When a Stranger Calls: Review of Changeling

New Cult Classic

Changeling (2008)

Director: Clint Eastwood

By Alex Watson

In recent years Clint Eastwood has hit a milestone as a director and continually seems to out do his own films and is fast becoming an Oscar favourite. Ever since 2003’s Mystic River we have seen a new Clint and his new style has found a way of connecting emotionally with a much broader audience. Emotions were never higher in his 2009 film Changeling, which demonstrated the lengths a mother’s love for her son will take them.

Changeling tells the story of Christine Collins (Angelina Jolie) who in 1928 had her son go missing, after months of searching and pleading to the Los Angeles Police Department they find her son and return him. Only the boy they who has allegedly been returned isn’t actually Christine’s son at all. When she continually protests against this injustice the Police haul her off to the mental institution. However this is not the end of the affair as it were, the LAPD is also ripe with police corruption and they are greatly mistaken when they think shutting Christine away will solve everything.

2009 was the year of Eastwood, with Changeling not only has he craved out a piece that gives you a strong female protagonist but also a story that keeps you constantly guessing. This could have been any old run of the mill television movie if it were not in skilled hands. The power of emotion is unparallel because you feel the pain that Christine feels, her uncertainties, her fears and the confusion of the whole situation. Not only that but she is also considered a bad mother in her suburban neighbourhood because she can’t care for the boy who is not her son.

1920’s Los Angeles is stunningly recreated, every detail in it is exact and we believe that we have been transported back in time to a place which on the surface just oozed glamour and sophistication. But then the rug is smartly pulled from under us as we what life is like when lights go out in the City of Angels.

Clint Eastwood once again surpasses himself as director. He may have reinvented himself from being star to director, but this decision was a well timed one and because of his iconic status is cemented. His principle strength is that he is constantly changing his subject matter when it comes to his films.

Some may laugh at the emotional depth in Changeling, given that his classic films were seemingly devoid of anything resembling emotion and instead would be soley concerned with entertaining an audience. but with age Clint becomes a clever old fox. Changeling as noted before gives us characters to care about and for us to wonder.

This is seemingly his new trademark because in his most recent efforts such as the magnificent Gran Torino we have always been able to indentify with the lead and stick with them throughout. In Changeling there isn’t just one story happening and as it goes on we wonder what the other stories being shown to us stand for and how will they affect Christine’s life? The end result of these stories will not just chase the course of one life, but several!

Angelina Jolie in this gives one of her great performances, if anyone were in doubt about Miss Jolie’s performance abilities then watch this to be truly surprised. Through Jolie we are given a powerful and emotional central turn which is one of the most memorable from years gone by. How she missed out on the best actress Oscar will confuse long into this century!

John Malkovich features as preacher Gustav Briegleb, a man who uses his church to denounce the LAPD from his pulpit. The man from our first meeting with him seems to be some rambling old man, but then it seems as the film progress that he may be Christine’s only other voice. Though confrontational, Briegleb proves vital her plight in the final third.

Some may still be sceptical of Clint’s recurring presence in Hollywood; hopefully this film will divert those negative thoughts.  Changeling is one of Eastwood’s finest films of this decade and it gives us one of the great stories of injustice from times gone by. For a very different side to Clint then please check this film out, sadly Harry Callaghan will not be joining us!

Caught in the Crossfire: Review of The Flowers of War

The Flowers of War

Director: Zhang Yimou

By Alex Watson

Chinese director Zhang Yimou has delivered us some of the most beautifully shot cinema of the past decade, film such as the lush and colourful Hero which contains some of the most astounding imagery ever capture on celluloid and the equally impressive House of Flying Daggers which featured the well known ‘Echo Game’ scene which proved truly heart stopping! Already well established to western audiences, Yimou this week bring us his own vision of the Japanese invasion of Nanking, China in his new film, The Flowers of War.

