⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Excellent)

Director: Tom McCarthy
Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber, John Slattery, Brian D’Arcy James, Billy Crudup, Stanley Tucci
Certificate: 15
Run Time: 129 mins

‘Spotlight’ is a drama film that delves into the true story of how the Boston Globe’s, ‘Spotlight’ team uncovered the massive scandal of child molestation by Roman Catholic priests and cover-up within the Catholic church. It is directed by Tom McCarthy, a very versatile individual who is best known for directing ‘The Station Agent’ and ‘The Visitor’ , co-writing Disney Pixar’s, ‘Up’ and taking small roles in films from time to time. However a big mis-step for him was directing ‘The Cobbler’ with Adam Sandler which came out earlier in the year and is universally agreed as one of the worst films of the year. Anyway, McCarthy is finally getting recognised for his work with this film which has impressed critics and audiences alike. It is one of the frontrunners to win the coveted Best Picture Academy Award but ‘The Revenant’ will probably pip it to the post.

‘Spotlight’ is an excellent film and really showcases the best in Tom McCathy from his close direction to the excellent, tightly-packed script. The cast are wonderful and it manages to deal with such a sensitive subject matter in a very entertaining and satisfying fashion and once it gets going after establishing a context, it rip-roars right through to the end. However, my only criticism is that it doesn’t do a lot to set itself apart from other films of this genre. It follows the tried-and-tested formula all the way, as entertaining and satisfying as it is.

The acting ensemble is where ‘Spotlight’ excels at – there is not one bad performance here. Mark Ruffalo and Rachel McAdams are the standouts here, the latter a career-best, and consequently both have received Academy Award nominations. Michael Keaton, Brian D’Arcy James and Stanley Tucci are also very good here and Liev Schreiber gives one of his best performances in years despite his role being quite a small one.

The story is particularly powerful and thanks to the cast, are able to convey the shock and betrayal that they feel. There is a particularly powerful scene about half-way into the film when the team uncovers information that this has gone on for years and the shock that they feel is so realistic and we too, as an audience, can empathise. McCarthy does seem to restrain himself with the script as there are so many instances where he could dig into the incompetence of the Catholic Church but always holds himself back – this is a film that just wants to lay the facts out. However, whilst the main ensemble are very well developed, the victims and Priests themselves are rather underdeveloped and I think if McCarthy had chosen to flesh out these characters a little more, it would have made the film more satisfying.

Howard Shore’s score for the film is one of his best in a long time and Masanobu Takayanagi’s cinematography adds another credit to his repertoire after also doing a good job of Scott Cooper’s, ‘Out of the Furnace’ and ‘Black Mass’. Takayanagi uses lots of white and grey to portray Boston, perhaps juxtaposing the innocent white with the increasing guilt that the investigators feel from the Catholic Church covering everything up.

Although ‘Spotlight’ doesn’t break any new ground as a film, it is still an enthralling and totally engaging watch once it gets going, thanks to its fine performances and assured direction. Whilst Ruffalo and McAdams have landed Acting nominations, I don’t think they will win them as their performances haven’t been singled out so much compared to others but the film does have a shot at success for its fantastic screenplay. ‘Spotlight’ could also very well end up being the film that takes the Best Picture Academy Award and if it does, I will have no complaints at all. A very good effort from all involved.

 (Excellent)

⭐⭐⭐ (Good)

Director: Tim Miller
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, Ed Skrein, T. J. Miller, Gina Carano, Brianna Hildebrand, Stefan Kapičić
Certificate: 15
Run Time: 108 mins

‘Deadpool’ has been in the pipeline for years and fans have wanted this popular, adult comic book anti-hero to star in his own film for a very long time. Ryan Reynolds first appeared as the titular character in the 2009 spin-off, ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ which ended up being negatively recieved (I quite liked it) and completely botched the character of Deadpool. There is even a gag in the film that references his poor treatment in that film. Here, Marvel have given the character an R / 15 rated treatment with all the bad language and over-the-top violence that is present in the comics. Tim Miller, who previously specialised in visual effects, is in the director’s chair here and the test footage of an action sequence that he created was positively received when it was leaked in the Summer of 2014. Fox gave the film the go-ahead, albeit with a $58 million budget. So with a modest budget and equipped with an R / 15 rating, is this adaptation the definitive one or is it style over substance?

