That Other Movie Blog presents War!

The War genre has been a staple of the film industry since people started making films, so for the entire month of December, we are going to look at some of the best and some of our favourites in the genre.

Here are the movies we will look at:

Jack:

• Apocalypse Now (1979)
• Born On The Fourth of July (1989)
• The Thin Red Line (1998)
• Life Is Beautiful (1997)
• Letters From Iwo Jima (2006)
• The Deer Hunter (1978)
• Empire of The Sun (1987)
• Joyeux Noel (2005)

Ed:

• Schindler's List (1993)
• Das Boot (1981)
• Platoon (1986)
• Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
• Breaker Morant (1980)
• Saving Private Ryan (1998)
• Grave of The Fireflies (1988)
• The Great Escape (1963)

Saul:

• Beneath Hill 60 (2010)
• Jarhead (2005)
• Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970)
• Johnny Got His Gun (1971)
• The Bridge On The River Kwai (1957)
• The Dirty Dozen (1967)

Even though we are doing this month on war, it by no means indicates that we are supportive of any war and are actually anti the killing of any human being. I think Edwin Star summed it up perfectly.

Trailers Week 21: 30/11/14

Jurassic World

I can't say anything for the people who I write with, but I personally love the Jurassic Park franchise, especially the velociraptors (they'll tear you to shreds, just like my ex-wife). This movie looks fantastic, with the park from the first movie finally open and operational as per John Hammond's dream. This movie boasts an all new cast (which is a bit disappointing; bring back the shirtless Jeff Goldblum I say), with Chris Pratt, Judy Greer, Bryce Dallas Howard, Jake Johnson and Vincent D'Onofrio.

Pan
Don't you just wish you could go to a land where you never had to grow up, I wish I could (I just wish I never lost my innocence). But I suppose you'd have to deal with creepy Hugh Jackman and be too young for Rooney Mara.

Unfinished Business
All I can say is that I hope their business deal goes better than my last one one. Starring Vince Vaughn, Tom Wilkinson and Dave Franco.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Yes we already showed you this one here, but wow. This makes me feel like a kid again and distracts me from thinking about someone trying to take all your money.

Alien Outpost
This movie looks like District 9 and Battle: Los Angeles had an illicit love affair that their friends really didn't want to know about because they knew how wrong their relationship was and one of them was actually married at the time, so that hurt someone. Anyway, I got off track. This indie sci-fi movie is all about how mankind can fight back against those alien invaders and in a way tries to fight against the the Fermi Paradox.

Men, Women & Children

Beginning with the Voyager probe drifting through space as Emma Thompson narrates, Jason Reitman's Men, Women & Children opens with a lot of scope, though my primary worry walking into  this ensemble piece, was if it would actually provide an intriguing dialogue on our technologically connected lives or simply be forced along by cliched themes.

Chris Truby (Travis Tope) is a porn-addicted teenager whose parents, Don (Adam Sandler) and Helen (Rosemarie DeWitt) are having marriage issues, and begin to form their own relationships behind each others backs. Chris is attracted to Hannah Clint (Olivia Crocicchia), a self-obsessed teenager who is attempting to become famous through any means necessary, be it reality television or the racy modelling website she runs with her mother, Joan (Judy Greer). One of Hannah's friends, Allison (Elena Kampouris) is so determined to attract her love-interest that she puts herself on an extreme diet that transforms her to borderline anorexic.

Tim Mooney (Ansel Elgort), another student at the school, has quit the football team, against his father's (Dean Norris) wishes. Tim is dealing with abandonment issues (his mother left both him and his father to chase another man to L.A) by immersing himself in an online video game, Guild Wars. Eventually Tim gains the attention of Brandy Beltmeyer (Kaitlyn Dever) who is similarly dislocated from the world around her due to her mother's (Jennifer Garner) controlling attitude to her use of the Internet. Much of the story is told through text messages and digital on-screen overlays that attempt to highlight our society's reliance on, and immersion in social media, with both positive and negative consequences.

This film could be more accurately described as Sex, Teenagers & Pornography. It's up there with the Wolf of Wall Street in sexual references (although obviously a vastly different context) and whilst it does begin to focus more on the men and the women towards the end, the vast majority of it plays out as a teenage driven story about sexual experiences, pregnancy, anorexia, divorce, video games...the list goes on. Whilst these themes work well in the various character arcs, it's not as if they haven't been explored before...many times...even by Reitman himself. The use of on-screen messages to convey certain moments of the story often works beautifully and is one of the (sadly few) defining features of Men, Women & Children.

With a large cast of fantastic actors, and Adam Sandler, Men, Women & Children certainly doesn't have any issues with creating believable characters. Dean Norris was a standout for me as Kent, the troubled father who becomes more and more dissociated with his son. Jennifer Garner is fine, despite playing a soulless and generally uninteresting character. J.K. Simmons is fantastic yet completely underused in his small role, and as much as I may joke about him, Adam Sandler is surprisingly strong as Don, one of the more interesting characters out of the adults.

