Green Lantern (2011)

Film: Green Lantern (2011)

Director: Martin Campbell

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Mark Strong

This was always going to be a tricky one. Martin Campbell and Ryan Reynolds had a massive job on their hands to make Green Lantern a success. First of all, the film had to be good enough and big enough to please the masses - to pull in the punters off the street to see this blockbuster, to generate the cash to rationalise this expensive movie. But the biggest task that Campbell and Reynolds faced was pleasing the fanboys, the men and women who have been following the character for years in the comics. Now I love Green Lantern and Hal Jordan in the comics, he's quickly become one of my favourite characters in the DC universe over the last few months as we built up to the film's release. My graphic novel collection of Geoff John's tales of the Green Lantern Corps has been expanding at a pace that my bank balance probably won't be able to sustain. So I knew the back-story and the history entering the cinema last night and knew what to expect to a degree, but I would never consider myself a rabid fanboy that craves absolute authenticity and would burn down the Warner Bros. studio if the people responsible got it all wrong. I'm not that mental...

Still, I wanted a faithful representation of the character with a good story and that's largely what I got, contrary to what the merciless critics and fanboys have said in the press. Martin Campbell is a good director but I thought he was perhaps an odd choice for a super-hero movie, especially one so detached from reality like this. I loved Goldeneye, and Casino Royale is my favourite Bond film ever but Green Lantern is a world away (literally) from the other films on his CV. However I thought he did a commendable job with what was always going to be an incredibly difficult movie - it was never going to satisfy everybody. With a film that was going to rely heavily on CGI, which I usually hate, Campbell told the story well and it was enjoyable for the majority of the 105 minutes. On the topic of CGI I could see no faults with any of it and I simply sat back and embraced what was happening on screen. If you start to analyse these types of films too much, you'll run into a mess that will undoubtedly make you miss the whole point of the movie.

The cast were decent throughout and good on the whole. Ryan Reynolds was a natural Hal Jordan, more so when he was out of costume but he seemed to grow into the role as his character did, embracing what it means to be a Green Lantern over the course of the film. It was crucial to get the right guy for the lead and I can think of few actors out there more suited to Hal Jordan than Reynolds. Peter Sarsgaard was the baddie, the evil Hector Hammond and he was actually a lot better than I was expecting. In every trailer and in all the build-up I felt that if there was going to be any weak link in Green Lantern it would be Sarsgaard's Hammond but I was pleasantly surprised. The makeup was probably too over-the-top and his dialogue a bit iffy but he was menacing and dangerous and Sarsgaard did a good job with a character who must have been a nightmare to try and replicate on screen; overall, Sarsgaard wasn't half bad and didn't bring down the movie as much I as I thought he could have. Blake Lively performed well in the time she was given and like her role in The Town, she was perfect as the eye candy and had good chemistry with Reynolds. Some criticised her for being a poor representation as Carol Ferris but I didn't see it, Lively was more than acceptable. Perhaps the best performance in Green Lantern came from Mark Strong who was excellent as Sinestro, another difficult character to get right. Lots of people have said that the relationship between Hal and Sinestro was underwhelming and that it felt incomplete but Campbell and the writers can't fit everything in and what scenes Strong was in, he was fantastic. I felt he was a terrific as Sinestro and my mate practically jizzed when he saw Strong pull on that yellow ring at the end. It was a good moment for sure.

To conclude, Green Lantern wasn't a great superhero film but it was good enough, in my opinion. It certainly had its flaws but it also had its moments too, and overall the film was enjoyable. As a comics fan I loved seeing the characters I enjoy reading about on the big screen. Put it this way: if you can't tell your Hal Jordan from your Tomar Re and have no idea about the history of the character or what to expect, I don't expect you'll enjoy this film. Kids will love it for the action but people unfamiliar with the Green Lantern universe might struggle to embrace the idea. Its not like the story is hard to understand but to Green Lantern newcomers, the movie probably isn't the best place to start as you're kind of thrown into it and rushed through. There is a rich history to the characters on screen that this film, and probably any other rendition, cannot capture like its paper-based predecessors have done.

