The Lovely bones

All hail the return of the king

Pater Jackson's return to directing comes in the form of a literary adaptation about the murder of a 14 year old girl, so definitely more Heavenly creatures than Lord of the rings!!

The story follows Suzie Salmon, a 14 year old that is abducted and killed. She then spends her afterlife in unique limbo where she can see the breakdown of her family as they try and come to terms with the death of their first born child.

The film has recieved mixed reviews, with some fans of ALice Sebolds novel turning on Jackson's film as being a simplistic, romantic view of a very sinister story. As someone who hasnt read the book I cant compare the two, but i think the film is fantastic. It may well be a movie that splits opinions, but Jacksons beautiflly crafted vision of Salmons death experience, and Mark Wahlbergs portrayal of her broken father make this an emotional rollercoaster.

It definitely has its more sinister parts aswell, and Stanley Tuccis portrayal of the serial killer George Harvey is difficult to watch, especially where he lures Suzie Salmon into the hole he has built and to her death

Overall I think Jackson gets the balance between the grief and breakdown of a family and mourning and the megical afterlife that makes this an uplifting tale of a young girls spirit desperate to be set free. The cast help him no end, with tbe brilliant Saoirse Ronan leading the way. This is definitely a film fans of peter Jackson will want to see

4/5

Up in the air

Up in the air is the brand new film from writer director Jason Reitman

If the name sounds familiar its because it should be, son of comedy legend Ivan Reitman, Jason made massive waves with his last indie hit Juno and is set to make similar lunar based water movements with this

The story is one which is very current and will resonate with most of us. During the current economic downturn Ryan Bingham is a man employed to terminate others peoples employment! He basically flys around and tells people they are fired. Not only is he very good at it, but he liked the lifestyle afforded by all the air travel and living out of a suitcase that he is currently counting down until he reaches his millionth air mile!!

The script balances subtle comedy and harsh reality to create the first big hit of the year. The reason the film works so well though is because of the undoubted talent and chemistry of the principle cast. George Clooney looks like this role was made for him and Vera Farmiga makes a perfect air travel booty call for him.

The real star of the film though is Anna Kendrick. Fresh from her supporting role in the Twilight films, she is brilliant as the uber-confident business woman Natalie Keener, who always seems on the verge of a breakdown!!

Overall this films works as a whole package, script, performances music and direction. For me its the first of hopefully many great films and 2010 and the first to start the oscar dudes getting excited!!

5/5

Avatar

Strap yourself in for the most eagerly anticpated films of the year, and probably the decade

Its seems like forever since James Camerons last film (Titanic, 1997) and yes it was a long time, but to be fair, its not like he has done nothing!!

Aswell as his tv series Dark Angel and his 3d trip beneath the waves for Ghosts of the Abyss, He has obvioudly poured his heart and soul into his latest project

Sigourney Weaver recently revealed that Cameron had talked about Avatar when they first met over 20 years agfo, but the films was so big he needed better technology to do it justice. Rather than sit around and wait for that technology, Since Titanic Cameron has pioneered new 3d technology which really enhances his new film

Avatar really is the most visually stunning films ever made. The planet of Pandora is the most picturesque world ever created, with a dark underbelly in the form of the local flora and fauna!!

Although all these stunning visuals could be a cover for a paper thin plot and weak acting, but that definitely isnt the case here. Sam Wrthington lands the lead role (another fantastic character for him after his turn in Terminator Salvation) as Jake Sully, a wheelchair bound marine, who after the death of his brother is sent to Pandora to replace him. He uses his new "Avatar", a genetically engineered native body to get close to the natives. He is then left with a moral dilemma over which side to choose in the impending war between humans and the Na'vi.

So a fantastic cast and a fantastic plot, if carlrsberg did movies eh?

Well possibly. Even the 3d doesnt feel forced. Sometimes I feel 3d films tend to use it as a gimick, but in Avatar it blends seemlessly with the story-telling. The forest also privdes the perfect depth required for the 3d to really make you feel like you are in the thick of the action!!

