Review- 21 Jump Street (directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller)

Lets be honest, the prospects for 21 Jump Street as a film do not look good on paper. Based on a late 80s American TV Show, which didn't really take off this side of the pond, it stars Jonah Hill, who seemed to have lost his comedic edge along with the many pounds of weight he dropped (The Sitter anyone?) and Channing Tatum, who is more at home in soppy lovefests like Dear John and The Vow.

Though it would be a little cruel to say the film is far funnier than it deserves to be, it is a welcome surprise to find that 21 Jump Street is a very entertaining, wild but nostalgic comedy ride.

The plot, which is loose and slightly superfluous, sees former high school classmates ‘nerd’ Morton Schimdt (Jonah Hill) and ‘dumb jock’ Greg Jenko (Channing Tatum) become friends when they both enrol in police academy and help each other with their shortfalls to graduate, Schimdt helping Jenko with his studies and Jenko motivating Schimdt with the physical side of the force. However they are assigned to the demeaning role of park patrol and bundle their first crucial arrest, due to not reading the criminal his Miranda rights, a running joke that continues in the film. They are assigned to a ‘revived’ programme from the 80s where police officers are sent undercover in high schools to crack crime; this is a nod to the original TV Series and also sets up a nifty in-joke that may be lost on some of the younger audience not familiar with the origins of the film.

Schimdt and Jenko are sent back to school posing as teenagers to infiltrate the supply and production of a new unstable synthetic drug being used by the students, however their identities are accidentally switched with Schimdt having to pretend to be the popular track star and Jenko becoming the science nerd. This effective plot device sets up many of the comedic moments of the film but the turn of the table personas also fractures the friend’s relationship. Schimdt relishes the chance to be part of the in crowd when he is befriended by the ringleader/school drug dealer Eric (Dave Franco, sounding exactly like his brother, but looking a bit more rat faced) whilst Jenko struggles with no longer being the ‘Prom King’, being shunned by Schimdt and the hipsters and with having to wear a chemistry themed hoodie.

One of the many surprises of 21 Jump Street is the chaotic nature of the comedy, in many high school based movies the jokes follow a familiar pattern but in this script they literally throw everything and anything at the screen and see what sticks, of course some of the jokes fall short of the mark but with such a frenetic pace the gag rate is very high and somewhat random too. In one particular scene when Schimdt and Jenko have to take a sample of the teen drug, as a sign of trust to dealer Eric, they experience the effects of the stimulant, resulting in physical comedy but also psychedelic, leftfield imagery taking the sequence to another level. The other surprise, nay revelation, is Channing Tatum, the actor who is the teenage girl’s pinup of choice, usually street-dances off his good looks and frequent resilience to wear a shirt, but this time gets a long overdue chance to flex his comedic muscles. Tatum impresses as he manages to be dim but likeable, handsome but sensitive and nerdy but cool all in one. Hill meanwhile uses his well worn routine of awkward man child but in this film is used to good effect. There are quirks to the script that also give the film an offbeat charm, Dave Franco’s cool kid Eric is not a token bad boy but an earth loving preacher and the film manages to instil a feeling of school nostalgia, making you want to part of self righteous Eric’s gang, the peer pressure of popularity rears its every present head.

The films climax at the school prom is inevitable but satisfying, with a third act cameo that will get giggles on one level but deeper laughs on another level and whilst the movie ends naturally, you can’t help but feel for once, a sequel may be welcome. Spending time in the company of a couple of Bromantic losers has never been such fun.

Sell out of the Month (by guest blogger Simon Wilkinson)

Liam Neeson

Simon says:

