The Nice Guys

This review may contain spoilers!

This is a pretty good 70s crime film even if it does have some major pacing issues I would give The Nice Guys a 6.5/10.

This a really funny satire about pornography and the role of nudity if film, it's about morality and the difference between action and senseless violence but most of all it's just a crazy crime mystery that manages to be a lot of fun. The score for this film is perfect aimed for a late 70s vibe, I enjoyed the soundtrack as well because there were a lot of classics in there too. The fight choreography for this film was pretty good, there was nothing too showy but the film didn't demand high stakes fights. The cinematography was pretty good, I felt there were a few epic shots particularly in the action scenes.

Ryan Gosling, who played Holland March, was a great pathetic protagonist; I found Holland to be a really funny role and his ever-changing moral compass was amusing to watch. Angourie Rice, who played Holly March, played a very innocent role quite well; Rice acted as the conscience of the film and we see that through how she interacted with Crowe, Gosling and Qualley. Matt Bomer, who played John Boy, was one of the few truly great antagonists of this film; everything about him screamed dangerous assassin and did incredibly with the amount of screen time he had. Lance Valentine Butler, who played Kid On Bike, was a really funny minor role; I liked his satirical performance of a witness and the jokes around the size of his dick.

However the best performance came from Russell Crowe, who played Jackson Healy. The Nice guys is a funny, raunchy and violent film that owes a lot to Crowe's performance; make no mistake this is his film. The character of Healy drives the violence of the film (it's practically his occupation) but deep down all he wants is to matter, to be of use to someone. There's a gentler quality to Crowe's role which we see more and more of as the film progresses. While Crowe does a great job as this violent enforcer, he does even better as the compassionate investigator we have by the end of the film.

One of the big problems this film has was pacing, there would be long points where the film would get away from itself and become more of a comedy or activist feature; ultimately it's easy to get bored until the film found it's way again. I also thought the corruption at the heart of the government wasn't a very well done storyline, not only was it predictable but the details of the crime wasn't very well presented. I know there was good cinematography in this film, I know because I'd watch a cool shot drag on for too long and be completely let down by the terrible editing. I also felt the special effects were shoehorned in for no reason, the CGI bug was a segment of the film that was a bit too weird.

Margaret Qualley, who played Amelia Kuttner, just didn't live up to the importance placed on her character in this film; Qualley didn't deliver her dialogue very well and gave a performance that was a bit over the top. Yaya DaCosta, who played Tally, was one of the worst performers in the film; her reveal as an antagonist wasn't surprising at all because she made it so obvious. Keith David, who played Older Guy, was given far too much screen time for a token thug; you lose interest in David pretty quickly. Beau Knapp, who played Blueface, was made a bit too comedic in this film; his performance became a bit absurd and you never really found him menacing as an antagonist. Lois Smith, who played Mrs. Glenn, gave what I felt was the most over the top performance out of all the cast; Smith really had very little relevance to the film and she pushed things a bit too hard in the scenes she was in. Daisy Tahan, who played Jessica, isn't a very good child actress; Tahan's line delivery was awful. Kim Basinger, who played Judith Kuttner, didn't make for a very good overarching antagonist; her performance was so dry and void of emotion. Jack Kilmer, who played Chet, portrayed an extremely two-dimensional character; Kilmer also wasn't a very strong performer and lacked screen presence. Hannibal Buress, who voiced Bumble, was responsible for a scene that was a bit too out there; the appearance of this giant talking bee really pulled you out of the film.

Alice Through The Looking Glass

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This film has a great protagonist that is let down by the garbage script for this sequel/prequel. I would give Alice Through The Looking Glass a 4/10.

While there are some serious flaws with the plot of this film I have to admit that the main protagonist, Alice, is written really well; her perseverance and self-empowerment are great qualities. I also appreciated the focus put on backstories for some of the Wonderland characters in this film - specifically the Hatter, Iracebeth and Mirana; this meant these characters felt a lot more developed within this particular film. However the strength of this sequel is the visual aspects - particularly the special effects; there is a really unique visual style to this film that clearly took a tremendous amount of effort to create. I also liked the cinematography, there were some great shots that really hoped show the scale and size of these fantasy environments.

Sacha Baron Cohen, who played Time, was quite a funny and likeable role in this film; Cohen makes for a very erratic performance with some touching scenes between himself and Wasikowska. Rhys Ifans, who played Zanik Hightopp, made for a good father figure to the Hatter; his tough parent role made the background for the Hatter all the more interesting. Lindsay Duncan, who played Helen Kingsleigh, has some great development from a weak, cowardly role to a strong matriarch; Duncan's connection to Wasikowska was very clear and the relationship between these two was great to see. Leo Bill, who played Hamish, was a great weaselly antagonist for the 'real world' storyline; his arrogant air of superiority made him one of the more dislikeable and clear antagonists of the film. Timothy Spall, who voiced Bayard, has some great line delivery in this film; he acts as a great storyteller and recounts exposition really well. Michael Sheen, who voiced McTwisp, has the skittish voice of the White Rabbit down perfectly; Sheen's voicework provides a sense of urgency to the scenes he's in. Louis Ashbourne Serkis, who played Young Hatter, was a pretty good child actor; the grief he shows over his father destroying his hat makes for a very good scene. Leilah de Meza, who played Young Iracebeth, was another great performance by a child actor; her diction was very clear and she played a royal figure rather well.

