Zero Dark Thirty (2012)

 Every so often a film comes along that people consider to be 'controversial' and it's probably safe to say that out of all of the Oscar film from this year, this is definitely the controversial one.

 'Zero Dark Thirty' is based on the real life events of one C.I.A agent, Maya (Jessica Chastain) and her attempts to find America's most wanted man, Osama Bin Laden. The film starts with the events of 9/11, covers all aspects of the long search for him and concludes in 2011 with his eventual killing. This is all told from Maya's perspective and the various people she met and worked with along the way.

 This was always going to be an interesting film. After all, you can't really get more relevant than this when it comes to major world events of the last decade or so. This film manages to show every aspect of this search incredibly well. It shows the adrenaline fuelled events from both sides, including raids on the terrorist group as well as the attack on London 7/7. All of this is balanced well with the more technical side of the search and the frustration of hitting dead ends making for a generally well paced movie.

 Acting wise, it's very good. All the actors give great performances with a stand out performance coming from the leading lady. It is blatantly obvious why she was nominated for so many awards this season and it is a shame she didn't win more.

 To move onto the more controversial aspects of the story, the film quiet openly features torture scenes including shots of water-boarding and various other methods of persecution. I'm going to forget about the political background to this momentarily and simply say that in terms of the film, I think it was necessary to include this kind of scene. It is not only a vital part of the story and demonstrates how some of the information to help find Bin Laden was acquired, but it also helps to balance out the characters in the film. Without this, many of the agents seen would appear to be portrayed as your classic secret agent heroes without any flaws or foibles. This shows the real stresses of modern war and how it effects everyone involved. I will leave it at that.

 In terms of the films flaws, some of it does move fairly slowly. One particular section that comes to mind is the scenes that take place in Langley at C.I.A headquarters. Whilst it does reflect the frustration in terms of things not being done quickly enough, I think making your audience frustrated with the slow pace at the same time is maybe not the best way to go.

 Overall, this is a very interesting film told in a great way. Pacing problems in some parts are well and truly made up for in other sections of the movie, particularly the last third based around the assault on Bin Laden which had me on the edge of my seat. If you get the chance, definitely watch it.

5 Films To Look Forward To In June 2013

1) Man Of Steel

The newest attempt at a Superman movie. Hopefully this will be able to stand up against the great movies Marvel have made in the last few years.

2) World War Z

Based on the book by Max Brooks, Brad Pitt battles in a world war against an army of Zombies, but this film has a different feel to previous undead movies.

3) Despicable Me 2

The first one was great, so bring on the second.

4) Before Midnight

As the final part of the trilogy, 'Before Midnight' concludes to romantic story that was started almost 20 years ago with 'Before Sunrise' and the follow up 'Before Sunset'.

5) This Is The End

Another apocalypse movie stemming from the whole 2012 thing, but with a clever twist as the actors are playing exaggerated versions of themselves and the film examines how the stars of Hollywood would cope with a catastrophic event (It also includes a great cameo from Emma Watson).

Iron Man 3 (2013)

 To start off this years summer blockbusters (even if it doesn't look like summer outside) is the new Iron Man movie, Iron Man 3. The film follows Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) after the events of 'Avengers Assemble' and how he copes with the aftermath. Tony is struggling with panic attacks and night terrors affecting his relationship with Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), so this is hardly the best time to acquire a new arch enemy in the form of the Mandarin (Ben Kingsley).

 I think it would probably be safe to say that out of all of the Marvel superhero characters that have been made into films in the last few years, Iron Man is probably my favourite. After seeing this movie, it is also probably safe to say that out of the three, this is the best.

 One of the reasons I have always enjoyed the Iron Man series is that they don't take themselves too seriously. The character of Stark is so arrogant and unlimited that his reactions to situations are often very funny and witty. This film has kind of cranked that up a notch. The writers have really managed to use the humour to their advantage in this film with one-liners galore. That's not including the hilarious performance given by Ben Kingsley as the Mandarin, for reasons that I will not divulge as I wouldn't want to spoil it for you.

 However, whilst it is all well and good that the film is very funny, that is not why people go and see superhero movies. It's all about the action, and again this film does not disappoint. It is up alongside any of the other superhero movies that have been released in the last few years with action sequences all the way through, from small fight scenes to huge epic battles.The one slight difference between this and the other Iron Man films is that a lot of the action in this one doesn't involve Stark being in his suit, but him having to use his intellect or various gadgets that he has made. For some I can imagine this would be a disappointment, but I really liked it. It was nice to see as it kind of made him seem a bit more vulnerable. Add in Stark's panic attacks and his relationship with Pepper and he almost seems like a normal human being. However, if the lack of an Iron Man suit does disappoint you, then just wait until the final sequence, when there will be more Iron Me than you can keep track of.

 I do have one problem with this film though (and there is really only one).Whilst I understand that the whole point of these movies is that they aren't real and you are allowed to bend the rules with elements, I like there to be an slight basis of truth in there. Therefore, when it was revealed that the bad guys in the movie can *SPOILER* heal themselves, I can kind of understand that. It was set up to be based around scientific fact (although as someone who studies a science, it's really not scientific fact) and I could sort of go along with that idea. However, in a later scene when the main bad guy *SPOILER* Guy Pearce's character starts to heal himself, apparently the heat that this creates means he can breathe fire. This is where I feel like they have overstepped the line a bit. The fact that he can apparently channel a dragon is not used anywhere else in the storyline so why bring it in. It's unnecessary, unbelievable and useless. Rant Over.

 Overall, this is a great superhero film for Marvel to add to their collection. Anyone who is a fan of action films should definitely go and see this. Besides, it may be the last time you see Robert Downey Jr in an Iron Man movie, so make the most of it.

Life Of Pi (2012)

 So after 4 weeks of finishing off my dissertation and getting back into the swing of uni life, I finally have some time to write up a few reviews of the films I have seen since I got back. The first is 'Life Of Pi', a film of a remarkable story about a boy's survival after a ship that is moving him, his family and their zoo wrecks in the middle of the Pacific ocean. Pi, the boy who survives, finds himself stuck on a lifeboat with a wild Bengal tiger for company. The film, based on the best selling novel by Yann Martel, follows their journey of survival, both of the sea and of each other.

 To start with, there is definitely a reason why this film was so successful during this years award season. Cinematically, it is pretty epic. Without a doubt this is one of the best films I have seen that has used the full scope of special effects to enhance the story and raise it up to a whole new level. Whilst often slightly over-exaggerated and unrealistic this just propels the film and the fantasy along. The whole point of the film is that you are supposed to doubt the truth in the tale, so going a bit overboard with the effects just reflects this element of disbelief and imagination. It is genuinely impressive to watch for the special effects alone, especially the animation of the tiger which almost seems not animated at all.

 In terms of the story itself, I came to this film not really knowing much about the book. I own the book but have never gotten round to reading it so only knew the basic outline of what happens. I am told by others that it stays true to the novel and lives up to the success of the book, which is something that many adaptations have been known to struggle with. This particular adaptation works very well as a film, and the screenwriters seem to have done a good job with the transfer from page to screen. The pace is kept up throughout the movie and the emotional element of the story is well balanced at all times.The bustle of India is well contrasted with the loneliness and desolation of being stranded at sea and it is clear to see why Ang Lee took home the Best Director Oscar.

 The acting is also great considering the majority of the film is just one boy on his own in the middle of nowhere. Suraj Sharma manages to hold his own in the film and avoids the trap of an audience becoming bored with just the one character. This film is anything but boring. I am glad my friend bought it, I am glad she made me watch it, and I would encourage other people to do the same.