PITCH PERFECT

So, 3 years ago, a TV programme somehow managed to become a small phenomenon despite itself and everyone saying how "they didn't watch it!" A show that was basically a musical every week with a bunch of kids singing existing songs to explain their feelings? Go to the theatre if you want that then nerds!

But it continued to air and sold records aplenty. Now, we have what on the outside appears to be a "made-for-the-big-screen" version of Glee! replete with the battle for Regionals and a bucket full of attitude to match too.

As a fan of Glee! myself, I can none-the-less see how people could not cope with it and naturally want to avoid any cinematic version of it like the plague or worse - the "wannabe's" on X-Factor. For those of you who fall into that category - stop right now, thank you very much!

Every now and then, audiences are treated too, so long as they let themselves be, a film that breaks out of its pigeon-holing and not only appeals to, but can win over all demographics other than what its storyline and its trailer suggests. Films such as Clueless, Mean Girls and 10 Things I Hate About You were looked at as just "teen/coming of age" flicks but they had a maturity and cleverness about them that made them hugely successful and popular to anyone who saw them, no matter what their age was.

Pitch Perfect is able to put itself into that category. Yes, it is slightly predictable. Yes, it has at certain points more cheese than Cathedral City's warehouse. But then, so were all the other genre-breaking flicks previously mentioned that pulled in punters other than their target teen audience. Here, as in with the others, it's all about the dialogue and the cast that delivers them. With a great cast and cracking dialogue, cliches become relevant plot points rather than eye-roll inducing set pieces.

And the cast here is perfectly pitched (pun intended.) Kendrick shows that her Up In The Air performance wasn't just a fluke or great because she had Clooney to bounce off of. Here she plays the "leave me alone but at the same time acknowledge me" new girl to the campus that issues out rape whistles (but asks that you only use them if it's really happening!) with charm for you to instantly like her. That role could be grating or downright annoying but Kendrick avoids such reactions. Her fellow musicians who "make music, with their mouths" are all the stereotypes you would expect to be present and correct - the slut, the quiet one, the rich bitch and since the successful arrival of The Hangover's out-spoken Alan, the mouthy fat one.

Wilson who plays Fat Amy, gets the main slice of the laugh-out-loud comedy hits from the ensemble - vertical running, drive-by Burrito'd, bikini carwash demonstration - whilst the others have to be content with either reacting, singing and the occasional sight jokes - secret lesbian looks, The Goonies-style vomiting - whilst the boys get their own slice of male humour - the Star Wars dorm room gag is sheer genius.

The consistently best side characters however are the commentators during the various regional and national competitions. Think of Dodgeball's Jason Bateman, then take his essence and place it into Elizabeth Banks and John Michael Higgins and sit back and watch the sexist, ageist and racist comments just fly by! If you don't long for another competition just to hear the thinly veiled sarcasm and the politically incorrect comments from the two then it's time to put the microphone away and just walk away.

Of course, in the end, despite all the shenanigans, love interests and rivalries, Pitch Perfect is about music and to a degree, choreography and these are both delivered incredibly well. All songs are either toe-tappers, hum-alongers or, with the case of  No Diggity, just plain old sit -up-in-your-seat classics!

More than just another teen flick, this is a cleverly written, well performed delight that allows you to admit you do like some form of musicals. Go see, go sing, go enjoy!

UK release date: 21.12.12
Certificate: 12A

LIFE OF PI

Unfilmable. There are many books that are held dear to those who have read them and consider their favourite tomes as impossible works of art that would be unable to be committed to celluloid.  For anyone who has read it,Yann Martel's The Life Of Pi is one such book.

Then again, Ang Lee is not the kind of individual to be put off by such trivialities! The Taiwanese directer who has delivered outstanding works in both his native tongue - Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon - and in the West - Brokeback Mountain - has yet again turned his attention to literature. His Sense & Sensibility showed an understanding of remaining true to the source whilst making his own mark on the work and here, with some of the most beautiful 3D imagery committed to celluloid since Scorsese's Hugo, he has truly made this a sight to behold and cherish.

Even with the story of how someones faith in God is tested and eventually rewarded against all the odds, Magee's adapted screenplay and Lee's camerawork combine beautifully together to let you explore the possibility of "faith rewarded" and God on your own terms - it doesn't cram it down your throat forcing you to believe... you can read into it what you will and, like the reminiscing Pi says, "you can chose to believe or not."

The first third of the book dealt with Pi's multiple-conversion to every religion he came across whilst growing up in "one of the most beautiful places on Earth - India." Wisely, Magee's screenplay covers the religious aspect of the story humorously yet respectfully ("I want to be baptised" at the dinner table) in the first 20 minutes through the aid of flashbacks, and then delves head into the real reason why the audience, and Rafe Spall's inquisitive writer are there in the first place - the story of his younger self stranded in a lifeboat with a 3 year old Bengal tiger in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. You may not believe in God by the end of Pi's tale but you will want to have shared his experience, however fraught with danger it is.

