My Top 10: Vampire Films

Vampires have had a very rich history within the film industry ever since it started over a century ago.
The first vampire film came in 1913 with 'The Vampire'. Since then, every generation has had their own vampire film. Whether it be about the iconic Dracula or just contain generic vampires, we are definitely aware of this very popular genre.

I'm glad to say that no Twilight films ever made this list.

To show how many good vampire films there are, some notable films that are missing are Francis Ford Coppola's 'Dracula' from 1992 and Werner Herzog's 'Nosferatu The Vampyre' from 1979.

Also, I have to give an honorable mention to Let Me In. The American re-make of the Swedish hit manages to pass off as a good horror romp. Director Matt Reeves continues to show his talent at elevated the horror and mystery of this boy meets girl plot with a dark twist. The casting of Chloe Grace-Moretz as the young female vampire was a wise choice.

Now , here are my top 10 vampire films:

10) From Dusk Till Dawn - Knew little about this when I saw this a few years ago. It managed to blow me away and is definitely one of the most fun vampire films to watch.

It sees two criminals along with hostages seeking refuge. They manage to come cross a strip club with a very dark secret.

9) Byzantium - I found this to be a highly interesting British film with terrific characters despite the makers not aiming for scares.

It sees two mysterious women brilliantly played by Gemma Arterton and Saoirse Ronan who are on the run from dangerous people from their past.

8) What We Do In The Shadows - A wonderful and hilarious mix of comedy and documentary styles, with vampires.

Directors Taika Waititi and Jermaine Clement give us a really quirky feature that shows three vampires struggling the mundane day-to-day modern life chores.

7) Only Lovers Left Alive - A romantic drama that gives us a wonderfully refreshing look at the genre. With a great cast consisting of Tom Hiddleston, Tilda Swinton, Mia Wasikowska and John Hurt, this is definitely one worth watching.

It is wickedly smart in its script, beautifully shot and has wonderful references to past events that is great for hardcore film enthusiasts

6) Thirst - Through a failed medical experiment, a priest is strickened with vampirism and is forced to abandon is regular life.

Despite the plot having a few strange twists, it has great originality and manages to end up quite creepy and surreal watch.

No country does horror better than the Japanese.

5) Dracula (1931) - Labelled as the most famous vampire film of all-time, this 1930's classic was really quite haunting for its time with a lot of powerful imagery.

Bela Lugosi gives the definitive Dracula performance that many have imitated for decades after the release of this.

A lot of is quite ground-breaking and leads the way for many vampire films to come.

4) Near Dark - A film that I forgot how cool it is. It really shows how great a director Kathryn Bigelow is.

We see a farmers boy join up with a group of people who share quite a secret that he does not want to be part of.

It also has a surprising amount of cast that you usually see in a James Cameron epic.

3) Nosferatu (1922) - The iconic silent horror that sees Max Schreck give us the template of a Dracula performance.

With its visuals being creepy, mythical and way ahead of its time, this is definitely the prime example of how a horror should be done.

Director F.W. Murnau has made a landmark within the film industry.

2) Interview With The Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles - A wonderful story about a vampire's epic story about how he became the man he is now.

It is dramatic fantasy feature full of love and betrayal. With an all star cast of Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Christian Slater and a young Kirsten Dunst, this is a great Gothic tale that has top re-watchability.

1) Let The Right One In - Such a captivating Swedish drama about a boy being bullied at school who finds love in a mysterious girl who helps exact revenge on the bullies.

Everything about it makes this terrific film-making and one of the most critically acclaimed films of the last 10 years.

Review: Spectre

After making Skyfall the highest-grossing film in British cinemas, director Sam Mendes returns for the 24th James Bond feature.

For what is the most popular movie franchise in the UK, the pressure is always on for another welcomed addition to the film series.

We are now in it's 24th installment, and for me it was a mixed bag.

The opening scene is a terrific beginning and really gets you set-up for another Bond bonanza. The rest of the first half continues to romp along well. After that, we start to end up with disappointing finale.
For a Bond film that has the longest duration (2hrs 28mins),  it certainly shows. The second half slows down and I felt it managed to down-grade my overall enjoyment.

