Lovelace (2013)

Rating: 4/5

As with many a vintage icon (I found, also, with recent biopic Behind the Candelabra), half of a modern-day audience is likely to be ignorant about the people these films are based on, let alone the social or historical contexts within which they lived. This allows film makers an impressive degree of creative licence when it comes to rewriting somebody's life story - especially when that somebody is no longer around to tell their side. I feel this has taken place, to a certain extent, with new release Lovelace, which tells the story of the rise and fall of the biggest pornographic star ever...

Maybe I'll start this off on a more trivial note: leading lady Amanda Seyfried looks nothing like the real Linda Lovelace. They have added freckles for good measure, but as bad as it sounds, even the character's appearance has been romanticised. She was a rather average looking woman, making it kind of hard to believe little quips such as "She's gorgeous, but she ain't for this business." Along the same lines, a fleeting appearance by James Franco as Hugh Hefner baffled me. As has already been pointed out by other critics, Hefner would have been almost into his fifties when this movie is set, and Franco looks little over 30, even in make-up.

Seyfried stars as young Linda Boreman, who appears to have become somewhat 'prudish' since having her illegitimate child put up for adoption by her fanatically Catholic mother (Sharon Stone, I couldn't believe!). After being talked into dancing at a club by her friend (Juno Temple), she is eyed up by greasy deadbeat Chuck Traynor, who has the gift of the gab, and within a short space of time, has whisked Linda out of her parents' overprotective house and into an exploitative relationship.

Somehow (this part is mysteriously missing from the narrative), between taking her for an audition she doesn't know is for porn, and arriving on the set about to 'hook up' with a total stranger, Traynor manages to convince his wife to participate, and before she knows it, 'Deep Throat' becomes the biggest thing to happen to the industry - it brings adult entertainment into the mainstream.

Lovelace's incredible and harrowing story is rather an ongoing mystery, as her accounts, even during her lifetime, fluctuated quite significantly. Towards the end of the movie, Linda having endured her pain and suffering, attention is drawn to her book 'Ordeal'- actually published in 1980 - which documented said pain and suffering, and served as her initiation into the anti-pornography movement. It brought many serious allegations of abuse against ex-husbands and producers alike, and claimed everything she had done, was at gunpoint. However, as the movie fails to point out, she had formerly released two other books, teaching women how to feel sexually liberated, and passing on her techniques for good lovin'.

Another thing I don't think is really explored properly is the cultural impact 'Deep Throat' really had. The movie contained several practices that were reviled by the good law-abidin' citizens of the day, which by modern standards are rather commonplace. Had it not been for this movie, these practices may not be so acceptable today. This is not highlighted as much as it should be in Lovelace.

It's a well made movie though. Shot in that captivating, technicolor fuzziness of a '70s lens, the look of the film is wonderful. It nicely captures a colourful, characterful era, with all the unbelievable ideals that went along with it. In a scene when Linda runs home because Chuck has pimped and beat her, her mother stiffly tells her, "You want a divorce? What do you think we are, Protestant?!" The mother character is central to Linda's dysfunction. A poignant closing scene in which a reformed Linda is being interviewed on TV sees her tell the reporter, "I was raised to please my husband, for better or worse. That's what I did," while her shattered mother weeps at the screen. This line hits very hard on everybody.

There is a wonderful ensemble cast. Seyfried continues to hit new heights and explore edgier material, having formerly played an obsessed prostitute alongside Julianne Moore in 'Chloe,' and Peter Sarsgaard makes a terrifying Chuck. A one-liner appearance from the fabulous Chloe Sevigny sends a little wink-wink-nudge-nudge at us in reference to her famous appearance in 'The Brown Bunny,' but her talent is criminally underused.

A final interesting little piece of trivia for you: the parents of the very talented Thora Birch (American Beauty, The Hole) were both porn stars, and both acted in 'Deep Throat'. Every other person questioned about most of Lovelace's allegations denied them, and there has surely been ample opportunity for any onlookers to have supported such claims. There has been none. If the movie interests you, do read on about Linda Lovelace...there is a lot more to be known than it reveals.

Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa (2013)

Rating: 4.5/5

Steve Coogan's bumbling 'radio dee-jock' persona Alan Partridge has become something of a local hero to the people of Norfolk. Despite Coogan obviously setting his character in Norwich so the idiot would feel 'at home,' we can take the joke, it seems, as Cinema City was packed of fans young and old, ready and rearing to see their beloved hometown on the big screen. Having watched rather little of Alan Partridge, I was really unsure as to how funny I would find this movie. One review headlines Alpha Papa 'so funny, it hurts,' and I was surprised to find this to be true. I laughed so hard, I began to grow self-conscious about it!