However the best performance came from Mia Wasikowska, who played Alice Kingsleigh. In this film Alice is a strong, resourceful character who is quite visibly rocked to the core when she stands to lose her father's ship. What we have is a character who once believed in doing the impossible but who's faith in this is entirely shaken, throughout the film we see her reclaim this belief in what is some very good character development.

What makes this film so bad and drawn out is the fact that the stakes are never really high; the Hatter is sick so Alice goes back in time to save his family, however the Hatter doesn't exactly sit in the hearts of the audience so this entire storyline feels a little moot. As it stands the start of the film all around Alice's life in the 'real world' is by far the more interesting story, sadly it's never really given the attention it deserves and instead we're stuck with the mediocre Wonderland storyline. The score for this film is almost entirely forgettable, I walked away the Looking Glass trying to remember the music that accompanied key scenes and couldn't think of anything significant at all.

Johnny Depp, who played Hatter Tarrant Hightopp, doesn't really reconnect with Wasikowska all that well in this film; Depp's performance seems to be all over the place and it feels like he's majorly cashing it in. Helena Bonham Carter, who played Iracebeth, plays her character even more over the top than the last film; the entire motivation behind why her character is a villain is made unbearably weak in this sequel. Anne Hathaway, who played Mirana, just seems to be going through the motions of playing her role; I got the impression that Hathaway didn't really want to be in this film all that much because her performance was so lackluster. Matt Lucas, who played Tweedledee and Tweedledum, were just annoying side roles in this film; Lucas has a voice that works well for the Tweedles but really grates on your ears after a while. Geraldine James and Joanna Bobin, who played Lady Ascot and Alexandra respectively, felt like weak supporting antagonists to Bill's great performance; a pair of very weak and forgettable talents. Andrew Scott, who played Dr. Addison Bennett, was a minor role that the film didn't really need; this quick return to the 'real world' felt jarring and this was mainly due to the appearance of Scott. Richard Armitage, who played who played King Oleron, was a surprising and unnecessary minor role; if Oleron was going to be used as a character at all then they should have had him in more scenes. Ed Speleers, who played James Harcourt, barely had any lines in this film and yet was given far too much screen time; his support for Alice was very sweet but also felt very forced. Alan Rickman, who voiced Absolem, had very little impact on this film as a whole; this is an exceptionally disappointing film for Rickman's last feature. Paul Whitehouse, who voiced Thackery, pushes the limits on how absurd this film can get; ultimately Whitehouse has a voice that can wear a bit thin after listening to it for too long. Stephen Fry, who voiced Cheshire Cat, was one of my favourite performances from the first film but was grossly underused in this film; he had no impact on the story and only fleetingly appeared in scenes. Barbara Windsor, who voiced Mallymkun, was quite a strong performance from the first film but is almost forgotten about this time round; Windsor is lucky if she's given even an echo of some of the strong lines she had from the first film. Matt Vogel, who voiced Wilkins, is easily the weakest voice actor for this entire film; I can't stress enough how annoying his character was just due to Vogel's voicework. Hattie Morahan, who played Queen Elsemere, never really connected with the young actresses who played her daughters; Morahan gives quite a stereotypical performance of a motherly character. Amelia Crouch, who played Young Mirana, is quite a terrible child actress; her line delivery is shockingly bad.

X-Men: Apocalypse

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This film does not deserve the negative reviews it's been getting, this is a remarkable new addition to the X-Men universe. I would give X-Men: Apocalypse a 7.5/10.

This movie has some great follow up from Days Of Future Past and takes the time to pay attention to each character, I especially liked the focus on Magneto and his family within this film. What made this film such a remarkable X-Men film was the fact that it risked a longer run time for scenes that would focus on nearly every cast member; I thought this attention to character was great and really set this film apart. The cinematography was incredible, there were some huge stand out blockbuster shots in Apocalypse. The special effects only added to this, everything was such a visual spectacle that you can't really fault the film for it's style at all. The score was perfect and added to the intense action vibe of the film, I also have to commend the use of "Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)" by Eurythmics which resulted in another masterful Quicksilver scene.

