JEUNE ET JOLIE

Jeune et Jolie (18) tells the story of a 17-year-old French girl (Isabelle) who finds herself embroiled in the world of prostitution. Isabelle (Marine Vacht) is a seemingly normal teenager who, despite being from a loving and wealthy family, inexplicably begins working as a prostitute. 

Director François Ozon makes beautiful use of the passing seasons in the depiction of Isabelle’s sexual awakening as we track everything from her loss of virginity in the summer to her gritty, dirty encounters with various older clients throughout winter. Isabelle appears to be emotionally cut off, the only hint of tenderness coming from her relationship with her younger brother Victor (Fantin Ravat) and one of her clients Georges (Johan Leysen). However, when the unimaginable happens, Isabelle’s secret life won’t be kept secret for much longer.

Aesthetically, Jeune et Jolie is absolutely beautiful; Ozon’s use of the seasons delicately separates the film into bite-size sections, each providing the essential character and plot development needed to avoid the film stagnating. Marine Vacht gives a poignant performance as our troubled protagonist and although the entire cast is strong, it is Vacht who carries the film, an impressive feat considering this is the former model’s first lead role in a feature. The prostitution scenes are gritty. Although the money is high-end, Isabelle’s encounters leave nothing to be desired. While the Parisian aesthetics add some sparkle and beauty to her life, Isabelle herself seems tainted, a point reinforced by her obsession with showering. Although at times this can be uncomfortable to watch, it’s a refreshing change from the usual glamorisation of prostitution found in films such as Pretty Woman and popular TV series Secret Diary of a Call Girl.

Unfortunately, what Jeune et Jolie achieves in beauty and performances, it lacks in substance – the audience never discovers why Isabelle chose to be a prostitute; the most we are given is that she was bored and wanted to try something new. This, alongside Isabelle’s emotionally-dead persona, is reminiscent of a spoilt, rich kid, which makes her a rather unsympathetic and even relatively unlikeable character. Although Isabelle starts off quite endearing, as time goes on she becomes more and more frustrating as she appears to wallow in self-pity for no reason. Whilst Vacht does a brilliant job as the vacuous, emotionless brat who’s ultimately beyond saving, she hardly speaks a word throughout the film, and over time a moody silence and steely glare becomes exhausting to watch with the final ‘season’ not coming fast enough. Towards the end, Jeune et Jolie is just a little drab – the scenes with Isabelle’s clients are the strongest part of the film, but sadly they are short-lived and noticeably absent once they’ve ended

To conclude, Jeune et Jolie is a visually beautiful film that begins with a lot of promise. The performances are strong and Isabelle is enigmatic, but the format gradually tires and once the drama of her prostitution ends, Jeune et Jolie is left in need of a certain je ne se quoi.

★★★☆☆

Jeune et Jolie is released nationwide on Friday 29th November!

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Love,

DON JON

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is one of my all time favourite actors; I have been tracking his career since I was 8 years old and watched 10 Things I Hate About You for the first time. There is just something special about this guy and his acting talent and artistic integrity is second to none. From the gritty anti-hero of Neil McCormick in Mysterious Skin (2004) to the hapless romantic of Tom Hansen ((500) Days of Summer), Gordon-Levitt gives his all in every performance as he effortlessly encompasses each character that he plays with a talent that appears to have no limits.

Me with Joseph Gordon Levitt at the BFI 

Not only is he an incredible actor, he also runs his own production company and shines as an innovative artist and producer. So, with all things considered you can imagine my excitement at the announcement of Don Jon - a film that not only stars Gordon-Levitt, but was written and directed by him too.

Don Jon tells the story of Jon, a New Jersey guy who is so obsessed with pornography that he can't find happiness and satisfaction from a relationship with Barbara (Scarlett Johansson), who ironically holds similarly unrealistic expectations from her exposure to romantic movies.

