Reviews by PvtCaboose91

"When I talked to the highway patrolman, I asked him "Is this a rare occurrence or does this happen a lot?" And he looked and me and he sort of smiled and he said, "It happens all the time.""

2006's The Bridge begins with a montage of serene everyday goings-on at San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge. Here, director Eric Steel lulls us into a false sense of security through peaceful shots of birds flying over the water, waves breaking into the harbour, and pedestrians conducting their ordinary business. But then, a middle-aged man climbs over the tiny barrier at the side of the bridge and leaps into the abyss below without a moment's hesitation. You might initially believe that this scene is the result of elaborate stunt work or digital effects, but it is the real deal. It sets the tone for what is about to come. And if you cannot stomach this staggering initial footage of an actual suicide, you will not be able to deal with the rest of this ghoulish documentary, which contains authentic footage of numerous suicides.

The Golden Gate Bridge holds the dubious distinction of being the world's most popular suicide destination, with citizens leaping off the bridge once a fortnight on average. Throughout 2004, Steel and his team set up cameras on both the north and south sides of the bridge, recording all day for the entire year to capture images of people falling into the water below. During the year, twenty-four people committed suicide, and Steel's team caught twenty-three of them on camera. It is powerful and confronting, even though we often only see a splash or a close-up of a tiny human blur falling out of frame, with the camera operator struggling to follow the jumper. The Bridge is by no means an exploitative snuff film, however. Steel also recorded hundreds of hours of interviews with the families and friends of those who took their lives, and this material is intercut with the suicide footage to explore possible motivations and give us a portrait of several of the jumpers and the impact of their actions.

Steel wisely eschews voiceover narration, and he uses well-judged soundtrack choices and straight-to-camera testimonials with interviewees without the aid of spoken questions. It may make the structure feel more jumbled, but it turns The Bridge into a genuine experience and a mood piece. Moreover, Steel doesn't baulk from exploring the possibility that some jumpers do not deserve our pity. It is often said that suicide is selfish, especially if it's a public suicide that will permanently disturb the strangers around you. Steel interviews a family of bystanders who witnessed one of the suicides, and the film emphasises that someone's death wish destroyed this family's pleasant day out. As a consequence, the children will forever be traumatised. A less skilful documentary would paint the jumpers in a far more sympathetic light, but The Bridge presents differing perspectives without bias and lets us judge the people for ourselves.

One of the most effective constituents of The Bridge is the testimony of Kevin Hines, a young man who jumped off the bridge in the year 2000 but ultimately decided he wanted to live while falling. Hines managed to survive the fall with severe injuries and went on to become a spokesperson for suicide and mental health. The Bridge also explores the story of Gene Sprague, one of the men who jumped in 2004. We hear fragments of Gene's story sprinkled throughout the movie, occasionally seeing glimpses of Gene as he paces back and forth on the bridge, the wind whipping his long black hair. At the film's end, we finally see him climb over the railing and fall into the waters below. We may have seen numerous suicide images before this moment, but it is a wholly different experience after the film allows us to acquaint ourselves with Gene and spend so much time with him. In the end, it is unbearable to see Gene end his life.

Despite the film's strengths, there is simply not enough here. It feels as if Steel did not go far enough, as he could have delved into the problem of suicide more deeply by including interviews with experts discussing the psychology behind the jumpers. Considering this is Steel's first documentary effort, though, The Bridge is a remarkable, eye-opening experience. It's sad and moving, and it will linger in your mind long after viewing.

8.1/10

"You fucked up my day off!"

Although Arnold Schwarzenegger briefly featured in both Expendables pictures, the Austrian Oak has not had a leading role in a film since 2003's Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. 2013's The Last Stand is Arnie's big comeback vehicle after the star gave up acting for a career in politics, and it's a sensational return to business as usual for the behemoth. Although Arnie is older and less agile than he used to be, The Last Stand finds him doing what he does best. Immensely enjoyable, this is a resolutely old-school Schwarzenegger action flick - it's got quality one-liners, badass action set pieces and eccentric sidekicks, and a surprisingly strong plot ties it together. Best of all, the whole thing was overseen by Korean director Ji-woon Kim, making his English-language debut following several diverse films, including the offbeat Western The Good, the Bad, the Weird and the magnificent action film A Bittersweet Life.

During a prison transfer, powerful cartel leader Gabriel Cortez (Eduardo Noriega) is broken out of custody by his loyal goons, which sends the FBI into a fit of panic. Aiming to cross the border into Mexico, Cortez speeds through the desert in a modified sports car, waiting for a team of his subordinates to create a makeshift bridge to allow him to leave the country undetected. Word soon reaches the ears of dedicated lawman Sheriff Ray Owens (Schwarzenegger) that Cortez will pass through his small, serene town of Sommerton Junction. Unprepared to let the criminal escape without a fight, Owens rounds up a gang of deputies as well as gun-toting local nut Dinkum (Johnny Knoxville) to stop Cortez dead in his tracks.

The Last Stand plays out like a traditional Western, containing shades of High Noon and Rio Bravo in its narrative structure. Admittedly, the film is a little slow to start and some of the storytelling is leaden from time to time, but it's good fun more often than not. And, once the action kicks in, it's worth it. The final half an hour or so is dedicated to the titular last stand, with Owens and his ragtag team of deputies defending their now-fortified town as Cortez's men descend upon it. This leads to shootouts, inspired stunt work and fisticuffs, which the Korean director immaculately handles. A late car chase through a cornfield is a bit on the shonkier side due to some shaky cinematography, but the set pieces are otherwise thrilling, precise and fluid, not to mention amazingly violent. The Last Stand earns its R-rating; Kim ladles on the bloodshed, evoking the bygone spirit of '80s action cinema. It's completely badass. Additionally, Kim's direction is full of energy, and he keeps momentum building as the action unfolds. It's rare to witness such a skilfully assembled action movie, which is a credit to Kim, who was an inspired choice to fill the director's chair.

