End Of Watch

http://www.endofwatchthefilm.com/

Anyone who follows my little review blog on a regular basis will know that I have my fair few crushes on movie men (and occasionally on film females too ;0), but anyone who's followed my blog since last year - back when it was Film Reviews 2011 - will know that Jake Gyllenhaal is my prince among men. As such I look forward to his movies above all others, and where possible I see them as many times as I can at the cinema. Jake actually holds my record for the most multiple viewings of a film EVER with a total of 8 trips to see Brokeback Mountain.

Since 2011's magnificent Source Code however, it's been quite the wait for another Jake Gyllenhaal film. I believe this has had something to do with his appearance in the off-Broadway play 'If There Is I Haven’t Found It Yet', but it could also have something to do with the fact that there are several films on his IMDb filmography that state they're in post production. A state that I recall seeing them in more than a year ago. Having said this, End Of Watch did kind of creep up on me as I thought it was further down the line than some of Jake's other movies, and before I knew it, it was being released. 

The film has been shot documentary style to capture the gritty realism of a day in the life of a cop in South Central Los Angeles. We follow LAPD officers Brian Taylor (Gyllenhaal) and Miguel Zavala (Michael Peña) as they do their daily rounds, car chases, checking on the elderly, toning down house parties is all just part of their daily routines, but when the two officers start homing in on gang members in South Central they soon find that they are the ones being targeted.

Let me start by saying that this is not my kind of movie. At all. But having said that, I am glad that Jake made it as I wouldn't have seen it otherwise, and overall I am glad I've seen it. Maybe with someone else in the role of Taylor I wouldn't have liked the film as much, but as it was I thought Jake was great and he had a good spark with Peña. Their chemistry made their partnership believable, which in turn leant a lot of weight to the film. And the film certainly surprised me, in more ways than one. 

The only thing I didn't really like about it, and this will seem really frivolous, was the swearing. Just to put into context, one of my favourite gritty, true to life films is The Town. There is a lot of swearing in The Town. But not every other word. It just takes the whole thing from being realistic and believable to the exact opposite of the scale. No-one, I don't care what scummy town they come from or how little of a good upbringing they've had, no-one says the f word every other word. Yet one character in End Of Watch did just that. EVERY F*CKIN OTHER F*CKIN WORD. F*CK. It was just ridiculous and really hampered my enjoyment of the film.

Therefore, my recommendations for End Of Watch are as follows. If you enjoy gritty cop docu-drama's and don't mind the f bombs, you'll like this. If swearing, guns and drugs are not your bag, avoid. 6.5 out of 10.

Viewing Date - 5th December 2012

UK Release Date - 23rd November 2012

Cast Overview:

Jake Gyllenhaal ~ Brian Taylor

Michael Peña ~ Miguel Zavala

Natalie Martinez ~ Gabby

Anna Kendrick ~ Janet

David Harbour ~ Van Hauser

America Ferrera ~ Orozco 

Cody Horn ~ Davis

Director/Writer ~ David Ayer

Silver Linings Playbook

http://silverliningsplaybookmovie.com/

As a fan of both Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence I was looking forward to seeing Silver Linings Playbook as soon as I saw the trailer for it a couple of months ago. 

The film tells the story of Pat (Bradley Cooper), who was diagnosed bipolar and admitted to a mental health facility following the breakdown of his marriage. We meet him just as he is being released from the facility to the care of his parents, although Pat is unwilling to come to terms with the fact that his marriage is over. Whilst rebuilding his life, Pat becomes friends with Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), a depressed young woman who is unconventionally coming to terms with being made a widow by sleeping with everyone in her office, causing her to lose her job. Tiffany persuades Pat to join her in a dance competition by promising him she will pass messages onto his estranged wife, but is she looking for more than a dance partner?

I must admit that I not only really enjoyed Silver Linings Playbook but I also found it quite a refreshingly sweet natured film with very little swearing and no sex scenes. Don't get me wrong, I like a good love scene as much as the next girl, but sometimes it's nice for a film to be the kind of film you could take your mum to see. Bearing in mind the fact that film also stars Robert De Niro, I think a lot of people will be surprised to see that this is such a tame film in terms of the lack of swearing and violence.