James McAvoy, who played Professor Charles Xavier, has always been the perfect casting choice for a young Professor X in my opinion; he really stepped into the role of leader and teacher in this film. Jennifer Lawrence, who played Mystique, really takes on more of an aggressive team leader role in this film; Lawrence does a great job at avoiding the responsibility of involving herself in conflict. Nicholas Hoult, who played Beast, is quite a charismatic performer in this film; he acts as the team's conscience and urges other characters into making good choices. Oscar Isaac, who played Apocalypse, did a stellar job with some awful characterization and dialogue; a lesser actor couldn't have made Apocalypse as menacing and grandiose as Isaac did. Evan Peters, who played Quicksilver, is one of the funniest performers in the X-Men franchise; Peters also brought a more serious edge to his character in the responsibility he felt towards Magneto. Josh Helman, who played Col. William Stryker, really came into his own in this film; Helman was able to bring the hardened antagonist to life in this film. Sophie Turner, who played Jean Grey, had some big shoes to fill and she outdid herself; Turner really captures the fear Jean has around her own powers. Tye Sheridan, who played Cyclops, really showed the origin of Cyclops well; Sheridan portrayed a character who was torturing himself and who had a lot of self-loathing. Lucas Till, who played Havok, seemed to have a lot of fun reprising his First Class role; the death of his character was one of the saddest scenes in the film. Kodi Smit-McPhee, who played Nightcrawler, created a character who was funny and a little awkward; a great aspect of Nightcrawler's role is the open fear he shows towards those who intend him harm and Smit-McPhee does a great job of showing this. Carolina Bartczak and T.J. McGibbon, who played Magda and Nina respectively, really brought out a strong performance from Fassbender in this film; the three of them had great chemistry as a family so that when Bartczak and McGibbon died it was a truly devastating moment of the film. Hugh Jackman, who played Logan, had a great cameo in this film; Jackman really showed the savage side of Logan in this appearance and it was great seeing him interact with the younger cast.

However the best performance came from Michael Fassbender, who played Magneto. Fassbender has such a strong, all-powerful presence in this film that really signifies how great he is at playing Magneto. This film is really Magneto's film, we see him attempt to live a normal existence but have to endure a painful and violent transition back to the role of villain. You feel a lot of empathy for him and if there's one character you'll be talking about after Apocalypse it'll be Magneto.

The greatest flaw this film held could be related back to about a third of the movie, specifically anything around Apocalypse and his Horseman. Despite a rather cool opening scene that explains Apocalypse's origins we never really understand Apocalypse to be any more than a two-dimensional antagonist who wants to destroy/rule the world. His Horseman aren't given much focus either (excluding Magneto), instead you're left wondering what the point was in giving the Horseman roles to such big characters like Psylocke, Angel and Storm.

Rose Byrne, who played Moira MacTaggert, was someone I enjoyed in First Class but just did not live up to her previous performance in this film; Byrne feels out of place in an action film and doesn't really fit in. Ben Hardy, who played Angel, was nothing more than an annoying minor antagonist; it very much felt like he was shoehorned into the film and you didn't care all that much when he died. Alexandra Shipp, who played Storm, had a really weak presence in this film; Storm's entire transition from Horseman to hero felt a little forced. Lana Condor, who played Jubilee, was completely unnecessary to this film; Condor presents a mutant who never displays her powers and is ultimately a background role. Olivia Munn, who played Psylocke, had a lot of potential that was ultimately wasted; you can't help but feel the writers didn't truly know how to include her in this film. Tomas Lemarquis, who played Caliban, was a pretty annoying stock minor role; Lemarquis' performance was quite bland. Zehra Leverman, who played Ms. Maximoff, had next to no chemistry with Peters; I wish she'd been given a bit more to do in this film so that we could have understood her relationship with magneto more.

Phantom Detective

This review may contain spoilers!

This was such a fun return to the crime noir genre for me. I would give Phantom Detective a 6.5/10.

This film manages to capture the gritty dark quality of crime noir films really well, the protagonist is very rough and the antagonist of the film is rooted deep in the systems of power. There were so many dramatic reveals and well written plot twists that I greatly enjoyed, I also thought the way comedic characters were used to provide something new to the genre was a great choice. The special effects were incredible, this looked like something straight out of a dark graphic novel or video game. The cinematography looked stunning, every shot helped create the really unique visual style of this film. The score was another great bonus, I loved the really gritty sound that accompanied each scene. Every fight sequence was very brutal and bloody, I can't believe this was an M rating because the fight were so vicious.

Lee Je-Hoon, who played Hong Gil-Dong, really embodied the protagonist of a crime noir film well; his insatiable drive for vengeance and his short temper were really well portrayed. Kim Sung-Kyun, who played Kang Sung-Il, was the perfect antagonist; his performance was very mysterious and enigmatic which made him all the more interesting. Roh Jeong-Eui, who played Dong-Yi, was a very empathetic performer; she was great at displaying an incredible range of emotions for such a young age. Park Geun-Hyung, who played Kim Byeong-Duk, gave a very realistic performance in this film; I loved the scene between him and Je-Hoon where he confesses he'd kill the man's mother again if he had to. Jung Sung-Hwa, who played the Innkeeper, was quite a great comedic role in this film; I enjoyed the fact he had such a righteous personality and attempted to save the grandfather by himself.

However the best performance came from Kim Ha-Na, who played Mal-Soon. This actress gave an incredible performance for someone so young, you cared so much about her because she had such strong moments of grief as well an almost naive sense of the events as they unfolded. The best part about her performance was that she was the most comedic performer in the film, her exchanges with Je-Hoon resulted in some of the best scenes of the film.

