For those not familiar with cult films, 'The Disaster Artist' is about the making of notorious box office flop turned midnight movie sensation 'The Room'; written, directed, produced and financed by eccentric man of mysteries Tommy Wiseau, who also starred in it. Wiseau allegedly spent around $6 million on the film, with an opening box office week of $1800, and kept it in two theatres for 2 weeks to qualify for the Academy Awards...without success, in case you were wondering. 
According to most, 'The Room' isn’t just a bad film: it’s the worst film ever made, and/but 99 minutes of non-stop laughter. This earned the film an Audience Award in New York, and it later turned a profit through the Midnight movie circuit while reaching cult status. And nearly 15 years later, it’s still playing regularly in theatres such as the Prince Charles Cinema in Leicester Square, in case you’ve missed it until now ('The Disaster Artist' actually begins with various film personalities-JJ Abrams included-talking about this phenomenon more than 10 years on). ​

Based on the book The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside The Room, the Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made written by Tom Bissell and Wiseau’s co-star and friend Greg Sestero, 'The Disaster Artist' tells the story of Wiseau and Sestero, from their first meeting during a scene class in San Francisco, up to the film’s Hollywood premiere. With James Franco, Dave Franco, Seth Rogen, Judd Apatow and Zac Efron in the cast, I went in expecting pure comedy from start to finish. And the film has plenty of hilarious moments, starting with James Franco’s first appearance as Tommy in a hysterical rendition of A Streetcar Named Desire, part Frankenstein’s Creature, part 40-something hipster-Goth-90s-rock (ie 120% Wiseau). Franco’s commitment to the part is spectacular, and completely fitting to Wiseau’s own “just let it go” philosophy.

Against Dave Franco’s self-conscious all American Greg, we have a classic comedic pair from the get go. But what keeps us involved in the story is something else. Franco’s commitment goes beyond walking around a film set directing his cast literally butt naked (except for some penis covering pouch. What was that?) then filming a bafflingly ridiculous sex scene during which he seems to be making love to his co-star’s navel. Franco also shows Tommy’s cracks. Ok, very bad timing. I DO NOT mean his butt crack. Well, that too (you’ll see…). But there are also the cracks that allow the light to get in, as Franco’s Tommy is also vulnerable, sensitive, dark, generous, childlike, tyrannical, exasperatingly stubborn.... It’s all there, making the character larger than life comedy gold, and yet completely 3-dimensional and believable. Even moving at times.

Similarly committed are Dave Franco’s Greg, whose mounting frustration with his friend (yet love for him) is equality anchored; and Seth Rogen’s Sandy Schklair, Tommy’s dead pan script supervisor for 'The Room', who remains true to himself and his view of Wiseau to the very end, unlike many others which will have demanded some sort of bonding moments between Tommy and Sandy. 

This fantastic balance between comedy and drama is also thanks to a great by Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber (who also penned '500 Days of Summer' and 'The Faults in Our Stars') and to Franco’s overall direction. (The only time the film lost me was early on due to a choice of guerrilla style camera movement that felt quite jarring, but it didn’t last very long at all.) ​

After a world championship win in the previous film, the third installment of the Pitch Perfect franchise finds the Bellas lost in the pangs of post-graduation depression. They work various unappealing jobs, from food truck to Veterinarian’s office, while Beca (Anna Kendrick) and Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson) stay the closest to singing. The former soon quits her job as a junior producer a record label and the latter struggles with her one woman street show "Fat Amy Winehouse". So when Aubrey (Anna Camp) tells the girls about an opportunity to play on a USO tour around the Mediterranean, they seize the occasion to reunite one last time... 

Warning 1: Anyone who’s seen 'Sex and the City 2' might get a tingling sensation of déjà-vu here, seeing familiar characters in an exotic location meet attractive men and do a bunch of outlandish things for no apparent reason. 
Warning 2: Anyone who’s seen any instalment of 'The Hangover' franchise may also suffer from déjà-vu as the opening sequence showcases the Bellas singing Britney to a bunch of thugs on a yacht off the French Riviera, until Fat Amy attacks said thugs and burns down the yacht. We then skip to 3 weeks earlier… 

On the plus side, in spite of having completely forgotten 'Pitch Perfect' and not having seen its sequel at all, I was able to catch up and follow 'Pitch Perfect 3' from the get go. Another plus was seeing the 12 year old girls who had been watching it as well step out of the movie theatre with delighted grins and joyful energy. Their parents were grinning too, by the way. ​

Added to this daddy issues duet, we also have a trio of underdeveloped romance stories: Chloe (Brittany Snow) getting together with Chicago their US military guide (Matt Lanter) after a series of mildly embarrassing exchanges, Lilly (Hana Mae Lee) falling into an offbeat bond with an equally eccentric musician, and Theo (Guy Burnet), DJ Khaled’s right hand man, falling for Beca though it’s never fully delved into but given his longing gazes, one can only assume it’s not all just for her talent. Between the contest, the romances, the daddies and the girls respective futures also a theme, there seems to be too much going on already. And then it all turns action thriller with a group kidnapping that definitely snatched my suspension of disbelief away for good. Explosions and side romances can be fun, but do not a strong comedy make. 

