The Raid 2:Berandal - Phil's Five Words for Films

The Raid 2:Berandal (Indonesian with subtitles) It is said that 'sometimes, less is more'. In the case of 'The Raid2', more is definitely less. For me, the beauty of the first film (review here) was in its rawness. The room by room, floor by floor, single focus of its mission, the pin-point accuracy of the choreography and the up-close snapping of the fight scenes. The second film begins almost exactly where the first ended and is straight back in to that breathless, bloody style that gained director, Gareth Evans many plaudits after the first film. Iko Uwais returns as Rama, the rookie Jakarta cop and he hits the dizzy speeds that were so impressive in his

Now You See Me - Phil's Five Words for Films

Now You See Me A triumph of spectacle over substance, this film is as hyperactive as it is over- ambitious. There's lots going on and plenty of star attractions to keep you watching but ultimately, too much time is spent trying to be cool and not enough trying to be credible. Watching the film requires a willing suspension of disbelief far beyond the acceptable for a serious film and even then, it falls a little flat at the overblown finale. Starring Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson,  Mark Ruffalo, Morgan Free

The Place Beyond the Pines - Phil's Five Words for Films

The Place Beyond the Pines As far as I am concerned, there are two main problems with this story of how events can effect people and even be passed on to future generations. Firstly, there is the linear storyline that is split in to three distinct parts. The first ( and the best by some distance ) follows Luke ( Ryan Gosling ), a motorcycle stunt rider who turns to a life of crime after discovering that he is a father. Just as the story and characters are becoming interesting, the film switches focus and pace, moving on to a police officer ( Bradley Cooper ) who stumbles upon Luke's activities. From here on in, we sit through a standard police corruption scenario before, once again, the film changes tack. The third act follows two ( annoying ) teenage boys caught up in the ongoing chain of events and trying to avoid the consequences. Although there are some great performances, ( Eva Mendes, Ben Mendelson, Gosling and Cooper are

The Conjuring - Phil's Five Words for Films

The Conjuring - Instructions: Take a pinch of 'Amityville', a cup full of 'The Exorcist', a sprinkling of 'Paranormal Activity' and some small pieces of 'The Orphanage'. Add in a some Hitchcock and claim that it is all 'Based on real events'. Give the whole thing to 'Insidious' director, James Wan to see what he makes with it. The result is a well made, slow-burner of a movie that has some good acting and a couple of good scares that manage to deliver moments of spine tingles. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga play Ed and Lorraine Warren, a ghost-hunting couple called in to help the parents of five children who have a problem with things going bump in the night. The Warrens' were also the investigators in the classic 'Amityville' case that spawned sequels and remakes. There are many good performances, most notably Lili Taylor as the haunted mother and a couple of the younger actors also stand out. Having seen many-a horror

The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Phil's Five Words for Films

The Perks of Being a Wallflower Based on a novel and a screenplay by the director Stephen Chbosky, this angsty-teen drama has some good performances which help raise it above many 'coming of age' genre pieces. Set in a small American town in the early 1990s where popularity, proms and mix-tapes are more important than anything else that has ever happened, it follows a group of school kids as they struggle through their senior years. It is predominantly a film about belonging, friendship and dealing with life and death as a teenager and it will no doubt strike an emotional chord with many people that grew up during that period. Logan Lerman plays Charlie, a painfully

Kill List - Phil's Five Words for Films

Kill List   If you don't have any questions at the beginning of this low budget, British 'horror' film, you certainly will by the end.  There are two well-judged performances by Neil Maskell and Michael Smiley as they star in the lead roles of Jay and Gal, ex-army friends who teeter on the edge of violence, masquerading as salesmen whilst providing a hit man service.   Kill List.  Sounds straight forward doesn't it?  Directed by Ben Wheatley, the dialogue is fast, furious and often witty whilst some of the scenes are extremely gruesome and tough to watch.  Kill List is billed as a horror but for the majority of the film it is just toe-curlingly tense and uncomfortable.  There are some great moments within the film ( the encounter between Jay, Gal and a god-squad in a hotel restaurant is a classic ) but on the whole, the film does just enough to keep you watching as it spirals towards it's annoying ending.   I'm not going to pretend that Kill List is a great film because it isn't, but it is a brave, unsettling, intriguing and frustrating piece of work that will have you wondering what you have just watched and whether you should have bothered.  It will spark conversation, It will divide people in to groups, those who love it and those who hate it.  I'm somewhere in the middle.  If you make it to the end, ask yourself this - why did she smile?  Thank You.
6 out of 10
Cert 18 ( uk)
2011.

