Movie Reviews : Casablanca

I recently did a piece on the classic Casablanca for Movie Marker:

There are a select number of films that are held up as cinematic milestones and revered far beyond any of their peers. The likes of Citizen Kane, The Godfather and North by Northwest will always appear near the top of any ‘all time greatest’ list and with good reason. For me though, there is one classic which stands above all others and that’s Michael Curtiz’s Casablanca. The timeless story of love, sacrifice and friendship set against the backdrop of the Second World War still stands up even now some 70 years after its initial release. While at its core the movie is a romantic melodrama focusing on a tormented love triangle, there’s also a clear subtext focusing on the international politics of the time. Full of outstanding acting performances and arguably the most quotable script of all time, few films can match Casablanca for sheer volume of memorable moments.


You can read the full review here:

Movie Marker : Casablanca

Movie Reviews : War Horse

I recently viewed the latest Spielberg movie War Horse for Lost in the Multiplex:

The first twenty minutes or so of Steven Spielberg’s War Horse are an incredibly overly-sentimental look at an Americanized version of the British countryside. I swear I’ve never seen the sky that pink and the grass that green. The story of one boy, Albert (Jeremy Irvine), and his beloved horse Joey starts off heavy on the schmaltz and, in all honesty, at this point I was worried about the next two hours or so dragging by. Luckily, though, the movie does pick up and once the War kicks in and we follow Joey off to France, the film becomes far more palatable. 

You can read the full review here:

Lost in the Multiplex : War Horse

Movie Reviews : JFK

I've done a bit of a look back at Oliver Stone's JFK for the good people at Flick Feast:

Judged purely on its merits as a Hollywood movie, Oliver Stone’s epic political drama JFK is an outstanding piece of work. As an historical reference point and a depiction of a pivotal moment in American history, it’s sketchy at best. Set aside the fact that JFK is based on real life events for a second and you have a sprawling yet engaging narrative that takes in a broad range of characters and mixes them up in scandal, intrigue, murder and a conspiracy that goes right the way to the top. It’s political drama on the grandest possible scale.

You can read the full article here:

Flick Feast : JFK

Movie Reviews : The Iron Lady

I recently reviewed the Maggie biopic The Iron Lady for Lost in the Multiplex:

Phyllida Lloyd’s Thatcher biopic The Iron Lady has managed the commendable feat of managing to displease both wings of the political spectrum. The left feel it humanises the former Primer Minister too much and whitewashes over the true impact of her policies. The right meanwhile feels it is out to embarrass and belittle Thatcher by focusing on and exaggerating her struggle with dementia.  Both sides’ arguments perhaps have some validity but the point they are both missing is this, on a purely cinematic level and setting all political allegiances aside, the film is just plain boring.

You can read the full review here:

Lost in the Multiplex ; The Iron Lady

Movie Reviews : Sherlock Holmes - A Game of Shadows

I reviewed the new Sherlock movie for Lost in the Multiplex a few weeks ago:

Guy Ritchie returns again to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s finest literary creation and much like with his 2009 original, the end product is an entertaining Victorian boys own adventure romp.  It’s loud, brash and about as faithful to Conan Doyle’s original Holmes stories as Braveheart was to Scottish history. Luckily though, this doesn’t matter one jot and while the movie is breaking no new ground and isn’t going to trouble anybody’s 2011 ‘best of’ list, it’s an enjoyable piece of escapist cinema.

You can read the full review here:

Lost in the Multiplex : Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

Top 30 of 2011: Part 2.

15:/ The King’s Speech : After its countless accolades, what remains to be said about Tom Hooper’s smash-hit historical drama?  As I’m sure we’re all now aware, the story follows George VI (Colin Firth) whose terrible stammer had hampered him for years before he is thrust unexpectedly into the limelight when his older brother abdicates the throne. With war looming in Europe, Britain needs a leader and a figurehead to rally behind and so George’s stammer takes on a newfound importance. He visits an Australian Speech therapist called Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush) and the duo spark up an unlikely friendship as George prepares to address the nation.  Firth fully deserved his Oscar win and Rush and Helena Bonham Carter, who played George’s wife Elizabeth (The Queen Mum to you and me), were likewise deserving of their Oscar nominations. There may be some slight artistic licence taken with historical events but overall it’s a fairly accurate portrayal of a crucial period of British history. The King’s Speech is both powerful and rousing and is not just an historical drama but also an inspiring triumph over adversity tale.

