My Top 10: Films Of 2008

2008 was quite a year. We had one of the most successful films in terms of rankings on IMDB. Also a lot of Oscar contenders have managed to make my top 10. But sadly, there are always either some bad ones, disappointing ones, some maybe not as bad as the majority think and the ones that were really good but I had to leave out.

Here is a quick review of some of the films I felt were generally disappointing or just bad in every way:
10,000 BC - Action is pretty solid, but the story was pretty boring or non-existent at times.
The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor - Nothing like the first two. Different director and replacement for Rachel Weisz's character was the start of this mess. But at the visuals and some action scenes only make it half bad.
The Day The Earth Stood Still - Some things worked as well as the ground-breaking original. Sadly, same crashed and burned like the extremely annoying Jaden Smith.
Journey To The Center Of The Earth - A dumbing-down child-friendly version of the brilliant original. Not even the visuals could save this one.
Hancock - Had a promising first half, then a mad twist to begin the second half and never really regained momentum. The idea was there, but it just reminded of 'My Super Ex-Girlfriend'.
Quantam Of Solace - Two amazing opening scenes and then the so-called plot came into play and a lot of people were just confused and slightly bored by the end of it.
Pineapple Express - Was not really sure what to expect from this, but not what I actually got. I also remember lots of pointless and annoying shouting.

From bad to not as bad as most people thought. Here are some quick reviews of films that I saw something where the majority could not:
The Happening - Like most of M. Night Shyamalan's films, the ideas are interesting but the whole thing just did not work. With this one, some of them did work and intrigued, the rest was just odd or wasted.
Speed Racer - It is a visual master piece as you would expect from the Wachowski's. Also the story is very enjoyable and the style of it is much like the Japanese cartoon, a bit bonkers but you go with it because it's Japanese.
Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull - I can see why it got the awful reviews. But I think there is still enough in there to like (just) and I liked the idea of what was the kingdom of the crystal skull. However, there are some awful parts that I happily agree with the general public. These involve a fridge and some monkeys.

Every year, there are always some that end up being much better than expected and they become an enjoyable watch:
Nim's Island - Every about it was surprising. The charm, the laughs and the characters. It is quite an adorable family adventure including a very enjoyable on-screen relationship with Gerard Butler and Jodie Foster who shine throughout this.
Inkheart - Thought it would be pants, but was totally wrong. It has interesting ideas to a story which has been done a few times to instantly not be wanting to see this. But I think it deserves to be due to the ideas and great performances by a surprisingly all-star cast.
Lakeview Terrace - Trailer hooked me and the film entertained me. The ending might not have been the best one, but I think it was still good enough to end what was a film we can all relate to.
The Spiderwick Chronicles - Great fantasy film that has a great blend for everyone to like. One thing I enjoyed was the level violence. It was surprisingly strong, but still enough for it not be too strong for kids.
Vantage Point - A nice idea on a generic action film which it better viewing. It's quite intense especially in frenetic ending.
Step Brothers - Another cult hit by Will Ferrell. Every so often, comedies starring Will Ferrell are either o.k or cult hits. This is another Anchorman-esque success, but not the same scale.
Bolt - One of the very few recent successes from Disney. Usually Disney only get good stuff with Pixar, but this quite good. Good story to work with, nice animation, engaging characters and good humor for all ages.
Bronson - Seemed like the British version of Chopper, but slightly better. Great performance by Tom Hardy.
Definitely, Maybe - One of the few generically looking rom-coms that is actually quite charming.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall - Storyline is pretty simple, but there was enough laughs in there to surprise me.
The Bank Job - A great Jason Statham film is hard to find. But this beautifully retro-looking heist movie is up there with Ocean's Eleven.
Goodbye Solo - Quite a nice tense drama that just comes at you from nowhere.

There were a few surprises in the awards this year. Tropic Thunder managed to get a nomination in best supporting actor by Robert Downey Jnr. I thought it was an enjoyable with solid humor and great performances by Downey Jnr. and Tom Cruise, but never expected it to get noticed in the awards. Another awards featured film was Doubt. It was interesting, enough content to like, but did not think it was good enough to be nominated for awards.
However, The Reader managed to intrigue me, it was a well told story with nice twists and good performances. Despite this next one winning Best Picture in 2009, it is officially a 2008 film, so I decided to put The Hurt Locker in this blog. Despite enjoying it, I felt it was a bit over-rated in terms of being a Best Picture winner. But I felt it was very gripping and enjoyed the music choice for the end credits which is always a big plus for me.
One film that seemed to be the heavy favorite for quite some time was Milk. Quite a bold and brave story to tell, fronted by a top performance by Sean Penn. Another film where I had the same feeling afterwards was Changeling, a strong leading performance by Angelina Jolie and a gripping and emotional story. The final film that I would like to mention that got featured in the awards was The Wrestler. Not as good as I expected, but still enjoyed it and enjoyed Mickey Rourke's performance.

