SNEAK PREVIEW: Dallas Buyers Club (2013, Dir. Jean-Marc Vallée, USA) (Cert: 15/R) ****

Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Jared Leto

Ron Woodroof (McConaughey) is a homophobic electrician and bull-rider from Dallas, Texas. After he mysteriously collapses one night, Roy discovers he has tested HIV Positive, with his condition quickly developing into AIDS. Ron discovers experimental treatments from across national borders to help stall the disease and decides to sell them on to other people. However, the FDA and the medical community, backing a more dangerous drug, make life difficult for Ron and his associates.

Taken from the true story of Ron Woodroof, in execution Dallas Buyers Club seems to take comparable points from a couple of films. It has the LGBT social/historical perspective of Milk (2008) whilst also the notion of a businessman who, through pragmatism, becomes a hero like in Schindler's List (1993). Dallas Buyers Club however, does carve out something of a unique identity and is an engaging watch. 

The centrepiece to the film is its performance which come to the fore rather than the period setting, Matthew McConaughey steps a little outside of his comfort zone (still the ol' southern country boy, but deliberately lacking a little of his usual slickness and looks) but more than holds his own, whilst Jared Leto's performance as Rayon, Roy's cross-dressing business partner is a moving portrayal of transvestism, calling comparisons with Chris Sarandon's brilliant turn in Dog Day Afternoon (1975).

A film very much trapped in its own period, whilst not visually bludgeoning the audience with obvious indicators of the 80's, the film has a slightly tentative grasp of the AIDS crisis, focusing mostly on the search for suitable medication. Whilst there are themes related to the rampant homophobia in the air as well as the hysterical misconceptions of HIV and AIDS at that point in time, it's a story element that could've been looked into further. Also, the film over-uses some motifs, especially a frequent high-pitched sustained tone when Roy begins to suffer the effects of his illness. Still, for all that the film has faults and flaws, Dallas Buyers Club has more going for it than it has against it. Those with an eye for a good drama could do worse than checking this out.

Dallas Buyers Club will go on wide release in the UK on the 7th of February.

Next time, another real-life drama as a mission in he Afghan foothills turns into a deadly game of personal survival. Mark Wahlberg stars in Lone Survivor.

RE-RELEASE: The General (1926, Dirs. Clyde Bruckman, Buster Keaton, USA) (Cert: U/Unrated) ****

Starring: Buster Keaton, Marion Mack, Glen Kavender

Upon the outbreak of the American Civil War, train engineer Johnnie Grey (Keaton) wants to sign up and fight for The Confederacy. Rejected on the grounds that his work as an engineer is too valuable, Johnnie rushes to save the day when his beloved Annabel (Mack) and his train, The General, are taken as part of a Union plot.

Whilst he probably doesn't have the name recognition of his contemporary Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton was an extraordinary comic performer a master of timing, physicality and expression. Whilst not a hit upon its release in 1926, The General is now regarded as one of Keaton's best and most famous works.

The thing that initially stands out with this re-release is its pristine visual quality, with little of the residual specks and scratches you may expect from of a film of this age. The remarkable visual aspect allows for some admirable landscape shots and Buster Keaton's expressive abilities as a performer to take centre stage in a series of very amusing set-pieces that showcase a truly daring performer. Made in the days when stunt work was in its infancy, Keaton performed his own physical feats (the most famous probably being him dislodging stray debris from the track just before the train he's sitting on almost runs over them) made all the more remarkable being that everything was played out for real, with little to no safety measures.

To a modern audience, the film may seem at times a little strange. Specifically the notion of cheering on a soldier for The Confederacy; the army that fought for the protection of slavery yet this is hardly addressed (thankfully) and is far less disturbing to modern sensibilities than the likes of the pro-Klan film Birth Of A Nation (1915). Also, at a slim 75 minutes, the film plays more like a succession of incidents rather than as a cohesive story. That being said, it is deserving of its stature as a classic and is a master class in comic performance. 

