I watched this film at the cinema in 3d sometime ago. It has everything, action, tension humour and sadness. The colours and effects are brilliant. A wonderful film...my favourite.
There are names in television that bring a certain gravitas and expectation to a show. Aaron Sorkin is one such man. The past successes of The West Wing and even Sports Night are ones that give Sorkin a certain amount of power in the industry. Sure, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip didn't succeed nearly as much as everyone expected it to, but for every slight failure Sorkin ploughs through and pulls out a movie like The Social Network. Everyone in the industry has a swing and a miss from time to time, and Sorkin is no different. With that in mind, where does his new show The Newsroom lie on the scale? Arguably somewhere in the middle.
It's hard to analyse a show like The Newsroom fairly when you have the automatic expectation of something great. How would you feel about it if you didn't know Sorkin was attached to it? Perhaps you'd find it a wholly more entertaining prospect with potential, rather than thinking perhaps it doesn't quite stand up to what it could be. This is of course the first season and there's plenty of room to develop into a West Wing type success, especially with the cast involved - Jeff Daniels, Emily Mortimer, Dev Patel, Olivia Munn and Sam Waterston. With that talent on show, and Sorkin's brain behind the scenes, it would almost be impossible to fail.
The Newsroom isn't a failure, but it does take a while to get off the starting line. Daniels plays Will McAvoy, the anchor and editor of News Night, and he starts off as a very unlikeable and smarmy character. As with any of Sorkin's works, there is of course a lot of hidden depth to each character and McAvoy is no different, but when your lead character isn't someone you can get behind then it's a very different dynamic. You'll end up wanting to punch McAvoy and wonder why he treats everyone so badly, yet there's something real about him which is again a real staple of Sorkin's work. He seems to want to show the realism of the news world rather than the shiny happy people we see on TV every day.
So while The Newsroom is no doubt a fascinating insight into the world of news, certainly dramatic and delivering moments of suspense and anguish, it's the characters that aren't quite as relatable as they could be. Emily Mortimer as Mac McHale manages to be a little more likeable than her ex-boyfriend Will, but there's still an annoying, whiny way about her that makes it hard to get behind her. When you look at someone like Neal Sampat (Patel), he's an ambitious character but manages to mostly stay grounded, and you want him to do better rather than some of those around him. Same with Charlie Skinner (Waterston) - an older president of the news division and often called upon to make difficult decisions, but never quite has the hateful personality of those below him.
The power struggle between various people in the show is also quite exhausting. You're never quite sure who you're meant to be supporting, and really there needs to be more sympathy or SOME reason to get behind a particular side. What The West Wing did so well was balance the drama with real emotion and a more clear-cut idea of right and wrong, and The Newsroom falters in this. Of course life isn't that simple and all black and white, but when you're spending an hour with characters you do need to be able to relate to them somehow. The Newsroom simply doesn't manage to develop this enough over the first 10 episodes.
Having seen a number of the second season I can say that it gets better, so I would suggest picking this up with slightly low expectations and sticking with it. Yes it's a character driven show, and yes some of the episodes have fantastic storylines, but it never quite gels as well as you would expect. However I believe Sorkin has listened to feedback and tried to iron out some of the problems. It lacks the depth and punch of The West Wing but treat it as its own entity without any of the previous baggage and you'll find some enjoyment in The Newsroom, and you'll learn to love it on its own merits, albeit slightly shaky ones.
Beyond the episodes, there's an "Inside the Episode" option, which offers up short details about the episodes. There's also the usual deleted scenes, audio commentary, a roundtable discussion, and a brief behind the scenes featurette. The show looks and sounds fantastic on Blu-ray although it's not the kind of show you'll be watching for the visuals alone. Even on DVD, the strength is in the scripts, and it's interesting to see where Sorkin is going with it. Certainly one to try if you're a fan of the news, dramas, or both.
Aaron Sorkin's new baby starts slowly.
The film I want to tell you about is not a new film. It isn't a huge American blockbuster with great special effects and a hundred sequels to follow. This is a quiet, British film made for a family audience in 1972. It is one of my favourite films and I hope I can convince you to at least give it a look.
Based on the book "The Ghosts" by Antonia Barber, "The Amazing Mr Blunden" is a ghost story tht starts in Victorian England. It begins in London at Christmas time and soon transfers to a huge, crumbling mansion in the English countryside. Once there it becomes a beautiful atmospheric tale involving ghosts who aren't dead, time travel and a desperate need for redemption.
The film is adapted and directed by the actor Lionel Jefferies who also directed "The Railway Children" and I don't think anyone could have done a better job. There is a wonderful feeling of stillness and quietness to this story which makes the film feel like a ghost story being told to you and you alone. Almost as if its being whispered around a roaring fire as a snowstorm fills the world outside. It is a shame that there are so few films directed by Lionel Jefferies. I would love to know how he would have presented one of the Harry Potter films for example.
The cast is top class with Diana Dors dominating every scene she's in as the terrible Mrs Wickens who is desperate to make sure her daughter and her husband will inherit the fortune she believes they deserve. Unfortunately there are two obstacles in her path in the form of Sarah and Georgie, two children who stand to inherit everything.
