Here we are into the second part of our journey with a mixture of big budget favourites and some smaller films you may not have seen.
The Amazing Spider-Man
Director: Marc Webb
Kicking off a trio of superhero movies with one that really caught me by surprise as I wasn't expecting much from the spiderman reboot. What Marc Webb did was to add some real heart to Peter and Gwen and make them a more believable couple thanks in part to the performances from Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone. While Peter was easier to like I also enjoyed how the film explored his parents and his relationship with his aunt and uncle here played by Sally Field and Martin Sheen. While the CGI spoilt matters I have to say I really enjoyed this film a lot more than I thought I would and am looking forward to future instalments in this franchise.
Avengers Assemble
Director: Joss Whedon
I feel like I'm in the minority in regards to the Avengers films as I haven't found them as amazing as everybody else seems to have done. With the exception of Iron Man, I thought they were all enjoyable in their own way but never really blew me away in the way I felt they should've done. To be fair to Avengers Assemble it was definitely the best of the bunch as it was sort of a greatest hits montage of all of the gang with Mark Ruffalo really impressing as The Hulk while once again Tom Hiddleston stole the show as Loki. In my mind the film fell down a little bit with the final battle which was far too long and a little over-indulgent. Overall though this was one of those films that did exactly what it said on the tin although I personally wanted something different to what was delivered here.
The Dark Knight Rises
Director: Christopher Nolan
As much as I love Christopher Nolan, with Inception being my favourite film two years ago, I can't help but think his Batman trilogy has been a little over-hyped. While I enjoyed both Batman Begins and Dark Knight I didn't go overboard in my praise of them as some did while I found the concluding part to the trilogy in The Dark Knight Rises a little disappointing. Despite that it still had a lot going for it from the fantastic visuals to the great performances from Christian Bale, Gary Oldman and Joseph Gorden-Levitt while Anne Hathaway's Catwoman also came into her own in the latter stages of the film. The reason why this film isn't higher in my list is that the ending was a little underwhelming considering what had come before but having said that I think that Nolan has changed the face of the summer blockbuster by making films that aren't created for idiots.
In Darkness
Director: Agnieszka Holland
From the comic book to the real life now for something a lot more serious but gripping nonetheless with Agnieszka Holland's mentally-draining In Darkness. The film is about a sewer inspector in occupied-Poland who hides families in his sewers away from the Nazis in return for a cash sum. Everything from the characterisation to the almost black shots of the sewers was incredibly stark and realistic however this wasn't a film you could particularly enjoy but rather admire. The best thing about In Darkness is that it really makes you think about what some of the families hiding from the Nazis went through and the mental and physical trauma they suffered while trying to escape the camps.
Juan of the Dead
Director: Alejandro Brugues
Initially Juan of the Dead could've been laughed off as another comedy zombie film, and indeed there are some hilarious sequences which involve the killing of the undead, however I felt Alejandro Brugues' film went deeper than that. As the film is set in Cuba, and the zombies are constantly referred to as dissidents, there are definitely political underpinnings throughout the film while there is also a sense that the rise of the zombies gives slacker Juan a chance to shine. Juan of the Dead had a lot going for it as was part comedy, part horror and part political satire with some great central characters thrown in for good measure. Though it did drag occasionally it left me with a big smile on my face and you can't say fairer than that.
Liberal Arts
Director: Josh Radnor
Best known as Ted from How I Met Your Mother, Josh Radnor's second film as writer and star is a wry look at growing up and trying to move on from the place you feel the most connected with. In the case of Radnor's Jesse it's his old college which he returns to for the retirement of an old professor and where he also meets current student Zibby, played by Elizabeth Olsen, with whom strikes up a friendship which develops into something more. Liberal Arts explores the themes of growing up, not dwelling too much on certain areas and holding someone up on a pedestal. While I found some plot devices a little contrived I did really connect with the themes and characters throughout and the supporting cast, which including Richard Jenkins and Alison Janney, was just superb.
Like Crazy
Director: Drake Doremus
One of the very first films I watched last year was Drake Doremus' semi-improvised drama about two young lovers who are constantly separated by circumstance. Anton Yelchin and Felicity Jones play Jacob and Anna who meet at college and fall in love however the only problem is that she breaks her student visa and they rarely get to see each other. The film follows them over a number of years in which both find love elsewhere but keep returning to what was their strongest relationship despite the fact that they might not know each other anymore. Doremus' film was a thought-provoking piece which did have its dull moments but overall was an incredibly likeable piece with two very realistic performances from its two lead actors.
Magic Mike
Director: Steven Soderbergh
A film about male strippers starring the often wooden Channing Tatum didn't sound like an appealing prospect however I found Magic Mike to be one of my surprise favourites of the year. Thanks mostly to Soderbergh's direction, Tatum succeeds in making us like his everyman Mike someone who has taken to stripping in order to fund his furniture design store however he finds himself almost stuck in that world. Soderbergh's visual style perfectly lends itself to the seedy stripping scenes but once again it is Matthew McConaughey who steals the show as club promoter Dallas who is both rowdy showman and ruthless businessman. Though British actor Alex Pettyfer is a bit of a letdown as new stripper Adam overall Magic Mike is a well-acted, well-scripted film which I was really surprised how I much I liked.
Martha Marcy May Marlene
Director: Sean Durkin
More Elizabeth Olsen but this time she's a lot more haunted as she plays Martha a young girl taken in by a cult who she falls for only to escape when she learns their true motives. The film follows two different timelines one with Martha being taken in by the cult and the other in which she tries to adjust to life with her sister and her husband with the latter story being my favourite. While the visual style totally suited the story I really enjoyed Olsen's performance while John Hawkes was equally striking as the sinister cult leader.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Director: Stephen Chbosky
Ending this chapter with yet another indie film and another surprise as I really connected with this story of the high school outsider and his efforts to find friends for the first time. Though it was a little issue-laden The Perks of Being a Wallflower gave us many great performances notably from Ezra Miller as the outrageous but unhappy Patrick in a role that was a lot more likeable than the one he previously played in We Need to Talk About Kevin. This film really struck a chord with anyone, like me, who's ever felt like an outsider while the soundtrack was top notch and even Emma Watson was able to expel memories of Hermione Granger with her performance as the messed-up Sam.
Next time we have crossbows, tigers, bikes and maniacal laughs to look forward to so I'll see you then.
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