So without further ado I give you The Film Buzz’s top five films of 2010. Let us know if you agree or not.

5. The Social Network

Let’s be honest, when you first heard they were making a film about Facebook you didn’t exactly have high hopes for the film, and when you heard former boyband member, Britney Spears ex-lover, and truly terrible actor Justin Timberlake was attached, you probably thought ‘who in hell is going to see this movie now’? Well I have no problem admitting that I was wrong. The Social Network is truly a remarkable film. Director David Fincher who bought us such greats such as Fight Club, Se7en and Zodiac knew exactly what he was doing with The Social Network, plus we have the added bonus of a stellar writing team that make The Social Network truly enthralling. The Social Network is the story of the founder of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg who became the youngest billionaire in history but not without legal and personal problems along the way.

4. Scott Pilgrim vs The World

Scott Pilgrim vs The World is one of the movies from 2010 that has so much hype surrounding it, that I made it a must to go and see. When I finally did, I found I was torn between my feelings of really wanting to like this movie and finding parts of this movie far too irritating. Scott Pilgrim, as one of our bloggers put it is a gamer-friendly film. There is no reason why this film shouldn’t have done better at the box office except it’s fan base is for the minority comic book and gamer fans. Scott Pilgrim is funny, sharp, well-acted and had some stunning visuals and special effects to have graced the silver screen, it just didn’t have me pining for my gamer days – just for the end of the film. Guys will love this, girls will not. Scott Pilgrim played by Michael Cera plays in a band and he still hasn’t got over his ex girlfriend dumping him, but then he falls for Ramona Flowers, but in order to be with her he must defeat her seven evil exes.

3. Kick Ass

Kick Ass is another comic book adaptation, off the back of another great marketing campaign making Kick Ass was a must see movie. The story of Dave an unnoticed high school student, who decides to become a superhero though he has no powers, no money, no form of martial arts training and generally just no reason to be a superhero. Kick Ass was pretty much brilliant – the then 11 year-old Chloe Moretz played Hit Girl and for someone so young, stole the limelight from her more experienced counterparts. My only gripe with Kick Ass was the language which was some of the foulest I’ve ever heard in a movie to date, and should not have been coming out of the mouth of an 11 year-old girl! Having said that however squeamish I found the bad language, Kick Ass was a funny and intelligent superhero adventure with memorable characters, quips and quotes.

2. Toy Story 3

The final instalment of the Toy Story franchise ends on a high. We’re back with Buzz, Woody, Jessie and all the other favourites from Andy’s Toy box. The long awaited sequel to the toys’ last adventure did not disappoint. This time Andy is all grown up and off on his way to college, so it’s into the donation box with all of his toys. The toys then end up in a children’s nursery where it’s up to Woody to convince the rest of the toys that their delivery to the nursery was a mistake and he’ll get them back to Andy. Toy Story 3 is darker and touches on some serious issues in life, but that doesn’t detract or withdraw you from the story, we still get the very witty, wise cracking jokes and engaging banter between the characters we know and love. This animation is easily Pixar’s greatest achievement and I encourage you to see this film and if you’ve seen it, well then see it again.

1. Inception

Christopher Nolan is probably one the most successful directors of our generation, off the back of his Batman resurrection, and films such as The Prestige and Memento, it seems Nolan can do no wrong. Leonardo DiCaprio plays Cobb a highly skilled thief in the art of extraction, essentially stealing people’s most valuable secrets when they’re at their most vulnerable when they’re in a dream like state. Some found Inception complicated, it’s actually surprisingly simple and the unusual story draws you in to a world in which anything can be possible. I loved Inception because it reminded me of the way The Matrix ‘freed’ my mind to the possibilities of storytelling in film (I’m really sorry for the bad Matrix joke). Inception is a great story that makes you have to use your noggin a little, which is great because there has been so much tosh in the cinema lately that my mind has been switching off. Inception is good enough to make you think and light-hearted enough for you to enjoy it without being overloaded with mind boggling information.

