The Place Beyond The Pines Review

Following the exceptional Blue Valentine, Derek Cianfrance is reteamed with leading man Ryan Gosling for The Place Beyond the Pines. The ambition in Cianfrance's sprawling 140 minute drama cannot be denied, despite waning slightly in its conclusion.

Pines sees a motorcycle rider (Gosling)  taking part in a series of bank robberies as a means of providing for his lover (Eva Mendes) and their child. The consequences of these robberies are further explored through the story of an ambitious rookie cop (Bradley Cooper), attempting to escape the corruption of his department.

Cianfrance and Ben Coccio's narrative is split into three clear sections - the first dealing with Gosling's character, the second with Cooper's and the third with their respective families. Given this structure, a  slightly disjointed feel  in the narrative is almost inevitable - most noticeably between the latter two segments.

The opening segment is by far the strongest - sticking with a simple premise, exploring how far someone would go in order to make amends and provide for their loved ones. This simple plot allows Cianfrance to focus on exploring some interesting character dynamics between Gosling and Mendes' characters. Gosling is exceptional as the well-intentioned motorcyclist attempting to do good (albeit in a completely wrong manner), proving exactly why he is one of this generation's much loved movie stars. The segment also features some truly electrifying, high-octane bank robbery sequences, shot with a clear sense of authenticity.

This is followed by the Cooper-lead segment, which also proves of some interest.  Here Cianfrance tackles a man caught between his morals and pressure by his corrupt peers, allowing Cooper to give a rich, emotionally-charged performance.  A menacing turn from the sensational Ray Liotta adds some further gravitas to this chapter. Here Cianfrance discusses similar themes to the previous segment, with Cooper's character feeling a sense of pressure to provide for his family and meet the expectations of his peers.

By the final segment, the runtime begins to feel slightly bloated and the subtle power of Cianfrance's screenplay loses its sharpness. This segment relies on far too many narrative coincidences, which hampers the previous authentic style of Pines and tries too hard to make connections with the prior stories.  Despite this dip in quality, the film remains beautifully shot with Sean Bobbit capturing the sheer spectacle of the Pined American exterior.

Pines is an ambitious watch, tackling simple yet powerful themes in an authentic and engaging style, despite being  slightly hampered by the overbearing final chapter. Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper are magnificent, both exploring the various limits one can be pushed to, and the consequences of these limits.

Andrew McArthur

★★★½☆

Stars: Ryan Gosling, Eva Mendes, Bradley Cooper, Rose Byrne , Ray Liotta
Director: Derek Cianfrance
Certificate: 15 (UK)
Release: 12th April 2013 (UK), 24th February 2013 (Glasgow Film Festival)

The Animals Will Hunt You, Watch You're Next Traier

It's a long time coming but now You're Next is finally getting a cinematic release giving a new twist on the Home invasion and the first trailer has arrived!

After a long run on the festival circuit a span that goes back to Toronto Film Festival 2011 when the film premièred 2 years later Lionsgate Films have finally let the film mature slightly as they know they have struck gold with this beauty.The film promises to take Home Invasion films to another level and on evidence of this trailer as well as reading about the films festival appearances (most recent been SXSW) the film looks to deliver the goods. This isn't really a spoiler but the trailer highlight the energy, brutality the terrifying  presence these masked men have over the family reunion they rudely interrupted. At no point do we find who they are, why this family keeping the mystery to the actually film but the thing is are you ready for the animals that will haunt your dreams?

Directed by a face very familiar to UK horror fans especially if your a Frightfester Adam Wingard (V/H/S, ABCs Of Death) who has got onboard a few other familiar faces from indie horror Ti West, Joe Swanberg, AJ Bowen who are joined by Rob Moran, Barbara Crampton, Wendy Glenn,Sharni Vinson, Amy Seimetz and Nicholas Tucci star. You're Next  thankfully has a UK&Irish release date which happens to be same date as USA which is 23rd August.

Synopsis 

One of the smartest and most terrifying films in years, YOU'RE NEXT reinvents the genre by putting a fresh twist on home-invasion horror. When a gang of masked, ax-wielding murderers descend upon the Davison family reunion, the hapless victims seem trapped...until an unlikely guest of the family proves to be the most talented killer of all.

Watch First Trailer To Richard Linklater's Before Midnight

Greece is the word, no not another Grease film but the location of a big reunion as Richard Linklater reunites with Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy for Before Midnight now watch the trailer!

After the success of Before Sunrise, Before Sunset Jesse and Celine return which sees the now married couple head to Greece on holiday 20 years after the first time they met on a train inbound to Vienna. The pair now with children, in their middle age attempting to handle the challenges life throws in front of them whilst struggling to keep the romantic spark between them alive.

I've never seen the first 2 films however you could say jokingly this is could be 'This Is 40' but don't take that as a guide in what this film is all about as this is arthouse not comedy.Before Midnight has plenty of charm, a film that will please fans of Woody Allen, plenty of dialogue, humour, romance.If your worried  about the quality of the film, you just have to look back to this years Sundance Film Festival put your mind at rest as the reviews where nothing but superb, so check out the trailer now!

Synopsis
In Before Midnight, we meet Celine and Jesse 9 years on. Almost 2 decades have passed since that first meeting on a train bound for Vienna, and we now find them in their early 40′s in Greece. Before the clock strikes midnight, we will again become part of their story.

Before Midnight is out in UK&Ireland 20th June (USA 24th May)

Source: Yahoo

Watch UK Trailer For Richard Linklater's Bernie Starring Jack Black

Who said age matters or even the fact the pair in love might be a bit 'odd'? Step forward Jack Black and Shirley Mclaine as they star in Bernie, here's the UK trailer.

Bernie sees Black reunite with his School of Rock director Richard Linklater in a dark comedy based on a 'true life' story printed in the Texas Monthly Magazine. Bernie (Black) a funeral director who forms an unlikely relationship with Majorie (McLaine) a sour faced widower  who becomes dependent, whilst nagging and testing his limits. Majorie mysteriously dies leaving Bernie with a massive windfall, a death that leaves the little town they live in, shocked in disbelief and despite his renowned kindness to the locals the local district attorney (Matthew McConaughey) is determined to get to the bottom of Majorie's death.

Bernie is filmed part documentary part drama and it's refreshing to see Jack Black actually attempt to prove he does have some dramatic chops with in him even if this new film does have comedy elements in it. Want to know what we thought of Bernie? You can asThe Peoples Movies  Sophie Stephenson caught the film last month at Glasgow Film Festival, read our review here.

Bernie will be out in UK&Ireland on 26th April.

Synopsis

In the tiny, rural town of Carthage, TX, assistant funeral director Bernie Tiede was one of the town’s most beloved residents.  He taught Sunday school, sang in the church choir and was always willing to lend a helping hand. Everyone loved and appreciated Bernie, so it came as no surprise when he befriended Marjorie Nugent, an affluent widow who was as well known for her sour attitude as her fortune. Bernie frequently traveled with Marjorie and even managed her banking affairs. Marjorie quickly became fully dependant on Bernie and his generosity and Bernie struggled to meet her increasing demands. Bernie continued to handle her affairs, and the townspeople went months without seeing Marjorie. The people of Carthage were shocked when it was reported that Marjorie Nugent had been dead for some time, and Bernie Tiede was being charged with the murder. source:Empire

BBC To Premiere Ralph Fiennes Coriolanus This April

BBC 2 will premiere Ralph Fiennes’ BAFTA nominated contemporary version of William Shakespeare’s political thriller, CORIOLANUS, on Saturday 6th April at 21:45, which will also be simulcast on BBC HD.

Produced by BBC Films withRalph Fiennes directing and stars alongside Vanessa Redgrave, Gerard Butler, Jessica Chastain, Brian Cox and James Nesbitt. CORIOLANUS is a tense and timeless thriller of power broking, political manipulation and the arguments and prejudices of opposing social extremes, set against a backdrop of a republic caught up in a long and bitter war.

