Rio 2

Rio 2 is the sequel to Rio made in 2011. It is a colourful adventure, filled with several plot lines, and one that has clearly been made for the kids.

Unlike the first film, which had heart and soul, this film seems to be less emotionally driven. Sure, there is a storyline of Jewel being reunited with her long lost father, but it does not have the same hook that the first film had.

In fact, the film seems to be far more flawed than the first. It packed with too many plot lines, and new characters, a shame as there was room for it to be heartfelt.

The best part of this film are the musical numbers, there are a few of them, and they have been cleverly created. The highlight, is bad to the bone Nigel the cockatoos mock of ‘I Will Survive’.

This time we see some new characters, the most notable is the smooth talking Roberto, voiced by Bruno Mars. Mars’ has done a great job in this role, and fits the role to a tee.

This colourful film does not live up to the first, but the kids will still enjoy it. A 6/10.

Like Crazy

These days it is hard to find an authentic romantic drama that is not stereotypical and cheesy. Like Crazy, is the exception. There is something raw and real about this film, that makes it stand out from the crowd.

Like Crazy, directed by Drake Doremus, tells the story of Anna, an English student studying in America, who falls for Jacob an American boy. Deciding that their love is too strong to separate them, she over stays and violates her student Visa, meaning she is unable to return to America after a holiday home to London.

As soon as you start watching this film, you realise that there is a gritty realism to it. The shots, are a little shaky and yes, there are not some of the finest cinematography, but this is not a flaw, in fact, it makes the story seem even more real. Alongside clever camera work,  is a realistic cast . There are no gorgeous actors involved that’s not to say that the cast are not attractive, but they seem real, like people you would know.

This is an emotionally driven plot. Anna and Jacob face many hardships in their journey to be together, and we ride the emotional roller coaster with them, from their highs to their lows.

While this film is unique, it has to be said, that the narrative is at times a little slow. It does not possess the atmosphere of big budget romance drama films, so some may find it a little boring,

Like Crazy is a story of first love, crazy love, and the sacrifices we make for love. A 6/10.

The Big Wedding

Every so often, a film comes along, that includes some big names. These films, are either total winners, or big flops. The Big Wedding, is a film that includes some heavy weight actors, and sits somewhere in the middle of these two categories.

Directed by Justin Zachman, the film follows the story of Alejandro, who tells a little white lie to his biological mother, making his long divorced adopted parents, pretend to be married, for his wedding to Melissa. It shows the quickness of families, and features big names like Dianne Keating, Robert DeNiro, Susan Sarandon, Katherine Heigel and Amanda Seyfried.

The story line is a little hard to grasp, considering the many crazy plot lines, and the humour, is at times a little stale. But on the whole, this film, is enjoyable, and one to de stress with.

Ben Barnes, lends his talents as Alejandro, the gorgeous, Colombian, who will do whatever it takes to impress his strictly catholic mother. Amanda Seyfried, plays his love interest, and considering the movie is about their wedding, little is seen of their relationship. What is seen however, is disappointing. There seems to be little chemistry between the two, and it is only at the end, that the audience can see how strong their love is.

The Big Wedding, is a film that could have worked well, it includes amazing talent, and if the story line had been a bit more simple, it would have been far more successful. A 6/10.

LOL

LOL is that film that child actors do to get away from their clean-cut image. In this case, Miley Cyrus has taken a stab at acting in a more serious role, with interesting results.

LOL tells the story of Lola, or Lol has her friends call her. Lola, is a rebellious teenager, who like many, experiences the joys and struggles of love. The film follows her struggle with her family, and her clearly complicated relationship with her friend turned boyfriend.

Something seems to be lacking from this film.It was difficult to connect with the characters. It wasn’t that they weren’t interesting, more that the acting wasn’t up to scratch. I found the best acting came from Douglas Booth, who plays Lola’s love interest Kyle.

Still, it isn’t one of the best films I have seen. The cast is without a doubt good looking, something that will keep teenage girls hooked, but for the rest of us who are looking for some strong acting in a coming of age film, that I suggest you look elsewhere.

There were some good moments to this film, but not enough to overlook its flaws.

I give this film a 6/10.

Anna Karenina

When I walked into Anna Kerenina, I was expecting something between Pride and Prejudice, and The Duchess. The trailers made this film look great. Unfortunately, what I saw was a disjointed film, that was shot like a play.

The cinematography was great. The costumes were beautiful, but unfortunately, that was the best part of this film. From what I gathered, Anna Kerenina tells the story of Anna, a wealthy woman who begins an affair with a handsome young officer. Anna’s story is intertwined with several others, to portray Russian aristocracy in the 1800’s.

I did not like the way in which Anna Kerenina was filmed like a play. It went against everything I know about film. There was literally a set on stage which was changed like a play. I found this obscure, and it made it hard for me to follow the plot. It also felt like the film was being ‘acted’, rather than portrayed as real life events like most films.

Anna Kerenina also played with the rules of filming, and there were several shots that I did not like. I especially found it strange when objects obscured characters

All in all, I was disappointed with Anna Kerenina. If you like art films, I’m sure you will enjoy it. If you’re like me however, and like traditional filming, then stay well clear. For the costuming and cinematography alone, I give it 6/10.