Hi Everyone,
Just to advise you, Closer to the Edge is now changing stations over to Blogger as I feel it will be a better platform for me to produce this blog
I would like to thank WordPress and all of you wonderful people in over 96 Countries for reading my stuff over the last three years, you are all amazing people and thanks for your nice feedback, for the new blog site please head over to http://floweringsnows.blogspot.ca/
All The Best
Alex 🙂
Edge of Tomorrow
Director: Doug Liman
By Alex Watson
Ever had one those days that just seems to drag on forever? Then try reliving the same one over and over again! Harold Ramis’s classic 1993 movie, ‘Groundhog Day’ showed how mind numbingly painful this can be, but at the same time how a man can learn from his mistakes. But this week director Doug Liman takes us to far different universe and there is no Bill Murray present. Tom Cruise a man forced to fight to survival against an unbeatable enemy- multiple times over in Edge of Tomorrow.
Major William Cage (Tom Cruise) is an Army PR Man assigned to the United Defense Force in Britain which is currently fighting a battle against an alien race called Mimics, who have so far destroyed most of Europe. Cage has never seen combat, but one day without warning he is dropped on the front line for an assault which is little more than a suicide mission. While fighting Cage accidentally crosses with one of the Mimics DNA which locks him into a time loop! From this he is forced to relive the same final two days of his life, but in one attempt he crosses paths with resistance hero Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt) who has been through the same circumstances- when the pair combined forces, Cage begins to become a deadly weapon!
Edge of Tomorrow is not a completely original concept and many will simply dismiss this as sci-fi rehash of Ramis’ beloved Groundhog Day, but what it lacks in creativity, it makes up for in pure thrills. Director Doug Liman delivers a series of excellent battle sequences that crank up the excitement. Cage is a man used to using his silver tongue to get what he wants out of life and so far has breezed through the war. But the moment when is informed of his fate by General Brigham (Brendan Gleeson)- his terrified reaction is priceless. The beginning battle sequence which demostrates his inexperience is both awe inspiring and utterly terrifying, moments before drop-off Cage is told by a snarky fellow recruit “There’s something wrong with your suit- there’s dead guy in it!” seconds later, he is thrown into the worst place on earth, and doesn’t know how to turn the safety off!
From when the key moment occurs, Cage is forced to endure a living hell of reliving the final two days of his life, which includes having to listen to Master Sergeant Farrell’s (Bill Paxton) tedious speeches about how “Battle is a true redeemer,” all over again! His early attempts to talk his way out war, only succeed in making things worse- but when he crosses paths with battle born Rita, Liman gives this character a platform to grow and the montage sequence give a variety of hilarious training sequences when she is forced to ‘reset’ him if he gets injured by shooting him the head-you can almost feel his exhasperation at having continually start over here! Through this Cage slowly sheds his cowardly layers and begins to learn new tricks and skills to advance through various levels of battles to get a shot at battling the main character, the Alpha which could just decide humanities fate.
Through his various deaths on screen, Cage then begins to learn the various steps towards getting closer, a right step here, a turn there mean that he is able to navigate a path to glory and avoid being shot- anyone who has played video games such as Call of Duty is certain to find hilarity here. One plot device that continually holds our interest comes guessing just how much about future events Cage is aware of? The scenes that we witness, could have already occured numerous times before without our knowledge and it becomes an entertaining although sometimes chest tightening guessing game. Although some may find the logic a bit far fetched and mangled (a similar problem occured in Cruise’s previous movie Oblivion), my advice is just to disengage your brain and go with the ride, because due to the sharp script by Christopher McQuarrie, Jez Butterworth and John-Henry Butterworth, we are given a fun adventure that stays on the right side of silly.
Once more Tom Cruise demonstrates that even at 50 years old he is still very much capable of anchoring a big silly blockbuster. But more crucially, he is still has the power to entertain. William Cage is not a perfect character but Cruise still gives him a great sympathetic touch and because of this he allows the audience to connect with him. Althroughout we adapt to his pain of having to restart but the more he dies, the bigger hero he starts to become. But the ace up the movies sleeve comes from casting Emily Blunt as his steely partner/love interest Rita Vrataski because the pair are well suited to one another. Blunt plays off Cruise well and as the ‘Full Metal Bitch’ her hard nosed persona becomes a mission from Cage to break and the reward could be her eternal friendship.
