The Road

From Cormac McCarthy, comes the highly anticipated big screen adaptation of the beloved, best-selling and Pulitzer Prize-winning novel.

Expectations were high for the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, and with a stella cast what could of gone wrong. ‘The Road’ is by no means a disaster, but as book adaptations go it is not as successful as one would have hoped. The issue is pacing and a number of check list ‘end of the world movie scenes', watching society collapse (check), never give up hope (check). These are all ok but the pace and mundane execution of a number of these scenes all seems to take along time to get there. The scenes of our leads dragging a trolley down an empty road is how you feel the film is dragging at time. A bit more tension and pace would of made all the difference one feels.

Still what really works is the chemistry between the father and son which is spot on, Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee are exceptional.  Kodi is a real star, a one to look out for in the future. The scenes of Mortensen and Smit-McPhee sharing a coke or eating dinner in candle lit are stunning and extremely heartfelt. This relationship between these two is the core of the film, the glue that keeps everything together. 
In conclusion whilst other assets of the movie could have been improved, the acting is faultless, also a worthy note is a wonderful cameo from Robert Duvall.

The Hangover

Two days before his wedding, Doug and his three friends drive to Las Vegas for a blow-out bachelor party they'll never forget. But, in fact, when the three groomsmen wake up the next morning, they can't remember a thing. For some reason, they find a tiger in the bathroom and a six-month-old baby in the closet of their suite at Caesars Palace.

The film does have a few laughs but overall, another nail in the coffin of these endless lads go wild genre pieces. The inclusion of a cameo from Mike Tyson is a mystery, it brings nothing to the film. These adolescent comedies that are being produced by Hollywood are the norm at the moment, look at for the likes of both 'Role Model' and 'Sex Drive'. The sad thing is the group of guys in the film work well together, but the Las Vegas hedonist image has been done before but better.

The most overrated comedy and possibly film of 2009.

Gangster No 1

Chronicles the rise and fall of a prominent and particularly ruthless English gangster.

Director Paul McGuigans follow up to the surreal film 'The Acid House' is very much your standard rise and fall gangster film which have paved the genre for many years.

'Gangster No 1' is famous for Paul Bettany's debut performance but apart from a few impressive scenes involving the actor, the stand out being between Bettany and Eddie Marsan in Marsan's kitchen which is impressive.

Bettany doesn’t really have much to do. The best acting goes to the brilliant Eddie Marsan.

Overall 'Gangster No 1' is allot of style and very little originality, as well as the viewer never really caring for these nasty gangsters and other dull characters.

Iron Man 2

With the world now aware of his dual life as the armoured superhero Iron Man, billionaire inventor Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) faces pressure from the government, the press, and the public to share his technology with the military.

The Marvel flagpole franchise fly’s in for yet another instalment. Picking up straight after the big reveal of Tony Stark as Iron Man, the series has new goddess and villains to step up to the plate. Allot of the material for the sequel is dark, a hero not wanting his powers, fighting with inner demons, standard comic book context, still the director moves towards the all out crash bang wallop action at times and only skims on the dark material which is a shame.

The best of the new villains is surprisly not Mickey Rourke who although fun relies too much on visual gags to give menace the real star is the ever fantastic Sam Rockwell who plays the corporate villain to a tee.

Still the film works on the chemistry between Robert Downey Jar. and Gwyneth Paltrow, which bounce off each others lines and create a number of the most entertaining scenes. Once the inevitable robots fighting robots scene takes centre stage the film switches to auto pilot.

A fun piece of popcorn no brain entertainment and sets up nicely for a possible final third film.

44 Inch Chest

The 44 Inch Chest story unfolds when a jealous husband and his friends kidnap his wife's young lover, seeking retribution for his wounded ego. The film is a darkly funny and confrontational drama about a wronged man trying to rebuild his self-respect, aided only by a motley crew of his old friends.

A character study rather than a fully rounded film as such. A great full English cast and strong performances pull the film though.

The story thread lacks any real drama or excitement, but the film is great at flexing its acting chops. John Hurt is especially grizzly and bad tempered, and Ian McShane is showing that he may of starting his film career late but is still a perfect character actor and sadly over looked.

The script is solid and also unpleasant, the film grabs its 18 certificate purely over the foul language.

Still and play visual set up of mostly using one location and great acting, is enough for its short running time and to see the best of British.

Mulholland Drive

Along Mulholland Drive nothing is what it seems. In the unreal universe ofLos Angeles, the city bares its schizophrenic nature, an uneasy blend of innocence and corruption, love and loneliness, beauty and depravity. A woman is left with amnesia following a car accident. An aspiring young actress finds her staying in her aunt's home

David Lynch's head f&ck of a movie, plays along his interest in Hollywoodand has a kind of 1950's feel to it, a homage as you will.

