In 1980, Tony Montano (Al Pacino) arrives in Miami as an immigrant and slowly gain notoriety and wealth by taking over a drug empire.

Scarface is without a doubt one of the most stylish and slick crime dramas ever made. In terms of direction, Brian De Palma creates a flawlessly polished and classy piece of work, directed with striking style and personality. Using lots of colour, overblown scenes of violence and innovative camerawork, De Palma creates a memorable film which raises the bar within the crime genre.

As Tony Montana, Al Pacino delivers a performance infused with his usual gusto and magnetic personality. Pacino possesses a powerful screen presence and always makes for exciting viewing. He is perfectly cast as the rising leader of a drugs empire, his life and mind becoming more and more corrupted and twisted by power and greed. However, a deserved mention must go to Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio who is outstanding in her supporting role as Montana’s sister. Mastrantonio steals multiple scenes with her fragile, unbalanced and hysterical performance.

Perhaps the only disadvantage of Scarface is that the content does not quite justify the running time. With a lengthy run time, the film is prone to sag and lose steam in places. However, Scarface is without doubt a thoroughly enjoyable crime film, held down by the magnetism of Al Pacino.

7/10

I’m more than happy to accept that some people will not agree with my opinion, I likewise am not the hostile type who expects everyone to agree with me! I found it disappointing, it had a good premise but felt slow and laboured. It didn’t help having Clive Owen in the lead as I genuinely find him a deeply uncharismatic and flat leading man. I would simply have like a more pacey and exciting film and this felt disappointingly lacklustre to me. Please feel free to continue agreeing and disagreeing! :)

Juliet (Kate Winslet) forms a friendship with Pauline (Melanie Lynskey) which quickly becomes characterised by their shared imaginary world and fantasy life. As the girls devotion to each other becomes worryingly intense, their parents decide it would be healthier for them to be parted. Terrified at losing each other forever, Pauline and Juliet form a plan to kill Pauline’s mother.

Based on a true story, Heavenly Creatures is an exquisitely beautiful and imaginative piece of work. It is stunningly directed by Peter Jackson who uses the vision which he later brought to Lord of the Rings to create some unusual and exceptional artistic moments. Using bright colour and sinister figures, Jackson brings the imaginary world of Pauline and Juliet to life, managing to achieve the careful balance between the prettiness of innocent girls and the darker undercurrent which characterises their unhealthy relationship.

Winslet and Lynskey are both superb in the lead roles of the two friends, their natural chemistry and comfortable on-screen bond making for a wholly authentic relationship. Both actresses come into their element when the girls are faced with the prospect of parting, their hysterical grief bordering on the disturbing as the audience comes to realise how devoted they are to one another. Perhaps the only shame is that Jackson did not allow their relationship to remain totally ambiguous, including a love scene which points more firmly to the notion of a homosexual bond between them. It would have maybe been more effective to avoid any direct judgements on the feelings the girls possessed, making the obsessive nature of their friendship all the more disturbing.

Heavenly Creatures does have a dark and disturbing edge, with the graphic violence of the finale proving to be unexpectedly shocking. As an artistic portrayal of love and friendship, Jackson’s film is a triumph, but never loses the chilling undertone that reminds us what a disturbing story it really is.

8/10

Carl Fredericksen is an elderly widower, leaving in regret that he and his wife never achieved their ambition to see the wild lands of South America. By typing thousands of balloons to his house, Carl decides to fly his home to South America and fulfill his deepest dream. However, his journey takes an unexpected turn when he realises that 8 year old aspiring explorer Russell has joined him.

Up begins with the love story of Carl and his wife Ellie, telling how their dreams of exploring the world were constantly put on hold as the financial obligations of life drained their money. Despite a happy life, Ellie eventually dies and Carl is saddened by the exploring ambitions she never achieved. This is sophisticated and emotional deep content for an animated film and is executed beautifully. Carl and Ellie’s story and the decision to fly the house away using balloons is thoroughly endearing and stunningly animated, with the right amount of emotional touch to make is extremely moving.

It is a real shame that Up starts so strongly but rapidly loses steam as the story progresses. The shift from Carl and Ellie to Carl and Russell is necesarry, but detrimental to the overall story. The relationship between them is nowhere near as strong or emotionally strong as the one that begins the film, so the entire scenairio begins to lose its impact with disappointing speed. The move into a sub-plot featuring a deranged explorer and his ship of talking dogs borders on the bizarre and feels oddly placed in the centre of an apparent emotional journey of heart. Up feels like two films, neither of which is fulfilling enough on their own but do not quite fit together successfully.

