Reviews

Here is a film for modern day, a film that openly discusses the state of government, more so in America than England in my opinion. But the flaws, those ugly flaws that drag it down, ever so slightly but just enough to rip it from the grip of perfection. Lets start with the director who never makes any real commitment to particular style for the film; he seems torn between getting the idea across and making it appealing to a mainstream audience. The script also suffers the same flaws, adding a sense of humour and personality to the main character yet expecting him to be seen as an Idea not a man. It tries to be dark, to be all about the idea, but it also wants to hit the mainstream audience, and yes it does this, and yes it gets the message across, however, it also looses some of its power in doing so. This film is not bold, exciting, and inventive. The ideas are there but it still persists in following the old, going with what has worked before and will work again, the main goal is to make money, and it's this business focus that stops it from being a giant, that stops it from being something truly special. It's through experimentation the Matrix redefined cinema, V for Vendetta is afraid to do so, it's afraid of failure in the mainstream and so it is just another Matrix influenced action film, and a good idea. However it isn't bad, it just doesn't meet its potential. In fact it's rather good; it just feels like it could have been so much more, if only it could resolve its conflicts and truly define itself.

Crash is a very powerful and moving film with some hugely memorable scenes that will be remembered for a long time. Although I did find the first half to be quite slow and repetitive in places the second half completely blew me away, which in the end fully justifies the first. All the characters are from different backgrounds and races and most people will find some one to whom they can relate. It is unnoticeably a film about racism, it's a topic the drives each story, although there are still noticeable sub-topics along the way, it never strays to far from its central theme. Its messages are clear and important, it shows racism from every possible angle, and that's one of the reasons it has such a powerful effect and has gained so much praise. Personally I found it hard to connect with at first, as I am white, living in a white area of a white town, in England, which is primarily a white country. Added to that I'm not racist, so it's a topic I know little about, yet it still managed to draw me in and I came away all the better for it.

It's a beautiful film both visually and emotionally, with well rounded characters, an outstanding script, and mind blowing performances all round. It's a well crafted and thoroughly enjoyable drama that I highly recommend.

9 out of 10

Written by Paul Schrader and directed by Martin Scorsese with Robert De Niro taking the lead role, there really was never any chance of 'Taxi Driver' being any less than brilliant. Its one of De Niro's best roles, his performance is so good that it sends shivers down my spine every time I see it. To anyone who hasn't seen the film, De Niro plays a character called Travis Bickle, a man who takes a job as a taxi driver having been discharged from the army. It is through this job that he becomes disillusioned by all the crime and "filth" he sees around him and decides to take matters into his own hands. He is a challenging and multi layered character that De Niro brings to life with huge success. He may be a very extreme depiction of loneliness but even so he still seems every bit as real as you or me, he is a likable character to whom most people will be able to relate. That's the real genius of De Niro's performance; he makes you believe in Bickle no matter what he does.

It was an early film for Scorsese who has since gone on to become one of the top names in Hollywood, but I would still regard this as his very best work. The night scenes are unmatched for their dark and gritty atmosphere, and the sense of loneliness that you share with Bickle throughout the film is chilling no matter how many times you watch it. However, Scorsese and De Niro alone don't make this a great film, there's Paul Schrader's masterpiece of a script, the haunting Bernard Herrmann score, and the A-list cast, that all come tougher to make this a living classic. The 70's brought many greats, and this is one of them. If you haven't seen it yet you really need too, especially if you're a Scorsese or De Niro fan, it's a superb film and a great addition to any collection. Highly recommended.

'City of God' is hands down, one of the best films ever made. The script is brilliant, the story brutal, and the acting first class. Its stylish, sharp, and hard hitting telling a story of what life is like in one of the world's most notorious slums. It reminds me of 'Goodfellas' in many ways, only it's a whole lot better. Fernando Meirelles has an awesome style, his directing is fast paced and stylish from beginning to end I especially love the way he skips back and forth through time in order to tell every aspect of the story. It is a very stylish film but it also has a heart, it has a story to tell, a story worth watching. 'City of God' is unlike any film I have ever seen, it is so rich is visual beauty, and is flooded with bold originality. You will struggle to find any better, it's a one of a kind movie, that doesn't cease to impress.

I can't explain why but there seems to be a lot of hostility surrounding this film, so many people hate it and yet it has an 8.4? It seems strange that a film many will call a disaster could be ranked so highly. The reason for its ranking is that despite the opinions of some it is actually an amazing film. Technically its perfect, the only problem is in the narrative, which is quite a disappointment to say the least. You spend the whole film trying to figure it, trying to untangle the mystery of his kidnapping and then when its finally revealed you are left feeling cheated, and robbed. To some it is just too much, it devalues the entire film and so the entire thing will be looked upon as a failure. However, others will overlook the ending, or at least come to terms with it and still respect its more brilliant side Oldboy walks the line between realism and insanity, yes it has its problems, but it also has many good points. It's the same with 'Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance', and it is in 'Lady Vengeance' that I can only hope for a combination of both these two films better points with none of the negatives. You have to remember that it is a trilogy; each film compliments the other. You may well hate it but to say it is a bad film is just ignorant, personally I love it and give it a 10 out 10.

