Classic Friday : Nausicaa Of The Valley Of The Wind (1984) 8/10

Starring : Alison Lohman, Shia LaBeouf, Edward James Olmos, Chris Sarandon, Patrick Stewart
Director : Hayao Miyazaki
Running Time : 118 mins

In a world where humans have been all but wiped out by a deadly spore, and giant insects roam the earth, a young girl named Nausicaa (Lohman) discovers that she has the ability to communicateon some level with the insectsand strives to protect the valley where she lives from the invading insects, but when some evil doers plan to attract the insects to the valley by stealing one of their young, Nausicaa is forced to fight to her village from being wiped out.

This is a great animated movie which tackles ecological questions in a fun and futuristic way. The characters aren't as clever or fully developed as later Studio Ghibli efforts, but all the wonderful elements you'd expect from Miyazaki are present and accounted for and there are some great animated moments which even by todays standards look impressive.

You’ll like this if you liked : Paprika

Walk Hard : The Dewey Cox Story (2007) 9/10

Starring : John C Reilly, Jenna Fischer, Tim Meadows, Kristen Wiig
Director : Jake Kasdan
Running Time : 121 mins

After killing his little brother in a machete related accident, Dewey Cox (Reilly) decides to make the most of his life in honour of his memory and becomes one of the biggest singing stars of all time. As his career sky rockets, he is faced with the temptations of drugs and women and becomes something of a lush before he realises that he has wasted his life and discovers what is truly important to him.

This is a wonderful comedy spoof of biopics, particularly Walk The Line. Reilly is brilliantly over the top as Dewey Cox, and proves that he is just as good in lead comedy roles as he has been in smaller roles such as Talladega Nights. There are some great songs and some magical cameos from some big names, and despite the two hour runtime this movie flows past quickly and proves that spoofs can still be good and don't have to be like Disaster Movie or Meet The Spartans.

You’ll like this if you liked : Anchorman : The Legend Of Ron Burgundy

Once (2006) 6/10

Starring : Glen Hansard, Marketa Irglova, Hugh Walsh, Gerry Hendrick
Director : John Carney
Running Time : 85 mins

A busker (Hansard) and a Czech pianist (Irglova) meet on the streets of Dublin and discover their mutual love of music, a similarity that leads them into a whirlwind romance. As they try to make it in the music world, they find themselves being drawn into each others lives and spending more and more time with each other.

This is a likeable enough rags to riches feel good movie, but it didn't really hit any high points for me. The acting is fine, and the story rolls along at an acceptable pace, but it just didn't feel like there was enough going on in my opinion. There are some okay songs though, so maybe that would keep you entertained.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Commitments

The Strangers (2008) 7/10

Starring : Liv Tyler, Scott Speedman, Glenn Howerton, Gemma Ward
Director : Bryan Bertino
Running Time : 89 mins

A young couple arrive at their vacation home following an evening out to discover that they are the victims of a home invasion, with terrifying masked maniacs lurking in the shadows with intentions to do them serious harm. Now trapped inside the house, the couple desperately try to make their way out in search of help before their attackers manage to find them.

As far as horror thrillers go, this one wasn't too bad. Tyler and Speedman play intensly scared with a certain degree of believability, but the masked maniacs are a little too reminiscent of other horror franchises, such as Friday The 13th and Saw. There are also similarities to the movie Vacancy, although that was much better than this effort. Sadly, although there is some good pacing to this movie, it does fall apart towards the end when it starts to get increasingly repetitive.

You’ll like this if you liked : Vacancy

Enigma (2001) 7/10

Starring : Dougray Scott, Kate Winslet, Saffron Burrows, Jeremy Northam
Director : Michael Apted
Running Time : 116 mins

Boffin code breaker Tom Jericho (Scott) finds himself caught up in a potential case of espionage when he starts to suspect his girlfriend Claire (Burrows) may be a German spy, so he sets about trying to figure out what information has gone missing, with the help of a colleague named Hester (Winslet).

This is an entertaining and thought provoking movie which doesn't speak down to its audience. There are some solid performances as well as some cliched ones, but Winslet really steals the show as Hester Wallace, giving a wit and intelligence to the character that many of the other characters in this movie were lacking.