Outside of the awards, here are some films that narrowly missed out on the top 10:
21 - Such an enjoyable Las Vegas heist movie that I never get tired of.
The Duchess - One of the better recent period dramas witha great on-screen relationship of Keira Knightley and Ralph Fiennes.
Burn After Reading - One of the better Coen brothers films that I can happily watch more than once. Brad Pitt is a brilliant surprise in his minor role as a half-wit gym trainer.
Hellboy II: The Golden Army - Great action and fantasy that only director Guillermo Del Toro can do.
Revolutionary Road - Very interesting portrayal of American suburbia where Leo and Kate are back together on the big screen.
Defiance - Remember seeing this at a cinema by accident and managed to really enjoy it. A lot better then some of the generic action/war films.
The Baade Meinhof Complex - Was always going to be a tough subject to watch. But it actually portrays well enough to make entertaining as well as uncomfortable.
Mesrine: Killer Instinct - Part one of the life of notorious French criminal Jacques Mesrine. Brilliantly played by Vincent Cassel, it is a gripping action crime thriller that just never stops.
Mesrine: Public Enemy No.1 - The final part of the history of Mesrine and his constant journey of escaping from the police continues. The tone and pace is no different from the first down and remains highly enjoyable.
Red Cliff - Another terrific war epic from Japan. The level of action, violence and cinematography always pleases me that it is not always America that are breaking grounds in film-making.
Hunger - A terrific feature debut by director Steve McQueen. Tough subject that was perfectly portrayed and was never hesitant in presenting the tough moments.
Kung Fu Panda - A nice surprise from Dreamworks. Good story, solid laughs and looks gorgeous.
Seven Pounds - Highly emotional drama starring Will Smith that dares you not to cry.
Iron Man - A all-round brilliantly done superhero film that begins the Avengers saga. Also a highly enjoyable performance by Robert Downey Jnr. in what will be his most famous role.
Let The Right One In - A Swedish horror film that manages to be quite heart-warming and very emotional.
Ip Man - If you action, watch Japanese films. This tribute to Bruce Lee's trainer just oozes high quality action and a good story-line which is a guaranteed recipe for success.
Australia - Not your typical Baz Luhrmann, but still a highly enjoyable war drama.

10) Frost/Nixon - A dramatic re-telling of the famous interview between David Frost and former President, Richard Nixon.
Nominated for 5 Oscars including Best Picture, this can not be missed. It is a lot more enjoyable that you would initially think.
It is a great depiction of the time and the way people behave during those times.

Michael Sheen is the star as David Frost and his on-screen relationship with Frank Langella is great to watch.

9) Gran Torino - Hardly any nominations in the major awards, which seemed to amaze everyone.

Director Clint Eastwood plays a grumpy war veteran who teaches his Asain neighbor on being a man after trying to steal his most prized possession, a Gran Torino.

8) The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button - A unique story by director David Fincher about a man who is born old and gets younger each year.
Winners of 3 Oscars including Best Visual Effects, this moving tale about life and not wasting it is a great watch for many people of different ages.

Most people seem to either love it or hate it, but to me I thought it was great and I could watch it more times.

7) Man On Wire - Probably the best film documentary I have ever seen.

Winner for Best Documentary, this story is one you just have to witness and be amazed by it.
It is a story of tightrope walker Philippe Petit and how he performed the artistic crime of the 20th century.

6) Cloverfield - A terrific sci-fi monster film that put producer J.J Abrams on the map.
With what I consider to be the perfect trailer and campaign, this got everyone talking. We knew very little about it which is how a trailer campaign should be.

It's found footage style was perfect and there are lots of hidden goodies for everyone to find out from the start and right up to the end of the credits.

5) In Bruges - This got one Oscar nomination for Best Screenplay. That is probably all you need to know.
Lead by its brilliant writing and style of humor, this very entertaining film can bring out many different experiences for people.
Starring Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson and Ralph Fiennes, In Bruges does show us what a powerful script can still do compared to the blockbuster relying on its visual effects to bring in the high box-office numbers.

4) The Dark Knight - Many people of this generations favorite film of all-time and a real game changer in the superhero genre.

Director Christopher Nolan really cranked it up after Batman Begins in everything. The performance by the late Heath Ledger as The Joker is probably my favorite Best Actor performance of all-time and the scale and pace of the story is a joy to watch.

3) The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas - Expected to see a pretty good war film, but did not predict it to blow me away.

It quite a intense story being shown from the eyes of a kid. The acting was superb, especially by Asa Butterfield who thankfully has made a career in acting after this.
Also contains one of the saddest and most shocking endings I've seen.

2) Slumdog Millionaire - Seen by the Oscars as the Best Picture of the year. Danny Boyle's epic tale of an Indian in the slums winning the top prize on .Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?'.

Was he cheating? Was he lucky? Or was it destiny? Boyle takes us on an amazing journey with a gripping ending.

1) Wall-E - Pixar films always do the trick, but this one had something special that many of them had.

For me, this was very close to perfection in my books. Such gorgeous story-telling which characters you instantly love.
It's wonderful pacing to the story had me producing all the emotions.