A More Enjoyable Reality Rating: 6.5/10

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Water For Elephants (2011)

Film: Water For Elephants (2011)

Director: Francis Lawrence

Starring: Robert Pattinson, Reese Witherspoon, Christoph Waltz

Like Your Highness, I saw Water For Elephants over a month ago and was in the final stretch of my dissertation so didn't really have the time to review it. Based on Sara Gruen's novel, Water For Elephants sees Jacob Jankowski's (Pattinson) world turned upside down with the sudden death of his parents. Jacob has to abandon his studies as veterinary student at Cornell University as the reality dawns on him that he is now homeless and penniless in the time of the Great Depression. One evening whilst walking along a train-track, Jacob decides to hop aboard the next locomotive, which just so happens to belong to the travelling circus menagerie known as the Benzini Brothers. Jacob runs into the circus's unstable leader August (Waltz) and his beautiful wife Marlena (Witherspoon) but soon puts his talents as a vet to use and becomes one of the circus's crew. Soon Jacob becomes entwined in a dangerous love triangle with Marlena that threatens the livelihood of the entire circus as well as his life, as the unpredictable and possessive August is never faraway.

Now a film starring Twilight sensation Robert Pattinson would never normally be at the top of my list but my girlfriend had just finished reading the book and raved about it, plus the trailer interested me for some reason. I agreed to see Water For Elephants and any misconceptions I had about it being a chick-flick or a Pattison love-fest were quickly dashed within the first twenty minutes of the film. I thoroughly enjoyed Water For Elephants and it surpassed any expectations I had going into the cinema.

Pattinson was (surprisingly) very good as Jacob. I know the guy gets a lot of crap for his stuff in Twilight but the dude can act and he was really good in this. Reese Witherspoon was also good and I disagree with what many of the critics said about her giving a lacklustre performance in the film. In Empire's review, Angie Errigo said "Witherspoon, it is said, loved the book. One suspects it was the costumes she loved best here," but I disagree as I personally felt Witherspoon was terrific. I had heard going in that the film was somewhat spoilt by a lack of chemistry between Pattinson and Witherspoon but again I saw no cause for concern. Perhaps their chemistry was not as electric as some on-screen relationships in the past have been but I've certainly seen a lot worse. Despite Pattinson and Witherspoon giving quality performances, one man steals the show and its no surprise that man is Christoph Waltz. His performance as the volatile August harks back to when I first saw him in Inglourious Basterds, as he was equally edgy and erratic, not to mention terrifying, as the circus's ringleader. Every moment Waltz was on screen you couldn't tell what he'd do next and some of his scenes with Pattinson were incredibly uncomfortable to watch (a good thing). Waltz certainly relished in his role as the villain and you really come to hate him as the movie progresses, which only cements that he's done his job perfectly.

Overall, Water For Elephants was a fantastic film I could recommend to anybody. Yes its a romantic period drama, but its got a sense of adventure few films in that genre possess. Plus, who doesn't like elephants?!

A More Enjoyable Reality Rating: 8/10

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Your Highness (2011)

Film: Your Highness (2011)

Director: David Gordon Green

Starring: Danny McBride, Natalie Portman, James Franco

This review will be short and sweet since I saw this film weeks ago and just didn't get around to reviewing it. My girlfriend and I needed a break from the heavy university work we were both stressing over so we went to see Your Highness to relax and takes our minds off the dreaded dissertations that were weighing us down. And the film's credit, it did the job. Your Highness is exactly what you expect it to be: a laugh-out-loud medieval comedy full of dick and fart jokes - it's basically Pineapple Express set in a fantasy world (funny how McBride and Franco were in that too...)

Let's start by looking at the all star cast, because Your Highness boasts a wealth of Hollywood A-listers. One has to wonder how on earth they persuaded Natalie Portman to sign onto this film, let alone drop her clothing, but she was great and her character was pretty funny. Franco and McBride took centre stage as the two knights on a quest to save Franco's bride (played by another star, Zooey Deschanel) and they were fantastic. McBride in particular was hilarious, even if he does play the same character in everything I see him in. I'm not complaining though, because it works so well, and McBride could play this kind of character for years and it wouldn't get old.

