Cloud Atlas (2012)

Take six fantastically written short films, lace them all into each other intricately and fit it all into 3 hours and you have the biggest "look what I can do!" movie of all time.

Cloud Atlas follows six individual stories, spanning six time periods (past, present and future) with six different protagonists whose stories influence the next persons in the minuscule yet important ways.

The intricacies of which all the stories of Cloud Atlas are interwoven are near unfathomable, "blink and you'll miss them" moments that effect the characters, the story, the setting, the audience, sometimes multiple or even all of these elements are affected. Some write books for the future protagonists, some have their lives turned into biographical films and one even ascends to become the religious figure from which future generations draw all hope. We have films in modern times that appeal to those with the attention span of a fruit-fly, to those incapable of understanding that more than one character can have a story and so the industry caters to it, leaving everyone but the protagonist under-developed, amassing an army of side characters that are just shadows against a wall. Cloud Atlas takes the audience by the collar and states "witness the beauty of time, of humanity, feel these stories resonate in your soul and don't leave a single one of them forgotten or else you don't deserve to know the rest".

Cloud Atlas is also the perfect canvas and opportunity for the cast as each of the main ensemble inhabit multiple roles, each with their own particular patterns and behaviour. From Sci-fi to period drama, comedy to thriller, an immense range of potential is presented to them and each of them fits their turn as the protagonist perfectly. Tom Hanks speaks the broken yet evolved language of the Valleymen with such ease and familiarity that it could be his first language, Ben Wishaw portrays a love and passion for his partner and the medium of music that is seldom seen in any modern dramas, Jim Broadbent brings classic comedy up to the level of the Sci-fi epics as it competes hilariously for the audience's admiration, Hugo Weaving brings his masterful presence to multiple villains of the film, once again proving his expertise in the categories of intimidation and fear. These and so many more members of the cast prove their true range and the ability to have a single actor tell a dozen stories. 

With a film like Cloud Atlas having to juggle so many scenarios at once, there easily could've been short-comings or sacrifices during production but the environments, the props, the costumes the make-up, all of these elements were incredibly done to a level where you would think the six stories were six full budget films, all competing against each other for the Oscars, thus pushing their creative efforts above and beyond what they could've been left at. The make-up especially, changing men to women, white to asian, young to old, hair and beards of all sizes and colours, whilst maybe controversial amongst some audiences, it is purely a showcase of the abilities of these great artists.

Cloud Atlas is a behemoth of a film to try and analyse in completion but I'll leave it at this; in order to learn about working with the medium of film and the method of telling a story, watch this film, follow every story, notice every character, for within this film lies the examples for all others.

4.5/5 - The energy of the universe contained in a single speck. 

 

Only The Brave (2017)

Truly a tale of brothers, fathers, husbands, firefighters but above all, heroes.

Only The Brave follows the rise and fall of the original "Granite Mountain Hotshots"; a forest fire-fighting crew who heroically saved the county of Yarnell, Arizona in 2013 but in turn, lost their lives in the blaze. All apart from young recruit, Brendan McDonough (Miles Teller), who survived to tell the tale of some of the bravest men in America.

One of the key story elements that really connects the audience to the Granite Mountain Hotshots is the camaraderie between them, the deep friendship that is performed so fantastically and is so easily believed from start to finish, so much so that I wouldn't be surprised if the cast spent some extra months prior to filming just to become friends. I really think this film did the memory of those men a lot of justice in showing how the ties of friendship can transcend anything and sometimes save someone as much as fighting the fire around them. A perfect example is the story of Brendan McDonough, who drug-fuelled adolescence was turned around when Eric Marsh (Josh Brolin) and the hotshots took a chance on him.

Josh Brolin provides an incredible lead for this film as the veteran firefighter, Eric Marsh, whose experience and knowledge honed his crew into a legendary team. He portrays this leader brilliantly whilst also displaying the troubles Marsh was facing at the time with respect and a true feeling of pain as he suffered through a troubled marriage, a fierce anger problem and the constant stress of the job he sacrificed everything for.