Further contributing to the entertainment value is the picture's marvellous sense of humour. On top of all the proverbial one-liners, the script has fun with Schwarzenegger's age; he pulls out glasses to scrutinise a murder scene, and he quickly grows breathless during hand-to-hand combat. The Last Stand refuses to take itself too seriously, which is why it works so well. Sure, there are stakes and the action carries a certain grit, but it's all supplemented with a fun sensibility, and you'll most likely have a big dumb grin on your face for most of the picture. And in keeping with Arnie's normal output, The Last Stand gives the big guy a number of big guns to handle. The film fetishises firearms, leading to a few nifty arming-up montages and a handful of extremely badass moments. Uptight, politically correct folks will probably be up in arms over the use of guns in the wake of recent shootings, but who cares? The Last Stand is entertainment, not a political statement.

Schwarzenegger is more of a screen presence than an actor, relying on star power rather than actual talent, and he's back in fine form here. His line delivery is occasionally wooden, as we have come to expect, but the star is a commanding presence, exuding charisma and handling the one-liners with great panache. The action legend may be older, but he's playful and assured here, reminding us why we loved him in the first place and bringing to our attention just how much we've missed him. Luckily, the supporting cast is just as strong; Luis Guzmán is very funny as one of Owens' deputies, and Jaimie Alexander makes for terrific eye candy as another deputy. Surprisingly, Knoxville is good here, too, making the most of his limited screen time as an eccentric citizen who loves guns. Knoxville gets some great comedy, and he meshes extremely well with the stern Schwarzenegger. Also of note is Peter Stormare, who sunk his teeth into his villain role here. Stormare is hammy, but it's all part of the charm of his performance. Meanwhile, Noriega is a decent enough villain, though he's not as show-stopping as some of the better bad guys Arnie has overthrown in his career. However, Forest Whittaker is a bit less successful, delivering an average performance at best.

Fans of Ji-woon Kim may walk away disappointed with The Last Stand, as it's not exactly on par with the director's best work. He's renowned for tackling different genres and bringing a sense of novelty to each of his films, whereas this is more or less a standard Arnie action film as opposed to anything innovative or genre-bending. Miraculously, though, Kim does not tarnish his filmography with this picture. Hollywood has a way of chewing up and spitting out foreign filmmakers, but this isn't the case here. If you enjoy the likes of Raw Deal, Commando, True Lies, Eraser and The Running Man, and if you're just seeking a whole lot of fun, The Last Stand will prove to be a godsend, delivering arresting action with genuine style. And it's just terrific to see Schwarzenegger back on the big screen where he belongs.

7.5/10

"That house is not fit to live in. No one's been able to live in it. It doesn't want people."

The Changeling is pure class, a rare type of haunted house movie which is genuinely effective and frightening. Directed by Peter Medak, it's a horror movie short on jump scares and violence, but it succeeds because it's deftly made and insanely atmospheric. A superb mix of horror and mystery, the film builds slowly and steadily, relying on tension and character development rather than lazy scares or gore. Due to this, mainstream horror fans may not be willing to give The Changeling a shot, but any genre connoisseur worth their salt needs to check out Medak's horror master class, as it's hands down one of the all-time great haunted house flicks.

After losing his wife and daughter in a tragic car accident while on holiday, middle-aged composer and music professor John Russell (George C. Scott) rents an old Victorian mansion owned by the local historical society. It's an enormous place, and Russell hopes that the solitude, silence and comfort afforded by the house will give his creativity a jump. But not long after moving in, strange things begin to occur, with Russell hearing odd noises and experiencing unexplainable phenomena which may indicate that the residence is haunted by a ghostly spectre. Pairing up with realtor Claire Norman (Trish Van Devere), Russell sets out to investigate the house's past, eventually learning of a troubled family history from the early 20th Century.

Though it starts out as a run-of-the-mill haunted house horror, The Changeling shifts gears into its second act, developing into more of an investigative mystery beset with twists and plot revelations. We've seen mindless poltergeists who do not seem to have much of a plan beyond scaring people, but the ghost here actually has an underlying purpose, and it's interesting to see this smart twist on typical convention. Admittedly, the haunted house elements are fairly standard-order, but the movie works because of how skilful it is. It's a scare movie with taste and intelligence, which is a rare thing to witness.

The supernatural occurrences here are very low-key, with Medak orchestrating hauntings that feel authentic. Rather than digital monsters or ghosts, The Changeling features an invisible presence. Doors are slammed, eerie noises are heard, a dusty wheelchair appears to be alive, and there's a memorable sequence involving a ball that will send chills down your spine. Also effective is a key séance scene, in which a medium attempts to communicate with the spirit and write down what it's trying to convey. The scene of Russell listening to the audio recording of the séance after the fact is the kind of stuff true horror is made of. Medak is a stylish filmmaker, employing careful photography and moody lighting to amplify the horror. Aiding Medak is composer Rick Wilkins, whose score is minimalist yet insanely creepy. The Changeling is not perfect, however. It is a well-made movie considering its budget and era, but some pieces of editing and filmmaking look dated, and the pacing is not always effective. It's a slow-burning horror, yet a good ten minutes could have probably been excised to good effect.

