You Don't Know What You Got Til It's...

#2 - Gone Girl

Every so often a film is released that has a plot quite difficult to explain to others. But I'll give it a go...

Ben Affleck plays Nick Dunne, who on his fifth anniversary to his wife Amy (Rosamund Pike) discovers she has disappeared in suspicious circumstances.  Since Amy is a celebrity due to her successful child-author parents, media attention begins to grow around her disappearance and slowly Nick becomes the main suspect.

Now I reiterate, I am going to attempt to not reveal any details about what happens later in the story, but all I can tell you is that Gone Girl is a fantastically crafted, suspenseful thriller that keeps you guessing all the way along.  Similar to Se7en, Zodiac and The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, Gone Girl's plot is slowly revealed, like a child opening a Wonka chocolate bar and it is obvious that Fincher's masterful hand has been hard at work creating a recognisable and yet hyperbolic world.

I know what you're thinking... But bear with me...

Ben Affleck plays his part well of the not-so-perfect husband at the centre of a media scrutiny, who alongside relative-newcomer Carrie Coon impressively performing as Nick's twin sister Margot attempt to clear Nick's name.  However the plaudits all belong to Rosamund Pike in a career-redefining performance as the titular 'Gone Girl'. I have never seen Pike act this well. Honestly she steals this film and if she consistently performs in these sorts of roles, then I see a very different career ahead as opposed to the one where she has been restrained to 'blonde eye-candy'.  But whilst I feel like Pike needs singling out, every single actor and actress delivers an impressive performance, even Tyler freaking Perry outperforms as the dry-witted Defence Attorney Tanner Bolt.  Yeah, the guy who dresses up as the old woman.  Him, he's really good in this!

The director Fincher reunites with Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor and his producing partner Atticus Ross who scored The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and The Social Network, of which they won the Academy Award for Best Score, and they have created another atmospheric and subtle musical accompaniment that assists in the mysterious and suspenseful plot throughout.  Like their scores before, I have bought it and have chilled out to the ambient and peaceful tunes in my spare time.

I hate it when my missing wife photobombs me...

The score is just one way that is evident that Fincher has crafted a fantastic film. Everything in the film looks pristine and there for a reason.  It's a strange thing to mention but Fincher has a history of always using space well in his films, making scenes claustrophobic when he needs to or turning scenes on their head with the slightest touch or hint to the audience and Gone Girl is definitely one of his strongest films to date.  Switching focus from mass media's current obsession with tragedy, to the importance of outward appearances in today's society, and always commenting on the hidden disappointment most marriages suffer with, the film is definitely suited for current audiences.  The only downside I would give it would be the 150 minute running time, however when you are having this much fun, I doubt you'll mind.

Nightcrawler

#3 - Nightcrawler

Occasionally there comes a film in which the setting and location becomes a character in itself. Sometimes a location’s creepy aesthetic comes across to accentuate the mood of a horror film, such as Psycho, The Amityville Horror or The Shining. In other instances, the setting is a city, home to a varied set of characters, such as Batman’s Gotham City or Basin City seen in Robert Rodriguez’s Sin City, becoming almost a safe haven for crazy and deranged people. A film’s location can also mirror a character’s worst flaws and habits, highlighting their terrible true nature when all they portray is the façade of who they want to be.

This is where we find the central figure of Nightcrawler, Leo Bloom.  Bloom (played by Jake Gyllenhaal) is a goal-orientated, hard-working young man who will strive at achieving a goal once he sets himself one.  However, he lacks that goal. After stumbling across a highway crash and the people recording footage for the local news stations, Leo delves into independent video journalism who make impressive amounts of money filming burning wreckages.

The deserted streets of after hours California is perfect for Leo's story. It highlights the flawed and frenzied aspiration that Leo eventually gains in this lucrative business, whilst also hints at the dark and disturbing reality that lies behind it. All the while appearing like a typical American-dream city, it hides a cut-throat reality with business and money solely in mind. Beautifully shot by Robert Elswit, the comparison between Leo's tiny apartment and the mansions in which he films his crime scenes are found to house just the same class of criminal.

Gyllenhaal has had a very varied career. From breaking onto the scene in Donnie Darko, I have held his acting talent in high regard. Whether staring in low-budget, high-concept sci-fi such as Source Code or beefing up for action in Jarhead or End of Watch, he always manages to be charismatic, empathetic and endearing. However this is the complete opposite to Leo Bloom.  When we first meet him, he is underhandedly stealing scrap metal and bikes to sell for his own selfish needs. He is manipulative, untrustworthy and downright creepy, and it is all thanks to Gyllenhaal's magnificent performance as Bloom. Whether it be his greasy hair, gaunt appearance or unnerving smile, there is something visibly 'off' about the aspirational, vet selfish businessman and Gyllenhaal performs brilliantly in this role. Akin to an Asperger's sufferer, Bloom seems to suffer with a lack of a filter when discussing business practices or his emotions and the lack of care in anybody but himself is beautiful to watch portrayed by such a versatile actor.

Whilst admittedly, I would have preferred Nightcrawler to have been a bit darker overall in tone and grit, the film is just a fantastic and haunting experience that will provide you with shocks, twists, chills and the most exhilarating car chase scene in recent years. Gyllenhaal alone is worth the price of admission and hopefully he will get recognised in the coming Academy Awards. Similarly to Leo DiCaprio and Matthew McConaughney, everything he touches seems to turn to gold so I cannot wait to see what he does next.

her.

#4 - her

Halfway through the year, I honestly thought that no film could impress me as much as Spike Jonze's her.  It really spoke to me and not because I especially related to Joaquin Phoenix's Theodore or his strife, but the film didn't patronise or try to scare the audience.  Instead it approaches you as a friend, cuddles up to you, warns you of our collective future and our relationship with technology.  But also calmly offers advice and tells you it's going to be OK.

Theodore is a professional writer living in 2025 Los Angeles.  The newest upgrade to his phone's operating system contains an artificial intelligence, named Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson).  Samantha is a technological breakthrough, having the ability to learn from experience, adapting and evolving in the process.  Through the course of the film, Theodore begins a relationship with the Samantha A.I., causing a rift within his circle of friends.

It's not your typical romantic comedy, and I feel that's why I loved this film so much.  You spend the film watching Theodore fail in real-life relationships, but succeed in his relationship with Samantha.  You desire for them to be together by the end of the film, and despite it's alternative nature, it never feels weird.  Phoenix plays the lovable loser so well that you can't help but want the best for him.  The supporting cast of Amy Adams and Chris Pratt provide essential commentary on the central relationship, speaking for the audience on several occasions, but Theodore and Samantha's partnership is the film's key message.

As well as impressive performances, the film's style of design blew me away in it's subtlety. The fashion of the future is recognisable, and yet retro; the technology is advanced, and yet accessible.  I found it so intriguing and obviously cared for.  I just loved everything about it.  Especially it's views on our over-dependence and obsession with technology.

I have recommended her to friends and had very different reactions to it.  Some have appreciated it, some found it depressing, some have been impressed and some have hated it.  Whilst her is definitely one of my favourites, I understand it isn't for everyone.  But I still think you should give it a go, because you never know, you might love it as much as I do.

The Wolf of Wall Street

#5 - The Wolf Of Wall Street

One film that has definitely stuck with me from 2014 is Martin Scorcese's crime-comedy The Wolf Of Wall Street.  Not only is it a combination of director and cast working at the height of their careers, but it also is a scathing indictment of the American banking system, the people that work within it and the love of greed for the sake of greed.

Released back in January, the film is a loose biopic of Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio); an aspiring Wall Street banker who just happens to start his career on the same day of a stock market crash. To find a way in the world, he starts to sell penny stocks in the American pink sheets to the clueless public once he finds out you can make a huge commission of their purchases.

He employs a select group of low-time criminals from his old neighbourhood to pretend to be smooth Wall Street bankers in order to earn as much money as possible. Eventually, the amount of money builds and builds, as well as the reputation of the company, and soon, Belfort's small rag-tag gang of criminals resembles the established banks and firms that Belfort didn't have a chance to affect.

If you don't understand stock markets, don't worry, neither do I. However, DiCaprio speaks to the viewer early on in the film to say that you don't need to know. All you need to know is that they are doing very illegal activities. We are then treated to almost three hours of incredibly debauched events, featuring some of the most amoral, selfish and over-the-top characters that I have seen in a film.