Even saying that, I would still recommend seeing it on the big screen. Daniel Craig still shows that he definitely one of the best Bond's we have had. He still gives us that perfect of comedy and action that all the other great 007's had.
As for the other performances, it was nice to see Ralph Fiennes get a lot more screen time and is becoming a solid M. Lea Seydoux as the main love interest felt a bit weak for me. Showed a lot of promise, but ended to be a bit too generic for me.
Christoph Waltz as the main villain felt nicely developed and yet massively under-used. The character played by Dave Bautista gives us a nice homage to several classic villains which was nice to see. Definitely a big plus to the film's positives.
The show-stealer for me was Ben Whishaw gives the best moments as Q. He definitely part of most of the best moments of the film and is a nice comedic relief throughout.

It is shot well and the action set-pieces are very pleasing. One very important part of the Bond film is the song. I purposefully avoided hearing the song beforehand and found to it beautifully to the tone of the film. It definitely is the films best chance of getting any appearance in the awards season.

But like I said before, the duration does kill part of the enjoyment and makes it unbalanced. It would definitely have been a better watch if everything was tightened up to less than 2 hours.

It is less satisfying and emotional as Skyfall and is quite hollow compared to Casino Royale. However, it is still a solid watch. It features all the typical Bond cliches and has an old school feel to it. The first half is great. But I think patience is needed for the rest of the feature as we get towards the somewhat predictable ending.

It does feel like Mendes is running out of steam and this will probably be his last one. If he does, then he has at least given the next director some interesting parts of the story left open to be developed.

If I would rank it among other Bond films, then I would put it in the top half. But not with the greats sadly.

Rating: 7/10

Review: Beasts Of No Nation

It was only a matter of time before this would happen.

With all the success of TV series on on-demand streaming services, we now have our first ever Netflix original feature film.

It is also the first ever American film to be filmed in Ghana, which is certainly quite an achievement.

Directed by Cary Fukunaga who has lately found fame in television, decided to venture out into the African jungle for something quite daring. With stories coming out of filming that reminded me of the incidents during the filming of Apocalypse Now, this definitely sounded like a project that could emulate the success of the 1979 hit.

After a pleasant start, everything suddenly turns into into quite a brutal watch and we witness one of the biggest character transformations from an unknown child actor for some time.
As we go into the second half, it reminded of The Thin Red Line, Platoon or Apocalypse Now in terms of working out that there will never be peace and that you can never find solace after war. That is a successful plot that the director and his team pulls off nicely.

After seeing all the brutality, it was easy to forget the sweet first ten minutes of our main character leading a normal life for an African child and playing with this friends.

I can definitely see this film get some Oscar recognition, especially in the performances and directing.
Despite having no acting experience, Abraham Attah manages to be the most unexpected star since Barkhad Abdi in Captain Phillips. He really disappears into his role and we feel totally immersed. He is quite a discovery and it deserves to be publicized around the world.
The only actor that is in it that we will know is Idris Elba as it seems the director hired locals that have either no or little acting experience. As for Elba, as soon as you see him, you know he means business.

It is what many would call a 'tour de force'. I think for many people, they will be going into this film hoping for Elba to make them care for this film. With Attah showing his qualities, Elba does manage to give us another memorable character that is well developed to its fullest extent. Thankfully, Elba plays the supporting role well and does enough to not steal the limelight from Attah and the many other child actors.

With all these strong positives, director Cary Fukunaga manages to eclipse both of them. Filling for an injured cameraman, colleagues catching malaria, constantly rewriting the script and dealing with various actors dropping out due to dangerous conditions, Fukunaga soldiered on to make his latest project came into fruition.
When battling against the elements, Fukunaga's cinematography is pretty good. It certainly captures the atmosphere and made you look in awe of the African landscape.

Despite the tone of it being quite miserable, brutal and not holding back, it's character development makes you care for the events that are happening on screen.
The raw feel this movie has makes this such captivating viewing. The acting by the locals is quite impressive and really puts you into that struggling part of the world.
I can see some people forgetting who was who. But for me, I found it easy to separate the minor characters. Also the accents might need to take a while for you to adjust your ears too.
But if you like films such as Apocalypse Now, City Of God, Hotel Rwanda and Platoon, then you will get the most enjoyment out of it. When I was thinking of other war films that have been released between 2000 and now, I was really struggling to think of a film that was superior to this.
It was a shame that there was no cinema nearby showing this as this would look great on the big screen. But for it being a first for Netflix makes this a new experience that needs to be seen, not just for its landmark that has been stamped within the development of film, but for possibly being the best film of the year.

Rating: 8/10

My Top 10: James Bond Films

The last few generations have experienced many timeless classics including some long-running film series. One that has become part of British culture is the James Bond franchise.