George C. Scott may seem like a strange choice for a horror, but he's terrific, bringing a welcome sense of legitimacy and gravitas to the production that elevates it to a higher level. Scott is a real actor's actor, an incredibly authoritative presence able to handle emotion and intensity. He conveys a great deal of sorrow after losing his family through simple expressions, and he makes his character sympathetic and likable due to how level-headed and human he seems. On top of this, Scott is great during the haunting scenes, visibly scared but never truly letting the ghosts get to him. Backing Scott is an able supporting cast, with Van Devere a pleasant female presence while Melvyn Douglas stands out in his small but pivotal role as a United States senator.

If you're seeking an old-fashioned dosage of supernatural horror, then this little-seen, underrated '80s gem will scratch that itch. Though the slow-burning nature of the movie may put some people off, it worked for this reviewer. The Changeling was made in a different cinematic era, when horror films designed for mature, patient adults was still possible. And, amazingly, no-one has tried to remake the film so far. Let's hope it stays that way.

8.3/10

"You're nicked!"

Cop thrillers are a dime a dozen these days, with most relegated to the direct-to-DVD realm while only a select few are actually deemed good enough for theatrical distribution. With both TV shows and motion pictures exploring the same type of cops-and-criminals content, the genre has no more novelty to it. Which is perhaps the biggest issue facing 2012's The Sweeney, director Nick Love's modern-day adaptation of the cop show of the same name from the 1970s. However, it's not all bad. Having never seen the original show, I cannot comment on the quality of the adaptation, but Love's movie actually works as its own standalone entity. In keeping with Outlaw and The Football Factory, The Sweeney exhibits Love's penchant for big-screen machismo, with violence, action, macho posturing and profanity aplenty. As long as you're not expecting an Oscar-worthy masterpiece which breathes fresh life into its genre, there's a lot to enjoy in this stylishly produced action-thriller.

Jack Regan (Ray Winstone) is a hard-edged London detective, a member of the unorthodox police unit known as the Flying Squad. While under scrutiny from Internal Affairs, Regan and his squad begin investigating the robbery of a jewellery store which resulted in the death of an innocent civilian. Regan and partner George Carter (Ben Drew, a.k.a. Plan B) suspect career criminal Francis Allen (Paul Anderson) is involved, but the rabbit hole goes deeper than they anticipated. Complicating matters is Jack's secretive relationship with fellow officer Nancy Lewis (Hayley Atwell), and the fact that the Squad may be shut down due to their controversial methods and their unwillingness to follow orders.

For the record, "Sweeney Todd" is cockney rhyming slang for "Flying Squad," therein justifying the title.

It's apparent Love was aiming for something akin to Michael Mann's Heat, even emulating a failed bank robbery which leads to a massive shootout spanning multiple public locations. But whereas Heat was mature entertainment which spent a large chunk of its three-hour running time exploring its protagonist's personal life, The Sweeney is more concerned with police investigation and action. Plus, Love's film is not as airtight from a scripting perspective, with the writing containing its fair share of dumb character moments and manufactured "movie" moments. Added to this, there's not a great deal of nuance or subtlety to the screenplay, which was written by Love and co-writer John Hodge (Trainspotting). Still, The Sweeney does succeed as a piece of action-thriller entertainment thanks to brisk pacing and engaging storytelling, even if everything is wrapped up way too tidily.

The Sweeney was reportedly produced on a scant £2 million budget, which translates to less than $4 million American. Frankly, it looks like Love was working with a far more generous sum, as the film carries a polished, expensive look which is easily as impressive as any $50 million actioner. Most notable are the fluid, hard-hitting shootouts, including an intense fire-fight through Trafalgar Square and a nail-biting cat-and-mouse in an underground car park. Though Simon Dennis' cinematography is at times on the shaky side, it's tolerable for the most part, and the slick photography is complemented by crisp sound editing and Lorne Balfe's thunderous Hans Zimmer-inspired score. Interestingly, the Top Gear crew apparently filmed some of the car chases. Now that's being efficient and creative with one's budget.

Those outside of England may have trouble understanding the actors here, as the accents are thick and the characters spout an endless array of peculiar Pommy slang. At the centre of the film, Winstone is a terrific protagonist, with just enough charm to let us like him in spite of his character's downfalls and immoral tendencies. Drew, meanwhile, is strictly okay as Winstone's partner in crime. He has the right physicality to be a police officer, but he's not always credible as a gun-toting tough guy. Hayley Atwell (Captain America: The First Avenger) also appears here, and she's predictably lovely as Nancy. Also of note is Paul Anderson (what an unfortunate name...), who's effective as one of the villains here.

As perhaps to be expected since the film is based on a television show, Love visibly has franchise potential in mind, as the ending leaves room wide open for further adventures of these characters. It's an appetising enough offer, but it's doubtful that the underwhelming box office performance will have investors clambering for more. In final analysis, The Sweeney is an entertaining, hard-boiled thriller; the action is arresting and the film was assembled with panache, but it's nevertheless not narratively complex or intricate enough to rise to the same level as The Departed or Heat.

6.9/10

"Nobody could've landed that plane like I did."

