Movie Junk

Hollywood’s elite will next week gather at the Kodak Theatre to give each other a pat on the back for their services to film. Forget that, this is where it’s at. Here is a look back over the best and worst of all things film this past year.

BEST FILM

MONEYBALL

Moneyball will almost definitely be overlooked next week but the true life story of The Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane was the stand out film of the year. Billy is left with not much of a team. The richer clubs have taken his best players and he has to find a way to turn around The Oakland A’s for next season. Superbly acted, directed and scripted, Moneyball is a fantastic against the odds story that has a whole lot of heart. Brad Pitt gives a career best performance to bring Beane to life, the same can be said for Jonah Hill, whose portrayal of a performance analyzer who helps re-build the Oakland A’s, is the perfect match for Beane.

I know nothing about Baseball, nothing. It didn’t matter. Moneyball is about as close to movie perfection you’re going to get.

BEST PERFORMANCES

BRAD PITT - MONEYBALL

No surprises here. Pitt was tailor made for this role, struggling against a stubborn scouting network and an apathetic coach, Pitt gives a fantastic performance of a man whose strength of character gets him through.

Haunted by the demons of his past as a former baseball player who failed to live up to expectations, he is determined not to come up short again. It’s an engaging, involving and wonderfully observed portrayal of a man fighting for some kind of redemption.

JEAN DUJARDIN, BERENICE BEJO - THE ARTIST

It’s hard, nigh on impossible not to fall in love with these two. The Artist was so refreshing and enjoyable and it was brilliantly held together by this pair. George Valentin and Peppy Miller, one a star of the silent movie, the other a rising name in the new world of talkies come together and showcase the heights and pitfalls of 1920’s Hollywood.

Dujardin in particular stands out, his transformation from a star to a regular guy who’s down and out is pitch perfect, and he does it all without saying a word, well almost.

WORST FILM

TRANSFORMERS 3: SOME RIDICULOUS SUB-TITLE THAT I CANT REMEMBER

Is Michael Bay actually a teenage boy? Is he really more into creating explosions than films? Transformers 3 was not a film, not by any stretch of the imagination.

A little known fact about Transformers 3 was that the script was actually written on the back of a damp beer mat.  What’s really great about the movie is that the character development is so subtle that you barely even notice it, giving you lots more time to revel and point at all the explosions while no doubt stuffing your fat face full of more popcorn.

Rosie Huntington-Whitely got a lot of stick for her performance but this film has bigger problems than her, specifically the fact that it is god awful. Michael Bay has apparently signed on for a fourth film, and if that’s the kind of news that excites you then you are a moron.

MOST OVERRATED FILM

THE DESCENDANTS

Step forward this years indie film that everybody has decided to get carried away with. George Clooney is back as a man who has just learned that his wife is cheating on him. Only problem is she is stuck in a coma and he has to traipse through Hawaii with his family to track down the man she was seeing.

Clooney falls back on his tried and tested acting technique, the delayed reaction, to get him through playing a part that requires more than his limited abilities are capable of. A pregnant pause here, a steely eyed stare there and bobs your uncle it’s two hours later and I’m seven quid poorer.

There is nothing remarkable about the Descendants, it is an average film with average performances, not the best film of this or any other year.

OTHER MENTIONS

Liam Neeson doing what Liam Neeson does best in the unstoppably awesome The Grey. The lovely feeling of nostalgia that was delivered by Super 8, how refreshing it was to see a great original movie amongst the usual summer sequel fest. The unintentional hilarity that comes with watching Abduction, Taylor Lautner may just be the worst actor on the planet. Nicolas Cage stating that he wants to re-visit The Wicker Man but in Japan, who exactly are the Hollywood Execs stopping this from happening? The tension cranking score in Moneyball, I think it’s fair to say I firmly love everything to do with that movie. Ryan Gosling making a shiny scorpion jacket look cool in the unquestionably cool Drive. Finally Gary Busey declaring himself bankrupt. I’ll offer 5 to 1 odds that by this time next year he has also declared himself criminally insane.

