Articles + Quotes on Film & TV

Set in 2079, there is a prison, in outer space, called MS 1, to house the really bad inmates. Psychos of the worst kind. And Maggie Grace, portrays the President's daughter, Emily who's gone up there with a group to investigate the rumours of dark goings on in the facility. Due to some incredibly bad luck and stupidity, the facility is taken over by the inmates. Guy Pearce is the main character; Snow who after some action that goes wrong, is sent to the prison, with a simple but frankly impossible task, rescue Emily. Luc Besson, known for bringing us other action mad films like The Transporter series, The Fifth Element, From Paris with Love and of course the Taken series, does well here too. There are as many twists as special effects, and as many entertaining one liners as all the films that Mr Besson has written so far. To add to this, having Mr Pearce in an action film is quite refreshing and makes the whole concept quite original. The others in the supporting ca...

Very unique, a film with a multipurpose title. Not only does it act as the title of this story, but also the apt description of the main character in the first opening scene of the film. And the rating of the film as well. Although, if it was just the rating, it could be lengthened to include: grandparents, parents and in-laws. Ryan Kwanten portrays Jonah Reid, who it seems is merely out to have a good time partying, with friends and housemates Gus and Stevie (Ryan Corr and Sarah Snook) and the party guests. In the midst of all this, he gets a cancer scare, testicular cancer to be exact, and the treatment will render him infertile. His priorities get a reshuffle and he decides what he really wants, is to become a dad. Due to specific circumstances leaving him no other option, he realises he has less than a month to find someone to carry the baby. And considering his track record, the future is bleak. But he continues on his quest, and this provides the basis for a really ...

A film nominated for many awards, Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTAs, etc and after watching, I can safely say that it is well deserving of all of them. It dramatises the hostage situation in 1979 in Iran, where sixty odd people were being held hostage in the US Embassy in Tehran, and six others had escaped and were hiding in the Canadian Ambassador's house. Also in the capital. Enter the CIA, who are tasked with getting the six "houseguests" out of Iran. To help create a cover, they go to Hollywood for help. Direction, script, score were all taut and tight to match the heightened circumstances of this story, based on true events. Well done to Ben Affleck, Chris Terrio and Alexandre Desplat, for their outstanding work here. To add to this magnificence, Mr Affleck, along with himself as the main character, has assembled a great cast, Bryan Cranston,John Goodman, Alan Arkin, Clea DuVall, Zelijko Ivanek, Tate Donovan and Victor Garber. All are their characters, doubly t...

Like the last film I reviewed, this too is based on a book, and real events. The narrator is Colin Clark, and at the time the story is being told, is twenty three years old and eager to be a part of the production side of a film. Luckily for him, his family are acquaintances with the famous couple Sir Lawrence Olivier and Vivien Leigh and the former is about to start directing and acting in a film, alongside the equally if not more famous: Marilyn Monroe. The story told in the book and adapted in the film is Mr Clark's first time experiences of making a film with two polar opposite people, in work ethics, personality and opinions of the other. Like every film that bases itself on a book, some scenes are emphasised or cut out completely, but unlike others, this one retains the spirit and the heart of the story itself, that of a young boy who discovers a new world of story making. Simon Curtis and Adrian Hodges both do a brilliant job with the direction and screenplay, respecti...

First hook for me, main cast was Jason Statham, Clive Owen and Robert De Niro. A legend and two understated actors, in the same film. Second hook, from the trailer, it looked like a good action film. It is. But a hell of a lot better than I first expected. First time screenwriter,  Matt Sherring (still a shock) and doubly shocking, first time feature film director: Gary McKendry. It is also based on the book by Sir Ranulph Fiennes, and the basis is drawn from real events. I was seriously expecting to see a long list of well done films for both these guys, considering the high level of quality I had just seen. From the styling and story line, I also expected some influence from Ian La Frenais, Roger Donaldson and Dick Clement, the writer director team that brought us the film The Bank Job. Both films give us a taste of something that first sounds to be everyday violence and thriller type of thing, but actually goes a lot deeper and the depth is perfectly balanced with the ...

There were a lot of poor reviews of this film when it was released. Sad, but true. The good news is, this film deserves none of it and I think it is a film worth savouring, for each separate element, i.e., the acting, the score, the direction, and the story itself. Together, it is a truly special journey that you feel privileged to join, despite some truly heartbreaking scenes that are included, they are counterbalanced with the others, more hopeful and cheerful and thankfully outnumber the former. Every element previously mentioned is top notch, a high standard rarely seen, or in the case of the score, heard. First off, the acting. Oscar Isaac, Abbie Cornish, Andrea Riseborough, James D'Arcy, are all brilliant in the main roles, all bringing subtlety and emotion to their roles that is rarely seen in films lately. The supporting cast, Laurence and James Fox, Natalie Dormer, Geoffrey Palmer, Richard Coyle and Judy Parfitt are all excellent. The score is quite simply, bea...

Explosive thriller - literally, that takes you for a wild ride through South Africa and barely pauses for breath. Ryan Reynolds and Denzel Washington are in the leading roles with Vera Farmiga and Brendan Gleeson in the supporting ones. Ruben Blades from Once Upon a time in Mexico, Robert Patrick and Liam Cunningham also make appearances. Mr Washington is a rogue CIA agent who, after making his way to the US consulate, is taken to the Safe House that is manned by inexperienced attendant or Housekeeper, who is portrayed by Mr Reynolds. The violence in this film is limited to certain scenes and then amplified to a degree of realism, made all the more harsh and blunt, by a lack of score or any other noise or voices, so that your focus is on the present horrors. It is similar to the film Salt, an entertaining thriller,  the acting is tense, as is the script, but there is a warning sticker here. It is not all fun and games. And all things considered, I'd pick Salt as my fa...