STARRED UP

Jack O'Connell (aka Cook from Skins) stars as Eric, a violent and troubled young offender who gets transferred to an adult prison where he meets his match - his father.

Starred Up is a gritty, raw and brutally honest prison drama that manages to achieve levels of integrity that some of the glitzier blockbusters could only ever dream of. Although relatively sparse when it comes to dialogue, the story of Eric and his fellow inmates comes across perfectly in scenes that feel so real it is almost as though you are watching a documentary.

We first meet Eric as he arrives at the prison; he has been moved from the young offenders institute due to violent, aggressive behaviour and poses a high risk to society. His dad is already an established and influential inmate at the prison and the animosity between the two men is clear from the offset. However, after Eric lashes out and wreaks havoc on his wing the corrupt prison guards call in his dad to get Eric under control and for him to attend therapeutic anger management sessions with some other violent prisoners.

It is in these group sessions that we gradually get a chance to see the true Eric; O'Connell does a fantastic job at giving his character the layers and complexity required for the audience to understand that he is deeply troubled and the supporting cast in the therapy sessions have a great rapport making the scenes appear authentic and believable with natural character development.

Starred Up is unpredictable yet realistic throughout; shying away from Hollywood cliches and whitewashing, the film gives a ruthless and human depiction of prison life and refuses to succumb to cinematic ideals as it concludes with a far-from-happy ending that only aids the documentary-esque feel that it has throughout.

With such little dialogue, the film is heavily dependent on performance talent and Jack O'Connell shines as he carries the film with ease. Despite being such a brutal character, it is impossible not to warm to Eric as the film goes on thanks to O'Connell's understated and emotional performance, making him an anti-hero in the truest sense of the word.

Despite the stunning performances the film does have quite a slow pace to it. The tension throughout is high

and there is always an element of intrigue as you can not predict what will happen next, however, the lack of script could be alienating for some viewers. It is by no means the same as other British dramas such as This is England or Kidulthood; Starred Up has its own thing going on and although it does take a little while longer than usual to get into the film and connect with the characters, the slow pace works incredibly well and captures the true essence and overall point of the film.

All in all, Starred Up is a raw and honest grit flick filled to the brim with top notch performances from some of Britain's finest actors, with Jack O'Connell giving the performance of his career to date.

★★★★☆

Starred Up is in cinemas nationwide from the 21st of March!

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

Love,

LABOR DAY

Labor Day tells the story of Adele (Kate Winslet) a depressed single mum who is riddled with anxiety following her divorce from son, Henry's (Gattlin Griffith), father. On the Friday of Labor Day weekend (an international US holiday for all us non-American folk), escaped convict Frank (Josh Brolin) leaves Adele with no option but to let him hide from the police in her home. However, over the weekend both Adele and Henry realise that there is more to Frank than meets the eye.

The film is beautifully shot and, as you would expect from Kate Winslet, wonderfully acted. Winslet plays troubled Adele with empathy and raw emotion, meaning that even though her anxiety has left her a woman of few words, you still feel like you have got a deep understanding of the character. Gattlin Griffith also gives a strong performance as 13-year-old Henry, and being set in 1987 ensured that the film had a pretty, nostalgic vibe throughout.

However, despite the performances and technicalities of the film being faultless, the narrative is simply not

Such a dreamboat.

strong enough to make a fully enjoyable story, and in comparison to Winslet's well-rounded portrayal of Adele, Brolin's 'lovable rouge' character, Frank, felt lazy and saturated with cliches. Frank has escaped from prison where he was serving time for murder, as the film progresses we come to see that there was more to the crime than police would have you believe and the constant flashes of the press reinforcing that a dangerous man is on the run serves as a reinforcement of the contrast between the real Frank and prison inmate Frank.

