Director: Robert Redford

Writer: James D. Solomon (screenplay)

Release Date: 1 July 2011

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

Everything Must Go also stars Rebecca Hall and Laura Dern.

Release Date: May 13, 2011

It was there that he met Marlena, (Reese Witherspoon) the beautiful equestrian star married to August (Christoph Waltz), the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. And he met Rosie, an un-trainable elephant who was the great gray hope for this third-rate traveling show. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio was one of love and trust, and, ultimately, it was their only hope for survival.

Director: Francis Lawrence

Writer: Richard LaGravenese (screenplay), Sara Gruen (novel)

UK Release Date: 4 May 2011

The Plot

When Lara Brennan (Elizabeth Banks) is arrested for the murder of a homeless woman, the world of her husband, John Brennan (Russell Crowe), is turned upside down. Several years later and John has decided to take matters into his own hands by breaking his wife out of jail.

The Thoughts

This film is a drama. No, wait. I apologise, I’m getting a bit confused here. It’s a thriller. Or is it an action film? Frankly I’m just not sure. Paul Haggis films have a habit of turning, albeit usually in a good way. Haggis has both written and directed some fantastic films in recent years, including some fantastic collaborative work with Clint Eastwood. As anyone who has seen the Haggis-penned Million Dollar Baby (2004) will know however, his films can go in unexpected directions. Once seen, it’s hard to forget the moment in Million Dollar Baby when the feel-good sports genre caves way to tough kitchen sink melodrama midway through the film. The central issue with The Next Three Days is not its abrupt changes of tone, which roughly divide the film into two halves as with Million Dollar Baby, but rather the lack of plot consistency that exist between the two halves. Unlike Million Dollar Baby, in which the gravity of the plot twist necessitates the shift in tone, The Next Three Days simply abandons its own plot details in the midst of its copious tonal changes, to jarring effect.

For example, the question of Lara Brennan’s (Elizabeth Banks) guilt or innocence is raised after she is arrested following the murder of a homeless woman at the start of the film. Her husband, played by Russell Crowe, in spite of the strong evidence against his wife, becomes obsessed with breaking her out of prison, utterly convinced of her innocence. At one point in the film, Lara reveals to her husband that she did, in fact, commit murder. Possibly this was said with the intention of thwarting her husband’s plan to break her out of prison, but who knows? The film doesn’t provide the audience with anything approaching an adequate explanation of the situation and the issue of Lara’s innocence or guilt is clumsily dealt with – that is to say it is all but abandoned in the second half of the running time, when The Next Three Days transforms into a heist film. And this is only one example amongst several of plot points that are established only to be forgotten in the transition.

Most disappointing of all for me was the film’s failure to capitalise on the links Russell Crowe’s character is repeatedly insinuated to share with Don Quixote. Don Quixote is a fascinating character and the comparison holds great potential; the problem is that the film completely loses its nerve to go ahead with it. Don Quixote is of course the famous story of the man who sets out one day to become a noble knight and achieve fame and fortune, disregarding the fact that he is now old and that knights no longer exist, if such noble knights ever did. The comparison the film makes is that both Russell Crowe and Don Quixote seek to achieve an impossible goal which they believe is a certainty. But the essence of Don Quixote is that the world he creates in his mind blinds him to all reality, with both amusing and tragic consequences. The combination of Don Quixote references and the aforementioned goings-on with Lara Brennan’s character lead to my anticipating an equivalent scene of one particular moment from Don Quixote: in one chapter, Don Quixote is staying at an inn (which he imagines to be a castle), when one night he has a romantic midnight encounter with a servant girl. Don Quixote of course sees her as ‘a goddess of beauty’. We are then told that none ‘of the good maiden’s attributes could discourage him, though they were enough to make any man who was not a muledriver vomit’. The sad thing is that the potential is there for just that scene in The Next Three Days – the bit where Russell Crowe breaks his wife out of jail only to have her stab him as a thank you – but the film doesn’t go the distance.