The amount of crime and misbehaviour escalates to ridiculous proportions, with DiCaprio's Belfort making more and more money, paying for bigger and bigger houses and indulging in stronger and stronger pharmaceuticals, resulting in an extended scene of physical comedy that wouldn't be found in even the broadest comedy film. Immediately afterwards Belfort hosts a group meeting to discuss throwing a little person at a dartboard like a human dart, all the while snorting copious amounts of cocaine and treating $100 bills like tissue paper. It becomes laughable but there is always the reminder that this is based on real events in Belfort's life and it feels even more ridiculous.

However the fantastic aspect of The Wolf of Wall Street is that it is not all underlined with a heavy-handed moral lesson or comeuppance for these horrendous characters. The film treats you with the maturity to know that these actions are horrible and that something will happen to these characters in time, all you have to do is wait and watch. However the film does not pull punches with the reasons behind their behaviour; they do all these debauched activities because it's fun. These people are so empty and shallow, they have to fill the voids with prostitutes, drugs and just more money, and they have immense amounts of fun while doing it. Whilst some of the actions are deplorable, you as the audience can't help but go along for the ride and almost get a contact high from the people living the life you never could, much to your own shame.

The inherent message within the film will probably be lost and instead remembered for the generous amount of time dedicated to Belfort's devious rise to the heights of Wall Street and not the inevitable fall from grace that concerns the final third of the film.  The inherent indictment of America's corrupt financial system and it's influence on well-meaning individuals, not to mention the effect that Belfort's greed had on his faceless victims, will not be recalled. Instead it will probably become a cult classic; Scorcese's post-Goodfellas commentary on the supposed American Dream, instead of being held as one of his greatest and more cerebral films about the nature of greed within an ultimately corrupt and failed system.

The Wind Rises

#6 - The Wind Rises

Released as one of the world's greatest animators Hayao Miyazaki's final film, The Wind Rises is a fictionalised biography of the aeroplane engineer Jiro Horikoshi before and during the Second World War.  It might not sound like an enthralling storyline, but yet again Studio Ghibli manage to turn the mundane into beautiful splendor.

The film is visually gorgeous and breathtaking at times, in terms of style and also subject matter. Touching upon the delicate relationship between Japan and Germany during the Second World War could have been a difficult and spiky topic, but not in the capable hands of Studio Ghibli.  The film's point of view is from those proud people wanting to help their country but conscious of the agenda they are helping to continue.  It comes across not as an apology but more of an explanation that there were still freedom-loving people at such a difficult time in world politics.

This was one of the most touching cinematic experiences I have had in a long time.  The beauty of Studio Ghibli is evident in every frame and whilst the Jiro isn't the most relatable as Spirited Away's Chihiro or Howl's Moving Castle's Grandma Sophie, his story is always interesting, especially when he is forced to help design planes for Nazi Germany, due to their wartime friendship with Japan.

Nearly every Studio Ghibli film has some kind of airplane or flying machine in them.  This is due to Hayao Miyazaki's own fascination with aerodynamics and planes.  So since this film is based off the life of an aeroplane engineer, you can truly feel all of Miyazaki's love and passion went into this project.  

This marks the end of an era in animation, and I highly recommend you searching out this film on DVD and all of his earlier work.  You will not be disappointed.

Guardians of the Galaxy

#7 - Guardians Of The Galaxy

I was so nervous when I saw the trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy.  Nervous and excited.  How could Marvel, and especially Disney, bet so much money and reputation on this story of relatively-unknown alien mercenaries, battling in galaxies far, far away?  It was either insanity or genius.

Turns out both.

This was such a crazy and wild adventure, it just made me want to watch it again and again.  The story follows Peter Quill, AKA StarLord, a human abducted as a child and raised by a bunch of renegade alien pirate smugglers.  The self-titled StarLord (Chris Pratt) quickly finds himself enthralled in a struggle between powerful warlords over a mysterious orb.  He teams up with a green-skinned assassin (Zoe Saldana), a tattooed headcase (Dave Bautista), a giant humanoid walking tree (voiced by Vin Diesel) and a talking raccoon (voiced by Bradley Cooper).