You’ll like this if you liked : The English Patient

Hard Candy (2005) 8/10

Starring : Patrick Wilson, Ellen Page, Sandra Oh, Jennifer Holmes
Director : David Slade
Running Time : 105 mins

Internet groomer Jeff Kohlver (Wilson) meets up with teenager Hayley Stark (Page) after chatting with her on line, but soon realises his mistake in choosing her when she takes him hostage in his own home and sets about questioning him and eventually torturing him until he admits what he is.

This is a powerful yet ambiguous movie, and it's hard to see who the director is siding with at times. Wilson's paedophile is quite enigmatic, and it's hard to not feel sorry for him despite what he's done, and Page's angry paedo beater is pretty scary to say the least - in fact her performance is such that it's difficult to see why it was two years later with Juno that she became a household name. They should really show this movie to convicted paedo's - maybe it would stop them carrying on their evil ways once their released into the community.

You’ll like this if you liked : P2

A Good Woman (2004) 6/10

Starring : Helen Hunt, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Wilkinson, Stephen Campbell Moore, Mark Umbers
Director : Mike Barker
Running Time : 89 mins

Newly married Robert Windermere (Umbers) and his wife Meg (Johansson) travel from America to an Italian resort where rumours start to fly, implying that Robert is having an affair with the infamous Stella Erlynne (Hunt), a woman renowned for her ability to charm the socks off of any man and, on occasion, steal them away from their wives, but the truth about their relationship is much more surprising.

This is quite a slow paced comedy which takes the Oscar Wilde tale Lady Windermere's Fan and gives it an American twist. Unfortunately the Americanisms don't feel right with a Wilde story, as he was the epitome of English wit, so this does fall down in places. On top of that, Johansson is practically characterless in this movie, her only redemption being her innocent reactions to what she believes is the shocking news about her husband and Mrs Erlynne

You’ll like this if you liked : The Importance Of Being Earnest

Fish Tales (2007) 7/10

Starring : Billy Zane, Kelly Brook, Alki David, Amber Savva
Director : Alki David
Running Time : 87 mins

University professor Dr Thomas Bradley (Zane) travels with his daughter Serena (Sawa) to a remote Greek islandso that he can finish off his database focussing on ancient Greek love spells, but once the pair get to the island meets a mermaid goddess (Brook) who, as a result of a misspoken love spell, falls for the professor.

Despite having heard some pretty bad things about this movie I thought I'd give it a go, if only to see Kelly Brook in a mermaid outfit. Funnily enough, I found this family comedy romance to be pretty entertaining with some nice performances and some over the top slapstickfrom director Alki David. This is a movie that, although cheaply made, will entertain the whole family.

You’ll like this if you liked : Five Children And It

The Day The Earth Stood Still (2008) 7/10

Starring : Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Connelly, Kathy Bates, Jaden Smith, John Cleese
Director : Scott Derrickson
Running Time : 100 mins

An alien named Klaatu (Reeves) comes down to Earth in human form to warn the world of it's impending doom, but when the American government take him hostage and his warning fall on deaf ears, Klaatu is forced to unleash some deadly insects which will wipe humankind off the face of the planet.

Remakes of 50s sci-fi movies are usually pretty good; just look at John Carpenter's The Thing and David Cronenberg's The Fly. Unfortunately this falls short of their expectations and delivers more of moral tale than a visual spectacle. There are some nice ideas and some interesting moments, but the sub story of humankind's salvation feels wasted here and the characters do very little to make themselves worthy of Klaatu's forgiveness.

You’ll like this if you liked : War Of The Worlds

The Host (2006) 9/10

Starring : Kang-ho Song, Hie-bong Byeon, Hae-il Park, Doona Bae
Director : Bong Joon-ho
Running Time : 120 mins

When some spiled fermaldahyde is poured into the Korean sewer system, it creates a hideously mutated fish monster which sets about attempting to devour innocent passers by. One of it's victims is taken back to its lair, and when he family realise she is still alive, they bravely venture in search of the creature so they can rescue the girl and slay the beast.

