Dallas Buyers Club

Number 3 on my countdown through the list of films nominated for various awards at the 86th Academy Awards (Oscars)

Released: 1st of November 2013

Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Jared Leto

Rating: 8/10

Dallas Buyers Club is based on a true story about a man in 1985 Texas who contracts AIDs and how he deals with it. Rather than resigning himself to the certain death that awaits him, he rebels against the drug they’re testing to ‘cure’ the virus and smuggles an abundance of prescription drugs in to sell to others suffering with the same affliction. To outwit the law, he sells memberships to the ‘Dallas Buyers Club’ and gives the medications away for free.

Matthew McConaughey is brilliant in this and not only because he lost 40 pounds (3.5 stone) for the role and has an extensive list of swear words at his disposal. He captures the essence of the main character Ron and really shows the audience what it’s like to be terminally ill. The denial, the anger and then the ultimate emotional core of it all – accepting his fate. Whilst this film is definitely more of a one man show, Jared Leto is unrecognizable as transvestite Rayon who meets Ron in the hospital and is also battling AIDs. Jennifer Garner is also great as Eve, a doctor who works on trialing the new AIDs drug AZT.

Although this film may sound depressing, it is actually rather uplifting, with a few funny lines and a fight against the illness rather than a dreary, weepy ‘this is the end’ drama.

With regards to their nominations, this should certainly win a few Oscars. But Best Actor? I think that is still reserved for Leo who is awesome in Wolf of Wall Street and has, astoundingly, never won an Oscar before.

Her

Number 2 on my countdown through the list of films nominated for various awards at the 86th Academy Awards (Oscars)

Released: 18th of December 2013

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson, Amy Adams

Rating: 6.5/10

The concept of this film is a brilliant one. Set in a future that seems not too distant from now, the human race is inevitably dominated by technology. However, not in the all out humans versus technology war presented in other films like Terminator and iRobot. Interestingly, this film offers the audience both sides of the argument: is the prominence of technology in society a good or bad thing? Let’s start with the former: Her shows the vast knowledge of technology, but not just in terms of information, the ‘operating systems’ in this film are not only designed to interact like humans, but also take on personal qualities where they respond with emotion, varying tones and remember you. It’s not as simplistic as what we currently have, where Siri for example, has a selection of formatted responses to questions and if yours is therefore unusual, you often go unanswered. In this film Theodore’s ‘girlfriend’ Samantha and their unconventional relationship actually helps him grow as a man and as a person and I found it a very profound thought that technology could teach us about emotions, expanding our hearts as well as our minds.

Now obviously a society that revolves around technology has its downfalls. In this film, there’s not a lot of human interaction and when there is it seems awkward and perhaps unwanted in some cases. People have forgotten how to interact with each other and simply don’t want to as they have a virtual person who goes with them everywhere and is matched to suit them exactly. A lot of the most memorable scenes for me, were that of the protagonist Theodore, in various public domains chatting to Samantha through an earpiece. Around him, all the other people are doing the same and while clearly the human race and its governing remain intact, society has dissolved to an extent. People no longer really require other people and if the film were to carry on, I have no doubt that it would perhaps turn slightly dystopian/disaster-esque because of this lack of communication and real humanism – something that most value and crave in present times.

It was very strange to me how much this film got me thinking and questioning life now and actually the future presented in Her. I was never drawn fully into the world, I couldn’t accept it as a reality even in my imagination because it was so detached and so flawed. However, that being said, I was engrossed by Theo and Samantha’s relationship. I found myself getting annoyed at him when he’d make rash comments about her not being able to understand his human problems which to me translates as the story being a successful one. By halfway through, although I still found their relationship strange and foreign, I had definitely felt sorry for an operating software! Genius.

Joaquin Phoenix is a marvel of course, but actually I felt like Scarlett Johansson was the best character in this. As Samantha she needed to be able to convey a lot through just her voice and the range of emotions she was able to explore and convey to the audience was astounding. Luckily, she’s also a lot less annoying as an actress when she’s not there in person. She may perhaps want to pursue a career in voiceovers and/or voicing animated characters.

Leonardo DiCaprio still has my vote for Best Actor.

