10 Exciting Films Still To Come in 2014...

We are only four months into 2014 but it has already shaped up to be a pretty memorable year for film. With the likes of The Wolf of Wall Street, Dallas Buyers Club, Noah and Divergent already done and dusted, you'd be forgiven for thinking that 2014 cinema has peaked already. However, you would be wrong - and here I have 10 exciting films that 2014 is yet to bring....

Cheer up Tobey

1. The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Release Date: April 18th
Not long to go now! Peter Parker fans have been excited for the second installment of Marc Webb's take on the Marvel comic ever since the first film in 2012. Andrew Garfield continues to replace Tobey Maguire as everybody's favourite insect-based superhero in a film that promises to remain as faithful as possible to the original comic book story, thumbs up all round!

2. Maleficent
Release Date: May 28th
If you are anything like  me you will feel like you have been waiting for Angelina Jolie's portrayal of Disney baddie, Maleficent, forever. Telling the story of Sleeping Beauty from the villain's point of view, Maleficent will reveal what it was that made her so cold-hearted and why she cursed Princess Aurora. One thing is for sure, Maleficent will be visually stunning and bring out the child in even the hardest of adults. 

3. Jersey Boys
Release Date: June 20th
This may be mildly exclusive to me due to my absolute love of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, but as somebody who simply can not afford to go and see the West End production of Jersey Boys every single week, the prospect of it being a film is overwhelming. Even if you think that you don't know who The Four Seasons are think again and give the film a chance; you will be surprised to discover just how many of their songs that you know and you will be dancing and singing along in no time!

Love you, Eddie

4. Jupiter Ascending
Release Date: July 25th
An interesting sci-fi adventure that stars Mila Kunis as Jupiter Jones, a young woman who is targeted for assassination by the Queen of the Universe (nice job title!) and consequently realises her destiny to end the Queen's reign. It unarguably sounds like a great story, but did I mention that Eddie Redmayne is also in the film? Because that sealed the deal for me. 

5. Guardians of the Galaxy
Release Date: August 1st
Another Marvel film but this time on the lesser known Guardians of the Galaxy. I am just sold on the concept that each of the guardians have their own flaws but together they discover their greater mission. There is also the presence of Rocket Raccoon and Groot, animated characters that are voiced by Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel respectively, who serve as just one example of the CGI and special effects spectacle that this film is set to be!

6. The Inbetweeners 2
Release Date: August 6th

Do you really need a reason? Do you really?! After the success of The Inbetweeners television show and their first film back in 2011, it is about time that Will, Simon, Neil and Jay reunited for some more laughs, chaos and many, many awkward situations.

7. Sin City: A Dame To Kill For
Release Date: August 29th
Even if it wasn't a sequel to the brilliant 2005 film Sin City, the star-studded cast would be enough to lure in the most cynical of spectators. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Juno Temple, and Bruce Willis are just a few of the names to top the list, alongside a surprise cameo from none other than Lady Gaga. Whether the film is good or not (it will be), watching it is certain to at least be an experience.

Blurred-Lines-Girl

8. Gone Girl
Release Date: October 3rd
Gone Girl was the book of 2013; everywhere you looked people seemed to be reading it and even those who weren't reading it seemed to be talking about the global bestseller. Neil Patrick Harris is set to make his  first serious film debut since.... God knows when, and the 'Stunning-Blurred-Lines-Girl', aka Emily Ratajkowski, will also be featuring as Andie Hardy. 




9.The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1
Release Date: November 21st
I have said it before and I will say it again, for me Mockingjay is the weak link of The Hunger Games book trilogy. Especially the first half of it. And especially the ending. That is why I was so surprised that of the three books it was Mockingjay that got split into two films. Saying that, I am still heavily invested in Panem and the lives of Katniss and Peeta and nothing will stop me from seeing how this film plays out on the big screen. Although frustrating we will then have to wait another year before we see the final chapter, the hope that director Francis Lawrence will change the book's ending is enough to see me through.




10. Unbroken
Release Date: December 26th
Angelina Jolie is allegedly staying firmly behind the camera as she directs this true life story of Louis Zamperini, an Olympic runner who was taken prisoner by the Japanese in World War II. With rising star Jack O'Connell starring as Zamperini there is no doubt that this will be one of the most emotional and powerful films of the year!




Special Mention: Madame Bovary
Release Date: WHO KNOWS?!
There has been a Madame-Bovary-Shaped thorn in my side ever since I got excited about the film adaptation, starring Ezra Miller, back when it was announced in 2012. Originally billed for release in 2013, the year came and went and no cheating Doctor's wife was to be found. Now it is apparently going to be released in 2014 but with no production news, no set date, or even month, I remain apprehensive. Fingers crossed for a release this year - how much longer are we expected to wait?!

Where are you, Ezra? We miss you.

So there we have it! Alongside the 10 films mentioned above there are a multitude of other great pieces of cinema set to come before the year is out. Keep an eye out on my blog and Twitter page for updates and reviews on all the films mentioned, and then some!