This movie is simply brilliant as it manages to flip from tongue in cheek horror to serious dramatic thriller. The actors all know exactly where to by silly and when not to be, and the day time attacks of the creature make it all the more believable (I really hate when you don't see the monster in movies and then when they show it it's really disappointing). This is a must see for all fans of horror and delivers the scares and the laughs in perfect equal measures.

You’ll like this if you liked : Evolution

Classic Friday : Hold That Ghost (1941) 8/10

Starring : Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Richard Carlson, Evelyn Ankers, Joan Davis
Director : Arthur Lubin
Running Time : 83 mins

When a gangster is killed in their car, Chuck (Abbott) and Ferdinand (Costello) inherit his mansion, which is supposedly haunted. Their intentions to turn it into a profitable restaurant soon hit the back burner when they start to experience strange goings on in the many rooms, and start to believe that the rumours of it's haunting may be true.

This is one of the better early Abbott and Costello movies, and why they didn't do more scary comedies sooner is beyond me. This is helped by not having the many usual musical interludes as some of their other films, and the additional characters, such as Carlson's doctor and Davis's Camille are much more likeable and believable than the usual background characters.

You’ll like this if you liked : Scared Stiff

We Are Marshall (2006) 6/10

Starring : Matthew McConaughey, Matthew Fox, Anthony Mackie, David Strathairn, Ian McShane, Kate Mara, January Jones
Director : McG
Running Time : 128 mins

Following the death of a number of their football players in a plane crash, Marshall University all but gives up on its football programme, with the existing coach (Fox) quitting over the incident, until they employ Coach Jack Lengyel (McConaughey), who plans on rejuvenating the sport for the remaining football players at the college.

This is one of those feel good after a disaster movies that Americans seems to relish so much. McConaughey is good as the new coach of the team, and Fox's gradual change for the better is acted well. Sadly there's not much else to this movie, so steer clear unless you want to sit through over two hours of very little.

You’ll like this if you liked : Remember The Titans

Becoming Jane (2007) 7/10

Starring : Anne Hathaway, James McAvoy, Julie Walters, James Cromwell, Maggie Smith
Director : Julian Jarrold
Running Time : 116 mins

Twenty year-old Jane Austen (Hathaway) wants nothing more than to be an author, writing witty literature based on current social conventions and romantic misunderstandings and to be appreciated on the same level as male writers, and when she meets wild Irish lawyer Tom Lefroy (McAvoy) she finds herself becoming increasingly frustrated by his apparent fondness for her and his ability to seemingly know here better than herself.

This fictionalised account of a short period in the life of the famous author is entertaining in parts, but also quite slow and overly emotional. The chemistry between Hathaway and McAvoy is at first appealing, but as the move progresses it becomes too contrived, and more of a plot device than anything else.

You’ll like this if you liked : Miss Potter

Max Payne (2008) 6/10

Starring : Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Beau Bridges, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Chris O'Donnell, Olga Kurylenko
Director : John Moore
Running Time : 103 mins

DEA Max Payne (Wahlberg) joins forces with Mona Sax (Kunis) to investigate the murder of her sister Natasha (Kurylenko) after he is linked to her death when his wallet is found on her body. The case dredges up memories of his own family's murder, and his quest for justice soon leads into the world of the supernatural as he and Mona discover a link between the deaths and a strange group who are tattooing themselves as protection from evil spirits.

Movies based on computer games are rarely brilliant, and this is no exception. There are some interesting elements, such as the murderous spirits and the idea of the devil's army claiming its victims, but the narrative itself is a little stunted to say the least. It also didn't help that someone thought to cast Mila Kunis, most well known for That 70's Show and Family Guy, as a hard nosed assassin for hire.

You’ll like this if you liked : Alone In The Dark

Wonder Boys (2000) 8/10

Starring : Michael Douglas, Tobey Maguire, Frances McDormand, Robert Downey Jr, Katie Holmes
Director : Curtis Hanson
Running Time : 111 mins

College professor Grady Tripp (Douglas) is struggling to finish his follow up novel. It's been seven years since he started it and his editor Terry Crabtree (Downey) is hassling him for a draft to look over. To make life even more difficult, the woman he's having an affair with (McDormand) is pregnant with his child, his much younger third wife Hannah (Holmes) has left him, and to top it off he finds himself stuck on a bizarre roadtrip with one if his students (Maguire) who seems to be a compulsive liar.