First of all, Joseph Gordon Levitt's debut as a director is certainly nothing to be sniffed at. With just the right amount of comedic undertones the film has it's fair share of laugh out loud moments through subtle implications rather than a cheesy and in-your-face script. Most of the laughs come through satirical non-verbal moments in a way that doesn't patronize the audience in the same way that some of the bigger comedy movies do. It also has incredible structure; the combination of fast, snappy scenes and elements of repetition only add to the humour and quickly builds your connection to the story and character development. You get a real sense of Jon's routine and personality within the first ten minutes of the film's opening and it only grows as each scene transitions, with no scene lingering any longer than necessary.

Fit for Jersey Shore!

As expected the performances are strong and Gordon-Levitt is once again transformed into an entirely new character in the form of beefcake, church-loving, family-orientated stud. Likewise, Scarlett Johansson gives Barbara both the sass and sexiness required as both leads convincingly picked up the New Jersey accent and mannerisms that would have had them easily fit into the cast of Jersey Shore.

The concept of the film was both interesting and entertaining; a male's fascination with pornography isn't a topic that I have previously seen so honestly and casually discussed in a film before and juxtaposing it with the way romantic movies distort women's expectations of relationships was very cleverly done. Jon is a believable character that isn't tainted by Hollywood ideals and expectations, which I believe is a result of Joseph Gordon Levitt's refusal to succumb to the typical, unbelievable conventions.

The storyline wasn't as predictable as I thought it would be, especially for a relatively light-hearted comedy, and although I welcomed the direction that the film was going I couldn't help but feel like the final conclusion was a little rushed. Towards the last third of the movie I feel like the narrative began to suffer as there wasn't enough time devoted to the turn around in Jon's character. The credits started rolling almost out of nowhere and there was a lot more that we could have seen in terms of how the characters developed in order to reach the final scene. A character which had previously held a whole lot of realism suddenly seemed a little too quick to be 'cured' and this was something that Gordon-Levitt definitely could have dug a little deeper with.

In conclusion, this is a really enjoyable film. I had sky-high expectations which were probably impossible to have been met but all things considered, Joseph Gordon-Levitt came pretty close. Don Jon did slightly falter towards the end in terms of the script but it is a great comedy with brilliant performances all round; the film's greatest strength and the real comedic genius is ultimately a result of how well-directed it is, giving Joseph Gordon Levitt an incredibly strong directorial debut that proves he is just as talented and comfortable behind the camera as he is in front of it.

★★★★☆

Don Jon is out nationwide from this Friday, the 15th November!

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Love,

PARKLAND

As the 50th anniversary of President Kennedy's assassination approaches we have been inundated with documentaries, news stories, films, books... Absolutely anything that you can think of that recounts the tragic day. Parkland is no different; based on the book of the same name it tells the story of the handful of ordinary individuals in Dallas, Texas on that fateful day who found themselves thrust into extraordinary circumstances. From the doctors and nurses who desperately tried to save JFK's life, to the alleged killer's brother, to the unwitting cameraman who unknowingly captured the most examined video in history - all of the previously unheard of contributors in perhaps one of the most significant days of recent history are considered for the first time and the result is interesting if slightly lacking.

I know very little about the JFK assassination and was eager to learn more through this film, although I do feel like I have been educated in a sense I still found the whole thing a little dull. The initial build up to the shooting was incredibly tense and the emotional scenes as the doctors desperately tried to save Kennedy's life as his heartbroken (but slightly vapid) wife looked on were heartbreaking. The sense of unity within America during that moment was poignant and made for heart-pounding viewing. However, once JFK was well and truly dead, once his widow had got back onto a plane to Washington, once the emotion started to run a little thin, the result was rather underwhelming.

I think the major downfall of the film is that there is no real story-arc. The fast-paced nature and flitting, incoherent camera shots are quite captivating to begin with as it places you right in the midst of the drama and panic and gives you a sense of the confusion and emotion of the day, but once the main drama subsides you are left with bland, underdeveloped characters and no real empathy or care for what happens next. The use of a handheld, shaky-lens camera also added to the film's detriment; it aided in creating feelings of panic and gave elements of realism but I feel that it should have been toned down as the story went on - 93 minutes of staring at a wobbly cinema screen is enough to make your head hurt and once you start feeling queasy you are too busy waiting for the film to end so that you can get out rather than focusing on the actual plot in the film.

