Reviews by Kyle Ellis

Clint Eastwood has turned in some great performances in some great movies, these include Unforgiven, Dirty Harry, and this film The Outlaw Josey Wales. Eastwood himself gives one of his finest performances here, and he is well served by a very talented cast who turn in equally impressive performances and also the film is superbly directed.

The film looks wonderful, the production values are very meticulous and the film is beautifully shot. Jerry Fielding's score compliments the film perfectly, and the dialogue and characters are all memorable.

I must also give credit to the story. The story here for me has very rare a dull moment and, from the shocking opening sequence to the ending that appeals to me every time I see this film, is swiftly told.

Overall, great and one of Eastwood's best. 10/10 Bethany Cox

'Boyhood' has a very unique and intriguing concept, in fact there has not been a concept like it (with taking 12 years to make and being encompassed over 12 years as well). But that is not the only selling point of the film, despite what the detractors have unfairly said.

Granted, 'Boyhood' is not for all tastes, although it was almost unanimously praised by critics the IMDb reviews are much more divisive. This reviewer totally understands why people dislike, even flat out hate it, and shares some of their criticisms, and generally hates the incredibly condescending way they have been expressed, nobody who legitimately liked 'Boyhood' for perfectly valid reasons wants to feel that it is a criminal offence to like it, let alone love it.

Does this reviewer think it is quite as good as the hype and critics say? Not quite. Does she think it is a very good, conceptually daring and in some ways misunderstood film, and towards the better end of the films released in 2014? Yes. It does have its problems, it is a case of two inconsistent halves with a great emotion-filled, honest, nostalgic and richly developed first half and a second half where the pace slackens, the story meanders and there are moments of awkwardness.

Ellar Coltrane's performance is also uneven, he is excellent in the first half with a real sense of honesty and integrity, where the protagonist is much more interesting and likable, but rather stilted and not as involved in the second half. The editing is also choppy in places and although a vast majority of the performances are fantastic Lorelei Linklater is somewhat dull as Samantha and would never pass for Mason's sister.

However, aside from the editing 'Boyhood' looks very accomplished with evocative production values and is beautifully filmed. Richard Linklater directs with a real generosity and lightness of touch. The script honest, poignant, thought-provoking and sometimes harrowing, and while not everything about the story works it has a real sense of nostalgia and richly rewarding in its emotional content. Really do not agree that nothing happens, it has a long running time and is deliberate in pacing but this reviewer really loved 'Boyhood's' understatedness, sincerity and subtlety as well as its spontaneity.

Characters are interesting and developed, especially Ethan Hawke's and Patricia Arquette's. Hawke and Arquette are also the standouts in the cast, and deservedly garnered Oscar nominations which Arquette won. Arquette is particularly outstanding, with a genuine fullness of emotion and authority with no sense of over-acting or self-indulgence. Hawke also gives a compelling real performance.

In conclusion, a very intriguing and very good film. Not quite as good as it's hyped to be but it has many more merits than the detractors lead you to believe.

While the criticisms are understandable, this reviewer is having a hard time believing that there are those who cite 'Boyhood' as the worst film they've ever seen, or one of them. There are far worse out there, that are amateurishly made, ineptly directed, terribly acted and written even worse, distinctions that regardless of whether you hate it 'Boyhood belongs nowhere near in any of them. 8/10 Bethany Cox

I was in two minds of whether this animated version of Wonder Woman would work, and to my delight it absolutely did. The dialogue between the gods at the beginning wasn't as good as that of the rest of the movie, but this is not enough to hurt the movie too much. The animation is wonderful, very like Justice League but that is a good thing in my eyes, with detailed backgrounds, fluid character designs and bold and atmospheric colours. The action is well paced and compelling, and never feels choppy or flabby. The music has a cool and catchy vibe to it, while the writing is funny and witty yet intelligent and sometimes tense and the story is entertaining and suspenseful. The characters are very likable and you do identify them from the get go, the women especially the titular character are really beautiful especially. The voice acting is very dynamic and expressive. All in all, a great movie and I agree it's one of the best DC movies. 9/10 Bethany Cox

I wasn't sure about Serenity at first. I knew it was based off the brilliant TV show Firefly, and while I was interested part of me had my reservations too. Apart from a couple of exceptions I have seen a fair number of based-of-TV-show films and they haven't worked at all, the worst offenders being Dragonball Evolution, My Favourite Martian and Wild Wild West, and I remember disliking The Avengers and The Dukes of Hazzard too.