The only issues I had with Silver Linings is that it could have been funnier, and it is a tad on the predictable side, but neither of these niggles affected my overall opinion or enjoyment of the film. Cooper, Lawrence and De Niro - who I have never been a fan of - all put in solid performances and you find it very easy to like the characters they play, genuinely caring what happens to them. 

If you like your rom coms to come with honest dialogue and a backdrop of emotional problems, but ultimately to have a warm heart, then you'll like this one a lot. 8 out of 10.

Viewing Date - 4th December 2012

UK Release Date - 21st November 2012

Cast Overview:

Bradley Cooper ~ Pat

Jennifer Lawrence ~ Tiffany

Robert De Niro ~ Pat Snr

Jacki Weaver ~ Dolores

Chris Tucker ~ Danny

Anupam Kher ~ Dr Cliff Patel

John Ortiz ~ Ronnie

Shea Whigham ~ Jake

Julia Stiles ~ Veronica

Director ~ David O Russell

Writer(s) ~ David O Russell (Screenplay) and Matthew Quick (Novel) 

Ruby Sparks

http://www.foxsearchlight.com/rubysparks/

A few months ago I posted a guest review of Ruby Sparks with the promise of a Lady K review to follow. Unfortunately I then missed my opportunity to see the film as it was only out at my local cinema for a week.

This weekend I happened to be up in London and decided to swing by my favourite Independent Cinema, The Prince Charles Cinema. I have spoken of my love for this place in many other reviews so I won't harp on about it here. I planned to see what was on and pick up a brochure of coming events. It was then, at 3pm, that I noticed that Ruby Sparks was showing at 3.35pm. Feeling like it was fate for me to be there, at my favourite cinema, with only half an hour to go before the screening of a film I'd missed and had so wanted to see, I decided to treat myself and see whether my guest reviewer was right when she said it was awesome.

Ruby Sparks tells the story of Calvin (Paul Dano), a writer who is suffering from a severe case of writers block. His shrink gives him an assignment to write about his timid dog Scottie, and how people interact with him. That night Calvin dreams of a girl who does exactly what his shrink had suggested and so he writes about her instead. Calvin's dreams become his inspiration and soon, without any idea of the how's or why's, Calvin's dream girl, Ruby (Zoe Kazan), appears before him. Thinking he's gone insane, Calvin sets off to prove to himself that Ruby is a figment of his overactive imagination. But he is soon faced with the realisation that not only is Ruby real, whatever Calvin writes about her comes true. Giving him ultimate control over her thoughts, feelings, actions and emotions. The question is, what will he do with this power?

Ruby Sparks starts out as a quirky and endearing love story but quickly turns into something much more sinister. The film raises a lot of questions about control and power and how people deal with the sudden gain, and loss, of that power. While I found the premise kept me intrigued, I have to say that I wasn't expecting the film to take such a dark path, and I wasn't prepared for it either. In that sense, I felt that the trailer somewhat misguided audiences as to the type of film Ruby Sparks is.

Don't get me wrong, it's a brilliantly acted and well scripted film, but it's also very serious and very dark in places and I don't think the trailer prepares the audience for what lies ahead of them when they take their seats. Having said that, I did like the end result and I would recommend that others see Ruby, but I would want them to be more informed before they commit to it.

If quirky but thought provoking is your bag, and you can stomach the heavy stuff, Ruby Sparks is one for you. 7 out of 10.

Viewing Date - 2nd December 2012
UK Release Date - 12th October 2012

Cast Overview:

Paul Dano ~ Calvin Weir-Fields

Zoe Kazan ~ Ruby Sparks

Chris Messina ~ Harry

Annette Benning ~ Gertrude

Antonio Banderas ~ Mort

Steve Coogan ~ Langdon Tharp

Elliott Gould ~ Dr Rosenthal

Director(s) ~ Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris

Writer ~ Zoe Kazan

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2

http://www.breakingdawn-themovie.com/

For my review of Breaking Dawn Part 1 (and catch up on Twilight through to Eclipse) see here. Now on to Part 2.

