Lady in a Cage - 1964 *

Starts off well, but then descends into something half mad and half hilarious as Olivia de Havilland flails about in her rickety and broken lift, talking to herself and screaming like a moron at a tramp who breaks into her house to make off with her toaster and horrendous porcelain figurines.
Some scenes were so preposterous I laughed out loud, which I doubt wasn't the director's intended idea. The whole scene where de Havilland keeps ringing the 'emergency bell' which is located outside and goes unnoticed was excruciatingly embarrassing. The direction of this film is awful, and I have no idea why de Havilland would have stooped so low as to have her name associated with it.

(HORROR) Chlling Visions: 5 Senses of Fear - 2013 **

I wasn't sure what to expect from this film, and although it's a rather clever idea, it doesn't merge well together and the segments are all utterly disjointed.
There are five segments, based on each of the five senses. The first is about a man who is offered a magical aftershave that destroys everyone who smells it. The second has an optician who collects moments through the eyes of his patients. The third has a blind boy trying to escape a maniac who lives in the wilderness and cannot stand to be touched. The fourth has a man being offered a mysterious job deal, and when he refuses, he pays the ultimate price. The last focuses on an urban legend of a piece of classical music which has the ability to kill, if it can only be played through to the end.
There are certain bit of the segments that I thought maybe related to each other, but actually I don't think they do. An interesting idea but wasn't given as much scope as it could've been.

Drive Me Crazy - 1999 ***

Ah, the 90s. The days of Melissa Joan Hart and Julia Stiles and Freddie Prince Jnr. The days of the teenage rom-coms. The days where every soundtrack had a Britney Spears song... okay that's not strictly true, but it is here. In fact, to boost ratings for the show, Joan Hart and Grenier feature in the Britney Spears video, which shows how popular it is.
Nicole and Chase are neighbours although they barely have anything to do with each other. But when they are both dumped close to the prom, they make a pact to go together to make their ex partners jealous. Of course this backfires and they start to have feelings for each other.
It's a light-hearted film but still relatively sympathetic.

(HORROR) Wither - 2012 *

'Wither is a very bad movie. It fits all the stereotypes of how bad horror films can be.
A group of friends go to a cabin in Sweden for a fun weekend, but are confronted by a mythical being named a 'Vittra' (English translation is Wither..) which has been living under the house and infecting anyone who comes close by stealing the souls after looking in their eyes, thus leading to rapid death.
It's typical therefore, that the Vittra then comes across some of the most idiotic characters known to man who do everything they SHOULDN'T do in a situation like this and they are easy, predictable pickings.

Edge of Tomorrow - 2014 *** 1/2

'Edge of Tomorrow' can only be summed up as a sci-fi version of 'Groundhog Day' as a military officer is killed trying to combat aliens, but then discovers he is caught in a time loop where he combats and dies every day. He decides to use this to his advantage and better his skills with the knowledge he gains each time he fails. And then he meets Rita, and must team up with her to overpower the aliens once and for all whilst also trying to explain to her day after day of his terrifying predicament. I don't know what has happened to Emily Blunt's face, but it seems she's had half of it sucked out and if you compare it to her earlier films it looks like someone's taken a chisel to it.
I liked the premise, and found it fascinating to watch (although at times I was a tad confused) and was rather disappointed by the ending. Some might say it was a typical Hollywood one.

(HORROR) 12/12/12 - 2012 *

Well done Asylum, you have succeeded in creating another monstrosity for us all to watch. This time we are treated to some wonderful birthing shots and a grown man screaming and running about like a lunatic trying to convince doctors not to induce his wife's baby because it's against her religion.
This sets off a chain or really very silly events where the baby is believed to be responsible for everyone around him dying. It's been done before, so even if it was remotely scary it would be utterly unoriginal.

