By day, ‘Driver’ (Ryan Gosling) is a Hollywood stunt man, but by night he makes his real money in the criminal underworld as a top-flight getaway driver. When pretty but very married next-door neighbour Irene (Carey Mulligan) is menaced by hoods, he steps in to protect her and her little boy, only to find himself in an escalating conflict between the local thugs and the Mafia.

The Thoughts

September has always been the period after the summer blockbusters in which films that are left on the studio slate get dumped. It is also the start ‘serious’ movie season in which movies start vying for Oscar consideration.  Drive is definitely of the latter category.

Adapted from a crime novel, the film is based on a premise where a stunt driver by day, moonlights as a getaway driver by night. Ryan Gosling plays the aforementioned driver, a silent brooding hero of few words akin to Clint Eastwoods ‘man with no name’. Just as the spaghetti western hero, we never actually learn the driver’s name.

However we do learn that he is and introverted and socially isolated indivudual, a man of little words that excels at what he does. His world then changes when he meets Irene, his pretty but married neighbour.

Refn, already gaining reputation as a talented up and coming filmmaker cements himself here, as a bonafide auteur. The opening scene is the most tense and suspenseful scene you will see this year. This is a film that is stylishly in no hurry to get anywhere.  Drive is an absorbing, atmospheric neon-noir drenched film that has little dialogue and driven by nuanced performances of its actors.

Goslings star has been rising for a while now playing social outcasts with a specific purpose, is perfectly cast as the silent brooding hero full of tension and controlled aggression. He is quite simply a revelation, subtly balancing, tough, silent yet caring. There hasn’t been a character this cool for quite some time.

Mulliagan, also a dependable rising star with a resume of nuanced, subtle, but powerful performances also seems perfectly cast but actually has little to do here. You could however see a less gifted actress overacting the part. Less is sometimes more.

The most surprising element of the film is the violence. For a film where the characters display immense restraint, when the violence hits, it is loud, graphic and messy.  Not since Tarantino has a point blank shot to the head scene been so memorable.

The cinematography here is lush, sweeping across the LA backdrop from the main streets to the desert. Combined with a mesmerising synth score and lots of slo-mo, this creates an absorbingly, atmospheric, hyper-stylised, hyper-violent film that is just too cool for school.

The Film Buzz Review Rating: *********~ (9/10)

UK Release Date: 23rd September 2011

Director: Nicolas Winding Refn

Writers: Hossein Amini

The Autobots Bumblebee, Ratchet, Ironhide and Sideswipe led by Optimus Prime are back in action, taking on the evil Decepticons who are determined to avenge their defeat in 2009′s Transformers Revenge of the Fallen. In this new movie, the Autobots and Decepticons become involved in a perilous space race between the U.S. and Russia, and once again human Sam Witwicky has to come to the aid of his robot friends. There’s new characters too, including a new villain in the form of Shockwave, a longtime Transformers character who rules Cybertron while the Autobots and Decepticons battle it out on Earth.”

The Thoughts

If you ask anyone that’s seen a Transformers movie if it was any good, the most likely comment would be on, of course, how great the action is. Michael Bay has built his career crafting empty vessels with breathtaking action; this third instalment of the hugely successful franchise is no different. Bay seems to have forgotten (or ignored) Filmmaking rule 101, which is: if you don’t care about the protagonists plight, then you lose the emotional connection with the film. Great action only does not a great film make.

The film once again revolves around three main protagonists, Sam (LaBeouf), the military and the Autobots. All at odds against the Decepticons and their evil plans. Nowhere throughout the film do we care if any of them succeed or not. At some point you’ll sit there hoping that more Decepticons arrive on earth so that there’ll be even more action (we all know the Autobots will ultimately win since they never really seem in danger).

The military/government are always ever present in a Michael Bay film and are typically portrayed as emotional control freaks. How do these cardboard cutouts ever run a country huh? (Ask Bush). If the film is aimed at adolescents (as it appears to be), there are elements that are questionably unsuitable for childeren. The violence though suitably cartoony, has a menacing edge (limbs being torn off and heads rolling at will) and the sexual overtones and profanity is more than your average kids film.

The film isn’t wholly without its positives though; Shia LaBeouf is dependable as always, but almost sleepwalking though the role newcomer Rosie Huntington-Whiteley performs merely what is required of her, which is just to look good (although lacking the raw sexuality Megan Fox brings). No acting required here. And thankfully gone are the cheesy Autobot ‘comedy’ acts and racist impressions. Although Michael Bays penchant for mysogony is still there – women are either portrayed as a merely trophies or impediments.