John Miller (Christian Bale) is an American mortician who has arrived in Nanking, China but as he does he quickly realizes the Japanese have begun an invasion. At first a drunken opportunist who has come to make money of burying an old priest, Miller is soon forced to take refuge inside a Catholic Cathedral. Very soon he is forced to become a protector of the young girls who preside within the compounds and to do this he pretends to the Japanese that he is the residing priest! As he bonds with the students, Miller is also faced with some difficult choices ahead!

The Flowers of War is very unlike many Zhang Yimou films before it, there are many memorable images in this film of course, but there are also many which show just how savage ‘The Rape of Nanking’ was by the Japanese. The battle sequences are rousing and Yimou films them expertly. Particular when the lone soldier left in Nanking, Major Li (Tong Dawei) takes on a group of Japanese soldiers single handed. The vain efforts of the Chinese justify the horrific situation they are faced with, and when the last line disappears we realise that Miller is truly on his own here!

Redemption is a big theme surrounding Yimou’s film, when we first John Miller the man is frankly- a jerk! He is in this hellish place solely for monetary gain and openly confesses that he drinks at any opportunity. But as he sobers up, his eyes are opened to the true horrors surrounding him! It is in this sequence where Miller realizes that he can make a difference and through this a deep bond is formed with the girls who begin to refer to him as ‘Father John’ and his former shadowy self begins to be redeemed!

Another vital subplot involves the arrival of fourteen flamboyant prostitutes who take shelter inside the cathedral. The initially involvement is an annoyance to the young girls, but it gives the story a massive strength! The hookers with the hearts of gold are a notion that has been well covered in cinema previously, but it’s the presence of their de-facto leader Yu Mo (Ni Ni) that makes it different. Yu Mo provides the stability and strong female presence that is needed for the group and her blossoming romance with Miller is one of the movie’s most touching elements.

In many ways it is a shame that The Flowers of War has received such a limited release in the United Kingdom because it is one of the most heart wrenching films we are likely to find this year. Zhang Yimou’s film has an entire spectrum of emotion to it and this is the movies principle strength because we never know what are going to feel next. And as we leave the cinema this feeling stays with us and we just sense that this film will hang on our minds for days to come.

The ever present man of cinema this year, Christian Bale rings in another brilliant central turn as Miller. Some might sneer at his characters change of persona and call it a clique. But it really doesn’t matter as Bale is truly magnificent and gives us one of the emotionally driven performances of the year! His Miller may be unlikable at first, but war can change people in ways we can’t imagine!

But its debutant Ni Ni that makes the strongest impression as Yu Mo; and her beauty is only matched by her charm. But she isn’t just all looks; Ni Ni also brings gentleness to her role that makes her essential to the story.  This is one career we shall watch with interest and it appears Yimou has found his next Gong Li!

This is another giant step towards a western production by Zhang Yimou, and I truly hope this comes to fruition because he is possibly the most stunning visual director in Asian cinema today. The Flowers of War is a very brutal yet extremely beautiful film that will leave a lasting impression for a long time! Shame on you Oscar for ignoring this and next time Yimou comes around you better pay closer attention!

Against The Ropes: Review of The Fighter

New Cult Classic

The Fighter (2011)

Director: David O Russell

By Alex Watson

When we think of boxing films, everyone normally thinks back to a bruised and battered Rocky Balboa crying out ADDRIIIAANNN in great anguish or we see Robert De Niro’s Jake La Motta taking a severe beating from Sugar Ray Robinson in Martin Scorsese’s Raging Bull. But no matter who the subject is boxing films always have a gritty story line to them and a great protagonist to follow. And when the boxing scenes hit they lift our spirits as the punch fly! Director David O Russell chose to bring us another real life story which showed family loyalty being pushed to the limit in his Oscar winning film, The Fighter.