This film suffered from a backstory that was too complex, the story around GU Group was hard to wrap your head around and made the story more complicated than it needed to be. I also felt that the film went a bit too over the top, whether it was with it's dialogue or action scenes, to be taken too seriously as a film.

Go Ara, who played President Hwang, was a role that was never well developed in this film; her relationship with Je-Hoon's role was never explored in a satisfying way. Hwang Bo-Ra, who played Used Book Store Woman, was an annoying minor role; it felt like she didn't understand much of what she was doing in the scenes that she was in. Yoo Seung-Mok, who played Auto Repair Shop Owner, didn't have much screen presence in this film; he was one of the more forgettable members of the cast.

Bad Neighbours 2: Sorority Rising

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While this sequel has a brilliant script I did have to wonder if the cast was really putting their all into it. I would give Bad Neighbours 2: Sorority Rising a 6.5/10.

This film had all the brilliant gags and funny lines that made the first Bad Neighbours such an entertaining film, the first film is celebrated and referenced extremely well. I also thought that the focus on feminism and equal rights for women was well represented in this film, there's a great message at the heart of this film about women deserving the exact same things as men. The soundtrack for Bad Neighbours 2 is a brilliant blend of tracks, I think every track for this film was used for it's full comedic potential.

Zac Efron, who played Teddy Sanders, looks like he's having incredible fun in this film; I thought it was interesting that we got to see a more vulnerable side to Efron's performance in this film. Selena Gomez, who played Madison, had a great appearance in this film; her character was a fun parody of the stereotypical sorority girl. Seth Rogen, who played Mac Radner, really plays these wild slapstick roles quite well; I think at the heart of it Rogen can create a very relateable and likeable role. Dave Franco, who played Pete, brings yet another great homosexual character to screen in this film; Franco is a very genuine performer and he really has a ton of chemistry with Efron in this film. Lisa Kudrow, who played Dean Carol Gladstone, is yet another minor appearance from the great original cast; Kudrow's sarcastic and politically invested role is a really enjoyable scene. Christopher Mintz-Plasse, who played Scoonie, reappears for a great cameo; I really enjoyed the idea that Mintz-Plasse's role had become very successful. Kelsey Grammer, who played Shelby's Dad, was such a funny surprise cameo in this film; I loved the jokes made around parents having to deal with their kids leaving home. Hannibal Buress and Jerrod Carmichael, who played Officer Watkins and Garf respectively, had several moments where they presented some great satire about African-American police killings; I thought the way they presented this humour was very blunt and very well delivered. Brian Huskey, who played Bill Wazakowski, was a great minor role from the first film; I enjoyed Huskey's appearance and how he really played up the comedy in the scene he was in.

However the best performance came from Rose Byrne, who played Kelly Radner. Byrne was my favourite part of the first film and she continues to stand out in this one. She knows how to land her moments of comedy and really banters well against Rogen and Efron. Also she's able to play the moments where her character exhibits her own personal fears and anxieties really well. Ultimately for most of this movie she's reacting extremely well to the stuff going on around her and I think it's her ability to give quite a natural reaction to the unfolding events that makes her so much fun to watch.

While this film was funny and had an interesting element to the plot there wasn't much effort to really pull out the stops and do something big, frankly this film was rather tame for a majority of the film. It didn't help that Shelby and her sorority had a third of the screen time yet weren't able to deliver a compelling part of the plot. The cinematography was rather basic, the shots didn't have much creativity to them. i also felt that the editing was slow, another problem all too common for comedy films.

Chloe Grace Moretz, who played Shelby, lacked charisma and the big presence to really stand out in this film; Moretz certainly is far from capable when it comes to being a comedic performer. Kiersey Clemons, who played Beth, gave a really weak performance alongside Moretz; she never really provided anything to the story. Ike Barinholtz, who played Jimmy, is such a creepy actor/character; Barinholtz is one of the characters i wish hadn't returned from the first film. Carla Gallo, who played Paula, had nothing but disgusting humour in this film; Gallo and Barinholtz have no chemistry whatsoever. Beanie Feldstein, who played Nora, was probably the weakest performer of the sorority main cast; her humour was strange and it was fitting that she had to share a scene with Barinholtz. Liz Cackowski, who played Wendy the Realtor, was this stern two dimensional performance that created some boring scenes; ultimately Cackowski should have had a lot less screen time.

Bastille Day

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While this feels like every action film I've ever seen before I found it to be a lot of fun and quite entertaining. I would give Bastille Day a 6/10.

This film is certainly generic but it works really well, you are hooked on the action and want to see the threat dealt with as the film progresses; so the film is at the very least engaging. I wasl also surprised to see a rather interesting subject brooked by this film: the villains manipulate prejudice towards Muslims by framing several mosques in this film. It's a really interesting aspect of the film, especially after the recent Paris attacks; there's a theme that appearances can be deceiving and that you can't make a snap judgement of a person/culture which I really like. The score for this film sounds brilliant, it's very thrilling and lends to the action quite well. The fight choreography has to be my favourite aspect of the film, the one in the back of the van is by far my favourite because everything feels so raw and desperate.