Well what can I say? Good action, fun car chases, lot of explosions, good acting, and great music. All in all it's a very good film but threes no way I could ever say its better than the original. T2 takes all the elements that made the first Terminator a great film and enhances them with amazing special effects and out of this world action. However, it lacks the dark quality that filled the first, which is a bit of a let down but one that's easily forgotten. If you're an action fan you cant find much better, it really has set the standard for all action films to follow, it is a genuinely enjoyable experience. Cameron has done a great job in bringing the story back to life for the sequel, and I especially liked the fact that he kept the original cast. However, I can never forgive that ending, it was horrible! They really did drag it out for everything it was worth and it just seem cheesy to me. Even despite this, it is still a great movie and one of the greatest action films out there. The special effects still look just as brilliant and ground breaking today as they did in 1991, and the cast is simply amazing (Edward Furlong especially). It may not be better then the original but it sure doesn't disappoint.

8 out of 10

Lets face it, so far every Batman film has be pretty awful, but luckily that's all been turned around. Batman Begins has done something I always hoped but never thought possible; it has revived and reinvented a franchise strife with potential but riddled with failure. It's dark, gritty, and highly original. Forget every other Batman film you have ever seen, the series starts here. I always liked Christopher Nolan's work and this film has just proved how talented he really is. The action scenes are some of the best I've ever seen and the balance of action and story is perfect. Nolan never lets the action over power the character and plot development, which makes for a rich narrative only complemented by action not driven by it. The cast is fantastic throughout Christian Bale fills the role of Bruce Wayne perfectly and Michael Caine's performance is also very impressive. It's a visual beauty with a rich story and breathtaking action. Batman will never be the same again.

10 out of 10

The first thing you need to know about 'Happiness' is that it isn't easy to watch. Its story is dark and disturbing at times but that does not mean that it isn't a good film. Its script is very unique; it is very well written and manages to find humour in the darkest and most unexpected places. I say "humour" but I don't really know if that is the right term. It is not laugh out loud funny; the humour is all very subtle and indirect and isn't created through jokes or situations but is rather created in how the situation is played out. At times I even found myself laughing out of awkwardness and there are many times when I wasn't sure weather to laugh or not.

The film is structured in a way that it tells several separate but interwoven stories, which are all shocking and unusual, 'Happiness is probably the most anti-mainstream film I have ever seen. Acting is great especially when you conceder just how difficult the majority of the roles must be to play. Dylan Baker impressed me the most as there are very few actors I think would be brave enough to take that role, just watch the film and you will soon understand why.

'Happiness' is a difficult film to love, as I don't think there is anyone who could watch and not find it to be disturbing, but don't let that hold it back. Todd Solondz, is a talented and daring director who isn't afraid to put himself out there and make a film that is going to draw in a lot of negativity. You would have to be a very narrow minded person to hate this film simply based on its shocking story line, because it is a very good film. It has a great script, ingenious tension building direction, and an outstanding cast. It is a powerful and moving piece of film not soon forgotten.

'The Usual Suspects' is one of the most well known film noirs ever, and it's no surprise. Unfolding through flashback we learn the dark and mysterious story of a group of crooks and criminals who were all strangely brought tougher at a police line up, but are now all dead.

Through cleaver plot twists, interesting characters, and an ingenious script we are drawn into a suspenseful masterpiece leading up to an unforgettable ending. Brian Singers directing is shockingly good and the acting is fantastic. You can't help but admire the amount of talent that has gone into the film and in the end produced something you will never forget.

'The Usual Suspects' is combination of many great things all woven tougher masterfully. It is beautiful film, with an amazing plot, great cast and extremely talented young director. It's a film the stands out a mile away, as it is quite clearly one of the greatest films of our time. From the opening scene to the unforgettable twist ending, it's a unique experience that you have got to see for yourself.

10 out of 10

Sin City is an outstanding comic book series influenced by classic film noir, and written and illustrated by Frank Miller. Sin City the movie, co-directed by Miller and Robert Rodriguez captures all the elements that made the comics great, stays true to the comic book style, and ultimately creates one of the best films of 2005. Shot entirely against a green screen, it draws us into the dark and surreal world of Sin City, bringing the characters and places to life with astonishing success. The cast are perfect; they really look like their characters, and are all superb in their roles. The intelligent use of colour adds a new and pleasant touch to millers work, and the disjointed chronology helps get the pace just right. If you're a fan of the graphic novels, then you are guaranteed to be pleased by the film and even if you've never read a Sin City comic in your life, you will still have plenty of enjoyment out of the film.