(Note: The trailer is from before this remastered release)

Grudge match (2013, Dir. Peter Segel, USA) (Cert: 12a/PG-13) ***

Starring: Robert De Niro, Sylvester Stallone, Kim Basinger

Years ago, Billy "The Kid" McDonnen and Henry "Razor" Sharp (Stallone) were two rivals at the peak of professional boxing. Fighting eachother In two legendary bouts, both retired before a final tie-breaking match could take place. Now entering old age, the two get into a fight whilst helping to make a boxing video game. When the video of the tussle goes viral, the two are coaxed to finally settle the score in the ring.

Grudge Match has one obvious conceit. Putting on a match between two of cinema's most famous boxers. In one corner, Rocky Balboa from the Rocky series (1976 - 2006) and in the other, Robert De Niro's portrayal of real-life boxer, Jake "Raging Bull" La Motta from Raging Bull (1980). As such, Grudge Match takes more from Rocky's idealistic underdog sensibilities rather than the far darker and more dramatic Raging Bull (though there are the odd moments where the visuals belie a Raging Bull influence). However, despite the stylistic comparisons. grudge Match is not even the same league as the initial Rocky movie or Raging Bull.

As a drama, Grudge Match is fairly paint-by-numbers and is fairly predictable. This is altered with a couple of second act plot twists that alter the trajectory of our leads (Stallone's twist worst, De Niro's tries but never fully pays off). As comedy the film also falls pretty flat, although the gags in the film's end credits better anything in the main story arc of the film.

The casting boasts some good names. Robert De Niro and supporting player Alan Arkin always deliver enough to justify their stellar status and Stallone is a greater asset as a performer than he's often made out to be, however Kevin Hart's turn as an ambitious promoter falls mostly dead with the exception of a few glimmers that show promise. Ultimately, the film provides a decent pay-off an a surprisingly well-executed (albeit slightly too brief) match, but it's a case of too little too late and whilst Grudge Match isn't a "bad" film, per se, given the lineage that spawned this film, it unsurprisingly doesn't live up to their reputations.

Next time, Buster Keaton must drive his train and bring his beloved across American Civil War borders in a re-release of the 1926 classic, The General.

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014, Dir. Kenneth Branagh, USA/Russia) (Cert: 12a/PG-13) ***

Starring: Chris Pine, Keira Knightley, Kenneth Branagh

A veteran of the war in Afghanistan, Jack Ryan (Pine) is picked for work as an analyst working covertly in the CIA, using his credentials in economics. When Jack suspects a sinister form of financial terrorism brewing in Russia, he leaves to chase down the wealthy Viktor Cherevin (Branagh), only Jack's fiancee, Cathy (Knightley) turns up in Moscow, where she learns of Jack's double-life and becomes complicit in his plan to tale down Cherevin.

Given the passing of techno-thriller novelist Tom Clancy last year, there's something symbolic about this film, starring one of Clancy's best known characters and seemingly intent on a follow-up series. It's fair to say that on the basis of this film, Jack Ryan deserves a repeat performance, but the game may need to improve if the plans are going for the long-term. The film's director, Sir Kenneth Branagh, is perhaps better known for his acting than his directing (even here, with his turn as a villain who seems almost like he's strode out of the universe of James Bond) but he has clear competence as a director, building on the promisingly slick aesthetics of his work in Thor (2011), fusing both old-school spy thriller conventions with a Christopher Nolan-styled sense of presentation. 

As the acting goes, the cast is decent. Branagh makes for a fine villain, but given his chops, a more lively performance may have been called for. Keira Knightly overcomes the occasional wobble on American accent to become an agreeable romantic foil whilst Kevin Costner does a fair job playing a grizzled mentor to our hero. As Jack Ryan, Chris Pine brings a roguish but clearly intelligent presence which suits the character but fails to show Pine playing a radically different role to that of his Captain Kirk from the Star Trek films. The plot, whilst dealing with some fairly lofty concepts is still accessible but culminates in less of a bang and more of an unsatisfying whimper whilst the black-and-white and cliched depictions of our characters in the script is a decisive flaw. There's more than enough to build on with this slightly impressive film, but complacency must not take hold if any more of this Jack Ryan series is to be attempted.

