Searching & The Children Act

On this gloriously sunny Sunday in September, with absolutely nothing to do, I decided last minute to take myself on a double movie date. Most people would think this was a crazy idea but as the cinema is my second home this doesn't strike me as a weird way to spend my day.

First film of the double bill was Searching. A film I'd only recently heard of and which probably wouldn't have been at the top of my list of films to see, had it not starred John Cho. Cho is someone I always enjoy watching, whether it's in a stupid role (Harold and Kumar/American Pie films), turning an iconic sci-fi character on his head (Star Trek Reboots), or in a more serious role (usually on some ill fated TV series - Kitchen Confidential/Flashforward).

The fact that Searching had Cho as the lead character immediately piqued my interest and I am so glad it did. Not only is he fantastic in this film, easily captivating the audience, it's also a really good film. I might even go so far as to say one of my favourites of the year so far. 

The story is a simple one, and if you've seen the trailer you'll know it's about a father of a missing girl. The question is, what happened to Margot Kim? Did she run away, was she kidnapped, murdered? And if she was kidnapped or murdered, who the hell did it? This is a great whodunit thriller and keeps you guessing right to the end. There are plenty of twists that I didn't see coming, and best of all, it's whole premise is something I had never seen before on film.

So if you're looking for something a bit different, something that will keep you hooked til the last reel, definitely go and see Searching. 

9/10

The second film of the day was The Children Act, starring Emma Thompson and Stanley Tucci, based on the novel by Ian McEwan.

I was not familiar with the novel on going to see the movie, and in fact I knew next to nothing about it. I based my decision to see it purely on the talent involved. I mean who wouldn't want to see Emma Thompson and Stanley Tucci on screen together? It's an acting powerhouse.

The story revolves around High Court judge Fiona May (Thompson) and the two big events unfolding in her life as we come into her story. One is the breakdown of her marriage to husband Jack (Tucci), and the other is the case she is presiding over regarding the life of 17 year old Jehovah's Witness Adam. Adam is in need of a blood transfusion to save his life, but on religious grounds he is refusing the transfusion. As he is a minor, the hospital seek an injunction to save the boy's life. 

For the most part this felt like a BBC drama, particularly from the point where Adam's story really started to present itself. The actors playing the roles of Adam and his family felt very much like the kind you'd see in a BBC drama. A good one, but still not quite movie worthy. Having Emma and Stanley in the film however was always going to raise it to another level. The sad thing is that I feel like the film wasn't really worthy of them. And without them it probably wouldn't have even had a theatrical release.

That's not to say that they are not both fantastic. I doubt either of them knows how to be anything but that, but sadly even Queen Emma and Superb Lord Stanley have their work cut out with such a dull storyline and bland support. It's a shame because when they are on screen together I could feel so much potential but it just wasn't realised. 

It did make me realise just how much I adore Stanley Tucci though. He's just so damn cool. 

If you're a big fan of the actors you should see it for their performances, but just don't expect to see a life changing film. 

5/10 for film 10/10 for Emma and Stanley (😍)

Spotlight and The Big Short

You might be wondering why I have chosen to write a double review on these two very different movies. 

Although their stories are different, they do share common themes. A large and very recognisable cast, which means a lot of characters to get to know, a lot of names. A complex (and not exactly riveting) subject matter. A lengthy running time. One I loved and one I didn't. Here's my reasoning for why. 

Let's tackle Spotlight first. 

 http://spotlightthefilm.com/

A movie based on a true story about child abuse and the Catholic Church doesn't sound like it will be fun. And upon seeing the trailer for the movie, one of my friends commented that it was in poor taste as the filmmakers were making money out of a horrible situation.

Whilst I agree with that on some level, I also think that you can't deny that the paper that reported on the scandal, The Boston Globe, also made money out of it. But the purpose of the article was to bring the public's attention to this epidemic of dirty priests and those who cover up for them. The film is doing that too, but on a much more global scale. 

So, a film about child abuse within the Catholic Church and the paper that broke the story. Why should you go and see it?

The subject matter is handled extremely well. It's not subtle, but then it can't be when this is the story they are telling. But it's handled sensitively. 

The other reason you should see this movie is because despite being filled to the brim with recognisable actors, they're all excellent. They all lose themselves in these characters and I honestly couldn't fault a single one of them. It's a sterling cast and a film not to be missed. My only niggle (and it really is a tiny nitpick in an otherwise blemish free film) is that the actors didn't really attempt a Boston accent. And the ones that did had mixed results at best. I think as The Town is one of my favourite movies, I have been a little spoiled where accents are concerned, and it definitely doesn't effect the overall message of the film or how good it is. 

On to The Big Short

http://www.thebigshortmovie.co.uk/

The two films are quite similar in the sense that they were potentially quite dull subject matters, Spotlight focusing on the journalism industry, and The Big Short on banking, and both films have a lengthy running time of over 2 hours. But whereas Spotlight handled it's story brilliantly and thoughtfully, creating a layered story with tension, The Big Short felt like it was having to explain things to the audience all the time. And like they were annoyed that they had to do that. 

An approach like that doesn't work for me. It doesn't get the audience on side, it just makes them annoyed, and feel a little stupid. Or at least that's the effect it had on me, and I work in the financial sector. 