This was a very subdued yet fun movie, with both Douglas and Maguire performing beautifully in the lead roles, each managing to keep their character simple yet complicated at the same time. Downey as usual puts in an interesting performance as Douglas's editor, and the remaining supporting cast, though they appear very infrequently, all make this an entertaining journey into the minds of a pothead writer and his fibbing student.

You’ll like this if you liked : Little Miss Sunshine

Joe Dirt (2001) 7/10

Starring : David Spade, Dennis Miller, Brittany Daniel, Christopher Walken
Director : Dennie Gordon
Running Time : 87 mins

Joe Dirt (Spade), a white trash janitor with a bad wig permanently grafted to his head, finds himself telling his life story on a radio show, and how he was abandoned as a child, how he was forced to raise himself and how he began the search for his parents. Along the way he meets some colourful characters and falls in love with Brandy (Daniel), a girl who is theoretically way out of his league.

I actually enjoyed this movie; despite it's ridiculously over the top toilet humour and unlikely plot line. Spade is amiable in the lead, and Daniel is just too hot to watch. There are some odd cameos, including Christopher Walken, and in spite of the fact that most of the jokes are firmly set in the toilet, this does have some heart to it that keeps it watchable.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Water Boy

White Coats (2004) 7/10

Starring : Dave Thomas, Carly Pope, Dan Aykroyd, Dave Foley
Director : Dave Thomas
Running Time : 95 mins

A group of trainee doctors struggle through their internship at St Albert's Hospital, one of the most understaffed and undervalued hospitals around, having to face problems such as a lack of teaching staff, a lack of equipment and a lack of respect. As their months progress, they become close friends, until something comes between them that could cost them their careers.

I’m shocked to say that I actually enjoyed this film. Despite the fact it just felt like an extended episode of Scrubs, the light humour, obvious sex jokes and eventual drama mixed together to make a very watchable movie that brings some old school comedy actors, such as Dan Aykroyd, Dave Thomas and even Matt Frewer (who has had his whole shtick stolen by Jim Carrey).

You’ll like this if you liked : Police Academy

Igor (2008) 8/10

Starring : John Cusack, Molly Shannon, Steve Buscemi, Sean Hayes, Eddie Izzard, Jennifer Coolidge
Director : Anthony Leondis
Running Time : 87 mins

Scientist's assistant Igor (Cusack) wants nothing more than to be allowed to become a scientist in his own right, but to do so is punishable by death in the land of Malaria so, when his master dies, Igor takes the opportunity to pretend he is still alive and enter one of his own inventions in the yearly Mad Scientist competition.

I really enjoyed this cartoon which took all the elements you would expect in a classic Frankenstein movie and turned them on their head. The character of Igor, played wonderfully by John Cusack, is likeable even though he is something of a megolamaniac, and the support characters are all wondeffully honed into stereotypes that work perfectly in the surroundings of this movie.

You’ll like this if you liked : Corpse Bride

Alpha Dog (2006) 7/10

Starring : Emile Hirsch, Justin Timberlake, Ben Foster, Shawn Hatosy, Anton Yelchin, Sharon Stone, Bruce Willis
Director : Nick Cassavetes
Running Time : 113 mins

Spoilt rich kid Johnny Truelove (Hirsch) thinks of himself as something of a gangster, so deals drugs on the side, but when one of his clients, Jake Mazursky (Foster), refuses to pay him, he and his friends kidnap Jake's kid brother Zack (Yelchin) and hold him hostage until Jake pays up. At first everything goes well for the youngster, who actually enjoys his stay with Truelove, but soon reality comes knocking to disrupt the fun times.

This is an entertaining enough movie, but it just felt too unrealistic. Granted it's loosely based on true events, but even so the course of events were too unlikely for my liking. Still, there are some good moments, and every actor does a good job with the material they are given, particularly Hatosy and Yelchin.