Ryan Gosling is back as the un-named “Driver” in the aptly titled Drive. From the outset we are thrust into this films world. The bleached out shots of downtown Los Angeles, the fuchsia titles and the snarl of a muscle car as it streams through the night. This is Michael Mann territory, it’s reminiscent of Miami Vice. Drive wears its 1980’s influences firmly on its sleeve and isn’t afraid to flaunt them.

Step forward our protagonist. Detached, methodical, quiet. He goes about his job with maximum care. Mechanic by day, getaway driver by night. The opening set piece is an exercise in how to create tension. The throbbing music, the long protracted silences and ultimately, the chase.

From here on out Drive takes it down a gear or two and focuses on a blossoming relationship between Driver and his neighbour Irene (Carey Mulligan.) They don’t talk much but you care for them and his affection for her is obvious. So when Irene’s estranged husband shows up and gets himself in a spot of bother, Driver is forced to act on emotion.

The script is pretty stripped down and bare. A basic plot where a man takes a job in order to protect a woman, when that job goes south, everything starts to unravel. It’s the films style that is the standout here. This could of been an average movie but for the way it has been shot and edited. Glorious visuals, a fantastic soundtrack and a slow burn pace are the keys to Drive’s success. It doesn’t hurt that the cast are outstanding as-well. I’ve probably run out of superlatives for the ever impressive Gosling, Mulligan is wonderful as a down-trodden soul that you just can’t help but feel for. Credit also has to go to the inspired casting of both Bryan Cranston and Albert Brooks. Cranston is compelling as the Driver’s boss with ties to the criminal underworld and Albert Brooks is puts up a controlled performance as the antagonist, always simmering with menace.

A simple film given a unique style. The throbbing tones that open the film set its pace. Drive’s pulse beats throughout its run-time, leading you on a journey through Driver’s world. Style over substance? Perhaps but Drive is far too cool for you to care.

Phenomenon (1996)

As a change of pace for this feature I have decided to include a film that I don’t actually mind. The fact that it is a bit shit doesn’t stop me from feeling for simpleton and all round world’s nicest man George Malley (Travolta). When George see’s some bright lights in the sky one night he starts to become incredibly smart and in the process scares the crap out of some of the small town yokels.

Travolta spends most of this film pulling an expression that is supposedly meant to convey deep thought. I have my doubts over whether Travolta has ever had a deep thought in his entire life. As his brain power reaches unbelievable new heights (genuinely unbelievable heights, he smashes a mirror by just looking at it) he learns he was a simpleton all along. He just had a massive brain tumor. A fact broken to him by cheerful doctor Robert Duvall.

Conveniently the tumor explains everything in one two-minute scene. The flashing lights, the increased brain activity and most ridiculously the telekinesis. In the films final act upon learning his fate, Travolta returns to his love (Kyra Sedgwick.) It is here when the sentimentality kicks into overdrive as he wistfully reminisces over days gone by before he finally decides enough is enough and dies a remarkably painless death for someone in his condition.

I’m being harsh, it’s not a terrible film by any means. It deserves its place on here purely for the scene where Sedgwick shaves Travolta’s bearded face and some cheesy ass overbearing music starts to play before they become entangled in each others glare. They kiss and despite Travolta’s increased intelligence he pulls a remarkably simple face making it look like Sedgwick is getting off with a mental patient.

Steve Carell is back as the as the anchor in the ensemble piece Crazy Stupid Love. After learning that his wife (Julianne Moore) wants a divorce, he sets about re-inventing himself with the aid of new best friend and all round ladies man Ryan Gosling.

Comedy can be found in all sorts of places and heartbreak is no exception. Upon hearing of his wife’s intentions and her previous infidelity he rather predictably hits the bottle and bestows his woes upon anyone who will listen. The film struggles to garner any real pace or direction until Gosling comes along and sets in motion Crazy Stupid Love’s most enjoyable aspect. Their exchanges as he grooms Carell from a pathetic edge of the bar sob story to a man on the prowl are about as good as it gets, with Gosling in particular taking to the role with ease. It’s when the plot staggers into sentimentality that problems arise.

Carell is more than adept at creating a comedic character with a heart, a seven year long shift as the loveable idiot Michael Scott on The Office proved that. Comedy however is where he is most comfortable and he manages to pull off a few decent laughs but, through no fault of his own, the films insistence on maintaining a gooey centre means that when an emotional punch is required it comes up just short.

