Les Misérables (2012)

Dir. Tom Hooper

 

Starring:

Hugh Jackman (X-Men, Australia, The Prestige)

Russell Crowe (Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind, Cinderella Man)

Anne Hathaway (The Princess Diaries, The Dark Knight Rises, The Devil Wears Prada)

 

My Rating: 4/5

 

As a die hard Les Mis fan from the age of 8 I was pretty much going to love this film regardless. I can't go more than 3 months without listening to the soundtrack, much to my housemates' despair, and I make it my mission to see the theatre edition as often as possible (three so far).

Les Misérables is the 19th century story of Jean Valjean (Jackman), a convict who breaks his parole and is hunted through two decades by merciless inspector Javert (Crowe). In the process, Valjean takes penniless Fantine's (Hathaway) daughter under his wing, bringing her up as his own, changing both their lives forever.

I believe that, on entering the cinema, everybody should be given a programme, same as in the theatre. As incredible as it is, I feel that the people around me were missing the point a bit, not knowing what was going on and couldn't appreciate it fully. However, knowing the story myself, I can't deny that it was spectacular! The production was incredible and the acting was flawless. Anne Hathaway well deserved her Golden Globe and Oscar nomination, in the small time she was in the film she blew me away. I was sketchy about the casting of Crowe but even he was surprisingly good considering he doesn't have a background in musical theatre. The rest of the casting was spot on and I would recommend absolutely everybody takes a trip to see it, as long as they find out the story beforehand.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

Firstly, I want to apologise for the lack of posts lately, being in my final year of uni I have a mountain of work to do.
Secondly, I'm giving a congratulatory hat-tip to all the Golden Globe winners, how awesome was it this year?! Also, I loved Tina Fey and Amy Poehler hosting, they are a fantastic comedy team.
But, I digress, onto the review...

Dir. Peter Jackson

Starring:
Ian McKellen (The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, X-Men)
Martin Freeman (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Love Actually, Hot Fuzz)
Richard Armitage (Captain America, Robin Hood, The Vicar of Dibley)

My Rating: 4/5

Before seeing this I heard a lot of people saying they were disappointed and it wasn't worth the hype. I'm going to put it out there straight away - I completely disagree.
The Hobbit is the prequel to the Lord of the Rings, telling the tale of Bilbo Baggins' (Freeman) first adventure with Gandalf (McKellen) and a host of dwarfs. Their quest is to reclaim Erebor, the Dwarf Kingdom, from Smaug, the dragon that's been guarding the Kingdom for over 100 years.
It's not surprising that The Hobbit is so enjoyable since Peter Jackson directed the Lord of the Rings trilogy, which was outstanding. It may have been ever-so slightly slow to start, but soon enough the action is there, the story is there, the acting, the soundtrack, the scenery, it was an all-round incredible movie experience and I cannot wait to see the following installments.

Life of Pi (2012)

Dir. Ang Lee

Starring:
Suraj Sharma (Film debut)
Irrfan Khan (The Amazing Spider-Man, Slumdog Millionaire)
Rafe Spall (Prometheus, Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead)

My Rating: 5/5

I was surprised to find this film as incredible as I did, having read the book; I usually find too much has been changed to really enjoy the film; but after rave reviews and such an awesome trailer I arrived at the cinema and donned my 3D glasses with an open mind.
Piscine Molitor Patel (Sharma) is en route to Canada, along with his family, moving from their zoo in Pondicherry, when disaster strikes at sea. A shipwrecked Pi struggles against the elements accompanied by a zebra, hyena, orangutan and a 450-pound Bengal tiger.
Considering, for a majority of the film, the only character we follow is Pi, alone in the middle of the Pacific ocean, great acting and direction mean there is not a dull moment. Sharma manages to deliver every emotion with such conviction it's hard to believe this is his first motion picture. The special effects are spectacular - especially in 3D - the scenery is awe-inspiring and the story is an astounding one of not only survival, but friendship and, above all, faith.
I can't fault this movie and recommend it to absolutely everyone.

The Artist (2011)

Dir. Michel Hazanavicius

Starring:
Jean Dujardin (99 francs, OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies)
Bérénice Bejo (A Knight's Tale, OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies)
John Goodman (The Big Lebowski, Coyote Ugly, Monsters, Inc.)