Serenity to my surprise worked wonderfully. On its own it is a fantastic film and is not a disgrace to the show. Firefly as many before me have said was amazing, and one of the worst decisions FOX ever made was cancelling it before it had the chance to blossom even more. Serenity does have a somewhat simplistic story, but it is also a well-written, intense and thrilling one that maintains the tone of the show nicely. The dialogue is often intelligent and thought-provoking too, and Joss Whedon does a great job directing the film.

The action thrills and excites, the music is clever and doesn't detract from the atmosphere and the visuals and effects are dazzling. The actors do do a credible job in connecting to their characters, who may be over-familiar perhaps in set-up but quite likable and compelling thanks to the acting and writing. Nathan Fillion especially is great.

All in all, a fantastic film both as a stand-alone and a successor to a superior but equally fantastic show. For me, Serenity is easily one of the better based-of-TV-show films I have seen. 10/10 Bethany Cox

I loved the original film, the sequels that followed were a mixed bag and I disliked Tim Burton's remake especially for the ending. I wasn't sure at first whether I would like Rise of the Planet of the Apes, but guess what? I did, very much so.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes mayn't be perfect, but it is for me one of the better movies to do with Planet of the Apes since the original and one of the better movies this year.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes for a start looks mind-blowing. Beautiful photography, striking settings and scenery and brilliant effects are plenty of reasons to like this movie, as well as the breathtaking action sequences especially the battle on the Golden Gate Bridge and emotionally powerful score.

The story is thrilling and well paced with not too much excess to interrupt the flow. Dialogue is mostly very good and thoughtful, if sometimes clunky particularly in the scenes with Franco and Pinto and one or two of the morals about Man Playing God. Rupert Wyatt's direction is excellent.

The characters are mostly engaging, though it is true that the apes are more interesting than the human characters. But Franco's character especially is given enough empathy and depth to make us care for him. Best character? Easily Caesar, not only the most interesting characters but the one I felt the most sympathy for.

Acting is very good. It is occasionally a little hammy, with John Lithgow and Brian Cox, however James Franco gives a very credible lead performance, Frieda Pinto is decent, Tom Felton is surprisingly good and Andy Serkis is just phenomenal.

Overall, a very good movie. 7.5/10 Bethany Cox

As someone who really enjoyed Rise of the Planet of the Apes, expectations were high for Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. And apart from a rushed ending and the underdeveloped human characters Dawn of the Planet of the Apes didn't disappoint and is just as good. It looks amazing for starters, the cinematography and lighting are of great beauty and atmosphere and the scenery is equally striking. But the visual highlight, and most likely the best thing about the film, are the special effects for the apes, that they look so real and that it's hard to believe they were done by computer is testament to how good they look. The soundtrack is haunting and rousing with no dirge-like tempos and it doesn't feel overbearing either, even with sound with as much authenticity as here. The script also impresses, it's very intelligently done and has a lot of tension and heart. What impressed even more was how simple and nuanced some of it was, like when the apes speak they only need to say a few words and it still feels like it's saying a lot, a couple of times even a sideways glance brings more impact than you'd think. The story takes a bigger and somewhat bolder approach than Rise of the Planet of the Apes and this is an instance of it working very well, especially with the visceral action sequences which are very tense and look terrific and in the incredibly intense and emotional final act. It's compelling stuff where you feel compassion for and identify with every step of the way with Caesar and his family. Matt Reeves' direction doesn't make the mistake of being overblown or lethargic, there is at least a sense that he knows what he's doing. The acting is solid, Jason Clarke and Keri Russell are charming leads and Gary Oldman while criminally underused still gives a spirited performances. But other than the special effects the other highlight is the characterisation of the apes, which is just superb especially for Caesar(who is by far and way the most relatable and most compelling character in the entire film), Andy Serkis never fails to amaze me. All in all a really well done blockbuster, although the human characters do not register anywhere near as well as the special effects and the apes characterisations. 8/10 Bethany Cox

My Fair Lady, loosely based on George Bernard Shaw's play Pygmalian was a film I saw recently, and I absolutely loved it, and I am 17. It wasn't just the acting, but also the overall look of the film and the music. Mind you, I saw the restored version.