For the most part it is plenty enjoyable and offers a smattering of decent performances. Julianne Moore is as ever strong in a decent if slightly underwritten role. Emma Stone continues to impress but doesn’t really tread any new ground although the upcoming adaptation of The Help should see her venture into different territory. Ryan Gosling is probably this films saving grace, he took it as a job to wind down after committing so much of himself to the involving Blue Valentine. It just goes to show that even when on autopilot he is still one of the best young actors around.

A perfectly passable way to spend a hundred minutes or so and that is more than can be said about most romantic comedies. Crazy, Stupid, Love is engaging and has more than enough genuinely funny moments to keep most of the paying public satisfied. It would of been even better had the film-makers had the courage to not take themselves quite as seriously when the film’s final act began to creep around the corner.

I regularly come up with ideas for terrible films, what follows are two of my favourites. (All ideas are copyrighted)

PIMP DADDY

Starring: Rob Schneider

Tagline: Husband. Father. Pimp.

Plot: Schneider plays Chris, a well meaning father of two. One night, on his way home from work as an insurance salesman he accidentally runs over a pimp leaving dozens of prostitutes without an agent. To make things right he has to take on the prostitutes as clients.

Hilarity ensues as Schneider tries to juggle his life as a pimp along with his work and home life. His teenage daughter in particular starts to become suspicious when she finds her dad’s new jewelery collection.

Key Scene: Schneider squares off to another pimp (played by 50 Cent) who is putting girls out on Schneider’s patch. The pair engage in a highly comical and not at all cringeworthy argument involving words like: homie, shizzle, nizzle and bizatch.

Sequel Potential: Good, skip forwards a few years and the aforementioned teenage daughter becomes a mother, creating “Pimp Grandaddy.”

THE SPONSOR

Starring: Christian Bale and Sean Penn

Tagline: (Below Christian Bale’s face) This man has taken everything from you. Now he’s here to help.

Plot: A moving and very very serious film about the fatal consequences of alcoholism. Whilst drink-driving Christian Bale is involved in a car crash. He survives, the woman in the other vehicle does not. That woman is the wife of Sean Penn.

Sent spiraling into depression from the loss of his wife, Penn turns to the bottle but eventually manages to drag himself to AA. A place where he meets his sponsor, yep, Christian Bale. Anger, torment and anguish come to the boil as the pair spend the 2hrs 52mins running time trying to out-act each other.

Key Scene: Unable to live with the guilt any longer, Bale is about to commit suicide when Penn dramatically stops him. “Why are you stopping me” Bale Screams … “I took your wife.” “No, no you didn’t” Penn replies “She’s still here, here when I look at my children, here when the sun shines, here whenever beautiful music plays. She is still the reason I get up in the morning.” A tearful Bale then steps back from a building’s edge before the two embrace and cry a lot.

Sequel Potential: None, this is far too serious for a sequel.

BOB HOSKINS

Career Lows: Maid in Manhattan, Super Mario Bros, Garfield 2 A Tail of Two Kitties, Son of The Mask, Hook.

Bob is better than chasing dinosaurs through dimensions. Particularly ones that are as annoying as Dennis Hopper, but everybody’s got bills to pay, even Super Mario.

He does however pop up every now and then to remind us all what a good actor he really is, from brimming with menace in Hollywoodland to heartbreaking in Last Orders, Bob Hoskins really can act.

He has been hampered by some strange career decisions, I really would like to know what was going though his brain as he sat down to read Super Mario Bros. He must of got to the line where Mario says “I got two words for you im-*possible*!!!” and thought, I’ll do it!

Bob can next be seen re-visiting his role as Smee in what is sure to be a highly original TV adaptation of the Peter Pan Story. (Rhys Ifans is playing Hook? ooo goody)

Instantly forgettable, Ed Helms and Anne Heche in Cedar Rapids.

Ed Helms moves from supporting cast to lead actor in his latest film Cedar Rapids. Helms plays Tim Lippe, a straight laced god fearing insurance salesman who is sent to Cedar Rapids to an annual insurance convention. Lippe has no idea what he has let himself in for as the weekend turns into one of debauchery and drunkenness.

