All the Real Girls (2003)

Title: All the Real Girls
Year: 2003
Director: David Gordon Green
Starring: Paul Schneider, Zooey Deschanel, Shea Whigham, Patricia Clarkson
Genre: Romantic drama
Certificate: 15
Rating: **

I decided to watch this film after seeing Zooey Deschanel in (500) Days of Summer, and, fancying a romance, this seemed like the film to watch.

Although the plot (and script) of the film is interesting, the way in which it is presented just does not work. I hasten to add that the second-half of the film is much better than the first, however it seems like some scenes are only put in there to make the films seem more beautiful, and have nothing to do with driving the plot forwards. The characters are hard to understand, and, although probably a more realistic take on love than a lot of films, they tend to be slightly boring.

I'm not saying the whole film is bad - the second half, and the acting, is good, it's just the way the film is that makes it not work.

(500) Days Of Summer

Title: (500) Days of Summer
Director: Marc Webb
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zooey Deschanel
Genre: romantic comedy
Year: 2009
Certificate: 12
Rating: *****

This film is a completely original, brilliant thing. It is told in a non-linear sequence, leaving the viewer piecing together their version of what has happened during events, and then either being proven correct, or incorrect. Also, the comedic side of it is actually funny, whenever it is meant to be, something rarely seen in recent comedies.

Not only is it funny, but it is also a moving and slightly upsetting film, due to it not exactly being about falling in love, more about falling OUT of it, and taking chances. Although the main characters have a very sweet relationship, it obviously will not work out as she is not quite into it enough. Another interesting thing about this film is that it is the girl who doesn't believe in love, whilst the man is a hopeless romantic, which is a pleasant change from the norm. One last interesting point is that the director obviously was not afraid to try something different, due to one scene in which he splits the screen in half, one side being how the protagonist is imagining things to go, the other side in which they actually do go. This scene is slightly out of sync, until the same things happen in both, which makes it less confusing.

This film is, definitely, a new favourite.

The Time Traveler's Wife

Title: The Time Traveler's Wife
Year: 2009
Director: Robert Schwentke
Starring: Eric Bana, Rachel McAdams, Ron Livingston
Genre: Fantasy romance
Certificate: 12
Rating: **** (good)

I would not say that The Time Traveler's Wife is a 'special' or 'different' film. It certainly is not. But what it is is something extremely enjoyable. The film has a good idea, based on what I am told is a wonderful book. However, along with all time-travel films, there are some things that are not explained well-enough. For example, why he travels, why he cannot control it and his daughter can (kind of), and how he knows when he is going to miss certain events and so travels from the future in order to make them (for example, his wedding).

Although their marriage does work out (well...he dies, but that does not exactly mean that the marriage did not work well), the film does follow the arguments that would be involved if you married a time traveler, for example, he is not always there when you need him, and carrying a baby to term is extremely difficult.

As usual, McAdams' performance is flawless, and so is the rest of the cast's. Quite a few scenes are well-done, including a beautiful moment that involves a hand print on a window, and the moment in which their daughter grows up, which is a kind of montage.

All in all, The Time Traveler's Wife is a good film. It's just not that good.

Black Water

Title: Black Water
Year: 2008
Director: Andrew Traucki, David Nerlich
Starring: Diana Glenn, Maeve Dermody, Andy Rodoreda
Genre: Survival, horror, thriller
Certificate: 15
Rating: **** (awesome)

Black Water is similar in style to Open Water, in the fact that it is basically a bunch of people attempting to survive a deadly creature, with no means of contacting anybody to help. I expecting Black Water to be dreary, predictable, and cheesey. However, as soon as the film starts, you immediately start to like it due to its fantastic soundtrack and cast. Although the cast are not well-known, they definitely have talent, and I look forward to seeing them in other films.