Anyway, if you want a movie you can switch off to and just have a laugh, Your Highness fits the bill and won't disappoint. It will never be considered a comedy classic but it does exactly what it says on the tin and you will laugh a lot, which is really all you can expect from a comedy.

A More Enjoyable Reality Rating: 6/10

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The Town (2010)

Film: The Town (2010)

Director: Ben Affleck

Starring: Ben Affleck, Rebecca Hall, Jon Hamm

I was shopping in Sainsburys recently and I'm always a sucker for their selection of cheap DVDs. I'm like a moth to a flame, I can't resist a movie bargain. Well I was certainly surprised and over the moon to see The Town on the shelf for a mere £5. I had the Blu-Ray edition on my Amazon wishlist for a while but I thought for half the price and getting the film there and then, I'd settle for the DVD version instead. The Town was one of many films I wanted to see last year that slipped through the net but it was always in the back of my mind when any potential DVD or Blu-Ray opportunities presented themselves. Despite all the stick Affleck has had in the past I actually don't mind the guy and I think he does some good movies.

The Town is a bank-heist crime drama set in the gritty Charlestown neighbourhood of Boston, which just so happens to be the breeding ground for the city's worst bank robbers. The film follows four esteemed robbers in particular, led by Affleck and Jeremy Renner. When a heist doesn't exactly go to plan and Affleck's crew are forced to take a hostage (Rebecca Hall), things spiral out of control and the entire group's lives become entwined. Then of course there's the always-lurking FBI led by Jon Hamm pursuing them.

I can't honestly say that there's a single Boston orientated film I haven't enjoyed in my time as a film-goer. I loved The Departed and The Fighter. Good Will Hunting is a classic. I even enjoyed The Perfect Catch, purely because I'm such a baseball nut. So when I saw The Town was not only directed but starred Ben Affleck, a Boston native, and there was a large part of the film shot at the historic Fenway Park (home of the Boston Red Sox baseball team), I knew I'd likely be pleased with the results. I was not disappointed.

The cast and crew were top-notch and really gave The Town that feel of authenticity, a trait vital to the success of a film like this. I have yet to see Gone Baby Gone, Affleck's directorial debut, but after seeing The Town I'll be keeping a close eye on his career as a director in the future and make sure I put Gone Baby Gone on my "films to see list" (it's already quite extensive). Affleck did such a fantastic job with The Town, I cannot point out any flaws in his work. He put together a very smart film with some of the greatest action-pieces you're likely to see in a while. The battle at Fenway Park is especially brutal but so well done.

The star studded cast helped bring the fascinating characters to life, with excellent performances from Affleck and Hamm in particular. Not only did Affleck have to contend with the difficult job of directing, he also had to focus on his performance and he succeeded on both fronts. I've been a fan of Jon Hamm ever since I became obsessed with his incredible turn as Don Draper on Mad Men and he was equally brilliant as FBI chief Adam Frawley. Hamm's scene with Affleck in the interrogation room was simply mesmerizing. Jeremy Renner did a fine job as Jem Coughlin and certainly succeeded in his role as the dangerous loose-cannon. However I'm not sure Renner coped very well with his Bostonian accent, as he often mumbled his lines and some of his dialogue was rather poor at times; for example, shouting obscenities whilst shooting at the cops just felt out of place, even for the deranged psychopath he was supposed to be. This is just nit-picking though as for the majority of the film Renner was terrific and you really started to despise his nauseating persona. The rest of the cast were faultless: Rebecca Hall and Blake Lively, despite playing contrasting characters were outstanding as the leading ladies: the vulnerable Claire Keesey played by Hall and the intoxicated Krista Coughlin by Lively. Lively received a great deal of acclaim for her role as the drug-riddled Krista, despite not appearing in the film as often as I'd expected. For what she produced, she was superb but I thought maybe Hall should have received more praise since her character was much more important to the film than Lively's. However, Lively will play Carol Ferris in the new Green Lantern film so she will get another opportunity to display her obvious talents again.