We have currently had seven actors occupy the iconic role of one of Britain's most well-known fictional character in the form of Sean Connery, David Niven (yes, I'm including him), George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig.

Even though the first film Dr. No was released in 1962, the character James Bond has been with us since 1953 in the first of 14 novels by author Ian Fleming. Since his unfortunate death in 1964, many more Bond novels have been published.

On a film-making perspective, there are not many that are that impressive. But that is not what James Bond is all about. It is all good fun, with the fancy gadgets, slick spy action and with a lot of disbelief needed for many action scenes for over 50 years.

I have seen all 24 official films as well as the 2 unofficial films. Here is my full ranking of every James Bond film with a more detailed review for each of my top 10:

27) Casino Royale (1967)

26) The Man With The Golden Gun
25) Moonraker
24) Die Another Day

23) The Living Daylights
22) Octopussy

21) Never Say Never Again

20) For Your Eyes Only
19) The World Is Not Enough
18) The Spy Who Loved Me
17) Quantum Of Solace
16) On Her Majesty's Secret Service
15) Tomorrow Never Dies
14) A View To A Kill
13) Spectre
12) No Time To Die

11) Live And Let Die

10) Licence To Kill - After a poor showing in The Living Daylights, Licence To Kill was a pleasant surprise and managed to be quite enjoyable.

We see Timothy Dalton in his second and last Bond film where he has gone rogue and on a revenge mission.

Some great villains and some brilliant action set-pieces that I think still hold up today.

9) Diamonds Are Forever - Sean Connery's last Bond film within the official series. His portrayal continues to show how strong he was as this character for it to still make it to my top 10.

Not as thrilling as Connery's previous installments, but still has an amount of fun that can make this a good time.

8) Thunderball - With Bond being as strong ever, Connery returns for his fifth installment.

With some ground-breaking gadgets and a lot of the film being set under-water.

It has great action scenes and Connery gives us some terrific moments, especially with his one-liners.

7) You Only Live Twice - Connery returns in the franchises most pivotal film in his era.
This is where we finally get to see who is stroking that white cat?

We see Bond team-up with the Japanese secret service to prevent a organisation trying to start a nuclear war.

May seemed dated now, but still great fun.

6) Skyfall - A terrific revival as director Sam Mendes celebrates the 50th anniversary of the franchise with it's most financially and awards successful film to date.

We see Bond's past in the most detail we have ever seen.

It has a perfect mix of homage moments to the franchise and brand new action sequences.

Well deserving of it's 2 Oscars.

5) Dr. No - The one that started it all.

We see Bond investigating the disappearance of a colleague and find out who is disrupting the American space program.

This changed the look of action films and saw the breakthrough of Sean Connery.

4) Goldfinger - Probably the most popular of Connery's Bond's that features some of the franchises most iconic scenes and villains.

We see Bond uncovering a plot to contaminate Fort Knox.

Great action that never gets old and the most iconic 'Bond girl' name.

3) From Russia With Love - A Bond film that really impressed me and what I think to be Connery's best.

Bond is on a mission to retrieve a Soviet encryption device that was stolen by MI5's closest nemesis SPECTRE.

With some of the best villains including a haunting Robert Shaw, this is not just a great Bond film but a great action film.

2) GoldenEye - After a few years without Bond, director Martin Campbell gives us one of the most refreshing Bond's in the franchise.
This also sees the debut of Pierce Brosnan.

Helped by the success of the iconic video game, this brought Bond into the 90's with many memorable moments including a terrific villain played by Sean Bean.

1) Casino Royale (2006) - The start of Daniel Craig's venture and we get the grittiest Bond we've ever seen.
With the title referring to the first Fleming novel, we can get shown a truly exciting thrill ride with terrific writing.

Director Campbell returns and definitely cranks up the Bond franchise in ways we never imagined.

Review: Black Mass

Crime drama involving mob's usually see me appreciate it but not seeing it as a classic.

The same goes for flicks like Goodfellas, The Godfather trilogy, Scarface, Casino, American Gangster and many others.

The latest one takes us to South Boston during the 70's and 80's where we see the story of notorious criminal Jimmy 'Whitey' Bulger.

Being billed as the film that could see Johnny Depp get back as an awards contender, this was certainly seen as a candidate for some Oscars.

Now that I've seen, I'm afraid this will go under the category of 'Oscar bait'. The whole experience fell quite flat throughout. It definitely is well told, the performances were great and the visuals were pleasing. But I'm afraid it was just not entertaining enough to be memorable.