You will know from reading my review of BDP1 that I was and still am a big fan of the Twilight movies and books. However, as BDP2 was filmed back to back with BDP1 I couldn't help but wonder why they weren't released closer together. They made the fans wait a year and a half between New Moon and Eclipse and I understood that this was due to the other filming commitments of the cast, primarily Kristen Stewart filming The Runaways (hence her awful wig for Eclipse). But there was no such reason for the year long delay between BDP1 and BDP2 so I felt like this was dragged out unnecessarily. 

In the year between movies I started to grow tired of the whole franchise. The constant noise in the press about RPatz and KStew and their eventual break up over her affair with Rupert whats-his-face. It had nothing to do with the film and if it has all been a ruse to generate publicity then I feel sorry for those whose lives have been ruined along the way. I digress of course, this is a review and not the Twilight cast biography. What I guess I'm trying to say is that my enthusiasm for the Twilight films waned. And as such I found myself feeling less than excited at the prospect of ANOTHER Twilight film. 

Having said that, I decided to give the films one last chance to win me back and I booked me and my bestie tickets to the midnight screening for her birthday. We'd seen all the others at midnight (with the exception of the first film) so it felt like a tradition we should see through to the end.

We set off at 11.30pm having watched Breaking Dawn Part 1 in preparation. All bleary eyed and wondering if we were just too old for all this nonsense. Mingling with kids half our age trying to get into the club next door to the cinema. Buying coffee to keep us awake. We settled into our seats and awaited the final film in the Twilight saga. We knew how it ended of course as we'd read the books, but as I had heard that the filmmakers had changed the ending of Stephenie Meyer's original story to be a more fitting cinematic experience, I still didn't quite know what to expect. 

Then as the opening credits appeared, I noticed something I hadn't seen on a Twilight movie before. A Producer credit for Stephenie. This immediately made me relax a little, and pushed my excitement up a notch. If Stephanie produced the film, surely she wouldn't have allowed any of the changes to be detrimental to the story she wanted to tell?

The film starts immediately where BDP1 ends. Bella wakes from her deathbed a vampire. We see straight away that unlike other newborn vampires, she is restrained and well, still her. But without the awkwardness. We meet Renesmee again who has grown substantially considering she is only weeks old, and we learn, as we suspected from the end of BDP1, that Jacob has 'imprinted' on her. We soon find out that the Volturi, the Italian vampire clan who keep the vampire world a secret from humans, have gotten wind of Edward and Bella's immortal child and that they plan to journey to Forks to kill the Cullens once and for all. As Renesmee is not immortal, a child born of a vampire but not bitten, Edward and Bella must gather those willing to stand up to the Volturi in order to protect their daughter, and themselves, from certain death.

I won't spoil the MASSIVE twist at the end but what I will say is that even those who've read the book will be surprised at how the filmmakers have manipulated Stephenie Meyer's book in order to give the film audience something that the readers were sorely lacking. I think that they've done a wonderful job of bringing the final part of the story to the big screen and I think fans of the book and those who haven't read it will equally enjoy what the film has to offer. 

BDP2 introduces some great characters to the saga and also some great actors. I particularly enjoyed the addition of Lee Pace to the cast as I've been a fan of his since I saw him in Pushing Daisies. I must also say that the existing cast look better in this film than they have since the first Twilight. I think they finally decided to ditch the wigs which were making actors like Peter Facinelli and Elizabeth Reaser look faintly ridiculous. 

So despite my trepidation, in the end I did enjoy BDP2 and I would recommend you see it. Even if it's just to put that final nail in the vampire coffin. 8 out of 10.

Viewing Date - 15th November 2012

UK Release Date - 16th November 2012

Cast Overview:

Kristen Stewart ~ Bella Swan

Robert Pattinson ~ Edward Cullen

Taylor Lautner ~ Jacob Black

Peter Facinelli ~ Dr Carlisle Cullen

Elizabeth Reaser ~ Esme Cullen

Ashley Greene ~ Alice Cullen

Jackson Rathbone ~ Jasper Hale

Kellan Lutz ~ Emmett Cullen

Nikki Reed ~ Rosalie Hale

Billy Burke ~ Charlie Swan

Chaske Spencer ~ Sam Uley

Mackenzie Foy ~ Renesmee

Maggie Grace ~ Irina

Jamie Campbell Bower ~ Caius

Christopher Heyerdahl ~ Marcus

Michael Sheen ~ Aro

Daniel Cudmore ~ Felix

Charlie Bewley ~ Demetri

Dakota Fanning ~ Jane

Cameron Bright ~ Alec

MyAnna Buring ~ Tanya

Mia Maestro ~ Carmen

Lee Pace ~ Garrett

Noel Fisher ~ Vladimir

Julia Jones ~ Leah

Booboo Stewart ~ Seth

Director ~ Bill Condon

Writer(s) ~ Melissa Rosenberg (Screenplay) and Stephenie Meyer (Novel) 