The visual effects from ILM are as impressive and photorealistic as you ever hope to see on the big screen and the action certainly does not disappoint, coming alive with sustained mayhem in the final third (why Optimus Prime still can’t win a fight on his own is beyond me). Like special effects, 3D technology is often used for the sake of it with mixed results but works quite well here.

Although slightly better than the last two installments the final result is ultimately a typical Michael Bay film – average.

The Film Buzz Official Rating: *****~~~~~ (5/10)

Sucker Punch is an epic action fantasy that takes us into the vivid imagination of a young girl whose dream world provides the ultimate escape from her darker reality. Unrestrained by the boundaries of time and place, she is free to go where her mind takes her, and her incredible adventures blur the lines between what’s real and what is imaginary.

She has been locked away against her will, but Babydoll (Emily Browning) has not lost her will to survive. Determined to fight for her freedom, she urges four other young girls—the outspoken Rocket (Jena Malone), the street-smart Blondie (Vanessa Hudgens), the fiercely loyal Amber (Jamie Chung) and the reluctant Sweet Pea (Abbie Cornish)—to band together and try to escape their terrible fate at the hands of their captors, Blue (Oscar Isaac), Madam Gorski (Carla Gugino) and the High Roller (Jon Hamm).

Led by Babydoll, the girls engage in fantastical warfare against everything from samurais to serpents, with a virtual arsenal at their disposal. Together, they must decide what they are willing to sacrifice in order to stay alive. But with the help of a Wise Man (Scott Glenn), their unbelievable journey—if they succeed—will set them free.

TFB Anticipation Rating: *******~~~ (7/10)

UK Release Date: 1st April 2011

Director: Zack Snyder

Synopsis: X-Men: First Class charts the epic beginning of the X-Men saga, and reveals a secret history of famous global events. Before mutants had revealed themselves to the world, and before Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers for the first time. Not archenemies, they were instead at first the closest of friends, working together with other Mutants (some familiar, some new), to stop Armageddon. In the process, a grave rift between them opened, which began the eternal war between Magneto’s Brotherhood and Professor X’s X-Men.

Starring James McAvoy, Micheal Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence and Kevin Bacon.

TFB Anticipation Rating: ******~~~~ (6/10)

UK Release Date: 2nd June 2011

Director: Matthew Vaughn

Former cop Brian O’Conner partners with ex-con Dom Toretto on the opposite side of the law. Since Brian and Mia Toretto broke Dom out of custody, they’ve blown across many borders to elude authorities. Now backed into a corner in Rio de Janeiro, they must pull one last job in order to gain their freedom. As they assemble their elite team of top racers, the unlikely allies know their only shot of getting out for good means confronting the corrupt businessman who wants them dead. But he’s not the only one on their tail. Hard-nosed federal agent Luke Hobbs never misses his target. When he is assigned to track down Dom and Brian, he and his strike team launch an all-out assault to capture them. But as his men tear through Brazil, Hobbs learns he can’t separate the good guys from the bad. Now, he must rely on his instincts to corner his prey… before someone else runs them down first.

Starring: Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson and Jordana Brewster

TFB Anticipation Rating: ******~~~~ (6/10)

UK Release Date: 29th April 2011

Director: Justin Lin

TFB Anticipation Rating: *******½~~ (7.5/10)

UK Release Date: 29th April 2011

Director: Kenneth Branangh

Tron Legacy is a 3D high-tech adventure set in a digital world that’s unlike anything ever captured on the big screen. Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund), the tech-savvy 27-year-old son of Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges), looks into his father’s disappearance and finds himself pulled into the digital world of Tron where his father has been living for 25 years. Along with Kevin’s loyal confidant Quorra (Olivia Wilde), father and son embark on a life-and-death journey of escape across a visually-stunning cyber universe that has become far more advanced and exceedingly dangerous.

Genre: Action/Sci-Fi

See it if you liked: Avatar (2009), Speed Racer (2008), The Matrix (1999)

Certificate: PG

Release Date: 17 December 2010

Burlesque

Ali (Christina Aguilera) is a small-town girl with a big voice who escapes hardship and an uncertain future to follow her dreams to LA. After stumbling upon The Burlesque Lounge, a majestic but ailing theater that is home to an inspired musical revue, Ali lands a job as a cocktail waitress from Tess (Cher), the club’s proprietor and headliner. Burlesque’s outrageous costumes and bold choreography enrapture the young ingenue, who vows to perform there one day. Soon enough, Ali builds a friendship with a featured dancer (Julianne Hough), finds an enemy in a troubled, jealous performer (Kristen Bell), and garners the affection of Jack (Cam Gigandet), a bartender and fellow musician. With the help of a sharp-witted stage manager (Stanley Tucci) and gender-bending host (Alan Cumming), Ali makes her way from the bar to the stage. Her spectacular voice restores The Burlesque Lounge to its former glory, though not before a charismatic entrepreneur (Eric Dane) arrives with an enticing proposal…

