Her Review

Directed by Spike Jonze and starring Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson and Amy Adams, Her follows Theodore Twombly, a secluded writer who falls in love with his operating system or OS named Samantha. The film is set in a near-future version of Los Angeles however science fiction is the least addressed genre in this film.

The film is a melancholy observation on human relationships and human interaction in the modern age. The near-future setting is surprisingly believable and easy to relate to. There are no flying cars, hover boards or grungy urban cities. Instead Jonze delivers a very minimalist Los Angeles which equal parts sleek, elegant and somehow, just right. It's a testament to the setting of the film that it barely features in the story and yet is quite memorable, Jonze gives the audience just enough of a glimpse to show that this is a different world to ours, yet not so much that it feels alien to us.

Joaquin Phoenix as Theodore Twombly

Nevertheless, the story and characters are the main focus of this film. Joaquin Phoenix has played many villains in his career and is adept at doing so, but his portrayal of Twombly deserves equal merit. Depression, loneliness and anti-social behavior are all facets of his daily life complimented by the disjointed setting. It's ironic that this near-future world has more connectivity with technology than ever and yet the human characters are all so disconnected. Twombly moves through life like a ghost until he purchases an OS. An artificial intelligence that tailors its personality to its owner, think Siri, if Siri worked! But of course much smarter, dynamic and alive. This AI becomes Samantha for Twombly played by Johansson. Her character never physically appears on screen and yet this is an exceptional performance from Johansson, what she manages to convey just through her voice is quite remarkable ranging from curiosity and inquisitiveness to passion, heart and soul. The audio and dialogue is just right so that you get that sense her voice is speaking into your ear, which is the primary way Samantha and Twombly communicate. Amy Adams also puts on a decent display, a mirror at times to Twombly and vice versa and is an important character who provides a human contact for Twombly.

Amy Adams as Amy

Along with the wonderful setting and acting on display here is a neat script and screenplay. One of my few criticisms is the film can feel overly long. Many scenes can be pretty hard going and some of the emotions are dragged out unnecessarily. The film won't be to everyone's tastes (few are) but for a such melancholy movie there is plenty of humour too, poking fun at our modern lives.

Her is a fantastic film, and one of the best science-fiction films I have seen in recent memory. Joaquin Phoenix and Scarlet Johansson's performances are outstanding as is the story of looking for human compassion in a technologically connected world.

Captain Phillips Review

Based on the true story of Richard Phillips and the hijacking of the U.S. container ship Maersk Alabama, this film is directed by Paul Greengrass (Bourne Trilogy) and stars Tom Hanks and Barkhad Abdi. The film follows Phillips (Hanks) as he is kidnapped by Somali pirates and held to ransom.

The film features some fantastic performances especially from the two main leads, aided by the powerful story and the great direction from Greengrass, the film has a perpetual atmosphere of tension which rarely lets up. You never stop feeling sympathetic for the protaganist and can feel the emotion through Phillips words and actions. At no point did I feel that he could have done any more or less, his actions and attitude towards the pirates feel plausible and authentic.

Tom Hanks as Richard Phillips

At a running time of two hours and fourteen minutes, the film could be excused for cutting away from Phillips more often as it sometimes does to show the rescue operations that are being planned simultaneously to the kidnapping. Nevertheless, Phillips and Muse (Abdi) hold most of the screentime. Greengrass has a great way of filming tense scenes particularly in claustrophobic conditions such as the lifeboat as well as action which he is well versed in particularly from the Bourne franchise. Abdi also deserves credit here as the leader of the Somali pirates who presents a very layered character, one clearly capable of violence yet there is a degree of understanding to why he takes these actions, he's certainly not a two dimensional villain and credit to the actor for that.

The film carries great weight and emotion, especially one of the final scenes which really aims for the heartstrings. My only grievance of the film would be that Captain Phillips story continues to be interesting after his rescue, it would have been nice to see some of that played out on screen but I'm nitpicking here really.

Overall, I would highly recommend Captain Phillips, of all the Oscar-nominated films I've seen so far, this one is my favourite at the moment, not only does it contain great acting from Hanks and Abdi but the script is airtight (forgive the pun) and the direction atmospheric, tense and immersive.

The Wolf of Wall Street Review

Directed by Martin Scorsese (Goodfellas and The Departed) The Wolf of Wall Street follows the meteoric rise of Jordan Belfort played by Leonardo DiCaprio as a stockbroker in New York. The plot follows his rise from a penniless man to multimillionaire as the audience follow his story and the story of his company Stratton Oakmont. The film also stars Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie and Matthew McConaughey.

Based on Jordan Belfort's memoir which has the same title, the film follows Belfort as he forms his own stock brokerage and quickly descends into a corrupt and decadent lifestyle. The black comedy persists throughout this film and is quite effective. DiCaprio gives an excellent performance as Belfort clearly enjoying the over-the-top and lavishness that his life becomes. Drugs, prostitution and sex all run throughout the film often intentionally descending into dark territory as equally as it does ridiculousness. There are neat touches throughout the film from Belfort occasionally breaking the fourth wall speaking directly to the camera to bigger set pieces and the impressive number of extras on screen. One of the highlights is Belfort's sales pitches which are as outrageous as his life becomes and that his employees adore.