Though Robert Zemeckis has spent the last decade dabbling in motion-capture and animation, his skills as a live-action director have not diminished in the slightest. Returning to live-action for the first time since Cast Away, 2012's Flight is one of Zemeckis' most thematically heavy, dark and outright dramatic picture in years, dabbling in R-rated territory (an area very rarely explored by the filmmaker) as he deals with addiction and the grim side of humanity in an uncompromising fashion. Due to this, Flight is not an especially pleasurable viewing experience, and movie-goers expecting fluffy entertainment should look elsewhere. Nonetheless, this is a competently-produced and superbly acted motion picture which deserves to be seen by a wide audience.

Airline pilot Whip Whitaker (Denzel Washington) has unparalleled expertise when at the controls of a plane, but he's a compulsive alcoholic and cocaine user unable to control his addictions. On a routine trip one morning, Whip's plane begins to fall apart in the air, sending it into a dive. Whip manages to save the plane in a miraculous feat of skill, bringing the aircraft down onto an empty field, killing only six of the 104 people aboard the flight. Whip is immediately branded a hero due to the amount of lives he saved, but he seeks to elude the spotlight and battle his personal demons without consistent media exposure. When a blood test shows that Whip was high on cocaine and was over the legal alcohol limit on the day of the flight, corporate lawyer Hugh Lang (Don Cheadle) is brought in to keep Whip out of prison and prove that the airline manufacturer was at fault. As Whip begins to rehabilitate, he befriends a junkie named Nicole (Kelly Reilly) who similarly wants to clean up her act.

Your response to Flight depends on your expectations. Despite the initial crash being a focal point of the trailers and advertisements, it happens about half an hour into the picture, and what follows is not a typical survival or disaster movie. Rather, the rest of Flight's story concerns Whip as he attempts to stay sober, deals with the impending legal proceedings and nurses his relationship with Nicole. Whip is a fascinatingly complex creation, a mix of admirable and reprehensible traits, and it's possible to root for him to succeed even though he deserves his comeuppance and we know it. What makes Flight noteworthy is the grey moral area probed by John Gatins' screenplay. It carefully introduces the possibility that Whip's piloting abilities may be enhanced by drugs and alcohol, and the plane might not have been saved had he been sober. Whip leans on his colleagues to testify that he was sober and in control on the flight, even though they're conscious that he was intoxicated. Furthermore, Whip's lawyer goes to great lengths to eliminate the toxicology report that incriminates him despite Whip admitting he was under the influence of cocaine and booze. The ending, however, takes a refreshingly unexpected direction, though it spells out everything in a really pat and on-the-nose manner.

Zemeckis gets major plaudits for his handling of the opening half-hour. Everything is efficiently set up during this time, and it would be an understatement to say that the plane diving sequence is amazing. Flight was reportedly produced on a modest $31 million, yet the technical specs are spot-on. The crash scenario is riveting, sold with first-rate visual effects, an immediate sound design and taut editing, finding Zemeckis at the top of his game. The set-piece also develops Whip as a fearless character. Flight earns its R rating, as the drug material is graphic and there's a surprising amount of nudity in the picture's opening act. Indeed, in the first scene there's full-frontal female nudity, and the picture soon shifts to a porn film set. It's unbelievable to think that this was directed by the same guy responsible for Romancing the Stone, Back to the Future and Who Framed Roger Rabbit?.

Washington earned himself a well-deserved Oscar nomination for Best Actor for his work here. It's a transformative performance, the type which steals accolades and awards. Refusing to let his ego get in the way, he allows himself to look unflattering here; flabby, out of shape, arrogant, pathetic, and an addict. The actor embraced the chance to play Captain Whitaker, resulting in a portrayal that he'll be remembered for. Meanwhile, Goodman has a tiny but memorable supporting role as Whip's drug-dealing pal, inserting a degree of comedy into the proceedings that actually gels with the otherwise serious disposition of the picture. A lot of the heavy acting lifting, though, is done by Bruce Greenwood and Cheadle as Whip's well-meaning friend and his attack-dog lawyer, respectively. The politics surrounding their motivations to try and get Whip off the hook are understandable, giving us something to mentally chew on after the end credits expire. James Badge Dale also makes an absorbing cameo playing a cancer patient who meets Whip in the hospital. Then there's Reilly, who's superb as heroin addict Nicole. Whip's relationship with Nicole feels underdone, however, and it feels as if more could've been done.

Flight at times feels too much like a manufactured movie, and perhaps it is overlong at around 140 minutes. Nevertheless, Washington's performance is a true tour de force, and the film is guided by Zemeckis' exceptionally sure directorial hand. Flight is a high quality drama and a compelling look at the grim aspects of addiction. It's well worth checking out, but only if you can stomach the exceedingly adult content.

7.9/10

"in theory, if bin Laden isn't there, you can sneak away and no one will be the wiser. But bin Laden is there. And you're going to kill him for me."

There is little doubt that the story behind the killing of Osama bin Laden will be told and retold across multiple motion pictures in the years to come. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, 2012's Zero Dark Thirty is the first cinematic retelling of the event, and it's such an enthralling and well-made feature film that there's probably no point making another movie covering the same ground. Zero Dark Thirty - which is a reference to the military term for half past midnight, when bin Laden's compound was stormed - is an absorbing account of the meticulous investigation to find the suspected terrorist, and it will prove to be a gratifying watch for anyone with the patience to stick with it. The real strength of Bigelow's film is its plausibility; without exaggerating the truth, Bigelow has created one hell of a potboiler, a classy, gritty, dense and sumptuous thriller welcomely free of melodrama.