This film is based on the life of ‘Irish’ Mickey Ward, a legendary Welterweight fighter from Lowell, Massachusetts. Ward (Mark Wahlberg) is a fighter of great potential who is stuck in mediocre fight hell with his crack addict brother/ trainer Dickie Ecklund (Christian Bale) and his domineering mother Alice (Melissa Leo).  This film documents the troubles he faced with his brothers addiction and the strain it put on their relationship. It also feature his eventually comeback after injury to eventually challenge for the WBU Welterweight title! But more importantly he also finds love with barmaid Charlene (Amy Adams).

The Fighter is a story of a man who is constantly fighting battles, both in and out of the ring! His family situation although closely bonded is what is keeping Mickey back in life. In some ways Ward is trapped in life and is torn between settling into blue collar life in his local neighbourhood or going ahead with his dream. Although he is a very talented fighter and has offers from hot promoters, Mickey doesn’t know what do without Dickie in his corner and it is this reluctance that frustrates his lover Charlene.

His brother Dickie is the main source of the problem- a man who is still having delusions of grandeur and clings to his one great moment of fighting Sugar Ray Leonard back in the day. In reality his drug addiction has ruined his life and very soon he ends up behind bars because of it! All the while he is convinced that the documentary that HBO is making about him is about his supposed ‘comeback’ but in reality it is a feature about his crack addiction which will mostly likely shame him and his family!

This question of family loyalty is the main theme that surrounds The Fighter, their relationship is a very loving one but there are times where Mickey’s life seems to be falling apart. The female dominance on the family is apparent from the very beginning- his mother wears the trousers in that family and his many sisters follow suit. When Charlene enters Mickey’s life and begins to make him wonder about life without them, war is instantly declared and the family resort to desperate means to keep their man.

Unlike its predecessors, the fight scenes in this are very different portrayed. David O Russell shows them to us like we are watching Pay-Per-View rather than a Hollywood movie. Through his skilful directing we are given a clutch of great fights where we truly feel impact of the punches thrown!

But the most memorable moment doesn’t come from the fight scenes but from Dickie’s great inspirational speech to his brother during his title fight with Shea Neary. Russell sees no need for corny or weepy dialogue but instead shows Dickie telling his brother to take all his anger at him and to use it in the next round! This scene makes hearts soar highest and we see that the two sticking together has worked!

Christian Bale won an Oscar for his brilliant portrayal of the drug addled Ecklund and it was well deserved as although Dickie is a loser in life, he loves his brother and through Bale he finds warmth that makes us root for him. Wahlberg is similarly brilliant as Ward, as he has shown us in recent years, the man is a fine straight actor and it could lead to something truly brilliant in future. Melissa Leo’s performance as Alice also earned her an Oscar as well; her mother figure is one that we aren’t likely to forget anytime soon.

Comparison to Rocky are inevitable with this piece, but The Fighter is another kind of film altogether and has a heart that is undeniable. The two central characters are characters from a very scrappy background, but it is this feeling that elevates the film as the two have a world to fight their way out from! Mr Balboa please come in- your time is up!

Love is Noise: Take This Waltz Review

Take This Waltz

Director: Sarah Polley

By Alex Watson

Sarah Polley is a very talented actress and is probably one of today’s most under-rated talents. But due to lack of mainstream appearances the 33 year old Canadian has always stayed below radar despite brilliant turns in films such as The Sweet Hereafter and Zack Snyder’s re-boot of Dawn of the Dead. But in recent years Polley has turned her attention to directing and her first feature, Away From Her has finally seen her getting the acclaim that has deserted her previously! This week we turn to her second feature, Take This Waltz, a film which focuses on how tricky love can be- especially when you already have everything!

Margot (Michelle Williams) has been happily married to cookbook writer Lou (Seth Rogan) for the past five years. Their relationship is steadfast and the couple seem to love each other very much. But things are complicated when Margot meets aspiring artist Daniel (Luke Kirby) on a trip to Nova Scotia, she finds herself very attracted to him and to make matters worse- he is their neighbour! Very soon Margot’s world is turned upside down and her marriage is under threat, but is Daniel worth throwing everything away for?

