That’s right, its Friday which can only mean one thing. The Reel Deal has its top picks for what you lot need to watch this weekend. Its a right old melting pot of film goodness, kicking off with a boy racer, moving swiftly on to a man on the hunt for reality and ending up with Scarlett Johannson well, seducing men and doing all sorts of random creepy weirdness with them – not to be missed I promise!
And if that wasn’t enough, every Thursday The Reel Deal give you the run down of what is hot at the cinema box office, so if you want to see where your hard earned cinema going cash has been spent this week, then check out Amon Warrman’s latest rundown.
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Get up, get out of your seat and move to a slightly more comfy one laced with red velvet and beautifully moulded bum imprints. Yep you guessed it, its one of the cheapest and historically romantic places to go on a date. Watch out though, the back row may be a little full!
On Valentines day the cream of the romantic movie crop hits cinemas and 2014 is no exception. Today of all days has some movie lovers magic just for you, whether you’re up with a dynamic dance film (well sort of) or lonely and needing some solace in future technology, or just after some good nostalgic fun then we can guarantee there there are some top choices ready and waiting for you!
So why not check out @thereelfilmshow and their latest picks of the top films to hit the cinemas this weekend, hosted by our very own resident film critic @rebecca_perfect
A gripping thrill rollercoaster of a ride, The Call is an interesting insight into the world of the Los Angeles 911 emergency services.
Starring Oscar winner Halle Berry as Jordan Turner a veteran 911 operator, we watch her journey as she takes a life altering call from a teenage girl played by Little Miss Sunshine herself Abigail Breslin. Not only does this call mean Jordan has to try and guide this girl to safety, she also has to confront a killer from her past and overcome her fears.
Cut back and forth between the abduction and ‘The Hive’ (the department for 911 emergency assistants who work away like busy bees) the audience are taken on a tense ride and education as to what it really means to be a 911 operator. Making judgments between protocol and human instinct is a fine line in lifesaving situations, as we see through this film. Halle Berry is back to her finest in the majority of this film, as she showcases a mix of emotions that make the audience empathise with the difficult job she is faced with. Just like her character we understand the stress of the job and the natural (probably female) instincts that she has when faced with a child being abducted, and the consequences that lie ahead should Jordan as the operator put a foot wrong.
We also see a fantastic performance from Abigail Breslin as the victim. We follow her day as a normal girl shopping in a mall with her friend, and then once left alone, gets drugged, abducted and thrown in the trunk of a car by her kidnapper. The most tense and exciting part of the film is the interaction between the victim and Jordan. From the trunk she manages to make a 911 call which initially goes through to a rookie who finds herself way out of her depth and then gets passed on to Jordan. From this point on, you as the audience find out some really clever tricks to try and get yourself rescued from a kidnapping, using everything you can find to discover where you are travelling to, what the car looks like and most importantly anything you can do to pop open that trunk and jump out.
Breslin shows here that she has matured from a child to young adult actor seamlessly. Matching Halle Berry’s ranges of emotions, you watch her go from despair to sheer determination to get herself out of this situation alive. It’s this that makes the first three quarters of this film so engaging to watch…
…And then, sadly, in the last fifteen minutes or so, the film takes a tumble, so prepare yourself for this. After an hour and fifteen minutes of an intense, edge of your seat adrenalin filled thrill ride of a film, The Call sadly falls into the depths of B-Movie status and takes a route so completely left field of the original plot its not only difficult to watch, its also totally disappointing. It’s a shame that the film leaves you with such a sour taste at the end, it had so much promise, but there is still the opportunity to remember the immense film you had watched just before this semi-car crash.
Regardless of it’s ending, The Call is still very much worth a watch. For the majority, it’s an intelligent, intense and exciting film with great performances.
So what happens when you grow up as a normal teenager and suddenly one night you start drawing symbols all over the wall? Well you get pretty freaked out… and who do you turn to? Your mum of course, but she’s keeping secrets from you and suddenly disappears. Things really aren’t going to well are they? Its tough being a teenager, its even tougher being a Shadowhunter teenager as Clary Fray (Lily Collins) finds out…
Based on Cassandra Clare’s bestselling novel, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones looks like the successor to all the Twilight and Hunger Games books that have started to send screaming fans into a frenzy. This big budget Hollywood film has a predominately British led which is refreshing, and although it opened here yesterday with the help of the cast and director stepping through a major global promotional tour, its currently slightly underperforming over in the US.