Edge of Tomorrow won’t be the most remarkable movie will see this summer, but it will be one of the more surprisingly enjoyable and is another demonstration of Cruise’s leading abilities. It will also make you think about how to correct your mistakes in future, because not everyone has a chance at glory, let alone unlimited shots!
This Ice Hockey series between Canada and the Soviet Union is quite simply, one of the most important events in the history of the game. Played over 8 games at the height of the Cold War, there was a high anount of tension in the air, Canada were overwhelming favourites, but the Soviet pushed them all the way and stunned the world with their impressive play. This could make for an entertaining against the odds picture like Miracle did before it and with Team Canada under immense pressure and being booed by their own fans after game 5, the uplifting speech by Phil Esposito which rallied the team together could make for a great sports film moment. Also would be a showcase for how important close and intense each game was- but in the end each team came away with immense respect for each other and it paved the way for East Europe to enter North American Hockey!
The story of how Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson cheated his way to winning Gold at Seoul in 1988 is one of legends, purely for the fact that within days he went from being a nations hero, to being dropped on the scrap heap immediately the discovery. This shocking revelation and the build up to it in the coming months to the games (watch ESPN doc 9.79 for research) would make for great on screen viewing as we see a man finally getting one over his rival Carl Lewis, only for everything he has worked for to be stripped of his dignity. Also the controversy surrounding Lewis previously testing positive but the results allegedly being ignored would also give a more human aspect to this and also highlight how unfair life in sport can be sometimes.
At Wimbledon, there has never been a Tennis rivalry to match Borg v McEnroe and their two final appearences in 1980-81 were absolutely electric. Their constrasting personalities were also a key factor in the excitement, when they first played Borg was the cool and calculated ‘ice man’ figure who was gunning for a fifth title, where as McEnroe was the hot headed and controversial American ‘Super Brat’, but together they were an important feature for the game. This clash of personalities deserves a big screen outing, especially for the excitement and closely fought 1980 final and the equally tense follow up in 1981. This could be the Tennis version of Rush and this is one rivalry that deserves to be seen, if only to hear McEnroe’s famous “YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS!” line.
These Olympic provided one of the most iconic moments of the games as African-American sprinter Jesse Owens won an astounding four gold medals in the face of the Nazi-Germany dominated 1936. Hitler assumed that his blonde haired/blue eye German athletes would make mincemeat of Owens, but it was Jesse who had the last laugh. But this wouldnt be a movie simply about Owens taking on the Nazi’s, it would also be captivating for the discrimination that he faced back home, President Roosevelt didn’t acknowledge the man’s triumphs or invite him to the White House and the US Olympic Team treated with him little respect. Jesse Owens will always rank as a great track and field athlete and his dominance in the shadow of adversity would be an excellent story.
Sugar Ray Leonard v Roberto Duran II- No Mas!
Everyone alive wants a proper answer of just what made Roberto Duran say “NO MAS!” in his title defense againt Sugar Ray Leonard in New Orleans, 1980. The first bout was a true boxing classic as Duran well and truly beat the previously unstoppable Leonard to become a national hero in Panama and was renowned for his brutal ‘Hands of Stone’ style, but just what happened that night? There has been some half hearted explanations, but none of which add up! The sheer drama of this bout would make for an amazing story as both parties go in opposite directions in their career, but Leonard never gives up wanting an explanation- but finds when he gets one, it is not what he expects to hear! With the forever delayed Roberto Duran film, this could make a tense film to fill the time and give a fitting tribute one of the great boxing rivalries.
