sun Wukong, was a great protagonist for this film; I enjoyed that he brought a hardened character who learned to care for his master in this film. Xiao Shen-Yang, who played Zhu Bajie, was a great source of comedic relief in this film; I really liked how he was a pig demon obsessed with his own appearance.

However the best performance came from Gong Li, who played Baigujing. Li was a phenomenal antagonist in this film, easily one of the most terrifying this year. She had such a commanding presence, every scene that she was in felt unpredictable because she played such a dangerous role. I liked that there was a subplot focussing upon redeeming her despite her inability to see the potential of this redemption.

This plot is bogged down with unnecessary scenes and poorly executed subplots, there isn't much need for this film to be two hours long and all this unnecessary content really stretches out the film. The fight choreography for this film is pretty awful, the effects often are relied upon while the fighting itself looks too simple. I don't often comment upon subtitles for the foreign films I review but I will for this film, the subtitles on this film were really poorly done and weren't translated very well at all.

Feng Shaofeng, who played Tang Sanzang, delivers quite a bland performance in his role; I didn't find the relationship between him and any of the other characters very convincing with the exception of maybe Kwok. Him Law, who played Sha Wujing, was just a character that had no screen presence but was treated as the 'muscle'; his line delivery was absolutely terrible. Kelly Chen, who played Guan Yin, doesn't really have the presence to pull off the deity she portrays; Chen's performance is very dull and quite wooden.

The Finest Hours

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A really epic blockbuster rescue operation. I would give The Finest Hours an 8/10.

The story for this film is phenomenal when it works upon the rescue of the crew aboard the ship as well as how the crew survived for as long as they did, it's a pretty heightened tale that is riddled with suspense. Because this plot consists of most of the story and as such has you hooked throughout the pacing for this film is actually quite good. The special effects of the waves, ocean backdrops and destroyed boat look great, it creates a very chaotic feel to the film. The cinematography of this film suffers a little when it comes to dialogue sequences but for the most part there are some impressive shots, my personal favourite was the scene in which they passed the bar for the first time. The score for this film is pure blockbuster grand stand, it's a film that is loud and is made to sound so; I also have to pay special note to the great soundtrack with songs from the 40s and 50s.

Casey Affleck, who played Ray Sybert, really lead the story on the Pendleton well; Affleck's reserved and quiet leader was one of the most interesting characters of the film. Ben Foster, who played Richard Livesey, was a character I really enjoyed seeing evolve throughout the film; he went from being quite against Pine to having a lot of respect for him by the end of the feature which I thought was great. Eric Bana, who played Daniel Cluff, gave a great performance as a commanding officer who wasn't very knowledgeable in his role; despite being very commanding and having a strong presence it was interesting seeing the nervous and uncertain undertones of this role. Holliday Grainger, who played Miriam Webber, was a brilliant leading actress in this film; I liked seeing her fight for Bernie's safety and knowingly break what was seen as the normal thing for wives of the Coast Guard to do. Graham McTavish, who played Frank Fauteux, has a really commanding presence in this film; McTavish acts as a powerful voice when Affleck's role is seen as weak at first. Michael Raymond-James, who played D.A. Brown, is a character who acts as a great antagonist to Affleck; I enjoyed him creating a realistic sense of conflict aboard the Pendleton. Abraham Benrubi, who played George 'Tiny' Myers, was one of the easiest characters to like in the film; his death really hit hard and gave the film a darker tone. Rachel Brosnahan, who played Bea Hansen, was quite a fierce and strong role in this film; the pain that she carried beneath the surface was really well portrayed by Brosnahan. Benjamin Koldyke, who played Donald Bangs, was another Coast Guard character who had a strong leading presence; I enjoyed his nonchalant respect for Pine's role. Alexander Cook, who played John Stello, was a very likeable gruff character; I liked that he watched out and had a good relationship with Pine in this film.

However the best performance came from Chris Pine, who played Bernie Webber. I enjoyed Pine playing a character who was soft spoken and not the most confident, this was especially interesting when seeing a romance story where the man was portrayed as not being the stronger of the two partners (certainly a trope breaker for Disney). I loved how determined Pine presented his role, how he was willing to test the limits and do the impossible to achieve his goal. At the end of the film he looks absolutely exhausted and I think it's great that we can see Pine deliver this level of physicality in his character.

This film has a significant upon the romance between Grainger and Pine, and while I enjoy their performances, I think this subplot was very forced and poorly written. Furthermore there wasn't really any focus upon characterisation and character development in this film, most of the roles got basic introductions and were never really explored.

