Hunt For The Wilderpeople

This review may contain spoilers!

I've never been much of a fan of New Zealand film or Taika Waititi so i suppose I'd describe this film best as me slowly being won over. I would give Hunt For The Wilderpeople a 6.5/10.

This film was able to carry a fairly consistent comedic tone throughout the film and showcased what has made Waititi's films such a big deal, ultimately this meant that for most of the film the pacing felt good and you were left fairly entertained. What I really admired about this film was how it explored various themes such as teenage pregnancy, life in the social welfare system and Maori culture; these themes at times didn't feel incredibly well explored or explained but they stepped the film up in a way that made it stand out. The soundtrack for this film was really well used, probably some of the best moments in the film were so good because of the music accompanying them. The cinematography in this film felt rough at places but showed a strong visual eye behind the camera, setting was really well captured and most scenes looked quite well shot.

Julian Dennison, who played Ricky Baker, took a while to really get going in this film but by the end of the film he had me laughing in just about every scene; Dennison has a strong future as a comedic actor. Oscar Kightley, who played a Cop, gave a very fun slapstick performance in this film; Kightley had a particularly good display of reacting to circumstances that resulted in funny moments. Rhys Darby, who played Psycho Sam, was a fun actor to see in the 'conspiracy nut' role; Darby was unpredictable in this film and was clearly there to have a lot of fun. Stan Walker, who played a Hunter, was one of the only hunter cast members to actually seem funny; Walker had great line delivery and snapped dialogue back and forth between the rest of the cast with ease. Taika Waititi, who played a Priest, was a great cameo in this film; the gag about the two doors resulted in one of the best scenes of the film. Sam Wallace, John Campbell and Mihingarangi Forbes, who played themselves, brought incredible cameos to this film; this comedic parody of New Zealand news is quite a lot of fun to watch.

However the best performance came from Sam Neill, who played Uncle Hec. Neill's portrayal of this gruff, irritable man was quite convincing and I enjoyed the chemistry that grew between him and Dennison. Neil really embodied the rugged nature of his role and you entirely believed that he could survive the rough existence out in the bush. It wasn't surprising that in a film so strongly centred around comedy that neill could portray a role that is more grounded and easy to empathise with; certainly a standout performance.

Beyond a story that wasn't overly insightful but had a great charm to it there was one glaring problem with this film: the ending. While I had been really enjoying the film up until this point the minute all the character development was stripped away in the junkyard I lost my commitment to the film; it basically rendered the last two acts redundant and the sloppy mending of this minutes later wasn't enough to remedy the fatal mistake. The editing for this film was admittedly poor, it had me questioning whether the cinematography was actually good at times and I had to remind myself that it was the poor editing that was hampering the style not the shots.

Rachel House, who played Paula, felt like she was trying to hard in this film; any of her actually comedic moments are free for you to see in the trailer. Rima Te Wiata, who played Aunt Bella, gives a rather wooden performance in this film; her chemistry with Dennison seems really forced and she has absolutely no chemistry with Neill. Cohen Holloway and Mike Minogue, who played the Hunters, were very bland antagonists in this film; they were definitely given more screen time than they deserved. Hamish Parkinson, who played a Cop, was trying a bit to hard in this film; Parkinson is shoehorned into the film just to blather out some police jargon that you forget almost immediately.

Kung Fu Panda 3

This review may contain spoilers!

At this point the Kung Fu Panda is probably the best film series Dreamworks has produced. I would give Kung Fu Panda 3 an 8/10.

This film is one of the best looking Dreamworks films that I have seen in a while; it really takes the time to experiment with varying styles and colurs, introducing a range of really beautiful visuals for this film. The score is incredible and easily one of the most memorable that I've heard for an animated film; the music that accompanies action sequences in this film is better than the music from most live action film fight sequences. Ultimately Kung Fu Panda has a story that progresses at a very natural pace, this is because the plot revolves around a simple quest and an interesting antagonist while still imparting a couple of solid themes. The key here is that it isn't too much, it knows exactly how to deliver it's story for maximum effect. There is a great theme in this film around Po's biological and adoptive father; while this theme has some presentation issues I think it'll resonate well with kid's who relate to Po's character in this regard.

Jack Black, who voiced Po, has always been the perfect voice for this protagonist; Black delivers lines in a really funny and entertaining way. Bryan Cranston, who voiced Li, has really made his mark upon the Kung Fu Panda series; I loved the scene in which he shared his memories of his wife with Po and I thought it was easily one of the best scenes of the film. Dustin Hoffman, who voiced Shifu, really masters the delivery of this character's wry wit; Hoffman bring s an air of maturity to the film and grounds it with some important lessons about identity and perseverance. Angelina Jolie, who voiced Tigress, doesn't have heaps of screen time in this film but shows that she's a master performer with what time she has; Jolie makes her role sound incredibly fierce and strong. James Hong, who voiced Mr Ping, is still a great quirky character in this film; however the thing I liked most about this role was his adversity with Cranston's character and the development of him, Cranston and Black into a family by the end of the film. Randall Duk Kim, who voiced Oogway, is a character that I really love to see in this film series; he is great at playing the sage master but he's also a very witty and fun role in and of himself. Liam Knight, who voiced Lei Lei, is a really funny and cute character in this film; I love the relationship between Knight and Jolie's character.

However the best performance came from J.K. Simmons, who voiced Kai. Something the Kung Fu Panda series has always managed is to create these incredible antagonists; first we had Ian McShane, then Gary Oldman and now J.K. Simmons has left his mark in a big way. This film opens from the get go by introducing us to Simmons' role and as the film progresses he is shown to be more and more intimidating; without a doubt he's a character to be feared. What I think Simmons brought to the role was an air of comedy that the other antagonists in the series have ever really brought; some of the funnier parts of the film is when Simmons banters with Black.

This film has a tendency to beat a comedic moment in time to death which I found to be a bit of a shame; take for example the scene in which Po 'learns how to be a panda', it's certainly funny but it carries on for a long time without really adding much to the film. I also thought that while the adoptive/biological family co-existing theme was great it certainly got awkward as the film went on, particularly the dialogue around this theme.

Jackie Chan, who voiced Monkey, gives some of the worst line delivery in this film; Chan's not very funny nor does he add much to the plot so he becomes a bit of a throwaway character. Seth Rogen, who voiced Mantis, shows us what happens when you censor a comedian too much in a film; sure Rogen is a funny guy but he can't make jokes he doesn't find funny sound funny. Lucy Liu, who voiced Viper, could probably count the number of lines she had on her fingers in this film; Liu has very little presence and is swiftly forgotten about in this film. David Cross, who voiced Crane, doesn't have a particularly good voice for voice acting is what I felt watching him in this film; the scene between him and Rogen was a great example of a pair of voice actors who weren't competent with their delivery. Kate Hudson, who voiced Mei Mei, is just a strange character in this film; she isn't funny and her flirting role feels a little awkward in this film which would have an audience mostly comprised of children.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2

This review may contain spoilers!

