Lucy Review

The Plot

After being inadvertently drawn into the trafficking of an experimental new drug, a typical young woman called Lucy is exposed to a massive dose of the strange blue substance, allowing her to unlock the full capacity of her brain and bringing with it seemingly unlimited superhuman powers. She has to quickly unlock the scientific and philosophical mysteries of her transformation with the help of renowned scientist, whilst doing battle with the criminal organization responsible.

The Good

Director Luc Besson has an impressive track record for films about strong women (Nikita, Leon) and deceptively intelligent science fiction fun (The Fifth Element). Evidently Lucy combines both those areas of cinematic expertise with impressive and original results.

Those that mistakenly dismissed the premise of the film because of its superficial similarities to Bradley Cooper’s recent ‘magic brain pill’ movie Limitless will be especially surprised. Lucy is far more unashamedly philosophical and poses many sincerely provocative questions about what it means to be human and our ultimate potential as a species.

Though the film is often propelled by simple plot points and action set pieces, it consistently delivers moments of legitimately profound intelligence. Among the spectacle of superhuman car stunts and superfluous gunfights, Scarlett Johansson and Morgan Freeman in particular trade memorable insights into human existence and the true meaning of life.

Scarlett Johansson is simply perfect casting for Lucy, playing a character that quite literally evolves from a naïve and traumatized young girl to an unstoppably lethal god-like genius. Her performance and accomplished special effect are what truly makes her character’s transformation seem so profoundly believable and meaningful. She packs convincing emotion amongst mono-tone monologues about human existence.

Morgan Freeman likewise provides the familiar voice of calm scientific credibility in his typical professorial role. It’s another major asset for the film which keeps it on track as it take increasingly dramatic chances with ambitious special effects and ideas.

The Bad

Lucy will disappoint and most likely confuse anyone hoping for just another film where Scarlett Johansson dispatches bad guys with guns and eye pleasing martial arts. What sets this film apart from her recent costume clad Avengers adventures is a wealth of sophisticated ideas and highbrow philosophy. Ironically, not everyone will appreciate this effort to be so ‘clever’.

The film does demand more from audience’s imaginations as Lucy’s new powers exponentially grow. Quick reflexes or newfound language skills don’t require as much of an appetite for science fiction as telekinesis, body morphing and time travel.  Some will find the bold direction the film takes captivating, while others will find it just gives them a headache. Be warned the film requires some real thought.

The Ugly Truth

Lucy is a pleasing mix of Direcor Luc Besson’s best known and admired work. It’s so much more than the Limitless copycat some may have feared. Scarlett Johansson and a solid supporting cast keep Lucy entertaining and believable as it explore strange and thought provoking new territory. Well worth watching on the big screen for the special effects alone.

The Guest Review

The Plot

When David (Dan Stevens – Downton Abbey) visits the Peterson family to pass on a message from their recently deceased son and his old comrade, he’s almost instantly welcomed as part of the family and invited to stay a few days. But as people start dying, daughter Anna (Maika Monroe) starts to suspect that David might not be the charming young man everybody believes he is…

The Good

After the warm reception from Your Next it’s no surprise that Adam Wingards latest is this years opening film for Frightfest. And quite deservedly so. The Guest has enough humour, gore and shocks to kick off the five day festival that it barely give the other films a chance.

Accompanied by a fantastically fitting electro soundtrack, Dan Stevens works his way through the film with the help of his instantly appealing approach to the role. Starting off as a pleasant young man visiting his ex partners family to give them his condolences, David really does seem like the perfect house guest. However the constant glint in his eyes tells us that this probably won’t continue for too long.

As David works his way through the family gaining their trust one by one, his crazy side soon starts to come out as he tries to help each of the Petersons with the problematic people in their lives. Starting with assisting young Luke with the senior students who are bullying him before moving on to fixing Anna’s boy trouble. Each mend David makes brings a worse result than the last until finally building up to the thrilling finale.

The main highlight is undoubtedly found in the films final act. Wingard uses a ridiculously over the top setting to its extent. Although it’s absurd, its still a riot and rounds off the film with dazzling cinematography and a beautiful palette of colours. It’s clear that he has fun with the surroundings of the horror filled setting, using jump scares and keeping that brilliant soundtrack going to give the audience as much entertainment as possible.