John Ortiz, who played Wallace Quirey, has the been the weakest player in two great films this week; his performance just didn't stack up against that of Raymond-James or Affleck. Kyle Gallner, who played Andy Fitzgerald, never really got treated as a character in this film; he was just more of a substitute for Knapp's role. John Magaro, who played Ervin Maske, didn't really have much screen presence in this film; Magaro's character was hastily cobbled into this film. Beau Knapp, who played Mel Gouthro, presented and awkward and weak performance; he was constantly being overshadowed by either Pine or Grainger. Josh Stewart, who played Tchuda Southerland, had absolutely no screen presence; you forgot about him in the scenes he shared with Affleck and McTavish. Keiynan Lonsdale, who played Eldon Hanan, wasn't really treated as a character in this film; Lonsdale's purpose was to make Benrubi's death more impactful. Matthew Maher, who played Carl Nickerson, gave a very wooden performance in this film; Maher had no chemistry with any of the other actors he interacted with.

Room

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This film has one of the greatest performances by a child actor that I've ever seen. I would give Room a 7.5/10.

What I really enjoyed about the perspective of this film's story was that it was entirely from the young boy, Jack's, point of view; this opened up a story about kidnapping the likes of which has never really done before. The coping mechanism and the way Jack has come to understand his surroundings is really incredible and some really inspired writing. The cinematography for this film captures the perspective of a small and ofteen scared or confused kid really well, many of the angles are at the height of a child and play with focus to display Jack's panicked or confused state. The score for this film is really touching and quite powerful, it brings a lot of emotion into an already powerful film.

Brie Larson, who played Ma, is such a great actress in this film; you really feel her character breaking under the incredible physical and mental strain of being a prisoner. Wendy Crewson, who played Talk Show Hostess, brought a very interesting perspective to the film; she asked questions that you never really thought of due to the narrative of the film but actually made you question some of the decisions made by Larson's role. Amanda Brugel, who played Officer Parker, was quite a heroic yet grounded figure in this film; I liked that Brugel brought a character who was intuitive and able to use small pieces of information to track down 'room'. Joan Allen, who played Nancy, really showed the impact the kidnapping had on those left behind well; the scene in which she cuts Tremblay's hair is one of the best of the film. William H. Macy, who played Robert, brought a very unique perspective to the film; his distaste for Jack being the son of his daughter's kidnapper was an interesting moment in the film and I wish they'd touched on it more.

However the best performance came from Jacob Tremblay, who played Jack. I cannot stress how amazed I am by this kid, he delivered a better performance than what I've seen from multiple experienced actors in other roles. I think seeing Tremblay play up the imbalances of a child's mood from curiosity to shyness to anger. Ultimately what makes this performance so good is that Tremblay portrays the psychology of a child who's grown up in a small room and suddenly exposed to the greater world really well.

After the two main characters escape 'room' the plot focusses upon their adjustment and rehabilitation into the world, this is where the plot slows right down to a crawl. While there are some good scenes and fantastic examples of acting in the second half of the film the writing clearly trails off a bit. The editing for this film isn't very good, there were quite a few questionable cuts and transitions.

Sean Bridgers, who played Old Nick, isn't a very convincing antagonist in this film; Bridgers is barely intimidating and his character is all over the place. Cas Anvar, who played Dr. Mittal, has very little screen presence in this film; frankly Anvar's role is quite a technical one and doesn't put much effort into making them feel like much of a person.

Steve Jobs

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This is one of the most incredible biopics that I've seen of an individual in a while. I would give Steve Jobs an 8/10.

While I had some issues with the structure of this film's plot I really enjoyed that I was so engaged by this retelling of Steve Jobs' life, this film was really well paced and came across as being similar to that of a grand opera in how it played out. This film was witty and insightful, I cannot stress how intelligent the dialogue of this film is. The exploration of Steve Jobs as a character was really well written, you see every facet of how he is as a person as well as the relationships he shares with other characters in this film. The cinematography is so encapsulating for a film that is mainly dialogue scenes, you feel like the film is constantly in motion even when two characters are standing sharing a conversation for several minutes. The score for this film isn't used to a great degree but when it is it really brings out the mood of the scenes, the rising conflicts and underlying tensions are only strengthened by the music that accompanies.

