RATED: 15

CAST: Keanu Reeves, Winona Ryder, Woody Harrelson, Robert Downey Jr.

DIRECTED BY: Richard Linklater.

REVIEW: A Scanner Darkly, is the newest offering from arthouse director Richard Linklater, starring Keanu Reeves, Robert Downey Jr and Winona Ryder, it boasts a unique visual style of animation over the top of live footage, based on the P. K. Dick novel of the same name, it has a lot to offer.

Keanu Reeves plays Bob Arctor, a lowlife guy who's addicted to a new drug called 'Substance D'. However he is also an undercover narcotics agent, leading to the mindbending drugs creating a huge amount of confusion for him as his life splits in two.

The style of perfomance here are crucial, as they mimic the nature of the drug which they take, warping them into strange twisted versions of normality and in fact very interesting and engaging characters. Well performed, the air of their paranoid natures is perfectly executed and is a great positive of the film.

The striking visual look of this movie is mesmeric to say the least, drawing the audience into this obscure version of reality and the unique members of society that the film follows. Vivid and captivating, it adds to the delerium and makes the veiwer sometimes disorientated, trying to decipher where the reality ends and the animation begins.

The narrative itself is exactly what you'd expect from one of the great novelists of the 20th century, very surreal and full of social critique and fabulous plot twists. Whilst the story may seem slow, the pacing is very appropriate and once again, gives more to the overall feeling of the film.

This film does generate some very high expectations, and whilst not completely filling them all, it still remains a fantastic piece of cinema, showcasing some inventiveness and great acting, not to mention the dark humour and intriguing script. Well worth a watch, unmissable for any true cinema fan.

Cyrus Bales

http://www.cyrusbalesfilms.co.uk/

RATED- 15.

CAST- Martin Freeman, Jimmy Carr, Jessica Stevenson, Robert Webb, Alison Steadman, Olivia Colman.

DIRECTED BY- Debbie Isitt.

REVIEW- Confetti is the newest British comedy to showcase the latest batch of British sitcom stars. After Shawn of the Dead highlighted the talents of actors from hits The Office and Spaced, Confetti uses the success of shows such as Peep Show and The Green Wing for casting the film’s characters.

The film revolves around wedding magazine Confetti whose sales are in need of improvement. So the heads of the magazine (Carr and Felicity Montagu) decide to launch a competition for the most original wedding. Cue several hopefuls who wish to have their dream wedding. Amongst these are the three chosen couples: a tennis couple, a musical couple and quite surprisingly a naturist couple. The cameras follow the couples as they prepare for their big day with the help of their wedding planners Gregory and Archie.

Sam and Matt’s (Stevenson and Freeman) wedding is staged around 1950’s musicals despite the fact that both are tone death and cannot really dance, Josef and Isabelle (Stephen Mangan and Meredith MacNeill) are the competitive tennis enthusiasts who want to win to keep their relationship going and Michael and Joanna (Webb and Colman) are two naturists who want to have their wedding au naturelle despite the arguments of the magazine’s chiefs

The movie was filmed with the cast improvising their lines with little or no script which gives it the mockumentary feel needed to create the right atmosphere. However because of the documentary style of the film it is not always laugh a minute and the serious parts, where the couple’s nerves set in, seem too serious and meaningful for a comedy.

Jimmy Carr is as funny as always with his sarcastic and uncompromising wit but is subordinate for most of the film as it concentrates on the three couples. Mangan, Freeman, Stevenson et al all have their moments but may have benefited from a script to give their lines more bite. Their scenes are often hijacked by the wedding planners (Jason Watkins and Vincent Franklin) as the stereotypical camp planners whose performance gives the film the majority of its laugh-out-loud moments. Webb and Colman bare all as the nudist couple and their modesty is shown on several occasions giving their naturists role credibility but it could create awkward moments for the audience as they won't know where to look.