Partridge is, as ever, within the walls of North Norfolk Radio, holding such classic call-ins as 'Which monger is worse - fish or war?' and feeling the pressure as new, young, hip radio shows and presenters are threatening his age-old traditions. When his disgruntled colleague Pat Farrell (he's Irish, by the way) is fired from North Norfolk Radio, he crashes the office party and holds up a bunch of his co-workers. Alan is allowed out to negotiate, and ends up the face of the biggest siege in Norwich history.

Of course, with a guy like Alan the key pawn in the siege, we have a lot of laughs to come. Some are in the dialogue: "You're acting like a real madam - and not a Parisian one, one in a terraced house behind a train station!" and some are in side-splittingly funny sequences. When Alan attempts to climb in, and then back out of a high window, and his trousers get caught on the latch... the laughter is uncontainable.

The atmosphere at Cinema City was buzzing. We were all psyched to see Partridge hijacking a car in a location just up the road from us. Norwich is a really great city and, humorously or not, we undoubtedly got that additional enjoyment out of Alpha Papa for our love of the place. But wherever you're from, this is a very funny film. People of all ages were rolling about laughing - I rarely see such unanimous contentment from a comedy.

Of course, there is little to say about specifics of the film making. It is not produced in such a precisely comical manner as, say, Hot Fuzz, in which elements like cinematography, editing and score are of significant importance. Coogan's now second-nature delivery and very good script writing are what carries this movie through, and on this occasion, it is enough.

Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa is energetically and lovingly delivered, with some very nice performances from its entire cast, some devilishly funny material throughout, and a wonderful aftertaste to the audience, who unfailingly leave the theatre in high spirits.

The World's End (2013)

Rating: 5/5

Everybody loves Pegg and Frost, don't they? I'd say 99% of the people I know think of Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead to be among the finest movies to come out of Britain in recent years, and among the best comedies around. They do it so well - they do the 'buddy love' minus the Americanised schmaltz, and get us laughing in a relatable way. Consider, for example, one of Pegg's friends revealing how he defaced some graffiti by scratching the R out of 'King Gary.' Ha! If that doesn't take you back to your school days, nothing will!

Simon Pegg stars as said King, who was the god of his high school back in '90..."you know, 1990?" A bemused kid stares dumbfounded. On the last day of school, Gary and his four best buddies went on the traditional pub crawl of their town, known as the Golden Mile, in which they were each to drink a pint from twelve different pubs, culminating at The World's End. Back then, they didn't make it past the ninth pub.

Years later, Gary is (I presumed) an alcoholic on the run from some kind of institution, and determined to complete the Golden Mile with his friends. They've done the growing up thing; they've got jobs, wives, kids and houses. All Gary has is his knackered out '80s car 'The Beast,' a Sid Vicious wardrobe and some undetermined source of income substantial enough to purchase a LOT of booze. Through his hilarious, teenage-like antics and 'white lies' about his mother dying, he guilt trips and persuades his boys to come back to their home town and finish what they started "to the bitter end...or lager end."

Pegg takes things to a whole new level with this role. We've seen the reserved, straight-faced characters, and now he goes crazy British-Jack Black on us. He is one of those guys who manages to make a loud, obnoxious man funny rather than irritating. On the flip side, Nick Frost now plays the most mature of the friends, who is a big businessman, and acts like the uptight teacher on the school trip. It's impressive how suddenly depressing his early pessimism is to us as an audience, as well as to his companions. But in usual form, the grumpy guy makes a turnabout, to deliver just as much physical humour in the final act as his goofy costar.

We've seen zombies, we've seen a murderous cult of pensioners, and now we get robots. But do you know what 'robot' means? It's from the Czech for 'slave,' as is repeatedly pointed out, and these beings, apparently, are not slaves. The sci-fi second half is a brilliant play on everybody's adult realisation of how their hometowns have changed. How the people forget you and seem different, and how there's some unidentifiable, intangible metamorphosis on the places we once saw as home. I really, really liked this theme. It was explored so well, that you don't have to be of Pegg and Frost's generation to understand. You just have to have left school, I guess, and come to the same reluctant conclusions that they have. If you haven't left school, you should see it as a friendly warning to make the most of everything!

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost make such great movies, and this is the cherry on top of a fantastic trilogy. Things are wrapped up in perfect style, as always, with a monumental smashdown in a pub (where else?!), and even a sneaky Mint Cornetto reference. They bring together a few of the usual suspects like Martin Freeman, Paddy Considine and Bill Nighy, and throw in a surprise appearance by Pierce Brosnan.

Anybody can enjoy The World's End, I'm sure. It is very funny, very relatable, and an awesome end to the Cornetto Trilogy.

