12 YEARS A SLAVE

Hype engulfed 12 Years A Slave ever since it was announced that the unjust true story of Solomon Northup was going to finally be told on the big screen. Before the film was even released it was expected to clean up at the Oscars and has since been nominated for 9 of the prestigious Academy Awards. Despite there being a fair few films depicting slavery in America, one of the most recent being Tarantino's 2013 Django Unchained, 12 Years A Slave is actually the first to explore slavery purely from the slave's point of view.

In case you don't already know, 12 Years A Slave is based on the memoir of Solomon Northup (Played by Chiwetel Ejiofor), a free black man living in pre-Civil War America who is kidnapped and sold into slavery. For 12 long years Solomon experiences both heinous cruelty and unexpected kindness from his masters but it isn't until a chance meeting with a Canadian abolitionist (Brad Pitt) that he finally gets a chance at being free again.

According to critics, 12 Years A Slave lived up to its pre-release hype. The story alone fascinated me but the raving reviews that I was consistently hearing made me even more excited to see this masterpiece for myself but I am disappointed to say that it just didn't live up to my expectations.

Director Steve McQueen is famed for his lingering shots and needlessly long scenes, a trademark of which this film is not exempt. Although for some scenes I understood the length of the shots - the abuse and torture Solomon faced at the hands of his captors was a particularly lengthy, graphic scene that forced the audience to sit and watch - making you feel voyeuristic and helpless. McQueen does not sugarcoat the abuse that the slaves faced, and rightly so - although incredibly disturbing to watch I believe that audiences should not be allowed to forget or gloss over our World's history, no matter how horrific it may be. However, other long scenes just seemed gratuitous to me - the extra minute or so in length did not add to the story or to the emotional impact on the audience, the camera just lingered meaninglessly on extreme close ups of the characters or needless, scene-setting longshots. The extensive amount of long scenes grew tiresome and made the film itself feel much longer than the 134-minute run time.

However, the biggest issue that I had with 12 Years A Slave is the lack of a time frame; throughout the film there is absolutely no reference or even indication to how much time is passing for Solomon. Obviously I was aware through the film's title that in total he spent 12 years as a slave but if it wasn't for that title and was instead purely down to the film's contents, I would probably have only guessed that he was kept for two or so years before he found justice. Aside from a few specks of grey appearing in Solomon's hair in the very final scenes, he doesn't look any older throughout the film. None of the characters seem to age at all. There is no hint of seasons changing, let alone the years and I thought it was lazy for McQueen to allow the film's title and well-known backstory to carry what is ultimately the crux of the film. The fact that Solomon was essentially held prisoner and away from his family for 12 years is what makes his story all the more harrowing and by removing all traces of passing time I actually feel McQueen did not do Solomon's plight justice. When you consider how much time was devoted to unnecessary lengthy scenes, you would have thought McQueen could have found the opportunity to put in some kind of indication as to how much time had passed. In comparison to fellow January release Mandela: A Long Walk To Freedom, a film which never left any doubt in my mind as to how much time was passing either through the seasons, dialogue, captions or even just the change in the characters physical appearances, 12 Years A Slave is shambolic.

McQueen's shoddy direction aside, I did feel that the performances were strong. I'm not usually a fan of Benedict Cumberbatch but he gave a heart-warming, complex and emotional performance as Solomon's first master, Ford, and Michael Fassbender personified the evil Edwin Epps with harrowing precision. Cumberbatch and Fassbender's performances gave the film the edge that it needed to maintain my attention and the contrast between the two men was astounding and incredibly well done. Of course, it is undeniable that the performance that stole the show was our leading man, Chiwetel Ejiofor; a powerful performance that carried the film as Ejiofor skilfully conveyed the heartache and sorrow that Solomon felt but also, and most poignantly, his desperation to not only survive but to maintain his dignity whilst doing so. 

All in all, 12 Years A Slave is a brutal and honest depiction of the horrors of slavery in America. Solomon Northup's story is disturbing but was crying out to be shared and I applaud McQueen for bringing a story that would otherwise have remained relatively unknown to the forefront of public interest. However, for me McQueen's direction was the downfall of this film - the long shots and lack of a time scale made it boring at times and by failing to get across the length of time that Solomon was suffering at the hands of Edwin Epp, to me at least, he failed to bring Solomon justice. Were the performances good? Absolutely, and Ejiofor is especially deserving of all of the hype that is surrounding his role in the film. However, is 12 Years A  Slave the best film of the year? Absolutely not. And that is not something I expected or wanted to be concluding with.