To conclude The Town was a thoroughly enjoyable way to spend two hours. Its not very original and the material is nothing new but the story was captivating nonetheless and the fantastic cast really helped make this film realise it's potential. The Town isn't a classic by any means but it does everything well and lets it's fantastic cast and characters tell the story, which is really all you can expect from any film worth paying for.

A More Enjoyable Reality Rating: 8/10

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X-Men: First Class (2011)

Film: X-Men: First Class (2011)

Director: Matthew Vaughn

Starring: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence

So last night I went to see X-Men: First Class and, for the first time in a while, felt it warranted a review here. I haven't written on A More Enjoyable Reality for a while and that's down to a few reasons, the main one being I've had loads of uni work to finish (final year stuff - important) but now that's all over I can devote a bit more time to blogging. Since my last review on here, of How To Train Your Dragon, I have seen a few movies (Your Highness, Water For Elephants) but I haven't had the time to write about them yet. Fear not, they will be coming, probably over the course of next week.

Anyway, lets talk about X-Men. Whilst I consider myself to be a fan of comics and my graphic novel collection is increasing all the time, the X-Men have never really appealed to me. I just haven't really gotten into Marvel's team of mutants. I enjoyed the first films (not the horrific X3 though) but they were never up there with my favourite comic book movies like Donner's Superman or Nolan's Batman films. It doesn't help that I've always swayed away from Marvel comics and towards the DC universe (I just prefer DC's characters most of the time). Nevertheless I was excited about First Class because I love origin stories and the 1960s setting looked very interesting. I was not disappointed, for most of the film anyway.

X-Men First Class sets out to explain how Charles Xavier (McAvoy, formerly Patrick Stewart in the original films) searched the world for his team of mutants and how they came to be his formidable X-Men. The studio execs at Twentieth Century Fox have taken many liberties from the original source material found in Marvel's archives but First Class is primarily focused on Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr, aka Magneto (Fassbender, formerly Ian McKellen). Matthew Vaughn's story concentrates on how Charles and Erik befriend each other and proceed to find and recruit other mutants to join them in their fight against the evil Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon) and his Hellfire Club. Action and adventure ensue, but its typical comic book stuff so I'm not going go into any more detail with the plot.

For me First Class got off to a rough start and I wasn't quite sure if it was going to hit the heights I'd expected it would. For example some of the acting by the child actors in the beginning was pretty bad and it gave the film an uncomfortable feel, that something wasn't right. In fact, the first 45-50 minutes of First Class left a bad taste in your mouth, it just wasn't clicking into gear and everything felt wrong. Its hard to explain but luckily, once the X-Men got away from all the rubbish with the CIA, the movie picked up a bit and the last half/two thirds of First Class was excellent and really made up for its slow start.

Credit must go to the brilliant cast for making First Class so enjoyable, McAvoy and Fassbender in particular were terrific throughout. McAvoy brought a new element to the Charles Xavier character that we'd never seen before, a bit of a ladies man and don't forget the hair - Professor X with hair! If McAvoy was excellent, Fassbender was astoundingly good. His scene with the ex-Nazis in Argentina was incredible, reminiscent of his role as Lt. Archie Hicox in Inglourious Basterds. Fassbender will surely be high on Hollywood's radar now and when Daniel Craig is done with 007, Fassbender would make a brilliant Bond. When McAvoy and Fassbender were on screen together it made First Class a much better movie. Without them, the film seemed to struggle at times.

