Eleanor Reviews

Top 5 Films of the Year: ‘71 Pride The Imitation Game The Lego Movie Calvary Pleasant Surprise of the Year: Captain America: The Winter Soldier Disappointment(s) of the Year: Muppets Most Wanted Locke The Monuments Men The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

*** Having staked their claim on the treasure hidden within the Lonely Mountain, Biblo and the Dwarves, led by an increasingly volatile Thorin, watch on as armies of Men, Elves, Orcs, Goblins gather outside their front door, all vying for a piece of the gold. Sigh. I’m not angry, I’m just disappointed. After the mess of the second part of the trilogy, I felt sure that Jackson would be able to redeem himself with this conclusion, but I have been proved wrong. Where to begin? Well, how about the complete lack of plot!? I have read some reviews of Mockingjay: Part 1 that accuse the film of being without direction and story, but compared to Battle of the Five Armies , Mockingjay looks like an excellently crafted Dickensian novel. In all honesty, the plot for the final Hobbit film can be summarised thus: there’s a big fight. Fight scenes can be exciting, I don’t deny it, but after you’ve seen one army smash into another, you’ve essentially seen them all, so the repetition of

***** During the Second World War, the Nazis communicated via Enigma, a seemingly impossible code that was changed every day at midnight. Desperate to break the code and win the war, the government established a top-secret programme at Bletchley Park, hiring the best cryptographers, mathematicians and analytical minds in the country. Amongst the recruits was Alan Turing, a man with as many secrets as the Nazi code… Set out over three timeframes, Tyldum’s biopic details the remarkable life of Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch), from love-struck schoolboy, to cryptographer, to ‘criminal’. The majority of the tale is set during the Second World War, but perhaps the most affecting pieces are the stories of Turing’s life away from Bletchley Park and the work he did there. The performances are ubiquitously excellent, with Cumberbatch leading a pack of veterans and up-and-coming British acting talent, including relative newcomer Alex Lawther as schoolboy Turing. Charles Dance and

** DVD Release After an American submarine loaded with nuclear weapons sinks, the crew of a nearby oil rig are hired to help a group of US Navy SEALS track down the missing vessel and determine the reasons for the sinking. It soon becomes apparent that the downing of the submarine was more than just a result of human error… I really like the ‘Theatrical Version’ (aka, the not-messed-around-with version) of The Abyss : it’s a feel good blockbuster with good characters, some good set pieces, some witty one-liners and also (spoiler alert!) aliens. There are good guys and bad guys trapped on an underwater oil rig, alone in the dark as a hurricane rages on the surface. There’s also a big nuclear warhead – what’s not to love?! Of course, all these elements are still in the ‘Special Edition’, but they are somewhat diminished by a handful of unnecessary scenes, and an absolute mess of an ending. Seriously, the ending on this version of the film is pretty terrible, and completel

**** Having been rescued by the rebels and secured within District 13, Katniss becomes ‘the Mockingjay’; the symbol of resistance against the tyrannical President Snow and the Capitol. Whilst she is being used for propaganda purposes, it becomes apparent that Peeta, captured by the Capitol at the end of the Quarter Quell, is being used for the same reasons. Outmanned and outgunned, the rebels begin their quest to topple the dictatorship. I haven’t read the books, nor have I seen Catching Fire , but when offered a free ticket to see the latest Hunger Games instalment, I couldn’t turn it down… And I was pleasantly surprised. Essentially an angst-ridden, overly-emotional teen fantasy about finding yourself when faced with impossible odds, director Francis Lawrence does well to make the film seem very adult. Whilst we do not witness the bloody moment of an execution, or the torture endured by some characters, Lawrence allows the camera to rest upon the shocking outcomes, wheth

*** In the latter years of his life, the artist William Turner painted some of his most beautiful pieces, whilst all the while his personal life was in turmoil.   I am somewhat torn; I knew that there would be a severe lack of car chases, explosions and thumping techno beats, and yet I couldn't help feel disappointed... and almost bored by Mike Leigh's latest. I feel sad to admit this as I've read other rave reviews of Mr. Turner, where critics bow down in awe of his biopic, and yet I cannot deny that I failed to find the film enjoyable. There is no real plot apart from the fact that Turner is getting older - each scene is only loosely linked to the one prior to it, sometimes jumping months into the future from where we were last based. Each scene is like a small sketch, detailing the processes of Turner's life, yet he remains an enigma throughout, leaving many questions unanswered: why was he estranged from his wife and children? Why did he deny their existen