Next time, it's Rocky Balboa versus Jake LaMotta...well, Sylvester Stallone versus Robert De Niro as two old boxing rivals square up for a lucrative bout in Grudge Match.

Inside Llewyn Davis (2013, Dirs. Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, USA/France) (Cert: 15/R) ****

Starring: Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, John Goodman

Llewyn Davis (Isaac) is a folk singer in the vibrant Greenwich Village scene in the early-60's. Struggling to hit his big break after the death of his collaborator, Mike Timlin (Chris Edridge), Llewyn spends his time performing and living on the couches of his various friends. Hearing about an opportunity to perform in Chicago, Llewyn hits the road  with an adventurous cat and leaving behind Jean (Mulligan), a fellow folk-singer made pregnant by him in an adulterous one-night-stand.

Having been several years in the making, Inside Llewyn Davis is a knowing love letter to the Greenwich Village folk scene, brought to life with the distinctive and eccentric wit of the Coen brothers. This time, they are without their usual cinematographer, Roger Deakins, but despite missing his strength the film is still a visual wonder with its own faded and shadowed beauty, bringing the coldness of the winter setting to the fore. The music is a set of wonderfully-realises folk (here played in full numbers rather than brief snippets) from the achingly tender "If I Had Wings" to the lovably goofy, "Please Mr. Kennedy".

Elsewhere, the film seems to be slightly lacking in character (compared with the extremely characterful oeuvre of the Coens' works as a whole) mostly by way of supporting cast usually not lasting the length of the story, but there are entertaining performances to be had. The film may not be on a par with some of the best Coen brothers movies (such as Fargo (1996) or Miller's Crossing (1990)) but time and repeated viewings are often very kind to Ethan and Joel Coen, so this already promising film may yet live on to endure.

Next time, the work of the late Tom Clancy is brought to the screen once more as an unwitting Chris Pine becomes the target of Kenneth Branagh in Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit.

August: Osage County (2013, Dir. John Wells, USA) (Cert: 15/R) ***

Starring: Julia Roberts, Meryl Streep, Julianne Nicholson

Following the disappearance of poet Beverly Weston (Sam Shepherd) his daughter (Roberts) travels to her childhood home in Osage County, Oklahoma to comfort drug-addled, cancer-stricken and sharp-tongued matriarch Violet (Streep). The discovery of Beverly's lifeless body brings the family together after his funeral and some home truths come to roost.

Written by Tracy Letts and based on her acclaimed Pulitzer Prize winning stage play, August: Osage County is, unsurprisingly, well-written and a cast featuring more stars than a clear night sky but given all that the film promises, it's only a partial success in delivering the goods. The film's been promoted towards looking like a cynical but ultimately life-affirming comedy, which belies the fact that in reality, August: Osage County is a much darker and sever film than advertised, but when the film does try and go for warmth, it robs the film of dramatic intensity leaving the weight of the film to be ultimately underwhelming.

That's not to say that the film doesn't have assets. With such a strong cast, the performances are by and large, very impressive. Meryl Streep ambles about like a strung-out ageing Scarlett O'Hara, Sam Shepherd (for all of his brief time on screen) is an engaging presence and Julia Roberts does well, even if the role is no real radical departure and whilst Ewan McGregor does a good job as Roberts' bemused husband, he feels out of place. The film looks great, with crisp cinematography and detailed set design showing off some real attention aside from this being an actor and script driven piece. Ultimately, August: Osage County is worth a viewing for cast and its brilliantly paced and observational writing, but this is not a film set to blaze a new trail.

Next time. Oscar Isaac plays an early-60's Greenwich Village folk singer desperately searching for a break in the latest film from Ethan and Joel Coen, Inside Llewyn Davis.

Top 10 Best Films Of 2013

(Please note, this list is compiled under the criteria of films released in the UK in 2013 as there are films on this list released in other territories before then.)

10. Cloud Atlas

I feel an obligation to put Cloud Atlas in this list. Whilst there are many glaring flaws, there are also very positive elements that deserve recognition. Cloud Atlas spans the course of human history from the 18th century to a post-apocalyptic future, with the plots and cast members (most of whom turn up in various roles) intertwine with each other through time, genre and setting.

I've never been a big fan of the Wachowskis. Their breakthrough film, The Matrix (1999), had very advanced special effects but never seemed to boast much beyond the visuals and somewhat ambitious concept whilst their flop adaptation Speed Racer (2009) just fell flat. Here, with assistance of Tom Tykwer of Run Lola, Run (1997) fame, their ambitions are allowed to soar with some gorgeous imagery and an interesting melding of styles. There are plenty of things wrong with the film such as the often unconvincing make-up and strained accents (especially from Tom Hanks) but even if you don't like it you'll still find it fascinating on some level. Worth recommending for the more demanding viewer.

9. Saving Mr. Banks

Y'know something, Mary Poppins (1964) was a great film; it's full of magic, wonder, humour and charm so taking the story from a different perspective (looking at the real-life basis of the original P.L Travers story) and casting Emma Thompson and Tom Hanks, two of the finest actors of their generation, was almost certainly going to work wonders.

I mention Hanks and Thomson but the rest of the supporting cast, especially Colin Farrell and Paul Giamatti, deserve applause in this film that documents the difficulties in taking Mary Poppins from the pages of the book, to the big screen courtesy of Walt Disney (Hanks), whilst Thompson plays Travers as a woman exasperated by the attempts to make Mary more twinkly and joyful than her original incarnation.

The film forgoes telling much of the technicalities of movie making and mulls over the origins of Mary Poppins and just what she meant to P.L Travers, which does give ample room for Emma Thompson to work her own magic, whilst the glimpses of the film's production (mostly Travers consulting with the film's songwriters, the Sherman brothers (B.J. Novak and Jason Schwartzman), make for some of the film's best scenes.

Some have attacked this film for its sentimentality and the belief that it differs from the views of the real P.L Travers (who always viewed the Disney adaptation of Mary Poppins with disdain) but virtually all films based on true stories differ from the reality somewhat and film deftly plays with your heartstrings towards the end. A great film that serves as a tribute to another great film.

8. Blancanieves

I'll admit that I have a soft spot for films that go to places that some might consider weird and that might explain why this little known Spanish film takes the number eight spot.

Blancanieves invites comparisons with The Artist (2011) both with it being a modern use of black-and-white silent cinema as well as its tale of fame and fortune but Blancanieves goes in an altogether more fantastical direction, following a female bullfighter (Maribel Verdú) and her travelling bull fighting circus that also features seven dwarves. 

You can see where this is going, can't you?

The film is unmistakably odd, but in its eccentricity and clear love of fairy tales it's also very charming and memorable with some of the most outstanding cinematography and some really intriguing twists and turns that make this much more than just a paint-by-numbers adaptation, though it's certainly influenced by Disney's Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs (1937) as well as Freaks (1932). 

Easily one of the most original films to be released in the UK in the last twelve months, even with the obvious comparisons to The Artist.

7. Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa

There was once a time, the 1970s, when British TV sit-coms would often get the big screen treatment and the results are now looked upon as an embarrassment for the likes of Are You Being Served? and On The Buses. Now it's the time of Norwich's broadcasting legend (in his own mind) Alan Partridge (Steve Coogan) to take to the big screen and the results are wall-to-wall, gut-wrenchingly funny.

Alan is a DJ at North Norfolk Digital, which is in the midst of a reshuffling when the it's purchased by a new media company. In an attempt to save his job, Alan throws veteran presenter Pat Farrell (Colm Meaney) in the firing line, only for Pat to suffer a breakdown and hold the station hostage with Alan forced to serve as a mediator.