See what I mean by possible insanity?  But it completely works.  The director James Gunn has history with the surreal, working on films such as Slither and Super, so he manages to create such a believable world that the crazy hijinx that follow feel possible.  The characters are truly three-dimensional, even if the walking tree-man can only say "I. Am. Groot." and every other character's middle name is 'The' (Korath The Pursuer/Drax The Destroyer etc.)  They have back-stories, aims, dreams, flaws, and therefore feel like real people.  The most surprising thing about this film is former WWE wrestler Dave Bautista, who has the most impressive screen-presence of the central five and delivers a very unexpected, and fantastic performance.

Additionally, Lee Pace performing as the quasi-Marilyn Manson villain Ronan The Accuser is actually terrifying.  Full plaudits to the man as he could have hammed up the performance and delivered one akin to a pantomime villain, but he truly gets under your skin as a malevolent force and a formidable opponent to the titular Guardians.  This was definitely the blockbuster of the summer.

Everything Is Awesome

#8 - The Lego Movie

When I first heard the idea, I honestly thought The LEGO Movie was gonna be horrendous.  Don't get me wrong, a movie based on a children's toy is not original; just ask Michael Bay.  But a movie based on toy construction blocks sounded like one of the most outlandish and risky ideas I'd had heard coming out of Hollywood in a long time.  It had 'train-wreck' written all over it, and whilst a Lego train-wreck in my pre-teens would have been fun to see happen before my eyes, I wasn't as optimistic in my twenties.

However my worries were lessened when I saw the first released trailer and noticed that the film wasn't taking itself seriously, like the previous ones released under the 'Lego' such as the Bionicle films.  It seemed tongue-in-cheek, fresh and smart, and understandably so.  Coming from the creative team behind such hilarious gems as Scrubs, Clone High and 21 Jump Street (Phil Lord and Chris Miller) was more than enough convincing I needed.

The film is set in the Lego world of Bricksburg, where the evil Lord Business (voiced by Will Ferrell) is planning on unleashing a deadly secret weapon on the town's inhabitants.  The wizard Vitruvius (Morgan Freeman and his magnificent vocals) seeks The Special, who might be the only person capable of stopping Lord Business.  However destiny falls to an ordinary construction worker, Emmet (voiced by Guardian of the Galaxy and Jurassic World's, Chris Pratt).  With the help of rebellious Wyldstyle and her boyfriend Batman (yes that's right...), Emmet must awaken The Special within him to keep Bricksburg free and movable.

Trust me; the amount of negative titles I had envisioned for this review were infinite.

"Some Parts Missing"... "Assembly Required"... "Brick Shithouse"...

However, this was honestly the most fun I've had in a cinema for quite a while.  The humour was sharp enough for adults to enjoy, such as jokes about over-priced coffee, but silly enough for the kids to enjoy; Morgan Freeman's character spontaneously appears on screen quite clearly being hung by a cheap piece of rope in a surreal manner resembling Monty Python.

Despite the previous example, the animation was dazzling and so rich in depth that I'm sure I will see new and hidden jokes in the background on a second and third viewing.  The directors Lord and Miller intended for the film to appear as realistic as possible and as if made via stop-motion technology, despite all being computer-generated and you really can't tell the difference.

What surprised me more than anything about The Lego Movie was the message at the heart of the narrative.  It isn't just an adventure thrill-ride through the Wild West, outer space and Cloud Cuckooland, but also a showcase into the heartfelt love that people have for their collections of bricks and shapes.  I, for one, was never that bothered about creating my own Lego worlds when I was younger.  It probably shows how unimaginative or impatient I was, but I never got the appeal.  Either way, this supposed 'kiddie film' actually gave me an insight into why people love Lego as much as they do.  Quite impressive for a film that I'm sure will be dismissed by many as quick and easily as I did.

Not only does it provide an interesting insight, but it also includes one of the most infectious songs that you will hear in a film all year. Similar to Pharrell's Happy in last year's Despicable Me 2, I was singing "Everything Is Awesome" out of the cinema and the days following.  I challenge anyone to hear it and not be swept up in it's smothering positivity and happiness, even if the original meaning is quite satirical.  So was Python's "Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life" and you never forget that catchy whistling.