To set the tone, Zero Dark Thirty commences with a prologue featuring real-life recordings of 9/11 victims asking for help. It's a chilling way to open the film, yet it's necessary, as it establishes the motivation for everything that's about to occur and it reiterates the true horror of 9/11. Arriving in Pakistan two years after the tragedy, young CIA analyst Maya (Jessica Chastain) meets fellow agent Dan (Jason Clarke) who specialises in torturing suspects. Dan eventually comes up with a few leads, beginning an almost ten-year odyssey for Maya as she pieces together information and tries to track down Osama bin Laden. As the years go by, breakthroughs grow scarcer, and Maya's irritation is heightened, especially with suicide bombings continuing to claim lives in the region. Eventually, however, Maya finds a promising lead when she discovers a fortified compound with secretive inhabitants.

Fresh off the success of The Hurt Locker, Bigelow began setting up a movie about the ongoing, increasingly frustrating hunt for bin Laden, and she was close to entering production. Reportedly, the film was intended to end on a downbeat, inconclusive note, with bin Laden disappearing after the battle of Tora Bora, potentially never to be seen again. But Osama's sudden death rendered the concept irrelevant, compelling the filmmaker to rethink her movie. Bravely, it seems Bigelow essentially made the film she initially wanted to make, incorporating the operation that led to bin Laden's death but not letting the happy ending change the story's tone or catharsis. Zero Dark Thirty follows Maya for years, watching her pursue leads, chase red herrings, encounter dead ends and deal with her superiors, all of which is glimpsed in excruciating detail. It's laudable for Bigelow and writer Mark Boal to really dig into the ins and outs of this agonisingly prolonged investigation, but it does not always translate to an engaging viewing experience, and sometimes it's hard to discern what's happening and why. Nevertheless, there is a lot to admire in the film's construction, specifically in regards to the lack of bias and judgment. There's no gung-ho military-style propaganda here or any political agenda; Boal's script simply shows us what happened and asks us to draw our own conclusions. It's refreshing.

Zero Dark Thirty catapults to greatness in its final hour, when Maya and her team locate the house which may or may not be Osama's current hideout. We all know how it ends, but the specifics are hazy to the average viewer, hence it's riveting to watch the politics play out as Maya awaits the green light for the operation with heightened irritation. The climactic raid on the compound is one of the most thrilling set-pieces of the year, thirty minutes of edge-of-your-seat tension as the SEAL team scrupulously move from room to room. Ultra-realistic military operations are not often seen in films since they're unexciting, but Bigelow makes the assault both incredibly realistic and every bit as engrossing as any action movie. Another huge strength of Bigelow's is her ability to stretch a dollar. Zero Dark Thirty was produced for a scant $40 million, yet it looks far more expensive, with spot-on costume design and sets (the recreation of bin Laden's compound is remarkable), as well as the superlative cinematography by Greig Fraser. Bigelow stages a number of scenes depicting suicide bombings, and they're terrifying due to their staggering immediacy.

Chastain is a revelation, carrying the film with incredible acting prowess that puts veteran actors to shame. Chastain is often glimpsed in supporting roles, but Zero Dark Thirty foregrounds the actress, and it's her most impressive work to date. It must be stressed that the role of Maya was not a real-life person; she's a fictionalised composite of a number of real-life CIA analysts who met with Mark Boal and helped in his research. Maya admittedly lacks depth and we never get a sense of her life outside the workplace, but that seems to be on purpose since she has given everything up for her job and only realises this once she's met her goals. Fortunately, the supporting cast is strong all-round. Clarke is a terrific presence as Maya's colleague, and Kyle Chandler is a perfect fit for Maya's station chief. Mark Strong is also present here, remarkably playing a non-villainous role and doing a top-notch job. Meanwhile, James Gandolfini is a believable bureaucrat, and Joel Edgerton makes the most of his limited screen-time as a member of SEAL Team Six. Even Scott Adkins shows up here for all of five minutes.

Although Zero Dark Thirty begins with a title explaining that it's based on first hand accounts of true events, it's unclear how accurate this portrayal of the manhunt truly is. It would therefore be smart to accept the film as a dramatisation of real-life events, rather than a documentary. And as a dramatisation, Bigelow's feature excels. It will be interesting to see where Bigelow goes next, and see if she continues to pump out Oscar-worthy motion pictures.

8.2/10

"Some people will say that not all witches are evil, that their powers could be used for good. I say burn them all!"

2013's Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters is a flick in the same vein as last year's Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, as it carries a title and premise so thoroughly ridiculous that it's hard to believe a studio actually agreed to fund it. Shot in 2011 but shelved for ten months, Hansel & Gretel is good cheesy fun, a guilty pleasure of a horror-comedy with witches, ghouls, trolls and badass warriors. Surprisingly, Will Ferrell and Adam McKay - who collaborated on such comedies as Anchorman and Step Brothers - are actually credited as producers, which should give you an idea of the sort of tone the film adopts. With that said, though, the movie only takes off on occasion, as it too often halts the excitement to focus on leaden storytelling. It shouldn't be too hard to make an unapologetically silly flick with this premise, but the ultimate outcome is a mixed bag.

