Silver-celluloid

Starring: Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, Paul Giamatti Director: John Lee Hancock Genre: Drama Running time: 125 minutes Certificate: PG It seems to be habit for a lot of critics to sneer at films that are given to sentimentality but, as Alfred Hitchcock pointed out, audiences should be emoting or the film is not doing its job. Saving Mr Banks can be accused of being knowingly sentimental but this is what makes it so good. The film tells the story of P L Travers (Emma Thompson), the stern, no nonsense author of Mary Poppins . Travers has been pursued by Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) for twenty years for the rights to make the movie of her book. Horrified by the idea of letting go of her creation but desperately in need of money, Travers travels to Los Angeles to discuss the rights with Disney. This film is unexpectedly funny and captivating from the start, and the time in the screening flew as the film was totally engrossing. Emma Thompson truly shines as P L Travers, a character tha...

  White House Down can be summed up in one word: fun. Basically, if you have seen Olympus Has Fallen you know the plot of this movie. John Cale (Channing Tatum) is a Capitol Policeman who has messed up with his eleven year old daughter Emily (Joey King). Emily is really interested in politics and the President James Sawyer (Jamie Foxx) is her idol so Cale calls in a favour to get tour tickets to the White House for them both as a present. At the same time he has an interview as a Secret Service Agent protecting the President. While they are there the White House is taken over by an armed paramilitary group and Cale has to save the day. Director Roland Emerich of Independence Day fame is determined to destroy the White House again in White House Down which is big, enjoyable and full of action. This is what a silly action movie should look like. The characters are engaging and likable in a way that was missing from this year's previous White House destroyer Olympus Has Fa...

Despite their misogynous leanings I have loved Alfred Hitchcock’s films from a young age. Many hours have been spent in the company of Norman Bates, Marion Crane, Lisa Freemont and Roger O’Thornhill, or was that George Kaplan? However, it was with some hesitation that I entered the screening of Hitchcock. Ambiguity makes Hitch and his films fascinating, aiding the suspense for which they are famed. This is why I often shy away from these types of fictionalisations, feeling that to know Hitchcock could ruin the magic of his art.   However, the film posed no danger of any real insights into Hitch’s genius, as the best way to describe Hitchcock is fluffy. It brought to mind My Week With Marilyn ;   light, entertaining and enjoyable, but missing the grit to really dissect the personality within. Taking the viewer through the period in which Hitchcock was making Psycho , the film starts promisingly, bringing the viewer unexpectedly into the world of Ed Gein, the notor...

I have a confession. I love films. I can't remember a time when films were not a part of my life and it's getting worse. Some might say I'm a geek but I'm sure there are others like me, lurking in the shadows, coveting the latest box-set like the one ring to rule them all. We are a secretive breed, perfectly ordinary looking (most of the time), keeping their love of film under wraps. Ask the next person you see about their latest trip to the cinema and you will spot us; we are the ones whose eyes shine in a slightly manic way as we start to speak excitedly about plot and lighting. Well, I know that there are loads of film blogs out there but I thought it was time to confess and embrace my film nerd status by commenting on and reviewing films, from the latest releases to classic favourites, and delving into the world of film through favourite scenes, fanboy facts and even some more technical and analysis posts for the real film nerd out there. I hope that yo...