You’ll like this if you liked : Bandits

The Hunting Party (2007) 7/10

Starring : Terrence Howard, Richard Gere, Jesse Eisenberg, James Brolin, Diane Kruger, Joy Bryant
Director : Richard Shepard
Running Time : 101 mins

Simon Hunt (Gere) is a war correspondent who has fallen on hard times so, with the help of his cameraman Duck (Howard) and a young journalist named Benjamin Strauss (Eisenberg), the three of them set off to find a master criminal known as the Fox who has so far managed to elude the CIA, but when they are mistaken for a CIA hit squad they soon find their lives in mortal danger...

This is a great little satire that takes the idea that the American government has secret deals with foreign terrorists and only pretends to try and capture them. Based on an apparently true story, this movie gives Gere and, more importantly, Howard a chance to prove both their comic and dramatic timing. This is probably the best Richard Gere movie I've seen in a good while - a lot of his recent stuff has been weak - and do make sure to watch the end credits, which are some of the strongest moments of the movie!

You’ll like this if you liked : The Kingdom

Classic Friday : Friday The 13th The Final Chapter (1984) 7/10

Starring : Crispin Glover, Erich Anderson, Judie Aronson, Corey Feldman
Director : Joseph Zito
Running Time : 91 mins

Once again Jason is on the rampage through Camp Crystal Lake, murdering all of the teenagers who stupidly venture onto the grounds. This time however, Jason may have met his match in the form of young Tommy (Feldman) who plans on stopping the killer once and for all.

This is one of the better instalments in the long running series, and probably has the best ending, although it does appear very dated when watched now. Other than part five, this has one of the most realistic storylines, with Jason proving to be not as immortal as we had at first thought but, once we get onto number six, everything goes mental. Look out for an important role played by a very young Corey Feldman in a pre-Goonies appearance that truly makes it's mark on the horror series.

You’ll like this if you liked : Scream 3

Bolt (2008) 7/10

Starring : John Travolta, Miley Cyrus, Susie Essman, Mark Walton, Malcolm McDowell
Director : Byron Howard & Chris Williams
Running Time : 97 mins

In Disney's 48th Animated Classic, a dog named Bolt (Travolta) stars in a science fiction television show where he’s a superhero, and he believes that his powers are real. When he believes that his owner Penny (Cyrus) is in danger, he gets separated from his TV studio and embarks on a journey across the country to save her, with the help of a cat named Mittens (Essman) and a hamster named Rhino (Walton).

For such a great concept, this was really poorly executed. Despite some impressive looking animation, there just isn't any real soul to the characters in this latest Disney offering. I truly wish they'd go back to old style animation - so few companies are doing that it would actually make them stand out from the crowd.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Ugly Duckling And Me

Perfect Stranger (2007) 6/10

Starring : Halle Berry, Bruce Willis, Giovanni Ribisi, Gary Dourdan, Jason Antoon, Nicki Aycox
Director : James Foley
Running Time : 105 mins

Intrepid reporter Rowena Price (Berry) goes undercover at an advertising agency owned by sleazy businessman Harrison Hill (Willis) who she believes is somehow involved in the murder of her friend Grace (Aycox), who may have been pregnant by him at the time of her death, but as her investigation continues she starts to suspect that the killer might be someone closer to home.

There's some obvious plot twists and some hammy acting in this psychological thriller that puts Berry very much in the driving seat, and to ill effect. Some of the so called tense moments feel too convoluted for my liking, and the attempts to place obstacles in both the characters and the viewers way as to who the killer is seem far to tacked on. On a better note, Ribisi is very good as Price's colleague Miles.

You’ll like this if you liked : Sleeping With The Enemy

Grandma's Boy (2006) 6/10

Starring : Allen Covert, Linda Cardellini, Doris Roberts, Nick Swarsdon, Joel David Moore
Director : Nicholaus Goossen
Running Time : 95 mins

Permanently stoned game tester Alex (Covert) gets kicked out of his apartment and ends up living with his grandma Lilly (Roberts) and her two elderly friends. The trio of old ladies soon start to interfere with his ability to work on his games, which could mean the end of his career if he doesn't figure out a way to keep them out of the way, but what could be worse is the arrival of games designer JP (Moore) who has his eyes set on destroying Alex for stealing Samantha (Cardellini) away from him.

