HANNA

2011

DIRECTOR: Joe Wright

May Contain Spoilers!

I wasn’t really expecting much from this but boy, was I surprised. Joe Wright had seriously put me of his work with is previous film, Atonement which I felt was total rubbish, but he has redeemed himself here with a very interesting and textured thriller. The script is as smart as the direction and the subtly’s displayed throughout, especially with the top-notch performances from the entire cast and that helps to make this a real treat.

The action is first-rate, with clear post Bourne influences but still offering its own brand, whist the film’s only weakness in my opinion, was the travelogue theme, with Hanna travelling across Europe and taking everything in. Don’t get me wrong, this is half of the charm of this film, which blends action with heart and substance but at times it get a little dull, but only a little and at times.

This is defiantly how we should be making movies for the forseeable future, with multi layered narratives and attention to detail. It does seem that there is an incredibly strong wave of british talent behind the camera moving up at the moment, as Wright is standing along sides the like Christopher Nolan and the newly indoctrinated Rupert Wyatt (Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes). Hollywood can certainly stand to learn a thing or too from these guys, let alone the Bourne supremo, Paul Greengrass, whose work is certainly an influence here.

A MUST SEE even if you don’t fancy it.

YOUR PICKS WITH THE OSCARS

The Academy’s website are offering a simple and somewhat overdue feature this year. Linking with Facebook, you can now select your choices for the gongs on an easy to use and nicely presented page.

Click here for the Your Picks page.

After taking part, it seems that The Artist is going to do reasonanly well, with four, if my choices have anything to do with and Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes should receive it Best Visual Effects Oscar to make up for BAFTA favouring the decent but nothing above par effects seen in Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, Part 2.

The 84th Academy Awards take place on Sunday, 26th February.

FILM OF THE YEAR ~ 2011

So, the decision is in. The film of the year for 2011 is… (Drum roll please….)

RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, directed by our very own British director Rupert Wyatt, whose previous work includes bazaar soap opera, Hollyoaks. The film was small, a small intimate portrayal of an epic tale which is well and truly established in film lore. No-one anticipated the film’s success but it has proved that the years biggest blockbusters can and probably must have a heart.

But as usual the decision wasn’t clean-cut and there were a few honourable mentions for this, a great year in film.

In no particular order, X-MEN: FIRST CLASS was certainly considered as this was the best comic book adaptation of the year, and the best X-Men film since 2002′s X2. And even though TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON 3D was not the best in the series, it was far from the crime against cinema that many critics have suggested. Then there’s SUPER 8, J.J. Abrams’, Spielberg homage which shows not only that Spielberg was one of the best things to happen to 70′s cinema when he was in his early prime, but that there’s still a market for such quality in the mainstream.

Finally, BRIDESMAIDS set the bar high for both comedy and female led films for women. This was funny and a measured comedy in a time where “gross out” rules.

But, what didn’t make it…?

THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU, whilst being a well made and interesting Sci Fi film, its future will no doubt be a well-regarded small-time film, most likely seen at midnight and hailed as a great film that must be seen, but rarely repeated…

The finale of the Harry Potter, HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS, PART 2 3D, was a suitable conclusion to the decade long franchise but failed to ignite 2011. There was little originality or unpredictability but that’s not to discount this as a good feature. I wish that I could say the same for  THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN, PART 1. Running off the back of Harry Potter’s two-part finale, this was the biggest let down of the year.

Too many plot contrivances and dropping the details and nuances of the story so far, this, though entertaining, was not only the weakest of the series so far, but far from the best film of the year.

Overall, this has been a great year for film and 2012 promises to be even better…