Traffic is a good film, with a good plot, great acting and great directing. Each different story is given its own visual style which is a really nice feature. The stories are well interwoven and the acting is flawless throughout. However, I felt that this film was too distant. The stories were all great but never went into enough depth to draw you in. There seemed to be so much potential but it never really came tougher.

The cast is amazing, and in my opinion they make this film. Benicio Del Toro is absolutely brilliant; unfortunately you never get to see further into his character and his story which is a real disappointment. The acting is the best feature in the film; it holds it tougher and makes it a worthwhile viewing experience. But acting alone doesn't make a film. The story and directing may be good, but that is it.

In my opinion Traffic is no more than good, which is a shame because it could have been great. If you're a fan of Benicio Del Toro I would recommend you watch it but other wise, its nothing special. Had they taken every story and made separate films of them then that would have been worth watching, they all disserved more time but never got it. I never got the chance to fall in love with traffic simply because it chooses the multiple stories route but never quite pulls it off leaving the stories feeling rushed and wasted.

I give it a 7 out of 10 because it is well directed and acted but never really drew me in and ended up seeming rushed. Luckily it saved itself with a brilliant ending which all ads up to make it a fairly good film.

When this first hit the scene in 1994 it secured Quentin Tarantino a place in cinema history. One of the most stylish and memorable films of all time, Pulp fiction is an imaginative masterpiece that stylishly unfolds 3 interwoven stories like never before.

It is an outstanding achievement in film and a landmark in Tarantino's career. Superb performances throughout bring to life the already outstanding script to achieve near perfection. Tarantino's direction is perfect, and the script is one of the best to ever grace the cinema.

It's a beauty of a film, one that took the conventions of film-making and spat on them to create an entirely new experience that you will never forget. If you haven't already seen it then you need to, its one of the best there is or ever will be. You've got to see it to believe it.

10 out of 10

Fight club is one of those films that will always manage to divide opinion, you either love it or you hate it but no matter what your opinion it is still a great film. Well acted, directed, scripted and edited it is a film that knows it's a film and is willing to play around. It is bold, hard-hitting, violent, funny, intelligent, and stylish. I loved it, and still regard it as one of the best of all time. The plot fast paced, interesting and has one of the greatest twists in cinema history. It draws you in right at the beginning and doesn't let go for a long time, there's not a boring moment in the entire film. Sure it's not for everyone, but still everyone should see it and have an opinion on it. The 90's brought many great films, and this is one of the best.

10 out of 10

Telling the story of a deaf mute searching for a kidney for his dying sister, 'Sympathy for Mr Vengeance' is an entirely new experience in the revenge department. Rather than just tell the story of one mans quest for revenge, it keeps a balance by telling the stories of all the wronged parties. This is something I have never seen before but it works really well as you soon start sympathising with all the characters involved.

It's a film that doesn't want to glamorise revenge or violence and believe me, it doesn't. It shows the dark, brutal and gritty side to it all and in the end you feel sorry for everyone involved.

Because the main character is a deaf mute there isn't much dialogue in the film and there is also very little music, which suits the film well. However, what really astounded me was the way in which Park Chan-wook and his actors manage to convey so much without saying a word. The acting really is brilliant, and the directing is absolute genius.

'Sympathy for Mr Vengeance' is a phenomenal film, from beginning to end. I cant recommend it enough, it's a must see film worthy of much praise and attention. Take it from me; you don't want to miss this!

10 out of 10

Having never seen the series I had no idea what to expect when I saw Cowboy Bebop for the first time but when it finished I was quite honestly blown away! This films amazing. Unlike a lot of other Anime movies (such as Akira and Ghost in the Shell) Cowboy bebop isn't confusing at all but that's not to say it doesn't make you think. The plot is great and told brilliantly, weather you've seen the series or not doesn't matter.

One of Bebop's strongest and most impressive features is the music. It really is amazing; probably one of the best sound tracks I've ever heard. The artwork Is top notch, its absolutely beautiful to watch and the action scenes are astonishing; Hollywood couldn't even dream shootouts this good! I have found with most anime that the directing is usually very good mainly due to the intensive planning that goes into each shot. Shinichirô Watanabe does a really good job here; I don't think there's a single shot in the entire film that I would call any less than brilliant.