The Fan - 1981 ***

 

 

 

 

Despite being released very soon after the murder of John Lennon outside the same building which Lauren Bacall resided in, the film was a bit of a flop. Which is hardly surprising. Maybe it's because it was just a bit too close to the bone for comfort, and maybe it was also rather badly acted.

A young man named Douglas is obsessed with a glamorous star of the Silver Screen named Sally Ross, and despite receiving no response to his hundreds of letter he feels they both have a connection. However, after being ignored one day too many, he decides to do whatever he has to, and hurt whoever he has to so that he and Sally can be together. The film was very disappointing and Bacall has not transferred well to 'modern' films. I wish she had retired from making films at her peak.

It's strange to see her acting the role of a faded movie star when of course that is exactly what she was in the 30s,40s and 50s. And Douglas's walls are covered with pictures of 'Sally Ross', which are actually stills from Lauren Bacall's most famous films.

Bit strange for me to see actually, having been a huge Bacall fan for years (of course, not as big a fan as deranged Douglas!).

What Maisie Knew - 2012 ****

Based loosely on the controversial novel by Henry James, this story follows sensitive and good-natured Maisie who is caught in the crossfire of her parents bitter separation. Her mother Susanna is a rebellious, 'living in the past rock' star who spends her life on tour and holding drunken, drug-filled parties in front of Maisie, and her father Beale is a distracted, unassuming yet flaky art dealer who becomes drawn to the maid Margo as means of a quiet contrast from Susanna.
Maisie may be young, but she's very receptive and extremely bright, and soon starts to pick up on her parent's unpleasant attitudes and name calling, putting her in a horrible situation where she is torn between them, and as time goes on, by their new partners who seem to show her more kindness and consideration than both her parents put together.
Onata Aprile is possibly the most adorable child who has ever graced the screen, and plays her part beautifully. It's almost painful to watch her having to see her parents be so nasty to each other.
Worth a watch for anyone who has been a child of divorce.  

Beyond the Pole - 2010 ****

'Beyond the Pole' is yet another hidden gem that I stumbled upon by mistake at the weekend.
I was rather pleased that Stephen Mangan was playing a prominent part here as I love his personality and unique character.
2 scatty and quirky friends decide to save the planet from Global Warming by trekking to the North Pole on the first Carbon neutral, vegetarian and organic journey to encourage people to become aware of their campaign ' Don't be Impotent, be important.'
However, neither of them have a clue how to survive in freezing conditions and have to work out how to work together as a team on the expedition and stay alive after shooting the camera man by mistake and then being in a race with a team of gay Olympic Norwegians who also want to get to the North Pole.
Very funny and rather poignant.

The End of the Affair - 1999 **

 

Having seen the 1950s version of this which moved me to tears, I was looking forward to watching the later version. Sadly though, very rarely are remakes as good as the originals, and here was a prime example of a really rather excellent story by Graeme Greene, (in my opinion) cut up and changed around until it didn't share the same intense and powerful meaning it should've done. The film makers claimed that they could show the full potential of the story in this later version because the 1950s film couldn't show the sex scenes, but in reality I don't feel the sex scenes actually enhanced the story at all, and served more as an annoyance than anything else.

During WW2 a writer named Bendrix begins a torrid affair with Sarah, the wife of a civil servant and continues this for 2 years before a terrible event causes her to end the affair without explanation. Heartbroken, Bendrix arranges to have her followed by a private investigator after a chance meeting with her husband sends him into a jealous frenzy. Finally understanding the reason why she left, Bendrix hopes to find her again, before it's too late.

I think the story is excellent, but was frankly disappointed by the performances of Fiennes and Moore.

Watch the original.

 

The Truth about Emanuel - 2013 ****

 

'The Truth about Emanuel' was recommended to me as I had never heard of it (I find myself hearing about less and less good films) and I was utterly enthralled and mesmerised throughout.