The Sapphires

Mini Review

http://thesapphiresmovie.com/

The Sapphires tells the story of an Aboriginal girl group in the 60s that's made up of three sisters and one cousin. Whilst trying to win a local talent contest the girls are spotted by Irish music manager Dave (Chris O'Dowd), who takes them on tour to Vietnam to entertain US troops.

If the film sounds like a strange mix, that's because it is that. But a delightful one. It's based on a true story which I think says it all, a story so crazy it must be true! The film is funny, touching and will have you on side in minutes. If you aren't singing along and rooting for the girls to succeed by the end then you must have a heart of stone. 

O'Dowd is his usual charming self and was definitely the key for me as I think the story might have lacked some of it's comedy value without him. What surprised me was his chemistry with Deborah Mailman as I worried that their budding romance might feel a bit forced. Quite the contrary, despite the fact that I'd not seen Mailman in anything before, I found her to be a feisty leading lady and relished her scenes with O'Dowd. 

If you're looking for a feel good film with a funny bone, look no further! The Sapphires satisfies on every level. 8 out of 10.

Viewing Date - 15th November 2012
UK Release Date - 7th November 2012

Cast Overview:

Chris O'Dowd ~ Dave

Deborah Mailman ~ Gail

Jessica Mauboy ~ Julie

Shari Sebbens ~ Kay

Miranda Tapsell ~ Cynthia

Director ~ Wayne Blair

Writer(s) ~ Tony Briggs and Keith Thompson

Skyfall - Guest Review

http://www.skyfall-movie.com/site/

Another guest review. But this time from my brother, Mike, instead of my usual guest reviewer:

Bond is in Istanbul, seemingly, popping in to see some fellow spies. While he is there he discovers that a hard drive containing the names and alias’ of MI6 agents around the world has been taken from a computer. Going after the people responsible Bond is shot while attempting to catch the perpetrators and falls to his certain death ...DUN-DUN DER! ...And so begins SKYFALL the 23rd film in the series, released in the 50th Year since DR NO first graced cinema screens.

For the rest of the film Bond contends with his own inner demons, a body and psyche that’s showing the rigours of the abuse laid upon it, but that’s not all! Bond’s recovery is not made any easier by the fact that he has to deal with a madman who seems to have a personal issue with M (In the great hands of Dame Judi) who herself is equally under pressure from a political system that seems to want to rundown the department because it costs money (the privatised version of MI6 sponsored by Toshiba becoming nearer a reality every day now!)

If this sounds quite dry and not your typical Bond film then you’re right it’s not. In fact apart from the stunt sequences and action set pieces at times it doesn’t feel like a Bond film at all. Bond’s meeting with Q takes place at the National Gallery ...Why? No idea, the name of the film which seems during trailers and what-not to relate to the scheme of the film relates to nothing of the sort. And the middle section seems to lag at times when it should be pulsing. This film like many other event films has been given universal five star reviews and usually that means one of two things, EITHER, it is as good as critics say OR everyone who goes to the press junket showing just gets caught up in the moment. Sadly, for Bond, it appears to be the latter.

That’s not to say there aren’t good bits in the film, the pre-credit sequence is all right, Bond’s disintegration and breakdown are both handled with aplomb and it’s here that Daniel Craig is at his best along with all his scenes with M, Javier Bardem is a fantastic villain and the end, which so many critics say is where the film lags was for me one of the most interesting bits of the film.

BUT, there are two major bad things and I will get to that now.

SPOILER ALERT

So far in Daniel Craig’s tenure in Bond films he has failed to save five women in three films and has only managed to save one. Only one ...In three films. Without being rude it is making Bond a bit crap, and Bond shouldn’t be a bit crap. Also ...Where are the henchmen? I for one miss the Jaws’, The Odd-Jobs and the Xenia Onatopp’s! Bond should test his metal against a decent henchman.