14:/ The Skin I live In :  Now this is one entry I will keep completely spoiler free. Pedro Almodovar delivers a macabre thriller with a jaw-dropping twist that you will not see coming. Antonio Banderas is Robert Ledgard, a skilled surgeon who has lost both his wife and daughter in tragic ways.  First his wife was horrifically burned in a car crash and after seeing her disfigured face she jumped to her death from a window. Robert’s daughter requires psychological treatment after her mum’s death but is let out of the clinic in order to attend a wedding. While there, she is sexually assaulted by a boy at the party, an act which drives her back into treatment and ultimately pushes her to commit suicide as well.  After the death of his wife, Robert begins to dedicate his life to developing skin-grafting technology and even keeps a young woman captive in his house, we presume as part of an ongoing experiment. Almodovar delves into the horror genre at times and you are kept guessing as to where the director will take the story next. Shocking, suspenseful and truly unique, The Skin I Live in is a tough but rewarding watch.

13:/ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 : After 8 movies, 7 horcruxes, several dubious Defence Against the Dark Arts teachers and a whole heap of hormones, the Potter franchise finally came to an end. It was always going to be a tall order to suitably round off the series but director David Yates and his team did an excellent job. There’s far too much going on and far too much back story under the bridge (probably not a phrase) to give a sufficient plot summary but needless to say…it all ends. The battle of Hogwarts is a fitting finale to the raging battle between good and evil and as with many of the Potter films it gets pretty hard going when the body count starts to mount up. Knowing this is the final outing for Potter and Co. gives proceedings a greater sense of importance than its predecessors and sure enough the drama is amped up to 11. Questions are answered and rivalries are resolved for good. A great last instalment in a hugely successful franchise.

12:/ Ides of March : The year of the Gosling continued with this slick and polished political thriller which was directed, produced, and co-wrote by co-star George Clooney. The story focuses on Gosling’s enthusiastic and passionate Junior Campaign Manager Stephen Myers.  Stephen works for Clooney’s charismatic Governor Mike Morris , a frontrunner for the Democratic Presidential nomination.  Stephen grudgingly goes to a meeting with the campaign manager for Morris’ rival, played with world weary brilliance by Paul Giammatti. Giamatti’s Tom Duffy tries to recruit the young go-getter to work for his candidate instead but Stephen declines, citing his intense belief in Governor Morris’ ideals. Duffy assures him that his optimism won’t last and sooner or later he’ll become just as cynical as everyone else. From here the central thrust of the film is a battle for Myers’s political soul and his loss of innocence. As scandal and backstabbing begins to engulf the Morris campaign, Stephen must decide what he values most of all, his values or victory. The supporting cast is top draw with both Giamatti and Philip Seymour Hoffman, who plays Stephen’s immediate boss, proving why they are Hollywood’s go-to guys for weather-beaten middle aged grumps. Both actors play the more experienced political operatives who provide the clear counterbalance to Stephen’s wide eyed optimism. A cynical and scathing look at modern American politics.

11:/ Black Swan :  Darren Aronofsky’s dark and unsettling psychological thriller is an audacious movie which is gripping and disturbing in equal measure.  Natalie Portman gives a career best performance as troubled ballet dancer Nina who is handed the chance of a lifetime as the lead role in Swan Lake. Nina is innocent and sexually naïve and thus perfect for half of her role as the pure White Swan. She struggles however to find the dark side of her personality which is required to portray the sensual Black Swan.  Vincent Cassel’s brooding director, Thomas Leroy, begins to push Nina to find her inner Black Swan and suggests she learns from fellow dancer Lily (Mila Kunis). As Nina gets close to Lily and begins to embrace her dark side, her grasp on reality begins to slip and the line between what is real and what is imaginary becomes blurred. It’s these hallucinogenic scenes which give The Black Swan its disconcerting tone and which make it so much more than just a drama about rival ballet dancers. This is a film about the lengths to which a girl will go to achieve her dream, whatever the cost to her own sanity.