Bebop is cool. There's no other way to put it, from the characters to the fight sequences, its just plain cool. It's smart, funny and deeply entertaining. It is possibly the most universal anime I have come across. It really does appeal to all audiences, western or eastern. I hate to call it mainstream but it is, well at least the most "mainstream" anime I have seen. Any one could watch it and enjoy it; it could quite easily compete with any Hollywood film and would most probably win.

9/10 Bebop's dark and gritty feel, stunning artwork, brilliant soundtrack and engaging story all add up to make it a true masterpiece and my favourite anime of all time. Hollywood take note, this is how action films should be done!

Scarface, a film by Bryan De Palma staring Al Pacino as a Cuban Immigrant who works his way into the Miami drug business.

I'd heard a lot of good things about Scarface, and being a big fan of Gangster movies I was really looking forward to seeing it, but in the end I felt quite disappointed. You never really get the chance like or even understand Tony Montana. You know has issues with his sister but you never know why. He seems cold and distant, and only halfway in I'd lost all interest in him; weather he died or not I didn't care anymore. In the Godfather you feel as though you are a part of the family and even though they're criminals you sympathise with them, but Tony you don't care about and so no matter what happens to him it has no effect on you as a viewer. I tried to like him but as hard as I tried I still wanted him dead. The story is rushed, there's the rise and the fall but that's all, nothing in between. To put it simply this movie is depressing the main character is a psycho but not in a good way. Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver was a psycho but you knew why, you understood and liked him, this isn't the case with Montana.

Scarface has got to be the most overrated Gangster flick ever; it's dull, simple and distant. De Palma's directing is nothing special and the story has no heart. Characters don't develop they change and a lot of their actions seem to be out of character. Films such as Pulp Fiction immerse you in a way that every character seems real but Stone clearly doesn't know his characters and neither does De Palma, they aren't believable and this to me is the real problem.

I never understand why so many people rank Scarface so highly. It's not a masterpiece; it brings nothing new to the genre and can't even hope to compete with other Gangster films out there. I must admit that for the first half hour or so I quite enjoyed it and the chainsaw scene is classic but from there on it just started falling apart. If it's a Gangster film you're after go see Goodfellas, go see what a real Gangster film looks like.

5/10- As good as Pacino's acting may be even he cant save Scarface. It's no more then a Hollywood action film and in no way a classic.

Raging Bull is one of Martin Scorsese's best films and with out a doubt the best film of the 80's. It follows the career of middleweight boxing champion Jake LaMotta as his career progresses but his emotional problems worsen.

The most notable feature in Raging Bull is the colour. All but the home Video footage is shot in black and white. This was a huge risk on Scorsase's part but it defiantly pays off, the film wouldn't feel the same had it been done in colour.

Throughout the entire film acting is simply impeccable. De Niro and Pesci are both stunning. The script is amazing, you really feel like you understand every character, none of their actions seem out of character no matter how outrageous they may be.

Scorsese's directing is stunning. He really is a very talented director and in Raging Bull it shows. The fight scenes are famous for their brutal realism and it's easy to see why. He puts you right in the ring with the fighters and you cant help but admire their technical brilliance. However, the most stunning aspect of all is Thelma Schoonmaker's editing. Its some of the best editing I've ever seen especially during the fight scenes where it's positively breathtaking.

No matter what happens you always find yourself sympathising with La Motta, even during his most outrageous moments. Not only is Raging Bull the greatest film to come out of the 80's but is one of the greatest this century that's highly underrated and defiantly worth owning.

10 out of 10

Halo 2 has to be the most highly anticipated game in recent years. There was a lot of hype and Bungie promised a lot. For over 3 years fans waited, expecting the greatest game ever, but that's far from what we got.

Lets start with the good points. It has beautiful graphics, some of the best I've ever seen on a console, the physics engine is brilliant and game play is fun... for the first hour at least.

From there on it all starts going down hill, the story is terrible. Nothing more than a rip of off Halo 1's story but with a terrible cliffhanger ending that leaves fans feeling cheated. There are limited multi player maps that are actually worth playing and with the removal of the famous 'Pistol' game play has been reduced to nothing more than 'run and shoot'. There is no skill involved anymore, which not only ruins single player but multi player alike. Vehicle play features way to heavily and in the end just ruins the flow of the game. One of Halo's most powerful assets was its replay ability but I somehow doubt that H2 will last anywhere near as long. Of all the levels in H2 there are probably only about 2 or 3 that are any fun to play and the last boss is rubbish!

Overall it is an impressive game that looks beautiful but I don't think anything can save it from the let down factor caused by Bungie's decision to drop a lot of the most anticipated features in their rush to finish in time. No where near as good as the original Halo but still a fairly impressive game worth renting. If you have XBOX live then you should buy it, but even that becomes repetitive very quickly.

7 out of 10

it may be an good game but it is in no way the best FPS ever like some people seem to think.