The King's Speech

The Synopsis
Based on the true story of King George VI's (Colin Firth) journey to the throne, the struggle he had with his longstanding stammer and the damage it had on the Country's faith in him as King. His wife, Queen Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter) calls on the help of Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush) to coach him in overcoming his stammer.

The Review
Aaah man, I love films where I come out feeling all patriotic and this was one of them! I have never felt more British and proud. I know the royal family get a lot of slack for not seemingly doing...well...anything but I absolutely love them.

There's this little part of me that stays dormant for the majority of my day to day life, this is the 'proud to be British' gene. It's always there but it very rarely takes a dominant position in my life. Previous to this film the main culprits for encouraging it to take over are a: Al Murray or b: anything written by Richard Curtis, with the occasional c: british comedy panel shows. But this film and it's simple 'probably not going to be understood by the Americans' undertone just made me want to jump from my seat and start singing the national anthem at the top of my lungs. Luckily I resisted this urge as it was already kind of sad that on 'Orange Wednesdays' at my local cinema at half eight in the evening, I was looking slightly 'weird freak who no one likes' as I queued for half an hour all on my lonesome.

Anywho, enough about me. The film... Colin Firth was awesome and definitely deserves the awards he's been getting, oscar worthy performance definitely. The film was funny and realistic. Helena Bonham Carter played an amazing portrayal of Queen Elizabeth, balancing the regal uptight behaviour with her complete devotion to her husband perfectly. Geoffrey Rush... perfectly timed one liners throughout and the performance was at his usual stunning level. I was a little confused with his accent as I would not have for one moment assumed he was Australian had they not kept on bringing it up throughout the film. His wife definitely sounded Australian but the scenes with them two again confused me. I couldn't quite understand what kind of relationship they were trying to show. Was it distant? loving? happy? unhappy? All the scenes seemed to sit uneasy with the rest of the film, like the director switched styles of filming specifically for them and it made the flow slightly disjointed.

That aside, I loved it and can definitely see why there is a lot of fuss about it. If you're looking for a realistic representation of our beautifully civil and uptight British ways then this is the film for you. If youre looking for action and plot twists, perhaps hold out for something else. Overall it was funny, powerful, emotional and a perfect way to brush up on your history knowledge if you don't know much about the Royal family at that time. I swear.. no one actually needs to go to history lessons, the films are showing it all for us anyway. (DISCLAIMER: Not all films are as historically accurate as they claim to be, for example, do not rely on Disney's Hercules to teach you about Greek mythology because in spite of what they say, it is certainly NOT the 'Gospel Truth.')

Another four faces from me.

Love and Other Drugs

The Synopsis
Jamie (Jake Gyllenhall) is a man with a low attention span and a charismatic personality. After he starts his new fad of being a drug salesman he meets Maggie (Anne Hathaway) a young woman with stage one Parkinson's and a complete fear of commitment. The film explores the couple as they both surprise themselves by falling in love and learning all the challenges and perks that come with it.

The review
Ladies, let me just get this off my chest before I get all profound and 'professional' in my reviewing. Jake Gyllenhall in this movie is STUPIDLY gorgeous. This was a fact that took me completely by surprise as, although being slightly aware that he wasn't exactly hard on the eye, I had never found him particularly that attractive. It freaks me out when I'm faced with a revelation such as this as I'm pretty much lost as to how I had never noticed before. I have seen a LOT of Jake's work and not even Brokeback Mountain had made me stop and take notice, which judging by the type of men I have been known to show interest in in the past should have been the film, if there was going to be any, that would have turned me to 'Team Jake.' Nonetheless, it was this film and he was truly beautiful and nail bitingly yummy in it all the way through. Enough said on that... onto the proper stuff.

I was once asked a few years ago whether I write stories that are plot based or character based. This was a concept that to me I had never thought about until asked but since have always looked at when watching a film or reading a book. When it comes to romance films, the plot line 9 times out of 10 can be predicted within the first ten minutes of the film. This film is no exception to that rule, but what makes this film good instead of ridiculously mundane is that it is 100% all about the characters. Both Maggie and Jamie are real and completely screwed up characters that are entirely relatable to the audience and Hathaway and Gyllenhall both give an outstanding performance throughout. As a film on the whole, yes there really isn't anything substantial to it but in amongst it all there are pockets of sheer dialogue beauty between the two of them as they project their own screwed up insecurities on the other in a way that only proves they are perfect for each other.