Fair enough, we forgive him every time because it’s Liam Neeson. You have got to love him right? We have seen him in such cinematic gems as “Clash Of The Titans” dressed as Brian Blessed, and he’s recently graced our screens punching wolves and wearing a jumper, but we forgave him. It’s Liam, it’s okay, he’s a good actor. Right? Well yeah, he is, but we need to face facts. Having witnessed the trailer for the upcoming CGI laden train wreck that’s traversing towards your nearest multiplex “Battleship” sorry it’s “BATTLESHIP” (spelt with a “p” on the end, not a “t”) all caps lock so it looks “MASSIVE”!! You’ve gone too far Liam, we can let all the other cash grabbing monotony slide, but this is where the line is drawn. You do look nice in that navel suit in the trailer might I add, but why didn’t you jump ship when they cast Rihanna? Just imagine all those teenagers pointing at the screen and saying, “Isn’t that the guy from “Taken”?” Come on Mr. Neeson, do everyone a favour and play a character again instead of playing that guy from “Taken” over and over again then running to the bank with your big fat pay cheque. And don’t get me started on your turn as an Irish Zeus. We love you Liam, but it has to stop before you end up going straight to the DVD shelf with Mr.Seagal.

I say:

Ah Liam I want to defend you, I really do but when I see that you have signed on for Taken 2 ( in which you get kidnapped this time and your fricking sissy ass daughter saves the day!) you don't make it easy for me. Men, wolves, ships with aliens beware, he will find you, he will kill you and he doesn't need luck, just a regular gig as everyone's new favourite unlikely hero.

However the Neesonator is willing to poke fun at his own image, anyone who saw his recent cameo in Ricky Gervais' 'Lifes too Short' will know he can be gleefully self deprecating, using his steely persona and straight laced acting style to comedic effect. But there is a fine line between self parody and parody punchbag so while you still carry some acting kudos, please take a break, stop signing on for sub standard action flicks and have a much needed holiday.

Just make sure you avoid Paris, ships and January Jones.

Verdict: Has a chance to pull it back but is selling out at a rapid pace.

DVD Review- Sleeping Beauty (Julia Leigh)

Lets make things clear and get this out of the way-forget the connotations that you associate with the above words because this is about as far removed from Disney as you can get.

The sleeping beauty of this movie is a girl who is drugged (though not against her will) and falls into a sleeping state so that men can outlive their fantasies next to her naked body while she is unaware of what is happening- like I say, Disney this ain't.

Julia Leigh's film begins with university student Lucy (Emily Browning) taking part in a drug trial, from the opening scene of the young girl forcing a test tube down her throat, it is clear that she is willing to subject herself to a less than comfortable position to earn some extra money. As she spends time between studying and arguing with her flatmates, her cash flow problem prompts her to respond to an advert in the paper, the requirements of the role however are not entirely clear. She attends an 'interview' at a private estate where she meets the Madame of the business Clara (Rachael Blake) is told the nature of the role, to provide silver service waitressing in provocative underwear for rich clientele, and is given an abrupt and intrusive body examination. Despite the dubious circumstances , Lucy takes the job and is soon earmarked for a more intense but higher paid role, her glacier beauty and diminutive frame catching the eye of the older gentlemen. She is asked to perform the role of a metaphorical sleeping beauty, to be drugged asleep for a whole evening, to lay naked in a bed and for men to spend the night with her in that bedroom so they can act out their desires with no fear of guilt as she is comatose beside them (the one rule however is that they are forbidden to penetrate her).

Leigh's film is problematic in many ways, the most obvious one being a lack of empathy for the lead character Lucy. She is cold and distant, her beautiful but emotionless face gives nothing away and though Emily Browning (a long way away from Lemony Snicket) bares herself literally for the role of Lucy, she is as impenetrable as the character herself. This could be argued to be the point, an air of detachment must be favourable to commit to such a sordid method of work, but this stops the viewer from any connection with her plight. When we see her visit her hermit, flat bound friend Birdman who is suffering an illness (the type of which is not disclosed but hinted at alcoholism by the fact that she uses gin instead of milk on his cereal, the only way to get him to eat), this is the only time Lucy shows signs of emotion. She weeps into his arms but as their relationship is not defined and because of the previous despondency of Lucy, it is hard to illicit any emphatic connection.

The other major problem with Sleeping Beauty is what it is trying to say as a film, it is a well shot oblique piece of work but too indifferent to be effective. Initially it would appear that we are to feel that Lucy, due to her wish to better herself at university, is a exploited victim of a financial predicament but her actions do not reflect this, she displays an uncommitted disregard to her studies and when she begins working as the sleeping beauty, she does not use the money wisely, looking for accommodation she carelessly rents an overpriced unsuitable apartment in a whimsy devil may care style. Lucy also does not display any signs that her sexually degrading role shames her, she is a promiscuous young women, and while it is not a sin to be erotically forward, her brief encounters with men seem hollow and sad, this is what she seems to want but does not make her happy. As a female viewer this does not provide a feeling of womanly empowerment nor does it create a compassion for this young woman, it is an ambiguity that makes the film too misanthropic.