August: Osage County

Number 1 on my countdown through the films nominated for various awards at the 86th Academy Awards (Oscars)

Released: December 25th 2013 (USA)
Starring: Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Ewan McGregor, Abigail Breslin, Juliette Lewis, Benedict Cumberbatch
Rating: 6/10




The synopsis for this film is pretty boring in all honesty - an unconventional family are brought together when the patriarch goes missing and dies. But actually, I was pleasantly surprised. Although it's mostly set in the mother's house, the twists and turns of the relationships between family members truly make this an interesting watch. Whilst some characters struggle and fight throughout, others grow closer, although as an audience, not as we'd expect. I found the whole film quite unpredictable, which certainly makes for good watching.

Meryl Streep is amazing as the mother who's husband goes missing. Her character is addicted to prescription drugs and so is totally off the wall. This woman has won 3 Oscars previously for a reason. Give her another! As for Julia Roberts, her acting is also stellar in this, but my bias for Jennifer Lawrence and preference for her character in American Hustle, unfortunately means that the latter gets my vote for for Best Supporting Actress.

Green Zone

Released: 12th March 2010
Starring: Matt Damon, Greg Kinnear, Jason Isaacs, Brendan Gleeson
Rating: 4.5/10



Green Zone is a highly political film based on the war in Iraq and the Americans' search for Weapons of Mass Destruction during the turmoil of Saddam Hussein's reign. It's not for everyone! The use of subtitles and military discussions throughout, make paying attention and really focussing key for the audience's understanding of plot.

Lack of a real star-studded main cast means that brightening such dull Middle Eastern scenery and complex topic is not achieved. Also, a slow start doesn't allow for any real excitement within the film and no real 'hook' is used to effectively engage the audience.

However, the real salvation of this film comes, unfortunately, 40minutes from the end as twists and turns are unveiled and new objectives for the protagonist Miller (Damon) become apparent. The political unrest reaches a high as the reasons for division and separation in the American party become known. The line between innocent characters and criminals become blurry as suspects from both nationalities represent each side, confusing the audience and who they should sympathise with. We are unusually positioned against the Americans who are deceitful throughout and unfeeling and reckless with their execution of the task - especially Isaac's character.

SPOILER ALERT!

Interestingly, the main twist, discovered by Damon at the end, is that the Americans manufactured false intelligence to hide the truth that their were no Weapons of Mass Destruction, in order to make a case for war in Iraq and to kill Hussein.

Summary:

- If you are politically intolerant, stay away!

- If the whole army thing really bores you, steer clear!

- The last 40 minutes almost (almost!) make it worth watching...

Snow White and the Huntsman

Released: 30th May 2012
Starring: Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron, Sam Claflin, Ray Winstone
Rating: 7/10



Snow White and the Huntsman originates from the simple and well-known fairytale of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. But this adaptation is far from the quaint and fairly light-hearted animated film we're used to. Sanders creates a highly intense film that kept my brow thoroughly furrowed throughout (trying saying that fast!) to accommodate the spectacular stunts and battle scenes in abundance.

Although Kristen Stewart struggles to convey a vast array of emotions and escape from the 'Bella' and Twilight stronghold, she is ultimately very believable as a girl of irrevocable beauty who inspires many to follow her on a quest to avenge her father and kill the Queen, consequently saving the whole ravaged kingdom. Furthermore, it appears Kristen instigates another love triangle that is for once, not a keen focus of the film and isn't actually emphasised or resolved at all.

Charlize Theron is brilliant as a twisted and maniacal Queen, her facial expressions and tone perfect in portraying the utter vanity and desperation of a woman hellbent on devouring the beauty of others (quite literally) in order to quench her ceaseless and conceited thirst for power, consuming entire kingdoms in her greed.

Some of the scenes were significantly reminiscent of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, with hoards of armour-clad men, traipsing through immense and dangerous landscapes in order to defeat the villainous power currently causing their bane. There is also a scene filmed in a frozen forest, where the pure, innocent white snow (as earlier referenced in the film) is host to sinister events, much like the frozen wasteland within Narnia.