Up possesses some extremely strong qualities, namely it’s touching content and a beautiful score. But it is sadly not quite enough to make it one of Pixar’s triumphs and the film doesn’t quite fulfill it’s potential.

6/10

Set in the future, waste collection robot WALL.E spends his days clearing rubbish from the deserted planet earth. An encounter with fellow robot Eve leads WALL.E unexpectedly into a space adventure alongside the remaining members of the human race.

WALL.Eis an admirably ambitious project for Pixar; virtually a silent film with minimal dialogue from its main character, and a look ahead to a dismal future for planet earth and a semi-destroyed human race. Considering his lack of dialogue, it is impressive that WALL.E remains a remarkably endearing character with a surprising amount of personality. He is a very human in terms of his emotional range and a character which is easy to relate to.

Unfortunately, Pixar’s ambitions were perhaps slightly lofty for an animation. Whilst the quality of the animation and the appearance of the film is flawless, the silent nature of this tale of a rubbish collecting robot loses its novelty value fairly quickly. WALL.Eis unfortunately fairly dull and plodding in places, the two silent robots unable to sustain a fulfilling and interesting story. The space finale in which the human race has evolved into morbidly obese people jetting around on personal transport units feels tiresome and like a lecture on the evils of rubbish and waste. The morals of the message may be good, but they feel extremely ill-fitting when placed into a Pixar animation.

WALL.E is a well crafted character who provokes much affection, but he is severely let down with lofty ambitions to make a semi-moralising animated tale. Pixar animation never fails to be visually striking, but the screenplay and content cannot sustain enough interest.

5/10

Ballet dancer Nina (Natalie Portman) achieves her ultimate dream when she is cast as the Swan Queen in Swan Lake. However, the pressure of the role begins to affect her as director Thomas (Vincent Cassell) starts to doubt her ability to capture the dark sensuality of the black swan. With the help of fellow dancer Lily (Mila Kunis), Nina tries to get in touch with her inner black swan, resulting in a terrifying loss of reality.

Even the harshest critic cannot knock the visual beauty of Black Swan. As a piece of artwork it is simply stunning, possessing striking cinematography and beautiful costuming and make-up. Darren Aronovsky’s characteristic jerky camerawork is often an audience splitter, but in this tale of madness and hysteria, it works perfectly.

Black Swan is bound together through the motif of opposites and duality. The multiple use of mirrors, the constant use of the colours black and white and the contrast between the pure Nina and more earthy Lily are used to constantly remind the audience of the inner struggle between the black and white swans. Perhaps the message is hammered to the point of obvious, the use of mirrors in particular being remarkably frequent, but it is this contrast between light and dark that drives the narrative forward.

In Natalie Portman, the film has a simply stunning leading lady. Her waif-like body and delicate face are perfect in terms of reflecting the fragile nature of Nina’s increasingly fractured mind. Portman’s performance is at it’s most impressive as she begins to embody the darkness of the black swan, marked by some truly shocking moments of aggression and bold sexuality. Portman is strongly supported by a uniformly excellent cast in the form of Cassell, Kunis and Barbra Hershey. A special mention should also go to Winona Ryder who reminds us what a truly exceptional presence she is, despite extremely limited screen-time.

Black Swan in consistently outstanding, but reaches the point of pure genius in the final 30 minutes. Although largely hysterical and maintaining an extreme speed, the effect of the finale and Nina’s transformation into the black swan is utterly unforgettable.

10/10

Thankyou so much!! By a funny coincidence, I am having a catch-up today! Things got a bit difficult for me around December and knocked back my challenge both in terms of time and personal motivation. But I’m delighted to say I’m back on track and currently have 10 reviews to be written. I’ve also watch a film every day this week and am cranking up the volume in order to catch up completely. I apologise for the lack of updates but am getting going again and have been so grateful people have stuck with it. I will indeed check out your own blog, keep your eyes peeled for some very imminent updates!

British talk-show host David Frost (Michael Sheen), hosts a series of post-Watergate interviews with former US president Richard Nixon (Frank Langella). Nixon believes he holds the upper hand against Frost, until some uncovered facts come to light and change the image of the former president forever.