This said, the film is not an entirely squandered exercise. Leigh's visual style shows promise, a sparse allure akin to Michael Haneke,particularly the effective final shot which owes a debt to Haneke's feature Hidden and the setting shows a different side to contemporary Australian cinema, one that is not often seen on the screen.

Sleeping beauty is a film that will divide people, many will see it as an icy achievement but for many, like myself, they will see this as a aloof, cold affair, a fairytale that is too grimm for many tastes.

Review- Martha Marcy May Marlene (directed by Sean Durkin)

The feeling of belonging, to be part of something, to feel significant is a powerful emotion, one that can often misguide our judgment at the cost of gaining some salvation. Sean Durkin's debut film Martha Marcy May Marlene explores this idea when a young girl with no direction in life and no close family finds herself embroiled in a semi religious incestuous cult and the aftermath she faces returning to everyday life.

The film begins with scenes from a rural commune, people tend to gardens, young men fix barn roofs, the women lay the table for the men, this at first glance could simply be a naturalistic community fending for themselves in a back to basics style (the only initial hint that something is amiss is when then women are not allowed to eat before the men). Then the mood shifts as a young girl Martha (Elizabeth Olsen) tiptoes out of the compound and, when is spotted, flees into the neighbouring woods, where she is chased by members of the commune, this sounds like the set up to a horror flick but is something much more terrifyingly real. Martha is caught up with at a diner by one of the young males, but she is not physically forced to return (there is however a psychological threat) and she calls her estranged sister Lucy (Sarah Poulson), whom she has not contacted in 2 years, who lets her stay with her at the holiday lake house she shares with her husband. It is here where Martha tries to readjust to normal life whilst still haunted by paranoia that the cult are going to catch up with her, that they are still watching her every move.

The film does not present a chronological order of how and why Martha came to be part of the commune, instead it seeps in memories of her time there, the slightest sound effect sparks a remembrance, the past and present overlap with subtle effective similarities, her actions trigger recollections of the place she has left. An ill advised skinny dip in the lake is inter cut with images of the commune members naked, all bathing together in an enclosed stream. An even more unwelcome move from Martha happens when she enters her sister's bedroom whilst she is making love with her husband and lies on the bed next to them, much to their dismay and horror. This gives way to a flashback of Martha going to lay with the leader of the cult Patrick (John Hawkes) in his room, her previous experience and her unease with sleeping means she does not see the harm and inappropriateness of her actions of disturbing the martial bed.

As Lucy and in turn her husband find it increasingly difficult to deal with Martha's odd behaviour, Martha herself begins to lose her sense of what is really happening, her ordeal is still too raw and present.

The life in the cult at first seems one of harmony and togetherness, if a little too insular, but as the film teases more and more glimpses of their world, it becomes more and more sinister. It is one of sexual abuse, the women have to undertake an initiation which they try to justify as a 'cleansing' but is actually a drug induced act of rape and the girls are weened off their past lives in a discreet systematic way, given nicknames (Martha becomes Marcy May) that seems a friendly part of the lifestyle but disconnects them from their former existence. For the film to work, we have to believe that the cult leader is someone who would warrant following and one who instills a hypnotic power and John Hawkes' Patrick does just that. Whether he is delivering dubious philosophy ("Fear is the most amazing emotion of all") or playing his guitar in a fatherly manner for his disciples (he sings a song about 'Marcy May' furthering her inclusion) he is utterly and frighteningly believable as a authoritarian messiah, with Hawkes giving a commanding performance.