Despite it's downfalls, Parkland is definitely one of the most creative examples of JFK media. Representing key figures who were previously overlooked is a unique and interesting touch - let's be honest, have you ever considered what it must have been like for Lee Oswald's brother? Whose life was turned upside down after he found out via the TV news at work that his brother had killed one of the most important people in the World? Or what about Abraham Zapruder (played by the wonderful Paul Giamatti)? Who had unwittingly recorded the assassination of the president? I certainly hadn't.

However, as fascinating as these insights were the lack of story arc did make it difficult for the characters to develop and I found my imagination providing me with the most detailed examples of how it must have been for them rather than the film itself. Parkland was saturated with minor characters which made things seem a bit confused and overcrowded; just as you were starting to connect with one of them the scene would cut to another so you didn't really get a chance to care, and aside from a short written summary at the end of the film you didn't really find out much about what happened to them after the day. So, although looking at these minor roles of the JFK assassination was a good idea in theory, it was poorly executed and it could have actually been so much better in practice.

Parkland was an interesting and creative insight into a day I previously didn't know too much about; it was a creative idea but the fast-paced nature of the film and the handheld camera-work was a little too much and distracted from the overall story.

★★✯☆☆

Parkland is in cinemas nationwide from the 22nd of November

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Love,

SAVING MR. BANKS

Always a fan of a good 'real-life story', Saving Mr Banks was one of my most anticipated films of 2013; marketed as the true account of how Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) convinced the author of Mary Poppins, P.L. Travers (Emma Thompson),  to let him adapt her beloved novel into a film for the big screen I was intrigued by the story and excited to learn more. Travers was notoriously against the idea of Mary Poppins becoming a Disney film and it took Walt Disney twenty years of asking before she even agreed to meet with him, and

Travers was adamant there would be no animation

once the film preparation was underway an epic battle ensued between Disney and Travers as she insisted on being involved with every aspect of the adaptation - she was adamant that the film would not include any songs, any animation or any made up words.

I think it is is clear to see who won that power battle.

As well as following Disney and Travers on their journey of creating the movie, the film is made up of many flashbacks of Travers' troubled childhood, particularly the turbulent relationship with her father (played by the brilliant Colin Farrell), thus providing a deep and somewhat emotional insight into why she was so protective of her book and it's characters. Although at times these flashbacks could be a bit emotionally exhausting they were incredibly valuable to the narrative and as her past visually unraveled the audience were able to connect with Travers in a way that would not have been as effective had it merely be mentioned verbally.

However, the main strength of Saving Mr. Banks was without a doubt the incredible cast. Emma Thompson is one of my favourite actresses and her portrayal of the stern, uppity P. L. Travers who is haunted by the memories of her childhood was extremely powerful. Likewise, Tom Hanks as the lovable 'buddy-buddy', all round 'good guy' Walt Disney was brilliantly played and although he didn't have an excessive amount of scenes, the film would have faltered without him as he stole every scene that he was in. The supporting cast can not be faulted in any way - from Ralph, Travers' driver, to the Sherman Brothers - every character had a role to play, nobody felt like an awkward spare part or was left behind and each actor gave a great, well-rounded and human performance.

Julie Andrews with the real Walt Disney & P.L. Travers 

Despite the strong performances and entertaining narrative there were aspects of the film that I found a little difficult to swallow. As this is a Disney film of course it was always going to be on Disney's side - the film concludes with Travers overcome with emotion and jubilation at the final Mary Poppins, when it is renowned that in reality she was outraged by her treatment and the loopholes that Disney had snuck into her contract that undermined the creative decisions they had previously agreed on. As a result Travers refused to let any of her future books be adapted. In fact, Travers was so offended by the way that Disney treated her book that when asked for the rights to make Mary Poppins a West End musical she agreed only on the condition that no Americans were to take part in the production of it.