Scenes such as Jamie's panic attack and Maggie's bathtub speech are two of the highlights of the film. My hat is tipped off to the writers for those particular moments. The film was simply about two very real people and without relying on anything fantastic happening it focused on these people and who they were, which in this context was by far enough.

Pretty impressed tbh, a good four faces from me.

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

Bruno (Asa Butterfield) is an eight year old boy and son of a German soldier, (David Thewlis) who is sent to run a concentration camp in the height of the Second World War. Due to this he moves his whole family to a house near one of the camps. After exploring one day Bruno finds a boy called Shmuel (Jack Scanlon) sitting in the camp and makes friends with him. As the film unwinds we see the harsh realities of World War 2 through the eyes of two eight year old boys.

To say this film was awesome is the understatement of the century. It has been a long while since I have seen a film that moved me as much as this one did.

Although there have been many war films, I once heard it said that there is no story that has been done too many times as long as you find a new angle to see it. This film was that, it was harsh, truthful, rough and didn’t pull any punches when talking about the brutality that was used in the concentration camps at that time. But every plot turn we saw was seen through the eyes of Bruno; an eight year old boy who for the main part of the film thinks he’s living next door to a farm whose occupants seem to be wearing strange pyjamas.

With this angle we never see blatant portrayals of the torture that the Jews had to endure but rather subtle hints that leaves you chilled to the bone. It is so beautifully done that I spent two or so hours with my mouth wide open and my body completely tense.

I could not find one thing wrong with this film. With an amazing script, stunning performances from all, inspired directing and an almighty film score I was amazed from beginning to end. I mean this to the point where I almost want to make it my life mission to get every person I know to see it. As far as I’m concerned there is no reason for you not to see this and if there is just one film you see this year, make sure it’s this one. An almighty five faces from me.

Taken

Bryan (Liam Neeson) is a retired spy for the government who has left his job to devote his time to his 17 year old daughter, Kim (Maggie Grace) who he had been estranged from for the majority of her life. When she goes to Paris with her friend she is kidnapped by human traffickers and Bryan goes on the war path to get his daughter back.

Well this film had an awesome trailer that took a plot line that had been used many times and made me interested.

Unfortunately that was where the intrigue ended. It was a competent film with one of the greats (Neeson) as it's lead and so in my mind was worth seeing at least once. The action was interesting enough to keep me on my toes throughout and the pace of the film was just right to not cause that dragging feeling you can sometimes feel in action films.

This was all it was however. There was nothing amazing about it that made me impressed and balled over. Neeson's acting carried the film though his American accent was little to be desired and quite often he just sounded like a Irish man trying to carry himself off as an American. (Which in all fairness to him is what he is)

The action in the film although fast paced and interesting did leave me and my regular film buddy a little skeptical. Neeson's skills as a spy seemed to be reliant on coincidences in his circumstances rather than any actual clever writing.

And were the reactions the characters had to the situation they found themselves in realistic? Meh. Bad script writers. Bad.

All in all, it wasn't one I regretted seeing but I've pretty much forgotten about it already and I only finished watching it an hour ago. You probably won't hate it, but you probably won't love it either - I guess that means I nothing it....

Neeson's performance gained one more face than this film probably deserved which proves their one golden good choice was in their casting. It gets a (just barely) three faces from me.

Tropic Thunder

Tugg Speedman (Ben Stiller) is an action actor, Jeff Portnoy (Jack Black) is the classic funny guy actor and Kirk Lazarus (Robert Downey Jr) is the oscar winning method actor who (to quote another of Stillers movies) is 'so hot right now.' All three of them plus some extras are shooting a film about the vietnam war. The director Damian Cockburn (Steve Coogan) is unable to control his pre madonna actors and so has to go to extremes to get a realistic outlook on this film. He takes them out of movie jungle and into the real jungle. From this point on it's every man for themselves as they assume they're still making the movie when in actual fact the troubles they face are real.

This review I think has been my hardest to write as I wanted so much to love it. I love Stiller and I adore Downey Jr so to pan them is a hard thing for me to do. Having said that.... yawn. I was bitterly disappointed with this film, especially when it had been praised by every review I had seen.

For one, the plot. Good idea, and poking fun at actors is always amusing to me but it was brought across in a very long drawn out way showing all the funniest bits in the trailers and leaving the rest of the film as a snooze fest. Now don't get me wrong, I did chuckle, even guffaw at certain jokes in this movie, but if you compared it to the amount of times I checked my watch?? Hmmmm.