Emanuel is a unique and free spirited 17 year old living with her father and soppy stepmother who is still finding it hard to come to terms with her mother's death during her own childbirth. As her birthday approaches and things feel even harder, a new neighbour named Linda arrives next door, and creepily bares a striking resemblance to her dead mother. When she informs Emanuel's father of the need for a babysitter for her daughter Chloe, Emanuel cannot wait to oblige. But all is not what it seems, and she is soon caught up in a disturbing world that she doesn't understand, and which questions her sanity to the max.

I just found myself transfixed by all this, and at the end when the truth is revealed, it does come together quite beautifully, and makes you breathe a sigh of relief. Was very impressed by the acting, especially Jessica Biel who I usually can't stand.

 

 

 

Cry of the Owl - 2009 ****

 Surprisingly exciting thriller about a depressed and heartbroken man named Robert who retreats to the countryside for peace and quiet after his divorce from his manipulative and nasty wife and becomes enthralled by his attractive neighbour Jenny, whom he begins to spy on. After a while, the pair begin an acquaintance and the woman hopes for a relationship, despite the rocky situation with her psychotic ex-boyfriend. Gentle and unassuming, Jenny displays no malicious intent, and so Robert feels temporarily happy and secure, but all is about to change.
I had never heard of this film, and as with so many, it's the underrated gems that you stumble upon which really surprise you and come out trumps.

(HORROR) At the Devil's Door - 2014 **

Bit of a mish-mash and incredibly confusing. A young girl is paid $500 to sell her soul to the devil. She is then found in her old house by the estate agent who finds out her parents have reported her missing (I think). To be honest I am far too muddled to give a good review of this, or even a plausible one. It didn't make sense to me, and the characters kept popping up and disappearing so much it gave me a headache.
Might be worth a watch for someone who can follow weird horror films that have too much going on.

The Angriest Man in Brooklyn - 2014 ****

Rather poignant film given the current tragic circumstances with Robin Williams, but I enjoyed it and thought it was a fitting last film for him. It was surprisingly close to the bone as well.
Henry is an angry man. Very angry. Everything annoys him, from his wife, his children, cars, to people to animals to the weather. He can barely function during the day without getting stressed or angry.
On a weekday he is on the way to work, grumbling about the traffic when he is smashed into by another car. He goes to hospital and is seen by pill-popping physician Sharon who gets so frustrated by his rude and arrogant behaviour when she informs him of a brain aneurism that she mistakenly tells him he is going to die.. in ninety minutes.
Henry immediately sets off to set his relationships in order and right all the wrongs he has done to people, whilst Sharon chases around the city looking for him in order to tell him of her mistake.
Not quite amusing enough to be slapstick, but I thought it was funny, and also quite emotional and tender, and actually made me cry a number of times.
Worth a watch.

Divergent - 2014 ***

I haven't seen the Hunger Games, so I can't possibly comment on stories about alternative dystopian universes, but I saw this, and liked it.
In a post-apocalyptic world, people are divided into human factions based on what sort of people they are. Some are peaceful, some are selfless, some are brave, some are intelligent and some are honest.
Beatrice is a young girl who has grown up in the selfless faction, but has always been interested in the brave faction. Each 16 year old has to undergo a test to see which faction they are best suited to, and when it is found that Beatrice is suited to three separate factions the tester decides to keep this a secret. Beatrice is therefore known as a Divergent, and because people in the Divergent faction can think independently they are a threat to society.
At the choosing ceremony Beatrice chooses Dauntless (the brave faction) and is plunged into a terrifying world that is out of her control.
I love how original this film is on the basis of the factions, and I can't wait to see the next offering.

