Robot and Frank (2012) directed by Jake Schreier, 26th February

Plot

Set in the near future, Frank a retired cat burglar lives alone out of town and starting to lose his memory. He is visited by his son who is worried that he cannot look after himself anymore and  delivers an ultimatum of having a robot butler to help look after him or be put into a home. Grudgingly he takes the former option and an unlikely friendship develops.

Review

At first Frank is against having the robot and resents the new regime of healthy food and moderate exercise forced upon him but as the new routine settles in the robot actively encourages Frank to take on a project to improve his cognitive memory and function. This allows Frank to take advantage of the situation to return back to his cat burglar days by teaching Robot to pick locks or is Robot taking advantage of Frank in improving Frank's health, Robot is allowing Frank to go back to his old ways.

Set in a leafy town in the near future. Frank visits the library weekly and he has an eye for the red head librarian. We see the change in the times through the library by the old books being replaced by a new media experience. Not all the books will be replaced and to win the affection of the librarian, Frank sets in a plan to steal one of these precious books for her with the help of Robot. This only whets Frank's appetite for his old ways.

Soon after Frank is invited to a party with the Librarian and it is here he wants to present the book to her but at this function a rather rich yuppie annoys Frank immensely with his references to him of being old and being of the 'printed' age. This aggravates Frank and to get revenge he sets his goal of stealing the yuppie wife's diamonds with the perfect robbery. Will they get away with it or will the long arm of the law catch up with them.

This is a rather splendid light little comedy drama and shot in an indie film style. Frank Langella gives a pitch perfect performance of a person slowly sinking into Alzheimer's. Giving his character moments of clarity through the moments of clouded memory. A really touching performance. Liv Tyler plays the hippy chick daughter to a tee and is initially anti robots but soon sees their worth. Whilst James Marsden gives a good performance as the loyal son who is frustrated with his father. The use of Peter Sarsgaard voice for Robot gives real life to it and you can see why a friendship would develop.

There are some great light comedic moments in this film too and it is not over sentimental allowing Frank to be dignified throughout the film.

Do they get away with it? Now that would be telling.

8.5/10

Broken City (2013) directed by Allen Hughes, 25th February

Plot
Billy Taggart ( Mark Wahlberg) a disgraced police officer now a private eye is hired by Mayor Hosteleyer ( Russell Crowe) to investigate his wife. Who might be cheating on him whilst he is seeking re-election but is it all as it seems?


Review
The film opens with a police officer standing over a person shot dead with a smoking gun in his hand. It all looks like self defense and eventually he is cleared of murder. The dead man is a suspected rapist and murderer. Unfortunately there is new evidence against him and he is forced to resign but as a guarantee to him, Mayor Hosteleyer promises to bring him back into the fold when the time is right.

That police officer is Billy Taggart and 7 years later we find him as a private eye down on his luck until he gets a call from the Mayor. Billy returns to City Hall and with high expectations of returning to the Police force but is disappointed to find him hired to investigate his wife, who he knows is cheating on him but cannot prove it. Billy is disappointed with the job but the pay is good. So good he can't refuse.

So he trails Cathleen Hosteleyer ( Catherine Zeta-Jones) and pretty soon discovers her lover who also happens to be the election manager of the Mayor's rival. Already it 's started to look fishy but Billy ignores his instincts and with false loyalties gives the incriminating evidence of the lover with fatal consequences.

Wracked by guilt and questioning his own actions for the consequences he then starts to question his own loyalties to the Mayor and on whether the Mayor is as good a man as he is made out to be.

This a corruption film where power and greed drives the ambition of the Mayor under the guise of the good of the city. Billy's once unquestioning loyalty is put to the test and soon he starts to investigate the Mayor's dealings. We find murder, dodgey land deals, double crosses and greed.

It's a complicated mess of a film and sometimes confusing. There is a lack of tension as Billy investigates and finds corruption going higher and higher. The reason why there is no tension is that Billy has nothing to lose. So the stakes are low.

The love interest story is light and rather superfluous to the film except for how they met.

Mark Wahlberg is rather bland. Russell Crowe plays a convincing politician of kissing babies but he should also be stealing their sweets at the same time. This bit he could have been nastier.

The film does not tie up all the threads of the film successfully. It's over complicated and there is no tension in the film. So when the film ends there is no feeling of justice has been served and where the villain deserved his comeuppance it just feels flat.

6/10

Reign Of Assassins (2010) directed by Su Chau Bin and John Woo, 15th February

Plot

Set in China, the Dark Stone gang steals half of a mummified Indian Buddhist monk which once whole has mystical powers restoring health and allowing one to be the most powerful martial artist too. One of the gang members steals the mummy from the others and runs away changing her appearance too. Looking to start anew, change her ways and sink into anonymity.

