Movie Feed

The King’s Speech

2011-07-01T11:54:00.003-07:00

The King’s Speech

Starring: Colin Firth, Helena Bonham Carter, Geoffrey Rush, Derek Jacobi, Robert Portal, Richard Dixon
Director: Tom Hooper
Release Date: December 10th, 2010
Release Date: 7th January, 2011
Synopsis: Tells the story of the man who became King George VI, the father of Queen Elizabeth II. After his brother abdicates, George ('Bertie') reluctantly assumes the throne. Plagued by a dreaded stutter and considered unfit to be king, Bertie engages the help of an unorthodox speech therapist named Lionel Logue. Through a set of unexpected techniques, and as a result of an unlikely friendship, Bertie is able to find his voice and boldly lead the country through war.

DVD Review

2011-07-01T11:54:00.001-07:00

Provider

DVD Review

The film...

14-year-old Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) is out for revenge against Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin), who was the untrustworthy farmhand who killed her father.

With some gusto she finds the meanest U.S. Marshall she can to help her cause, but Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) turns out to be a surly and uncouth man who will only work for booze and cash.

Finally paid up, things get complicated when Texas Ranger LeBoeuf (Matt Damon) joins the mission, but with the intention of bringing his man in alive.

'True Grit' was one of the most eagerly awaited releases of this year. It made huge sums of money in the US, propelling it to the status of the most successful Western of all-time.

The cast all step up, even if Josh Brolin is slightly underutilised, and the Coens put together a gripping story in one of the most predictable genres out there.

Steinfeld is superb, and works well with the older cast. We can understand the plaudits layered on to Bridges as well, but it would be remiss not to give credit to Damon who easily betters the equivalent role from the original film.

The downsize...

The word for this film is 'lush'. It looks sublime, and this despite a concerted effort by the filmmakers to keep things as (excuse the pun) gritty as possible. Roger Deakins' cinematography was always going to be a bit special, and so it was on the big screen.

What's surprising is how good it is on DVD. We're used to superior quality from the Blu-ray, and we're sure that's true here, but the DVD version is very good as well.

The extras...

Mattie Ross is such a great character, you'll welcome the chance to see a featurette dedicated to her, and accurately focussing on the true grit she displays throughout. It also really shows how perfect Hailee Steinfeld was for the role. Plus you get a chance to see something of the rest of the cast, and a couple of nifty features looking at the costumes and set-designs.

The verdict...

The Coen Brothers have captured the look and feel they were going after, and it only loses a mark for a slightly underwritten finale. Everything else is top-notch, and you'll probably feel inclined to watch it on a regular basis thanks to the chemistry of the leads.

The film...

14-year-old Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) is out for revenge against Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin), who was the untrustworthy farmhand who killed her father.

With some gusto she finds the meanest U.S. Marshall she can to help her cause, but Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) turns out to be a surly and uncouth man who will only work for booze and cash.

Finally paid up, things get complicated when Texas Ranger LeBoeuf (Matt Damon) joins the mission, but with the intention of bringing his man in alive.

'True Grit' was one of the most eagerly awaited releases of this year. It made huge sums of money in the US, propelling it to the status of the most successful Western of all-time.

The cast all step up, even if Josh Brolin is slightly underutilised, and the Coens put together a gripping story in one of the most predictable genres out there.

The downsize...

What's surprising is how good it is on DVD. We're used to superior quality from the Blu-ray, and we're sure that's true here, but the DVD version is very good as well.

The extras...

The verdict...

UK Movie Releases March 2011

2011-07-01T11:53:00.001-07:00

UK Movie Releases March 2011

Weekend 4th March

Rango - 4th March, 2011 (6 Reviews)
The Adjustment Bureau - 4th March, 2011 (6 Reviews)
Unknown - 4th March, 2011 (6 Reviews)
Fair Game - 4th March, 2011 (6 Reviews)

Weekend 11th March

The Resident - 11th March, 2011 (4 Reviews)
Battle: Los Angeles - 11th March, 2011 (6 Reviews)
Hall Pass - 11th March, 2011
The Company Men - 11th March, 2011

Weekend 18th March

The Lincoln Lawyer - 18th March, 2011
Chalet Girl - 18th March, 2011
Submarine - 18th March, 2011

Weekend 25th March

Limitless - 25th March, 2011 (7 Reviews)
Country Strong - 25th March, 2011 (6 Reviews)
The Eagle - 25th March, 2011 (7 Reviews)
Faster - 25th March, 2011 (4 Reviews)

directed and sharply written

2011-07-01T11:52:00.001-07:00

Impressively directed and sharply written, this is a compelling and emotionally gripping human drama with terrific performances from a strong cast.

What's it all about?
Written and directed by Ashghar Farhadi, A Separation is set in present-day Iran and begins with middle-class couple Simin (Leila Hatami) and Nader (Peyman Mooadi) arguing while filing for a divorce that neither of them wants in front of an unseen judge. The issue is that Simin wants to leave the country and take their 11-year-old daughter Termeh (Sarina Farhadi) with her, while Nader refuses to leave his senile father (Ali-Asghar Shahbazi) behind.

When the judge grants their divorce, Simin goes to live with her parents while she prepares to leave, so Nader hires working class woman Razieh (Sareh Bayat) to look after his father while he goes to work. However, when a tragic accident occurs after an argument between Nader and Razieh, her volatile husband Hojjat (Shahab Hosseini) accuses Nader of a serious crime and everyone ends up in court again.

The Good
Apart from the conceit of making the viewer the judge in the opening scene (by never showing the judge and having Nader and Simin address their pleas direct to camera), Farhadi employs mostly hand-held cameras throughout, giving the film an effective documentary-like feel and a strong sense of realism throughout. This is heightened by the excellent script, which carefully conceals the central incident so we're never quite sure who's telling the truth.

The performances are superb, particularly Mooadi and Bayat, whose interaction leads directly to the court case. These are complex, multi-layered characters with complicated motivations for why they may or may not be telling the truth and the courtroom scenes are both powerfully emotional and extremely gripping as a result.

The Great
Farhadi directs with a strong sense of pace, heightening emotion by having the court case unfold as an angry, fast-paced and occasionally violent argument between all concerned parties. The film is also packed with powerfully moving smaller details, such as the obvious effect her parents' situation is having on Termeh or the heart-breaking day-to-day realities of Nader's father suffering from Alzheimer's, something Razieh is clearly unprepared for when she takes on the job.

Big films for 2011

2011-07-01T11:50:00.000-07:00

Movies Blog

Big films for 2011

Films Opening This Weekend (1st July, 2011)

Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Transformers: Dark of the Moon is the third film in the Transformers film series, directed by Michael Bay and produced by Steven Spielberg starring Shia LaBeouf, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson and John Turturro... Read More »

Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Hugo Weaving, Josh ...
Director: Michael Bay
* These are movie releases for the UK only, Click Here for all the US Movie Releases

UK Movie Releases July 2011
Weekend 1st July
Transformers: Dark of the Moon - 1st July, 2011

Weekend 15th July
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II - 15th July, 2011

Weekend 22nd July
Cars 2 - 22nd July, 2011

Weekend 29th July
Captain America: The First Avenger - 29th July, 2011

UK Movie Releases August 2011
Weekend 12th August
Cowboys & Aliens - 12th August, 2011

UK Movie Releases September 2011
Weekend 2nd September
Crazy, Stupid, Love. - 2nd September, 2011

Weekend 23rd September
Warrior - 23rd September, 2011