The Raid 2
Director: Gareth Evans
By Alex Watson
One of this years most eagerly anticipated sequels is finally here, as the unlikely duo of Welsh Director Gareth Evans and Indonesian star Iko Uwais reunite. The last time these two featured on this blog, the result was one of the thrilling and heart stopping action movies of this century so far- and The Raid found itself claiming the runner up spot on my best of films of 2012! But sequels are always a troublesome breed and as we have seen frequently, even with the same cast & crew, a bad story can strip away everything we originally loved! Will The Raid 2 fall into the same trap? Or will it come out swinging once more?
Set only hours after the conclusion of the first film, Jakarta cop Rama (Iko Uwais) finds himself seconded to an elite uncover unit to infiltrate the cities most notorious criminal gang members including Bangun (Tio Pakusadewo) and his son Uco (Arifin Putra), also he must have to deal with rising criminal Bejo (Alex Abbad) to flush out corrupt cops. In order to keep his identity and mission secret, Rama has to have become something that goes against his entire principle… a thug! Violence aplenty is sweeping his way, but can this good man keep his head and do the job required?
Firstly I am happy to announce that The Raid 2 makes for an excellent sequel and this one makes for an equally blood pumping and exhilarating ride throughout. This was the movie that Evans had wanted to make long before, but with international acclaim under his belt and a far bigger budget, the Welshman excels once again! The story is more drawn out in this version and rather than setting in the course of a day, Evans prefers to the story to build over the course of years instead. We pick up the action shortly after Rama has made it out alive from the tower block filled with killers, but only to find himself thrown into the lions den once more! Soon we see him sat brooding in prison whilst many tough inmates prepare to tear him apart- the thrilling tempo has been set for the movie and it doesn’t disappoint!
When this movie fires though, it fires on all cyclinders and the action on display is easily the most impressive of the year and on excitement alone- this movie scores highly! The set pieces on display are ones of pure brillance as we see our hero brawling in a muddy yard with both cons and guards. Unlike the first movie, this one pushes more tricky nemesis’ into his path such as the wonderfully named Hammer Girl and Baseball Bat Boy (I don’t need to draw you a picture to guess their killing methods). But most impressive of all comes his finale fight with the Bejo’s infamous henchman ‘The Assassin’ as the two literally fight it to the death and destroy a kitchen in the process! The excessive violence in this though does become a burden after a point and its occasional overuse may not satisfy everyone.
But although the action makes for perfect viewing, the story for The Raid 2 creeks under the long running time of the movie, where its predecessor was short and incredibly sweet, this movie feels like it has a tale that doesn’t quite last the distance. But having said that, it does strengthen the character of Rama and his inner conflict of whether he is doing right or wrong but going deep uncover and his disillusion makes for interesting viewing. Evans also finds room to inject some new and interesting stories such as Uco, the impatient and spoiled prince to his fathers empire who has become disgusted in his role as a glorified debt collector and is set about taking over the throne, no matter what the means!
Aside from a few flaws, this film is a fine companion to the original and provides us with a high octane finale that is filled with flying fists, legs, weapons and swerving cars- in short, it is guaranteed to satisfy all fans. But it also makes way for an unexpectedly emotional ending, after going on this journey with Rama, you will understand exactly why the movie ends on this point!
Iko Uwais is once magnificently as reluctant cop Rama, but impressively he finds room to expand his character and rather being your typical one dimensional character, Uwais proves to be just as impressive with his emotional range as he does with the physical action. Uwais is fast becoming the new Asian action startlet and with Rama, he has a character that could be an important staple of this genre! There is also an excellent performance from Arifin Putra as the arrogant Uco, this one man to potentially look out for in future.
Once again Gareth Evans has given us a film that truly stands out and makes our pulses race and The Raid 2 is another fine effort by this man, it may not build up suspense to the claustrophobic levels of the first film, but on entertainment value it succeeds admirably! Will there be a third outing for this tale? Time will tell this, so for now sit back and enjoy the ride!
Shia LaBeouf (Nymphomaniac)
Normally this man sticks to his own accent, but in Lars Von Trier sex addiction piece, LaBeouf opts for an utterly bizzare attempt at a British accent that flounders somewhere between England, Australia and probably South Africa. This effect only helped to make his performance far more wooden than intended and this is the kind of accent that should be studied by budding actors as how to not to deviate from a tried and tested formula.