10:/ Kill List : I’ll reiterate the advice I gave in a recent review of Kill List, try and see this film without any prior knowledge of what it contains. It makes it all the more tense, shocking and at times nerve-wracking. The story follows the actions of Jay (Neil Maskell) a seemingly retired hitman who is coaxed back into action by old pal Gal (Michael Smiley) to do one last job. As they head out on the road and begin to knock off the three names they have on their ‘kill list’ things take a turn for the surreal as the victims begin to thank Jay for what he is about to do. Needless to say, there’s far more to this job than meets the eye. The film is brutal and violent in parts and isn’t one for the squeamish. Mainly though it possesses a creeping tension that just builds and builds as the film goes on. It can be very unsettling at times and you won’t be quite sure where it will go next.  An incredibly savage and dark British thriller which really keeps you on the edge of your seat.

9:/ Super 8  :  Director J.J. Abrams and Producer Steven Spielberg delivered the years finest family film which harked back to Spielberg’s own 70’s and 80’s heyday. The story of a group of kids in small-town America embarking on an adventure is straight out of the producer’s playbook and here it is skilfully translated to an alien invasion story by one of his protégé’s. Super 8 follows a group of friends who are out one night filming their own movie on a Super-8 camera, when they witness an explosive train derailment. The train was transporting dangerous cargo which duly escapes and terrorises their town which inevitably attracts the attention of the military into sleepy old Lillian Ohio.  As well as the plot itself, the movie’s key themes such as letting go of the past and the father and son struggling to connect after the death of the mother, are pure Spielberg too. The film’s predominantly young cast all do sterling work, particularly Joel Courtney as the central character Joe. For moviegoers who grew up on the likes of E.T., The Goonies and Close Encounters, Super 8 is a nostalgic trip back to these childhood movies. For younger audiences it is a breath of fresh air amidst the onslaught of brainless action movies they usually have marketed at them as here is a film suitable for kids that is not only entertaining but also possess emotional depth and an exciting plot.

8:/ 50/50 : Easily the finest comedy about cancer of 2011, 50/50 juggled the tricky tasks of being both very funny and incredibly poignant. A film like this can so easily lean too far one way and lose its humour or go too far the other way and become mawkish and sentimental. Screenwriter Will Reiser however had first hand experience of the difficult situation 50/50 deals with as it is based on his own real life battle with cancer during which close friend Seth Rogan was right by his side. Rogen reprises his real life role here to great effect and after a few recent duds is back to his best as the brash but kind-hearted friend of cancer patient Adam, played superbly by Jason Gordon-Levitt. When Adam finds out he has the disease and only a 50/50 chance of survival, it obviously knocks him for six. The movie follows his attempts to come to terms with his predicament and all that it involves. The film does well to show that as dreadful as Adam’s situation is, his life still carries on while he receives treatment. As such we see him split up with cheating girlfriend Rachael (Bryce Dallas-Howard), hit the clubs with his pal and flirt with his young and inexperienced therapist Katie (Anna Kendrick). There are plenty of laughs along the way, mostly courtesy of Rogen’s Kyle, but it’s the more serious moments that really hit home such as Adam’s frustrated emotional outburst behind the wheel of Kyle’s car or the tender hug shared between two friends before he goes in for his operation.  50/50 was areal unexpected treat that is well worth seeking out.

7:/ Animal Kingdom : A gritty and tense Aussie crime drama that really packs a punch. The movie follows young ‘J’ Cody (James Frecheville) who, after his mother dies of a heroin overdose, moves in with his estranged Grandmother Janine ‘Smurf’ Cody (Jacki Weaver). Smurf is the matriarch of a powerful Melbourne crime family which is dominated by her three volatile sons. The most dangerous of which is Pope (Ben Mendelsohn) who is conspicuous by his absence at the beginning of the film as he is on the run from the law. When he arrives on the scene however he is a dangerous, brooding presence who appears willing to stop at nothing to protect his own back. As events spiral out of control and J ends up being taken in by the cops for questioning, he is approached by Detective Leckie (Guy Pearce) who seeks to turn J into a witness against his own family. As the story progresses, you’re never sure which side J will end up on. He clearly wants out of the life of crime but is also loyal to his family, perhaps more out of fear of Pope than anything else. It’s a great all round cast but for me Ben Mendelsohn steals the show. Every scene he is in bristles with simmering tension and even scenes where you are awaiting his arrival are shrouded in a sense of dread. Violent and shockingly realistic, Animal Kingdom is one of the finest crime thrillers in recent years.

