Let's Be Cops - 2014 ****

Two friends who are struggling in different areas of their lives dress up as cops for a Halloween fancy dress party - and get mistaken for the real deal. Instead of taking the costumes off right away they decide to have a bit of fun and temporarily stop mediocre crime that they see on the streets. It doesn't just end there however, as they then have to dodge Mafia-esque gangsters, drugs deals, drug addicts and insatiable prostitutes. It's absolutely hilarious and Damon Wayans is a stand-out. You can tell he has crazy brothers in the acting business. I really liked it, and it served itself well as an action packed comedy. Very silly. 

Mom at Sixteen - 2005 ***

16 year old Jacey is a student at school, with one big secret - she has a baby son. So as not to interfere with her studies or life her mother pretends that the infant is hers, with emotional results. It's quite a good movie, and obviously deals with a difficult though relatively common topic with ease, so with that in mind it's another to tick off the Lifetime list. 

The Family - 2013 **

Slow burner about a Mafia family who are put under the witness protection programme in Normandy after the father survives an attempted hit on him after aggravating a rival Mafia boss. It's supposed to be very funny and with De Niro and Pfeiffer surviving 'hilarious' gangster moments at every turn whilst trying to adapt to their new surroundings you would think you were onto a winner but you really aren't. There is 'action' but it feels a bit like the two lead stars are being coerced into acting their roles, without much thought or emotion. No one really seems to want to be there and it shows. I couldn't get excited or attached to any of the characters. 

Sexy Evil Genius - 2013 *

A disturbingly bad thriller, although I would have to call it a bad comedy. A group of men are all summoned to a bar to meet with a woman they have all been in a relationship with in the past. They are asked to arrive at different times, and for different reasons, but ultimately her goal is the same, to do them harm and get her revenge on the way they treated her. It's horribly acted, and the premise is forced, fake and utterly unemotional. Oh, and the lead is neither sexy, nor a genius.

Reclaim - 2014 ****

After finding it impossible to conceive their own child, Steven and Shannon decide to try and adopt a child from the recent Haiti earthquake disaster and go to an adoption organisation in Puerto Rico to do so. They meet with the adoption organiser and are introduced to Nina, a beautiful little girl in need of a good home. They take Nina with them to a hotel where they can finalise the adoption paperwork and all seems to be going well. However, when they wake up the next morning, Nina is gone without a trace, and further searching proves that the adoption agency has also disappeared, along with avast amount of the pair's money. What follows is a nightmarish scenario where the couple are forced to confront the fact that they have become victims of a horrific child trafficking scam , and will need to do whatever it takes to reclaim Nina.

Gripping and incredibly tense, this had me literally on the edge of my seat more than once, and great acting from John Cusack.  

The Wind Rises - 2013 ****

Although a sumptuous and beautifully styled film, we mustn't forget about the actual subject matter. A fitting way to end the career of Studio Ghibli director Hayao Miyazaki, this gorgeous anime focuses on the career of Jiro Horikoshi, the designer of several well known Japanese aircrafts during WWII. It might seem a strange topic for an anime, and although it does make you ponder the remarkable outcome of these flying machines and what they were used for, it's actually a very powerful and heart-warming story. It shows us the intimate relationship Jiro had with his girlfriend-then-wife Nahoko, who sadly contracts tuberculosis, as well as his close friendship with his best friend Kiro, who also designs these planes. (I do understand the controversy with using a warplane designer as the main protagonist, but I don't personally believe that it affects the film in a negative way.)

To top it off, the music is lovely, and really sets the scene. Although I usually despise dubbing in films this was actually done very tastefully, and I could still enjoy the story without getting frustrated at the usual over the top American accents that ruin films like this.

(HORROR) The Paranormal Diaries: Clophill - 2013 **

A documentary team go to Clophill in Bedfordshire to investigate the legend of the covern of witches who supposedly conducted a black mass at the church fifty years ago. It starts off well but then gets so ridiculously boring that even 'scary' parts don't do anything to improve it. The characters are exceedingly unlikeable and when negative things happen to them you just do not care. 

