Enough Said (2013, Dir. Nicole Holofcener, USA) (Cert: 12-A/PG-13) ***

Starring: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, James Gandolfini, Catherine Keener

Eva (Louis-Dreyfus) is a divorced masseuse who makes two new friends at a party; Marianne (Keener), a poet who becomes one of Eva's clients and Albert (Gandolfini) who works at a museum for television. Eva and Albert start dating and falling for each other. However, Albert also happens to be Marianne's ex-husband and during her sessions with Eva, she rants about Albert's flaws not knowing that Albert and Eva even know eachother.

Gentle but witty, Enough Said is also difficult to look at with acknowledging the sad and recent passing of the late James Gandolfini who in this film provides a warmth and charm alongside Julia Louis-Dreyfus who is aided by her veteran comic skills (honed by years on the highly popular sitcom, Seinfeld) in giving a strong performance. The writing doesn't really go for belly laughs but rather for a lighter touch. This helps in making the main couple seem largely likeable whilst also, in Gandolfini's case, highlighting the character's flaws. However, the script is also less favourable to other characters. Ben Falcone plays the largely obnoxious (but entertainingly played) husband of Louis-Dreyfus' friend (played by Toni Collette, in a rare case of using her natural Australian accent) and Eve Hewson (daughter of Paul "Bono" Hewson) plays the extremely rude daughter of Gandolfini and Keener to aplomb.

There's some problem with Keener's character of Marianne however as it probably would've been nice to show her as flawed but also nice, but she's often portrayed as a slightly pretentious complainer with few redeeming qualities. There's also a sub-plot involving Louis-Dreyfus, her daughter played by Tracey Fairaway and Fairaway's friend played by Tavi Gevenson that is well-played but unnecesary. All in all, despite a few minor flaws, Enough Said has solid wit, intelligence and heart.

Next time, Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger must find a way out of a high-tech prison in Escape Plan.

Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs 2: Revenge Of The Leftovers (3D) (2013, Dirs. Cody Cameron, Chris Pearn, USA) (Cert: U/PG) ***

Starring: Bill Hader, Will Forte, Anna Faris

Having saved his hometown of Swallow Falls from his own food producing invention, Flint Lockwood (Hader) and the other inhabitants of Swallow Falls are temporarily relocated to San Franjose whilst a team of scientists, working for Flint's hero Chester V (Forte), clean up. Now working for Chester himself, Flint is eager to please and when he learns that the food on Swallow Falls is literally taking on a life of its own and may invade the world, he and some old friends decide to go and shut off Flint's machine, now producing these creatures,

A bright bouncing ball of fun, Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs hits screens in 2009 and has returned with a sequel (although there's acres of exposition at the opening so don't worry too much if you haven't seen the first). Cloudy With. A Chance Of Meatballs 2 is a perfectly fine, but inferior followup. The film works to its strengths when we're in the now-transformed Swallow Falls with bright colours and jokes that will make pun lovers feel like they're in heaven but in the buildup the film feels lacking in momentum, despite the bright colours and an energetic performance from Will Forte, who even in this animated universe, his Chester V is a very odd creation. The film's final showdown could've easily have been spoiled but the energy that it provides and some intriguing performances, one from a strawberry of all things, saves it.

Most of the cast from the first film has returned, but sadly missing are the vocal talents of Bruce Campbell and Mr. T, although T's replacement in Terry Crewes, playing the same role as over-enthusiastic and very manly cop Earl Deveraux does a fine job as well. Thankfully, Benjamin Bratt has more to do as the ever-brilliant and versatile cameraman, Manny and Kristen Schaal turns up as a talking orang-utan named Barb (although the character's story-arc feels a little underplayed). The film's 3D angle seems to have little rhyme or reason as the film's animation seems to focus more on bright and dynamic colours rather than flying objects but whilst those who didn't care for film one will not be won round by this follow-up, fans of the first film will probably derive some enjoyment from it.

Next time, masseuse and divorcee Julia Louis-Dreyfuss feels she may of met a good man in James Gandolfini. Unfortunately his wife (played by Catherine Keener) is a client of hers and happens to be Gandolfini's ex-wife, unloading all of his negative aspects onto her in Enough Said.

Captain Phillips (2013, Dir. Paul Greengrass, USA) (Cert: 12a/PG-13) ****

Starring: Tom Hanks, Barkhad Abdhi, Barkhad Abdiraman

Captain Rich Phillips (Hanks) is a veteran cargo ship captain from New England who routinely passes cargo far from home. Shipping cargo for the company Maersk, Phillips leads the Maersk Alabama on a course across the African coast that skirts near dangerous Somali territory. Desperate for money to pay their Elders, a gang of Somali pirates manage to intercept the ship and Phillips must do his best to makensure both the crew, and himself, survive.