6:/ Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy : Tomas Alfredson’s movie, based on the 1974 John Le Carre novel, is a slow-burning thriller centred around Cold War paranoia. I won’t attempt a detailed plot summary here but essentially it’s a film about  a former spy, George Smiley, who is brought out of retirement to hunt out a suspected high level mole in British Intelligence.  Smiley is a methodical and clever operative who slowly puts the pieces together as the film goes on.  Though the entire cast, including luminaries such as Colin Firth, Tom Hardy and Toby Jones, are all excellent, it is Oldman’s Smiley who dominated the entire film. Gary Oldman is outstanding as Smiley and will hopefully not be overlooked at the upcoming Oscars. Tinker, Tailor will not be to everybody’s taste, it opts for knowing glances and lingering camera shots rather than kinetic action, but if you allow yourself to get caught up in the paranoia and anxiety that engulfs these middle aged men, it is a thoroughly absorbing film.

5:/ True Grit : The Coen Brothers dipped their toes into the Western genre with No Country for Old Men but with True Grit they dived headfirst into that most American of art forms and delivered one of the finest movies of their career. Not so much a remake of the 1969 John Wayne version but a fresh attempt to translate Charles Portis’ novel to the big screen, the Coens capture the tone of the book perfectly. They provide their characters with an authentic turn of the century dialogue that gives the film a genuinely unique feel. Cinematographer Roger Deakins also deserves a great deal of credit for doing what all the best Westerns do and capturing the beauty of the rugged American wilderness. Jeff Bridges is phenomenal as gnarled lawman Rooster Cogburn switching between grumbling drunk and wise old cowboy with ease.  Cogburn is recruited by determined young Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) to avenge the death of her father and help her track down his assassin Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin). The duo are joined on their quest by Texas Ranger LaBoeuf (Matt Damon) and these three unlikely comrades in arms bicker and trudge their way across desolate landscapes in search of the elusive Chaney. Steinfeld shows talent beyond her years and matches both Damon and Bridges every step of the way. With True Grit, The Coen’s deliver quite possibly the greatest Western since Unforgiven.

4:/ The Guard : This little gem may have passed a few people by upon its release but it is one of the funniest films released last year. Director John Michael McDonagh wrote and directed this independent Irish movie which is an incredibly funny black comedy which also manages moments of unexpected poignancy. The film focuses on unconventional Garda called Boyle (Brendan Gleeson) a cynical old copper who starts off the film by dropping a tab of acid we see him confiscate off a road crash victim. He drinks, deals with the IRA and hires glamorous escorts girls, needless to say we’re not in Frost territory here. Boyle teams up with a straight-laced FBI agent, Evertt (Don Cheadle) to take down an international drug smuggling ring which is operating in Boyle’s home town. Gleeson has great fun delivering Boyle’s witty put downs (“I’m Irish, racism is part of my culture.”) and reminds us again what a great comic actor he is. McDonagh is most definitely a name to look out for after this offering.

3:/ Submarine : The debut feature from IT Crowd actor Richard Ayoade was an inspired coming of age comedy drama which combined the directors own stylistic quirks with a wonderfully deadpan sense of humour.  Submarine deals with the confusion of youth and the perils of adolescent love and at the same time finds the fun in the often delusional quirks of its young lead Oliver Tate (Craig Roberts). Oliver is socially awkward and prone the flights of fancy which see him cast himself as the lead role in the movie of his own life. He soon becomes infatuated with a girl at his school called Jordana and eventually the two begin a nervy romance. The uncomfortable nature of flourishing young love is perfectly captured as we witness such benchmarks as the first kiss and the first time Oliver meets Jordana’s parents. Oliver now sees himself as an expert on relationships and sets out to help mend his parent’s fraught marriage with hilarious consequences. His own inexperience is soon exposed though as things with Jordana take a turn for the worst and naturally, in Oliver’s eyes, it’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to anybody ever. Submarine perfectly captures the innocence and naivety of those early teenage years and also contains Paddy Considine as a sleazy new-age mystic. What’s not to like?