This film isn't just better than the original, it is a refreshing return to powerhouse comedies that can be funny while delivering heartfelt messages. I would give My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 a 7.5/10.

I have to respect this film for not really settling upon one major plotline and instead of that branching out into about six or more constant subplots. What's good about that? What makes this film good as opposed to overcrowded? It is because the film knows how to present each individual storyline and where to present it, I walked away from this movie thinking that there weren't really any wasted scenes. I also have to applaud the comedy within this movie, it's a lot of fun and there are some great throwbacks to the original film. The cinematography in this film is a huge step up from the original, this film had a recognisable and appealling visual style which I like to see in comedies. The score for this film was a lot of fun but what I really liked music wise was the soundtrack, it made the film feel like it belonged alongside all the big blockbuster comedies that we are presented with in this day and age.

John Corbett, who played Ian, is as charismatic in this film as he was in the original; Corbett is quite likeable in this film because he no longer feels like an outsider in this movie and he really belongs in amongst the antics of the family. Lainie Kazan, who played Maria, is a powerhouse actress in this film; if there is anyone who can match Constantine line for line it is without a doubt Kazan. Andrea Martin, who played Aunt Voula, is a really great comedic presence in this film; Martin is easily one of the funniest performances and the scenes with her in them are usually some of the best. Gia Carides, who played Nikki, was quite a bit of fun in this film; I liked that her role was given more screen time in this film because Carides plays a really strong and entertaining woman. Joey Fatone, who played Angelo, presents a subplot that I didn't expect but was really pleased to see in this film; Fatone brings a homosexual character to this film in what is a really natural and extremely respectful subplot. Elena Kampouris, who played Paris, gives one of the most realistic performances within the film; Kampouris might not be a strong comedic character in this film but she makes up for that by performing a powerful emotional display over her character's conflicted mind. Louis Mandylor, who played Nick, has a great presence in this film; he and Corbett have some brilliant onscreen chemistry. Rob Riggle, who played Northwestern Rep, has a great comedic exchange with Constantine in this film; his ability to engage in funny back and forth dialogue makes that particular scene extremely memorable. Mark Margolis, who played Panos, is introduced rather late into the film but is the instigator of a really heartwarming scene; in a few minutes Margolis and Constantine are able to establish an incredible onscreen chemistry between their two characters. Michael Sofos and Leonidas Castrounis, who played Costa and Aristotle, were exceptionally good at mirroring Constantine in this film; they made the Greek word gag quite a lot of fun.

However the best performance comes from Michael Constantine, who played Gus. Constantine brings his character back to screen flawlessly, this is the same role from several years ago through and through. There are several scenes where Constantine's wit or his line delivery will have you splitting your sides and I have no problem saying that he is in my mind the funniest performer in the film. I also think that from this actor we saw the gentler side to the character of Gus, it was very emotional to see how lonely he was without his wife and it made this second Big Fat Greek Wedding all the more enjoyable to watch play out.

Despite the incredible way this story was set out and the fine attention to detail there were still some pacing problems with this film, it was a comedy with a lot of content so it did drag on a bit too long in places. Furthermore the editing for this film wasn't very good, the transitions felt a bit outdated and the cuts didn't help the film's slow pacing.

Nia Vardalos, who played Toula, wasn't a great protagonist for this film; Vardalos has a habit of playing her role far too over the top which just results in a very awkward performance. Alex Wolff, who played Bennett, has absolutely no chemistry with Kampouris in this film; I didn't really feel like the romance between these two characters was all that necessary. Bess Meisler, who played Mana-Yiayia, was just made out to be an odd whimsical character with no relevance in this film; it bothered me because she was just thrown aside into a slapstick role. Bruce Gray and Fiona Reid, who played Rodney Miller and Harriet Miller respectively, didn't really need to be in this film; it was awkward seeing them shoehorned into the last act of the film. Ian Gomez, who played Mike, is as forgettable in this film as he was in the first; Gomez doesn't do a whole lot for the plot and he lacks screen presence. Jayne Eastwood, Tannis Burnett and Kathryn Greenwood, who played Mrs White, Edie and Marge respectively, couldn't act to save themselves in this film; scenes between them and vardalos seemed like a competition to see who could give the most wooden performance. Rita Wilson, John Stamos and Ethan Pugiotto, who played Anna, George and Theodore respectively, were a family of characters that didn't really belong in this film; I'm still not sure what their relevance was to the plot as a whole. Hershel Blatt, who played Tommy, was this awkward forced comedic actor that appeared in a lot of Kampouris' scenes; the fact is he just wasn't funny and he made these scenes a little annoying through his presence alone. Gerry Mendicino, who played Uncle Taki, didn't have a lot of screen presence in this film; Mendicino had a habit of becoming quite forgettable even in the scenes that he himself was in. Jeff White, who played Patrick, might have been the subject of the homosexual subplot but he wasn't given any attention as a character; I felt this was one of the only failings of this particular subplot.

Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice

This review may contain spoilers!

Zack Snyder and David S. Goyer are the director/writer team behind Man of Steel and the film I'm reviewing here; these men are important because together they've made the worst start possible to the DC Cinematic Universe. I would give Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice a 4/10.

Visually this is without a doubt one of the best superhero films out there. The cinematography is incredible and you're aware of that right from the opening of Batman's origin story, there is an incredible display of big grand shots as well as brilliant attention to visual detail. The special effects in the film have been given a lot of criticism and that baffles me, the effects in this film are great; just look at the 3D models and how they show various superpowers. Hans Zimmer does the score for this film and in classic Zimmer style it's fast become one of the best scores that I've heard this year, Zimmer's ever changing themes really work well against certain characters and key scenes. Narratively this film is riddled with flaws but I didn't feel that way at first and that's because this film has a great beginning stemming from the heavy focus upon Batman/Bruce Wayne, Wayne's motivation and driving force at the start of this film is really interesting to watch and one of the few saving graces of the film.

Henry Cavill, who played Superman, is an actor I still feel is the perfect casting choice; Cavill does a great job in this film despite being let down by weak dialogue that felt like I was watching Man Of Steel all over again. Laurence Fishburne, who played Perry White, had a great comedic and witty presence in this film; he really made the scenes that took place at the Daily Planet enjoyable. Jeremy Irons, who played Alfred, was a really fun cynical take on the famous butler role; the back and forth exchanges between Irons and Affleck really stood out. Gal Gadot, who played Wonder Woman, wasn't in this film much but had an incredibly strong presence regardless; Gadot's incredibly smooth exchange with Affleck results in two of the best scenes of the film. Brandon Spink, Lauren Cohan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who played Young Bruce Wayne, Martha Wayne and Thomas Wayne respectively, presented us with one of the best looking Batman origins to date; there wasn't a huge focus on these actors but what little we got is very memorable. Neil deGrasse Tyson, who played himself, was an interesting cameo to have in this film; Tyson's scientific mind weighing in on the place of Superman within the grand scheme of things was one of the things I liked about this film.

