MARTIN SCORSESE & NEW YORK CITY: A PERFECT PAIRING

Robert De Niro, Martin Scorsese & Harvey Keitel on the set
of Mean Streets (1973).

Martin Scorsese and the city of New York have a connection that is unrivalled by any other director
and location. The combination of some of Scorsese's most gritty and dark films from the 1970's (I'm talking Taxi Driver & Mean Streets) and the industrial streets of Manhattan just seem to click, and with the announcement of his latest feature, The Wolf of Wall Street (trailer), once again set in the Concrete Jungle, sees Scorsese filming in once again in New York.

Although this latest film is worlds away from his masterpieces in the '70s, shown both the switch to digital shooting and the diversion from his then dark and violent scripts, the film looks good. I wouldn't have guessed from the trailer that it was directed by Scorsese, perhaps Baz Luhrmann (it's very Gatsby-esque) or Wes Anderson. Perhaps he is trying to tell us that he is not a one-trick pony and that he has advanced alongside the technology and can use it just as good as these young'uns who seem to dominating mainstream cinema currently.

Perhaps the style of his '70s crime dramas is hard to achieve on the new digital cameras, after all, it was in fact the darkness, the lack of colours and the dingy, back alleys that propelled his films to the excellence in which they are viewed at, and now an audience expects crisp footage and perfect lighting. We have seen digitally shot crime dramas such as Gangster Squad gain a lot of criticism in being style of substance, being accused of trying too hard to get the feeling of the past in the film.
Scorsese is not willing to be held to these scrutinies, and therefore with the dying of the old technology and the birth of the new, Scorsese in a way has to let his old style die and birth a new style.

Now that I've said what I needed to say regarding the criticism that the films trailer has been getting (to be honest, I've not seen a lot, but what I have seen has been ridiculous), I can express my excitement and anticipation for this film. The trailer features a lot of comedy, something that Scorsese is relatively new to. This is exciting, and with the star cast of Leonardo Dicaprio and Matthew Mcconaughey along with comedy-god Jonah Hill, I think Scorsese will pull the film off and possibly get a Best Picture nomination at the upcoming Academy Awards.

This film oozes potential and the masses of praise I have seen online regarding the trailer completely outweigh the people criticising it. This film is definitely one to watch, and I cannot wait to see the pairing of Scorsese and New York City once again.

RECOMMENDATION: NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN

There has to be something in Ethan & Joel Coen's DNA that allows them to consistently write and direct brilliant films. Over the years, the brothers have shown time and time again that they are Gods of the film world, and No Country for Old Men, released in 2007, could possibly be the film they are remembered by in time to come.

This film is the very definition of a suspense thriller, the word 'suspense' should be in bold, italics and underlined. With nail-biting chase scenes that are more exhilarating than most horror films could wish for, at parts the film uses smart cinematography in order to project a sense of the unknown into the audience.
Following both the chaser and the chased throughout the film, when the camera seems to stop following the chaser, and focus on the chased at one particular point, we are propelled into the world of the character of Llewelyn Moss. In a dark motel room, the lights go out and footsteps are heard. Is it Anton Chigurh? Is it the motel desk clerk? Just another guest going for a late night smoke? It is almost as if the film makers have decided that if Llewelyn doesn't know, neither should we.

It is this classic example of the brilliance of the Coen Brother's work that sets them apart from many who have tried so hard to create something as wonderful as this film. The absolutely terrifying character of Anton Chigurh, played so brilliantly by Javier Bardem, haunts the audience for a lot longer than the two hours the film runs for. Showing sociopathic traits and a complete lack of remorse, the character seems to be a monster in a man's body. If Chigurh can look so normal, but act so monstrous, what's saying that the people we associate ourselves with in real life are as we see them. It is these small hints and doubts that the Coen Brothers put into this film that really make it something special.

In all honesty, a summary of the film's plot would not do it justice. This truly needs to be seen, the cinematography, script, acting and editing all combined make a phenomenal piece of cinema, one that's wider themes can be discussed for hours on end, the inevitability of time, getting older and death. This film will change your life.

WILL KILL BILL VOLUME 3 EVER HAPPEN?