You can see how much effort has been invested into making the several worlds that feature in The Lego Movie.  Each looks like a child has imagined them, built them and has played with them, and the effect is not lost.  Films with a personal touch such as these and the ones made by Aardman studios (Wallace and Gromit or The Pirates! In An Adventure With Scientists) are made with such heart and enthusiasm that it completely transfers from the screen, and cinema is a much greater place for them.  Please sit down with your kids and watch this film, if you haven't already.

You won't be disappointed, because don't worry; everything is awesome!

Until next time folks, thanks for reading!

If you enjoyed what you read and you'd like to be kept more up to date with my posts, I can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mike-Dunn-Reviews and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MikeDunnReviews - if you want to help the site grow, give them a 'Like' or a 'Share'!

The Imitation Game

#9 - The Imitation Game

It's been a busy few months for Benedict Cumberbatch.

He's been attending London premières for The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, it's been announced that he will star as the Marvel superhero Doctor Strange next year, and he has graced Time magazine on their annual "genius" issue.  Not bad for a man often compared to otter pictures.

However it has been his portrayal as Alan Turing in The Imitation Game that was the reason behind his Time magazine cover.  Not only that, but he has been gaining Cumber-batches of rave reviews and whispers of Oscar nominations, and rightfully so.

The Imitation Game tells the true story of English mathematician Alan Turing, and his attempts to crack the unsolvable German Enigma code during the Second World War, alongside a team of code-breakers at Bletchley Park.   The film interweaves Turing's childhood at a private boarding school where he first discovers his passion for puzzle-solving, with his most important years at Bletchley Park, as well as the tragedy of his post-war decline surrounding his sexuality.

All the support behind Cumberbatch is incredibly deserved.  His performance as Turing is so chameleonic and passionate throughout, Cumberbatch thoroughly inhabits the role and accentuates all the man's flaws and weaknesses, but also his admirable strengths.  The closest I could compare his portrayal to would be The Big Bang Theory's Sheldon Cooper, played by Jim Parsons.  Both characters have genius-level intellects but their closest friends suffer and endure their Asperger-like personalities, in order to help further the greater good of potentially helping mankind.

The true story told in The Imitation Game is one that is sorely needed in today's society.  Despite Turing's social flaws there was a brilliant mathematician that needed to grow and test his theories without restrictions.  He was a man who harboured secrets about his lifestyle, and because of laws at the time, he was treated as a criminal instead of a true life-saving hero.  It should definitely speak to our current generation about the differences in our culture today and how unfairly Turing was treated in the post-war decades.

However, Turing found support in fellow code-breakers such as Hugh Alexander (Matthew Goode) and Joan Clarke (Keira Knightley), who tolerated Turing's unique methods and soon became his closest companions.  Both Goode and Knightley are utilised well as the (pardon the pun) 'straight man' to Turing's eccentricities and absurdities, with Goode especially showing the kind of calm demeanour that thoroughly impressed me in my favourite film of last year, Stoker.

A fantastic war film, focussing on the behind-the-scenes fighting that happened during the Second World War, and showing not all the important actions took place on the battlefield.  Cumberbatch is a certainty for a Best Actor nomination at this years Academy Awards and rightfully so.

Please try and see this before it disappears from your local cinema.

I couldn't resist posting at least one...

Until next time folks, thanks for reading!

If you enjoyed what you read and you'd like to be kept more up to date with my posts, I can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mike-Dunn-Reviews and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MikeDunnReviews - if you want to help the site grow, give them a 'Like' or a 'Share'!

Two For Tuesday: Under The Skin / Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Next on my 12 Days of Christmas, my Number 11 and Number 10 favourite film this year, and wouldn't you know it, they both star Ms Scarlett Johansson!  No, this is not an excuse to get her beautiful face on my page... but I'm going to anyway...

Ahh that's better.

Whilst one film is a Hollywood blockbuster from the Marvel building-block franchise, the other is a small, independent art film about aliens killing Celtic supporters in Scotland.  Let's start with the former.

#11 - Captain America: The Winter Soldier

I wasn't the biggest fan of the first Captain America film that was released back in 2011.  At all.  The First Avenger told the origins of Steve Rogers, a weedy, yet earnest young man who was deemed unsuitable for the American army during the Second World War.  He came across as a lovable loser-turned-superhero, but the film on a whole just rubbed me the wrong way.