Throughout there is some clever filming, where Sanders uses metaphors to convey brutality in a more tasteful way, such as a fallen goblet of wine or ink pot representing the blood thrust out of a body in the impact of a weapon - the contents of each representing blood and evil respectively.

I did find myself however, thinking of wittier comebacks and cleverer retorts at a few points during the film and finding that the comedic attempts were perhaps too obvious in the blatant delivery, therefore not provoking as much laughter as many of the surrounding watchers. 
Another slight criticism would be the accent change. Having seen many Kristen Stewart films, it was really hard to focus on her character and what she was saying due to the stark difference in her voice. I also found Chris Hemsworth to be somewhat inaudible at points, using the other actors' responses as a way to predict what had been said, as he tries to maintain Scottish over a lazy New Zealand accent.

Summary:
- A brilliant twist on the original fairytale
- Star-studded cast makes it more enjoyable and amusing
- Theron's ruthless Queen doesn't disappoint as one of the most terrifying childhood villains
- Do not watch if you are not a fan of one of the main 3 actors, as they are prevalent!

The Hunger Games (Books)

Published: 14th September 2008
Rating: 10/10 (I know!)

Firstly I'll start by saying how enveloping and engrossing these books are, so before you endeavour to tackle them, set aside some time because it is seriously difficult to put them down! As a voracious reader, who has consumed many a book in my 18 years, this is rather a large statement, and nonetheless remains honest and apt.

The Premise:
And ingenious idea for a series of books. The idea of 12-18year olds fatefully chosen to compete in a deadly arena against vicious opponents whilst maintaining standard survival, until 1 remains victorious is indeed abhorrent and shocking. Made worse by the fact the whole thing is annual and televised for the entertainment and viewing of the sadistic residents in the 'Capitol', a state which retains all power over the 12 districts who are forced to relinquish two unlucky 'tributes' in order to pay for an ancestral uprising decades previous. 

The story is told is present tense by Katniss, a girl who volunteers to take her sister's place as tribute in The Hunger Games. Our sympathy and positioning is immediately with Katniss, although she is hostile and resents many things in her life (especially the Capitol) which is understandable. Joined by a boy called Peeta whom she had a vague encounter with in her youth, she learns how she must act to gain favour from sponsors who will effectively help her survive the games.
Even without seeing Liam Hemsworth first as Gale in the film, I find it hard not to love his character, even though he features so little in each book and you are often faced with Peeta's sweet nature and undying love for Katniss. Throughout, I felt a strong sense of destiny and how Gale and Katniss were meant to be together although Peeta, survival and political corruption often rupture the relationship throughout with a tireless facade devised in the first book between the Hunger Games' District 12 tributes.

Second Book 'Catching Fire':

After the somewhat tense ending of the first book, I delved straight into the sequel. The start was initially a little slow and I wondered what twists and advancements on the first book it could have. The political unrest caused by Katniss' victory stunt at the finale of The Hunger Games was a great consequence and cause for continuation into Catching Fire and I found myself becoming very emotionally attached to this series, as the first-person perspective of Katniss manufactures a false sense of you experiencing the events with her. Emotions run high in this middle novel as brutality surfaces out of the arena and Katniss must comply with those she resents in order to suppress the uprisings and save those she loves. Having Katniss reenter the Hunger Games and compete in the more vicious 'Quarter Quell' which is a special games every 25 years usually with a large twist (such as the fiftieth games involved twice as many tributes) was unexpected and a great plot addition, especially as she must fight the previous victors. Even when I'd put the book down, I was thinking about the storyline and the possibilities that could unravel from the current situation I'd 'left' the characters in.

An insight:

Although obviously not the real trailer, as the film is not released until November 2013, this does provide some insight as to the plot line of the second book through some titles and scenes of distress featuring the main characters (although mostly from their other films)

Film vs. Book:
Having seen the film first, it actually increased my interest in the book, as although I knew the chronology and therefore what was going to happen. However, the film is toned down frequently and there are some inevitable alterations which meant that the book added some further background and story points not explored in the film, although not reducing the predictability of the ending obviously. 

