Plastic (2014)

A gang of young credit card fraudsters rob the wrong guy, an Eastern European mobster (aren't they always) to clear the 'debt' they plan a multi million dollar diamond heist, as you do!

The movie screams "Oceans 11", "Catch Me If you Can", but turns out more like "Hollyoaks" does "Hustle", the whole cast are a series of fairly unlikeable characters, the sole purpose of any female in the movie is for eye candy, any excuse to visit a strip club is utilized, one which includes a ridiculous scene of our 'heroes' getting one over on the club and it's bouncers, need to get the better of an 18 stone bouncer? easy, push him over and run away!!

Fluffy, soulless, silly, with a ludicrous "Lock, Stock" style gun fight finale, and rather preposterously based on a "true story", not even the ample charms of Emma Rigby can make me recommend this nonsense.

*****

Chef (2014)

 

Chef Carl Casper (Jon Favearu) quits his job a top restuarant when he refuses to compromise his creativity, unsure what to do he teams up with his ex Wife Inez (Sofia Vergara) and they set up their own business, a food truck, their own mobile restauarant serving food they love..and soon so do the customers and critics.

 

Both starring and directed by Favearu (who also directed the first two 'Iron Man' movies) Chef is an incredibly enjoyable feel good flick from the first frame with a tasty ensemble cast, just look at the poster, Dustin Hoffman, Scarlett Johansson, John Lequizamo, Oliver Platt and Robert Downey Jnr!!

 

A movie that might not have 'much nutrition' but boy, it's even tastier that the food Carl Casper dishes up, and almost as delighful as waitress Scarlett Johansson serving it up!!

 

*****



Starred Up (2014)

19 year old Eric (Jack  O'Connell) is starred up, temporarily transferred from a Youth Offenders institution to the same adult Prison facilities as his estranged Father, here his explosive violent behavior with both the Prison authorities and fellow dangerous inmates gains him enemies, and pushes his frail relationship with his Father to boiling point

Tough, realistic,brutal and uncompromising, this is a Prison drama as it is, no bells and whistles, no hope for redemption, men who are confined for violent crime and very little sign of conforming to the world outside. Excellent performance from O'Connell as the ticking time bomb that is Eric and also Ben Mendelsohn as his Father, more wizened but equally psychotic.

Bleak, a film that offers no answers, but a fine piece of prison drama.

*****

Some Velvet Morning (2013)

'Some Velvet Morning' stars Stanley Tucci as Fred, who arrives unexpectedly  at his former mistress Velvet's  (Alice Eve) house after leaving his Wife, over the next 80 minutes the movie is pretty much a play, with the two character's the only two in the movie as their dark mysterious past unravels.

Directed by Neil LaBute who brought us the controversial 'In The Company Of Men' this movie too will ruffle a few feathers with it's shocking and provocative climax. Great performances from Tucci, and Alice Eve really is easy on the eye, and ear, with her sweet English accent (woof!) make this a recommended watch.

*****

Devil's Knot (2014)

In 1993 three eight year old boys went missing from their small town home in West Memphis, a day later their bodies were found with evidence that they had been brutally beaten, three local teenagers were later arrested and charged with their murders on what seemed to be flimsy evidence.

This is a quality riveting drama on a shocking murder and the apparent non-existent case against the three accused, the only 'evidence' the prosecution could come up with was that they were loners, into Heavy Metal, and they blamed the murder on a satanic ritual that they had no evidence of!!

Powerful stuff, all round good performances from the cast and nice to see Reece Witherspoon getting a decent role again.

*****

Jack Ryan:Shadow Recruit (2014)

Based on best selling author Tom Clancy's books, this stars Chris Pine as an ex Army vet turned CIA, as he tries to uncover a Russian plot to destabilise the US economy, yes it's as dull as it sounds. Pine is as dull and wooden as the plot, Kevin Costner is competent as his 'handler' William Harper, Keira Knightley adds some nice wallpaper to proceedings, but this is still a dreary thriller that starts off post 9-11 then goes all 1980's cold war.

This is a character rebooted three times now in five movies (more successfully with 'Patriot Games' and 'The Hunt For Red October') this you might expect to pop up on Channel 5 on a Sunday afternoon.

*****

Proxy (2013)

A young heavily pregnant woman is brutally attacked one day, resulting in the loss of her child, she seeks consolation from a support group, but befriending a fellow woman who too has lost a child takes a dark, murderous turn.

'Proxy' is a (admittedly at times) slow burning, brooding, almost Hitckcockian, deeply dark suspense tale. At two hours long it's not easy viewing but bare with it for an intriguing, sick but intelligent twisted movie, with a suitably grim denouement.