Another notable factor is the cinematography and camera work. The sweeping landscape shots over the vast green valleys give such a feeling of complete freedom, this then completely reversed in similar shots of engulfing flame and blackened hills, they really make you feel the devastation of the forests, like surveying a huge scar across the land. This switch is actually addressed within the film as Eric Marsh speaks to his crew and all the new members, stating that they should appreciate the landscape while they can because as soon as you're in the hotshot life "There's only one thing you're gonna be able to see and that's fuel". The wider shots aren't the only impressive ones though, the close-ups of the crew, perfectly crafted and framed, display a wealth of emotions throughout the film; painful moments, moments of joy, moments of unending fear. All of these feelings pushed against you so deeply that you feel as if you're on their shoulder, feeling it right there with them.

Something commendable that has gone unseen is the brilliant way Only The Braves weaves exposition into it's story. Not only is it subtle, completely validated and intricately placed, all the information the audience is given about how forest fire fighting works is necessary but sometimes not fully explained and that isn't a bad thing. The best example of this is the repeated mention of "working structure", the details of which are never explained but's implied that "working structure" is a different form of fire fighting that is much safer and less demanding than being a hotshot, so now we know that whenever it is mentioned, it completely natural for the characters to treat it as taboo or as a betrayal, mainly as that's where the Granite Mountain Hotshots kept losing members of their crew before being certified. This method of expositional writing is superb as it keeps all unnecessary information out and keeps obvious informing of the audience to a minimum, resulting in them learning as much as they need to about the job of a hotshot without feeling like they're being treated like an idiot.

In Summary, Only The Brave is a film that, above all, represents respect; for the job, for your friends, for the audience and for the memories of the Granite Mountain Hotshots.

5/5 - Fighting fire with fire.

Loving Vincent (2017)

It isn't often you can stop during a film and still keep appreciating what you're seeing.

Loving Vincent follows Armand Roulin (Douglas Booth), a young man who is tasked with delivering the last letter of Vincent van Gogh (Robert Gulaczyk), but upon arriving in Auvers-sur-Oise, Armand discovers a mystery surrounding Vincent's last days and decides to investigate how he really died.

The intention's of this film are to obviously showcase and pay homage to the abilities and life of Vincent van Gogh, but whilst perfectly achieving those goals, it goes above and beyond to create a fantastic piece of mystery drama that is enhanced by the medium. All the motion, the characters, the landscapes are all enhanced by Van Gogh's specific style, all the camera work that has been replicated is brilliantly reconstructed by the artists whilst also encapsulating the unmistakable feeling of movement that was captured in a lot of Van Gogh's work.

The stunning thing about Loving Vincent is that there aren't specific areas of the film that use this "gimmick", it's the entire way through, no expense spared and it's proven completely by pausing it. Any other film, you'd see an interesting frame or set piece, pause it and more than likely see motion-blur, a drop in quality or it suddenly become less enticing by ridding it of it's movement, it's life. Leaving the only option of enjoying it any further is to look behind the scenes and lose all immersion. You stop Loving Vincent, at any point, any given second and you're presented with a beautiful piece of art, lovingly created by someone who understood Van Gogh, who appreciated his work above all others and has spent hours, days, maybe even weeks crafting a single frame to pay homage to him and honour his memory.

As I mentioned before, this isn't just a basic story used to display the artwork, this really is a compelling film, an intriguing mystery that hasn't come to light in cinema before and compels the viewer to investigate into the life of Vincent van Gogh, if not simply inspired by the artwork. It delves deeper into the supposed "madness" that he's constantly tied to, it portrays it as a sickness, a pain that came from nowhere and was forever a hindrance for Van Gogh, thus painting a portrait of modern views on mental health and the struggle of anyone who experiences the many veins and avenues a broken mind can take.

All in all the key thing about Loving Vincent is depth; the depth of the craft, the depth of the themes and the depth of love and adoration that everyone involved in making it had for Van Gogh himself.