My Top 10: Films Of 2007

2007 was a bit of odd year for me. This is mainly due to most of my favorites were not featuring at all during the Oscars. Either the Academy missed a trick, or I just did not like many of the nominees. I think it was the latter as I could not see the Oscars being given to some of the films in my top 10. Before I talk about my top 10, here are some films that I also saw that were released in 2007.

Even with all the successful ones, we sadly have to encounter the bad ones. Here are a few I would like to mention that I felt disappointed me or I just did not like one bit:
Aliens vs. Predator - Requiem - Just bad, just bad, bad, bad. Awful acting, boring story and nothing amazing to talk about.
Ghost Rider - Seen by many as the worst of the Marvel films. When it stars a sub-standard Nicholas Cage, you know the whole experience will be cringe-worthy.
Evan Almighty - Some bits were o.k., but overall it was no where near as great as Bruce Almighty. Needed more Jim Carey.
Fantastics 4: Rise Of The Silver Surfer - A bit of a lost opportunity for in terms of making the most of the Silver Surfer. There was also the same cheap gags as the first one. I really do hope they make a re-boot asap.
Shrek The Third - Bit of a disappointing third part of the franchise. After Shrek 2 managed to be better than its predecessor, this was a pretty ordinary showing from the people at Dreamworks.
Rush Hour 3 - I think seeing the size of Chris Tucker was enough to show that they should not have made this. The story was decent, but the pace of the action and the gags could not touch the first Rush Hour's.
Bee Movie - The animation is great and the gags are good, but they manage to break one of those non-written laws you expect to see in animation films for kids. That annoyed me and then it just worse.
Spider-Man 3 - The material was all there, but to me it was all wasted. There are some good redeeming features to not make truly terrible, but overall it is not great.
Die Hard 4.0 - Just a simple money-making scheme with no desire of making the film enjoyable. I will only watch A Good Day To Die Hard once it is being showed on terrestrial television.

Here are some where a lot of people did not like, but I disagreed and found some to be good enough to not be dis-liked:
The Condemned - A plot that when done right is always enjoyable. Even with Stone Cold Steve Austin and Vinnie Jones leading the acting roles, it is a pleasant mindless action film.
Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End - Still do not get that some people felt it was too confusing due to all the sub-plots. But from my first viewing to my most recent one, I can still easily keep up, be constantly entertaining and find new things within the film.
Death Proof - Definitely one of Tarantino's weakest, but still worth watching.
Planet Terror - A great homage to the grind-house genre in my opinion. I obviously was not brought up during the grind-house era, but to me it felt like one and thought it was very enjoyable.

Every year, you always want a few surprises and here are some which I did not expect to be this good or good at all:
Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium - Did not expect this to have so much heart. It is a great family film that I hope never gets forgotten.
Paranormal Activity - Never thought it live up to the hype, but I was ridiculously tense and wanting to run to stop watching this scare-fest. Heard the rest are pretty predictable or boring, so I may have to wait a while before I dare to re-enter this world.
Son Of Rambow - A really charming British film with some great performances. When the majority of the cast are kids it is always a risk, but it was a very professional showing and I enjoyed it.
Knocked Up -
Enchanted - A great modern twist to the classic Disney fairytale. Lots of charming characters and funny moments for everyone to enjoy.
Before The Devil Knows You're Dead - A very well structured story of two brothers whose organised bank robbery goes wrong. The gradual expansion of the sub-plots are well-timed and make you tense up for the finale.
Juno - Surprised this got nominated for an Oscar, but it is one of the very few films featuring Michael Cera that I enjoyed. I liked the style of humor and the subject was well told. Not too safe, but never afraid to talk about certain subtext within the big picture.

Awards season was a bit of an odd one in my opinion. There were lots of good films, but not the best ones of the year I felt. One was Michael Clayton. A great thriller that was gripping throughout. Lead by George Clooney, it entertained but enough to get in my top 10. Next up is Eastern Promises. I have only recently seen this one and felt it to be a very interesting gangster film, but the majority felt fairly solid to me. One of the most successful foreign films of this year was La Vie En Rose. A interesting story on the famous singer Edith Piaf. The performance by Marion Cotillard held it all together despite a missing a huge chunk of her characters story which happened to be the part she was most famous for. The winner for Best Picture in 2007 was No Country For Old Men by the Coen brothers. It was constantly gripping and looked well deserved of its title as the best film of the year. All up until the disappointing ending. For anyone who has seen it, I do understand the reason for that ending, but for me it just ruined the pacing of the film and it felt so sudden. I felt as if they has missed a huge chunk of the story.

