WALKING ON SUNSHINE

When Taylor (Hannah Arterton) is flown to Italy by her sister Maddie (Annabel Scholey) she is shocked to discover that it is for her sister's wedding to boyfriend of just five weeks... And even more shocked when she realises that her sister's boyfriend is Raf (Giulio Berruti), her holiday romance from three years ago!

Set to the music of popular songs from the 1980s and the scenery of beautiful Italian beaches, Walking On Sunshine (12A) should have all of the ingredients to be the feel-good movie of the summer, so how did it go so drastically wrong?

Desperately trying to be the new Mamma Mia, Walking On Sunshine fails in almost every way possible with more than one person walking out of the cinema part-way through. Let me start with this; 99% of musicals are going to be cheesy, that is just a given, however when Hannah Arterton bursts into the first number of the film, Madonna's 'Holiday', with a massive forced grin on her face and autotuned within an inch of her life I physically grimaced with second hand embarrassment. It's nothing against the song - I love the song, in fact I love every single song that features in the film, it is the clunky, awkward performances that make them so unbearable to watch.

The problem when trying to write a musical around songs that already exist, as opposed to writing the numbers specifically for the film in mind, is that every transition appears really random and really forced; the exchange'I don't know what Raf sees in me' 'You're a goddess!' leads to a rendition of Bananarama's 'Venus', Raf closes his eyes for a moment which incites Taylor to warble The Bangles' 'Eternal Flame', and just before the credits role comes 'Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go' - presumably to wake up the snoozing audience members.

Not only are the songs awkwardly random, they are blatantly pre-recorded with the cast miming to them, badly. Of course not every musical can do a Les Mis where the actors sing live but you just don't expect the fact that they don't sing live to be so show-stoppingly obvious. A lot of the voices are auto-tuned to the extent that they don't sound natural at all and the singing that you hear doesn't match up to the performances that you are seeing onscreen, they may as well have been two different things - an album, and a silent movie. Even former X Factor winner Leona Lewis receives the auto-tuning treatment, something which is both baffling and unnecessary in the professional singer's first movie role.

The storyline itself is also intolerable; so thin and two-dimensional that there is barely anything to it with any attempt at character development, mostly in the form of Maddie, appearing forced and terribly executed. Hannah Arterton's performance as the irrational and slightly annoying Taylor is over-acted and makes you wonder who her competition was in winning the role and the inclusion of Maddie's obsessed ex-boyfriend Doug (Greg Wise) seemed to be more about Wise's desperation in a last-ditch attempt to launch a successful movie career than about the actual character.

All in all, Walking On Sunshine is one big mess - a bad storyline, bad characters, bad actors and bad musical performances with the only slightly redeeming factor being the fact that you can stare at the beautiful Giulio Berruti for an hour and a half... But to be honest, even his chiseled cheekbones, piercing blue eyes and washboard stomach aren't enough to make the film worth watching.

Walking On Sunshine is in UK cinemas from June 27th!

★☆☆☆☆

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Love,

CHEF

Jon Favreau tries his hand as a triple threat writer-actor-director in the food-orientated comedy-drama Chef (15).

When Chef Carl Casper (Favreau) gets a bad review from notorious online critic Ramsey Michel, he finds himself being creatively stunted by the restaurant's owner. Unwilling to compromise his talent any longer, Carl quits his job and is eventually coaxed into opening his own food truck, where he rediscovers his love of cooking and zest for life.

My biggest issue with Chef is that in Carl Casper Favreau has created perhaps the most unlikable protagonist in this genre's recent history. There are clear attempts throughout the film that are supposed to make him seem likable - he is the typical 'funny fat guy', he is the underdog, he is the film's hero. However, it is hard to warm to a character that would be close contender for the top spot of 'Worst Dad of the Year Award'. 