A lot of the specific details in the book are significantly missing as scenes are shortened in order to comply with timings. The book is long due to the detail and if the film were to follow it directly, it would've been far too long and tedious. Conversely, having read the book and then rewatched the film, it is far less entertaining as they miss details out that are noticeable, like Katniss injuring Peeta on an urn before the Games and the 'muttation' dogs having significant traits and aspects of the fallen tributes.
Also, as the book is written in first person narrative, I feel that Katniss should have perhaps narrated a bit, to show the audience her perspective, much like Bella in The Twilight Saga. As the film diverts away slightly from this viewpoint, extra scenes are incorporated such as the conversation between Seneca Crane and President Snow following the training ratings, the interactions in the Gamemakers' studio and reactions to certain points in the games from districts and Haymitch, making the film quite different from the book.

The premise of the film is shown well although the brutality of the games is reduced supposedly due to the rating and a need to market the film to a wider age range. Furthermore, the fake romance between Katniss and Peeta is also reduced, as in the book a lot more kissing occurs in order to increase believability to the sponsors and make Peeta obedient.

Jennifer Lawrence plays an excellent Katniss, showing surly attitude and hostility throughout. Meanwhile Josh Hutcherson as Peeta is sweet as necessary, but is a little shorter than the book indicates and his deep brown eyes are not addressed as an issue when in the book the bright blue of them is a key feature of his appearance. Liam Hemsworth provides the real 'heartthrob' with Gale who will definitely be a prominent character in the second and third films due to his large presence in the books.




The futuristic setting of the book also makes the film effects seem a little poor as when reading, imagination conjures the setting and all these new things like the faux fire Cinna creates - which looks really computer generated and therefore compromises the believability. In conjunction with this, the forest fire is really obviously not real and for a film in 2012, shows real lacking compared to things like Inception years ago in which effects can make the audience gasp.



Summary:
- An epic trilogy of books (although I have only just started the Mockingjay)
- Catching Fire is the best novel, and I'm hoping the film will do it justice!
- The best series I've ever read due to the interesting premise and first person narrative which fully engrosses you
- Strong characters and a real sense of villainy from President Snow and the Peacekeepers
- A MUST READ!

Panic Button

Released: 2011 (No date specified)
Starring: Jack Gordon, Elen Rhys, Scarlett Johnson, Michael Jibson
Rating: 6/10

Morally, Panic Button regards the cautions of social networking and the dangers within the personal information shared and the permanence of internet usage. The premise is simple. Four members of a social network (Gwen, Dave, Max and Jo) win an all expenses paid trip to New York on a private jet. As part of the deal, they are provided with 'in-flight entertainment' which soon becomes unnerving as private information of each person's internet history are used against them in cruel quizzes instigated by an interactive alligator. After ignoring the terms and conditions, the foursome indulge in the 'games' with the promise of winning extravagant prizes. However, when the rounds become ever more malevolent, forfeits are introduced, revealing that each member has a hostage loved one who will suffer the consequences of any failed tasks. With these high stakes, the characters slowly turn on each other in a fight for survival.



Panic Button is more of a thriller rather than horror genre, in that throughout, the main feeling installed in the audience is one of creepiness - which is understandable due to the prominence of social networking and how the permanence of internet utilisation can lead to information in the wrong hands. As you are introduced to the alligator, essentially the villain of the film, and the destructive 'entertainment', you are positioned to sympathise with the characters, as cringing at shared secrets seems unavoidable. This film is a lot more of a psychological horror - although not in the same league as Shutter Island, which obviously was created to be twisted and testing. Conversely, as the tensions build to a crescendo, some gore is introduced and the characters become savage in their desperation to save family members. 

The actors are mainly unknown, a common feature of horrors as the lack of 'A-listers' helps aid believability and perhaps increase the realism for the audience and therefore interactivity as the actors seem like 'normal' people and are relatable. The acting is somewhat stereotypical, in that (Jibson) plays a perverted Dave, a gent trying to relive his twenties and is very outgoing and over the top. Having said that, I still found the film engrossing and enjoyed the unusual plot with some twists that maintained the pace.

Summary:
- Worth a watch, a different take on a 'horror' in the sky
- Some unusual ploys and twists that make it fairly interesting
- Strange villain and motivation
- Character Max is weirdly endearing
- Will make you think twice about your internet browsing!