A revisionist version of the famous fable, the story begins as Hansel (Jeremy Renner) and Gretel (Gemma Arterton) are abandoned in the forest as children and stumble upon a house made entirely of candy. It turns out a witch lives in the house who wants to eat the kids, but Hansel and Gretel throw the old hag in the oven instead. Fast-forward a few years, and the pair have grown up to become famous witch hunters. Summoned to the grim village of Augsburg by Mayor Engleman (Rainer Bock), Hansel and Gretel are tasked with retrieving stolen children and bringing the witch responsible to justice. Feeling out the community as they search for master witch Muriel (Famke Janssen), the duo immediately lock horns with the local sheriff (Peter Stormare). With Muriel looking to use the impending Blood Moon event to gift the local witch population with immense power, Hansel and Gretel seek help from comely villager Mina (Pihla Viitala), fan Ben (Thomas Mann) and a lonely trolled named Edward (Derek Mears).

Written and directed by Norwegian filmmaker Tommy Wirkola (2009's Dead Snow), Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters exhibits a host of creative ideas. After consuming copious amounts of candy as a child, Hansel develops diabetes and hence requires insulin shots on a constant basis. The troll, Edward, is another stroke of brilliance; a Jim Henson-esque creation (pulled off with practical effects) who's actually afforded some dimension. The film suffers, though, from a saggy midsection. Hansel & Gretel runs a scant 85 minutes, yet it outstays its welcome since it's a very one-note premise. While it's nice to see some attempt at actual storytelling, a lot of stuff feels like padding, including a romance subplot between Hansel and Mina that fails to gain much traction. One gets the sense that Wirkola should have cut loose and gone the whole B-movie hog. As it is, Hansel & Gretel only works in pieces.

It's refreshing that Wirkola pursued an R-rated product. It may seem like an odd creative decision, but it makes the movie a thorough guilty pleasure. The swearing gives the one-liners more punch, and it's a sheer delight to see witches being obliterated in showers of blood and viscera. The climactic showdown with a witch congregation is worth the price of admission alone. Wirkola has admitted he was influenced by the early works of Sam Raimi and Peter Jackson, both of whom excelled at ultra-violent horror-comedy. Hence, prepare to witness lots of good-natured, over-the-top gore. But while the major set-pieces are enjoyable, there's not enough awesome mayhem. Furthermore, Hansel & Gretel is let down by Michael Bonvillain's drab, ugly cinematography. It's bathed in the typical "orange and teal" digital look, and the picture is often too dark, a flaw only exacerbated by the 3-D. A bright, vibrant colour palette, or even a more filmic look could've made the movie a lot more enjoyable. Also, did anyone else notice that the witches kill everyone on sight but often choose to flee from Hansel and Gretel even after disarming them?

Renner clearly had a ball playing Hansel here, putting on a great poker face to sell the campy absurdity. He's amiable as an action hero, alternating between charming and intense. But it's Arterton who makes the biggest impression, getting into the spirit of the movie and doing her best Han Solo impression to play Gretel. Surprisingly, she's the one with the potty mouth, and the actress is great with one-liners. In the supporting cast, Famke Janssen looks to be an autopilot, while Stormare does a decent job as the arrogant sheriff who doesn't want Hansel and Gretel to diminish his bravado.

When it works, Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters is a real treat, a satisfying illustration of empty-calorie entertainment which is perfect for late-night viewing with beer and pizza. If you can accept the silliness and get in tune with the picture's sense of humour, there's fun to be had here, even though the movie is incredibly flawed.

6.1/10

"Just when I thought this couldn't get more offensive..."

I saw an early afternoon screening of Movie 43, in a cinema with only six other patrons. The flick played to what can only be described as stunned, staggering, awkward silence. At no point did any of the patrons laugh or even guffaw. Instead, everyone sat in their seats, absolutely depressed and uncomfortable, yearning for the torture to cease. Movie 43 carries the tagline, "Once you see it, you cannot un-see it," but this is actually more of a warning that you should absolutely heed. It's a film designed to shock you and make you laugh, but it will only make you consistently yawn and check your watch. In fact, the only shocking thing about Movie 43 is that so many wonderful actors took part in this travesty.

The story is framed around crazed would-be screenwriter Charlie (Dennis Quaid), who's anxious to sell a few film pitches to studio executive Griffin (Greg Kinnear). His first idea is a tale about a woman named Beth (Kate Winslet) who goes on a blind date with a wealthy bachelor (Hugh Jackman) whose testicles are attached to his neck. In another of Charlie's ideas, Anna Faris plays someone who wants her boyfriend (Chris Pratt) to defecate on her. There's also a segment in which a high-powered executive (Richard Gere) is trying to figure out why young boys are inserting their fingers and penises into the "iBabe," a portable music player shaped like a naked woman which has a fan vent in the vaginal region. If any of this sounds funny, it really isn't. At one stage, Griffin becomes fed up with Charlie's woeful ideas and tells him to leave his office, but Charlie pulls a pistol and threatens to shoot Griffin if he doesn't listen to the rest of his ideas and buy them. Frankly, if I were given the choice between a bullet to the head and watching more of Movie 43, I would've chosen the fucking bullet.

In essence, Movie 43 basically asks us to watch cinematic treatments of ideas that everyone in the film acknowledges are terrible. Yes, that's the premise, and hence Movie 43 is meant to be bad, but that does not excuse its terribleness. Shit, unfunny ideas are shit, unfunny ideas, even if everyone is self-aware.