Instead of packing the script with so many things and all much to superficially, the film might have benefitted with more focus and depth (yes, it’s a light comedy, but light comedies need depth too). For example, Emily (Hailee Steinfeld) aka Bella’s latest addition, is a songwriter. Yet except for a few platitudes, nothing is made of this. If DJ Khaled is to sign Beca as a rising star and if the Bellas are to clearly surpass their opponents, didn’t the finale scream for a Golden Globe worthy original song instead of a George Michael cover? And wasn’t there more to show about Aubrey’s hidden fear or singing and the place it had with each and everyone of them? And how on earth can they do all those numbers with absolutely no notice and no rehearsals to show for it? Maybe a rehearsal would have been a better moment to break the news of Chloe getting into Vet school, instead of wrapping up everyone’s story rushedly at the very end.

​There are firsts for everything. Baby Driver gave me a new first; the first time ever - as far as I can remember - where I disliked a film's protagonist in less than 5 minutes. How is that possible while everyone around me loved the film from start to finish?
Let me set the scene: three people approach a bank with guns and masks while a young man sits behind the wheel of a car, innocently listening to music. And he's got great taste in music, I tell you that! He starts singing along, tapping the wheel, as we all do. But then he starts going overboard, banging on the outside of the car and making a huge fuss about how much he is loving his music all the while grimacing in the most arrogant cocky way that only a sure as heck, arrogant, cocky kind of late teen/early twenties male can do. I despise this person immediately. I want him to shut up and stop what he's doing, thinking he's the king of the world without the charm of a young DiCaprio. And I usually love Ansel Elgort. But this introduction to Baby made it really hard. I like self-assured, confident people as much as the next person, but I despise arrogance. I. Cant. Stand. It. Even if the guy wasn't supposed to be an inconspicuous getaway driver - which he is spectacularly failing at - this display of "I'm the greatest person in the universe" isn't endearing at all. At least in my book. Thankfully our friendly neighbourhood (not as much friendly as violent) bank robbers don't take long and we're off on our first car chase. And this is where Baby Driver truly shines.

Director Edward Wright decided to time all action sequences to the music Baby is listening to. It is absolutely brilliant! The choreography in conjunction with the earworm-worthy music makes for a mesmerising style that almost makes 'Baby Driver' into an action musical of sorts. The action pieces are fantastic. The chase sequences are fast, precise, insane and utterly exhilarating. And the film doesn't stop there. Plenty of non driving action scenes appear in the second half of the film, not any less impressive than their car chase big brothers. Wright knows how to give us shiny visuals combined with awesome soundtracks and 'Baby Driver' is no different. It looks great, it sounds even better. If only it had established a likeable protagonist I would have loved this film. 

Elgort is joined by Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx, Jon Hamm, Eiza González and Lily James. Despite the star power the characters are mere caricatures than fully realised people. Everyone is introduced with a code name and you never really get to dig deeper, even with our hero. Yes, we do find out his parents died in a car crash when he was young; which also gave him his tinnitus. And that he grew up with a loving, deaf foster father (how hard it must be for a deaf, black, wheelchair bound man to be considered as a foster parent on his own baffles my mind), who he is clearly very close with. But all that feels like reading someone's online profile. You don't really get to know the person behind it all and that is where the film ultimately failed for me. I did not care about any of the characters.

We have pretty much all ingredients of your usual superhero origin story in 'Baby Driver'. Little boy witnesses his parents death in a car accident, gets an ailment (tinnitus) which somehow turns him into a superhero as he has to listen to music constantly to drown it out, and apparently that enables him to be the world's greatest driver and parkour artiste. Unfortunately Baby never turns into the superhero he is set up to be. He is clearly uncomfortable with the violence he is being part of and when he finally springs into action it felt hollow, because he was causing as much violence, carnage and - if I'm not mistaken - death as the people he was going up against. What was his point again?