(HORROR) The Woman in Black - 1989 *

This is supposed to be one of the scariest movies of all time etc etc, but having seen the remake, plus many many horror films from 50, 60, 70 years ago i can only say that this was laughable. Everything from the acting, to the lurid green make-up worn by 'The Woman' was just hilarious. To make matters worse, the names and places and some of the finer details of the story have been changed from the novel and end up making the plot more confusing. To top it off it's filmed in a strange coloured filter that gives each shot a peculiar 'surreal' look so it's like being in a dream or an acid trip. Cannot berate myself enough for saying this but it actually makes me miss Daniel Radcliffe's character.

Don't bother with this. 

(HORROR) Find Me - 2014 ***

Run of the mill haunted house movie about a couple who move into a new house (how can people in America afford these huge houses when usually only one of them is employed?) and become the victims of a possessive ghost who likes scribbling notes on the mirror and hovering about in the bathroom in the dark. The acting isn't bad, and the characters are fairly likeable, but the story is too predictable to be scary. 

(HORROR) 7500 - 2014 ***

First off, I don't want to give any spoilers, but the catchphrase on this poster doesn't exactly keep much hidden from the viewer...just sayin'.. A group of people from different backgrounds all board a plane for an overnight flight to Tokyo. Half way through the flight, the plane hits bad turbulence which scares everyone, but soon passes. However it causes one of the passengers to have a panic attack and start bleeding, and then almost immediately he dies. Not wishing to alarm the passengers anymore, the air hostesses move the passengers into economy class seating and place the deceased body in the cordoned off first class. The cabin pressure then drops and scares everyone (again) and so on and so on. It's a pretty good horror ride (snort) but very predictable and some of the characters will start to grate on you after a while. PS it's a bit unfortunate regarding everything that happened with the Malaysian airlines this year and a bit close to the bone to make a film like this, but that's probably easy to disregard once you get in to it. 

Damage - 1992 ***

An erotically charged thriller with Irons and Binoche playing an insatiable couple. A good couple of actors and a good story. Irons is a married minister named Stephen who lives with his wife and young daughter. His oldest son Martyn is an up and coming journalist. One day, Stephen meets Anna at a party and sparks fly immediately. Without truly realising what they are doing, the pair embark on a dangerously sexual affair, which continues even when Martyn brings Anna to the family home some time later as his latest girlfriend. As with many affairs, the need for excitement and danger gets more and more intense, and before long tragedy strikes. I liked this, and always like the two lead stars in films, but it did feel rather as though we were watching two rather mismatched people having sex leading it to appear quite awkward in many scenes, despite the fact that their on screen chemistry is intense. 

(HORROR) Sx_Tape - 2013 *

Dear god what a dire movie. I thought it might be good in a bad way, but actually it was bad in a bad way. 

The first part of the film focuses on an insatiable couple of idiots who have sex all over the place and film it at the same time. Wild or sluttish, I'm not quite sure, but it felt a bit like I was watching a really bad amateur porn movie. The bloke is a filmmaker, the girl is an 'artist' (whatever that means) and they are hoping to find a place to show off her new work. So what better place to go to than an abandoned hospital. Because after all, there's nothing sexier than humping on a gurney or against dry-rot ridden walls. 

Just ridiculous. And the catchphrase 'some tapes shouldn't be made', well yes... I couldn't have said it better myself.

(HORROR) Malignant - 2013 ***

'Malignant' isn't the run of the mill horror movie. It's got certain ingredients in it that are quite original. 

A young man grieving the death of his wife takes up serious drinking. That's bad enough, but when he wakes up after a particularly heavy night of drinking he discovers a videotape showing him murdering someone - and he doesn't have any memory of it at all. It's a bit of a moral tale - someone controlling him in a terrifying experiment designed to control his over-excessive drinking. Every time he drinks, he murders. 

It's rather gripping, and you can't help finding yourself torn between whether you sympathise more with the man or the murdering lunatic. Bottom line, drink is NEVER the answer!