The brainchild of director Peter Farrelly, Movie 43 was in production for about four years, with the filmmaker waiting for actors and directors to become available to shoot their segments. It's a good idea in theory since it allowed Farrelly to assemble one of the biggest casts of A-list actors in history, but the result is completely dire, with nobody able to enliven the dire material. Irritatingly, some of the sketches are actually built on promising conceptual frameworks, but everything is obnoxiously laughless when translated to the big screen. Moreover, Movie 43 had the freedom of an R-rating to give its comedy more bite. What a shame the makers treated the opportunity like 15-year-old boys, favouring lazy gross-out jokes and haphazard swearing in lieu of genuine wit. Some PG-rated comedies are funnier than this. Fuck, YouTube users are capable of funnier content, which they make on the cheap and release for free. There's no fucking reason for a $5 million theatrical comedy to be so thoroughly dreary.

The only thing remotely funny in the picture's entire 90-minute running time is one cleverly self-deprecating line from Seth MacFarlane that was most likely improvised. As for the rest, the filmmakers rely on horrendous humour, with Halle Berry using her breast to make guacamole, and Chloë Grace Moretz smearing period blood all over her boyfriend's house. Oh, and Stephen Merchant gets a tattoo of a large dick on the side of his mouth, complete with cum dripping from its tip. Naomi Watts even plays a mother who home-schools her child and chooses to be his first sexual encounter. I swear to God I'm not making any of this up. Once the film ends, there's an outtake reel and apparently an additional vignette after the end credits expire. I cannot comment on the quality of either, as I walked straight out of the cinema as fast as I could once I saw the credits appearing.

It is only February, yet Movie 43 is the worst movie of 2013. Not the worst so far...it is the worst, period. It is scientifically impossible for any other release this year to be worse. At least movies like The Room and Plan 9 From Outer Space possess a certain charm due to their awfulness. Movie 43, on the other hand, is just a stillborn - obnoxiously unfunny, lethally tedious, and completely unwatchable. In coming years, it will probably develop into somewhat of a cult curiosity, with the sublime cast list fooling viewers into at least giving it a shot. This makes it all the more disheartening that Movie 43 is not a better or funnier motion picture. Judging by the fact that the actors all refused to participate in promotion, it's clear that everyone regrets taking part. And now rising stars like Moretz and Emma Stone will have this gargantuan black mark on their filmographies.

0.7/10

"I am the president of the United States of America, clothed in immense power! You will procure me those votes!"

A restrained historical drama, 2012's Lincoln is a motion picture that reawakens old-school Steven Spielberg, finding the veteran filmmaker treading similar thematic ground to 1997's Amistad. The movie was actually a long time coming, with Spielberg expressing interest in an Abraham Lincoln feature in the 1990s and with DreamWorks securing the rights to Doris Kearns Goodwin's popular novel Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln in 2001. Working from a script by Munich screenwriter and acclaimed playwright Tony Kushner, Lincoln is a refreshing piece of work, one of the most accessible yet sophisticated political films in recent memory. It's an intimate yet majestic film about the towering historical figure, and it manages to be respectful but not maudlin or adoring. In short, it's a fine film, directed with a sure hand by Spielberg and superbly written by Kushner, and it features Daniel Day-Lewis who's a heroically enthralling Lincoln.

With the tumultuous Civil War raging on throughout America, President Abraham Lincoln (Day-Lewis) seeks to heal the nation and stop the violence. Turning his attention to abolitionism, the President proposes an amendment to the Constitution which would outlaw slavery and thus diminish one of the war's principal motivations. However, with the proposed 13th Amendment stirring up immense controversy in Washington, Lincoln faces an intense political battle to gain the votes he needs in order to get the amendment passed in Congress. Meanwhile, Lincoln's son Robert (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) returns from Harvard with wishes to join the Union Army and serve the nation.

Lincoln is a vehemently adult motion picture. The Civil War material is sidelined, rarely letting us glimpse battlefield violence. The film is mainly chatter in dimly-lit rooms, as the primary narrative emphasis is on Lincoln's political struggles as he works to pass the 13th Amendment. It's a dense picture dedicated to verbiage and drama, necessitating a lenient attention span or else you'll wind up hopelessly lost amid the whirlwind of talk and political machinations. What's interesting about Kushner's screenplay is that, even though it carries the all-encompassing title of Lincoln, it disposes of the typical "greatest hits" biopic structure, instead focusing on one page in the history book. A sprawling biopic might have been interesting to see, but this segment of Lincoln's life is so well-handled and dramatically satisfying that the creative decision works. Bafflingly, though, Kushner ultimately adopts a typical biopic ending, continuing the film past its logical conclusion all the way through to the assassination. It feels forced and obligatory, not to mention the movie starts to feel overlong once the amendment is passed.

As to be expected from Mr. Spielberg, Lincoln is handsomely produced and technically dexterous, stylishly shot by Janusz Kamiński and scored with finesse by the magnificent John Williams. The budget was a rather meagre $65 million, yet the recreation of 19th Century America is spot-on. On top of this, Kamiński shot on 35mm film stock, which affords the picture an old-fashioned aesthetic very befitting of the subject matter. The look of the movie is superb, with naturalistic lighting and several scenes shot in gorgeous outdoor locations. Commendably, Lincoln eschews Spielberg's trademark brand of saccharine-coated emotion; the tone is solemn throughout, and the inevitable conclusion to the story is not played for manipulative tear-wringing. Not everything works here, however, as there's a chintzy transition towards the film's end that feels like something from a television movie.