However the best performance came from Ben Affleck, who played Batman. In this film Affleck creates a Batman that is clearly very experienced and who has a fair deal of presence in action sequences. Yet what I liked most about Affleck's portrayal was his depiction of Bruce Wayne and how Wayne is still the vigilante even without the mask. There are an incredible amount of scenes in this film where Bruce Wayne is being a hero without donning the mask and I thought that was interesting and quite a new take on things, we finally see an actor who brings an alter ego performance that links well to the superhero identity. Furthermore Affleck is really good at playing a serious, stoic Wayne then slipping into a facade of the Billionaire playboy Wayne. I think this performance really delivered and Affleck has certainly made his mark as the Dark Knight.

Let's talk about the narrative of this film, I apologise in advance for how long this will be and how many spoilers I will inevitably be discussing. Batman V Superman is along film with a good start but a great deal of unnecessary scenes and subplots; halfway through the film the focus starts shifting off Batman more and more and moves to Luthor which is ultimately what dooms this film to it's heavy pacing issues. Seeing as I've mentioned Luthor let's take a look at him first; in this film Lex Luthor has no real clear motivation and is written to be so erratic that he becomes an oddity, ultimately as an antagonist he's weak and poorly written. There is no feasible reason for him to bring in Doomsday AND have him manipulate Superman and Batman into fighting when just one of the two options would have paced the story out a lot better; more than that it took away Batman's agency and importance in this film when someone like Luthor is able to just simply manipulate him into fighting Superman. In this film the story takes place very much in the present and doesn't pay much mind to the past events of Man of Steel so there are a lot of loose ends and plot points that feel out of nowhere or not given enough attention to such as Clark and Lois' relationship, the rebuild of Metropolis, Batman's history in Gotham, why Batman is having visions, how did Lex find out about Superman's secret identity and so on. As the film progresses the audience is confronted with several characters being written in a way that seems bizarre and out of character; Lex Luthor is obsessed with Superman being a god in what feels like Snyder desperately trying to have his fifty cents about religion in this film, Batman kills in a rather out of character moment and Superman dies and is given an American soldier's death which is wildly inconsistent with all the themes about Superman in this film. Also featured in this film is the first appearance of the Justice league which is very artificially shoehorned into the plot; it really made no sense to show these characters the way the film did because if Lex Luthor knew the identities of all of these heroes why didn't he act on this information? One last quick sidenote about the fight sequences; the fights in this film were okay but too often tended towards the basic and never took any risks to stand out.

Amy Adams, who played Lois, is the epitome of a useless character given more screen time than they deserve; Snyder needs to stop pushing the importance of Lois Lane on us because no one is convinced. Jesse Eisenberg, who played Lex Luthor, reminds of the saying 'if you have nothing nice to say don't say it at all'; the only thing I feel I can say about Eisenberg is that he is not only the worst performance of the film but a big part of the reason why it was so bad. Diane Lane, who played Martha Kent, is the world's oldest damsel in distress in this film; Lane and cavill have no chemistry so it's really hard to watch these two to pretend to be mother and son. Holly Hunter, who played Senator Finch, was the face of the hearing subplot; this was just another subplot that didn't really feel important and was ultimately made redundant in a rather throwaway plot twist. Scoot McNairy, who played Wallace Keefe, is said throaway plot twist in this film; McNairy is nothing more than a character we're supposedly meant to feel sorry for before he gets blown up but I don't feel like anyone will have much sympathy after watching this poorly written character. Callan Mulvey, who played Anatoli Knyazev, is a glorified henchman in this film; he has no screen presence and is best at glowering a lot. Tao Okamoto, who played Mercy Graves, probably didn't need to be in this film; her role was never explored and she was killed off without ever really making a mark on the film. Rebecca Buller, who played Jenny, is only in this film so Fishburne has someone to bounce his dialogue off of; Buller is a character you'll forget about only minutes after seeing her in a scene. Harry Lennix, who played Swanwick, is just another minor role that reminds us that yes Man of Steel actually did happen; Lennix is sucked into a subplot revolving around Lois Lane in what feels like a bid to keep everyone from the first film around. Kevin Costner, who played Jonathan Kent, is a cameo that this film just does not need; all it does is remind us that Costner was the worst part of Man of Steel. Ray Fisher and Joe Morton, who played Cyborg and Silas respectively, have made me lose all excitement I had for the Cyborg character; all Fisher does is scream a lot while Morton cobbles the Cyborg origin together in a botched thirty seconds. Ezra Miller, who played the Flash, has two awful cameos in this film; one is odd and comes out of nowhere while the other feels very forced. Jason Momoa, who played Aquaman, can't act to save himself in his cameo; not only does he fail to portray his role but it looks like he's holding his breath which seems kinda redundant if he's playing Aquaman.

Zootopia

This review may contain spoilers!

Disney just doesn't stop churning out masterpiece after masterpiece. I would give Zootopia an 8.5/10.

This is a film that looks absolutely amazing, Disney's films are looking better and better all the time. The way lighting is done, the attention to detail and the grandiose scale of how Zootopia itself is presented to us makes it the nicest looking Disney film of all time. The score for this film is really nice, it's light and fun but also provides some strong backing music to the action and chase sequences. This story revolves around one of the best Disney protagonists yet in a story about rising above bullying and discrimination to realise your dreams. It's a beautiful film that moves at a really natural pace and teaches it's audience what it is to be discriminated against as well as encouraging people to look beyond their prejudices to see everyone as equal.