To be quite frank about Frank, this is a story that has been done a thousand times before, and Labor Day adds nothing original or refreshing to the 'misunderstood tough guy' character, in fact, it is all so stereotypical that Frank becomes somewhat of a caricature. This fugitive that near enough forced his way into Adele and Henry's home is all of a sudden the most perfect man to exist; despite the news stories and other characters in the film harping on about how awful and dangerous he is, we see him teaching Henry how to play baseball, he helps Adele out by doing the manly chores around the house, he plays guitar and throws BBQs and has a way with children - and did I mention that he cooks? Not only does he cook meals for the household, when faced with surplus peaches he even has the wacky idea of turning them into a pie, teaching Adele and Henry how to make pastry in the process (which, by the way, is really not that hard and the way that the film focused on this pastry-making scene you would think that he was teaching them the cure for cancer). Yep, in just one weekend this superhero Frank swoops into the house and shapes their lives forever; because he isn't a cold-hearted murderer, okay? He is a troubled, lovable rouge.

Wow Frank, you can make pastry? Such a genius.

Give me a break. In fact, as the film progresses the constant reinforcement of how brilliant Frank is becomes somewhat nauseating and painful to watch. A pain that only becomes stronger as, oh yes, he and Adele fall hopelessly in love. Did I mention this entire film takes place over one weekend??

The story is littered with implausible moments, for which you will have to seriously suspend your disbelief in order to accept. The film moves painfully slowly through a series of cliches only for the climax to be lazily thought out and underwhelming - suspicions begin to be roused for absolutely no reason, other than for the story to come to some kind of an ending, and the epilogue is just a ridiculous reinforcement of how great, brilliant, and life-defining Frank is.

All in all, it is a shame that Winslet's brilliant acting and the beautiful, autumnal cinematography went to waste on such a stupid storyline. It is by no means a 'bad film' in the conventional sense; thanks to the strong cast it is definitely watchable despite the fact you will constantly be rolling your eyes and scoffing at the cliches, but I simply expected more. It is a slow burner, and the steady stream of 'WTF' moments means that you will not be able to become fully engrossed in the film as common sense will prevail and keep pulling you back into reality. However, the hapless love story and nostalgic setting might make it a film that your grandma will enjoy.

★★☆☆☆

Labor Day is in cinemas nationwide from the 21st of March!

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

Love,

The 86th Academy Awards

Well, there we have it folks; Award's season is officially over for yet another year.

With the help of energy drink, snacks, and friends I managed to stay up until 5am to watch the live show unfold, and wow was it a good one!

Here are some of my thoughts on the night...

First of all, obviously, dresses. Everybody went crazy for Lupita Nyong'o's dress and rightly so - it was gorgeous. But I think that there were quite a few beautiful dresses that trumped her, such as Jennifer Garner and Angelina Jolie's:

Jennifer Garner

Angelina Jolie

But my Oscar for best dress of the night goes to... Cate Blanchett, look at it! It's beautiful:

Cate Blanchett

I really didn't want to do a 'worst dress' because it just seems so mean... However, upon seeing Elsa Pataky's dress I couldn't sit back and not say anything. She looks beautiful and radiant but that dress is unforgivable. On the other hand, Chris Hemsworth is rocking the purple and without a doubt gets the Best Dressed Male Oscar from me.

Elsa Pataky and Chris Hemsworth 

Alongside Pataky, Kerry Washington and Olivia Wilde also had their bumps to think about at last night's ceremony, and my Oscar for Best Dressed Bump goes to Olivia Wilde, who kept it chic and simple as she somehow managed to trump her incredible emerald gown from the Golden Globes earlier this year.

Olivia Wilde at the Oscars

Wilde also won battle of the bumps at the Golden Globes

 Now onto the Awards.

Overall I managed to guess 17 out of 24 categories correctly. Four of the ones I got wrong were the ones where I hadn't seen a single nominee (Animation short, live action short, documentary, foreign film) and just randomly guessed by the sound of their names, so really we can say that I got 17 out of 20... Right? Also, I don't have a clue why I put Captain Phillips down for Best Film Editing because I didn't think for a second it would win a single award, I think I confused it with my 'Who I Want to Win' ballot...

