THE RIOT CLUB

Basically…

Miles (Max Irons) and Alistair (Sam Clafin), two freshers at Oxford University, are invited to join the infamous Riot Club –a group of boys who are brought together through wealth, privilege and their upper class status. But as the institution’s 'dining club' go all out to live up to their reputation of foul debauchery they take things too far.

In other words…

Rich boys who think they rule the world need to wake up. 

The main men and leading ladies…

Clafin, yes the smarmy guy from The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, is even less likable here. We’re captured by his desire not to get places simply because of his brother’s name, but he loses our empathy when he abuses that position. Irons (The Host and Red Riding Hood) however, maintains our ability to at least like one character but that’s mainly because of his love story, not his backbone.

In the chair…

Danish director Lone Scherfig (An Education and One Day) received a huge boost after a successful world premier at the Toronto Film Festival when the rights were taken to show the film in America – a much bigger audience than first anticipated. 

So…? 

Based on the novel and stage play Posh by Laura Wade, this is as easy on the eye for the female viewers as it is uncomfortable on the eye at the same time. The second half of the movie takes place in one location – a small family run pub-restaurant in the middle of nowhere – and it’s at this point it begins to feel more like a stage production. It’s witty and ambitious but the unrestrained, self indulgent immoral behaviour really gets under your skin. The characters are repulsive - their expensive hair products, perfectly measured tailcoats and overpowering sense of entitlement don’t make you jealous at all – instead you’d love nothing more than to smash the glasses they're drinking from across their smug faces. But despite all of this you’re still not compelled to switch off. It was important to establish a rapport with at least one character, and Miles’ relationship with a typically working class girl keeps us on his side. This is chilling insight into the dark side of privilege and you’ll enjoy everything that’s coming to them.

Worth the money?

Only because it will prevent you from punching the TV screen, but if you have self control leave it for when it comes on the television.

WHAT IF?

Basically…

Zoe Kazan (Chantry) and Wallace (Daniel Radcliffe) become friends after meeting at a party. She has a boyfriend though, so despite them being perfect for each other the pair agree to just be friends. This in turn obviously comes with its problems.

In other words…

A modern day When Harry Met Sally.

The main men and leading ladies…

So used to playing dark characters (The Woman in Black, Kill Your Darlings) or those from a different walk of life (Horns and umm, well Harry Potter), this is an unusually upbeat and lighter role for Radcliffe which he surprisingly pulls off convincingly. Kazan (most recently seen in Ruby Sparks) is sweet, cute and extremely likable which is needed for a genre pitched at girls. 

In the chair…

Canada’s Michael Dowse is forming a cult following for his previous local success stories Fubar and Goon, but not many would have been prepared for his swing towards the romcom genre. He said he wanted to subvert the bad clichés, rather than the genre itself and he did just that.

So…?

Let’s get one thing straight. This is no comparison to 500 Days of Summer. Yes it’s warm and quirky but it’s not warm and quirky to a 500 Days level – Super Joe or no Super Joe. But in saying that it has all the ingredients of a successful and fulfilling romcom. Exploring the age old debate can men and women be just friends, it’s another stab at a popular story. It’s believable, it’s easy to relate to and there are moments of real sexual tension and chemistry between Kazan and Radcliffe. The latter being strangely endearing throughout actually, despite his wooden nature. It’s at the top end of the scale when it comes to chick flicks but it’s downfall is how much it tries to squeeze in. Too much happens (flights to the other side of the world? Really?) and there are no real surprises, but plot twists aren't really what you sign up to with a movie like What If.

Worth the money?

No romcom is worth the money unless that’s exactly what you’re after. But if it’s what you’re after then this is a stand out.

THE GUEST

Basically…

Soldier David (Dan Stevens) turns up at the Paterson family home, saying he was a friend of their son who died in battle. As someone the mum Laura (Sheila Kelley) can mother, daughter Anna (Maika Monroe) can lust after and son Luke (Brendan Meyer) can look up to, he’s a welcome addition. That is until suspicions over his identity arise.  

In other words…

Homeland moulded to fit many genres.

The main men and leading ladies…

Best known for his work in Downton Abby, Stevens manages to play the role of teen heart throb, inspirational brother, model son, suspicious trespasser and old school psycho all in the space of 99 minutes. And he masters them all admirably.