5/5 - Beautiful, in so many senses.

Sully: Miracle on the Hudson (2016)

The real heroes aren't robots, aliens or made in a lab, they're the ones who know exactly what to do to save everyone they can.

Directed by the legendary Clint Eastwood, Sully: Miracle on the Hudson tells the true story of Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger; an American airline pilot who landed flight 1549, full of 155 passengers, on the Hudson River after a devastating bird strike at 2,800ft and the legal investigation he faced following the event.

The story of Sully: Miracle on the Hudson touches on the familiar arc of "Hero VS The Law"; Yes, Sully saved all those people but was the landing necessary? And if not, did he endanger everyone's lives?
The strong moral angle on the side of Captain Sullenberger automatically puts the audience in support of him but rather than leave it at that basic conflict, Eastwood decides to show the inner turmoil of our hero, the early stages of Sully's PTSD and his constant questioning of himself as everyone seems to be against him, even computer simulations say he could've landed safely at two different airports. We're shown this crippling mental and emotional ordeal through visual representations of what Sully thinks would've happened if he'd turned back for the airports, all of which ended in fiery climaxes in the centre of New York City.
Having the audience know this, as well as his calm behaviour when being questioned, completely brings into reality how experienced Sully was at that point and that he doesn't see himself as a hero, just as a pilot following standard protocol, he just carried out his part in saving those people in a way he'd always practiced for, just never under such extreme circumstances.

Hanks delivers another astounding performance in the lead role, carrying such a heavily emotional performance under the subtlety and control of someone like Captain Sullenberger. By far the strongest scene in the entire movie is the so-called "Can we get serious now?" scene, in which Captain Sullenberger confronts the officials about the simulations being inhuman, unrealistic and incorrect, the calm tone Hanks keeps when performing this scene has more resonance that someone screaming in defiance about suspected wrong-doings, his stern confidence and intelligence destroys his opposition with well-worded questions and belief that no-one outside that plane could possibly comprehend what happened. The abilities of an actor like Tom Hanks have always impressed and considering he's still going strong into 2019, I'm looking forward to what he brings to the table next.

Of course with Sully being the base for the entire film, there aren't really any pivotal characters outside of him but there are a few key moments in which the supporting cast really shine. Moments like the midnight walk between Captain Sullenberger and his co-pilot Jeff Skiles (Aaron Eckhart) in which they talk about how surreal their situation seems to be, how ridiculous "counselling" sounds and the fact that they're going to be interviewed by David Letterman. That scene once agian grounds these characters in reality, they're reacting to a situation not like heroes or movie-stars, they're real people.

With Heroic stories being swallowed up by the media everyday, buried underneath tabloid nonsense about celebrity diets, royal babies and the hottest new make-up trends, I can only hope that more awareness comes out in films like Sully: Miracle on the Hudson, so that we can celebrate the world's true inspirations instead of the tedious and undeserving ones.

5/5 - No cape and costume necessary.

The Spy Who Dumped Me (2018)

You know when the CIA ruins your romantic life? Relatable right?!

The Spy Who Dumped Me follows Audrey (Mila Kunis), a young woman who's boyfriend, Drew (Justin Theroux), who is secretly a spy, has recently broken up with her with via text. Unfortunately for her and her best friend Morgan (Kate McKinnon), they are now being pursued across Europe by the CIA and the Russian Mafia.

There are many different examples of films that approach the Spy genre with a comedic twist, be them more British slapstick like Johnny English, or more action packed like Central Intelligence, there are plenty of different angles to approach spoofing Spy films, but The Spy Who Dumped Me takes the reoccurring "Not a spy so I don't know what I'm doing" character and doesn't pair them up with a professional, instead now there's two of them and it's even more hilarious because instead of being told a bunch of secret agent lingo when we don't know what's going on, we just have to stick with Audrey and Morgan, guess our way through and assume the calamity that ensues is just regular circumstance.