However, the acting is top rate and Depp certainly leads the way with a strong performance as Bulger. He has genuine threat and the added make-up gives him that right amount of fright.
A lot of the other main cast was quite star-studded. Joel Edgerton as the FBI officer helping Depp's character plays it really well. It was nice to see Benedict Cumberbatch back on the big screen in a small role. Other notable performances came from Kevin Bacon who does what he does best and promising youngster Jesse Plemons who I have recently seen in The Program. That kid definitely has a promising future.

The production design is impressive as you are definitely transported to the 70's and 80's. The style of hair for the characters is not as glamoured as American Hustle, but it is noticeable enough to be seen as quite amusing.

As for the story, it told the history well, but the makers just did not make it entertaining enough to be seen as memorable as the other mob films.
It does have its comparisons with The Departed, and being set in Boston does help.
One big thing this film was missing was a main protagonist. There were plenty of antagonists. But you really need a positive character to make us learn something, feel emotion and get involved with the characters in the feature.
Going back to The Departed, they managed to do that beautifully. It also managed to have a focus on its characters, despite the many layers to it. Black Mass just tried to cover too many moments in the history of this character rather than focusing on a particular part of his story. All of this is where Black Mass will lose interest in its audience.

In the end, I would see this as a near miss. Despite the high amount of criticism, I think the performances and the look to it does deserve to be seen on the big screen as it is there where you will get the best enjoyment out of it.
This would probably do better as a television series. In fact, the look of the film does have a TV feel to it. With the content the director wanted to put in, a TV series would have given him it depth, time and understanding to get involved with the story and the characters. If this was going to be done by Martin Scorsese, this would have been an entertaining watch.

Rating: 7/10

Nostalgic Review: Back To The Future Trilogy

One of the best popcorn movies ever made. It's ingenuity, ground-breaking use of the time travel theory, exciting characters makes the Back To The Future trilogy a special watch.

With many generations being resonated by it, this has become an important moment that all parents show their kids.
This film has spawned millions of hardcore dedicated fans that can match the fan-bases of the Star Wars or Star Trek franchises.

While our 2015 may lack hover-conversions, hover-boards, mr. fusion's, power laces, Jaws 19 and many other things, the power of the imagination still makes director Robert Zemeckis' vision of the future quite a captivating one.

Also, the score and soundtrack is definitely one of the best ever. Alan Silvestri composes such a vibrant and exciting score and of course the soundtrack introduced many people to 'Huey Lewis & The News' and 'Marvin Berry And The Starlighters'.

If you have not seen this trilogy, then firstly, what is wrong with you?! And secondly, get ready for such an entertaining romp of a ride that is wonderfully made and the feel-good nature of it all makes it a universal classic. Check out below for my review of one of the greatest trilogies of all-time:

Back To The Future - The film that re-defined the time travel genre.

It sees a young man accidentally get sent back 30 years. During his time in the past, he realises that his presence has altered the possibility of his future and must rectify that by re-uniting his parents.

It is fantastic experience for people of all-ages. It's universal appeal has made this one of the greatest films of all-time.

Rating: 9/10

Back To The Future Part II - The reason I'm doing this review.
We are transported to October 21st 2015 as Marty and Doc's initial mission gets slightly altered that forces them to go back to 1955, whilst avoiding their past selves.

It manages to break even more ground with the time travel theories and we get to see another thrilling ride in the iconic Delorean.

Rating: 9/10

Back To The Future Part III - Despite being widely seen as the weakest of the three, it is still hugely entertaining and a wonderful final chapter.

After Doc accidentally being sent back to 1885, Marty finds out the date of his death and is to find to way to go back and save him.

With the vintage style of director Robert Zemeckis still there, it is also a great homage to the Western genre.

Rating: 8/10

Review: Steve Jobs

Most people’s prized possession for everyday activities is surely their phone.

Whilst also being able to listen to our music, access the internet and any other things, we are all definitely thankful for Apple and it's co-founder Steve Jobs for making this happen.

Get ready for an intense ride that really sees us delve into the mind of Steve Jobs and what Apple were like during the launches of some of their biggest products.

With the film having a lot of people talking about things in rooms, the writing is obviously going to be the most important component. The writer for this film is probably the most wanted in writer in Hollywood right now, Aaron Sorkin. Famous for doing the screenplays for The Social Network, Moneyball, A Few Good Men, Sorkin is back with a script that makes the film as great as it is.