Laurence Naismith is in perfect command of his role as Mr Blunden whether its as the original uncaring man who refuses to hear the pleas for help from two scared and desperate children or as the guilt-ridden instigator of this adventure. He brings a gravitas to the film that never feels out of place. I never fail to get a little shiver of excitement when Mr Blunden stands under a street light in snowy Victorian London and declares "We three kings of Orient are, my dears!"
All the children play their parts with absolute conviction. Rosalyn Landor and Marc Granger are perfect as the "ghost" children, Sarah and Georgie, with Granger especially bringing a sparkiness to his role while Landor is pristine as his protective older sister grabbing at the only escape available.
As their rescuers, Lynne Frederick and Garry Miller give beautiful performances that draw you in and carry you through the film. They are the tellers of this tale and if they weren't convincing they could quickly lose their audience but we stay with them and the story is well worth it.
There are a few well-known faces that appear scattered through the film including Madeline Smith, James Villiers, Deddie Davies and Paul Eddington. There is an especially lovely turn from "Waiting For God"s Graham Crowden as a junior partner in Mr Blundens law firm with the unfortunate name of Mr Clutterbuck.
The quality is everywhere in this film with stunning cinematography by Gerry Fisher and excellent direction. Any film, however, starts and ends with the story it has to tell and, for me, this is a wonderful tale that provides quiet moments of suspense along with gentle humour and some fantastic action sequences. This is the perfect film to watch on a rainy Sunday afternoon and I hope that this review has persuaded you to give yourself the chance to love it as much as I do.
Before I even start this review, let me acknowledge that I know I'm in the minority with my opinion on Tom Hooper's cinematic adaptation of Les Miserables. When it was released last year, it won plenty of accolades for its epic cinematic visuals, its singing performances (captured "live" as the action was being filmed, rather than dubbed over afterwards) and for its faithfulness not only to the original stage musical but also to the Victor Hugo novel on which both are based. But all of that is worth nothing if you don't care about the characters or the plot - and personally, I didn't see anything in this movie to make me invest emotionally in these people or their story.
The start of the film promises great things, as an epic scene of a gigantic sea-vessel being pulled into harbour by a group of prisoners immediately establishes the scale that Hooper is aiming for with this adaptation. At the same time, it introduces us to Hugh Jackman's Jean Valjean (the hero of the piece, an ex-convict on the search for redemption) and Russell Crowe's Javert, the lawkeeper who also serves as the villain for most of the story. But despite serving up some ostentatious operatic histrionics, we don't get much information about their characters to get our teeth into, other than the broadest strokes. And that's a theme that continues throughout the movie.
It's not long before we jump forwards in time a little, and get introduced to Anne Hathaway's character. Hathaway plays Fantine, the mother of a girl called Cosette who plays a central role in the story of Les Miserables as a whole. Hathaway's performance of "I dreamed a dream" - a song reflecting Fantine's feelings when she reaches rock bottom in her life - is undeniably the standout turn of the movie, and deserving of the plaudits she won for the role. But what makes this performance so disappointing is that it comes within the opening half hour of the (two-and-a-half-hour-long) film, and also leads to the character's exit from the story, leaving everyone else constantly struggling to live up to such a belting showstopper.
In fact, the other characters frankly struggle to do anything else for the rest of the movie except wander around Paris looking incredibly po-faced and serious, recycling endless verses of song that only really serve to restate what we already know about them, never adding much depth beyond their basic character descriptions. It's a world away from the warmth and humanity of The King's Speech, the only other movie by Hooper that I've seen (and which I fully enjoyed). Crowe, in particular, seems slightly embarrassed even to be in this movie, doing that half-talking-half-singing thing that people do when they're not confident enough to commit to fully singing.
There's occasional respite from the ongoing dullness - for example, Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter's performance of the rabble-rousing "Master of the House" raises a smile, and injects some much-needed energy into proceedings - but it's definitely the exception rather than the rule. In fact, things became so uninteresting to me that I eventually switched the movie off, half-an-hour before the end: something I very rarely do.
Don't assume from this review that I'm not a fan of musicals. I've thoroughly enjoyed stuff like Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge, or even more traditional fare like Rob Marshall's adaptation of Chicago. But if you'll excuse the metaphor, Hooper's movie feels like it's preaching to the choir: pre-existing fans of Les Miserables as a stage musical will probably marvel at seeing it so fully realised on film, but newcomers like me may wonder what all the fuss is about.
Ravi Nijjar
Cutting the right balance between action and comedy in a film like RED is not an easy thing to do.
Fortunately, Robert Schwentke is something of a genius behind the camera, and he adapted the brilliant graphic novel into one of the best action-comedies I've seen in a very, very long time.
Bruce Willis stars as Frank Moses, an ex-CIA blackops agent adjusting to retirement, who spends much of his time talking to call-centre operator, Sarah Ross (Mary-Louise Parker).
When Frank is unwisely branded with the label 'RED' - Retired, Extremely Dangerous - his quiet retirement gets a big shake-up, and his suburban home gets a makeover when it's visited by a hit squad trying to take him out.