2:/ Senna : An outstanding documentary from Asif Kapadia which is engrossing, informative and incredibly powerful. You don’t need to be a Formula 1 fan to enjoy Senna either, the story of Brazilian racing icon Ayrton Senna is at times inspiring but is also of course tinged with tragedy. The director’s decision to not break away to talking heads and instead maintain a steady flow of archive footage is an inspired one as it really allows the viewer to get fully immersed in the story. The volume of footage assembled by Kapadia is astounding, ranging from Senna family home videos of a young Ayrton racing go-karts, to behind the scenes footage from F1 drivers’ meetings.


Some of the footage is actually so naturally cinematic that at times it can be hard to remember you are watching a documentary. Take for instance the time when Ayrton first won a Grand Prix on home soil. He was far out in front when his gear box suffered a major glitch and he was forced to complete the race in sixth gear.  Not to be denied victory though, Senna digs deep and manages to hold on to the lead and take the chequered flag. After the race his face is contorted in pain and he struggles to remain conscious let alone make his way up to the podium. A weakened Senna gingerly struggles to lift to enormous trophy above his head. Refusing to be denied his golden moment however, he somehow finds the energy to raise the trophy aloft to rapturous applause. It’s truly a joy to behold. 


Obviously, the vast majority of vewiers are aware how this documentary is going to end and that tragic day at the Imola race track is agonizing to watch. The director lets us share his fateful final lap with Senna and as he zips around corner after corner the tension is almost unbearable. I defy anybody to watch that lap and not have a lump in their throat. Heart-breaking and powerful cinema at its finest.

1:/ Drive: A popular choice in many people’s ‘best of’ lists and with good reason. Drive was an exceptional film from director Nicolas Winding Refn who combined elements of action movies, crime thrillers, Westerns and even neo-noir to produce an instant modern classic. Ryan Gosling turns in a career-defining performance as a stunt driver turned getaway driver who lives a lonely existence until he meets neighbour Irene (Carey Mulligan) and her son Benicio (Kaden Leos). The Driver grows close to them both and remains so even when Irene’s husband, Standard (Oscar Issac), returns from prison. Standard owes protection money to an Albanian gangster and agrees to take part in a heist as payment. The Driver agrees to help Standard with the heist but things don’t go according to plan and he is forced to delve deeper into the criminal underworld in order to protect Irene and Benicio. The Driver works at the garage of Shannon (Brian Cranston) a small time crook who also sets up his getaway jobs. Shannon mixes with local mobsters Bernie Rose (Albert Brooks) and Nino (Ron Perlman), both of whom also become heavily involved in the Driver’s enterprises.

 Everything about the film is incredibly slick and stylish, a prime example of which is the atmospheric electro-pop score which fits the film’s mood perfectly.  The whole cast is superb, with both Brooks and Cranston putting in exceptionable supporting performances. It’s very much Gosling’s show however and as a Clint Eastwood-esque man-with-no-name he just exudes cool.  The man even pulls off double denim, which is no mean feat. There are moments of extreme bloody violence in Drive, notably the most gruesome stamping scene since a wannabe robber was forced to bite the kerb in American History X, yet it never feels out of place or unnecessary.  An engrossing narrative, visceral action and top draw acting all combine to make Drive my favourite film of the year. I genuinely cannot wait to see it again when it is released on DVD.

Top 30 of 2011: Part 1

What originally started out as a simple list of my personal top 10 films of 2011 soon escalated and expanded into a top 30. Truth be told it could well have gone beyond that as 2011 has been a great year for movies in my eyes with a whole host of very different but equally fantastic films hitting the big screen. From action thrillers, to heart-breaking drama and eye-opening documentaries, there really has been a great array of movies to choose from. 

I look forward to hearing where you all agree and disagree, though I imagine it will be mainly the latter rather than the former.

To start things off with, here’s the movies I ranked 30-16.

