Now You See Me poster

Now You See Me, the heist film centred around a group of magicians has a new poster.

Featuring an all star cast including  Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Woody Harrelson, Mark Ruffalo, Isla Fisher and Jesse Eisenberg the film’s trailer was pretty impressive.

Check out the trailer…

The film follows a group of illusionists who use there skills to pull off a number of daring heists giving the money to the poor, all the while chased down by the FBI and Interpol.

Looks good by all accounts and we’re expecting nothing to be quite what it seems.

Now You See Me is in UK cinemas from 3 July 2013.

now u see me poster2

30 Minutes or Less – 2011

Two fledgling criminals kidnap a pizza delivery guy, strap a bomb to his chest, and inform him that he has mere hours to rob a bank or else…

DirectedRuben Fleischer

StarsJesse EisenbergDanny McBride and Nick Swardson

What we think: If you enjoyed Ruben Fleischer’s last outing and debut feature Zombieland then you’re truly going to love this, and it will take you significantly less time than 30 minutes to realise it!

Switching from the horror genre to a crime fueled escaped featuring two friends.

Nick (Eisenberg) and Chet (Aziz Ansari) who have practically destroyed each others lives but stayed friends for so long that to split now would seem futile.

That though is only a small part of the plot which centres around the pair needing to find $100,000 in less than a day or face the consequences of Nick being blown to bits!

Featuring a cast of talented actors lead by fans favourite Danny McBride whose at his white trash talking best and he leads the plot to off his father in order to get his hands on the inheritance.

Aided by quiet side kick and at times voice of reason Travis (Blades of Glory’s Nick Swardson) the pair share a number of hilarious conversations drifting from the task at hand.

There are certainly laughs a plenty, with the friendships of both parties strained to the max, but that makes for an all the more enjoyable ride.

If you liked Pineapple Express then this will be right up your street.

View the trailer

Rating: (3.5/5)

Visit the IMDb page for 30 Minutes or Less

Please feel free to leave a comment about this film, we would love to know what you think and we’ll do our best to respond!

The Social Network – 2010

A chronicle of the founding of Facebook, the social-networking Web site.

DirectedDavid Fincher

StarsJesse EisenbergAndrew Garfield and Justin Timberlake

What we think: Millions are on it everyday, chances are you have a browser window open right now showing the recent news feed for the day. Whatever you’re doing in your everyday life, at some point you’ll be posting about it on Facebook.

The Social Network could be David Fincher’s finest work to date and that would be a bold statement considering his past films, after the some what underrated disaster that was Alien 3 Fincher’s feature debut, he made his mark with the likes of Se7en and Fight Club stamping his mark on Hollywood.

This film highlights the effects and fall-outs that plagued the birth of the worlds most popular social networking site and its co-founders Mark Zuckerberg and Eduardo Saverin.

Zuckerberg is brilliantly played by Jesse Eisenberg as the Harvard student who pissed off at being dumped created a site that let students rate the ‘hottness’ of girls on campus. He became a sensation overnight for many reasons, but it was his meeting with the Winklevoss’s that really lit the touch paper under his idea (or was it theirs?) Some say he stole an idea and made it better, whatever it was he was trying hard to win over his peers but at the same time he created many enemies.

Zuckerberg himself was hardly what you’d call the popular kid on campus and some of his decision making was unpredictable at times, as Saverin (Garfield) found out the hard way. The film ducks back and fourth from past to present in which Zuckerberg is part of not one but two lawsuits, Vs his best friend Saverin and the Winklevoss’s.

Eisenberg is as straight faced as you could possibly be, not wanting to let the pressure of losing or giving a piece of his multi-million dollar fortune away, trouble him in the slightest. He is highly intelligent that much is certain as his court room ramblings denote to great effect, as he tears off his opponents strip by strip to leave them bare faced with not much of a come back.

Added into the mix of all this is Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake), the co-founder of Napster who aided Zuckerberg in reaching out to potential investors and generally playing the devil’s advocate between the crumbling relationship of Zuckerberg and Saverin to which he only added to the feud.

Fincher’s direction is asstue as ever, its clean, crisp and very compelling to watch and given that its all corporate wrangling and back stabbing Fincher does well to keep us hooked and visibly entertained. That has a lot to do with Aaron Sorkin’s Oscar winning screen play.

View the trailer

Rating: (4.5/5)

Visit the IMDb page for The Social Network

Please feel free to leave a comment about this film, we would love to know what you think and we’ll do our best to respond!

 

Oscar Predictions 2011

The Oscars are almost upon us and speculation is high as to who is going to walk off with the coveted gold statue in their chosen category.

The competition is more fierce than ever in most of the categories, although why anyone other than Toy Story bothers to turn up for Best Animated film is beyond me.

Many will predict The King’s Speech to preform well especially after it dominated at the Globes and BAFTAS but with many things in life I like to see an upset, and I’m sure there is going to be more than one surprise on the night.

So lets have a look at the main categories that everyone is going to have their eye on.

Best Picture

Contenders: Black Swan, The Fighter, Inception, The Kid’s Are All Right, The King’s Speech, 127 Hours, The Social Network, Toy Story 3, True Grit, Winter’s Bone

Who we’d like to win: Inception was my favourite film of last year, it had everything from brilliant cinematography, special effects and a water tight script that even though it seemed over complicated was easy to follow. Despite Nolan not being nominated for Best Director it would be fitting if his film walked off with Best Picture.