The story jumps around and as expected from a Lynch movie we have dwarfs, musical numbers and extreme close-ups a plenty, as well as Lynch's normal obsession with female characters. The two leads Naomi Watts and Ann Hill are particularly great. Both having that look in their eye of not quite knowing what will happen next, and what is going on, a piece of acting which is justified in a Lynch movie where pretty much anything could and does happen.

Naomi Watts Is the most interesting performance on show, her rather amateur performance at the beginning is enhanced to a more mature professional performance as the film progresses.

The odd ball quality is strangely effective in creating some un expected comic moments also. 

Visually Lynch knows his stuff and the film looks great as well as some well staged creepy and beautiful shots.

The film will not be for everyone, and as with most of David Lynch's films the use of too many characters, odd plot lines can confuse and tire the film. 

As always with Lynch's movies Mulholland Drive is a unique piece of cinema and despite the oddness of it all, one of Lynchs most user friendly film in a while.

Whiteout

Carrie Stetko, the lone U.S. Marshal assigned to Antarctica, is investigating the continent’s first murder, which draws her into a shocking mystery. Now, with only three days until winter, Carrie must solve the crime before Antarctica is plunged into darkness and she is stranded with the killer.

'Whiteout' is a mixture of 'Cliffhanger' in story, and in visual style and atmosphere 'The Thing' but is never as good as either in story and visual. Once you have seen Kate Beckinsale's shower scene entrance you kind of know you are on to a low par or out right loser of a film.

Failures of the film are the over use of flashbacks, the film has flashbacks for the main story, flashbacks for back stories and even flashbacks for what the viewer has just seen. The stop start action is mis guided, mixing serial killer action and plot detective points.

The film is not bad in any real way, but with a story that would be suited for a Televison series as a hour episode for maybe CSI for example, the cast is wasted because of this.

'Whiteout' just comes and goes without any real event or impact.

Cat People

The Cat People originated way back in time, when humans sacrificed their women to Leopards, who mated with them. Cat People look similar to humans, but must mate with other Cat People. We follow brother and sister - who seem to be the only ones of their kind left.

Paul Schrader was an unusual choice to director this horror remake, his previous films had leant more towards drama over horror, and a remake of this genre type was not a usual move for this type of director. The remake is a more erotic take on the feline horror film.

The plus points are that Schrader brings a gothic visual edge from the impressive opening shots in the desert, and an impressive shot of a leopard silhouetted beside a leafless tree is great.

The minus points are that 'Cat People' is both slow and rather dull in places.

The cast including an expected odd performance from Malcolm McDowell are all good, and Nastassia as Irena does have a feline prowl about her which is both perfectly sexy and dangerous, but sadly, the lack of horror experience from the director shows, with a film which looks and feels prime horror falls flat in horror menace.

Haute Tension

Students Marie (Cecile de France) and Alex (Maiwenn Le Besco) have no idea of the horrors that await them when they head off to a remote country home to study for their upcoming exams. When night falls, a psychopathic stranger attacks, tying up Alex and taking her away. It's up to Marie to save her friend.

A cinematic frenzy when released back in 2004 for its strong violence, 'High Tension’ is an ok if somewhat tiresome French horror, there are too many hide and seek scenes to purely commit to high tension as such, and the twist which although well played out is to lose to really make sense and fully satisfy.

The film plods along at a gruesome pace. There are some nice touches, including a well structured prologue and 'Halloween' homage in the clothes room is well done.

'High Tension' is no doubt a well made genre piece, with nice shot structure and you get enough blood for your bucks and will please the hardcore gore fans. But we have seen this all before, and once you have the 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre' scene in the closing ten minutes you know you have been dealt a cheap hand.

(500) Days of Summer

This is a story of boy meets girl, begins the wry, probing narrator of 500 DAYS OF SUMMER, and with that the film takes off at breakneck speed into a funny, true to life and unique dissection of the unruly and unpredictable year-and-a-half of one young man's no-holds-barred love affair.

The Rom Com has been littered with a fowl air for a number of years, actresses such as Jennifer Anderson and Jennifer Lopez role out these drab films year in year out, once in a while the mix will get it right, with a good convincing cast and a director with a strong visual style and solid funny, heartfelt script. '500 Days' is such a movie.

The tag line for the film is this is a film 'This is not love story' 'This is a story about love' which is the key, this is not your run of the mill Rom Com. Most people will be able relate the on-off relationship between the two leads Joseph Gorden-Levitt as Tom and Zooey Deschanel as Summer who are both realistic and convincing. The script is sharp and funny, and the film has a number of stylish flourishes to strengthen the film.