And it also fails the last test. Would I want to buy it on DVD? No.

6/10.

If you enjoyed my brother's review you might also want to check out his blog as he has opinions on a LOT of topics, not just films: http://mike-lambert.blogspot.co.uk/

Cast Overview:

Daniel Craig ~ James Bond

Judi Dench ~ M

Javier Bardem ~ Silva

Ralph Fiennes ~ Gareth Mallory

Naomie Harris ~ Eve

Berenice Marlohe ~Severine

Albert Finney ~ Kincade

Ben Whishaw ~ Q

Director ~ Sam Mendes

Writer ~ Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and John Logan

Based on characters by Ian Fleming

Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted 3D - Guest Review

http://www.madagascarmovie.com/

As with my previous guest reviews, I haven't seen Madagascar 3. But as my friend Faye saw this recently, and as her reviews have been quite well received, I thought I would again hand over to her one line review style. She had this to say:

It's good - if you like the other ones, you'll like this one!

So there you have it. If you (or your kids) are Madagascar fans, head on over to the kids club or catch this one on DVD, you'll like it! ;0)

Cast Overview:

(If you don't like knowing who the voices are DONT SCROLL DOWN! ;0)

Ben Stiller ~ Alex

Chris Rock ~ Marty

David Schwimmer ~ Melman

Jada Pinkett Smith ~ Gloria

Sacha Baron Cohen ~ Julien

Cedric the Entertainer ~ Maurice

Frances McDormand ~ Captain Chantel DuBois

Jessica Chastain ~ Gia

Bryan Cranston ~ Vitaly

Martin Short ~ Stefano

Vinnie Jones ~ Freddie the Dog

Director(s) ~ Eric Darnell, Tom McGrath and Conrad Vernon

Writer(s) ~ Eric Darnell and Noah Baumbach

Argo

http://argothemovie.warnerbros.com/

I went to see Ben Affleck's directorial debut Gone Baby Gone with my good friend and occasional guest reviewer, Faye. As you might have guessed from her reviews, she is not a woman of many words. But what she does say does tend to resonate and have meaning. Needless to say we both loved Gone Baby Gone and when we discovered Ben had made another film, The Town, we went to see that one too. And loved it. 

When we discovered that a third film had been directed by Mr Affleck we again had to see it, together, as we had the two previous films. But this time we allowed a third person into the mix, a person who had not seen the two previous Ben Affleck directed movies. So the other night we set about rectifying this with a screening of his first film Gone Baby Gone. As we settled down to watch it I commented that I felt like our friendship had formed over a mutual love of Ben Affleck movies. And in a sense I believe it was. 

I hadn't seen Gone Baby Gone since the initial viewing at the cinema and neither had Faye. But it was just as good as we remembered and I urge anyone who's not seen that or The Town to rent them at the first available opportunity. 

Argo, on the other hand is a very different beast to those first two movies which are set in present day Boston. Argo is set in late 70s, and the location is split between Iran and Hollywood. Not exactly two places that you would expect to go hand in hand. But then this movie is based on a true story. One of US Embassy Diplomats working in Iran, who escape the Embassy when it's raided by Iranian revolutionaries, and who hide out in the home of the Canadian Ambassador. In order to get them safely out of Iran, the CIA's top extraction expert Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck), concocts a cover story of them being a team of Hollywood hotshots, on a location scout for a science fiction film called Argo. Will this hair brained idea actually work?

Well I won't spoil it of course, but what I will say is that the 30 or so minutes set in the airport at the end of the movie, were so intense that I not only held my own hand to get me through it, I don't think I breathed! 

The cast is a tight ensemble and film is as well acted, scripted, shot and produced as any of Affleck's previous movies. The difference for me was that you feel like you've learned something when you walk out of the cinema from seeing Argo. And in my book, that is never a bad thing. So see his other movies but most importantly, see Argo. And you'll forever be saying "Argo f*ck yourself" to those you've seen it with. 9 out of 10.

