Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Director:
Martin McDonagh

Starring:

Frances McDormand (Fargo, Burn After Reading, Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day)

Sam Rockwell (The Green Mile, Iron Man 2, Moon)

Woody Harrelson (Zombieland, The Hunger Games, War for the Planet of the Apes)

Plot: 

After the death of her daughter seven months earlier, Mildred Hayes (McDormand) decides to rent three abandoned billboards near her home to advertise the local police's failure to find her daughter's killer to the community.  The police create havoc for Mildred to try and intimidate her to take the billboards down.

Verdict:

Seemingly, you need three things to be a Martin McDonagh film;

• a talented cast,
• strong and sudden acts of violence, and
• underlying layer of pitch-black comedy throughout. 

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is no exception.


Frances McDormand has been an incredible talent since her debut in Blood Simple and starring in nearly all of the Coen Brothers' films has given her ample time to display her incredible range.  Mildred Hayes is a more dour and sombre character than usual for McDormand, but she stills brings a deep-seated rage and vindication to the role that makes Mildred a renegade, 'nothing-left-to-lose' character that becomes hard not to root for.

On the other side of the conflict, Woody Harrelson and Sam Rockwell portray Ebbing's police chief and deputy respectively, and both live up to their reputations; Harrelson stoic and methodical, and Rockwell chaotic and foolish.  With Mildred's baiting billboards, you'd imagine a rage-fuelled performance from Harrelson similar to his seething portrayal of the General in last year's War For The Planet of the Apes, but instead he takes a backseat to Rockwell who manifests himself as Righteous Justice.

Rockwell embodies the stereotype of a racist, idiotic hick but since he has a police badge and lawful use of a firearm, understandably this results in more than one extreme use of police force.  Rockwell's Officer Dixon is often the butt of the film's jokes, but it's not just Dixon's stupidity to blame for the injustice in Ebbing, Missouri. 

The film instead focuses on the poisonous impact of hatred and it's pointlessness when trying to grieve or find justice in today's world.  Harrelson's Police Chief Willoughby tries to explain this to Dixon throughout the film, with Dixon only becoming what he truly wants to be once he gives up his anger and negative behaviour.

A bit different from two Irish hitmen hiding in a Flemish city.  But Three Billboards is equally heavy in moments and tone.

Thankfully though, similar to McDonagh's previous films, In Bruges and Seven Psychopaths, there is more than enough humour sprinkled throughout the film to keep the tone balanced from the darker moments.  Most of the laughs come from supporting players, such as Peter Dinklage's love-struck neighbour and Samara Weaving's air-head love rival, who both provide subtle and effective performances.


Overall, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri serves well as an effective emotional catharsis. Regardless of who you are angry at, they get their comeuppance in this film.


Police are treated as ineffective. 
Racists are treated as idiots. 
Smug people get thrown through windows. 


It's truly a heartwarming ride.  If you'd like to see a realistic portrayal of grief and how people coming together can at least try to overcome it, I'd highly recommend this film.


Rating


8/10

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Macbeth / Bill (Two For Tuesday)

Better A Witty Fool

Speak to any person who has sat through high-school English and they can name at least one play written by William Shakespeare.  If you were like me, you would have also been shown some films adapted from his works, because English teachers are lazy sometimes.

No doubt the works of Shakespeare have been the backbone of British theatre since they were first performed more than 400 years ago and his name has become synonymous with tragedy, comedy and historical epics since then.  Even if there have been questions about the identity of their true author.

In the past few weeks, there have been two films released associated with William Shakespeare, an adaptation of his most feared and dramatic work, Macbeth, as well as Bill, a fictional biopic of Shakespeare's lost years made by the team behind the Horrible Histories TV show.

Now whilst these two films are both alike in background, they are very different in terms of theme, message and audience.  Whilst Macbeth is obviously for the drama lovers in the crowds, Bill is mainly aimed at children and those with their tongues firmly in their cheek.

