My Film: 'Chalet Girl' 19-3-11

I am going to be blunt. This film was unpredictably good which was a surprise for me who went into the film with a slightly biased opinion thinking it was be awful. Don't you just love it when you are pleasantly surprised by such a sweet film?

This film is full of fun and frolics with a good cast including one of my all-time favourite actors, Bill Nighy, the beautiful Ed Westwick from Gossip Girl and Cemetery Junction star Felicity Jones in the staring role. Throw in a few cameos from Bill Bailey, Brooke Shields and Sophia Bush and you have a bloody good film.

This film was cheesy but to be honest with all of you out there, everybody needs a bit of cheese in their life. I am worried that this film may not be to everyone taste or it may disapoint in comparison with the most recent British film to come out. A little film called the King's Speech, have you heard of it? It was kept on the down low. Chalet Girl was funny, a feel good film and I would happily see it again, who knows I may just buy it on DVD to add to my small collection of films that are technically at a low standard but that I love because they make me feel good.

Watch this film but try not to be biased.


P.S. I would like to make a shout out to my sweet best friend who got a tad bit sentimental whilst watching this film. BLR. I love you for being so silly.

My Star Rating:

8/10 *

My Film: 'The Lincoln Lawyer' 18-3-11

As I sat in college today, a friend of mine asked me to come to the cinema to see 'The Lincoln Lawyer. What was my first response? Just No! I had seen the trailer whilst on previous cinema outing and unimpressed by it. But I decided to go against my original judgement and sit through it as I am a A2 Film Studies Student and if I can't sit through a 2 hour film when it sucks then what is the point? Surely I would be able to enjoy the narrative and embrace my inner nerd and pick out the visual and technical successes.

How Shocked I was to find that actually I enjoyed the film as a whole with it's amazing soundtrack including the song, 'Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City' by Bobby 'Blue' Bland and 'I Remember' by contemporary DJ, Deadmau5. As well as the amazing soundtrack, the cast list is far from shabby featuring some of the heavy weights of 'tinsel town'. Matthew McConaughey is finally able to shake of his recent person that forces him to act in romcoms to be able to play a serious part; he is backed up by William H. Macy as his second in command and The Fighter star, Marisa Tomei as his affectionate ex-wife and mother of his daughter.

Opposite these roles is, Ryan Phillippe as the playboy millionaire, Louis Roulet. This character epitomises the darker characters that Phillippe has played in the few films that I have seen him in. To be honest, I have seen very few of his movies but of the ones I have seen, his characters are never good natured. A key example of this is 'Crash' in which he plays a racist cop and in 'Cruel intentions' he plays the womanizing bad boy, Sebastian. I wish he could shake his persona, however foxy he may be as a bad boy. t is a little bit of a joy to watch him on the screen, yummy.

This film was good, edgy and included some beautiful fluid camera movements and shots (told you I was nerd) but it still could have been improved with some more narrative twists or better paced dialogue but it overall a good film from the virtually unknown Director, Brad Furman. This is only Furman's second feature length film and although it may not be up to the same standard of the more experienced directors, it does reinvigorate the dram genre in Hollywood.

My Star Rating:

7/10 *

My Film: 'Hall Pass' 13-3-11

When I originally saw the trailer for this film, I wasn't impressed. I see now that I was mistaken, I was thoroughly impressed by this film. Never judge a film by its trailer.

It wasn't till the end credit that I realised that the two directors of this film were the Farrelly brothers. Famous for directing Dumb & Dumber, there's something about Mary and Me, Myself and Irene. After a string of successful comedy movies, could they get any better? In more recent years the brothers have been responsible for a selection of below par comedy films such as the Heartbreak Kid and The Perfect Catch. Not brilliant to be honest.

But they have been able to return to the good potty humour from their early stuff rather than attempting to create cheap laughs.

This film was good and made me laugh a lot but it is no Superbad. The idea of two wives being forced to allow their husbands to have a week off from marriage to cheat etc is ridiculous and makes me question the strength of the marriage of the characters. People can't possibly allow their partners to cheat it is just wrong.