My Rating: 4.5/5

The idea to produce a film about silent movies, as a silent movie was a stroke of genius which could have gone very wrong or, in the case of The Artist, astonishingly well. Winner of five academy awards, this French film was highly acclaimed and I was looking forward to seeing if it lived up to the hype.
The film is set in the late 1920s/early '30s during the transition between silent movies and talkies. It follows George Valentin (Dujardin), a silent movie star, as he struggles to cope with the cinematic revolution, and dancer Peppy Miller (Bejo), whose career takes a slightly different path.
The acting was flawless, particularly by Bejo, who would have indubitably shone as a black and white film star, and who we will hopefully be seeing a lot more of in the future.
It was fascinating to see how the atmosphere of a 'picture' is so different when styled in this way; romantic scenes seem more tender with no words; chaotic scenes have more energy injected into them by a fantastic musical score. It may have taken a little while for me to get used to the flow of it but by the brilliant dream sequence in the first half I was hooked.
It's great for a younger audience, such as myself, to have the chance to experience a silent film, especially when done as exquisitely as this masterpiece.

Pitch Perfect (2012)

Happy New Year you beautiful readers! I hope you all have a happy and healthy 2013! Now onto a review of my most anticipated movie of 2012.

Dir. Jason Moore

Starring:
Anna Kendrick (Up in the Air, Twilight, 50/50)
Brittany Snow (John Tucker Must Die, Hairspray)
Rebel Wilson (Bridesmaids, Bachelorette, What to Expect When You're Expecting)

My Rating: 5/5

I know it sounds surprising that this was my most anticipated film when such films as Skyfall, The Hobbit, Life of Pie, etc. were also released, but I have to admit I love comedy, I am a bit of a Glee fan, and I have to see everything Rebel Wilson is in, as she is a comedy Goddess. Combine all these factors and out pops Pitch Perfect.
Beca (Kendrick) is a begrudging freshman at Barden University and a wannabe music producer. As hard as she tries to avoid typical college activities, she is coerced into joining The Bellas, an all girl a capella group, where she attempts to mix things up in order to do vocal battle with their male counterparts.
I was right to be excited, getting pitch slapped was every bit as awesome as I expected. Wilson once again steals every scene she's in, but is in no way the only star. Kendrick does one heck of a moody rebel and the rest of the ensemble each bring something different but equally hilarious to the table. The soundtrack is fun and the script is fresh and quite frankly uproarious. I can't fault this flick and really would recommend to anyone that wants to have a great time and laugh up a lung.

Arthur Christmas (2011)

A belated merry Christmas/seasons greetings/happy holidays to everyone reading this! Today's post is just for the festive season, so I hope it makes you all feel a bit more jolly!

Dir. Sarah Smith, Barry Cook

 

Starring:

James McAvoy (Atonement, The Last King of Scotland, X-Men: First Class)

Hugh Laurie (House, Stuart Little, Monsters vs Aliens)

Bill Nighy (Love Actually, The Boat That Rocked, Underworld)

 

My Rating: 4/5

 

Another great British animation with an all star cast, Arthur Christmas is a slightly alternative look into the workings of the North Pole. Arthur (McAvoy) is son of the 20th Santa in history and works in the mail department of the North Pole, responding to children's letters. He is full of the Christmas spirit, despite the fact his brother, Steve (Laurie), has forgotten the 'true meaning of Christmas' in his attempts to revolutionise it. 
When disaster strikes on Christmas Eve, it's down to Arthur, Grandsanta (Nighy), and a specialist wrapping elf named Bryony (Ashley Jensen) to save one child's Christmas and restore the North Pole's faith in the Claus family.
Arthur Christmas delivers a refreshing Christmas story with action, humour and a heartwarming message, that every child matters. A wonderful family movie, that I hope will be a festive favourite in the future.

Water For Elephants (2011)

Dir. Francis Lawrence

Starring:
Robert Pattinson (The Twilight Saga, Remember Me)
Reese Witherspoon (Walk the Line, Sweet Home Alabama)
Christoph Waltz (Inglorious Basterds, The Three Musketeers)

My Rating: 4.5/5

The star of this film in my mind is Rosie, played by Tai the Elephant who also starred in The Jungle Book, Vanity Fair, George of the Jungle and more; clearly the most talented elephant to ever grace the silver screen. Water for Elephants is the story of Jacob Jankowski (Pattinson), an Ivy Legue veterinary student drop out, who joins a travelling circus as their vet. There, he falls for the ringmaster's wife (Witherspoon), while helping her make Rosie into the circus's star.
It's nice to see Robert Pattinson play a different role to Twilight and in my opinion, opposite the exquisite Reese Witherspoon, he does a great job. Christoph Waltz also deserves high praise as the ringmaster, managing to stir up strong feelings of hatred; always a good sign to me.
Everything about this film was appealing to the eye; the sets, costumes, animals, leads, everything and I thoroughly enjoyed all of it. Definitely a must-see.