Without giving away too much, Pi (delightfully played with initial wide-eyed earnest and then forced maturity through unfolding events by Surja Sharma) and Richard Parker (the Bengal tiger named that through a clerical error) are not alone on the lifeboat and the harsh realities of the circle of life are played out in the small floating arena against various backdrops - a raging storm and then the calmest, most astounding sea you could ever hope to see. It is these striking images that make their mark upon the viewer - an endless reflection of sky and sea with a bland white boat floating between the reflective  two holding the the beauty and majesty that is the tiger with his orange and black colouring sitting so out-of-place in these surroundings.

Before going any further, this is the time to emphasise exactly how stunning this film is. Normally, a lengthy description on the effects would lean towards the fact that the story, its depiction or the acting is below par as it seems all efforts were placed into the special effects alone. Here, simply put, is a truly beautiful film that could not have been made probably even a few years ago. Even for this trained eye, spotting the difference between the real tiger and the "had to have been used" CGI tiger is virtually impossible. This effect has the affect of not only drawing you in, but helps you to fall in love with a creature that you should fear and not care for. It is that good! The balance of power that continually shifts between Richard Parker and Pi both in and out of the lifeboat helps you to root for both at separate moments whilst still not wanting the other to suffer too much. Not many films can boast manipulating your allegiances and love between an animal and a human - and no, not even Turner & Hooch can pull off what Lee achieves here.

One way that the audience is so easily pulled along by its heart strings is through the films abundance of humour. Forget the absurdity of the premise of a boy and a tiger fighting for dominance on a lifeboat - the marking of the territory by urine is both clever and hysterical but shows the valuable lesson of never going up against a tiger in a pissing contest - it's the learning curve that Pi has to go through in order to survive that conjours up smiles and laughs. His diary of how to train a tiger at sea is delightful - "point 5. Ignore all the other points," after Richard Parker nearly has a meal made entirely out of Pi.

The use of flashback allows you to catch your breath and take on board not only the enormity of the situation and the various solutions that both work and don't - taking all the supplies of the lifeboat for safekeeping and storing them on the makeshift raft away from Richard Parker seems like a good idea at the time until the dazzling display of the luminous whale - but also the visual creativity and beauty that seeps from pretty much every frame of film.

A genuinely feel-good film, The Life Of Pi is one of the most beautiful 2 hours you could ever hope to spend in the cinema - both visually and spiritually. And if you don't want to go stroke a tiger afterwards or discover an island of meerkats that don't utter the phrase "simples" then there is no hope for you. Believe.

UK release date: 20.12.12
Certificate:PG

THE HOBBIT - AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY

It's taken so long - even longer than Frodo's journey to Mount Doom it seems. But finally after what seemed like insurmountable odds, the first instalment of The Hobbit has arrived. Peter Jackson, the director, co-writer and all-round orchestrator of things that are cinematic Tolkien, once again took up the directoral reins after chosen director Del Torro was forced to bail after all the complications involving legal rights and the fall of MGM kept pushing back the shoots starting date. The Hobbit was facing a fate not unlike the one that befell Bond's Skyfall. That however, benefited from the delay with more time to prep the adventure.

Fate though, it seems, has given Jackson the chance to finish what he started back in 2001 with The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring. So, the question here is: has he pulled another success out of the bag or has his obvious love for Tolkien blinded him to the level of over-indulgence? Well my precious...

Sequels. Prequels. Audiences want more of the same but something different as well - all at the same time. Jackson's first of the now scheduled three forays into the story of Bilbo Baggins' adventure away from The Shire amazingly manages to pull off both of these polar opposites.

The "more of the same" aspect sees a remarkably similar structuring to Fellowship Of The Ring. We are given all the required back story via a prologue monologue - this time it's Ian Holms' older Bilbo rather than eternally beautiful Cate Blanchett's Galadriel imparting the relevant history. Nearly three hours later we then have the hero shot as the gallant band observe their destination from quite afar - both times a mountain in the distance with the distinct message to both them and the audience that there is still yet a long way to go... two films worth to be precise. Then, finally, a quick shot of an eye that will definitely cause the band of heroes much trouble when it sees them, despite their belief that "the worst is behind them."