*****

Pompeii (2014)

Sadly no Frankie Howard but the Ladies do get 'Game Of Thrones' muscles Kit Harrington and the rest of us get preposterous dialogue, hammy acting, crimes against history (pretty sure Britain didn't exist in 79AD) and finally lots of CGI explosions, tsunami's and a bloody huge eruption that cremates all below it, and hopefully the script writer and director Paul W.S Anderson who really has belched out some shocking movies.

Utter rubbish, could have done with some blood and guts, but entertaining rubbish for just under 2 hours.

*****

American Hustle (2013)

An all star cast (Lawrence, Cooper, Adams, Bale, Renner) supporting roles from De Niro and Louis CK, 10 Academy Award nominations, seven for the Golden Globe's, pity it's not very good eh?

 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, I had high hopes and was sorely disappointed. Yes it's got big hair, bad hair, facial hair, Amy Adams fried eggs on constant show, Jennifer Lawrence, but that's it, all flash, very little substance, it's melodramatic, thinks it's far clever than it actually is, oh and rather dull to be honest (Lawrence's character Rosalyn blowing up the 'science oven' being one of the few memorable moments!)

Talk about the Emperor's new clothes.

*****

Jug Face (2013)

Well this is different to say the least. A young girl falls pregnant in a backwoods (or backward) community when she finds out she is to be sacrificed to something in a pit, which keeps the community 'safe'', if the sacrifice is ignored then the pit unleashes vengeance.

It's 80 minutes long which is just about all I could tolerate, the plot is so weird as to be incoherent at times, it's hardly chilling, the critics of course loved it, me....well to be entertained would be a start.

*****

Dom Hemingway (2014)

Dom Hemingway (Jude Law) is just out of the nick after serving a 12 stretch, and he wants what he's owed from his former Boss after keeping his mouth shut, my son!!

Law is clearly having fun as the vile, rude obnoxious Hemingway, a larger than life character, reminiscent of Tom Hardy in the excellent 2008 'Bronson', though sadly the film isn't up the same standards. There's plenty of chaos, crudeness etc but the trouble is the lead character is so obnoxious it's hard to like him or anything he does. An enjoyable  90 minute roller coaster of mayhem and filth but one that is hard to recommend other than for a late night exercise in debrauchery, with a good turn from Jude Law and side kick Richrd E Grant hamming it up to the max.

*****

Pretty Dead (2013)

It's yet another 1st person perspective horror flick, but this ones well worth checking out. After murdering and cannibalising several men, but being found unfit for trial, a young woman Regina Stevens (Carly Oates) try's to convince the authorities she is a Zombie and not a psychopath.

Gritty, grim and very creepy (the padded cell scenes reminiscent of Sumatra from 'Ringu') with good effective use of camcorder and CCTV footage, a body horror film reminiscent of early Cronenberg ('The Brood', 'Shivers') but be sure to watch after the end credits for a tasty denouement.

*****

Blue Jasmine (2013)

Kate Blanchett  plays Jasmine, once a rich New York socialite married to Hal (Alec Baldwin), but when Hal is jailed for fraud is life is thrown into turmoil, broke, neurotic, recovering from a mental breakdown and reliant on a steady cocktail of anxiety pills and cocktails.

Blanchett of course made all the headlines winning the Oscar for Best Actress, and quite deservedly so, a stunning performance, once portraying a rich socialite looking down on those not so lucky, to being just "one of us", though refusing to accept her situation, she still finds the money to fly 1st class and keep hold of her Loius Vuitton luggage. She's ably supported by a great cast too, Baldwin was born to play her high flying philandering Husband Hal, great roles too from Louis CK, Andrew Dice Clay as Augie  the ex Brother in Law, Sally Hawkins as her put down but loving Sister Ginger, Bobby Cannavale as Gingers current 'squeeze' and an almost comic turn from Michael Stuhlbarg as Jasmine's employer, Dr Flicker ("Have you ever got high on Nitros Oxide?!")

One of Woody Allen's best movies with one of the standout performances of 2014.

*****

Bad Country (2014)

Jesse (Matt Dillon) a small time hit man get's busted, he has two options, life imprisonment or inform on his gang...

It's cheap, cheerful and cheesy, straight to dvd etc, but harmless fun. Set in the deep south (yee ha!) everyone (except the stiff Feds, all suited and booted) has got facial hair, handle bar 'tashes, beards-minimum, tattoos and eat out of family buckets of KFC, even the 'kingpin' looks like Colonel Sanders!