However we shouldn’t take that too literally because despite the doom and gloom that some are saying about this film, its really rather enjoyable. You have a strong female protagonist (quite like what audiences related to with Bella Swan in Twilight) and there are lots of laughs and one liners – some more forced towards the end – plus there are demons, ghouls and a whole underworld that is living right under Brooklyn… what’s not to love?!
The film keeps you guessing and is a classic case of a first film in a series where characters are being established and so there are only three main parts, Clary, Jace (Jamie Campbell Bower) and Simon (Rober Sheehan). The rest come and go and one assumes we will see more in the second installment. There is so much going on in this film that you can’t really help but be swept up in it all and despite it feeling ever so slightly over long in form, its not unwatchable, quite the opposite.
What fans of the book may feel is that this film has tried to be so true to the original content that it maybe fits a little bit too much in it, in order to be truthful, and that unfortunately provides more of a clumsy outcome in parts. Others may feel that the casting isn’t quite what they imagined, and in the press conference Jamie Campbell Bower was particularly vocal with his thoughts on the matter saying that some rather nasty social media reactions to his casting “were based on image and image looks alone and that was two and a half years ago, and I think as an actor and as a performer I’m very much aware of the fact that my job is to change both physically and emotionally and that was what hurt the most, that people were judging me based on nothing.”
Although there are clear issues with this film and it won’t please everyone, there are lots of great elements to it, the CGI is out there but not too over the top and the characters are believable, watchable and sympathetic. Mortal Instruments: City of Bones is certainly for the younger audiences out there, but even if you don’t believe in magic or demons, there’s still a rollercoaster ride for you to watch…just remember to not walk out of the cinema when the unforgivable comment about the musician Bach is made, just take a deep breath and carry on. When you watch the film, you’ll know what we mean.
Mark Wahlberg is making some clever role choices this year, showing he’s versatile, engaging and exciting to watch… in 2 Guns he positions himself against the great Denzel Washington and proves to be a fantastic sparing partner full of quick wit, muscle and great comedic timing.
The film itself follows the two Hollywood heavyweights play a DEA agent and a naval intelligence officer who find themselves on the run after a botched attempt to infiltrate a drug cartel. While fleeing, they learn the secret of their shaky alliance: Neither knew that the other was an undercover agent.
Speaking of working with Denzel Washington, Wahlberg said at a recent press conference in London, “It’s just one of those things, it either works or it doesn’t. He was game, I was game; we had a great part and a great director in Baltasar, who knows me and how I like to work. I like to improvise a lot, and I like to constantly be throwing curveballs at people, and he was just up for it, so it kind of worked.”
We certainly see this working to a tee in the film, as well as a fantastic pre-credits opening scene where the fun friendly relationship is established between the two characters, we also learn that some of the quick quips that Wahlberg throws out during a ‘chicken shooting scene’ are actually improvised, which will have audiences rolling with laughter throughout.
What’s great about this film is most certainly the relationships. When actors work well together on set it comes across brilliantly on scene, this is very apparent here. Not only from Wahlberg and Washington but with Paula Patton as a supporting DEA agent and love interest, plus the superb Bill Paxton who plays Earl a ruthless CIA agent.
2 Guns remains fast paced and exciting throughout, it brings back sentiments of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, but unfortunately its nowhere near as memorable. Its certainly a film that you could go to the cinema, and enjoy with your friends, but in terms of a staple addition to your collection, we’re not so sure. Never the less, if you’re a Denzel, or a Mark Wahlberg fan, you wont be disappointed, for Denzel he steps away from the serious and brings his smooth talking ability to centre stage with great ease, and for Wahlberg we see another slightly off the wall sidekick character which shows that he’s got some serious acting chops as well as his muscle.
2 Guns shoots straight into cinemas on the 16th August.
Do not despair film fans… the Summer season isn’t over yet there is PLENTY to look forward to! We’ve got a hat trick of great films for you to check out which get released for your viewing pleasure as early as tomorrow! So what are you waiting for, get those EE Wednesday tickets at the ready and book yourself in for some fantastic entertainment to round off the Summer months!
Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters – released 7th August 2013
Based on the huge best-selling series by Rick Riordan, Percy Jackson, the son of Poseidon, continues the epic journey to fulfill his destiny, as he teams with his demigod friends to retrieve the Golden Fleece, which has the power to save their home and training ground, Camp Half-Blood.