Take This Waltz is a refreshing take on the usual yearnings of marital freedom and thanks to Polley’s skilled direction she doesn’t just run with the usual storylines but gives us another view altogether. Lou and Margot are a very happy couple, but the passion is lacking and you can sense it from a mile off. When Daniel arrives in her life, it is like a cyclone hitting! And suddenly she finds herself thinking away from home. The fact that Daniel is also her neighbour seems like an almighty test from the big man himself.

The question of whether or not she should go ahead and risk it all is the movie’s biggest strength because it truly divides the audience in half. While watching this you will find yourself weighing up the pros and cons of her eventual choice. And as always with a romantic drama there are a lot of big costs involved with the aftermath. For a lot of us this will hit home hard as we consider the perennial ‘what if’ moments of our lives and what we would have done differently!

The emotion runs high at points in Sarah Polley’s drama, but at times produces moments of sheer hilarity- such as Margot’s disastrous first class at a water aerobics class! But the best thing about it is that it all feels very real and are given a clutch of characters who could have been anyone we knew in real life. Margot and Lou are that couple who we always looked up to and Daniel is that curious outsider that somehow works his way into our lives and changes us in ways we can’t describe!

Take This Waltz is anchored by a superb lead turn by the ever consistent Michelle Williams, as she has shown in recent years, Williams is fast becoming one of the hottest properties on the Hollywood Market and through her complex yet natural performance she has truly earned her stripes! Seth Rogan also gives great support as Lou, usual one for comic roles here Rogan demonstrates his true abilities and steals our hearts as a result!

Luke Kirby is devilishly charming as Daniel, a man with all the qualities that would make a woman want to give up her life for, but is he all that he seems?

Sarah Polley has delivered us one of the most intelligent and emotional charged drama’s of the year. I can only hope that her acclaim keeps building because she is a name that needs to known in this world! Take This Waltz is a film that so many of us can relate to and it shows us how much one person can affect our lives and how the people we love get caught in the crossfire! Be sure to bring a new heart with you when you watch this, because your old one might just break!

Battle: Los Angeles: Review of Heat

Classic From The Vault

Heat (1995)

Director: Michael Mann

By Alex Watson

Michael Mann is a film maker who stands out in the modern day for numerous reasons, the first being that none of his movies are ever the same and he’ll always try his hand at something different, for instance going from Last of the Mohicans to the ice cold Collateral. This man in my opinion is the best modern day storyteller because he knows how make an audience member think and has an amazing ability to craft sympathy for even the most unforgiving character.  His talents were best demonstrated with the help of a legendary pairing his stunning film, Heat.

This movie tells the story of two men, Los Angeles cop Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino), who is a man so obsessed with his job that has become him. On the other side is career crook Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro), who is head of a gang of four robbers whose lives are so organized that they can drop everything in 30 seconds if the pressure gets too much. The crew has recently been responsible for a number of well executed robberies in the LA recently and very soon Hanna is hot their trail!

This piece is Mann’s best film thus far, but it is also one of those films that you don’t know exactly what it is you should praise about it? Is it the legendary (albeit it brief) pairing of Al Pacino and Robert De Niro? Or was it the beautiful cinematography by Dante Spinotti? For me the thing that is greatest about this movie is Mann’s direction and storytelling of the two leads characters.

In its simplest form Heat is a crime thriller but this isn’t your typical Hollywood affair. In fact this is a movie more interested in mind games than action scenes. Here however Mann goes against tradition and gives us something completely different. Instead of crafting your typical good & bad guy’s story he instead rises above to give an interesting insight into the minds of two people chasing each other. All in all it shows that maybe cops and robbers aren’t so different after all.

The psychology between McCauley and Hanna provides the key points of the story because although they are the best at what they do, in reality their lives are in ruins. Hanna is a man so addicted to the chase that he is now on his third marriage, this time to suffering Justine (Diane Venora. McCauley is free of any emotion in the early part of the movie, but that all changes when he meets Eady (Amy Brenneman) because it is during this period that we see a different side to him. But could this be a start of his downfall? The intriguing thing about the two seems to be that these two know each other’s methods so well that they have a grudging respect for one another.