Macbeth

For those unaware of the plot, Macbeth takes place in medieval feudal Scotland as King Duncan (David Thewlis) defends the crown from those wanting to take it from him.  Macbeth (Michael Fassbender) is one of Duncan's most trusted soldiers.

However, when Macbeth meets a set of witches that tell him he will one day be King of Scotland, he becomes obsessed with his supposed future and spurred on by his wife, Lady Macbeth (Marion Cotillard), sets about taking the throne for himself.

It's a story that has been adapted and performed countless times but this is the first time that I have seen the titular character portrayed as such an emotionally-damaged soldier.

In countless versions before this, Macbeth has either been an underhanded coward or just a simple puppet of his wife, Lady Macbeth.  However director Justin Kurzel portrays Macbeth as a devastated man before the witches even mention his royal potential.  He is shown as a grieving father and a man thoroughly affected by war, such an emotional state that the resulting paranoia and greed is understandable from such a frame of mind.

Michael Fassbender is perfect as the titular aspirational murderer, bringing raw anger to the battle scenes and a fevered madness to his slow and painful descent into hallucinating paranoia.  He is equally pitiful and yet despicable as he frantically holds onto the throne, which is a hard act to balance.

However it is not just Fassbender where the casting got it right, it is brilliant throughout.  The ever-reliable Paddy Considine is fantastic as Macbeth's general, Banquo, giving a more menacing silent performance than other characters just by providing unyielding intense stares or pregnant pauses.  Sean Harris is also an inspired choice for Macduff, bringing an intensity that is necessary for his mutinous treason against the villainous Macbeth.

But the plaudits for performances of Macbeth usually hang on those of the play's seminal character, Lady Macbeth, probably the strongest female character in fiction.  Marion Cotillard performs the role with such grace, poise and passion that I was surprised that her role is dramatically diminished compared to other versions I have seen in the past.

Lady Macbeth is known to be the driving force behind her husband's actions and the one who spurs him to commit the heinous deeds.  After their coronation, they both suffer from paranoid delusions and hallucinations but she is still resolute in her reasons and her pursuit of power never falters.

However Cotillard's Lady Macbeth hides behind her husband more than previous incarnations which disappointed me. Whilst her devious side is shown in the early scenes, I felt like that could have been emphasised in the latter scenes, but her performance was still fantastic.

Performances aside, the art direction is truly beautiful.  Towards the end of the film, after the surrounding forest is set alight, the amber hue that descends upon Macbeth's castle gives the final scenes an otherworldy quality that made me think I was watching painted backgrounds.

The sweeping shots of the Scottish Highlands set the scene perfectly, as they show how desolate and cold medieval Scotland would have been.  It also emphasises the pointless task that Macbeth embarks on, as it seems that they are quarrelling over the control of empty green fields and misty moors.

Filled with political ambition, murder and some fantastic performances, Macbeth is truly an emotional experience.  If you aren't a fan of the original Shakespearean version, the film's dialogue is not updated but that doesn't at all detract from the film.  It's a beautiful and brutal adaptation that's worth paying money for.

Bill

But enough about Macbeth!  What about the man who wrote it?  What happened during the years between William Shakespeare's time in Stratford-upon-Avon and him becoming famous in London?

Well the Horrible Histories team predict he had quite an exciting life!

Set during the troublesome time before England's war with Spain, the Spanish King Philip II plans to sneak into England and blow up Queen Elizabeth I.  But how can he do it?  Luckily, the hapless Earl of Crawley Croydon is planning on staging a play for the Queen, using the words of the new talent Bill Shakespeare as his own, and they are looking for actors.

It sounds ludicrous and it is, especially compared to the plot of Macbeth mentioned earlier, but that's the great thing about Bill; it doesn't take itself seriously at all.  And it is all the better for it.

I can honestly say that this is the most I have laughed during a film probably all year.  The script's wit is irreverently British, the slapstick is childish but not annoyingly so, and the puns are so amazingly awful (but in a good way...)

I've never watched the Horrible Histories TV show but my friends with children tell me that it is one of their favourite shows to watch with their kids, as there is enough entertainment for both of them.  The kids get to learn about the time period and the events that happened, and the humour is still intelligent for the adults to get a kick out of it. When I went to see the film, there were more adults in the screening than children and they were all laughing out loud.