30:/ Never Let me Go: Bleak and depressing in the extreme, this chilling dystopian vision of the future is a truly haunting experience. The story is set in a small-town Britain, all rolling hills and country houses, yet the exact time period is left deliberately vague. Events revolve around the lives of three friends who meet at a strange private school and begin to form a strained love triangle. As more pieces of the puzzle are provided, it becomes clear that the School is withholding a shocking secret. I almost don’t want to say too much more about the plot as its better if you can experience the film with as little prior knowledge as possible. Obviously if you’ve already read the Kazuo Ishiguro novel then you are already in the know regarding the film’s plot but if you are completely unaware it can hit you pretty hard. Let’s just say these seemingly bright young things don’t have the bright future ahead of them they may have hoped for. The film touches on love, friendship, mortality and what it truly means to be alive. It’s a tough watch but still strangely compelling.

29:/ We Need to Talk About Kevin: Will do for having kids what Jaws did for the seaside.  Lynne Ramsay’s nightmarish vision of parenthood is a moody and atmospheric piece which chronicles one mother’s struggle to forge a bond with her son. As despairing mum Eva, Tilda Swinton captures the sense of desperation and frustration superbly and young Ezra Miller is suitably menacing as the devilish Kevin. The film is told predominantly in flashback as we look back at how Eva struggles to connect with her son and slowly comes to believe that Kevin is deliberately setting out to cause her pain and misery. We see a young Kevin refusing to toilet train and damaging his mother’s things. Then later there’s an incident with his younger sister and some cleaning fluid which appears to confirm Eva’s worst fears. The evidence begins to mount up and the film slowly drives towards a horrifying conclusion which is slowly revealed via little snippets throughout the movie. When the full extent of Kevin’s evil is revealed though it really is a shocker.

28:/ Rise of the Planet of the Apes: One of the finest Hollywood blockbusters of the year and a real unexpected treat. Not a whole lot was expected from this Planet of the Apes reboot, yet it received widespread critical acclaim and was a smash hit at the box office.  ROTPOTA benefits from strong central performances from both Andy Serkis as top chimp Caesar and James Franco as pioneering scientist Will Rodman. Serkis in particular deserves great praise for once again leading the way when it comes to motion-capture technology.  The plot revolves around Caesar’s time in captivity and his rapidly developing intelligence and growing desire to escape captivity. Director Rupert Wyatt does a great job of keeping you engrossed throughout and on this evidence is clearly going to be one to watch out for in the coming years. The film’s special effects deserve a lot of credit too with the climactic attack sequence set on San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge being particularly well executed. There are few things more exciting than seeing a Gorilla hurl itself at a helicopter, as I'm sure we can all agree. 

27:/ The Tree of Life:  Terence Malick’s latest offering was not universally loved upon its release and granted, it is perhaps a touch on the pretentious side for some. There is something about Tree of Life though that really lingers with you long after it has finished. The great breadth of story which Malick attempts to cover is admirable taking in as he does the formation of life on earth itself en route to modern times. The central story thread revolves around a typical small town family in 1950’s America and the experiences of their children as they grow up and begin to try and understand the world around them. As one would expect of Malick the film looks gorgeous and contains some really visually impressive shots. The reclusive director also creates a genuine sense of mood and the sense of wonderment connected with childhood that few other films can muster. It can get a little too self-indulgent at times, but there’s still much to enjoy here.

26:/ The Fighter: Arguably the finest boxing movie since Raging Bull, The Fighter combines visceral fight scenes with intense family drama in this retelling of the rise to prominence of boxing legend ‘Irish’ Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg). Filmed on location in working class Lowell Massachusetts, the film has a great authenticity to it which is helped in no small part by a strong cast each putting in magnificent performances. Amy Adams is great as Micky’s girlfriend Charlene and Melissa Leo likewise as matriarch Alice. Mark Wahlberg looks every bit the brooding pugilist and Christian Bale is just superb as Micky’s drug-addict brother Dicky Eklund and fully deserved his best supporting actor Oscar. A gritty and inspiring story that may touch on the odd predictable underdog sporting movie cliché at times but it gets away with it thanks to the simple fact that it’s all true!

