Non-Stop (2014)

Starring: Liam Neeson, Julianne Moore, Michelle Dockrey

Genre: Action/Thriller
Directed by: Jaume Collet-Sera
Written by: John Richardson, Christopher Roach
Rated: 12A

When Neeson was announced at the forefront of 2008’s smash-hit blockbuster Taken, as divorced ex-CIA agent Bryan in an attempt to rescue his kidnapped daughter, the world was confused. How can this middle-aged actor, famous mostly for his sincere role in Holocaust drama Schindler’s List (1993) tackle such a demanding action role like this one? Yet, Neeson blew everybody away, and Taken became the most surprising worldwide phenomenon of the noughties.

Since we discovered Neeson is actually one of the best action stars in the industry, he is consistently in demand for similar roles. Non-Stop therefore shows us a side of Neeson that we have all seen countlessly before.  Despite the samey character – a troubled man of authority with his own personal demons getting in the way of his work – this film is actually alright. It was inevitable that the release of Non-Stop was going to get people talking - half of them with excitement, and the other half with dubiousness. I’ll admit, I was a dubious one, but Non-Stop fulfils its purpose, proving to be highly thrilling and will definitely have you on the edge of your seat.

Air Marshall/alcoholic Bill Marks (Neeson) is aboard a flight to London when he starts receiving texts from an anonymous passenger demanding $150 million to be paid into a numbered account, or every twenty minutes, a passenger’s life will suffer the consequences. True to the title, from here on, the suspense is non-stop. Neeson drags suspects down aisles, waves his gun around, searches innocent travellers, fighting anyone who stands in his way, to simply find out who is behind this terrifying blackmailing - and after a good twenty minutes, the suspense becomes a little unwatchable.

With films like this, it is hard to mistake your anticipation and endless questioning for genuine enjoyment, and it is only after much deliberation do you see beneath the intense façade to discover a plot that lacks logicality and girth.  It’s true that throughout the film the audience are biting their nails and watching through cracks in between their fingers, but once we find out who is the bad guy behind it all, you may find yourself asking whether the unbearable stress was even worth it.
Neeson is whatever. There’s nothing new to see but he does the job and pulls it off relatively well. Julianne Moore is ridiculously under-cast as Jen, an aloof woman who kind of acts as Bryan’s sidekick throughout. Downton Abbey’s Michelle Dockery is Nancy, the air-hostess, and there’s no faulting her performance – it is her dreary character that deserves some stick. The same goes for 12 Years A Slave star, the up and coming Lupita Nyong’o, who doesn’t have the chance to show her talented abilities as air hostess Gwen, which is a shame.
Collet-Serra undeniably brings us a thriller oozing with sophistication and tension. His camera shots and action sequences are spot on, and Non-Stop truly does entertain for the most part, it is just a bit of a waste given how unrealistic and typical the storyline really is. If you’re the kind to look into the finer details and criticise anything short of perfection, then stay clear away from the movie theatre for this one, however if you’re easily pleased and love a cheap thrill, then Non-Stop won’t disappoint. 

***

Last Vegas (2013)

Director: Jon Turteltaub 
Writer: Dan Fogelman 
Starring: Robert De Niro, Michael Douglas, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Kline 
Rating: 12A 
Genre: Comedy

As the Christmas break comes to a close, and the remainders of “holiday cheer” begin to fade, Last Vegas is the feel-good comedy guaranteed to brighten up this dark and dismal January and leave audiences dancing out of the cinema with a new lease on life.
Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Kline and Michael Douglas play four fiery pensioners, reuniting their childhood gang “The Flatbush Four” for “the first bachelor party that could be covered by Medicaid” – Billy (Douglas) is getting married to a woman half his age, and to celebrate, these old guys are hitting the party capital of the world – Las Vegas.
If you liked The Hangover, you will love Last Vegas. Although particularly entertaining (and relatable?) for perhaps the older audience, this film will melt the hearts and tickle the tummies of everyone and anyone (albeit, older the guidance age of 12), with its hilarious script, charming characters and endearing plot.
It would be stupid to deny the fact that the famously gifted all-star cast of Last Vegas is the one of the central reasons the movie soars so greatly. Freeman is side-splittingly funny as old-timer Archie – a spunky fella determined to have a good time - and Kline is quick as the droll Sam, with Viagra in his pocket and “permission” from his wife (men – don’t be getting any ideas). De Niro is typically fantastic as Paddy – a miserable yet wisecracking widower with heavy grudges and a reluctance to relive his partying days, and Douglas does what he does best as cool, smooth-talking Billy - the richest, most successful member of the group, with his dyed hair, orange skin and swagger in his walk. These four actors couldn’t fault any less – their chemistry is unbeatable and together they work to create a loveable and entertaining gang that carries Last Vegas to the very end.
Turteltaub and Fogelman bring magic to screens, sending their characters off on an adventure that allows them to teach each other and the audience extremely valuable life lessons. The laughs, the cries, the fights and the truces – every emotion and action comes together to produce not just a great movie, but something else astonishing and unforgettable – the message that “you are only as old as you feel”.
With this idea in mind, anybody who sees Last Vegas is therefore left with a lust for life and a readiness for whatever it may throw it them - and that in itself, is what movies were made to do.

