Magic In The Moonlight (2014, Dir. Woody Allen, USA) (Cert: 12a/PG-13) ****

Starring: Colin Firth, Emma Stone, Simon McBurnie

In addition to performing as a Chinese mystic named Wei Ling Soo, Stanley Crawford (Firth) devotes his time to exposing frauds, specifically those who claim to be psychics or mediums. At the request of his friend Berkin (McBurnie), Stanley travels to France to meet Sophie Baker (Stone) a young and pretty American believed to have psychic gifts. Stanley is, as always, skeptical but but skepticism is tested by her phenomenal talent. Could she be the real deal and is there more to his fascination with her than meets the eye?

Known to be an actor, director and writer, less known is Woody Allen's work as a jazz musician, but his fondness for jazz is evident through out his work. Here in Magic In The Moonlight, there's a regular refrain of Cole Porter's "You Do Something To Me" and, listening the lyrics, I could easily imagine that they inspired this film. At this stage in his long and prolific career, Allen is riding high off of the popularity of his last effort as director, Blue Jasmine, and for good reason. It was well-written and featured a memorable performance in the lead by Cate Blanchett. It was, whilst also a comedy, a rather acerbic and dark film that had its moments of severity. Magic In The Moonlight is a lighter affair and is really rather flippant. But then again, what's wrong with flippancy?

Magic In The Moonlight is a rather light and bouncy film. So light and bouncy that even the fairly mild 12a and PG-13 certificates it has been graced with seem rather harsh. In the leads, Colin Forth and Emma Stone give the film life as unlikely a pairing they are. There's nearing a thirty year age gap between the two actors and  they physically seem totally at odds. Firth often seems massive and imposing in this role, his rather guttural tone and exasperated manner at times recalling John Cleese. Stone is slight a d bird-like, fitting with her 20's flapper character. That they have chemistry on screen is an impressive achievement, put down to their performances and Allen's witty screenplay.

The plot is really one of seduction and given the film's tone, there's an expectation towards subtlety and finesse that feels mishandled. Firth's character arc doesn't come through slow and steady changes, but rather sudden revelations that clash with the understatement you expect from this film. The whole idea of Firth playing on the one hand a magician and the other, an avid defrauder of psychics could be logically justified despite the initial feeling of contradiction, but his motives are never really built upon. There's also a lacking amount of exposure for some of the supporting characters, although Eileen Atkins stands out as Firth's agnostic and mediating aunt as well as Hamish Linklater as Stone's foppish aspiring beau. 

As Woody Allen advances in years and has a vast amount of work behind him, it's amazing that he's as prolific as he is. The thing is, to me, Woody Allen doesn't seem like a director by profession. More just an enthusiastic and gifted hobbyist, who happens to have famous acting friends and is able to give his work major distribution. His work has an air of almost effortlessness to it, as if he's just having fun. Far from being a criticism, I find it refreshing and it's those who make their work seem easy that often work the hardest. This is a film that has Woody Allen's trademark style. It's urbane and far from broad (although Allen's early work was very broad) and isn't to everyone's taste. I like Woody Allen movies though, and this is a rather winning piece despite its lukewarm reception.

A Walk Among The Tombstones (2014, Dir. Scott Frank, USA) (Cert: 15/R) **

Starring: Liam Neeson, Astro, Dan Stevens

Ex-cop Matt Scudder (Neeson) has been living sober for the last eight years and helps other people with their own addictions. It's through a local drug addict (Boyd Holbrook) that Matt talks with the addict's brother, Kenny (Stevens), a drug trafficker. Kenny's wife (Razane Jammall) was murdered, and Kenny wants Matt to find them men responsible. As Matt looks deeper, other similar cases start to emerge.

The most recent outing for Lawrence Block's literary detective Matthew Scudder (a previous novel, 8 Million Ways To Die was released in 1988, with Jeff Bridges as Scudder), A Walk Amongst The Tombstones is a film that has three differing ideas of what it wants to be and never picks a side, resulting in a rather unsatisfying film. 

With Liam Neeson in the lead, this is one in a seemingly endless parade of post-Taken broody Neeson action movies that all follow a similar and rather tired tone (to be honest, I don't think Taken is all that good to anyway). The film also wants to be a gritty modern film noir, a style that seems to be emerging into cinemas nowadays with the recent horror film, Deliver Us From Evil. The third is as a sort of 70's-styled thriller in the vein of directors like William Freidkin, which is the most satisfying guise of the three.