Sigourney weaver, Stephen Lang, Giovanni Ribisi, Michelle Rodriguez and in particular Zoe Saldana all play fantastic supporting roles in this brilliant ensemble cast

The fact that this film will be shown over the xmas period means it could quite possibly be the best thing in both 2009 and 2010. Someone is going to hafve to go a long way to top this

I would advise EVERYONE to go see this film!! if you dont see this in the cinema with full 3d you will definitely regret it

5/5

Where the wild things are

One of the more interesting films of the year

An adaptation of Maurice Sendak's classic children's story, where Max, a disobedient little boy sent to bed without his supper, creates his own world--a forest inhabited by ferocious wild creatures that crown Max as their ruler

Adapted and directed by Spike Jonze, the legendary music video director whose credits include Beastie Boys - Sabotage, Bjork - it's oh so quiet and Weezer - Buddy Holly. His step up to the big screen has been just as eclectic with the sublime to the ridiculous (Jackass and Being John Malkovich, you pick which is which)

As you may expect then the film is visually stunning, and the choise to use the live action rather than complete cgio characters helps both aesthitically and from the actors performance point of view

My one dissapointment from this film is that it doesnt seem to be able to make up ist mind as to whether its a kids film or an adults film. which is fine i guess, but being based on a childs book, the films isnt very child friendly.On the flip side I enjoyed the film, but ive never read the book, so wouldnt know how different it is

That aside, I think there are some great performances from the lieks of James Gandolfini, Catherine O'Hara, and Forrest Whittaker, and what the film lacks in plot it makes up for in charm.

well worth a watch

4/5

Paranormal activity!

So scariest movie of all time or just a bunch of hype!!

Well paranormal activity wont win any prizes for originality. The concept that a couple of lovers are plagued by some paranormal is hardly new, but This is definitely a new slant on it

Going for the Blair witch approach, the film is made up of "found" footage that the couple have recorded themselves in an attempt to document the disturbances and get to the bottom of it

Micah and Katie (the actors real names) have decided to set up a camera in their bedroom and see if they capture anything, what starts off as the occasional door movement and noise from downstairs soon escalates to something more sinister. Micah being the over-cocky protective boyfriend believes he can solve the problem himself, although Katie believes he is doing more harm than good.

So the real strength of the film lies in its ability to allow the audiences imagination run wild. The still camera in the bedroom leads to your eyes doing all the work, scanning the room for any sign of movement. The fact that you never see anything just adds to the tension. Something is clearly toying with this couple and the action builds up a massive sense of unease.

All the paranormal activity happens at night, and the days acts as respite for the two, However as the happenings get worse, the frights start to bleed into the daytime hours as the couple, and especially Katie run out of ideas and sanity.

The film is an astonishing achievement, to make such a fantastic film for such a low budget is credit to the director, and to make the film so watchable, and so scary, is a credit to the actors who have you believing that they are really in danger.

The film isn't all scares and has some lighter moments at the beginning. Micah's acquisition of the camera sees him dial up the charm in an attempt to get Katy to star in a home movie, but the laughs soon dry up as the fear sets in.

Is is the scariest film ever? It depends what you believe. Someone who doesn't believe in ghosts of paranormal activity will have no problem dismissing the whole thing, however if you do have even the smallest doubt then this film will unearth it. Personally I had trouble sleeping after this film, and I think that is the best review i can give a horror films

I would urge everyone to check this out for themselves

5/5

The Twilight Saga - New Moon

Its finally here...