Just as strong though, are the teenagers, who really do dominate this film. Travis Tope and Ansel Elgort, whilst playing very different characters, both provide fantastic performances. Crocicchia and Kampouris are similarly playing roles at separate ends of the spectrum, and although they're both very good, Allison is a far more interesting character than the vain Hannah.

Men, Women & Children  is another of Reitman's social commentaries, and whilst the formula may be well and truly worn by now, the all-round fantastic performances and interesting use of social media themes save it from falling completely flat.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Trailer

After a week of side-splitting and soul-crushing fake parody trailers comes the official teaser trailer for the J J Abrams/Disney Star Wars reboot/sequel, The Force Awakens. Here it is from MOVIEClips Trailers on Youtube :Star Wars: The Force Awakens Trailer.

A few things to note. Lens flares aside, this trailer and the footage within certainly appear within the visual and tonal styles of J J Abrams. The lateral tracking shot of the ball-droid racing across a Tatooine junkyard and the X-Wings low across the water. The close-up and subsequent wide shot of the speeder (reminiscent of similar shots in the Star Trek movies). The almost certainly opening shot of the film with John Boyega suddenly jumping from below the screen, panting heavily on Tatooine is similar to the opening scene of Star Trek Into Darkness. He was keen to show off the new lightsaber with twin mini-burst to either side of the hilt, possibly to be used like the hilt of broadsword to catch and parry enemy strikes, and being held by a new villain. The blue-tinged handheld quick-cuts of Stormtroopers in a dropship. And the almost orgasmic reveal of a new, beautifully rendered CGI Millenium Falcon dogfighting TIE Fighters inches above the surface of Tatooine, the camera racing and twisting in an attempt to catch up to the iconic ship as the heroic theme blasts onto ones eardrums. Oh, and it's at this stage that the signature lens flare appears, but with considerably more justification that the Apple Store design of the Enterprise bridge. The musical tone for the majority of the trailer is very similar to the Sarlacc Pit scene from Return of the Jedi. Darkness, tension, and ultimately a heroic climax. Oh, and that dark ominous voice reminds me of something...but not quite.

 Honestly, aside from the basic production design, I suspect the Abrams Star Wars films will be difficult to distinguish visually from the slightly sleeker and shinier Star Trek films. But certainly these will be competently-made, though flawed action films. There appears to be a decent amount of variety in locations and characters, with Boyega likely to be a disguised Rebel a la the infiltration of the Death Star in the original Star Wars, or to be a sympathetic Stormtrooper likely to find redemption in some way. It's no secret that some of us here at TOMB are very, very excited for the new series of Star Wars to come out but with more than a year until the December 15 release of the film, there'll be plenty more time to speculate.

Nightcrawler

"You filmed him die."
"It's my job. I like to say that if you see me you're having the worse day of your life."

Jake Gyllenhaal is gaunt, verging on skeletal, wide-eyed, spewing entrepreneurial rhetoric, and is yet wholly terrifying as Louis Bloom, a man desperate enough to do anything to be successful in the orange and yellow-hued streets of night-time Los Angeles. Nightcrawler is the directorial debut of screen-writer Dan Gilroy (The Fall, Real Steel and Two For the Money) that also stars Riz Ahmed, Bill Paxton and Gilroy's real-life wife, Rene Russo who all become a part of Lou's small corner of the underworld of night-time news journalism.

The film opens on a series of establishing shots of Los Angeles at night, awash with colour, where life and noise is ever-present off-screen, and the thrumming score is barely audible. The film then settles on Bloom, a man desperate enough to steal and sell almost anything he can, yet has such a vocal and principled perspective of hard-work that is strangely hypnotic. A perpetually rejected and alone Bloom happens upon a car accident and is swept up with the audacity and energy of Bill Paxton's Joe Loder. Loder is a nightcrawler, a freelance videographer who exuberantly films the crash, intending to sell it to the highest-bidding news outlet and affirms Blooms curiousity with the simple motto "If it bleeds, it leads." Spurred by the potential of this business, Blooms purchases a camera, hires the desperate and homeless Rick (Riz Ahmed of Four Lions) and endeavours to capture the most graphic footage first, and sell it to news director Nina (Russo), with whom he soon finds a kindred spirit.

Louis Bloom neatly joins the ever-growing ranks of cinemas great, nightmarish protagonists such as Travis Bickle and Patrick Bateman with his disassociation from other people and apparent lack of scruples, morals and humanity. Gyllenhaal apparently shed 20 pounds to sell Bloom as a "hungry coyote", and perfectly melts into the wide-eyed unblinking stare of the character. His performance is absolute, the hand movements and gestures, the walk, even the tone that he delivers his rhetoric, Gyllenhaal delivers it all perfectly, and the darker moments of Bloom, when his rage, his hatred and even his manipulative spirit come to the surface, Gyllenhaal never shies away or takes a bite out of the scenery. Riz Ahmed as Rick is the conscience of Bloom, downtrodden, quiet, unsure and desperate, and played tragically well. And Russo as Nina, who maintains this fast-talking facade of authority, when she's often in over her head, is also great. There are several scenes where each of these supports are alone with Bloom, where the scope and reality of his manipulation, his determined rhetoric, and even the threat of what he is capable of, can create awkward comedy and spine-chilling horror. These scenes become long and uncomfortable, but in the best possible way, as the audience is trapped in a car or a booth with this dangerous nightcrawler, as he advances or threatens, unblinking, unflinching, uncompromising, undeterred.

Nightcrawler is filmed with the intent to sell the character of LA. The broad wash of colours, the grainy tone of the film, the neighbourhoods both rich and poor, and especially the encounters in emergency situations, where police, firemen, ambulance crews, onlookers and the news media all collide in moments of high tension and emotion. The use of close-ups and lighting is brilliant, changing perceptions and capturing minute details.. The score meanders from dark drones and percussion, to almost Disney levels of light, inquisitive orchestration, even in moments of heightened violence or danger, perhaps to reflect the mindset of Bloom in these moments, but nonetheless being distracting. But as fascinating as these methods of film-making are, they are dominated by the performances.

Overall, Nightcrawler is a dark, character-driven commentary on the mindset of news media and the entrepreneurial spirit. It is a film laden with rich, detailed and measured performances within a plot that does not twist and turn, but slowly drags the audience into places they'll wish they'd never ventured. The score at times disassociates and detracts from the content on-screen, but is otherwise brooding and dangerous. A brilliant film that lives up to the hype surrounding it and is worthy of the praise, and a watch.

Trailers Week 20: 23/11/14

Pitch Perfect 2

Since when does everybody like singing without musical accompaniment. In this sequel, the team make it to an international a cappella tournament and presumably become the first American team to win. Starring Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Hailee Steinfeld, David Cross, Elizabeth Banks, John Michael Higgins, Adam DeVine and Flula.

Danny Collins

Al Pacino plays an ageing rock star who is having a breakdown and after receiving a 40 year old letter from John Lennon, he decides to make some changes in his life. Also starring Annette Bening, Bobby Cannavale, Jennifer Garner and Christopher Plummer.

Peanuts

So Charlie Brown and the gang are getting a movie on the big screen, so expect to see a lot of Snoopy and none of the cool characters like Peppermint Patty and Marcie. A Charlie Brown Christmas will always be the best Peanuts movie.

The Age of Adaline

Blake Lively stars as woman who is unable to age due to a freak accident in the 30s. It's like being a vampire without all the other vampire powers. Also starring Harrison Ford and Ellen Burstyn.

The DUFF

So is Designated Ugly Fat Friend actually a thing? Because that's a horrible concept. Mae Whitman stars a high school girl trying to break the mould.

Miss Julie

Jessica Chastain and Colin Farrell star in this adaptation of a play about a widow and master of the house trying to seduce her manservant. The bad news is that Samantha Morton is his wife. This looks slightly more comical than dramatic to me.

The Mule

You would think a movie about a man who is unable to go to the bathroom for a week, lest he reveal the copious amount of heroin that is in his stomach, would rely wholly on childish toilet humour. However, writers Leigh Whannell and Angus Sampson, along with director Tony Mahoney, have made a grimly comic thriller about drug smuggling.

The year is 1983 and the whole of Australia is gripped by America's Cup fever. Meanwhile in Melbourne, Ray Jenkins (Sampson) is convinced by his friend Gavin (Whannell) to come on the footy club end of year trip to Thailand. Gavin also has the extra objective of buying a kilo of heroin for shady businessman Pat (John Noble), which Ray has to ingest for the flight home. Once in Melbourne airport, Ray is immediately picked up by customs for his suspicious behaviour. He is then held in custody for seven days by detectives Paris (Ewen Leslie) and Croft (Hugo Weaving).

I had initially thought that this movie was going to be a comedy, based on the premise of the film and the idea that Angus Sampson is a pretty funny guy. Instead it is incredibly dark, and although it had some funny moments, it was on the whole a very serious film. I found the film to be a bit oddly paced however, and it sometimes seemed to speed along at places and at other times it slowed to get through a lengthy piece of exposition.