Keanu Reeves (Bram Stoker’s Dracula)
‘Canoe’ Reeves in Francis Ford Coppola’s movie opts for a British accent so grating that it makes the skin crawl. In a tale that is notoriously dark and disturbing, Reeves only succeeds in bringing an almost comedic feel to this movie and sounds far more like a man reading lines off the BBC World Service. Had he tried this in Bill & Ted, it probably would have been celebrated!
Don Cheadle (Oceans 11)
The normally solid and reliable Cheadle was truly the weak link in Steven Soderbergh’s otherwise magnificent heist movie and conjures up a Cockney accent so bad, even Dick Van Dyke would probably wince upon hearing it. With his horrifically stereotypical “Corrr blimey” voice, Cheadle just makes us wish his character Basher Tar would stop talking- though his character would feature in all three ocean movies, if he’s in another there will be “Barney Rubble… Trouble!”
Quentin Tarantino (Django Unchained)
Usually in a QT film, his cameo appearences are usually perfectly fine, but in his deep south revenge movie, Quentin turns up near the movie’s end sporting an Australian accent so horrendous, it makes Crocodile Dundee look like a potential Oscar winner! I’m unsure what the exact effect that Tarantino was going for this with- if was audience shock then succeeds admirably because here we don’t know whether to laugh or be shocked at this baffling voice!
Sean Connery (The Untouchables)
Ok, I admit this isn’t the worst crime of movie accents, but from a man who has made a successful career doing his own Edinburgh accent, not matter what the role (he even made Highlander’s Egyptian/Spainish Ramirez plausible), his attempt at doing an Irish accent in Brian De Palma’s prohibition drama left an acquired after taste- in some moments in could be excellent but frequently it does slip and slightly lets down his superb ‘Chicago Way’ speech. Connery performance is certainly far better than his accent, though kudos for trying!
Classic from the Vault
L’Enfant (2005)
Directors: Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne
By Alex Watson
Normally the birth of a child for any couple is a joyous occasion as we watch our little one grow, our heart fills with happiness and our hair is torn out as we deal with their growing pains. But what happens when foresake this event for our own personal gain? And what are the consequences of such a horrific idea? In 2005, Belgian writer/directors, Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne’s Palme D’or winning movie at Cannes asked exactly this question and the result on screen was one of the most intense and emotionally gripping of this century so far in their film, L’Enfant.
Bruno (Jeremie Renier) and Sonia (Deborah Francois) are a financially strapped couple struggling to get by in life and are only partly aided by Bruno’s petty crime efforts. After the birth of their first child, Bruno takes advantage of a chance to make a quick buck by selling their child to a black market adoption agency. Upon witnessing Sonia shock of losing their baby, Bruno buys back the child but this time at double the price and is then swiftly rejected by his lover for selfish act. Faced with severe debts, Bruno is soon on a quick road to ruin and before long has nowhere left to run!
L’Enfant is a powerful effort by the Dardenne brothers and fully merited winning the top prize at Cannes, what makes it such a memorable film, is the simple yet effective message about the choices that we make in life. Bruno is a man driven by desperation and his quick thinking and opportunist approach is what causes the film’s central dilemma. From the moment the film opens, we learn his true character before even gracing eyes upon him as Sonia returns home to an unknown couple subletting their flat and find Bruno in the midst of plotting a crime aided by some juveniles. But although we are infuriated by his selfish thinking, as his problems mount up, we cannot help but feel concerned for his well being and as trouble closes further in- our heart goes into overdrive.
Redemption is another theme that lingers over this movie, but the fascinatingly it also makes us ponder whether Bruno deserves a shot at it? After Sonia throws him out he is faced with life on the streets and family members who have long since turned their backs. In one small moment is world has fallen apart and his attempt to rebuild it just cause further damage! Even though he returns the money and get his child back, the thugs involved aren’t thrilled at the fortune lost and set about shaking him down! His fears and insecurities have already led him a dangerous path and as we view him attempting one final theft with his teenage accomplice, it is hard to resist the urge to shout “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” at full volume at the screen, and as the pair make a hasty getaway, this is one ending we can sense that will not conclude by riding off into the sunset!