The Bad

Apart from the slight distraction of Brendan Meyer looking like a male doppelganger of Chloe Grace Moretz, there isn’t too much to moan about with The Guest. Although it could have done with some tweaks here and there in regards to plot and characters, Stevens’ performance alone is enough to distract from these minor problems. And while it may have benefitted from a less lavish finale, with perhaps a more toned down setting for the conclusion, The Guest will surely have hooked you in well before the moment comes that you’ll just be having too much fun.

The Ugly Truth

If you liked Your Next you’re sure to like The Guest. Adam Wingard brings his winning formula of comedic timing, jumps and carnage to the screen again while finding a previously unseen side to Dan Stevens which is sure to win him more fans. Simply put, it’s a riot.

Alleluia Review

The Plot

Smooth, sophisticated hustler, Michel (Laurent Lucas) meets his match when he tries to woo single mother, Gloria (Lola Duenas) out of her money. After she offers to stay with him and help him flatter other women out of their money, Michel soon finds that his new found partner in crime may be crazier and more lethally dangerous than he ever expected.

The Good

Alleluia begins almost like a pleasant romance as Gloria is forced into a date with a Michel after they meet online. But as act one (of four) ends, things take a sudden sinister turn and Duenas’ character makes an incredible transformation, quickly becoming barely recognizable as the unsure single mother she started out as. As each act progresses to the next, with Michel moving onto his next target, Gloria becomes increasingly unstable and deranged as she  struggle with having to watch the man she loves romancing other women.

Whilst Laurent Lucas is just as talented an actor as his co-star, his effortless seduction techniques are somewhat upstaged by Duenas. Together they make a great team, with the chemistry between the two displayed naturally. But when looking at the two main stars singularly, Duenas’ Gloria is surely the dominant half of their on screen partnership. Her conversion from single, insecure parent to controlling, powerful killer is performed so subtly and yet so suddenly, leaving the audience suitably sunned. Thinking back to the film’s opening scene will leave audiences bemused how things slipped so quickly and subtly into nightmarish horror.

Director Fabrice du Welz accompanies this beautifully, approaching the violence with a ‘less is more’ attitude for the most part, with emphasis on the ‘more’. For while violent scenes are relatively gore free, du Welz still manages to make the experience as shocking as possible.

The Bad

A few problems with the script does bring Alleluia down a touch. Certain scenes and events just don’t seem to have been thought out as clearly as they should have been. The major one being an out of the blue musical performance by Duenas as she serenades her lover. Although it manages to finish with a fantastic bit of dark humour, the scene still feels out of place and somewhat distracting as an unexpected and inexplicable sudden shift in tone.

Just as confusing is the way in which Gloria’s daughter is swept out of the story in one simple scene which seems rushed to some degree. Almost as if the writer had forgotten that the young girl couldn’t fit into the rest of the story at a certain point and so quickly went back and slotted in a few lines of dialogue without thinking it through.

As well as this, Lucas’ character development seems rather unrealistic in regards to his reaction to Gloria’s horrific transformation. This is partly why Gloria’s development feels so shocking by the films end, as Michel appears to let her get away with an awful lot before he even attempts to do something about it. And when he does wake up to the fact that Gloria is essentially sabotaging each and every hustle he tries, his initial attempt at solving the problem is so incredibly feeble.

The Ugly Truth

Lola Duenas is the undisputed star of the show, with Gloria’s psychotic transformation quickly proving the film’s captivating main attraction, as she dramatically overpowers the film’s supposed villain in every way. Whilst Alleluia is not without it’s odd and uneven moments,  overall it’s still an entertaining watch with some light touches of dark humour.

 

What If Review

The Plot

When recently single Wallace (Daniel Radcliffe) meets Chantry (Zoe Kazan) he feels an instant connection. However, when she reveals she has a boyfriend, Wallace agrees to just be friends. But can a boy and girl really stay just friends…?

The Good

It’s been 3 years since the Harry Potter franchise ended but to most fans, Daniel Radcliffe will always be the Boy Who Lived in their eyes. What if being his third film since Deathly Hallows Part 2 (after The Woman In Black and Kill Your Darlings) it seems to be quite clear that Radcliffe wants us to know that he is more than just a one hit wonder. Well more than an eight movie mega franchise hit wonder. With horror and thriller safely under his belt, Radcliffe’s latest gives him the chance to show his talent in the romantic comedy genre. And he does not disappoint.