Knowing that Sarah is in danger, because his calls have been monitored, Frank takes it upon himself to kidnap Sarah from her monotonous life and take her with him as he recruits a crew of his old friends to help him get to the bottom of what's been going on in the CIA since he left that's left him marked for death.
There is absolutely nothing about Schwentke's movie that isn't a stroke of genius, from the casting through to the dialogue, and the explosives, right on down. Needless to say, this isn't one for the whole family, but to be enjoyed when the kids have gone to bed.
Given how 'gung-ho' many of Willis' roles continue to be, despite the fact that he's been getting on in age since his early Die Hard days, it's nice to see a film come along that makes note of his age, with Moses starting out as a retired agent.
Perhaps the greatest thing that RED has going for it is how exceptional an ensemble cast it has. Not only do we have Willis in the lead, and Parker playing the love interest, but we've also got John Malkovich playing a paranoid former agent; Morgan Freeman as Frank's mentor, now spending his days in a retirement home; Karl Urban as the fresh new blood of the CIA, hunting Frank down; Helen Mirren as the former MI5 agent, who still takes on the odd job in her retirement; and Brian Cox as an ex-Soviet secret agent, who is still in the game himself.
It's not often at all that we get to see a cast as strong as this together, and even less in an action blockbuster like RED. Just to see the dynamics between these characters and this cast, alone, it's worth watching. But when you add to that the hilarious scenes of action, perfectly-timed explosions, and a fluffy pink pig, you know you're in for a real treat.
RED is unmissable action-comedy at its finest.
For me this is the 60s equivalent of Dirty Dancing and certainly on a par with Quadrophenia. If it had been made as a film it would have won an Oscar
Focusing on the crazy world of psychiatry and the pharmaceutical business, what begins as a sombre story about the dangers of prescription meds (when Rooney Mara suffers dangerous side effects believed to have been bought on by anxiety tablets prescribed by her shrink Jude Law): Twists and turns into a Hitchcockian conspiracy thriller with shady quack Catherine Zeta Jones and other shadowy figures lurking in the boardrooms and clinics of corporate America.
Director Stephen Sodenbergh ('Traffic', 'Che') keeps up the pace by putting mild mannered mind doctor Jude Law in the middle of a scenario that sees his idyllic work and home life unravel, when former patient Rooney Mara's ('The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' remake) testimony threatens to put him behind bars. 'Side effects' is best seen without too much information about the plot and is a well scripted, well acted film albeit one which starts off one way (as an interesting exposé of the psychiatry- pharmaceutical scam) but ends in quite another (the slightly less interesting power plays and De Palma style double crosses). Jude Law gives a subtly powerful performance as the good (or is he?) doctor but its Rooney Mara who steals the show with a complex and difficult role that requires her to run the gamut of emotions. Good film.
The Evil Dead is a cult favourite, and one that the fans could really get protective over. This remake, however, screams "I'm part of the club" at cinemagoers, with posters proudly proclaiming that this is a 'new vision' of the old story from the makers of the original. In other words, Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell, the director and star of The Evil Dead, are on board as producers. So, even though it's an in-house job (and Michael Bay is nowhere to be seen), is this a Hollywood horror remake to get furious about? No, not really. It isn't really a film that conjured up any strong emotions in me.
It's a curious thing, but this "new vision" manages to be uninteresting without ever being completely boring. First-time feature director Fede Alvarez shows occasional flare for style as he attempts to piece together the now well-known cabin-in-the-woods story. But the acting is often poor and the gruesomeness becomes so unrelenting it's like a never ending white noise that buzzes around you while you sit in the cinema. This film gets so caught up in how to make the audience feel sick, it forgets to make them interested in why they might feel sick and what the point of it all was in the first place.
In this version, the reason for the group of young photogenic people to be in the woods is altered. They are there to help one of their members to give up her life of illegal drugs. She plans to ride out the withdrawal symptoms with her friends and brother to support her. But, as many will be aware, she ends up becoming possessed by evil spirits.
Although the opening of the film shows promise, Alvarez never manages to make anything very memorable with the material - and legacy - he has been handed. Sure, he shoots it all fairly competently, but this needed more than competence. It needed edge, verve, buzz and a pulse. Instead, this movie borders on the mundane and becomes rather lifeless (albeit in a hysterical kind of way). A source quoted on the American poster for Evil Dead claims it will "blow you away". I didn't feel blown away. I felt disappointed and, for the most part, rather numb.
You're feeling lower than you've ever felt. Your wife has just left you. You just found out she's been seeing another man for years. Oh, and there's a great big asteroid heading towards Earth that's going to wipe out all life in three weeks. Did I forget to mention that the world was ending literally, as well as figuratively?
That's the setup for Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World, a bittersweet romantic comedy-drama that stars Steve Carell and Keira Knightley as two romantically-unlucky and generally-unfulfilled misfits who find comfort in each other's company as the world comes to an end.
As the pair journeys across America in search of their friends and family, they gradually become closer at the same time as they begin to realise what the truly important things in their lives have been - and it isn't necessarily what they'd expect.