Supported by the ever reliable John C. Reilly, Helms just about manages to carry the film. It’s not a huge leap for him with his character not being a million miles away from his one in The Hangover, this one though has significantly less to do. Cedar Rapids’ problem is that not a lot really happens. It ambles along from one scenario to the next strung loosely together by a rather dull plot involving some dodgy dealings amongst insurance executives.

The laughs never really come. Reilly’s Dean Ziegler comes the closest to awaking the film from its slumber but it’s ultimately not enough. Isiah Whitelock Jr supplies a treat for fans of The Wire but that aside, very little noteworthy action takes place.

Inevitably Lippe finds his way through some minor obstacles to come out enlightened on the other end although almost just as inevitably, you wont care.

Reviews have been largely favourable for Cedar Rapids, I’m scratching my head as to why.

The Company Men centres around three men in the midst of an economic recession. The men in question, Tommy Lee Jones, Ben Affleck and Chris Cooper find themselves in possession of a redundancy package as their company looks to downsize.

The Company Men is not a subtle film. Released during one of the worst global financial crises, it pulls little punches in detailing the grim reality a lot of workers find themselves in. At the helm of it is Affleck, playing Bobby Walker. A man used to the lifestyle an executive position brings: the golf club membership, the porche on the driveway, a house in the suburbs and the picture perfect family. He plays his character’s downward spiral perfectly, losing the things that he felt were important one by one before slowly coming to appreciate what he always had around him.

Unfortunately, the fact that Affleck is so engaging and that he takes up so much screen time means that ultimately the film is not about three men at all. Chris Cooper does his best as Phil Woodward, a man who struggles to find his way back onto the corporate ladder. Arguably his character dealt with one of the most interesting issues of the rising unemployment rate, the fact that the least likely age bracket to be re-employed is people aged between fifty and sixty. The script however fails to commit to his character and he is left feeding off scraps.

The same can be said of Gene McClary (Tommy Lee Jones), a man who has worked at the company since its formation, but his doomed struggle to prevent the downsizing never really comes to life.

John Wells does a good job of directing his own script. For his first feature film he shows a sure hand and despite issues with the screenplay in the case of Affleck at-least, he manages to convey a decent level of character development.

The Company Men shows plenty of promise and is relatively engaging throughout but will struggle to get audiences riled up at the injustice of it all.

Rainn Wilson takes the lead for James Gunn’s first film since 2006’s Slither. Here he plays Frank D’Arbo, a man left reeling when his wife, played by Liv Tyler, leaves him for Kevin Bacon’s local drug dealer.

Rather than spend the film basking in self pity Frank decides to do something about it, something that he feels only he can do, transform himself into The Crimson Bolt. A local “superhero” who waits around for crime and tackles it armed with only a plumbing wrench. Add in Ellen Page as the trusty sidekick Bolty and you have in place all the ingredients for an enjoyable indie comedy.

For the first ten minutes, that is how the film sets itself out. Wilson’s voice-over providing a comical insight into the mind of a seemingly good yet pathetic man. From there on out however you are forced to sit through a film completely losing its way. The laughs quickly dry up and director Gunn displays a remarkable ineptitude when it comes to storytelling.

A series of montages briefly manage to lighten the mood but Gunn’s over-reliance on gore and bizarre set pieces completely obliterate the promise the film had showed in its opening act. Super saves its biggest crime for its final third, it attempts to take itself seriously. An impossible sell when your lead character runs about in red lycra smacking people about with a wrench.

Wilson does his best in a frankly underwritten part, he slips perfectly into the heartbroken loser role and is equally adept at transforming into the alternative hero. The same can be said of Page whose enthusiasm and tenacity is the perfect match to Wilson’s gloom.

This film could of been so much more, whoever cut the trailer did a remarkable job. Gunn’s script lacks any genuine heart or warmth, his scatter-gun approach to storytelling gets in the way of any real character development. When it comes to directing Gunn neither displays the skill nor the patience to give Super any clear objectives and he ends up simply miss-firing.