The performances in this film are a delight to watch though and distract you away from any slow storytelling. Sampson's slight idiot mother's boy Ray seems to only have a slight grasp of the situation he is in and the performances reflect this. Georgina Haig does a great job as Ray's attorney, although I would have liked to see her more. The two best performances for me come from Weaving and Noble. Weaving is incredibly vicious and sadistic as Detective Croft, who knows straight away that Ray has something to hide. Noble (who I had only known previously from Rockstar's LA Noire) is absolutely villainous as Pat 'the Rat'. He is the most enjoyable character to watch in the whole movie.

Verdict: A great display of Australian performances, even if it is a little difficult to watch at times.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1

I've never been much of a fan of the Hunger Games series, or indeed any of the many teenage dystopic films, apart from perhaps The Maze Runner. So walking into the latest instalment, Mockingjay - Part 1 I was a bit hesitant. So, does Part 1 continue in the Battle Royale-esque manner of the first two?

After Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) destroys the arena, Plutarch (Philip Seymour Hoffman) takes her to District 13, an underground embattlement where she meets President Coin (Julianne Moore). Coin persuades Katniss to become their Mockingjay, a symbol of revolution that will boost the uproar against the Capitol. They design a series of propaganda videos to spread the word, but Haymitch (Woody Harrelson) quite rightly suggests that she needs to send her message from the battlefield for it to have influence.

Armed with a film crew, directed by Cressida (Natalie Dormer), Katinss visits a district that has just survived a vicious bombing raid by the Captiol, to see if she can capture both the atrocities of the Capitol, and the spirit of the survivors, in the hope of fanning the flames of revolution. Whilst at the same time, she remains concerned about the state of Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) and his existence within the Capitol.

With Francis Lawrence (I Am Legend, Water for Elephants) reprising directorial control after the success of Catching Fire, the film takes a while to gain momentum, only really finding its stride by the second half. The story of Mockingjay seems much more focused on the political manoeuvres occurring in this Orwellian society and is clearly building up for Part 2, the final instalment in the series. Nevertheless, I was far more absorbed here than I was in the previous two films and for the first real time in the series, I'm actually interested in where it's going. I just wish the first half of this film was as good as the second.

I've never been able to understand how The Hunger Games gets such a vast array of superb actors on-board (Spoiler Alert: It's probably money) and generally they all provide decent if (certainly) not career-peaking performances. Jennifer Lawrence maintains the strong yet troubled nature of Katniss, with both Liam Hemsworth and Hutcherson supporting her well. The late Philip Seymour Hoffman is gentle and sympathetic as Plutarch and Woody Harrelson as Haymitch is still the lovable jackass that he was in the first instalments. Although Julianne Moore is less than stellar, mainly because President Coin is such a bland character, and Natalie Dormer seems to play the same smirking egotist that she does in most her roles, although I suppose it works quite well when playing a director.

Whilst for the first half, Part 1 fails to move away from the stock-standard 1984 dystopia that we've seen many times before, it flourishes more as it moves on, supported by a great cast and a handful of action scenes for good measure.

Classic Review: Days of Heaven (1978)

Terrence Malick is considered to be one of the greatest living filmmakers, if not the greatest, which seems insane considering he has only made six films in close to forty years. But after watching his second film Days of Heaven it is hard to argue with such a claim.

Bill (Richard Gere) and Abby (Brooke Adams) are two con artists who travel the countryside trying to survive. Bill's younger sister Linda (Linda Manz) joins them in journeying to the Texas Panhandle, where the get jobs as sackers on a wheat farm. The farm is run by The Farmer (Sam Shepard), who falls in love with Abby, believing her to be Bill's sister.

Whilst that plot may sound rather straightforward, that description comes nowhere near what the film is about or how what happens in the film. Malick wrote the film but threw away the script and let the three leads of Gere, Adams and Shepard form what would happen in the movie. The result is flowing saga of a love triangle that is a surprisingly gripping story in the hands of the talented Malick. This talent comes through even more in his editing of the film, which took over two years. His decision to run with an improvised script made it difficult for him to make a cohesive story and it was only after a completely improvised narration from Manz, that he was happy with the finished product.

One thing that really makes a Malick film, however, is the stunning cinematography. Néstor Almendros made the film look insanely beautiful by shooting only during the magic hours of dusk and dawn (although this 'hour' generally lasts 20 minutes), a time where it is light but there is no sun present. This effect gives the film a softer look that suits its 1916 setting. Malick loves his animal close ups and they are a recurring element in all his films, but I really thought that he didn't need to show us what locust mandibles look like up close. Another crucial element of this film is Ennio Morricone's score, which I have to say is one of the most beautiful, and yet chilling, film scores I have ever heard.

You could also say that this movie is just about four very subtle performances, all of them amazing. Richard Gere is too charming to think of as your stereotypical conman, but you can definitely see that he has a darker side to him. All he loves in the world are Abby and Linda and will do anything to make a good life for them. You can see the other side of this love in Brooke Adams, although she gives a great performance as she begins to fall for The Farmer. Sam Shepard is absolutely fantastic as a man who wants nothing more than have someone to love, since he has nothing more that he could want. As pointed out before, Manz also narrates the film and it is this narration that provides some background to the characters. It is also funny in parts.