Jason Bateman, who voiced Nick Wilde, is quite a good fast talking con man/fox in this film; however as the film progresses Bateman brings a really strong emotional edge to this film when he recounts his character's backstory and develops his bond with Goodwin's role. Idris Elba, who voiced Chief Bogo, takes a while to really make his mark as a voice actor but is immediately quite intimidating; as Elba gets more comfortable with his voicework you can really start seeing the fun he's having with this role. Jenny Slate, who voiced Bellwether, is quite a likeable meek role in this film; the twist of her being the film's villain is a really good one. Nate Torrence, who voiced Clawhauser, was one of the most consistent comedic performances of this film; Torrence had amazing line delivery and really created some strong funny scenes in this film. Bonnie Hunt and Don Lake, who played Bonnie Hopps and Stu Hopps respectively, really bounce off one another amazingly in this film; Hunt and Lake's roles constant worrying and fear was extremely fun to watch. J.K. Simmons, who voiced Mayor Lionheart, was the perfect choice for this strong authoritative figure; Simmons crafted a role who could be funny,a leader and also an antagonist when it was needed. Octavia Spencer, who voiced Mrs Otterton, really brought a strong display of emotion to her minor role; she made the case of the missing otter packed with strong emotional motivation both for the lead role and the audience. Shakira, who voiced Gazelle, was one of the best celebrity appearances done in this film; the musical pop star references that dominated the movie was brilliant. Della Saba, who voiced Young Hopps, wasn't in this film long but had a huge impact upon the start of the film; from her starting inspiring speech to the scary moment when she's confronted by her fox bully Saba creates a great introduction to Hopps. Maurice LaMarche, who voiced Mr Big, created the perfect parody of the Godfather for Zootopia; LaMarche's delivery was witty and it was one of the best scenes in the film. Phil Johnston, who voiced Gideon Grey, was a really terrifying role at the start of the film; however I liked that Johnston's role was developed to be likeable and show the progression of a character by the end of the feature. Fuschia!, who voiced the Drill Sergeant, was instrumental in creating a really fun memorable montage; her line delivery is great and very comedic. Tommy 'Tiny' Lister, who voiced Finnick, is one of my favourite roles in this film; his contrasting voice to the look of his character was a great gag. Kath Soucie, who voiced Young Nick, is another strong delivery of a younger version of a leading character; Soucie makes Nick's backstory all the more painful through her great line delivery.

However the best performance came from Ginnifer Goodwin, who voiced Judy Hopps. Goodwin creates a character with fierce optimism and determination despite the odds being stacked against her, she presents a role who is discriminated against but proves her worth despite this adversity. In Hopps Goodwin has given Disney one of it's strongest and most relevant female characters to date, this is really a pretty great impactful role. I like the humility Goodwin delivers in the second act of the film when she recognises her own prejudice and apologises for it in a very strong manner.

While this film has an amazing plot and sense of comedy it does lack a sense of urgency or tension in places; for example when the film is focussed upon the case of Mr Otterton you never really feel the pressure of the ticking clock that the story has set in motion, you believe the case will get solved and you never really fear for Hopps at all. My only other criticism of the film is that it has some strong themes and at points they aren't very well argued, from a basic narrative perspective these are awesome themes to have in a film but it is a little difficult to see who really is the victim of discrimination within this film.

Tommy Chong, who voiced Yax, presented a role that might contain a bit too much adult humour for a Disney animated film; I thought the jokes made around his character were a bit too lowbrow. Alan Tudyk, who voiced Duke Weaselton, was quite a throwaway antagonist in this film; Tudyk has a habit of voicing some very forgettable characters in Disney films. Raymond S. Persi, who voiced Flash, is a victim of the film's marketing campaign; anything that made the sloth scene funny had already been shown in every trailer leading up to the film so it just wasn't as funny when Persi's character was onscreen. Jesse Corti, who voiced Mr Manchas, is another forgettable side character in this film, Mr Manchas isn't so much a character as he is an opportunity to create a 'scary' scene in this feature. Leah Latham, who voiced Fru Fru, didn't have a very strong screen presence in this film; Latham's involvement in the chase sequence and Godfather scene didn't really stand out.

Risen

This review may contain spoilers!

Sometimes biblical films can be amazing and sometimes they can be exceptionally preachy; and sometimes you get one of those biblical films that manages to be a bit of both. I would give Risen a 5.5/10.

What I appreciated about the first half of this film was how well the roman perspective of this film was done; the hunt for Yeshua's body and interrogation of his followers was actually really interesting and quite a unique perspective to take. The cinematography for this film was simple for the most part but it really knew how to compose the shots effectively, I don't think I saw one badly framed shot in this entire feature. The editing was also quite unique, I haven't seen that many fade transitions in a long time but in this instance it worked well with the film's style and tone.

Peter Firth, who played Pilate, was a fantastic Roman governor in this film; he had a strong presence and really delivered his dialogue well. Mark Killeen, who played Antonius, wasn't in this film for long but had a great impact upon the film; he introduced Yeshua incredibly well and in quite a memorable way.

However the best performance came from Joseph Fiennes, who played Clavius. Fiennes brought forward a strong character who demanded viewer attention when he was onscreen; he was a constant reminder of conflict and unceasing drive. I think the inner conflict around faith that Fiennes' role experiences in this film was best portrayed by him; he did a wonderful job at making this transition in faith quite convincing.

The last half of this film that focussed upon Yeshua and his disciples wasn't very well written and came across as quite artificial, suddenly the dialogue became hard to swallow and it was almost like experiencing a whole new film. Because of this final act the film slowed right down, fair to say this narrative change resulted in some serious pacing problems. The score for this film had some high points but more often than not you didn't pay much mind to it, it was certainly quite a throw away score. The special effects in this film looked awful, the CGI birds and Jesus' ascension really gave away the size of the film's budget.

Tom Felton, who played Lucius, was dwarfed by Fiennes' performance in almost every scene; it was made even worse when the two characters came into conflict and it became clear how weak Felton's portrayal was. Cliff Curtis, who played Yeshua, was just not really the right casting for this; he wasn't given enough focus in this film and ultimately didn't make a very big impact on the audience at all. Maria Botto, who played Mary Magdalene, gave quite a forced performance in this film; Botto really botches one of the more pivotal minor roles. Antonio Gil, who played Joseph of Arimathea, was another performer who didn't really stand out in this film; he seemed to have an important part to play in the Yeshua storyline but was swiftly forgotten about. Richard Atwill and Andy Gathergood, who played Polybius and Quintus respectively, couldn't act to save themselves; their accents were inconsistent and their characters felt very out of place in this story. Stewart Scudamore, who played Peter, played his character a bit over the top; Scudamore is a big part of why I label this film as 'too preachy'. Stephen Hagan, who played Bartholomew, gave what I consider the worst performance of the film; he made the disciples look like a bunch of drug addled hippies.

London Has Fallen

This review may contain spoilers!

Olympus has fallen was a good film that never really begged a sequel; yet here we are. I would give London Has Fallen a 5.5/10.

One thing I really enjoy about this film is the action narrative, seeing Butler lead Eckhart through firefight after firefight is great entertainment value, particularly with the one liners that are peppered throughout this film. The editing in this film moves really well and progresses this film in a great manner; the special effects are another great display with most of the explosion effects and CGI crashing aircraft looking quite authentic. The fight choreography is really raw and brutal in this film; the fight sequences really make this film stand out. While I wasn't blown away by the cinematography there is one shot I have to pay special attention to; the scene in which Butler and a SAS Delta team storm the insurgents' base of operations has a fantastic shot that doesn't cut and really stood out to me.