So that’s it for The Film Buzz’s top 5 films for 2010, we cannot wait to see what awaits us in 2011.

The Town is the dramatic story of a man born into a life of crime in Charlestown, Boston. Following in his father’s footsteps, Doug MacRay is a member of a gang of thieves. Fresh from their latest heist, MacRay begins to develop feelings for one of the victims and decides he wants out of the gang, and Charlestown. But getting out of “The Town” is never easy.

The Plot

A small group of robbers, disguised in ghoulish masks, pull off an almost perfect armed bank robbery in Charlestown, but not before taking the bank manager, Clare (Rebecca Hall), hostage. Once safely away, the gang set Clare free, however gang leader Doug MacRay (Ben Affleck) volunteers to keep a closer eye on her.

What starts off as a plan to keep their hostage quiet quickly turns to friendship and more, and before long Doug finds himself falling for Clare.
Doug’s new found love spurs a need for change, and a desire to get out of the robbery business and Charlestown altogether. The only problem is that local crime boss (Pete Postlethwaite) as well as fellow gang member and best friend (Jeremy Renner) don’t see Doug leaving as a viable option.

The Town also stars fashionista Blake Lively, famous for her glamorous roles in hit US TV show Gossip Girl and one of few films she’s starred in The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants; The Town sees her in a dark and serious film role for the first time.

The Thoughts

The Town is Ben Affleck’s second outing as a director. It sees Affleck return home to Massachusetts, the State in which he grew up. Based on the novel Prince of Thieves by crime thriller writer Chuck Hogan (currently writing the horrific Strain trilogy with none other than Spanish Director Guillermo Del Toro), Affleck’s knowledge of the area and his experiences growing up successfully manage to give Hogan’s work an authentic, home grown feel. Much like with his first feature, Gone Baby Gone, you cannot help but admire Affleck’s directorial eye and knack for building tension.

But it’s not only his directing that you enjoy. Believe it or not, you will actually come to appreciate his acting. Affleck has long suffered in the public eye since his relationship with Jennifer Lopez and the greatest mistake in his career, Gigli. In fact, I still find myself trying to convince friends to watch a Ben Affleck movie. To be fair, Pearl Harbour didn’t help things, but since 2006 he has been carefully selecting projects to portray his talents. From a small roles in films such as Clerks II and State of Play to leading man in George Reeves biopic Hollywoodland, Affleck has proven himself time and again as an actor who can hold his own. Let’s not forget his better times in the late 90’s with Chasing Amy, Armageddon, Dogma, and the brilliant Good Will Hunting. He may have lost his way a little since then, but now he’s back, and better than ever.

Other impressive performances included Pete Postlethwaite (The Constant Gardener; Inception) as menacing Irish crime boss Fergus Colm, and a rather surprising performance from Blake Lively as MacRay’s ex-lover Krista. It’s a role that has perfectly set up Lively to portray more serious adult characters and move away from teen roles.

The dialogue felt very real and is testament to Affleck’s writing ability. As with Gone Baby Gone and Good Will Hunting, Affleck co-wrote the screenplay for The Town, and once again his talents shine through. The script is both serious and funny in just the right places. Building tension and gripping the audience, with a gradual release of anxiety. Toward the end of the film however, it feels as though the pace reduces drastically, but it’s certainly no bad thing.

What does feel rushed in the story though, is the flowering love between Doug and Clare. From the first encounter to their declarations of love takes very little time. But in the films defence, it does take a while before Doug manages to find his way into Clare’s bed. It is only a small flaw in an otherwise brilliant film.

The Town really is a rare find in cinema today. This story of a nice guy born into the wrong neighbourhood provides a great balance of thrill and drama. With well thought out dialogue, gripping tension, and enjoyable acting to boot, it’s certainly an enjoyable watch, and who knows, you might even begin to like Ben Affleck again.