Style over substance. That sums up 'Baby Driver' for me. Nothing wrong with that, but personally I need charismatic and/or memorable characters. And there were none. On top of all that the film wastes a great opportunity at the end, where we are instead greeted by an almost inconsequential resolution to the events we've witnessed. Our lead character seems unchanged by what he endured. Character development: non-existent. The action was great and I'll remember the soundtrack, that's something.

Whichever way this balance is found, vignettes of happier/earlier days would have pulled me in the story and in Robyn’s psyche a lot more, to probably punch harder as the play ends. The loftier the start, the bigger the crash.

After 26 years one of my all time favourite films returns to cinemas. And not just that, but we are being treated to a polished version with pristine picture quality that will rival anything out today and James Cameron threw some 3D on top of it. What else do you need?

In short: a ticket! Cos you won't want to miss this. Especially if you've never seen 'Terminator 2' on the big screen - or never seen it at all (yes, I found proof these people do exist!). For all the lucky sods who get to experience the brilliance that is now merely known as T2 for the first time, let me give you a rough idea what it is about. Everyone else, topple your furniture and give me some chinups!

After dispatching the Terminator at the end of T2's predecessor, Sarah ended up in a mental institution. Her son John, the last hope of mankind in the fight against Skynet (a computer which has become aware and taken over the world), is now a teenager and has to live with uncool foster parents; and lo and behold a new Terminator is on its way from the future to deal with this nuisance of a human to ensure Skynet's survival and world reign. But a new saviour is also on its way. Who will get to John first? Does that even matter as we can just make numerous attempts at this scenario until we get the desired result? Time machine, hello! Does that mean endless Terminator films?

The time travel paradox will make your head hurt so better forget about this altogether and enjoy one of the best sci-fi action films ever made. Arnie returns as the famous T-100 and he gets to have even more fun with this role than the first time around. Linda Hamilton is back, better than we could have ever dreamed of (her transformation still wows me). We get to see young John Connor and his transformation as he realises his mother isn't crazy and has been training him for a good reason. And then there are the first few steps towards creating Skynet. Oh, and did I mention a new, even more badass Terminator makes an appearance? This one is made of liquid metal. The effects were ground-breaking in 1991 and still look fantastic today. It can't be said of many FX films with 26 years of age that they hold up against the current fare of blockbusters. But this one does. 

The script is tight. No fat to be found here. Everything is set up for easy digestion and builds upon the story of its predecessor nicely. The character choices make sense and everyone grows throughout the film. Something that doesnt seem to be standard procedure  anymore nowadays. The performances are great. Nuanced. Layered. The characters interesting and relatable. And the action is top notch! This is a James Cameron film after all.

The newly added 3D doesn't really add much to the film in my opinion. And that's not a bad thing. There are no jojo effect gimmicks (thank god) even though I half expected the metallic finger might be protruding towards the viewer. Instead we get a 3D treatment the way I like it, giving the picture depth as if you were truly seeing it with your own eyes. Does that make for a more immersive experience? I'm not sure as I have always found the film engaging and did again this time (plus surfing on a huge wave of nostalgia). It's not the 3D that makes the film and it wasn't the reason I was so amped up about seeing this version. Getting to see T2 on the big screen is the highlight here, not the 3D. Technically very well done - I was sitting off centre and didn't experience any halo effects around shapes as is sometimes the case in more recent productions - I would have never thought the 3D was done in post. Other than some scenes that would have been obviously framed differently if shot for 3D, it all worked well together and makes T23D THE version of T2 you should make sure you see. Fighting for the future of the human race has never looked better.

Picking up a year later, in terms of the story and the production, the start to season 2 is a rocky one, with the actors struggling to re-inhabit their roles. The delivery is stilted and their movements stuttery, but once they find their groove again, things really improve drastically and then continue to do so right through to the emotional conclusions. There are great lines and references from the beginning, but it's not until episode three, You and Me, that 'History' really begins to excel, both comedically and emotionally. As the dynamics between the characters becomes both more natural and authentic in their interactions and some of the emotional beats become more keenly felt.

From episode three onwards, there is clearly a lot more confidence and comfort in both the writing and direction and, even more so, in the performances. 'History' is a very talkative piece, but there comes some moments when words are no longer needed, and Jack Tracy - both as a writer, director, and as an actor - is unafraid to let things play out almost silently. This is most visible and profound in the moment's when he is confronted by stark truths and realisations. In one of the episodes, the character of Jamie is taking a selfie with a friend who insists that they show no teeth, prompting him to (as far as I'm aware) to invent something called 'Smising' wherein his face remains stoic whilst his eyes smile. He really needs to come up for a term for the dramatic version of this phenomenon, because - whether it's a friend highlighting how pain exists outside of his own or when he's receiving a voicemail that serves to convey just how much pain he himself is on the verge of inflicting upon others - It's all in his eyes, and it's beautifully done.