In director and screenwriter Scott Frank, there's an emergence of an auteur sensibility. Frank has a definite eye for style and it's pleasing, even if it's perhaps wasted here. The script is less impressive, with a fairly bad ear for dialogue (a young street kid Neeson takes under his wing, played by Astro, is conceptually interesting but lurches between a literate and talented youngster to a wannabe gangsta in his dialogue). The film also makes constant reference to the Millennium Bug, as the film is set in the late-90's. If you're waiting for the constant allusion to this to have any baring on the plot, you're going to be disappointed.

On occasion, A Walk Among The Tombstones has things to recommend it. An interesting aesthetic, a few memorable scenes and an effective approach to violence. Still, it's far too long, not especially well-written and in the end, just rather tired and dull.

The Riot Club (2014, Dir. Lone Scherfig, UK) (Cert: 15/TBC) ***

Starring: Max Irons, Sam Clafin, Holliday Grainger

Before coming to the screen, The Riot Club existed as a stage play, Posh. Posh quickly acquired a reputation being a provocative piece and whilst this big screen adaptation doesn't go into the Clockwork Orange levels of debauchery and violence, it's still a film with a power to shock. The titular club operates out of Oxford University and its ten student members are all part of the super-privileged upper-classes. The group is also largely made up of unlikable swines. Let me be clear that I don't mean elitist snobs, but rather unnervingly fascistic and sneeringly self-entitled monsters.

These "Terror Toffs" (or "Hooray Henry Hooligans" if you prefer), certainly get the job done of angering up the blood and raising the bile. It's an intention of the filmmakers that is pulled off brilliantly, but they lack detail. Max Irons' Miles is meant to be a more agreeable and more down-to-earth connection between the audience and this world which seems alien to most viewers, but beyond him most of the Riot Club members all fit the same self-centred and spoilt brat mode, the biggest exception besides Irons is Ben Schnetzer's turn as a Greco-British rich kid, who endures borderline (or even overtly) racist comments from his associates and even that often falls to the way-side. 

The film has been seen as an indictment of archaic notions of the upper-class and I leave The Riot Club wondering how accurate an assessment that really is. The actions of the characters are boorish and shocking, made more so by feeling certain that these kinds of people with these viewes, really do exist. But, from the rather flowery and indulgent opening (which resembles something in the vein of Peter Greenaway) there seems to be a certain romantic and glamourised notion of what this film seeks to defame. The filmmakers largely succeed by the end of the movie and I have no doubt that most people will walk away with a sense of vitriol (perhaps more than was originally intended). But I also think this film could find a following amongst those who share the club members' values. That is troubling.

What We Did On Our Holiday (2014, Dirs. Andy Hamilton, Guy Jenkin, UK) (Cert: 12a/TBC) ***

Starring: Rosamund Pike, David Tennant, Billy Connolly

To date, writers/directors Guy Jenkin and Andy Hamilton are perhaps best known for the BBC sit-com Outnumbered, which followed the everyday lives of a suburban family with a heavy slant towards improvisation. In retrospect, the recently finished series was a good show. What We Did On Our Holiday follows different characters played by different actors, but is to an extent, Outnumbered: The Movie.

Hamilton and Jenkin haven't stepped outside their comfort zone here, and so it does feel like they're playing it safe and going back to the same old material and it's not as strong as Outnumbered, which was a very funny show. Still, it does hold enough humour for it to be better than a lot of the recent comedies I've seen and its family-friendly softness provides a certain level of comfort. It's lightweight, even schmaltzy at times, but the wit rises above the sentimentality.

A married couple played by Rosamund Pike and David Tennant, take their children to the Scottish highlands to celebrate the birthday of Tennant's dad, played by Billy Connolly. He is terminally ill, but is unaware that his son and daughter-in-law have separated. All the while, the children tie these two plot points together. David Tennant is one of Britain's most celebrated actors of the moment and Rosamund Pike is seemingly on the verge of a long-awaited Hollywood breakthrough, being very busy as of late working with Pierce Brosnan (A Long Way Down, continuing their collaboration with Pike's Bond breakthrough in Die Another Day) and Simon Pegg (Hector And The Search For Happiness) or, in fact, both actors (The World's End) as well,as the upcoming Gone Girl promising big things.