Overall I am happy with the results, my absolute highlight of the night was Jared Leto winning Best Supporting Actor. Although I do love Barkhad Abdi and thought his performance was outstanding, Leto was in an entirely different league to his fellow nominees and it was his triumph that really made my night.

I did want Martin Scorsese to win Best Director and The Wolf of Wall Street to win Best Picture (I didn't think either of these would actually happen). I am also still dreaming of the day that Leonardo DiCaprio will win his well-deserved Oscar, but I did know that he wouldn't be getting this year... To be honest, I have kind of given up hope of him ever winning it, so that didn't really surprise me. The best thing about last night's ceremony was that American Hustle didn't win anything and considering it is one of the worst films I saw this year and it really shouldn't have even been nominated, that is more than enough for me.

Speech wise, I think Jared Leto and Lupita Nyong'o win that one. Jared emotionally recounted the story of his mother's plight in raising himself and his older brother, Shannon, on her own and as a teenager whilst his proud mother looked on and then Lupita moved Benedict Cumberbatch to tears as she thanked her character's real life counterpart Patsey. Other notable mentions go to Frozen's frankly bizarre thank you for best picture, 20 Feet From Stardom's Darlene Love bursting into song and Matthew McConaughey's confusing tale that I am sure made sense to him... Oh, and how Cate Blanchett didn't get played off while accepting her Best Actress award is beyond me, I'm sure that was the longest speech of the night!

However, the real talking point of the night didn't come from the speeches, the performances, or even the winners. No, the real star of the show was pizza.

Who knew that watching Brad Pitt dish out paper plates whilst stars such as Julia Roberts, Kevin Spacey and Meryl Streep tucked in to some greasy fast food would be so entertaining?  Perhaps it's just because it serves as a gentle reminder that they may be at the glitziest event of the year but actually, they're all kind of normal really.

Kevin Spacey tucks in

Julia Roberts and Meryl Streep get a slice

Brad Pitt gets a taste after helping serve the other guests

Finally, a new record was broken last night as host Ellen took one of the most star-studded selfies ever in a bid to get the most Twitter retweets, which she succeeded in doing before the show was even over and it is now hovering around the 2.5million mark. Bradley Cooper, Angelina Jolie, Julia Roberts, and Meryl Streep are among the famous faces in the picture, but a special shout out to Lupita Nyong'o's brother, who managed to sneak his way in and get himself a new Facebook profile picture for life!

Jared Leto, Jennifer Lawrence, Channing Tatum, Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Ellen Degeneres, Kevin Spacey, Bradley Cooper, Brad Pit, Lupita Nyong'o, Angelina Jolie, and... Lupita's brother.

All in all, it was a fantastic show and I am already super excited for next year's event! 

What the next 12 months hold for the world of film is to be anticipated, and I can only wonder which ones we will be championing for a prestigious Oscar this time next year. One thing is for sure though, I can't wait to find out!!!

Love,

Just me and some pals hanging out at the Oscars....

OSCARS 2014

I have my live stream sorted, snacks are all bought - including a big bottle of energy drink to help me last until 5am UK time... In other words, I am Oscars ready!!

As fate would have it this is the first time I have actually been able to stay up and watch the ceremony live and, despite knowing I will end up getting angry at some of the choices, I am really excited for it!

My big one for the night is Jared Leto - Barkhad Abdi, I love you but I do really think this one belongs to the fabulous Rayon. But the fact that you have that BAFTA makes me feel a little bit guilty for saying that. So fingers crossed for Jared, i'm rooting for you!!

Here are my two ballots, the first (yellow) is who I think will be taking home the statues tonight - admittedly I got a little carried away with Gravity towards the end but shh - and the second (pink) is who I WANT to win.

Fingers crossed my pink choices will be victorious (although I truly believe hell will freeze over before we see Leo get recognition).

I will no doubt be tweeting along to the event so follow me here and see you on the flipside!