Richard Madden, who played Michael Mason, was a rather charismatic and likeable thief in this film; I thought Madden brought a lot of depth to a role that could have been very two dimensional in the hands of a lesser actor. Charlotte Le Bon, who played Zoe Naville, really played a character who was heavy with guilt and grief; I enjoyed seeing her reaction to the bomb attack and how deeply it affected her role. Anatol Yusef, who played Tom Luddy, gave a very bona fide performance of a special service operative; I liked the opposition Yusef created between him and Elba. Jose Garcia, who played Victor Gamieux, was a really surprising antagonist in this film; the shock when he killed Reilly was incredible and from there on out he served the film really well. Eriq Ebouaney, who played Baba, really had some good chemistry with Madden in this film; his indifferent haggling made him a great pawnbroker in this film. Thierry Godard, who played Rafi Bertrand, was a very calculating antagonist for most of this film; it was interesting when he became very desperate and wild by the end of the film.

However the best performance came from Idris Elba, who played Sean Briar. In Bastille Day Elba is like a one man military force, he is the human embodiment of a tank. He has such an incredible presence that whenever the film starts gearing towards an action scene you can visually see how tense and alert Elba's role becomes. I think he played a hardass action film protagonist extremely well; though there were some great moments of empathy between him and Madden as the film progressed.

This film can't escape from the fact that it doesn't aim to do anything new, you're left listening to familiar dialogue or plot points as old as the eighties. This lack of originality makes the film boring more at the start than anywhere else; it isn't until the film nears the end that it really starts to find it's feet and pick up the pace. I also thought the cinematography was quite poor for an action film, the shots were very basic and didn't have you one the edge of your seat. A significant part of this was also the editing, the cuts that took too long to happen meant that the film was a very slow action movie.

Kelly Reilly, who played Karen Dacre, didn't have a whole lot of impact upon this film; the most interesting thing her role provided was her death. Jerome Gaspard, who played Yves, was a rather lacking minor antagonist in this film; most of the minor antagonistic roles didn't provide much in terms of their characters.

The Angry Birds Movie

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This is probably going to be the worst animated film I watch this year. I would give The Angry Birds Movie a 2.5/10.

The most successful aspect of the plot in this film is the character of Red and how his backstory is depicted, his loneliness and isolation makes you feel bad for him so it's all the more satisfying when he's welcomed in the Bird community at the end of the film. I'll also admit that the animation was pretty good, though it really was the best in action sequences; seeing the Birds fly through the air and attack the Pigs was immensely satisfying.

Keegan-Michael Key, who voiced Judge Peckinpah, was one of the more iconic and stand out voices in this film; Key presents a figure who's very gruff and full of bluster. Bill Hader, who voiced Leonard, made for a pretty good antagonist in this film; Leonard was very sly and one of the more entertaining characters of the film.

However the best performance came from Jason Sudeikis, who voiced Red. Sudeikis did a great job at presenting the film's protagonist, he really showed the role's bitter attitude. Red was a role that had an underlying desire to belong and that was one of the more touching qualities of this film. Ultimately Sudeikis is a great comedic actor and he presents some really funny deadpan humour in this film.

This film has some incredibly crude humour for an animated film aimed at kids, I was actually disappointed at the amount of terrible jokes. While the story of Red kicks the film off to a good start it is the very abrupt introduction of the Pigs that brings the film down. There is no set up for the villains of the film, they're quite boring and two dimensional as far as animated bad guys go; between these villainous characters and the lack of chemistry between the rest of the voice cast the film starts to drag early on. The soundtrack for this film is awful, nothing works towards creating a consistent sound for this film.

Peter Dinklage, who voiced Mighty Eagle, is far too over the top even for this film; his vain character isn't funny or likeable. Maya Rudolph, who voiced Matilda, is one of the most boring and stereotypical characters of the film; she's the zen meditating woman that you see in any film with a zen meditating woman. Danny McBride, who voiced Bomb, should probably consider classes in voice acting, his performance was extremely wooden and hard to listen to. Josh Gad, who voiced Chuck, has had a pretty terrible track record with his recent films; Gad's role is annoying and not funny in the least.

Eye In The Sky

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A truly horrifying and insightful glimpse into the moral debate of drone warfare. I would give Eye In The Sky a 9/10.

This film is essentially a debate and it's by no means a simple one, it asks whether it is justifiable to use drones to kill terrorist cell leaders if it means civilians will die in the process. It's an extremely relevant debate and there is a lot of controversy around this subject in the world today. There is no doubt that this film condemns drone warfare and the consequences of this type of warfare but it still makes a compelling argument for the necessity of drone warfare and why this type of attack exists. The incredible discussion within the film as well as the mounting suspense means this film flow really well, there is a great sense of pacing. The cinematography in this film looks really good, mostly everything is just framed really well and there's a great contrast between the static military spaces and the busy world of the Kenyan streets. The score for this film is linked to the success of the film, the music used creates this atmosphere of tension and uncertainty as well as a building sense of horror. The special effects in this film are minimal but look quite good; the CGI models of the beetle and the drone look pretty good, however the most stand out effect in this film is the explosion that could be described as the greatest scene of the film.

