Eleanor Reviews

***/**** (3.5 stars) In 1850, Herman Melville travelled to Nantucket to hear the tale of the whaling ship, the Essex , from the last known survivor. It is a story of two men at odds with each other, a ship bound for the ends of the Earth, and a huge white whale.   The first, and most obvious, thing to point out, is undoubtedly the incredible cast list director Ron Howard has managed to pull together. Ben Whishaw is Herman Melville, perfectly acted as a man whose imagination has been captured by the legend of the Essex and is determined to turn it into a great novel. Whishaw is pitted against an equally excellent Brendan Gleeson, the tortured surviving crew member, Thomas Nickerson, who went to sea as a fresh-faced teenager (portrayed by the instantly likeable Tom Holland) and returned haunted by what he had done and seen. Whishaw and Gleeson are treated to the best parts of the script, and whilst their scenes are mainly stationary, it's still a pleasure to see two great

***** A long time ago, in a galaxy, far, far away... So begins the long-awaited seventh instalment of the Star Wars saga, which takes place 30 years after the events of The Return of the Jedi . Luke Skywalker is missing. In his absence, the New Order has arisen, an evil totalitarian regime built upon the ruins of the Empire. Opposing them is the Resistance, an underground group, determined to defeat this new evil. It is into this world that scavenger Rey, and ex-Stormtrooper Finn, are flung.   Rest easy, dear readers, for Episode VII is good. It's very good; in fact, it's bloody brilliant. Forget the woes of Episode I , II and III and relax back into a fully-realised, action-packed, funny, well-acted instalment that contains as many fist-pump moments as it does emotional punches. It's a difficult balancing act, but somehow the three screenwriters have managed to pull it off. The plot is undoubtedly secondary to what is a very character-driven film, but the film

**** Brooklyn, 1957. At the height of the Cold War, the CIA arrest suspected Soviet spy, Rudolf Abel, and nominate unsuspecting insurance lawyer, Jim Donovan, to defend him in court. With the eyes of the world upon him, Donovan must tread carefully, especially after a failed US mission leaves a young American on the wrong side of the Berlin Wall. Spielberg and Hanks’ latest collaboration has a very old fashioned feel to it; it’s what you might describe as ‘a political talkie’ as opposed to the thriller it has been marketed as. This is not meant as a criticism, merely that this is not an action-packed war film, rather a series of men talking in various rooms as the world seems to fall down around them. Tom Hanks is Jim Donovan, the lawyer asked to defend Rudolf Abel: he is the ‘American everyman’, abiding by the Constitution and determined to give his client the best possible defence, even at the risk of his own safety. Hanks plays him with all the panache that you would ex

**** A chance meeting between a shop assistant and a glamorous customer soon develops into a forbidden love affair. How refreshing it is to see a film about gay women that refrains from exploiting their sex or sexuality. How refreshing it is to see a film wherein women look out for other women, praising each other and supporting each other; where female friendships are shown as something meaningful and precious, as opposed to flimsy and empty as many mainstream films would have us believe. This is a love story, but without the booming declarations of love and desire that we might be used to, instead focusing on the subtlety of a blossoming romance, from the awkwardness of the first meetings, to the exchanged glances over breakfast and beyond. And it’s beautiful. Our two central lovers, Therese (Rooney Mara) and Carol (Cate Blanchett) do not live out their love story as though they are on film, they live it as though they are going about their unremarkable lives and happen to

*** DVD Release On a rare trip into the nearest town, Henry and his reclusive, depressive mother, Adele, are approached by a mysterious man, seeking sanctuary in their home whilst he evades being rearrested after escaping from hospital.   Told through the eyes of cusp-of-puberty Henry (Gattlin Griffith), this is a rites of passage story masquerading as a love story between emotionally distraught Adele (Kate Winslet) and escaped convict, Frank (Josh Brolin). Focussing on the central three, the film is a sort of kitchen sink drama, studying how the lives of Henry and Adele change for the better when Frank enters their lives. It's obviously quite clichéd: Frank is the all-male father and lover figure, a handy man, who can also cook amazingly, and play baseball like a professional. He's a role model for Henry, who is beginning to learn about girls, whilst also being a lover to Adele, in terms of emotional support and friendship rather than physically. The depiction of