The Way, Way Back – released 28th August 2013
Written and directed by the Oscar winning writers of The Descendants, The Way, Way Back is the funny and poignant coming of age story of 14-year-old Duncan’s (Liam James) summer vacation with his mother, Pam (Toni Collette), her overbearing boyfriend, Trent (Steve Carell), and his daughter, Steph (Zoe Levin). Having a rough time fitting in, Duncan finds an unexpected friend in Owen (Sam Rockwell), the carefree manager of the Water Wizz water park. Through his friendship with Owen, Duncan slowly opens up and begins to finally find his place in the world – all during a summer that will change his life.
RUSH – released 13th September 2013
Two-time Academy Award® winner Ron Howard presents Rush, a spectacular big-screen re-creation of the merciless 1970s rivalry between James Hunt and Niki Lauda.
The epic action-drama stars Chris Hemsworth (The Avengers) as the charismatic Englishman James Hunt and Daniel Brühl (Inglourious Basterds) as the disciplined Austrian perfectionist Niki Lauda, whose clashes on the Grand Prix racetrack epitomized the contrast between these two extraordinary characters, a distinction reflected in their private lives.
Set against the sexy and glamorous golden age of Formula 1 racing, Rush portrays the exhilarating true story of two of the greatest rivals the world has ever witnessed—handsome English playboy Hunt and his methodical, brilliant opponent, Lauda. Taking us into their personal lives on and off the track, Rush follows the two drivers as they push themselves to the breaking point of physical and psychological endurance, where there is no shortcut to victory and no margin for error. If you make one mistake, you die.
Roald Dahl’s deliciously dark tale of young Charlie Bucket and the mysterious confectioner Willy Wonka comes to life in a brand new West End musical directed by Academy Award® winner Sam Mendes. Last night was the star studded press night and Snoochie Boochies has some exclusive first look photos and video for you. So get excited for this magical tale brought to life on stage.
More about the story
When Charlie wins a golden ticket to the weird and wonderful Wonka Chocolate Factory, it’s the chance of a lifetime to feast on the sweets he’s always dreamed of. But beyond the gates astonishment awaits, as down the sugary corridors and amongst the incredible edible delights, the five lucky winners discover not everything is as sweet as it seems.
Featuring ingenious stagecraft, the wonder of the original story that has captivated the world for almost 50 years is brought to life with music by Marc Shaiman, and lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman(Grammy® winners for Hairspray; Smash), a book by award-winning playwright and adaptor David Greig (The Bacchae; Tintin In Tibet), set and costume designs by Mark Thompson (Mamma Mia!; One Man, Two Guvnors) and choreography by Peter Darling (Billy Elliot; Matilda).
A chocolate garden, an army of squirrels and the curiously peculiar Oompa-Loompas must be believed to be seen in this spectacular new musical that is choc-full of fantastical treats to dazzle your senses.
It’s been two years and the Wolfpack are back home, happily leading uneventful lives at home. The only member who ‘s not content and still lacking a sense of purpose is its very own black sheep, Alan (Zach Galifanakis). He’s ditched his medication and has given into his natural impulses in a big way! With no boundaries, no filter and no judgment, one particular stunt causes his family and friends to stage an intervention, and provide him with an opportunity to live a better life, in a better home, better suited for his needs; and who better than his best friends to help him take the first step towards this new way of life. This time, there is no bachelor party, no wedding, what could possibly go wrong? Well, when the Wolfpack hits the road, all bets are off!
As final part to the trilogy, The Hangover Part III certainly closes the book in a satisfactory way. With part two receiving mediocre reviews following such a similar structure to the first film, scrutiny attacked it left, right and centre. With this film, following a straighter narrative and having no sense of reliving the hangover to beat all hangovers, this film becomes something entirely different.
Some will treat this change in direction with open arms, feeling refreshed that this money making franchise wasn’t just lazily going through the motions again and again, however others will struggle to see how this could really be called a hangover film. We all know the characters inside out by now, and we naturally reminisce the scenes that included Mike Tyson, ladyboys, tattoos and inappropriately dressed babies. It’s this that made the first and second film truly watchable and unique, and what gave it, its laughs. However, here we have very little to keep as something memorable and as a talking point to entice others to go watch the film.
What is great about this film, is that you see Chow (Ken Jeong) really come into his own. He becomes a real focal point in this film and it’s a competition between him and Alan as to who gets the most laughs. In comparison, Phil (Bradley Cooper) Stu (Ed Helms) and Doug (Justin Bartha) really fade into the background and just support the flow of the film. There are funny moments, such as the singing at the funeral, the Ceasars Palace scene, and as always the post credits sequence. However, there is something that just doesn’t sit brilliantly about this film, and it seems less outrageous, and less enjoyable as a result.