Frost/Nixon is a highly intense film in that it very literally revolves heavily around constant talking. The action is thin on the ground and the entire narrative is built around the situation of two men talking. For this reason, it is a film which will certainly not appeal to everyone, the conversation heavy and politically saturated content making for viewing experience that requires steady concentration. However, for viewers willing to sink into the fraught relationship between the characters, there is much to be yielded from this film.

The primary point of enjoyment are the stunning performances from the two lead actors. Frank Langella possesses the appropriate gravitas and screen presence to impress as Richard Nixon. His controlled interview persona, which slowly cracks under the pressure of Frost’s increasing power, is superbly executed and stunning to watch. Michael Sheen once again proves he is one of the best actors currently around when it comes to playing real people, capturing the tone and mannerisms of David Frost superbly without ever falling into mimicry.

Frost/Nixon is a rewarding and intense film to watch, at times slightly too plodding, but ultimately an interesting a well executed character piece.

7/10

Telling the true story of King George VI (Colin Firth) or ‘Bertie’ as he was more affectionately known. Bertie has spent much of his life battling a crippling speech impediment, supported by his devoted wife Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter). After the sudden abdication of his brother (Guy Pierce), Bertie unexpectedly finds himself on the throne, with the pressure to be a accomplished public speaker bearing down greatly. In desperation, he turns to failed actor Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush), a speech therapist who employs unusual methods in his approach to therapy, including probing into Bertie’s past in order to find the root of his problems.

The King’s Speech is a simply spectacular achievement, seamlessly fusing the slickness and perfection of a Hollywood production with the more simple and charming feel of a British film. From the score to the cinematography to the costuming to the art direction, the film is technically flawless and simply beautiful to look at. Director Tom Hooper gives the film a clean and often stark look, skillfully placing these alongside moments of deeper intimacy and closeness. It is a true piece of art and a real shame that Hooper is likely to miss out in a awards season which is brimming with some stunning directorial achievements.

The cast of the film is simply stunning. Helena Bonham Carter gives an adorably warm and beautifully understated performance as the Queen, performing as both the devoted wife and regal queen. It is an unusually modest performance for the often flamboyant Bonham Carter, and a real treat in terms of seeing her softer and more feminine qualities. Guy Pierce has limited screen-time but is delightfully creepy and spineless as the weak and halfhearted king. A scene in which he simperingly talks to his lover Wallace Simpson over the telephone is nauseatingly sickening and stunningly performed by Pierce.

The film belongs easily to the two leads. Geoffrey Rush is simply phenomenal as Lionel, infusing every moment with huge charisma and lashings of personality. Lionel is quirky, unconventional and thoroughly fascinating, but his good heart and deep kindness shine through at every moment. Rush is outstanding, and is only just slightly outshone by the delightful Colin Firth. Firth simply gives the performance of his lifetime, taking on the notoriously difficult challenge of performing with a speech impediment. However, it is not the disability factor which makes Firth’s performance so endearing, but the depth of feeling and emotion he brings to the part. Bertie is a deeply vulnerable man with no self esteem or self confidence. Two scenes in particular stand out in the film which demonstrate Firth’s stunning skill. The first is Bertie talking to his brother who cruelly impersonates his stutter; the subtle but clear way in which Firth shrinks back and portrays the deep hurt experienced at the hands of another in heartbreaking. A second moment is when Bertie begins to tentatively open up about his past, describing his childhood traumas and painful memories as he plays with a toy aeroplane. The obvious metaphor that the child in Bertie is still hurting deeply and suffering from trauma is extremely moving to watch, Firth portraying these hidden scars with exceptional skill. It is a beautiful, subtle and completely mesmerising performance, Firth making the man behind the stutter hugely endearing and thoroughly likable.

Overall, The King’s Speech is an extraordinary piece of work and one that deserves tremendous accolades this awards season. Every frame is an amalgamation of technical and artistic perfection, with Rush and Firth infusing the film with sheer brilliance.

9/10

So I am desperately trying to get back on track. I hope this doesn’t disappoint, but I watched a few films in a row that didn’t do much for me, so I’m going to skip reviewing them for the time being and simply list them. Hopefully I’ll nip back at some point and add the reviews. So here is a brief list of my latest entries, and please standby for my review of The King’s Speech which deserves a proper write-up!