The sugar-coated, 'happily-ever-after', 'Disney-is-such-a-great-guy' element was a little too sickly and forced when you are aware of  the reality behind the film, but as a work of fiction, and if you allow yourself to let go of the reality and maintain an element of ignorance, the ending was incredibly powerful and when I left the cinema I felt slightly dazed by the emotional roller-coaster that I had experienced as a result of the flashbacks and Travers' fictitious yet heart-breaking reaction to the final film.

All in all, Saving Mr. Banks is a charming and heart-warming film - powerful performances and an intriguing plot make it an interesting and captivating watch. I do recommend seeing it but be sure to take what you see with a pinch of salt instead of a spoonful of sugar and remember that although he is undeniable the incredibly creative man behind most of our childhoods, Walt Disney wasn't truly the 'all-round good guy' as so desperately put across in this film.

★★★★☆

Saving Mr. Banks is out nationwide from the 29th of November

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Love,

5 Films To Watch This Halloween!

I love Halloween. I mean, carving a pumpkin is fun and who can turn down the big bowl of sweets (for the trick-or-treaters of course)? But the best part of Halloween, for me at least, is that it offers the perfect excuse to put on your jammies, draw the curtains and snuggle down with some Halloween-appropriate movies.

My dilemma with Halloween is that you're supposed to get scared, right? You're supposed to watch horror movies aren't you? This can be a difficult feat when, like me, horror films simply do not scare you and as a result you feel a bit... Cheated. Well, classic Halloween films come in all shapes and sizes so never fear - here are the top 5 Halloween classics that you can enjoy even if you are not left quaking in your boots!

5. The Exorcist (1973)

Erm, okay - perhaps this one does teeter into the 'horror' aspect of Halloween but a film made 40 years ago really isn't all that scary, is it? It is however a classic and a film that should be watched and appreciated in all of it's gory glory. The Exorcist is about a little girl called Regan who is possessed by a mysterious demon and two priests must do anything that it takes in order to save her life; 360 head spins and green vomit ensues. The Exorcist is probably the number one film when it comes to 'classic horror'; a film that encompasses the traditional meaning of Halloween through the use of demons and the supernatural rather than human psychopaths. It caused quite a stir upon release in the 1970s with some cinemas even handing out special 'barf bags' at screenings because the film was considered so gruesome. Compared to the types of films we are exposed to in this day and age (without complimentary sick bags!), The Exorcist is actually pretty tame but still a great film and always worth watching.

4. The Omen (1976)Obviously the classic horror film production was at its peak in the 1970s - what else could explain another great horror film being released in the same decade? As if Rosemary's Baby (1968) didn't do enough to scare off horror film fanatics from having kids, in The Omen we are introduced to Damian - a seemingly innocent child of a wealthy couple who actually turns out to be the Antichrist. Literally, the Antichrist. It is a fascinating story with somewhat surprising albeit ridiculous twists and turns which makes it an encapsulating watch. Do not confuse this movie with the subpar 2006 remake starring Julia Stiles, if you are going to watch The Omen make sure you do it properly and watch the original!

3. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Okay, I have a confession to make: I don't actually... technically... really... like this film? I have tried really hard to make myself like it by watching it every year but there's something about it that I just can't enjoy. Why is it on the list then? Well, i'm a huge Christmas lover. Absolutely anything to do with Christmas I will watch and Jack Skellington stumbling across ChristmasTown and trying to bring Christmas to HalloweenTown thus hybridizing the two holidays and making it socially acceptable to watch a film with Christmas themes in October will always be something that I applaud. Also, I love the song 'What's This?'