The hardest decision with top 10 lists is having to whittle the good ones down and leave out some brilliant ones. Here are the ones that almost made the top 10:
The Golden Compass - A good film that should have been a great one. Still lots to enjoy, but I know they could have gone darker with the subject matter. It is a shame no-one is planning on filming the other two parts of the Dark Materials trilogy.
I Am Legend - Probably the best film not in my top 10. Will Smith stars in this light dialogue thriller that has great scares and emotions coming out of the screen.
Transformers - Can see why people hate Michael Bay films, but this visual-orgy is something Bay can do. The story is good enough to make this re-watchable.
Mongol: The Rise And Power Of Genghis Khan -
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street - A great modern gothic musical that is made for someone like director Tim Burton. Burton regulars Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter are top leads and the dark atmosphere really sucks you in. Well, apart from Alan Rickman's singing.
The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford - Quite a slow-pacing film, but still a very interesting portrayal of one of the most famous train robbers.
Zodiac - A very intense crime thriller. Based on the true story of the Zodiac killer, director David Fincher shows he can do tension. Not as good as Se7en, but satisfying enough even by Fincher's standards.
The Kite Runner - A very charming foreign language film that is solely about friendship in one the harshest environments imaginable.
Superbad - This generations teen comedy set on the last day of high school. There is usually one great one for each generation and this is certainly one for the current teens.
3:10 To Yuma - A terrific thrill ride in the wild west. Christian Bale and Russell Crowe really bring back the emotions from the original and make it as successful.
American Gangster - One of Ridley Scott's more successful films in recent years. A great crime film that brings you back to the greats of the 70's and 80's. Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe's on-screen presence really sell this film well.
There Will Be Blood - A great story involving religion, family and hatred, and all because of oil. Starring Daniel Day-Lewis, this powerful drama really shows the true greed in people.

10) In Search Of A Midnight Kiss - An indie rom-com set on NewYear's Eve.

Usually something I would never like, but the charming on-screen relationship and cinematography made this very enjoyable to watch.

This deserves to be seen and I know I will watch this again whenever it is on TV.

9) The Bourne Ultimatum - Part three of Jason Bourne's search of his origins of being a trained killer.

Director Paul Greengrass knows how to do an action-thriller, his tempo is spot-on and it sucks you in from the very beginning.

For me, this the Bourne series at its peak.

8) Ratatouille - Another success for Pixar about a rat who finds his dream come true.

Like a lot of Pixar's plots, it is a simple story for the kids, has deep subtext for the adults and great humor for everyone.

I did not expect this to be this good, but it definitely deserves to be up there with Pixar's best.

7) Atonement - Winner of best film at the BAFTA's and won an Oscar for best soundtrack.
This war drama epic really surprised me. Despite all of its success, I was not sure if it would be anything exceptional.

But everything about it impressed me a lot. It has that classic British drama to it, but it can appeal to modern audiences.

6) Into The Wild - Based on the true story of promising student Christopher McCandless who gives away all of his savings to charity and decides to live in the wilderness of Alaska.

Lead by Emile Hirsch, this terrific indie adventure film directed by Sean Penn inspired many and created a very interesting philosophical debate.

5) Hot Fuzz - Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost return after the huge cult success with Shaun Of The Dead.
This time we have Pegg and Frost as police officers. One being London's best and suddenly transferred to the village of the year and the other, a resident of the village who seems extremely absent-minded with his work.
What they find is a horrible dark secret within the village. But not with a few laughs along the way.

4) Stardust - A highly enjoyable action-packed fantasy that will become addictive to watch multiple times.

Director Matthew Vaughn is definitely becoming a success with blockbuster stories and his style of humor works perfectly with the huge amounts of imagination involved including an all-star cast.

This also has one of my favorite soundtrack of all-time.

3) The Diving Bell And The Butterfly - The incredible story of Jean-Dominique Bauby and how he manage to overcome a horrible accident.

This terrific French film is highly emotional and they present this courageous story quite cleverly and it really puts you into Bauby's awkward position.

2) Sunshine - Director Danny Boyle's most underrated film that is slowly gathering a cult following.
It is a terrific sci-fi film that has that isolation feel to it that when done right is guaranteed success.
With the help of professor Brian Cox, you know this has to be good if he is involved.

1) Bridge To Terabithia - I have only ever gasped at a film three times and this one brought the biggest gasp out of me.

I was caught completely off-guard by this touching drama with a blend of fantasy. The trailer really does not set you up for what you see here.

It is also the film that always makes me cry. I am proud to say that, because I like this film so much.

Review: Inside Llewyn Davis

My first Coen brothers film that I have decided to go and see on the big screen.
However, this is the seventh in total that I have seen. I never get blown away by their films, but I always find nearly all of them very good or at the very least, quite interesting.
I respect the Coen's as they always do something different. No sequels and only two re-makes, True Grit and The Ladykillers, which I have yet to see either sadly.

But every time the end credits arrive, I just think "very interesting, but not fun enough to watch it again". The only one that I have seen again was 'Burn After Reading' but I would be happy to see 'Fargo', 'Burn After Reading' and 'No Country For Old Men' minus the ending.

With Inside Llewyn Davis, there was no change.

I will start with the positives. It is a great portrayal of the birth of folk music to the mainstream audience. It really shows the struggles of folk singers at the start of the 1960's. The Coen brothers create very interesting characters and you do feel for them.
The songs are great to listen to and I am sure I will be listening to them weeks after typing this review. The design of the clubs where the songs are taking place really sucks you into the 1960's and the folk scene.
As for the performances, Oscar Isaac was a charming lead and I hope this gets him more blockbuster roles. Carey Mulligan is becoming even more one of my favorites actresses at the moment. All the minor roles contributing nicely and act as only you would expect from a Coen brothers film. One thing I was happy to notice was that the ending completed the story well, unlike No Country For Old Men which I will always be annoyed about.