A little bit of movie nostalgia. I used get lamely excited when I saw the Morgan Creek productions logo hit the cinema screen. Sadly the production company only makes straight to DVD stuff now (Ace Ventura Jnr anyone?) But I hope that one day I will see it at the cinema again.

Every-time I hear the Robin Hood Prince of Thieves music that accompanies the logo it takes me back to my childhood. Back to the days where being a Ghostbuster seemed like a genuine career plan. They used the music because Robin Hood was their first big hit. Subsequent duds followed such as The Whole Nine Yards, the unintentionally hilarious 3000 miles to Graceland and the impressively shit Battlefield Earth. Yet more flops came and the company hit the skids. Here is the logo, see if you remember them.

In search of perfection : Natalie Portman takes centre stage in Darren Aranofsky’s Black Swan.

Natalie Portman stars as Nina Sayers, a young ballet dancer charged with taking the lead in her company’s production of Swan Lake. As the film unravels, her descent into madness brought on by the pressures of the role becomes more and more apparent.

Step forward Mila Kunis and Vincent Cassell. Kunis plays Lily, a rival young dancer who covets the prestigious role while Cassell plays the respected Thomas Leroy. The productions demanding director. The two contribute to the increasing pressure Nina finds herself under before the cracks start to emerge.

It’s the cracks that ultimately spoil a technically excellent film. Aranofsky’s decision to display them in the form of quick jumpy moments that wouldn’t look out of place in a low-rent horror movie is hardly an inspired one. Real horror comes from being able to really creep the audience out, not make them jump. I can’t see anybody finding anything in this film genuinely disturbing.

It really is a shame because it detracts from other excellent aspects. The film does manage to reach a more sophisticated level of horror whenever Barbara Hershey is on screen. She plays Nina’s mother Erica, a pushy failed dancer with some serious issues of her own. She gives her character just the right mix of menace and vulnerability, enough to create a sense of unease when watching her performance.

Overall it’s a film of two halves, a well shot, well acted movie with brilliant sound design meets a misguided attempt at a study of a female breakdown. When the film does delve into Nina’s warped mind we are presented with a rather superficial take on what she believes to be going on. A rather heavy handed scene where Portman and Kunis square off is an example of this. The scene quickly descends into becoming reliant on special effects that outstay their welcome and any real message about her world coming apart at the seams is lost.

According to the trailer Black Swan has been called an “intoxicating masterpiece”, it’s neither. Just a very good film on lots of levels spoiled by an over-indulgence on special effects and moments of gore. Oh, and let’s not forget the smidgen of self-importance Black Swan decides to glaze itself with.

Vertical Limit - (2000)

When Chris O’Donnell is slated to star in anything you start to contemplate just how many actors turned it down before it ended up on his agents desk. Here he plays Peter Garrett, a keen mountaineer who takes to K2 when his sister gets stuck whilst going on an expedition which seems to involve a lot of beating up rocks with a tiny hammer. Will Chris O’Donnell get to his sister before she gets too cold and dies?

To help him he assembles a crack rescue team, one of which is Scott Glenn, the old wise man of the group who’s seen it all before. His main function in this movie is to constantly be defied by O’Donnell’s bravery. “It’s too dangerous!” “You’ll never make it!” “You’ll end up dead!” It turns out no mountain is perilous enough to stop a brother’s love.

O’Donnell tries hard bless him. Clearly excited that a major studio had faith in him to carry a film. (Made more remarkable by the fact that this was post Batman and Robin.) But no-matter how many rocks he flings himself off, you just don’t give a crap. It’s one saving grace was its amazing tagline: “Altitude with Attitude!” O’Donnell has since made the move to TV.

Danny Boyle’s latest stars James Franco as Aaron Ralston. Aaron, a keen adventurer sets off gallivanting amongst some rocks until inevitably he becomes stuck. With his arm firmly wedged against a boulder. What follows is the 127 hours for which he is trapped.

Franco is pretty much the whole show here and for the most part is engaging. His struggle against what would appear to be the grizzly inevitable conclusion to his plight remains interesting throughout, but the film fails to deliver any genuine threat or suspense; something which would seemingly be a prerequisite for this type of movie.