Kate McKinnon does a fantastic job of carrying the comedy. Morgan is a perfect example of a regular British television character; The quirky best friend. Which in most instances results in some near-insane person dressed in bright colours and dungarees. However, even with McKinnon's random outbursts hilariously making fun of the Spy genre, I think the comedy could've landed a lot more consistently if the jokes focused more on the background of these two "inseparable" friends, instead of trying to force some really confusing joke characters, like the Russian assassin/gymnast/model person. Some of the funniest moments of the film had Audrey and Morgan referencing their past and hyping each other up, this is supposed to be a buddy movie right? This film also uses some more Meta humour in how exposed the two girls are to all the danger, to which they then reference cliche's and tropes from the genre itself. A perfect example of this is when Audrey and Morgan first meet Wendy (Gillian Anderson), the supposed Head of the CIA and Morgan claims that she is "the boss and has not sacrificed one ounce of femininity", obviously referencing characters like M from the James Bond franchise.

There are some more apparent downfalls though. For all the comedy injected by McKinnon, the sub-plots and little romantic moments involving Kunis, Theroux and the new handsome Spy, Sebastian (Sam Heughan) all kill the momentum of the film and just revert a thrilling, hilarious action-comedy to an honestly boring romance story that didn't need to be there. If they wanted to push more drama into the story, which I think is completely unnecessary, they could've just tested the relationship between the protagonists, creating situations that attempt to jeopardise their friendship but only prove to strengthen it.

All-in-all, The Spy Who Dumped Me provides another chapter in the Spy-Spoof genre but it presents a lot more opportunities for growth within the genre, unfortunately without already perfecting those or even providing a consistently great example but they've definitely given the creative community an idea to work with.

3.5/5 - Kate McKinnon interrupts a romantic-comedy with "Antics".

Disney's Christopher Robin (2018)

Want see Winnie The Pooh get the same adaptive treatment as Hook? ME TOO!

Disney's Christopher Robin follows, funnily enough, Christopher Robin (Ewan McGregor). 30 years on from his last adventure in the hundred-acre wood, he now heads up the efficiency department for a luggage company, fun right? He also has a loving wife (Hayley Atwell) and daughter (Bronte Carmichael) who are hating seeing him waste away working to the bone. At the same time, Winnie the Pooh (Jim Cummings) seems to have misplaced his friends and decides to put an end to his 30 years of boredom as he ventures out to find Christopher Robin for a long awaited playtime.

For a generation of children being hypnotised and bombarded with bright, flashing colours, loud, shouted dialogue and stories based around food fights or ridiculous pranks, Disney's Christopher Robin proves to be a delightfully simple adaptation of the original stories of the hundred-acre woods. It's easy on the story enough to warrant being described as "a film for small children" but it's calm, caring and harks back to an era of where children still appreciated their teddy, instead of being stuck in a phone, which is arguably going to test their problem solving skills but this is more about a child's comfort, their social skills and generally just having a friend, be it human or not.

Whilst not the original 1977 voice of Winnie the Pooh, Jim Cummings who has voiced both Pooh and Tigger since 1988, fantastically adapts himself to taking Pooh into the real world and actually into London, spreading joy and carefree notions throughout the film that give the impression of a curious child that is accidentally the wisest in the room. Alongside this is Ewan McGregor's delightful portrayal of a man re-discovering his innocence, greatly displaying the transition from stiff, no-nonsense working man to a care-free, excitable playmate who's more than happy to fend off Heffalumps and Woozles.

Bronte Carmichael is by far the star of the show though. Considering Disney's Christopher Robin is all about re-discovering innocence, the secondary story of Madeline wanting a loving father back instead of a financial provider, really pushes the boundaries of what a child viewing this film can really be taught. As Christopher Robin regains innocence, Madeline regains her father's passion to be involved in her life properly and with such a pure lesson that you couldn't miss even if you were blindfolded, I believe that the children in the audience go away appreciating family, instead of thinking how funny a peanut can be.