It is far superior to anything else. Sorkin works wonders by making people say what they think and the analogies he uses manages to be both profound and at time comedic. His combination of brutality and honesty in his choice of words will surely put him as the heavy favourite for best screenplay during the awards season. It definitely challenges what I think is his best work in The Social Network.

As for the acting, the casting ensemble is simply terrific. Michael Fassbender gives us such a powerful central role and we get to see what Steve Jobs was like behind the scenes and not during the big launch shows of their new products. We get to see a great mix of his tyranny and also his genius. His performance reminded me of Jake Gyllenhall's work in Nightcrawler.

The big supportive roles are coming from Kate Winslet, Jeff Daniels, Seth Rogan and Katherine Waterston.

Winslet gave us such a powerful character as she played Jobs' personal assistant. She continues to be one of the finest female actors around and a nomination is definitely coming her way. Another performance that I can see getting noticed in the awards season is Jeff Daniels. Playing the role of the CEO of Apple, he definitely shows the pressure people in those jobs have. Having to master when to speak softly in tense situations and raising their voices at the right times, Daniels seems to be having a stellar year after also seeing him in ‘The Martian’. However one actor that may be challenging Daniels is Seth Rogan. It is always nice seeing him in a serious role every so often. Playing Steve Wozniak showed Rogan playing a mix of innocence and explosiveness, especially in heated scenes with Fassbender.

There was also a nice little contribution from Mark Stuhlbarg. It was great to see him as I enjoyed him in Men In Black 3.

On a technical side, I was really impressed with the style of cameras used during the film. To match with the technology used at the time, we see the screen quality develop as well as the items they are launching. A very clever move to whoever through that into the brainstorm sessions.

The music composed by Daniel Pemberton sounds a lot like Trent Raznor and Atticus Ross' works from The Social Network and Gone Girl.

Danny Boyle has directed a beautiful film that is massively helped by the stellar writing of Sorkin. The structure of the film gives it a unique look to it. He makes us feel like we are in Jobs' presence and makes you feel awkward to be in heated discussions.

Seeing how Jobs was seen by his former co-workers shows how even greater this man could have been.

It is such a rewarding viewing and this would also make for a good play in the theatre.

After the screening, it was quite ironic seeing people instantly go to their phones either talking about it or to catch-up with their messages after seeing this film.

Rating: 8/10

Review: Crimson Peak

For a lot of people, a Guillermo Del Toro directed film is a highly anticipated event.

I don't see that myself. However, I do think he makes great fantasy features as I feel he has great imagination.
From the Hellboy franchise to the 3-time Oscar winner Pan's Labyrinth.

For Del Toro's ninth feature, we are heading to the late 19th century for a gothic romance with a few ghosts involved.

Despite being billed as a horror, this is definitely more like a romantic thriller that Alfred Hitchcock would be proud of.
With clear references to the classic Hammer horror flicks and some of Alfred Hitchcock's previous works (most notably, Rebecca),
A lot of the film and the style of the story-telling and even the editing is very old fashioned and seems really refreshing to see. There is definitely a lot of tension in our characters right through to the thrilling and sometimes unsettling climax.
The ending definitely leaves some questions open for discussion which is nice to see, unlike many other big budget features that like to wrap everything up into a neat bow.

I seem to love anything Tom Hiddleston and Jessica Chastain do, and this film proves it. From Chastain's cold unwelcoming presence, to Hiddleston's terrific chemistry with lead Mia Wasikowska, these two are just a delight to watch.
As for Wasikowska I thought she was quite a weak lead. There was nothing wrong with the performance. But for me, I just felt that her character just did not go anywhere and therefore we lack the journey aspect to the film. For me, this film was more about Hiddleston and Chastain's journey.

Even with all the great performances, the star of the show is the haunted house we see in the second half of the film. The detailed level in the design and grandeur of it all is unreal. This surely has to be the favorite to win best set and production design at the Oscars, and possibly a nomination for the customers also.
I would be surprised if none of it was CGI and that the makers of the film actually made a house with such eeriness and magic. The cinematographer really showed every possible angle of it.

You may be seeing a lot of positives being mentioned. But I don't think they are strong enough for this film to be considered one of this year's best. The final act seems out of place, the story is not gripping or captivating enough for me to give a very good rating.
For the final act, it may have been quite exciting. But it was also sort of a bit under-whelming as it seemed to not match the tone and pacing of the rest of the film. It is also a bit predictable.