Two sisters, and one of their partners, decide to go on a fishing trip, before their boat is over-turned by a viscious and hungry crocodile who immediately kills their guide. The three protagonists camp out in a tree, with no supplies and no means of escape. The crocodile also returns regularly to the source of food, and they have to devise a way to get back to their boat without being eaten, get the engine working, and sail back to the mainland.

The film has extremely good effects, keeps you perched on the edge of your seat, has you shouting at the TV screen, and your pulse racing against Usain Bolt. It is a completely non-cheesey, serious, and somewhat devastating film that will make you value your family and friends, and (most likely) fear crocodiles.

Iron Man (2008)

Director: Jon Favreau
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges, Gwyneth Paltrow
Genre: Superhero/adventure
Age certificate: 12
Rating: **** - good

I have to tell you that when I first started watching this film, I was actually in the mood for some soppy romance. Therefore, the first, ten minutes maybe?, I was not impressed. It seemed like it was just going to be another war film. Although, at the same time, I admit, I was slightly amused by the attitude of the main character, Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.). After the initial war and death part though, and when Stark started building a giant iron man to escape a terrorist camp, I actually realised that this film is hilarious, and just generally good all-round, with stunning visual effects and great acting. The characters are not just likeable, but also loveable, excluding the antagonist of course, whom you automatically loathe.

There's Something About Mary

Title: There's Something About Mary
Director: Farrelly Brothers
Starring: Cameron Diaz, Matt Dillon, Ben Stiller, Chris Elliott, Lee Evans
Genre: romantic comedy
Rating: **** (awesome)

There's Something About Mary starts off funny, continues to be funny, then ends funny. Because it's a funny film. Basically, a man hires a detective to spy on his childhood sweetheart, to determine if she is married etc. However, the detective falls in love with her, causing a battle to win over Mary. What is later revealed to us is that there is another player in the game, and, nearer the end, three more. This film is unpredictable, laugh-out-loud brilliance, and also hilariously embarrassing.

Borat

Title: Borat
Director: Larry Charles
Starring: Sacha Baron Cohen, Peter Baynham, Anthony Hines, Don Mazer, Todd Phillips
Genre: mockumentary, comedy
Rating: ***** (a favourite)

One word: BRILLIANT.

This is such a masterpiece that every single person in the world should go out and buy it immediately. And laugh at everything in it, even if it is insulting you or your beliefs (it insults EVERYBODY'S beliefs). Be good-natured, laugh, have fun, wet yourself. Watch this. Now.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Title: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Director: David Yates
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Michael Gambon, Jim Broadbent, Alan Rickman, Tom Felton, Helena Bonham-Carter
Genre: Fantasy-adventure
Certificate: 12
Rating: **** (awesome)

The sixth installment of the Harry Potter film series is the first one in which I have thought of the film as a piece of art. It is a shame there are only two films left to continue it with. Daniel Radcliffe's acting is a lot better as well. Equus must have been the right choice for him.

There are many scenes in the film which are more beautiful than I could have imagined - for example, although they left out Dumbledore's funeral in the film, when he died, every single Hogwarts student and professor raises their wand up in the air, lighting the tip at the same time. This is the moment in which I sobbed my heart out. Ginny and Harry's kiss is also fantastic, although predictable, and so is the scene in which The Burrow is burned down. I could keep listing the beautiful moments, but I would end up including the whole film.

The only problem I have is that there is not enough action - the film is more like a dramatic love story (including teenage awkwardness that actually does exist) rather than a battle against Voldemort. Also, for those who have never read the books, understanding Horcruxes would be extremely difficult for them, as they are not explained properly in the films like they are in the books.

This film is a must-see.

27 Dresses (2008)

Title: 27 Dresses
Director: Anne Fletcher
Starring: Katherine Heigl, James Marsden
Genre: Romantic comedy
Certificate: 12
Rating: ***** (a favourite)

27 Dresses is a delightfully funny romantic comedy, about weddings and romance. When you first start watching it, you are not sure what to expect - the idea is not the best I have come across - but after a little while, something happens. You stop worrying about how likely the situation is, and you just enjoy watching a great rom-com, which will make you laugh and smile the whole of the way through. Katherine Heigl (most known for her role as Izzie Stevens in Grey's Anatomy)'s performance is, as per usual, flawless.

