Reviews

Before I express my thoughts as to why I love this movie so much, let me get this out of the way: I understand the hate and/or disappointment it's getting. The single mom/son chemistry going on between the main character (Ellar Coltrane) and his mother (Patricia Arquette) is one that one can only fully appreciate if one has experienced it. That being said: I am a male raised by a single mom, and I can safely say this is one of my favourite movies of the year. Every subtle trope about growing up in a mother/son relationship (or growing up in general, for that matter) had us (me and my mother) everywhere from bursting in tears to laughing out loud. It's a movie that's guaranteed to please you if it's recognizable. What it does at least as good as making you recognize yourself in a lot of situations, is providing an interesting view in how your parent perceives things, and vice versa. At the same time, that's the main reason we liked it: it's recognizable. And that's where we can see how the shoe doesn't fit for a huge amount of people, a majority, even: if you don't belong to the specific audience this film was aimed at, it's very probable it does very little to nothing for you. I could go into detail about the plot, but it's easily summarized: it's 12 years in the life of a child/young adult, growing up with his mom and sister during the greater part of the movie. Which brings me to the second reason this movie got the attention it did: the plot element and/or gimmick where they actually filmed the movie for twelve years. Whereas it didn't form the basis for my attachment to the greatly-written characters, it did contribute a significant deal to it. That being said, there isn't a whole lot more I can say about it than that it makes you like the characters more and that it's obviously a novel idea that requires a load of devotion. Anyway, the verdict is that if you happen to be a son raised by a single mom or vice versa, this movie is a must-watch. I'd say it'd still be worth your while giving it a go if you aren't, but it definitely takes away from the experience - and then again, I couldn't possibly say for sure. If the concept of this movie doesn't sound like your cup of tea, though, don't bother watching it: it will not positively surprise you, as it does exactly what it says on the tin, even though it does it incredibly well in my opinion. My final verdict is a 9 out of 10 for the son/single mom combo, and a 7 for everyone else. That brings the average to an 8/10.

Although I gave Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues a decent chance, it met my expectations spot-on, for better or for worse. You see, the original became such a hit that the hype for the sequel doomed it to contain all the more flash over substance: whereas Anchorman 2 is still a great laugh in terms of actual jokes, I can't help but notice a lot more attention went into providing visual spectacle than usual: the original had some over-the-top scenes, as all you hundreds of thousands of people who've watched it may recall, but here it's all done over twice as w-w-w-wacky and while that stays functional for the most part, it can get outright tiresome at rare occasions, more specifically near the end of the movie where it's clearly having some trouble to stay entertaining. Overall though, it's still got a great deal of laughs in it, be it visual or scripted. Will Ferrell is once again absolutely brilliant as Ron Burgundy, even ten years later, and let's not forget the already classic cameo's of the likes of countless celebrities for you to spot when you get the chance to watch this film.

Lower your expectations just a tiny bit if you were expecting the level of quality of the original, but not by a huge deal. Because enjoyable it still is.

So here's the thing about Mama: you can have all the outstanding performances, spot-on camera work and decent special effects you like, when you lack atmosphere, all is lost in the horror genre, and let that be what this film's weakest point is. The tricky bit about genuine fear is the thin line between tension and confronting whatever's lurking in the dark: most horror films nowadays mistake suspense with making whatever it is the movie's throwing at you go "boo" in your face. This movie, however, takes the other extreme: nearly nothing happens throughout the whole movie, aside from a few scary bits (first scene with the butterfly!), but the legitimately creepy moments are way too far in between to fully enjoy or even notice on first glance, for that matter. The movie's ending is the weakest of all. I won't spoil: but trust me, after you're done with it you'll wonder when the Disney logo'll appear in the credits. Don't waste your time on this, except if your 12-year old wants to see his first horror move THAT bad or something.

I went into watching this movie having read it was "from the creator(s) of Trainspotting", thinking it was another collaborative effort by all- star Scottish writer Irvine Welsh and Danny Boyle, a Scottish director that had already proved his talent with 1996's aforementioned coming-of- age masterpiece, and I have to admit, in the first quarter to 20 minutes of the film, I didn't even realize it, showing complete mystery Jon S. Baird was doing a great job. Same great (!) introduction, same saucy accents, same razor sharp jokes throughout, same amount of things just plain wrong with the things shown on-screen, only improving the experience as a whole: a sense of repulsion bundled to the spectacular mindf*ck that is a typical Danny Boyle movie. But after that great start, the movie shoots itself right in both its kneecaps as it throws away all its consistencies and provides a flaw so big, it practically makes the movie near-unwatchable and just hilariously inappropriate at moments to me, in all the worst ways. For real, if some completely theme-shifting plot elements were implemented differently or outright removed from the film (horribly far-fetched twist, I'm looking at you), I'm convinced it could've easily been a whole lot better, because as it is, it really just tries to exceed in everything and ends up doing none of the things it's going for right. Does it want to be a pitch-black comedy? A trippy voyage through the mind of what you could basically call some kind of sick psycho, with accompanying twists? Or is it going for a drama kind of feel, delivering sad and gripping moments on the right occasions? I didn't know after I watched "Filth", you probably won't know, and the director obviously didn't know either. High hopes crushed by inconsistencies despite its potential sums up my thoughts for Jon S. Baird's "Filth". With a remarkable performance by James McAvoy, I might add, for whom it interests.