Monsters University (2013)

Rating: 4.5/5

Twelve long years ago, I watched Monsters Inc. on the big screen, eager to experience the wonder that Pixar had been spreading ever since Toy Story. This morning, I had twice the excitement to contain, as my Pixar-crazy daughter was along for the ride. Having recently made the rounds of Wreck-It Ralph and 3D reruns of Monsters Inc., we were both ready and rearing to go, and needless to say Pixar delivered. Yet again.

Is there anything Pixar can't do? That distinguished crew of geniuses raises their own bar time after time, and consistently fail to disappoint. In usual form, the movie opened with a joyous short film entitled The Blue Umbrella, which I can only say had me smiling throughout. A busy, rainy rush hour in the big city is brightened by a blue umbrella among a sea of black, who ventures after a beautiful red umbrella who catches his eye. Visuals are wondrous - I still can't tell if backgrounds are live action or animation - and as ever, the sweet, simple story line is glorious.

Monsters University is full of all the boldness, humour and creativity its predecessor displayed, and gets the laughs going right from the off: a pigeon on the street cocks its head so fast we see two, only for the angle to turn and reveal a two headed bird, nodding in turn.

We see a young, even smaller Mike Wazowski in monster elementary school, where he is teased and excluded for not being a scary monster. But a field trip to Monsters Inc. sets him on the dream of becoming a professional scarer (if you haven't seen the first installment, the monster world is powered by children's screams, which the monsters provoke and harness) and years on, he is a determined freshman at Monsters University.

Mike (voice by Billy Crystal) gets into a scuffle with the class timewaster Jimmy Sullivan (voice by John Goodman) - whose family name has gotten him far in life with complete lack of effort on his part - and both are soon threatened with expulsion by the serpentine Dean Hardscrabble (voice by Helen Mirren). Their only chance to keep their places on the Scaring Programme is to prove themselves worthy by competing in the campus Scare Games.

In order to compete, the boys join the only fraternity that will take them, Oozma Kappa, and in doing so, allow for Pixar to tick another of their standard of excellence boxes: a great ensemble of secondary characters with discernible personalities. In the fraternity we have 'mature student' salesman Don, who sports the frumpy polo shirt and bald spot; Terri and Terry, a two headed creature that unfortunately only counts as one team mate; young tubster Squishy, whose mum owns the 'fraternity house'; and furry hippie biped Art. They make a wicked little team, just as Sid's mutated toys and the Dentist's tank of fish did in previous Pixar adventures.

I guess the overall product is missing a little of that magic drive because it is a sequel, and we are not blown away by some creation that's completely new to us. And to be honest, the quality of the animation hasn't changed, but I rather think its due to Pixar being so ahead of its time and so top of its game, not lack of progression.

It was a fun ride, with plenty of the great slapstick gags. I was disappointed to see one from the trailers didn't make it to the cinema, in which Mike is covered in mirrors and lit up like a disco ball. I was joyed to see a brief cameo from my favourite character of the original, Ros, whose slow, raspy voice tickles me to the very core, and the boys' slimy opponent Randall (voice by Steve Buscemi) makes his debut also, as bright young student turned bad boy Randy Boggs.

With Monsters University, and the upcoming Planes and Finding Dory, it seems like Pixar are going through a sequels, prequels and spin-offs phase. I do hope that this is just recovery time to come up with some really great original material, because although these efforts are brilliant and entertaining, we know there's still so much Pixar have got to give.

The Bling Ring (2013)

Rating: 4/5

A couple of Summers ago, I indulged in my guilty pleasure of argumentative American TV in the form of a new series on E! entitled 'Pretty Wild,' which in a nutshell followed young Valley brat Alexis Neiers, her sisters and their psychotic Adderall-dispensing mother. Of course, the delusional, over-indulged daughters all wanted to be models, they were home-schooled some wishy-washy belief system called The Secret, and to top it all off, Alexis was on trial for burglarizing a bunch of celebrities' homes. She cried, and stropped, and couldn't believe a Vanity Fair article would make her out to be an idiot, and eventually went down for the crimes. It was truly hilarious to behold, and now, through the eyes of Sofia Ford Coppola, comes the movie adaptation of the incredulous Hollywood Hills Burglaries.

I imagine most Brits will be seeing The Bling Ring to see Emma Watson. After all, the actual events of a few years ago weren't so heavily covered in the UK media as they were in the US, so Watson is certainly the appeal of this story. Though her Neiers-influenced character Nicki is not the leading role, she certainly shines through, approaching her performance with her undeniable intelligence. This movie is hugely satirical: it is not so much a teen flick to influence, inspire or entertain young people, more a dark comedy, examining the huge crime that was entirely fueled by naive, rich teenage self-indulgence and exposes the ridiculousness of celebrity worship.

Although the performances are all good and convincing considering that a lot of real quotes and mannerisms have been adopted from Nancy Jo Sales' Vanity Fair article, Watson seems to be the only young lead who treats her performance with the right level of irony. Perhaps the remaining American side of the cast are more absorbed in the culture they portray, and so take it more seriously.

Taking place in Ol' Town Calabasas - the same rich end of LA that the Kardashians inhabit - Rebecca (Katie Chang) and Marc (Israel Broussard) meet at a drop-out school for troublesome kids, and despite both coming from highly privileged backgrounds, start breaking into Paris Hilton's house when the 24-7 media of today informs them she is hosting a party out of town. Marc enjoys good times with his new friend and is useful to her, but Rebecca is obsessed with celebrity culture, and gets the ultimate rush from stealing the expensive belongings of Hollywood's dumbest. Soon their friends Nicki (Watson) and Chloe (Claire Julien) are along for the ride, and the gang are an incorrigible group of thieves.

It's remarkable how easy their little escapades are to pull off. Surely even Paris Hilton isn't dumb enough to leave her house keys (complete with pretentious Eiffel Tower keyring) under the mat on the porch, right? That's why I say Hollywood's Dumbest. Only Audrina Patridge and Orlando Bloom were logical enough to install security cameras in their luxurious pads, which quite obviously contain very valuable, very steal-able goods.

At times the script, also by Ford Coppola, can sound ridiculous. "I think this whole experience is a huge learning lesson," Nicki tells the paps. From the mouths of babes! This is another priceless Neiers quote, and when you stop and look at the kinds of people being portrayed, it suddenly doesn't seem so unbelievable. In fact, Ford Coppola demonstrates a keen ear for the way young people talk today.

It's appropriately and impressively constructed, and I also enjoyed Israel Broussard's performance. He manages to conjure up even a little empathy, and is the only character to express any genuine remorse for his actions, and the most accepting of his punishment.

The ultimate irony the movie portrays is the idea of celebrity. These teens do nothing but stalk every detail of their idols' lives, and all at some point or other project ambitions to become big and famous in some field or other. Rebecca is said to "crave the celebrity lifestyle that everyone secretly wants," and as the crimes get recognised, and the stupid teens leave an easy trail of evidence behind them, it becomes the biggest story in Hollywood. They themselves are celebrities, both before they are discovered, and after they are revealed, at which point they have Facebook pages dedicated to them, and swarms of supposedly supportive followers.

Giving an interview after the character's incarceration, Watson closes the picture with a finely-delivered epitome: "Yeah, it was really terrible. But anyway, to know all about me and my life, go to NickiMoore4Evah.com"

Thérèse Desqueyroux (2013)

Rating: 3.5/5

I will start out by saying I didn't feel I was quite the right person to talk properly about Thérèse Desqueyroux, because I felt there was some underlying ignorance on my part. Whether I needed better knowledge of French drama and history, or just of the novel that preceded this movie, I felt uninformed. But I could certainly appreciate the beauty, grace and style with which it was made, and was allowed to be moderately entertained by.

The movie opens with two young girls, Thérèse and Anne, who are best friends, and both in some way assured that the former will one day marry the latter's older brother Bernard Desqueyroux. He inherits vast acres of pine trees and massive fortune, but when of course he does marry Thérèse (Audrey Tautou), his mother is insulted by her daughter-in-law being richer than her. Her wealth, and therefore her very presence, is a mockery to the Desqueyroux family.

Thérèse is no humble housewife or oppressed little lady. She, as cinema often portrays women of the era being, suffers the affliction of thinking. Her husband is at first fondly amused by her independence and self-containment. To him it is some meaningless feminine frivolity. All he expects of her is to bear him children, and when she does, the cigar-distributing, 'continuing the bloodlines' ego comes into play; Bernard forgets about his wife, and she feels betrayed.

And she continues "having these thoughts," which become an ultimate danger to her husband. But not really as dramatically as the trailer suggests. Characters keep going on about Thérèse's "thoughts," but we are never enlightened as to what thoughts these are. And we want to know. This is our heroine, our protagonist. We want a movie about her to let us know what's going on in her life and in her head. We only seem to get her life, despite what's in her head being a common topic of conversation.

Audrey Tautou is as lovely as ever, with a genuine feeling of coldness and inner disturbance. It is hard to believe that those lifeless Desqueyroux eyes are the same that grinned wildly up at us from the cover of Amelie. She delivers a powerful performance with conviction, and is really the appeal of the film.

Sets are rich, sweeping, endless at times, but when appropriate feel enclosed. The film looks lovely, as every element comes together, between costumes, lighting, sets and players. It is visually very nice, and a decent example of some of the wonderful world cinema that few bother to take in.

Before Midnight (2013)

Rating: 4.5/5

Before Midnight comes as the third instalment in Richard Linklater's 'Before' triology, which tells the story of the love between an American man (Ethan Hawke) and a French woman (Julie Delpy). I have not seen the first two movies, but Before Midnight told a story of its own, with such truth and passion that it hardly mattered. I understood completely.