A lot of the success in this is due to the great chemistry between not only Wallace and his best friend Allan (Adam Driver), but also the Sally to Wallace’s Harry, Chantry (Zoe Kazan). Driver brings the goofy side of the romantic comedy effortlessly whether by his excitement over post-coital nachos or his clearly thought out advice for Wallace. Kazan on the other hand helps bring a fantastic friendship to life as she and Radcliffe own the screen together. The element that works best in What If is easily the script. The dialogue flows throughout the film naturally, never leaving a dull moment.

Although the basic premise of What If is superficially similar to films like When Harry Met Sally or Friends With Benefits, it actually does a fine job at striving to avoid overly familiar cliches and delivers something fresh,funny and sweetly sincere.

The Bad

There’s nothing particularly awful that can be said about What If,   though despite it’s best efforts, ultimately it can’t  entirely escape rom-com familiarity and inevitable comparisons to timeless classic When Harry Met Sally. Dealing with the dilemma of maintaining purely platonic friendships between men and women, the film reaches predictable if satisfying conclusions.

The Ugly Truth

What If is a When Harry Met Sally for the new generation of romance. With a great chemistry running between the cast and plenty of chuckles to be had, it’s certainly not a bad way to spend a couple of hours. It delivers something fresh and satisfying, making it easily one of the very best recent additions to the rom-com genre.

Daniel Radcliffe in depth interview below from the What if Premiere press conference in London:

The Inbetweeners 2 Review

The Plot

Simon Bird, James Buckley, Joe Thomas and Blake Harrison return in the inevitable but much anticipated sequel to their 2011 big screen debut in The Inbetweeners 2. When Neil (Harrison) gets an email from Jay (Buckley) telling him about his lavish lifestyle in Australia, Will and Simon decide to tag along and surprise him for a summer holiday. Cue hilarity as the boys get into all sorts of usual bother down under.

The Good

Since the first film took over £41 million in the UK box office alone and achieved official status as the most commercially successful British comedy ever made, it was inevitable that The Inbetweeners would return to the silver screen soon enough. With the boys just 6 months older but most definitely not wiser or more experienced, The Inbetweeners 2 is certainly bigger. But is it better?

There are plenty of laughs to be had as the boys ill-advisedly venture to the land down under. The film start with a fantastically funny glimpse into the filthy fantasy world of the ever boastful and untruthful Jay. The shameless exaggerations of his sweet life as a superstar DJ  and ‘Aussie clunge magnet’ seems too good to be true as he talks Neil through a day in the life of his mental Australian Gap Year. As always it’s a cringe-worthy treat to see the Inbetweeners most deluded member set himself and the rest of the gang up for inevitable humiliation and mostly deserved shameful suffering.

The hapless lads all remain entertainingly unevolved. Will willingly abandons common sense and his snobbish pretentious at the first sign of hope a pretty girl might actually like him.  Simon has an abusive psycho girlfriend he’s too wimpy to dump. While Neil remains utterly clueless with an unfortunate knack of covering most situations with a disgusting variety of bodily fluids. There is still a certain charm in their lack of charm and a more malicious satisfaction is seeing their misguided best intentions end in utter disaster.

The film boasts some memorable set pieces in particular, with dolphin abuse, irritable bowels and ill-advised outback survival techniques among the worst of the depraved antics. It should please long term fans of the original show and entertain or disgust in equal measure.

The Bad

The Inbetweeners 2 offers fans plenty of the same humour that made the previous film such a guilty pleasure, however it veers towards being a little more cruel and dark, particularly during it’s latter stages. While the first film felt vaguely euphoric as a jubilant send off for mostly likable characters, writers Damon Beesley & Iain Morris seem determined to be less kind this time round.  The plot quickly undoes any sense of progress made over the previous series and first film, pushing each of the lads toward being an even more pathetic caricature of adolescent obnoxiousness. This does makes it harder to ever laugh with them, but perhaps a little easier to laugh at them.

This sequel was understandably inevitable given the astonishing box office success of the first film. It at least serves as a gratuitous encore and a thank you to a devoted fan base.  Though record breaking box office hauls will no doubt tempt the writers and cast to return for a third time, in truth it’s difficult to see exactly where they could take the characters.

The Ugly Truth

The Inbetweeners 2 could have easily been just a lazy ploy to greedily cash in on the huge success of it’s predecessor, but it has enough genuine laugh out loud moments to prove that the writers did work hard on producing something fans will enjoy. A slightly less effective and downbeat  final act prevents the film flowing as well as the last, but for the most part, The Inbetweeners 2 is an enjoyable comedy which will keep fans satisfied.

Interviews below with stars  James Buckley & Blake Harrison: