48: MESRINE: KILLER INSTINCT

Part one of the two part biopic of French gangster Jacques Mesrine. French production, Vincent Cassel and good early buzz. No signs of Che-itis with the two movie split.

Entertaining swashbuckling type tale of a hard French criminal who is attractive in his endeavours (e.g. attempting to bust out criminals from a prison that subsequently is closed down over its questionable practices) and brutal when cornered (e.g. against a couple of park rangers). Raw, French and engaging stuff. Good turns by Cassel and Depardieu. More than just a prelude to Mesrine Part Deux.

7 out of 10

45: THE PRIVATE LIVES OF PIPPA LEE

Again Haymarket gets a look in - it's one of the Cineworld cinemas that seem to show movies on limited release (and these are the movies that I find most enjoyable). This particular movie was outside my usual viewing remit, but it was deemed worth a go.

Another dose of memorable performances in a similar vein to Fireflies. Most notable: Alan Arkin, Winona Ryder and Maria Bello. Entertaining story. I came to conclusion that even though Kenau Reeves's character is the self confessed asshole, Arkin's Herb Lee is the true baddie of the piece: manipulative, selfish and cruel. Up to you to see it and agree/disagree.

7 out of 10

42: FIREFLIES IN THE GARDEN

Risked going to Haymarket Cineworld, probably their worst cinema - strange shaped rooms, uncomfortable seats - but this time around, I ended up in the main room for the first time (usually used for theatre) and it was much better.

A character driven, thought provoking drama with plenty of tension. The cast is brilliant - Ryan Reynolds showing off his 'serious' acting skills; Emily Watson, Julia Roberts and Carrie Ann Moss playing strong female roles; and the always scary Willem Dafoe perfecting the potrayal of an evil human being. Great drama without the theatrics.

7 out of 10

36: THE DAMNED UNITED

I had just finished reading the brilliant book by David Peace when this one came out, so I decided to give it a shot.

One in the back of the net in my opinion: Michael Sheen is captivating to watch portraying Brian Clough as a funny, yet troubled man. Fast paced and entertaining, but, and I'm sorry to fall into cliche here, it isn't as good as the book. That said, given that the book was considered unfilmable, it's a pretty good effort.

7 out of 10

35: TERMINATOR: SALVATION

Time to leave movies seen in the distant past behind for a moment, travel into the future to arrive at the present - Saturday morning to be precise. Confused? Also, first movie at Staples Corner, in the bowels of a retail park.

Bale broods, Worthington simmers and the Terminators kick ass. Entertaining, cool action sequences and a well realised Terminated future. Better than Term 3 if not the others. McG steps up a notch as a director. A point taken off for the totally frustrating plot point reveal in the trailers - ruined half the movie. May reinstate point if second viewing deems more satisfying.

7 out of 10

25: SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (OSCAR SERIES)

Eye on which Oscar?

Achievement in directing - Danny Boyle

Best motion picture of the year

Where?

Haymarket, 6pm (probably the worst cinema I've been to out of the Cineworld chain; the screen wasn't centered, there was a huge wide gap in the seating so that you couldn't sit anywhere near the middle, and there was a slope in the floor and seats, which after two hours, gave me a numb ass).

Comments?

Slumdog Millionaire is quite a clever movie; it's also funny, moving and charming. It is also the hot tip for Best Movie, the "slumdog" of the nominated movies beating all odds to win the major prize, not unlike the movie's main character, Jamal Malik, who gets to within one question of the million pounds (20 million rupees). However, it is doubtful that Danny Boyle's movie will be pulled at the last minute for cheating, as what happens in Slumdog Millionaire.

The structure of the film, on the face of it, is quite ingenious. Jamal is sitting in the hot seat on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, the Indian version. Across from him is the host Prem Kumar (brilliantly played by Anil Kapoor), who encourages Jamal and digs at him throughout. Why wouldn't he? Jamal is a slumdog, part of the lower class and his only achievement thus far, monetary wise, is to secure a job as an assistant at a telephone call centre.

Despite all this, he answers the penultimate question correctly and his hauled straight to jail on charges of fraud and cheating before even getting the chance at the big prize. What follows is a question by question account of how Jamal knows the answers, based on his experiences in the slum (luckily the answers-slumdog life links are in chronological order). Within the flashbacks of his life, we discover that he fell in love with a childhood sweetheart and that, before coming on the show, he had lost her forever.