Viewing Date - 8th November 2012

UK Release Date - 7th November 2012

Cast Overview:

Ben Affleck ~ Tony Mendez

Bryan Cranston ~ Jack O'Donnell

Alan Arkin ~ Lester Siegel

John Goodman ~ John Chambers

Victor Garber ~ Ken Taylor

Tate Donovan ~ Bob Anders

Clea DuVall ~ Cora Lijek

Christopher Denham ~ Mark Lijek

Scoot McNairy ~ Joe Stafford

Kerry Bishe ~ Kathy Stafford

Rory Cochrane ~ Lee Schatz

Kyle Chandler ~ Hamilton Jordan

Director ~ Ben Affleck

Writer(s) ~ Chris Terrio (Screenplay) and Joshuah Bearman (Article)

Rust And Bone

http://www.sonyclassics.com/rustandbone/

I will admit that when I went to see Rust And Bone this weekend I didn't know it was a subtitled movie. I probably should have guessed by the fact that there was no dialogue in the trailer. Personally I just thought that was a clever way of making the movie look good with the use of imagery and music alone. The reason I'm telling you is so that I can beg you, please, please don't let that put you off this movie.

In the film we meet Ali (Matthias Schoenaerts), a former boxer who has taken his son Sam away from a seemingly unstable home in Belgium in order to live with his sister and her partner in France. Whilst working as bouncer he meets the beautiful but strong willed Stephanie (Marion Cotillard), who by day trains Killer whales in the local Marine Wildlife Centre. After an accident during a whale show leaves Stephanie having to start her life over again, she finds that Ali is one of the few people she can turn to who still treats her like the person she was before. But will he let her down when she needs him the most?

I felt pulled into this film from the opening scene where Ali and Sam make their way from Belgium to France, and it didn't let go of me until way after the credits had rolled. The performances, particularly from Schoenaerts and Cotillard are so perfect that I find it hard to articulate just how good they both were. Both showed great heart and determination in their respective roles and really made you feel for their characters, even when they weren't being particularly likable. 

The film is very realistically shot but still retains beauty in almost every frame. The script sparks in both it's honesty and humor and the score compliments the movie perfectly. I honestly have nothing bad to say. Even the ending, which I thought I had predicted to a tee, managed to surprise me.

I don't often beg, but I urge you to see this movie now. It deserves to be seen by as many people as possible and by next weekend it may have been replaced at your local cinema by some other Hollywood blockbuster that isn't as worthy of your time or money. Bond is sold out, so wait until next week to see it. Don't miss out on Rust and Bone. See it now. You won't regret it. 9.5 out of 10.

Viewing Date - 4th November 2012

UK Release Date - 2nd November 2012

Cast Overview:

Marion Cotillard ~ Stephanie

Matthias Schoenaerts ~ Alain van Versch

Armand Verdure ~ Sam

Celine Sallette ~ Louise

Corinne Masiero ~ Anna

Bouli Lanners ~ Martial

Jean-Michel Correia ~ Richard

Director ~ Jacques Audiard

Writer(s) ~ Jacques Audiard (Screenplay), Thomas Bidegain (Screenplay) and Craig Davidson (Story)

Frankenweenie

http://www.disney.co.uk/frankenweenie/

Anyone who read my review of Dark Shadows will be aware that I used to be a very big Tim Burton fan, but that in recent years he has let me down again and again to the point where I very nearly didn't bother seeing Frankenweenie as I assumed it would be as bad as all his other recent offerings.

However, I did go and see Frankenweenie and I was so glad I did. Because Tim Burton is back to his cooky but heartwarming best. And all without the 'help' of usual collaborator Johnny Depp. This speaks volumes to me that the two of them need to stop working together (which has been my belief for a while now).

Not many people will know this but Tim Burton actually made Frankenweenie as a live action short film for Disney back in 1984. It tells the same story of a boy who revives his dog after it is run over by a car. It was also filmed in Black and White. Back then Disney execs deemed the film too dark and scary for children and fired Burton, who has now had the last laugh because Disney re-hired him to make this black and white stop motion version of the same film.

The story is also a very personal one for Burton who had a dog who died when he was a boy. Young Burton's love of horror stories such as Frankenstein gave him the idea for the story. I think this is one of the reason's that the film works so well. The story feels personal, and like a lot of love has been put into making it. 