The supporting cast were largely good, but some were better than others, as would be expected with such a large cast. Kevin Bacon was particularly inconsistent throughout; he could be very convincing one moment and then laughable the next. Maybe it wasn't Bacon's fault, I expect it had more to do with the dialogue he was given, but First Class is not one of his finest performances. Jennifer Lawrence looked great as Mystique but I don't know if its just me but did she walk a bit funny? She had a bit of a limp it seemed, or was struggling with her heels throughout the entire film. January Jones was a great Emma Frost, as I expected she would be - if any actress is going to come close to the comics version of Emma Frost, it has to be Jones (just look at her). On the whole everybody else was good, and I really liked how the team gelled over the course of the film and each major character seemed to find his/her self by the end. The team responsible for the costume design but be praised, they did such a good job and nailed the look and feel of the era First Class is set in - everything looked so good. One moment that made the entire film for me? A certain cameo from a popular member of the X-Men renowned for his retractable claws. It was hilarious.

Overall, X-Men: First Class is probably more than you'd expect from your average comic book blockbuster. Of course it has great action pieces and beautiful stars to leer at, but it also has a great sense of humour and two unforgettable performances from McAvoy and Fassbender that elevate the film far above its predecessors.

A More Enjoyable Reality Rating: 7/10

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How To Train Your Dragon (2010)

Film: How To Train Your Dragon (2010)

Director(s): Dean DeBlois, Chris Sanders

Starring: Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, America Ferrera

I've managed to get some new films from my friend recently and How To Train Your Dragon was just one of them. A different friend of mine told me about it a while ago and said he really enjoyed it so I was excited to see what the fuss was all about. Most of the time I'm a bit hesitant when it comes to animated films and I don't know why this is because 90% of the time I end up loving them. Luckily, How To Train Your Dragon fell within that 90% and it ended up being a really enjoyable movie.

The film focuses on a young Viking named Hiccup (Baruchel), son of Stoick the Vast (Butler) who happens to be the leader of their Viking village, the Island of Berk. Hiccup wants to be a fierce dragon slayer just like his Dad but is instead the laughing stock of the village, perceived as small and weak, and not even close to fulfilling his dreams of fighting dragons. Lets just say he's not your stereotypical hack-and-slash Viking. However, during a dragon raid on their village Hiccup ventures out into the battlefield and manages to down one of the mysterious and deadly Night Fury dragons. When Hiccup finds the dragon trapped by the ropes that brought him crashing to earth, he cannot bring himself to slay the Night Fury and instead befriends the dragon, who he names Toothless. Thus begins a story of friendship and understanding between dragon and man, that changes Hiccup's world forever. I'll leave it there as far as the plot goes, you'll just have to watch it to see what happens to Hiccup and Toothless (it's good!).

What struck me first was the fantastic quality of the animation and I only regret not having seen How To Train Your Dragon in the cinema. I got to watch the Blu-Ray version and the animation was astounding, one of the best efforts I've seen in recent years. I loved the way the colours came out in Up, but How To Train Your Dragon nearly beats it, especially in the little details like the green in Toothless's eyes. The animation team did a terrific job as it really makes the film that little bit better. The voice-work was also incredible, especially from the leading men Baruchel and Butler. Nearly every member of the cast has such a distinctive voice that I didn't need to wait until the credits rolled to know who was who. "That's the guy from Knocked Up... and the guys from Superbad... and the chick from Ugly Betty!". Each actor and actress did a great job with their parts and it really helped make How To Train Your Dragon a better movie. I think the reason this film worked so well is because it succeeded in combining laugh-out-loud comedy with that feeling you had when you watched films as a kid; that mix of action and magic, when you feel like you want to be there, flying on the dragon's back as he soars through the sky.

To conclude, if you haven't seen How To Train Your Dragon yet, I thoroughly recommend it. It's a good film that you can watch with a variety of different people; it works as a date movie, a film to watch with younger viewers, or a group of friends, guys or girls. It hits all the spots no matter who your watching it with. Go and see it now, you won't regret it.

A More Enjoyable Reality Rating: 9/10

Luckily I managed to get some other movies off my mate and have some good ones lined up to watch in the near future. So you can expect reviews of Tron: Legacy, Due Date, The Other Guys, Monsters and many more, if I have the time and energy to write about them. Until then...