But the film manages to avoid the slushiness that's implied by that description, instead focusing on some very grounded human details that help us to sympathise with the characters as well as provoking us as an audience to reconsider the details of our own lives, and what is really important to us.
It might sound like an odd decision to set such a low-key and character-driven story against such a large-scale, high-concept backdrop, but it actually works very well. Giving the planet a three-week time limit adds a certain urgency to what might have otherwise been a directionless and meandering will-they-won't-they story, forcing the two leads to confront the reality of their lives head-on, and drawing out the humanity of their characters at a rapid pace as they face up to their impending death.
Carell, in particular, is surprisingly good (given his background as a comedian) as Dodge Petersen, the abandoned and depressed husband who finds himself revitalised after meeting the slightly younger but similarly disenfranchised Penny (played by Knightley). Knightley's performance here is a little reminiscent of Kate Winslet in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: a kooky British girl who might have her vices and flaws, but whose heart is ultimately in the right place.
Also, like Eternal Sunshine, this movie manages to maintain a sharp focus on its two key characters despite the apparent zaniness of its premise, using the larger backdrop to serve the central drama of the story rather than the other way around. Whilst there are some occasional glimpses of what's happening in the wider world as a result of the imminent asteroid arrival (suicides; orgies; crime; general social breakdown, basically), it always plays second fiddle to Dodge and Penny's story.
And by the time the film reaches its denouement, you'll realise what a smart move that was - because it's the smaller human moments, rather than the story of the wider planetary destruction, that really stay with you after it's over.
Penny's obsession with old vinyl records or Dodge's nostalgic recollections of a past failed relationship are far more gripping on a personal level than a Deep Impact or Armageddon-style action-packed finale would have been, and it makes for an unexpectedly uplifting conclusion, given that the movie is essentially about the end of all life on Earth.
And there's plenty of humour throughout too, whether it's the oddball truck driver that the pair encounter (who, it turns out, has his own unique plans for how to end his life) or the absurd exchange with a police officer who's determined to arrest the couple for minor traffic offences, despite the inherent meaninglessness of the reprimand given the impending destruction of the planet.
To conclude, Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World is a unique and unexpectedly moving comedy-drama that's really more about what it means to be human and love someone else than it is about an asteroid destroying the planet.
But the asteroid helps.
Even without knowing anything about GI Joe, it's quite clear from the trailers and the cast involved that this was going to be a high octane action fest. It's the kind of movie that you go into knowing exactly what to expect, and luckily G.I. Joe: Retaliation delivers on all counts. A sequel to the lukewarm Rise Of Cobra from 2009, Retaliation looks to fix everything wrong with that movie as well as up the ante on fights, explosions and all the staples of an action genre movie. Throw in stars such as Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and Bruce Willis, and suddenly you've got a movie worth watching.
The Rock has carved out a fantastic niche as the modern day Schwarzenegger (complete with the occasional dodgy comedy) and he gives one of his best performances here. It's clear that he has a fondness for the franchise and this enthusiasm comes through in every scene. Bruce Willis on the other hand is quite wasted in this movie so if you're simply coming in as a 'die hard' fan, you might leave a little disappointed. With a few other familiar faces such as Channing Tatum (slightly more clothed than in Magic Mike), Jonathan Pryce, Adrianne Palicki (Friday Night Lights) and Ray Park (Darth Maul in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace) you've got a good number of stars to make Retaliation feel more of a legit blockbuster.
Whether you were a fan of the original movie or you have never seen it, you'll easily jump into Retaliation. It has some nice continuity from Cobra, with Duke (Tatum) getting his own team of Joes, but it still makes sense if this is your first experience of the franchise. While there is a clear attempt at storyline, it's all fairly irrelevant. What stands out is the strong fight scenes - especially involving Snake Eyes (Park) - and some great nods to the toy series with some extravagant vehicle chases and blow-ups. Palicki is a natural and deserves to be front and centre in future movies in her career, with a great look and a vulnerability alongside her kick ass nature. Park is a physical specimen that does things others only dream of doing. As for The Rock - well, he has it down to a tee now and can almost do these movies with his eyes closed, though he clearly goes through strong regimes to get where he needs to be.
Often these kinds of franchises spawn unnecessary straight-to-video releases that fly under the radar, but the studio decided to go all out with a strong movie and cinematic release for Retaliation. It speaks volumes to their faith in the franchise, and with a number of stars on board they manage to deliver a significant improvement over the initial installment. It will never win an Oscar but if you're looking for a switch-your-brain-off pizza night casual watch then this is the movie for you. Sometimes you just need a good 90 minute slot where you watch things explode and people punch each other, and a nice feel good ending. Do you get that here? Well that would be spoiling it..
With a few deleted scenes and minimal documentary features, the home release of G.I. Joe: Retaliation is middling at best. Yes it's an extended cut but there wasn't much need for anything additional. The Blu-ray is certainly the medium of choice however as the visuals look stunning. Turn up the volume loud and enjoy the sound mix of bombastic soundtrack and explosions from every corner. This is a movie born for the cinema but translates well enough to a home environment with the right set up. If action movies are your addiction then this is absolutely something you need to pick up.