The most skillful aspect of L’Enfant is the camera work by Dardenne’s and interesting rather than going for any kind of extreme close up to effectly demonstrate the pain or anguish our characters face, the camera always hovers on the outside of the scene and slowly glides it way into the scenario at hand, this effect makes us feel like we are witnessing our own friends or family in the midst of a moment happiness or argument. This succeeds in giving the film a more natural feel and aides the sheer range of emotion on display making both an extremely rewarding and equally awkward experience to view on screen and draws us closer into a world that we are terrified of seeing, but we cannot look away!
As the young couple, Jeremie Renier and Deborah Francois make for a wonderful couple on screen and succeed in giving two of the most effortlessly captivating and naturalistic performances of years gone by and together they perfectly sum up the increasingly strained relationship between the two. Renier in particularly both charms and repulses us but against all odds finds a good middle ground to let Bruno’s human side shine on screen!
L’Enfant is not an easy movie to watch by any means, but this is what makes it such a memorable film and its moment of utter beauty and sheer pain just serve to endear us future to the characters on screen and it is a movie that deserves your full attention is guaranteed to make you think hard about what kind of parent you will want to be in the future.
Tonight I was saddened to read of the passing of Philip Seymour Hoffman at the age of only 46! The Oscar winning actor was dead in his New York apartment from an apparent drug overdose!
Firstly I would like to express my extreme heartbreak at hearing this news! Hoffman was one of the finest actors of our generation and through his superb performances in movies such as Capote, Moneyball, Magnolia and The Master proved that he could light up the screen through even the smallest of his role  (including his criminally small part in Red Dragon) and could lift any film he appeared in! It is unlikely we will see an actor this capable for a very long time!
As a tribute to this great man, I will show a moment many of you will consider a unlikely choice! People forget what a tremendous villian Hoffman made when he squared off against mega star Tom Cruise  in Mission Impossible III. The Opening sequence demonstrated just the kind of enchanting and terrifying presence he was capable of delivering and in this scene he well and truly blows Cruise off the screen!
RIP Philip- My thoughts go out to his family at this time
The Wolf of Wall Street
Director: Martin Scorsese
By Alex Watson
When a Marty Scorsese movie hits cinema’s that can mean only one thing, it’s Oscar time! After being an Academy favourite for so many years, it seems odd that he has only been rewarded once for best director! But rarely since the turn of this century has his name not been among the nominees and thus year he brings a sex, drugs and wild party filled three hour movie depicting the rise and fall of a daring young stockbroker in his film The Wolf of Wall Street.Â
Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a young man on Wall Street with big ambitions. But when he loses his promising broker role in the 1987 stock market crash, he is forced into a new life! But when lands a job at a second rate dealership on Long Island, his eyes are opened to a whole new opportunity to get rich quick where he sells cheap and lousy stocks to the working class of America. Assembling his own business, Belfort soon makes a killing and is able to fund a fast and furious life style, but the richer he grows, the more eyes begin to focus on him!
The Wolf of Wall Street is by far Scorsese’s greatest effort of the twenty-first century so far and his portrayal of the rich man gone wild Belfort is a wildly entertaining affair and Scorsese’s comic touch makes this movie all the memorable. The story is simple, Belfort’s world is one where only the smartest survive and to be a success he has to prey on the weak. His early scenes where he discovers penny stocks are a good indicator of his future plans and as he easily dupes folks into buying garbage, a Wall Street hero is soon born! His dubious morals and ethics are always as in our mind, but thanks to Scorsese’s directorial flair, our thoughts are pushed firmly to the back!
Many may find this movie a surprise due to the sheer amount of great laughs on display and as Jordan and his other money find the lifestyle of their dreams, the drug use increases and their actions become way more erratic- and sides will burst as a result! A taster of the painfully hilarious scenes to come, sees Jordan attempting in vain to drive home his Lamborghini whilst basically paralyzed on a particularly powerful Quaalude is a sure fire candidate for one of the years best! As he crawls and rolls his way to his white target, this a great display of sheer physical comedy by Leo.