It's a good movie, no doubt about it. Danny Boyle's direction is very good, as always, and he brings all the feel good elements together nicely, with added authenticity by using Indian actors and locations.

Whether or not the numb ass or the stupid idiots in the audience who insisted on talking throughout (obviously at a high pitch tone so that no one else seemed to notice, if their willingness to suffer silently was any indication), but I couldn't really connect with this movie. Sure, it was funny, and the scenery and images are wonderful, but I found myself not really caring whether Jamal got the girl or the millions. When things turn tragic and there is a race against time at the end, I found myself not feeling much at all.

The Millionaire quiz show scenes are a double edged sword: they are probably the most entertaining to watch, but end up bisecting the movie, almost as a distraction to the Slumdog's tale. To me, the movie became focused on "what happened in his life that allowed him to answer the next question" and this little trick became a bit tiring for me.

If I was able to buy into it a bit more, felt closer to the characters, then these little annoyances would have passed me by. A lot of other people loved the movie and it's bound to win the Oscar, so I guess I just have to blame my disinterest on the numb bum and the chatterbox in the audience.

Oscar worthy?

I suppose I've said my piece about the movie already. It will probably win the Oscar, but for me, it wasn't engaging enough and I felt more of an emotional tie to the likes of Milk, The Reader and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

Danny Boyle's directing is always good though. He always does something different and is quite an artistic filmmaker. But I can't base my Oscar choice on his previous films and I still think Fincher did a better job this time around.

Rating?

7 out of 10

Post Movie Quote:

"Not much to say really but tut tut, sigh loudly, scoff and hope the person sitting next to me gets the thinly veiled point and stops talking throughout the movie. God forbid I'd politely ask them to shut up. Hmmm, guess what my pet hate is?"

19: FROST / NIXON (OSCAR SERIES)

Eye on which Oscar?

Performance by an actor in a leading role - Frank Langella

Achievement in directing - Ron Howard

Best motion picture of the year

Where?

Shaftesbury Avenue, 845pm (straight after The Reader, although I did pause, not wanting to dissipate the thoughts and feelings generated from watching that movie. A hunger for popcorn, missed due to a late arrival time at The Reader, made the decision for me).

Comments?

Frost/Nixon is about the disintegration of power and the decline of a political figure. It is also about show business and what makes good show business, what makes or breaks a career in entertainment and what the masses enjoy the most during prime time. It's about the numbers and it's about the lies.

Richard Nixon and Watergate. David Frost and a career on the brink. History brought them together in a head to head battle recorded on tape and shown to a worldwide audience. And to the winner goes the spoils.

Nothing excites me more than to watch a moment in history play out- it sends shivers up your spine and you know as you witness it that this moment is another chapter in world history. The next best thing to being there is to experience a dramatic representation of the event, to live it as it was lived, to understand what it felt like to be in the crowd in Dallas when the shots rang out, to feel the pressure of the last moments during the Cuban Missile Crisis, to wonder what the hell Harold Holt was doing jumping into the sea (okay, maybe not). It excites you, it scares you and it makes you wonder about the "what ifs". JFK, Thirteen Days, United 93, Saving Private Ryan, even a movie like Zodiac - all these depictions of real events are amazing to watch and interesting to debate.

Oliver Stone did it best in JFK. Sure the details were questionable, but there was such a sense of being there in that movie, of reliving the events of the assassination as if it was happening for the first time - and you are there, watching it happen. It drew me in for three hours and hasn't left me since.
This was what I was hoping for in Frost / Nixon. Unfortunately, it failed me. Don't get me wrong, it is a very good movie and the performances of Frank Langella and Michael Sheen are flawless. I just think Ron Howard let the side down and could taken more risks with his direction, brought the audience, made the movie more visceral and less intellectual.

There is a moment in the movie when the camera focuses on Frost (Sheen) asking a probing question directly into the camera. The image whirs across, the camera swivelling around to face Nixon (Langella) to receive his reply, right up close, face to face. At that moment, however brief it was, I felt drawn in as if on a roller coaster ride - I got excited. The camera whirred again, but not back to Frost but to the team waiting in the Green Room, egging him on. I visibly sunk into my seat, disappointed. This great use of the camera never reappeared and for the remainder of the movie I may as well have been watching the original interview. Albeit it trivial and minor, that camera pan was a glimpse at what might have been.