The Joes return once again to kick some serious ass.
It's been a long wait for the high-definition release of this animated modern classic: Finding Nemo, a film which I guess now exemplifies the early period of Pixar movies where every single one of their films was a solid-gold hit. Most of the studio's other releases from that era have been available on Blu-Ray for quite a while, and so I was worried that for some reason we'd never see Finding Nemo arrive on the format. But thankfully, Pixar have taken their time to really do the movie justice, bringing one of their most visually arresting stories to HD with the lavish treatment that it deserves.
In case you've never seen the movie, allow me to sum it up in a single sentence - by saying it's the kind of movie that's impossible to sum up in a single sentence! On one level, it's a colourful adventure story for kids, populated with with larger-than-life characters, exciting situations and fun jokes that will keep youngsters spellbound for the whole of its 100-minute running time. But on another level, it contains a powerful and unusually complex message for adults, acting as a fable about how overbearing parental protection can actually harm a child's development, and how mothers and fathers need to learn to let their offspring make their own way in the world. And, as with so many Pixar movies, it's crammed with clever gags and references that are purely for the benefit of grown-up viewers.
Along the way, we encounter a cast of characters that Pixar has probably never bettered in terms of diversity and likeability. Young Nemo, of course, is one of the two heroes of the piece, with his concerned father Marlin - the unfunniest clownfish you'll ever meet - acting as the adult protagonist. Again, this gives both sectors of the audience someone to root for, with children investing their emotions in Nemo's kidnapping (fishnapping?) and imprisonment in a Sydney-based dentist's fishtank, whilst parents can sympathise - albeit perhaps reluctantly - with Marlin's conflicted parental priorities.
It's the supporting characters, however, who provide the most colour and flair, and are responsible for many of Finding Nemo's most memorable moments. Dory - voiced by Ellen DeGeneres - is the utterly hilarious star of the piece, a well-meaning but air-headed companion for Marlin who's cursed with a five-second memory (not to mention a misguided belief that she can "speak whale"). The gang of misfits in the dentist's tank - led by Gill (Willem Dafoe) - also provide an amusing selection of stir-crazy idiosyncrasies, whilst all manner of other seabound creatures make memorable appearances that have an impact that lasts long beyond their all-too-brief screentime. I probably only need to say "sharks", "turtle", "seagulls", or "pelican" to anyone who's seen this film to have them rolling on the floor with laughter. And if you don't understand why that is - well, then it's time you found out.
As I said, kids will love all the colourful characters and exciting adventures that are packed into this movie. But Pixar is also admirably unafraid to throw some potentially challenging sequences into the mix, too - such as the opening barracuda attack that leaves Nemo motherless, or the scary scene in which a group of would-be-vegetarian sharks get a whiff of blood in the water. It's these more serious moments - which don't last long, but which are important to the film's story - that help to ground the hi-jinks of the movie in a more adult and potentially dangerous world, which is crucial if there's to be a real sense of jeopardy and urgency in Marlin's quest to rescue his son.
So in short, Finding Nemo contains everything that makes Pixar movies great. And on Blu-Ray, it looks better than ever. This is probably one of Pixar's most graphically lush films ever - the animators visited countless aquariums and did SCUBA dives in places such as the Great Barrier Reef to research the movie's visuals, and it shows - making it a perfect candidate for a high-definition release. And it looks as stunning as you'd expect. In fact, I'd go so far as to say it's reference-quality material for home entertainment systems, especially as far as the animation is concerned, with the crystal-clear transfer of the computer-generated graphics looking 100% flawless. I didn't spot any changes or modifications to this version of the movie - and to be honest the film doesn't demand any - so just rest assured that this is the best-looking version of it you've ever seen.
And all the extras from the DVD edition are present and correct too (as far as I remember, anyway - and some of them are even now in HD too), meaning that fans can delve into background material that enhances their enjoyment of the film even further. And my favourite - and as far as I know, unique - feature from the DVD looks even better on Blu-Ray: the ability to turn your TV into a virtual aquarium, with a selection of different Pixar-animated undersea backdrops that run on a loop, underscored by chilled-out music, that will gently soothe you after a hard day of movie-watching.
All in all, this is a perfect package for one of the best animated movies of all time, and I'd urge fans of the movie and newcomers alike to snap it up - especially given that you'll surely be wanting to rewatch it soon in preparation for the upcoming sequel - Finding Dory - next year. If it's anywhere near as good as the original, we'll be in for a treat.
"Just one more episode."
"Just one more episode."
That's the feeling you get each time you finish watching an instalment of Broadchurch, the new ITV drama series just released on DVD. A whodunnit spread across eight episodes, the show tracks the hunt for the killer of an eleven-year-old boy, Danny Latimer, in a close-knit seaside town.
At the same time as detectives Alec Hardy (David Tennant) and Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman) try to discover who murdered the young boy, they end up uncovering a host of other sordid secrets about the town's inhabitants, as well as revealing some surprising home truths that affect their own personal lives.