The film is not perfect, a narration is in one minute and gone the next, not really being consistent enough to warrant its inclusion, also sadly not enough of script is given to the Summer character. Still without doubt the best Rom Com of 2009.

Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room

The inside story of one of history'merica's seventh largest company walked away with more than one billion dollars while investors andemployees lost everything.

The Ultimate greed documentary. 'The Enron' documentary runs like a drama at times with the executives and owners of Enron lives being played out like a Hollywood drama with stories of strippers and massive money fraud at the top of the agenda. This is a fascinating exploration of the corruption which sunk the company is 2006. From arrogance to out and out greed from the top dogs of the company, playing with liquid cash and money which the company never hard which all amounted the the bankruptcy of the company.

With a good use of both cinematography, new reels archive footage and music, Enron is a full on account of the biggest corporate scandals of the modern era, and echoes events that are happening today.

The House of the Devil

In the 1980s, college student Samantha Hughes takes a strange babysitting job that coincides with a full lunar eclipse. She slowly realizes her clients harbor a terrifying secret; they plan to use her in a satanic ritual.

The House Of The Devil' is a retro Horror delight. Forget the endless 1970's 1980's bad horror remakes and Quentin Tarrantino's Grind house messy exploitation flicks. Director Ti West has shaped a film which you would have found on an old blockbuster video store shelf collecting dust. From the teenagers 80's dress styles, to the large tape walkmans used, the opening retro track which would of been used in early Wes Craven or Dario Argento films, and title and end cards which is very 80's full stop. With creating a stylish horror throw back West has succeeded, this film screams out Roman Polanski at times and also the best of John Carpenter.

The film is a slow burner, with long setup and chilling build up before the big payoff with the last twenty minutes. The cast is excellent from the spunky babysitter, Jocelin Donahue, check out an 'All the right Moves' homage which both amusing and tense. Other performances come in a chilling performance from Tom Noonan and an understated performance from Mary Woronov.

Still all in all this is an impressive genre horror piece. Which despite finishing with a rather cheap conclusion, is still leagues ahead of the endless Michael Bay remakes, and most of todays Hollywood modern horror films, and with this film America can now in small part be on par with other world Horror cinema.

The Reader

Post-WWII Germany: Nearly a decade after his affair with an older woman came to a mysterious end, law student Michael Berg re-encounters his former lover as she defends herself in a war-crime trial.

The Oscars for 2009 saw Kate Winslet nominated for two awards for two films, one for 'Revolutionary Road’ Road' arguably a better film and 'The Reader' which she won the Oscar. Winslet's performance is arguably stronger in ‘Revolutionary Road’ compared to her performance in 'The Reader', where the actress spends a large amount of the film wallowing between scenes, and never really has the chance to let loose as she does in the previous film. With a love interest between her and the young lead that never really hits it off and is portrayed more of an obsession by Michael Berg played by David Kross, rather than real passion between the two leads. Sadly the other lead Ralph Fiennes is under used and also never really has a chance to get his teeth into the part.

Strangely once the twist has been revealed the film attempts to seek sympathy for Hanna Schmitz. A hard sell, as events are then played out, with explanations of what the ex Nazi guard had carried during the war. This is where the motive of the film loses its way slightly.

Overall performances are of a high standards, despite at times being underused and not given full flow in some of the central leads. The production is also all fine with a few nice flourishes. Still the film tries to aim too high, and never really reaches the emotional high it wants.

Year One

When a couple of lazy hunter-gatherers (Black and Cera) are banished from their primitive village, they set off on an epic journey through the ancient world.

'Year One' is both Crude and un funny in equal measures.

There is a good cast but cant rescue this film, the cast includes Hank Azaria who was so well casted and funny in the latest ‘Night at the Museum’ film is wasted here for example. The two leads Black and Cera are good together and it’s a shame that they have to put up with both a smutty script and poor direction, so the two don’t full fill the good match up.

You know you are in trouble when some of the big jokes involve Jack Black eating dog waste, and jokes about sodomising. Also add to that one liners like "I'm sorry. I wasn't listening. All my brain blood was in my boner". You know you are onto a loser.

How Harold Ramis film career can go from the likes of 'Groundhog Day' to this is a bit of a mystery, and in closure the worst comedy of 2009.

Huo Yuan Jia

'Fearless' is based on the life of Chinese martial arts master Huo Yuanjia (1869-1910), the founder and spiritual guru of the Jin Wu Sports Federation. It is set during the late 1800s to early 1900s, a pivotal period in China's history, when the whole country is shrouded under increasing internal turmoil and the imminent threat of foreign invasion.

Jet LI announced that 'Fearless' would be his final martial artist movie, it will be interesting to see which root the actor will take after this film. If this is his last film sadly this is not the great swan song he would of hoped for.

