Mad Max: Fury Road

  "what a lovely day"

  George Miller is back and at his very best in this 2015 post apocalyptic masterpiece.  I will start by saying this movie was absolutely bat sh** crazy.  It was filled right to the brim with continuous over the top action sequences that keep you on the edge of the seat.  I was amazed at what was happening on screen, now this film doesn't have much of a plot if any at all, but seriously you're not going into this film for an intense plot.  To be fair this film almost didn't even need one at all

  I just absolutely loved this movie!  It's intense action from start to finish and didn't slow down at all, which made it ridiculously fun to watch.  Great characters and awesome visuals keep you glued to the screen.  Its absolute carnage with Trucks, motorcycles and hot rods.

  Tom Hardy is great in this role as as Max, his ability to shine through as a man of few words once again shows his quality as an actor.  Charlize Theron is Sublime as Furiosa a women of action trying to get to her childhood home.  Also Hugh Keays-Byrne as Immortan Joe (Toecutter in Mad Max) and finally Nicholas Hoult as Nux both shine as the mad archetype bad guys.

  Nothing really let the film down and everything really worked, such a great time and the best cinema experience this year so far.  A gritty blockbuster that deserves nothing but praise.  A rip roaring visually fuelled extravaganza.

This film is an easy 10/10

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Ex Machina

"I am become death, The Shatterer of Worlds."

  This 2015 British Sci Fi/Thriller is written and directed by Alex Garland (28 days Later, Dredd). 

  Starring Domhnall Gleeson as Caleb, a young coder who is participating in a breakthrough experiment into AI.  He arrives at the remote home of his CEO Nathan, who owns the largest Internet search company.

  Oscar Isaac as Nathan gives a great performance, at times chilling and very erratic.  Also the breakout performance of Alicia Vikander as Ava.  Her beautifully seductive take on a robot is flawless.  It's beautifully shot, fantastically lit, intelligently written and brilliantly cast.  The edit is original and brave, as is the direction.  It has a sharp Zen like quality, clearly the application of a disciplined mind.

  The movie it's self is engaging, thoroughly watchable and the characters are simple, yet layered with complexity.  The film strikes the perfect balance of not spoon feeding yet not being too arty just for the sake of it.   

  We have been here before: Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner" covers similar ground, but in perhaps a less claustrophobic manner than Ex Machina. This serves the story well, ramping up the tension as we await the age old Sci Fi question.  What will a machine "think" if its plug is to be pulled.

This film is a must see and fully deserves 8 out of 10 

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Everly

   A 2014 Action/Thriller starring Salma Hayek as Everly.  The film centres on 6th floor apartment which over the course of one night becomes a bullet ridden gauntlet for the for mentioned Everly.  I was surprised that this film had legs (not just Hayek's).  I mean to say that the script is simple would be a understatement.  The plot involves her Ex a Japanese Mob Boss trying to kill her after she betrays him... loose translation "the betrayal" as she has been his slave for 4 years. 

  The director and co writer for this is Joe Lynch a relative unknown in main stream cinema.  However he does have some cult following.  I felt he did well with this picture for his first go and clearly he loves a good B movie.

  The supporting cast is a mix of semi well known Japanese actors.  Including Togo Igawa (last Samurai) as The Sadist and Hiroyuki Watanabe as Taiko.  Guns, knives, swords, grenades, chemicals and various other implements of destruction are brandished by Hayek, Noh masked killers, greedy hookers and a SWAT team.  

  Hayek is great as Everly, throughout her portrayal of a woman who simply wants to survive and having a knack of making it up as she goes along from one bullet fight to another.  There are more "that makes no sense" moments then I wish to count, but throughout I enjoyed the mix of gore and humour.  I also loved the Christmas setting and the clever use of music.

I give this a 5 out of 10 BUT... I implore you to watch this at least the once!

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The Drop

  Directed by Michael R Roskam this is truly a under-the-radar gem of a film. 

  Tom Hardy plays Bob, a quiet, reserved bartender at his cousin Marv's bar.  The bar happens to be a "drop bar" which is a place illegal gambling money is dropped off. 

 
  This crime drama is dark and brooding throughout.  It makes sense that The Drop is written by Dennis Lahane (writer of Mystic River and Shutter Island) who adapted the film from his short story "Animal Rescue".  It once again shows how good Tom Hardy is and is a fitting farewell for the late great James Gandolfini as cousin Marv.  Also on show is Nadia, played by Noomi Rapace (Prometheus) she holds her own on the screen. 

  This is one of those films people will easily miss and don't be one of them.  It has a slow, deliberate pace that perfectly builds suspense. The Drop is a character driven film that constructs each scene with great dialogue and fantastic acting. 

  The director allows his characters to inhabit the world they live in.  Following this up with a great wardrobe and set design it really helps to bring everything together and add to the authenticity of the film.  A stellar cast and great story make this film truly great.

9 out of 10. 

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