But this is Elizabeth Olsen's movie, as Martha/Marcy May she is a compelling memorable presence, fully committed and fearless in her portrayal of a young women who encompasses a range of emotions, from child like naivety to steely determination, when her behaviour wavers on the incomprehensible (she goads her broody sister by telling her she will be a terrible mother) she still elicits empathy and is softly bewitching. In terms of acting she is a million miles away from her squeaky sisters and is one to watch for the future. Also promising is director Sean Durkin, with his debut film, he has crafted a intensely beguiling film, one that makes the viewer work for its evasive appeal, his creates a hazy dreamlike scape that is balanced with a stark, primitive world. What is also admirable is that Durkin does not give any resolute answers to his psyche puzzle, it is a habitat that we will not come to terms with, some of the members of the cult truly feel at home in that environment, something that we cannot comprehend and one that is perhaps the most chilling of all. The final scene may be too ambiguous for some tastes but it is one that encompasses the entire position of the the film, not to distinguish the reasons why but to glimpse a fractured young woman, a soul in turmoil, that is a haunting in a beautiful tragic way.

Review- The Artist (Directed by Michel Hazanavicius)

The modern ardent cinema-goer has every right to feel a little jaded in these current times of film with the multiplexes full of cheap knock off sequels and remakes and with 3D being trumpeted as the shiny new saviour when really it needs to be quiet and stop being overused. Even the independent market (in the UK at least) is in danger of becoming morbidly more mainstream if dynamic David Cameron gets his way (perhaps he is a distant relative of James if you look at his film sensibilities?). So in these uninspiring doldrums time we need a film to make us fall in love with cinema all over again. Step forward The Artist.

The Artist is the little French film that could, written and directed by Michel Hazanavicius, it was produced with a modest budget and featured both French and American cast and crew members. When it arrived at the Cannes film festival in May 2011, the film was initially an out of competition entry but was moved to the competition a week before the festival opened and its leading man Jean Dujardin went on to win the best actor award. This came to the attention of the Weinsteins who snapped up the distribution rights and catapulted The Artist to wider audiences and universal critical acclaim.

The film starts in 1927 and George Valentin is the biggest star of the silent movie scene (accompanied by his four legged on screen sidekick Uggie the Jack Russell), he oozes charm and has a flair for comedic timing, a combination of Valentino mixed with Buster Keaton. When Valentin is posing for the press at his latest premiere, budding starlet Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo) by way of accident, ends up being photographed with her matinee idol, much to the delight of the press who run with headlines asking 'Who's that girl?' Valentin, becoming a kind of mentor, helps the young actress get a part in one of his films and from there on, she begins to get more roles, her star rising each time she appears. Two years later and the advent of sound heralds a new beginning in the age of cinema, one which Valentin dismisses, even when the head of the Studio Al Zimmer (John Goodman) announces that they will no longer be producing silent films and the actor decides to go it alone, financing his own film. But Valentin's star has faded, his film is poorly received and with the stock market's great crash of 1929, he is bankrupt. In contrast Peppy Miller becomes the biggest new star of the talkies, the It pin up girl and the face of a thousand posters, she represents the star that Valentin once was but also in a way that he could never be.

For a film that is bringing feel-good back to audiences, there is much to The Artist that is bittersweet, highlighting the downward spiral many silent stars faced at the hands of the talkies, the cruel fate that stardom can take in a blink of an eye, thematically it could be a companion piece to A Star is born (1954). However it is the fresh nature and the lightness of touch that director Michel Hazanavicius brings to the material that makes the film so joyous, his love for the early silent period of cinema is evident in the detailed construction of the square framing of scenes and the old fashioned effects utilised such as jump cuts and the use of irises.

The Artist feels like a film from a bygone era yet brings something new to modern day film-making, it has an infectious cross-over potential to reach new audiences that may have previously shuddered at the thought of watching a black and white silent movie. French actor Jean Dujardin gives an irresistible performance as George Valentin, he emotes every expression with charisma, comic timing but also moments of brooding sadness and hidden depths, bringing old style acting back into the frame that doesn't feel out dated but refreshingly real, using every scene to his acting potential. Berenice Bejo meanwhile lights up the screen with fizzy enchantment, a cute as a button enthusiastic actress but one with her heart in the right place. Special mention should also go to Uggie the dog who provides comic foil and moments of pure canine glee. The score that is used throughout is bold, beautiful and entrancing, lifting the film when it needs to be light and pulling the emotional heartstrings when it needs to (Just don't mention the use of the Vertigo score to Kim Novak).