Gerard Butler, who played Mike Banning, is the perfect lead for these films; his smooth carefree delivery of one liners really makes him a fun role. Aaron Eckhart, who played Benjamin Asher, really benefited from having more screen time in this film; Eckhart was definitely playing someone who felt more like a character rather than a symbol in this film. Morgan Freeman, who played VP Trumbull, was one of the few side characters that actually had good screen presence in this film; Freeman is a master of line delivery and his final exchange with Aboutboul is a really great scene. Bryan Larkin, who played SAS SGT, had quite a dominating presence for his minor role in this film; Larkin also had some really good chemistry with Butler in their scenes.

However the best performance came from Angela Bassett, who played Lynne Jacobs. Bassett has been a favourite of mine in both of these films, she really is an incredibly likeable actress and creates one of the most memorable characters of the film. She shares great chemistry with Butler in their scenes together and manages to make the subplot around Butler's soon to be born kid interesting. The scene in which she dies hits you the hardest and Bassett draws a big emotional response from the audience here.

This plot is far from perfect, frankly it stretches the imagination consistently and bends over backwards to fulfill the demand for action over plot. Sadly this film suffers from really poor pacing which is caused by weak antagonists, boring subplots, unnecessary characters and long patriotic speeches about America that just feel a little too forced. The cinematography for this film is odd to say the least, the director doesn't seem to have a consistent style and simple dialogue scenes look terrible. The score for this film is really forgettable, I never even paid much heed to what was playing in the background of the big action sequences.

Alon Aboutboul, who played Aamir Barkawi, is a really weak antagonist in this film; he doesn't do anything himself so you never really pay him much mind over the course of the film. Waleed Zuaiter, who played Kamran Barkawi, feels like the more central antagonist but once again he has weak motives; Zuaiter isn't very intimidating and quite a forgettable villain. Radha Mitchell, who played Leah Banning, is as pointless in this film as she was in Olympus Has Fallen; it feels like Mitchell is just in these films to remind us fleetingly that Butler's role has a reason to survive. Patrick Kennedy, who played MI5 Intel John Lancaster, is the subject of one of the worst plot twists of the film; you don't care about the 'mole' subplot and even less that Kennedy's role is a traitor. Colin Salmon, who played Chief Hazard, has a distinct lack of screen presence in this film; Salmon falls into the background as one of the many government leaders who do next to nothing in terms of this film's plot. Deborah Grant, who played Doris, is another weak link in the subplot that revolves around Butler's home life; Grant is quickly shown to be as unnecessary as Mitchell is. Sean O'Bryan, Robert Forster and Melissa Leo, who played NSA Ray Monroe, General Edward Clegg and DS Ruth McMillan respectively, are the returning minor roles of Olympus Has Fallen and sadly their role in this film is quite insubstantial; the few minutes we see these characters is fleeting and the nostalgia of the first film isn't enough to make them memorable. Jackie Earle Haley, who played DC Mason, is new to the Freeman/O'Bryan/Forster/Leo subplot and is by far one of the weaker links; Earle Haley's screen presence leaves much to be desired. Charlotte Riley, who played MI6 Jacquelin Marshall, has an entire subplot crafted around her over halfway into the film which I felt was far too late; Riley's role also has a backstory with Butler that is never explored or touched upon.

A Bigger Splash

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This film is boring, dull and pretty much carried by Ralph Fiennes. I would give A Bigger Splash a 2.5/10.

While the plot is very overbearing and drawn out there is a fantastic build to Fiennes' death scene; it's very raw and well executed, a glimpse into what this film could have been with a better narrative. The cinematography is exceptionally unique, I loved how inventive some of the choices made by the director were.

Dakota Johnson, who played Penelope Lanier, is the perfect example of a great Black Widow (not the famous Marvel character but rather the film trope); this is probably one of Johnson's best performances that I've seen. Tilda Swinton, who played Marianne Lane, for a performance that was mostly silent Swinton really brought forward a lot of emotion; her frustration and inner conflict was great to behold.

However the best performance came from Ralph Fiennes, who played Harry Hawkes. Fiennes was a dramatic wild card in this film, he absolutely brimming with an energy I did not expect. His impressions and singing really were a great part of the film and led to some of the more memorable scenes. Fiennes is a master of line delivery and shows it in this film; not least because he has about 80 percent of the dialogue.

The plot for this film is long and dull, you are confronted with a number of varying scenes that don't really excite you nor do they advance the plot or develop the characters. Frankly a lot of this film seems to be going round and round in one big predictable loop right up until Fiennes is killed off. I don't even think there was much of an underlying message to this film as the murder had no consequences. The 'flashbacks' in this film served no narrative purpose and felt a lot like filler scenes. The editing for this film was awkward and felt like someone's first time editing a major film, at the very least the editing made the film drag out longer. The score for this film was minimal and poorly used, the soundtrack was a lot of fun but quite inconsistent.

Matthias Schoenaerts, who played Paul de Smedt, was giving a performance that could have put anyone to sleep; Schoenaerts doesn't seem to put much effort into creating an interesting character. Aurore Clement and Lily McMenamy, who played Mireille and Sylvie respectively, were only in this film to give more people for fiennes to bounce off; frankly these women weren't even treated as characters so much as they were props. Corrado Guzzanti, who played Maresciallo Carabinieri, was an almost cartoon like performance; Guzzanti was certainly not the right actor to be playing a homicide detective. Elena Bucci, who played Clara, had no screen presence in this film; Bucci was a strange go between that didn't really need to be in this film.

Grimsby

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Someone needs to stop Sacha Baron Cohen from producing these atrocious comedies. I would give Grimsby a 4/10.

The beginning of the film is really funny and well executed, it felt like a parody film of the spy genre with the sidekick being a really entertaining small town British working class man. It's a shame the way this film progresses because from a technical standpoint this is actually pretty solid for a comedy film. The score for this film is perfect for an action comedy, it's very over the top and can contrast with certain moments that take place in the film quite well. The special effects also look pretty good, I liked the car flying off the bridge as well as the firework effects at the end of the film. The cinematography is particularly impressive, There are some stunning shots as well as many multiple diverse shots throughout this film.

Rebel Wilson, who played Dawn Grobham, had a lot of chemistry with Baron Cohen in this film; her character's openly sexual nature actually really worked quite well in this film. Freddie Crowder, who played Tsunami, was one of the few child actors that were Nobby's kids that I liked; his rough attitude and ability to contrast innocent behaviour with very unexpected crude comedy was well done. Mark Strong, who played Sebastian, is the perfect actor to play a secret agent; Strong has a rough presence and a very convincing hard edge in this film. Lewis Johnson and Gabriel Chay Palmer, who played Young Nobby and Young Sebastian respectively, were an incredible pair with brilliant chemistry in this film; the backstory delivered by these two results in some of the best scenes in the film. Penelope Cruz, who played Rhonda George, was a good choice for the film's antagonist; despite having a character with weak motivations she is clearly one of the better performers with some of the best dialogue delivery in the film.