Man in the Attic - 1953 **

'Man in the Attic' is rather weak. And it shouldn't be. If you compare it to the earlier film 'The Lodger' which was made in the 20s it doesn't compare. Jack Palance is a rather overrated actor, and as such, you can't ever take his character seriously.
In the fog-ridden streets of London, a mysterious man comes to a house to take lodgings so he can work on his 'experiments' (he claims he is a research pathologist) and begins to rouse suspicions when he leaves the building in the middle of the night taking his bag with him. When the couple whose house it is realise that their beautiful daughter is becoming interested in their lodger they start to panic, and decide to uncover the truth of his identity.
I do like Jack the Ripper based films, but this was insipid and rather quite dull, and actually didn't stand out at all.

Jarhead 2: Field of Fire - 2014 **

Not on par with the first Jarhead on any scale. The acting, plot and general feel were second rate.
A corporal takes his squad to Taliban-infested territory where they must save an Afghan woman as well as resupply an outpost in the remote area.
It's quite gritty as well as immensely shocking, but it's no way near as exciting or well done as 'Jarhead' added to which, most of the time the camera man appears to be filming whilst riding a camel. How else do you explain the hideous bumpy projection.

Non-Stop - 2014 ****

'Non-Stop' is a superbly crafted thriller that stars Liam Neeson as a man wrongly accused of being a terrorist whilst on board a packed plane.
Bill is an Air Marshall who begins to receive a series of strange and threatening messages that insist he pays a large sum of money into a miscellaneous account. If he refuses, then passengers on the plane will be murdered, one by one. In agreeing to try and defuse the situation he rouses the suspicions of other people on the plane who begin to suspect he is the one behind it all.
Neeson is always exciting to watch, and the movie has a great twist (another one!) which you won't see coming.

Under the Skin - 2013 ***

'Under the Skin' is an eerily strange sci-fi movie about an alien who preys on unsuspecting men in Scotland. Johansson is an odd choice to play an alien, but some of the scenes that strike me as the weirdest are the ones where the film crew have literally picked on real men walking about and got Johansson to drive along side them in her van and hit on them. What a shock that must've given them. Most of them look partly terrified and partly aroused.
The music is good, and the ending is sad, but the whole idea is a bit blurred. And we get shot after shot of Johansson naked or taking her clothes off, luring the hapless men into a large black pit of goo.
Still, it's quite a good idea for a movie. But absolutely bizarre to see Scarlett traipsing round windy, gloomy Edinburgh.

The Art of the Steal - 2013 ****

Rather enjoyable heist movie starring Kurt Russell as the leader of a dodgy gang which reunite to steal a valuable painting and succeed in turning on each other when other deals take place in a suitably shady form. Very enjoyable with an excellent twist at the end (always great to have a twist that you aren't expecting), well acted and amusing.

So incredibly sad to hear about the passing of two amazing actors of the screen -
Robin Williams, kind, hilarious and a real friend to everyone, you made me laugh on more occasions than I can remember. 
Lauren Bacall - one of the last stars of the Silver Screen, gutzy, striking and never afraid to speak her mind, wife to the late great Bogie. You made me love Classic movies with a passion that has never gone.
Very very sad. They say the stars die in threes, but I really hope this won't happen.

 

RIP Both of you, you were too good for this world. xx

 

                                              

Diana - 2013 **

I was interested to see this after all the hype surrounding it, but actually I can't say I was hugely impressed by it. Naomi Watts maybe wasn't the correct choice for Diana, although the infamous 'three people in our marriage' interview was very similar, and Watts does have some of the same mannerisms, but overall she came across too much as an American trying to pretend to be a Britain, and therefore I felt a lot of the film was a bit weak. It also focuses heavily on Diana's relationship with Hasnat Khan, and it might've been better if it had gone over Diana and Charles's relationship too to balance things.
Overall it wasn't strong, and I suggest that if anyone wants to learn about Diana, that they watch one of the countless documentaries floating about on the internet instead.
 