‘Deadpool’ is unfortunately a bit of a disappointment given the hype it has recieved but individual set pieces and sequences are absolutely fantastic. Ryan Reynolds is also perfect in the role. It does suffer from a low budget and tonally, it can be quite obnoxious in parts. The humour is also quite primitive given the directions that they could have gone in although I do admit that I did chuckle a few times. Fox also heavy-handedly promote their X-Men universe to the point where it feels that is being rammed down the audience’s throat which is a shame. It would be great to see Deadpool team up with his X-Men counterparts but a constant reminder that this is happening shouldn’t occur. The film is also so focussed with lambasting every other comic book film that exists that it falls into conventionality, particularly the third act. Now all this would seem negative – there is a lot to like in this film but it is also deeply flawed.

Ryan Reynolds completely owns the role and brings a lot of charisma and wit to the role, despite the flawed screenplay. His character often breaks the fourth wall (or as Deadpool would argue, the 16th) and the audience are often subjected to hearing his thoughts, which works. Unfortunately the rest of cast are average at best. Ed Skrein, who plays the villain, Ajax is ok – the torture sequences in particular although overlong really get to bring out his sadistic nature but unfortunately his character often gets sidelined which means that his character is never developed enough for the audience to care. Morena Baccarin is weak as the love interest and Stefan Kapičić in particular, is awful as Colossus, replacing Daniel Cudmore who played the character in the earlier X-Men films.

The story is also too simplistic – its origin story is overlong and makes up the bulk of the film. The film’s third act also slides into conventionality with a third-rate low budget action sequence which the film actively tries to go against in its first and second acts. That said, the first action sequence which begins right from the start is incredible – this is the film Deadpool deserves, not the one that follows!

The humour is also rather primitive and not particularly creative. Most of the gags are exactly what one would expect but there are probably 6 or 7 that I chuckled at. But even then, the humour is hardly ever intelligent. The soundtrack provided by Junkie XL works in parts but sometimes feels aggressively out of place.

Overall, ‘Deadpool’ is a sound adaptation of the comic book anti-hero. Although its humour is primitive, I did still chuckle in parts and Ryan Reynolds is perfect for the role. With the character being developed, a sequel should hopefully be much better. A sequel would benefit from different screenwriters though who are willing to be more inventive. The film, despite being flawed, is an important film for the industry – the fact that Marvel had the confidence to give a film an R / 15 rating is promising, although there are bound to be a couple of ‘copycat’ films that try to implore this but fail. That said, the thought of an R / 15 rated ‘Wolverine’ film to close the triolgy has the potential to be absolutely incredible as this is what the character deserves. But for ‘Deadpool’, the film is deeply flawed but still makes for an overall entertaining watch.

⭐⭐⭐ (Good)

⭐⭐⭐ (Good)

Director: Adam McKay
Starring: Christian Bale, Steve Carrell, Ryan Gosling, Brad Pitt 
Certificate: 15
Run Time: 130 mins

‘The Big Short’ is director Adam McKay’s first venture out of the comedy genre and he is behind hits such as both ‘Anchorman’ films, ‘Talladega Nights’ and ‘The Other Guys’ for example. Whilst these films told the stories of chauvinistic newsreaders to immature adults, ‘The Big Short’ deals with entirely different characters, stockbrokers who bet that America will collapse into a housing crisis. The film has been nominated for multiple Academy Awards including Best Picture and Adam McKay has risen to God-status and will almost certainly be given creative freedom to make whatever film he wants.

‘The Big Short’ is a mixed bag – it is very original and has many flashes of sheer brilliance. There are some fantastic performances and McKay’s ideas are admirable. However, on the flipside, it comes off as incredibly smug and boisterous at times and it has a big identity crisis tonally. McKay isn’t quite sure what the film wants to be – at times it feels like a knock-off of ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ and at other times, he regresses to his comedic roots. This deeply impacts the film as tonally it feels very disjointed and feels more like a collection of scenes (some outstanding) spliced together rather than a feature length film. However, originality is what is to be admired here despite the film not hitting all the right notes.