Caius Martius ‘Coriolanus’ (Ralph Fiennes), a revered and feared Roman General is at odds with the city of Rome and his fellow citizens. Pushed by his controlling and ambitious mother Volumnia (Vanessa Redgrave) to seek the exalted and powerful position of Consul, he is loath to ingratiate himself with the masses whose votes he needs in order to secure the office. When the public refuse to support him, Coriolanus’s anger prompts a riot which culminates in his expulsion from Rome. The banished hero then allies himself with his sworn enemy Tullus Aufidius (Gerard Butler) to take his revenge on the city.

Read our review of the film here after you check out the trailer below

Become A 'Collector' Add The Collection To Yours This April

From the writers of Saw IV, V, VI and 3D comes the thrilling sequel to The Collector that works just as well as a standalone film.  is a  Tense, terrifying and packed full of action The Collection will have you on the edge of your seat - or hiding behind it, it's yours to own when it arrives in UK on DVD This April.

When Elena (Fitzpatrick) is talked into attending an underground warehouse party with her friends, she finds herself caught in a nightmarish trap where the revelers are mowed, sliced and crushed to death by a macabre series of contraptions operated by a masked psychopath. When the grisly massacre is over, Elena is the only survivor. But before she can escape, she is locked in a trunk and transported to an unknown location.

Fortunately for Elena, one man— Arkin (Stewart) —knows exactly where she’s headed, having just escaped from there with his life and sanity barely intact. Going back is the last thing on Arkin’s mind, but Elena’s wealthy father (McDonald) hires a crack team of mercenaries to force Arkin to lead them to the killer’s lair. But even these hardened warriors are not prepared for what they encounter: an abandoned hotel-turned-torture-chamber, rigged with deadly traps and filled with mangled corpses. Can Arkin and the team get to Elena before she too becomes part of his gruesome “collection”?

It's like Aliens to The Collector's Alien with a team of badasses hunting down the mysterious serial killer and a helluva lot more nasties to be found in his lair. Full of action and gore this is a thrill-ride of a horror film that kicks into gear quickly and stays at full throttle right until the end!

Special Features:

Audio Commentary with Director/Co-Writer Marcus Dunstan and Co-Writer Patrick Melton
A Director’s Vision
Make Up and Effects of The Collection
Production Design
Special Effects of The Collection
Stunts of The Collection

Pre-Order/Buy:The Collection On DVD 

The Collection arrives in UK&Ireland on 29th April, courtesy of eOne on DVD and stars stars Josh Stewart (The Collector), Emma Fitzpatrick (The Social Network) and Christopher McDonald.

Monsters: Dark Continent Starts Principal Photography

Vertigo Films have announced the  principal photography of their forthcoming movie Monsters: Dark Continent has officially started.

Monsters: Dark Continent will be the feature debut of Tom Green who has previously directed the E4 cult hit Misfits with the script written by Jay Basu. The film is a coproduction between Vertigo Films and 42.

The movie is a continuation to Gareth Edwards 2010 international hit Monsters that starred Scoot McNairy. Edwards was nominated for a BAFTA and the film has won four British Independent Film Awards along with many international accolades.

It is some years after the events of MONSTERS. There are Infected Zones all over the world. US military forces are fighting Monsters, attempting to wipe them out. They are met with resistance but it’s not just from the Monsters. The cast includes Johnny Harris (London To Brighton, Welcome To The Punch) Sam Keeley (What Richard Did) and Joe Dempsie (Game Of Thrones) with Edwards and McNairy returning as exec producers.

Producer Allan Niblo for Vertigo comments, “Monsters: Dark Continent is a sci-fi action film that remains true to the artistry and intelligence of its prequel Monsters as well as providing the excitement, thrills and set pieces of a genre film. We’re very excited to see Tom Greens vision unfold”.