****

Pain & Gain (2013)

Director: Michael Bay
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson, Anthony Mackie, Ed Harris
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Action
Rating: 15

From the second Mark Wahlberg uttered the first few pointless opening lines, including the cringe-worthy “I believe in fitness”, I knew I was going to dislike this movie. Funnily enough, by the same closing line “I believe in fitness”, a lot had changed. Not only did I now hate the movie, I had also lost a small but precious part of my soul and approximately 500 brain cells. This film was all pain and absolutely zero gain.

Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Anthony Mackie are three rather stupid bodybuilders in Florida, who try to kidnap and murder a rich customer from their regular gym in an attempt to steal his finances and make themselves richer. You can kind of see what Michael Bay was trying to achieve here, by bringing a (shockingly) true story to life and simultaneously hoping to create a comedy that mocks all cliché films about the American dream and being the best that you can be, however, this idea fails to translate. What is instead created is a shambles of a film that makes the audience both cringe and howl at the ridiculousness of it all. Witty and charming is what they were going for, but messy and embarrassing is more like it. I found myself frequently covering my eyes – whether that be to protect myself from the graphic and unnecessary amounts of gore and violence, or the stupidity and desperation for laughs.

There are few good things in Pain & Gain, including moments of rare and genuine talent from Anthony Mackie, and an Ed Harris role (albeit, a disappointingly small one). Perhaps even the barbeque scene (you won’t believe your eyes) gathered a few real laughs… however if The Rock’s acting career wasn’t already down the toilet, then it most definitely is now. As for Wahlberg? Maybe he should reconsider showing his face in public ever again. Harsh, yes, but fans of Ted know he can do comedy, and avid watchers of The Fighter know that he can also act. This movie has taken a good five years from his career, which is an honest shame. You can do better than this Mark.

To put it simply, Pain & Gain is an embarrassment to cinema. Although many may find some entertainment from the terrible performances, dodgy plot and try-hard direction, most will wonder where the past two hours of their lives went. That’s just my opinion, but to quote the film: “I watch a lot of movies… I know what I’m doing.”

-346/10

The World's End (2013)

Director:  Edgar Wright

Writers: Simon Pegg, Edgar Wright

Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Martin Freeman

Genre:  Comedy, Sci-Fi, Action

 Rating: 15

 On paper, The World’s End sounds like the most ridiculous idea for a movie that anyone could ever imagine: five middle-aged men reuniting in their old hometown of Newton Haven to complete the 12 stop pub-crawl The Golden Mile that they never finished as teens 20 years ago, only to find that the town’s residents have been replaced by ink-blooded robots – or “Blanks”. The ‘five musketeers’ reluctantly become the human races’ only chance for survival. Yes, it’s all very ridiculous, but what’s even more ridiculous is that it still works, and this of course relies on the famous and much loved comedy duo at the forefront of this silly tale – Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (Shaun Of The Dead, Hot Fuzz, Paul).

The World’s End marks the third instalment of the ‘Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy’ (a joke only fans of the duo will understand) following the critically acclaimed Shaun Of The Dead and Hot Fuzz - tough acts to follow indeed - and manages to yet again create the perfect blend of laugh-out-loud humour, loveable characters, recite-able quotes and slapstick comedy. Simon Pegg is brilliant as the rowdy and haywire Gary King who is determined to complete the Golden Mile no matter what, despite his exasperated friends – the sensible and begrudging Andy (Nick Frost), the pathetic and kind Peter (Eddie Marsan), the pretentious and boring Oliver (Martin Freeman) and the competitive and fun-loving Steven (Paddy Considine).