Jesse and Celine are now in their early 40s, on holiday in Greece with their twin daughters, having put Jesse's older son Hank on a flight back to his mother in Chicago, who makes things hard for father and son to see each other. Jesse wants to move back to the States to see his son more often, but Celine's entire life is in Paris, and she doesn't want to 'become a submissive housewife.'

As they drive through the beautiful mountains of Greece, and dine with friends, and wander ancient ruins, the couple talk. Just talk. The talk of real people with tangible pasts and unforeseeable futures. Their trivial chats creep into fond reminiscences, and familiar arguments.

Some of their earlier comments are cringeworthy. At a dinner party, they go into a lengthy impersonation of themselves as a suave author and his bimbo groupie. There is a discernible oddity to the way they talk and react. There is so much mutual insult, and talk of other men and women, all delivered with casual sarcasm that it creates tension and a sense of unrest between the lovers.

This tension, and the preceding embarrassment serves its purpose in a final explosive argument, in which many truths that most people can empathise with come out. It goes on, and plays out as a little drama of its own, in a realistic way that anyone can relate to. Celine throws ridiculous accusations and paranoid ideas, while Jesse pointlessly gives all the right answers and tells her she's "the Mayor of Crazytown."

The realism is the essence of Before Midnight, and clearly down to the team effort of Linklater, Hawke and Delpy, as they share writers' credit, as well as their directing and acting respectively. The entire movie is really made up of around six or seven big scenes, because these scenes are allowed to run their course naturally, and everything that should be said is said.

Dialogue is like a slice of life - like reality TV with less glamorous/brain-dead people - and performances are perfect. Through their relationship with Linklater and his trilogy, Delpy and Hawke have clearly come to know, love and respect their characters, to the point where they can become them having created them. These three have created a wonderful movie here, and what's more, they have demonstrated understanding of how humans really are. It is truly grand.

Summer In February (2013)

Rating: 2.5/5

Summer In February's trailer, most unfortunately, made the film out to be better than it actually is. It told us of the troubled relationship of renowned artist Alfred Munnings, and it looked exciting, dramatic and well made. I was right about the well made. But it offered very little in terms of excitement, drama, or in fact solid plot lines.

Dominic Cooper stars as a young 'AJ' Munnings, living in a community of budding artists in early 20th century Cornwall. He is vibrant, spontaneous and recites long poems by heart. His friend Joey's sister Florence (Emily Browning) arrives one night during one of the gang's fiesty, poetic parties. Two men instantly take a fancy to her: Munnings, and his loyal military friend Gilbert.

Each quickly develops a scattered relationship with Florence, who looks on uncomfortably as nude women pose for portraits. Neither of these relationships is given much detail, and they jump from stage to stage, without any drama in between to explain how they got there. Gilbert is planning to propose to her one night, but AJ swoons in, and literally steals her away: he and Florence are soon engaged, and so begins the downfall.

AJ begins as Florence's supposed art tutor, but she spends all her time posing as 'one of his women,' for a painting she comes to detest. The frictions between them, and his incessant discouragement of her artistic flare, drive her to drink cyanide during their wedding reception. She longs for Gilbert, who so quickly missed his chance, and she endures - for a while - an abusive and unhappy marriage.

The sad thing is, this is a great story. It sounds inviting as you read it. But on the screen, it plays out very tediously. The odd moments of real drama are brief, making little use of the cast's obvious talent. The finished product seems rushed: the screenplay misses out big chunks of what I imagine to be important stuff, but even at its 100 minute running time, it is mostly boring. I'm not sure that including any extra material could have redeemed it.

Narrative is rather skeletal. Consider, for example, a brief nude scene by Emily Browning. Clearly the former child actress, as many others do, wanted to break into more adult roles, and she certainly does it successfully. But glorious as it is, the scene doesn't fit - nor do many others - because there is little context for it. It is perhaps hinted that Florence feels insecure around the much more voluptuous Dolly, but her character is given such little opportunity to expand, that the scene appears random.

The visuals of Summer In February are splendid. The unmistakable Cornish scenery is ever-present, offering beautiful skies, tall green cliffs, and the sounds of breeze that you could only hear near the ocean. Similarly, set and costume design is beautiful.

This is not a bad movie: there are many decent components, like the aforementioned actors and visuals. For a loosely strung romantic drama, it is good enough. For a movie about art, I was expecting a little more dialogue on the subject. But AJ has it right - Florence's porcelain features were destined for the canvas.

Populaire! (2013)

Rating: 4/5

The latest French import 'Populaire' opens with a scatty, vibrant animated title sequence accompanied by chirpy orchestration. It quite reminds me of the opening credits of 'Catch Me If You Can', and in rather the same fashion, these opening credits are a clever little illustration of our protagonist's personality.

