BELLE - FILM REVIEW

Release Date: 13th June 2014

Age Certificate: 12A

Running Time: 104 mins

Director: Amma Asante
Writer: Misan Sagay

Stars: Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Matthew Goode and Emily Watson

Belle; is a period piece to invite a wide audience to understand the hardship of Dido Elizabeth Belle, a mixed race ‘illegitimate’ daughter of a Royal Navy Admiral. Belle (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) is as beautiful as the film, from the corset driven costumes to some of the well framed shots, it achieves what it needs to achieve, and that is being visually pleasing. 

However, by accomplishing this it looses the grit of the underlying story of a mixed race girl experiencing social apartheid in her extended family. You feel somewhat cheated that the real drama of this young girl’s life is not fully explored and therefore cannot immerse yourself in what it must have been like for Dido during this traditionalist time.  Every face, every scene and every scenario is too polished, and in turn, gives the whole film a shallow and lifeless aura. It has the feel of a Sunday TV film that you can enjoy with a cup of tea and a slice of cake.  

5/10

THE GRANDMOTHER - SHORT FILM REVIEW

Release Date: 1970

Age Certificate: 12A
Running Time: 34 min
Director: David Lynch

Writer: David Lynch

Stars: Dorothy McGinnis, Richard White, Virginia Maitland and Robert Chadwick

I recently bought the short films of David Lynch after having an epiphany after viewing Blue Velvet. Yes, I had watched Eraserhead, Lost Highway, The Striaght Story and only the first series of Twin Peaks before; but nothing could have prepared me for The Grandmother, which like I said is a short film by the weirdo, of the name Lynch, it came prior to the cult classic of Eraserhead. 

In short, The Grandmother is about a boy who is unloved by his parents, he yearns to be loved, and so one day he finds a bag of seeds in his bedroom. So by no hesitation he dumps a mound of soil in the middle of his bed and plants a seed. Over time this seed develops and pops out a person; his grandmother. She smiles, and loves him. After that, it sort of becomes a blur and I wouldn’t be able to tell you what happened. 

Either way, I strangely enjoyed it, the low – very low lighting brought a nightmarish aura to this otherwise lovely film. All the characters have pale – very pale faces. There is a shot in the film that incorporates this fantastically.  We see a close up of the boy’s face, he turns away and walks down the stairs, but we only see his white face floating down, in otherwise utter darkness. 

David Lynch’s 1970 short film is hard to understand, difficult to relax into, but very enjoyable when looking back; it also gives you the permission to say you’ve seen a very peculiar film.

8/10

INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS - FILM REVIEW

Release Date: 10th January 2014

Age Certificate: 15

Running Time: 104 mins

Director: Joel and Ethan Coen

Writers: Joel and Ethan Coen

Stars: Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan and John Goodman

Time to embark on another Coen brothers adventure! 

A week in the life of a young singer as he navigates the Greenwich Village folk scene of 1961.
 
Inside Llewyn Davis is one of those films where very little happens, but yet keeps you wanting to know what happens next to the protagonist. A prime example of this is The Catcher in the Rye. You don't know why you find it interesting you just want to know what happens in this person’s life. 
 

The only word that I would use to describe the Coen brothers latest installment is pure. Its acting is pure, its script and direction are pure. It is just a pure film. Oscar Isaac is starting to make head way in his line of business. The last film I saw with him in was Drive, which also starred Carey Mulligan (they a linked together in this film as well). So to see him in another terrific film is good news. He's a growing star. God, that sounds cheesy! But I really do mean it.
 

The Coen brother’s usual cinematographer, Roger Deakins, had scheduling conflicts so was unable to 'light' this film. Instead they dragged in Bruno Delbonnel who has been nominated for an Oscar for his efforts.  
 
This is nowhere near the brother’s best film, but none the less it is another work of art. And to see a young Bob Dylan is always a pleasant surprise.
 
8/10

HER - FILM REVIEW

 Release Date: 14th February 2014 (UK)

Age Certificate: 15

Running Time: 126 mins

Director: Spike Jonze

Writer: Spike Jonze

Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams and Scarlett Johansson

'Her' is one of the greatest futuristic films ever. Partly because it’s so scarily close in the future that it’s funny. Especially when you look at the story. 

A lonely writer develops an unlikely relationship with his newly purchased operating system that's designed to meet his every need. 

What this film really surprised me with was the level of involvement you get when watching it. From reading the synopsis you think to yourself, am I really going to believe this? It’s really weird when sitting down to watch it. You know it’s going to be good. It’s Spike Jonze! You’re just wondering how he's going to pull it off. But he does, with amazing success.

Joaquin Phoenix is a truly wonderful actor, I really started to appreciate his acting finesse in The Master, since then when I look back at his older films I can see that talent there. In his ever growing career his talent is only getting stronger. Scarlett Johansson is strangely brilliant. How can you create an amazing performance while using just your voice? However, I still think they should have used an unknown actress to voice it. The reason being, I had her face in my mind, and that isn’t the aim of the film. If it was a voice you hadn’t heard before, it would keep the mystery alive. Maybe that’s just me. 

Directing wise, this is one of Spike Jonze’s best, if not the best. He is a gifted film maker and if he carries on making films that are written as well as directed by him, it would be the start of something fantastic. 

The soundtrack by Arcade Fire is also top notch; you can’t go wrong with a bit of Arcade Fire. 

‘Her’ is astounding, visually, musically, and emotionally. By the way this film is shot and styled it makes me want to jump into the future. 

8.5/10

AMERICAN HUSTLE - FILM REVIEW

Release Date: 1st January 2014 (UK)

Age Certificate: 15

Running Time: 138 mins

Director: David O. Russell

Writers: Warren Singer and David O. Russell

Stars: Christian Bale, Amy Adams and Bradley Cooper

At first glance I thought American Hustle was an over glamorous comedy, oh, how wrong I was.

The first scene of American Hustle made me chuckle, it’s always a nice surprise to be greeted by such a strong opening image. 

The direction and acting come together in a wonderful storm. David O. Russell has had two great films in the last three years; Silver Linings Playbook is not included. American Hustle has taken the film headlines, as it being nominated for ten Oscars. This film keeps you engaged from start to finish and you don’t find your mind wondering what you’re having for dinner. 

 Christian Bale steals the spotlight for two reasons. The first being his terrific acting, and the second being another dramatic weight gain. I don’t think anybody knows how he does it. He defiantly deserves to be nominated for best actor; again.

The direction is fairly fresh, which is pleasant to see. However, it’s not anything we’ve not seen before. Yes, this is a very typical Oscar film, but it’s not anything to turn your nose up over. 

Like I said, it’s engaging to watch and indeed should be watched. Oh, there's also the wardrobe.

8.0/10