Boyle is not the right director for this story by any means, his over stylised tactics quickly become a distraction. The constant split screens between the present and the characters flashbacks are far too intrusive. Perhaps most criminal of all is the fact the flashbacks do very little to flesh out Ralston, making him hard to care for. Boyle frequently wastes opportunities to add gravitas to the situation with the flashbacks and instead plumps for over-the-top character fantasies. Fantasies that are more often than not accompanied by an out of place pop score.

This story needed a delicate touch, Boyle is too present and heavy-handed with the material. Both Boyle and his co-screenwriter Simon Beaufoy seem to take pleasure in teasing the audience and our expectations of what is to come. It’s an uncomfortable place to be forced into, particularly since Ralston’s ultimate decision becomes more and more obvious. All of that would be easier to stomach if more emotion had been injected earlier on but not enough has been put in the bank. When the film does reach its  conclusion it’s running on empty and any attempt to inject an uplifting feeling falls flat.

Maybe it’s because apart from the situation he finds himself in, Ralston is a dull character. He is from a loving home with a steady job and what appears to be quite a nice apartment. He isn’t running from anything or anybody and during his stint by the boulder he isn’t forced to confront anything about himself. All of which makes his “triumph” rather bland.

A hard film to make from the outset that would have benefited from an engaging back-story. Boyle’s frequent insistence on employing flash methods detract from what could have been an engaging character piece. As a result Ralston is a character who is difficult to spend a couple of hours with, let alone a hundred and twenty-seven.

A belated look back at the good and not so good films of 2010.

BEST FILM - WINTER’S BONE

Jennifer Lawrence stars as Ree Dolly who navigates the dangerous terrain and locals whilst in search of her drug-dealing father. All of this while trying to keep her two younger siblings together. Winter’s Bone is a slow-burner that keeps you riveted as it gently unfolds and is complemented by striking visuals and a career-making performance by Lawrence.

BEST PERFORMANCE - COLIN FIRTH

The man from Love Actually and Bridget Jones can act! Not only that but his portrayal as King George VI is full of vulnerability and he delivers it with a compelling degree of frustration that is always simmering beneath the surface.

MOST OVER-RATED FILM - THE SOCIAL NETWORK

Plaudits were heaped upon Aaron Sorkin and David Fincher’s film about social networking site FaceBook. Ultimately the film was a disappointment,  Jesse Eisenberg struggles as Mark Zuckerberg, as an actor he is simply not good enough and what we end up with is a naive portrayal. Andrew Garfield is the film’s saviour but he can only do so much as the film descends into becoming an uncomfortable blend of annoyance and boredom.

WORST FILM - SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD

Edgar Wright presided over this truly awful fan-boy piece. Michael Cera stars as Scott Pilgrim who must defeat the seven evil exes if he is to be with his true love. This is amateur hour, far too many ideas create a mess of a script with no destination. The result is two hours of incomprehensible noise. If I wanted to watch two hours of incomprehensible noise I’d watch The X-Factor.

OTHER MENTIONS

James Newton-Howard’s tension cranking score in Salt. Tom Cruise’s awful motorbike/bull chase in Knight and Day. Mel Gibson’s moody turn in Edge of Darkness.  A touching performance from Annette Bening in indie film The Kids are Alright and M. Night Shyamalan kissing goodbye to what remained of his credibility with two turkeys in the form of The Last Airbender and Devil.

2011 POTENTIAL COMEBACK - MEL GIBSON

2010 was not a great year for Mel. Allegations of anti-semetic and homophobic comments were followed up by further allegations of wife-beating and alcoholism. What better way to put all that behind you than by starring in a film about a man who goes through a crisis and comes out the other end by communicating through a hand puppet in the form of a beaver. The trailer looks just as promising as it does ridiculous but I back Mel to pull it off.

Colin Firth’s latest The King’s Speech sees him play King George VI. Thrust onto the throne due to the abdication of his brother King Edward VIII, George must overcome his debilitating stammer to address the nation upon the declaration of war with Hitler’s Germany.