Day 82 - Goodbye Mr. Chips (1939)

Day 83 - Who Dares Wins (1982)

Day 84 - Elf (2003)

Day 85 - Ratatouille (2007)

Day 86 - Children on Men (2006)

Lawyer Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck) is called to defend Tom Robinson (Brock Peters), a black man who has been accused of raping a white woman. In an atmosphere of intense racism, Atticus battles to ensure that justice prevails, whilst trying to teach his children the ugliness of prejudice.

To Kill A Mockingbird takes on some mighty heavy themes in terms of tackling racism and prejudice. It is quite a challenge to make a film which asks serious questions without becoming too much of an endurance on the audience. However, To Kill A Mockingbirdis a beautifully balanced and surprisingly easy watch, the dark scenes of racism set alongside more lighthearted moments involving Atticus and his children. That is not to say that the over-riding theme of injustice is not taken seriously. The courtroom scenes were Tom’s innocence are made abundantly clear make more extremely moving viewing, the audience painfully aware that prejudice will always stand in the way of justice.

To Kill A Mockingbird certainly provides some deeply emotional and moving scenes, perhaps most famously when the many black members of the courtroom stand in respect as Atticus Finch leaves the building. The film is a triumph as it is through tiny moments like this that such incredibly powerful emotion is able to resonate. The film is a great lesson in how it is often the most understated moments that generate the greatest response.

The heart of the film is Atticus Finch, and in turn, the solid brilliance of Gregory Peck. Peck was an actor with a hugely powerful screen presence, his very facial expressions or body movement commanding the screen. Like the film itself, Peck is often at his finest when playing understated, allowing his supreme acting skills to do the work. The extremely drawn out but silent reaction of Atticus when he is spat on by a white, racist neighbour is made so exceptional by Peck’s performance. The mixture of rage, disgust and sadness which is expressed through his face and eyes is inspiring.

Overall, To Kill A Mockingbird is a classic film, bravely tackling some difficult subjects whilst never sinking into the unwatchable.

8/10

Thankyou, and a happy holidays and Merry Christmas to all my followers! The period of difficulty which has kept me away from my writing is now over, so New Year’s Resolution number 1 will be to swiftly get this challenge back on track! Stick with me guys!

Thanks for the kind words, nice to receive them when I feel I’ve let some of you followers down recently with the lack of updates. But I’d rather do them properly than rush and write a heap of rubbish just to fill the gaps. I appreciate every one of you that hasn’t stopped following me and assure you some updates will be along soon to reward you for your patience!

I’m just delighted I haven’t lost every follower I have!! I’m so sorry to great people like you that really make the effort to follow me and make comments and I have been terrible at updating recently. What can I say? Illness, personal problems and a family death have all thrown themselves into my life in the last month and made blog updating low on my priority list.

I sincerely promise a good update is imminent and I will get back into the habit of updating regularly.

The challenge is going well. As for Cinema Paradiso - well, not only one of my 10/10 films but also my favourite film scene of ALL TIME. The final kiss montage? The greatest cinematic moment in history. No arguments. Just pure beauty and a moment that touches my heart and sould whenever I see it. I’m so delighted you have seen this magical film.

Good Question! My challenge is going well, although as already identified on the blog I am a little behind due to illness and a few personal crises!! It has been great to finally make time to watch films I’ve always wanted to, like All About Eve or Singin’ in the Rain. In trawling various critics lists and studying the imdb top 250 more close, I’ve come across films I’ve never heard of which are very highly rated, which has been a great way to discover new films. I’ve also discovered more about certain stars. For example, prior to this challenge I had only seen 1 film starring Cary Grant. After watching him in Bringing up Baby, His Girl Friday, The Philadelphia Story, North by Northwest and Notorious, I’ve come to see what a fine actor and great star he really was.

Any downsides or disadvantages? Making time is often tricky, and sudden events in real life like the one’s that have happened to me in the last few weeks have knocked me off course. I also sometimes really fancy watching old favourites but need to try and make time for new films instead. Unsuprisingly, there have been great classics I have made the time to watch only to be left highly disappointed. Casablanca was one of these, a true classic but one I found fairly lacklustre.

The best thing has been discovering films which are not only great but have propelled themselves into my all-time favourites. So Amadeus, The Counterfeiters, Stand By Me, and many others which have been simply wonderful discoveries.

Is it what I imagined? Well, the practical side has been harder than I imagined. I thought making 2 hours a day to watch a film would be easy, but it often is not. But in terms of the benefits, this has outweighed my expectations, as I feel I’ve discovered so much in a pretty short space of time and have all the way up to 1st September 2011 to learn more.