In summary, the simple nature of Disney's Christopher Robin makes it all the more powerful. Family films can pull on the heartstrings in so many ways and this film is a perfect combination of homage to old stories and a new generation's introduction to some of the cleverest and most wonderful characters in literature.

4/5 - Is anyone else missing their teddy?

Last Flag Flying (2017)

With the world full of war and cold technology, it's easy for the people to slip through.

Last Flag Flying follows Marine Veterans Larry 'Doc' Shepherd (Steve Carrell), Salvatore 'Sal' Nealon (Bryan Cranston) and Reverend Richard Mueller (Laurence Fishburne) as they journey across America to collect Larry's son, who whilst also serving as a Marine has died in combat and is being taken home for his funeral. Over the journey, we discover the damaging and yet bonding past of these three friends.

The amount of topics covered is Last Flag Flying is astonishing. Doc, Sal and Mueller spend two hours talk about hard-hitting topics like service in the military, religion, alcoholism, old-age, politics, race and even music. Each one is explored in personal relevance to the characters and in either deep, dramatic tones or with genius, comedic writing, the combination of which results in the feeling of talking around a table with immensely close friends, the respect is immeasurable.

Steve Carrell's performance as Doc carries such weight, you desperately want to reach through the screen to comfort him. It's also amazingly real as it covers the confused desperation of a father when he sees his dead son for the first time, to the cold, quiet sadness when he's burying him. Cranston and Fishburne aren't far behind, embodying what seems to be an inventive take on the little Angel and Devil on Doc's shoulders, but instead of good and evil, it's now Doc's desperation to cling to some sort of faith, embodied by Mueller literally speaking the word of God, as well as the ugly truth, real-world pessimism and depression manifested in the alcohol fuelled Sal, who is in constant denial of any negativity in his life whilst constantly bringing up how crappy the situation is. Doc has the least amount of dialogue of the three but we never feel he's not taking part as everything the Sal and Mueller are saying is being carefully intended to try and help their friend. These three are a perfectly balanced triangle of friendship and support.

With the industry taking a view of war that is either a constantly exploding action film of hardened soldiers with endless ammo or a dramatic, depressive episode of death and loss, I think Last Flag Flying with it's combination of respectful quiet moments and hilariously funny banter between friends, it represents a true grieving process, surrounded by friends who know what you're going through but aren't afraid to forget the empty apologies and just help you face it.

4.5/5 - Support your troops, support their families.

Samurai Gourmet (2017)

If you don't already enjoy good food, this show will teach you how!

Samurai Gourmet follows Takeshi Kasumi (Naoto Takenaka), a man in his later years who has just begun his retirement. With his workaholic, desk life gone, he is left to fill the time with a craving for culinary adventures. Unfortunately for Takeshi, he is very shy and afraid to try new things, thus he seeks the help of an imaginary Samurai (Tetsuji Tamayama), who teaches him how to be confident and how to enjoy the life he's been missing out on. 

There is heartwarming, there is beyond heartwarming and then there is the realm of Samurai Gourmet. This series relates to the soul and gives a warm, relaxing glow to anyone watching, be it with a cold beer on hot day, grilled fish that reminds you of a beach holiday or even some fried snacks from your childhood. Each episodes tackles an experience with a restaurant or a food establishment that isn't legendary, they're not michelin star, they're just familiar and comfortable but when visited at the right time, can form a memory that will last forever.

The first episode, "Mid-day beer at a restaurant", completely encapsulates the aims of the series. We're introduced to Takeshi and his new boredom overload, he attempts to rid himself of this feeling, as everyone does, by taking a walk. He soon discovers a small restaurant for lunch but questions having a beer in the middle of the day, very refreshing but surely it's irresponsible? But with his new freedom from the daily workload, he's free to expel the heat of the day with a cool, crisp beverage. It's in these little moments that Samurai Gourmet draws it's inspiration. Whereas other food shows may draw pleasure from eccentric gimmicks or expensive once-in-a-lifetime experiences, Samurai Gourmet meets the audience where they live and show them how to enjoy an everyday meal out.