Faisa Hassan, Aisha Takow and Armaan Haggio, who played Fatima Mo'Allim, Alia Mo'Allim and Musa Mo'Allim respectively, are the heart of the film; the way this family acts and interacts makes the audience care so much that when young Alia dies at the end of the film it's all the more profound. Helen Mirren, who played Colonel Katherine Powell, really developed from the film's protagonist to quite an antagonistic figure; I liked seeing her frustration and almost blind desire to kill her targets. Aaron Paul, who played Steve Watts, is quite reserved and by the books when first we meet him in this film; however the amount of emotion Paul shows when he attempts to defend Alia is exceptional. Babou Ceesay, who played Sergeant Mushtaq Saddiq, played a very submissive role in this film; Ceesay did a great job of showing his discomfiture under Mirren and you really feel the pressure he faces. Carl Beukes, who played Sergeant Mike Gleeson, is one of the few roles who contests Mirren's actions exceptionally well; he reminds us that there is culpability for any misguided actions that would take place. Monica Dolan, who played Angela Northman, very sternly reminds us of the value of human life in this film; the ferocity with which she battles for 'capture not kill' option is admirable. Barkhad Abdi, who played Jama Farah, was quite an earnest risk taker in this film; it felt like Abdi's character was one of the few intelligence/military agents who cared about civilian life. Iain Glen, who played James Willett, is rather comical at first in this film; however Glen is one of the best cast members suited to debating and discussing the severity of committing to a drone strike.

However the best performance came from Alan Rickman, who played Lieutenant General Frank Benson. Rickman is first introduced rather comedically, almost in an attempt to remind us of the absurdity of ordinary Western life. As the film goes on we seem him struggle to gather a decision from a group of extremely indecisive or opposed people. As I previously stated this film ultimately condemns drone warfare yet it debates for the other side of the argument strongly as well. A big part of that is Rickman's performance, his military role reminds us of the consequence of war and that peaceful action is not always an option.

The editing in this film wasn't particularly exciting, the cutting was extremely basic and this was probably to ensure a longer running time. The one quality that really hurt the plot was the number of characters in this film, throughout the feature character after character was introduced to the point it became hard to keep up with everyone which was rather frustrating.

Warren Masermola, who played Agent Atieno, didn't have much screen presence in this film; for an on the ground operative he didn't really do all that much. Phoebe Fox, who played Carrie Gershon, was perhaps a bit too emotive and shaky to be a soldier; a lot of the film it felt like she was playing he role's emotional extremes way too high. Lemogang Tsipa, who played Matt Levery, was the third member of the drone team apparently; unfortunately he was never part of any of the plot that mattered nor did he have any particular impactful dialogue. Gavin Hood, who played Lt. Colonel Ed Walsh, was a bit of a stock character; his stereotypical military commander was rather bland to watch. Ebby Weyime, who played Damisi, didn't do a lot for the film; she never even had any chemistry with Abdi the one actor she worked alongside. Vusi Kunene, who played Major Moses Owiti, was a boring military role; he made the Kenyan side of things a bit dull to observe. Francis Chouler, who played Jack Cleary, was one of the most forgettable characters in the British office; his constant exits and entrances were the most noteable thing about him. Richard McCabe, who played George Matherson, gave a good attempt in this film but ultimately didn't make much of an impact; McCabe had a role that was just too two-dimensional for his own good. Jeremy Northam, who played Brian Woodale, gave a cowardly performance that felt out of place in this film; Northam gave a flimsy delivery and showed himself to be a weak link in the British office cast. Kim Engelbrecht, who played Lucy Galvez, didn't have much of an active role in this film; while she did receive a lot of screen time most of it was just bogged down with exposition delivery. Laila Robins, who played Ms Jillian Goldman, was a character that was introduced far too late to be interesting; her brief speech barely leaves an impression.

The Man Who Knew Infinity

This review may contain spoilers!

This film is like The Imitation Game, the only major differences being it has an Indian protagonist and it's a whole lot more boring. I would give The Man Who Knew Infinity a 4.5/10.

This film did a great job of portraying the genius of the main protagonist and how he built a relationship with the English professor who aided him in getting published. There was also a focus upon the racial prejudice against the Indian people during this time period and I thought this was shown quite well. The score for this film is quite important because it signifies the Indian roots of the film itself, we are also made to visualise the emotional struggles of Ramanujan through the music.