The Other Woman - 2014 **

Well this was a bit of an oddball. A successful and attractive woman falls for a charming and handsome man, only to discover that he is married. What starts off as an awkward acquaintance seems to quickly progress into a full blown friendship (can you imagine guys doing the same?!) and is blown up even more when it comes to light that said man is going on holiday and meets yet another woman. The three women decide to team up and seriously pay back this god awful player for all he has done to them. It should be a brilliant, woman power type movie, but it comes across as a bit tired and sad to me. Cameron Diaz is a bit (dare I say it) washed up, Leslie Mann was awful and Kate Upton's chest did most of the acting for her. The three of them make a bit of a motley crew in all honesty, and whilst I never condone what the make character has done, I didn't care enough about any of the characters to 'have their backs'.

(HORROR) Evil Dead - 2013 **

I thought the first Evil Dead was pretty bad, the second was worse, and the third was downright stupid. So what possessed me to watch the new version I have no idea.
But I did. And I wasn't impressed.
A group of friends arrive at a cabin in the woods to help a pal of theirs recover from a drug addiction. Whilst going out of their minds with boredom they stumble across the Book of the Dead which they foolishly open and read from (despite being instructed not to). They summon up a terrifying presence that will not leave until it has got what it came for.
It's hard to feel any empathy for characters in these films when they can barely tie their own shoelaces without falling over.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty - 2013 ****

Fantastical, surreal movie about a shy and retiring daydreamer who spends his days escaping into his own world where he is the polar opposite of his conscious being.
When his job is threatened he sets about trying to change his world, for real.
It's cleverly done, gently witty, and really rather sweet. Stiller is great here, and is able to play a weakfish character followed by a strong one in quick succession.
It's a strange film, and can't really be explained, so the best thing to do is to watch it.
n.b. It's nothing to do with the original 1940s film of the same name.

Bad Neighbours - 2014 ***

Seth Rogen is a rather amusing actor. And surprisingly, so is Zac Efron.
Rogen and Byrne play a young, exhausted couple having to deal with a young baby. They move into a new house that seems perfect, until they realise that it's slap bang next to a College Frat house. Efron plays Teddy, the bad boy leader of the fraternity, who can't stop having parties. Every night.
At the beginning, he is quite amenable when the couple ask him to keep the noise down, even inviting them in to the party, where they temporarily bond over a huge amount of drugs. But soon the noise is intolerable, they are getting no sleep, snapping at each other and finding it hard to function. And Teddy couldn't care less. Until he finds out that they called the cops on him.
Soon it's not just a friendly neighbourhood spat, but war, in the most extreme degree.
Some scenes are very amusing, including when the boys have a Robert De Niro themed party and all appear at the couple's door in various different outfits.
I liked it, although certain parts are utterly ludicrous and over the top, but that's really all you can expect from one of these sorts of movies.

A Million Ways to Die in the West - 2014 *** 1/2

I can't stop thinking how much Seth Macfarlane's face looks like a cartoon (think I've been watching too much Family Guy). He's quite amusing here though as a lowly farmer who is miserable in his relationship-going nowhere with his snotty, arrogant girlfriend. However when a new and mysterious woman appears in town he takes a shine to her, and she doesn't seem too repulsed by him either, although her thuggish husband isn't impressed. 

It's highly silly, and lots of people die in scene after scene, but it was a bit of a refreshing and novel change from the typical American comedies which are all the same. 

Side Effects - 2013 **** 1/2

Sublimely clever thriller about a depressed young woman named Emily who commits a horrific crime whilst under the influence of a powerful antidepressant. Jude Law is the psychiatrist who tries to help her, and uncovers a dark and terrifying story.
Zeta-Jones pops up now and again as Emily's old therapist in probably one of the weaker performances of her career, and Tatum has a smallish part as Emily's husband, but the whole film is basically centred around Law and Mara who have incredible screen chemistry together. (so pleased to be able to watch Law in something where he isn't playing a violent thug who can't stop swearing).
The film has one of the best twists ever in it, which I am amazed to say I guessed as the film went on and I really had to take a step back and marvel at Soderbergh's fascinating and unique visionary feast.