This is however, Billy Connolly's movie and he delivers the best performance, mostly through anchoring a film with fairly broad comedy but going (mostly) against his reputation for being fairly broad comedian. His performance is a soft but amusing one, full of warmth. The children are all likeable characters, but I felt the "slice of life" realism that made Outnumbered strong was being discarded here, to the film's detriment. Another film may have made the plot fascinating, but given the parameters of what we're used to from Jenkin and Hamilton, it comes off as unbelievable...in a bad way. That said, this film has charm and one-liners that will keep you smiling for some time after the film's over. It's a nice trip, but you wouldn't want to stay there.

The Hundred-Foot Journey (2014, Dir. Lasse Hallström, USA/India/UAE) (Cert: PG/PG) ***

Starring: Manish Dayal, Helen Mirren, Om Puri

A family from Mumbai open an Indian restaurant in the French countryside, to the chagrin of a traditional restauranteur played by Helen Mirren. This film very much has director Lasse Hallström stamped upon it with an eerily similar premise to Chocolat, The Hundred-Foot Journey is a beautiful and sometimes sumptuous journey, but one with ultimately little in terms of direction or objective.

The Hundred-Foot Journey is a purely escapist and romanticised film. It caters less towards concerns for great film-making or great storytelling and pushes more towards glamourising its main subjects, namely France, India and the food of those two cultures. France is the rural countryside where everyone looks stylish and buys food at the local market. Paris makes an appearance but very late on, the pastoral image of France being easily dominant. The India is a raga music and quaint but efficient ways. The film trades in stereotypes, but ones that are positive and harmless whilst the food is lingeringly surveyed to the point where the term "food porn" is more than justified. 

The film has problems, mainly that whilst Helen Mirren's not set up to be a character to be disliked by the audience, her attitude in the early going (arguably tantamount to racism) makes our sympathies for her a tough sell. In credit to Helen Mirren she only just manages to pull this off. The big problem though is that it's a film far too in love with its own aesthetic. It spends so much time luxuriating in exotic locales and foods that it neglects to really lay down what the story's point is. As the film went on, a slow realisation that I had no idea what the end point was, leaving the film to trail off in a slightly frayed, slightly messy fashion. Still, this is a film built largely on the fantasy and it does manage to deliver that.

A Most Wanted Man (2014, Dir. Anton Corbijn, UK, USA, Germany) (Cert: 15/R) ***

Starring: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rachel McAdams, Grigoriy Dobrygin

An adaptation of a novel by John le Carré, A Most Wanted Man has gotten some rather unfortunate publicity, that of it being the final completed work of the late, great Philip Seymour Hoffman, who died earlier this year, joining the likes of James Gandolfini and Robin Williams as noted actors whose recent passing comes ahead of some posthumous works.

With Hoffman in the leading role, is it a fitting send off for such a great actor? More or less. Hoffman spent much of his career in supporting roles, such as in The Big Lebowski or his collaborations with director Paul Thomas Anderson in Boogie Nights and Punch Drunk Love and those looking for Hoffman's late-career blooming might want to look up Anderson's The Master instead. However, A Most Wanted Man is still a very serviceable spy-thriller and Hoffman's performance as Gunter, a hard-drinking, perpetually-smoking German detective looking to find a man suspected of terrorist links escaping custody in Hamburg, which makes the film work.

A Most Wanted Man is set against the backdrop of post-9/11 Hamburg and whilst this is clear on a superficial level (the written prologue sets this up and the plot revolves around Islamic fundamentalist terrorism) the film owes more of a sense towards both Cold War thrillers and a slightly noir sensibility. Of course, le Carré's work is particularly associated with Cold War fiction (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and The Spy Who Came In From The Cold for example) but the scenery evokes an older Germany. Gunter walks along a long grey wall, recalling the Berlin Wall. There's a briefing amidst decor that perfectly fits late-70's/early-80's designs. The sense of East against West paranoia is thick in the air as our man on the run, while a muslim, is half-Russian and half-Chechnyan. Make no mistake, this is a Cold War movie that doesn't take place in the Cold War.

The noir aspect is mostly played through Gunter's role as the very noir-ish detective detailed above. But the film continuously moves around no real moral centre. There's no black and white for the most part, just a heap of grey. On the one hand, there's the authorities fighting terrorism. On the other are those providing shelter to a possibly innocent man, this side typified through Rachel McAdams as a compassionate human rights lawyer, sheltering the fugitive played by Grigoriy Dobrygin.

The problem with A Most Wanted Man is intrigue. The performances are great, even if it is a case of non-German actors speaking English with faux-German accents (McAdams' accent is particularly faltering at times) but it hangs around a story that feels rather limp and lacking in tension. This, like a lot of mystery thrillers is probably a "grower" of a film, so a second or third viewing is probably more rewarding as a viewer can piece together elements they're familiar with. The ending is also suitably cathartic and easily the best moment in the film, raising even greater issues. 