This movie was okay, but it really felt like an extra movie that Adam Sandler didn't have time to make and handed over to his friend Allen Covert to film instead. There are some funny moments, but the story is a little disjointed for the first half until the plot finally develops, but by then all the seemingly pointless moments at the start of the movie begin to make sense.

You’ll like this if you liked : Beerfest

Pearl Harbour (2001) 6/10

Starring : Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett, Kate Beckinsale, Cuba Gooding Jr, Tom Sizemore, Jon Voight, Ewan Bremner
Director : Michael Bay
Running Time : 176 mins

Two childhood friends join the forces together to fight for their country, but when Rafe McCawley (Affleck) goes missing in action and is presumed dead, his best friend Danny Walker (Hartnett) starts to feel attracted to McCawley girlfriend, Evelyn Johnson (Beckinsale). Amidst the resultant chaos of the attack by the Japanese on Pearl Harbour, McCawley turns up alive and the two friends find themselves faced with having to decide who gets to keep the girl.

The characters in this movie are so unsympathetic and unrealistic that it does kind of distract the viewers attention away from the main focus of the movie. Beckinsale's character, going from pillar to post between two guys who don't seem to mind who gets her, is ridiculously written, and the ending that sees her united with one of the men while the other dies is actually too speedily resolved for my liking. Still, the actual attack scenes are pretty good.

You’ll like this if you liked : An Officer And A Gentleman

Man On Fire (2004) 7/10

Starring : Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning, Marc Anthony, Radha Mitchell, Christopher Walken, Rachel Ticotin
Director : Tony Scott
Running Time : 140 mins

Ex CIA agent John Creasy (Washington) reluctantly takes a job babysitting the daughter of a wealthy family, Pita Martin Ramos (Fanning), amidst fears for her safety due to a recent spate of kidnappings. When the girl is snatched on his watch, Creasy sets out to find the kidnappers and make them pay for any harm they may have done the girl.

The chemistry between Washington and Fanning is what makes this movie so watchable, but once she's kidnapped the action takes over and goes far too overboard and drags on for too long. Thankfully the build up of the friendship between the two helps to make us as viewers more willing to sit back and wait to see if the two ever get reunited in the end.

You’ll like this if you liked : Along Came A Spider

Undercover Brother (2002) 7/10

Starring : Eddie Griffin, Chris Kattan, Denise Richards, Aunjanue Ellis, Dave Chappelle, Chi McBride, Neil Patrick Harris, Billy Dee Williams
Director : Malcolm D Lee
Running Time : 82 mins

Undercover Brother (Griffin) is a seventies style crime fighter who is hired by the secret organisation known as The Brotherhood to help fight against the evil plans of The Man, whose latest notion to set back race relations is to brainwash a successful black politician, General Boutwell (Williams), into giving up politics to sell fried chicken, but there's something even more sinister behind this basic plan, and Undercover Brother plans on finding out what it is.

This is such a silly movie that it really does tickle at some points, although there are also moments that aren't so funny. Dave Chappelle is brilliant as Conspiracy Brother, continually making everything out to be a conspiracy to keep black men down, while Griffin puts in an over the top, energetic performance as the eponymous hero.

You’ll like this if you liked : Austin Powers In Goldmember

Wilderness (2006) 7/10

Starring : Toby Kebbell, Sean Pertwee, Alex Reid, Ben McKay, Stephen Wight, Lenora Crichlow, Luke Neal, Karly Greene
Director : Michael J Bassett
Running Time : 91 mins

A group of male young offenders travel to a deserted island for a survival weekend but when they get they not only do they find another group, consisting of female young offenders. When their instructors, Jed (Pertwee) and Louise (Reid) are killed by trained attack dogs, the two groups have to work together against the maniac who trained them.

This had the distinct feel of a Neil Marshall film to it, and not just because it featured Sean Pertwee. There's a potential for subtle humour in this situation that doesn't meet its full potential, with the overly violent deaths steeped in terror rather than parody. It bears similarities to Marshall's Dog Soldiers, minus the paranormal element, but the film it is most similar to has to be Severance, which is basically an outright comedy version of this movie.

