February Watch List

1. Inherent Vice 5/5

Those who said this film was confusing are wrong, sorry. The truth is, it doesn't matter. As along as you're watching the screen and listening AND you have a memory, you'll be fine.  A mixture of noir, psychedelic haze and good detective period piece, there is an array of crazy and colourful characters to see and its damn brilliant film. The only thing I don't understand is why everyone was making such a deal over Katherine Waterston? She was good but not amazing, it doesn't help that her character, Shasta is actually only there to start the story. In fact whenever she shows up, things slow down and halt the progression of story. Apart from a few little things that bothered me but didn't really bother me, I can't complain about anything, I cannot praise this film enough. Some have said it was 'hard to follow' or 'it was too confusing'. If you don't try to solve the crimes in this film as linear and just appreciate and watch the characters create chaos and some sort of conclusion, I think you will understand.

2. Testament of Youth

 

I knew that this was going to be unbelievably sad and I wasn't let down.  It was beautifully shot and the cast were sublime, especially Swedish actress, Alicia Vikander as Vera Brittain. As the film was based on Vera's memoir, I knew that she was a feminist first before the war, arguing her right to go to Oxford and eventually getting in on merit. During the war she volunteered as a nurse in England and in France. She lost her fiance, brother and close friends and became a pacifist. She was an inspirational person, with her memoir held in high regard. The film captures this woman's spirit and the pain that people suffered during and after war. A brilliant and moving film.  4/5

3. The Voices

   

Not sure why this was called a comedy horror. I wasn't laughing. I found this film very depressing and without end. In fact as soon as Ryan Reynolds mentally ill would be murderer 'accidentally' kills his first victim, you know there is no happy ending for anyone really.  Directed by Marjane Satrapi who made and wrote the brilliant 'Persepolis' I expected better but this film was a bit of shambles of depression and no balance. The fact that Jerry (Reynolds) talks to his pets (he does the voices too) and sees a doctor almost every other day AND had a mother who was exactly the same again points to sad character trying to be normal but knows deep down hes not. The comedy comes from, actually not idea where but the horror is when he accepts what his cat, Mr Whiskers, says to him and gives in to the murderous urges. I was actually very excited about seeing the film when I first read about it and even when I saw the first trailer but when all info about the film drifted away, I suspected why. It's not very good. Loved the pets though. 2/5

4. Accidental Love 

 Formally known as 'Nailed' and was meant to be directed by David O. Russell but he disowned the project crediting the work to 'Stephen Greene' another name for an Alan Smithee film. I had read about the premise for the film a while ago and was intrigued by the story about a woman who ends up with a nail in her head but because she has no health insurance, the medical services won't help her. She meets others who have weird medical issues that interfere with their lives but no one will help. She goes to Washington DC to ask for a bill to be passed that these emergency procedures be performed without insurance needed. It was funny and I have more respect for Jessica Beil (who I thought was just plain boring) but she should do more comedy as should Jake Gyllenhaal who was also very amusing as the hapless politician. Unrealistic to a fault, the girl scouts randomly supporting her cause and the fact the Speaker of Congress wants to push a bill where a Moon Base is built for 'protection and not being blown up' but taking that with a pinch of salt, it was a fun film, that will most likely never see UK cinemas. 3/5

Jupiter Ascending 

I knew after seeing the trailer and reading about the film that it wasn't going to be great. But now, after actually watching it, I admit, I enjoyed it. I'm not saying it was good, I'm saying I was entertained. There were plenty of moments where I rolled my eyes in despair and my friend felt motion sickness at the cliches and I almost punched the chair next to me every time Eddie Redmayne spoke in that pointless raspy voice. But, I still enjoyed it. The story was difficult to grasp, Jupiter was caught between being endearing and annoying and most of the dialogue was one cliche after another but as wiki described it, a space-opera, it all seems to shift into place. Jupiter Jones (Mila Kunis) is a cleaner and lives with her large family. One day she is abducted by Caine (Channing 'all over your' Tatum') a human sliced with the DNA of a dog or wolf. He tells her that Earth is not the birth place of the human race, it is in fact a planet created for profit. Royal families in the 'real' universe' like the Abrasax family harvest the planets to create a serum that gives them 'more time', its described as an 'industry'. Jupiter, as it turns out, is genetic reincarnation of the Abrasax's children's mother, which means she inherits Earth (following?). Each of the siblings want to meet her, either wanting to to kill her, marry her or convince her to claim Earth. No sci-fi opera film is complete with out the love story which is there throughout like a smack in the face, throughout. I viewed this film as so bad that the good shown through. Some of the graphics were beautifully down, especially the scenes with the planet, Jupiter. The characters were all, as expected, British text book villains, British supporting characters that make mistakes then redeem themselves and of course the American heroes. I think this will become a future guilty pleasure of mine and quite possibly receive 'Showgirls' status one day. Both my friend and I who watched it agreed, sometimes its good to see a not so great film once in a while. And remember, as Sean Bean says 'Bees don't lie'. 2/5