Coming soon.

The premiere of 'Seeing Him' at the Prince Charles Cinema generated two first times in one night: my first red carpet screening there, which proved more fitting than expected, and the first time I saw a short film screened twice at the same event: before and after a Q&A with the filmmakers (there were also a few last words from the panel and the audience after the second screening). And speaking of second times, we also discovered the film itself had had two directors and had been filmed twice.

Directed by Chris Jones & Catherine Arton, and written by Vanessa Bailey (who also stars), 'Seeing Him' is a doomed love story, the tale of an impossible relationship between Sophie, a middle aged professional, and James, a secret lover Sophie’s sister disapproves of.

French presidential elections still fresh in mind, though I immediately noticed the age gap between Bailey (who you might have seen in Eastenders or Southcliffe), and George Taylor (Partners in Crime, X Company, The Lady in the Van), it didn’t exactly shock me and therefore made me automatically think the secrecy of the relationship couldn’t possibly be only about this. Something about James was also both candidly charming and disturbingly clingy, so I wasn’t surprised either when I saw my suspicions confirmed halfway through the film. Funnily though, if one specific shot hadn’t completely thrown me off track in the first couple of minutes, I would have gotten the whole picture from the very first shot...and this would have taken nothing away from the film’s impact.

To twist, or not to twist… that became one of the first questions during the second Q&A, as many viewers in the audience found themselves moved more deeply during the second viewing once the twist had been revealed and I wonder if the filmmakers will decide to alter the way they present 'Seeing Him' to future audiences.

Another discussion in the Q&A was gender and age. Bailey stated one of her goals in writing 'Seeing Him' was to create new roles for females in their 40s. Ironically, Sophie could really be any age, and it is her universality that in parts also makes the story so relatable to all, age and gender alike. If anything, it made me wonder why casting for similar roles were not open to both genders or with a wider age range in mind.

Gender politics and twist debate aside, the film was unquestionable moving, thanks to natural, vibrant performances by the leads and supporting cast (Catherine Rowney as Sophie’s sister, Duncan Duff as Sophie’s colleague), beautifully natural cinematography (Don McVey), and last but not least, a hauntingly romantic score by composer William Goodchild (Jago: A Life Underwater, Walking Through History).

Review by Anne-Sophie Marie.

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That’s where the comedy would have been stupendous, a woman nervous on a date but who can knock several shades of blue out of any man or villain she comes in contact with. She is secret superhero/assassin yes but in order for us to believe her White needed to show us this woman's private persona as well as her public superhero self. Think about the nuances that are created between Clark Kent and Superman for example. White’s performance needed an injection of curiosity and vulnerability badly as it’s these qualities which makes us - the viewers- get on your side immediately. Obviously the director (Daniel J Brant) could have done much better in bringing these qualities out better in White and so is partially to blame.

​​Rueben Williams played a really convincing and comedic version of "the nice guy" simply on a date with no prior knowledge of his dates real job, which she is essentially a hitwoman/bondgirl/anti-hero type. Rueben Williams was a breath of fresh air and utterly enjoyable to watch despite him having a very short presence in the film. He really was very relaxed and created a sense of confidence from the get go. Francesca White is a deeply attractive actress with some serious Zena warrior princess like moves and that her level of fighting expertise has to be commended however as the lead in this film she simply didn’t achieve all that she could have with Cleo.

I don't like fart jokes. Never found them even remotely funny. 'Despicable Me 3' includes one in the studio animation before the film starts; and I laughed! That pretty much sums up my experience with the film. Though the script is predictable it never ceases to throw a curve ball at you every now and then to pleasantly surprise you and keep things fresh, all the while serving delectable comedy treats you're used to from the previous two instalments.

This time around Gru and his wife Lucy are after villain Balthazar Bratt. He used to be a child star of a famous kids TV series where he played a villain. But his career tanked when he hit puberty and he never got over it. Being shunned by Hollywood and former fans he turns into the villain he used to only pretend to be.

Cue the most epic 80's nostalgia party you can imagine every time this dude shows up. The first 10 minutes of 'Despicable Me 3' feature the best use of a Michael Jackson song in ages. And this trip of nostalgia permeates the entire film. 'Despicable Me 3' felt just as much a film aimed at adults as their children, more so than any other animated film in recent history. Tons of jokes will go over children's heads while the adults are laughing their asses off. 