2. Donnie Darko (2001)

If you haven't already seen this film, maybe have it as one of the first films you watch in your Halloween Movie Marathon - one where your brain hasn't started to turn to mush and you actually can pay attention to the story because if you don't you might find yourself getting a bit lost. Donnie Darko is a troubled teenager who narrowly avoids death in a freak accident, however, he soon becomes plagued by visions of a giant rabbit who manipulates him into committing a series of crimes. I think the reason this film feels especially Halloween-y (you know, aside from the giant bunnys and weird crimes) is simply because it is set around the time of Halloween. It is a great film though with an incredible story that will leave you thinking...

1. Hocus Pocus (1993)

No other film in the history of cinema quite encapsulates the essence of Halloween as much as Hocus Pocus. A childhood classic that will never get old, Hocus Pocus tells the story of the Sanderson sisters who are brought back to life after being executed 300 years ago. In order to stay young the sisters must kill the town's children and it is down to teenager Max to save the day. This film really does have everything: a talking cat, catchy musical numbers and witty one-liners, it is suitable for the whole family and if it isn't already part of your Halloween rituals you should make it into one - stat!

What films would you recommend for Halloween viewing?

Let me know!

Love,

ROMEO & JULIET

Needless to say, this 2013 remake of Romeo & Juliet was not high on my list of 'must-see' films, in fact I had scarcely even heard of it and its forgettable trailer and z-list cast made me wonder exactly what I was letting myself in for when I went along to the cinema on Tuesday night.

Directed by Carlo Carlei, this film is simply yet another rework of Shakespeare's classic play about two star-crossed lovers Romeo & Juliet. In case you live under a rock, a brief summary of the plot: Romeo (Douglas Booth) and Juliet (Hailee Steinfield) are on opposing sides of a long-standing feud between two families. However, when they meet at a masquerade ball they immediately fall in love and marry in secret - however, tragedy soon ensues.

Carlei can not compete with the 1996 masterpiece

The story has been made into film countless times - from the traditional to the animated to the outrageous but perhaps the most prominent interpretation comes from the Baz Luhrmann's 1996 masterpiece Romeo + Juliet, starring Leonardo Dicaprio. Unsurprisingly, Carlei's version doesn't even come close to the levels of Luhrmann's brilliance.

I suppose the most important point to mention is that Carlei has stuck to the more traditional depiction of the story. There are sword fights, they are in 'fair Verona', there are no fights at petrol stations nor any murder on the beach. One criticism that I can't understand is that it 'bastardizes Shakespeare' - this film holds the closest imitation of the actual play from any of the films that were made this side of the 1970s (sadly the 'Do you bite your thumb at me, sir?' debate was mercilessly cut), although the 1996 version is the stronger film by miles, if either of the two were to be accused of bastardizing Shakespeare, I would have thought it'd be the that one.

Despite sticking to the language of the play and paying homage to traditional Shakespeare, the incredibly weak cast are the huge downfall of this film. Reminiscent of a bad school play, it was clear that much of the cast - namely Hailee Steinfield who was unfortunately one of the leads - simply memorized their lines but didn't bother to look into the meaning of the words. It was obvious that they did not understand this old English language of which they were speaking and it made for awkward, emotionless and confused dialogue being recited in a way that can only be described as cringe-inducing.

Surprisingly, aside from our Juliet, the most painful performance came from Damian Lewis who floundered as Juliet's dad. A performance so bad that it actually defied belief as he over-acted his way through the two-hour film, trumping any other bad performance within the film almost as though the actors were secretly in competition for the title of Worst Actor.

Most of the cast seemed to be competing for the title of 'Worst Actor'

The only shred of acting capability came from Douglas Booth as Romeo. Still not the strongest of performances and he definitely doesn't have the charm and loveability that DiCaprio brought to the character in 1996, but he at least appeared to understand the lines that he was reciting and he managed to have a slither of believable passion as a character, which is more than can be said for anybody else.