George VI is a beleaguered figure, spending the majority of his life living in the shadow of his imposing father and the far more charismatic figure of his older brother. He is forced to confront his demons when pushed against his will into the limelight. Those demons manifest themselves in the form of a speech impediment, something which needs to be rectified if Britain is to have a wartime figurehead. Luckily help is at hand, cue unorthodox speech therapist Lionel Logue, flawlessly played by Geoffrey Rush.

It’s the relationship between the reluctant King and Logue that forms the film’s heart. David Seidler’s screenplay deals with this remarkable true story gently and as a result the film possesses moments of genuine warmth and humour. Tom Hooper directs with a surprisingly sure hand; this film is a huge step up from the flawed Damned United. What really is remarkable is the tenderness with which the story is told, considering the film is about the head of a notoriously emotionally stunted family, there is genuine affectivity on display here.

The script is brought to life by some sterling acting. Colin Firth delivers a career best performance that is both engaging and touching. A scene which he and Rush share, where Logue delves into the King’s childhood really stands out. It puts Firth’s portrayal firmly amongst the stand out performances of the year. He isn’t left to carry the film however, Rush (who also executive produced) is on hand to bring Lionel Logue to life. His turn as a failed actor-turned-speech-therapist, who finds a purpose in helping the King realise his potential, should deservedly bring him recognition come the Oscar nominations. He really throws himself into the role, delivering a slick and energetic interpretation.  Ultimately though this is Firth’s show - he doesn’t play a King, but a man dealing with an anguish that has seen him sidelined throughout his life. He is, though, a man with a suppressed voice which in turn leads to frustration. This is all on show but Firth disguises it effortlessly beneath the British stiff upper lip.

There is unfortunately one minor blip within what is a fine film. The casting of Timothy Spall as Winston Churchill is a mis-step. He treads an uncomfortable line between portrayal and impersonation and detracts from the scenes that he features in.  This shouldn’t put you off what is a terrific way to spend a couple of hours.

The adulations that The Kings Speech has received are all dead on. They single out Firth and Rush for praise but equal credit must go to Hooper and Seidler for delivering a heart-warming film. Believe the hype, The Kings Speech is the first great film of the year.

Here we have a great moment from the history of Cinema, courtesy of Tom Cruise. This is truly amazing.

I don’t think there is anything quite like an action scene where a man gets beaten to death with his own hacked off arm. Enjoy.

#5. Ray Liotta as Ray Weaver in Turbulence

Perhaps not the most obvious choice but Liotta gives a memorable performance never-the-less. Unfortunately it’s all for the wrong reasons. He’s a serial killer being transferred on a jet. Unsurprisingly it’s not long before he does away with everybody on the plane apart from a plucky stewardess. Ninety minutes of psycho Ray follow complete with maniacal laughter, heavy breathing and a lot of sweating.

#4. Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman in American Psycho

Whether or not he is a serial killer is debatable but that doesn’t change the fact that he is still pretty messed up. Part of the status seeking 80’s yuppie culture on the outside, chainsaw wielding nut job on the inside. “Don’t just stare at it Sabrina, eat it!”

#3. Kathy Bates as Annie Wilkes in Misery

To put it somewhat mildly, Annie Wilkes is a troubled woman who finds some solace in the books of Paul Sheldon. I don’t think you’ve seen a demented until you’ve watched someone calmly take a sledgehammer to a man’s ankles.

#2. Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of The Lambs

I think from the moment you realise Hannibal tore off a guards face and wore it on-top of his own as a disguise, it’s pretty safe to say your in the company of a right weirdo. Hannibal goes that extra yard, not only a serial killer but a cannibal as-well. Got to admire the effort.

1. Glenn Close as Alex Forrest in Fatal Attraction

By far and away the scariest of all the psychos I have seen on film. Alex has an affair with a married man and becomes a tad obsessed with him. Glenn Close is terrifying in this, all women who are concerned about their men straying should make them watch this movie. Every minute she spends on screen scares the sh*t out of me, whether she is doing her psycho smile, kidnapping the mans kid or bringing the family pet to the boil on the stove.

Random Movie Awards - Gayest Description of Sex

Awarded to: Robin Williams in Bicentennial Man.

I should point out that Robin Williams is a robot in this movie. Unfortunately this was the 90’s and not even playing a robot could stop him from being a schmaltzy twat.