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Sugar (2008)

Film: Sugar (2008)

Director: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck

Starring: Algenis Perez Soto, Rayniel Rufino, Andre Holland

I spotted this on BBC iPlayer this morning, saw it was about baseball and I pounced immediately. Being a huge baseball fan, a HBO film based on the sport led me to forget about writing my dissertation and watch Sugar instead. Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck's film from 2008 follows the life of Miguel 'Sugar' Santos, a brash and arrogant pitcher from the Dominican Republic looking to make his dreams come true and play pro ball in the States. He is the star baseball prospect in his community, beloved by his family and friends, and he finally shows his worth at his team's Dominican training camp and gets a chance to play in America with an invitation to Spring Training in Phoenix, Arizona. After distinguishing himself from his peers, Sugar is shipped off to Bridgetown, Iowa to show off his stuff in the minor leagues. Naturally Sugar has to face the trials and tribulations of living in another country, and he's hindered even more thanks to the little English he speaks. I don't want to spoil the story anymore, but obviously Sugar experiences his fair share of highs and lows during his time in Iowa, as any man in his position would. That is where the focus of this film is primarily based, when Sugar has to face the problems of being in an alien land, completely out of his depth yet he still has to decide what he wants in life.

This is not a simple sports movie and anyone who thinks this should give Sugar a watch before they judge it. Algenis Perez Soto is fantastic considering this was his first major role (plus you can tell he played some organised ball in his past - it adds to the authenticity of the movie). Sugar is not a particularly likeable character in the beginning, all brash and cocky about his skills, but he does grow on you as the film progresses and Soto should get the credit for this. By the end of Sugar, you are rooting for him to succeed in life, in spite of some of the decisions he makes. The supporting cast were also terrific, especially in highlighting the immense difficulties between different cultures and languages. Some of the most uncomfortable scenes in Sugar is when our guy can't understand what's going on around him, especially when the family Sugar lives with are talking to him. Yet these are also some of the best scenes, because it really helps you feel something for the character. Soto does a great job here, and thus succeeds in the job every actor should aspire to, making that crucial connection to the audience.

I don't want to go on and on about the film, but iPlayer has it on their site until Saturday the 26th so if you're bored and got nothing to watch, I highly recommend you give it a try. It's well worth the time, even if you don't like baseball.

A More Enjoyable Reality Rating: 7.5/10

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Black Swan (2010)

Film: Black Swan (2010)

Director: Darren Aronofsky

Starring: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel

This review has been long overdue, since I saw this film a good few weeks ago now. It has also been reviewed to death and as a result Aronofsky's Black Swan quickly became the must-see movie of early 2011, so if you are reading this, I assume you have already seen it as the majority of us have. Thus, I'll keep this (relatively) short.

Black Swan tells the story of New York City ballet dancer Nina Sayers (Portman), who can't believe her luck when she is awarded the lead in a new rendition of 'Swan Lake'. Sayers is handed the role of the graceful White Swan, as well as the much darker and sinister Black Swan, and so has the difficult job of playing two drastically different roles. As the film progresses, Sayers doesn't just have trouble differentiating between the parts on stage, but also in her head, as Black Swan turns into a roller-coaster ride of schizophrenia and fear. Nina has to battle the objects in her life constantly; the pressure of playing both the White and Black Swan, the threat that fellow dancer Lily (Kunis) is out to get her and steal her part, and Nina's obsessive mother (played brilliantly by Barbara Hershey) who suffocates her with adoration and over-the-top mothering. Nina has to contend with all of this whilst simultaneously turning into a nutcase as the pressure gets a bit too much and our dear Nina struggles to tell the difference between reality and her imagination.

This is ultimately the defining theme throughout Black Swan, especially in the last 30-45 minutes of the film. As you sit and watch what occurs on screen, the nice film about ballet dancers turns into a thrilling and psychotic tale of pain and suffering. By the end of the film you can't tell what you've just witnessed actually happened or if you yourself made it up, like Nina often did. From the director of Pi and Requiem For a Dream, I really should have expected nothing less. Aronofsky's bread and butter as a director is his ability to frighten us silly with the realities we face everyday (which makes me think, if he wanted to, he could become quite a good horror director). Whether it's the morbid and depressing realisation of drug addiction in Requiem or the awful brutality of a broken old man in The Wrestler, Aronofsky challenges the way we watch movies and he has done it again with Black Swan.

