Silver Linings Playbook ☆☆☆☆☆

This is a film that lives up to my rating - right after watching it I asked my friend "can we go see it again?!"

The film follows Pat (Bradley Cooper), a former substitute teacher who has recently been in a mental institution for eight months following a violent attack upon his wife's lover when he catches them in the shower. Upon release Pat is determined to stay in shape, not take drugs to help him through his instability, and read his wife's entire syllabus (she is an English teacher) to get her back.

Pat lives with his parents who are responsible for him, played by Robert De Niro and Jackie Weaver, reconnects with best friend Ronnie and his wife Veronica (Julia Stiles) who introduce him to her slightly unbalanced younger sister Tiffany, played by the incomparable Jennifer Lawrence.
In order to get beyond the restraining order placed upon him, Pat agrees to help Tiffany with a dance competition in exchange for her assistance in getting a letter to his wife.

Then followed poignant drama, utter hilarity, thought provoking scenes, and some dodgy gambling to create one of the best films of this year. In my humble opinion. Also some dancing to put Strictly Come Dancing to shame.

Bradley Cooper said in a recent interview how proud he was of this film, because it was filmed in his home city of Philadelphia, had all around fantastic performances, and was a story that had real depth and heart to it. I could not agree with him more.
The story was unexpectedly hard hitting, yes I knew it was about mental illness but the violence and confusion that is portrayed on screen was entirely believable and quite scary. The levels of mental illness too are explored as we have Pat, his friend Danny (Chris Tucker, most famous for Fifth Element and Rush Hour) from the hospital, and Tiffany who has been acting out of character since she became a widow after a brief marriage.

Now at this point, if you know who Jennifer Lawrence is, you might be surprised at her playing a widow. Her most famous incarnation is probably as Katniss Everdeen in the Hunger Games, a seventeen year old girl who has to fight other children to survive. She is also only 22 years old in real life, whereas Bradley Cooper is 37 (though he doesn't look it). I think what we are meant to think is that, yes there is an age gap, yes she is quite young for a widow, but that does not matter a jot when watching the two together on screen.

Oh my god was Lawrence's performance amazing. It was funny, and scary, and heartbreaking. There is a moment where I just welled up from the emotion that was being emitted on screen just by her facial expression. So powerful. And she gets to be this cray outlandish character who can scream and shout, and she does it well. Again previous knowledge of her work shows she can do understated like someone with twenty years more acting experience, she was Oscar nominated for her performance in Winter's Bone when she was twenty, again playing a seventeen year old living an incredibly tough life. It was a revelation to see her be so outrageous.

Bradley Cooper too was extraordinary. I've mostly seen him in comedy or romantic roles so I know he can handle those easily, plus he is easy on the eye for those brainless action movies he may turn up in. I've not seen Limitless but have been recommended to watch it, and I will because Cooper has executive producer credit for only two films, Limitless and Silver Linings.
His performance in this film is definitely Oscar nomination worthy, not entirely sure its a winning role - depends who else he is up against, but every accolade should be put on him because its such an intense and believable portrayal of a man who has lost everything because of mental illness. There is a scene where he is on the verge of losing it entirely and its just extraordinary to watch, you feel like he might just explode there and then.

The chemistry between Lawrence and Cooper has no rival from this years drama releases, they talk, dance, yell and smile with so much ease that nothing feels forced. I was incredibly impressed.
In fact the whole cast had amazing chemistry. De Niro and Weaver were just fantastic as Pat's put upon parents, being woken in the middle of the night and having to deal with his outbursts. You learn so much about the family dynamic.

The writer/director David O. Russell is previously responsible for 2010's The Fighter, Three Kings and I Heart Huckabees. He provides tight direction to a story that could easily have run away with itself. The attention isn't entirely focused on how Pat and Tiffany feel, instead it spends time with how those around them are affected by their respective problems.

I loved this film, I wish I could afford to go see it again, alas will have to wait for the DVD. 

The Social Network ☆☆☆½

Finally, a film I can review that will not spoil a thing unless you have been living on a different planet the last six or seven years and have never heard of Mark Zuckerberg, the Winklevoss twins, or Facebook.

I'll assume you have.

Considering the plaudits and the mild shock that it didn't get best picture Oscar night you might be wondering why it took me so long to see it and why I have given it three and a half stars. In a nutshell its because I was never that interested in the story. Yes I have been using Facebook since May 2006, I know about the lawsuits brought against Zuckerberg and would be able to point him out in a line-up. I also love David Fincher and Aaron Sorkin - so what held me back?

Honestly I just didn't want to know how much was stolen from the Winklevosses and Narendra (the twins business partner). And Jesse Eisenberg...no doubt was he made for this role, but he is one of those actors like Michael Cera or Kristen Stewart who seem to be the same person no matter what role they are in. They are the new generation of Michael Caines - perfectly good actors but with something a little too familiar for them to be entirely believable. I have seen Eisenberg in many things previously, his best probably The Squid and the Whale, and I'm not sure where he goes from here. If he could master another accent then maybe he'd be able to break the cycle of playing the same character with a different name.