It might sound like a tall order to stretch a single murder investigation across an entire series - the last time I can remember it working as well as this was the US series Murder One, many moons ago - but the writer of Broadchurch, Chris Chibnall, makes the story endlessly compelling by populating the sleepy west-country seaside town with such interesting and three-dimensional characters.
Whether it's the grieving Latimer family (who are also caught in a web of complex romantic relationships), the young vicar who holds sway over the locals, the creepy newsagent who runs the sea scouts, or the apparently charming hotelier who is struggling to make ends meet, you'll quickly find yourself getting caught in the web of personal relationships that permeates the town of Broadchurch, and enjoying the show as much for its soap-opera subplots as for the central mystery.
And when Chibnall throws a group of journalists into the mix - a couple of sympathetic types from the local rag, and one headline-hunting cutthroat from a national tabloid - it allows him to also cover thought-provoking topics revolving around journalistic ethics and media manipulation.
Combining all of these different story strands with the police-procedural elements - including a secondary mystery about an old case that Hardy, the new-guy-in-town, failed to solve in his previous placement - the show weaves everything into a rich tapestry that's utterly captivating.
The best way I can think of to explain the power of the show is that when watching it on DVD, it's only when you get up from the sofa to change discs that you realise you've just been spending the last three hours watching the programme - even if you only intended to sit down for a quick 45 minutes. The only other show to have had that effect on me in recent years was 24, and that's pretty prestigious company to be in, especially for such an unassuming and parochial show as this one.
It's that parochial nature, however, that proves to be one of Broadchurch's greatest assets. It deliberately avoids the kind of big-city clichés that get trotted out in most London-based or US-set crime dramas, instead opting to create a far more believable world filled with genuine, relatable characters rather than hoary old caricatures.
The show is also unafraid to relieve the tension with occasional moments of humour that are again rooted in the characters first and foremost - especially when it comes to the burgeoning professional relationship between the optimistic Miller and her grumpy boss, Hardy.
Put all of these elements together and you have a show that's totally compelling television, and which will grab you from the very first moment and not let go until the closing credits of the final chapter. If you're willing to truly engage with a well-written and original drama - and you're prepared for some long evenings glued to your telly - then take the plunge and buy a copy of Broadchurch immediately.
But be prepared to find yourself constantly uttering that inevitable phrase:
"just one more episode..."
Excellent British thriller, which sees policemen siblings Paul Bettany and Stephen Graham, weighed down by the hunt for a child killer in a close knit, Merseyside community. The brilliant Paul Bettany puts in his best performance since 'Gangster No.1' (2000) as a moral but impulsive man who, in a bid to emulate the old school tactics employed by his father (a retired sergeant played by the ever reliable Brian Cox); takes the law into his own hands with disastrous consequences.
'Blood' is one of the most underrated films of the year and was overlooked because of its low key, cold and deliberately claustrophobic style. For this isn't a police procedural in the traditional sense but more of a subtle character study about the traumatic consequences of long buried secrets and lies.
Now although this is Paul Bettany's film, Stephen Graham puts in a fine supporting performance as an amiable, quiet man, who begins to crack under the pressure whilst the magnificent Mark Strong brings intensity and gravitas to an otherwise standard role of a good cop out to play it by the book.
Director Nick Murphy does justice to Bill Gallagher's screenplay by incorporating the most interesting themes from films like 'The Offence' (1972) and 'Zodiac' (2007) to create something akin to a mini-masterpiece. Not many people saw this, but its definitely worth looking out for and could well make the top 10 list of best films of 2013.
Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters had all the hallmarks of being absolutely brilliant or completely forgettable.
The premise, bringing an updated take on the classic fairy tale, sees the young Hansel and Gretel we all know all grown up. And with a back story like theirs, becoming witch hunters seems like the inevitable career path.
In the decade and a half since we're first introduced to them, the brother-sister duo have become renowned bounty hunters, with more than five hundred witches' deaths to their name. But as the mythic and notorious 'Blood Moon' beckons, we see a different kind of evil emerge from the depths of the forest, promising to cause a lot more trouble for our heroic witch hunters.
Much of the credit for this film's success belongs to both its leading stars, Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton. The chemistry that the two have on screen is brilliant, building a fantastic rapport as the brother-sister outfit. With plenty of banter and witty one-liners, the film's darker scenes are lifted by cutting a great balance between the humour and violence.
Norwegian writer-director Tommy Wirkola (Dead Snow) is absolutely fantastic, making one of my favourite English language debuts. His background in comedy/horror serves him very well on Hansel & Gretel, helping to balance out the bloody scenes with a healthy dose of laughs.
The blockbuster movie definitely earns its 15 rating here, gleefully full of gore, grime, and strong bloody action sequences. Not only is it an action movie, it is also a brilliant horror movie, with the fantasy elements blending nicely as well.
Its critics have largely railed against the film as being generic, but that couldn't be further from the truth. In recent years, we've seen a significant resurgence of the fairy tale genre, and Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters breathes fresh air into an otherwise tired segment of the industry.