Despite what I said, it it still a gorgeous looking film and probably the best visuals of this year. With that in mind, I can forgive some things. It is by no means perfect, but it is definitely still worth watching as you can get a lot of fun out of this splendidly looking film with an intriguing character study

Rating: 7/10

Review: The Lobster

I only heard about this film from a film critic that has gained popularity via YouTube who is big into their independent cinema.

It has gained a lot of acclaimed success from this year's Cannes Film Festival and now I went to see what's what.

Well, I can definitely say that this is something quite unlike anything else. Not only that, but I think I have encountered a new genre.

Director Yorgos Lanthimos seems to have made an unromantic comedy. We are in a world where being in a couple is essential and single people are sent to a special hotel resort where you need to find a partner that you have something in common with within 45 days or you get turned into an animal of your choice.

Yes, on paper that does sound absurd. On screen, it manages to be strangely captivating. That is mainly helped by the deadpan style of humor for this feature. It is definitely an odd experience to watch something so bleak and yet have a deceptive amount of charm to it.
This is Lanthimos' first English language feature and has also managed to attract some big Hollywood stars. Leading the way are Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, Ben Whishaw, John C. Reilly and Olivia Colman.

A star-studded cast means we expect the best. That is exactly what we get and it gives the film the humanity in needs from a script that sees them as emotionless figures. Farrell is very funny in what was an In Bruges-esque performance. Such wonderful comedic timing.
Weisz manages to compete well with Farrell in the deadpan stakes. From the narration in the first half, to appearing in the second half, we remember what a talent she is.
We also managed to see an unlikely comedic tag team in the form of Whishaw and Reilly who give us a lot of great laughs. Their lack of screen-time in the second half is telling.

The negatives are not really related to how it was made, written or acted. It is more from where I think this film could have gone. I reckon they could really gone to town with this idea. I fell like they did not go into enough depth with the world that they have set. Thankfully, this is only a minor thing.
Some of the comedy did not quite work also, and the final scene was a bit anti-climatic. But on the other side, you could see that as me wanting more. Sadly, I cannot see a sequel happening.

Despite romance being a big part of the film, there are very little sweet and intimate moments with the characters. What we have is a clever idea that is well made and has a clever use of humor that made me want to watch 'In Bruges' again.
This will clearly not be to everyone's taste. However for those sick and tired of seeing franchises, sequels and prequels and looking for something new, you should definitely try this on for size.

Rating: 7/10

Review: The Program

We pretty much know the story of the biggest con in sports history.

A 7-time Tour De France winner after recovering from quite severe level of testicular cancer, to be then stripped of everything he had ever achieved in the sport of cycling due to the use of performance-enhancing drugs.

With all that being said, what could this movie do to give us something different to be excited about?

We have director Stephen Frears (Philomena, Dirty Pretty Things, The Queen) exploring the biggest rise and fall probably by anyone in the history of the world.

I'm afraid that despite the solid pace to it, good performances and pleasing visuals, this only really skimmed the surface of the entire story.

Ben Foster plays Armstrong and it is quite un-nerving how much his likeness is uncanny to the man himself. He was a strong lead and definitely made this film watchable and interesting. Chris O'Dowd as hounding sports journalist David Walsh was solid. But I felt he was massively under-used. I think the makers of the film could have better by going down the route 'Rush' did by having two big characters facing-off throughout the feature.
All the performances were fine and noticeable in terms of down-grading the film. The only stand-out worth mentioning was Jesse Plemon's portrayal of Armstrong's main team-mate Floyd Landis. He had moments that got me engaged and made it interesting viewing.
One casting choice that I was confused about, was the addition of Dustin Hoffman as we see very little of him. Someone that big in the film industry should not be part of a film if he is going to be in there for very short amounts.

The race scenes look well made. Cinematography is a big high point in the film, especially in the opening scene. And finally, the soundtrack fits in the well with the story despite not being quite a captivating one for re-listening.

However, I cannot ignore the safe route this film went. It always went over the important issues quite casually and quickly went on the next one.
It seems Frears wanted to throw too much into film and forgot to focus on keeping one angle to the story. I really felt we should have seen more of the journalist pursuing the star type of film which would have made it a great and enjoyable watch.

Connecting to the film was hard as well. It reminded me of The Wolf Of Wall Street as we are trying to connect with a guy we know has bone really bad things. But unlike the Martin Scorsese flick, the style of film-making is nothing remarkable, just passable.