Love,

NON-STOP

Read more: http://flicksandthecity.com/non-stop-review/#ixzz2ul2nkqPa 
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Non-Stop sees real-life action man, Liam Neeson, back on the big screen for yet another edge-of-your-seat action thriller. Neeson takes on the role of Bill, a US air marshal who recieves a series of threatening texts during a transatlantic flight. The anonymous terrorist vows to kill somebody on board the plane every 20 minutes unless the airline transfers $150 million into his account. However, as Bill attempts to find the culprit he realises that others believe that he is in fact the terrorist. 

From the film's opening scenes every single passenger as painted as a potential suspect. As much as you would like to think you can scoff that you would be able to figure it out, you really can't - and that puts you on edge from the get-go because you don't know who to trust.

The majority of the film is set on the airplane, and this makes for claustrophobic viewing, which only adds to the tension. By the time the film ends you feel like you were on that plane journey yourself and it is a relief to be walking out of the cinema all in one piece! The audience receive information and clues at the same time as Bill, and you're constantly trying to guess who the culprit is, but red herrings are often thrown into the mix to put you off the scent in very clever directorial decisions. 

Liam Neeson plays the troubled air marshal with ease and although his character is the typical tough guy you come to expect from this genre, he isn't without his depth and layers that make him a much more likable watch. Bill's dedication to saving his fellow passengers is nothing short of admirable and even when the pilots, ground control and passengers turn against him, he doesn't give up. 

Julianne Moore is also strong as Jen, a fellow passenger in the seat next to Bill, who you quickly discover is one of he few people on the plane that you can trust. When everybody turns against Bill, Jen and air hostess Nancy (Michelle Dockery) stand by him, which makes it much less of a frustrating watch. It is impossible to not get angry when Bill's plans to save the plane are hindered due to almost everyone's complete lack of faith in him and the fact that there are two solid characters throughout who aren't pointing the finger and throwing around accusations makes it much less stressful viewing than if absolutely everybody was against our leading man.

The best thing about Non-Stop is that you get so involved in trying to work out who the suspect is that the viewing time flies by. I am a serial clock-watcher, even if I am really enjoying the film I am prone to occasionally glancing down at my watch throughout a film but with this I was literally on the edge of my seat throughout. The mystery alone makes it compelling, but the clever cinematography of text messages coming up on the screen, the array of different characters that add layers of realism to the otherwise unrelatable situation, and Neeson's strong and emotive performance makes the film an enjoyable roller-coaster from start to finish.

The downside of Non-Stop is the incredibly underwhelming revelation of who is behind the terrorism. Although not entirely implausible it simply doesn't match the high standards set by the rest of the film. It just doesn't feel as shocking as i should be and there were other options that could have been explored for maximum impact. The reasons given for the hijack aren't particularly strong and there are many questions that are left unanswered as the story quickly shifts from a mystery thriller to full-blown action as gun shots and explosions lead to an epic slow-motion battle that we have come to expect from Neeson's films.

Despite this slight hiccup in the narrative, the real crux of the film is the mystery and although the reveal doesn't quite hit the mark it doesn't take away from the 90 minutes of expertly-played intrigue and tension. Although not without its flaws, the climax of the film is so dramatic and intense that you step out of the cinema with a pounding heart, bated breath, and a minor fear of flying. The revelation of who was behind the murders soon becomes irrelevant and that's what makes it one of the biggest must-see action films of the year!

★★★★☆

Non-Stop is in cinemas now!

Liam Neeson's Top 5 Movie Roles

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

Love,

THE BOOK THIEF

The Book Thief is one of my all time favourite books, and when I heard that it was being turned into a film I was apprehensive - how could it work? Could cinema truly capture the soul and heart of Markus Zusak's bestselling novel?

I first watched The Book Thief last year at a press screening, with a friend who had also read and enjoyed the book. Both of us absolutely loved the film, which is why I went to another screening a week ago. This time I went with two different friends who had also read the book and one who had not. Again, we all loved it and left the cinema emotionally moved and singing the film's praises.