Rare is the update that brings such originality and ingenuity as this movie. I've often wondered what Hansel and Gretel would be like at the end of the story. 'And they lived happily ever after' never quite seemed to cut it for a duo whose past involved kidnapping. It's nice to finally see them getting their own back, and then some, traveling all over the world to become famous bounty hunters. Paramount have already given the go-ahead for a sequel, and I can't wait to see what these two characters will do next.
Brilliant Film, naughty but Funny!! Wish I had a Teddy Bear like that :-)
There are very few studios who get it right every time. Fortunately, Disney is one of those few, and Wreck-It Ralph proves that they still know exactly what audiences want: A light-hearted, family-friendly adventure with a lot of laughs along the way.
The animation house has that rare ability to make films suitable for absolutely all ages, which is something my wife and I always love when sitting down to the latest Disney blockbuster with our young children. It's an evening's entertainment for us all to enjoy.
The premise of the movie is simple but brilliant. Remember all those loveable characters from your childhood days spent at the arcade? They're right here on the screen. And when night-time comes, they're allowed to venture out into each other's games and live in those worlds until the arcade re-opens.
Wreck-It Ralph is the villain of the popular game, Fix-It Felix, Jr.
Surrounded by fellow villains, like Mario's Bowser and co., we find out that all he wants to do is stop being the bad guy. He hears that another game in the arcade, Hero's Duty, will give him the chance to earn a medal, thereby becoming a good guy in his eyes. And so he ventures out from his own game and into that of Sergeant Calhoun's first-person shooter, in search of the medal to clear his name.
From there, events start to spiral out of control for our hero, and it's a race against time for Ralph, Felix, and the characters they meet along the way to save themselves and their friends before their original game gets unplugged.
For the adults among us, the studio gives something of a timeless story, but presents it in an incredibly original way. And for the children, it's something terrifically new, and it's quite possibly the most colourful film I can ever remember seeing.
Disney spared no expense in ensuring that the animation is at the cutting edge, and part of that is their brilliant work with 3D here. The extra dimension really helps to bring these characters to life, and even watching it in 3D on the small screen at home adds an extra layer to the experience of enjoying this fantastic film.
One of the things that impresses me and my wife most about the studio is its willingness to take chances on directors. Rich Moore, who's directed some of my favourite episodes of The Simpsons and Futurama over the years, had never directed a full-length feature before Wreck-It Ralph. Disney clearly saw the talent in him, and he really, really delivered. (And then some.)
What follows is a hilarious and heartfelt adventure-comedy that sees our beloved hero, Ralph, desperate to rise above his villainous station. Without overdoing the morals, Moore tells a brilliant story of a bad guy who wants to be good. And in the process, he delivers one of the best animated movies the studio has ever made. And, when we're talking about Disney, that's really saying something.
Ignore the controversy around Django Unchained. When Quentin Tarantino's latest movie was released in cinemas earlier this year, it was beset by claims that it was too violent, that it made repeated and unnecessary use of offensive racial epithets, and that it treated slavery in a cartoonish and overly light manner.
Out of context, these might sound like legitimate complaints. But when you see how Django Unchained comes together, and how all these elements are utilised within the tapestry of Tarantino's excellent revenge/western/romance/action movie, your reaction isn't likely to be one of disgust. It's likely to be one of awe.
Because Django Unchained proves to be Tarantino's most awesome movie yet, in the truest sense of the word. Bringing together some of the grand themes that he's explored in past movies (revenge, racial politics, cruelty, and the way in which cycles of violence and abuse perpetuate themselves), he couples these big ideas with a fantastic cast (including the barely-repressed anger of Jamie Foxx in the title role, as well as the cool, calm, intelligent and gentle heroism of Christoph Waltz as bounty hunter King Schultz) and some utterly beautiful and captivating - literally, awe-inspiring - shots of American landscapes (courtesy of expert cinematographer Robert Richardson) that wouldn't feel out of place in a John Ford western.
Yes, in case you weren't aware, this is a western. Tarantino has dabbled in plenty of different genres before (crime flicks, heist movies, WWII yarns, gory horror movies and oriental-style kung fu to name but a few), but with the classic American genre of the western he might have found his best fit yet. Because westerns allow for everything that Tarantino is good at: distinctive, outlandish characters, bloody battles with life-or-death stakes, and plenty of downtime in-between for some of that trademark Tarantino dialogue.
The plot itself is actually reasonably thin, despite the movie's 165-minute running time: a freed slave (Django) teams up with a morally-sound bounty hunter (Schultz) to rescue Django's wife from a brutal and vindictive ranch owner (Calvin Candie, played with uncharacteristic nastiness in a wonderfully cast-against-type performance from Leonardo DiCaprio). But within this simple framework there's plenty of subtlety and sophistication that might go over the heads of those who are determined to peg Tarantino as a filmmaker who peddles simplistic fare designed solely to appeal to base instincts.
Notably, Tarantino really ramps up the exploitation-style elements of the movie (particularly with the inclusion of vicious Mandingo fighting - a despicable "sport" in which slaves must fight each other to the death), thus encouraging audiences to hate Candie for enjoying the gruesome game. However, this occurs at the same time as we're thoroughly enjoying being treated to bloody shootouts and revenge killings for our own viewing pleasure.