Separated from his son Percy (Emjay Anthony)'s mum, Carl sees his son every other weekend and even then most of the time he drops him home early so that he can get back to the kitchen despite Percy's clear desperation to spend time with his father, so much so that he practically begs to be taken into work with him. When Carl gets the food truck the two characters begin to bond, however it leaves a bitter taste in your mouth when the only way a father will bond with his young son is when the son forces himself into his father's life and desperately tries to share his father's passion. The only conversations that Carl has with his son are about food, cooking and being a chef. The only time Carl spends with his son is when his son is cleaning his truck and serving the customers. It is actually quite disconcerting to see such a forced father-son relationship where there is no doubt left in your mind that if the son wasn't sharing his father's passions, his father would want nothing to do with him - not once did we see Carl ask Percy about his personal life, his schoolwork or his own passions. To put it frankly, Carl is a selfish man-child; the entire film is all of the other characters flocking around him and he taking them for granted and as much as I wanted all of his acquaintances to succeed, it seemed as though Carl needed to fail in order to be brought down a peg or two and learn what the real value of life is.

The story arc was clearly supposed to see Carl better himself as the film progressed, however, despite the fact that Carl is in a happier place work and family wise he still isn't a better person. The big 'wow' moment that is supposed to come when he finally enjoys spending time with Percy is discredited due to the fact the only time he enjoys spending with him is when Percy is working for him. Yes, Percy shares his dad's passion for food, probably because he realised at a young age this is the only way his dad will pay him any attention, but the fact is Carl should have wanted to spend time with his son even if his son's passion was different to his own. 

Alongside the unlikability of Chef Carl Casper, the film was much too long. The demise of Carl's reputation following the bad review at the beginning of the film was far too dragged out and did not have to be spread to the same length as the second half of the film where he starts to find his feet again. To be honest, it felt as

Leguizamo and Anthony steal the show

though there were a lot of scenes that should have ended up on the cutting room floor and it can only be Favreau's misguided passion for the film that made him reluctant to cut any of the gratuitous scenes, which is ironically to the film's detriment.

The film has three saving graces:

1. The food porn (I defy anybody to leave the cinema without a growling stomach!)
2. Emjay Anthony's brilliant performance as the adorable Percy.
3. John Leguizamo's heartfelt performance as Carl's best friend and su-chef Martin.

Leguizamo in particular needs to be receiving more of the credit for the film, he counter-balances Carl's unintentional unlikability by being constantly full of life and holding a genuine warmth to his character with his reappearance halfway through the film is the only thing to stop it turning completely stale.

Emjay Anthony gives Percy everything that he has got and his ability exceeds many other actors of his age, making him certain to be one to watch in the future.

Unfortuantely, these two characters were just not enough to forgive Carl for his wrong doings, and the fact that Favreau wrote Carl to be the film's hero, not Martin or Percy, proves that this was totally unintentional and Carl is merely the product of bad writing. 

All in all, there should be more to a character than his love of food, more dimensions to a character than his vocation and more elements to a father-son relationship than the son desperately trying to claw some affection out of his selfish and horribly neglectful dad. Instead of a 'warm fuzzy feeling' as promised, Chef leaves you feeling slightly uncomfortable and also tempted to create a Bechdel-Test-esque theory for father-son relationships that don't revolve around the father. 

★★★☆☆

Chef is in UK cinemas from June 25th!

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Love,

MALEFICENT

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I have been looking forward to Maleficent (PG) since the concept of the film was announced and if you follow my blog you will know that it was one of my most-anticipated films of 2014. Well, the day to watch it finally came; Was it magical? Yes. Was it beautiful? Yes. Did it exceed my expectations? ABSOLUTELY.

We all know the traditional tale of Sleeping Beauty, but Maleficent reminds us that there are two sides to every story. Angelina Jolie stars as the title character, a magical fairy who turns evil after being tricked and mistreated by humans. In a jealous rage Maleficent curses the new baby princess Aurora (Elle Fanning), but she soon comes to realise that the child may be the only one who can restore peace between humans and the magical creatures.

First and foremost, Maleficent is one of the most visually beautiful films that you will ever see and the use of 3D really makes the magical kingdom come alive. From the fluttering fairies, woodland creatures, and even Maleficent's magical powers, absolutely every aspect of the film is truly pleasurable to watch and will transport you into that world and make you feel like a child again.