Much of the success of The Wolf of Wall Street goes down to the magnificent protagonist we are given. Jordan is a man who by all accounts we should loathe with intensity, as he robs from the poor, rich and all in between to fund his own pocket. But you cannot deny his business brains and his cocksure charm makes him all the more appealing. But its his adoration of himself and his careless breezing through life that will eventually bring about his downfall and cleverly, Scorsese brings a third act that brings a glimmer of fear and conscience to Jordan as the problems mount up and his life begins to crumble apart!
Now in his fifth collaboration with Scorsese, Leonardo DiCaprio gives what us perhaps his best ever performances. As Belfort, DiCaprio brings a flair and a ever so smooth touch to his role that makes his man shine on screen and solidifies without doubt that he us one of the best actors of his generation!
But DiCaprio is also in good company and Jonah Hill gives an excellent supporting turn as his equally drug addicted and unusual second in command Donnie, a man with creepily white teeth who marvels at Belfort’s wide world. Hill is uproarious but thankfully never reduces his character into being a stereotype. But its Matthew McConaughey who makes the biggest and funniest impact with his early appearance as Jordan’s early career mentor who provides with life advice which will eventually lead him down a road to ruin! With Matt and Leo facing off for best actor glory at this year’s Oscars, it will be a fascinating battle!
With its drug and money fueled content, The Wolf of Wall Street is a Marty film to truly savour! For this I will advise the following, go see this, laugh till your head drops then quit your job IMMEDIATELY after watching and go work on wall street, understand? OK now go! Come back so Leo and Marty, we love you guys.
Its been another fabulous year of film goodness as we saw the return of Tony Stark in Iron Man 3, had robots punching aliens in Pacific Rim and tragically we discovered that Baz Luhrmann’s version of The Great Gatsby fell tragically short of what its excellent trailer campaign promised! Also we saw the tragic passing of screen legend Peter O’Toole and James Gandofini.
But without further delay, here are my film highlights of 2013
Top 10 Films of 2013
1. Rush (USA/UK Dir: Ron Howard):Â Formula One fans all over world rejoiced with this movie and Ron Howard’s biopic of the thrilling 1976 F1 season gave us one of the great Motorsport films in recent memory! The legendary rivalry between Niki Lauda and James Hunt and was brought fantastically to life through excellent performances by Daniel Bruhl and Chris Hemsworth who each personified the men and their competitive spirit. With Ron Howard’s stunning direction we were given this years most heartfelt and pulse raising film.
2. Blue is the Warmest Color (FR Dir: Abellatif Kechiche):Â After winning the Palme D’or at Cannes, the public curiosity was instantly raised and French director Adellatif Kechiche’s look at the relationship of lesbian couple Adele and Emma gave us this years greatest love story and perfectly captured the ups and downs of finding the perfect person! This movie may have made headlines for its graphic sexual content, but its powerful emotional core remains its most unforgettable element and with a star making turns from Adele Exarchopoulos and Lea Seydoux, this a film that will shatter your heart!
3. Gravity (USA Dir: Alfonso Cuaron):Â Gravity may be topping almost every Best Film List on the planet right now, but it will have to settle for being number 3 on mine. But Alfonso Cuaron’s space disaster movie is still a film not to be missed and the tension level is continually set to chest tightening and the end result with stay with you long after the end credits. Sandra Bullock rings in a stunning central turn and as we view her face frozen with fear whilst drifting in space your blood is guaranteed to freeze in your veins!
4. Captain Phillips (UK/USA Dir: Paul Greengrass):Â The return of Paul Greengrass to the big screen shot was an event to remember and his film based on the hijacking of the Maersk Alabama by Somali pirates was an absolutely griping affair and was aided by an Oscar assured performance by Tom Hanks as Richard Phillips. The continuous game of psychological cat and mouse between Phillips and lead pirate Muse (Barkhad Abdi) added fantastic tension to events, particular the latter stages and delivered one of the real cinematic heroes of 2013!