Frost / Nixon is a good movie, no doubt about that, and hats go off to the lead actors, who perfected their roles, giving us a sense of pity and sorrow for Nixon and a feeling of buoyancy for Frost. It just ain't no JFK.

Oscar worthy?

There is no doubting that Frank Langella's performance as Richard Nixon is a masterful one and very entertaining to watch but I don't think it deserves Oscar glory. During the movie, it felt like you were just watching someone act like Nixon as opposed to watching Nixon himself, a weakness inherent in the role and one that doesn't take anything away from Langella's acting ability. It is a shame that Michael Sheen wasn't nominated for Best Supporting Actor but that race has already been won too in my opinion. As for the movie itself, it shouldn't poll well for directing or best picture, although it may do well in Best Screenplay (Adapted).

Rating?

7 out of 10

Post Movie Quote:

"Must jump on to You Tube to see the real thing."

17: STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS

Why I chose it?

You're either Star Trek or you're Star Wars. I've always been Star Wars and I couldn't pass up an opportunity to see another entry into the legend on the big screen. Almost missed out too - last session at Cineworld!

Where?

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away. I'm that far behind in my posts.

Comments?

It was the last ever session at Cineworld for the first computer animated movie entry into the Lucas legend that is Star Wars. It was out in the cinemas for a long time but I hadn't got around to seeing it. The last ever session, screening at 11am on a Sunday morning in Wandsworth - I was expecting a vacant cinema. In fact, I was the only adult there; the only adult without a kid. Yes, it was me, 100 parents and 150 kids. Mayhem.

That said, this movie was perfect for them - amazing graphics, albeit bordering on too cartoony, and loads of action. And Yoda. The little tackers lapped it up - reminded me of the first time I saw a Star Wars movie many dual moons ago.

For me the movie was entertaining, although it almost didn't feel like a Star Wars movie. I hadn't seen the TV series so hadn't been warmed up to the new visuals and the notable absence of the Twentieth Century Fox fanfare did throw me a bit. But the story is pure Star Wars and the action never lets up. I'll concede the storyline was a little weak (Jabba The Hutt's son is kidnapped?? Sounds like a plot better suited to the "Droids" cartoon) but it was good enough to keep me interested.

All the familiar characters are here too - Obi Wan, Anakin, Yoda - and a few new faces too, but most of the voices are different, except for Samuel L Jackson (who must be a true fan), Anthony Daniels and Christopher Lee. The old characters stay true to their live action counterparts and the new bods fit well into the Star Wars universe.

Overall, an entertaining Sunday morning spent with a bunch of kids experiencing a new Star Wars movie - brought back the memories! And I must say, it did fuel my excitement for the new cartoon series.

Would I pay to see it?

It's Star Wars: unless the words "Ewok Adventure" are included in the title, I'd pay to see it without question.

Rating?

7 out of 10

Post Movie Quote:

"May The Force Be With You" to every parent with a screaming child.

5: IN BRUGES

Why I chose it?

I'm always up for crime movies with a bit of dark comedy, and based on the previews, this seemed to fit into that category quite well. I also saw an interview with the director (who has a background in theatre) and it sounded interesting.

Where?

Cinema 12, Wandsworth Southside Shopping Centre, 8.25pm (took the 28 bus from Paddington

Comments?

I really enjoyed this one. Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson and Ralph Fiennes were superb, delivering a witty and entertaining script perfectly.

There's dark humour for sure, and more than its fair share of violence, but there are underlying mature themes that are delivered with subtlety and skill. One particular scene had me close to tears, not of laughter, but sadness - an event that drives one of the characters to great despair.

But there's comedy to be had here too. There are laugh out loud classic lines even if the jokes are non PC and there are enough C bombs to warrant the 18 rating. On the face of it, these elements interlaced with drawn out Bruges snapshots and a simple melodic soundtrack don't seem to gel, but take my word for it, it all fits perfectly.

Slow at times, cliche ridden at others, but entertaining and thought provoking.

Dark with a heart.

Would I pay to see it?

For sure - this movie has more substance than anything Guy Ritchie has produced and it has better laughs.

Rating?

7 out of 10

Post Movie Quote:

"Very good - really enjoyed it. Now how the f$*k do I get home from here?!" Daryl Nilbett, while searching for the nearest bus stop.