It is not good enough just to hint at more interesting things when there’s nothing of substance going on, because the resulting film looks worse for its half-baked pretensions. The pacing suffers heavily too. The film’s first half is too slow, packed as it is with allusions to Don Quixote and consequence-less, predictable plot twists; persist to the second half though and you’ve got yourself a serviceable heist film. Those looking for a decent Don Quixote-esque film, however, don’t bother with this – go treat yourself to the very best of the bunch, Martin Scorcese’s masterful King of Comedy (1982). That is, the best until a Hollywood film comes out with the sex scene between an old man in a suit of armour and the vomit-inducingly hideous girl I have been waiting for.

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

Release Date: 5th January 2011

Director: Paul Haggis

Writers: Paul Haggis (screenplay), Fred Cavayé (screenplay “Pour elle”) and Guillaume Lemans (screenplay “Pour elle”)

Links: IMDB, Official Site

The King’s Speech tells the story of Albert Frederick Arthur George (who later became King George VI), the father of current British monarch Queen Elizabeth II. After his brother abdicates (the controversial and insidious King Edward VIII), George (known by the moniker ‘Bertie’) reluctantly assumes the throne. Beleaguered by an insuperable stammer from a young age and considered unfit to be king, Bertie haphazardly engages the help of an unorthodox Australian speech therapist named Lionel Logue. Through a set of empirically grafted and unexpected techniques, and as a result of an unlikely but endearing friendship, Bertie is able to shake the pernicious (for his condition that is) shackles of royal formality in order to find his voice and boldly lead the United Kingdom through the Second World War.

The Thoughts

As an historian, I approached this film in the same vein that I tend to approach all historical-based films and period dramas – with belligerent scrutinisation and complete intolerance and disdain for historical inaccuracies, anachronisms, and any general tampering with facts as they should correctly be portrayed. Be assured dear reader, that any gross and unforgivably incorrect portrayal of history in film (given that a large proportion of the general public learn a lot about ‘history’ as it is portrayed in films, and also invariably take it to be fact) will swiftly receive the wrath of this reviewer. However, The King’s Speech will certainly receive no caustic words of abuse or scathing attacks here, because it is, dear friends, a work of absolute genius.

Whilst there are a few minor historical inaccuracies (such as in Timothy Spall’s portrayal of Winston Churchill, who is apparently permitted to wield a lit cigar in the sovereign’s presence, and that the film also rather shrewdly skates over Bertie and Elizabeth’s initial enthusiasm for appeasement), there are none grave enough for The King’s Speech to fall foul to the wrath of learned historians. Even if you aren’t a fan of period dramas or historical-based films, the relationships and issues explored (the relationship between Bertie and Lionel is rather synonymous with that of Will and Sean in Good Will Hunting) have so much depth that their portrayal alone is worth the price of admission. Amalgamated with a stellar subject matter (stammering as an inhibiting disorder has arguably received a dearth of exposure hitherto this film) and a cast formidable acting talent, the end product is Oscar worthy in every sense of the word.

I cannot but be in full agreement with the growing consensus that Colin Firth gives the performance of his life in this film. He truly captures the misery of Bertie’s affliction, and by extension allows the audience to empathise with the debilitating nature of his condition, particular given his life as a public figure expected to address the masses through a widening range of media outlets. His opening speech in the 1925 Empire Exhibition at Wembley Stadium, with his wife Elizabeth (magnificently played by Helena Bonham Carter) by his side visibly unsettles not only the thousands of listeners in the actual film’s audience, but also the viewing audience as well. Firth and Carter’s relationship is utterly engaging throughout, as is Firth’s journey as Bertie through psychoanalysis, cathartic shouts of profanity (there is an hilarious scene which I will not ruin, but does involve the future king shouting a barrage of swearwords), and blossoming relationship with speech therapist Lionel Logue (played by Geoffrey Rush, another one of the film’s Oscar worthy performances).

Whilst I didn’t particularly like some of the cameo performances (as much as I am a fan of Timothy Spall, I think he was miscast as Winston Churchill), the cast overall is close to impeccable, as is the pacing and cinematography. The film also avoids maudlin displays of emotion and sycophancy towards the royal family, which adds all the more to the film’s deserved praise and smatterings of superlatives all round. Guy Pearce as the weak, selfish and petulant Edward VIII also warrants well-deserves praise as the film’s only ‘villain’ as well (his mockery of Bertie’s stammer, calling him “B-B-Bertie” merits vehement disgust from the audience).