At the radio warrington movie show we know all about how crazy passionate the fans of the Twilight books and the first film are, the dvd hasnt been out of the top 5 since we started the show. So we know all about the crazy expectation for this film

However, just like the first film. I went in to the screening without having read the books, and just like the first film I was pleasently surprised by the film. I think New Moon is a far superior film to Twilight

So for those that dont know the story. Edward is a vampire, Bella is his girlfriend. After an incident at a family party Edward decides its not safe for them to be together, so he leaves, leaving Bella heartbroken. She takes comfort in the arms of her best friend Jacob, who has grown buff over the summer and just so happens to be a werewolf, but when Edward mistakenly thinks Bella is dead he decides to end his own life. Leaving her in a race against time and with a massive choice to make

So the central theme of the film revolves around this supernatural menage a trois involving Bella, Jacob and Edward and all actors step up in this film. Just the hard work alone that Taylor Lautner must of put in to get that toned for the role and Kristen Swanson does heartbroken very well. Even Robert Pattinson makes the most of what little screentime he gets. There is also a great cast to back them up with Michael Sheen and Ashley Greene being the pick of the rest

There is just so much more to get your teeth into (whether your a vampire OR werewolf) but I think if you go in expecting a massive supernatural movie then you may be a little dissapointed

The film is ultimately a romance. Its about star-crossed lovers, it even references romeo and juliet with Edward quoting Shakespeare in class. The film definitely works as a love story first and a supernatural film second. The film will also split people. Personally I think males are more declined to be sympathetic towards Jacob who helps Bella get over Edward, and the females will swoon over Edward as he can do no wrong coz oooh hes a vampire

That aside, I think the story stands up, Ive been told its quite true to the book, and the special effects look a lot neater that first suggested in some trailers. The inclusions of the Voltari at the end seems a bit brief, but Michael Sheen does his best to steal every secen hes in, and he definitely does weird and creepy very well in this

Overall I dont really think you can go wrong with this film, whatever I say, if youre a fan you will go see it anyway, and if your not you will probably be put off by all the hype that surrouds it, but its well worth a watch


4/5

2012

Do you get the feeling that when the world finally ends, Roland Emmerich will be stood there gleefully rubbing his hands saying "I told you so"? After all he pretty much has all bases covered, whether it be Alien attack, Global warming or ancient Mayan prophecies, he has to be right with one of them!!!

2012 is the latest disaster movie from the king of disaster movies and it follows very similar themes as his other films, although I think its unfair to say this is a re-hashing. What is fair to say though, is that if you loved independence day then there is no way you can't love this film.

2012 follows the Mayan prophecy that in December 2012, the world will end. This starts by the warming of the sun heating the earths core, which causes giant earthquakes, volcanoes and tidal waves

As with all of Emmerich's films though, this follows the human story behind the event. Mostly focussing on little known writer Jackson Curtis (John Cusack) who is trying to spend time with his ex wife and kids and feeling increasingly frustrated as the new man in the picture seems like more of a father figure to his kids than he is.

We also follow scientist Adrian Helmsley (Chiwetel Ejiofor) as he tries to predict the path of the devastation only to find the governemnt already knew more about this that previous thought

The cast is great with Ejiofor and Cusack leading the way, but they also get great support from Thandie Newton, Danny Glover, Amanda Peet and The brilliant Woody Harrelsons crazy radio broadcaster

Followers of Emmerich's films wont be dissapointed by its content, you know its going to explore a few father/son relationships (and father/daughter), you know there is going to be more than one rousing speech about humanity, and you know there will be a dog in peril that just about escapes with his life

These have become Emmerichs trademarks, but they all work. The story may be slightly long, and the ending seemes to go on forever, but as a race, do we really want to go out with a bang or a whimper

As far as summer popcorn movies (bit late for summer i know, but humour me) this is one of the finest of the year, its big, bold, brash and cheesey, but perfect way to pass a few hours. This will do massive at the box office due to the special effect, I mean, who doesn't want to see the world get destroyed, safe in the knowledge you will still be sleeping safe that night

As for Emmerich, this may be his final hurrah, I mean how many times can you destroy earth. At least he has made sure that this time, he did it properly


4/5