Alan Partridge is one of the most well-developed and three-dimensional comedy characters and Steve Coogan performs as his long-standing alter ego with a seemingly effortless skill as he whisks from sequence to sequence, each with their own brand of hilarity, bolstered by supporting performances especially from Partridge regulars Felicity Montagu (as Lynne, Alan's long-suffering PA) and Simon Greenall (Michael, Alan's Geordie "friend" who is even more out of touch reality than Alan).

In comparison to the deliberately mundane circumstances of Alan's misadventures on television, Alpha Papa is a different step with its action plot and wider ramifications outside of Alan's little world, but it is still handled skilfully, whilst Alan's opening credits lip-synching to "Cuddly Toy" by Roachford has already become something of a classic moment of modern British comedy.

6. Django Unchained

Love him or hate him, you can't deny that Quentin Tarantino has become one of the most recognisable and emulated directors in modern cinema, after tearing into pop culture with his first two movies Reservoir Dogs (1992) and Pulp Fiction (1994); two films he has continually tried to better and failed at doing, but his attempts are at least entertaining and Django Unchained, whilst not his masterpiece is a strong effort from Tarantino.

Taking its cue from the Django series of spaghetti westerns, this time The tale is given a vaguely blaxploitation twist with Django now being a freed slave, played by Jamie Foxx. Teaming up with his liberator, Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz), the duo become bounty hunters before setting off to free Django's beloved Broomhilda (Kerry Washington) from slave owner Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio).

In making Django Unchained, it's clear that Tarantino is living out his wildest cinematic fantasies and the enthusiasm is contagious as the film rollicks, and occasionally blasts, its way along. For all the film's length, gun fights are plentiful and suitably dynamic whilst a vein of dark humour (a mainstay with Tarantino) trickles through. As a team, Foxx and Waltz have their own intriguing chemistry but it is the villainous duo of DiCaprio and Samuel L. Jackson that really pull out all the stops. DiCaprio is hamtastic as the both buffoonish yet intimidating Candie whilst Jackson brings to life the character of Stephen; a dark twist on the Uncle Tom stereotype that is one of the greatest characters in the whole Tarantino canon.

There has been controversy over the way the film supposedly trivialises slavery, most notably demonstrated by the criticism and boycott of the film by director Spike Lee. However, the film does, albeit briefly, look at the brutality at the life of slavery and more makes mockery of the racists and slave owners of the era and would probably be less contentious than, for example, Blazing Saddles (1972) (a film which, whilst well-intentioned and well made, would almost certainly not get a major studio release in recent times) and whilst it will not be to everyone's taste, especially if you don't like blood, Django Unchained will satisfy anyone who enjoys Tarantino movies, spaghetti westerns or genre-blending experiments.

5. Wreck-It Ralph

Initially released in the US before making its way to the UK, Wreck-It Ralph was preceded by a great deal of commotion and promotion and the film lived up to the hype, even if its biggest strengths are the ones that the marketing didn't capitalise on.

Wreck-It Ralph (John C. Reilly) is the bad guy in the arcade game, Fix-It Felix. Tired of being an outcast because of his job, Ralph decides to find a medal; a prize he believes will make him a hero. Whilst the film is, to a certain extent, a love letter to classic video games and arcades, Wreck-It Ralph reaches a higher level as a film. It looks gorgeous, with the screen bursting with colour and liveliness throughout with an astounding amount of detail.

John C. Reilly makes for a likeable lead with some enjoyable side performances, especially from Jack McBrayer as Fix-It Felix and Jane Lynch as no-nonsense action-chick, Calhoun. However, it's Sarah Silverman who truly stands out as Vanellope Von Schweetz, Ralph's tiny and spunky sidekick with Silverman giving a performance of sparky energy, humour and emotional resonance; a difficult part to play given that the character is a "glitch" (which metaphorically seems comparable to having a behavioural disability such as autism in human terms). 