I would like to see this film again, if only to delve deeper into its mystery, but it still does okay at making a first impression.

The Guest (2014, Dir. Adam Wingard, USA) (Cert: 15/R) ****

Starring: Dan Stevens, Maika Monroe, Sheila Kelley

As much as I bemoan the state of modern mainstream horror (as a fan of the horror genre in general), there is some real talent out there. Such is the team of writer Simon Barrett and director Adam Wingard, who made their name off of the long-in-distribution-limbo You're Next; an 80's slasher throwback with an increasingly ridiculous strand of black parodic comedy. Well, they're back with The Guest.

More of a thriller than a horror movie, or perhaps fitting into that snug space in between, alongside Psycho and the whole giallo sub-genre, A sort of 80's-styled take on Shadow Of A Doubt, The Guest stars Dan Stevens as a man claiming to be a former comrade of a soldier killed in the Middle East and whose family Stevens is currently staying with. However, it's pretty clear that he's not the man he says he is and is far more threatening. Stevens is brilliant in the lead, giving a menacing performance of barely restrained mania. Every second he's on screen he is an entertaining delight, playing up the façade of the nice young soldier type who addresses people as "sir" and "ma'am", a model citizen of the conservative-minded. Other performances are fine, but Stevens is king here.

The film has as a tongue so planted firmly in cheek that it has become almost an appendage. With You're Next this was mostly kept under wraps in the promotion and was presented as a conventional horror film. Here that tone is blatant from the trailers and is clearly never intended to be taken seriously. This has its fun but the increasingly silly antics do end up clashing towards the end as the film's attempts at tension and genuine frights never fully pay off between the gags. Being such a dark comedy and a film that tips its hat more to films of the 80's rather than contemporary horror or thrillers, The Guest in an acquired taste...but then, the best things are.

Pride (2014, Dir. Matthew Warchus, UK) (Cert: 15/R) ***

Starring: George MacKay, Ben Schnetzer, Imelda Staunton

A film about the group, Lesbians & Gays Support The Miners who operated in a small Welsh town amidst the mid-80's miners strikes is a very earnest film and firmly believes in its convictions. The film knows ots audience and completely caters to it, showing clear support for both the working classes and the struggle for gay rights. It's a powerful and (assuming your views are similar to those of the film) meaningful. There is an issue however with where the audience fits in with all of it.

We're presented with Joe, played by George MacKay, as a quiet everyman. The character who usually represents the audience perspective, but who is often pushed out of the limelight, both in story and in the film's publicity (posters and trailers have tended to advertise bigger names like Imelda Staunton, Bill Nighy, Paddy Considine and Dominic West) and what happens is a sense of the situation but perhaps not as much of a personal touch. The film also portrays both the gay community and the rural Welsh community with jokes and stereotypes, but knowingly and lovingly even if some of the moments which could actually be genuine (a hall full of people leaping into an impromptu anthem of solidarity) comes off as a little too fanciful. Still, speaking as someone who comes from a similarly-affected former mining community and a believer in gay rights, I think the film does well enough. 

Before I Go To Sleep (2014, Dir. Rowan Joffe, USA/France/UK/Sweden) (Cert: 15/R) ***

Starring: Nicole Kidman, Colin Firth, Mark Strong

In an interesting companion piece to The Railway Man last year, Nicole Kidman and Colin Firth are back together in this film about a 40-year-old woman who wakes up every day not remembering life after mid-20's because of a violent head injury and with the help of no-one that she can outright trust, piece together who took her memories. It's an adaptation of a well-known novel by S.J Watson, but those whose interest flows more towards cinema may find comparison with Christopher Nolan's breakthrough film, Memento.

Before I Go To Sleep is a less experimental film than Memento and is relatively straight-forward. Memento's a good film and the higher level of accessibility in Before I Go To Sleep may make the more snobbish of people turn their noses to this film, but actually its subscription to tradition and familiarity help the film rather than hurt it. Time may tell if it will reward repeated viewings, but the story is crafted well enough to be understandable whilst still intriguing, engaging and surprising.