Inbetween these two momentous bookends, there is much to see, and marvel at, along with breath-holding and laughter. Infact, there is quite alot of laughter to be had. The story of The Hobbit was one aimed more at the younger reader whilst the lengthy gap between that and it's sequel-of-sorts - The Lord Of The Rings - helped to create an overall more maturer and darker tone within its pages. These have been accurately reflected here with Jackson's body of work concerning Tolkien's works.. His Hobbit is an altogether more upbeat and jolly affair. Most of this comes from the larger-in-numbers  main cast and all their interactions with one another - after all, as Gandalf says, "they're quite a merry gathering." It's this lightness that gives those seasoned viewers the something "different" to make the time, effort and money that they have spent to view The Hobbit all the more worthwhile.

With this lighter, more smile-inducing tone, there are still sequences that feel like a distinct parallel to its "60 years" later continuation. Fellowship.. had the chase and escape through the mines of Moria whilst here there is a just as frantic run through the hordes of goblins deep underground in Goblin Town. The younger, more agile Gandalf has a more "hands on" approach here than he did in The Lord Of The Rings trilogy, with some nifty moves involving his wizards staff which could easily place him in a Star Wars prequel if they gave him a lightsaber to wield instead.

This, however is not Gandalf's tale - it belongs squarely with Bilbo and thusly with Freeman who was always first choice for the role. Some, and only a few, may find it hard to reconcile with Tim from The Office as the main man/hobbit in a full-on fantasy epic that cost and will make back millions of dollars, but the simple truth of the matter is that just as Gandalf did, Jackson and Del Torro chose wisely. Freeman's "down to (Middle) earthiness"- pun intended - and his slight self-depreciating manner make him to easy to connect with and then of course, root and care for. When he finally gets the chance to step up to the plate and prove to the doubting leader of the Dwarves that he does belong amongst them of their dangerous quest, you'd be forgiven for wanting to punch the air with delight and whoop for joy.

If Freeman carries the weight of the film upon his shoulders, it is Jackson's regular cohort Serkis, that helps deliver the films best sequence - the most satisfying, funny and creepy one possibly of all of the Middle Earth's stories so far. The battle of riddles between Serkis' Gollum and Freeman's Bilbo deep in the mountain is in turns laugh-out-loud funny then disturbingly chilling as Gollum decides that he's had enough of games and wants feeding as "we'ves never tried hobbits'."

There has been talk and backlash that the film suffers from excessive filling ever since the announcement that the two films would become three and that there is unnecessary information put in just to help them make us see a trilogy rather than a duo. Nonsense. All information here helps to bridge the gap that would make the linking of these films with the existing ones that much more fluid and understandable. Even if you disagree, here the time and the journey simply flies by leaving you once again on that in equal parts great but annoying cliffhanger.

Mr Baggins, we look forward to the rest of your journey, there and back again.

UK release date: 14.12.12
Certificate: 12A

SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK

There are those that can be cursed with being remembered for the one mistake that you've made rather than the ones you didn't. Director David O'Russell was destined to be one of those - the director that was punched in the face by his own star for being overly "mean" to another one of the cast/crew (Clooney on the set of Three Kings).

With his previous effort receiving Oscar recognition, it looks like with The Fighter that O'Russell could now leave that incident behind. So, it's with some irony that his latest effort sees a man struggle to show that an incident in his past is just that and needs to be classed as such and everyone should just move on...

Mental health issues. Its portrayal can be sketchy at best upon both the small and big screen. Classics such as One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest tackle it head on very successfully. Others touch on it but wrap it up in a storyline that is easier to swallow such as As Good As It Gets. Others try for all out comedy and run the risk of belittling not only the character but their illness at the same time - What About Bob? Silver Linings Playbook sees itself fall between the first two categories, and it owes this creative success and high praise from the performances of Cooper and Lawrence. Yes, they may have some solid writing to base their performances on, but in the end, if their characters don't hook you somehow then they've lost.

Cooper, yes he from The Hangover and The A-Team, right from the get-go, as he sits in his shrink's office desperately trying to reason with himself and the doctor about his actions, is a man who asks for and needs your attention and your empathy. As the movie unfolds you become privy to the "incident" that caused his stint in the hospital and it is this somewhat shockingly graphic reveal that shows just how strong your connection with Cooper's bi-polar teacher is as, rather than wanting to cut the ties with him, you would rather just want to ride it through to the end with him no matter what. He deserves his "silver lining" and you want him to have it. The books he reads to try to connect with his estranged wife that have no "happy endings" should not be for him.

Of course though, his "happy ending" should not be with his wife but with Lawrence's equally mis-understood and singled out individual that offers Cooper's still love-struck husband a way back into his wife's life. Here, the young woman that blew away the small-but-lucky audience that saw her debut in Winter's Bone and showed that a strong female lead CAN bring in both male and female crowds with her The Hunger Games, shows that these previous performances were not flukes. Lawrence as the recently widowed young woman who reaches out for comfort and solace in sex also has an uncomfortable scene not unlike Cooper's where her disorder causes trouble for him but her face brilliantly shows her struggles with what she's done and what she should do, without her uttering a word. It's this kind of thing that smooths over the obvious age gap between them and has you instead just concentrate on their words and actions rather than their years.