In the chair…

Adam Wingard has mainly stuck to horrors until now, and while you could say there’s a hint of continuity here, it’s also a new direction for him. And he's taken an extreme opposite in the sense the traditional scary movies, this bad guy is handsome, friendly and in your house.

So…?

The intentions of The Guest are marked early on and it’s no secret it’s trying to be sinister and stylish. It’s starts off like a chick flick – hot guy, bit of sexual tension and confrontation with the high school bullies. The it descends into  this gripping suspense thriller which leaves you on edge and outwith your comfort zone as you lose confidence in the main character. Then the third act turns it into some ‘80s horror with a vibe similar to Drive. It doesn’t achieve quite the same atmospheric chill as the Ryan Gosling movie but it is incredibly tense. So much so you never really warm to the cold and calculated David, which makes it a tough viewing considering he’s the lead role. Girls start off wanting him, guys start off wanting to be him, but that quickly fades when you realise he’s not who he says he is.

Worth the money?

Doesn’t need the cinema to work, save it for DVD.

THE INBETWEENERS 2

Basically…

Will, Simon and Neil battle their way through college while Jay lives the high life on a gap year in Australia. Or so they think until the pay him a surprise visit. The four boys end up trekking across the country following girls, drink, and most surprisingly of all, love.

In other words…

Different accents, different bumders, same four lovable idiots.

The main men and leading ladies…

We've grown to know, and love, James Buckley, Simon Bird, Joe Thomas and Blake Harrison over the last six years. Ok so they’re all old enough to have about three kids each by now but they still make you believe they’re innocent, naive teenagers with the incredible ability to make you wince at actions that all seem too far fetched, but at the same time all too plausible for them.

In the chair… 
Apart from working with Jimmy Carr, Damon Beesley and Iain Morris aren't really known for anything other than The Inbetweeners. they've worked on various TV shows together but none that have hit the dizzy heights of the fab four. The pair have confirmed there won’t be a third movie to follow this one though.

So…? 

Fortunately the chemistry between the actors and interaction of the characters are still strong enough to maintain The Inbetweeners’ popularity. Despite the tone taking an unnecessarily immature dip (even for their standards) in the waterpark, the film is actually quite funny. Unlike many comedy sequels before, this one manages to finish on a par with the first movie. It works because it’s much of the same – the humour, the characters, even the location is tried, tested and successful. The additional characters – typical gap year students – have also been cast to a tee. Especially Ben, anyone who’s went abroad has met Ben…

The third act takes The Inbetweeners to a new level though, and almost rescues the film from being “just the same old nonsense” to “that was actually a pretty good sequel”. Seeing the four boys just sitting talking to each other, without filthy humour or embarrassing situations to make the scene work, showed just how far the show has come and how much they’ve grown as characters through the years too.

Worth the money? 

Save it, this is a night in with a DVD kind of movie.

SIN CITY: A DAME TO KILL FOR

Basically…

Continuing on from the first installment nine years ago, we return to Sin City as some of the town’s toughest citizens cross paths. Based on Frank Miller’s graphic novels and heavily influenced by film noir, Nancy (Jessica Alba) struggles without Hartigan (Bruce Willis), Marv (Mickey Rourke) gets into more bother, while new characters Johnny (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and Ava (Eva Green) take on the dark, cruel town that doesn't forgive.

In other words…

Cinematic beauty in all its glory.

The main men and leading ladies…

Returning favourites Rourke, Alba, Willis and Rosario Dawson continue where their characters left off almost a decade ago while fresh faces spark new life into the community.

Super Joe continues to be perfection, Green continues to ooze sexy power while Ray Liotta does, well, he does what Ray Liotta does best. Josh Brolin meanwhile takes on the role Dwight, replacing Clive Owen.

In the chair…

Robert Rodriguez, and creator Frank Miller, waited patiently for things behind the scenes to click back into place before putting together another Sin City masterpiece. Relying so heavily on the use of green screen was rare back then, but with technology, equipment and even the acting improving over nine years, the double act made this sequel look easy. 

So…?