This film will also have you reacting depending on the audience you watch it with. If you’re in a packed Odeon with hundreds of people there will always be the laughs that become infectious amongst the crowd, however, if you wait until its out on DVD and watch it home alone, you may struggle to find the funny in any of it.
An adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Long Island-set novel, follows mid-Westerner Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) as he documents his lavish encounters with neighbour Jay Gatsby; who seems to have all the wealth and wonder in the world, but remains childishly unsatisfied without one thing, the woman he adores, Daisy (Carey Mulligan).
Following all the hype about the decadence of this film, fans of Baz Luhrmann’s work will not be disappointed with the spectacle that this film delivers in the first half at least. Taking the concept of the ‘roaring twenties’ to its literal extreme, as the film begins you are introduced to a booming New York full of promise, prosperity and parties! Intercutting re-purposed original footage with some of Luhrmann’s newly developed settings; the audience follows Nick Carraway as he discovers and becomes a part of this world. Slowly, through the eyes of Nick, we discover the main nouveau rich players in this story, starting with Nick’s cousin Daisy and her husband Tom Buchanan (Joel Edgerton).
Upon entering this world, we are faced with an immense sense of overwhelming intensity, the editing is fast paced from one character to the other and at times you’ll feel breathless trying to keep up. You will find yourself trying to take in the scenery in front of your eyes and attempt to keep up with the storyline as well. This puts you straight in Nick’s shoes, a new world, new people and a whole new lifestyle.
Tom Buchanan is expertly played by Joel Edgerton, and is dominating in every scene, bringing a sense of rich, butch, manliness, which is neither endearing nor trustworthy. With him is Daisy, brought to life by Carey Mulligan, an interesting choice for the part, she makes a promising entrance making the character feel care free and wistful as we meet her – quite like a bubblegum princess – but as the film progresses ever so slightly fails to demonstrate the complexities and shallowness of the literary Daisy that fans of the book will have built in their minds. Alongside these characters is Jordan Baker (newcomer Elizabeth Debriki), Daisy’s best friend, this other than Gatsby is probably the best casting of the whole film – looking like a real product of the time and acting with the arrogance and elegance you would expect from a flapper socialite. Debriki carries herself in a scene-stealing manner that, like Edgerton, dominates any screen time she has.
Onto the main man, for a modern day Jay Gatsby, Leonardo Di Caprio is the best choice. Smart, mysterious, yet at times vulnerable with a buffoon like quality; the moment the actor raises a glass to the crescendo of music with a beaming smile at one of his lavish parties, you can only imagine teenage girls once again placing posters of this man up on their wall as teenagers of over fifteen years ago did with his last outing with Luhrmann.
Bringing all these characters together really does make one hell of a party, and if there’s one person who likes to put on a party bigger than Jay Gatsby, its Baz Luhrmann. This is what the audiences are most looking forward to out of his films, and if we’re honest, this is what the film is entirely sold on. Three scenes of stunning clothing, expensive jewelry, amazing choreography and stereotypical nods to the era that had it all. Once the audience is introduced to the world of Jay Gatsby’s parties, you really see the trademark Luhrmann come to life.
As much as this spectacle is what Luhrmann fans are craving, the novelty can only go so far. Part of the films downfall is its pressing focus on style. Sadly there is not enough substance to support it. Throughout the second half of the film, the parties dim down and you are left with the love triangle story. When you watch it unfold, you become more attuned to the flaws in the film.
Firstly, the extravagant sets that populate the initial part of the film feel more contrived and fake, as there are less people in the room. You find yourself feeling like you are watching a play, with purpose-built backgrounds and a very clear distinction between what is a real location set and what is constructed. Once you see this, you feel that there are more contrived elements to the film, everything is so detailed and so precise – particularly thinking back to the blocking of every character from extra to main – Looking back at Luhrmann’s other films, particularly Moulin Rouge, he managed to create a fake Paris that felt real, you could almost smell the stinking sewers of Montmartre and taste the champagne being poured into the glasses on screen, perhaps it was the limitations on technology that allowed him to be more artistically experimental and in this case as more has been offered to Luhrmann on a plate, it feels like he’s used it because he can and not because it’s right. Whatever the reason, with The Great Gatsby, something just doesn’t quite marry up – and this is similar to the issues that one may find with Joe Wrights Anna Karenina.