The negatives are only from a personal source. I still cannot find a Coen brothers that just makes me go wow. They never seem fun enough to watch again and again and never get tired of. There is enough in Burn After Reading that got me to watch it again. But for Inside Llewyn Davis, I think it will only be the music that I will be listening to more than once.

My emotions were pretty much the same as every other Coen brothers film, very good but did not amaze me. I'm not sure whether that is a good thing, or since it gave me the same emotions it meant that it is more of the same which could be seen as a failure.
However, I will finish off by saying that I did enjoy it. The characters are very interesting and you do feel for them, the folk songs are great and the cinematography is tip-top. It is definitely one for Coen fans. For general movie-goers they will probably see this as a promising opening, but eventually slow and boring. I can see why this narrowly missed out on Best Picture at the Oscars.

Rating: 8/10

Review: The Wolf Of Wall Street

Anything by Martin Scorsese, you just have to watch as this is a man that knows cinema, the history of it and he knows how to entertain the right people.

With this film being an 18 rating, you can expect a lot of controversial moments throughout the film but in an entertaining way that only Scorsese can pull off.

Based on the true story of stockbroker Jordan Belfort, this adrenaline-fuelled film about greed, money, sex and drugs is over-the-top fun from a modern master of cinema.

This may be a story about a horrible man making a staggering amount of money, who is also a sex and drugs addict. But the performance of Belfort played by Leonardo DiCaprio just makes you not necessarily like him, but make you feel entertained by his antics with his many colleagues.
For years many people have been angered about DiCaprio being over-looked in every performance he does. After his win at the Golden Globes last week, this could be a sign of the moment we have all been waiting for.

Other great performances are by Jonah Hill, who plays Belfort's right-hand man. He is definitely being looked seriously after his success with Moneyball in 2011. Another honorable mention is Matthew McConaughey. Despite not having much air-time, his presence is as endearing as DiCaprio's. It was just a shame we only got a bit of it. My final mention was a surprising appearance from someone I did not expect to be in a Scorsese. There was anything to shout about, but just seeing this personality made me smile in amazement. I obviously will not say who it is, as I did not expect it, so I will not spoil it for you.

As well as the performances, another big positive is just the over-blown message the film. It is quite literally greed being shown to the most extreme level. The 3-hours duration just flew by which shows that Scorsese kept the pace really well to not make you look for the time to see how long you  have been in your seat, or what is left of the film.

I do not have any negatives to mention, which you would think that means it's a perfect film. Not necessarily. I was not amazed by it to see it as one of the greatest films I have seen this decade, I just enjoyed it. If I was nit-picking for the sake of it, there were a few odd continuity errors that were noticeable and I do not really look for those types of errors.

Like all Scorsese films, you can tell a genius is at work. Sometimes the controversial moments can get a bit over the top, but I just love it that Scorsese and his team just go to town because being safe just does not work.
I really do hope this is finally DiCaprio's year for winning his first Oscar which has been ridiculously overdue. This film is full of adrenaline and great fun. It deserves all the nominations it gets in award season.

Rating: 8/10

My Top 10: Martin Scorsese Films

One of the modern masters of film directing, Martin Scorsese is loved by every proper film fan.
His contribution to the film industry cannot be matched and he gives us many brilliant films every so often. Known for his strong gangster flicks, with a few exceptions, Scorsese has also developed many of Hollywood's A-lister's careers, such as Robert DeNiro, Leonardo DiCaprio, Joe Pesci and Jodie Foster.

Just missing out on my top 10, but still getting a honorable mention, is Gangs Of New York. Quite forgettable nowadays by most people, but I remember the hype when this came out.
One of the most successful films at the Oscar to never win an Academy Award tells the story of life in New York in 1863.
Leonardo DiCaprio plays Amsterdam Vallon, a young gang member returning to New York seeking revenge on Bill 'The Butcher' played by Daniel Day-Lewis who killed Vallon's father.

Out of his 39 films, I have only seen 17 of them. I will rank all of them, and then give a short review of each of my top 10.
My top 10 will definitely be controversial in terms of the order. So I am welcome to comments on what your top 10 is. Anyway, enjoy my list:

17) The Color Of Money
16) Mean Streets
15) The Last Temptation Of Christ
14) Silence
13) Raging Bull
12) Cape Fear
11) Gangs Of New York

10) The Aviator - An interesting biopic on legendary director Howard Hughes who made some of the most ambitious films from the 1920's to 1940's.

Saw this a few years ago and found it fascinating in terms of Hughes' life in directing. Brilliantly played by Leonardo DiCaprio, it is another success by Scorsese.

9) The Irishman - Scorsese's latest feature and for many people this will see him back to his ultimate best.

This 3hr+ gangster epic with a high-quality cast sees a mob hitman recount his rise up the mafia hierarchy that lead to the demise of infamous trade unionist leader Jimmy Hoffa.