Let's be honest, the film was clearly on a tight budget - this was proven by the fact you could see the actor's breath as they spoke throughout most of the indoors scenes as they were clearly freezing on set -, the cast were amateurish and the entire thing felt a bit clunky and awkward. However, it was still watchable and I have to say I have certainly seen much worse films this year. As a traditional re-telling of the classic play, it is a good adaptation; it sticks to the original script and transports you back to the time of which it was set. It is just a shame that the cast made this feel more like an awkward High School play than one of the most renowned pieces of fiction  to exist.

All in all I award Romeo & Juliet: ★✯☆☆☆

Stay tuned for more reviews and follow me on twitter if you fancy it :)

Love,

CAPTAIN PHILLIPS

Captain Phillips had everything against it when I went to the screening last night. A serious case of travel sickness en route to the cinema (which is weird as in my day-to-day life I get 2 buses, 2 trains & 4 tubes a day so no idea why travel sickness decided to rear it's ugly head last night), made for unpleasant viewing at the best of times but combined with the only available seats being far too close to the huge cinema screen for a film that is mostly close ups and shaky camerawork meant that I spent 95% of the film staring at the floor, sipping water and trying not to be sick. Why didn't I just leave the screening you ask? Well, the answer is simple: because Captain Phillips is bloody brilliant.

Captain Phillips tells the true life story of... Captain Phillips, as played by Tom Hanks, who was on the US-flagged cargo ship along the coasts of Africa when it was hijacked by Somali pirates. Phillips saved his crew in an incredible display of bravery before being kidnapped and held for ransom.

The story alone is an intense and action-packed roller-coaster ride; from the moment the Somali's are spotted on the ship's radar there is a pulse-pounding threat of doom and although you know that they will board the ship you can't help but hope that the ship and all of the crew will get away safely. Hanks embodies Phillips flawlessly in an incredible performance that makes it impossible for the audience not to immediately feel compassion and empathy for his character. Phillips' desperate and quick-thinking acts are ultimately what saves the crew's lives and you can't help but be in awe as the character puts on a brave and almost friendly/buddy-like facade to the pirates in an attempt to negotiate his way to safety whilst clearly masking the fear and panic that is consuming him. It is fascinating to watch Phillips attempt calmness as he guides the pirates around the ship whilst simultaneously taking the measures necessary to help the hiding crew.

The drama really begins to unfold when the pirates kidnap Phillips, an unexpected change of scenery refreshes the look of the film and keeps the tension high. As proven with director Paul Greengrass' other films (most notably United 93), he is incredibly good at showcasing the claustrophobic and trapped feeling of his protagonists and although the amount of extreme close ups combined with the shaky 'at sea' camera shots did nothing for my sickness, it aided the film's storytelling as you really felt that you were trapped in there with Phillips and that your life was also at risk which only served to heighten the overall effect of the film.

As mentioned, Tom Hanks gave a stand-out performance; he encompassed the fear, confusion, anxiety and panic that you would feel in that situation and the way he was constantly concerned for his family was heartbreaking. However, Barkhad Abi gave an equally strong performance as leader of the Somali pirates Muse. It would have been easy for Greengrass to keep the enemies as bland and impersonal, just faceless tyrants with no story or background. Instead, and thankfully, each of the pirates are given their own personality, their relationships with eachother are clear and only add to the horror on board the ship as it becomes more and more blatant that they aren't entirely sure of what they are supposed to be doing.. And their individual personalities makes them seem more human which consequently makes the concept all the more scary. They are just normal humans with families and worries of their own; not rare or special violent super villains - they are real. Barkhad Abi really shone, even when sharing a scene with acting legend Tom Hanks, and that is an impressive feat and it was his performance that made the panic and sense of unwinding chaos all the more prominent.

Captain Phillips is a great portrayal of an absolutely terrifying real life ordeal, the strong performances and clever direction do the story justice and consequently blend together to make one of the biggest must-see films of 2013.

All in all I give Captain Phillips ★★★★☆

Captain Phillips is in cinemas nationwide from Friday the 18th October!

Stay tuned for more reviews and follow me on twitter if you like!

Love,