The highlight of the film is unsurprisingly the weddings which take place on the same day in the same venue in front of a panel of judges. Each performance is as original as the idea suggests however, particularly with the musical wedding, they appear too polished and perfect, which contradicts the problems and rushed preparations faced by all the couples leading up to it. It may have worked better if the performances were as cringe-worthy as the film suggests they should be.

Confetti is entertaining and good fun in most parts but a little more is expected given the day jobs of the film’s stars and it is doubtful that it will match the success of their hit TV shows.

Reviewed by- Michael Snowden.

 

RATED- 12A

CAST- Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, Famke Janssen, Kelsey Grammer

DIRECTED BY- Brett Ratner

REVIEW- The Last Stand is the final instalment in the X Men franchise with the story carrying on with the war between the mutants and the humans still unresolved. With the first two films being hugely successful this has a lot to live up to for both fans and critics alike.

This film is worthy of the big blockbuster tag with great special effects, particularly when dealing with the mutants and their powers and an incredible scene where Magneto uses the Golden Gate Bridge to get to Alcatraz, terrific fight scenes and exciting story line. It manages to maintain what was good about its predecessors and take it on a stage further despite Ratner replacing previous director Bryan Singer, who jumped ship to direct Superman Returns. 

After scientists have developed a ‘cure’ for the mutant gene Magneto (McKellen) along with his new entourage of Pyro and Juggernaut bring the battle to the American Government in bid to destroy the cure that threatens what makes them who they are. This leads to more mutant on mutant mayhem as Charles Xavier’s X Men lead by Wolverine (Jackman) and Storm (Berry) fight for what they believe is right and to maintain balance and harmony.

One of the biggest talking points about this film is the high profile casualties before the fighting has even begun and the re-emergence of Jean Grey. After her apparent death in the last film it is discovered that she has a dual personality, Phoenix, who turns on her former friends and sides with Magneto. However she is unpredictable and often chaotic, which is an interesting change from the straight-laced Grey we are used to.

Jackman resumes the roll of Wolverine and continues his fine portrayal of the often uncompromising and unwilling hero. Ian McKellen is once again brilliant as Magneto with his rousing speeches and leadership qualities. Famke Janssen and Halle Berry get more screen time and a more pivotal role in the story and both rise to the challenge. Bit part characters also develop with Iceman, Pyro and new character Kitty Page joining the final assault. Kelsey Grammer is thrown into the deep end as Dr Hank McCoy a.k.a the Beast, a liaison to the US Government who joins the X Men when he discovers his diplomatic approach isn’t working and excels in the role.

One problem with the story is the huge increase in new characters who have no real purpose or worth. For example Ben Foster as Angel never really gets into the story and it is the same with the source of the ‘cure’, Leech and many of Magneto’s army which mean that established characters like Cyclops, Rogue and Mystique take a back seat and become subordinate. This does throw up some surprising and shocking scenes but may leave some fans of those characters disappointed, especially as the new characters fail to deliver.         However the action and story mean that these are just minor grievances. The Last Stand is an enjoyable film and can stand proudly alongside its predecessors. There are some hints as to the possibility of further sequels so it remains to be seen if this will be the end of the line for the X Men story but with X Men3 they have avoided the pitfall of the superhero sequel once again.   

 

Reviewed by- Michael Snowden.

 

 

RATED- 12A

CAST- Tom Hanks, Sir Ian Mckellen, Jean Reno, Paul Bettany, Audrey Tautou

DIRECTED BY- Ron Howard

REVIEW- One of the biggest selling books of recent years is now one of the most talked about films of the year. The Da Vinci Code, based on the controversial book by Dan Brown, is brought to life by director Ron Howard. With the book being such a phenomenon and spawning so many behind the book and documentary programmes said to reveal truths, this film was destined to fall short. But it doesn’t.