Although Samurai Gourmet may not demonstrate groundbreaking production values or a star-studded cast, I believe that really lends itself to what they're trying to achieve. By giving an experience that's as close to realistic visually, you can enjoy every meal like it's right in front of you, the same with the music, it's used purely to enhance the experience Takeshi is enjoying, but to levels that similarly still feel realistic. With the amount of over-the-top shows about the supernatural and superhuman currently filling the channels and streaming sites, something like Samurai Gourmet is greatly appreciated as something that provides easy viewing, no over-complicated stories and a boost to the audience's outlook.

I believe the overall lesson of Samurai Gourmet is to enjoy the time we have and appreciate the little things rather than simply struggle for the big things.

4/5 - Tasty little morsels of freedom.

The Man from U.N.C.L.E (2015)

Guy Ritchie directs Superman in a suit and an angry Russian versus Nazi's? Yes please!

The Man from U.N.C.L.E follows an American Cia Agent, Napoleon Solo (Henry Cavill) as he teams up with with KGB agent Illya Kuryakin (Armie Hammer) to attempt to foil Nazi plans to build nuclear weapons during the Cold War.

Guy Ritchie absolutely blows it out of the park again with this fantastically constructed, artistic masterpiece of a film. The action is intense, the comedy is hilarious and the characters blend so perfectly that you'd think that the story had 47 years to be perfected . . . wait a minute.

Joking aside, The Man from U.N.C.L.E compliments Ritchie's action/comedy style perfectly, giving him tons of opportunities to turn the Spy Movie genre into more than just car chases and bomb countdowns, now there is personality, dialogue, actual people behind the guns and they are a thrill to watch. Moments in the film really challenge the pace of the Spy and Action genres, more specifically when Illya is being pursued by security in boats whilst driving his own boat around in a sealed lake. We see the explosions and quick shots of Illya doing some extreme boating, but most of the scene is taken by Napoleon eating lunch in a truck, overlooking the lake, listening to classical music, fresh from being thrown from Illya's boat. This fascinating take on a scene's pacing does so much; it allows the audience to enjoy the action, they can laugh at the absurdity of Napoleon casually eating lunch surrounded by explosions and they can actually be relaxed instead of constantly thrown about in quick camera cuts and vehicle flips.

Cavill and Hammer perform fantastically together, the well-timed and precisely drafted dialogue is further enhanced by Cavill's execution of the signature cockiness and pride Napoleon Solo embodies, alongside Hammer's rich depth of character and steadily-paced performance as Illya. With this comes the ever seductive, if a bit rough around the edges, Gaby (Alicia Vikander). In order to outweigh all the testosterone being thrown about, Gaby, the West German mechanic, manages to provide a menagerie of different elements of the film; a window for the audience, a powerful female lead character, a weakness for the two male leads and a whole world of humour for herself.

I believe that having Guy Ritchie direct a Spy film really boosts both the genre and the style of the director. With Ritchie's classic "Scene then reveal" scenarios in which he plays the scene regularly, then has a character run through what was "really happening" afterwards, revealing the true plan, it perfectly fits as opposed to a film like King Arthur: Legend of The Sword, in which it feels overly stylised, it still worked as a charming artistic technique but having Napoleon Solo cockily explain his victory to the antagonist over the radio, it's a hark back to classic gentlemen spies, which proven by Kingsman, people very much enjoy.

Overall, The Man from U.N.C.L.E pays homage to it's original series, tests the waters for new Spy films and puts Ritchie's skills on display once again, without the use of British Gangsters.

4.5/5 - A well-tailored film for a well-tailored viewer.

The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

All movies are chosen for you, from a pile of "Stuff".

The Devil Wears Prada follows Andy (Anne Hathaway), a young woman who aspires to become a journalist but due to her failing career position, begrudgingly takes a job as the 2nd assistant to Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep), the editor-in-chief of "Runway" fashion magazine and the most influential name in fashion. Andy soon learns that the world of fashion, which previously alluded her, is more powerful than she ever thought possible. Through hellish trials set by Miranda, as well as her 1st assistant Emily (Emily Blunt), Andy transforms into an expert of the fashion world but in doing so, jeopardises her friends, her love and ultimately, her integrity.