The film looks exquisite, with stunning sets and truly luscious costumes. A prime example is the ballroom scene. Audrey Hepburn's dresses were also a marvel to look at. This was also helped by the superb cinematography, and the detailed direction, provided by George Cukor. The scene at the racetrack was one of my personal favourite scenes from the film. Oh, and the choreography is fabulous.

The script is witty and acerbic, with excellent scenes with the social commentary. The story is simple, but is well told, and fits the lengthy running time perfectly.

The music by Frederick Loewe is just outstanding. Asides from the costumes, the songs are ones that you hear once and never forget. Songs like I Could Have danced All Night, With a Little bit of Luck, Just You wait, Why Can't A Woman Be More Like A Man? and Wouldn't it be Loverly linger long into the memory, and are a joy to the ear. I loved the incidental music at the beginning, then again I am the sort of person who is raised on classical music, and appreciates music for what it is.

The performances also added a lot to the film; Rex Harrison was just superb as the cynical, misanthropic Professor Henry Higgins, who transforms Eliza Doolittle to the woman she is at the end of the film. The Belgian actress Audrey Hepburn is perfectly enchanting as Eliza, and Marnie Nixon provides her singing voice beautifully.(yes she was dubbed, and Audrey Hepburn is not a slut) There is solid support from Stanley Holloway and Gladys Cooper, and watch out for Sherlock Holmes actor Jeremy Brett as Freddy.

In conclusion, a truly beautiful film, that deserved all the praise it got, it is an amazing film, that is misunderstood. It is also a perfect treat for around Easter time. Honestly, for those who think it is the worst movie ever made, see something like Home Alone 4, the only film I can think of that deserves a minus rating, that's how terrible that film is. My Fair Lady gets a 10/10 from me, Bethany Cox.

I have to say I am not a fan generally of M Night Shyamalan's films, but I absolutely loved The Sixth Sense. It is a beautifully made film with an afterlife that is anything but angels and harps, and the score has lots of subtlety and atmosphere to it. The script is chilling, intelligent and poignant and the story complete with a knockout twist ending(easily the best and only wholly believable ending of Shyamalan's movies) is simplicity at its finest. Shyamalan's direction is wonderfully controlled, which is exactly what the story needed. Haley Joel Osment gives perhaps his best performance here, though he's superb in AI too, while Toni Collette plays the troubled mum very convincingly and Bruce Willis is suitably quiet and reflective. Overall, a wonderful film and Shyamalan's best by a mile in my opinion. 10/10 Bethany Cox

As said in my recent review for 'The Visit', M Night Shyamalan is one inconsistent director, with films that have fallen on both extreme sides of the film spectrum. The great films being 'The Sixth Sense' and 'Unbreakable' and the terrible films (especially) being 'The Last Airbender', 'The Happening' and 'After Earth'. It was frustrating to see a director start so promisingly and fall downhill and showing few signs of learning from his mistakes.

'Split' now replaces 'The Visit' as Shyamalan's best film since 'The Village. Neither were perfect films or were to me the returns to form often touted, both with many great things which made it more frustrating that they also had flaws big enough to stop them from living to full potential. Ranking 'Split' with the rest of the films, it's for me one of his better ones (while 'The Visit' is somewhere in the middle), not a patch on 'Unbreakable' and especially 'The Sixth Sense' but certainly better than all his previous films post-'The Village' (and that is saying volumes, due to that the least bad of his "panned" films 'Lady in the Water' was still poor).

The best thing about 'Split' is the performance of James McAvoy, who has never been creepier on film and it is a side that is just startling to watch. He has a very difficult role here, with 20+ very contrasting personalities sometimes having to change without warning quite violently and absolutely nails it in a way that one wouldn't think would expect from him. Anya Taylor Joy is more than up to his level in an enigmatic turn that combines shock, spunk and pathos. As is Betty Buckley in a sympathetic role that she does a lot with.