Love,

10 Films To Look Forward To In 2014

After all the great films 2013 brought us it is time to take a peek into the future to see what big-screen beauties the next 12 months have in store. Here are the 10 films that I am most looking forward to:

1. The Railway Man
Release Date: January 10th

You have probably already seen this film being heavily advertised as it just misses the 2013 releases boat. It is unlikely there will be a dry eye in the house as this true story of a World War 2 Victim who sets out to find the people responsible for his torture is played out on the big screen. With Colin Firth as the star you just know that The Railway Man will ooze sophisticated talent with emotional performances.

2. 12 Years a Slave
Release Date: January 10th
January 2014 just looks doomed to be an upsetting month film-wise with another highly anticipated true life story, which is already expected to clean up at the Oscars in March. Following the likes of Django Unchained, 12 Years a Slave is the first film to explore slavery in America from the slave's point of view, promising a sensitive and unforgettable story of the fight many African-Americans faced for both survival and freedom during this period.

3. The Wolf of Wall Street
Release Date: January 17th
Leonardo Dicaprio is back on the big screen in the form of this three-hour reunion between himself and Martin Scorsese. Another true-life story, The Wolf of Wall Street is set to be the big one of 2014, an entertaining (We've all seen the clip of Dicaprio's questionable dancing!) tale of crime and corruption that has had buzz around it for over a year already. Three hours is a long time to keep an audience entertained, but if any duo could get away with it it's Leo & Scorsese.

4. The Book Thief
Release Date: February 26th
An adaptation of Markus Zusak's bestselling book of the same name, The Book Thief tells the heart-wrenching story of Liesel, a young girl living with a foster family during Nazi Germany. This film has everything you could ask for and the faultless cast and beautiful narrative is sure to make The Book Thief the dark horse of 2014. Trust me when I say that this is not one you will want to miss!

5. A Long Way Down
Release Date: March 7th
Nick Hornby, author of Hugh Grant classic About A Boy, is having another of his brilliant books adapted for the big screen. A Long Way Down follows Hornby's typical themes of wit, heart and honesty in the story of four suicidal people who form a surrogate family after meeting on New Years Eve. The relatively humble cast of mostly unknowns is irrelevant and I have faith that this film will end up in the same league as About A Boy in no time.

6. The Inbetweeners Movie 2
Release Date: August 2014
Find me one person who isn't excited for the Jay, Will, Neil and Simon reunion ! Having first made their name in the popular Channel 4 TV series, The Inbetweeners were the focus of a surprisingly successful feature film back in 2011. The plot of the second film is still under wraps, all we know is that some of it is set in Australia... No matter what, i'm sure it will be hilarious!

7. Noah
This is no doubt going to be the biggest epic of 2014. Russell Crowe and Emma Watson lead the star-studded cast in the belated interpretation of the Biblical character Noah (as in Noah's ark). No matter what, this is sure to be at the very least visually stunning but as Russell Crowe's first major role since Javert in Les Mis, we can all look forward to the fact that at least he won't be singing!

8. Maleficent
I'll admit that I was much more excited for Disney's rendition  of Sleeping Beauty from the villain's perspective before I saw the full trailer released a few weeks back. Angelina Jolie is as hauntingly beautiful as I had imagined in the role of the evil Maleficent but it was Elle Fanning's absolutely atrocious attempt at an English accent that took my excitement levels down a few notches. I am sure it will still be an incredible watch but if somebody's accent is so bad that it can be annoying in a minute-long trailer, what chance does a 135 minute film have? Either way, I'm excited to give it a go!

9. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1
Release Date: 21st November
Uh-oh, will the third installment of The Hunger Games trilogy be a total misrepresentation  à la film number one? Or a total work of genius as seen in film number two? Well, with original director Gary Ross completely out of the picture for Mockingjay my bets (and hopes) are on the latter! Inconspicuously split into two parts, Mockingjay is the final book of the trilogy and I can't really see how splitting the story into two films will work. Following in the footsteps of  the Harry Potter and Twilight series, and no doubt in order to make some extra dolla from the relatively short franchise, this two-part finale will be the make or break of the film. Can they really drag it out without adding a lot of irrelevant fluff to the story? We will have to wait and see.

10. Madame Bovary
The 21st century film adaptation of Gustav Flaubert's most famous book has been the bane of my film-life. Originally billed for 2013 release I quickly read the book to prepare myself, release has now been moved to 2014 but other than the one production still released (above) there has been little news on how it is going. Mia Wasikowska stars as Emma, the beautiful and unfaithful wife of a small-town doctor, but it is the supporting roles that have me most excited. One of my favourite actors, Ezra Miller, is set to make a long-awaited return to film as Leon Dupuis and lovable Paul Giamatti is on board as Monsieur Homais. The question is by no means whether or not Madame Bovary will be a great film, the cast and narrative alone already tells me yes, it is more a question of when will it ever be released?? So keep your fingers crossed for 2014 and yes, I know that it will be worth the wait!

And there we have it, my top 10 films for 2014 which only prove what a great year 2014 is already shaping up to be! And on top of the above, I am sure we will find many other hidden gems along the way.

Stay tuned for reviews on these films and then some and follow me on twitter if you fancy it :)

Love,