The success of this film can certainly be shared equally between the director and his fantastic crew of talented actors and actresses. The cast were sensational throughout as every man and woman played their role perfectly. Mila Kunis was fantastic as Lily, Nina's competition and complete opposite (free spirit, sexually liberal) and credit must to go Vincent Cassel too, as Leroy the director, and consequently chief tormentor of Nina. Both Kunis and Cassel really got into their characters and made Black Swan all the better for it. However, Black Swan would be nothing without it's leading lady and the awards and plaudits must surely go to the deserving Natalie Portman. To think that this actress was once the sweet and innocent Queen Amidala in The Phantom Menace is astounding. Portman's performance in Black Swan is nothing short of spectacular and there is no doubt that if she walks away with Best Leading Actress at the Oscars this year, she will have thoroughly deserved it (she already bagged a Golden Globe). To be honest, it will be daylight robbery if she doesn't win considering the competition she is up against. The amount of time and dedication it must have taken to play her role as Nina is mind-boggling. After watching that scene when Portman writhes on her bed in self-inflicted pleasure, unaware her crazy mother is only inches away asleep in a chair, I'm not sure if she'll ever be the Queen of Naboo again in my mind... you just can't go back after that...

All in all, Black Swan was a brilliant film and I don't expect to see many better in 2011. The only criticism I have is that, whilst being a powerful and emotional film, Black Swan isn't exactly one I'll be popping in the DVD player on a regular basis. That's no slight against the film, it was excellent, but like Requiem, Black Swan is so depressing and terrifying that repeat viewings may not occur very often. However, you cannot shy away from the fact that Natalie Portman gave the performance of her career and it was truly shocking yet astounding at the same time. Not an easy feat to say the least.

A More Enjoyable Reality Rating: 8/10

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The Fighter (2010)

Film: The Fighter (2010)

Director: David O. Russell

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams

Last night I had the pleasure to be at the Little Cinema in Bath to watch a free preview of David O Russell's new boxing epic, The Fighter, hosted by Little White Lies magazine and Grolsch. This was the second time I've attended one of these evenings, the first being The King's Speech in Decemeber, and it was a brilliant evening yet again. Free cheese and a bottle of cold Grolsch (in a posh glass as well) is a nice touch and it sets you up nicely before the film starts rolling.

The Fighter was a fantastic and compelling film, and is easily O Russell's crowning glory of his directing career to date, thanks largely to two award-worthy performances from Wahlberg and especially Bale. This is not a Rocky re-hash or your typical rags-to-riches tale, but a shocking yet inspiring piece of cinema. Wahlberg plays Micky Ward, a down on his luck welterweight from Lowell, Massachusetts who isn't on the path to pugilist glory he'd perhaps prefer. Micky's failures in the ring are largely due to his crack addicted brother and trainer Dickie (Bale) and his mother's (Michelle Leo) terrible management of his boxing career. Micky's family, despite professing their love and support for him, are responsible for destroying his pursuit of that elusive championship. I don't want to spoil the plot so I won't reveal anything else, but I can admit that the film's success is not necessarily in the ring (although the boxing scenes are brutally good) but in the home, where we see Micky having to battle against his own family who think everything they do is for his own good, when in fact they are only damaging Micky even more. Wahlberg's performance as Ward is exceptional and he succeeds in making his character more than just a numb-skulled brawler but somebody you actually care about, which makes it even more satisfying when he wins his battles, in the ring and within his family.