What McKay has tried to do here is attempt to combine a very satirical black portrayal of the American housing crisis with humour. In order for the audience to keep up and understand, there are several scenes which contain celebrity cameos for example Selena Gomez and Margot Robbie who define economic terms that audiences may not be familiar with. It comes off as very ‘Wolf of Wall Street’-esque at times and sometimes the film is just aggressively unfunny and smug. This makes for a very disjointed watch and whilst individual set pieces work, the film never comes together as a whole.

The story is absolutely shocking and McKay paints a very negative and cynical portrayal of America. Some of the characters in the film are outright despicable and it is hard to support them and audiences question their morals . McKay pulls on the heartstrings faintly at one point where we see one family being made homeless, but it’s never dwelled upon enough for the audience to care more. If the film were to show just how much of an impact this crisis had, the audience would be able to empathise more on a human level. A film that does this very well is the recent ’99 Homes’ and if this film had dwelled upon the effects more, it would be so much better.

In terms of the performances, Christian Bale and Steve Carrell are the standouts, Bale in particular is an oddball of a character and he never shares scenes with the rest of the main cast. It’s a completely different role to what Bale has done before and it comes off as refreshing and innovative. Steve Carrell proves that he can be a serious actor and this is another worthy portrayal after his sinister turn in last year’s ‘Foxcatcher’. Ryan Gosling is also pretty good here but his character isn’t as well handled as the other two and Brad Pitt is fine in more of a cameo as opposed to a leading role.

Overall, ‘The Big Short’ is a challenging watch and is ultimately, disappointing but the concepts and intentions behind it are what should be applauded. This film does not deserve all the nominations and praise it is getting as it just isn’t good enough. It is one of the weakest of this year’s Oscar crop. However, when the film manages to find itself, it’s outstanding and the films standout performances from Christian Bale and Steve Carrell allow this film to be a worthwhile opportunity overall.

 (Good)

⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Excellent)

Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson, Will Poulter, Forrest Goodluck, Paul Anderson 
Certificate: 15
Run Time: 156 mins

After striking gold at the Academy Awards last year with ‘Birdman’, Alejandro González Iñárritu is back with ‘The Revenant’, a tale of revenge and suffering. ‘The Revenant’ has experienced a hard shoot, Iñárritu said it would be all well and good to film in a studio, but the film wouldn’t have the same impact. Instead, the cast and crew shot on location and experienced extreme weather conditions. This film is particularly important for Leonardo DiCaprio who is overdue for an Academy Award and should probably finally win this year. ‘The Revenant’ has received 12 Oscar nominations and is expected to win a slew of them and possibly the big awards. I found ‘Birdman’ unengaging and pretentious at times and felt in a year where there were outstanding films such as ‘Whiplash’ and particularly, ‘Boyhood’, it was a very undeserving winner.

‘The Revenant’ is a visually stunning film and it boasts many outstanding sequences. It has some excellent central performances and boasts original cinematography and an atmospheric score. Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy are both mesmerising here and Iñárritu has really developed as a director. The battle sequences are wonderfully crafted and there are some beautifully shot landscapes to create the film’s atmosphere. My only gripes with ‘The Revenant’ are its pacing is a little stretched at parts and its story is a little simplistic for a 156 minute running time. But the execution is where ‘The Revenant’ wows and it really is a work of art.

The acting is where ‘The Revenant’ is most likely to flourish at the Academy Awards and Leonardo DiCaprio is stunning here. DiCaprio is a fantastic actor anyway and deserved to win for ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’, only he faced some fierce competition in that year in the form of Chiwetel Ejiofor and Matthew McConaughey, the latter ultimately taking the gong. His performance in ‘The Revenant’ is a very physical one and he carries the film with just his mannerisms and pure torture that his character is put through. Tom Hardy is also very good here, perhaps not quite Oscar-worthy, but he makes for a very interesting villain. His performance too is a very physical one and his character is well-developed. The last time DiCaprio and Hardy met on-screen was in Christopher Nolan’s ‘Inception’ and they gel just as well here as they did there. The ultimate showdown between both actors in this film is breathtaking and is edge-of-the-seat entertaining. Domhnall Gleeson and Will Poulter are in supporting roles for this film and give sound performances.

Whilst the story is a rather simplistic for its lengthy run time, it is developed well enough so that one connects with the characters. This film is well-and-truly a revenge thriller first and a Western second. The suffering that DiCaprio’s character experiences is at times, shocking and he goes to any lengths to survive. The battle sequences are especially mesmerising, particularly at the very beginning and the mauling of DiCaprio by a bear is extremely well crafted and frightening.