The plot's fairly entertaining, a competent Cop drama flick, yeah we get a rather silly 'Lethal Weapon' finale where everyone the good/bad guys put down weapons and have a rain soaked fist fight, but the good cast (Willam Defoe, Amy Smart, Tom Berrenger, Neil Donough)) save the day.

*****

The Prestige (2006)

I can't believe this one slipped under my radar, directed by Chris Nolan (the Batman trilogy) and starring Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael 'bloody' Caine and a certain Scarlett Johannson, my attention was only alerted whilst reading an article in Total Film about great twist endings with this one predominately mentioned by readers.

Robert Angier (Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Bale) are illusionist's, partners once, but now bitter enemies after a dreadful  accident during a performance, they both conspire against each other with tit for tat spoilers in the others shows, with Bale Borden even losing two fingers when Angier 'gate crashes' his 'catch the bullet' illusion.

You've captured my attention!

The film oozes class, a great cast, a riveting plot and screenplay, 2 hours fly by, dark, gripping, atmospheric, high class movie making from one of the worlds top directors.

*****

U Want 2 Kill Him? (2014)

An impressionable popular teen Mark (Jamie Blackley) hooks up with Rachel (Jaime Winston) on a chat room and soon an intense 'relationship' starts, but this relationship has devastating consequences for Rachel, her family and Mark.

Ignore the rather sloppy title, it makes the movie sound like a cheap teen slasher flick, this movie is incredibly based on true events that took place back in 2003, and is a slow burning, intriguing tale, showcasing the manipulative power cyber-talk can have, especially on younger more impressionable minds.

This is a powerful drama with a strong cast both young and old, and all the more fascinating knowing that this is quite accurately based on true events, though because of their ages, all the real life peoples identity's have been protected.

*****

The Selfish Giant (2013)

Two young lads, Arbor (Connor Chapman) and Swifty (Shaun Thomas) excluded from school, both with a rough and tough upbringings, 'befriend' Kitten a local scrap dealer, they soon both begin collecting scrap, and a decision later has devastating consequences for all.

A working class Brit drama set in a bleak Northern town, this is the type of movie Ken Loach excels at, and Director Clio Barnard can hold her head high to the master himself. Great performances from the two young leads, especially 13 year old Connor, but with a strong cast through out, the movie is gritty, grimy but also very poignant, especially the heart breaking conclusion.

*****

Good Vibrations (2013)

'Good Vibrations' tells the true story of Terri Hooley, Belfast's very own "Godfather of Punk", from opening a small record store, stumbling upon the thriving underground Punk scene in the city ("I have seen the light!") to promoting live gigs and forming a record label, not to forget discovering The Undertones and the release of "the greatest single of all time" (John Peel) "Teenage Kicks".

This is a quite wonderful tale of a mans love for music, Richard Dormer as Terri oozes boundless enthusiasm with a big sh*t eating wide eyed smile, music isn't just  music, but an escape from the bombs, sectarianism and hate for him and all  the young people of Belfast. (the film never shys away from the 'troubles' with depressing footage of an awful time for the people)

An uplifting joyous movie and a testament to the power of music.

*****

One Chance (2013)

'One Chance' stars James Corden (don't let that put you off) in the true story of  Paul Potts, a shy bullied shop assistant in Port Talbot by day, but a amateur Opera singer  by night. His dreams are constantly dashed until a new TV talent show advertises for contestants, that show is 'Britain's Got Talent'....

Apart from the quite brilliant 'Gavin And Stacey', I've always found James Corden a little hard to stomach but he is perfectly cast in this as Paul Potts, insecure, a dreamer, and very likeable. A great supporting cast too, Julie Walters and Colm Meaney as his parents and Jemima Rooper as Hydrangea, his love he constantly lets down. An uplifting, funny and sweet rags to riches story, we know what's going to happen but it's a very enjoyable journey.

*****

Her (2013)

Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix) is a lonely writer going through the final stages of a partner he still loves and cherishes. he decides to purchase a new operating system (O.S) (voiced by Scarlett Johansson)  for his computer, a highly advanced artificially intelligent system, one designed for his personality and 'needs', and one that he slowly falls in 'love' with.

Beautifully low key, Phoenix is in every scene of the movie with a wonderful performance of a man pained by the 'loss' of his soul mate and the hurt of an impending divorce. At times funny ("he wanted to put me on Prozac, now he's madly in love with his lap top!") but mostly heart felt, never over melancholic, and with Joaquin's presence and Scarlett's voice, it's two hours that you'll enjoy spending time with 'Her'.

*****

Sending an email would never be the same.