**** In the not too distant future, humankind is facing disaster and death. Our past excesses have left the Earth a barren wasteland, with limited food stocks and unpredictable, extreme weather conditions. In an attempt to save humanity, NASA launches a select crew into space, to travel through a wormhole, to find a habitable planet in another solar system. I had a headache for some hours after seeing Interstellar ; not because it was too loud, or that I was too close to the screen, but because I had been forced to concentrate, think and question for almost three hours. Advertised as a space exploration film, Christopher Nolan’s latest is more a study into humanity and the lengths that man will go to in order to achieve a goal: it’s about our place in the universe, our ability to adapt, inevitable human error, the fragility of the body and the mind, and love. Love is at the very heart of this space-epic, with Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) leaving his children behind on Earth

**** DVD Release Picking up where The Raid left off, The Raid 2 sees Rama go undercover in the criminal underworld of Jakarta. Tasked with finding evidence of police corruption, Rama finds himself caught up in the life of Uco, son of Indonesian gangster, Bangun. Uco is desperate for the chance to prove himself a capable leader, and will do anything, including fracturing the long-term peace between the Japanese and Indonesian gangs, to obtain power. Considering it’s a film all about fighting, it isn’t boring. Each fight sequence (and there are quite a few!) is different from the next, with a range of martial arts on display, as well as gun shoot-outs, a memorable fight in a mud field, and a particularly disturbing sequence involving hammers on an underground train. I don’t claim to know anything about martial arts or fighting, but each segment was excellently framed and shot, and I can only imagine how long it must have taken to choreograph each fight. In some cases, t

***** After a house search goes horribly wrong, new recruit Private Gary Hook is abandoned behind enemy lines in Belfast, 1971. Alone and afraid in a city that is tearing itself apart, Hook must negotiate the dangerous streets of war-torn Belfast to make it back to his barracks. The quality of filmmaking on display here can only be considered as excellent, so the fact that it is directed by a relative newcomer, Yann Demange, only makes it more remarkable. Focusing his attentions on abandoned Private Gary Hook (Jack O’Connell), Demange escorts the viewer around the brutal and bloody landscape that is Belfast in 1971, building the tension to almost unbearable heights as various factions of Irish militants close in on our young soldier. The violence is shocking and unflinching, but never gratuitous, and at times I had to turn away to avoid witnessing another bloody execution. There is one particularly gruesome moment involving the detonation of a bomb that is very hard to watch

DVD Release ***/**** (3.5 stars) After her father is murdered, fourteen-year-old Mattie Ross persuades the notorious Rooster Cogburn to help her track down the killer.   The Mattie Ross character is quite endearing, and brilliantly acted by Hailee Steinfeld; seeing her stomp around town, out-witting her elders and bartering for the best deal is amusing and indeed one of the major strengths of this film comes from Steinfeld's pitch-perfect performance. Jeff Bridges doesn't really act at all, as Rooster Cogburn is just one of the many tough, smart-mouthed parts that he has played in his lifetime... it would have been good for him to speak a little more clearly however. Matt Damon is doomed to a rather dull and underdeveloped character in Texas Ranger LaBoeuf, but all the characters bounce off each other quite well, with various scenes of bickering and gun-toting fuelling their inevitable friendships. It is an attractive film - the camera makes full use of the massive

DVD Release *** After a member of the public inadvertently films the murder of a politician, the tape of the incident is hunted by a rogue section of the intelligence agency. When the tape is deposited in the bag of a lawyer, Robert Dean, his life spins out of control. Unclear as to why he is being chased by the agency, he meets with Brill, ex-NSA, and the pair plot to end the intelligence agency's reign of terror. For something that is meant to be a thriller, I found it spectacularly un-thrilling; maybe it's because I've seen a fair few films of this genre to know the tropes? Maybe it's because the characters are badly drawn and wholly uninspiring? I don't know the answer, but either way, this was a bit of a let down. It isn't badly made, and the acting is fairly solid, and there are some clever surveillance shots, but a film needs substance as well as style, especially if it is to label itself 'thriller'. Also, the film seems to think that

***** In 1984, a group of gay and lesbian activists decided to raise funds in support of the striking miners. Picking a mining town at random, they began to campaign on behalf of the workers in a small Welsh community, eventually travelling from London to meet the recipients of their charitable work. I went into this film having already decided that I quite liked it – having read some interviews, watched the trailer a couple of times and then poured over the discussion board on IMDb, I eagerly awaited the day when I would find the time to see it. And I was not disappointed. Pride is a real life tale (with some embellishments, such as the character of newcomer Joe) about unlikely alliances and standing up to your oppressors, about discovering yourself and other people. There are moments of humour and happiness alongside heartfelt scenes of anguish and desperation, all supported with an excellent soundtrack. I laughed and cried in equal measure and was thoroughly entertained