Angelina Jolie is striking as the lead role in both appearance and performance. The film is solely focused on telling the traditional fairy tale from the villain's point of view and Maleficent's character development is beautifully told; from her childlike innocence and kindness to the despair and sorrow that she feels when she realises that humans have betrayed her trust. This sorrow quickly turns into bitter vengeance and when she curses the innocent baby Aurora the audience feel Maleficent's pain and are completely on her side. Jolie's portrayal of the character is brilliant in ensuring that Maleficent doesn't just become a fantastical and unrelatable source of evil - despite possessing magical powers she is very human throughout the film and captures the audience's heart and empathy.

Once Aurora goes to live with three fairies in a bid to protect her from the evil curse, Maleficent begins to follow her life more carefully and with the help of her servant Diaval (Sam Riley), a rescued raven who she can transform into man at the mere flick of her wrist, she watches over the princess and finds her hardened heart thawing with Aurora's sweet and loving innocence.

One of the key aspects in Jolie's performance is that no matter how evil she appears to be, Maleficent is

never truly a villain. Whilst she acts maliciously and is full of hatred and anger her softer side is never too hidden away and you appreciate the entire time that she is not a bad person deep down, simply forced into making bad and harmful decisions due to the terrible way she's been treated. On top of that, the character has wit and attitude, yet avoids becoming a cringe-inducing Disney cliche and instead becomes a source of inspiration and the true embodiment of a strong, female character.

Although Jolie is the star of the show, Elle Fanning brings charm and grace to Aurora, a character who is normally considered quite plain and two-dimensional. Although your eyes will never wander off the evil queen for long, when they reach the princess it is just as beautiful to watch. Riley also shines as Diaval, a welcome character that provides an insight into Maleficent's mind who also supports and comforts our heroine as the humans put her under siege.

All in all, I am so happy to say that Disney has exceeded itself in this enchanting tale that will delight both the grown ups and children in the audience in equal measures. Visually stunning to watch, Maleficent transports you into a fairytale realm and Jolie's heartfelt and alluring performance will captivate you from start to finish.

★★★★★

Maleficent is in cinemas now!

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Love,

BLENDED

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Following 2004 comedy 50 First Dates, Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore unite onscreen yet again in family rom-com Blended (12A).

The concept of the story has all the makings of a great family drama; Jim (Sandler) is a widow and has three daughters who he’s trying to play both mum and dad to and Lauren (Barrymore) is freshly divorced with the father of her two sons refusing to take an interest in their lives. After a terrible blind date between Jim and Lauren they hold nothing but resentment for one another, but when they find themselves thrust together at a family resort in Africa they realise the positive impact the other has on their children and discover that maybe they aren’t so mismatched after all.

Sandler has the stronger story here, he plays his usual manchild character that the audience have come to expect from him but there is more heart and emotion at Jim’s core than usual. We discover that Jim’s wife died of cancer and it’s clear that neither he nor his daughters have fully come to terms with her death, which makes for some heartrending scenes that show the funny man’s sensitive side and will bring a lump to the throat of even the hardest viewers.

On the other hand, Barrymore’s character is neurotic to the extent of parody with her older son harbouring a creepy obsession with his babysitter and her youngest having extensive anger issues over the fact that he isn’t very good at baseball. These ‘quirks’ in both the children are clearly designed to be funny and an attempt to balance the emotional heartache that comes from Jim’s background. However having the majority of the attempts at comedy come via Lauren and her family ends up being to the film’s detriment.

Blended would have been much better off as a family drama rather than a comedy, as that genre seems to have forced the film into throwing around slapstick and childish gags in a desperate attempt to make the audience laugh, seemingly without realising that subtle comedic undertones among the drama would have made for more pleasurable viewing all round.

Sandler is yet again consistent and reliable for the genre and it is his character’s one-liners and dry wit that give some genuine funny moments to the film, whilst Barrymore and the supporting cast are left with the bigger gags that cheapen the film and take the focus off the heart and warmth at the story’s core. These jokes feel like they’re taken from a bad Carry-On film with children swearing, food being spluttered all over somebody’s face and sexual innuendos galore.