Whilst I find it hard to think of a time where I've been very impressed by Nicole Kidman, I think her talent is displayed here in a very difficult role to play. To play someone who has to wake up every day to a whole new life she didn't know she had and a new life born of such horrible circumstances is a tall order and Kidman certainly gives it her all. Colin Firth and Mark Strong also have their shining moments in supporting roles, both of which are hinted towards sinister motives. Firth gets the greater screen time and does very well, but his history of often playing kindly figures does make him slightly less believable in a more threatening light which is more believable from the tall and physically-imposing Strong.

Stylishly presented, sometimes to the point of sterility, Before I Go To Sleep is a well-constructed mystery thriller with some pretty fascinating twists that will have many people hooked.

The Boxtrolls (3D) (2014, Dirs. Graham Annable, Anthony Staachi, USA) (Cert: PG/PG) ***

Starring: Isaac Hempstead Wright, Elle Fanning, Ben Kingsley

With the association with Nightmare Before Christmas director Henry Selick, Laika have been one of the animation companies still flying the flag for stop-motion as well as providing films mainly aimed at children but still getting in plenty of gunk and creepy-crawlies. I enjoyed their previous project, Paranorman, even if I felt it may have been too strong a piece of meat for young audiences. Boxtrolls comes off as gentler and more in mind for the pre-teen demographic, but it loses some of that inspiration along the way.

Set in a quaint implicitly British town beset by squat underground-dwelling creatures who wear cardboard boxes (the titular boxtrolls), the main character is Egg (so named for the cardboard box for eggs that he wears), a human boy raised by the trolls who seeks to defend the innocent if ugly trolls from the fearful townspeople and especially Snatcher, an ambitious cheese-obsessed villain voiced by Ben Kingsley clearly in a mood more silly than serious. Kingsley's casting is unusual, but the same can be said of Maleficent and Super 8 actress Elle Fanning (sister of Coraline star, Dakota) as Egg's young human ally, but she does a good job. Whilst other voices include Richard Ayoade, Toni Collette, Nick Frost, Simon Pegg and perhaps the oddest choice, a pretty much unrecognisable Tracey Morgan.

As with most films tagged with being 3D, this is a practically pointless addition and you won't lose anything and save money by going to see it in 2D. The animation is nicely detailed and with some good character detail that comes to the fore in this medium of animation So far as recommending the film as a whole goes, fans of earlier Laika and Selick films (or those who like their children stories with a Roald Dahl sense of icky mischief) will probably appreciate this and the few chuckles it provides, but it's by no means their strongest work.

Obvious Girl (2014, Dir. Gillian Robespierre, USA) (Cert: 15/R) ***

The world of chick-flicks is an inconsistent, often disappointing place, especially to those viewers looking for something a little more left-field. To that end, Obvious Girl is no masterpiece but does its job as an enjoyable off-kilter rom-com. Jenny Slate plays an aspiring stand-up who becomes pregnant following a one night stand with nice guy, Jake Lacy. The bulk of the film takes place around her awaiting an abortion.

Yes, that last part is a bit of a hard sell for a mainstream-friendly comedy, but it's a credit to the filmmakers that whilst the subject does waver outside of the film's focus at times, when the issue of abortion is addressed, it's neither dreary nor insensitively flippant. Whilst time will tell if we have the next Tina Fey on our hands, Jenny Slate is likeable and endearing as a realistic and flawed protagonist, even if her material isn't as strong as the film would have us believe. Still that didn't let down Martin Scorsese's brilliant King Of Comedy and this film too stands its ground.

It's not a hilarious film, but it has its charm. It's a quirky indie comedy set in the trendy ends of Brooklyn but isn't swamped by hipster affectation. Surprisingly inoffensive and light, even if it's probably not going to be topping many best film lists this year.

Sex Tape (2014, Dir. Jake Kasdan, USA) (Cert: 15/R) **

Starring: Cameron Diaz, Jason Segel, Rob Corddry

What to say about Sex Tape? I'm tempted to slate it as a one-note film, but that's not entirely accurate. More like one note being played way too hard into a kazoo and then thrown into a shredder. It's basically joke after joke about sex with a tiny bit of sweetness clumsily crowbarred in towards the end.

The story of a middle-age-ish couple looking to find a way to "spice up" their love life is a concept that has promise and dramatic potential. Cameron Diaz and Jason Segel are both capable of pulling off a moving and interesting take on that. What happens is a farce (the bad kind) and a parade of jokes that are neither particularly funny or well-edited giving off bad timing and uncertainty as to whether a joke was intended or not.

So aside from the actually pretty likeable cast of actors assembled what is there to enjoy?...I suppose the novelty of a movie made by Sony that's somehow a giant ad for Apple. Hurray!