★★★☆☆

12 Years A Slave is out now! 

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

Love,

THE WOLF OF WALL STREET

Me on The Wolf of Wall Street red carpet

The Wolf of Wall Street was without a doubt my most anticipated film of 2014, and as a life-long fan of Leonardo DiCaprio you can only imagine how thrilled I was to attend the London premiere for the film last night! Although unfortunately director Martin Scorsese wasn't in attendance at the premiere, nor did my luck extend to actually meeting the God that is Leonardo DiCaprio, I had a brilliant time and couldn't believe that one of the biggest stars on the planet, one of my idols, was stood just a mere two feet away from me.

On top of all of the excitement of the night, I am pleased to say that The Wolf Of Wall Street lived up to my expectations and then some as Scorsese and DiCaprio united for the fifth time to make yet another cinematic masterpiece.

Based on the true story of Jordan Belfort (DiCaprio), The Wolf of Wall Street documents Belfort's corrupt rise to a multi-millionaire stockbroker who lives a life of sex, drugs and excess. By 1998 the FBI are on Belfort's case with suspicions of security fraud and money laundering, which leads the film to a climactic and unpredictable conclusion.

Leo & Margot introducing the film at the premiere

At three-hours long, The Wolf of Wall Street managed to hold the same high-quality throughout with powerhouse performances, great direction and an intense and entertaining narrative, all cleverly matched with comedic undertones that made the 180 minute run time fly by. Every scene is fast-paced and exhilarating to watch and the audience are not given the opportunity to get bored or lose interest in the story as just when you think that it might be starting to die down, Scorsese throws in another curveball; be it an unexpected scene of DiCaprio writhing around on the floor, off his face on drugs, or a sudden party with booming music and such extravagance and shenanigans it would put Gatsby to shame. 

All in all, the film is a steady flow of entertainment and shock tactics as Scorsese steps out of his comfort zone to make a film almost incomparable to his other major crime movies through the heavy use of black comedy and glossy cinematography; making The Wolf of Wall Street shiny and artificial-looking, miles away from Scorsese's usual gritty thrillers but appropriately reminiscent of Belfort's lifestyle. 

Leonardo DiCaprio gives another winning performance

Unsurprisingly, Leonardo DiCaprio gives yet another show-stopping performance as the corrupt, anti-hero Jordan Belfort and proves that over years in the industry he hasn't lost his sense of humour as he delivers some brilliantly hilarious scenes, which you can just tell were performed with good banter and Leo's tongue firmly in his cheek. DiCaprio's voiceover carries the film as it keeps the audience up to speed with what is going on and even though you may know absolutely nothing about stocks or Wall Street, the voiceover cleverly tells you just enough for you to understand the criminal activity that is making them so rich, without being patronizing or taking up too much time.

Despite DiCaprio's powerhouse performance, the relatively humble supporting cast held their own and were just as fascinating to watch as the leading man. Shunning the possibility of fading into the background against a Hollywood superstar, Margot Robbie, who played Belfort's long-suffering wife Naomi, Jonah Hill, playing Belfort's best friend Donnie, and the rest of Belfort's various friends, foes and accomplices helped bring The Wolf of Wall Street to another level of entertainment. The entire cast had a great connection which showed through their on-screen rapport as the expletive-ridden dialogue bounced between the characters as though they weren't actors portraying a character but old friends for whom the conversation came naturally and realistically.

My only criticism of The Wolf of Wall Street comes with the film's very final moments. The few scenes prior are a pulse-pounding mix of violent, domestic disputes, suspenseful 'will-he-won't-he' interrogations and a wicked turn of events which all feels like it is leading up to a mind-blowing climax that in fact turns out to be a little bit underwhelming. Being based on a true story leaves Scorsese relatively powerless when it comes to how Jordan Belfort's story ends, however, the ending felt a little bit sudden and left me wanting more. A want that was only intensified when the film's credits started rolling without any of your closed-caption summaries of what became of Belfort and the rest of the characters that are typical (and expected) of film's that are based on true life stories.