You might ask why I am starting my review with these seemingly mundane details, but the reason is simple; I have seen too many negative reviews of this film. Each one has referenced how it is an adaptation of Zusak's brilliant book but I am lead to believe that not a single one of those critics had read Zusak's brilliant book, because as far as adaptations go The Book Thief is faultless.

Criticism has been thrown at the film for not depicting the war enough, for the image of war being too white-washed, how the story doesn't seem dramatic enough. Well, that is the crux of Zusak's novel; it is the  telling of World War II when following a young German girl called Liesel (Sophie Nelisse). The story is not and has not ever been about war, it is all about Liesel. So if you were going into this film, or the book, with the expectation seeing emaciated bodies in Nazi-driven concentration camps then I'm afraid your expectations will not be met and you can stop reading now. Instead, The Book Thief is a heartwarming and charming story of one girls experiences throughout the war whilst living with foster parents in a small German town.

Now that I have got that out of the way, read on for my five star review.

The Book Thief is narrated by Death (Roger Allam) himself and follows Liesel, a young girl who is sent to live with a foster family during World War II. Liesel finds solace from the brutal reality of war by indulging in stolen books and sharing them with others. However, when Max (Ben Schnetzer), a Jew, comes to Liesel's foster family for sanctuary and protection, Liesel's life changes forever.

Markus Zusak's story is innovative and inspiring and has beautifully re-created by director Brian Percival for the big screen. The aesthetics alone are hauntingly beautiful; a snow-covered, war-torn German village that perfectly encompasses the scenery described by Zusak in the book. The perfectly cast characters allow the audience to immerse themselves fully into the story of Liesel's life and root for her the entire way.


Aged just 13 years old in their feature debut, Sophie Nelisse and Nico Liersch, who plays Liesel's best friend Rudy, are outstanding as the protagonists. Nelisse plays the complex character of a feisty yet heartbroken girl who has lost everything in the war and she leads the film with a charm and charisma that is second-to-none. Her relationship with Max, the hidden Jew, is perhaps the most important element of the story and she plays it with such tender emotion it is impossible for your heart not to ache as she tries to bring the outside world to the confines of the basement where he is hiding.

Emily Watson also shines as Liesel's stern but devoted foster mother, Rose; perfectly portraying her character's many layers by maintaing a strict and brash exterior whilst keeping it clear that she loves both Liesel and her husband Hans more than anything. However, Hans is arguably the star of the show; played by the brilliant Geoffrey Rush he is perhaps one of the most beloved book characters of the last 10 years and Rush, with the help of Percival, somehow manages to add even more warmth and charm to his live-action counterpart in a flawless embodiment of the character. In particular, Hans relationship with Liesel is nothing short of heart-warming and will have you both laughing and crying throughout as you desperately will for nothing bad to happen to either of them.

In addition to the lovable characters and heart-breaking narrative, the most captivating aspect of The Book Thief comes from its narrator: Death. Prominent throughout the film in the form of an elusive voiceover, he offers great perspective as, in his own words, nobody served the Fuhrer as loyally as he during the war. Death's fascination with Liesel is the crux of the story and leads to his conclusion that after following Liesel's life so intimately he is in fact haunted by humans.

As mentioned before, the critics who have been slating the film make it obvious that they had not only failed to read the book but they also failed to research the story to know what they were going into. You do not need to read the book in order to enjoy the film, that is a fact. However, I would say that you need to know going in that this is not your typical war film, so if you are expecting brutality and disturbing shocks, you will be left disappointed.

In reality, when a best-selling book is adapted into a film it very rarely goes so right. The combination of a breathtaking cast, astounding direction and author Markus Zusak's incredible narrative, The Book Thief is the one to watch for 2014. Emotionally charged and beautifully told, it will capture your hearts within moments.

★★★★★

The Book Thief is in cinemas nationwide now!

An interview with the cast of The Book Thief.

