Mini Reviews
Carnage (out Mar 1) is easy to describe. It is set entirely within an apartment building and the whole movie is spent watching four characters engage in a heated debate. Perhaps this story works better on stage… but I honestly don’t know what all the fuss is about. The story and dialogue felt so horribly contrived. That said, I did enjoy the humorous insults (particularly those from Christoph Waltz). Grade: B-.
Like Crazy (out Mar 1) is a nice, sweet, simple romantic drama about long distance relationships. It won the audience award at Sundance and the performance of Felicity Jones highlights her natural ability. I can't wait to see her in more roles. Grade: B+.
Late Bloomers (out now) is about two boring people who live a boring life. For that reason, this is a boring film. Both of these characters are in their 60s the story revolves around their relationship breakdown and their struggle to deal with "old age". Grade: C+.
Gone (out now) is a limp thriller about a young woman (Amanda Seyfried) who believes her sister has been kidnapped by a serial killer. No one believes her (including the cops) because of her recent stint in a mental asylum. I went along with this story and its dumb characters for a while... but the pathetic ending left me running for the exit. Grade: C.
Contraband (out Feb 23) is a pretty average action-thriller. I’m a fan of Mark Wahlberg and I think he’s put together a solid resume (mixing many genres) but this should have been better. It meanders along with poor developed characters and culminates with a weak finale that tries too hard to please. Grade: C+.
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (out Feb 23) is a peculiar film. It's about a 9 y/o boy who, following the death of his father in the 9/11 disaster, roams New York City and tries to find the lock that fits a mysterious key. I loved newcomer Thomas Horn (despite was others say) and his awkward nature. The plot is a little hit-and-miss however. Some parts drew me in whilst other, not-so-believable parts, pushed me away. Grade: B+.
Killer Elite (out Feb 23) centres on a retired mercenaries who is roped into performing one last job - killing three former SAS agents under instruction from a wealthy Oman sheikh. This is trying to be an intelligent action film (it’s based on a true story) but it fails due to poor character development (hard to keep up at times) a few too many gaps in the story. Grade: C+.
One For The Money (out now) is a dreadful action-comedy-whatever starring Katherine Heigl as an unemployed woman who takes a job as a bounty hunter and goes after an ex-cop who skipped bail... and who just so happens to be her first boyfriend. The script is all over the place and I almost fell asleep due to the lack of laughs. Grade: C-.
The Grey (out now) is a decent action-thriller about 7 guys who survive a plane crash in remote Alaska and have to find their way back to civilisation. The freezing conditions will test their fortitude... but their real worry will be a pack of vicious wolves looking for their next meal. The back story seems unnecessary but the action scenes have been nicely shot and choreographed. Grade: B+.
This Means War (out now) is terrible. Two CIA agents fall in love with the same girl and use any means necessary to win her affections. Ok, I realise rom-coms aren't my favourite genre but this story is dumb and the characters are morons. Grade: C-.
My Week With Marilyn (out Feb 16) is set in 1956 and follows a 23-year-old assistant director who becomes close with Marilyn Monroe while working on a movie. Michelle Williams gives a decent performance but that's about the only positive. The story is so repetitious! Marilyn turns up late to the set 10 times, people warn young kid about Marilyn 20 times. The end. Grade: C+.