This is a film for film buffs, who will revel in the passion that is portrayed for the birth and illusion of cinema but it also is a film that could and should push over to the mainstream, Yes it is a tough sell for many and it may suffer an inevitable backlash by some in time for the Oscars (though the Weinsteins still hold a lot of clout in this area), but The Artist is the most purely enjoyable, smile on your face, tapping your feet experience you will have at the cinema this year. If given the chance, It will work its way into your heart and fill you with the magic of the silver screen, one that is impossible to resist.

Review- The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (David Fincher)

David Fincher's choice of next movie after The Social Network seemed a decision at odds with a director of his standing- to remake The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo so soon after the Swedish language original based on Stieg Larsson's bestselling book. It is a decision usually left to lazy studio executives trying to capitalise on the recent success of a foreign film hit. But this is not Fincher's style and by the slight differences in the screenplay's text than those of the previous film, it is better then to think that there is more than one way to remake a novel than to to think there is more than one way to remake a film.

Having personally no prior conceptions towards The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, I have not read the book and as yet have not seen the Swedish version, the only knowledge I had it was the faint grasp of the plot and the notion that Noomi Rapace's female lead performance was and is the definitive version of the character Lisbeth Salander. So my eyes were very much open to interpretation from Fincher to cast his own inimitable take on the text.

The film opens with assault on the senses bravado, perhaps the first blow to the naysayers against a second, American adaptation of the novel, with a mash up of music video aesthetics (akin to the work of Chris Cunningham) and James Bond style credits, albeit one for the spiky, jilted generation set to a Gothic punk version of Led Zeppelin's 'immigrant song'. We are then introduced to Media disgraced journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig, who appears to lose his Swedish twang after his first sentence uttered), his recent loss in libel trail against crooked business man Hans-Erik Wennerstrom becoming the catalyst for his summons to the Vanger estate to meet elderly patriarch Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer on subtle stellar form). Blomkvist is assigned to investigate the 40 year old mystery of the disappearence of his niece Harriet, an unsolved crime whose conclusion has eluded Henrik and which encompasses a labyrinthine family tree, rooted in mistrust and suspicion, as he tells Blomkvist 'You will be investigating thieves, misers, bullies--the most detestable collection of people that you will ever meet: my family.' Blomkvist takes the job under the rouse that he is writing Henrik's memoirs and on the promise that he will provide not only money but more importantly damning information on Wennerstrom, who is a former employee of Henrik.

The girl's path meanwhile, takes its time in aligning with Blomkvist's journalist and must first traverse the murky waters of her being a ward of the state due to being diagnosed as mentally incompetent, the restraints of her probation and her subsequent dealings in the world of computer hacking. These are all fully realised in a graphically harrowing encounter with her new legal guardian lawyer who betrays his position of trust with brutal consequences. The revenge for the violent act establishes Rooney Mara's Lisbeth may appear slight in frame, but still packs a gritty tenacious punch, her porcelain face (beneath the piercings) is in discord with her determined demeanor. The role of Lisbeth Salander is an iconic, strong character, one that is rare for actresses in Hollywood and Mara takes the opportunity bull by both horns and runs with it to make a formidable impression.

When Lisbeth joins the Vanger mystery as Blomkvists 'research assistant' it is a partnership that quickly works, Blomkvist controlled but thorough, Lisbeth flirting round the edges of anarchy that brings results, and so the unravelling of Harriet's disappearance comes closer and closer to its sinister conclusion. With a multi-thread plot to cover, it would be easy for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo to become overlong and slow in pace but Fincher manages to make the film detailed yet punchy creating a growing, pounding sense of dark doom. His is a master auteur with twisted shadowy text, an artist of effective morose visual flair who perhaps doesn't get the recognition of how at the top of his game he is (this accolade seems to be reserved to Christopher Nolan of late). Like the sorely underrated Zodiac (2007), Fincher also shows he has a fluidity to crime centric narratives, building clue solving investigation into a tense thriller, making the wise decision to keep the Swedish setting whose snow capped landscape lends another dimension to the icy proceedings and the buried secrets of the story. If there is one misstep, it is that the pacy structure gives in to a hurried final twenty minutes that swiftly tie up all the loose ends and the last shot of the film is something of an anti climatic damp squib.