**** After a mission in Mexico City goes awry, James Bond finds himself on the tail of top-secret crime organisation, SPECTRE. Haunted by events and enemies from his past, Bond must track down the elusive Mr. White to break into the top of the organisation, which also threatens to overthrow MI6 and the 00 programme.   This is not Skyfall , so you should stop expecting it to be from before you take your seat in the cinema. Whilst its predecessor was an art-house film disguised as a Bond outing, lamenting on trust, friendship and the inevitable passage of time, Spectre is an all out action film, jumping from excellent set piece to excellent set piece without much time for lamentation of any kind. It is, as it were, a return to the 'Classic Bond' films, jumping from country to country, with Bond equipped sporting an outstanding wardrobe and a sense of humour rarely seen before. If Skyfall was all depth , Spectre is all surface, but that by no means makes it a poor film,

*** DVD Release In the final months of World War Two, the Allies had broken into Germany and making their way towards Berlin. Despite their advance, the Allies still found themselves outgunned and outmanoeuvred by far superior German Tiger tanks, leaving the US Sherman tanks vulnerable targets.   The eponymous 'Fury' is the name of Brad Pitt's battered tank; a blood-smeared, claustrophobic space packed with four hardened veterans, and one new recruit, Norman (Logan Lerman). A clerk and new to the army, it is through Norman's wide eyes that we see the horrors of the final months of World War Two, and Lerman, who I had previously written off as an actor, actually does pretty admirably in a role that sees him develop from idealistic newbie, to blood- and mud-smeared soldier. And there is certainly no shortage of blood and mud on display, with director David Ayer seemingly believing that the more gore and bodily mutilation seen on screen, the more realistic and

***/**** (3.5 stars) DVD Release Sent to live with her cousins deep in the British countryside, American teenager Daisy initially resists their attempts to involve her in their way of life. As the summer wears on, the shadow of World War 3 seeps into their lives. This was a surprisingly tough film. I’ll admit that I didn’t pay much attention to the certification of the film before I started watching, and found myself watching an incredibly grim, mature and, frankly, quite disturbing, story about the world descending into anarchy in the face of an unspecified enemy. Indeed, there is a great deal of abject grimness, not least the murder of children, scenes of rape, a distressing scene involving an aeroplane, and countless dead bodies. The second half of the film is such a tonal shift from the first, wherein a teenage girl overcomes her fears and self-imposed rules, falls in love with a handsome man, and spends the summer swimming the idyllic rivers, that they actually fee

    ****   In 1912, Emmeline Pankhurst issued an appeal to her followers, the Suffragettes, asking them to increase in their militancy in order to sustain the vote for women.   In 1912, women in Britain did not have the vote. Upon marriage they were considered the property of their husbands, and any child they might have would immediately be viewed at the father's charge as opposed to the mother's. Rape, physical abuse and discrimination in the work place were not considered crimes, and education was confined to only the richest. Carey Mulligan's Maud Watts is a work of fiction, and yet it is easy to imagine hundreds of working class women, in the same desperate drudgery, risking their livelihoods so that they could obtain the vote, a symbol of some kind of agency in their lives. It is an emotive tale, told here by a female crew, with director Sarah Gavron bringing Abi Morgan's poignant script to life.   Mulligan's Maud is a mother, wife, and a fu