You’ll like this if you liked : Severance

Ghost Town (2008) 8/10

Starring : Ricky Gervais, Tea Leoni, Greg Kinnear, Billy Campbell
Director : David Koepp
Running Time : 103 mins

When dental surgeon Bertrum Pincus (Gervais), a horrible man at the best of times, dies for seven minutes during a routine medical procedure, he is faced with a major side effect - he can now see and hear the dead. As he tries to avoid the spooks, he is forced into the life of Gwen Herlihy (Leoni), whose dead husband Frank (Kinnear) wants Pincus to stop her marrying a corrupt lawyer.

This was an enjoyable comedy drama, with Gervais basically playing himself. As a result he isn't the most sympathetic character, but his slow and believable transformation from a miserable git to a slightly less miserable git works well. Kinnear is endearing as the spook who seeks his help, while Leoni puts in a subdued yet emotive performance as his widow.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Frighteners

Freedom Writers (2007) 7/10

Starring : Hilary Swank, Patrick Dempsey, Scott Glenn, Imelda Staunton, April Lee Hernandez
Director : Richard LaGravenese
Running Time : 122 mins

It's the early 1990s, and Erin Gruwell (Swank) is an inner city teacher in LA, desperately trying to teach her students that life isn't all about fighting and sticking with your own race. As she struggles to teach her kids about racial hatred, she latches onto The Diary Of Anne Frank as an example of triumph over adversity and convinces her students to write journals so she can learn more about them.

This is an effective movie, but it does irk me how annoyingly self righteous the kids in this movie were. Granted, it's important to the plot to the make their attitude changes as effective as possible, but they could have been a little less irritating to begin with. Swank is perfect as the teacher who wants to change the world, and her inability to see the bad in these kids parallels well with the characters of the kids themselves.

You’ll like this if you liked : Dangerous Minds

Classic Friday : Overnight Delivery (1998) 8/10

Starring : Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd, Larry Drake, Christine Taylor, Tobin Bell
Director : Jason Bloom
Running Time : 88 mins

When Wyatt Trips (Rudd) thinks that his girlfriend Kimberly (Taylor) is cheating on him while she's away at college, he decides to pre-empt her and, with the aid of stripper Ivy Miller (Witherspoon), sends her an express parcel filled with fictional evidence about his own infidelities. But when he discovers that he's made a mistake, he and Ivy take a cross country trip to infiltrate the package before his girlfriend receives it.

This comedy about simple misunderstandings is sometimes a little over the top, but overall it's pretty effective. Witherspoon and Rudd play perfectly off each other and keep this movie on its toes from beginning to end. A few years after this Road Trip came out, which had almost the exact same plot, but no one else seems to have noticed.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Sure Thing

Snow Cake (2006) 8/10

Starring : Alan Rickman, Sigourney Weaver, Carrie-Anne Moss, Emily Hampshire
Director : Marc Evans
Running Time : 107 mins

Alex Hughes (Rickman) meets with a young girl named Vivienne (Hampshire) and offers her a lift but when they are involved in a car crash and Vivienne is killed, Alex insists on speaking to her mother Linda (Weaver), a high functioning autistic woman, and he ends up staying with her to help with the funeral arrangements and to empty the bins.

This is a delightful tragic comedy, with Weaver and Rickman sparking off each other from beginning to end. The premise is extremely sad, with Weaver having to cope with the death of a daughter and Rickman having to deal with his guilt over her death, but director Marc Evans and writer Angela Pell manage to make the whole affair light and entertaining without belittling the sorrow at the core of the tale.

You’ll like this if you liked : Me Without You

Quantum Of Solace (2008) 6/10

Starring : Daniel Craig, Olga Kurylenko, Mathieu Amalric, Jeffrey Wright, Judi Dench, Gemma Arterton
Director : Marc Forster
Running Time : 107 mins

Following the death of his lover, James Bond (Craig) is out for revenge against anyone he can get his hands on. His search for vengeance brings his attention to a man named Dominic Greene (Amalric) and his organisation, Quantum, which has plans to control the Bolivian water supply as a means of gaining control over the land there.

This movie had too much action and not enough story. Although Daniel Craig is still a very good Bond, he didn't really have much of a story to work with here, and it's no surprise that the run time has significantly been reduced since his last outing. The Bond girls aren't really up to scratch either, doing little or nothing to prove their worth in the world of MI6, and Judi Dench was actually quite annoying as she returns to play M.