Unfortunately for Wahlberg, Christian Bale steals the show as Dickie, the unreliable sibling who can't shake his crack addiction, and never lets you forget he once (supposedly) knocked down the legendary Sugar Ray Leonard. Bale is mesmerising in The Fighter, with his scrawny and uncomfortable body language, thick and humorous Bostonian accent perfected, and his incessant need to chew on something, even when it appears he has nothing to chew. It would be a mighty shame if Bale doesn't walk away with the Best Supporting Actor award from the Oscars this year - he deserves it. You need to see him to believe, but Bale's turn as Dickie might possibly be his finest performance to date. Bale is unrecognisable from the man we see in Nolan's Batman films, in The Fighter he IS Dickie, 100%. A marvellous piece of acting. The supporting cast were terrific as well, adding so much to what makes The Fighter superb, with Amy Adams and Michelle Leo leading the way (both of them nominated for Supporting Actress awards also). Adams plays Charlene, Micky's tough yet supportive girlfriend who only wants the best for her man. Leo is Micky's dominating and emotional mother Alice, who cannot realise that her 'I am right all the time' attitude is causing more harm than good to her son. Both actresses deserve whatever success they get from the Academy, as they are perfect in their roles in The Fighter.

I highly recommend you go and see The Fighter as soon as you can. You don't have to be a boxing enthusiast to enjoy this film, as The Fighter is more about family than fighting (although there is plenty of fighting!). Bale's performance is probably worth the price of admission in itself. You won't be disappointed.

A More Enjoyable Reality Rating: 9/10

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Love and Other Drugs (2010)

Film: Love and Other Drugs (2010)

Director: Edward Zwick

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway

Love and Other Drugs follows drugs-rep Jamie Randall (Gyllenhaal), a brash pharmaceutical salesman who charms his way into women's beds as and when he likes. That is until Jamie comes across the mysterious free-spirit Maggie Murdock (Hathaway) who just happens to be the woman of his dreams, the love of his life. Zwick's film is not your typical rom-com from the start but Love and Other Drugs soon finds itself going down the cliché road of most romantic comedies. Boy meets girl, boy can't have girl, boy gets girl, problem occurs, pair make up and live happily ever after. Now obviously there is more to this film than that simple analysis, but at the heart of it Love and Other Drugs was a good film, but not a great one. It did what a romantic comedy was supposed to do, but that was about it. To put it simply, nothing stood out to make this a must-see movie but then again, that is perhaps missing the point. This is the type of film you go to with a partner, a film to laugh at and enjoy. Love and Other Drugs hits the spot in that respect.

I'm not trying to put down this film though, not at all - it was still an entertaining flick, with Gyllenhaal at his best. I've always been a bit of a Jake fan, and Donnie Darko, despite its weirdness, is up there with my favourite films. However I've never really liked Anne Hathaway in the past (still not sure if she'll make a good Catwoman or not...), but she did well in Love and Other Drugs and I have no complaints with her performance. It was clear that Jake and Hathaway have chemistry as they really worked well together on screen, which benefited the film enormously. Gyllenhaal's character Jamie was particularly good, as he progressed from an arrogant ladies man and a bit of a knob into a person you care about, especially in the scenes when Maggie was having serious problems with her disease (early on-set Parkinsons if you didn't know). The supporting cast were terrific, with Hank Azaria and Oliver Platt standing out, though it might have been nice if their characters were expanded on a bit more. Relative newcomer Josh Gad, who played Jamie's calamitous brother Josh, was perhaps a bit over the top at times but he was there to provide some laughs and he achieved that - the scene where Jamie comes home to find his brother Josh masturbating over Jamie and Maggie's sex tape was hilariously awkward. During the opening credits I was pretty surprised when I saw that Edward Zwick was behind this one, as Love and Other Drugs is nothing like any of his previous work I've seen (Blood Diamond, The Last Samurai, Defiance, Legends of the Fall). This is not in any way a bad thing, as Love and Other Drugs was a fun and enjoyable film, which is exactly what it was meant to be.

A More Enjoyable Reality Rating: 7/10

Next up on my cinema schedule is The Fighter, which I will be going to see this Tuesday night (the 25th). I was successful getting tickets to see the free preview at The Little Theatre Cinema, and I'm eagerly anticipating seeing this. I have heard Bale is incredible... you'll find out when I write about The Fighter later this week!

Thanks for reading.