Easy A

Starring Emma Stone , Superbad ,2007 , about an intelligent high school student who is prepared to ruin her reputation for popularity .
Being marketed as a "Sixteen Candles " for a new generation , I think this is probably a wish for the film makers . As much as I enjoyed it I don't think it has the longevity of the classic 80's teen movies !
Although having said this , it does has the best screen parents in the form of Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson , a refreshing turn on the usually stereotypical parents !
Thomas Haden Church seems wasted in this movie , an odd choice I thought ?
Sick of the stereotypical "christian" characters , surely we are past this now ?
An enjoyable wind down movie none the less ....

3 cheese wedges

The Social Network

Based on the founder of Facebook , Mark Zuckerburg , the worlds youngest billionaire .
Loved the opening scene that sets up the nerdiness and complete lack of social graces that this guy has , but then we learn how brilliant a programmer he is .David Fincher was under contract to bring the film in at or around two-hours, so he had the actors speak the dialog faster (the opening scene for example, which is four minutes, is a nine-page scene as written).
I do believe that this is Andrew Garfield's film , the new Peter Parker , you do feel his characters portrayal and his accent is flawless .
This is essentially a film about greed and betrayal and I hope the regrets we witness from the leading character , Jesse Eisenberg , Zombieland , 2009 , are genuine and not a Hollywood ending !

4 cheese wedges

Mr.Nice

Starring Rhys Ifans and based on the life of notorious drug smuggler Howard Marks , who served 7 years in prison for his crimes , was said to have controlled 10% of the world's Hashish trade .
This movie has a very slow pace and kind of lost me half way through to a little snooze . Marks was extremely bright and earned a scholarship to study at Oxford , which begs the question , How could someone so bright get caught up in such a crazy lifestyle ??

2 cheese wedges

Wall Street : Money never Sleeps

Sequel to the 1987 film Wall Street and once again directed by Oliver Stone , his only sequel thus far .
Question ....Should Iconic characters be revisited ? Surely there is a reason for this status ?
For me this sequel just doesn't work , bit of a nothing story , were we aware of a daughter in the first movie ?
Is the main character , Shia Le Beouf , financially or morally invested in some fusion project or both? Does he want to get his girlfriend and her father back together for her or because he wants a new mentor? Is he a greedy Wall Street guy with great ideas or is he some Eco-warrior trying to change the world?
WHO CARES ?

1 cheese wedge

Buried

I have been looking forward to seeing this film since January and I wasn't disappointed . With Ryan Reynolds you have the whole package , this guy can bring the funny and then switch to thrillers effortlessly . Hard to believe that 10 years ago he was making awful sitcoms on american TV , you have to admire his ambition .

If you thought Devil , 2010 , was claustrophobic Buried takes it to a whole other level .
An American contractor working in Iraq, wakes up in a coffin. His kidnappers have provided a cell phone and inform him that he will be released only if they are paid "5 million money". The character spends the rest of the film frantically trying to arrange for the ransom by contacting his family, his employer, the FBI and the State Department. I will say no more other than I found my breathing getting quick and shallow and my palms sweaty just watching the plight of this unfortunate man.

There is one particular scene with his employer that cuts very close to the bone , recording the phone call the company he works for asks him to confirm they have no responsibility for his situation or his family if he should not survive !

A great un hollywood ending , do not expect to leave the cinema on a high !

4 cheese wedges

The Town

Set in Boston and directed by Ben Affleck , this is sold as a gritty crime thriller . The story didn't really stay with me and I wanted the layers of the movie to keep me thinking even after I had left the cinema .
The car chase sequence in the film is a very nice and tasteful throwback to The French Connection (1971). The action sequences are carried through with tough and gritty realism especially the shootouts , all very exciting .
For me Jeremy Renner , The Hurt Locker , 2008 , was the best thing about this movie and I came away wanting to see more of him .
All in all not a bad cinema experience .....

3 cheese wedges

Devil

Directed by John Erick Dowdle , who also created great tension in Quarantine , 2008 . Story is written by M.Night Shyamalan , which , in this he is back on form , I think with most of his movies it is better to see it early before somebody ruins the experience by giving away the end !
I liked the intimate settings , the unknown cast and the simplicity of the story . Great tension and , for me , a genuine shock moment .

4 cheese wedges