However the best performance comes from Sacha Baron Cohen, who played Nobby. Sometimes it's those who created the film that do the best in it, they're the ones who know what they're making and are willing to put they're all into creating it. Baron Cohen is clearly one of those people, he takes his role to every possible scenario and really delivers a strong in-character performance each time. I have a lot of respect for his ability to run with a joke and create a character that is funny in the given plot.

There's apoint in this film where you start to stop enjoying what you're watching, around the point where Nobby has to suck poison out of Sebastian's testicles. From this point onwards we're treated to the second half of the film which is rife with crude and offensive humour that never really lands. Frankly it seems to me that they just started aiming for shock value and gave up on delivering a good product. Because of this sloppy second half the film had awful pacing, I was bored and uncomfortable for the rest of the film.

Jon-Jon Lockwood, Shaun Thomas, Claudia Adshead, Miles Evans, Amaan Hendricks, Zak Sutcliffe, Mika Behrman and Laura Therese, who played Jason, Skeletor, Britney, Django Unchained, Gangnam Style, Luke, Nobby's Daughter and Stella Artois respectively, weren't great child actors and actresses in this film; they served to be an oddball backdrop with very little purpose in this film. Isla Fisher, who played Jodie Figgis, served to advance the plot without ever really displaying a character; Fisher's screen presence was weak and forgettable. Scott Adkins, who played Pavel Lukashenko, was a very generic hitman in this film; his confrontation with Nobby wasn't very good at all. Matthew Baldwin, who played Fake Radcliffe, was the butt of a not very funny AIDs joke; this was a hallmark Baron Cohen created character (which isn't saying much). Yusuf Hofri, who played Schlomo Khalidi, was another butt of an awful joke towards disabled people; there was nothing witty or funny about this role. Sam Hazeldine, who played Jeremy Chilcott, was a big talked up antagonist who wound up having zero presence in this film; you didn't find Hazeldine's role even remotely menacing. Annabelle Wallis, who played Lina Smit, was this promiscuous role that you didn't care much about; the scenario she was in wasn't even very funny. Barkhad Abdi, who played Tabansi Nyagura, is a strong reminder that every awful comedy probably has an awful drug related character in it too; I say awful in the sense that you can have drugs and a funny character but too often it's used in a lowbrow way like in this film. Gabourey Sidibe, who played Banu the Cleaner, isn't funny at all; frankly she's just used as the butt of a weak seduction and sex joke. Ian McShane, who played Special Branch Chief, said 'My God' about fifty times in the film and that's about all he did; I expected a lot more from someone as accomplished as McShane.

10 Cloverfield Lane

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This film is an insanely good thriller right up until the science fiction genre is rammed up your nose at the end of the film. I would give 10 Cloverfield Lane an 8/10.

Well I have to say this is an incredible edgy thriller for most of this film, this exploration of being kidnapped and adapting to over come each new obstacle makes for a really interesting film. This film boasts a cast of three who each present really interesting characters that enhance this film. This film for me had a great sense of pace and knew how to create a twist that would keep you engaged in the story. The cinematography and editing for this film is absolutely beautiful, even when the action moves down to the bunker this film displays a keen visual style. Even though I disliked the aliens at the end of the film even I have to admit they looked really good, there was quite clearly a lot of work put in to making the special effects in this film look very smooth and realistic. The score for this film is extraordinary, the sound is so unique and has fast become one of the best scores of the year thus far.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who played Michelle, was an incredible lead protagonist in this film; her ferocity and fight made her really compelling and you were rooting for her in every scenario she found herself in. John Gallagher Jr, who played Emmett, was a really fun role; Gallagher Jr made Emmett a quietly courageous role who was really relatable and grounded.

However the best performance came from John Goodman, who played Howard. I had no idea Goodman still had a role like this in him, this was truly one hell of a performance and if you're a fan of this actor I really recommend seeing this film. In the scenes where Goodman isn't viewed as an antagonist he presents a very awkward and unpredictable character, there is something so fundamentally interesting in this character that you are paying attention to every scene he's in. However when you're aware of him as an antagonist Goodman is intimidating and frightening, he becomes wild and his presence takes up all of that tiny bunker that makes up this film.

I almost wish this film hadn't gone back to it's science fiction roots at the end of the film, this sudden plot twist and genre change came out of nowhere and didn't really serve the film well. One might argue that you should expect the science fiction themes because of the first Cloverfield film; however there are no ties to the last film which is another problem. There is no follow on from the first Cloverfield (not even the aliens look the same), in fact this film is so incredibly different that I wonder what the point of naming the film after Cloverfield is. There also needed to be more attention to building up the character backstories, I never felt like I got to know who Michelle was before the bunker and there were several questions around Howard that were never answered which bothered me.

Mahana

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A beautiful film with a really great look at Maori culture and heritage. I would give Mahana a 7.5/10.

This film is an incredible exploration of a family turmoil and the division that takes place within this family, there is an incredible rivalry between grandson and grandfather at the centre of this plot. Beyond this however what I really appreciated was how respectfully Maori culture and lifestyle was portrayed in this film, there's a great look at Maori family values as well as discrimination in the justice system against the Maori people. The soundtrack for this film has some great well placed numbers, yet it is the score of this film that invigorates scenes and really graces this film with an incredible accompaniment. The cinematography for this film is really well framed and shows an artistic sense of movement many times throughout, the camera work here is a great reminder of how beautiful New Zealand scenery is.

Akuhata Keefe, who played Simeon Mahana, is definitely finding his feet in this film but ultimately I think he does a great job as the lead for this film; Keefe plays a great instigator and really does a good job in the major scenes of the film. Jim Moriarty, who played Rupeni Poata, gives a really intriguing performance in this film; Moriarty develops a role that you grow to like and respect more and more as the film progresses. Maria Walker, who played Huria Mahana, has a fiercely strong presence in this film; Walker is a powerful actress and really plays a mother figure to Keefe really well. Sienna MacKinlay, who played Gloria Mahana, is a pretty good child actress; her line delivery is fantastic and she keeps up with the mature actors beat for beat. Fraser Brown, who played Mr McKenzie, gives a fairly solid performance as Keefe's teacher in this film; I liked the care that Brown portrayed as well as how well he presented important thematic ideas to the film. Stephen Lovatt, who played Judge Hughes, was a crucial part of my favourite scene of the film; Lovatt's humble role in the courtroom scene was a crucial element.