Genre: Romance/Drama/Musical

See it if you liked: Nine (2009), Chicago (2002), The Notorious Bettie Page (2005)

Certificate: 12A

Release Date: 17 December 2010

Catfish

In late 2007, filmmakers Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost sensed a story unfolding as they began to film the life of Ariel’s brother, Nev. They had no idea that their project would lead to the most exhilarating and unsettling months of their lives. A reality thriller that is a shocking product of our times, Catfish is a riveting story of love, deception and grace within a labyrinth of online intrigue.

Starring: Yaniv Schulman, Ariel Schulman, Melody C. Roscher, Megan Faccio

Genre: Documentary/Drama

Certificate: 12A

Release Date: 17 December 2010

Chris Hemsworth (Star Trek, okay, Home & Away) plays Thor, a powerful but arrogant god who is cast out of Asgard by his father, Odin (Anthony Hopkins), after his reckless actions reignite an ancient war.

Exiled on earth and condemned to live amongst humans, Thor is forced to reevaluate himself and learn what it means to be a true hero, whilst his stepbrother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) decides to use the darkest forces of Asgard to invade earth.

The Thoughts

Many of you will probably have already seen a lot of this footage a few months ago, when it was first leaked online. I for one (still) like what I see: Asgard looks surreal and magnificent, Thor’s costume is loyal to comics yet surprisingly cool, and Chris Hemsworth really seems to have risen to the challenge of playing one of “earth mightiest heroes” – and by that I mean the guy is huge! Like Lou-Ferrigno-sans-green-paint huge.

My biggest concern is if the film can effectively marry the mythical, fantastical world of Asgard with the (relatively) mundane real world. Judging by the trailer, director Kenneth Branagh (yes, that Kenneth Branagh) has successful managed to do just that.

I’m really excited to see this film. Personally, I think it will be refreshing to see a superhero pic, which isn’t solely consigned to earth, featuring a new hero who isn’t either a vigilante or some type of mutant.

Oh, and if you’re still not convinced there’s a giant robot that shoots a laser beam out of its face… I take that mundane real world comment back.

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

Release Date: May 6th, 2011

In the lead up to Christmas, we shall be expecting a plethora of treats on the big screen, here is the pick of exciting movies released this week to whet your appetites.

Monsters

Six years ago NASA discovered the possibility of alien life within our solar system. A probe was launched to collect samples, but crashed upon re-entry over Central America. Soon after, new life forms began to appear and grow. In an effort to stem the destruction that resulted, half of Mexico was quarantined as an ‘infected zone’. Today, the American and Mexican military still struggle to contain the massive creatures… Our story begins when a jaded US journalist (McNairy) begrudgingly agrees to find his boss’ daughter, a shaken American tourist (Able) and escort her through the infected zone to the safety of the US border.

Starring: Whitney Able, Scoot McNairy

See it if you liked: Cloverfield (2008), District 9 (2009), The Road (2009)

Certificate: 12A

Genre: Sci-Fi/Thriller

Release Date: 3 December 2010

Megamind

Megamind is the most brilliant super-villain the world has ever known… and the least successful. Over the years, he has tried to conquer Metro City in every imaginable way. Each attempt has been a colossal failure, thanks to the caped superhero known as “Metro Man,” until the day Megamind actually defeats him in the throes of one of his botched evil plans. Suddenly, the fate of Metro City is threatened when a new villain arrives and chaos runs rampant, leaving everyone to wonder: Can the world’s biggest “mind” actually be the one to save the day?

Starring voices of: Will Ferrell, Brad Pitt, Tina Fey, Jonah Hill

See it if you liked: The Incredibles (2004), Shrek Forever After (2010), Toy Story 3 (2010)

Certificate: PG

Genre: Animation/Comedy

Release Date: 3 December 2010

Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale

It’s the eve of Christmas in northern Finland, and an ‘archeological’ dig has just unearthed the real Santa Claus. But this particular Santa isn’t the one you want coming to town. When the local children begin mysteriously disappearing, young Pietari and his father Rauno, a reindeer hunter by trade, capture the mythological being and attempt to sell Santa to the misguided leader of the multinational corporation sponsoring the dig. Santa’s elves, however, will stop at nothing to free their fearless leader from captivity. What ensues is a wildly humorous nightmare – a fantastically bizarre polemic on modern day morality. Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale is a re-imagining of the most classic of all childhood fantasies, and is a darkly comic gem soon to be required perennial holiday viewing.