The suspense that made the book so thrilling and exciting is transferred onto the big screen giving the audience plenty of jumpy moments to enjoy. The twists and turns in the plot and ever developing mysteries are also present as Howard has captured what made the book great and made it the highlights of the film. With its conspiracy theories, history, religion and detective elements it is the perfect story for a big time successful film.

The story revolves around Harvard professor Robert Langdon (Hanks) and Sophie Neveu (Tautou) as they try to discover the murderer of Louvre curator Jacques Sauniere. They discover a secret regarding the Holy Grail, protected by a secret cult and enlist the help of Grail expert Leigh Teabing (Mckellen). Langdon and Neveu are followed every step of the way by Albino assassin Silas (Bettany) and top French Officer Bezu Fache (Reno).

Hanks plays the role of Langdon well as he gives the appearance of the knowledgeable lecturer and Neveu brings authenticity to the role as the French Cryptographer. Other top performances are Paul Bettany as the self punishing assassin as his vengeful eyes reflect years of pain in his character and Mckellen as Grail enthusiast Teabing. Bettany is genuinely frightening at times during the film and mastered Latin for his conversations with ‘Teacher’ whilst Mckellen provides some moments of humour as the crippled historian with a passion for the secret of the Grail.

If you haven’t read the book the movie still manages to make sense as past events are explained well with flashbacks to characters past as well as periods of religious or historical importance and do not break up the momentum built up. Also, as in the book, the variety of historical and religious places, for example Le Louvre and various churches are kept integral to the story and their relevance is explained and showed. The footage of Silas punishing himself for his sins is tastefully done and reflects the Opus Dei belief and is not overly glorified or exaggerated.

If you are a fan of the book you may still find some things to complain about. You may have your own interpretation of how the characters appear which may not match with the on screen counterparts and not all of the context is explained, for example several details about the Pagan belief system were overlooked. However this cannot be helped as the book can take time away from the story to explain these contextual stories and to put these in the film would have broken up the suspense of the storyline and appeared random as they could not have been explained.

Whether you are looking for an action thriller or wish to see the book transferred onto the big screen The Da Vinci Code is worth a look. As with reading the book you must remember that it is a work of fiction and not take the information or theories behind the story too seriously. By doing so you can enjoy it for what it is – a well equipped film adaptation of a best selling novel.

Reviewed by- Michael Snowden.

 

RATED- 18.

CAST- Josh Hartnett, Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman and Lucy Liu.

DIRECTED BY- Paul McGuigan.

REVIEW- Apart from the pronunciation – which sounds like you’ve downed half a bottle of vodka and are now slurring, ‘Lucky Number Slevin’ is definitely a good way to pass some time.

Starring Josh Hartnett as main character Slevin, the story revolves around him finding himself in the wrong place at the wrong time and certainly, with the wrong people. It is, unluckily for Slevin, a case of mistaken identity.

This identity crisis leads to Slevin coming between the two lead gangster bosses in New York with no choice but to play them off each other. With the added character of Mr Goodkat played by Bruce Willis as an infamous assassin and Morgan Freeman and Ben Kingsley as the conflicting city bosses, this film has no problem with big names.

In amongst the action, Lucy Liu plays Slevin’s love interest, Lindsey and very much the girl next door, literally. It is here that the film begins to resemble Hartnett’s earlier teen films (40 Days and 40 Nights, The Faculty), however, Hartnett’s role everywhere else in the film shows how he should be considered a far more serious and convincing actor.

If you liked Layer Cake and enjoyed Snatch and Oceans Eleven, Lucky Number Slevin should be a hit. It’s fast paced and filled with action and subtle humour; definitely a film for the boys and girls. If all else fails, there is always the selection of finest men (Hartnett, Willis) and lady of course (Liu) to gaze at, not that you will have time to do much gazing after solving the puzzles thrown at you.

An unpredictable action/comedy/gangster and even romance, Lucky Number Slevin is hard to categorise but unquestionably, one to watch.

 

Reviewed by- Tina Matthews.