Some critics say this is noting more than a carbon copy of the first – it’s not – it’s a seamless continuation. And even if it was a replica of the 2005 movie, what would be the problem? Why change something so perfect? Instead of killing the franchise with an extreme change in direction, Miller and Rodriguez have taken another step closer to making it a cult classic. It’s sexy, it’s sassy and it’s uniquely liberating. A film with real punch and attitude, it’s both powerful and daring in equal measures. I challenge you to find a more aesthetically pleasing film this year as even behind the scenes, with it’s graphic novel storyboards, this production was blowing everything else out of the water. The only criticism would be the lack of emphasis on colour compared to the first one. The flashes of red from the shoes, or the ball gown were a lot more striking and memorable in the first movie, but then that may have been because it was more surprising back then.

Worth the money? 
Yes, films like this were made for cinema. 

LUCY

Basically…

Lucy (Scarlett Johansson), a traveller in Taiwan, is forced into transporting a rare and highly dangerous drug in her stomach. But when the bag opens the drug is quickly absorbed into her bloodstream, subsequently increasing her brain capacity. Exploring the notion we only use 10% of our brain, she evolves beyond human logic.

In other words…

The prequel to Under the Skin…and Her.

The main men and leading ladies…

Scarlett Johansson makes it a sci-fi treble this year, playing powerful woman that bend the rules of society. In Lucy the CPH4 drug transforms her from victim to Lady Vengeance with mind blowing intelligence. Her distance from reality continues into Under the Skin until she makes the full circle transition into a computer operating system in Her. Unfortunately these films came out in reverse order though so don’t expect the ‘Scarlett’s boxset of Intelligence’ anytime soon. Meanwhile, Morgan Freeman plays a clever man with a voice of authority – must have been a challenge for him.

In the chair…

Writer and director of Leon, writer of Taken and the brains behind Nikita, Luc Besson gifts us another no-nonsense shit-stirring thriller. He’s not made the impact on the 21^st century he would have liked until now, but with a Leon sequel high on his fans’ wish lists, he’s at least hit home with another artistic, ambitious and gutsy creation. 

So…?

Besson described Lucy by saying “The beginning is Leon The Professional, the middle is Inception, the end is 2001: A Space Odyssey.” While this shows he’s aware of how familiar his concepts are, it also emphases the bold risks he took in tying them all together. There are hints of many films in Lucy – Limitless (only Besson is adamant his script came first), The Matrix (only less of a headache) and Tree of Life (only a whole lot better). But while cutting and pasting from a number of sci-fi thrillers, what makes this experimental product work is the fact it doesn't take itself too seriously. It knows it’s ridiculous, extravagant and a bit nuts, but it still maintains a straight face throughout. That charm, mixed with its kinetic energy makes it easy to get lost in and wholeheartedly buy the concept too.

Worth the money? 
As one of the stand outs of the year, yes. 

DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

Basically…

A decade has passed since the apes broke out of the testing lab and set up camp on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge. But their freedom is threatened by a group of survivors of the resulting virus and they take them to the brink of war to determine who will emerge as the dominant species.

In other words…

Human, animal and political rights all rolled into one blockbuster.

The main men and leading ladies…

Andy Serkis has owned performance capture since his Gollum days but his depiction of Ceaser is as equally, if not even more, outstanding. Jason Clarke plays Malcolm, the James Franco role of the sequal, providing a trusty ally for Ceaser. Both have their frenemies though, Gary Oldman being well fitted to the role of Dreyfus, the no nonsense jobsworth, while Toby Kebbell hits a nerve playing Koba.

In the chair…

Director of Cloverfield and Let Me In, Matt Reeves takes over from Rupert Wyatt who walked away from the hugely anticipated sequel because of creative differences. With a darker edge he makes the franchise grittier and sets us up well for the next instalment.

Pic: Reuters

So…?

It’s a sign of the times, and possibly Andy Serkis, that a film about talking apes rising to power is such a popular concept and taken so seriously. But while it’s hugely gripping and entertaining, Dawn also acts as a reminder that sadly war is the default solution to life’s problems. A challenge should be faced with a sensible head, but evidently as soon as guns enter the fray, things turn nasty. The special effects are excellent, the character depth is moving and with an even blend of action and a heartfelt storyline, we yet again find our sympathies lying with the apes. Tender, tense and morally complex, it entertains at a brain-dead level as well as ask deeper questions and leave a lasting impression long after you’ve left the cinema. Surely in with a shout for some Oscars?

Worth the money?

Yes, yes and yes again.