The King’s Speech therefore is a film that injects new life into the period drama, and take’s what is essentially a subject of royal history within the wider context of World War II and tackles an issue that any audience, British or otherwise, can relate to. Bertie is an underdog who triumphs over adversity from the willingness to truly listen shown to him by an empirically and heuristically educated speech therapist from a faraway dominion. The thoroughly engaging and ultimately moving friendship formed between Bertie and Lionel leaves the viewer feeling fulfilled morally, intellectually, and spiritually. It also leaves one with a sanguine sense that the indomitable human spirit can conquer all, particularly within the wider context of Bertie’s journey to kingship amidst growing aggression on the world-stage from Hitler’s Germany.

I cannot therefore recommend this film enough, and I assure you that whatever your usual predilections in film genres, there is something here for everyone to enjoy.

God Save the King.

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

UK Release Date: 7 January 2011

Director: Tom Hooper

Writer: David Seidler

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

Eat Pray Love gives Julia Roberts an infrequent chance at a lead role in this year’s visually breathtaking romantic drama. Based on the memoir by Elizabeth Gilbert, this globe-trotting tale will undoubtedly tease the thirst for travel.

The Plot

Liz Gilbert (Julia Roberts), although in the peak of her seemingly successful life, feels little more than emptiness. Without a tangible argument, she divorces her distraught husband Stephen (Billy Crudup) and immerses herself into her long sought-after escape; travelling away from her home in New York City to eat herself to ecstasy in Italy, progressing on to appreciate the power of prayer in India, and finishing with beautiful, blissful Bali.

While she observes and absorbs the fascinating cultural variations throughout her travels, she accumulates all that she had learnt and heals herself by finally stumbling upon what she had been searching for during her whole time.

The Thoughts

Having read about this film and thus watching its trailer several months back, I was quick to judge it as a feature that seemed compelling; perhaps a “refreshing” drama that had not been recently explored on the big screen. With that in mind, along with knowing that the lead role had been handed over to the amiable Julia Roberts, I looked forward to the release of Eat Pray Love hoping for an uplifting, inspirational after-effect. Alas, my naivety was put to shame.

The painfully long “introduction” dragged on to the point where I started to ‘pray’ myself, fidgeting and wondering when all of the highly-anticipated travel pornography would begin.  Gilbert’s suddenly-turned-ex husband, Stephen (played by Billy Crudup) however portrayed an accurate, almost satiric reaction to Liz’s irrational and unpredictable decision to divorce him; the particular scene with the lawyer I thought was heartfelt but comical at the same time. I felt that his character certainly had more depth than Liz did herself – had Roberts not added her charisma and that famous ‘ear-to-ear’ smile in this film, the persona of Liz Gilbert may as well have been non-existent.

The first holiday spot we were shown in detail was Rome, Italy. The culture shock from an American’s point of view I thought was genuinely conveyed, as the audience was introduced to niceties such as Gilbert’s embarrassing Italian accent and her generally superficial, but inevitable attitude in comparison to what was portrayed as the simpler but more cultivated Europeans. As the camera zoomed in on Gilbert’s “relationship” with a marvellous plate of spaghetti bolognaise, followed by several other close-ups of hearty, delectable Italian dishes, my stomach reminded me of my foolish decision to watch the film before dinner, as I stared wide-eyed and open-mouthed.

When the setting had moved to India however, I was definitely not as spellbound (or ‘hungerbound’ rather) as I had been during the glimpse of Gilbert’s Italian adventure. The audience was not allowed as much time to ‘explore’ the country and its distinct culture from the fly-on-wall perspective we were given earlier; rather I found myself being forced to focus on an irrelevant and irritating fellow traveller named Richard (played by Richard Jenkins) who had hailed from Texas. What I also questioned, was that although Gilbert had supposedly travelled to India to “follow the art of meditation”, the process and her bland involvement were disappointingly unconvincing. We are however, permitted to watch as she miraculously “forgives herself” for breaking her ex-husband’s heart after some dire motivation from the annoying Texan and his own tale of trauma.