The Captives - 2014 ***

Quite a complex thriller, with Ryan Reynolds playing a distraught father who leaves his daughter temporarily in the car to visit a store and finds that she has disappeared. What surfaces is a terrifying story of cat and mouse as the kidnapper spies on the girl's mother at her place of work and tries to brainwash the daughter into staying with him forever... from underneath the mother's hotel. Rather emotionally acted but with not much of a resolution which is always disappointing. 

Le Week-End - 2013 ***

Masquerading as a comedy, I found 'Le Week-End' to be rather unpleasant. It centres around an aging couple from Birmingham who decide to spend their anniversary back in Paris where they honeymooned three decades ago. All good so far. A few tiffs but nothing major. However as the weekend progresses, the couple become more and more unpleasant towards each other, insulting each other and throwing up grudges that they have kept for years and years. Lindsay Duncan's character in particular seems hellbent on treating her husband as meanly as possible. I had absolutely no feelings for these two characters, except for slight loathing, and really the nicest character was Jeff Goldblum, who 'appears' out of nowhere in a totally unrealistic situation. Beautiful shots of the City of Love however.

Disturbing Behaviour - 1998 ***

Disturbing Behaviour was all the rage when it was released. Sort of a film for loners and people who didn't fit in at school and could relate to the oddballs in these sorts of situations. It was also compared to 'The Stepford Wives' and 'The Faculty' but there are also unique selling points to it as an independent film. 

Starting at a new school is never easy, but for Steve it's downright scary. Making friends with three outsiders, he is informed that the 'Blue Ribbons' (a clique of the best jock-type students) are mysteriously taking part in a special programme that involves the school psychologist which they fear will take over the entire town and make them all perfect, robotic geniuses. It's quite a good movie, the type of film that you can imagine is based on a Stephen King novel.

Une partie de plaisir (A Piece of Pleasure) 1975 ****

This film is marred by tragedy, and irony. 8 years after the film was made, the lead actor was stabbed to death by his second wife. Here he acts alongside his first wife in a tale on infidelity and jealousy. 

To spice things up in an already mediocre marriage, Philippe decides to embark on numerous affairs. He then describes these to his wife Ester expecting her to be excited and interested and keen to do the same. Understandably she isn't, but agrees to go along with his plan to appease him. However, it soon becomes clear that Ester is having rather too much fun and getting too tied up in the affairs she is having, and Philippe is not happy. After all, it was acceptable when HE was having the affairs, but not when his wife is deriving pleasure from hers. Philippe is exceedingly jealous and violent towards Ester, until tragedy strikes.

A well done movie, with a typical Chabrol feel to it. I love how his characters always have an undercurrent of emotion and passion bubbling beneath and threatening to explode. French films are beyond compare when it comes to analyzing relationships and the complexities of the human heart. 

Bad Johnson - 2014 ***

Bad Johnson is every man's nightmare, especially if that man happens to be an egotistical player who constantly uses women for sex. It's quite refreshing to see a film that gives men like that a hard time, as too often they are portrayed like superheros that we should be high-fiving as they bonk one ditzy blonde after the other. Rich is just one of those irritating men. He's a pretty boy, obsessed with his looks and equally as obsessed with sleeping his way around America with all the gusto he can muster. He has a unique excuse for his behaviour however. He blames his penis. In fact, when his current girlfriend whom he is actually serious about finds out he has 'against his will' slept with a woman in her car he can't help but place the blame on his genitalia. To no avail. Going home, he makes a wish; that his penis will disappear so that he can conduct a meaningful relationship without all the hassle of sex. Waking up, he finds that the inevitable has happened; his penis has done a runner, and is seeking refuge behind a bin outside a fast food store. Rich might want his penis back, but his penis has other ideas. Well I could go on,but it gets even more ridiculous after this, so it's best I leave it unspoken. It's very silly. Might be worth a watch anyway.