The Cabin in the Woods - Phil's Five Words for Films

The Cabin in the Woods  Five college friends head in to the woods for a drink and drugs weekend, blissfully unaware that their every move is being watched and that they fit perfectly in to the stereotypical 'horror film victim' niche understood by all fans.  As they discover one-way mirrors and a hidden basement full of torture implements it looks like the film can only be heading in one direction.  That is until someone pushes one red button and then all hell breaks loose.  Literally.  Enough said.  It's a B-movie of an idea, given plenty of money and TLC by people who obviously enjoy the genre.  Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard, who have been responsible for the likes of Buffy and Cloverfield, have created a good genre piece that manages to be both amusing and shocking whilst poking at the conventions of horror films.  Likeable characters and script are slightly let down by some average special effects and the film is neither as groundbreaking or clever as some seem to think it is.  A good opening premise is followed up by a good gory romp and the film is enjoyable from start to end.  Think 'Evil Dead meets Scooby-Doo' and you won't be far off.  Daft apocalyptic teen horror.

6.5 out of 10.

Cert 15 (uk).

2012.

[Rec]2 - Phil's Five Words for Films

Rec2 Having watched, loved and reviewed the first film ( here ) I was looking forward to finally seeing the second in the Spanish horror series. Taking place almost immediately after the end of the first film, we follow a team of soldiers as they enter the same condemned building to search for and document evidence. Armed with a video camera and helmet-cams, we watch as the action unfolds. Where the first film triumphed was its basic and low budget approach to scaring people - there is something in the dark that is going to get you. It seems that in making the follow up film, they have forgotten how effective this was and instead decided to throw everything at you in the hope that it scares. There are machine guns, helicopters, grenades, religious mumbo-jumbo, invisible rooms and at times it looks and feels more like a computer shoot'em-up than a horror film. There are still some good scares to be had here but I felt that too much was added in, almost trying too hard. The result is a louder, weaker, less tense horror experience that left me slightly disappointed. Good sequels should compliment and add to the original - Rec2 is not a bad film but not in the same league as the first.

6.5 out of 10.
Cert 18 (uk ).
2009.

Terminator: Salvation - Phil's Five Words for Films -

Terminator: Salvation As a huge fan of the first two 'T' films and having liked the way the third film tied up it's loose endings, I was not sure that another film in the franchise was really necessary to complete the story. So I have put off seeing 'T4' as I didn't want to trample on the memory of those early masterpieces. A lot has to happen between the end of the third film and the beginning of the first, but most of it is now predestined to have already happened - if you get the idea. The action takes place in a post-apocalyptic 2018 as the war against the machines rages and John Connor ( Christian Bale ) struggles to lead the human resistance. He also has to meet a young boy who will travel through time and become his father. There's no wonder he is always in such a bad mood. The plot is well constructed, the idea of Salvation is nicely worked in to the story, the casting of certain characters is excellent and the film flows nicely from beginning to end. The special effects are basic and despite the setting, the tone of the film is much less dark than any of the previous outings. There isn't the feeling of hopelessness or inevitability and the Arnie look-a-likes aren't so threatening. That's the problem with making a kid-friendly Terminator movie. The door is very much left open for 'T5' but this is not a bad film, it is just the weakest in the T-collection by a long way.


6 out of 10
Cert 12A ( uk )

The Hurt Locker - Phil's Five Words for Films -

The Hurt Locker Not so much a film about war. 'The Hurt Locker' almost ignores the issues of politics and war, concentrating instead on people addicted to warfare and risk-taking. The main character is a reckless, danger addict who seems fine about risking his own life and those around him whilst making a series of dangerous situations even more dangerous. At one point, even his own team consider blowing him up because he is a liability. The film goes from one bomb disposal situation to the next and is suitably tense and uncomfortable but, I felt that it just relied on it's location and subject matter too heavily. There was one attempt at plot which I felt wasn't really worth the effort and detracted from the documentary feel of the film. The characters were well played and the style and location of the film were excellent but, in the end I was left with that 'So, that won an oscar?' feeling. Not as shocking or thought provoking as it could have been but still worth seeing. From bomb to bomb via shouting and shooting.

6.5 out of 10
Cert 15(uk).2009

Taken - Phil's Five Words for Film -

Taken. ( Contains Spoilers) Liam Neeson seems to have had a mid-life crisis and decided to become super-kick-ass bad. If you forget about the first 15mins of this film ( start from 'that phone call' ) then it works as a brutal, if slightly silly, tale of revenge. Everybody good is American and all the baddies are European. The body count mounts up as Liam hunts down the nasty Europeans that have 'taken' his daughter. Everyone bad ( I hereby invent the word Euroganistans ) will die and his daughter seems untroubled by the terrible things she's been through - recovering enough to go for her dream of being a singer - god bless america. The end. Good action in places, brutal body count for one fella, thin plot with many holes but quite enjoyable.

6 out of 10
Cert.18 (uk).2008.