But small grumble aside The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is compelling agile thriller, Fincher takes us on a journey to the dark side, one of a sordid nature but one that we cant help but follow him on. It is bleak but hypnotic film making and shows that Fincher didn't waste his time on reworking the Swedish version. All that and he also manages to make the music of Enya surprisingly scary.

Review of the Year

The Gems, Duds and Heroes of Cinema in 2011

And so another year rolls by and so another list is compiled. I don't know about you dear reader but I enjoy this time of year to look back, evaluate and rejoice/cringe at the last 12 months of film. I like to read all the periodicals and magazines' takes on the movie winners of the year then I usually get angry that one of my favourite has been left out of the list, thereby I then create my own. So here goes.....

The top ten gems of the year

10) Crazy Stupid Love

The best example of the non rom-com, rom-com of the year, Crazy Stupid Love was the surprise unexpected treat of the year for me. Not one for chick flicks, this film managed to be romantic and funny but with pathos and honesty to boot, elevating it from the usual humdrum fluff of Hollywood onscreen relationships. Dealing with a myriad of characters, circling within each others narrative strands, the film manages to make each storyline, whether heartbreaking, funny or

cringe worthy, worth the screen time from Steve Carrell's sad sack dumped husband to Ryan Gosling's womaniser to the awkward teenage babysitter with the improbable crush. Carrell is particularly affecting when trading off the laughs and instead using those sad puppy dog eyes to bittersweet effect, much like his performance in Little Miss Sunshine. Crazy Stupid Love should be seen by more people as a refreshing antidote to the usual bland, over sugary romantic comedies.

9) Meeks Cutoff

Kelly Reichardt continues her ascendancy as one of the most visionary female directors in cinema with her fifth feature Meeks Cutoff. The film is set in 1845 as a band of settlers try to traverse the Oregon desert but find themselves lost and at the misguided mercy of their inept guide Meek as they try to find their way and survive the harsh conditions. Full of stunning cinematography and brooding ethereal long shots, Meeks Cutoff is a beautifully brutal film of the importance of choices and consequences in a simpler yet tougher time. Those familiar with Reichardt's work will know she is concerned with the minor details, with extracting significance from the minimal, leading to a slow pace, but one that is hypnotic, reflective and discerning. Though the final scene will infuriate many who like a clear resolution, it is an ending that resonates true and will stay with the viewer for days.

8) Warrior

The reasons that I liked Warrior so much is all the reasons why I shouldn't have liked Warrior so much. It is contrived, predictable, sentimental and overtly manipulative, the very things that usually have me running for the aisle and then for the exit. Yet this film managed to take all the bad cinematic plot devices and make them into an unashamedly rousing entertaining air punching joy of a movie. Like its character's Warrior speaks to our most primal instincts within film and sometimes you just have to give in and go with your gut feeling. That and any film that features songs by The National can't go wrong in my books.

7) Tree of Life

A film to confound, astound and divide opinion like no other. By now if you have seen The Tree of Life you will no doubt know which camp you fall into, however there is no denying the beauty of this film, that it co exists in the same cinematic timeline as Transformers ans The Chipmunks (though not likely in the same cinema complex) is both bewildering and inspiring. Terrence Malick's existential, artistic tour de force is a compelling, enriching experience, one that may not want to be repeated but will never be forgotten.

6) Drive

Undoubtedly the coolest film of the year (this sounds like a bad thing but hey we need to acknowledge the cool sometimes), Drive burst onto cinema screens with its 80s pulp aesthetic and with the hippest soundtrack of 2011. Adapted from the novel by James Sallis and directed by Danish auteur Nicholas Winding Refn, Drive created a violent sucker punch for film goers and also provided the perfect vehicle (ahem) for Ryan Gosling to cement his status as the intense leading man of choice for the discerning creative director. A tale of softly blossoming romance then ferocious disruptive vengeance, the film was a deafening showcase of style and substance.

Expect more euro cool from the dynamic duo of Refn and Gosling in their next project when they take on sci fi classic Logan's Run.