Heat is a definitive movie for a lot of reasons but the most memorable scene through the entire movie is by far the bank heist scene. It starts with McCauley’s crew again doing well drilled heist, this time on a bank, while at the same time Hanna and his fellow officers have been tipped off and are on the scene. Even though the heist is performed effectively, two cops are spotted and within moments a shootout ensue and downtown Los Angeles is turned into a war zone!

It is a memorable so scene for a number of reasons but most notably for the sound quality, the sound of the AK rifles firing sends a shiver down your spine as it echo’s out; we are in this point witnessing a key moment in modern cinema. In this moment the bar is truly raised for shootout scenes as this is no ordinary good guys versus bad guy’s shootout. This scene is the one where pulses raise highest because you are not sure who will live or die in this scene, not even McCauley or Hanna are safe from this.

Al Pacino and Robert De Niro both dominate will equal force in Heat, their sole scene in the coffee shop finally gave Hollywood the moment it had been waiting for. And as the pair debates their separate lives- sparks fly as we watch! There are great turns from Tom Sizemore and Val Kilmer as two of the other members of McCauley well prepared crew. In fact you would be hard pressed to find a more impressive set of robbery’s in Los Angeles today!

Heat is one of those movies where you are not exactly sure which part is best to discuss because there are so many, but one thing is for certain, the film world would be a lot worse if there wasn’t a great storyteller like Michael Mann.

Place Your Bets: Jackpot Review

Jackpot

Director: Magnus Martens

By Alex Watson

Earlier this year I gave a review of the adaptation of Jo Nesbo’s slick thriller, Headhunters; a film that gave us a deception of the ultimate price of maintaining the perfect life. This week we turn to Norweigen writer’s second outing in cinema with Jackpot. Here expect the gloss of Headhunters to vanish swiftly as we are dragged into the Scandinavian underworld. Expect violence, double crossing and extreme psychopaths! Oh and I forget to mention Christmas is around the corner too!

Sat in a Norwegian police station, Oscar (Kyrre Hellum) has to explain to a disgusted officer how he has ended up as the sole survivor in a brutal shootout in a Swedish strip club! Working as a foreman in a factory that employs mainly ex cons, Oscar had gone in with criminals Billy (Arthur Berning) and Thor (Mads Ousdal) on a soccer bet to win big bucks. But upon claiming their winnings a series of unfortunate events will unfold for the trio leading a bloody resolution!

Jackpot is a very unique film in its own right, its blend of shock humour continually surprises us throughout. In some ways with its scenario of the hapless idiot who stumbles across big money and the grizzly violence that ensues (a wood chipper scene thrown in for good measure) this could almost be the Norwegian version of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. But in other ways it is like the flipside of Headhunters- but here we are thrown into a far seedier place where friendships come second to a bag of cash.

The opening scene sets the gruesome tone for the film. Four happy-go-lucky (and also very drunk) young men enter a strip club and are immediately blown to pieces by gun fire! This one moment sets off the chain events for luckless Oscar and is guaranteed to make you sit up and pay attention!

When the violence does arrive it both appals us and makes us laugh out loud. If you thought some of the violence in Headhunters was hardcore- then you haven’t seen anything yet! The villains in this piece like to get messy, in particular when they decide to dismember their dead friends corpse in the middle of Oscar’s living room and then have a furious debate about whether to slice him at the neck or the stomach? Claret is imminent here and expect it by the bucketful!

But the principle strength of Jackpot is in the continually twists and turns given to us by director Martens. We learn from a very early stage that Oscar is a very un-reliable narrator and that when a plausible scenario is played out to us that we must completely disregard everything we have seen. Throughout the film this effect keeps the audience hooked because we begin to wonder if this apparently law abiding citizen is really all he seems.