Frustratingly, the basic storyline and character development of both Jim and Lauren and all of their children is at times gripping to watch and it is particularly endearing to see Jim’s relationships with his daughters grow as the film progresses. The attempts at comedy take away from what would have been a really brilliant drama and although there are aspects of Blended that are thoroughly enjoyable, the next bad gag is never too far away which ruins the overall tone of the film.

All in all, Blended has the makings of a strong family drama and it is unfortunate that the attempts at comedy take away from this. Adam Sandler was without a doubt given the stronger role in Jim, and his family provide the audience with genuine laughs, heartache, tears, and a warm fuzzy feeling whilst Barrymore and her children are left to struggle on with bad jokes and gimmicks. Sandler proves yet again that he’s more than able to give a serious and heartbreaking performance; it’s just a shame that Blended wasn’t brave enough to avoid his comedy safety net.

★★☆☆☆

Blended is in cinemas now!

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Love,

THE TWO FACES OF JANUARY

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From the producers of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, the writer of Drive, and the author of The Talented Mr. Ripley,  The Two Faces of January (12A) is screenwriter Hossein Amini’s directorial debut.

Set in the 1960s among the beautiful backdrops of Athens, Crete and Istanbul, The Two Faces of January tells

Oscar Isaac steals the show as Rydal

the story of Rydal (Oscar Isaac), an American con artist working in Greece as a tour guide, where he meets glamorous American couple Chester and Collette MacFarland (Viggo Mortensen andKirsten Dunst). After finding himself in the wrong place at the wrong time, Rydal ends up entangled in the couple’s lives and it soon becomes apparent that he is not the only con artist around.

First and foremost, The Two Faces of January is visually stunning. Not only do the sunny villages and ruins of Greece provide the film with beautiful scenery, but the 6os era makes way for a subtle yet time-appropriate costuming, and the entire tone of the film feels very traditional of the classic film noir genre.

The story itself is fascinating from the offset; the concept of both leading men being a little on the shifty side makes for an interesting watch as you’re never sure who you can trust or who is telling the truth. For example, upon meeting the couple Rydal says that he was drawn to them due to Chester reminding him of his father, however, is this just a ploy to get closer to Chester’s beautiful wife?

Perfectly paced by Hossein Amini in his directorial debut, as the story unravels so do the characters with Chester becoming increasingly paranoid of Rydal’s intentions which ironically leads to him to destroy everything that he loves. On the other hand, Rydal’s increased wariness of the unstable Chester leaves him more and more desperate to find a way out of the mess that he has somehow found himself involved in.

Whilst Dunst and Mortensen each give incredibly strong performances as the MacFarlands, it is Oscar Isaac who steals the show as Rydal. Commanding the screen with charm and charisma, Isaac adds to the film’s noir style with a presence uncannily similar to that of the leading men from old Hollywood classics of yesteryear, cementing his position as an up-and-coming actor to watch.

The cast have a brilliant on-screen chemistry and every aspect of their very complex relationships was riveting and believable to watch. Their understated performances were just as engrossing as the underlying tension and intrigue of the story.

Unpredictable from start to finish, The Two Faces of January provides a nostalgic look at cinema with timeless performances, backdrops and costumes that makes the film seem fresh and innovative despite being set over 50 years ago.

All in all,The Two Faces of January will quickly become a timeless classic in the thriller genre, with a great story and impeccable pacing leaving you unable to guess what the next scene will bring. Strong performances all round create a chemistry that transcends through the screen and into the hearts of the audience with Oscar Isaac proving himself yet again as a leading man and firmly announcing himself as a bold new face of cinema.

★★★★☆

The Two Faces of January is in cinemas from today, 16th May!

Check out our Q&A with the cast here!
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Love,

MAGIC MAGIC

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Starring Juno Temple and Michael Cera, Magic Magic is an indie horror film, inspired by an urban legend of what happened to a girl whilst vacationing in a Brazilian hostel.