Verdict: Days of Heaven is a true masterpiece that I wish I had known about before watching it. What's even more amazing is that Malick took a twenty year hiatus between this and his next film, The Thin Red Line.

Let's Be Cops

I'm really glad that this movie points out how illegal it is to run around pretending to be a police officer, not to mention how dangerous it would be, because I reckon it's something people might (and probably already) do. But for Jake Johnson and Damon Wayans, Jr. it looks like a lot of fun. 

Justin (Wayans) and Ryan (Johnson) are two losers in their early thirties who wish their life was better. For their upcoming college reunion, they decide to dress as cops because Ryan misunderstood the dress code on the invitation. After they realise the mischief that they can get away with, they keep up the charade for a while until getting dragged into an actual organised crime investigation.

For the most part this movie is a lot of fun. There are some great montages with Johnson's character learning how to be an officer from Youtube videos and the scenes where the two of them are adjusting to this new life that they have created for themselves, but are still unsure of what they should do, are hilarious. Despite this, the film does take a turn toward the end and the climax of the film is actually quite tense (compared to the light-hearted tone that preceded it).

Wayans and Johnson make a hilarious duo in the movie and work together excellently. There are some funny scenes in which they are talking to another character and both of their reaction shots to what the other is saying is hilarious. Nina Dobrev plays Justin's love interest, Josie, but she isn't given a whole lot to do in the story which is a bit disappointing, considering her talents.

The rest of the cast are very strong. Rob Riggle gets to play a serious cop for once (as opposed to his role in The Hangover). Andy García and James D'Arcy both play suitable villains but they serve more as foils for Johnson and Wayans. Natasha Leggero and Keegan-Michael Key both have hilarious cameos that are definitely a high point of the movie.

Verdict: A fun and serviceable buddy cop comedy that has got some great gags, especially Wayans reading text messages as a black woman.

Trailers Week 19: 16/11/14

Insurgent
The second in the "gent" series and it starts to look like Katniss took some acid and looks like Shailene Woodley now?

Night At The Museum: Secret of the Tomb
This wacky conclusion to the series has Ben Stiller traveling to London to find out about the magic that wakes up the exhibits in the museums. Also starring Robin Williams, Dick Van Dyke, Rebel Wilson and all the rest.

Against The Sun
In 1942, three US Air Force pilots crashed their plane in the Pacific Ocean and had to survive in a raft. This movie looks at their tense situation, but also shows us the real Life of Pi. Starring Garrett Dillahunt, Tom Felton and Jake Abel.

Song One
After her brother is hit by a car, Anne Hathaway wanders around town recording sounds that she hopes will wake him from his coma. Along the way, she falls in love with his favourite artist. Also starring Mary Steenburgen and Johnny Flynn.

50 Shades of Grey
Before we get all excited over the fact that bondage is still slightly taboo, can I remind everyone that this movie is based on a hardcore erotic novel. I'm pretty sure there's going to be a lot of sex and if not, whoever made it totally missed the point.

Escobar: Paradise Lost
Hello there, my name is Pablo, please look the other way while I funnel all this cocaine into your country for my own profit. I'd be saying that too if I was an insane Colombian drug baron being played by Benicio Del Toro. Marvel as Josh Hutcherson pretends to not know what's going on.

The Drop

The film industry is certainly in love with crime...uh, crime movies that is, with far too many gritty scripts launching themselves at the genre from all angles, yet never really differentiating themselves from the last. So how about the latest instalment, Michaël R. Roskam's The Drop? With the late James Gandolfini in a lead role, displaying his criminal-acting prowess for the last time, I was certainly keen to find out.

Bob Saginowski (Tom Hardy) works as a bartender in his cousin Marv's (James Gandolfini) bar. Once owned by Marv, but purchased by Chechen criminals, the bar operates as a front for money-laundering, having packages dropped off regularly. Whilst Bob and Marv try to stay out of the underhand business, the bar proves to be trouble for the cousins, beginning with an armed robbery that leaves the pair in debt to their Chechen employers.

Meanwhile, whilst walking home one evening, Bob finds an injured pit-bull abandoned in a bin and is helped by Nadia (Noomi Rapace), who owns the house, to nurse it back to health. Bob agrees to take the dog and names it Rocco, which is fine, until the dogs owner comes looking for Bob.

I have to admit, I became rapidly disinterested with this rather simple, yet still somewhat far-fetched plot. It's not like The Drop is particularly similar to most crime films, but it doesn't really bring much new to the genre either. There were some funny moments here and there, but generally I found that it just progressed a bit too slowly for my liking.