Maybe because I'm a die-hard British patriot and I didn't care for the typical American view of the Second World War being all but fruitless without the saviour coming from across the pond.  Either way, when The Avengers (Avengers Assemble to us Brits) was released a year later, I was very excited to see how Iron Man, Thor and Hulk coped but was drastically less interested in the Captain.  Yeah, his shield reflects things, he's strong and fast... and ... he's a good war strategist... I guess?  But other than that, I had no idea why he was on this team of misfit heroes.  It was nothing against Chris Evans, the man portraying Steve Rogers.  He's a fantastic actor who played the role very earnestly and gives 110% in all of his roles (particularly Scott Pilgrim vs. The World).  Something was just lacking in this one Avengers prequel.

Three years later and it's sequel time!  Taking place after The Avengers' Battle of New York, Rogers is still working for Nick Fury and the S.H.I.E.L.D. spy agency, all whilst adjusting to contemporary society.  However after investigating into some shady operations, Rogers, Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) are branded as enemies of the state and must fight their own colleagues to stay alive.

Shrouded in political mystery, The Winter Soldier manages to outdo nearly all of the previous Marvel films in it's quality by finally making the transition from simple comic-book fare to an all-out conspiracy thriller.  More impressively, for the first time, the film made me sympathise with Steve Rogers as a man-out-of-time who just wants to transfer the camaraderie of his army days into today's secular "Don't Trust Anyone" society.  The characters of Black Widow and Nick Fury are just as preposterous as ever, but their so-far secretive back stories are finally touched upon and partially revealed to finally give them a bit more fleshing out, rather than "They're just super-spies...".  The funny thing about this film is that the titular Winter Soldier barely features in the film, and yet you are more-than-adequately served a healthy dose of narrative, filled with suspense and intrigue throughout.  No one is truly what they seem and it gives the film a fantastic edge, similar to the Mandarin-twist of Iron Man 3.

Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of things wrong with some of the plot contrivances, (Nick Fury cutting himself out of a car whilst it's upside-down is one such example) but you forgive the film for still being the disbelief-suspending film it is at heart.  Despite it's standard of ratcheting up the action, the action scenes are incredibly choreographed whilst the pacing is constant, yet not overwhelming. Whilst Fury, Black Widow and the new character of The Falcon (Anthony Mackie) are fleshed out appropriately, there are other characters that don't get their due, such as the undercover Agent 13 (Emily VanCamp) and S.H.I.E.L.D. director Alexander Pierce (Robert Redford).  I imagine these roles will be increased in future Captain America films but it just gives a tiny feeling of dissatisfaction. However, this is a tiny gripe.

In any case, bravo Captain America: The Winter Soldier.  You managed to turn this Captain America doubter into a full supporter.  Now that the flag-waving, Nazi-puncher has been replaced with a genuinely interesting and troubled character (which still cannot be said of Henry Cavill's Superman), the only weak link in the Marvel chain has been fixed.  I highly recommend this film to those of you out there who aren't just looking for a superhero film, but an interesting commentary on today's paranoid society.  Also to those haters of The First Avenger.  It might just surprise you, as it did me.

#10 - Under The Skin

Similar to The Winter Soldier, I approached Under The Skin with some trepidation.  I had heard some details of the plot and it's filming style and I was a tad nervous.

The plot follows Scarlett Johansson as a nameless woman, who is actually an alien in human form.  We follow her travelling around Glasgow picking up lonely men for some alien reason.  However the nameless woman starts to begin to question her actions and the usefulness of her human body.  The film is wholly from the alien's perspective and is an outsider's view on the human species.

I normally hate films such as Under The Skin.  The phrase 'style over substance' usually gets thrown around with 'artistic' films like this.  However, the film just blew me away.  It is disturbing, and yet beautiful.  It is haunting, and yet poetic.  It is fantastic, and yet arty.

The main praise is laid definitely at Scarlett Johansson's feet.  Similarly to The Winter Soldier, her role in Under The Skin is openly intended as sexual appeal as she plays an alien intended on being attractive to the men of Glasgow, so that they can harvest their bodies.  What for?  We're never told, although their methods are as disturbing as they are mesmerising.  However as she starts to relate to the humans she is luring into traps, she begins to question her role and starts making mistakes in her kidnapping attempts.  She displays the innocence of a child, all in a eerily hollow and yet curious way.