Producer James Richardson adds "We are delighted to be working with this incredible new team - Ben and Rory are two very talented producers, Jay has written an excellent script, we have a brilliant cast and Tom is one of the most exciting new directors coming out of the UK."

Ben Pugh, co producing states, “Gareth Edwards created a rich and evocative sci-fi world with Monsters and it's a privilege to go deeper into that world for Monsters: Dark Continent with Tom Green, Vertigo and a very exciting cast".

Filming will take place in Jordan for five weeks and a week in Detroit. Vertigo Distribution will release in the UK with Protagonist handling international.

Boxing Day DVD Review

Throughout the years the average working man and woman has been lived, ruled, struggled by the capitalist dream (like now) but as always we fight back. Leo Tolstoy has provided literature world with many fine examples of the dream however there not the easiest to be adapted for film however British director Bernard Rose (Mr Nice) has tried many times with mixed results. For his latest venture he returns to his favourite source Tolstoy with Boxing Day an contemporary adaptation of 'Master And Man' with Danny Huston at his side once more.

Boxing Day tells the story of Basil (Huston) a businessman living out the lower tier end of the capitalist American dream, maxed out credit cards living the lifestyle on a risk. When it comes to business deals he thinks nothing of the date, time in order to seal the deal and decides to leave his family at Christmas time on a day he should be relaxing with his loved ones. Basil heads to a  wintry Denver to snap up repossessed homes on the cheap from the bank refurbish them on the cheap sell for a quick larger profit. Basil hire's Nick (Matthew Jacobs) as a chauffeur to drive him around the snow covered mountain areas but as night sets in  things take a drastic twist for the worst when the pair find themselves trapped leaving them  facng a  uncertain fate.

Huston and Jacobs do deliver strong central performances which help carry the film probably also thanks to the pair been friends off screen too. This gives a natural feel to the film so the dialogue comes across organic, not fake making the improvisation better.

Before the pair meet on screen we do meet the pair on their own a chance for us to try connect with them. Basil is the face of capitalism, he only care about personal wealth and profit. He's a greedy individual who is actually riding on the edge of bankruptcy we get a glimpse on how low he would go to get money he deceives a church to give him a loan, money they would never really see again.As for Nick  he is Basil's complete opposite though both are fathers Nick is more family orientated but when he visits his estranged wife we get a possible glimpse into his past one that looks was violent maybe of alcohol (maybe both). Times are hard for him living out of a case in a cheap motel waiting for his phone to ring for the next job.

As the film progresses your left with no sympathy both guilty of their fate one self centred the other hapless. Its in the car its when the confines start to get close in, Basil attempts to force some line of authority demanding Nick refer to him as sir, graceless Nick attempts to counteract getting knowhere. Eventually the pair eventually find some mutual respect but a very thin line tensions rear and the bickering  starts which actually makes the pair open their eyes and re-evaluate life. It's when the pair bicker actually brings some much needed humour to lighting the tone though it's not mainstream belly laughs more obsidian in nature.

It's the final part of the film is when things go downhill as it looks like the consistent script seems to have been thrown out the window when order is replaced by chaos. Hysteria prevails as the ending we watch feels like its been stolen from another film when the pair are trapped Basil decides to leave the car and do his best Julie Andrews impression ala Sound Of Music as the film abruptly ends the hills are left certainly alive but as for Basil and Nick you'll just have to watch the film.

★★★☆☆

Paul Devine

Rating:15
DVD Release Date: 25th March 2013 (UK)
Director: Bernard Rose
Cast: Danny Huston, Matthew Jacobs
Buy:Boxing Day On DVD
Win: Boxing Day on DVD (The Peoples Movies)

The Cousins (Les Cousins) Blu-Ray Review (Masters Of Cinema)

Making its way to the cinema screens of Paris only a month after Le Beau Serge, Claude Chabrol’s Les Cousins, still preceding François Truffaut’s The Four Hundred Blows by three months, became the first box-office success of the nouvelle vague. Featuring the previous film’s starring pair of Jean-Claude Brialy and Gérard Blain, the film went on to win the Golden Bear at the 1959 Berlin Film Festival.