As the incident prone Oscar, Kyrre Hellum gives a great performance. His sheer humanity makes us initially care for Oscar and we hope that we will be found innocent. But as Jackpot goes on, Hellum gives his character an element of mystery to him. Because of this his true story remains in question until the final shot!

As his friend Thor, Mads Ousdal is also very engaging. Thor is a very aloof man who changes alliances like he changes his shirt, very soon Oscar is in trouble as a result! Arthur Berning also terrifies and charms us as recently paroled mad man Billy, a kid who can go from zero to crazy in the touch of a button. His un-predictability gives some of Jackpot’s most chest tightening moments!

It seems that Jo Nesbo’s thrillers are the new hot thing for European cinema at the moment and it doesn’t seem surprising as he is a writer capable of churning out solid stories. But it isn’t him that we extend our gratitude to here, it is the brilliant combination of Martens and Herrum that make this movie so memorable.

Jackpot is odds on to be one of the funniest foreign films from this year and I hope it can make cult status because with its stunning blend of laughs through violence it certainly deserves it! For a very different kind of viewing experience- check this out now. But always think before you place a bet, because you never know what consequences it can have!

Frozen in Time: Review of Sunset Boulevard

Classic from the Vault

Sunset Boulevard (1950)

Director: Billy Wilder

By Alex Watson

The films of Billy Wilder have given us some truly timeless classics, such as the pitch black Double Indemnity which gave us an ice cold Barbara Stanwyck to swallow down. He also showed his comedic side with Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon and Marilyn Monroe in Some Like it Hot and finally gave us a portrait of a man stuck in corporate hell but getting by on the hope of love in The Apartment. Wilder was a director capable of getting great performances from his actors. Two of his greatest accomplishments were given by William Holden and Gloria Swanson in his grave depiction of the effects of Hollywood in his acclaimed film, Sunset Boulevard.

The film focuses on Joe Gillis, a jaded and washed up Midwestern scriptwriter living in Los Angeles. Gillis is having trouble making ends meet and owes thousands to loan sharks. One day while avoiding his creditors he pulls into an old house in Sunset Boulevard. Whilst there he comes across, Norma Desmond: a former silent movie star who has faded away from the film world. Whilst there, Joe is reluctantly convinced to write a script for her ‘return’ to the screen. The longer Joe stays, the more Norma clings to him and soon he is trapped in a living hell. Very soon he will make a decision to leave- a decision will have a brutal conclusion

The opening of Sunset Boulevard went against the typical structure of 1950’s cinema as the opening shot shows William Holden found dead. At first appears to be a murder mystery but then we realize it is narrated by the guy who is lying dead in the pool! This was a different story setup for that time which afterwards became common. At first we think it is going to be your ordinary murder mystery; that is until we realize that the narration is from the guy who’s dead!

William Holden’s narration gives the feel of the old Philip Marlowe detective films and it feels as if Gilles is searching for the meaning of his death from up above! Also it gives the film its main film noir element.

Wilder’s movie is more a film about failure than success; Norma Desmond is a failure that seems almost unaware that she is a failure and believes she is still on top of the film world “I ‘am’ big. It’s the ‘pictures’ that got small” she recants bitterly to Gillis at one point. Her star is almost reminiscent of a majority of silent movie actors who struggled when making the transition from silent to speaking films. Joe Gilles is at the same time scrapping the barrel because he is a failed screenwriter who is roped into doing a script for Desmond despite the fact her time has been and gone.

One of the major points in is the difference between speaking and non speaking films. An example of this would be the ‘waxworks’ who are group of old silent movie actors who visit Desmond’s house to play cards. Among them is the legendary silent movie actor Buster Keaton who infamously didn’t make the grade when making the transition to speaking films. These people serve as a reminder of the past and how they have like Norma become merely ‘waxworks’ inside the world they reside in.