What it manages to do is make you accept the characters because of their flaws and their incidents but not only accept them, but embrace them too. Through such moments as exactly who started the hand-holding - both believe it to be the other - and the who-is-stalking-who through jogging around the neighbourhood, both Cooper's bi-polar Pat and Lawrence's clinically depressed Tiffany create a couple that most average rom-con's would die for - a believable, grounded and "fingers crossed they make it" duo.

Like the best rom-com's (don't be confused though, this is more than a rom-com) it's not just the central characters that help events unfold or win you over. Here, some recognisable individuals step up to the spotlight and, for some of them, banish their recent "phone it in" performances - yes Mr DeNiro, you! The supporting cast help to make it feel like that you're watching friends and family trying to deal with the problems that mental health issues can cause rather than some extras wandering into the camera shot. And for those who still have hearing problems from The Fifth Element and the Rush Hour films, Tucker will be a complete surprise not unlike Cooper.

Silver Linings Playbook does concern itself with a sport - here its American Football - but just like Field Of Dreams, the sport is not important. It's something that the father (DeNiro) and the son (Cooper) can try to bridge the ever-widening gap between themselves but doesn't need you to understand the in's-and-out's of to get it all. Then throw in a dance competition that refuses to go all Hollywood and cheesy and you have a film that never dumbs down itself to bring itself into your good books - and for that it should be seen. Wonderful.

UK release date: 23.11.12
Certificate: 15

ARGO

Think back if you will, or indeed, if you can. The name Ben Affleck. Causes you to smirk? Or think "that Matt Damon did alright for himself, wonder what happened to his mate?" Who would have thought that Affleck would not only come so far, but be so good?

For indeed he has. And is. Smirking is no longer an option.

With a steady slew on films on his CV that have both won critical and financial success, Affleck is a name that evokes a feeling not too dissimilar from Eastwood's when attached to a new release with his eye behind the camera and his face infront of it. One of anticipation and expectation - afterall, The Town and Gone, Baby Gone were fantastic pieces of work so can he replicate it again?

Simply put, yes he can. However, this is not the Affleck that we've been introduced to. There is no working class, family feuding drama from the streets of either his hometown of Boston or similar. Here he has truly spread his wings with the true story of the attempt to rescue six escaped American diplomats after the fall of their Embassy before the Iranians realise that they're missing. So, "how do we like them apples?" Alot.

Right from the outset, the attention to detail, or as the main American characters are trying to do here, the attention to deception, is outstanding. For a start there's the old style Warners' logo present from the very beginning. Then the filmstock used looks like it was filmed in the 70's to the point where the distinction between original footage and new is indistinguishable. At the beginning of the film, this confusion only helps to add to the tension felt by the viewer as the Embassy staff try to remain calm and follow protocol until the point where the front doors and windows are stormed by the worked-up crowd outside. And that's even before you've gotten to the beards and the flares!

Like the beards and the flares, there's two very distinct groups here throughout Argo - the Americans securely based in their sunny climate where all is suited-and-booted (albeit with back-stabbing, own-ass-saving motives) and of course the out-of-towners where the sun doesn't necessarily shine on TV and where the background of gunfire, hostile shouts and lack of sunshine is a constant reminder and threat throughout.

With careful plotting, depiction and narrative, Affleck and co place the story into three very different and recognisable categories - the suits in the American Government (CIA, The Whitehouse etc with this years unstoppable Cranston), the Hollywood Hacks (the sublime Arkin and Goodman) and the pawns in the bigger picture in Iran (the six fugitives and their helpers including the incredulous McNairy as the "you've gotta be joking?!?!" fugitive) - each with their own tone of lighting, mood and pace. It's not until all the three start to meld together in the final 25 minutes that everything becomes blurred to the point of nail-biting, armrest-grabbing anticipation.  It's been that well thought out.

Now, the issue with all "Based On A True Story" movies is that pretty much all of them are on the edge of far-too-good-to-be-true and leave you feeling that alot must have been embellished along the way to make it into a two hour-plus film. There is only one point throughout it;s entirety when Argo feels like the screenplay writers have stepped outside the boundaries of realism to help make an entertaining movie and even then it comes across as the Grandad to the finale of Die Hard 2.

A truly gripping piece of film-making, Affleck has proven that his last two previous efforts were not flukes and that he can now stretch himself away from Boston-based family dramas and is indeed truly a force not only to be reckoned with but one to be taken note of in the future. His handling on a subject that Spielberg would have considered is a testament not only to his guts but to his glory too.

Essential and downright enthralling viewing.


UK release date: 07.11.12
Certificate: 15