8) The Wolf Of Wall Street - Scorsese's latest feature that is hunting for Oscar glory.
An adrenaline-fuelled epic based on the true story of stockbroker Jordan Belfort (played by DiCaprio).

It is totally over-the-top and is a lot of fun. Like most Scorsese films, the controversial sex, heavy drug use and constantly strong language makes it vintage Scorsese.

7) Casino - Your classic Scorsese plot involves greed, money and a lot of swearing. This has the lot.

With great performances by Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci and Sharon Stone, this power hungry epic shows how effortless Scorsese is directing this, because he knows these style of films like the back of his hand.

6) The King Of Comedy - Probably Scorsese's most forgotten and underrated film of his career.
Robert DeNiro plays an ambitious comic who stalks a famous celebrity (played by Jerry Lewis) to try and gain success and become the man who is always wanted.

It's a very interesting piece of work that I think was ahead of its time, as we see that a lot nowadays. The power of the celebrity is really well presented in this hidden gem from 1982.

5) Goodfellas - Widely regarded as Scorsese's greatest work, this ultimate gangster classic will have you in amazement.

DeNiro, Pesci and Ray Liotta play mobsters and this shows their progress through the hierarchy of the mafia.

The dialogue is ridiculously cranked up in terms of the swearing and on-screen trash talk is great for the typical bloke.

4) Taxi Driver - After the success of his break-through feature (Mean Streets) this was seen as his first feature to contend for Best Picture at the Oscars.

With a powerful performance by a young Robert DeNiro and an even younger Jodie Foster, this outstanding scripted 70's classic will entertain you the more times you watch it.

3) Shutter Island - Starring Scorsese's new regular lead actor Leonardo DiCaprio, this psychological thriller had audiences everywhere in amazement.
When two U.S Marshals visit a remote hospital island for the criminally insane is not what it seems.
It completely surprised me and the last line of the film made it the success it is.

2) The Departed - The film where Scorsese finally won his Oscar. Some believe this was the wrong film to give Martin his Academy Award, but I believe this was the best film in 2005.

With amazing performances by DiCaprio, Mark Wahlberg, Jack Nicholson and Alec Baldwin, this re-make of a Hong-Kong crime thriller is non-stop adrenaline-fuelled fun that only Scorsese can do.

1) Hugo - Despite Scorsese being known for his gangster flicks with strong language, this magical family film was the perfect gift for his daughter.

Remember being really surprised by this at the cinema at it ended up being my film of 2011. This winner of 5 Oscars is a magical tale for any fan of the history of cinema.

My Top 10: Christian Bale Films

From a very young age, Christian Bale has been thrown at the deep end and has managed to cope with any amount of pressure to produce a knock-out performance in every film he is in.

His approach to acting may be seen as too serious, bit it seems to work for him. I was not sure whether this top 10 would be worth typing, but I was so wrong.
There is quite a lot of films that he is in that I forgot that they were that good. Bale is definitely not on the way out, I cannot wait to see his next projects.

An honorable mention just misses out is Velvet Goldmine. A bit of a surreal viewing, but quite a beautiful one. It sees Bale play a journalist investigating the career of a famous 70's glam-rock star. Director Todd Haynes shows us he delicate style of directing, and he manages to give a feast of visuals, top performances and Oscar nominated costumes.

Out of his 50 films, I have seen 31 of them. So I have decided to do a full ranking of all the films, and give a short review of each of my top 10:

31) Knight Of Cups
30) Pocahontas
29) Terminator Salvation
28) Hostiles
27) Mowgli: Legend Of The Jungle
26) Exodus: Gods And Kings
25) Equilibrium
24) Public Enemies
23) The Machinist
22) The Promise
21) Vice

20) Thor: Love And Thunder
19) Reign Of Fire
18) A Midsummer Night's Dream
17) Out Of The Furnace
16) The Big Short
15) The New World
14) The Fighter
13) Little Women
12) Rescue Dawn
11) Velvet Goldmine

10) American Hustle - Bale latest attempt of Oscar glory as he plays con-man Irving Rosenfeld.

A very interesting picture by director David O. Russell that is full of top performances, not just by Bale.

This crime drama sucks you into the world of the mafia, power-brokers and FBI agents during the 1970's in New Jersey.

9) Le Mans '66 - His latest role and it is one that steals the show.

He plays controversial racing drive Ken Miles, who is hired to represent Ford as they set out to do defeat Ferrari in the 24 Hour Race of Le Mans.

It's a thrilling, exciting and surprisingly moving biographical drama.

8) Empire Of The Sun - Probably seen as Bale's earliest role, this brilliant war drama directed by Steven Spielberg works for all ages.
Bale plays a young schoolboy struggling to survive in Japan during WWII after losing his parents.

Nominated for 6 Oscars, this is a powerful piece of survival and meeting some fascinating characters along the way.

