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Foxcatcher (2014)
Fantastic Performance in a brilliant movie
At the time of writing this review I have seen the brilliant Foxcatcher twice and it does not lack what Bennett Millers previous two films had.
The directors trademarks can be seen all over throughout the film. There is a dreaded sense of buildup through each scene that concludes in the most unlikeliest of endings. The three main actors here give sensational performances particularly Steve Carell as the terrifying John Du Pont. up to now Carell has done solid work in the Comedy side of things but it seems with this mesmerizing performance we may see more good things to come from Carell.
As for Channing Tatum hes pulled quite possibly the biggest surprise of the year with his performance. Say what you will about Ruffalo and Carells excellent performances but this is without a doubt Tatums movie. Its a shame he hasn't been recognized by the awards season for his fantastic work in Foxcatcher like Ruffalo and Carell have.
Foxcatcher is undoubtedly one of the finest movies made this year. It isn't quite a cinematic triumph i was hoping it would be but its a movie that needs to be scene whether or not you are familiar with the DuPont story.
9/10
Hannibal: Mizumono (2014)
This is the clearest moment in our friendship.
Wow. At the time of writing this I have watched Mizumono 3 Times and no doubt I will be watching it again come the final few weeks before Season 3. Bryan Fuller has done a magnificent job of fulfilling Hannibal as the superior standout show on TV. I will be very surprised and disgusted if Hannibal fails to be nominated for at least 3 Emmys (It has to be a contender for best Show Best Actor and Best Episode ! )
As we went into Mizumono the wait that felt like a year as opposed to a week was finally over. To me Mizumono felt like two different episodes rolled into one. The first half was a tense clock ticking build up with a haunting and mind bending score as we firmly awaited Jack and Hannibals big fight. The second part felt like a slasher movie done right as one by one Hannibal took out all the people that stood in his way to his freedom. The suspense kept on building and building until perhaps most heartbreaking of all the final interaction between Will and Hannibal. Yes the Abigail twist was a nice one but a small bit expected but the fact that Hannibal after all this time showed true emotion was mesmerizing. Everything about that scene was wonderfully done.
Mads Mikkelson has portrayed Hannibal Lecter the way he needed to be portrayed a psychopath who does have the ability to show emotion. All it took was a little push from Will for Hannibal to ironically feel betrayed. The fact that Hannibal made a true friend in Will only for him to discover he never killed Freddie Lounds in the first place was agonising for Hannibal. So not only did Will suffer his own unfortunate stabbing so did Abigail. Hannibal did the most intelligent thing he could do. He gave Abigail back to Will - and took her away just as soon as she reappeared. Heartbreak for Will. A sense of Heartbreak for Hannibal but most importantly the finale has managed to evoke Heartbreak in us fans.
So for know we leave Hannibal with this. Will Alana Jack and Abigail's fates remain uncertain and will remain so until episode 2 of season 3. Hannibal has fled the country with none other than His own psychiatrist Bedelia DaMaurier. Hannibal has boldly finished its season off by doing what few shows have managed to do successfully. They've managed to evoke a bloodbath and presumably kill off not 1 but 4 of our main characters.
Say why you will about Hannibal up to this point. There's no doubt Mizumono is undoubtedly a perfect episode. It's left me hungry for more.
10/10
Breaking Bad (2008)
Cemented in the History book as one of the best in The Saga of Television!
Without a Doubt I can tell you that Breaking Bad has blew my mind. Wide Open! Truthfully I didn't think much would come out of this show and judging on all the Hype I thought it was massively Overrated. Well I can tell you now that I haven't been more wrong in my life then the day i had that thought in my mind.
Season 1 starts off as you would expect from the greats of Recent T.V history. A Normal guy by the name of Walter White gets stage 3 Lung Cancer just after his 50th birthday and for the future of his family decides to start cooking Blue Meth. As the show gradually progresses we see Walters slow rise into the Drug Business as by the time Season 5 hits Walt has gone from an ordinary guy doing ordinary things to cooking Top of the Range Meth and becoming a major force in the Drug world. The show is breathtaking from start to finish for each season keeping your eyes glued to the screen. Every movement every reaction and every line spoken by not just one but all the actors is of pure perfection something that you would rarely get in the Art of Film and Television these days. More often than not the suspense the show manages to build is fantastic and very cell done. Even with limited action scenes in the Shows life we are still begging for more come the end of each episode.