Production design, lighting and effects have a real eeriness that adds hugely to the atmosphere, while the cinematography is significantly better than it was in 'The Visit', having an audacious and atmospheric professionalism and not done with a technique that will alienate (and has alienated) many. The music is suitably eerie, and Shyamalan does direct more than competently in building on the scares and tension.

Apart from an ever so slightly dull beginning, much of the film up to the last half an hour is genuinely scary and suspenseful, with many twisty suspenseful turns, a sense of fun, frightening chills and contortions enough to bend the mind, more than delivering on the horror and psychological thriller elements.

However, the last half an hour does disappoint, with a revelation that while certainly not obvious (far from it, actually very much unexpected) is revealed prematurely still which does hurt the momentum and tension, horror and suspense is replaced by head-scratching confusion (in the execution that is because it did feel muddled and under-explained) and behaviours and decisions that will induce groans of frustration. Unfortunately that last personality was as far from realistic or properly scary as one could possibly get (not McAvoy's fault at all, actually he did give the needed creepiness, but what he was given which was goofy), coming over as pretty silly actually and that jarred.

Writing could have been much better, with a better and less awkward flow, the dialogue could have been less clunky and forced as well as less sloppily melodramatic. The victims also were written very lazily, constantly making stupid and illogical decisions that makes one frustrated at them rather than rooting for them.

On the whole, fairly split here. A lot of great merits but could have been better. Still one of Shyamalan's better films, just not enough to make me proclaim "he's back!" 6/10 Bethany Cox

There is no bias in any way against horror. Quite the contrary, and have always actively made an effort not to show any bias against any genre (likewise with towards too) in order to be fair-minded. Even if there are more films that aren't my cup of tea in one genre. Horror is not my favourite of all the numerous film genres, but do still highly appreciate it. It has its fair share of classics with some deservedly iconic characters but has an equal number of misfires.

Was not quite sure what to make of 'Wishmaster'. Was reasonably entertained, it will be said, and there are good things that stop it from being a mess, but would hesitate to call it a good film let alone a classic as there in my mind are a good deal of things to criticise it for. Can see why there are people who have affection for it, at the same time the easy target for criticism is understandable as things here that have been known to annoy even the most open minded of film reviewers are here. Will say though that as far as the 'Wishmaster' franchise goes, this is the best and most watchable one by quite some way from personal opinion.

Lets start with the good things. For low-budget, some aspects don't look too bad. Some of it looks reasonably slick and could tell that some effort had been made doing the special effects as some do look decent and are used creatively. The kills are also pretty inventive visually and in methods, not coming over as too predictable. The skeleton coming out the flesh was a standout in terms of memorable moments. There are moments that amuse and jolt and there is an element of affectionate nostalgia seeing horror icons Robert Englund, Kane Hodder and Tony Todd show up and not in a way that's squandered and its 1980s slasher throwback feel.

Music score may not enhance what happens, but it doesn't detract, didn't intrude or be too obvious and had its haunting moments. The best thing about 'Wishmaster' is Andrew Divoff, both fun to watch and suitably malevolent.

Did feel however that Tammy Lauren was a bit bland in the lead role and the character failed to be well developed or worth rooting for, not because she was annoying or anything but more that the character was sketchy and dull. Not all the production values are great, with some other effects being shoddy and rushed-looking and a good deal of the film has a dreary carelessly put together look. The direction isn't amateurish but doesn't really do anything special and it felt somewhat uninspired.

It's the script and story where 'Wishmaster' fares least successfully. It is very difficult keeping a straight face hearing a lot of the dialogue, which came over as excessively cheesy and stilted. The story had a promising set up and started off reasonably but then felt over-stretched too early, further suffering from a limp pace, the second half drags badly, and favouring overuse of sometimes gratuitous over-gruesome gore (that also looked cheap) over any tension and suspense, neither of which there was anywhere near of. When there is no nail-biting, palm-sweating or heart-pounding, apart from the odd jolt, there is something wrong. It wasn't stupid, intelligence insulting or unintentionally comical that were the problems, it just felt too dull and bland.

Overall, something of a mixed bag here. 5/10