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

Love,

THE MONUMENTS MEN

I was lucky enough to go along to the London premiere for The Monuments Men earlier this month. As a true story that I hadn't heard a single thing about prior to the film's trailer, I was incredibly excited to watch the film and find out more. However, I was a bit concerned - was it going to be just another boring war film reminiscent of history lessons of yesteryear? Well, fortunately not!

(Sidenote: in case you missed my previous post, the delay in getting these latest reviews up is down to technical issues!)

George Clooney directs and stars in this fascinating true-life story of a World War II platoon that gets given the task of rescuing stolen art, which has been taken from the Nazis. This is the ultimate hook of the story, and the fact that all of this actually happened makes the film impossible to dismiss. After all, who knew that in World War II seven brave men were assigned the specific task of rescuing the World's greatest masterpieces from the Nazis? These men risked, or in some cases gave, their lives in order to protect the work of Michelangelo, Picasso and various other artists great and small, which the Nazis were stealing for the Führermuseum that Hitler was planning to open once he won the war.

The cast at the London premiere

The fact that the plight of these heroes went unnoticed for so long is unforgivable, especially when you consider their three-year mission helped to recover an estimated five million pieces of art! Perhaps my sentiment towards these men has been heightened due to the special guest at the premiere; Clooney and co. welcomed the last surviving member of the Monuments Men to the stage, and seeing the real-life counterpart of the men depicted in the story was humbling as well as extraordinary.

The strong cast are the making of the film. George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, and Hugh Bonneville are just a few of the talents who make up the Monuments Men, with Cate Blanchett also shining in a supporting role. What makes the cast so spot-on, and aids the film's delivery tremendously, is their chemistry. The men bounce off each other and seem to be genuine best friends; it is clear that they all had fun making the film and that high energy transfers through the screen to the audience, making the film enjoyable to watch.

Despite the sensitive wartime setting, the tone of the film is relatively light hearted and there is very little depiction of the real tragedy of war. The story is very much about the men, not about the war, and I have seen this as a point of criticism for others, although I will beg to differ. Referenced by some as merely 'Oceans 11 in WW2', mostly due to its light-hearted dialogues and, admittedly at times gratuitous, attempts at comedy. However, these one-liners and comedic jibes actually help diffuse the tension in what would otherwise have been a very serious and intense film. Clooney's decision to add an element of humour to the film is in fact a decision that I applaud as it avoids the film from being stuffy and 'just another war film', instead making it something that can appeal to people of all tastes and ages, whilst still achieving the overall mission to get the story of the brave young men told.

The real life Monuments Men

The humour also brings the reality of war closer to home as it makes the men much more relatable. They aren't just serious-faced men in khaki helmets and holding guns; the incessant bickering, brotherly camaraderie and light-hearted take on serious matters makes them seem much more like everyday people who you could meet walking down the street today. The time period becomes irrelevant and the men become modern.

My main criticism of the film comes through the unsurprising overriding theme of patriotism throughout. A few times I was suddenly jolted out of the story because the nauseating 'AMERICA IS AWESOME' notion became a little too ridiculous, and increasingly hard to swallow. When you consider the fact that the Monuments Men were not solely American soldiers it makes the film appear as though it has an ulterior motive - something that isn't exactly unique for an American wartime film, but still a bit tedious none the less. Despite these occasional blips, Clooney always manages to reign the story back  in - much to the film's benefit, - and once you take away the propaganda you are left with an enjoyable and surprisingly easy-viewing film.

So long as you don't go into the cinema expecting the movie equivalent of a high-school history lesson, there is nothing not to like about the film. The fact that it is such an incredible true story makes for an interesting watch and the cast's high-spirited energy and Clooney's take on the storytelling makes it easy to digest and holds your attention. Although stylistically it may not have the makings of a cinematic masterpiece, it is informative and entertaining. What more can you ask for than that?

★★★☆☆

The Monuments Men is in cinemas nationwide now!

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

Love,