Alicia (Temple) is an American girl who has travelled to Chile to visit her cousin Sarah (Emily Browning). Whilst staying with her cousin's friends, insomniac Alicia starts to lose a grip on what is real and what she is imagining, leaving the audience to wonder who the real bad guy is...

Marketed as an intense psychological horror, Magic Magic has all of the ingredients to make a fantastic film - the strong cast, great background story and the novel addition of the story being told through an unreliable narrator (Alicia) should have been enough to create edge-of-your-seat and spine-tingling chills. However, it doesn't exactly work out like that.

Once Alicia arrives in Chile, her cousin Sarah is called away almost immediately, leaving Alicia to spend two nights alone with Sarah's friends, Brink (Michael Cera), Agustin (Agustin Silva) and Barbara (Catalina Sandino Moreno). The friends seem cold from the offset, with Cera nailing a particularly disconcerting performance as Brink, who manages to appear creepy and unnerving without even saying anything particularly offensive. However, despite Cera's discomforting presence and the group's tendency to speak to eachother in Spanish, meaning that Alicia can not understand, as the film progresses it becomes a struggle to see what the group are doing that makes Alicia scream down the phone to Sarah that they are 'all sadists'. 

For example, while the fact the boys shoot a bird when they go hunting would upset many people, myself included, it isn’t far-fetched to think that an American teenage boy with a shotgun would shoot an animal. The film also tries to use the fact the boys tease Alicia and laugh at her misfortune as evidence of their cruelty, but again this isn’t exactly unusual behaviour for teen boys. Alicia's paranoia makes these overreactions a little easier to swallow, but more could have been done to make these characters appear as the sinister threats that they are supposed to be at this point in the film.

Over time, it becomes evident that there is something seriously wrong with Alicia; her cousin joins them but Alicia is struggling to sleep and her behaviour becomes increasingly bizarre. This is when the film finally starts to pick up. Despite the lack of genuine jumps or scares, the intrigue of the story and where the film is going is just enough to keep you tense and maintain your interest as you desperately start to wonder what is wrong with Alicia... and that is what makes the film's conclusion all the more disappointing.

The final scenes gradually become more and more ridiculous, eventually becoming reminiscent of a certain goat scene in Drag Me To Hell. However, alongside being totally far-fetched and implausible, the conclusion is also incredibly out of place in Magic Magic. The conclusion is rushed and makes no sense in relation to the rest of the story and it completely bypasses the tone of the majority of the film. Although certainly not without its faults, Magic Magic at least maintained an element of realism up until this point and had they decided to opt for a realistic ending, rather than prioritizing their bid to shock the audience, it would probably have made the film a much more compelling watch. 

The one positive part of the entire film comes from the strong performances; as well as creepy Cera, Juno Temple gives the part her all and truly embodies Alicia's paranoia, which becomes more and more apparent as her mental state deteriorates. Emily Browning also does her best to add some realism to the madness and gives an equally strong performance, despite being underused. However, strong performances are just not enough to cancel out the film's fatal flaws, with its fascinating concept being ruined by a ridiculous narrative which results in an underwhelming watch... In fact, resulting in the worst film that I have watched this year.

★☆☆☆☆

Magic Magic is available to watch from 18th April! 

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Love,

THE QUIET ONES

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On Tuesday 1st April I was lucky enough to attend the World premiere of Hammer Film's newest chiller

Me on the red carpet at The Quiet Ones premiere

The Quiet Ones.

Starring Finnick Odair, sorry I mean Sam Claflin, and inspired by true events, The Quiet Ones tells the story of a professor (Jared Harris) who performs a series of experiments on a young patient (Olivia Cooke) in order to test his theory that you can create a poltergeist from negative energy.