However the best performance came from Temuera Morrison, who played Grandfather Mahana. I knew Morrison would be playing an incredibly intimidating patriarch in this film but I had no idea that would also extend to such a complex antagonist. In a very similar way to how Moriarty built up a character you respected, Morrison slowly plays up the arrogance and rage of his role to create a thoroughly deplorable character by the end of the film. Morrison has a powerful presence in this film and steals most every scene that he's in.

This film has a pacing that isn't too bad but slows right down in a few places, a few unnecessary scenes and characters could have been dropped to remedy this. The editing for this film is a big reason for why this film is so slow, the cutting takes far too slow a pace to compliment the cinematography.

Nancy Brunning, who played Ramona Mahana, gave a very wooden performance in this film; Brunning's performance was one of the most disappointing as her character was one of the most important to the film's plot and she just didn't rise to the occasion. Regan Taylor, who played Joshua Mahana, had a really weak presence in this film; Taylor also didn't really have much chemistry with any of the other members of his family. Eds Eramiha, who played Pani, didn't really have much impact in this film; his romance with Piripi is one of the more forgettable subplots of the film. Ngahuia Piripi, who played Miriam Mahana, isn't given much of an opportunity to act in this film; I found far too often there were characters speaking for her. Miriama McDowell, who played Aunt Saphora, gave a really annoying performance; her character was very antagonistic but without any motive as to this form of attitude. Yvonne Porter, who played Poppy Poata, was one of those unnecessary characters that I mentioned earlier; I really didn't need to see the potential romance subplot play out between her and Keefe. Te Kohe Tuhaka, who played Caesar Poata, had next to no presence in this film; Tuhaka fell into the background more often than not. Grae Burton, who played Young Collins, displayed some of the worst acting in this film; his line delivery in particular was awful.

Hail, Caesar!

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This is an incredibly bizarre film but despite that it proves to be extremely funny and witty. I would give Hail, Caesar a 7.5/10.

This film is filled with some of the best displays of wit I've seen in a long time, this isn't just comedy for the sake of it but carefully crafted humour placed amongst a host of entertaining roles. While the structure of this narrative has some glaring problems I found that the plot of Mannix finding his place and purpose and dealing with each individual subplot was incredible, I was really engaged with this film even if it baffled me at times and I really thought there was a good understanding of pacing displayed. The score for this film isn't the most memorable but it really serves the film well, The Communist score for the Russian sub appearing was one of the best displays given by the score. The cinematography for this film is incredibly framed, while there aren't many unique shots I was really impressed with how well the shots were set up.

Josh Brolin, who played Eddie Mannix, was the perfect lead protagonist for this film; Brolin's rugged and worn down exec who just made everything work was a really engaging character and performance. George Clooney, who played Baird Whitlock, had a very fun role in this film; I loved watching him slowly get absorbed by the Communists' meeting. Alden Ehrenreich, who played Hobie Doyle, gave an incredibly charismatic performance in this film; Ehrenreich easily delivers one of the most likeable characters of the film. Scarlett Johansson, who played DeeAnna Moran, had such a great and fierce presence in this film; the entire subplot around her character's pregnancy was a lot of fun. Tilda Swinton, who played Thora and Thessaly Thacker, did a really good job at playing these twin contrasting reporters; I loved the haughtiness of her characters and the stiff antagonistic relationship she developed with Brolin. Channing Tatum, who played Burt Gurney, was a fantastic shock antagonist in this film; the relationship he had with his dog and his Communist allegiance was some of the funniest content in the film. Jonah Hill, who played Joseph Silverman, gave a great comedic cameo in this film; his line delivery was superb and lead to a subtle display of humour. Veronica Osorio, who played Carlotta Valdez, had some great chemistry with Ehrenreich in this film; Osorio showed her role slowly fall in love with his character very well. Aramazd Stepanian, Allan Havey, Robert Pike Daniel and Robert Picardo, who played Eastern Orthodox Clergyman, Protestant Clergyman, Catholic Clergyman and Rabbi respectively, delivered one of the funniest scenes of the film; this debate around the casting of Jesus Christ and who's religion was the correct one was tastefully executed and well performed. Geoffrey Cantor, who played Sid Siegelstein, wasn't a major role but delivered a really fun couple of scenes; Cantor's display of excitement over the idea of Johansson adopting her own baby was hilarious. Robert Trebor, who played the Producer of 'Hail, Caesar!', was a performance that was very realistic; Trebor nailed the boisterous and exasperated Hollywood producer role.

However the best performance came from Ralph Fiennes, who played Laurence Laurentz. Fiennes was perfectly cast for this high strung artistic director role, the minute he appears onscreen you are bowled over by the amount of presence he has. The slow loss of patience that Fiennes displays towards Ehrenreich is well built up and I enjoy the dialogue exchange that takes place between the two of them. Ultimately Fiennes can probably boast the best scene of the film and a terrific performance in it to boot.

The narrative structure of this film is all over the show and it often can mean there isn't enough focus upon a particular character, moment, or subplot. A film doesn't have to have a linear structure by any means but the film should ultimately make more sense to the audience than this one did at times. The editing for this film was rather bland and moved quite slowly, I wish the Coen Brothers had gotten a bit more creative in this area.

Frances McDormand, who played C.C. Calhoun, was a rather oddball cameo in this film; beyond a passing gag her appearance isn't very noteworthy. Heather Goldenhersh, who played Natalie, had a lot of screen time in this film but not a lot of presence; her performance was constantly being overshadowed by Brolin's. Alison Pill, who played Mrs Mannix, is a character I wish we had seen more of in this film; Pill lacked chemistry with Brolin in a big way and didn't really suit this character. Max Baker, Fisher Stevens, Patrick Fischler, Tom Musgrave, David Krumholtz, Greg Baldwin, Patrick Carroll, Clancy Brown and John Bluthal, who played Head Communist Writer, Communist Writer 1-7 and Professor Marcuse respectively, were weak antagonists in this film with a disappointing display of line delivery in this film; maybe if a better ensemble had been cast these roles as a collective would have wored better as a comedic aide to this film. Ian Blackman, who played Cuddahy, had very little screen presence in this film; his scenes with brolin were very forgettable and a lot of that was on him. Christopher Lambert, who played Arne Seslum, wasn't a very memorable cameo in this film; Lambert's appearance fell into the background against Tatum and Brolin's respective performances. Michael Gambon, who voiced the Narrator, was a bit annoying and overbearing in this film; the narration itself was rather pointless and only served to drive in the punchlines of a few different jokes.

Ride Along 2

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While not better than the original this film certainly is a worthy sequel that carries the story on extremely well. I would give Ride Along 2 a 6/10.