I would highly recommend both of these films, obviously for different reasons.  If you are wanting a visceral epic filled with political ambition, set in the Scottish wilderness, Macbeth is a great option.
But if you just want a film that is a good laugh, filled with British wit, sarcasm and one that kids can enjoy as well, Bill is a fantastic choice.  I truly hope that this isn't the only film to come from these gifted talents.

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Pixels

Garbage In Motion

Step right up ladies and gentlemen!  Right this way!  

Have I got a film for your viewing displeasure!  

Enter into the cinema to hand over your hard-earned money for a film that defies the senses and baffles the mind!

Interested in a comedy with no jokes?!

A thriller without any peril?!

A film seriously casting the guy from Paul Blart: Mall Cop as the President of the United States?!

Well then, boy, is this film for you!

I honestly try not to swear in my reviews; I feel like it lowers the tone, does the film a disservice and I come across like I cannot voice my arguments properly.

But my God, F##K THIS FILM!

PLOT

When they are 13 years old, Adam Sandler, Josh Gad and Peter Dinklage participate in an arcade video game tournament.  Footage of this, and the games themselves, are sent into outer space as some kind of time capsule or message of peace, I really can't remember.

Anyway, aliens intercept it, interpret it as a declaration of war and therefore send versions of those video games to destroy present-day Earth.

So since Sandler's best friend Kevin James (of Paul Blart: Mall Cop) is the US President...sigh... he enlists Sandler's expertise, as well as Gad and Dinklage to fight back against the video game-aliens.

Think Ghostbusters with video-game aliens replacing the ghosts.

(Good God, I'm so sorry Ghostbusters.  You do not need to be mentioned in the same review as this mess.)

My feelings exactly, Josh Gad.

OPINIONS

"But, Mike...!", I hear you cry, "...just why is this such a horrid stench on the map of movies through the years?!"

I'm glad you asked.

Pixels will be used as evidence in future years when someone eventually decides to call Adam Sandler and Happy Madison Productions on their current strategy of creating bull$hit films for an amazing amount of money (on average $71.5 million, from 2010's Grown Ups up until now), phoning in performances, paying his friends extraordinary fees and never even trying to make their films funny.

What happened to the Adam Sandler of The Wedding Singer?  Happy Gilmore?  Punch-Drunk Love?! The guy who came from Saturday Night Live with so much promise and actual comedic acting-chops?  Instead, Pixels features the 'dead behind the eyes' performance that we've gotten used to over the years.  A guy who turns up to earn the paycheck and then go back to his trailer.

Despite the pixels around him,
Sandler's performance is the most fake thing in this photo...

Uuuuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrgggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, this film...

There is just an overall sense of confusion over the movie.

Early on, Sandler jokes that Paul Blart: US President's wife hates him, and they have a chuckle.  But his wife (played by the fantastic Jane Krakowski) adores him and puts up with his buffoonery regardless.

Yeah, we should be disappointed we lost this one...

Whilst combating Pac-Man, Peter Dinklage's character enters a cheat code. A cheat code!  In real life!  Not in a video game, but real life!  How?!  How does that actually work?!  It's never explained!

When the aliens first arrive, they engage in an aerial dogfight, which humans lose against Galaga.  Fair enough. They tell us to prepare for the next battle, but it's Breakout.  They proceed to destroy the Taj Mahal.  How could humans have beaten that?  It's a one player game.

After the humans win one of the battles, they get a video game character as a 'trophy'.  One of these is Qbert, the lovable orange blob thing that lights up steps by jumping on them.  But after the war is over, Qbert just morphs into a female video game character that Josh Gad's creepy basement-dweller has been obsessing over since a teenager.  ......Why?  Where was Qbert's say in this?  Isn't that just a bit sinister?  And does that make her a literal 'trophy-wife'?

I'm getting literally angry thinking about this film.