The most original aspect of the film is the storyline itself as it offers an interesting take on the notion of poltergeists and evil spirits. Harris effortlessly slips into the role of Joseph Coupland, a professor at Oxford University who believes that everything has a rational explanation, including the appearance of demonic possession. Coupland takes on four of his students; confident and sassy Krissi (Erin Richards), her joker boyfriend Harry (Rory Fleck-Byrne), and shy, unassuming Brian (Claflin), alongside a mentally disturbed girl, Jane (Cooke), to test his theory. The experiment involves driving Jane to the brink of insanity in order to summon the negative brain energy out of her and into an inanimate object, curing her of her apparent demonic possession.

However, as time passes Jane’s state only appears to worsen and with demonic etchings suddenly being burned into her skin and Krissi’s life coming under threat, the students begin to think there’s something supernatural going on after all. Coupland stubbornly refuses to accept the possibility of his hypothesis being wrong, leading to friction forming among the group and putting all of their lives in danger.

With its setting in the 70s, The Quiet Ones is immediately eye-catching with its retro feel that will appeal to

Claflin, Cooke, and Fleck-Byrne introducing the film

fans of horror classics such as The Exorcist and The Omen. Claflin’s character, Brian, also serves as the cameraman for the experiment and the film flits between regular filming and Brian’s shaky, grainy, handheld camerawork. As a viewer this technique thrusts you right into the middle of the experiment as you experience the same terrifying perspective as the students.

Most of the horror comes from the tension of not knowing what is going to happen next which makes for creepy, edge-of-your-seat viewing rather than scream-inducing terror. Cooke gives a stand-out performance as the disturbed Jane, confusing the audience into whether they should be scared of her or pity her and often achieving both. The rest of the characters are also well-rounded and integral to the plot with their presence adding elements of reassurance and normality to the film, with scary scenes neatly embedded among everyday conversations between the group. In a way, you start to look forward to the scenes where all the characters are together as you feel a sense of unity with the students who are just as confused, scared and freaked out as you are.

The Quiet Ones is strong from the offset and only gets stronger as the film progresses, however parts of the conclusion feel a little rushed with one particular revelation about Jane’s character being delivered quite suddenly and then being quickly glossed over to make way for the film’s grand finale. Although the finale is still effective, it probably would have a stronger impact if the audience weren’t still trying to process and get their head around the previous scene's twist. 

All in all, The Quiet Ones is an innovative and intriguing new horror film that will have you on the edge-of-your-seat throughout. Even if you’re made of stronger stuff and the scares don’t impact you, you’ll still be able to enjoy the story and the characters as, unlike many recent horror films, The Quiet Ones doesn’t depend on the horror to make the film.

★★★★☆

The Quiet Ones is in cinemas now!

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Love,

NOAH

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Darren Aronofsky brings Noah and his ark to the big screen in his long-awaited biblical epic that is ased on the famous story of Noah (Russell Crowe), a man who God entrusts with the task of building an ark in order to save two of each animal before an apocalyptic flood destroys the world.

Let’s be honest, everybody knows the story of Noah’s ark, though not necessary in great detail. And while Aronofsky’s retelling of the story has faced criticism from religious leaders for straying from the original tale, the basic premise appears to be the same with added drama for entertainment purposes.

The film starts with a brief biblical history of the earth’s creation and how the descendants of Adam and Eve were Cain, who was evil, and Seth, who was good and father to Noah. This good/evil divide is integral to the story and leads to Noah being chosen to save the animals as God cleanses the world of the evil of mankind in order to start anew.

Although the basic story of Noah is his epic task, the heart of the film is Noah’s family and the brutal impact his task has on them. Douglas Booth, who stars as his son Shem, and Emma Watson, who plays Shem’s wife Ila, add complexity to the story. The film delves beneath the surface of Noah’s mission and brings home the tragic consequences of wiping out all of mankind, leaving him to wonder if humans are supposed to survive the new world, or if God thinks the world would be better off without them due to their brutality and evil. This aspect of the film is a thought-provoking new take on the story and adds to the tension and high-drama throughout.

However, While the added elements of Noah’s family are widely welcomed, at times their presence changes the tone from epic blockbuster to soap opera. Aronofsky tries to cram too many subplots into the film, making it around 30 minutes too long. As Noah progresses, the family’s issues become more melodramatic with Jennifer Connelly, as Noah’s wife, and Watson delivering lines in a way that feels too contemporary given the film’s biblical setting.