Taken from the genuine account of Captain Richard Phillips of the Somali pirate hijacking he had in 2009, Captain Philips is a tense and claustrophobic thriller. The sense of enclosed space is made clear throughout with the camera always staying close to characters, particularly Tom Hanks who, as great an actor as he is, gives an uncharacteristically naturalistic performance as Phillips that makes his endeavour seem all the more harrowing. Our supporting cast is largely comprised of the Somali pirates who take Phillips hostage and who come to the screen with brilliant and desperate intensity. It's also a credit of the writing that the pirates aren't just faceless one-dimensional criminals but are men with somewhat sympathetic motivations, giving a sense of dramatic depth and richness.

The writing does also display some problems though. We get little sense of who the crew of the Alabama are except for Phillips making them rather faceless and inconsequential (even if, for a brief moment, there's potential for seeing a much darker side to them, but given these were based on real people that would've been too controversial) whilst the finale drags too much and a few of the elements could've been excised to increase the already substantial tension. There's also controversy over the real Captain Phillips. Here, he's portrayed largely as a level-headed hero, whilst there have been claims that the real Phillips got into that situation through recklessness and was not popular with some people who knew him. Still, if judged away from the factors of reality, this is a nail-clenching and rewarding film that pushes its 12a and PG-13 ratings to the limit.

Next time, Bill Hader returns as hapless inventor Flynn Lockwood, who goes to save his hometown of Swallow Falls (and ultimately the world) from creatures made of food in Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs 2: Revenge Of The Leftovers.

The Fifth Estate (2013, Dir. Bill Condon, USA/Belgium) (Cert: 15/R) ***

Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Daniel Brühl, Alicia Vikander

Attending a computing expo in Berlin, Daniel Berg (Brühl) meets Julian Assange (Cumberbatch) an Australian hacker and political activist, who runs a site known as WikiLeaks that leaks confidential information about governments and organisations that it feels should be known by the wider public. Assane and Berg become collaborators, eventually taking on the US government but Berg soon becomes wary of Assange's dogged determination and all-consuming obsession for his ideals.

 The stories of Julian Assange and his site, WikiLeaks, are continuing to unfold and already we're getting some big screen treatments of the unfolding news. Earlier this year, we had We Steal Secrets; a feature-length documentary on Assange and WikiLeaks. Now we're being given the theatrical film treatment. As such, being from such a fresh source of inspiration, The Fith Estate lacks the solid story that history could provide. The film doesn't so much conclude as it does take us to the here and now. The film also has its moments of over-stylisation; one early sequence dramatises an online conversation between Assange and Berg eith reflected lines of text that really comes off as more annoying than impressive. Still, their are moments of this slickness that impress and the hip score by the usually impressive and eclectic Carter Burwell is a highlight (especially a rate outing for the thoroughly-80's instrument, the fretless bass guitar). 

Bill Condon has made a career out of movies that peer into the lives of rather eccentric public figures. In 1998, his film Gods And Monsters took a look at James Whale, director of Frankenstein (1931) and Bride Of Frankenstein (1935) as well as one of the few openly gay men in 30's Hollywood. Kinsey (2004) looked at Alfred Kinsey, the controversial sexologist. Here, Condon's fascination falls on Julian Assange, even of it could be argued that Daniel Berg is the central figure. Benedict Cumberbatch brings a slightly ethereal strangeness to the WikiLeaks founder who seems to be portrayed as a man of firm principles but not of particularly great social skills (at one point, Assange mentions that he might be borderline autistic) and whilst he could be, on a certain level, admirable, he's not really likeable. Is the film a smear campaign on Assange? Not as such, even though it doesn't paint him in a very favourable light. Yet, for all the film's strengths, there's still the sense that this film probably should've been made after the current events have been left to settle.

Next time, Tom Hanks stars as the captain of a cargo ship overrun by Somali pirates in Captain Phillips.

Le Week-End (2013, Dir. Roger Michelle, UK) (Cert: 15/TBC) ***

Starring: Jim Broadbent, Lindsay Duncan, Jeff Goldblum

Philosophy professor Nick Burrows (Jim Broadbent) and his wife Meg (Duncan), a teacher, go away together for a weekend getaway in Paris. Over the course of their time away, they take a look at their marriage and its trials and tribulations alongside the Parisian scenery.