The Descent is one of THOSE movies. Those horror flicks that have a lot going for them in terms of production value as well as acting and build- up, but screw things up right when you think they could've impossibly done so. Point in case: a bunch of women, one of which suffered a horrible trauma a few years ago, retreat themselves in the mountains as they go ahead and do some spelunking. Note: you won't care about any of the women as only 2 of the 6? 7? members of their little club have an actual personality worth mentioning, be them very generic ones. Interesting twist: they're in a cave no one knows anything about, so on one side, it's theirs to explore, on the other, this could be incredibly risky, dangerous, even. Like any good scary movie, this one has a lot of tension and suspense going on for it before the actual scares make their entrée. The downside: once the "good" part of the movie is over, it quickly translates into a bland jumpscare fest, free of any imagination and/or breathtaking moment, excluding some scenes. Granted, it has its moment past the figurative point of no return, but they're scarce and really far in between. In general, I wouldn't really recommend this movie, but I have to grant it an extra point for its good ending, lifting up the experience as a whole and handing it over an extra point. Could've been better if the director knew what he was doing in some places where it was really necessary.

Before I start this review I want to emphasize that this movie is definitely not for everyone, but it sure is an experience whether you like it or not. Now, let's start, shall we?

A Fantastic Fear of Everything tells the story of Jack, a tormented, seemingly paranoid horror author gone child writer doing his daily chores and overcoming his bizarre primal fears while he's at it, and although I won't spoil anything, that's basically everything the movie does aside from the last quarter, perhaps 20 minutes of the film. Simon Pegg is for the most part great as jack, but being a fan of exaggerated performances from time to time, even I have to admit that the abundance of his character is a bit fatiguing at times, complete with panic attacks every two minutes and more to come. But that being said, aside from these two major flaws, I honestly can't say more bad things about this movie, the sheer humbleness and generally small scale of the story and Simon Pegg's nearly laughable level of over-the-top character are probably the two major reasons people were put off by this movie when it came out and have been calling it quits to date. But if you're an avid fan of Simon Pegg's work, an something new in general, this movie won't disappoint. And that's were the things that this movie DOES hit spot-on kick in: the amazing, dark camera work with small sections of gruesome, yet appealing animation (almost Tim Burton-esque), the pitch-black humour, the hilarious twist, and the terrific final seconds make this one a must-watch for horror/dark comedy/Simon Pegg fans for me, despite all its flaws.

When I heard one of my all time favorite movies' director, "The Shawshank Redemption's" Frank Darabont was releasing a TV show based off one of a top-notch graphic novel: "The Walking Dead" by Robert Kirkman, I remember being excited as the kid I was back in 2010. However, the series of the same name Darabont came up with disappointed incredibly. It may have been my huge expectations I had for this thing, having read the books, also making my opinion rather biased, if you will, but where the comics featured characters that all seem amazingly human with each their own traits and qualities, Darabont obliterates any possibility to like anyone at all, making every character cringeworthily black and white. Admitted, I never made it past season one because of the laughably horrible cliffhanger at the end, destroying all my hopes I had for what was yet to come. If there's anything good I have to say about "The Walking Dead", it's probably that they nailed the aesthetic, providing every shot of atmosphere and often creating genuine suspense in some hostile environments. Oh, and the zombies look good. That's a plus too, I guess.

Whereas this kind of movie typically isn't for me, Horrible Bosses shines with an undeniable charm, nailing all of the raunchy jokes it's got going for it. The three main protagonists (Jason Bateman, an incredible Charlie Day and Jason Sudeikis) are great in their roles of humble workers gone bad, and Kevin Bacon, Jennifer Aniston and Colin Farrell are an absolute blast as their eccentric self, playing an absolute psycho, a nymphomaniac dentist and a douchy cocaine addict respectively. "Horrible Bosses" is an almost two hour-long roller-coaster trip with an incredibly entertaining premise, hilarious supporting roles and a ton of laugh-out-loud jokes throughout. Great if you like a little tongue in cheek, ideal on a Saturday night with friends.

Anno 2004: talented director Edgar Wright already proved himself rock solid, having made "Spaced": a hilarious TV show that never got the success it deserved and ran from the (very) late 90's to 2001, starring most of the same actors you'll see in "Shaun of the Dead". But enough back story: the question awaiting the release of this movie was of course if Wright had enough going for himself to provide the wit his TV-series had for the length of a full-feature film. And he sure did. Shaun (an insanely sarcastic Simon Pegg) and Ed, two immediately likable slackers who also happen to be best friends, live together in a house they rent, find themselves face to face with a zombie apocalypse caused by a virus, right after Shaun's girlfriend broke up with him. Long story short: Shaun's sole target is to get the girl and save his friends and family, while still maintaining his charming sense of humour. I could ramble on and on about how much I love this movie for all it has going for it, but you'll just have to discover for yourself. Think: your typical zombie-movie, with entertaining yet humble personalities and laugh-out-loud, typically British humour. This is the world's first Zom-Com, and believe me when I say it's an absolutely blast.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, based off the excellent graphic novel series is a spot-on roller-coaster of flash AND substance for fans of video games, the Scott Pilgrim comics or strip culture as a whole alike. The story of Scott Pilgrim's struggle for glory fighting his new girlfriend's seven evil ex-boyfriends to continue dating her doesn't have much going for it per se, but Scott's charming character, growing increasingly confident throughout the movie saves the movie story wise, as you really care for him. What's left is flashy, comic-book/video-game style action: if 1-up's and grotesque "POW" sound effects and a sick garage rock OST sound like your cup of tea, the whole movie will probably be worth its while for you, if not, don't even bother.

Pretty low-budget and filmed in just a few days, James Wan's controversial debut "Saw" quickly grew out to be one of the more successful horror franchises of the 21st century, even though all its sequels, with no exceptions, are dread-awful, uninspired gorefests, whereas the original actually has a lot of suspense going on for it next to all the creative torture. The twist at the end (the reveal of Jigsaw's identity)'s quality is debatable, but I found myself very intrigued and satisfied by it. Doesn't make it the big leagues (Hitchcock! Kubrick!) quality wise, but it's no doubt worth a watch if you want to see horror done right.