All in all, The Wolf of Wall Street is an exciting, entertaining and exhilarating watch. A three-hour action-fest that is full of excessive lifestyles, great performances and big laughs, ensuring that Scorsese and DiCaprio are back exactly where they belong: firmly at the top of the game.

★★★★✯

The Wolf of Wall Street is out nationwide from 17th January!

Stay tuned for reviews and follow me on twitter if you fancy it!

Related Article: The 5 Oscars Leonardo DiCaprio Should Have Won By Now

Love,

I may not have met Leo, but here is me walking past him on the BBC News!

The 5 Oscars Leonardo DiCaprio Should Have Won By Now

One of many Internet memes

Leonardo DiCaprio is one of this generation's most respectable actors. Having worked in Hollywood since he was a teenager, he made himself a household name after playing Jack Dawson in the 1997 blockbuster Titanic.

However, after nearly 25 years in the industry where he has played everybody from King Louis XIV to Jay Gatsby, from the mentally ill to a teen heartthrob, from a drug addict to President Hoover... DiCaprio is yet to get his hands on a prestigious Oscar.

As the unofficial eighth wonder of the world, DiCaprio's struggle for his talent to be acknowledged by the Academy has become somewhat of a novelty over time, with many a hilarious meme being made to document his strife.

With the 86th Academy Awards looming, I take a look back at the five Oscars Leonardo DiCaprio should have won by now.

(Warning: Some of the clips may contain spoilers!)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: as Arnie Grape in What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)
Yes, DiCaprio's Oscar's Award Cabinet should have received it's first addition in 1994. That is twenty years ago! Leonardo DiCaprio's performance as Gilbert Grape's mentally handicapped brother was astounding, with many originally believing that the young actor genuinely had a mental disability. Although DiCaprio was nominated for Best Supporting Actor, forming the film's sole nomination at the Oscars, he lost out to Tommy Lee Jones in The Fugitive - thus beginning a long and unjust relationship between Leonardo DiCaprio and the Academy.


                                       

BEST ACTOR: as Jim Carroll in The Basketball Diaries (1995)Fast-forward a mere two years and once again DiCaprio has given another Oscar-worthy performance. This time in The Basketball Diaries, a true life story of Jim Carroll, an unbeatable High School basketball star who falls into the harrowing world of drug addiction. Aged just nineteen, DiCaprio gives a powerful and hard-hitting performance in his first major lead. Unbelievably, the brilliant film was snubbed by the Oscars in it's entirety and didn't receive a single nomination. Nicolas Cage won the Best Actor award for his role in Leaving Las Vegas but I maintain that DiCaprio's performance in The Basketball Diaries was better than that of Cage and all the other nominee's performances put together. (Too much?)

 BEST ACTOR: as Howard Hughes in The Aviator (2004)

I am being ruthless here because if I were in charge of dishing out the Oscars I would have given old Leo one for every film he has ever made, however, it is undeniable that he should have won Best Actor for his portrayal of Howard Hughes in the Martin Scorsese biopic The Aviator. Howard Hughes suffered terribly with OCD and DiCaprio gives a sensitive albeit brutally realistic performance displaying these signs - initially starting with minor things, such as the size of his peas, and ultimately leading to the above scene. The film itself won five Oscars, but sadly none of them went to Leo, who was at the very least nominated for the coveted Oscar but lost out to Jamie Foxx for his performance in Ray Charles. Booooo!

BEST ACTOR: as Danny Archer in Blood Diamond (2006)

Ah, in this alternate reality DiCaprio's awards cabinet would be straining under the weight of all those Oscars by now! Two years after The Aviator he took on the role of a corrupt diamond smuggler Danny Archer, but most importantly he took on the notoriously difficult South African accent and won! The accent was the only thing he won though as yet again Leo's efforts got him nominated in the 79th Academy Awards but.... Well, you know how it goes by now. Forest Whitaker took home the golden statuette for his role in The Last King of Scotland, which is a good film but come on, poor Leo just can't catch a break!