The Film Buzz Official Rating: ********~~ (8/10)

UK Release Date: 24 September 2010

Director: Ben Affleck

Writers: Peter Craig, Ben Affleck, & Aaron Stockard (screenplay); Chuck Hogan (novel Prince of Thieves)

Downey plays a highly strung father who ends up having to travel across country with aspiring actor and all-round nutter Ethan to be able make it home in time for his child’s birth.

Due Date sure looks like a real hoot, but I’ve been disappointed with movies such as this before (great actors, really funny trailers, good writing team, but when you get to the theatre you feel like you’ve seen it all before). Downey will be excellent as always, and I’m quite looking forward to seeing him in a role that isn’t so ‘hero-centric’ – i.e. Iron Man and Sherlock Holmes. Galifianakis I also like, but if the guy isn’t careful he’ll be typically cast in these wacky and strange character roles – although there’s nothing wrong with that because he’s good at it, I’d just like to see him spread his wings a bit and do something a little deeper.

Don’t forget to let us know what you think of Due Date, or if you’ll even be seeing it at all, comment below, on our Facebook group or by tweeting us!

The Film Buzz Anticipation Rating: ******~~~~ (6/10)

UK Release Date: 5th November 2010

Director: Todd Phillips

Writer’s: Alan R. Cohen, Alan Freedland, Adam Sztykiel, Todd Phillips

Rising teen actors Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning star in the biopic of the fun, feisty, and fearless rock ‘n’ roll girl band who had a taste of fame in the mid-1970s. With eyebrow-raising performances from both members of the leading cast, The Runaways tells the origin story of rocker Joan Jett and former lead singer Cherie Currie based on the book from the latter – Neon Angel: A Memoir of a Runaway.

The Plot

A fifteen-year-old Cherie Currie (Dakota Fanning) is inadvertently discovered in a popular nightclub by eccentric record producer Kim Fowley (Michael Shannon), along with an equally young but vastly enthusiastic Joan Jett (Kristen Stewart).
Originating from a dysfunctional family and with classic “teenage dreams” of entering fame, Currie leaps at the opportunity to become the lead singer of Jett’s potential all-female rock ‘n’ roll band. With the help of Fowley, the girls rapidly reach a celebrated reputation in a society that was largely male-dominated.
Nevertheless as the thrills of fame peak for the newly formed Runaways, they are also faced head-on with its crashing downfalls.

The Thoughts

Being a fan of Joan Jett – complete with posters scattered on my bedroom wall – I was ecstatic to read that there was a biopic in production based on her road to fame. Not knowing enough of her musical beginnings, I anticipated that the film would be as educational as it would be entertaining, but in this aspect I had certainly overestimated it. One (major) feature that I was dreading was the choice of cast; I had every reason to disbelieve that the infamously awkward Kristen Stewart would be able to fill such ambitious shoes, along with the equally questionable concept of the often icy, expressionless child star Dakota Fanning as notorious wild child Cherie Currie.
I can however rest assured by admitting that both of their performances were astonishingly misjudged – Stewart deserving this claim more so than Fanning, considering that the latter has already built somewhat a reputation as a ‘serious’ child actor, by previously starring in movies such as Man on Fire (2004), War of the Worlds (2005) and Coraline (2009) as well as winning a fair number of recognised awards at a very young age.

Kristen Stewart on the other hand, has very little renowned work besides the elephant in the room: the “love-it-or-hate-it” Twilight Saga. Judging from what I had witnessed in the inelegant supernatural romance films, I feared the kind of belittling representation she would potentially convey of an artist whom I admired and respected greatly. Nevertheless I braved the show due to loyalty and curiosity, but breathed a sigh of relief after realising that Stewart had actually produced an uncanny resemblance to the legendary rocker herself.

For those who yet remain in severe doubt, which I suspect is the majority of human beings: she is not the bland, uncomfortable, and fidgety “Bella Swan” who she can thank for her amateurish status (although admittedly throughout the film the audience is occasionally doomed to a few glimpses of the inner demon); here she is a tougher, unruly and less refined tomboy with drugs, a foul mouth and homosexuality all included – something we’ve all secretly been waiting for. While her acting skills are far from first-class, it is certainly an improvement and an interesting variation to her previous performances thanks to Joan Jett herself, with whom Stewart worked very closely on set in attempt to reflect her persona as realistically as possible.