7) American Psycho - This one really caught me off guard.
Bale plays a wealthy banker who has an alter-ego as a psychopath. After reading that, you would think it sounds like a bog-standard slasher movie.
There is definitely something much more deeper in this one.
Quite disturbing at times, but weirdly always have a lot of fun watching this one.

6) 3:10 To Yuma - A re-make of the brilliant 1957 original, this re-make on this western classic manages to pull it off nicely.
Bale plays a rancher who gets caught up in the capture of a notorious outlaw brilliantly played by Russell Crowe.

His on-screen relationship with Crowe is great to watch and the intensity of the story is still there even after 50 years of the release of the original.

5) Batman Begins - Director Christopher Nolan reboot's the Batman franchise with this surprisingly arty feel to the superhero genre.

Bale plays Bruce Wayne who is returning to his home Gotham City to rid the world of crime after being trained in the skills of martial arts

4) The Dark Knight Rises - The final part of this ground-breaking trilogy has the epic finale we all wanted.

Bale is back as Bruce Wayne who is recovering after his battles with The Joker and is forced to put the cape back on as a new evil rises.

3) The Prestige - Another epic Christopher Nolan feature where Bale plays a magician in Victorian times who has a rivalry with fellow magician played by Hugh Jackman.

As their rivalry becomes more extreme, their attempt to perform the ultimate trick takes a disturbing turn into something quite haunting.

2) Howl's Moving Castle - Probably not a well known role, but still involved in one of the best animated films of all-time.
Directed by legendary director Hayao Miyazaki, Bale voices Howl, a troubled young wizard who helps this shy young woman who gets cursed by a horrible witch.
Lots of imagination and gorgeous animation that everyone can love.

1) The Dark Knight - Part two of Nolan's Batman trilogy is a terrific action epic that ground-breaks the superhero genre to something that I cannot see being surpassed for quite some time, if ever.

Bale is back as Batman who faces The Joker played the late great Heath Ledger, who is let out by the mob to cause terror around Gotham City.

Review: 12 Years A Slave

When I saw the trailer for this, it did interest me and it looked like a generic award-winning film.

Now, it is seen as an awards front-runner. But I do remember this time last year that Lincoln was the heavy favorite, and it slowly faded away.

I'm not sure about this one. Director Steve McQueen has made a great telling of a true story that is not that well known. The tale of Solomon Northup is made for being a movie, and it is going to be a successful one.

The big positives to come out of this, is the amazing landscape of the plantations Northup visits, which were brilliantly presented by cinematographer Sean Bobbitt.

There is a lot of great performances, and the highlights are Michael Fassbender, Lupita N'Yongo and Chiwetel Ejiofor. I am a big fan of Fassbender and I think he is probably my favorite actor at the moment alongside Tom Hanks. But as soon as he arrives on screen, you know he is bad news. As his character becomes borderline psychotic, you just become more amazed at his performance. This is the same for N'Yongo, as for some she has come out of nowhere to suddenly be a front-runner for best supporting actress. When she arrives on screen, there is not much too shout about. But as the movie gets towards the finale, N'Yongo is glowing and his riding the wive of her own performance.
For leading actor Chiwetel Ejiofor, it looks like that was a tough role. With the amount of pressure he probably had on him to make this film a success, I think he held it together to make the film and his performance worthy enough to get award nominations.
There were some other great performances from Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano and Brad Pitt. But despite their short amount of time on screen, their contribution was enough to win me over and it made the viewing more and more pleasant.
One award category that I am confident they will secure is best adapted screenplay. It is high-quality story-telling. A lot of scenes really gets you into this incredible story, especially some of the un-pleasant parts. I am sure it will make the widely unknown book become a belated best-seller.

Only a couple of parts of film that I did not like as much. The biggest one was the pacing in the second half. At the start, I was happy with it and it got me hooked as to where Solomon was going next. But it seemed everything slowed down and I was getting slightly annoyed. Thankfully the ending was nicely uplifting, but the stuff before that reminded me of the pacing of The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford. It's not necessarily a bad thing to have a movie that is slowly moving along, but the content involved in the slow bits did not amaze me enough to keep me saying "this is great".
Also, when I heard that Hans Zimmer was going to do the music, I was keen to hear what he composed. It started well but was non-existent for the rest. But with this film not really suiting to his normal style, it was probably a good thing to not have too much of it. It is probably just me wanting more as I love Zimmer and movie soundtracks in general.

Despite those two small negatives, I really enjoyed it and I can see why it ticks all the boxes for potentially winning a lot of the major awards. Any bad things I say about this film is not because I am nit-picking due to its success in the awards, it is just my opinion. It was really good, but I did not feel it was as good as the awards are making it. I still think people should go and see it, as there is a lot to like.

Rating: 8/10

Review: American Hustle

You see the cast, you're instantly intrigued. You see the director, you expect more Oscar quality film-making. You see the trailer, excitement is the only thing you can think of.

Under the direction of David O. Russell, this definitely has the feel of those 70's and early 80's mobster adult flicks. The set pieces, costumes, the impressive soundtrack, this loosely based true story really sucks you into the world of con-men, the mob and bribing scandals.