It is still a well-acted drama flick. For those people that don't know a lot about the story, they will get the most enjoyment out of it.
But if you want to a good film about Lance Armstrong and how he became the man he is today, watch the two film documentaries 'The Armstrong Lie' and 'Stop At Nothing: The Lance Armstrong Story'. They both go into much more detail on how big of an idiot Armstrong is.

Rating: 7/10

My Top 10 Colin Farrell Films

Probably one of Ireland's biggest stars in Hollywood right now, Colin Farrell has become quite a presence in the film inudustry for the last 15 years.

Since his breakthrough in 2000, Farrell has been put of some of big films with some major directors.
The Irish actor has shown himself to be a respectable and talented actor.

With only one Golden Globe nomination to his name, this guy has still got to prove and the top 10 that I currently will surely change in the near future.

I have to give a couple of honorable mentions that missed out on my top 10, one is The  Lobster. An odd but quite charming comedy drama set in a dystopian future. In a world where you have to be in a couple, single man David goes to The Hotel and must find a partner in 45 days or he will turn into an animal.
Yes, the premise sounds completely bonkers. But it manages to intrigue and invest in the characters that ends with a tense finale. Truly bizarre, but also brilliant at the same time.

The other is The Killing Of A Sacred Deer. Farrell's 2nd collaboration with director Yorgos Lanthimos sees a surgeon befriend a teenage boy, and then things turn sinister.
Like their work with The Lobster, it's strange, but highly captivating.

Out of his 50 films, I have seen 30 of them. I will rank all of the films I have seen, and give a short review for each of my top 10:

30) Miami Vice
29) S.W.A.T.
28) Alexander
27) Daredevil
26) Dead Man Down
25) Dumbo
24) Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them

23) The Recruit
22) The Beguiled
21) Roman J. Israel, Esq.

20) Horrible Bosses
19) Fright Night
18) Total Recall
17) Epic

16) Voyagers

15) After Yang

14) Veronica Guerin
13) The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus
12) The Lobster
11) The Killing Of A Sacred Deer

10) Tigerland - A film that I feel got lost after the release of 'The Thin Red Line'.

This is a war film that sees a group of recruits go through training before going to Vietnam.

Quite a thought-provoking piece with Farrell playing a rebellious recruit who produces the best performance.

9) Seven Psychopaths - Director Martin McDonagh returns after the success of In Bruges with another crime comedy.

It sees a struggling screenwriter becoming involved in the Los Angeles criminal underworld that started with the kidnapping of their beloved Shih Tzu.

Farrell plays the lead as the screenwriter.

8) The Way Back - An entertaining adventure story based on real events on a group Siberian escapees travel thousands of miles to freedom.

It is very well-made and has a great director at the helm in the form of Peter Weir.

A star-studded cast that includes Ed Harris, Jim Sturgess, Mark Strong and Saoirse Ronan.

7) Crazy Heart - Winner of 2 Oscars, this well-told drama about a fading country music is one that I did not expect too like as much as everyone else.

With Jeff Bridges leading the way spectacularly, Farrell plays the supporting role as the a former mentor of Bridge's character that has become successful.

It is an engaging portrait piece.

6) The New World - Anything by Terrence Malick should be observed with an open mind.

With this one, we see his vision of the famous Pocahontas. However, this seems to concentrate to focus and the visiting English lead by Farrell who plays Captain John Smith.

Like with many of Malick's work, it is highly visual.

5) Widows - Steve McQueen's tense crime thriller sees a group of grievened wives fulfill their respective husband's heist.

In a stellar cast, Farrell plays a slimy politician doing everything he can to win an electoral campaign.

4) Minority Report - Farrell's only appearance in a Spielberg feature.

We see him along with lead Tom Cruise as part of a police unit in the future that has the technology to arrest murderers for crimes that have not happened yet.

It is vintage Spielberg with lots of entertainment.

3) Saving Mr. Banks - A wonderful biopic on how the film Mary Poppins got made.

We see Farrell play the father of the Mary Poppins author P.L Travers. It is a massively over-looked performance and for me steals the show for a lot of the film.

2) Phone Booth - On the face of it, this Joel Schumacher thriller looks pretty generic.

But after I first watched, it is a wonderfully gripping ride that shows how much a man can change from one phone call.

Farrell plays the lead as a sleazy publicist who gets the call of his life.

1) In Bruges - Probably the greatest crime comedy of all-time.

When a couple of hit-men do a job wrong, they are told to hide in Bruges and await further orders.