Emmanuel Lubezki’s cinematography here is stunning and he will most likely win his third Academy Award for this. Characters are generally kept to the left side of the frame to give the audience a feel for perspective and Lubezki’s landscape shots are wonderful to behold and really bring a sense into the desperate and desolate world that one immerses themselves in. Although sadly illegible for the Academy Awards, the score by Ryuichi Sakamoto and Alva Noto here is endlessly atmospheric and heartfelt. It is used sparingly, but whenever the score is used it heightens the events being portrayed on-screen. Sakamoto has recently been battling cancer so it’s a welcome return to form here and this is his first film score for an American film in a long time.

Overall, ‘The Revenant’ is a very impressive film and technically outstanding. It makes for a very satisfying watch and the combination of DiCaprio and Hardy is a match made in heaven. Iñárritu’s direction is a lot more assured here and this is complimented by an atmospheric score and beautiful cinematography. This is a much better effort compared to ‘Birdman’ which very undeservedly took the top awards last year. If this went on to win Best Picture, I would be fairly happy. ‘Room’ is the best film of the pack but it does shut out some audiences who sadly won’t appreciate it. ‘The Revenant’ is very impressive and satisfying for those who stick with it. Watch it on the biggest screen you can find!

 (Excellent)

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Perfect)

Director: Lenny Abrahamson
Starring: Brie Larson, Jacob Tremblay, Joan Allen, Sean Bridgers, Tom McCamus, William H. Macy 
Certificate: 15
Run Time: 118 mins

‘Room’ is an adaptation of Emma Donoghue’s powerful Booker Prize shortlisted novel. It tells the story of Ma and Jack who are imprisoned in a garden shed but for Jack, who has never seen the outside world, this is his universe. In the director’s chair is Lenny Abrahamson who recently directed the interesting but tonally jumbled ‘Frank’. ‘Room’ is completely different territory story-wise and features a maturing Brie Larson in the lead role with child-actor Jacob Tremblay. It has received 4 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director.

Very rarely would I say this, but ‘Room’ is a perfect film and deserves a 5 star rating. It is an inspiring watch and reaches various emotional heights. The performances from the cast all round are nothing short of incredible and Lenny Abrahamsson’s careful and assured direction works wonders. The film has a beaming heart at its core – at times the film is devastatingly sad and at others, warm and feel-good. There is never a dull moment – the film is expertly paced and takes ample time to develop its characters.

The acting is incredible. Brie Larson is perfect as Ma and commands the screen. There is a brief section in the film where she isn’t present and we are left with Jacob Tremblay’s Jack and the isolation felt as an audience member conveyed through him and the omission of Larson is testament to her performance. Jacob Tremblay’s career has really taken off thanks to this film and he is wonderful as the innocent and oblivious Jack. The chemistry between Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay is astonishingly good. I could have watched these characters all day long and I wouldn’t have got bored of them.

Even the supporting cast manage to hold their own and Tom McCamus brings a warm heart to the screen as does Joan Allen. Sean Bridgers is plain terrifying as ‘Old Nick’ and Abrahamson’s decision to portray this character through Jack’s eyes and we witness the torture and brutality that he is capable of inflicting. William H. Macy, who is a brilliant actor, is unfortunately underused for his talents but is effective in the short scenes that he does play in. I was really hoping to see his character feature at the end but it never happens and it leaves a gaping hole in these characters’ lives and his impression to the audience. Whilst he doesn’t get to showcase his talents, it’s an important role and he fits it very well.

Both distinct halves of this story are fantastic – what the audience witness is two very different films but both are completely engaging and cinematic. A lot of this is down to Emma Donoghue’s fantastic screenplay and whilst the film does cut out some details from the book, both book and film stand extremely high in their own right. Donoghue’s screenplay is suitably devastating and humorous at times and she deserves all the praise that she has received for her efforts.

Stephen Rennicks’ score compliments the film extremely well and the cinematography by Danny Cohen is also excellent, in particular the final shot.  Both Cohen and Abrahamson have minute attention to detail and there is a sequence involving Jack’s feet that is so wonderfully executed and makes the world alien for him.