Scatter-brained but ambitious, Rose Pamphyle (Deborah Francois) starts out at an interview for a secretary job with Echard Insurance - a very desirable position in 1959 - and she is all wrong. Her lipstick is too bright, her hair isn't neatly secured, she's an out-of-towner, and she just isn't a very good secretary. But when, with a burst of desperation, she hammers out a perfect copy of a letter on the typewriter, Mr Echard (Romain Duris) is impressed by her skill and speed.

Echard is, I suppose, your average French male lead: he is ruggedly handsome, suffering from an attitude problem, and never without a cigarette in his hand. So when he mentions that his terrible new recruit can keep her job if she'll do something that is "not really work-related," she is certainly not expecting him to whip out a pamphlet for the National Speed-Typing Championships.

With his relentless training and piano lessons from Echard's friend, Rose quickly rises through the ranks and becomes national, and eventually world champion. But of course, the relationship between pupil and tutor takes interesting turns, particularly in this case as the strong personalities have some amusing clashes.

It's cute and quaint to see the reactions to various situations from a '50s crowd. Rose retorts to the inevitable seduction, "It's 1959 - girls don't tend to wait until marriage any more," and hordes of young women claw and cry and crave as Rose Pamphyle (or "PAM-ful" to the irritating American contest judge) becomes a teen idol, all for being the world's fastest typist. It's like Beatlemania.

The visuals are fun and creative. Consider, for example, a scene in which Echard and his buddy Bob are playing tennis, while arguing over his plans for Rose. Echard sees her potential; Bob sees her screw-ups. From sideways on, the net vertically cuts the screen in half, each man glaring competitively at the other through their division.

Unfortunately, like so many before it, Populaire is tainted with the dreaded 12A certificate. It's a fun movie, and mostly suitable all around. But bear in mind that there is a little moderate language, and a love scene with brief breast shots. Were there still such a certificate that allowed those over the age of 12 only to attend, there would be no issue, and for most open-minded people, there still will be none. But it is something to consider if planning a family trip.

Behind The Candelabra (2013)

Rating: 5/5

As I walked into Cinema City to watch Behind The Candelabra, I chatted to a guy who worked there about the movie. "I hated Michael Douglas," the guy told me, "but this is one of the best movies I've seen lately, and he is amazing. This is what changed my mind about him." Enough said.

Michael Douglas has taken on bold and sexually-charged roles throughout his career, such as his erotic thrillers Fatal Attraction (1987) and Basic Instinct (1992), and his decision to portray legendary glamour puss Liberace is nothing short of audacious. But it also turns out to be one of the best performances of his career.With all the glitz of Chicago and all the showbiz heartbreak of Almost Famous, Steven Soderbergh's new biopic of a young man's frantic affair with Liberace is a beautiful, star-studded showcase of fantastic acting, and shocking truth.

Invited backstage one night at a Liberace concert, young bisexual dog-trainer Scott Thorson (Matt Damon) is snapped up eagerly by the fabulous but lonely entertainer, who takes an instant liking to Scott's young spirit and willingness to listen. Scott's adoptive parents are apprehensive as they see him leave LA for Vegas to attend to the needs of "one of those San Francisco guys," and the newly inseparable couple become lovers.

Liberace lives a life reminiscent of the outrageously funny La Cage Aux Folles: everything is fur, feathers, glitter and crystals. He treats his dear young lover to furs, suits, jewellery, cars, a house and even a facial reconstruction to look more like him. The first act of their relationship is darkly humorous; in hindsight, what was presented to us so flamboyantly was really quite disturbing stuff.

The greatest source of comedy comes from Rob Lowe as the plasticised surgeon who fixes all the facial faux pas and prescribes the 'Hollywood Diet'. A combination of make-up, fantastic use of facial expression and wickedly funny delivery on Lowe's part makes his character so ridiculously hilarious, despite his questionable personality.

In the same fashion of so many good entertainment industry/ destructive relationship dramas, the second act sees the lovers drift apart, parted by differences in taste, suspicions and drug dependence. When Scott inevitably develops a cocaine habit, Damon's skill really shines through. The ridiculous garble of an angry drug addict could sound crazy if delivered wrongly, but Damon's energy and understanding makes every word sound sombre, pitiful and utterly realistic.

Douglas plays Liberace with such knowing, and such soul. His character, however flawed, is loveable - a tragic hero - throughout. Though we may want to, we never find ourselves able to doubt his love for Scott, and we see he is a misunderstood person.

Behind The Candelabra is truly one of the best films of the year. It's a shame it's so soon after the Oscar season: it may have been forgotten about by next year.