In my opinion, the two Kill Bill films that Quentin Tarantino has made are his true masterpieces. Both Tarantino manner, the acting is amazing and most of all, the cinematography is beautifully inspired by old-school Japanese films. When it was announced that there is a possible Kill Bill: Vol 3, I freaked out. I am always preaching the brilliance of the pair of films to friends, family & anyone that will listen, really, and the chance for Tarantino to create a new addition to the pair over 9 years after the release of the last film in the series, I thought that it had the possibility to be the best of the three.
of them display an absolutely flawless plot executed in an extremely

Regarding an exchange between The Bride and Vernita Green's character in the first of the films, the sequel was set to show the child, grown up and carrying out her revenge on The Bride for the (spoiler alert) murder of her mother. The film has a lot of potential, I have always been interested by the exchange that takes place between the two characters, and think it has potential to be a kick-ass revenge film.

It has been said by Tarantino that he presumes the film won't happen, and as there is always lots and lots of films that a director wants to make, but cannot, it remains a mystery to the public whether or not the film will happen. I think the lack of clarification is interesting in itself, it allows fans of Tarantino's work to go back through the films and look more closely, picking out possible plots for a third film and using their own minds creatively. I certainly have a number of ideas that I think could be cool for a third film, one being "what actually happened to Elle Driver?", clearly a cunning and smart character, shown by her antics in the second film.

I'm going to keep praying that the movie Gods allow this film to happen, and you should too!

GETTING FAMILIAR WITH THE WORKS OF STANLEY KUBRICK

It is impossible to look at masterpieces of modern cinema without bringing up the works of Stanley Kubrick. Being the director of 16 films, his work was progressively more and more groundbreaking as time went on, and in this post, I will be talking about the three essential Kubrick film that you should watch as an introduction to his work.

The first film I will be recommending is 2001: A Space Odyssey. I cannot count the amount of times I have watched television programmes and interviews with directors and film critics and this film has been mentioned as the defining moment where the person in question knew they had to pursue a career in film. The film was released in 1968 and does require a lot of patience and interest from the audience, with over 20 minutes of the film passing before the first word is spoken. The film questions everything we know about existence, about space and about mans want to be in control. Questions that cannot be answered are raised through the most breathtaking images and sequences of film, and once the film is over, the audience are left one of a few ways (A) confused (B) in awe & (C) with their life being changed. I, myself, was left relating to all three. 

The film is utterly inspiring if the audience is willing to disregard all the differences in this sci-fi film and modern (as in- after the film was released, the beginning of CGI etc) sci-fi films, which, granted, can be hard to do, however the end result of having watched this film is one that will stay with you for a long, long time.

The next film is the deviously amazing A Clockwork Orange. This is one of Kubrick's most shocking films, leading Kubrick to ban the showing and selling of the film in the UK for his entire lifetime after reports that people were committing crimes similar to those in the film. The film tells the story of Alex Delarge, a teenager in a dystopian futuristic Great Britain. With some of the most memorable sequences of Kubrick's career (Singin' in the Rain, anyone?) and an impeccable performance by Malcolm McDowell, the film is a must watch for film students (believe me..) and cinema-lovers in general. 

The amount of justice this film deserves is unable to be explained with words, the images, characters and story speak for themselves entirely.

The final film in this list is my favourite of the three, The Shining. The Shining boasts some of the most groundbreaking work of Kubrick's time and is a how-to guide on character development, plot development and all-round how to make a movie. My favourite horror movie of all time, the combination of the beautifully haunting location, psychopathic characters and supernatural activity make for an extremely thrilling watch. The opening titles is one of my favourite moments of the film, a beautiful helicopter shot showing both the isolation of the setting and the beauty of the natural world. The screams in the music played over the shot are haunting, appearing to come from the trees and the ground, following the car and the characters inside, almost setting the film up in one long shot. As soon as I first saw the opening titles, I was gobsmacked and genuinely scared. 

There is not too much I can say regarding this film apart from watch it. It is absolutely amazing, and that is from someone who doesn't usually find horror films to be that appealing. 

As is evident from this post, I am a huge admirer of Kubrick's work, perhaps once you have watched all three films you'll move on to some of his classic films such as Lolita or Paths of Glory. Perhaps you'll even find yourself watching the terrifyingly long and dull period drama, Barry Lyndon and appreciating the highly stylised mise en scene. I hope this post provokes interest in people who perhaps have never had the final kick up the backside to get familiar with Kubrick's work, and I hope you enjoy the films.