Danny Elfman's beautiful score brings back memories of the wonderful work he did on my favourite Tim Burton film, Edward Scissorhands, and adds the perfect finishing touch to the brilliant voice work and animation. The film brought tears to my eyes on more than one occasion and it's been quite some time since I've been able to say that about a Tim Burton feature.

The fact that this has been filmed in black and white might put some people off, it might also put kids off, but if you're a fan of old school Burton I urge you to go and see Frankenweenie and I guarantee you won't be disappointed. 7.5 out of 10.

Viewing Date - 23rd October 2012

UK Release Date - 17th October 2012

Cast Overview:

(If you don't like knowing who the voices are DONT SCROLL DOWN! ;0)

Charlie Tahan ~ Victor Frankenstein

Catherine O'Hara ~ Mrs Frankenstein / Weird Girl / Gym Teacher

Martin Short ~ Mr Frankenstein / Mr Burgemeister / Nassor

Martin Landau ~ Mr Rzykruski

Winona Ryder ~ Elsa Van Helsing

Robert Capron ~ Bob

Conchata Ferrell ~ Bob's Mom

Director ~ Tim Burton

Writer(s) ~ Leonard Ripps (Based on his Screenplay), Tim Burton (Based on his Original Idea) and John August (Screenplay)

On The Road

http://www.ontheroad-themovie.com/?lang=en

I wanted to see On The Road from the moment I heard about the people involved, I'd seen a couple of Garrett Hedlund's performances and thought he was impressive, I'm a huge fan of Tom Sturridge, Kristen Stewart and Amy Adams. And even the addition of Kirsten Stewart, who I normally can't stand, was not enough to put me off.

The film was not showing at my local Cineworld so I even elected to pay £9 to see On The Road at my local independent cinema, The Duke Of Yorks. I wish I could say it was worth it.

Considering the film is essentially a 'road trip' movie, it goes nowhere. Admittedly I have not read Jack Kerouac's novel but if it's as mindless, meaningless and meandering as the movie then I don't want to read it and I have no idea why so many have, and moreover why they rave about how good it is.

The film is a series of strung together scenes of sex and drug taking with the occasional reflection on these characters lives and where they're going. The problem is that there is so little known about the characters that by the time it gets to the reflection part, you don't really care what happens to them. The actors in this film are of such a calibre that the characters could have been so much more interesting, so rich. But the actors are not given the opportunity to do anything with these characters and so we never really connect with them.

It's such a pity as a film with this many amazing people in it could and should have been one of the best films of the year but instead it's an instantly forgettable film and one which I feel robbed me of £9. Avoid. 4 out of 10. (the movie overall is a 3 but I raise it 1 point for the quality of the actors involved, it's not their fault they had nothing to do!)

Viewing Date - 21st October 2012

UK Release Date - 12th October 2012

Cast Overview:

Garrett Hedlund ~ Dean Moriarty

Sam Riley ~ Sal Paradise

Kristen Stewart ~ Marylou

Tom Sturridge ~ Carlo Marx

Kirsten Dunst ~ Camille

Amy Adams ~ Jane

Viggo Mortensen ~ Old Bull Lee

Steve Buscemi ~ Tall Thin Salesman

Danny Morgan ~ Ed Dunkel

Elizabeth Moss ~ Galatea Dunkel

Terrence Howard ~ Walter

Director ~ Walter Salles

Writer(s) ~ Jack Kerouac (Book) and Jose Rivera (Screenplay)

Taken 2 - Guest Review

http://www.taken2movie.co.uk/

Unlike my Guest Review for Ruby Sparks I have absolutely no intention of seeing Taken 2. Not this, or any other weekend. I wasn't a fan of the original (it left me distinctly underwhelmed) and as this one looked to follow a similar, if somewhat milder path (Taken was a 18 certificate while Taken 2 is a 12A), I knew it wouldn't be for me.

But as my previous guest reviewer - my friend Faye - has seen Taken 2, I thought I'd call on her again for another one line review: "Just saw Taken 2... Not so good!!"

So now you know Taken 2 is one to avoid! :0(

Cast Overview:

Liam Neeson ~ Bryan Mills

Maggie Grace ~ Kim

Famke Janssen ~ Lenore

Director ~ Oliver Megaton

Writer(s) ~ Luc Besson (Screenplay) and Robert Mark Kamen (Screenplay)