I'm So Excited! (2013)

Rating: 4/5

The latest picture to come out of Spanish cinema genius Pedro Almodovar is somewhat different from his usual material. His previous film The Skin I Live In was an absolutely chilling thriller that I rate as one of the best movies I've ever seen. And now, out of the clear blue sky, he brings us 'Los amantes pasajeros,' or I'm So Excited!, which is an entertaining camp comedy about a plane that develops technical problems mid-flight, leaving the troubled passengers to the mercy of three very gay stewards. 

Although the stewards are arguably the main characters, rather like Love Actually, all the passengers have their own little subplots and their own little endings, creating engaging and likable characters. The plane's business class is populated by an angry ageing dominatrix, an actor whose former lovers get into a darkly humorous tangle, a sexually frustrated psychic and a pill-smuggling newlywed whose young wife does some very interesting things in her sleep.

And among the gay/bisexual/married but also gay crew, there are various love-related grievances, most of which have very funny outcomes and processes. Under the pressure of keeping the agitated passengers calm and unknowing of the plane's malfunction, the stewards perform a hilarious dance number, before resorting to serving Mescaline-spiked cocktails. And according to the narrative, Mescaline causes extreme...arousal, among other psychedelic effects, leading to a situation somewhat reminiscent of the Town Picnic scene in Elvira Mistress of the Dark.

Some are criticizing the film for its supposedly cruel and flippant portrayal of several situations, arguing that characters are taken advantage of sexually. However, this is intended purely as a light-hearted comedy, and should not be entered into begrudgingly. All I can say is I laughed. I laughed a lot, and so did the entire theatre, but none as much as one: I couldn't even tell if this certain individual was male or female, but they had the most outrageously loud and hilarious cackle, which continued almost unceasingly throughout. This individual was surely the loudest laugher I've ever shared a movie theatre with!

I'm So Excited is colourful, camp, darkly comical and certainly uplifting, with all the satisfaction you'd want from a sappy rom-com, and the sap replaced with silly and sometimes crude humour. It is very funny, and a nice, although different, example of Almodovar's diverse expertise. 

The Great Gatsby (2013)

Rating: 4.5/5

This may be only the fifth feature film to come from his twenty year directorial career, but Baz Luhrmann is one of those rare artists who puts years worth of effort into one spectacular show, and his adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel is undoubtedly one of the biggest movies of the year.

With a story and style reminiscent of Luhrmann's insatiable Moulin Rouge!, The Great Gatsby is a visual wonder - especially in 3D - with penniless writers, modern music in period settings, and colourful characters that burst onto the scene with ceaseless energy. The director's undeniable talent for creating really engaging and three-dimensional atmosphere is as noticeable as ever, with stunning scenery and dazzling cinematography captivating the audience from start to finish.

Jay Gatsby is a mysterious, and judging by his palatial abode disgustingly rich, reclusive eccentric who hosts parties to rival The Playboy Mansion, splashing out countless dollars on indulging his uninvited guests every weekend. One night, young hopeful Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) is actually invited to one such soiree, who having been fed Oz-style "not nobody, not nohow" lines is stunned to be greeted in person by his questionable host.

Gatsby - Leonardo DiCaprio in a passionate, matured performance - quickly befriends Nick, whose now-married cousin Daisy (Carey Mulligan) is the long lost love of the millionaire, and the two pull off a humorously floral reunion, triggering a jealous, obsessive and destructive love tangle.

Tension boils, with every performance right on the money, and particularly overwhelming maturation from DiCaprio, whose recent thriller films like Shutter Island and Inception have proved him a capable handler of older, darker roles.

Interesting use of soundtrack stands out, with heavy techno beats pumping out covers of Beyonce and Amy Winehouse hits, which certainly seem like odd choices all things considered. However, the pace of narrative and camera work make the music strangely well suited to the visuals, and in keeping with Luhrmann's favourite era-merging technique.

A word about the 3D feature: it is most definitely worth it. Unlike most 3D movies where action is in regular 2D, with the occasional flying machete or shower of confetti making use of the effects, The Great Gatsby is entirely in 3D. Characters, sets and backdrops alike stand out with perfect clarity, only enhancing what is already a visually stunning and wonderfully thrilling movie.

The Look Of Love (2013)

Rating: 4.5/5

"My name is Paul Raymond - Welcome to my world of erotica!" I can think of no actor more suited to speak the opening words of Michael Winterbottom's wonderful new biopic The Look Of Love than Steve Coogan. His suave, stuffy way of speaking and moving and this time more subtle approach to comedic elements make his portrayal of the King of Soho one of his best performances to date.

Starting back in the '50s, Paul Raymond is an audacious and open-minded entrepreneur who is quickly making his name in burlesque shows, with his wife Jean (Anna Friel) at first starring in the shows, then managing the choreography as their performances expand. Their relationship seems to be...open; to Paul, at least. But one day a pretty young dancer Amber (Tamsin Egerton) struts in to audition, and walks out with the boss on her arm.