Another link to the past is the presence of famous silent movie director Cecil B DeMille who cameos as himself, here in this he is the evidence that Norma exists in the real world and that she isn’t just a figment of her own imagination, he is also an example of everything that she has lost. The character of Norma some could say is a Hollywood version of the character Ms Havisham from Charles Dickens ‘Great Expectations’ who in the book was jilted at the altar by her lover and now lives in a house which still has the wedding decorations and still wears her wedding dress.

One of the great presences of Hollywood, William Holden gives one of his finest performances in Sunset Boulevard. As Gillis he is the cocky young man who comes across what seems to be a gold mine- but later regrets his choice. His great and natural performance is a reminder of how good he once was. Gloria Swanson is a terrific yet frightening presence as the deluded Norma! A former star of the silent screen, Swanson brings her own experience to the role and gives us great study in ego-mania!

Sunset Boulevard is a true classic of Hollywood cinema, through Wilder’s slick direction it casts a black cloud over the city of angels! As the tragic tale unfolds we are given a truly doomed romance, while all the time wondering why Gillis has ended up where he has? For a beginners guide to Billy Wilder, make this for your first stop! Because after he has entered your film world, it will never be the same!

The Care Bear: Review of Ted

Ted

Director: Seth McFarlane

By Alex Watson

All across the globe people’s shelves are stocked with at least one series of Seth McFarlane’s animated show Family Guy. Its crass yet utterly hilarious humour has made it one the household names in comedy over the past decade. But yet its creator despite its success hasn’t yet made the transition onto the big screen. Well, wait not longer McFarlane fans because the man himself has brought into the light. This summer he brings us a story about a man and his bear- only this one isn’t really for kids! Expect toilet humour and celeb cameo’s galore in his movie, Ted.

8 year old boy John Bennett is a very lonely boy, to cheer him up his folks give him a teddy bear for Christmas. But when John wishes that his toy would become real and talk- the miracle comes true and together they swear to become ‘thunder buddies’ for life. But 25 years later, the older John (Mark Wahlberg) and Ted (Seth McFarlane) have been real slackers in life and it is beginning to annoy John’s girlfriend Lori (Mila Kunis). She delivers him an ultimatum- either she goes or the bear does! Hard decisions are ahead.

From the very outset the trademark wit of McFarlane is present. An opening narration by Patrick Stewart is reminiscent of a whole bunch of corny fairytales. But the when John’s Christmas miracle is revealed to his parents, they react with utter horror and daddy calls for his shotgun! Many have expected this piece too simply to be ‘Family Guy: The Movie’ and although there are reference to Peter Griffin, this comedy is something far more special.

The potty mouth humour in Ted suits the feel of the film perfectly and the poking fun at popular culture along with the rude sex and fart jokes come so thick and fast, you think your sides may explode! The idea of a drug taking, booze swilling teddy bear is a fantastic idea by McFarlane. Teddy is the kind of toy that should have a warning attached before purchase!

The central bond between Teddy and John is one that is steadfast, but in some many ways is holding either one back. The pair is happy in their days of smoking bongs and re-watching Flash Gordon (watch for a great cameo from star Sam Jones).But it’s this kind of contentment that frustrates high flying Lori and she constantly scapegoats Teddy for preventing John for becoming a full adult.

Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis (family guy alumni) make a winning romantic pairing. Wahlberg is not known for his comic chops, but here he succeeds with a minimum of effort and he is helped by a superb script! His strained romance with Kunis could have so easily fallen into the same dull rom-com format that has been littered across our screens. But together they add an extra bit of spice together and elevate this film to being above the norm!

But the biggest star turn in Ted come from Seth McFarlane’s himself as the aforementioned bear. Assisted by some superb graphics and an equally impressive vocabulary, his usual sharp hilarity makes Teddy the perfect companion for any older man!

Ted is by far the funniest comedy of 2012 thus far and it has proven to the world that Seth McFarlane can take things to the next level. Although his big hits have yet to see the big screen, this perhaps is a good thing because we have a creator capable of so much more! Who knows what he will come up with next? Whatever it is you can bet it won’t be family friendly!