The purposelessness of the film heightened when Gilbert moved on to Bali; despite the stunning views we were presented, with the cliché of a romantic drama certainly kicked in with a vengeance. It was as if the whole film, and her raison d’être pointed to yet another guy – the smooth-talking, emotionally tuned Brazilian, Felipe (played by Javier Bardem). I shook my head in dispute at what I considered as one of the worst on-screen couples, as well as the gradual disappearance of the significance of being in such a place as Bali – the only charming feature being the adorable Ketut Liyer (played by Hadi Subiyanto). His toothless smile and honest, outright but amusing advice was probably as ‘cultural’ as it had got, despite Subiyanto himself not even being Balinese.

I found myself checking the time frequently throughout the film – a definite sign that a movie is not going well – and feeling an increasing urgency to simply get out of the cinema hall. Admittedly there were a fair handful of picturesque visions, humorous peeks at culture clashes or even ‘learning’ the odd swear word in Italian, nevertheless the film had completely missed its point, whatever it may have been, and  ended up as an unfulfilled, clichéd, tedious 134 minutes – a running time that should’ve been given to The Runaways instead. Eat Pray Love may not have been the worst film I had watched this year, but the frustrating anti-climax I felt after gaping at the previously seductive trailer had certainly sent me packing.

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

The Plot

Tyler Hawkins (Robert Pattinson), a troubled, brooding, young adult lives introspectively, avoiding direction of any sort. With his tobacco-tainted vision, he sees little else besides his younger sister, Caroline (Ruby Jerins) his shabby apartment shared with best friend Aidan (Tate Ellington), and a morning ritual of pensive journal-writing in a particular cafe.

Since the loss of his elder brother, Tyler has lacked control of his emotions and after getting himself inappropriately involved in a spontaneous street fight, he is hurled into jail by police officer Neil Craig (Chris Cooper). Having been bailed out by wealthy father Charles Hawkins (Pierce Brosnan), with whom Tyler has a bitter, awkward relationship, Aidan convinces Tyler to manipulate Ally Craig (Emilie de Ravin) after discovering she is the officer’s daughter.

Initially Tyler is reluctant, though he finds an unexpected comfort in her company and the contrasting personalities heal each other by sharing their wounded childhood and loneliness. While the young pair rapidly develop a passionate relationship, specific people and events cause enough turmoil for both Ally and Tyler to question themselves and one another.

The Thoughts

I was admittedly sceptical to see this film, though after some convincing I tiptoed into a virtually empty hall and felt relieved that the only others were a scarce handful of mature couples, along with the odd lonesome soul. As I orally crushed my M&M Peanuts, I began to shift in my seat as a swarm of females, some in large groups; others in couples, filled the once peaceful hall within minutes. By the time the film had started, I could actually count the number of empty seats. I looked around and realised somewhat ashamedly that I was one of those many, many females.

Remember Me started with a heartbeat-skipping opening scene concerning Ally’s mother, which I was impressed with considering my assumption of a fairly generic romantic drama. Nevertheless, as the scene switched over to the “dreaded” Robert Pattinson, I rolled my eyes at his awkward attempt to play the lost, unruly, and emotional Tyler Hawkins. The physicality was perfect; the character, dull.

Astonishingly I found the character of Ally, played by a fresh-faced Emilie de Ravin, more intriguing than her male counterpart. Rather than resembling a sentimental mess, she came across as strong, free-spirited and very charismatic, proving able to look after herself and her father effortlessly. Contrasting “wet blanket” Tyler, she brought vivacity and significance to his gloomy days of cigarette fumes and empty beer bottles, and after a few scenes of bantering and sexual tension, I warmed to their chemistry and began rooting for their relationship.