Review

Made in 2010 this film has only finally reached these shores. Starring Michelle Yeoh  and Jung Woo-Sung. This is a martial arts film in the vein of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and House of the Flying Daggers with lots of balletic wire-kung fu.

The film follows a star pupil/assassin Drizzle played by Michelle Yeoh who along with her gang members steal one half of a mummy for their master Wheel King head of the Dark Stone Gang. In the process of stealing the body from the prime minister Zhang they kill him and his son. Drizzle then decides to take the body for herself abandoning her colleagues and former life.

Whilst on the run she meets a monk who tries to change her and teach her the error of her ways. He does and she decides to change her life and appearance in the hope of fading into obscurity. Becoming a cloth seller and she allows herself to fall in love too with a messenger who is inextricably linked to her past. Having a price on her head from her old gang, her old life catches up with her sooner than she ever wanted.

The film has some great fight scenes and great choreography too.  There is romance and plenty of good humour. Some intentional and some not so but this does not detract from the film. There are twists and turns in the plot with some predictable and some not.

It is not as epic in scale or as philosophical to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon but this is a fun fast paced film and a little more light weight.

8/10

A Good Day to Die Hard (2013) directed by John Moore, 13th February

Plot

John McClane travels to Russia to look for his wayward son, only to discover he is a CIA operative trying to prevent a nuclear weapons heist. Leading to father and son teaming up and stopping it from happening.

Review

This is the 5th in the series of film which hard to believe started 25 years ago and kicked off Bruce Willis career as a Hollywood action hero. It is now in it's 5th re-iteration and follows the tried and tested formula of the wrong guy, in the wrong place and at the wrong time during a crime.

This 5th installment opens with a massive car chase through Moscow then it's action action action. Unfortunately that is all that really happens. The script is lightweight and not particularly interesting with very little humour or wit which has been a trade mark of the series. This is one of the reasons why the franchise has been so successful.

The film is just a series of set pieces with the dialogue only there to stitch the action scenes together. The action scenes were good but they are not enough to hold a film. At 97mins it is a short film but it also felt incredibly long.

The film also pays some homage to the original Die Hard film where the main villain dies in the same way and has similar attributes to Hans Gruber.

With such a light script and little character development the only characters I remember from the film are John MaClane and his son Jack. Everyone else was quite forgettable.

This film is rated a 12A. It is an amazing bloodless film considering all the shooting and a lack of Yippi Ki Yay. I suppose this is to get the film past the censors and get a greater audience appeal. The original Die Hard was an 18.

Surely, Bruce Willis does not need the money and he only agreed to do it if the script was good. Alas this was not the case. There was so much potential for this film set against a back drop of Russia. Only if more time was spent on a better script and story.

I had high expectations and really just wanted to see a good tried and tested formula work but this has been a disappointing addition to the Die Hard franchise.

A generous 6.5/10

Cloud Atlas (2012) directed by Lana Wachowski, Tom Tykwer & Andy Wachowski, 10th February

Plot

Six interconnected stories across space and time.Where the actions of an individual can shape the past, present and future. Through actions of kindness and brutality these will cause ripples over time. Starting with a sea journal in 1849; letters from a composer to his close friend; a thriller about a murdered nuclear scientist; a farce about a publisher wrongly placed in a nursing home; confessions of a clone who helped instigate an uprising; and a tale of a post apocalyptic tribe on Hawaii.

Review 

Based on David Mitchell's 2004 book. This is an epic spanning a time line of about 500 years where "Everything is Connected." The connection can be in our genetics with the recurring "Comet" birthmark to our actions of doing the right or wrong thing. Everything we do has a causality in the past, present and future.

The film opens with Tom Hanks recounting a story around a fire in a timeless era. From here it a roller coaster of a film and follows a non linear story line jumping between the 6 stories. The connections of the past,present and future are through the characters actions and this is visually reinforced by the brave use of the same actors but in different time lines. Giving the film a karma like story and also hope.  The genetic connection of nature is running though all the stories through the birthmark but we are not destined to repeat ourselves hopelessly through time but our actions can change our destiny. So a villain can become a hero.

Some remain the villains though out time especially with Hugo Weaving and Hugh Grant's characters whilst others are able to change.

Everyone in this film gives a great performance with Doona Bae doing a great job playing a clone/ fabricant and Ben Whishaw giving a very touching performance.

The futuristic aspects of the film worked best especially the scenes of Neo Seoul, the chase scenes through Neo Seoul and the post apocalyptic Hawaii part.