5) Bridesmaids

The mammoth hit that no one really say coming. What sounded like a nightmare to many on paper and those unfortunate enough to still be carrying the scars of Bride Wars, turned out to be funniest film of the year. Some critics have complained about the film's championing of women actually being funny when us intelligent/feminist/open minded people have known this all along, but any film that makes Hollywood sit up and taste the sugared almonds should be cause for celebration in my eyes. That a film with all female leads that are not defined by their need for a

love interest (ok there is a love interest in this film but the main arch is the women's friendship) is a step forward in an often stereotypical movie landscape.

The infamous Bridal shop scene is cited as the funniest moment of the film and whilst this is hilarious, for me the best and most cringe worthy of the film is that of the engagement party speech. It encompasses and highlights the main themes of Bridesmaids and actually shows that female friendship can be fraught with rivalry and jealousy in a time when you should be happiest for your best friend.

4) Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

And now for some class. Tomas Alfredson's adaptation of John le Carre's famous novel brought to the screen the most elegant and impressive cast of 2011 all working at the top of their game to recreate the murky, smoky world of 1970s espionage. A pitch perfect Gary Oldman plays George Smiley, coaxed out of semi retirement to uncover a Soviet spy within MI6's ranks and so leads to a tangled web of deception, deceit and murder. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is the kind of grown up film making that is sadly largely absent from cinema screens in present times, amidst an age of 3D gimmickry and sloppy sequels. The film demands your attention to piece together its intricate interweaving plot but also commands your respect by accomplishing a taut intelligent thriller that many cinema viewers want and so sorely miss in the often overrun dumbing down multiplexes of today.

3) We need to talk about Kevin

Lynne Ramsay's astonishing adaptation of Lionel Shriver's controversial novel brought to the screen two of the best performances of the year and one of the best films of the year. Tilda Swinton excels as the post natally depressed mother of the son from hell, while newcomer Ezra Miller is repulsively mesmerising as Kevin, the 'context' of the movie. Often shot like a dream which then cruelly yields to a nightmare We need to talk about Kevin is a harrowing masterful piece of film making, tackling subjects which are still taboo in our society. Ramsay's direction is intense, at times shot like a horror movie, but also composed and ethereal, lingering on the smallest details and highlighting the fragility of life and how easily this can be ruined in a heartbeat. Uncompromising and afflicting beautiful, this is thought provoking cinema at its best.

Joint 1) Blue Valentine

When it came to choosing between my top 2 films of the year, I couldn't decide whether to go with my head or my heart? Then I remembered it was my list so to hell with it, the 2 would hold the position together. So first comes the film that had my heart, Blue Valentine, Derek Cianfrance's achy breaky love story of Ryan Gosling and Michelle William's couple on the verge of relationship ruin. Filmed in heartbreaking fashion, we see the couple in the worst part of their romance and through flashbacks see the tender beginnings of their love story. Shot through with honesty and a biting edge absent from most romantic dramas, Blue Valentine depicts the subtle anguish that befalls many relationships with Gosling and Williams on achingly raw form. It also boasts a beautifully fitting score from Grizzly Bear that enhances Cianfrances dreamy yet melancholy aesthetic. The film may be too real for some used to the more saccharine version of romance but its sincere nature is what makes it all the more devastating. Sad swooning cinema to die for.

Joint 1) The Skin I Live In

Wow is all that can be said about The Skin I Live In. No other film this year shocked, entranced and repulsed me more than Pedro Almodovar's latest. A heady concoction of Horror, Science Fiction and romantic obsession, The Skin I Live In took body manipulation to a whole other level with the twisted tale of Antonio Banderas' controversial surgeon and the women he holds captive in his mansion whilst perfecting a new form of skin. From this opening gambit comes a twisty tale of serpentine proportions that is repellent yet entirely entrancing, the deeper the rabbit hole goes, the more compelling it becomes. Almodovar is a director working at the top of his game, able to weave through genres with deft skill and playful creative abandonment. Banderas meanwhile has never been better or more dangerously brooding whilst newcomer Elena Anaya is a beautiful beguiling presence. The Skin I Live In is an extreme experience, one that disorientates and bewitches, one to get under your very own skin and literally stay there for days to come.