Despite this slight narrative hiccup, Noah is aesthetically beautiful with mesmerizing CGI and cinematography that gives the film an almost fantastical feel throughout, with some scenes that wouldn’t look out of place in Middle-earth. The look of the film also complements the narrative; as with the original story, you must be willing to suspend your disbelief in order for it to make sense. God communicating to Noah through a dream, Noah’s grandfather having magical healing powers, even the way all the world’s animals travel to the ark in pairs would look out of place and impossible to wrap your head around if it weren’t for the rest of the film having a fantasy element to it. The film’s overall look is arguably the strongest part of Noah, as even when the plot begins to falter it is still enjoyable to watch.

All in all, Noah is a fascinating take on the original story, and tackles many questions you may not have considered prior to seeing the film. Although it’s a story most of us think we already know, Aronofsky’s retelling adds complexity and depth as the film delves beneath the surface and brings home the tragic consequences of Noah’s epic task. The focus on Noah’s family is a particular strength of the film and, along with the its visuals, makes for an original and thought-provoking take on a classic story.

★★★✯ ☆

Noah is in cinemas nationwide from the 4th of April!

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Love,

THE MOTEL LIFE

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The Motel Life (15) is a heartbreaking tale of brotherhood and the lengths that we will go in order to protect our own. Frank (Emile Hirsch) and Jerry (Stephen Dorff) are working class brothers who have been living a meagre life following the death of their mother. When Jerry accidentally hits and kills a teenager whilst drink-driving he becomes consumed with guilt and shoots himself in the leg, and ends up in hospital. With the police hot on his case, it’s down to Frank to plan their getaway.

One of the most profound aspects of The Motel Life is the way the grown brothers use stories in order to escape their gritty and damaged lifestyles. Jerry still appears to harbor a child-like innocence and, following an accident that left him with just one leg, he often asks his brother to tell him a story where he is the hero. Directors Alan and Gabe Polsky make use of animation to bring these stories to life on screen, a surprising and heartfelt addition to the film that makes Hirsch’s narration of the story appear even more raw and emotional.

These fantasy stories are included from the get-go and automatically present you with the relationship that the brothers have. Although the youngest of the two, it is Frank who shelters Jerry from the world, and when a drunken Jerry stumbles into Frank’s bedroom in the middle of the night and exclaims that they have to flee, Frank does not hesitate – not learning until later on that Jerry had just been involved in a fatal hit-and-run accident.

The story heats up once Jerry finds himself in hospital with the police closing in on them. Frank does everything he can to secure money for them to make a getaway, and when Jerry starts to crack from the guilt consuming him, the pair escape the hospital and drive to a motel in another city.

The essence of the film is heartbreaking from start to finish; the boy’s love for each other and the dependence they have on one another is emotionally exhausting to watch: the most heartrending scene being when Jerry has to swallow his pride and have his brother help him shower. Although it’s Jerry who is suffering physically it becomes hard not to feel for Frank as the more the film goes on, the more you can see just how much he has been held back by Jerry’s recklessness, and how much he has sacrificed for his brother.

While The Motel Life never feels rushed, there’s no real buildup to the story. The film opens with Jerry’s hit-and-run accident and before long he is in hospital. From then until their escape, a lot of scenes appear to be there purely to flesh out the short 85-minute run time. However, once the boys leave the hospital, the film really picks up and becomes much more hard-hitting with their relationship becoming increasingly profound.

Although a slow burner, The Motel Life is an emotional tale of what we do for those we love. Frank’s stories provide a heartfelt insight into the boys’ past and a reinforcement of Jerry’s innocence, bringing home their working class roots and how alone in the world they are. With no parents to guide them, the brothers have grown to be dependent solely on one another and, despite the fact Frank is much more able on his own, he refuses to leave Jerry behind, providing an honest insight into the meaning of true brotherly love.

★★★★☆

The Motel Life is out nationwide from the 4th of April!

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Love,