As an audience, we're being asked to place all of our sympathy with Django, a character who has been abused by exactly the kind of people who enjoy Mandingo fighting. But at the same time, we're paying our money to be dazzled by increasingly violent spectacle (filled with the kind of action-packed, intricately-staged shootouts that Tarantino is so good at).
In this way, Tarantino is daring to ask whether his audiences are just as morally compromised as Samuel L Jackson's character in this movie: the head-of-household, Stephen, a deceitful and hateful person who's function is essentially that of a race-traitor who has defected to serve the very people who have abused him. Is our lust for cinematic bloodshed evidence that we're guilty of sharing the same base instincts that we condemn when we side with Django? Or is the audience's sympathy for Django just a thin facade that we accept in order to let the story play out in the bloodiest, most satisfying way possible?
If it sounds like I'm getting a bit heavy, don't let that colour your opinion of the movie too much, as these questions are really only vaguely implied by the movie. And alongside the more serious stuff, Tarantino is able to work in some inspired moments of humour and lightness - including a ridiculously garish costume-change for Django halfway through the film that's oddly reminiscent of Austin Powers, as well as an extended comedy skit based around KKK masks that's one of the funniest things I've ever seen in a cinema.
And, as with all the best films, the movie's real heart and soul is found in its characters. Even more so than Django's yearning for his captured and abused wife, the central relationship in the story turns out to be the mutual friendship between Django and Schultz.
Smaller scenes - such as the campfire chat in which Schultz relates a curiously pertinent German folk tale to Django, or the beautifully-shot sequence in which Schultz teaches Django how to shoot during the winter by taking aim at snowmen - really help to flesh out the rapport between the two, more than justifying the luxurious running time (although a minute or two could definitely have been shaved off by dropping Tarantino's ill-advised cameo, complete with a baffling Australian accent).
The final point that I wanted to raise about this movie is a more personal one, but still one that might ring true for some people reading this review, as it revolves around the paucity of non-white action leads in Hollywood films today. It might seem staggering to say it, but Foxx's Django is one of the few non-white characters that (as a non-white viewer myself) I've found genuinely inspiring and cool, and it's one that I hope opens the door for a more colourblind approach among casting directors in future.
Amid an apparently endless sea of bland, caucasian lead actors, Tarantino is one of the few Hollywood directors who has been brave enough to cast non-white A-list actors like Foxx (and in Jackie Brown, Pam Grier) to spearhead his movies, and in Django Unchained he goes one better and couples this with a story that explicitly addresses head-on the kind of racial issues that it seems that the film industry would often rather ignore. How anyone can accuse Tarantino of racism on the strength of this thoughtful, considered - but above all, entertaining - movie is beyond me.
Ravi Nijjar
'Breaking Bad' is one of those shows that is impossible to sell with mere words.
Walter White played by Bryan Cranston (Malcolm in the Middle) is middle-aged science teacher, whose life is transformed, learning that he has terminal cancer. Initially, the plot is driven by Walt's desire to provide for his family after death. Using his advanced knowledge of chemistry, he embarks in the dangerous pursuit of becoming a meth cook, teaming up with one of his ex students, Jesse (Aaron Paul) who is already in the business.
By Season 5, Walter White has been all consumed by the criminal life. His relationships with his family have dissolved, to the point where he risks losing everything. We see Walt's character transform from a provider to a self-absorbed and power hungry villain. It becomes all to clear to his wife Skylar, and his colleagues, that as hard as they try to persuade Walter to return to his previous life, he has no intentions of backing down.
Will "Heisenberg" bite off more than he can chew?
Breaking Bad - Season 5, looks absolutely stunning on Blu-ray and has a rich 5.1 DTS soundtrack.
There are so many bonus featurettes, deleted and extended scenes and commentaries on this Blu-ray set, you get more than you're moneys worth.
This is a must-own!
All Hail the King
Die Hard 5 is a good film. There, I said it. Yes, its saddled with a ropey script by Hollywood hack Skip Woods ('Swordfish', 'Hitman') and journeyman director John Moore ('Max Payne') isn't exactly John McTerrin or Renny Harlin but there's more than enough action and vintage, John McClaine one-liners to satisfy fans of the series.
The minimal, but intermittently compelling, plot sees McClaine's son (promising newcomer Jai Courtney) as a CIA agent in Moscow sent to protect a key witness in a trial against some Mafioso oligarch. Things don't go according to plan; enter smirking, frowning, grizzled old timer Bruce Willis to save the day...sort of. Willis and Courtney work well as the mismatched father and son duo wrecking havoc and on the run from all manner of gun totting heavies. The nuclear heist themed storyline is, frankly, preposterous; but 'Die Hard 5' is over and done with in 98 minutes, so you don't really have time to notice.
'Die Hard 1-3' is the definitive trilogy, 'Live Free or Die Hard' a.k.a. 'Die Hard 4.0' and 'A Good Day to Die Hard' are entertaining also rans.
My girlfriends favorite film
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