The Notebook (2004)

Title: The Notebook
Director: Nick Cassavetes
Starring: James Garner, Gena Rowlands, Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams
Genre: Romantic drama
Certificate: 15
Rating: *****

The Notebook is a film I have wanted to see for a long time now. When I did finally managed to watch it, I was not disappointed. There is not much I can really say here, as I do not want to give anything away. What I shall say is that, if you are anything like me, the end of this film will have you sobbing so much that you will need to re-apply all of your eye makeup, and possibly change your white blouse, as it will be going see-through due to your tears.

This is one of my favourite films of all time, it will not only make you cry, but also laugh, and it will warm your heart completely, and repair your broken belief of finding a soul-mate.

This is a DEFINITE must-watch.

Ellie May

Star Trek (2009)

Director: J. J. Abrams
Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Leonard Nimoy, Eric Bana, Karl Urban, John Cho, Zoe Saldana, Anton Yelchin, Simon Pegg
Genre: Science-fiction
Certificate: 12
Rating: *****

I've never seen anything to do with Star Trek before, even though I am a lover of sci-fi. After watching this film, I am going to watch every single film and series of Star Trek, simply because I absolutely ADORE it! Zachary Quinto, Chris Pine, Simon Pegg...all are fantastic actors, and all out-do themselves in their performances in this film. The plot is great - it is extremely clever to think about someone coming back from the future and changing the past, causing that future to maybe never happen. There is a perfect balance of comedy and action in this film to make it a modern classic. One minute you are laughing, the next your pulse is racing as a fight has just broken out (and trust me, there are loads of fights). All I can do is congratulate Mr. Abrams for directing a masterpiece.

The Children (2008)

Director: Tom Shankland
Starring: Eva Birthistle, Hannah Tointon, Stephen Campbell Moore, Jeremy Sheffield, Rachel Shelley
Genre: Horror
Certificate: 18
Rating: *****

Before watching this, I was in the perfect mood for some nice gore. However, whilst watching this, I realised that it is the first horror film I have seen that made me want to turn it off, shriek, and possibly puke. The Children is not that gory, in comparison to the Saw films, or Eden Lake. But what makes you want to scream is that fact that it is children, who are meant to be innocent, are wielding knives and other sharp objects, and are purposefully attempting to murder their older family members. These children are surprisingly well-acted, as are their parents. Although their parents aren't...sadistic like them. As the parents are completely irrational (they believe that the older teenage daughter, who is going through a rebellious stage, is attempting to murder the children), it is not hard for the children to get their own way. As well as the horror, the camera shots are actually beautiful - there is one scene in which the blood is seeping into the snow, which is an inappropriate 'wow'. This film is disturbing, and it will keep you up at night. But it is also a stroke of genius.

Shallow Hal (2001)

Director: Farrelly Brothers
Starring: Gwyneth Paltrow, Jack Black, Jason Alexander
Genre: romantic comedy
Certificate: 12
Rating: *****

From the DVD case, this film looks like it is not going to be too good. Yet if you give it the chance it deserves, and 'don't judge a book by its cover', you will realise how good it actually is. The plot is basically about a man who only judges women from what they look like, before his perceptions are altered, and the beauty within women reflects on their beauty outside. And so, he falls in love with a beautiful woman, who he does not realise is actually fat. Yes, the plot IS cheesy, but it manages to become a beautiful film, when Jack Black's character realises that he loves his obese girlfriend, because of what she is inside. There is a scene in this which almost brought me to tears - after Hal's perceptions are re-altered, he realises that a little girl whom he played The Kissing Game with is actually a burn victim. This scene was beautifully done. Obviously, the message of this film is about seeing the inner beauty of individuals, and Shallow Hal brings it across almost too easily. A must-see.