By the time he leaves his wife, he has several children, but only one he pays any kind of continued attention to: his daughter Debbie. She is due to be the young starlet businesswoman who inherits her father's mind-boggling estate, and after Debbie is kicked out of her boarding school for smoking marijuana, they become an inseparable duo. He is certainly a supportive and devoted father, but the kinds of things he is willing to teach Debbie lead to the most devastating consequences.

Debbie is very much a leading character, with The Look Of Love focusing greatly on Raymond's relationship with his troubled daughter. The lovely young Imogen Poots, who also recently appeared in the wonderful A Late Quartet, takes on this emotional role, and plays it with truth and vibrancy. Of course, this story is based on real people and real events, and there is a good deal of truth to a lot of it, mostly shocking stuff. For example, before her tragic death by heroin overdose, Debbie Raymond told of how her father gave her a line of cocaine as pain relief during childbirth.

Twisted as it sounds, there is no doubt either in this picture or in real life, that Paul Raymond loved his daughter madly. There were reports that after her death, he became a recluse who drove himself mad with guilt and remorse. And this movie is a moving and saddening portrayal of this relationship.

It is also very funny. There are cameos and appearances from a variety of British talent, such as comedian Chris Addison as the incorrigible Tony Power, David Walliams in a very entertaining vicar role, and Friel brings much flare to her portrayal of Jean Raymond. There are also short contributions from Stephen Fry, Matt Lucas, Dara O'Briain and Miles Jupp: it's almost like a Dave reunion.

The Look Of Love is full of sex, drugs and emotional torment, but is entertaining, brilliantly acted, brightly decorated, and full of good humour. Even Debbie's insane pain relief scene drew chuckles of bewilderment and incomprehension over what we had just witnessed. The humour is intricately woven into the essence of the film, resulting in this comedic undertaste throughout. Thoroughly entertaining.

Iron Man 3 (2013)

Rating: 3/5

I'm sure that to its wide loyal fanbase, Iron Man 3 will be a masterpiece, and exactly what they've all been waiting for. It sees the return of the action-packed Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, and is full of his witty one-liners and some really fantastic special effects. As a Marvel superhero action movie, it works very well, with Stark's self-aware cynicism bringing a funny contemporary ring to it. Of course, it won't appeal to everybody, and it lacks certain qualities that may bring in a wider audience.

Carrying on somewhat from The Avengers, Stark is not sleeping, not communicating well with his gal Pepper (Gwyneth Paltrow) and spends all his time obsessing over new Iron Man suits in his basement. A suspiciously untraceable terrorist known as The Mandarin has started launching attacks, and when Tony's friend and former guard Happy gets caught in one of them, a furious Stark publicly challenges The Mandarin, and gives out his home address for one-on-one "good old-fashioned revenge."

Shockingly, a colossal storm of armed helicopters swoop down and obliterate the mansion that 'luxurious' doesn't even begin to describe. In the background of all the destruction, a scientific genius one night stand of Stark's shows up, claiming her boss Aldrich Killian - who we previously saw Tony fob off over investment for an amazing new discovery - is working for The Mandarin. The amazing new discovery is being used for the latest deadly semi-human Bad Guys, facing our hero with villains which are a little too reminiscent of T-1000 (watch for a particular shot of one emerging from a burning wreck - it's uncanny.)

But before any more can be discovered, the carnage manages to separate Tony and Pepper by several thousand miles. He finds himself out in the snows of Tennessee, instantly taken in by a typically cocky and precocious kid, who despite a lifetime of living in the area talks with a squeaky-clean California child star accent.

From here, Stark tries to work his way back to save Pepper, and the President, and probably the world, all without the benefit of his space-age gadgets. Luckily, the electromagnet installed in his chest gives him some kind of remote control over his Iron Man suit, and its several successors. He sets off on a rampage of explosions,  chases and brow-furrowed concentration, and the entertainment value lies entirely with Downey Jr.

Stark is a bold, solemn and arrogant character, and these almost lifelike portrayals may well be what saved Downey Jr.'s career after his string of drug-fuelled parties and arrests. He is entertaining, suave and as non-phony as such a ridiculous character can be. Every other role, and therefore every other performance, is incidental, typical and wooden.

What bothered me about Iron Man 3 was that I really didn't care about the characters. Whereas the earlier Tobey MacGuire Spiderman series showed humble, likable people who I sympathised with, none of those in Iron Man were particularly engaging. I couldn't care less about Pepper and Tony's little domestic disputes, or the latter's panic attacks, because there was nothing very real about it. Everybody was just in it for the superheroes and action sequences.

Iron Man 3 was good. I'm sure my teenage brothers will love it; it offers great CGI and witty dialogue from Downey Jr., but from the perspective of a general film lover, it was just good.