Les Miserables

Nothing to be sad about

Victor Hugo’s classic story about Jean Valjean who after an extended prison sentence is released from hard labor and after finding it hard to survive being honest steals from a Bishop who offered him food and shelter but when caught instead of seeking retribution lies to protect Valjean and saves him from more hard time for breaking his parole, and from Javert the police officer hell bent on up holding the law. He then swears to change for the good and help others as he was once helped but can only do this by creating a new identity and running from the law, Valjean becomes a factory owner and a town mayor but still haunted by Javert. After unwittingly causing Fantine a factory worker to lose her job thus forcing her to a life of prostitution after her death swears to protect her daughter, living with the Thenardiers (played by Cohen and Carter).

If you like musicals you will love this film it captures the performance and the power of signing live by recording whilst filming rather then being dubbed over in the edit, in the same way people prefer vinyl to a digital copy. You feel you are getting a performance rather then a note perfect piece of cinema. Although Russell Crowe might not be the best singer in the world his performance is more then adequate and holds his own against the fantastic performances from the rest of the cast, which is a great bit casting and really makes this film. One of the biggest surprises was the appearance of Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter who don't have the longest scene time but have a huge impact and provide some humous moments and work off each other fantastically well and are a great double act. Musicals might be out of fashion with hollywood but when they are done well like this it becomes as close to watching a live performance on stage as you can get. Even if you aren't a fan of musicals and are being forced to watch this you wont feel that you are being tortured its size and majesty makes it worth seeing at the cinema or will get the best out of any good home cinema system, although you get the feeling it will get many showings on the big screen and will become a favorite with the sing-a-long crowd just as The Rocky Horror Picture Show and The Sound of the Music have. A long film but plenty going on to keep you entertained if there was one criticism that would the cockney accents the young kids seem to have towards the end, i know it’s a Brit film but it is based in France so found this a bit odd but nothing major.


Verdict: If you like a musical you will love this if you don’t you cant help but be impressed, well worth a Cinema visit, and guys it will get you browny points with your girlfriends.

Wreck it Ralph

Ralph, a bad guy video game character tired of being cast as the bad guy and wants to hang out with the good guys, unlike others in the bad guy support group who have accepted their role in life he goes on a quest to change his status and hops to other games via the power cables to achieve said good guy status. As a fan of both classic Disney films and the newer Pixar films I couldn’t help but feel disappointed in this film it neither gives you the heart warming feeling of the classics or the witty humor of the modern classics. Its not that its a bad film but just misses the mark of what we have come to expect, we have been spoilt in the past and as other films have managed to attract both young and older audiences you have to say that this is purely for the younger audience. Which gives it a problem to that it references lots of video games of the past which the younger viewers aren’t going to recognize, so even though its nice to see these characters it just seems like an attempt to inject some life into some dead franchises whilst creating a new one. It seems a shame as the voice talent are spot on with John C. Reilly, Jane Lynch and Sarah Silverman’s character couldn’t have come sooner and would love to see her do more voice roles as she just has one of those great voices. It just seemed to miss the mark and for Jonathan Ross to say it is as good as Toy Story 1,2 and 3 is also missing the mark, there’s been worse Disney films but cant help but feel this one will be forgotten quickly. Its animation style reminds you of Pixar but they must had felt it misses the mark by not putting it under the Pixar name and feel it should be a series on the Disney channel rather then in the cinemas.

Verdict: One for the kids but don’t expect a classic

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Follows the story Charlie a freshmen on the outside of High School but ends up being part of a group of friends in their senior year and falls in love with Sam played by Emma Watson. It might seem that you have heard the story before, boy meets girl etc or even seen a million coming of age stories but this is worth making it one million and one. It deals with more then just your average coming of age story and seems more real then most as it deals with problems that not everybody goes through but yet no matter your age or era you went to school you cant help but identify with certain points in the movie. It might not be the big box office smash and earn millions in tickets sales but as with most of these types of films it will find its audience and a loyal one at that, and thats were it will make its money and more so its place in movie history. Some films are fireworks bang and then they are gone and some are slow burners and this one is just being lit. Its nice to see Emma Watson and Paul Rudd do something you don't expect them to but the film belongs to Logan Leman, who plays Charlie. Even if you spent money at the cinema you wouldn’t have seen it as wasted money but you have to be warned its not a light hearted glee fest of high school and deals with the trials of tribulations that can happen in high school these days or even in the nighties where “perks” is set although this is done subtly and isn’t a era cliche laden film like “Hot Tub Time Machine”. It centers on the characters and is done very well it might not be everybody's cup of tea given the serious issues covered but a more relatable coming of age film to most teens then the awful “Twilight” films. Yet at the same time people of an older generation should be able to empathize with the film and enjoy it for what it is.

Verdict: Will be a classic when its found its audience, or to the point when it's audience finds it.

  

I Am Not a Hipster

Where to start, to put it short it’s a good independent film, and gives you what you expect from an independent film, original story and gives you something to think about. Although it might take a little bit of time to really get going it’s worth it. It gives some commentary on what fame means these days even if it is just local fame and the traps that come with it and what you have to deal with from other people, even if it’s unwanted or un-intentional fame. It also deals with the wanna be’s that want to be something. It’s setting of the San Diego Indie Music and Art scene works well, even if you like me know nothing about it and throws up some good questions on real talent vs fame and just because you are famous doesn’t mean you are talented, and one person’s can of baked beans is another’s piece of art. In my opinion the writer/director Destin Cretton does what many film makers have failed to do in the past, and that is to link lots of different elements into a enjoyable film that is ideal if want to chill out and fancy something different.

The lead role is played well by Dominic Bogart Dominic Bogart and is the first film i have seen him in but reminds me of dare i say it Heath Ledger in the sense of looks but also his honest natural acting style and hope i see him in more films. The only thing I wasn’t a fan of was the style in which it was filmed “shaky cam” I personally don’t like it when people have to shove the fact that it’s not a big budget film down your throat by not holding the camera steady, it just smacks of trying to hard to be “real” the story should do that and does here, that being said it’s not too bad and you soon get used to it and really is a minor point. (from what i'v been told about this film)

In summary I think this film is well worth a watch but might be better suited to watching it on Television or on DVD and is worth having in your collection (when it’s released) rather then going to see it with a load of mates at the cinema.

Verdict: Worth buying on DVD