***** Haunted by a prophecy spoken to him on the battlefield, and encouraged by his wife, Macbeth embarks on a bloody and disastrous mission to secure the title of ‘King’ for himself. Doubtless we have all sat through hours of Kenneth Branagh’s faithful adaptions of his playwright hero, and, yes, these are good films, but when an entirely new, fearless interpretation of a classic text comes along, it is a beautiful thing. Justin Kurzel’s Macbeth might not quote Shakespeare word for word, but it somehow feels more in-keeping with the gothic, tragic elements of the text than any other adaptation to date. This is a story of death, blood, tragedy, obsession, guilt and fear, and using remarkably few of Shakespeare’s words, Kurzel is able to create a gripping story. Michael Fassbender is Macbeth, a man of war, fatigued by years of fighting and haunted by the memories of those who died on the field alongside him. He is weary, curious at the words of the Weird Sisters but also too

**** Left behind after a freak storm disrupts the mission, Mark Watney finds himself alone on Mars. With the odds stacked massively against him, and unable to communicate with Earth, Watney resolves to survive for as long as possible. I finished Andy Weir's eponymous novel just three days before going to see the cinematic version, and whilst the book was hardly a work of great literature, it was still an action-packed page turner that I consumed faster than any other book I've opened since finishing the old MA. With the novel so fresh in my mind, I was concerned that would spoil the film, but I needn't have been worried, as the film is remarkably faithful to the book, even down to exact phrases being used. Yes, there are alterations, but largely I agreed with these changes. In fact, I preferred Watney in the film to the book, which is largely down to Matt Damon's understated and engaging performance. In the novel, Watney constantly quips away, laughing off his s

***/**** (3.5 stars) Having escaped the maze, Thomas and the other remaining Gladers find temporary respite and sanctuary with Janson, who provides them with dreams of a promised land. Upon finding that all is not as it first appeared to be, the team escape into the Scorch, where many obstacles await them. It seemed ironic that the trailer for the latest Hunger Games should air directly before this film began, as it only seemed to highlight the similarities between the two, and how much Maze Runner wishes it were as good as its predecessor. That’s not to say that The Scorch Trials isn’t an enjoyable, if slightly overly long, it’s just the same old, same old regurgitated with different characters. This time, we are introduced to the Cranks (zombies to you or I), humans who have been changed by the sun’s radiation, and now live in the Scorch. If you’ve seen I Am Legend or 28 Days Later , these super-athletic creatures will come as no surprise, although could well be scary fo

***/**** (3.5 stars) Sacked from his job and estranged from his son, submariner Robinson is suddenly offered the chance of a lifetime: to uncover the legendary Russian gold lost on the floor of the Black Sea during the Second World War. This is undoubtedly your typical submarine thriller, which ticks off all the boxes as it goes and adds nothing new to the genre. You can even work out which characters are going to make it to the end, because, (spoiler alert!) not all of them do. Still, for all of its unoriginality and plot points that you can see coming from a mile away, this isn’t a bad film. In fact, it’s pretty enjoyable. Yes, it is silly – Jude Law’s accent wanders all over the place, and ludicrous decisions are made throughout, but in places it is rather tense and there is a definite sense of claustrophobia throughout. As the rickety submarine (I would’ve taken one look at the outside and run away) descends and tragedy ensues, the duplicitous crew members begin to

**** An amateur film-maker and perpetual outsider, Greg reluctantly agrees to visit the home of his neighbour, Rachel, after she is diagnosed with leukaemia. Over the course of their meetings, Greg, Rachel and Greg’s co-worker Earl form a friendship that will leave none of them unchanged.   With a title such as that, it is likely that many potential viewers will dismiss this as an over-sentimental, teenage-angst piece: I can assure you that it is not. Grounded firmly in reality by an instantly likeable central character, Greg (Thomas Mann), this film is excellently well-observed in terms of teenage interaction, leading to moments of hilarity alongside heart-wrenching scenes which cannot fail to bring tear to your eye. Quirk and amusing in places, this is nevertheless an intensely heartfelt study of teenage friendship in the midst of sickness and college applications. It is to director’s Alfonso Gomez-Rejon and screenwriter Jesse Andrew’s (who also wrote the novel) credit t