Now that my mini rant is over, my opinion? It was enjoyable and I would like to see it again. Well worth the watch!

My Star Rating:

7/10 *

My Film: 'The Adjustment Bureau' 8-3-11

I heard a description of the adjustment bureau which stated it as a combination between Bourne and Inception. Do not believe it. This film is no way near as good as the confusing yet brilliant Inception from Dark Knight Director, Christopher Nolan or Matt Damon's Bourne trilogy.

This film was entertaining and watchable but at the time that I was watching I was a tad bit sleepy so in fact missed about 10 minutes of film whilst asleep on my best friend shoulder. Opps! But according to my friend I missed very little action. The idea behind this film was good and with more action sequences and better dialogue then it could be brilliant. It had a lot of potential but the ending of the film left me wanting.

Without giving the ending away, I was dissapointed by the ending and the lack of narrative. As the casting goes, I personally love Matt Damon and found him brilliant in the role of Politician David Norris. Unfortunately whenever I see Matt Damon, a certain famous quote goes through my head from 'Team America: World Police'. Can you guess what it is? Matt Damon! Unfortunately, probably the most harmful things to happen to him. Matt Damon.

Emily Blunt? Brilliant1 I love Emily Blunt, I always have thought she was brilliant ever since I saw her in the Jane Austen book club. Since then, she has appeared in some fantastic films such as Sunshine Clearing, The Wolfman, Young Victoria and Wild Target. She is a rising star who I know will do great things in the future.

One last thing what is it about the hats? Why is the hat the key? I intend to test out the theory of the film, grab a hat, run through a door and try to enter a new place. Be right back, going to grab my trilby and run at my wardrobe...

5 MINUTES LATER... Ouch that didn't work. I would happily see this film again but would not necessarily buy it on DVD.

My Star Rating:

7.5/10 *

My Film: 'Rango' 5-3-11

Rango? A Lizard film? I don't think so to be perfectly honest. Wait, Johnny Depp voices the lovable reptile and Gore Verbinski directs it? Please don't tempt me to like it. How dare you, this is so unfair. Who is Gore Verbinski? I hear you say! He is of course the director of the original Pirates of the Caribbean, some of the best films ever made.

So, back to Rango, I find myself split in my opinions of this film. The film is split into two halves, good and bad. The first 40 to 45 minutes of the film are ridiculously boring and seem to drag on and on. But if you do decide to see this film and you also get a tad bored, be patient and sit through it! The second half is brilliant in comparison and I am glad that I was willing enough to endure the beginning as it was good.

This was a good attempt from a studio that is not traditionally famous for making animated films but it can not compare to its Disney or Dreamworks counterparts. The second half of the film was fun and a good attempt at a classic gun slinger western.

My Star Rating:

7/10 *

My Film: 'Drive Angry' 2-3-11

Tonight was my first outing to see an 18 film at the cinema since I came of age and to be honest I was disapointed. Drive Angry was good but it was designed for a male audience. It was filled with; boobs, sex, drugs, fast cars, death, rock n roll, violence, alcohol and cigarettes. This is a teenage boys paradise but unfortunately I am not a teenage boy. I enjoyed it but I would rather not see it again.


It doesn't help I suppose that Nicolas Cage is in it. Nicolas Cage is one of my least favourite actors having seen him in some of the worst films ever, Ghost Rider, National treasure and the Knowing. He comes from great film family. He is the nephew of Godfather director, Francis Ford Coppola, cousin of Marie Antoinette director, Sofia Coppola and Jason Scwartzman of the Darjeeling Limited fame. I don't like his acting styles, He is wooden and lacks animation. I think this alone has hindered my view on this movie, it could have been better if they had a different actor in the lead role.

Having said all that and had my little anti Nicolas Cage rant, this film is certainly watchable especially for the thrill of bullets and body parts flying out at you in the 3d. I probably won't get round to watching it again but it was certainly a good way to fill up a few hours purely to see Billy Burke, famous for playing Charlie Swan in the hit Twilight saga, as a villain and Satanist.

My Star Rating:

7/10 *