*** When a man arrives at their front door, claiming to be a close friend of their recently dead son, the Peterson family welcome him into their home, and their lives. David is charming, quick to help and ever respectful, but after the town is hit with a spate of deaths, Anna Peterson begins to doubt the credibility of David’s story. We all know the story: a new person arrives in town appearing to be one thing, and actually turns out to be something quite different, so in terms of originality, The Guest is somewhat lacking. Want of narrative ambition, however, does not make this a dull and uninteresting film – it is fun, somewhat creepy, and has the second most ludicrous final act so far this year, second only to Luc Besson’s Lucy . Dan Stevens (yes, Matthew from Downton Abbey ) is David, a soldier with Special Ops training, who the audience immediately distrust, but who the Peterson family take an almost instant liking to… all except Anna (Maika Monroe) who finds him as p

  ***/**** Ten years after ‘The Collapse’, a band of thieves steal a car from the roadside and disappear over the horizon. Little do they realise that their new car belongs to a ruthless loner, Eric, a man who thinks nothing of violence and death. Pursuing the thieves across the bleak Australian landscape, Eric meets Rey, a brother of one of the thieves, and the pair form an uneasy partnership. To say that The Rover is pretty bleak would be something of an understatement – this is a merciless, depressing study into Man’s tendency towards violence when He has no rules or structure to govern Him: crucified bodies line the empty highways; everyone carries a weapon and is unafraid to murder anyone who gets in the way; and all humanity seems lost. It’s also about the dangers of not wearing sun cream and going long periods of time without brushing your teeth. Guy Pearce is Eric, a hardened and violent man travelling across the barren wasteland of Australia. It has been well doc

*** DVD Release Afraid to turn up at her sister's wedding alone after being perpetually single since her long term boyfriend left her two years previously, Kat Ellis hires a sophisticated male escort to pose as her partner. During the course of the wedding proceedings, Kat's relationship with her new companion, Nick, becomes more than just business.   You know the outcome of the story before you've even started the film: a pretty woman meets an equally attractive man, attraction ensues, there's a complication, and then everything resolves itself wonderfully. 'The Wedding Date' doesn't attempt to be anything more than a stereotypical rom-com, but it does the basics rather well and it is a happy, feel-good film. Debra Messing and Dermot Mulroney play Kat and Nick respectively, and whilst there's nothing new or exciting about their relationship as compared with the countless other films from the genre, there does appear to be some onscreen chem

* DVD Release Warning: this review contains some minor spoilers Bill Parrish, a fabulously wealthy media mogul, is fast approaching his 65 th birthday when he is visited by Death, who has taken the body of a recently deceased young man in order to live amongst humanity. Death requires Bill to be his guide throughout his time in human form, but complications arise as Bill’s board members question the constant presence of this strange individual and Bill’s daughter becomes increasingly attracted to her father’s new companion. The premise of the film is quite interesting: Death walking amongst mankind is a promising plotline, suggestive of something quite spooky, philosophical and haunting… things that this film definitely isn’t. The writers abandon any notion of creepiness and suspense (actually, anything of interest) in place of the most contrived and horrible love story that is so utterly cringe-worthy and annoying that I wanted to gouge my eyes out. Death, named Jo

*** After becoming advertently caught up in an international drugs ring, Lucy has her stomach packed with CPH4, a synthetic chemical with the ability to increase a human’s brain capacity. After being beaten, the chemical starts to leak into her body, quickly increasing her cognitive abilities and gifting her with superpowers. Well, it starts off being pretty ridiculous, and builds and builds to become something quite preposterous. The similarities with Transcendence , and indeed other films of the genre, are unavoidable, but whereas Transcendence took itself seriously with the notion of Johnny Depp essentially becoming God, Lucy seems to realise that it is pretty ridiculous and doesn’t ‘bottle it’ in the final scene; it goes the whole hog. I think this is the major strength of the film – it doesn’t take itself to be a great, philosophical piece about the limits of the human brain, instead teasing the audience with the possibility of an intelligent debate, before the majority