Who’ll actually win: The King’s Speech and The Social Network are going to be fighting this one out, both have done well at previous awards with David Fincher pipping Tom Hooper to Best Director at the BAFTAS while Hooper’s film dominated the rest of that particular night.

The acting was exceptional from both and it would be hard to call, however I think The King’s Speech will have too much in the end.

Best Actor in a Leading Role

Contenders: Javier Bardem, Jeff Bridges, Jesse Eisenberg, Colin Firth, James Franco

Who we’d like to win: It’s not that I have any animosity towards The King’s Speech I just feel that there are so many films that got over looked. However, in this list there is only one man who stands out, and while we’d love to see someone like James Franco or Jesses Eisenberg win, this award is going back across the pond.

Who’ll actually win: No question at all the Colin Firth deserves this one, it was be a major upset if he didn’t get it. His performance of a stuttering King George VI was sublime and paramount to the film’s global success.

Best Actress in a Leading Role

Contenders: Annette Bening, Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Lawrence, Natalie Portman, Michelle Williams

Who we’d like to win: There are some experienced actresses here with Annette Bening being nominated for the fourth time and Nicole Kidman already a past winner. But they face stiff competition from the other three of Lawrence, Portman and Williams. Honestly we’d love to see Williams or Lawrence take the award but those odds are just too far off reality.

Who’ll actually win: Natalie Portman’s dedication (she put herself through ballet school self funded) to this film is conveyed in her performance of both the white and black swan.

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

Contenders: Christian Bale, John Hawkes, Jeremy Renner, Mark Ruffalo, Geoffery Rush

Who we’d like to win: For us Christian Bale is most deserving of this category, like Portman his dedication to his roles has been plain to see from the likes of the The Machinest to Rescue Dawn. Here again he shed more weight and looked a different man to play heroin addict and former boxing great Dicky Eklund.

Who’ll actually win: Bale scooped the Golden Globe for this one back at the start of the year and may just edge it here, but I wouldn’t count out Geoffrey Rush.

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

Contenders: Amy Adams, Helena Bonham Carter, Mellissa Leo, Hailee Steinfeld, Jacki Weaver

Who we’d like to win: Having been suitably impressed with The Fighter there is good reason for the likes of Amy Adams and Mellissa Leo to be in strong contention for this one. The young Hailee Steinfeld also put in an experienced and assured display despite her relatively young age in True Grit.

Who’ll actually win: There is only one woman who is going to take this crown, and Helena Bonham Carter is all but guaranteed this one.

Best Director

Contenders: Darren Aronofsky, David O. Russell, Tom Hooper, David Fincher, Joel Coen and Ethan Coen

Who we’d like to win: Christopher Nolan…oh wait he’s not been nominated! We can’t quite work out why he’s been overlooked but that shouldn’t detract from the talent that have been nominated. David Fincher threw a cat amoungst the pigeopns by taking the gong at the BAFTAS when all thought Tom Hooper was going to get it.

We’d love to see Fincher make it back to back wins, but something in the air tells us it might not go according to plan.

Who’ll actually win: We’re going to stick our neck on the line here and go with Aronofsky. Black Swan was a brilliant film and is certainly one of the outside chances I think this will be one of a few Oscar surprises on the night.

Music (Original Score)

Contenders: John Powell (How to Train Your Dragon), Hans Zimmer (Inception), Alexandre Desplat (The King’s Speech), A.R. Rahman (127 Hours), Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (The Social Network)

Who we’d like to win: These are the guys that put the added moments of tension or create vast amounts of emotion throughout a film. Best Musical Score is always hotly contested and there are some great contenders here, ideally we think Hans Zimmer should collect this one. He has worked on some of the biggest film blockbusters over the years and produced some memorable music to which are now famous.

Who’ll actually win: It might be another of the close calls, Alexandre Desplat is sure to be up there and even Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for The Social Network might get a look in. Desplat won the BAFTA for Best Score at the start of the year so I’m wondering if this will carry into the Oscars.

I can’t separate Zimmer or Desplat, but personally I’d lean more towards Zimmer.


Zombieland – 2009

When does a zombie flick become boring? How many times do we appreciate the sight of a head exploding or some pale faced, red eyed freak gnawing on human flesh….seemingly never.

Ruben Fleischer’s Zombieland in which four strangers who are the only survivors of a virus that has turned the entire American population into zombies, injects some fresh material that keeps it away from “more of the same”.

The film itself is very funny, with some great one liners as well as subjecting zombies to some humiliating cartoon style kills. Zombie kill of the week, the grand piano. Not to mention a brilliant cameo from a famous Hollywood A- lister (I won’t reveal all for those that have not see it)

Jesse Eisenberg for me feels like a spin off version of Michael Cera, quietly spoken with a sarcastic but kind heared personality. He’s paired up with Woody Harrelson a zombie hater who lets nothing get in his way, but for some reason is a sucker for a twinkie.

Add in two female actors on the up in Emma Stone, Superbad and Abigail Breslin, Little Miss Sunshine and you have a neat little quartet that just about make it through the rather short run time (82 minutes) without too much trouble.

What is good about Zombieland despite the vast amounts of blood curdling carnage, is that the characters are very likeable, and you are drawn into their dilemma.

It’s a quick whitted Zombie flick with a set of rules, and Fleischer can stand aside Romero, Wright, Raimi having delivered something original.

View the Trailer

Rating: (3/5)

Stars: Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin

Visit the IMDb page for Zombieland

Buy Zombieland on Blu-Ray

Please feel free to leave a comment about this film, I would love to know what you think and I will do my best to respond!