Saving Mr Banks

SF: You don't have to have seen or love Mary Poppins to watch this film but it will help. That aside this is a genuinely lovely film for the most part. There are some very emotional scenes and a number of touching moments. The director manages to blend the present sequence of events and memories in a nice fashion that isn't too condescending to the audience. Emma Thompson superb and rather understated performance is rather refreshing. The film manages to be moving and funny in just the right measure. 7/10

50 Eggs: n/a

DonkeyB: At the time I thought this was great fun, but I have to say as I've sat on this review for several weeks, I'm less and less enamoured with the film. I know I am biased against Mr Farrell, in fairness I did have to sit all the way through both 7 Psychopaths and Total Recall, but part of me was with the noisy German behind me who talked all through the film, dropped his change on the floor part way through (etc) when he took to shouting "why don't you just die already" every time poor Colin appeared as Mrs Travers' father. Way too much Australia. In the end however good Emma Thompson's performance (I would pay to watch her read out the phone book, but not Jane Austen) I was left wondering, to what end? 5.5/10

Overall: 6.25/10

Captain Phillips

SF: Sadly this way one dull movie. I suppose the point was to have mounting tension but I found myself uninterested. The finale while tense and well executed didn't do much to save this. Tom Hanks is amazing and that's the only praise I have. Prehaps a bit more character development at the start might have helped. It is an incredible story And might appeal to some. 6/10

50 Eggs: This had been hyped quite a lot so my expectations were raised, and sadly not met. I don't know if it was the 12 oz burger I ate beforehand, but I got awful sleepy about halfway though this film. It's only 2 hrs, but it feels much longer because the middle section drags on a loooong time without ever really progressing the story. Having said that then ending is worth the wait; a tense and compelling finale where Tom Hanks gets to act his socks off. 7/10

DonkeyB: Wow. Mean reviews. Gripping from start to finish. This is arguably Hank's best performance ever. A role he seems born to play (its a testament to his growth and brilliance as screen actor that the same was also true of Big). The terrorists performances are also excellent. Oscar for Hanks please. Greengrass breaks out the shaky cam again to bring his signature style to the film, again having seen the film you can't imagine anyone else being able to direct it. A film about globalisation and culture clashes and the unintended consequences of 'The War on Terror'. 8/10

Overall: 7/10

Cloud Atlas

SF: I never got around to reading Cloud Atlas, so I had nothing to compare this to. The idea of such a long film was a bit daunting. Following the future and past lives of serveral different people isn't a new idea but this execution was, I'm pleased to say, very engaging. With so many threads it is an incredibly hard film to describe but while you are watching everything falls seamlessly together. Every story draws you in and the pace of film ensures that audience is never given the time to notice the length. Also the production value is amazing, the effects, costumes, music and set are all stunning, in particular New Seoul. Well worth a cinema trip. 8/10

50 Eggs: I read the book of this several years ago and didn't think much of it, so it's perplexing that I like the movie as much as I do. With 6 different and complex stories being told over 3 hours, this had no right to work as a film, and lots of critics don't think it does. But I do, wholeheartedly. That's down to the editing which is just fantastic, seamlessly chopping between characters, decades and genres to create an experience much greater than the sum of its parts. It's not for everyone, but it is for me. 9/10

DonkeyB: n/a

Overall: 8.5/10

Extremely Loud Incredibly Close

SF: This film should be called 'Sometimes depressing at other points quirky'. I've no idea how to rate this or if I liked it. I wish I could give this two separate reviews, at some points I was heart broken and others I really enjoyed but in a disjointed way. A confused 6/10

50 Eggs: n/a

DonkeyB: Maybe I'm being a total bozo but I really liked Max von Sydow in this. Unfortunately that was about it. 4/10

Overall: 5/10

Larry Crowne

SF: Light hearted and sweet. A fairly non-offensive movie, the exact sort of thing you'd expect from Tom hanks and Julia Roberts. Mildly amusing but nothing special. 5.5/10

50Eggs: n/a

DonkeyB: Totally inoffensive nothing of a film. Hanks in his charming screen presence late career norm. Just a touch pointless. 4.5/10

Overall: 5/10