A quiet and often understated film, Le Week-End does initially seem to lend inevitable comparisons with Richard Linklater's trilogy of Before Sunrise (1995), Before Sunset (2004) and Before Midnight (2013) with the central conceit of being a romance film about two people wandering around a European city (in this case, Paris) and mostly just talking. However, Le Week-End is tonally rather different and often not shy about tackling some rather harsh home truths. Jim Broadbent and Lindsay Duncan are both good enough actors to pull off the dramatic sequences and when Jeff Goldblum turns up, he makes for great support as an old college friend of Broadbent's (of course his performance is just Goldblum being Goldblum but when is that not entertaining?). However, the film's way of navigating between comedy and drama is a little forced and personally, I would've preferred the film to be more humorous.

Still, the film has some sweet and memorable moments that really point towards the high marks of the film and for those just wanting some solid and good acting, Le Week-End is worthwhile.

Next time, Daniel Brühl is German computer whizz Daniel Berg, who gets caught up in an information and ideological crusade with Benedict Cumberbatch who stars as Julian Assange in The Fifth Estate.

Baggage Claim (2013, Dir. David E. Talbert, USA) (Cert: 12a/PG-13) **

Starring: Paula Patton, Derek Luke, Jill Scott

Flight attendant Montana Moore (Patton) is constantly under the scrutiny of her much married mother (Jennifer Lewis). Still unmarried, Montana is dreading turning up to her mother's latest wedding without a man so she gets a plan. With the help with her colleagues, Paula travels the country searching for a suitor out of her ex-boyfriends before the wedding in thirty days.. 

The story of a woman choosing between the various men in her life in who to end up with has been done before and done better (Spike Lee's debut, She's Gotta Have It (1986) for instance) here there's not much in the way of intrigue or intelligence. The latter is certainly missing given the wholly unnecessary voice over narration from star, Paula Patton. The jokes also fall largely flat as well, partly because the characters are uninteresting and often one-dimensional, though Taye Diggs clearly tries to make the most of things as a potential love interest/congressman. The film does have some heart as overused as the moral is and succeeds more at touching the heart than the funny bone. However, as harmless as Baggage Claim is, its also not worth rushing out to see.

Next time, Jim Broadbent and Lindsay Duncan play an ageing married couple going through the joys and miseries of married life (and Jeff Goldblum) in Paris, starring in Le Week-End.

Turbo (3D) (2013, Dir. David Soren, USA) (Cert: U/PG) ***

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Paul Giamatti, Michael Peña

Theo (Reynolds) is a common garden snail who spends his days catching over-ripe tomatoes that fall from the tomato plant. In his spare time, he dreams of being a racer like Guy Gagné (Bill Hader), much to the annoyance of Theo's more down-to-earth brother, Chet (Giamatti). When Theo's sucked into the engine of a street-racer, nitrous oxide gets into his body and makes him an extremely fast snail/car mutation and Theo renames himself Turbo.

The latest offering from Dreamworks, Turbo is as fun and energetic as the name implies, but is held back a little by a few faults. Turbo doesn't do any favours for Dreamworks, as successful as they are, wanting to completely escape the shadow of Pixar, with this film inviting easy comparisons with A Bug's Life (1998), Cars (2006) and Ratatouille (2007). However, the film's dialogue is pretty enjoyable, with a particularly amusing opening act and the humour's surprisingly dark in places (though not so dark as to upset any but the youngest or most sensitive of youngsters). The juxtapositions between the snail world and our own also opens up to some predictable, but still rather funny, moments. 

In terms of story, the film falters a little later on when we get our first real glimpse of our supporting human cast. Michael Peña plays Tito, who owns a taco restaurant with his older brother (played by Luis Guzman) and whilst Tito is likeable to an extent, he can become tiresome. Meanwhile Ken Jeong plays another eccentric asian with a strong accent (although a woman this time) and Michelle Rodriguez plays yet another slightly sultry/slightly masculine woman who knows her way around machines. Still, there are few people who will deny that there's anything cooler than a snail who sounds like Samuel L. Jackson whilst Ryan Reynolds makes for a fittingly, and enjoyably, energetic lead as Theo.

Visually, Turbo isn't the most attractive film ever made. Snails make for a natural creature to animate well without much difficulty but humans have always been difficult for CGI and the abundance of them here does little favours.  Meanwhile, the 3D does manage to succeed with one strong usage (a fantasy of Theo's as he tries to get a big tomato away from an advancing lawnmower) but is otherwise pointless. As flawed as Turbo is, however, its got enough energy and pizazz to still ensure it isn't blown off the track.

Next time, Paula Patton has just thirty days to find the man of her dreams in Baggage Claim.