The story of the founder of the modern martial art is an interesting one, but the film is on the wrong director’s hands, the script is sloppy, mixing very odd humour and drama to failed results. The action sets pieces are fine, the standouts include a fight high up above a town, also a frantic sword fight in a building between Li and an enemy.

Overall an ok action piece but lacking a directing flair, and won't last long in the memory.

Delta

The incestuous affair between a brother and sister create violent ruptures within a rural Danube community.

The film is beautifully shot, the setting and photography of the Hungarian wetlands of the Delta is stunning. 'Delta' is also note worthy of some truly striking film direction from director Kornél Mundruczó.

'Delta' is a film in which not much is said, and more is expressed few long pauses and long stares, so acting wise the film is on equal terms for all involved. Still the film lies with its leads as the brother and sister, and both actors pull off the difficult roles with confidence.

The problems lie in two pivotal moments one which is in the middle section of the film, the other being for the climax to the film. These two scenes are violent and misplaced. The first controversial scene has no place in the narrative and comes out of knowhere, the scene is based round a character which character arc is not plotted to be that evil and tips the film into another realm which is then not addressed again and therefore doesn’t drive the film forward. The second scene is an ending which is rushed and doesn’t make any real sense, only if the relationship of the brother and sister is being addressed.

Many people will struggle with the slow pacing of the film at times, although the running time is short. Still the two scenes mentioned do dent the film somewhat and the ultimately miss placed ending is both rushed and confusing. Still visually 'Delta' is stunning, and director Kornél Mundruczó is a force to watch out for, a director who knows how to shoot and film and direct his leads well, through a non verbal style of acting, and scene structure.

Tony

A thriller cantered on a serial killer in a rundown London suburb.

'Tony' is a sort of a hard edged Mike Leigh film meets 'Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer' of type, with rather slow unsatisfying results.

Peter Ferdindo gives an interesting promising performance as the titled serial killer, but sadly is not given enough in the script to fully flesh out his inner demons, and the problems he has with interacting with society.

There are good executed scenes here. The main stand out is a well structured scene involving the dismiss of a group of drug addicts, which is a well structured piece of cinema, with a nice mix of loner ramblings from Peter Ferdindo, and the pending danger of a man basically trying to interact with sociality and his obsection with murder, all brought to a head with grisly outcomes, and a nice point of view camera shot of the drug addict trapped in a room whilst Tony goes about his serial killer ways.

Problems lie with the fact that there is very little explanation also the reasons for the murders, nor is there any development of the lead which leaves both the character Tony and all that is going on around him some what stale.

Sadly the restrictions and pressures within the genre make for some rather silly conclusions to a film which is like its lead Tony, odd ball and doesn’t fit in with genre pieces of type.

17 Again

A guy whose life didn't quite turn out how he wanted it to and wishes he could go back to high school and change it. He wakes up one day and is seventeen again and gets the chance to rewrite his life.

The young heart throb Zac Efon of Disney Channels 'High School Musical' series fame, pressed all the right buttons for comedy and lightweight entertainment with the Disney Channels films, but is not convincing at bring the actors body he is jumping into that of Matthew Perry to life, none of Perry's mannerisms are really there and although Efon has comic timing and is a good young actor, you never feel it is Perry in Efon's body, ultimately this effects a number of key scenes.

Still the casting of Thomas Lennon as friend ED is fun, allot of the laughs come from his over the top performance, which brings original laughs to a film which copies allot from other body swapping movies like 'Big', 'Visa Versa' and even the masterpiece 'Back To The Future' which has an actual scene ripped from it. Zac Efon awakens and thinks he has been dreaming the whole body changing experience, then finds out his daughter in replacement to the mother in 'Back To The Future' is trying to hit it off with him. It does'nt stop with copied scenes there are a number of themes copied from the 'Back To The Future' original.

'17 Again' does have charm. Still as good as Zac Efon is, he is never quite convincing enough at portraying the personality of Matthew Perry. So as rewarding this new 'Big' for the 2000's is ultimately the problems lie in its young lead and the fact we have seen this all done before but better. We all know what happened to Tom Hanks after the hit of 'Big' can Zac Efon do the same?

Bolt

The canine star of a fictional sci-fi/action show that believes his powers are real embarks on a cross country trek to save his co-star from a threat he believes is just as real.

The latest Disney Studios animated action film has some fun action sequences and likeable characters, with the lead Bolt being the real cute star, that excels allot of charm. The voice artists do an ok job with John Travolta standing out from the bunch. Still as charming enough this film is, 'Bolt' is still Disney running on half cylinders, and with the likes of Pixar producing films such as 'UP' and 'Wall-e' in recent times 'Bolt' does'nt have the weight or emotion to really out last its hour and a half running time.

The film comes and goes with a nice feeling but within a couple of weeks will be forgettable to most.