Tom Hardy continues to prove that he's an adept and talented actor, especially with his previous film Locke, and he's certainly great here too, albeit with a sometimes questionable Brooklyn accent. James Gandolfini also gives a strong final performance, though I found it difficult to imagine him as anybody other than Tony Soprano. Rapace wasn't bad as Nadia, though she could have probably been developed more as a character, and other than that, almost all of the supporting roles play idiots.

Continuing the trend of dark, gritty crime films, The Drop has a dull colour pallet, that envisages Brooklyn as one of the most dreary places on earth. The interesting use of camera angles and tracking shots in some of the montage sequences were refreshing, but generally The Drop doesn't have anything new to offer in the image department.

With strong performances from Hardy and Gandolfini, and some visually compelling sequences, The Drop is far from a bad film. There are plenty of interesting plot elements that differentiate it from the average crime feature, but its slow pace failed to keep me particularly interested.

Trailers Week 18: 09/11/14

The Gambler

Two weeks ago, we showed you the teaser for Mark Wahlberg's upcoming movie, but this week we get a better look. Marky Mark plays a literature professor with a gambling problem who gets on the wrong side of some gangsters. Directed by Rupert Wyatt and also starring John Goodman, Brie Larson, Jessica Lange and Michael K. Williams.

Chappie

Neil Blomkamp returns with his unique vision of the future, this time focusing on a robot with a childlike artificial intelligence, and the people trying to get rid of him. The movie will feature Blomkamp regular Sharlto Copley, Dev Patel, Sigourney Weaver and Hugh Jackman doing a good South African accent. Notice how the trailer only mentions District 9, it's as if Elysium never happened.

Paddington

Who doesn't love it when a favourite childhood book is adapted for the screen. Paddington is stuffed toy bear, who makes his way into the hands of a loving family and is targeted by a Cruella de Vil type character. I think we're forgetting about the fact that he's a talking toy bear, shouldn't he be experimented on by scientists or something. Starring Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Nicole Kidman and Ben Whishaw as Paddington.

Selma

It would suck for your town to be known as the place that was responsible for a hugely publicised racial attack on peaceful protestors and that's exactly what happened in Selma, Alabama in 1965. Martin Luther King, Jr. led a peaceful protest in order to gain voting rights. Starring David Oyelowo, Tim Roth, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Common, Oprah Winfrey and Tom Wilkinson as President Lyndon B. Johnson.

The Hobbit: The Battle of The Armies

Speaking of shameless cash grabs in adapting childhood books, I think this will be the final instalment of The Hobbit. This time it just looks like a massive battle in lieu of any plot or story, but this is coming from someone who hasn't seen the first two. Starring Richard Armitage, Martin Freeman, Ian McKellan, Liv Tyler and Orlando Bloom.

Into The Woods

This musical-comedy is based on the Stephen Sondheim Broadway show of the same name. It takes all of the fairy tales you grew up with and shows the consequences that came after. This movie has a huge cast, including Emily Blunt, James Corden, Meryl Streep, Anna Kendrick, Chris Pine and Johnny Depp.

Minions

This trailer to the prequel of Despicable Me almost looks like a documentary. Whatever it is, it looks hilarious. The movie will go into detail about where the minions came from and what their purpose is as they look for a new master. Starring Sandra Bullock, Jon Hamm and Michael Keaton. Check out the hilarious reference to The Magic Flute at the end.

Annie

This week's remake news has us looking at Annie, which sucks because I hated the original. It was originally supposed to star Will Smith's daughter, but I think she realised how stupid it was. Now starring Jamie Foxx, Quvenzhané Wallis, Rose Byrne and Cameron Diaz.

McFarland, USA

Kevin Costner returns to what he does best as a coach teaching a group of underdogs to be the best. And just like Field of Dreams, this one features cornfields as well. Also starring Morgan Saylor, Maria Bello and Daniel Moncada.

A Most Violent Year

Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain star in this violent crime drama about a criminal empire in New York City in the 1980s. Both of their performances have been tipped for the coming awards season. Expect big things.

Love, Rosie

Going into this movie, I was really thinking that this would just appeal to tween girls who would giggle the whole way through and whisper to each other about how cute they thought whichever actor was. However, I'm not sure a lot of those girls would be able to relate to teen pregnancy, getting divorced or opening their own business.

Rosie (Lily Collins) and Alex (Sam Claflin) have been close friends their entire lives and they plan to go off to university in Boston together. After Rosie gets pregnant at the school dance, life turns out differently than the two had planned. Rosie raises her daughter Katie (Lily Laight) with her friend Ruby (Jaime Winstone), while Alex has a series of relationships in America.

This movie is perfectly cast. Both Collins and Claflin, 25 and 28 respectively, are at the right ages to play two people in their late teens to late twenties. You'd be amazed at how effective a haircut and a little bit of make-up is at ageing people. Despite this fact, the timeline of this movie can be a bit confusing. It starts with Rosie's 18th birthday and at appropriate times we get a title card saying five years later, but between those title cards, there is no way of knowing how much time has passed. This results in an ending where you can only guess how old the characters are.