The Ruins (2008)

Director: Carter Smith
Starring: Jonathan Tucker, Shawn Ashmore, Jena Malone, Laura Ramsey, Joe Anderson
Genre: Horror
Certificate: 18
Rating: ****

The Ruins is an interesting horror film - although it has its fair share of gore, it also genuinely is terrifying. Who would have thought that something as harmless as vines could cause so much suffering? Although at times it is hard to understand what is happening/why somebody would do that, it is actually a very good film, with disgusting (mostly medical) gore, and haunting performances from Laura Ramsey, who, along with Jena Malone, show off the best of their acting abilities here. That's not to say the others aren't good - they definitely are, but Ramsey and Malone are just...better. I accept that the plot probably isn't the best in the world, but The Ruins works with what is has, and does so extremely well. Some parts are predictable, but not so much that the film is boring. Most of the gore stems from self-amputations, and slicing into your own skin to remove some vines. All in all, although this film is not the best by any account, you still have to accept that it is pretty good.

Skellig (2009)

Director: Annabel Jankel
Starring: Bill Milner, John Simm, Kelly Macdonald, Tim Roth
Genre: fantasy
Certificate: 12
Rating: *****
Review: I recently read the book of Skellig, which my dad had to force me to do. The book alone took my breath away, but then the film came out. I was skeptical of this at first - perhaps they would ruin the book, a little like The Golden Compass. However, when I sat down to watch it, I realised that it was stunningly beautiful, and extremely well-done. John Simm does a great performance, and, of course, so does Tim Roth. Yet, the performance that stands out the most is that of child actor, Bill Milner. He has, of course, been in Son of Rambow, in which his acting was also pretty good. The film does not stick entirely to the book - a lot more is given away about Skellig, and there is a beautiful scene in which Michael jumps off a tower, hoping that Skellig will catch him. All in all, this is a well-done film, and, in my opinion, a classic.

Eden Lake (2008)

Director: James Watkins
Starring: Kelly Reilly, Michael Fassbender
Certificate: 18
Genre: horror
Rating: **** - good
Review: Eden Lake is, ultimately, another torture porn film. You can see similarities between this and films like The Hills Have Eyes. With chilling performances from Jack O'Connell (whom you may have seen in Skins), this film will make you squirm, and shock you into utter silence. There is, for example, one scene in which you see (extremely clearly) a young boy stick a knife into a man's mouth, and wiggle it from side to side. Another scene - a woman impales her foot on a spike, then has to remove it. This film is not actually as scary as it is made out to be, just extremely gory and distressing. The only scary thought is actually that it could happen. As much as the film is good and exciting, it does stray from what could actually happen in a few places, for example the ending (which is bleak), and also a scene in which a young lad is set on fire. Alive.

Donnie Darko (2001)

Director: Richard Kelly
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Drew Barrymore, James Duval, Beth Grant, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Mary McDonnell, Holmes Osbourne, Katharine Ross, Patrick Swayze, Noah Wyle
Certificate: 15
Genre: Psychological thriller
Rating: **** - good
Review: Donnie Darko is one of those films, similar to the Underworld series, which does not impress the critics, yet seems to be extremely popular. After watching the film the second time (this time with my friends, so I could discuss it afterwards), I realised just how good it really is. The cast are well-known, and so you can expect the acting not to be poor. The script is inappropriately humourous in some places, and well-written all over - the comedy part, for example the dinner table scene, is hilarious. The plot is complicated (but makes complete sense once you have thought about it), so if you do not like to have to think hard whilst watching a film, this will not be for you. Basically, a young boy, Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal), sees terrifying visions of a man dressed in a bunny-suit, stating that the end of the world is coming, and decides he must be the one to unravel the strange occurences affecting his school, home, and life. This is a hauntingly brilliant film, which will make you cry, laugh, and shock you, all at once.
Be prepared to question reality.