With the film’s script written around the same time as that of his feature debut, Les Cousins mirrors Le Beau Serge’s story. But, whereas Le Beau Serge revolved around a Parisian student’s return to the village he grew up in, Chabrol’s second feature tells the story of a student from the country who goes to stay with his cousin in Paris.

Not content with mirroring the previous film’s story, Chabrol also reverses his leading actors’ roles: Brialy now takes on the bad-guy role with his portrayal of a decadent bohemian type student while Blain becomes the good-guy with his role as the hesitant provincial type thrust into life in the big city.

In a similar way to Le Beau Serge, Les Cousins tackles those assumptions and judgements held between social classes. It is also similar to Le Beau Serge in the way it contrasts the central characters, with Les Cousins seeing the sophisticated Parisian able to cruise through life with ease while the unfortunate provincial student works hard to no avail. By the films end, the conflicting fortunes of the cousins as become tragic and a dangerous slide ensues with cruel and harsh results.

Not for nothing is Claude Chabrol known for “his sardonic view of life as a matter of the survival of the fittest.”

★★★★☆

Shane James

Rating:12
DVD/BD Release Date: 25th March 2013 (UK)
Director: Claude Chabrol
Cast:  Gérard Blain, Jean-Claude Brialy, Juliette Mayniel
Buy:LES COUSINS [THE COUSINS] (Masters of Cinema) On Blu-ray / DVD

Le Beau Serge Blu-Ray Review (Masters Of Cinema Release)

The first film of the nouvelle vague, or at the very least the first feature directed by a Cahiers du Cinéma critic, Claude Chabrol’s beautifully observed film preceded François Truffaut’s highly acclaimed The Four Hundred Blows by a year. Winning the 1958 Le Prix Jean Vigo award, and receiving praise from friend and colleague Truffaut for being “as masterly as if Chabrol had been directing for ten years,” Le Beau Serge defined the nouvelle vague’s aesthetic with its use of non-professional actors, location shooting, natural black and white photography, and its personal vision.

Opening with the words “this film was shot entirely in the village of Sardent (Creuse). Our warmest thanks to the residents and local authorities there,” Chabrol’s film introduces the audience to François (Jean-Claude Brialy), a Parisian student returning to his home village to recover from a serious illness.

Upon arrival, François seeks out his childhood friend Serge (Gérard Blain), now an unhappily married alcoholic with a baby on the way, and the pair reminisce in an attempt to reconnect. But it isn’t long before the pair become disconnected due to the differences in their circumstances: the superior François is content with his life and his education, whereas Serge has become bitter and discontented at the prospect of a life stuck in a provincial village.

The film ends when François, suffering from some kind of, as the village Doctor jokingly attests, “martyr complex,” tries to ‘save’ his debilitated friend on a snowy night after Serge’s wife goes into a premature labour. A scene wonderfully shot by cinematographer Henri Decaë, chosen because of his expertise in capturing natural light in films such as Jean-Pierre Melville’s Bob le Flambeur.

The film takes a bleak look at the judgements and assumptions held between social classes with a story that could be deemed as being simplistic and somewhat conventional. But what sets it apart, what turns it into something new, is the radical way in which it moves away from that style of filmmaking, much despised by the Cahiers critics, called the Tradition of Quality. With its aforementioned use of natural photography, location shooting, and a personal vision, Le Beau Serge became the standard-bearer for a new generation of filmmakers.

★★★★☆

Shane James

Rating: 12
DVD/BD Release Date: 25th March 2013 (UK)
Director: Claude Chabrol
Cast: Gérard Blain, Jean-Claude Brialy, Michèle Méritz 
Buy: LE BEAU SERGE [HANDSOME SERGE] (Masters of Cinema) (Blu-ray)