The film is filled with some great comedic moments, mostly from Ruby and Alex's friend Phil (Jamie Beamish), who both give hilarious insights into the moments taking place. This comedy is at times punctuated by a great soundtrack, which is heavy on the Lily Allen.

All of the performances are solid. Both Collins and Claflin really let you understand the emotions that their characters are feeling and they have an amazing chemistry. Again, Jaime Winstone is hilarious and loveable as Ruby and I feel that if she was in the movie a tiny bit more, she would have stolen the show. Christian Cooke plays Greg, the father of Rosie's daughter, and despite the fact that he was an unlikeable character, I found myself liking him a little, as though the character's charisma was real.

Verdict: Love, Rosie is a sweet and tender movie about how life can pass you by and all that you should take all the opportunities given to you.

Star Wars VII finally gets title!

After months (if not years) of speculation, and now at the end of principal photography, Star Wars Episode VII has finally had its offical title announced as: 'Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens'

Walt Disney Pictures announced the title, and that filming had finished, on Twitter

Star Wars VII is the first in a planned sequel trilogy, that will see the saga rebooted. J.J Abrams is currently directing VII, starring Andy Serkis, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Domhnall Gleeson and Gwendoline Christie. Rian Johnson is rumoured to be taking the helm for Episode VIII.

What do you guys think of the title? Are you excited to see 'The Force Awakens'?

Interstellar

I have to hand it to Christopher Nolan, time and time again he takes on diverse and interesting projects and makes them his own, especially when scripting with his brother, Jonathan. Their latest endeavour, Interstellar sees the siblings flex their creative muscles, and certainly stretches far beyond the reach of its trailer.

In a grim future, where blight and famine have pushed humanity to the breaking point, Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) is a former pilot and engineer that now works as a corn-farmer, one of the few crops that still grows. His son, Tom (Timothée Chalamet) has been assigned a future in farming and his daughter, Murph (Mackenzie Foy) is adventurous, yet stubborn. After investigating an anomaly which provides a message, that Cooper interprets as co-ordinates, he and Murph go to investigate.

What they discover is a secret project run by what is left of NASA, led by Cooper's old mentor Dr. Brand (Michael Caine). They aim to send a crew through a wormhole near Saturn, in the hopes of discovering an inhabitable planet that would serve as a new home for the human race, as their old one is slowly dying. Cooper joins the crew - against the wishes of Murph - along with Brand's daughter, Amelia (Anne Hathaway), Romilly (David Gyasi) and Doyle (Wes Bentley). The mission will be perilous and with no knowledge when and if they will return, Cooper hopes that he will both be able to save his family, as well as return to see them again.

As with most of Nolan's films, Interstellar will likely require multiple viewings to fully comprehend. It explores, not just the wonder of space travel, but the perils of venturing into the ominous darkness of the unknown. I found that the whole post-apocalyptic scenario where our future as a civilisation rests somewhere in the stars, made for a truly thought-provoking and surprisingly emotional narrative. Yes, some of the intimacy is lost in the vastness of the cosmos, but the noble sacrifices of the crew can be incredibly poignant, especially during the low times, when they just want to go home. Some will find Interstellar quite fantastical, but in many ways, that's what lies at the heart of a great Sci-Fi film, and here with the familiar thematic use of time weaving into the complex and generally intriguing story, it proves a much more compelling tale than Gravity, which I personally found a bit average. At nearly three hours though, it could possibly have done without some scenes, especially at the beginning, though it manages to cover a spectacular amount of material in the time that its given.

 Matthew McConaughey is undoubtedly a talented actor, yet after his string of appearances around the last awards season, on top of True Detective, I walked into this fully expecting to be sick of him by now. Though this was definitely not the case. He brings the vehemence and humanity to the screen that this role really requires. Both Hathaway and Jessica Chastain of Zero Dark Thirty fame, also provide very strong performances, but for me it was Mackenzie Foy who really shined and showed incredible promise for a young actor. All the main roles are certainly helped along by a strong supporting cast, including Casey Affleck, John Lithgow, Matt Damon, and Michael Caine (It wouldn't be a Christopher Nolan film without Michael Caine am I right?).

I'm sorry to constantly rattle on about 2001: A Space Odyssey on this blog, but Nolan has undeniably gained influence from the classic here. From the simplistic yet hyper-real visuals, the eerie moments of silence, uses of classical music, even down to the design of some of the spaceships. Hoyte van Hoytema (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Her) was cinematographer here, and he has certainly done a stellar job, thanks in part to Nolan's love affair with IMAX cameras. The special effects are low-key but nothing short of stunning, and during the tense scenes, the outstanding sound design had me on the edge of my seat. Also the robots that support the crew are simultaneously one of the coolest and wackiest designs I've yet encountered in a Sci-Fi film.