It was Fanning’s performance of Cherie Currie however that I felt had stolen the show. Even though at first she portrayed the typically shallow and irritating teenaged “drama queen”, she seemed to use this to her advantage and eventually amplified it to a drug-dependent, temperamental, adolescent wreck – a personality that was repulsive but woeful at the same time. Underneath the rotten attitude, continual intoxication, and scantily-clad exterior laid a broken and unstable child whose turmoil had managed to seduce me into feeling sympathetic towards her.

Actors aside, the film itself I felt was rushed; the story of The Runaways certainly had much more detail than what was showed in the hour and forty-five minutes, thus not allowing significant character development with what I deemed as a disappointingly insufficient amount of dialogue. Nevertheless due to its lack of depth, the film carried a stronger entertainment factor as opposed to a strong screenplay – the contagious music played by both the original members of the band as well as the extraordinary covers from Fanning and Stewart themselves certainly had my head swaying and my feet tapping, reminding me of my love for rock ‘n’ roll. The young actors may not have portrayed mind-blowing depictions of Joan Jett and Cherie Currie’s personalities, but I positively surrendered to Stewart’s surprising efforts at raspy vocals and swift strumming as well as Fanning’s attempt at impersonating the “Cherry Bomb” herself – unquestionably the most appreciative and enjoyable scenes in the film.

The Film Buzz Rating: ******~~~~ (6/10)

Release Date: 10th September 2010

Director: Floria Sigismondi

Writer: Floria Sigismondi

Links: IMDB, Official Site

Diary Of A Wimpy Kid is a comedy based on Jeff Kinney’s bestselling illustrated teen fiction series directed by Thor Freudenthal. With a very humorous plot throughout the film, linking with family, school and relationship issues, one can relate to this diary of a wimpy kid very well. The trailer reveals a few funny scenes which prepare us for a comical film that the whole family can enjoy, with some shots of cartoons thrown in from the original book – this film doesn’t disappoint fans of the book. The film opens shortly with Greg Heffley insisting that “it’s not a diary, it’s a journal!”.

The Plot

Greg Heffley (Zachary Gordon) begins his first year of middle school and his idea of becoming the school’s most popular kid takes a turn for the worse as his plans fail – terribly. He worries about his ‘uncool’ best friend – Rowley Jefferson (Robert Capron) and often gets Greg into embarrassing situations. To Greg – middle school is useless and filled with morons, bullies and freaks. He believes he deserves far better, therefore he created this diary – journal as he insists, which he trusts will come to prove handy when he becomes famous ‘I’ll have better things to do than answer people’s stupid questions all day’.

Greg comes up with countless schemes whereby he tries to make it to become one of the popular kids, which of course don’t go according to plan. Greg throws a ball at Rowley while he is riding ‘The Big Wheel’, breaking his hand. At school, Rowley is surrounded by girls because of his injury which makes Greg furious and jealous.

With Greg and Rowley’s deteriorating relationship, Greg is left with Collin (Grayson Russell) – the class geek. One day, Greg decides to have a sleepover at Collin’s. The sleepover turns into a disaster as Fregley (Collin’s nickname), eats a bag of jelly beans which induces hyperactivity; he begins to chase Greg with a booger. Will Greg become famous like how he always believed?

The Thoughts

Diary Of A Wimpy Kid is pacy, funny, and a good illustration of the awkwardness of starting school at the bottom year. Many of the stereotypical children in schools are well represented with humour and style; reminding us of our own childhood, growing up and trying to fit in. Zachary Gordon played excellently as Greg Heffley, through family, school and relationships, induce funny, painful and emotional feelings to the audience of any age.

After reading the book, I believe this film is well adapted and slightly different which is a good surprise. Both the book and the film link well together with snaps of parts of the book incorporated throughout the film. Although some parts of the film contained some cliché situations, but it ceases to disappoint as it sums up a well acted and family-friendly comedy. I think the film is a good representation of the book although the book seemed much better, but the film can only fit so much in.

[Rowley is walking with his backpack on. Greg stops him]
Greg Heffley: Stop. You look like one of the seven dwarves. Always wear one strap. One strap is cool.
Rowley Jefferson: Then why do they put two straps instead of one?
Greg Heffley: [walking] Because the people who make backpacks aren’t cool.
Greg Heffley: [stops walking] You know what has one strap? Machine guns. You know what else? Electric guitars.
Greg Heffley: [continues walking] You know what else?
Rowley Jefferson: Purses?

There is nothing not to like about this adventure through the first year of middle school, involving bullies, wrestling classes, tragic school plays, crazy kids, lonely kids which all add up to non-stop laugh-out-loud comedy. Diary Of A Wimpy Kid is a fun, entertaining film; one to experience with children, friends and family.

The Film Buzz Review Rating: *******~~~ (7/10)

Release Date: 20 August 2010

Director: Thor Freudenthal

Writers: Jackie Filgo, Jeff Filgo, Gabe Sachs

One of 2010’s highly-anticipated action thrillers is Philip Noyce’s Salt. Casting Angelina Jolie, an uprising action heroine, as the mysterious Russian spy has undoubtedly boosted the film’s appeal while she produces her own incredible stunts as the forever-running Evelyn Salt.

The Plot

Evelyn Salt (Angelina Jolie), a CIA agent based in New York, is accused by suspicious Russian defector Vassily Orlov (Daniel Olbrychski) of being a dangerous spy who also originates from his country, with the intentions of assassinating the Russian president during his visit to New York City.

Denying the high-stake claims against her, Salt flees her company attempting to prioritise the safety of her husband, Michael Krause (August Diehl), yet returns home to an empty apartment. Realising that she may be too late, she escapes the pursuit from the CIA and successfully shoots the Russian president.

Submersing herself into further trouble, Salt is in a permanent game of cat-and-mouse: frequently changing disguises and names as she craftily pursues different targets, but trusts no individual. The concept of identity is persistently toyed with as Salt manipulates betrayal as well having to face it herself.

The Thoughts

Being a die-hard Jolie fan, my expectations of this film were fairly straightforward, though admittedly I had left the cinema hall feeling even more disappointed than I had anticipated. While Jolie may not hold the place of an exceptionally talented actor, she certainly has more depth to her than that portrayed in the somewhat uninteresting Salt.

I was fairly betrothed by the opening torture scene; I felt that it was an engaging five minutes, making the viewers feel as if they were resting on a worthwhile decision – nevertheless I can conclude that the quality of the film and acting had regrettably ended there. Director Philip Noyce had failed to embrace the opportunity to create an exquisitely mysterious, multi-faceted character with a thrillingly questionable identity; instead we were left with a bland rock of an assassin/secret agent/target – whatever she may be – with very little dialogue and depth, seeming as if she was simply following directorial orders.

A persona as intriguing as Salt, combined with the edgy, twisted character that Jolie undoubtedly has the capability to portray, may have been the ideal recipe for a thoroughly entertaining, somewhat dark spy thriller though it seems that Noyce had held back on some ingredients and unfortunately produced a half-baked dissatisfaction.

The plot I felt had a lot of untidiness and ambiguity; although the twists and revelations were ‘predictably unpredictable’, Noyce could certainly have polished it with an eyebrow-raising climax, however I found myself being surprised into an abrupt and pointless ending with a pitiable attempt at a cliff-hanger.  There is no doubt that Jolie as well as the other skilled actors could have brought some effervescence into an otherwise dull and mediocre script, yet it seems as if such potential was shamefully shunned.

Criticism aside, the action and visual effects were undeniably impressive – what Jolie lacks in character in this film, she indeed fills with a sense of physical deity.  Her jaw-dropping leaps, shocking falls, unanticipated strength and the sheer ability to escape every nerve-wracking,  entrapping moment compare her to a “lean, mean fighting machine” with barely any human qualities; all the while maintaining an appropriately tight, piercing and sometimes icy facial expression. I recognise that this is what Noyce had intended – to ultimately convey a strong, silent, and deadly assassin, though I feel that there were simply not enough opportunities for the viewers to truly absorb and thus appreciate the potentially powerful character that is, Evelyn Salt.

The Film Buzz Rating: ******½~~~ (6.5/10)

UK Release Date: 18 August 2010.

Director: Phillip Noyce

Writer: Kurt Wimmer

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is a heart-warmingly funny love story, but it’s unlike any other you’ve seen before. All the main elements are there: boy meets girl, boy falls for girl, boy has to fight the girls’ seven evil ex’s to be able to date her, wait… what?
Based on the cult six volume comic by Bryan Lee O’Malley, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is Shaun of the Dead director, Edgar Wrights’ most imaginative and visually delightful offering to date.

The Plot

Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) is a 22-year old jobless layabout barely passing off as a bassist for the utterly abysmal Toronto 3-piece grunge band “Sex Bob-Omb” (Super Mario reference anyone?). Quite happy to share an apartment (and bed) with his gay best friend (played by a scene stealing Keiran Culkin), Scott attempts to deal with his painful year old break up by dating high school girl, Knives Chau (Ellen Wong).

It isn’t long however, before Scott falls for the mysterious Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), the new Amazon.ca delivery girl from New York; and that’s when things start to get a little crazy.
No sooner does Scott court the young lady, and her first evil ex-boyfriend crashes through the ceiling during the Battle of the Bands, challenging Scott to a showdown.
Scott soon learns that in order to be able to date the illusive Ramona Flowers, he must first defeat the League of Evil Ex’s; a group comprising of seven of Ramona’s past partners put together by her most recent and evil of ex’s, Gideon Gordon Graves (Jason Schwartzman).

What follows is a non-stop riot of comic humour, quirky characters, and brilliantly inventive fight scenes between Scott and his new nemeses. But the question is, can he defeat them all and win the right to date the captivating Miss Flowers?

The Thoughts

Being a huge fan of the comics, I had doubts at how O’Malley’s masterpiece could possibly be visually represented on the big screen. I feared that the bizarre humour which I had come to love so much, and gaming references (there are plenty of those) would be lost in the transition from page to screen. There’s always an element of risk involved when adapting any book for cinema, but somehow it felt increased when it came to Scott Pilgrim.

Needless to say, my fears were laid to rest in the opening moments of the film when I saw a tacky looking, old game style blocky graphic of the Universal logo spinning around accompanied by midi music. After that it just got better.

Michael Cera played Scott Pilgrim wonderfully. Although he looks completely different to the illustrated Scott, his comic timing is impeccable; and the bumbling, confused, post teen acting he does so well is perfect for the role. More impressive though, is his quick change to ‘fighting-mode’ when in battle. If you’ve seen Youth in Revolt, you’ll know this kid can do more than act nervous.

Most of the other cast members both looked and acted like their comic counter-parts. The most standout for me were Wallace Wells (Keiran Kulkin), Julie Powers (Aubrey Plaza) and evil ex Todd Ingram (played by the latest ‘Superman’ Brandon Routh).

What blew me away was the choreography of the fights, and the soundtrack. Music is integral to the Scott Pilgrim comics, with many character names taken from songs or in reference to artists. O’Malley even gives the reader words and chords for some of the songs. To see and hear Sex Bob-Omb, and the other fictional bands, actually play on stage is true indulgence.

With regards to the fight scenes… well… I think ‘epic’ is the only word I can use to do it justice. How else do you describe a fight against a floating fire wielding Indian dude? Or a bass playing vegan with super powers?
In the comics, a fight lasts only a page or two; but Edgar Wright used the screen as a playground to transform those few pages into colourful, visual treats of awesome ass-kicking.

The entire film in fact is a perfect example of how cinema can help to enhance the reading experience. It’s something other directors should look to learn from.  Don’t adapt for the sake of adapting… but bring something new to the table. Show the viewer the world they wish to explore whilst staying true to the source material.

Of course things had to be altered, how else do you fit 6 graphic novels into 115 minutes? But I am happy to report that even the changes were not disappointing. I gladly welcomed the longer fight scenes in place of the somewhat confusing storyline of the 6^th book. Whatever changes were made were done so for the good of the film, and hopefully it will get more people to read the comics and be able to appreciate both stories.

You don’t have to be a fan of video games and comic books to watch this film. Don’t get me wrong, being a geek will certainly help you to appreciate it more; but anyone can enjoy it, whether you’ve read the comics or not. In fact, when I saw it with friends, only two of us had read the comics, and all five of us loved it.
Die-hard fans of books maybe disappointed at the loss of depth or lack screen time of supporting characters, but how much can you fit in to just under two hours? In the case of Scott Pilgrim, allowances should be made.

People keep talking about wanting ‘fresh’ and ‘innovative’ ideas to change cinema. They crave something truly original and never-before-seen. Scott Pilgrim will certainly give them that.
In a time when every book or comic is being turned into a film for the sake of it, Edgar Wright shows that with a lot of passion, and the right cast, there is still a reason to go to the cinema and be surprised.

The Film Buzz Rating: *********½ (9.5/10)

UK Release Date: 25^th August, 2010.

Director: Edgar Wright

Writer’s: Michael Bacall & Edgar Wright. Bryan Lee O’Malley (comic).

Se7en and Zodiac director David Fincher will take up the director’s chair, with Jesse Eisenberg playing Facebook billionaire owner Mark Zuckerberg. Justin Timberlake stars as well as Max Minghella and Andrew Garfield. The Social Network hits UK theatres at the end of this year.

The Film Buzz Anticipation Rating: ******~~~~ (6/10)

UK Release Date: Autumn 2010

]]> http://www.thefilmbuzz.com/the-social-network-2010/feed/ 0 http://www.thefilmbuzz.com/when-in-rome-2010-official-review/ http://www.thefilmbuzz.com/when-in-rome-2010-official-review/#comments Wed, 23 Jun 2010 07:00:22 +0000 Maz http://www.thefilmbuzz.com/?p=1679 Continue reading →]]> I like Kristen Bell, she’s a young, fresh and talented actress, I’ve enjoyed her work in the past, and I’m sure she’ll continue to make a few more decent movies. Unfortunately When in Rome is one film that I just cannot get on board with.

The Plot

Beth is a young, ambitious New Yorker who is completely unlucky in love. However, on a whirlwind trip to Rome, she impulsively steals some coins from a reputed fountain of love, and is then aggressively pursued by a band of suitors.

The Thoughts

From the opening scenes we get what could be a promising movie, but everything goes downhill from when Bell actually enters Rome for her sister’s wedding. Everything up to this point could well be believable but from the point all those ‘Italian’ losers (played by well-known American actors) fall in love with Bell, I wondered if this movie could ever gain back it’s credibility.

When in Rome is full of unintelligent slapstick beginners comedy that we really shouldn’t call comedy – it’s all been seen before and was quite honestly scraping the bottom of the barrel. I lost count at how many times I’d seen ‘that’ joke in a movie.

When in Rome has a host of well known actors who I just didn’t care for (not even Bell who I usually find somewhat charismatic) in fact some of the characters I hated so much I found myself groaning in annoyance at the sight of their very presence in this movie. Josh Duhamel (Transformers) as Bell’s love interest Nick, looks uncomfortable, like the words that are coming out of his own mouth he himself can’t quite believe them. Jon Heder (Napoleon Dynamite), who plays the magician Lance, cannot act in this role. Danny DeVito (One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest) though sweet, made me want to projectile vomit with his cliché sad-old-man-that-wants-to-be-loved character. Bell tries hard to gel this movie together but everything else is just working against her – good and respectable actors are let down by a bad predictable story.

