An Education (2009)

I knew after just two minutes of hitting the play button that I was going to enjoy An Education, and that even if it didn't wound my heart completely it would at least leave a lasting footprint or two in my sand.
It's a coming of age drama set in London, 1961. Schoolgirl Jenny (Carey Mulligan) has a bright future, but love gets in the way, as it often does at that age. The focus of her affections is the older and more worldly David (Peter Sarsgaard), a well-dressed cad who deems it appropriate to date schoolgirls.
Carey Mulligan is phenomenal as the youth who makes adult decisions based on feelings and intuition. She reminded me of a young Jenny Agutter in many ways, channelling the same kind of captivating sincerity and believability. To experience her performance is reason enough to watch it, but there's the added draw that it was scripted by author Nick Hornby.

4 French phrases out of 5

HECTOR AND THE SEARCH FOR HAPPINESS [2014]

Director Peter Chelsom's adaptation of French psychologist François Lelord's fictional novel Hector's Voyage or the Search for Happiness feels like it's 2014's The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty.
Simon Pegg plays the title role as a psychiatrist that travels the world to seek out what truly makes a person happy.  Pegg is absolutely wonderful, displaying layers and nuances in his performance I didn't actually think he was capable of, while Rosamund Pike is as always irresistible.  Chelsom wisely plays down the fish out of water moments and instead focus mainly on the characters studies and what it all means, while remaining playful with bits of animation and miniature set pieces.  Unfortunately the film is weighed down by schmaltzy simplicity and life lessons that are easier said than done but in the end the good feelings can't be denied no matter how fleeting they may be.

3 Tintins out of 5

A LONG WAY DOWN [2014]

If I had to pick one thing that makes director Pascal Chaumeil's adaptation of Nick Hornby's so-so novel A Long Way Down worth seeing,  I would not hesitate with the answer: Imogen Poots.
Poots is the shining star in this offbeat drama about a group of suicidal folks who form a pact to help each other through the hard times.  The film has a helluva time finding what sort of tone it's going for, which results in a somewhat frustrating experience.  At times it's quite funny, charming, likeable and driven by interesting character moments but the tone is so off-shooting one can't help but be completely distracted by it.
It's a miss but still manage to be an enjoyable miss I have no desire to see again.

3 bad trips out of 5

GONE GIRL [2014]

With Gone Girl, director David Fincher once again proves he is at his absolute best with moody mystery/thrillers that finds comfort simmering sucker-punch plot twists in the shadows.
Adapted by Gillian Flynch from her own novel, Ben Affleck plays the husband of a missing wife, who may or may not be innocent, amidst the media mayhem that surrounds the case.  It's the type of paranoid Hitchcock-esque film that constantly questions you just how much do you actually know the one you love, which makes for an awkward walk home with your date.  Wonderfully shot, written, tensely paced and flawlessly acted all makes for a crowd-pleaser that will please even the most dedicated fans of it's source material.

4 sociopaths? out of 5

THE WORLD'S END [2013]

The final instalment of Edgar Wright's Three Flavors Cornetto Trilogy comes as an apocalyptic alien invasion pub crawl in the coming of age sci-fi comedy The World's End.
Reuniting Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Martin Freeman and Paddy Considine as well as adding the scene-stealing Eddie Marsan to the mix makes for a fantastic character piece that's witty, heartfelt and hilarious.  At first glance, it's just as goofy as the first two films but under the surface it's actually quite emotional and thoughtful.  It's not as good as the Shaun Of The Dead or Hot Fuzz but it is by no means a disappointment.  It's a zany sci-fi comedy as well as a celebration of accepting the rather flawed humanity we're all a part of whether we like it or not.

3½ burly bathroom brawls out of 5

Doom (2005)

Doom delivered pretty much what I’d expected it would; it’s a movie based on a First Person Shooter, it was never going to be high art.
It threw in a few welcome surprises to stop it being just marines in dark tunnels shooting at uglies. It had The Rock delivering some fun but corny lines that paid homage to its origins, and in one stand out scene it turned those origins into something daring that was as laughable as it was awesome. Also, to its credit, the creatures weren't all CGI.
I guess saying it’s better than the Resident Evil films isn't much of a recommendation, but it's the best one I've got.

2½ killcams out of 5

JACK REACHER [2012]

5' 7" actor Tom Cruise plays 6'5" title character Jack Reacher in Chris McQuarrie's adaptation of Lee Child's 9th Reacher novel One Shot.
The novel has a nihilistic gritty noir feel to it that is almost completely lost in the film, instead making Cruise look like some sort of moody white knight.  Although Cruise is effective and quite believable as a trained ass-kicker it's his embarrassing ego that gets in the way.  Who does this guy think he is?  The duller than dull script is atrociously forced and seems like Little Man Scientology rewrote it himself with something to prove and just came off as a conceded schmuck.  

1 parking meter out of 5

Johnny English Reborn (2011)

As a faithful fan of Rowan Atkinson, I seek out to watch everything the man has been in, even though I accept that the first movie was pretty horrible. Like Steve Martin's Inspector Clouseau act or Steve Carrell as Maxwell Smart, Atkinson is very funny here doing his uncomfortable comedy routine, and there are several gags that had me in stitches, but the production itself spews ass lava. Also, what the hell is Gillian Anderson doing in this?

2 should have made another Mr. Bean movie out of 5