 BEST ACTOR: as Frank Wheeler in Revolutionary Road (2008)
Last but certainly not least on the list is the outstanding reunion of Leo & Kate in this emotional, high-tension drama Revolutionary Road. The two actors carry the film with ease in this fairly simple story of a young couple who are coming to terms with their personal problems whilst raising two children. The beauty of this film is that nothing spectacular happens in the actual story - there are no explosions or fancy effects, there aren't massive twists and turns - it is just the very organic and raw story of a couple who have fallen out of love with each other and Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio's performances, as demonstrated above, are stronger than ever. Revolutionary Road was nominated for three Oscars in total, but surprise surprise Leo was snubbed and didn't even receive a Best Actor nomination (the award for which went to Sean Penn in Milk). Winslet was also snubbed and was equally deserving for Academy recognition for her role as April Wheeler, but as she actually won the Best Actress Oscar for her role in The Reader this same year, I guess we can't be too picky!


So there we have it: five great films.
Five great performances.
One great actor
and zero Oscars.

And now, with Leonardo Dicaprio's newest film The Wolf of Wall Street due for release later this month, there are whispers that perhaps 2014 will be his year; could his 35th film be ~the one~?

Well... It is nice to hope but let's be frank, with his track record and all of the phenomenal performances that have already been snubbed it looks like our Leo  might not ever get his hands on one of those prestigious gold statues, but don't worry Leo - you will always be an Oscar winner to me </3

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,

My 10 (and a half) Best Films of 2013

As 2013 comes to an end it is time to reflect on the greatest films we have been treated to over the last year!

So, in no particular order, here are my 10 (and a half) favourite UK releases of 2013!

1. Les Miserables
It's hard to believe that it has been less than a year since Hugh Jackman pranced across the big screen singing about how he stole a loaf of bread. One of the first big films of the year, the movie adaptation of the world's best-loved musical did not disappoint; Russell Crowe's dodgy vocals aside, the talented all-star cast definitely made this film an instant classic!

2. Wreck-It Ralph
Despicable What? Monster's Universi-Who? 2013 was all about one animated hero, and he came in the form of Ralph - the misunderstood video game villain who dreamed of being a hero. Voiced by Mr. Cellophane himself, John C. Reilly, and with Sarah Silverman bringing the laughs as cutesie glitch Vanellope, Wreck-It Ralph was the perfect combination of humour, narrative and heart - putting the sequels to established classics Despicable Me and Monsters University to shame.

3. The Great Gatsby
A debatable choice as it is no secret that this adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic book received largely mixed reviews. However, Baz Luhrmann, Leonardo Dicaprio and Carey Mulligan are three of my favourite people in the industry. Throw in an incredible soundtrack, all of the beautiful 1920s fashion and of course those parties and there is very little that can go wrong in my mind!

4. Behind The Candelabra 
Around the time of this movie's release you couldn't walk for two seconds through the London underground without seeing yet another poster advertising the outrageous, sordid and unbelievable true story of history's greatest entertainer: Liberace. A vastly entertaining watch with perhaps the best performance of Michael Douglas' career to date; it is a huge shame that Hollywood refused to back this film stateside, meaning that it will inevitably be snubbed by the Oscars, because Douglas is truly deserving of, at the very least, a Best Actor nomination!

5. This Is The End
No doubt one of the stupidest movie releases of the year but what can I say, I just loved it. This Is The End exceeded my expectations and then some in providing laugh-a-minute comedy with a brilliantly, self-aware cast. There is absolutely no doubt that this is the funniest film of 2013!

6. The Conjuring
The first horror film in my 22 years of life that actually scared me, so for that reason (and because I don't want to be haunted for not including it on my list) it deserves a mention. Very creepy.

7. Captain Phillips

Yet another true life story with yet another Oscar-worthy performance, this time in the form of Tom Hanks as Captain Phillips. Arguably the most tense film of 2013 as I was on the edge of my seat throughout - nobody does it quite like Mr. Hanks...

8. Saving Mr. Banks

...Which can be proven by his second inclusion on the list, this time alongside the brilliant Emma Thompson in the emotionally-charged, fascinating and entertaining tale of how Mary Poppins came to be. Although tainted with a few little white lies incorporated to make Walt Disney look good, this was an enchanting film that had me on an emotional rollarcoaster of tears and laughter throughout. Plus, I just really love the movie poster.

9. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Due for release on Boxing Day, this is just the feel-good, heartwarming film that we need to round off 2013. Although by no means an instant classic or a cinematic masterpiece, TSLOWM is laugh-out-loud funny whilst harbouring an interesting and thought-provoking message. The beautiful cinematography and great performances make the somewhat predictive narrative forgivable, this will be the perfect movie to remedy those post-Christmas blues!

10. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

A long overdue arrival to The Hunger Games fandom led to a late addition to my top films of 2013. Having finally read the books and been left unspeakably disappointed by the first Hunger Games film, I caught one of the last screenings of Catching Fire earlier this week. It more than makes up for the monstrosity that is the first film as it truly captures the tone of the books in this heart-wrenching and epic power-struggle between the people of the Districts and the evil President Snow. One of the most loyal film adaptations I have ever seen, every significant moment of the book is pin-pointed and presented to perfection. Catching Fire has everything that makes a great film -heartbreaking emotion (One word: RUE!), high-tension action sequences, beautiful cinematography, great characters and stellar performances. I only hope that Mockingjay follows in this film's footsteps and we can all just pretend the first one never happened.



1/2. The Call
Not worthy of the full glory that other films received but I can't make this post without a special mention to the first half of The Call. A film whose second half would make my 'Worst Films of 2013' list as it ruined a brilliant, fast-paced, intense and emotional hour of genius with perhaps one of the stupidest and most unforgivable endings in cinematic history. It has been months since I watched the film and I am still upset that such incredible potential was let down in this way; had the rest of the film been as good as the first half, The Call would have been in my top films list for sure. Instead, it is definitely number one for disappointment of the year!

Well, there's my round up of the best 10 and a half films of 2013!! Keep an eye on my blog for my next article with the ones to watch for 2014!!

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

Love,

THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY

Billed as this generation’s Forrest Gump, Ben Stiller stars in and directs The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.

Walter Mitty (Stiller) is an unremarkable man who frequently finds himself day dreaming about a life much more exciting than the one he is living. When he gets a new boss (Adam Scott) and his job is threatened, Mitty is spurned into taking action in the real world – leading to adventures more extraordinary and invigorating than he could have ever dreamed of.

Walter Mitty is a likeable enough character, the film opens with him meekly attempting to send a ‘wink’ to his love-interest and colleague’s (Kristen Wiig) e-harmony account before realizing that his profile, void of any interesting or exciting stories about his life, is too empty to classify. We then follow him to his place of work, Life Magazine, where he is ridiculed and belittled by the hotshot, new boss before resigning to his desk to develop the photo that will make up the front cover of the final edition of the magazine only to find that it is missing.

Walter Mitty 'in the zone'

All in all, it is hard not to feel for the guy. Seemingly so resigned to his unremarkable life that he frequently zones out into vivid daydreams where he is the confident hero that saves the World instead of humdrum Walter Mitty.

These daydreams were a concern at first – initially they are entertaining and provide a real insight into Mitty’s character, but they became more and more frequent as the film went on and started to get tiresome and disrupt the flow of the film. However, once Mitty’s real-life adventure begins after about half an hour or so, the daydreams cease almost entirely making the film a lot smoother and allowing you to relax into the story.

Mitty’s search for the missing photograph takes him on a whirlwind adventure around the world – as far-fetched as they come he is soon climbing mountains, escaping erupting volcanoes and even survives a shark attack. However, all of this is done in the midst of visually beautiful scenery, creatively utilized in unique and clever ways to give that film a little something extra, and subtle but great comedic moments that make the 2-hour run time pass with ease.

Walter Mitty’s growing confidence as the film progresses makes for a really fulfilling watch as Ben Stiller effortlessly leads the film. His relationship with Cheryl (Wiig) develops in a sweet and endearing way but the love story is in no way the focal point of the film. It is more a journey of Mitty’s personal development and self-discovery as he goes from having nothing interesting to say about himself to having more stories than he could ever need to verify an online dating account!

He ends up having some incredible adventures!

The film is incredibly feel-good with humorous undertones and an undeniably heartwarming conclusion that will have you leave the cinema with a warm and fuzzy feeling.

However, at times it was quite predictable, the whereabouts of the missing photo was almost overwhelmingly obvious for example, and although it was an enjoyable and upbeat film it definitely isn’t even in the same league as the likes of Forrest Gump and Life of Pi or any other inspirational classic you may have heard it be compared to.

Despite not being as strong as the comparisons, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty  is undeniably enjoyable and heartwarming. If you are willing to suspend your disbelief ever so slightly then you will be in for a real treat this festive season!

★★★★☆

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (PG) is out nationwide from Boxing Day!

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

Love,

ANCHORMAN 2

First of all I should admit that I am really not an Anchorman fan. I just find the entire film stupid nonsense  - and not the funny kind. For me, the success of Anchorman is one of the many great wonders of the movie world, way up there with the likes of how has Leonardo DiCaprio not won an Oscar yet and why did everyone go so crazy for Silver Linings Playbook? In short, me reviewing Anchorman 2 is like getting a heavy metal fan to review a Justin Bieber album - I am not the film's target audience so I probably can't speak for the majority, nevertheless, here is what I made of it.

Anchorman 2 follows in the same vein as the original. We re-join the character of Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell) in the 1980s, he and his now-wife Veronica (Christina Applegate) are a successful news team partnership and they have a young son together. However, following Veronica’s promotion the couple split up and Ron is approached by GNN to anchor part of a revolutionary 24 hour news channel with the help of his old friends from San Diego Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd), Brick Tamland (Steve Carell), and Champ Kind (David Koechner).

The gags are just as stupid as they are in the original Anchorman

In comparison to the first film, the storyline is much stronger; it is fresh with much more depth and the narrative has many different layers –Ron’s relationship with his estranged wife, the desperate bid to get ratings on GNN, and competition with other news anchors alongside a romantic subplot for everybody’s favourite dunce, Brick, are all prominent themes throughout. 

However, some of the characters feel a bit stale and aren't included as much as they should have been. Similarly to The Hangover franchise's Alan-centric third film, Anchorman 2 has seen who the favourite characters are and rely heavily on them to bring the laughs to the point of exhaustion. Brick and Ron were the two favourites from the original film and as a result it seems as though director Adam McKay couldn’t be bothered with Rudd and Koechner’s characters, meaning that much of the time Brick is massively overexposed and they are awkward spare parts on the sidelines - much to the film’s detriment.

Brick and Ron are great sources of comedy, if you like that kind of thing, but Brian Fantana was especially brilliant for comedic timing and together with Champ Kind they delivered a more understated level of humour which is sorely missed in the sequel. When Anchorman 2 started the laughs from the audience were coming thick and fast but after 90 minutes of Brick being simple-minded and Ron being casually sexist and racist the laughs massively faltered and it was easy to see that the audience were getting restless without Brian and Champ being utilised to balance the humour out.

A rare moment of comedy

A refreshing lift to the stagnating characters and perhaps one of the film's saving graces comes from the star-studded list of cameo appearances. Alongside the endless stream of gags and chaos, casual prejudice and tasteless jokes familiar faces from Kanye West to Jim Carrey are cropping up – almost turning the film into a game of ‘spot the celebrity’. It seems as though everybody wanted a brief slice of the action, and with the original film’s unwavering popularity, who could blame them for wanting their face in the sequel?

All in all, the Anchorman humour is most definitely not for everyone. However, as somebody who found the original almost painful to watch this sequel is a vast improvement. There are a few universal moments of brilliance, such as the four men smoking crack live on air, but there are also painfully awkward moments that are gratuitous and fall flat, see Ron Burgundy's meal with his black girlfriend's family where he tries to 'speak black' and insults the entire African-American community. 

If you aren't a fan of the original then avoid this one at all costs as there really isn't much for you here.  The humour is just as silly and patronising and at an extra 30 minutes longer than the original it starts to drag and the characters become overbearing. At the end of the day the Anchorman franchise will never be the making of a cinematic masterpiece,  but it knows its audience and panders to their tastes - no matter what the critics may think, fans will love it and that is all that really matters!

★★☆☆☆

Anchorman 2 is released nationwide on the 18th of December 2013!

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Love,