The Duds of the Year

Your Highness- I expected good things from this, since I enjoyed Pineapple Express and it starred the goofy but pretty James Franco. Ok so it was never going to compete with fellow fantasy adventure comedy The Princess Bride but still I was unprepared for the heap of crap that Your Highness turned out to be. Unfunny, extremely sexist (but doesn't Portman play an ass kicking warrior I hear you cry- why yes she does, one with an inflated cleavage and a bum she likes flashing) and most painful of all, a waste of good talent. It is like they let Danny McBride ad lib all the way through and the director didn't have the heart to tell him the jokes were not hitting the mark. An extreme low point.

Paul- Bloated, self indulgent film making starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, who follow Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz with this painful miss fire. Perhaps director Edgar Wright, absent from this film, is the missing ingredient to making this duo funny because left to their own devices in this fan boys wet dream of a movie, they are irritating and bland.

Unknown- Liam Neeson continues his career as the thinking woman's muscle for hire in this latest slice of action/thriller tomfoolery. We all know Taken was a guilty pleasure that first showcased Neeson's ability to kick ass however trying to recreate that act with a lazy Bourne style rip off was a mistake. Neeson screams paycheck, January Jones sleepwalks through her role and the lovely Diana Kruger really deserves better.

The Adjustment Bureau- Based on a Phillip K Dick story, this Matt Damon vehicle could have good with its interesting central premise. However it turned out to be a completely pointless

dull film that could not execute its initial set up. Damon seemed to be on auto pilot and again in a year that contained quite a few lazy lady performances, Emily Blunt looks comatose despite being cast as a dancer. There is little chemistry between the leads which means you care little about the romance and the fate of their relationship and even less about the botched attempt at thoughtful Sci-fi. File under wasted opportunity.

Women of the Year

Kristen Wiig

Bubbling under the cinematic surface for a while after her regular stints on Saturday Night Live, with kooky roles in Whip It! and Adventureland and consistently stealing scenes in a number of cameos (Ghost Town, Knocked Up) Wiig hit the big time with Bridesmaids.

Funny, pretty, but not in an overtly sexy way, and talented (co-writing Bridesmaids), she is the new girl crush for many women. A defiant knack for comedy timing but also to deliver fragile humility, Wiig has a bucket load of skill and is not afraid to be self deprecating for the cause. Expect a lot more for this lady.

Tilda Swinton

People who know me, know I have been championing the actress for some time but my love affair with Tilda hasn't always been an easy one. When I first saw her in Orlando I was unsure of her, her distinctive looks and androgynous demeanour was something I wasn't used to but these are the reasons I love her now. That and her unflinching character portrayals and her no nonsense attitude to fame and pretty much everything else. In 2011 for me she gave the best female performance of the year in We need to talk about Kevin, a brave, unglamourous depiction of a reluctant mother who ends up losing everything. Swinton is incredible, allowing herself to be drab and at times highly unsympathetic, her face can hold a thousand emotions without saying a word. Having already won a best supporting actress Oscar for her brilliant performance in Michael Clayton, if she doesnt at least get a nod for Best Actress for Kevin, then serious fingers will be pointed at Hollywood. Yet knowing Swinton, she doesnt care much for these things anyway.

Michelle Williams

Michelle Williams has been on my radar for the past few years. Managing to break away from the binds of Dawsons Creek with her perfomance in Brokeback Mountain, she continued to traverse through films, finding herself more attuned to Independent films where she excels. Still reeling from her intensely naturalistic turn in Wendy and Lucy, this year she gave two of the best performances of the year. In Meeks Cutoff she combined tangible humanity with instinctual determination, showing girl power was alive and kicking in 1845. But it was her turn in Blue Valentine that really stole my heart this year, again like Swinton, she finds herself at times in an unsympathic role (after all who could fall out of love with Ryan Gosling?) being the half of the couple who seems more resilent to fighting for their doomed relationship. But she is also tender, adorable, vunerable and entirely human, her sad expressive eyes conveying what a thousand love up/out of love women have felt. Williams is now courting the mainstream more, most recently in My Week with Marilyn and though I will probably pretty much watch anything she is in (she is THAT good) I hope she stays true to her indie roots for which she can shine in brave roles.