‘Room’ is a stunning and flawless piece of work. This deserves to win Best Picture at this year’s Academy Awards, but unfortunately I don’t think it will win as there will be a lot of audience members who won’t understand it. Brie Larson’s career will undoubtedly reach new heights and I hope she continues to pick the right roles and Lenny Abrahamson too has finally broken out into mainstream cinema. If I was asked to name my top 5 favourite films of the decade so far, this would definitely feature. It’s that good.

 (Perfect)

⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Excellent)

Director: Quentin Tarantino
Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walton Goggins, Demián Bichir, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Bruce Dern, James Parks, Channing Tatum
Certificate: 18
Run Time: 168 mins

‘The Hateful Eight’ is Quentin Tarantino’s eighth film and second Western after 2013’s ‘Django Unchained’ (although Tarantino calls that a ‘Southern’) that received critical acclaim. Unfortunately during the scripting process, an unfinished copy of the first draft leaked and Tarantino almost abandoned filming as he was so annoyed. Luckily, he decided to press on with the film and the script finally reached its third and final draft stage. Tarantino has assembled an impressive cast here stating that everyone is ‘equal’ so that they all have a big impact (hence why no Christoph Waltz here) and comprises of Tarantino favourites such as Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Tim Roth and Michael Madsen to just name a few.

‘The Hateful Eight’ is another knockout from Tarantino – it’s bloody and gory, has fantastic speeches and an excellent story. It has some brilliant performances with the standouts being Samuel L. Jackson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tim Roth and Walton Goggins. It’s suitably gory and ramps the tension up with gusto. My only criticism is it is a little baggy and perhaps could lose 20 minutes and then the film would be leaner and more heavy-hitting. This might not be true, but it also doesn’t seem to have as much of a rewatchablity factor as perhaps some of his other films do.

The cast are undoubtedly the film’s strongest asset and if this hadn’t have been the case, the film would have made for a very boring 168 minutes. Samuel L. Jackson is incredible here and this, along with ‘Pulp Fiction’ is a career-best performance. Tarantino gives him some very memorable speeches and he looks as if he’s having barrels of fun filming this. Jennifer Jason Leigh is the only cast member to receive awards attention and she is one of the strongest cast members here – the way her character is treated evokes strong sympathy for her but when she reveals her true colours, it’s all completely justified. Walton Goggins is also another surprise standout and he also seems to have fun here and has some excellent speeches and also Tim Roth is another interesting character who has a full-on British twang.

Of the others,  Kurt Russell is on fine form and chews the scenery and for Demián Bichir, this is a career-best performance. Bruce Dern’s character is very slimy and little by little, more of his true intentions are revealed and he is excellent in the role. The only cast member who fails to make as much of an impression is Michael Madsen, mostly as he is given the least amount of material to work with but his character isn’t as well developed. Madsen is capable of great things as evident in Tarantino’s ‘Kill Bill’ two-parter but he is not as strong here. Finally, it’s a revelation to see Channing Tatum choose a role in this film which diverts from mostly comedic roles and he is very sinister here, although he isn’t a big character.

Tarantino’s story is also gripping and the whodunnit element is a new type of film for him, but he handles it with great confidence. The audience cannot trust any of the characters and characters constantly switch sides. Tarantino hopes to turn this into a play and I have full confidence that this would be successful as the film is very much like a play and with such strong characters and a gripping story, this would easily establish Tarantino into another platform.

Robert Richardson’s cinematography is outstanding and there is a clear contrast between the cold, harsh snow landscape and the cosy yet impending violence in Minnie’s Haberdashery. Even inside Minnie’s Haberdashery, there is a constant presence of the cold wind breathing on the back of these characters. Ennio Morricone’s score is also wonderful and fully deserving of all the Awards attention it is getting.

‘The Hateful Eight’ is another film to add to Quentin Tarantino’s repertoire. It is a fantastically crafted film that has strong performances from its cast and a gripping story. It’s not quite his best film, but it would rank pretty highly in his filmography. As to the film’s Oscar prospectives, I would say there is a low chance of it being nominated in the Best Picture category. Certain elements of the film such as its editing and treatment of women have been controversial amongst critics and I don’t think the Academy will nominate it for these reasons. But as a film, Tarantino has done a brilliant job here and with a slightly more ruthless editor, this would be a 5-star film.

 (Excellent)