However the Performances that top the Cherry in Breaking Bad has to be the Wonderful Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul playing Walter White and Jesse Respectively. Both men put in breathtaking effort into there roles something that thy will never be able to overdo regardless of what the future holds in store for the two. The chemistry between them is jaw dropping. Straight from the pilot they click together fantastically well and I feel that the show truly does work best when it's just scenes with Jesse and Walter involved. Fully deserved of their Emmy Wins.
Finally to cut a long story short the Final Season is possibly the best climax I've seen to a TV show. It manages to avoid a controversial ending with many answers left unanswered ( Lost / Sopranos) and instead gives us an ending that we were all desperately hoping for. The Journey of Walter White will be one that will take a very very long time to forget. Vince Gilligan has done a sensational job creating the World that lies in Breaking Bad and for that it will be remembered as one of the greats in TV history. And rightly so.....
Hitchcock (2012)
A great movie let down by pointless scenes.
When I first saw a preview of Hitchcock I immediately knew that I had to see the film. Judging by the trailer I was very much looking forward to the tale of Alfred's brilliant Psycho and what really went on behind closed doors. I must admit that for the most part the film sticks true to Hitchcocks life at the time but that is where the problem lies.
There is no doubt in denying that the film works best when Alfred is at the center of things rather than his wife Alma. What brings the film from being one of the best of 2013 to date is the simple fact that too much time is wasted on Alma and her journey which would have been much better suited to focusing on the Making of Psycho. Now with that being said it doesn't take away the fantastic and bizarrely underrated performances of both Anthony Hopkins as the master of suspense himself and his wife Alma portrayed by the iconic Helen Mirren. To be frank I was surprised to hear that Hopkins was not even considered for an Oscar nomination despite him trying too hard in some scenes. Regardless Hopkins nails his performance bang on cue. It's a wonderful portrayal as Hitchcock something that probably won't be replicated in that sense for a good time to come.
Overall the film works but not nearly enough as it should have. Again the thing that brings the film down is the one too many scenes of Alfred's wife. That aside it is still a highly underrated film that many have either seemed to already forgot about or harshly criticised. The script is well written the supporting performances particularly Scarlett Johannsonns is well done and Most not all of the movie works in a memorable way. Would definitely recommend this as one to watch for the future.
8/10
The Walking Dead (2010)
Solid Show But Let down by Small Errors
Now Before I begin my Review to the Walking Dead let me just clarify that i have been on and off this show more than food. As my Review will be a positive one I will start off with the only problem The Walking Dead has. To me It is a Show that knows where it wants to go and what it wants to do but is heavily bogged down by the some of the side plots and the amount of time the show sometimes spends to wrap up a storyline. There is no denying That The Walking Dead takes much more time than it needs to to tie up loose ends. Again There trying to go in the right direction but there spending too much time on the stuff they don't need to rather than the main plot lines.
Now with the only piece of Negativity out of the way I will happily move on to the many Positives the show currently obtains. First and Foremost the Acting is Very good. Of course as ever there is always a standout performance from one of the actors/actresses but The Walking Dead is a rare exception. Multiple Performances are standouts here Particularly from Andrew Lincoln Scott Wilson and Lauren Cohan. Most if not all of the performances are fantastic but the portrayals of Rick Hershel and Maggie are the most moving.
I have to admit that at times the Show has suffered from weak storytelling but for the most part both The Writers and Directors have done a decent job here. aside from the slow buildup to some aspects of the plots the Show is definitely worth a watch.Its not a Masterpiece just yet but the way the Mid Season Finale has left things there's a good chance that the show will continue to improve.
Overall The Walking Dead is a good Entertaining Watch that at its best will leave you wanting more and more. As I said its not a Masterpiece at the Moment but the position the Directors are taking the show I wouldn't be surprised if the show will be hailed as one of tvs very best in 3-4 Years time. That is only if they fix that Time issue that I mentioned before.....
8/10
Call of Duty: Ghosts (2013)
The Series Has Hit An All-Time Low.
Before I completely trash Call Of Duty Ghosts,let me state that I have never hated on the Call Of Duty series as of to date. That all changed with Infinity Wards first COD game since the Modern Warfare Series ended back in 2011. Now again like I said I have never despised Call Of Duty or purposely not played it. I have given it chance after chance but in reality the truth is the COD games have been rapidly getting worse and worse since Modern Warfare 3.
