The Spectacular Now

**** THE 57TH LONDON FILM FESTIVAL ****

Director: James Ponsoldt

Starring: Miles Tenner, Shailene Woodley, Jennifer Jason Leigh

Released: On at the London Film Festival 10th, 11th and 20th October.

We’re certainly not short on teen movies, but James Ponsoldt’s feature offers a little more heart than you average romcom, and from the same writer who brought us the quirky 500 Days of Summer, we know what to expect.

Sutter (Rabbit Hole’s Miles Teller) is a self indulgent, self assured high school senior hiding behind a wall of confidence and comedy, he appears to breeze through life. However with a lack of ambition and refusal to grow up and mature, Sutter in fact has a deeply dark dependency on alcohol, which is gradually destroying his life. When his popular girlfriend dumps him, he naturally turns to booze, and quite literally ends up on the doorstep of cute but nerdy Shailene Woodley’s Aimee.

As their friendship grows into something stronger, Aimee coaxes Sutter into living life to the full and seeking his potential, but as his darker past creeps in, their relationship is tested in more ways than one.

Having already been well received in the States, it also premiered at the Sundance Film festival garnering critical acclaim. A style and simplicity that’s warmly charming makes it stand out amongst all the other big budget romcoms flooding our screens lately. The Spectacular Now is refreshing though not without ignoring the deeper issues and not without flaws. The pace of the movie is slow, so if you desire more action than dialogue in your comedies then this isn’t the film for you. With saturated colours and muted tones, the quiet context of the film is purely focused on the leads and what they’re saying. Having said that, their characters are so well written, you care more for them than what’s happening around them, and effect of a good writer.

The two lead performances are sweet and engaging, little gems shining through the doom and gloom and with more grace and depth beyond their young years. Teller is largely unknown, with a few previously smaller performances in the Oscar nominated film Rabbit Hole and the fun musical remake of Footloose. He’s a great choice and a pleasant change of face. However it’s Woodley in particular whose the one to watch, her naturally likeable sweet nature on screen is a breathe of fresh air giving us more of what we previously saw in her wonderful breakout performance in The Descendants.

Woodley has recently been reunited with her Spectacular Now director Ponsoldt, with the adaptation of the futuristic dystopian book series Divergent, to be released next year.

It’s a film deservedly to be in the list of this year’s best features at The London Film festival.

VERDICT * * * *

With charming performances, The Spectacular Now is on a par with last year’s wonderful The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Woodley is the stand out performance in a rare little gem of a movie, that doesn’t shy away from the darker moments.

The Spectacular Now is showing at the 57th London Film Festival on 10th, 11th and 20th October. Visit: http://www.bfi.org.uk/lff for details.

Bachelorette

Director: Leslye Headland

Starring: Kirsten Dunst, Rebel Wilson, Isla Fisher, Lizzy Caplan

Released on Demand TV/ Cinemas: 13^th August 2013

Released on DVD: 7^th October 2013

We’re certainly not in shortage of wedding rom coms, but with the recent Hangover series currently on a break, Bachelorette is this year’s offer showcasing hot chicks with issues, dirty jokes, fowl language and everything in-between.

When Becky (Pitch Perfect’s Rebel Wilson) announces to her bitchy friend Regan (Kirsten Dunst) that she is engaged, Regan’s reaction is less than enthusiastic. Spiteful that her ‘plus size’ friend is walking down the isle before her, she now finds herself faced with organising a, wait for it, bachelorette party. So she enlists the help of their high school girlfriends, fun loving Katie (Isla Fisher Wedding Crashers, Now you see Me), and cynical Lizzy Caplan (Cloverfield), who as it turns out were quite mean to Becky during school and are less than adequate as bridesmaids, let alone loyal friends.

Bachelorette, directed by newbie Leslye Headland, was actually released in the States a year ago through online Video-On-Demand services while being theatrically released in September 2012. It’s a mystery as to why it has taken so long for the film to receive a release in other countries, though it may have been delayed because it was so similar to 2011 smash hit Bridesmaids, which also featured Rebel Wilson in scene stealing moments.  So now the rest of Europe is following trend, with the film being released next month on DVD, but it is already available on demand TV. It’s a clever idea in theory, though a lack of nationwide release at all cinemas with this film could potentially be damaging to it’s box office intake.

The film itself is nothing extraordinary, though it does have some very witty dialogue. The story is driven by the acentric characters rather than the storyline; Fisher’s Katie come across as sweet and friendly but is less interested in bridesmaid duties as she is in men and partying, Caplan’s Gena is moodily disinterested, bored and bitchy while Kirsten Dunst’s spoilt penthouse-princess Regan is just down-right nasty, spending much of her time smiling while frequently talking about everyone behind their back in jealousy of her own lacking love life. In short, the worst three bridesmaids you would ever want at your wedding.

