Autumn Views...

Gravity - 4 stars ****

I actually ended up seeing this on the day it came out, completely by chance, as the girls and me fancied a trip to the cinema and happened to notice this was playing. Although I'd seen the trailer a few times, it didn't quite register whilst I was buying the tickets, so I bypassed the 3D showing in favour of the cheaper 2D version, and then realised my mistake! We decided to see it anyway, and though I must admit it would have been a much better experience in 3D, it was still a great film.

It doesn't have a very complicated storyline, as the main focus is on the special effects, the 3D element and the massive build up of suspense throughout, which it creates very well - it was probably my most stressful and traumatic film experience! It takes place in space, where medical engineer Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) and astronaut Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) are stationed on a mission, when some debris hits them, killing their fellow crew member and separating them from their base, and each other. The next 75 minutes is the aftermath - every jaw dropping, heart pounding, adrenaline rushing minute of it.

Bullock steals the show as Ryan, who has to face her demons and push herself to the limits in order to survive, and Clooney is a loveable rogue providing some light comic relief from the catastrophe that ensues around him. I would urge anyone thinking of watching this movie to see it, and definitely opt for the 3D variation. There are so many moments when it could have turned something picturesque into something beautiful, and a quick intake of breath into a ' jump out of your seat' scene that it is worth the extra £2.50!

Winter Views...

Cloud Atlas - 4 stars ****

On Friday, Mo and I went to watch Cloud Atlas, the latest offering from the Wachowskis (of The Matrix fame) and Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run). I managed to find a preview of it on at Parrs Wood, as it is not released until this week, so I booked tickets to make sure we definitely got in. I saw the trailer for it way back in summer and have been waiting to see it since, although apart from knowing it is based on a book by David Mitchell I had no idea what it was about!

I'll admit, trying to explain what this is about is going to be tricky, not least because there are so many subplots, and all the characters are at least doubled if not quadroupled up, so even describing things that happen to certain people is difficult! 

The main idea is that people's souls remain the same throughout time and space, yet external factors can influence the way their life turns out. There are six different settings: a slave owner's (Jim Sturgess) ship in a pacific voyage in 1849, a composer (Ben Whishaw) writing love letters in 1930s Britain, a news reporter (Halle Berry) investigating a corrupt nuclear power plant in the 1970s, a publisher (Jim Broadbent) confined to a nursing home in the present day who attempts to run away, a Korean clone (Doona Bae) who escapes from her master (Hugh Grant) and rebels in 2144, and a tribesman (Tom Hanks) fighting cannibals in a post-apocalyptic world in 2300. The film (that is nearly three hours long) flits between all six of these stories, until eventually at the end everything appears to click into place and certain conclusions can be drawn about each 'soul'. 

I cannot even begin to comprehend the skills of the actors who took part in this, as they would have had to have done research on many different characters at once, and gone through time consuming, arduous transformations to become them. This is one of the brilliant things about the movie, as sometimes it takes quite a while before you realise who is playing which character. This gives each one a chance to impact before you see them as the actors they are, for instance, Hugo Weaving or Susan Sarandon. Weaving is especially good in drag as the terrifying Nurse Noakes, preventing Broadbent from escaping the home he has been put in by his rich younger brother (Grant) who is jealous of his affair with his wife Georgette (Whishaw).

One bad point I had with this, which may seem a little petty, is that Old Georgie, the ghoulish creature that haunts Zachry in 2300, was very similar to a Mighty Boosh character, even down to the way he spoke, which made me want to constantly laugh! Also a sort of madeup/ patois style language is used in the same setting, which at times I really struggled to understand.

I think that this film has marmite syndrome; though overall I would say I loved it, I have spoken to many that hated it. I thought it was a truly awe-inspiring piece of work, that seemed to evoke and attach itself to every emotion, from love and jealousy, to fear, delusion, pain, lust, greed, pride and philanthropy. It also had a lot of philosophical stuff in that was a little over my head, but intrigued me all the same.

After watching this, I am really tempted to read the book, as I think a story of this depth and complexity would excel on paper and be much more understandable. All I can say of the film is watch it, and hopefully you will think as highly of it as I do! 