It really does baffle me how the developers over at Infinity Ward were satisfied with Ghosts come the release date. The last game that proved COD still had it was Black Ops I and that was only because they based the campaign on the Cold War Years. Judging on Black Ops II and Modern Warfare III,s Plots it seems that both the Writers of the story and the developers don,t really know what there doing. Apart from the exception of Modern Warfare I and II there original story's are weak and it gets even worse with Ghosts.
The Campaign takes place 10 years after a devastating mass event, the nation's borders and the balance of global power have been redrawn forever. A superpower no more, its economy destroyed and its Government in ruins. a mysterious group known only as "Ghosts" leads the fight back against a newly emerged, technologically-superior global power.
Now let me tell you whats wrong with the Campaign. To put it simply its uninteresting. Its a Plot that has already been done many times before. There's no real originality to the Plot or the Missions. The Characters don't help either. There back story's and personalities are so "Wooden" that it makes it impossible for you to care for them. As ever the gameplay also has not changed with more quick-time events than ever before which is more of a nuisance than satisfying. The campaign isn't even worth playing if I'm honest. The best fun lies with the Multiplayer and not even that is enough for this game to be considered good.
The Online experience is what you would expect. its much more fun and entertaining than the boring Black Ops II's online gameplay. The guns have vastly improved in the Assault and Sub Machine Gun categories as well as the kill streaks but sadly the errors overcome these Positives. Once again the Maps are poorly Designed. The Graphics are awful and many times I found my self frustrated over the lag Issues and the multiple Hackers that disrupt the overall experience.
Ghosts has its fun moments from time to time but overall its a poorly produced game that judging by the sales so far has mostly destroyed the future of the series. To be frank your best off avoiding this. the Price is much too expensive for a few enjoyable moments and there is much better options out there. Call Of Duty may be no more.....
Love/Hate: Episode #4.6 (2013)
Sensational ending to a memorable season.
There has been a lot of Criticism over Season 4 of Love/Hate. Some have said it's too slow or there's not enough action. Some have even said it,s the worst so far. when you look at it in that perspective you would have to agree with the critics that came out with that. But being the Worst doesn't always mean that its terrible and we clearly see an example of that in Love/Hate season 4.
Its been a slow but entertaining buildup to the season finale. Dano and Debbie two major characters from season 3 that have had little involvement this time round have ended up biting the bullet(Dano Literally). We have seen the introduction of Wayne and the Dentist Andrew, and last but not least of all we have seen the reality of what Nidge's empire has become.
So with the rumors before the show going around that Nidge or Fran was set to be clipped in the Finale,Excitement was buzzing for the viewers expecting a big twist in the end! This is where my problem lies... Many people have agreed that the ending is stupid and appalling to season 4 and that the whole series has been a waste of time. In some aspects i can agree with that statement But season 4 was not about one big storyline like the other three seasons,it was more about a continuous story that will all come to a head come season 5.
I wont spoil anything in the finale in case viewers are yet to watch the episode, but I will say this. Love/Hate season 4 finale is a fitting mid-conclusion to a storyline that has to be continued (rather than just shutting up shop and starting again come October 2014). Embrace the story for what it is and Don't compare it to the other three. If you make that mistake you will find the slow build-up tiresome to watch compared to the action-packed previous seasons. Bring on Season 5.
Love/Hate (2010)
Most Underrated show on T.V
When I first heard of Love/Hate from the lads I simply passed it off as another poorly produced RTE show that will lose audiences within a month. I can honestly tell you now that it was the Wrongest I've ever been in my entire life. Love/Hate has taken a forceful hold on me since the very First episode with its fantastic writing well scripted characters and an honest take on gangland Dublin
As the show has gone on it's clear that Love/Hate has dramatically improved into one of those shows that should not only have critical acclaim from the Irish nation but rather from the every nation.Its the closest an Irish show will ever get to the best ever made such as the Wire and The sopranos and it gives it a good run for its money.
With the sudden news that Season 5 of Love/Hate will be its last viewers can walk away from the show mesmerized by its fine attention to detail and again by the brilliant dialog from the shows writers. Love/Hate needs to be known to people. If not now than soon because it truly is a fantastic show with a lot of Love and no Hate!