This film creates a strong comedic scenario, in fact a greater majority of this film (particularly the action sequences) are incredibly well written and some of most well written humour that I've seen since Daddy's Home. The cinematography in this film is some of the best that I've seen in a comedy film, it's not all particularly mind-blowing but this film has a great sense of style to it. The special effects, particularly the explosion effects look really good in this film; however the opening car/foot chase and the CGI alligator also look really good. However it is the soundtrack of this film that really stands out, not only is this fitting for an action film but it is also perfectly timed and chosen to aid and enhance the comedic moments of the film.

Olivia Munn, who played Maya, is a really strong lead that mirrored Cube extremely well; I love that she could steal a scene and demand the most attention in any given scene. Bruce McGill, who played Lt. Brooks, is just as enjoyable in this film as he was in the first film; his gruff play on the generic police captain is immediately one of the most entertaining characters of the film. Sherri Shepherd, who played Cori, is an incredible presence in this film; her comedic and intimidating role overshadows Hart in every scene she shares with him. Carlos Gomez, who played Captain Hernandez, is yet another commanding police figure that I liked in this film; I liked that Gomez's role was charismatic but also showed an incredible display of anger when given cause. Tyrese Gibson, who played Mayfield, is a really good cameo in this film; Gibson's strong and intimidating police detective really works well alongside Ice cube's performance.

However the best performance came from Ice Cube, who played James Payton. Cube is the strongest leading performance of the film who embodies the intimidating and skilled cop extremely well. He has a strong presence onscreen and you enjoy seeing him play a role in the action sequences and interrogations. He's one of the funnier performances almost out of his character's resistance to Hart's role; you enjoy how much he antagonises his annoying sidekick.

The plot of this film is another generic crime story, the type that has come to exist as the backdrop to all the action/comedy films and is by no means memorable. This film really kicks off on a high note but about halfway through the film this energy peters out and the action slows right down, from there on out the film suffers a lot of pacing problems even heading into the final action scene. The editing isn't anywhere near as good as the cinematography, the cuts are very basic and don't aid the pacing problems at all.

Kevin Hart, who played Ben Barber, tries far too hard in this film; his comedic onslaught is too much and someone probably needed to tell him to dial it back. Tika Sumpter, who played Angela Payton, was one of the best parts of the first Ride Along and is completely underused in this film; I wish Sumpter had been given a stronger screen presence in this feature.Benjamin Bratt, who played Antonio Pope, gave a very generic performance of an antagonist in this film; I think Bratt did a good enough job but there is just simply nothing that makes his character stand out. Ken Jeong, who played A.J, is a very crude and annoying character in this film; Jeong is one of the characters who contributes the least to this film and he is given more screen time than he deserves. Michael Rose, who played Gates, was a very generic hitman to Bratt's generic antagonist; it ultimately felt like Rose wasn't even playing a character so much as a man wielding a gun. Arturo del Puerto, who played Alonso, has a really weak presence in this film; he only has scenes in which the film needs someone to help advance the narrative along. Eric Goins, who played Assface, was overused in the first Ride Along and he didn't even need to be in this one; Goins isn't funny and adds nothing beyond a pointless minor character to this film.

The Lady In The Van

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Not even Maggie Smith can make this dry British comedy entertaining. I would give The Lady In The Van a 4/10.

What was really engaging about this film was the backstory of Miss Shepherd, it was made so engaging by unpacking a story about death, musical talent supressed by religious order and the mental tortures experienced by Miss Shepherd as a result of these things.This film had a great score, the classical range displayed in this film really worked well with the story.

Roger Allam, who played Rufus, is exceptionally witty in this film; Allam's role is rather self absorbed but also has some really funny insightful lines in this film. Pandora Colin, who played Fiona Perry, presented a character that worked to what the narrative was saying about middle class everyday people quite well; she was very unobservant but acted kindly towards Miss Shepherd to make herself feel better. Frances de la Tour, who played Mrs Vaughan Williams, was fantastic as the street's resident gossip; de la Tour's very exaggerated and almost mocking tone made her a fun character in this film. Cecilia Noble, who played Miss Briscoe, was one of the funniest characters in the film; the scenes between her and  Jennings resulted in some of the most entertaining exchanges in the film.

However the best performance came from Maggie Smith, who played Miss Shepherd. Smith had some really fun dialogue in this film and presented her character as quite peculiar and full of witticisms. I liked seeing her play the scenes in which her character suffers terror at the memory of the man who died in front of her, you feel afraid and sad for her. Frankly the scenes where Smith plays the more dramatic elements of the film is where her performance really comes to life and where The Lady In The Van will really hook you.

For a film that is so centred upon comedy it isn't very funny, I found myself laughing only a couple of times throughout the entire feature. I also hated how the narrative was told through Alan Bennett arguing with two versions of himself; it resulted in a very narcissistic tone to the film. The ending for this film came very abruptly and seemed over the top and absurd, beyond this the story itself was very predictable and holds no surprises for the average viewer. The cinematography in this film is extremely static, I wish beyond anything that the camera had moved more or been framed better to make a film that was the least bit exciting. The editing was just as bad, the cuts were slow and didn't give the film anything other than a slow dragged out pace.

Jim Broadbent, who played Underwood, is quite an exaggerated and over the top antagonist in this film; I hated that he confessed everything right at the end of the film because it honestly made no sense for his role to make that choice. Clare Hammond, who played Young Margaret Fairchild, should probably have had more of a focus in the flashbacks; these scenes were interesting and I felt like the film was doing itself a disservice by not utilising them more. Alex Jennings, who played Alan Bennett, was an awful protagonist for this film; his unbearable droning voice and dislikeable character rendered the narrative of this film extremely stale. Deborah Findlay, who played Pauline, gave a very artificial performance; her chemistry with Allam wasn't there and her line delivery simply didn't match up to his or Smith's. Dominic Cooper, who played an Actor, absolutely baffles me in terms of his presence in this film; there's really no feasible reason or purpose behind Cooper's cameo. Tom Klenerman, who played Tom Perry, isn't a very noteworthy child actor; his screen presence often leads him to the background. Gwen Taylor, who played Mam, has very little chemistry with Jennings in this film resulting in a mother/son relationship that isn't very convincing; beyond this her dementia performance is extremely weak and one of the worst that I've seen. Claire Foy, who played lois, has very little screen presence in this film; her character is immediately forgettable and her interactions with Smith and Jennings not very impressionable. James Corden, who played Market Trader, is a cameo that is exceptionally fleeting; what makes this cameo bad is that you literally see very part of it in the trailer for this film. David Calder, who played Leo Fairchild, isn't given enough focus in this film; there is potential with this performance and the story behind this character but it is never used to the film's advantage.