Despite being told to just sight-see, one member of the duo (played by Farrell) gets involved with various citizens of the Belgian town.

The style of comedy is wonderful, it never gets old and has some of the best lines in film history.

My Top 10: Rachel Weisz Films

Never really had that leading role where she can hold a film by herself. But thankfully, Rachel Weisz has become a solid supportive role or co-lead throughout her career.

From some of the biggest blockbusters of the year, moving dramas, Weisz has become a big name in the film industry for almost the last 20 years.

One honorable mention is a childhood favourite of mine, The Mummy. A re-make of sorts to the classic tale. It sees an ancient Mummy accidentally awoken by several archaeologists. From then on, we sill a romping thrill ride in the heart of Egypt. Weisz plays Evelyn, an archaeologist looking to find some experience in the field so she can qualify as an expert in Egyptology.

Out of her 50 films, I have only seen 25 films. I will rank all of the films that I have seen, and give a short review for each of my top 10:

25) Fred Claus
24) Chain Reaction
23) Dream House
22) Oz The Great And Powerful
21) Eragon

20) Black Widow
19) The Land Girls
18) My Cousin Rachel
17) Runaway Jury
16) The Bourne Legacy
15) The Mummy Returns

14) Denial
13) Definitely, Maybe
12) The Mercy
11) The Mummy

10) Constantine - We see a dark yet dazzling fantasy horror about John Constantine, a man cursed with the ability to see spirits from both heaven and hell.

Keanu Reeves gives us a great lead playing Constantine, but it is Weisz who steals the show as a cop who is wanting Constantine to help investigate the murder of her twin sister.

With a stellar cast that also consists of Tilda Swinton, Djimon Honsou and Shia LeBouf, it has a great dark tone with the perfect added mixture of fantasy.

9) About A Boy - A really dramatic rom-com that sees Hugh Grant play an immature adult looking for a relationship with a single mother. On the way, he builds an odd friendship with one of the mother's sons who helps him grow up.

The great on-screen relationships makes this film the hit it became.

Weisz plays one of the relationships our main character has during the film.

8) The Lobster - In a dystopian future where single people are forced to be in a couple, or else they are turned into an animal does sound hugely odd on paper.

However, it is a charming film that has smart humor and a lot of great performances, that included Weisz.

7) The Lovely Bones - One of the very few films Peter Jackson directed between doing Lord Of The Rings and The Hobbit.

It centres on a murdered girl watching over her parents and her killer. It was quite powerful watch with some great performances.

Weisz plays the mother of the murdered child.

6) Youth - This Oscar nominated drama sees Weisz in a minor role as the daughter to the main character played by Michael Caine.

It sees a retired conductor with his daughter and his best friend on holiday in a hotel in Switzerland. It is a surprisingly moving piece of work with gorgeous visuals with an emotional ending.

Weisz is really good and jad one particular scene that completely overwhelmed me.

5) The Light Between Oceans - While Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander are the main leads, Weisz contribute as the main support in the second half of this heart-breakign romantic drama.

It sees a lighthouse keeper and his wife raise a baby that they rescue from a boat adrift at sea. Weisz plays a solid support and contributes well enough to be recognised as one of her films.

4) Enemy At The Gates - A terrific War Romantic Drama that is set during the Battle of Stalingrad.

It sees a cat-and-mouse sniper battle between Germany's best and Russia's best.
It has great intensity and really well made.

Weisz plays the love interest for the Russian sniper (played by Joseph Fiennes) and is a fellow sniper.

3) The Constant Gardener - A terrific drama about a widower (played by Ralph Fiennes) investigating the murder of his wife.

It's a great modern political drama that director Fernando Meirelles has carefully made.

Weisz plays the wife of our main character. This is the performance that lands her the Oscar for best supporting actress.

2) The Fountain - By far one of the most confusing films I have seen and yet director Darren Aronofsky gives us quite an experience that people to need to see.

To describe it is quite difficult as there are several theories as to what this film really is about.

The easiest way to describe it without spoiling is that it is about men pursuing eternity to be with their love. We see Weisz partner Hugh Jackman in is epic story told over three time periods.

1) The Favourite - Weisz's latest project and one of her best ever performances that manages to compete with the equally memorable performances by Olivia Colman and Emma Stone.

It sees the story of Queen Anne in 18th century England be endeared by a new servant girl that begins to out-do the Queen's closest friend.

A beautifully crafted period drama containing many strong aspects with a story full of lies, deceit and dark humour.