Tearjerkers and mega cuteness aren't far behind as the kid trio makes an appearance once Gru and Lucy lose their jobs due to not apprehending Bratt. Seeing little Agnes' usual break-your-heart, cutsey approach to everything is one of the most endearing aspects of the Despicable Me series. Margo teaching Lucy how to actually be a mom is touching, while Edith gets the short end of the stick by basically being the same character throughout all three films with little to no development. On top of all that we are greeted to a new member of the family, Gru's twin brother Dru. Their dynamic is entirely different from anything we have seen previously and is a great addition to the cast. The minions get their own subplot this time around as a rebellion is brewing given Gru's refusal to return to villainy and our little yellow, banana-loving friends are just not ok with that.
​
Most of the characters evolve throughout the film. You can see how much they've changed from the first and second films, which adds so much depth and joy to 'Despicable Me 3'. We are attached to this family and go through everything with them. You know this universe and most of the characters, so certain things don't need an explanation and the film is happy to assume you know what's what and just keep going. It has great pace, the script is tight and brimming with humour while giving everyone their moment to shine.

Character moments, action sequences and everything in between are written almost to perfection. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the film. Probably due to it not focusing on one or two characters but instead giving everyone their due. It's a great ensemble piece and that includes the minions. Everyone brings something to the table and how it all culminates in the final showdown is a brilliant rollercoaster ride that I would love to see again. The end sets up the next film in the series and if it's even half as good as this one I can't wait to see it.

“Know the rule of law and you can bend it.”
 
After hearing this in the opening couple of minutes, I thought I was in for a treat. What I ended up with was the biggest disappointment since England last played in a major tournament. And like then, perhaps it was my fault for reading too much into what seemed like a hopeful and intelligent start.
 
'Detour' is about young law student Harper (Tye Sheridan) asking career criminal Johny Ray (Emory Cohen) to bump off his stepfather (Stephen Moyer) whom he blames for an accident that has left his mother in a coma. This sounds like an interesting concept in itself, and the opening quote teases all kinds of interesting games for Harper to try and get away with it. Unfortunately as soon as the plot moves forward it pretty much derails.

Very early on, writer director Christopher Smith splits the narrative in two, following two versions of the story based on what Harper has chosen to do at a particular moment. Again another promising idea, even if it has been done before, (most notably in 'Sliding Doors') but the film wastes the opportunity. It neither offers us contrasting narratives, nor does it allow the two timelines to play off of one another. Instead we are giving two slightly different variations of nonsense. It all then plays out in a way that takes away any weight that the moment of this choice could have had, Rendering the whole concept pointless.
 
The single biggest problem with this film is that no character has an ounce, of competence. Their decision making is far worse than my own, back in my heavy drinking days. The villains are too stupid to be a threat and the heros aren’t relatable enough to empathise with. It’s one thing to have characters that are led astray because of a personal flaw they have to work against but here there is nothing but unfathomable stupidity, which could have been funny if the film hadn’t taken itself so seriously. I’d have to enter into spoiler territory to really make it clear how idiotic everyone is in the film. From talking openly and loudly in public places about killing, to leaving incriminating notes in cafés when the police are there. They always end up in trouble with their stupidity, only to get bailed out for plot convenience. 

The cast seem to be trying their best, but are done no favours by a poor script. Cohen offers some fire to the role of Johnny. But I don’t believe for a moment he is capable of committing any crimes without being caught. Any potential menace is lost through the characters moronic actions. Tuco from 'Breaking Bad' is perhaps the best reference point here, showing the difference between a loose cannon, and an idiot.

Sheridan is caught in just as much of a no win situation, I also cannot believe that Harper is able to get into law school. It’s a shame that he is incapable of using his brain, or knowledge of law to get out of any of the sticky situations and it was baffling the way he tried to cover his tracks when any kind of understanding of the law (or how to bend it) would have been enough to solve his problems. The audience seemed to take more notice of the opening lines than he did. The amount that he cares for his mother (which was apparently his motivation behind getting into this situation in the first place) gets completely forgotten in the mix.

​Bel Powley also stars as Cherry. Who only seems to be in the film as a damsel in distress. Everything about the character sums up why female characters need to be written better. She is a stripper, often wearing little and is in need of being saved. None of these factors seem to add anything to the plot, she is given no personality and there is no rational reason why Johnny would have brought her along for the ride.

I have never walked out of a film before, but the only reason I watched all the way till the end is because of needed to review the whole film. I hoped for something positive to be able to conclude with, but somehow the third act was even worse than everything that had come before. Not a single thread was resolved with any satisfaction. None of the pay offs were earned and it all comes together in the most contrived of fashions and the worst case of a Deus Ex Machina that I have seen for a very long time.
 
The best note I can end on is knowing there is no World Cup this year.