*** Finding himself abandoned in a glade with his memory erased, Thomas becomes one of the many other teenager boys locked within an enormous, ever-changing maze. Whilst the other boys seem content with staying put, Thomas is determined to escape the maze and learn the truth.   The Maze Runner isn't a bad film, it's just a painfully average film that lacks any sort of originality, even though the initial set up of young men being trapped within a maze seems promising. The simple fact is, we've seen it all before, and done better, with The Hunger Games . The similarities are simply endless, essentially boiling down to young people being placed at odds against tyrannical grown ups. There's everything you would expect from a group being thrown together, from the good-hearted, fat kid to the over-bearing antagonist, and a philosophical leader figure - you can pick out who will live to the end credits from the moment you set foot within the Glade.   The cast d

**** Best friends Dale and Tucker escape to the woods to renovate an old wood cabin and relax with a few beers. At the same time, a group of college kids descend upon the wood for a camping trip, but when Dale and Tucker rescue one of the party from drowning, the peaceful holiday descends into blood shed.   This hilarious horror-comedy plays upon all the clichés and tropes we know from countless horror films: a cabin in the woods; a group of gormless, good-looking college kids; a tale of a previous grisly murder; and hillbillies, and cleverly subverts them. Hillbillies Dale and Tucker (Tyler Labine and Alan Tudyk) are not the murderous, deranged individuals of Deliverance and others of the same ilk, rather ordinary working men wanting to escape on holiday and decorate their newly acquired holiday home. In a twist of fate, it's the college kids who have the murderous side, aiming to rescue their friend, Allison (Katrina Bowden), by whatever means necessary. Cue impaling,

***** For the first eleven years of Riley’s life, she has been happy, all thanks to Joy. However, when her family decide to move to San Francisco, Riley must learn to cope with the increased activity of the other voices in her head: Sadness, Anger, Disgust and Fear. It is rare to come across a film as innovative and compelling as Inside Out ; the pure creativity and originality on display here further cements Pixar’s reputation as a studio at the top of its game. The premise of the story appears a daunting one, and a topic that did not, for me, translate well in the trailer, but I urge you not to be perturbed and to seek this out. Inside Riley’s head, inside all our heads, is a Headquarters, wherein five emotions live: Joy, Sadness, Anger, Disgust and Fear, all characterised by various vibrant colours and forms. Joy (voiced by Amy Poehler) has been used to being in charge in Headquarters, overseeing Riley’s Core Memories and Personality Islands, but in moving house, Ril

***/**** (3.5 stars) DVD Release Socially awkward and abused by his alcoholic father, Andrew feels as though he’s finally been accepted when he and two other boys develop strange powers after finding an unidentified object. With so many super-power films to choose from, and a never-ending line of heroes to cheer on, it’s refreshing to come across a film that looks at the negative sides of these powers, and the effect it can have on individuals, in this case a group of three young men. At the heart of the story is Andrew (an excellent Dane DeHaan), a social outsider with a troubled home life. As his powers develop, he grows in confidence and starts to enjoy himself – he is the ultimate sympathetic character, given a chance at redemption but thwarted by his age and emotions. Given that the main characters are high-schoolers, their aims are based far more on their sexual desires and immediate pressures as opposed to notions of saving the world, which is indeed refreshing,

**** Haunted by events some thirty years earlier, an aged Sherlock Holmes looks back upon his life and ponders his final case. It is hard to imagine anyone other than Ian McKellen taking on the role of the aged sleuth and pulling it off with the finesse that he can. Each movement is idiosyncratic, each raise of the eyebrow nuanced, and the moments of silence in which he stares into space are as mesmerising as any speech. Indeed, one of the most powerful moments of the film is when Holmes, stumped during an argument, merely stares directly forward, his mind working away behind his intense eyes. Aged to look 93 by excellent prosthetics and make-up, McKellen spends the majority of the film struggling with his memory as he lives out his retirement in the countryside, minding his bees. It is a quiet, subtle performance, aided by Milo Parker as his protégé, Roger, the intelligent yet stifled son of his housekeeper (Laura Linney). The relationship between these characters is at t