That all being said I did watch the movie. And I did enjoy it.

David Fincher is a stylish director and is responsible for many fantastic films (Fight Club, Se7en, Zodiac etc etc) and The Social Network is no less impressive. I particularly enjoyed the Henley race of the Winklevoss twins with Griegs 'In the Hall of the Mountain King' backing the competition. The artistic direction too was particularly beautiful at times.
Aaron Sorkin's script was also incredibly impressive (he is responsible for A Few Good Men, Moneyball and many many others). That man knows how to get people talking, and boy can Zuckerberg talk. Actually the way he is played I wasn't sure how he managed to get a girlfriend in the first place (the breakup being the catalyst for Face Mash, the precursor to facebook). Of course this section is probably fictionalised for creative purposes, but it was quite uncomfortable to watch - that might just be me or, more likely, it was the intention of the filmmakers.

The acting across the board was superb. Andrew Garfield is quite an intense actor but he can embody a character, I have no idea what Eduardo Saverin is like in real life but I can imagine the betrayal and reaction to it was pretty similar to what was portrayed on screen to make him sue his former best friend.
Interestingly the push for advertising by Saverin is exactly what puts me off using Facebook now, I hate that companies target me because I am of a certain age or gender and send me weight loss ads or wedding planners - no thank you. 
Armie Hammer does a great job as identical twins, having to be two different people who have the same face. I also liked the dynamic between the brothers that was created in their arguments and discussions, such a rare thing even when siblings are played by different actors.
Justin Timberlake was also very good. The last film I saw him in (In Time) was such a disappointment that seeing this film has upped his credibility once more. His portrayal of Sean Parker, founder of Napster, did no favours to Mr Parker as he seems to be this paranoid mess of a person at times. But then he might well be, or it may be more artistic license being used.

I have been reading some Wikipedia articles about Zuckerberg and co, and their reaction to The Social Network, of which Zuckerberg is diplomatic but clearly unhappy to be seen as 'the bad guy'. Sorkin too is quoted as saying he was telling a story rather than relaying the truth, which I'm quite pleased about.

It really is a very good piece of filmmaking and storytelling. Beautifully shot and very well acted from start to finish. It did make me uncomfortable that such a powerful idea is wrapped up in so much controversy, but then really what revolutionary thing isn't - look at animal testing, awful when you look at the details but incredible when you see a person live because they have found the right treatment for cancer.

Since May 2006 I have communicated in a whole new way with the world. I'm not exactly thankful for the many hours I have wasted changing my profile, checking my wall, uploading photos. But I am glad it exists, and I can see why they wanted to make a movie out of it.

Threesome ☆☆☆☆½

No this isn't a review of porn, I haven't stooped that low in my lack-of-job boredom. This is a review of a rather brilliant TV show from Comedy Central UK that stars Emun Elliott (The Paradise, Game of Thrones) Stephen Wight (The Paradise, Misfits) and Amy Huberman (an Irish actress I haven't seen before).

They play Richie, Mitch and Alice - three flatmates and best friends/girlfriend and boyfriend who, after a lot of drink and more drugs decide on the eve of Alice's 30th birthday to have a threesome. Hence the title.
Alice gets pregnant by this decision but not by her boyfriend Mitch, but by gay best pal Richie.

I decided I wanted to review this show because I have only just discovered it and am already hooked after two days. Its hilarious. It was also welcome relief after watching The Paradise for eight weeks on the BBC. Don''t get me wrong it was enjoyable enough, but both Wight and Elliott star and they are so much more suited to Threesome than their period selves. For one they get to keep their own accents, always a bonus because often actors seem more sure of themselves if not having to worry too much about diction. For another Elliott gets to be this out and proud Scotsman and Wight a slightly bumbling but hysterically funny man who has landed a girl who seems fairly out of his league for a jobless guy.

Huberman too is a revelation. I have not seen her in anything as I do not live in Ireland or get Irish TV, but she is ridiculously funny. There is an episode in season two where she believes the fridge is evil (as does Mitch) and its like watching your best friends when they are high - they entirely believe everything they are saying and seeing but do so in such an exaggerated way you can't help giggling.

In fact a lot of this show is watching a trio of people behaving like they are on drugs (or in fact are actually on them) and being quite silly. They are children in charge of a small person, but they are also family.
There is a lot of slapstick and physical comedy - a fight involving a vacuum cleaner means some uncomfortable questions about wife beating from the doctor and social services. It is also witty in dialogue and does not use gross out humour.

The show has begun to attract some pretty decent guest stars - we've had Bill Bailey, Robert Webb and Joe Thomas from the Inbetweeners so far in series two.  Hopefully a sign that the show will come back for a third series at the very least.

If you have Virgin Media try and find this show On Demand, Sky may have an equivalent, but if not series one is on DVD and would be well worth a look. I definitely recommend it, its the funniest British show I have seen in a very long time.