Why is Peter Dinklage in this pile of rancid slime?  Brian Cox, Sean Bean, Michelle Monaghan, all of them.  They're credible actors that don't have to put up with this $hit.

Qbert before he gets malformed into a man's 'non-speaking pretty thing'

When you have such a plethora of video game franchises to work with, the limitless possibilities of using memorable intellectual properties in humorous scenarios as well as Nintendo's allowance to use iconic characters such as Donkey Kong, Mario and even Duck Hunt, you can't come out with something as terrible and pointless as Pixels.  It's a crime.  Although everything seems to be a crime in this film.

Adam Sandler and Happy Madison Productions kidnapped my childhood innocence.

They stole money from countless unsuspecting audiences around the world.

They beat and battered my sense of decency.

They indecently exposed their cash-hungry scheme to throw together a film just to create box-office.

They fraudulently sold me the idea of fantastically-realised video games in real life.

And they murdered any chance of that happening in the future.

LET'S WRAP IT UP

In someone else's hands, Pixels could have been an ode to a time-long-forgotten.  It could have joined the ranks of Wreck-It-Ralph and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World as examples of love letters to the past-time.

Arcade machines could have made a retro comeback into popular culture instead of kitsh memorabilia.

Hell, Nintendo could have started to come around to the idea of a Legend of Zelda or Metroid film, but Sandler and director Chris Columbus took the easy route.

"Let's just put random video game characters everywhere!  It doesn't matter about context!  Nostalgia will mask everything!"

Stuff like this is why video games aren't treated with the same respect as films and books as an art form.  You've set the gaming community back another few years, so thank you for that.

From a true fan of both video games and film, fuck you Happy Madison Productions.  And goodnight.

Rating - 1/10 (since I can't give 0/10)

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Inside Out / Song Of The Sea (Two For Tuesday)

A Bittersweet Symphony

Over the past few weeks, I've been a bit backlogged with certain personal situations, so I haven't been able to keep up with some of the more current releases.

However, there are two films which I made special effort to go and watch; the Irish animation Song of the Sea and Disney/Pixar's Inside Out.

I have since watched both of them three times each.

It's no real shock for a film critic to desire to see the newest Pixar film, as their backlog of films more than speaks for itself in terms of quality.  However, I had heard so many fantastic things about Song of The Sea, I felt like I had to try and catch it before it disappeared.

Surprisingly, they share a number of similarities.  Not just in the quality of their respective animation, but the depth of their scripts, the use of music, and the array of memorable characters and unique worlds that deserve to be featured up there amongst the greats of animation.

Song of the Sea begins with a young boy, Ben, in 1980s Ireland.  After his mother mysteriously leaves him and his father with a newly-born girl, Saoirse (pronounced 'Sher-sha'), Ben grows to resent Saoirse, blaming her for his mother's disappearance and is bewildered why Saoirse has yet to utter a single word in the six years since that night.  However Ben doesn't realise that Saoirse is a 'selkie', a human capable of transforming into a seal, who needs to sing The Song Of The Sea so all faeries can return to their home.

Yeah, this is proper fantasy stuff we're talking about.  Yet it is fully grounded in mid-80s Dublin, with most of the humour coming from when the two worlds collide.  One of the most humorous scenes features ancient faeries, clad in rain macs and leaf moustaches, running from owls whilst crossing busy roads to get to their home on a roundabout.  That kind of stuff.  So utterly charming and whimsical.  And it's all the better for it.

Outside of the fantastical elements of the story, the heart of the film comes from Ben and Saoirse as they travel from their Granny's house back to their own lighthouse home.  Over the course of their journey, Ben learns to become the big brother Saoirse has needed whilst growing up, and their back and forth is undoubtedly familiar to anyone with a brother or sister.  Not just the siblings, but every person in this film is given the most subtle of characterisation, making you feel like you know them the instant they appear on screen.

The film's animation is painstakingly created in a craft paper artistic style, and it feels as if this story couldn't have been told any other way, since it seems to have come straight from a child's fairytale book.  The film's earthy and grounded tones helps balance the realistic tone with the fantastical elements and certainly adds to the ancient Irish folklore from which it comes.

I must give a special mention to the film's soundtrack, written and orchestrated by Bruno Coulais (whose previous work can be heard in Henry Selick's Coraline).  Lisa Hannigan's beautifully haunting vocals provide a mystical quality from the very beginning, adding to the film's ethereal magic.  I made sure I went out straight after watching it and bought the soundtrack as soon as possible.

Song of the Sea was nominated for Best Animated Feature this year at the 87th Academy Awards, losing out to Big Hero 6, and I believe the Academy made a huge mistake.  Nothing against Disney or Big Hero 6, but Song of the Sea is one of the most charming, lovely and heartfelt films I have watched in a long time.  The story has a timeless quality to it, bringing the mythical and ancient folk tales and setting them within modern times to a fantastic result.

Speaking of Best Animated Feature, no doubt a favourite for it this year, if not Best Picture, is Pixar's latest gem Inside Out.

Set within the mind of eleven year old Riley Andersen, who is uprooted from her Midwest life when her father starts a new job in San Francisco. Like all of us, Riley is guided by her emotions: Joy (Amy Poehler), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black), Disgust (Mindy Kaling) and Sadness (Phyllis Smith). The emotions live in Headquarters, the control centre inside Riley’s mind, where they help advise her through everyday life.  As Riley and her emotions struggle to adjust to a new life in San Francisco, turmoil ensues in Headquarters. Although Joy, Riley’s main and most important emotion, tries to keep things positive, the emotions conflict on how best to navigate a new city, house and school.

Since Toy Story 3 back in 2010, Pixar have been through an uncharacteristic 'slump'; Cars 2, Brave and Monsters University were fun in places but generally failed to blow anyone away, which is usually Pixar's bread and butter.  However, with Inside Out, the phrase 'return-to-form' is an understatement.

Firstly, whilst the premise is essentially The Numbskulls (shoutout to all you Beano fans out there!), the writer-director Peter Docter (of Monsters Inc. and Up) utilises the setting of the film to it's highest ability and creates a truly inspired and imaginative masterpiece. 

The broad scale of how varied and colourful Riley's mind is truly mind-boggling.  Through unfortunate events, Joy and Sadness get an unexpected tour through Riley's brain, from where her long-term memories are stored, to where her imagination creates French Frie Forest, dancing rainbow unicorns as well as boyfriends that live in Canada and would die for her.

Whilst the script is hilarious and charming in its scope of explaining certain mental phenomenon (Riley's train of thought is an actual train, dreams are produced in Hollywood-style movie studios etc.), the film also tackles complicated feelings but in a way that is incredibly understandable. The entire plot is centred around Joy and the other emotions figuring out the importance of Sadness in Riley's life. Not a light concept and yet Inside Out makes it seem so simple.

Similar to how Up dealt with emotional loss and Toy Story 3 dealt with moving on with your life once being replaced, both Song of the Sea and Inside Out tackle the issues of maturity and the importance of family, but break it down to a level that even young children can understand.

Not only will Inside Out appeal to kids in the audience with their bright colours and silly characters, but it will appeal to them through the relatable experiences that Riley goes through.   The twenty-somethings that have grown up with Pixar's charm and magic filling their childhoods will fall right back into the groove. The adults will again be shown into the hidden world of how kids actually think and the problems they go through.

That's the extra mile that you get with Pixar films; they feel as if every aspect has been slaved over and perfected, leaving you with just a wonderful film.  I can't recommend both of these films enough. They truly are fantastic for all the family and will touch your heartstrings as well as your funny bones.

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Ant-Man

SIZE DOESN'T MATTER

It seems ridiculous nowadays to label Marvel films as 'experimental'.  Guardians of the Galaxy earned $774 million last year, and that was thought to be an incredibly risky and 'experimental' venture.  

Seemingly any material given to Marvel can turn into a box-office and critical success.  

And here is where we find Ant-Man; originally planned as a Marvel First Phase film, alongside The Incredible Hulk, Thor and Captain America: the First Avenger, but instead pushed back until Marvel's Phase Three.  

The film's interesting possibilities gained the attention of the amazing director (and personal favourite) Edgar Wright. He and fellow Brit Joe Cornish (director of Attack The Block) worked on a story and script, and thankfully had completed a working script before leaving the production due to creative differences.

Anchorman writer/director Adam McKay joined the project and due to their collaborative effort, they gave Ant-Man a fantastic sense of humour, as well as an appropriately smaller scale and heartfelt personality not seen since Marvel's original Iron Man.

PLOT

In the midst of the Cold War, Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), a brilliant scientist and one of the founding members of S.H.I.E.L.D., discovers the ability to shrink the distance between atoms and therefore can change his size with Pym Particles, whilst increasing his strength and speed.  His amazingly unique abilities help out in warfare, with Pym essentially becoming a superhero named 'the Ant-Man', named due to his small size, as well as his ability to control ants with specially designed radio-waves.  

However there are shady people who aim to use his research for nefarious deeds, so Pym leaves S.H.I.E.L.D., hides his work and essentially becomes a recluse from the superhero world.

Skip to the present day, post-Age of Ultron, where Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) is released from prison after serving time for breaking and entering.  He emerges determined to stay honest for his young daughter, giving up his talent of breaking into places and stealing stuff.  However he is the ideal candidate for Pym, as he needs a master thief to break into a place and steal some stuff.

OPINIONS

Whilst it may not be on the same scale as the over-the-top, city-dropping, skyscraper-destroying, global-threatening thrill-rides that were Avengers Assemble and Avengers: Age of Ultron, Ant-Man does provide welcome relief from the grand epics that Marvel have been producing recently.

Instead of the film focussing on explosions every ten minutes, it takes the time to develop characters, especially the similarities between Scott and Hank.  They both strive for personal redemption and to fix the broken relationships with their daughters, Scott's daughter Cassie, and Hank's daughter Hope (Evangeline Lilly).

Lilly breaths life into Hope, as she could have been quite a one-dimensional character, but instead is driven by wanting to achieve both her father's respect and his trust, as she feels that she can do the job even better than Scott.  Her struggle is an effective commentary on Marvel's apparent lack of faith in a female-led superhero franchise, with Hank constantly telling her that she doesn't have what it takes and that they need Scott to be the hero instead of her.

All the film's supporting characters provide their own personal boost, especially Scott's ex-con BFF, brilliantly played by Michael Peña.  His cheery lifeview, constant optimism and comically-complicated anecdotes give Scott's band of ex-con friends their own personality, which stops the film from being too overly Pym-pollinated.

However, like I always say, a film is only as good as it's villain.  Scott's nemesis is Hank's old protege, Darren Cross (House of Cards' Corey Stoll).  After learning from Pym, Cross was secluded once he became obsessed with recreating the Pym Particles.  However he has now successfully managed to create a rival shrinking armour suit, called The Yellowjacket.  

Similar to Jeff Bridges/Ironmonger villain of the original Iron Man, Cross is an understandable business rival with similar powers to our hero, but that is all the film needed for an origin story.  Cross seeks for Pym's approval and turns rogue when it never comes, and Stoll admirably conveys the neglect and hidden resentment that fuels Yellowjacket's rise to power, giving Scott a formidable opponent for their big/tiny final battle which hilariously takes place on a child's playset.

Speaking of the fight scenes, they clearly are able to utilise the new dimension of size-shrinking to great effect.  It's safe to say that the scenes of combat are like none you have seen in a Marvel film before.

THAT'S A WRAP

Overall I was pleasantly surprised by Ant-Man.  It delivered everything expected of a Marvel film, but in an appropriately smaller package, whilst effectively creating new groundwork for future films.  The writing and the acting is fantastic considering it was undoubtedly a complicated and rushed film production.

Also... there are several interesting inclusions into the larger Marvel Universe, especially the mid-credit and post-credit scene that will hopefully bear well for the future.

Things are definitely looking up... but that's not hard when you're an inch high...

Rating - 8/10

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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.

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'!

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'!