Spectre
I am a big fan of the James Bond franchise and after the masterpiece that was Skyfall, I was really excited for Spectre, but was a bit sceptical before watching it because the reviews aren't great. Overall, I thought it was a very enjoyable film and the performances were all great. Christoph Watlz, who plays the villain was particularly brilliant and the scene where he was introduced was a masterpiece full of suspense. I would however, liked him to have had more screen time. The main issue for me was the script and somewhere along the way, it gets disconnected. Another problem I had with it is that it took away what I love about Casino Royale and Skyfall, being that those films took a step back from the classic Bond. In Casino Royale, a waiter asks Bond if he wants his drink shaken or stirred and he says "Do I look like a give a damn?". In Spectre, he orders his drink to be shaken. In Skyfall as well, Q gives Bond a gun and a radio and says "What were you expecting an exploding pen?". Again, in Spectre Q gives Bond an exploding watch. Do you see what I mean? I also didn't buy the romance between Bond and Lea Seydoux. Not enough time was dedicated to their relationship and when they confessed their love for each other, it just came out of the blue. For me, Spectre tries to make up for the weak plot with more action scenes. I did actually think the action scenes were brilliant though. It's by no means a bad film and and I really did enjoy it - it is well worth the four stars I gave it.
Rating: ★★★★
I found The Martian a lot more enjoyable than some of the recent space films such as Gravity and Interstellar. One reason being that it was surprisingly funny. That being said, there were also scenes that filled me with suspense and got be on the edge of my seat. I thought Matt Damon was great in this film and he played his character perfectly, who is a very likeable, smart and optimistic guy. There was no point in the film where I didn't know what was happening and the visuals were also brilliant. I am not a fan of 3D but it was definitely worth it. Probably one of the best films of the year and I'm eager to see how it does in the awards season.
Rating: ★★★★
I've watched this film twice now and I can honestly say it is brilliant. Kristen Stewart plays a female guard at Guantanamo Bay and she forms an unlikely friendship with one of the detainees. I was pleasantly surprised with Kristen Stewarts performance as well as Payman Moaadi, who plays the very likeable detainee who strikes a friendship with Stewarts character. What I love most about this film is that it is something different - it shows that not everything is as black and white as it may seem. Its both funny, sad and very captivating and I highly recommend it.
Rating: ★★★★★Me, Earl and The Dying Girl
I hadn't heard much about this film before I watched it and was gladly taken by surprise at how much I liked it. It has a bit of a Fault In Our Stars feel to it, in terms of the poetic dialogue but it still managed to be original. It was really funny and all the performances were great. Nick Offerman is also in it and he was fantastic as always. I loved that the film just stuck to the theme of friendship rather than romance between the main characters, which makes it a bit different to most films these days.
Rating: ★★★½Sicario
It was a very slow paced film and by no means has a phenomenal plot. Without the acting and cinematography, it would be your average drug bust film. It is however, incredible. I am a big fan of Emily blunt and this is one of her best works. This film is filled with suspense and is very dark, there is no scene that is hopeful. I left the cinema just dumb founded, but in a good way. Even though the film mainly follows Emily Blunts character, Benicio Del Toro steals the show. His character is so interesting and you never who he is working for or if he is one of the good guys or not. I loved the music which gave an amazing effect in the cinema and I really hope it translates well to DVD.
Rating: ★★★★½
Man Up
The film follows Lake Bell as an awkward 34 year old who accidentally hijacks a blind date with Simon Pegg. This film has a bit of a cliche plot and it would be easy to discard this film into a collection of bad romantic comedies but its everything else that makes this film so great. The acting was brilliant, Simon Pegg and Lake Bell had great chemistry, the humour was just right and it was all around such a joy to watch. I particularly loved Lake Bells character, she was so unapologetically herself and a very realistic, funny character. It's not a groundbreaking comedy film but it is hilarious and I guarantee you will enjoy it.
Rating: ★★★★Inside Out
I heard nothing but good things about this film when it first came out but I wasn't rushing to the cinema to watch it. There are just some films that are not cinema films. And when I got around to watching it, I really enjoyed it. I actually found myself laughing out loud at parts. It was a bit predictable, but then again, it was made for kids. The main reason I really like the film was that it had a really prominent message about depression. I also really loved how everything tied together with all the memories and subplots. Overall, it was brilliant and can't recommend it enough.
Rating: ★★★★
Little Miss Sunshine
I remember watching this film when it first came out and I think I was too young to enjoy it properly and get all the jokes. And because of that, I had the impression that the film wasn't great and never watched it again. Recently, Jack Howard mentioned it as one of his favourite films and I thought I had to give it another go, and I loved it. I'm sure most people have watched it but if you haven't, its about a very dysfunctional family going on a road trip to California to support young Olive in a bid to win the Little Miss Sunshine Pageant. I thought all the characters were the right about of quirky and were also well rounded and likeable. It's a real feel good film eventually after lots of mishaps and has just the right amount of humour and heart-felt moments to make it great.
Rating: ★★★★Have you watched any good films recently?
Sarah x