Skyfall ☆☆☆☆☆

For non spoiler reviews I'd advise looking at Empire Magazine or their website as, like with so many films this year, I'm not going to be able to articulate why this was my favourite Bond film without revealing the details.

However as a synopsis the film concerns M and a hard drive containing a full list of spies and their aliases who are currently undercover. Through, what will be argued through the film, M's bad judgement call the drive is lost and Bond presumed dead. This is only the beginning of M's torment.

Cue many cars, guns, explosions, a bond girl or two and a disfigured arch nemesis and you have a bloody good film.

Daniel Craig is my favourite Bond, perhaps because a lack of interest on my parents behalf meant I was not introduced to the films until ITV began their incessant re-runs and so I was not taken with Sean Connery or charmed by Roger Moore. Though I do have a soft spot for Pierce Brosnan. Craig's are the only films I have seen at the cinema, and are the only ones with half-believable gadgets.

Skyfall is certainly the best Bond film for me, buoyed by a British director with a talent for pathos (and now explosions), and so below I will outline exactly what I loved so much.

Please do not read on if you have not yet seen Bond, you will only be cheating yourself.

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To begin with I connected to the plot of this film more so than I have done previously (my comparatives will only be Craig's work).
I have no clue about playing cards or gambling so Casino Royale was a bit lost on me, Quantum of Solace was a revenge movie, whereas Skyfall is going back to basics. Basic tech, origins of the Bond story, and is about the dilemma of being an agent in the field.

Acting/character wise Craig's Bond and Judi Dench's M were magnificent. Their connection, the perhaps inappropriate way that M treats Bond (like a son not anything perverse) is a beautiful thing. The final half of the film with James rescuing M, taking her to his childhood home for protection only for her to die anyway, was so poignant. It's the first instance of James showing love for someone other than himself since his tragic relationship with Eva Green in Casino Royale.

The Bond women followed a similar vein to previous, James sleeps with one and she dies trying to help him while the other gets outrageously flirted with. Luckily for Naomie Harris she turns out to be Moneypenny, and the set up for her role being revealed was pretty darn clever. Now I'm not the brightest bulb in the box when it comes to guessing film twists - I'm one of those who gasped at the end of the Sixth Sense - so I'm sure many people guessed who Harris would be.
I liked this nod to the future - establishing a new Q (played perfectly by Ben Whishaw), Ralph Fiennes' Mallory becoming the new 'M' after proving himself to be more than a stuffed shirt, and Harris as his secretary Moneypenny who we will all look forward to in further films having flirty banter with Mr Bond.

The action was pretty glorious and more than a few pennies were spent on those explosions. The train adventure at the start was almost not quite believable - but then the point of these new Bonds is that it might - with 'might' in huge capital letters - be possible for these stunts to be pulled off. I especially enjoyed Craig's Bond as being unfit for even the most basic tests, showing that his habit of drinking till his liver screams has not left him unaffected. This is the grisly and time-worn Bond that Pierce Brosnan and his scruffy beard could never accomplish.

What is of particular kudos to Sam Mendes is keeping everything simple, and of course nodding to previous Bonds in the choice of car and gadgets. I was so upset to see that gorgeous Aston Martin blow up, such a relic of Bonds gone by - but perhaps that was on purpose to say 'Look, this is new Bond, you've had three films to establish his story and character but now we are moving on to the next fifty years'.

Skyfall turning out to be Bond's childhood home and not some top-secret government conspiracy or previous assignment that went horribly wrong was also genius. Not being a true fan I have not read the books so if this was not the scriptwriters and Mendes' decision then please do tell me, but it was perfect. Skyfall represents something that Bond lost a long time ago, family and stability. As M says, orphans make the best recruits, and using his home to hide M just adds to the protective nature of Bond and M's relationship - no matter what has been done James wanted to protect M, and she lets him do it because she trusts him wholeheartedly.

The destruction of Skyfall and the death of M represents a change for Bond. Any ties he once had are now gone, except for Queen and Country Bond has no loyalties. I have this small fear that future directors and script writers will try and move back toward the cheesy 'I'm EVIL and will destroy the world except wait, Hello Mr Bond' but I think Daniel Craig might have something to say if it does.

Speaking of evil Javier Bardem was a very good villain, as he has proved before in No Country For Old Men. This time he was almost saucy in his demeanour, incredibly flirty with Bond, and you really believed that he felt he was right in his pursuit of M. I actually found myself removing some blame from Silva as it was M leaving him to the Chinese torturers that set the nail in the coffin of his sanity. His deformity was also horrific, having your face partially collapse because of syanide that was supposed to be your ticket out did not do his synapses any favours. I was glad to only see it once but full credit to the special effects and make up people for making it look so real.

I wanted M to be the one to kill Silva, but then it always had to be James. He was M's true and loyal protector, even if he could not save her life.

On a final note, I liked the death by komodo dragons scene, it was primal and scary if the CGI-d lizards did look a little fake, and I especially liked that not once does he ask for a Martini - but you see it being shaken and poured out for him, less cheesy but still true to Bond.