Alongside this, you feel so distracted by the set that the fundamental plot line gets lost, and where you would expect to feel real emotion towards the situation Jay and Daisy are in, and build dislike towards Daisy’s fickle nature, you just don’t care. There are tender moments, such as when they meet once again after five years, and this is where DiCaprio shines with relatable buffoonery and nervousness. But that is about it, suddenly there is a lacking of focus and complexity within the acting and you do feel like the actors are sadly moving around a room to hit their mark and deliver their lines, rather than providing a real rival performance to the Redford/Farrow Great Gatsby that people know and love. Perhaps a much simpler setting could have allowed time to focus on the real story at the heart, and provide a more complex character study, which those fans of the book will crave more.
Depending on what you’re looking forward to most within this film, you’ll either love The Great Gatsby for its decadence or loathe it for its lacking in substance. Whichever way you look at it, you’ll definitely be seeing something different to what is in the cinema at the moment. However, The Great Gatsby is another problematic product of too much hype in the build up and not enough clout in the end product. Fans of Luhrmann’s work will enjoy seeing him bring another film to the cinema screens, however may still feel he peaked at Moulin Rouge and has struggled to live up to that success ever since. But if there’s one thing you do take away and treasure forever from this film, it’s the incredible soundtrack, just like Baz intended; it’s the perfect accompaniment to any party.
One of the most prominent Chinese filmmakers Peter Ho-Sun Chan takes us back to the turn of the twentieth century with this kung fu, kick ass, tale of gangs, redemption and future thinking detective work.
It’s 1917 and Liu Jun-xi (Donnie Yen) is a village craftsman whose quiet life is irrevocably shattered by the arrival of two notorious gangsters in the local general store. When Liu single-handedly saves the shop keepers life and kills the gangsters, he comes under investigation by detective Xu Bai-jiu (Takeshi Kaneshiro). Convinced that Liu’s marshal arts mastery belies a hidden history of training by one of the regions vicious clans, Xu doggedly pursues the shy hero – and draws the attention of China’s criminal underworld in the process.
If you are a fan of the more recent period based Far Eastern action movies like House of the Flying Daggers or Zatoichi you will find yourself thoroughly at home with this film. With enough of a Western feel throughout in terms of the films approach and fantasy, action and excitement; Dragon becomes palatable for someone who feels that subtitles are not a barrier to watching a perfectly good film. From the opening titles you are seduced with powerful music and motion graphics that resemble ink blots on the screen taking you on a journey, which you don’t expect to then lead to China in 1917.
Once you arrive at this picturesque and secluded Chinese village, full of greenery, you meet the central figure in the film – Liu Jun-xi and his family. The film outlines the average day for this family, morning prayer, breakfast as a family and work, a simplistic and normal existence. What I like about this, is that it draws you in as a viewer, you immediately relate to this scenario, its very similar to that of our time showing that despite technology and cultural changes, life back then is fundamentally the same as it is now.
Once the world is turned upside down, through the arrival of the gangsters, you find yourself attempting to piece the puzzle back together just like Xu Bai-Jiu, except his far more advanced style of thinking (something you’d expect to see in CSI China – if there ever was a programme like this) quickly puts the audience back in its place and show’s who the real genius in the room is. Cleverly, Chans direction paints the portrait of the detectives mind beautifully for us to watch as he thinks through his justification for why there is more to this act of self-defense than just luck.
As we follow this battle between the detective and his subject, we discover wider implications of this deed than just heroics – and this is where the fun really begins. Bring in the extensive fighting scenes and in-depth knowledge of how clever our bodies are and what trickery they can cause. As Liu’s dark past is revealed, he faces some much bigger battles, as history comes back to haunt him and he is forced to show his true colours. Without spoiling it, seeing this in action reveals epic moves both of this world and beyond, which keeps audiences gasping and entertained at its crisp precision and complications, believe me, by the end of this movie you will all want to be able to summon the power of Qi.
What you learn from films like this, is that guns, blood and guts can be one persons cup of tea when watching an action flick, but for others, the expertise that goes into developing clean cut fight sequences that don’t even display even one splattering of blood can often be much more compelling to watch, and to throw in a few homages for good measure there’s a fair share of roof top gliding as well – the mark of an excellent Eastern action film that knows how to please its audience.
An interwoven and carefully thought out plot propelled by believable characters and unbelievable stunts, Dragon is a must for any martial arts enthusiast. Truly breathtaking.
Snoochie Boochies 