Gone Girl: Movie Review

Speculation of this adaptation began when word spread of Ben Affleck's casting as the mysterious and easy-to-blame Nick Dunne in Fincher's Gone Girl. As a huge fan of both Flynn's writing and Fincher's work, I was uneasy as to how Affleck would settle into the role I knew and loved (and yes, I am one of the minority that have more than minimal empathy for Nick) - but he quickly, and pleasantly, surprised. With just the right amount of shifty suspicion in the air as he drinks his morning whiskey at aptly named 'The Bar,' he emits the perfect mixture of arrogance and nonchalance that causes Nick to become the epicentre of distrust.

On the morning of July 5th, 2012, Nick and Amy Dunne are set to celebrate their 5th wedding anniversary, when events are soon shaken by her sudden disappearance. With what seems like a staged crime scene in the Dunne's living room, Detective Rhonda Boney (Kim Dickens) and professional partner Jim Gilpin set out on a mission to catch the husband out. With a very literal 'Clue' at various locations around town - red panties here, a Punch & Judy doll there - feeling grows that they may be dealing with a murder case. And we all know how that story goes.

As Nick tries and fails to portray his innocence to the public (cue creepy grin at a press conference), he recruits the help of twin sister and all-round sarcastic wonder Margo (Carrie Coon), as well as the renowned 'wife-killer-lawyer' Tanner Bolt, played by the equally wonderful Tyler Perry, to get the world on his side. Which proves more difficult than they initially thought - even Nick's rather raggedy moggie avoids his supposedly deceitful presence.

Rosamund Pike gives an unmissable performance as 'Amazing Amy,' the inspiration for her parents' wealth of children's novels and always 'one step ahead.' Pike encompasses everything that fans of the book, and Gillian Flynn herself, could've hoped to see in every element of Amy Elliot-Dunne's 'cool girl' character, as well as her meticulous and methodological side. 

With the first half of the film culminating in a surprising twist of fate, it's no wonder David Fincher was attracted to the story. While it's no Gwyneth's-Head-In-The-Box or "Tyler Durden Who?" moment, the narrative unfolds to the true heart of Fincher's art, making us question and wonder everything we've seen for the last 90 minutes. Such a twist acts as a catalyst for events that intertwine and unravel with the remaining hour-or-so of screen time, capturing our breath and refusing it to return.
   Told artistically through flashbacks and present-day story-telling, we are wrapped up in the world that not only Fincher and Flynn, but the characters themselves, have expertly created for us.
   

Insidious 2: Review (no spoilers)

As a huge fan of a good scare fest, I jumped at the chance to see my favourite pair team up for a much-anticipated sequel - Inisdious 2 - on Friday the 13th. 

James Wan and Leigh Whannell found huge success when they teamed up for the smash hit Saw, which proved revolutionary in terms of the storylines in the horror genre; keeping you guessing until the final music plays. 

In 2010 the pair set out on yet another promising project - Insidious. Again, the movie kept twisting and turning until the credits rolled. With the ending finding the family in a deeply rooted cliffhanger, a sequel wasn't even an option, it was a necessity. No more than 3 years later, and picking up from only moments after we left the original movie, we find ourselves back in the Lambert family's home where the same unwelcome entities are taunting and tearing at the very fabric of what is left of Renai's sanity. 

Without giving away the very twists that make the Writer-Director pairing so intriguing to see working together, I can honestly name this one of the most well-planned, and well-executed sequels for a long time. And with a name so haunting it had to live up to its prequel, it definitely did its duty. 

Patrick Wilson, who plays broken and 'possessed' Josh Lambert, portrayed some groundbreaking and utterly haunting acting in a horror movie, that is incredibly difficult to find in such a genre. 

Film Review : The Purge

For a long time now I've been haunted by The Purge's intriguing concept and dramatic trailer, and finally decided myself to give it a try, after a lot of mixed views on the film.

As an absolute fanatic for a twisting plot in the horror genre I really picked up on this unique storyline and became really interested - I'm not one for needless gore in a film, it's got to keep me gripped. For me, The Purge accomplished this at various times throughout the film; I was invested in thinking "what would I do?"

With the Sandin family on lockdown for the annual Purge, a night of terror and destruction to "cleanse" the community and "sacrifice" its members, we witness the unfolding events as their young son Charlie shows compassion to a wounded outsider, releasing the bolts from the doors and allowing him shelter. Rhys Wakefield portrays the sinister smiler; a leader of a pro-purge group, seeking the sacrifice of the sheltered homeless man the family unconsciously helped. His calm nature makes him only the more terrifying in his quest to hunt down the inhabitants of the Sandin home; threatening and taking action against any and all that get in his way.

While I enjoyed the acting within the film, the anti-climactic nature of many scenes seemed too obvious for such a unique concept; surely with such a twist in film-making, there should be an equal twist in the end to leave us feeling shocked and in awe of such a ground-breaking piece. Let's be honest here; in a film where violence and murder is legal, raise your hand if you think at least 3 characters are going to be violently killed? Well then, you'd be right.
While I believed in the idea of the story, I wasn't sure where it could be taken creatively, and in that sense, I don't think it succeeded in surprising me; I expected violence, death and destruction, but there was no depth to the characters, and witnessing their downfall did not grab at my heartstrings or shock me at all.

The ending to The Purge not only allowed a sense of closure to the evening's events, we are also left hanging in the suspense of a sequel. How will the homeless hostage fair in the next annual Purge as he walks off into the sunrise? Will the Sandin family finally break and themselves Purge? Many unanswered questions are left in the balance with the closing scene, and despite various negative parts, I hope to see them resolved in a second production.

Oz: The Great and Powerful - Film Review

Having left the cinema only half an hour ago, I can't get this film out of my head, I just have to write something about it.

Setting aside my newly emerged love for James Franco, the format of the film was something I couldn't ignore. Every twist and turn pushed me back into the nostalgia of seeing Judy Garland emerge into Oz every Christmas while huddled in front of my television with my family. The black and white into the vivid colour of Oz, the delicate detail of the costume and makeup design and the humour of animated sidekick Finley, voiced by the timeless Zach Braff, I was hooked.

The casting kept me thoroughly intrigued by the characters' individual stories and lives and made me feel like a munchkin in my rather fetching 3D glasses; I was rooting for the good and booing at the bad! The film brought modern character to the classic tale and gave the story life before what we already knew from the 1930s film.

I can't give away much without spoiling the film for you, but I would definitely recommend this to anyone who loved the original Wizard of Oz; whether you were around for Judy Garland's original performance or are parents with a young child who will be gripped by the colourful scenery and the charismatic animals, you will all find great love and laughs in this film.
And I totally didn't fall a bit in love with that cheeky Franco grin... okay, maybe a bit.. but I'm only human right?