Only see this if you have to – you know like if someone is holding a gun to your head.

The Film Buzz Rating: ***½~~~~~~ (3.5/10)

UK Release Date: 25th June 2010

Director: Mark Steven Johnson

Writer’s: David Diamond, David Weissman

Links: IMDB, Official Site

The fifth collaboration between director Ridley Scott and award-winning Russell “Gladiator” Crowe explodes on the big screen as the much-anticipated Robin Hood. Based on a celebrated tale of English folklore that remains as familiar as fish and chips, Scott’s version is expected to have a plate full of comparisons.

The Plot

Set in Medieval England, this origin myth unfolds the story of Robin Longstride (Russell Crowe); a common yet gifted archer in King Richard the Lionheart’s (Danny Huston) army in the Third Crusade.

After the death of the king, Longstride endeavours to return to his native soil with his fellow soldiers, but encounter an ambush on the way from Sir Godfrey (Mark Strong), an English knight with French ancestry. Although Godfrey is temporarily driven out by Longstride and his band, the crowning of King John (Oscar Isaac), Richard’s vain younger brother, had enhanced Godfrey’s position to that of the Chancellor, giving him more incentive to terrorise civilians and strip the poor further of the little wealth which they had to begin with.

Godfrey’s notorious stirring and double-crossing personality leads to a war far greater than what was originally intended, though Longstride, supported by his archer companions, accumulate an apt force for the final battle on the south coast of England.

The Thoughts

The tales of Robin Hood were indeed childhood favourites of mine; and while I had foolishly missed the 1991 Prince of Thieves version, the Walt Disney classic had imprinted a fond memory during my pre-teen years, as had the books themselves. After hearing that another film was being made with its franchise – particularly with the ultimate combination of Russell Crowe and Ridley Scott - I eagerly counted down the weeks till its UK release.

Being my first time viewing Robin Hood with actual people – as opposed to foxes, lions and a snake – I was hesitant of what to expect from the characters. The quality of the film itself was breathtaking; director Scott pieces together impressive scenes of a late twelfth century England with authentic sounds, visions and appropriately-clad soldiers, nevertheless the plot itself I felt did not reach its potential in terms of capturing and intriguing the audience.

Considering this version is a “prequel” to the Robin Hood story most people may know of, it provides useful insight and thought to his character and the origins of the legend, however the portrayal of the events appeared somewhat messy and indefinite. The intention of the film had only ceased to be ambiguous at about midway; the first half lacking vivacity and clarity, although Crowe’s steady, subtle portrayal of the rebellious hero had undoubtedly endowed the audience with sufficient entertainment, as had the uplifting and comical Merry Men – a name which was not yet used during this period.

While the protagonists may receive little criticism, the villains I felt were conveyed inappropriately. Oscar Isaac’s annoying representation of King John had ruined his title, which would have otherwise been majestic – regardless of his vanity and arrogance. Even the lion in the animated Disney version had seemed appropriately intimidating for this character. Isaac appeared far too young and inexperienced to be taken seriously as King John, while Mark “Archy” Strong I believed had too ‘brute’ an appearance for the manipulating and merciless Sir Godfrey. He may well have suited the dim-witted, Cockney gang member in RocknRolla, but he certainly failed as a ruthless Medieval knight with an embarrassing French accent.

The film balances action, drama, romance and comedy astonishingly well, and although the fight scenes were as short-lived as the dialogue had lacked depth, it was Crowe’s usual, “man of steel” performance of an epic hero (besides his poor attempt at a Northern English accent) combined with Blanchett’s fervent yet charismatic depiction of Maid Marion that bring the characters and main storyline to life. Although the film has its flaws, it is certainly ‘hats off’ to Scott for a generally entertaining attempt at recreating the legend of one of the most-loved tales of England.

The Film Buzz Rating: *******½~~ (7.5/10)

UK Release Date: 12th May 2010

Director: Ridley Scott

Writer: Brian Helgeland

Links: IMDB, Official Site