The film interestingly delves into how we treat each other as people, from an outsider's perspective. Admittedly it does it at a slow pace, sometimes leaving me wondering where the plot was going. However that is not where the beauty lies.  Whilst style over substance may be argued, I believe that the style is the substance and the other-worldly aspects of the film bolster the film's atmosphere and alien point-of-view.  The beautiful shots of the Scottish countryside and the Highlands, as well as some of the most realistic and documentary-like shots of British culture add to the realism of the situation, as well as ground some of the lofty sci-fi aspects of the script.

I went into both films expecting the worst, and both films definitely managed to subvert my expectations.  The Winter Soldier provided social commentary as well as a action-packed conspiracy thriller, and whilst Under The Skin  featured no car chases or explosions, I was hooked throughout. However I'd say the former is better with a bucket of popcorn.

Tomorrow?  My 9th favourite film of 2014!  Be sure to check it out!

Until next time folks, thanks for reading!

If you enjoyed what you read and you'd like to be kept more up to date with my posts, I can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mike-Dunn-Reviews and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MikeDunnReviews - if you want to help the site grow, give them a 'Like' or a 'Share'!

Locke

Merry Christmas everybody!  So since it's that time of year already, I'm going to be listing my Top 12 Films of 2014 over the next two weeks.  So I'm going to start with my Number 12...

#12 - Locke

It's fair to say that Tom Hardy has built a career on being a bit of a tough guy.  His impressive physique has enhanced his imposing presence in films such as Bronson, Warrior and The Dark Knight Rises.  These roles helped him make a definite impact on the Hollywood scene, and allowed him to branch out into smaller, more dramatic roles such as the recent crime drama The Drop, last year's Lawless and my 12th favourite film this year, Locke.

In Locke, Tom Hardy plays the titular Ivan Locke, as he travels from Cardiff to London for the imminent birth of his child.  Unfortunately the child is being born the day before the completion of his life's work, and to a woman who is not his wife.  On the way to London, he has to quit his job, confess to his wife of his infidelity and contend with his inner-comparison to his own negligent father.

All the action takes place within Locke's car, with all the communication coming via telephone calls on loudspeaker as he contends with his angry boss, his distraught wife and confused sons, as well as the soon-to-be mother of his child.  Whilst the drama never leaves the interior of Locke's car, there is widespread devastation caused by Locke's one mistake.  As emotions run high, they are always dealt with by Hardy's calm and soothing Welsh outlook, unrelenting in his commitment to making the right choice, even if his life crumbles around him

It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of small films such as Locke. My favourite kind of films usually feature a limited amount of cast, are fairly dialogue-centric and take place in as few locations as possible.  Fantastic classics such as Rear Window and 12 Angry Men, through to modern thrillers such as Hard Candy and Right At Your Door have hinged on these restrictions and they have been intense, mesmerising films as a result.  I'd say that you can easily add Locke to that list.

The script manages to unfold the drama slowly, rather than blurt out the central reason for Locke's -long-distance drive, providing intrigue and mystery into why the incredibly relateable Tom Hardy is throwing his life away.  When you learn his goal and his reason behind it, you gain a respect for the character, understanding his commitment and drive, despite his indiscretion.  The direction and cinematography are also beautiful, with the constant reminders of Locke's motorway surroundings shadowing his own emotional journey and the different paths he chooses to take.  The music is powerful when it needs to be, but subtle enough to let the performances speak for themselves.

Despite very impressive vocal performances from Olivia Colman, Andrew Scott and Ruth Wilson, Locke is completely Tom Hardy's film.  I'm sure most actors and actresses would kill for a role like this.  Similar to Ryan Reynolds in Buried and James Franco in 127 Hours, the camera is always focussed on Tom Hardy and he owns the role, giving a beautifully subdued and subtle performance, compared to his energetic Charles Bronson or his camp Bane.  Hopefully he'll be able to flex his dramatic muscle more often in the future, alongside the upcoming Mad Max next year and Suicide Squad in 2016!  If so, the road ahead is definitely bright for this man.

Next comes my Two For Tuesday article about my 11th and 10th favourite films of 2014!  Be sure to check it out!

Until next time folks, thanks for reading!