For two, the actors. This was the part that upset me the most, if you know me at all I have always praised Ben Stiller for his comic genius (Zoolander, Starsky and Hutch etc) and yes maybe in the recent years I've drifted away from his type of humour.... but I've still seen every film he's been in. This film however, knowing that he starred, produced and directed it came off as dry and very poorly drawn out.

Downey Jr is one that it grieves me to pan ever since I watched him in Ally McBeal and my teenage heart beat wildly for him. Buuuut again I was disappointed. He played someone who had undergone a pigmentation skin operation so that he could play an American black man and being a method actor he played his character 24/7.... bad move. I could not understand a single word he was saying, and it was fine when I thought that was meant to be the general idea but when he's having a conversation with someone and I'm only able to listen to one side of it, it is incredibly annoying. If he was going to play this role then surely he may have learnt how to enunciate!!

And finally Jack Black whose sole purpose (other than to get more bums on seats due to another big name) was to fart and come off drugs, nothing else. Boring and done way too many times before.

Perhaps it was because I expected something better, perhaps it was because this just wasn't my type of humour, but I was unimpressed. (As you may well have gathered) and that's why it gets a mere two faces from me.

Step Brothers

Nancy Huff and Dr Robert Doback are two single parents with a unique problem, they both have 40 something sons still living at home with them. When they meet at a medical conference it was love at first sight and their mutual problem cemented their relationship. They swiftly got married and Nancy's 39 year old son, Brennan Huff (Will Ferrell) and Robert's 40 year old son Dale Doback (John C Reilly)have to learn how to live together and share their parents with others when they're used to being their parents pride and joy.

From the moment I saw Reilly in 'Walk Hard: A Dewey Cox story' I have been dying to see him in a movie with Ferrell. (Talladega Nights does not count as it was such an appauling film) My reasons for this is because his humour is sooo similar to Ferrells and he looks so much like him no matter how much my friends may disagree!! So when I heard that they were both starring in a film where they are playing each others step brothers I actually did a little jig (there were witnesses if you don't believe me) and I gotta say I weren't that disappointed....

This film was every bit I thought it would be, if you're looking for surprise and twists in plot then it goes without saying that this is not the film for you. (Having said that there is a particular scene including Ferrells particulars that I could have gone without seeing) It's storyline is every bit as predictable as you think it's gonna be but the way it takes you there is a delight.

Reilly and Ferrell's comic performances showed them both on top of their game. What with both of them taking on the characteristics of 10 year olds you can see the comedy scenarios that are laid out for us.

When initially I saw this film I did see it as a classic example of my kind of one hit wonder. (for what I mean by that see definition mentioned here) However on the journey home from this film with one of my trusty film pals I found myself quoting the film and laughing. The more I quoted the more I wanted to see it again and I gotta say, I am leaning towards buying the DVD.

I think overall, its not groundbreaking, its not something you leave thinking about for weeks after but then again its not meant to be. It's fun and if you are a fan of Ferrell and Reilly then it is definately a film your gonna love. I would recommend it, you won't be disappointed, as long as you know that the sole purpose of watching is for fun. I've waited for them both to do a decent film and I'm happy with the result!!

Get Smart

Maxwell Smart (Steve Carell) is Controls best analyst who deperately wants to be a field agent, when his opportunity arrives, himself and his partner Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway) go on a mission to disarm and nuclear bomb and save the world.

If I needed a pick me up to restore my faith in movies again then this is it!! Never mind the fact that it has one of the funniest men I've seen as its main character and an actress I've been in love with since Princess Diaries has its leading lady, this film is well written, has amazing energy and has that extra kick to it through it's supporting roles. Roles such as Dwayne Johnson AKA 'The Rock,' Hero's Masi Oka, Anchormans David Koechner and even tiny Cameo roles by the likes of Bill Murray!!

I was dubious to say the least when buying my ticket to this film given the similarities it held to Johnny English starring Rowan Atkinson. I did worry if the Americans were just trying to take our ideas and turn them over the top again. But all worries were gone within the first ten minutes and I was hooked for the remainder of the film. In fact due to the stupid amount of people who don't want to see it because of the fear that it's just copying our British humour I don't know why they don't put as a tagline on every billboard isn't 'We're not trying to beat Johnny English'

Aside from one part in the middle where I felt they had removed a scene from the plot and then very awkwardly patched it up I could see very few faults!!

If you want to see a funny film this month then this is the one for you, I don't think I've seen it hyped enough, so I'm doing it now.