25:/ Bridesmaids: Far from being just a Judd Apatow comedy for the ladies, Bridesmaids is a genuinely funny and well-written movie that just so happens to star women. Any men who were put off seeing the movie as they felt it would be aimed solely at femmes, most definitely missed out. Writer and star Kristen Wiig is one of the hottest comic properties in America right now thanks to Bridesmaids and quite rightly too. Wiig’s Annie is a loveable 30-something who is down on her luck after losing her job and apartment and is dealt a further blow when her best friend Lillian announces she’s getting married. After being asked by Lillian to be her maid of honour, Annie keeps getting upstaged by the pretty and perfect Helen, a new friend of Lillian’s, and she struggles to keep everything together. Some scenes such as the disastrous aborted flight to Vegas and Annie and Helen’s competing engagement toasts are pure gold and it’s no surprise that this is the highest grossing Apatow film yet.

24:/ Biutiful: Harrowing and unrelentingly bleak. That’s the honest description of Alejandro González Iñárritu’s movie and yet as depressing as it may be, it is still an incredibly captivating film. Javier Bardem is outstanding as Uxbal, a single father who is entwined in the dingy criminal underworld of Barcelona. The standard tourist vision of Barcelona is nowhere to be found as the director shows us the grim backstreets and seedy alleys where crime and poverty are rife. Uxbal works as a go-between and fixer for various underworld gangs and shady characters. He also has a supernatural gift that allows him to speak to the nearly dead, a burden that lies heavily on his conscience.When he finds out that he has cancer and only a short time left to live, he sets out to get his business in order. Bardem gives a truly special performance and creates a character wracked with guilt and struggling to do the right thing both for his children and with his estranged bipolar wife.  Powerful stuff, but make sure you watch something funny afterwards though, else you may spiral intro a pit of depression yourself.

23:/ Midnight in Paris: One of Woody Allen’s finest films in years, Midnight in Paris is a sweet and heartfelt romantic comedy set in a picture postcard Paris. Screenwriter Gil (Owen Wilson) is struggling to finish his first novel and wallows in nostalgia for bygone eras of artistic creativity. One night when out walking the Paris streets he is met by an old car filled with strange characters in 1920’s dress. It then emerges that he has somehow gone back in time to a golden age of writing and is mixing with literary greats such as Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald. When he gets back to his own time, Gil begins to question his relationship with long-term fiancée Inez as he begins to realise they want increasingly different things from their lives. The movie is also love letter to Paris and the magical romantic properties of the city are highlighted beautifully. It’s a funny and poignant film and the supernatural aspect really adds a lot to the finished article. Woody back to his very best.

22:/ The Inbetweeners Movie: I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this as much as I did. Film adaptations from TV series have a decidedly chequered past and I wasn’t sure the Inbetweeners TV formula would translate to a feature length film. Luckily though I was proved very wrong and the movie was not only packed with laughs but also the odd touching moment as well as the four friends realise their carefree school days are now at an end. The plot sees our intrepid heroes venture off to Crete on a lad’s holiday and inevitably there’s plenty of debauchery along the way. The humour will not be to everybody’s taste and if you didn’t like the TV series, you’re not going to find much to enjoy here. If you do like the TV series though, you will be in hysterics at moments like when the boys decide to dance their way over to some unsuspecting young ladies in a seedy bar.  As Jay noted, “This girl's so wet for me I can hear the waves breaking in her fanny.”

21:/ X-Men: First Class: In a year full of superhero movies that ranged wildly in quality, Matthew Vaughan’s X-Men First Class stood out as a breath of fresh air. The movie is an origin story which relocates the action to the X-Men's formation in 1960’s America. Set during the Cuban Missile Crisis, the winning combination of Cold War politics and Superhero fantasy is well handled by the Kick-Ass director. First Class revolves around the relationship between its two central characters, James McAvoy as Professor Charles Xavier and Michael Fassbender as Erik Lensherr (aka Magneto). Both actors are powerful presences and really capture the differing outlooks their characters espouse. The film’s plot, which focuses on the X-Men’s formation and their role in stopping nuclear conflict during the Cold War, is both clever and well written and the special effects are extremely effective to boot. For me this just edges out Captain America as my Comic-Book movie of the year.