I was, however, yet disappointed by the bizarre outbursts of emotion which Pattinson had so awkwardly endeavoured to convey; though his skill as an actor had slightly improved since cringing in the Twilight saga, the general lack of experience and control is almost palpable. Although the script was embedded with clichés, for the majority I considered it appropriate; taking into account the situation of the two lovers, and ultimately the genre of the film.

The most appalling descent was the final scene – just when I had reluctantly admit to myself that I may have enjoyed the film, I threw in the towel and left the oestrogen-heavy cinema hall shaking my head at the director’s low attempt at shamefully incorporating American propaganda; a manifestation that was ridiculously irrelevant in its context.

The Film Buzz Review Rating: 6/10

UK Release Date: 2 April 2010

Director: Allen Coulter

Writer: Will Fetters

Links: IMDB, Official Site

Directed by John Lee Hancock based on the book by Michael Lewis, The Blind Side stars Sandra Bullock who won the Oscar for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for The Blind Side, the Critics Choice Award for Best Actress and the Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama. With an equally as strong cast of Tim McGraw, Quinton Aaron, Ray McKinnon and Kathy Bates - Quinton Aaron has also been nominated for various Best Actor and Best Breakthrough performance awards. So we make no mistake in saying – this film is bound to bring out the inner sentiments and move you through terrific performances based on true events.

The Plot

Depicting the story of Michael Oher, a homeless African-American youngster from a broken home, he is taken in by the Touhys, a well-to-do white family who help him fulfil his potential. At the same time, Oher’s presence in the Touhy’s lives leads them to some insightful self-discoveries of their own. Living in his new environment, the teen faces a completely different set of challenges to overcome. As a football player and student, Oher works hard and with the help of his coaches and adopted family, becomes an All-American offensive left tackle.

The Thoughts

Whilst I thought it was a really good movie – it certainly tugged on my heart strings a fair bit and the performance by Sandra Bullock was nothing short of a high standard but the aftermath of watching this movie left me wondering why it was so Oscar-worthy.

The story was too sugar-coated, the characters cruised along smoothly with one event leading onto the next without difficulty or social ramifications i.e. a white middle class family taking in a black working class boy under their wing conjures many-a-racist image but there were hardly any hardships shown.

A little late but better than never – I got round to watching this little gem and I was surprised that I thoroughly enjoyed it. Despite it being a sad film with dark underlying tones, it was strangely uplifting and inspiring at the same time.

With performances by Gabourey Sidibe, Mo’Nique, Paula Patton and even Mariah Carey without make-up (she was about 5 shades of scary).

The Plot

Set in 1987, Claireece “Precious” Jones played by Gabourey Sidibe is an obese, illiterate, black 16 year old who lives in Harlem with her dysfunctional family – consisting of her abusive mother and rapist father. Her father raped and impregnated her twice – her first child “Mongo” has Down’s Syndrome and Precious is currently carrying her second child.

When her school finds out that she is pregnant for the second time, she is suspended and referred to an alternative school which would hopefully alter her life direction. Precious finds ways to fight her traumatic experiences every day by imagining she is another person in another world very different to her own – one in which she is loved and appreciated.

Inspired by her new teacher, Ms Rain (Paula Patton), Precious begins to learn to read and make friends with her classmates – there she finds a community, one in which she is welcome and loved.

However, the abuse at home doesn’t stop, and her abusive mother reaches a crescendo once Precious’ second child is born and all hell breaks loose…

The Thoughts

A film full of life and love, realistic enough to be gritty but overpowered by compassion to strive for one’s dreams.

Powerful performances by the whole cast, every emotion conveyed was so real and believable and the plot was so cleverly composed in order to shed light on every character’s shortcomings and the reasons behind their actions steering the film clear of “characters abusing each other without apparent reason”.

Overall, it was a beautiful film about abuse, hardship and perseverance and thoroughly touched my heart.

If you just missed Precious in the cinemas, you can catch it on DVD and Blu-ray by March 9, 2010.

The Film Buzz Review Rating: 7/10

UK Cinema Release Date: 29 January 2010

DVD Release Date: 9 March 2010

Director: Lee Daniels

Writer: Geoffrey Fletcher(screenplay), Sapphire(novel)

Links: IMDB, Official Site