Interstellar is likely to divide audiences at the cinema, just as most thought-provoking films do. Indeed I feel its difficult to properly judge it with just one viewing. But despite some plot issues, Nolan has once again created a captivating piece that is full of action, adventure and emotion. It's a visceral experience.

Christian Bale out, Michael Fassbender in. Who is going to play Steve Jobs?

Fassbender after reading about
his involvement in the film

A couple of weeks ago, we had reported that Christian Bale was up for the role of Steve Jobs. Well, it seems that he has taken himself off the project, leading sources to say that Michael Fassbender is "in talks". But we all know how much we can trust "sources".

The good people over at Vulture have made a list of Oscar-worthy leading white men, one of which will surely say yes to the role. These include Javier Bardem, Edward Norton, Matthew McConaughey, Matt Damon, Ethan Hawke, Jeremy Renner, Mark Wahlberg, Jared Leto, Jean Dujardin, Jude Law, Adrien Brody, Michael Shannon, Joaquin Phoenix, Bradley Cooper, Casey Affleck, James Franco, Ryan Gosling, Jesse Eisenberg, Jonah Hill, and Haley Joel Osment. 

Definitely one of them.

Matt Damon set to star in Alexander Payne's Downsizing

Matt Damon has been cast in Alexander Payne's next movie. Payne is known for his films Nebraska and The Descendents and will collaborate with Jim Taylor, with whom he co-wrote Sideways. Downsizing is "a social satire in which a guy realises he would have a better life if he were to shrink himself." And there I was thinking it was a spin-off to Up In The Air.

Kill The Messenger

Movies about journalists stumbling onto conspiracies involving the government come along far too long for my liking. And when you watch them, they always seem over the top, filled with action sequences and other things that never happened to the real people. Kill The Messenger, however, doesn't rely on these theatrics to get people engaged. It uses a gripping true story that is hard to comes to terms with because the real world implications are terrifying.

Gary Webb (Jeremy Renner) is a journalist who works for the San Jose Mercury News. He finds out about a conspiracy that involves the CIA wilfully letting drug dealers sell crack cocaine in South Central Los Angeles in order to fund a revolution in Nicaragua that it backs. Webb writes an explosive three-part story that gets everyone riled up. He then has to deal with people attacking his ethics and whether or not the story is true.

This movie takes an interesting approach to the way the history is shown. While the story of Webb and his investigation goes on, the film sometimes cuts away to media footage from the time as well as film taken of the actors as though they were in the 90s. Although this is a fun technique, I found at times that it was slightly distracting.

Jeremy Renner dominates this movie. I know that he is the star, but there is never a scene where he isn't there. I feel that with a movie like this there should be at least one or two scenes where we don't need to see the lead actor. Mary Winstead is amazing as Gary's editor who really wants him to succeed, but feels pressure from her bosses.

Apart from these two actors, everyone else features intermittently or dropped a couple of scenes after they have served their purpose. Barry Pepper, Michael Sheen and Michael K. Williams are all fantastic actors who appear for a scene or two, but their characters are underdeveloped, especially Williams, who plays drug dealer "Freeway" Rick Ross, a man who probably deserves a movie to be made about his own life.

Verdict: A decent movie that tells a part of history that everybody would already know about, hopefully. Not essential watching.

Trailers Week 17: 02/11/14

Ex Machina
Oscar Isaac stars as a crazy inventor who makes robots for the sole purpose of reproducing with humans. Also starring Domhnall Gleeson and Alicia Vikander.

The Spongebob Squarepants Movie
I'm not going to lie, this trailer looks really funny to me. Spongebob came at the tail end of my childhood, but it has a sort of universal appeal to it. Starring Clancy Brown, Antonio Banderas and Thomas F. Wilson.

The Sleepwalker
A movie about two estranged sisters who reunite. The trailer looks suitably enigmatic. Starring Gitte Witt, Christopher Abbot, Stephanie Ellis and Brady Corbet. God, I love indie movies. 

A Girl Walks Home At Night
This Iranian horror movie comes to us via the wonderful people at Vice Films, an offshoot of every young person's favourite media outlet, Vice. After having studied Iranian cinema all semester I am actually looking forward to this one.

Before I Disappear
A man at the lowest point of his life has to pick his niece up after school. This niece has things more in control than he does. Starring Shawn Christensen, Emmy Rossum and Ron Perlman.

Furious 7
The only way these movies could get furiouser is if they put Jason Statham in them. Oh....

Classic Trailer: Barbarella (1968)
Barbarella is undoubtedly the most famous movie about space boobs ever made. It is a crazy over the top movie where Jane Fonda travels through space fighting crime.