The Fold - 2013 ** 1/2

After losing her daughter, a vulnerable and emotional priest tries to replicate her family with a mentally scarred migrant worker named Radka who she takes a shine to after agreeing to teach her English at a youth centre. Their relationship starts off amicably but then becomes far too intense and sets alarm bells ringing at the centre. The acting is good but you can't help find both characters rather unlikeable and in the end don't really care what happens to either of them. Quite interesting to see the delicate topic from the perspective of a religious character but not much else.

(HORROR) No one will know - 2012 *

Try not to be utterly put off, or aroused (depending on your gender) by the poster for this film. To be honest the film is bad enough to to put you off all on it's own. 

A woman comes home to find her partner having sex with another woman. Instead of screaming and storming out she grabs a gun (which is conveniently located in the next room) and goes to shoot them both, managing only to shoot her rival. Instead of being apologetic the bloke berates her for getting carried away and blames her for getting them into trouble. What a wonderful, devoted chap. He manages to convince her that the best thing to do is to not call the police but leave the body rolled up in a sheet down in their cellar. Enter infuriating friends who all seem to fancy each other but are restrained by embarrassing dancing and mild alcoholism. So much for a party - a few sexually obsessed adults slow grinding to some horrendous 'dance' music whilst inadvertently trying not to hump each other. 

And so it continues. Don't watch it.  

(HORROR) Smiley - 2012 ***

Legend has it that if you are in an internet chat-room and type 'I did it for the lulz' 3 times the person you are speaking to will be murdered in front of your eyes by a terrifying being wearing a mask. 

When a new student joins the chat-room and she and her friend type this saying as a joke in response to an unknown person online, that person is murdered before their eyes. Soon they are caught up in a horrendous nightmare, with a very strange ending.

I don't mind films based on creepy urban legends so this wasn't too bad, although the person who invented the catchphrase should be strung up.

(HORROR) Honeymoon - 2014 ***

Darkly surreal horror about a newly married couple who decide to honeymoon in the wife's father's cabin. Soon however she begins to display disturbing behaviour including sleepwalking and having no knowledge of doing so, writing down important facts in her diary and refusing to touch her husband. 

Events soon take a shocking turn. 

Absolutely surreal and strange. Definitely original. HO

Rabbit Hole - 2010 ****

Powerful and emotionally acted drama about a husband and wife who have to come to terms with the tragic death of their young son whilst keeping their crumbling marriage alive. Struggling to cope, they turn away from each other at the worst possible time and find solace in others; he in a woman from the local support group and she, bizarrely in the boy who ran over her son. His only way to remain sane is to create a comic book, named 'Rabbit Hole'. 

Kidman and Eckhart are excellent together, and the tension is so real you can cut the air with a knife.

(HORROR) When Night Falls - 2007 *

'When Night Falls' is a horrifically bad horror film from New Zealand. It revolves around two nurses, one is sluttish and arrogant, the second is homely and desperate to do the right thing, who are looking after a bed bound man in his huge house and hear on the radio that there is an escaped maniac on the loose who could be coming near the house to kill them. So they of course do all the stupid things that women in these horror films do, such as making too much noise, arguing with each other and not being aware of open doors, windows and other places a lunatic could enter. There is a twist, but as usual it's fairly predictable and doesn't help the film in any positive way. Just bad all round. 

360 - 2011 ****1/2

Emotionally complex and grippingly acted thriller about a group of people from different backgrounds who are all connected in the most intense way possible. Stellar acting and some big names top this intelligently woven film. It's artistic and exceedingly well done. 

Michael and Rose are a couple whose separate jobs lead to separate lives and both emotional and mental affairs. Rose is having a passionate affair with a man named Rui. John befriends a feisty girl named Laura at an airport whom he takes a paternal view of when taking an important flight. She in turn puts herself in danger befriending a newly bailed sex attacker. A young girl named Mirka takes her life in her hands when she agrees to become an escort, and one of her first clients happens to be Michael. Laura cannot take any more of her husband Rui's sneaky behaviour, without realising that his mistress is Rose. 

It's just utterly brilliant and hugely taut and tense. Must be watched.

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.