For light relief we have the story of the wrongly placed publisher in a nursing home or "The Ghastly Tale of Timothy Cavendish" with a great comedic turn from Jim Broadbent as the titular hero and an overbearing Hugo Weaving as Nurse Noakes. Although it is a light story, it is also a tale of oppression.

It is a long film at 174 mins but to cover 6 stories in so little time it does well. The film does stray a little from the book but 95% of it is in the film. As a non linear film anyone not familiar with the book may get lost and maybe it should have stayed true with the books story telling pattern. If it had done so this would have been an even longer film. For me the non linear story line works.

So many topics are covered in this film from oppression, slavery, love, reincarnation, destiny, music, death and philosophy.

Finally, the film ends with Tom Hanks finishing his story at the camp fire and ending on an optimistic note.

This is a brave, bold, ambitious and non linear film. It is not perfect but I prefer to see this type of film which tries to engage the audience rather than a paint by numbers film. I was enthralled with it and I may need to watch this again as I am sure I have missed small cameos and 'Easter' eggs of recurring themes buried in the film. This film is going to split people, you are either going to love it or hate it. Fortunately, I have read the book and for me I am in the 'Love It" camp.

9.5/10

This is 40 (2012) directed by Judd Apatow, 7th February

Plot

Pete (Paul Rudd) and Debbie ( Leslie Mann) are a couple who both reach the mile stone of being 40 within a week of each other. One is in denial and the other wants to celebrate in style with a big party. The film covers the week starting with Debbie's birthday and the build up to Pete's 40th Birthday party.

Review 

This is a Judd Apatow written and directed film and documents the build up of a couples 40th birthday. The couple are going through a midlife crisis both personally, physically and financially.  It also deals with modern family life with the iGeneration and the older generation. One is estranged from her father and just reconnecting with him. The other father needs to be supported by his son.

With this thin thread the film is a bit of a mess. There are so many threads to this film. From school/internet bullying, financial secrets, growing pains, viagra, music. The list goes on and pretty much every topic is covered superficially in this film. The story has no cohesion and most of the scenes are like small sketches which are just stitched together to culminate to a big 40th.

There are highs, lows and meltdowns along the way during this film but in reality nothing much happens.

Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann do a very good bickering couple but apart from this there is nothing really engaging about the couple. The real scene stealers are the cameos from Melissa McCarthy playing a parent whose son is at the same school and Jason Segel being a personal trainer.

As this was a pseudo sequel to 'Knocked Up,' I was expecting a cameo from Seth Rogan and Katherine Heigl. You would expect your screen younger sister at your 40th.

It's an over long film with very few big laughs and lots of apologetic smiles. At 134 mins this film could have easily been trimmed down.

For me the best part was the competition between Jason Segel and Chris O'Dowd  in trying to see who could win the affections of Megan Fox. Finally, you must stay for the outtake of the school principle scene at the credits with Melissa McCarthy. That is if you managed to sit through the whole film.

I had high expectations and really wanted to like this film but left very disappointed.

5/10

Hitchcock (2012) directed by Sacha Gervasi, 5th February

Plot

After success with North by North West. Hitchcock tackles his next film "Psycho." A film about the personal trials and tribulations of a film that no studio wanted to make except for Alfred Hitchcock.

Review

The film starts with Hitchcock being lauded with praise for his last film North by North West with every studio banging at his door to make them a film. The suggestion that he is too old and should make another North by North West makes Hitchcock look for a new direction, to prove his critics wrong and show that he is an artist. He chooses "Psycho" based on a true life event which no studio wants to make or finance. Being bullish about this he finances the project himself placing himself in a financially vulnerable position, battles the studio,  battles the censors and believes in the project where others don't. It also deals with his own personal demons of being a peeping tom, his obsession with the mythical Hitchcock Blond, his wife and muse Alma Reville, his insecurities and his obsession with praise from his fellow peers.

Anthony Hopkins is fine but his rubber prosthetics at times looks great and at others a little ropey. Helen Mirren gives a solid performance. Scarlet Johansson gives a likable performance of Janet Leigh as one of Hitchcock's blonds. Toni Collette is quite unrecognisable in this film.

With this great material and star cast of Anthony Hopkins and Helen Mirren. This should all make for a great recipe for an entertaining and intriguing film but somehow it does not work. The film does not grip and there is no real tension. I suppose it is not really the fault of this film as unfortunately we all know that Psycho is Hitchcock's most successful and probably his most famous film. The tension does not really build and runs quite flat even with all the troubles around him.

The lack of tension makes this relatively short film of 98 mins at times feels much longer and it does drag in places. There were some light moments but these were far and few between.

This is not a bad film and it is watchable but it is also quite forgettable at the same time.

6/10