Jeremy Irons, who played G.H. Hardy, was a very gruff yet likable role in this film; it was quite important to see how well his relationship with Ramanujan developed. Dhritiman Chatterjee, who played Narayana Iyer, was a great mentor figure for Ramanujan before the England segment of the film; his constant reassurance and optimism were good qualities to see during this initial low point. Arundathi Nag, who played Komalatammal, was a great minor antagonist towards Bhise in this film; her out of touch manner and harmful actions made a strong mark upon the story. Toby Jones, who played Littlewood, was a very good-natured character and performance in this film; he had an incredible amount of chemistry with Irons from there very first scene together onwards. Anthony Calf, who played Howard, was a great recurrent antagonist to this film; his outburst towards Ramanujan is one of the most shocking and raw scenes of the film. Kevin McNally, who played Major McMahon, was the perfect display of character development in this film; he begins as a very vocal opponent of Ramanujan but by the end of the film expresses a completely different view which i thought was superbly performed. Shazad Latif, who played Chandra Mahalanobis, was one of the first genuine welcoming members of Cambridge that Ramanujan meets; I liked seeing a character who recognised and indicated important cultural qualities of Ramanujan as a character.

However the best performance came from Dev Patel, who played S. Ramanujan. patel is brutally honest in his performances, showing all the qualities of his character in a very open way. It is because of this method of performance that we find Patel so easy to connect with, he is a character that can very much be emphasised with. Patel shows the raw anger, humiliation, embarrassment and pain that Ramanujan experiences extremely well, some of the scenes where he presents these specific qualities are very shocking and hard to watch.

This film has terrible pacing and drags on for far too long, a big reason for this is that this film is obsessed with either talking about racial prejudice from time to time or focusing solely upon the mathematical proofs aspect of the main plot which is quite boring. Sadly the more exciting qualities of this film, such as the subplot between Ramanujan and his wife or the outbreak of the first World War, are neglected in favour of more lethargic scenes. The cinematography is agonisingly simple, the framework is basic and there was no real effort to create a visual style. The editing if simple, movement between shots isn't exciting and only serves to slow the pace of the film down further.

Stephen Fry, who played Sir Francis Spring, has no real reason to be in this film; Fry makes no mark and isn't particularly important to the film as a whole. Devika Bhise, who played Janaki, had no chemistry with Patel at all in this film; as a result the romantic subplot between the two of them felt awkward and forced. Padraic Delaney, who played Beglan, faded into the background more often than not; Delaney's only real purpose in this film was to create a dialogue for Irons to play against. Jeremy Northam, who played Bertrand Russell, didn't have much of a screen presence in this film; his purpose seemed to be to remind the audience of the impending war but it didn't help make that aspect of the film any more exciting. Richard Johnson, who played Vice Master Henry Jackson, was far too important a character to be given such a small role within the film; Johnson played a figure who could've been an interesting character if given the screen time to work with. Nicholas Agnew, who played Andrew Hartley, was an awkward addition to the cast of this film; his interaction with Patel and Latif felt out of place and a bit forced.    

Florence Foster Jenkins

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This is film is quite a bit of a fun and you'll leave the cinema with a grin on your face I'm sure. I'd give Florence Foster Jenkins a 7/10.

This film is rather comedic in how it presents itself, it presents a scenario that is quite artificial and wacky but at the same time manages to be enchanting and entertaining. This is a story that will keep you hooked throughout, Florence is a gem of a character and the journey she takes you on in this film is quite a fun one. The music in this film is used really well, the best part is how off-key music performed by Streep is used for comedic purposes. I also really enjoyed the editing, it helped create the older vibe of this period piece with the transitions that were used.

Hugh Grant, who played St Clair Bayfield, has a lot of passion and chemistry with Streep in this film; I liked that he had two sides to his life and that we saw the duality of his role in this film. Nina Arianda, who played Agnes Stark, was the perfect casting for this boisterous incredible performer; her support for Florence at the end of the film was one of my favourite scenes. David Haig, who played Carlo Edwards, makes the singing lessons a really entertaining part of the film; the stock serious performance contrasting with the events themselves is extremely funny.

However the best performance came from Meryl Streep, who played Florence Foster Jenkins. Streep has always been famous for being a powerhouse actress and you can see it without a doubt in this film. I thought she did a great job of playing out the disillusions of her character; her off-key singing was especially a funny quality of the film. However Streep shows the deep sadness of her role that exists below the surface, the tragic backstory of Florence is explored and her dependence upon the other characters is constantly displayed.

I found that this film let itself down in places by being either too over the top or playing too closely with the tragic biopic aspect; there needed to be more of a middle ground between the two forms of storytelling rather than bouncing back and forth between the two extremes. I also found the cinematography in this film to be quite static, the visuals of this film never really looked too impressive beyond the editing.

Rebecca Ferguson, who played Kathleen, gave a relatively good performance but was never explored as a character much; I thought her subplot with Grant was necessary but she felt more like a plot device than a role in this film. Simon Helberg, who played Cosme McMoon, gave a performance that was far too over the top even for this film; Helberg was a bit too quirky and didn't ever feel like a real person. David Mills, who played Augustus Corbin, wasn't a very necessary role in this film; Mills felt like a last ditch effort to make Ferguson a bit more relevant to the film.

Captain America: Civil War

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This film is probably one of the more thought provoking films Marvel has done and I'd say it certainly does the Marvel characters the most justice. I would give Captain America: Civil War an 8.5/10.