20:/ Armadillo: This little known documentary follows a group of Danish soldiers who are posted to the front line in Afghanistan. We see the group saying goodbye to their loved ones and then arriving at Armadillo, their base camp, in the Helmand Province. From then we follow them out on patrol as they come into contact with Taliban resistance fighters. The filmmakers get right up to close to the conflict and the movie never shies away from depicting the terror of war. One stand out sequence which caused controversy back in their native Denmark shows some of the soldiers seemingly breaking the rules of engagement and illegally killing enemy soldiers. The film really does delve into the psychological impact that war can have on young men and it is noticeable how different the fresh faced boys are at the beginning of the movie to the battle-hardened men at its end.  Armadillo is an eye-opening documentary with some especially powerful moments.

19:/ Melancholia: Lars Von Trier’s latest movie was a memorable and visually striking movie that is half tragic family drama and half apocalyptic science-fiction. The first half focuses on the wedding of troubled Justine (Kirsten Dunst) who is seemingly losing her ongoing battle with depression and sabotages her special day at very turn. It’s the second half where the film comes into its own however as a now severely depressed Justine returns to the location of her failed nuptials, her sister Claire’s luscious countryside mansion. It then emerges that a rogue planet called Melancholia could well be on a collision course with earth and Von Trier ratchets up the tension as we experience the increasing fear which surrounds Claire and her family. It’s no spoiler to say that the planet does indeed plough into the earth , this is shown at the films outset, and the contrast between Justine’s serenely calm acceptance of the inevitable compared to Claire’s blind panic is telling. Von Trier was seeking to show that in times of disaster, people with depression are actually the calmest heads and Dunst puts in a wonderful performance in the lead role. As the planet closes in, it’s a genuinely nerve wracking experience.

18:/ Inside Job: Director Charles Ferguson turns his attention to the causes and effects of the late-2000’s financial crisis in this powerful and passionate documentary that will truly get your blood boiling. The film is truly eye opening as the true scale of the corruption and malpractice which engulfs the banking sector is laid bare. When the facts are presented in the cold hard light of day it is a sobering experience for any right minded viewer. The presence of Matt Damon as narrator adds some star power to proceedings but really this is a documentary which speaks for itself.  Smart, passionate and informative, what more can you ask from a documentary?

17:/ 127 Hours: Much like other 2011 Oscar big hitters The King’s Speech and Black Swan, it’s easy to forget that 127 Hours actually came out this calendar year. Danny Boyle’s tense drama centres on the real life experiences of dare-devil climber Aron Ralston who spent 127 hours stuck in a remote canyon’s crevice with his arm trapped under a boulder. Played superbly by James Franco, Ralston’s ordeal is a triumph of human will but also a story of redemption and learning to fully embrace life. A film focusing purely a man trapped in a small crevice may not sound particularly entertaining but thanks to Boyle’s direction and Franco’s magnetic charisma, you find yourself gripped throughout. There are of course some gut-wrenching scenes which are difficult to watch. I don’t think it’s spoiling the film to say that Aron is ultimately forced to carve off his own arm in order to escape and this scene is shown in very graphic detail. The intensity of the scene though is something that stays with you and will really get you thinking as to whether you’d be able to do likewise if such a fate befell you. 

16:/ Hugo: Martin Scorsese is not the most likely candidate for a heart-warming family friendly film but sure enough the master proves he can turn his hand to pretty much any genre he wishes. Hugo (Asa Butterfield) is an orphaned boy who lives in the walls and clocks of a grand Parisian station. His late father leaves him a half-finished automaton and Hugo resorts to stealing from a toy shop owner in the station to finish the contraption. The shop owner turns out to be legendary silent film maker Georges Meilies (Sir Ben Kingsley) who has fallen on old times and remains forgotten and unappreciated in his own time.  Hugo and Georges’ goddaughter Isabelle (Chloe Grace Moretz), become friends and seek to restore the long forgotten master to his former glory. Visually the film is incredibly striking with Scorsese producing one of the most effective 3D films to date. The shots of the bustling train station especially have exceptional depth and detail to soak in. The director has a deep love of silent and early cinema and this movie is definitely a personal labour of love for Marty who delivers a charming and captivating family movie which seeks to remind us of the magic of cinema.