RECOMMENDATION: MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO

My Own Private Idaho is Gus Van Sant's masterpiece. Loosely based on Shakespeare's plays Henry IV Part 1, Henry IV Part 2 & Henry V, the film tells the story of two hustlers/friends on a journey of self discovery. However don't let the intimidating Shakespearean play titles put you off watching the film, with only a few lines of original Shakespeare quotes in the film, it is truly its own piece of art, digressing from the original plays and becoming absolutely stunning in its own right.

River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves are perfect as their characters. The chemistry is evidently there when needed and in scenes where the two best friends are not feeling so close, the acting of both is superb in creating a hostile and tense environment.
The cinematography is beautiful also and combined with a breathtaking landscape (just watch the first 10 minutes to get an idea of what i'm talking about), the audience is left feeling the isolation and emotions of the characters as if it were themselves experiencing them.

With the content of the film being extremely dependent on the character's emotional states, the film is one that is likely to make you upset. We become attached to these two main characters and when their friendship is tested we feel uncomfortable and protective over them. I believe that this film is truly a groundbreaking piece of art for the early nineties. It has stood the test of time in my eyes, with numerous re-watches having taken place and the meaning and beauty of the film has never withered.

CINEWORLD UNLIMITED SECRET SCREENING REVEALED

On Monday 17th June, Cineworld treated their Unlimited Card holders to a screening of a film that isn't out in the UK yet. There was no information given as to what the film was, people just had to go to a cinema, collect their ticket and turn up on the night.

Being the curious cinema-goer that I am, obviously I went along to this event and was excited to find out what the film to be shown was going to be. There were numerous possibilities running through my mind, including everything from Only God Forgives to Despicable Me 2, however when the lights went down and the projector started rolling, we found out that it was Louis Leterrier's new film, Now You See Me.

The film was really good, much better than I had expected it to be, with standout performances from Melanie Laurent and Dave Franco, it was a pleasure to watch and I couldn't be happier with the picture they choose to preview. Although the film is already out in the US, it doesn't premiere in the UK until early July, so the advanced screening was pretty cool in giving people who love cinema enough to pay for an annual pass a little treat to say thank you.

The film's plot was extremely interesting and well carried out. Characters looking directly at the camera whilst performing tricks made the audience feel almost as though they were at the magic show in the diegesis and it added to the excitement of the audience. For a film revolving around a group of normal magicians trying to gain entry into the elite circle of magicians, the action is constant and the tension in some scenes was almost too much, propelling the audience into a world of deceit and illusion.

This film exceeded my hopes, and I am glad for the secrecy of the Secret Screening, allowing people who perhaps wouldn't go out of their way to watch this film view it and perhaps open their mind to genres that they previously haven't payed much attention to.

REVIEW: THE PURGE

I was really excited on my way to watch 'The Purge' last week. As I am not usually the biggest fan of horror or thriller films, I felt the concept of the film was interesting, a futuristic USA where one day a year all crime is legal. However, coming out of the film I was filled with bitter disappointment, and left feeling massively underwhelmed.

The cinema was quite busy, and due to the clever advertising of the film (there was nothing given away, really, apart from the one-line concept), everyone was exciting to be surprised and hopefully scared from the film. I think it sums it up pretty well to say at several points throughout the film, the whole audience bursted out laughing, leaving the film to take itself seriously while the audience digressed and found the situations comical.

A horror film needs to be seamless. That is how they are effective. The seams were most definitely showing in this film, the script had many plot holes and overall it was very monotonous to watch. The 'plot twists' were predictable right from the start of the film, and for a professional film, it seemed to be extremely amateur. It is not often I write a bad review, I like to see the positives in film, and perhaps Ethan Hawke's performance was something of credit, however I am not sure what Lena Headey was thinking when she accepted the role, providing a less than brilliant performance.

There's not much more I can say about this film, there was honestly not even enough substance to comment on anything in particular. Looking on the plus side, the few jump-scares were fun and the tense scene when the masked teens get into the house was exciting for a couple of minutes (i'm not even going to warn about spoiler alerts, you're not going to see this film are you?). Summed up in a sentence by my good friend:

"It was basically the strangers but with better masks"