Kate Winslet, who played Joanna Hoffman, was the perfect person to play against and reign in Fassbender in this film; I loved seeing her break and lash out verbally in what was a very emotional scene between her and Fassbender. Seth Rogen, who played Steve Wozniak, was very calm and easy-spoken in this film; Rogen played a very grounded character and gave one of the most convincing performances of the film. Jeff Daniels, who played John Sculley, had so much emotional range in this film; he was a powerhouse and any scene with him and Fassbender together was going to be one of the best scenes of the film. Katherine Waterston, who played Chrisann Brennan, gave a performance that really highlighted her role's anger and outrage towards Jobs; I think she brought something intricate to what could have been a throw away character. Perla Haney-Jardine, who played Lisa Brennan (19), gave such a great closing performance alongside Fassbender; I was so impressed with the great relationship we saw between the two of them by the end of the film. Ripley Sobo, who played Lisa Brennan (9), created a lot of the great chemistry between this role and Fassbender; I think it was pretty powerful to see a child actor play up the aspect of being afraid of a parent. Makenzie Moss, who played Lisa Brennan (5), really did a great job kindling the relationship between her role and Fassbender; there was something really powerful about the scene between her and Fassbender using the Mackintosh.

However the best performance came from Michael Fassbender, who played Steve Jobs. Fassbender was phenomenal in this role and it's possibly my favourite performance by him to date. He shares a great chemistry with most all of the cast, even if it's a sort of hostile exchange throughout. I really enjoyed seeing Jobs grow as a character through Fassbender, he begins as very brash and short tempered but becomes a lot more rational and understanding as the film progresses. The exploration of Jobs' ever-evolving relationship with his daughter, Lisa, is explored throughout the film and made all the better through Fassbender's touching exchanges with the three actresses who portray her.

The structure of the film and how it jumps through flashbacks and flashforwards can get rather convoluted, I felt the plot would just dump the audience into an unfamiliar setting rather suddenly and if it weren't for the great writing and character interaction this could have posed to be a major narrative issue of the film. The editing for this movie is a bit jarring at times, cuts can be very irregular or happen swiftly and suddenly all at once.

Michael Stuhlbarg, who played Andy Hertzfeld, was a character who was clearly meant to have a degree of significance to Jobs; however due to Stuhlbarg's dismal onscreen presence you never really felt this in the film. Sarah Snook, who played Andrea Cunningham, was a very forgettable role; you feel like she was only in this film because of her connections with Winslet. John Ortiz, who played Joel Pforzheimer, took a long time to really be worked into the film; he felt like an unnecessary sidebar to the story. Adam Shapiro, who played Avie Tevanian, had absolutely no screen presence in this film; frankly Shapiro was playing a role who could have been important but wasn't treated as such in this film.

The Danish Girl

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What could have been an incredible story about a transgender woman devolves into a rather basic and poorly executed film. I would give The Danish Girl a 4/10.

I do have to credit this film for touching upon some important topics relating to transgender people, there was a great focus upon the violence they face as well as transitioning (to some extent).

Alicia Vikander, who played Gerda Wegener, has such an incredible presence in this film; I really love how she immediately sets herself apart as one of the most hardworking artists within the film. Amber Heard, who played Ulla, had so much energy in this film; I loved her socialite role at the beginning of the film as well as the scene between her and Redmayne. Pip Torrens, who played Dr. Hexler, was one of the greatest antagonists of the film; his seemingly helpful attitude dissolving into repulsion aimed at Redmayne and Vikander was a spectacular twist. Sebastian Koch, who played Warnekros, was one of the most realistic and grounded performances of the film; Koch presented a calming and knowledgeable intellectual who ignited a spark of hope in this dismal film.

However the best performance came from Matthias Schoenaerts, who played Hans Axgil. Schoenaerts role was exceptionally charismatic and one of the most likeable characters of the film. I liked how he became a pillar of support for Redmayne and Vikander. There was quite a gentle and tender nature to his character and I think he became one of the few characters this film truly needed.

This film didn't treat it's title character well at all, Redmayne's transgender woman is immediately treated as someone with a mental illness in the script, by the cast and even by Redmayne himself. Basically the entire plot becomes quite contrived and warped and you aren't really sure what you're supposed to take away by the end of the film. The film leaves most of the audience behind after the first half an hour and it's a slow crawl from there on out. The cinematography is poorly framed and lacks any form of quality, there's no aesthetic to this film at all. The editing is something you think couldn't be worse than the cinematography but you'd be wrong, the colouring for this film has flashes of colour that are often drained by this film's grey colouring. The score for this film helps muddy the already confused tone; what should have been an inspirational story about discovering self is turned into a horror film by this discordant score.

Eddie Redmayne, who played Einar Wegener/Lili Elbe, was the worst protagonist this film could have cast; Redmayne seems to bumble when it comes down to portraying a role and hides behind presenting a physical interpretation of the change from man to woman. Adrian Schiller, who played Rasmussen, has no screen presence at all in this film; I didn't really understand why he accepted Vikander's Lili paintings because the motivations of his character were never explored. Ben Whishaw, who played Henrik, plays one of the creepiest characters I've ever seen; Whishaw feels completely redundant and unappealing in this film.