As previously mentioned the film can be darkly humorous with Jonah Hill bringing a lot of the laughs but DiCaprio also has his fair share of hilarity in the film. There is a question over whether the film goes too far, depicting debauchery just for the sake of it. At a running time close to three hours this becomes more and more apparent as the film goes on. Belfort is unquestionably self-destructive and ranges from arrogant to stupid as he taunts the FBI to try and stop him. It's a film that never takes itself too seriously and yet hits some important points about lifestyle, the modern world, and, of course, money. Money is Belfort's ambition, passion and enthusiasm. Without it his world and the world of those around him crumbles.

Overall, the film is a good one containing equal parts ridiculousness, dark humour and debauchery. At three hours long I felt a little exhausted around the two hour mark after so much screen time devoted to such a lavish and self-destructive personality as Belfort's. Nevertheless, the film is good and certainly may be one of DiCaprio's best performances.

12 Years a Slave Review

Before watching this film I had heard many good things about it, with this in mind I gave 12 Years a Slave a watch recently and was not left disappointed. Directed by Steve McQueen (Hunger and Shame) the film stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch and Paul Giamatti. The film is an emotional story of slavery in America during the 1800's and addresses family, injustice and racism.

Benedict Cumberbatch as Ford

The plot follows Soloman Northrup (Ejiofor) a freedman from New York state who is kidnapped and forced into slavery in the Deep South. The script is partly based on the real-life memoir of Soloman Northrup, and never fails to keep its audience captivated. The film is well crafted, beautifully shot and contains some fantastic acting. Special mention has to go to Ejiofor as he brings raw human empathy to the role and genuine emotion. Fassbender too is a great highlight as the highly racist and cruel Edwin Epps. The story follows Northrup as he tries to reunite with his family, a story that's been told many times before and yet McQueen manages to make it deeply resounding and a triumphant film.

Chiwetel Ejiofor as Soloman Northrup

One of the themes that runs throughout the movie is the question of survival. Ejiofor's character meets two fellow slaves early on with contrasting opinions, one who argues that they must fight for their freedom and the other who argues that they should keep their heads down. This internal struggle can be seen in Northrup throughout the film as well as other characters as he moves systematically through many emotions: from hope instilled by one master Ford (Cumberbatch) to despair when he is forced into Epp's service. The film never shies away from the brutality of the era, showing some truly horrifying treatment to Northrup and his fellow slaves both mentally and physically.

There are very few problems with the film. I thought more time could have been spent with the conclusion of the story, without spoiling anything, the ending is fairly abrupt. The film is very authentic and may feel like hard going to some audience members, however, for the most part the film is well paced and thought out.

Overall, I highly recommend this film not only as a film about slavery but about great narrative, fine acting and a story of reunion and finding oneself.

American Hustle Review

American Hustle is a film I personally didn't know much about other than it was based around con artists and set in the 70's. Directed by acclaimed director  David O. Russel, (The Fighter and Silver Linings Playbook) the film stars Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper. American Hustle is a stylish well-paced film that showcases some fantastic acting and is certainly one of Russel's best films.

The plot follows Irving Rosenfeld (Bale), a cunning conman who works with Sydney Prosser (Adams) to con money using a loans company as a cover. However, when Richie DeMaso (Cooper) enters the picture, Rosenfeld and Prosser are forced into compliance with the FBI which leads them into conning the mafia, powerbrokers and politicians. The plot moves along at a nice pace and rarely slows apart from the opening twenty or thirty minutes. The 70's backdrop for the film looks slick and well crafted from the sets to the period clothing all giving the film a tone that emphasises the plot and the world of con artists.

Bale as Irving Rosenfeld and Adams as Sydney Prosser

There's some fine acting on show here, with Adams' seductive Prosser being a particular highlight as you're never quite sure who's side she's on. Other members of the cast help too with some larger-than-life performances from Bradley Cooper's ambitious and over reaching DeMaso to Jennifer Lawrence's wild and unpredictable Rosalyn. Bale plays a more understated role in this film which at times seemed a little too overdone, at times I wasn't sure if he was less competent as a con artist than the likes of Prosser, but his talent does shine through nonetheless. The film also has a humorous tone at various points particularly with the scenes at the FBI with DeMaso and his overblown ego and Lawrence's outbursts.

The film often walks the line of the audience not knowing who is conning who and at times this becomes detrimental to the film as a whole as some sections were a little too complicated for me and I'm sure for others but some will delight in the unpredictable nature of the film and the subject of cons. I also found the ridiculousness of some of the 'plays' or methods of conning people a little too out there but these are small problems really.

Overall, I thought American Hustle was a slick and stylish movie with substance too thanks to great acting particularly from Amy Adams and Bradley Cooper. Although the plot became too bogged down for its own good at times, it did not stop the film from being enjoyable and an interesting take on the 1970's, con artists and is one of Russel's best films to date.