This film knows how to hook it's audience, this is one of the longest Marvel movies thus far and it was masterfully paced. From the great opening scene against Crossbones at the start of the film, to the introduction of Bucky, to the mounting conflict between Cap and Iron Man that resulted in a brilliant end to this film. What this film did really well was give each character in this film a moderate amount of focus, you come to enjoy how each individual impacts this story. The cinematography for this film was mindblowing; there was great framing for dialogue scenes but immense epic shots for the big battle sequences. The score for this film was very powerful and worked so well with the scenes in this film; the scores for the Marvel films are some of the best that we get out of blockbusters. The special effects in this film looked great, everything was very detailed and looked quite realistic. The fight choreography was one of the best parts of the film, frankly the fighting in this film is the best of any Marvel film to date.

Chris Evans, who played Captain America, really embodies the moral leader that Cap is in these films; he performs this incredible resolve really well. Robert Downey Jr, who played Iron Man, really showed Stark spiralling out of control quite well in this film; I loved the blind rage we got from Stark when he found out Bucky killed his parents. Scarlett Johannson, who played Black Widow, has some great chemistry with the rest of the cast in this film; I really enjoyed seeing her engage with her friends and attempt to support them. Sebastian Stan, who played Bucky Barnes, really showed the pain and guilt his character was carrying around well in this film; I liked the chemistry between him and Evans which only grew as the film went on. Anthony Mackie, who played Falcon, had such a strong presence in this film; he's a fiercely loyal role and I've always found Mackie to be quite entertaining with his line delivery. Jeremy Renner, who played Hawkeye, has gotten better and better the more films he's appeared in; I liked the scene in the prison where he confront Stark about the morality of imprisoning the Avengers. Chadwick Boseman, who played Black Panther, has a fairly good introduction into the Marvel universe; I appreciated how Boseman portrayed the blind determination his role had to kill Bucky. Paul Bettany, who played Vision, was quite charming in this film; I enjoyed the chemistry between Bettany and Olsen and I liked how he was trying to understand himself better as a living being. Elizabeth Olsen, who played Scarlet Witch, was one of my least favourite parts of Age of Ultron as some of you will know but in this film Olsen has completely changed my mind; as a character Scarlet Witch is still trying to gain control of her powers and find herself a bit so it was brilliant seeing her character development in this film. Tom Holland, who played Spider-Man, might not be the best Spider-Man performance that we've had but he does a pretty incredible job; Holland nails the quick dialogue and funny qualities of the role. Frank Grillo, who played Crossbones, really kicked the film off in a big way; I liked seeing his raw hatred for Cap as well as his incredible menacing presence. William Hurt, who played Secretary of State Thaddeus Ross, was quite a stern government figure in this film; He really rallied well against Cap and was an interesting role.

However the best performance came from Paul Rudd, who played Ant-Man. It's really hard to pick a favourite role in a film like this, there are so many stand out performances but for me personally Rudd was the best. I loved how he worked within Cap's Avengers; he was immediately a very energetic and comedic role. Rudd was having fun in this film and ramped the film back up to 110% when he was introduced. I loved seeing him become Giant Man and I look forward to his future performances within the MCU.

After the great start of this film there is a major drop in energy, Stark is doing a TED talk and goes through a few emotional problems relating to his character; these moments around Stark's character aren't particularly interesting and they even feel a little awkward. When the Sokovian Accords come into play and Black Panther is introduced the energy still doesn't pick up, it takes Bucky being introduced for the film to find it's fast energy again. I also thought that Zemo as an antagonist was a weak example of a main villain; he's a pretty patchwork villain that only really exists to be a conduit for conflict to be created in the plot. My only other real complaint is quite minor, the giant setting title transitions were a bit jarring, when they appeared onscreen I was pulled right out of the film.

Don Cheadle, who played War Machine, is a role that I normally love but who was so bland in this film; Cheadle wasn't funny nor did he have much of a voice in the stuff that matters when it came to the film's plot. Emily VanCamp, who played Sharon Carter, was the token love interest of the film; it was bad enough that she was an unnecessary romance subplot but worse than that was that her romance with Cap took away from the death of Peggy Carter in the film. Daniel Bruhl, who played Zemo, was quite a boring antagonist in this film; he lacked screen presence and I feel like the story could have been a lot more interesting if they made him more engaging or if they had removed him all together. Martin Freeman, who played Everett K. Ross, was completely unnecessary in this film; instead of casting Freeman they should have just given Hurt more screen time. Marisa Tomei, who played May Parker, was poorly written and porrly cast; I've never seen someone so completely out of character in all the Marvel movies. John Kani, who played King T'Chaka, didn't have much screen presence in this film; because his role was never really well explored his death didn't feel that major. John Slattery and Hope Davis, who played Howard Stark and Maria Stark respectively, weren't very interesting cameos in this film; Davis particularly did a bad job of making an impression. Alfre Woodard, who played Miriam, gave quite an awkward portrayal of grief in this film; her scene with Downey was strange and seemed to come out of nowhere. Gene Farber, who played Karpov, never had much impact upon the film; It's a shame because he could have made Bucky's backstory really engaging if he'd left more of a mark.