5. Zero Dark Thirty (USA Dir: Kathryn Bigelow): The hunt for Osama Bin Laden  was another home run movie for Kathryn Bigelow and we witness the long and sometimes pain filled journey, it was hard to tear our eyes away. Jessica Chastain’s performance as fiercely committed CIA agent Maya was the driving force of the movie and she holds the screen with tremendous ferorcity! The climax hunt for their main target brought us one of the most electrifying sequences of this year and like the result of Bigalow’s film it keeps our eyes wide open.
6. Stoker (KR/USA) Dir : Park Chan Wook): Park Chan Wook’s English language debut was one of the most hauntingly beautiful films of this year. His tale of a family secrets and treachery was both captivating and incredibly nerve wracking. Mia Wasikowska gave a breakout turn as curious teen India was mesmerising as after the death of her father she becomes suspicious when her long lost uncle Charlie suddenly shows up. Western audiences waited a long time food Chan Wook to make the transition and it was truly worth the wait!
7. The Impossible (ESP Dir Juan Antonio Bayona): This year it was harder to find a bigger tear jerker than Juan Antonio Bayona’s film about the boxing day Tsunami. As we see a family torn apart by a wave of wreckage we yearn for the majority of the films running time for them to reunite and emotions are set to maximum. With a stunning turn by Naomi Watts and a career best from Ewan McGregor, then result is an affecting yet uplifting piece, but be prepared for this movie to leave emotional scars that won’t heal quickly!
8. A Hijacking (DK Dir: Tobias Lindholm):Â Somali pirates were one of the hot topics in 2013 and Tobias Lindholm’s documentation of a Danish ship being hijacked made for very chilling viewing. Switching between tense scenes involving the shipping company in Copenhagen and the ship mates held captive as sea, events get increasingly out of control, but it’s the events we cannot see that create the real nerves throughout! watching this together with Captain Phillips may just make your heart explode!
9. Stories We Tell (CAN Dir: Sarah Polley): One of Closer to the Edge’s favourite girls brought us this years finest documentary as she recounted her family history and through the many wonderous stories given, a mind blowing revelation about Polley’s childhood is brought forward- I will say no more here but lest to say, the result will stun you to the core! After watching this I assure you will be dying to research your family, but careful what you find!
10. Blue Jasmine (USA Dir: Woody Allen):Â A tour de force performance by Cate Blanchett is one of the many reasons to watch this excellent Woody Allen movie. As the former socialite, Blanchett is heart breaking and as a lady trying to rebuild her life after her wealthy husband (Alec Baldwin) is sent to jail. A modern tragedy this film is a unique mixture of immense charm and devastating blows as we grow to both love and hate Jasmine as her past is slowly revealed. A new Woody Allen classic, expect to see this among the Oscar nominee’s this year.
Best of The Rest
Man of Steel: Zack Synder’s Superman movie saw Kal El soar once again and Henry Cavill made for an excellent choice as Clark Kent! With the upcoming Superman/Batman movie, we have a whole new reason to get excited!
The Way, Way Back: One of the more under rated summer movies, Nat Flax and Jim Rash brought us a movie that is impossible to dislike. An outstanding debut performance by Liam James put the impressive cap on this great movie about a very memorable families summer vacation.
Lincoln: Daniel Day-Lewis’s forceful performance as Abraham Lincoln deservedly won him a third best actor award in Steven Spielberg’s magnificent civil war biopic! With an all star cast including Tommy Lee Jones and Sally Field, this one one of the years mosrt acclaimed efforts!
In The House: Francois Ozon’s tale of obsession band lines being firmly crossed was one of the most underrated piece of European cinema this year, with a stand out performance by Fabrice Luchini as a teacher who becomes enthralled over a pupils writings about his friends family, but soon his interest will take both into dangerous places.
Male Star of The Year- Benedict Cumberbatch: After years of being a respected character actor in films such as Atonement and Starter for 10, Cumberbatch finally the big time this year and as villian John Harrison in Star Trek: Into Darkness he made 2013’s greatest villain and as Smaug the Dragon in the new hobbit movie, his voice alone made waves! With the return of Sherlock in 2014, next year promises to a big one for Benedict!