Starring: Per Christian Ellefsen, Peeter Jakobi, Tommi Korpela

See it if you liked: Bad Santa (2003), The Big White (2005), The Hole 3D (2010)

Certificate: 15

Genre: Action/Comedy

Release Date: 3 December 2010

The Warrior’s Way

The world’s greatest swordsman abandons his warrior clan to start a new life in the American Badlands in The Warrior’s Way, a visually dazzling modern martial arts adventure with stunningly choreographed fight sequences and gravity-defying stunts. In an original, gorgeously realized journey into a mythical past, writer and director Sngmoo Lee seamlessly marries the cinematic traditions of East and West. Korean superstar Jang Dong Gun, Kate Bosworth, Danny Huston and Academy Award-winner Geoffrey Rush star in this epic story of revenge and redemption.

Starring: Dong-gun Jang, Kate Bosworth, Geoffrey Rush, Danny Huston

See it if you liked: Solomon Kane (2009), Jet Li’s Fearless (2006), Jonah Hex (2010)

Certificate: 15

Genre: Action/Fantasy

Release Date: 3 December 2010

The Plot

After witnessing the brutal murder of his wife at the hands of sinister drug baron, Torrez (played to perfection by Steven Seagal); former federal agent, Machete Cortez (Danny Trejo), is stripped of everything and left for dead. With no home to return to, Machete retreats to Texas and finds work as a hired assassin.

After being forced to take on a job by a shady lawyer (Jeff Fahey), Machete is double-crossed by his new employer and finds himself tangled in a web with a megalomaniacal businessman (Don Johnson) and a racist government official (none other than the great Robert De Niro).

With the help of sultry Mexican rebel Luz (Michelle Rodriguez), a killer priest (Cheech Marin), and sexy immigration officer Sartana (Jessica Alba), Machete vows revenge on his employer and in the process, inadvertently exposes a conspiracy that leads right back to his arch nemesis, Torrez.

The Thoughts

Many fanboys (and girls) have been anticipating this film ever since Rodriguez announced he would be turning his spoof trailer “Machete” (that was aired during the Tarantino/Rodriguez 2007 gore-fest “Grindhouse”) into a feature-length film. Although Rodriguez is more than capable of pulling off slick looking big budget films like Once Upon a Time in Mexico and Sin City, he has an affinity for low budget, 70’s style movies that brought him to fame (El Mariachi).

Much like Planet Terror, with deliberately poor production value, cut audio and missing scenes, Machete is more reminiscent of a bad 70’s cop flick as opposed to a modern day release, but don’t be fooled into thinking that it’s anything less than brilliant.
With Machete, Rodriguez has managed to successfully pay respect to the kind of films that inspired him as a director. Despite the grainy film quality, Rodriguez hasn’t skimped at all on the action or special effects – one thing that makes Machete stand apart from the old action movies of the pre-1980’s era.
The explosions are huge, the landscapes are wide, and the violence is bloody. In fact, if you’re a bit squeamish, you might want to keep your eyes closed for most of this film – if you’ve had any previous exposure to a Rodriguez film aimed at adults, you’ll know what I mean.

With regards to casting, I didn’t really have any major problems with the main actors. I think that the role of April Booth played by Lindsay Lohan was a little pointless, but then again, it was such a small role it didn’t count for much. To be fair, she portrays an alcolhic wild child, so I don’t suppose much acting was actually required. A really impressive and bold casting choice for me was that of Robert De Niro as the racist U.S. Senator, John McLaughlin. Lately, De Niro’s acting roles have been somewhat… questionable. But much like his performance in Stardust, he completely hams it up and plays the character wonderfully. It was also great to see Romero’s make-up specialist, Tom Savini, do some acting again.

What made this film so enjoyable for me was the fact that it didn’t take itself seriously. It knows what it is – and that is an homage to action movies that are terrible and cheesy but think they are something more profound. Machete manages to keep its tongue held firmly in its cheek, so when you hear ridiculous lines of dialogue, you simply cannot stop yourself from laughing.

If you found yourself amused by films such as Planet Terror, Deathproof or Desperado, then you will most certainly enjoy Machete. It’s over the top, it’s wild, it’s outrageously unrealistic; but more importantly, it’s great fun: something that a lot films have tended to lose sight of in recent years.

The Film Buzz Official Rating: [Rating: 8.5/10]

UK Release Date:  26th November, 2010

Director: Robert Rodriguez, Ethan Maniquis

Writers: Robert Rodriguez, Álvaro Rodríguez