*** DVD Release Based on Robert Harris’ novel of the same name, Enigma follows troubled code-breaker, Tom Jericho, as he simultaneously tries to decode the Nazi’s new Enigma Code and track down his missing lover, Claire. As he, and Claire’s best friend, Hester, delve deeper in Claire’s disappearance, it becomes apparent that Tom’s work has come into play in his private life… This film has such an old-fashioned, Sunday-afternoon feel to it – there are few explosions or violent scenes, instead endless scenes of the grounds around Bletchley Park and rooms in desperate need of a spring clean. Dougray Scott is Tom Jericho, the desperately unwell and generally disliked genius who breaks the Enigma Code every day. Scott looks fittingly unwell as the deeply depressed genius, Jericho, but his character’s complete mental break down after Claire’s rejection, who he had only known for one month, seems somewhat strange. I don’t know if his mental fragility is studied in more depth i

**/*** (2.5 stars) Hercules is a demi-god, born of Zeus and a mortal woman. Despite Hera’s, Zeus’ wife, attempts to destroy him, Hercules grows into an impossibly strong warrior, capable of great feats of strength and stamina. His completion of the Twelve Labours set him by Hera become famed throughout the land, and soon his god-like skill is sought by those in need of military assistance. Being a demi-god, he cannot be defeated and will quash any enemy he is set against… or so the legend says. In a departure from the usual Hercules films, Brett Ratner’s film instead chooses to look upon Hercules as being a human being, gifted with great strength but not the son of a God. Instead of working alone, he works with a team of misfits, sell-swords who will fight for whoever is prepared to pay them the most. Instead of a magical Ancient Greece, Ratner chooses to show a ‘realistic’ world wherein optical illusions create fantastical beasts. I suppose it’s an unusual idea, but it do

**/*** (2.5 stars) DVD Release In 1970s America, Irving Rosenfeld makes a living as a successful con man. When he meets Sydney Prosser, the pair decide to branch further afield into the world of conning, eventually falling under the eye of the law. To escape prosecution, they must help a young, hot-headed FBI agent to expose the rampant political corruption in the area. I find it hard to comprehend why this film was ever nominated for such an abundance of awards - it was even in the 'Best Film' category! 'American Hustle' isn't engaging, it is wholly unoriginal, and the majority of the characters are wholly unlikeable. It also goes on and on... and on and on! The film is full of glaring inconsistencies that I just couldn't move past: sometimes there is a narrative voice-over, sometimes not; whilst at other times the camera flicked from the face of the person speaking to their hands and then back again, which I found incredibly fr

***/**** (3.5 stars) DVD Release Sergeant Gerry Boyle lives and works within a small coastal community in Ireland, balancing his drug and prostitute habit with the everyday crimes that occur in his patch. Following the discovery of a body and the subsequent arrival of a humourless FBI agent, Boyle finds himself being roped in to help hunt down a team of international drug-smugglers. Well, Brendan Gleeson, who plays the eponymous guard, is obviously excellent: his small nuances and subtle line delivery are spot on, and you could almost miss some of his ‘jokes’ if you weren’t paying attention properly. Here, Gleeson has a multi-layered character to get his teeth into, as Boyle is not simply an unorthodox policeman with a drugs habit, but also son to a dying mother, and genuinely caring individual. With the arrival of FBI agent Wendell Everett (Don Cheadle), we begin to break down Boyle’s cold exterior, but his true nature is never fully revealed to us. I would have liked

**** It's been five years since we last visited Berk, and the inhabitants are now living successfully and harmoniously with dragons. Our heroes Toothless and Hiccup are an inseparable team and spend their days perfecting their flying techniques and exploring new islands. On one such exploration, they come across a group of dragon trappers, working for the mysterious Drago who is said to be building a dragon army and threatens to ruin all that Hiccup has striven for.  I really liked 'How To Train Your Dragon'. Being an utter softie, I cried a couple of times and then went out and bought it on DVD so that I could enjoy the blossoming relationship between Hiccup and Toothless again and again. I was, then, wary of seeing the sequel - would it live up to one of the best children's films I'd seen? I shouldn't have worried. Unlike a couple of sequels I've seen recently, this film can really hold its own and, whilst it isn't quite as good as the first,

**** In the 1700s, Dido Elizabeth Belle is brought to live with in England. She is the illegitimate child of a Royal Navy Captain and a slave, but her great-aunt and uncle decide to take her in. She is raised amongst the aristocracy alongside her cousin, Elizabeth, receiving the same education and care. However, her colour prevents her from being fully accepted into society, regardless of her position as an heiress. Alongside her journey of self-discovery is the Zong case, over which her great-uncle is presiding, the outcome of which will effect Britain’s involvement in the slave trade. This is a beautiful and heart-felt period drama which deals with both a pivotal court case and a love story. Comparisons have been made to Jane Austen when it comes to the love triangle, and indeed the excellent script (written by Misan Sagay) displays the same elegant command of the English language as her books, but I would suggest that this film has slightly more ‘bite’ than you would ini