All five characters are very Dad-like which makes this film a perfect watch for the blokes, however it is so hilarious that anybody over the age of 15 would enjoy it. It may be unimaginably silly, but with films like this you can’t take them too seriously – they’re just a bit of light-hearted fun - yet with Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright’s ingenious script-writing skills, there’s an underlining intelligent wit that will have the audience in stitches.

The World’s End is a film suitable for anyone with a sense of humour, and for fans of Pegg and Frost it is a 10/10 must see. Dramatically compelling, mildly thrilling and hysterically funny, this comedy sci-fi is a tremendous end to the Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy.

9/10

World War Z (2013)

Director: Marc Forster
Rating: 15

Writers: Matthew Michael Carnahan (screenplay), Drew Goddard (screenplay), Max Brooks (novel)

Starring: Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, Daniella Kertesz

Genre: Thriller/Action/Drama

The Zombie phenomenon is much like the zombie plague itself: once bitten, there’s no going back. With films like Shaun Of The Dead and 28 Days Later or TV shows like The Walking Dead, our generation is hooked on something that was once a kooky idea from some mad daydreamer but is now a cultural obsession that rakes in billions worldwide - the terror of the undead.

What is interesting about World War Z is that it may be the first proper zombie blockbuster that Hollywood has truly seen; with Brad Pitt at its forefront, an overactive hype surrounding its release and a billion dollar budget. It is worth mentioning that this budget for sure did not go to waste, as World War Z ticks all the boxes needed for a zombie thriller.

Marc Forster enraptures exhilarating suspense from the word go, immediately launching into the action sequence and subsequent introduction of these highly rapid, insanely ravenous and dangerously infectious creatures. From this moment on, the anticipation never really ceases and leaves the audience permanently on the edge of their seats, as we follow courageous family man and former United Nations investigator Gerry Lane (Pitt), as he becomes re-employed solely to help find the cure of this lethal zombie-creating disease - facing obvious terror and near-death experiences on his quest.

World War Z definitely seems to be more of a thriller than just a typical zombie film – which is a refreshing change. The movie plays less on the glamourized gore and grossness of the zombie itself (perhaps this is sad news for hard-core zombie fans?) and more on the traumatic impact and terror that this frightening unknown disease has on the world. You could say Max Brooks’ novel of which the film was based, tells the most accurate story of how a zombie apocalypse would pan out in reality - these zombies are fast, and what’s worse, is that there is a lot of them - and their numbers are fast increasing. It is the conquest of beating these creatures that drives the movie through to the end, with never ending intensity and heart-jolting jumps.

A dull moment is never to be found in World War Z. It is a quick, white-knuckle-turning rollercoaster ride of emotions, teaming well with a clever script and plot; in turn creating a brilliant film through something more powerful than just cheap thrills and artificial bloodshed.

The Great Gatsby (2013)

Director: Baz Luhrmann
Screenplay: Baz Luhrmann, Craig Pearce, F. Scott Fitzgerald (novel)
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton
Genre: Drama/Romance
Rated: 12A

Fitzgerald’s unforgettable Jazz Age novella following a young millionaire (Leonardo DiCaprio) fascinated with his long lost love Daisy Buchanan (Carey Mulligan) has captivated audiences since 1925; because of its perplexing sophistication, undeniable profanity and vivacious style. For these same awestruck audiences, Luhrmann’s sparkly and superficial adaptation of The Great Gatsby does nothing other than stamp all over the beloved book and tosses it onto an open flame.

Sadly, Luhrmann has turned a tale of such depth and complexity into something so frustratingly shallow, when it could have been so fantastic! - if only he had at least attempted to read the source material.

For non-readers of the book, it would be a lie to say The Great Gatsby isn’t fabulously entertaining. Since Moulin Rouge and Romeo & Juliet, it’s been clear that Luhrmann is a visionary. He puts on a show, and he does it well. It would have seemed almost stupid to consider anyone else to direct a story of such compelling brilliance – it was as if Fitzgerald wrote the book with Luhrmann in mind! Yet, the film falls short of this same virtuosity, and it is his directing here that lets us all down.

Swooping camera shots and close-ups, bouncing parties we long to be at, outstanding costumes, an abstract hip-hop soundtrack (featuring Jay-Z, Lana Del Rey and Fergie), vibrant cinematography and a non-stop buzz that underlines the entire movie – yes, it all draws you in, and at times, The Great Gatsby feels like the most thrilling movie you have ever seen. But, it is not until the end, when the meaning behind everything is revealed, and we see a glimmer of a rare, endearing hope that the film should have had from the very beginning. In a way, we may feel a bit robbed.

DiCaprio really does pull out all the stops. He’s endearing and charmingly odd as the mysterious Gatsby, but still, something just doesn’t fit. Even Robert Redford struggled to convey the complexity of Gatsby’s character in the first 1974 version of this literary bible, and he is the one with two Academy Awards (sorry Leo…)

Mulligan carries her part well, however adds an unnecessary innocence to the supposedly self-centred and shallow character of Daisy. Maybe it is she who steers the audience away from feeling the sympathy for Gatsby that perhaps Fitzgerald had hoped for. However, she is still incredibly fascinating as the 20s pin-up girl; she was born for this era.

Tobey Maguire is ever so earnest and beguiling as ex-war veteran/writer Nick Carraway, cousin to Daisy and neighbour to Gatsby. The story is written from his perspective as he recalls his time spent with Gatsby to a psychiatrist. Perhaps I’m not alone in wishing the focus had been more on his character than that of Gatsby, but The Great Carraway does not have the same ring to it.

The acting in this film really does not suffer that much - smaller roles from Joel Edgerton, Elizabeth Debicki and Isla Fisher are equally as brilliant - so it is a shame that the over-exaggerated, almost cartoon-like world that Luhrmann has created detracts attention away from the raw truth that lies beneath The Great Gatsby. However, that’s just typical of him, he loves a good show, and aren’t movies all about creating a new, magical world for us anyway?

If you’re wanting a meaningful replica of the book then stay as far from this movie as possible, but if you’re simply looking for a fun time at the cinema, then it really isn’t all that bad.

***

The Host (2013)

Director:

 Andrew Niccol

Writers:

 Stephenie Meyer (novel), Andrew Niccol(screenplay)

Stars:

 Saoirse Ronan, Max Irons, Jake Abel, William Hurt

Genre:
 Sci-fi, Romance, Thriller, Drama
Rating:
 12A

It’s almost inevitable that people are going to shun a new film based on a book written by the same author of the massively successful Twilight Saga (Stephenie Meyer) but director Andrew Niccol (Gattaca) is persistent in his quest to prove that The Host is arguably not just another love story but is in fact a scientific tale about an alien race and their conquest to overtake Earth. As far as sci-fi thrillers go, The Host does manage to tick some boxes. Suspense: check. Intrigue: check. Realistic special effects: Yeah they were okay. Some good action scenes: they could have been better. Futuristic props and settings: nicely done.

Yet, despite this, The Host still somehow manages to reach out mainly to teenage girls in a slightly cliché tale of courage, love, loss and despair, following human Host Melanie (Saorise Ronan) who is unlike other Hosts and is reluctant to allow her mind and body to be taken over by alien Soul Wanda. Both Melanie (a voice-over character stuck inside a body beyond her control) and Wanda work together to return Melanie to her true love Jared (Max Irons), little brother Jamie (Chandler Canterbury) and Uncle Jeb (William Hurt) – some of few human survivors taking refuge in the deserts. When Melanie returns with silver eyes (a sign she has been taken over by a Soul), it is Wanda’s job to convince the family that Melanie is still alive in her body and refuses to let go.

Whilst fighting for Jared and fighting for refuge from alien Seeker (Diane Kruger), Wanda begins to develop feelings for the friendly and more open-minded Ian (Jake Abel). Although less pathetically handled than in The Twilight Saga, this love triangle is guaranteed to get sceptical viewers rolling their eyes. However, romantics and readers of the book will welcome Ronan’s gutsy performance with open arms. It is arguable that it is she who carries the film to the end and makes it all the more watchable.

The Host is slow-moving in parts but secures some comedic moments, breath-taking suspense and projects an endless raw emotion and power – Ronan and Hurt work well with Niccol’s clever script to maintain this. The Host had every potential to get sci-fi fans foaming at the mouth if only there’d been more attention focussed on who the alien Souls were, or how they came to Earth, or what they plan on doing next, and less attention focussed on how Melanie and Wanda were to ‘fight’ for their ‘true loves’. Meyer’s source material is the only thing to blame for this. Niccol and his fizzy cast ensemble were terrific in the way that they worked with what they had to create a film that no, doesn’t work for everyone but does put a new twist on the love triangle and tale-of-heroism type movie that seems to be so popular these days.