**** Following on from the events of Jurassic Park , there’s a new dinosaur theme park in town, ‘Jurassic World’. However, with numbers in decline and the ‘wow factor’ now missing from the island, the in-house scientists and management team band together to create a new attraction, one that has far-reaching and bloody consequences. I am no Jurassic Park aficionado, yet I do have fond memories of the first of the franchise: the terrifying moment as the goat was lowered into the pit; the scary raptor chase through the building; and, of course, the moment in which the Rex lifts it’s head and roars as the banners fall down around it. Undoubtedly, it was a true blockbuster. It was not my intention to see this latest dinosaur-based offering, and yet, once seated in the cinema, I ended up rather enjoying myself. For one thing, the film isn’t overly long, and doesn’t hang around giving us hours of back story before actually arriving at the island and showing us some dinosaurs, whi

***/**** (3.5 stars) Desk-bound CIA agent Susan Cooper is used to being the voice in the ear of Bradley Fine, a top-class agent always on active duty. When Fine’s latest mission is compromised, Cooper must step out from behind the desk and save the world from destruction. Dear readers: You may be wondering why I, a self-confessed lover of films dark, painful and war-based, would venture to see the latest comedy release, especially as I found Bridesmaids , Feig and McCarthy’s breakthrough film, only mildly amusing. Well, it’s true – I was mostly swayed by the promise of some delicious ‘Ben & Jerry’s’ a la parental unit. However, and I even shocked myself, I found myself laughing (out loud!) at Spy , and this is mostly thanks to the excellent Jason Statham, playing Cockney ‘been there, done that’ spy Rick Ford. Sporting polo necks and hideous suit jackets, he steals the show as a spy gone rogue, who inadvertently ends up assisting Cooper (McCarthy) as she rampages acros

***/**** (3.5 stars) Dorest, 1870. In the depths of the countryside, an orphaned young woman, Bathsheba Everdeen, discovers she is to inherit her uncle’s farm and large fortune. In her new position, she draws the gaze of a variety of men: Sergeant Troy, gallant yet troublesome; Mr. Boldwood, a well-respected and kind man; and Gabriel Oak, her first sweetheart. The trouble with adapting Victorian fiction is that, once you strip away the allure of the lexicon and the authors’ command of the English language, the plots can be really rather… Frustrating? Long-winded? Overly convoluted? A mixture of all of these, perhaps. I have studied many a Victorian novel, from multiple Dickens books, to the dreary Austen, and, indeed, to Thomas Hardy, and in each case, I have always felt that if the characters actually communicated with one another about how they were feeling, these novels would not be half as long. Refreshingly, Hardy does at least suggest why Bathsheba is not forthcoming

No rating Warning: This film features a lot of quickly flashing images, which could trigger epilepsy in some viewers Constrained within a strict all girls’ school, beautiful and alluring Abbie, and rebellious, troubled Lydia, are best friends, struggling through the painful years of adolescence. When a tragedy occurs, Lydia begins to suffer fainting fits, an ailment that soon spreads throughout the school, affecting teachers and pupils alike. This is a very strange film. At times it is beautiful, at times deeply disturbing… and at other times just wholly frustrating. Let’s begin with the positives: Maisie Williams and Florence Pugh are excellent as Lydia and Abbie respectively. Williams, is at times venomous and cruel, but at other points strangely fragile and lost whilst Pugh is charismatic and genteel, her Abbie placed on a pedestal by Lydia and worshipped. Maxine Peake (although criminally under-utilised) is perfect as Lydia’s mother, living out her life encased with