Despite it being put by the bookies as the second favorite to win Best Picture at the Oscars, it did not feel like that to me. Don't get me wrong I enjoyed it, but it felt like one of those ones where you would probably only watch once. The story never really fully engaged it, but I appreciated it enough to give it a high rating.

Lots of positives to talk about. The set-designs instantly had you in the time period, as did the costumes, as the hair was out loud I think I went deaf during the opening scene. But the part that definitely won me over was the performances.
I personally would have it as a contender for Best Picture, but I would definitely have them in contention for all four acting awards at the Oscars. Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence all created characters we could instantly care for, whether it be in a good or bad way.
If I had to choose one, it would be Lawrence. She has an acting presence that is far beyond her years. Her comic-relief was pleasing to the eye every time, and she probably has the best part of the film that involves marigolds.

Also hearing that it got nominated for the Best Film at the Golden Globes in the Comedy category confused me. There are funny moments, but the central theme is nowhere near comedy. It is essentially a crime drama and should be in the drama category. I think they have done that, because the favorite is also in the drama category, and they are basically making sure the two favorites each win a big award.

Overall, I loved the performances. The set and costume design seem very detailed to the time period. The story is very interesting. But like I said, it felt like one of those good films that you would probably only watch once. I did not feel engaged enough to really like it, but I admired a lot of it and feel that it deserves a good rating.

Rating: 8/10

Review: The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty

When hearing about this and Ben Stiller being involved, I instantly thought "you have ruined a classic!".
With the 1947 original being a big success lead by the amazing Danny Kaye. I agreed that in terms of the visuals, this type of story should be made now, but not with Ben Stiller.

After seeing the second trailer, I was instantly proved wrong. Not only did the visuals looking incredible, the music and performances forced me to take a step back. After that, it was probably the most trailer I had watched the most this year.

When the end credits rolled, I had a big smile on my face and took everything on board. Stiller definitely found the message of this short-story and made the most of it on the big screen.

It is all living life to the full, being in the moment and having the courage to stop daydreaming and start living. To be honest, that should be more than enough to get you to watch this.

The most impressive part is the visuals. It would not to different from a David Attenborough documentary, especially in the second half of the film.
Stiller leads the performances. He never takes him seriously and was great portraying a lost soul who is looking to find a way to start living. Kristen Wiig is solid as the lead female and bounces off Stiller well enough to be cared. Despite not being on screen much, Sean Penn only needed one scene to create a presence that won me and quite a few others over. Final mention goes to Adam Scott who leads the villain in all of this. His arrogance and slime-ball presence was great to see and it made a great character for Stiller's to face off with.

Only one scene I would put as a negative. I won't say exactly what it is, but it was one of Walter's daydreams. It was a bit silly for me, but not enough to derail the full experience.

In the end, I enjoyed it from start to finish. Ben Stiller has re-branded this 1940's classic and made even more of a success.
Everything about it is great. The stunning visuals of Greenland and Iceland, the performances, the style of comedy and it makes you really want to be Walter Mitty.

The story really wants to mirror the films tagline 'stop dreaming, and start living'. I hope this is the beginning of something great for Ben Stiller and he keeps making films like this one. With the right amount of comedy and heart-warming moments, Stillers shows how great life is. Quite a joy to watch on Boxing Day and could well end up in my top 10 films of the year.

Rating: 8/10

Review: All Is Lost

Originally, I was not planning on going to watch this. But after seeing the trailer and the initial reviews, it convinced me enough to pay and go and see it on the big screen.

In a nutshell, you could say it is about a man and his boat. You would be right. But like all great films, there is more than right.

It is a great tale about the human condition, are willingness to survive the elements and facing fear in the face of certain death.

With not a lot going on in terms of the budget, you can never underestimate how good a small-budget film can be. I am big fan of small projects that end up being successful. A few films that I love with not much cast or sets are Phonebooth and Buried. It just amazes that you can make films on this type of small scale, as well as the obvious mega budget level.

Robert Redford clearly has the sole duty of holding this film together. He achieves that with that old school class that not many others can do. With little dialogue, he still manages to suck you in, feel for him and make you want more.

The feel of loneliness throughout the film reminded of 'Gravity' and 'Buried'. That feeling that you cannot escape the peril you are in, is a great plot device that works a lot of the time.

Not many negatives, a small one and a big one. The idea worked for me and that is why I will give it a high rating, but I did not feel it to be engaging enough to be one of my films of the year.
The big negative that actually got me annoyed was two scenes towards the end of the film. Once seen, I hope you can see why I am frustrated by this. I did not feel that that would actually happen in my opinion. I rarely say that within films unless it was glaringly obvious. It was a shame to see that, but I still feel the ending satisfied me.

In the end, there is enough in there to like. Redford's tough mission I felt was accomplished and he held the whole thing together beautifully.
I do like movies with little grandeur, that can still match-up to the big money blockbusters.

I still feel and will probably forever be annoyed with some important bits of the film that I don't believe would have happened. So not quite amazing as some of the critics says, but there is a lot in there that is great. It really shows how much you can do with so little.

Rating: 8/10