You’ll like this if you liked : Mission : Impossible III

Silk (2007) 5/10

Starring : Michael Pitt, Keira Knightley, Sei Ashina, Alfred Molina, Mark Rendall
Director : Francois Girard
Running Time : 105 mins

Herve Joncour (Pitt) deals in silk, and buys silkworms as part of his business. He's happily married to his wife Helene (Knightley), but in one of his many business trips to Japan he becomes obsessed with a concubine belonging to one of his business traders, but when his wife becomes deathly ill he starts to feel guilty about any harm he may have done to their relationship by his terrible actions.

This was utterly boring and almost completely devoid of purpose. There was no story to speak of, and the apparent hero, played by Michael Pitt, had no personality and barely any facial expression. There were plenty of nude scenes, which seemed really unnecessary, and even Keira Knightly got her tits out for the first time I think since The Hole, but quite who she upset to get lumbered with this particular role is beyond me.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Quiet American

Four Brothers (2005) 7/10

Starring : Mark Wahlberg, Tyrese Gibson, Andre Benjamin, Garett Hedlund, Terrence Howard
Director : John Singleton
Running Time : 107 mins

When their foster mother Evelyn Mercer (Fionnula Flanagan) is killed in a simple store robbery, her four foster children decide to put their differences aside and reunite to track down her killer and bring them to justice, but when they discover that her death may have been planned, they double their efforts to find the killer and whoever else may have been involved.

This tongue in cheek revenge movie has a lot going for it. There are big names, plenty of action and some funny moments from the four primary cast members. The twist to the tale is intriguing but not that surprising, although there are still the odd one or two surprises thrown in, and the cast members all do their best to keep the movie entertaining and lively whilst remaining dark and brooding.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Brave One

The Singing Detective (2003) 6/10

Starring : Robert Downey Jr, Robin Wright Penn, Jeremy Northam, Katie Holmes, Carla Gugino, Adrien Brody, Mel Gibson
Director : Keith Gordon
Running Time : 104 mins

A writer named Dan Dark (Downey), suffering from psoriasis, lies in his hospital bed and imagines he is the main protagonist of his first novel, a detective investigating the murder of a prostitute). As his imagination runs away with him, he starts to confuse the lines between fantasy and reality, with his detective novel fantasy drifting into musical numbers as his disease starts to increasingly effect his mind.

There are some excellent make-up effects in this movie, specifically on Robert Downey Jr and Mel Gibson, but the effects do little to make the story more appealing. Where the original British series had the argument of being English and therefore quirky, this significantly shortened version suffers from being too greatly condensed, and focuses more on musical numbers than the actual detective story Downey finds himself relieving.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Black Dahlia

Bandits (2001) 7/10

Starring : Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton, Cate Blanchett
Director : Barry Levinson
Running Time : 117 mins

A pair of bank robbers, Joe Blake (Willis) and Terry Collins (Thornton), have a signature by which they kidnap a bank teller the night before they rob their bank, but when they kidnap Kate Wheeler (Blanchett) they both fall for her, and their so far perfectbank robbing plans start to meet with complications.

There are some great moments in this, particularly from the banter between Willis and Thornton, and the story does the perfect twist right from the offset. but the humour that should have been so prevelent is really hit and miss at points. It doesn't seem to be the fault of any of the actors, it's just the script that is a little stunted in parts.

You’ll like this if you liked : Wild Things

Diary Of The Dead (2007) 8/10

Starring : Joshua Close, Philip Riccio, Michelle Morgan, Shawn Roberts, Amy Lalonde, Joe Dinicol, Scott Wentworth
Director : George A Romero
Running Time : 92 mins

A group of young aspiring film makers find themselves all alone in the woods following the news of a zombie outbreak. As they travel into town to try to find out what's happening, they document the facts with their video equipment, in the hope of making names for themselves with their story.

Like the previous Dead movies, this instalment latches onto the current craze of blogging and home movie making to express the horror of it's zombie world. The acting isn't anything special, but once again Romero manages to stretch his zombie tale into another great little vignette that both capture the current feel of society and also comment on the inherent problems it encapsulates.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Blair Witch Project