Candid Article 20

Looper - 3 stars ***

The first thing to say about this film is that it is very clever. Even trying to explain the concept behind the plot proves rather challenging. I will, however, attempt to give it a go.

In 2072, time travel has been invented, but it is so illegal that it is used solely by the mob, controlled by an elusive character with extraordinary telekinetic powers known as The Rainmaker. When there is an undesirable to get rid of, The Rainmaker sends them back 30 years, where assassins known as Loopers are ready and waiting to kill them, thus disposing of the body, and erasing the person.

Joe, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Inception, The Dark Knight Rises), is one of these Loopers, desperately saving the silver bars he earns from killing people in order to move to France and make a life there. However, his plan is thwarted when his future self (Bruce Willis) is sent back for him to murder, and manages to escape. He has hopes of killing the Rainmaker as a child, thus preventing him growing up into the monster he becomes. So begins a chase for both old and young Joe, as young Joe is now on the run from the mob for missing his target.

I must admit, I didn’t particularly warm to the main character, young or old, but perhaps as the Loopers are supposed to be emotionless and slightly robotic that was the director’s intention. I also had trouble believing Gordon- Levitt as a hard faced hitman, probably due to the characters he has played in previous films such as 500 Days of Summer and Ten Things I Hate About You, where he was quintessentially the clumsy, lovelorn bloke. Emily Blunt puts in a solid performance, with a flawless American accent, playing the slightly confusing love interest (you’ll see what I mean if you watch the film!) and her little boy is very cute, if you ignore the freaky mind stuff he does!

The action is gripping, and there are lots of thrilling car chases and explosions, so if that is what you want in a film then you will not be disappointed. However, for those viewers that don’t like movies where you have to think a lot, or you hated Inception, then I would suggest you give this a miss. If you like a bit of mind boggling and to be left going over the plot once the credits begin to roll, then this is definitely one to watch. Not a contender for film of the year, but worth making the effort to see while it’s in the cinema.

Winter Views...

Paul- 3 stars ***

Last night I went to see Paul at the cinema with my boyfriend. It was one of those films where I saw the trailer before another film, chuckled a little and vowed I'd see it, and for once I actually did. It stars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, and having seen Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, I thought it would be a decent watch.

The premise of it is fairly simple, if far-fetched. Two nerdy comic-book type guys (Pegg and Frost) go on a road-trip around America to visit the top UFO sighting hotspots. Whilst travelling, they encounter an alien called Paul (voiced by Seth Rogen), and so ensues their mission to return him to his mother ship whilst keeping his whereabouts secret from the mysterious 'Big Guy'.

This has a good plot, and after a while you find yourself believing that it is actually happening, as while Paul is obviously an alien, he does have his flaws (he is only invisible when he holds his breath), which helps to convince us that he is a plausible character. There are some good side stories, and a talented support actress in Kristen Wiig, who plays a bible-bashing young woman called Ruth, who the trio kidnap after she spots Paul by mistake. She then has her life turned upside down upon realising that God doesn't exist.

This was the only qualm I had with the film, as I felt a little uncomfortable at times at how anti- religion parts were. It wasn't so much offensive, but more that the characters they used to show 'Christians' were highly caricatured and stereotyped, and I thought it was a little crude. I couldn't help but feel like it had been potentially marketed at people with the same views, and not being one of those people, I found it a bit insensitive. This is not to say that I am a devout church-goer, far from it, I just thought it could have been portrayed slightly better.

All criticisms aside, I would still definitely recommend it. It is funny and light-hearted, yet has some emotional parts, a good message behind it and some very believable acting. That said, I do think it is an easy job for Pegg and Frost, as they are essentially Graeme and Clive. They make no attempt in interviews to hide that they are massive geeks themselves (and for anyone that's ever seen Spaced, you can believe it!), but say that they have just been fortunate enough to make it big. Fair play. I also love the fact that it came out on Valentine's Day. Anyone who was dragged to see it on the day probably enjoyed it a lot more than a slushy romcom!