Mini Reviews
Crazy Stupid Love (out Sep 29) is a film that tries to illustrate the uncontrollable nature of love but unfortunately, the story is ruined by this silly assortment of characters who reflect no human beings that I'm aware of. Grade: C+.
Abduction (out now) is a trashy thriller about a teenager who finds himself on the run from just about everyone. Who can he trust? Even if you can look past the many inconsistencies in the story, you'd be hard pressed to find someone supportive of Taylor Lautner's performance. I'm sorry but the guy can't act. Grade: C.
One Day (out Sep 1) is a romantic drama starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess that spans more than 20 years. The pop culture references are unnecessary and the fragmented nature of the story made it hard to feel the connection between these two characters. Grade: C+.
Chalet Girl (out Sep 1) is awful. Felicity Jones has some spark and Bill Nighy clearly has his own professional writing team but the rest of it is dreadful. Such a poorly thought out story. Grade: C.
Submarine (out Sep 8) is a quirky English rom-com about a nerdish 15-year-old trying to win the heart of a girl at school whilst dealing with problems at home. I loved the film's style and it's off-beat nature. It's anything but conventional and the performances are excellent. Grade: A-.
The Illusionist (out Sep 1) is set in the year 1959 and centres on a struggling magician and a young girl he befriends. There is virtually no dialogue and it's such a beautiful way to present an animated film. I felt much sorrow for these two lonely characters and the changing world in which they find themselves. Grade: A-.
Glee: The 3D Concert Movie (out now) is a waste of money. I've watched a few episodes of the show and it's not too bad. All this concert movie offers are some abbreviated songs and a couple of dull back stage interviews. Grade: C.
Pina (out now) is a tribute piece to German ballet director Pina Bausch who passed away 2 years ago. We see many of her famous dances performed and we speak with those who were part of her company. Unfortunately, the film offers nothing to those unfamiliar with ballet and I quickly grew tired of all of the interviews. Grade: C+.
Beginners (out Aug 25) tries to takes the familiar themes of life, love and loss and bundle them up in an offbeat romantic drama. It centres on a guy with a fear of commitment who finds his perspective on life changes following the death of his father (who announced he was gay at the age of 75). It deserves points for originality but I wasn't blown away. Grade: B.
The Guard (out Aug 25) features one of the most memorable performances of 2011 - Brendan Gleeson as Sergeant Gerry Boyle. He's a policeman from a small Irish town who is helping the FBI to stop a major drug shipment. The accents are tough to follow at times but this is a fantastic black comedy. Sergeant Boyle will keep you on your toes all the way through. Grade: A-.
Conan The Barbarian (out now) isn't too bad for a mindless action film. The story is easy to follow and there are plenty of solid battle sequences (although it unnecessarily uses more fake blood than a horror film in some parts). Grade: B.