Whilst Wreck-It Ralph is a feast for the eyes, what it does for the heart is so much more valuable.

4. Bernie

To put Bernie in my Top Ten for 2013 is a bit of a cheat since this got its initial US release back in 2011, but since it fits my criteria (in that has its first theatrical run in the UK in 2013) it takes pride of place at number four.

As a film, Bernie doesn't go out if its way to seem that remarkable. There's no major fanfare or big production values and the humour is more of a lighter touch than an all-out gut-buster; however, that's something of a great achievement. The film takes it story from a genuine murder case and the fact that it's played for laughs and actually is successful in doing so is quite the accomplishment. Jack Black plays Bernie Tiede a mortician in a small Texan town who is popular just because he's so nice, even towards the local crotchety widow played by Shirley MacClaine. It's when he reaches an unexpected breaking point with her when the plot finally unfolds in both an intriguing and amusing manner.

Richard Linklater's skill with comic performances plays nicely here with his reunion with Jack Black (from 2003's School Of Rock) and Matthew McConaughey (from Linklater's breakthrough film from 1993, Dazed And Confused). Whilst Bernie may have flown a little under the mainstream radar, its a kooky and quirky dark comedy that will almost certainly impress.

3. The Act Of Killing

The Act Of Killing is a documentary that provides a fascinating insight into a world that is given little coverage in the media and provides a very strange twist that provides for some very distinctive and often unforgettable images.

For several decades, the government of Indonesia has given the culture a strongly pro-militant and anti-communist agenda, backed by a history of brutal executions of dissidents. The Act Of Killing observes the lives of some of the men who once executed these dissidents and asks them to recreate their executions theatrically, in any way that they desire. This makes for an eccentric experience that worms its way into the lives and mindsets of its subjects.

The film shifts through a variety of moods from horror (a recreation of an attack on a village brings uncomfortable comparisons with the notoriously unsettling horror classic Cannibal Holocaust (1980)) to sinister moments of surreality (an audience for a TV talk show being completely comprised of men in military camouflage) and even bizarre theatricality as we hear of men doing unspeakable things and looking at their actions in a new light. The Act Of Killing is at times confrontational viewing, but it's also immensely rewarding.

2. Les Miserables

Released in the US at the tail end of 2012 before its arrival in the UK at the start of the year, Les Miserables is a film adaptation of the Boublil-Schoenberg  musical, itself based on the epic novel by Victor Hugo.

Following the life of Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) and his desire to lead a good and simple life away from his criminal past and the pursuit of the dogmatic policeman Javert (Russell Crowe), the film's epic ambitions are met with a truly staggering scale of production. Everything about this film feels grandiose and glorious but the human performances still shine through, aided by the singing being captured on the set (as opposed to dubbing in post-production) and a set of powerful performances, especially from Jackman and Anne Hathaway in a supporting role, who rendition of "I Dreamed A Dream" is a masterful display of acting. 

Whilst I'll admit that I thought director Tom Hooper's previous mega-hit, The King's Speech (2010), was a decent drama that didn't quite deserve as much praise as it received, Les Miserables is a staggering spectacle of a musical; a kind that is all too seldom seen and should be cherished.

1. Gravity

The film that James Cameron called the greatest space movie ever made, Alfonso Cuaron's Gravity was a huge hit in theatres on both sides of the Atlantic and wowed audiences with its stunning visuals and sound. Still, Gravity is equally appreciable for its smaller aspects as it is its larger ones.

The film runs for little more than 90 minutes and has all but a mere handful speaking roles, with most of the film concerning rookie astronaut Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) fighting for survival after the structure she's been working on in orbit above the Earth is destroyed. He film is packed to the brim with atmosphere, excitement, heart and technical wizardry and combines the very best of cinema at its biggest and smallest. Whilst Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981) was once famously compared to a theme park ride, this is perhaps even more of a fitting description of Gravity. If possible, find the biggest screen you can, sit back and just get engrossed by this dramatic technical marvel.