Liam Neeson was attached to play Lincoln for several years, but was ultimately replaced by Day-Lewis, who's perfect as the iconic President. There's a reason why films starring him are so few and far between - he's a real actor's actor, a man who carefully chooses his projects and disappears into every role he plays. On top of looking remarkably like Lincoln, Day-Lewis captures the President's decency and vulnerability, and the gentle voice he adopts here is apparently closer to the real-life man than something more commanding. Day-Lewis is not stiff and authoritative, but instead soft-spoken and contemplative, yet always engaging. Providing solid support is Sally Field, who was nominated for an Oscar for her exceptional performance as Mary Todd Lincoln. It's a portrayal brimming with passion, and she matches Day-Lewis every step of the movie. Also excellent is Tommy Lee Jones, a colourful scene-stealer as Thaddeus Stevens. Jones earned an Oscar nomination and it's easy to see why. Digging further into the supporting cast, there's David Strathairn, Tim Blake Nelson, Michael Stuhlberg, and even the aforementioned Gordon-Levitt as Robert Lincoln, the family's eldest son. There's not a dud performance in sight.

Lincoln is not always engrossing, and there are bits and pieces that feel overly manufactured (for instance, an opening scene in which Lincoln talks to a black soldier that's too on-the-nose), but the picture works for the most part. It presents a compelling portrait of this great man and chronicles a very important era in American history without descending into tedium. Spielberg maintains a nice sense of humour throughout, and the material feels accessible without being dumbed down. Although it's not as good as Schindler's List or Saving Private Ryan, it represents another career high for the veteran filmmaker.

7.9/10

"Throw one at me if you want, hash head. I've got all five senses and I slept last night, that puts me six up on the lot of you."

Brick is an interesting little flick, a motion picture you admire and appreciate for its ambitions rather than conventionally love or enjoy. Independently financed and produced on a paltry budget, the film is the directorial debut of Rian Johnson, who wrote the script in the mid-1990s and spent years trying to raise suitable financing. Ultimately amassing funds from friends and family, he set out to make the movie he wanted to make, and the result is a quality neo-noir thriller that deservedly developed into a cult classic. In essence, Brick is a contemporary film noir inspired by old-timey detective stories and classic films like Chinatown and Miller's Crossing. There's plenty of ingenuity in Johnson's superlative script, which took years to write, but the lack of budget and filmmaking experience somewhat betrays the project's ambitiousness.

In California, high school student Brendan Frye (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) receives a distressed phone call from his ex-girlfriend Emily (Emilie de Ravin) asking him for help. Baffled by Emily's call, Brendan sets out to investigate, enlisting the help of his friend The Brain (Matt O'Leary) to find her. But her dead body is soon discovered, prompting Brendan to uncover the full story behind what happened to the only girl he has ever loved. Combing his high school's seedy underbelly, Brendan becomes entangled in a perilous world fraught with drugs, femme fatales, stoners and crime figures, all of whom want to prevent him from finding answers.

Johnson did his homework. Since Brick is an overt homage to film noir, the writer-director read several hardboiled noir novels, most notably the works of Dashiell Hammett, including Red Harvest and The Maltese Falcon. In essence, the gimmick behind Brick is that Johnson transplants the noir clichés of the 1940s to a contemporary high school setting. Despite murder seeming out of place in school, the transplantation is surprisingly effective, incorporating a loner hero, a kingpin figure, a femme fatale with shady loyalties, and so on. Plus, the idea of drugs at school is not unheard of. Johnson's approach is distinctly neo-noir, giving the characters stylised, anachronistic dialogue. Indeed, the high schoolers speak in sophisticated, mannered bursts of verbiage, as if they've stepped right out of a noir from the '40s or '50s. Some compare Brick to Donnie Darko, which is a fair comparison. Like Richard Kelly's breakout feature, Brick is a small independent movie that's refreshing and original, with a conceptual framework more innovative than 99% of Hollywood's output.

Holding Brick back from lofty brilliance is, alas, the filmmaking. Johnson went on to become a remarkable director, yet he was still finding his feet here, and it's obvious. Although the cinematography is often cleverly old-fashioned and evokes the noirs of yesteryear, the pacing is too slow from time to time, and the film carries a rather amateurish glaze. One must imagine what Brick could have been like if it had been as stylishly crafted as something like Shane Black's Kiss Bang Bang. Still, there's a lot to admire about Brick, especially since it was made by a bunch of amateurs and reportedly edited on a home computer. Additionally, the music by Rian's brother Nathan is low-key but effective and stylish, adding a nice degree of atmosphere to the proceedings.

In 2005, mainstream audiences only knew Gordon-Levitt from his appearance on the television show 3rd Rock From the Sun, so Brick presented the rising star with the chance to stretch his acting range. And heavens me, Gordon-Levitt ran with the opportunity. He plays a much darker role here and brings a lot of maturity and density to his performance. Plus, he sounds just right delivering Johnson's unique brand of dialogue. Alongside him is Lukas Haas, who's exceptional as The Pin. Haas plays the role as someone of authority, yet a degree of vulnerability also shows through. Also excellent is Nora Zehetner playing Laura; she's an astoundingly beautiful presence who fits the material perfectly. She's a soft-spoken actress with limited range, yet she's always believable, and it's baffling that the actress has not yet catapulted to big-time stardom. Meanwhile, Aussie native Emilie de Ravin plays Emily here. The Lost actress is remarkable, handling the role's requirements with impressive finesse.

Although it has no mainstream appeal, Brick is a gritty, creative twist on film noir conventions that is enthralling more often than not. Despite its somewhat amateurish construction, it's a must-see for fans of indie films, noir classics and hardboiled detective tales. It's 110 minutes of strange characters, distinctively poetic dialogue, and an unusual, offbeat flavour. If you have the patience to stick with it, the film is well worth checking out.

7.7/10