The main difference between the movies is that Spotlight doesn't try to glamorise the facts of the case, it's not sexy and it doesn't try to be. The Spotlight team work out of the basement. They live in homes that seem fitting for the jobs they do. I'm not saying Spotlight wins points over The Big Short because it represents "real" people. I know there are two sides to the coin, and that the rich people depicted in The Big Short are also based on people who actually exist in the banking world. Both films are based on horrific real events, but while Spotlight handles the subject sensitively, The Big Short rubs it in people's faces. You might have lost your home but look how much these already rich people made off the back of that. Oh and these guys are the heroes of the story because they saw it coming. There's a very sour taste left in your mouth when a movie does that to it's audience. 

The cast also didn't work for me with The Big Short. They didn't really gel with one another, and why was Brad Pitt even in there? It's like someone said "hey, we need another big name" and they just pulled him out of a hat. None were particularly convincing as banking experts. Which made the whole 'dumbing down' exercises even more unnecessary. 

Ultimately my advice here is to go and see Spotlight. It's a better film, better acted, with likable characters, drama, tension and even the occasional laugh. 

You should also stay and read the sum-up in the end credits. I spotted my home town on the list of places where cover ups involving priests was discovered. One of my friends called it blood chilling. That could not be more accurate. I've never been so happy that my parents weren't religious in my life. 

Spotlight 9 out of 10 / The Big Short 4 out of 10

Viewing Dates - Spotlight 29th January 2016 / The Big Short 6th February 2016
UK Release Dates - Spotlight 29th January 2016 / The Big Short 22nd January 2016

Cast Overview Spotlight:
Mark Ruffalo ~ Mike Rezendes
Michael Keaton ~ Walter 'Robby' Robinson
Rachel McAdams ~ Sacha Pfeiffer
Liev Schreiber ~ Marty Baron
John Slattery ~ Ben Bradlee Jr
Brian d'Arcy James ~ Matt Caroll
Stanley Tucci ~ Mitchell Garabedian
Billy Crudup ~ Eric Macleish

Director ~ Tom McCarthy
Writer ~ Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy

Cast Overview The Big Short:
Ryan Gosling ~ Jared Vennett
Christian Bale ~ Michael Burry
Steve Carell ~ Mark Baum
Marisa Tomei ~ Cynthia Baum
Adepero Oduye ~ Kathy Tao
Rafe Spall ~ Danny Moses
Hamish Linklater ~ Porter Collins
Jeremy Strong ~ Vinnie Daniel
John Magaro ~ Charlie Geller
Finn Wittrock ~ Jamie Shipley
Brad Pitt ~ Ben Rickert

Director ~ Adam McKay
Writer ~ Charles Randolph and Adam McKay (Screenplay) and Michael Lewis (Book)

Jack The Giant Slayer

http://jackthegiantslayer.warnerbros.com/

I saw the trailer for Jack a few months ago and was quite convinced I wouldn't bother with it. It looked terrible and it's main star was Nicholas 'I was pretty bad in Warm Bodies' Hoult. But then my friend in the states saw it, the land where everything gets released before it does in the UK (I still haven't forgiven her for being able to see Hansel and Gretel a whole 2 months before we got it) and she actually recommended it to me. In a round about sort of way. See what she said was that Ewan McGregor was hot and therefore I should see it.

It seemed like sound logic to me, so upon the film's UK release I went along with my cinema buddy. And let me tell you, my American friend wasn't lying! See alternate Jack poster below featuring Mr McGregor's character Elmont. Swoon!

I'm not going to delve deep into the story, because if you don't know it then where have you been? Farm boy Jack (Nicholas Hoult) gets tricked into trading a horse for some 'magic' beans, beans get wet = giant beanstalk which goes up to land of giants above the clouds. Princess Isabelle (Eleanor Tomlinson), and object of Jack's affections, gets stranded at the top of the beanstalk. The King (Ian McShane) sends his best men - and Jack - on a mission to climb the beanstalk and bring the princess down, before the giants realise that their link to earth has re-appeared. For if they discover it, they will climb down and destroy the earth and all who inhabit it.

The story is easy to follow and for the most part it's an enjoyable fairytale movie. I found it started to drag a bit after they came down from the beanstalk but on the whole I liked it. Ewan McGregor's Elmont is definitely the star of the show, stealing every scene he's in, but Stanley Tucci is also worth a mention, playing the wicked Roderick with such relish it's like he's the best panto villain you've ever seen. The giants are quite scary but probably only for younger kids, I'd say anyone above my nephews age (7) will likely be fine with it. 

Jack The Giant Slayer isn't going to win any awards but if you've got older kids who'd enjoy it, or if you're looking for a bit of tall tale with plenty of action and a bit of romance on the side then it's not a bad way to spend a few hours. Or if, like me, you just want someone to swoon over in the dark, you won't go wrong. 6.5 out of 10.

Viewing Date - 24th March 2013

UK Release Date - 22nd March 2013

Cast Overview:

Nicholas Hoult ~ Jack

Eleanor Tomlinson ~ Isabelle

Ewan McGregor ~ Elmont

Stanley Tucci ~ Roderick

Eddie Marsan ~ Crawe

Ewan Bremner ~ Wicke

Ian McShane ~ King Brahmwell

Ralph Brown ~ General Entin

Warwick Davis ~ Old Hamm

Bill Nighy ~ General Fallon

Director ~ Bryan Singer

Writer(s) ~ Darren Lemke (Screenplay and Story), Christopher McQuarrie (Screenplay), Dan Studney (Screenplay) and David Dobkin (Story)