Female Star of The Year- Jessica Chastain: Bold and brilliant in Zero Dark Thirty and the main point of credibility in horror film Mama, Chastain is now firmly placed on the A List and it appears that we have a new superstar in waiting! Chastain has been touted as a talent previously and with her upcoming role as the tragic Miss Julie, we have all the more reason to get excited about this beautiful starlet!
Director of The Year: Sarah Polley: As mentioned previously, Sarah Polley is now firmly among this blogs favourite people and the Toronto native’s devastating documentary Stories We Tell was a simple yet masterful example of directing. Polley’s decision to go behind the camera has been a wise on be, but I hope soon that we see her in front of the camera as well- Watch out Hollywood, we have a new double threat!
Scene of The Year- Opening Sequence: Gravity: Cuaron’s opening scene in his excellent space disaster film was this years most stunning and with its one continuous take is a slow burning affair, but when the moment hits, carnage ensues! Never before has the opening 10 minutes of a movie been so memorable!
Finally I would like wish all my reader a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and thank you for your continued support of my writing! See you soon!
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Director: Peter Jackson
By Alex Watson
So far Peter Jackson’s return to Middle-Earth has divided fans into two desperate categories, which are those who love it and those who feel they’ve seen it before. But its popularity cannot be denied as millions still flick to watch it! Even though it has been spread into three movies, the next chapter The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug promises to the mist exciting adventure yet as our heroes meet a nemesis who will send fear to the very core!
As Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) aids his dwarf friends led by Thorin (Richard Armitage) as they head to reclaim the old city of Erebor. But their journey will be perilous one as they encounter a cursed forest filled with giant spiders, escape an Elvin prison through rough water rapids and have to deal with the corrupt city Lake town led by a greedy Master (Stephen Fry). But their moist dangerous challenge will lie ahead of them in the face of infamous dragon Smug!
After the slightly rough start of the first film, thankfully The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug gets the Tolkein universe back on the rails and this one ride that is truly thrilling! From the very beginning where our group is chased by a gigantic man-bear, excitement levels are raised to maximum and this feeling rarely relents. But the main factor that makes this such a good film is the strength that our characters  to proceedings.
The Bilbo we see in this version is a much changed man from his adventure and is one emerges as stronger and smarter man and most of all- all real hero. With a or dwarf company, Thorin’s once stead fast loyalty to his quest is slowly beginning to fade and his intentions are becoming more dubious as he obsesses over a glowing white stone! We also have an interesting love triangle forming as new lady elf Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly) is caught between the affections of fellow elf with a bow Legolas (Orlando Bloom) and good looking dwarf Kili (Aiden Turner).
But by gas the most impressive factor of Jackson’s film comes from introduction of its magnificent dragon Smaug (voiced with great menace by Benedict Cumberbatch) who makes a strong case for villain of the year! From the second he enters, the hairs on our neck stand up as through his silky and husky tone, he plays a chilling game of cat and mouse with Bilbo. Looks like middle earth has a fascinating new creation on its hands.
Yes The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is probably longer than it needs to be and there are several sequences that drag on for too long, but this is simply because Jackson wishes set things for a grand finale and things such as the introduction of Bard the Bowman (Luke Evans) may seem idle, but come part three this will all fit together. But we ste given a finale that makes our blood freeze in our veins and as we witness Bilbo’s face frozen in terror at the films abrupt ending, we wish part three would a hell of a lot sooner.
Martin Freeman is once again spot on as Bilbo and gradually it seems he is becoming more of a mainstream star and he captures a real sense of courage and Jackson has found the right man to lead this series. Richard Armitage is equally strong as Thorin and his sense of conflict is excellently drawn out as he struggles to maintain himself as they near Erebor!
But the real star us as man who never once appears in Benedict Cumberbatch whose voice as Smug brings us a living and figure breathing nightmare.
It is great to see Jackson back on form after a few missteps in between and The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug will stand as one of this years finest blockbusters. Better hurry up with part three Peter, we’re all on edge!
Closer to the Edge 