If you enjoyed what you read and you'd like to be kept more up to date with my posts, I can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mike-Dunn-Reviews and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MikeDunnReviews - if you want to help the site grow, give them a 'Like' or a 'Share'!

Succinct Sunday: 2014 - A Small Summary (Part One)

I, Frankenstein

A pale imitation of the Underworld franchise, Aaron Eckhart plays Frankenstein's Monster, here named 'Adam' as he is caught between the fight between the righteous gargoyle empire and the demons of hell. Both want the seemingly immortal Adam to fight for their side, but since the CGI looks ropey at best, the action is boring and the central storyline wavers and runs out of steam towards the end, you really don't care on which side Adam ends up fighting. A waste of a potentially interesting and exciting concept.

Mr. Peabody & Sherman

Based on a children's stop-motion TV show about an inquisitive child and his talking dog/father-figure as they travel through time and space, learning about historical figures.  Admittedly this is more known to the Americans than us lowly British, but the voice performances are energetic, the animation is eye-catching and most importantly it doesn't talk down to the intended younger audience.  It uses humour to educate the kids as well as entertain.  More stuff like this is needed, Hollywood!

Anchorman 2 : The Legend Continues

Lightning unfortunately continues to not strike twice for Will Ferrell as Anchorman 2 follows in the footsteps of Land of the Lost, The Campaign and The Other Guys in creating a dumb guy-comedy that fails to live up to the unexpected hit that was the original Anchorman. Whilst the up-scaled news-crew battle is fun to watch with it's impressive cameo appearances, I still hope that this will prove to be the last of Ferrell's dumb-guy comedies. Anchorman was a fantastic fluke, and it should have been left like that.

Ride Along 

Newest American hot commodity, the comedian Kevin Hart plays a cowardly video-game nerd alongside tough cop future brother-in-law Ice Cube who takes him on the titular ride-along to show him some real-life GTA and make him prove himself worthy of his sister's hand in marriage. However, they get involved in corrupt police schemes, blah blah blah. The film is boring, repetitive and ludicrous. I honestly don't get the hype surrounding Kevin Hart but maybe I'm just out of the loop. I'd much rather recommend 22 Jump Street instead, but that's still to come...

The Borderlands

Found-footage film based around a supposedly haunted church in the Yorkshire dales. The film is obviously acted by unimpressive amateurs, but the scares and tension are well-constructed and developed as similarities to An American Werewolf in London and Poltergeist start appearing, all culminating in a finale that leaves most baffled.

An impressive attempt, but ultimately disappointing.

Muppets Most Wanted

Kermit and the crew are back, but there is treachery afoot! With the help of Ricky Gervais, a jewel-thief imposter has locked the frog away in a Russian gulag, and is impersonating him as head of the Muppet gang! There is a definite lack of Jason Segel and Amy Adams, instead replaced by Gervais, Tina Fey and the always amazing Ty Burrell, leading to a lack of emotional heart that the first film had in buckets. The resulting film is still warm, colourful and lovely, but a definite downgrade from the revival film a few years ago.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2

This film annoyed me more than any other film this year.  It has all the components needed to outdo it's Tobey Maguire predecessor, but again, it fails to connect to the audience at any level and has a laughably weak, badly-written script.  Andrew Garfield is a fantastic Peter Parker, Emma Stone is great foil as Gwen Stacy, and Jamie Foxx gives a brilliant performance as the mumbling and shy Max before his turn into the boring villain Electro.  His origin scene and transformation is probably the best scene in the film, but the resulting super-charged smurf has no real believable motive for the rest of the film and comes across as wasted potential.


That combined with a shoe-horned Harry Osborn story, and the hardly-featured Rhino villain makes the film seem overblown and uninteresting.  A large criticism is that The Amazing Spider-Man 2 simply feels like one big preview for another film.  Similar to Iron Man 2, nothing truly important happens, but sly mentions are given to upcoming villains and story-lines.  It never feels like a film in it's own right and I could never start enjoying it. Too much ominous foreboding, too much nonsensical plot twists and definitely not enough care given to the script.

Stay tuned for more succinct reviews this time next week!  Until next time folks, thanks for reading!

If you enjoyed what you read and you'd like to be kept more up to date with my posts, I can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mike-Dunn-Reviews and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MikeDunnReviews - if you want to help the site grow, give them a 'Like' or a 'Share'!