The problem with the film is the weaker storyline, but despite is being almost impossible to sympathise or identify with any of the characters that are so easy to loath, the actresses have been smartly cast. The women they play are quite odious and vile, especially Kirsten Dunst clearly taking much delight in making Regan as feistily horrible as possible.

VERDICT: * * *

It wont break records and if you want a movie with more heart, look up Bridesmaids, but Bachelorette has its very funny moments and with some of the most deliciously loathsome leading ladies you’ll ever meet, it’s Mean Girls with sex and drugs.

Bachelorette is currently out on demand TV, and is released on Blu-Ray and DVD on 13^th October.

Jack The Giant Slayer

ON DVD NOW

Director: Bryan Singer

Starring: Nicholas Holt, Ewan McGreggor, Stanley Tucci and Bill Nighy (Voice)

Released: 16^th September 2013

The recent surge of bedtime story movies is on the increase and fairy tales are hot property right now. ABC’s popular Once Upon A Time will soon be moving into it third season, with a new spin off In Wonderland being released this autumn, while the cult crime drama Grimm also has a following of loyal fans.

On the big screen we’ve already seen disappointing versions of Beauty and the Beast and Red Riding Hood. Last year we had two Snow White adaptations, one comical and one action, the later Kristen Stewart flick the clear victor as a sequel is currently in the works, and earlier this year the action duo Hansel and Gretel bombed at the box office while Oz: The Great and Powerful triumphed.

Next year we’ll be treated to two Oscar winning actresses, as Angelina Jolie tackles the role of the evil fairy in Sleeping Beauty retelling Maleficent, while Cate Blanchett will step into the evil stepmother’s shoes for Kenneth Branagh’s Cinderella.

So it’s clear that although fairy tales are popular, they are also a risky venture completely dependable on good characters, strong casting and fun special effects. Modern audiences want romance, action and comedy with proper fleshed out characters. The old tales of the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Anderson are frequently lacking in that department, so the screenwriters have a huge job transforming dated stories.

Jack the Giant Slayer is the latest fantasy offering from X-Men director Bryan Singer. Starring Nicholas Holt in the lead role, and in a slight deviation from the original fable, Jack is sent to sell his horse at the market where he meets the lovely Princess Isabelle. He fails to sell the horse, but instead he is given a few beans in exchange by a desperate monk claiming the beans are sacred and must be kept safe. Back home, all hell breaks lose when the beans grow into a giant beanstalk on the same wet night the Princess decides to take shelter with Jack (as the beanstalk erupts through the floors of his house), forcing him on a rescue mission along with the Palace guards.

There’s no magic harp, no golden goose, although there is a fun reference to fee-fi-fo-fum, This time there is romance, kickass action, a gaggle of witty sidekicks including a dashing Ewan McGreggor, and not just one but a whole colony of giants. In a move reminiscent of Alan Rickman’s Sherriff of Nottingham, a superbly comedic Stanley Tucci has a lot of fun cast as bad guy Rodderick. Deliciously bad to the core, he lights up the screen whenever he appears.

While it’s slightly too scary for very young children, it is a film that the whole family will enjoy. Most of the action takes place at the end of the film, although it’s a good decision to take some down time, setting the slower scenes as they all try to climb the beanstalk.

The special effects unfortunately leave a little to be desired, especially with the depictions of the giants themselves (far too CGI to look remotely real), but they are characterised with so much humour it’s easily forgivable, and you just end up going along for the ride. The leader of the giants, a monstrously two-headed motion captured creature (voiced by Bill Nighy), is dreadful to look at but has so much fun he ends up with the most laughs.

All the special effects and crazy characters are nothing though if you cant like the leading hero, but delightfully Jack himself (Holt now a tall strapping leading man far removed from his plump About A Boy days) is an immensely likeable and down to earth hero, funny with genuine sweet chemistry with leading lady Tomlinson.

Despite its delayed production and release, Jack the Giant Slayer is a well rounded fun actioner and with an extended action packed final battle sequence, you are left feeling thrilled and exhilarated.

VERDICT: * * *

A classic fairy tale with a few modern twists, Jack is a fun and funny romp up the beanstalk and back again. Despite cheesy CGI, Singer and his screenwriters throw everything they have at you with a few delightful performances from McGreggor and Holt too. However with his hilarious sneering and plotting, its Stanley Tucci’s bad guy who steals the show.