For some reason, I put off watching this film for a long time but now that I've seen it, I more than regret avoiding it. It's overwhelming lessons of self-image, passion and hard work deeply resonate with anyone who has ever struggled with the workload of achieving their career goals. Both Miranda Priestly and Andy Sachs stand as points of reference as to what you can achieve given determination, sacrifice and unwavering confidence in your abilities.

The unsung hero of this film however is Stanley Tucci and his incredible performance as Nigel, a key member of Miranda Priestley's staff. Throughout the film, Nigel is seen as "the wiseman", "the shaman" that directs Andy on a path to discovery and improvement by simply reminding her of the truth; she's not good enough . . . yet. His transformation from condescending fashion expert to passionate mentor and then to caring friend, it's the films second story that would more than a suit being the primary tale of the film.

The transformation of characters in The Devil Wears Prada doesn't limit itself to simply changing their opinions on the protagonist, throughout we see Miranda Priestly as a cold-hearted, ruthless boss who demands the near impossible of Andy, only to be continuously upstaged by Andy's determination to impress and deny Miranda the superiority she constantly craves. This easily means the audience puts her in the firm position of the despised antagonist, which works for the story but we then proceed beyond that, we see moments of weakness with Miranda in her home life, exposing the fact that she's not just abusing her power like the audience assumes, she's actually working harder than most to uphold the magazine and maintain her title that means so much to so many people.

The Devil Wears Prada also demonstrates a fantastic use of language; tailoring words and phrases around the situations to completely warp meaning and intention. A perfect example of this is the pain felt by the audience when Andy's boyfriend says she "looks really pretty". Normally, this would be a genuine compliment but now, because of the transformation that Andy has undertaken, it symbolises the social and romantic life she is sacrificing for a seemingly superficial endeavour, proven by the improvement in her appearance.

The Devil Wears Prada delves deep into what it means to succeed and it's a lesson that a lot of people need reminding of. Determination is, above all, the most powerful weapon you can wield, or in this case, wear.

4.5/5 - You'll never go wrong with this on your shelf.

Dinosaur (2000)

Dinosaurs can be both friendly and free range, Spielberg!

Dinosaur follows an adolescent Iguanodon named Aladar (D.B Sweeney), who after being stolen as an egg, is raised by a family of lemurs (Alfre Woodard, Ossie Davis, Hayden Panettierre).After a cataclysmic event caused by a meteorite, Aladar and his family are forced to join a large variety of other herbivores on a trek across the desert to find “The Nesting Grounds”, an oasis for all herbivores. All this while being hunted by a pair of blood thirsty Carnotaurs, vicious carnivores bent on devouring the entire herd.
Dinosaur tackles a story of love and respect that a lot of other “Kids films” in the sense that it injects a lot of fear and overpowering situations into it’s story that enforces the morals that were obviously initialised in the early stages. The focus on the opposing force against the lesson they were trying to teach about friendship and love, it makes it much stronger than simply saying it in obvious exposition for the audience. Scenes like the Carnotaur attacks, the meteorite strike and Bruton's (Peter Siragusa) sacrifice, they all use the success of the antagonistic elements to further strengthen the successes of the protagonists throughout the film.
The use of militant characters like Kron (Samuel E.Wright) and Bruton supplies the story with another antagonistic force that isn’t simply villainous, it actually provides an obstacle to overcome that is rare to see in most modern Disney films that simply present a “Good VS Evil” dynamic that feels repetitive, most of these films featuring a “Disney Princess”. With Kron having a "Sacrifice everything for the mission" attitude and Bruton sharing that mentality until he witnesses the sacrifice first-hand, the audience sees that change within seemingly immovable objects can happen and will happen if you try hard enough.
It also boasts a cast that perform the parts incredibly, all fitting the roles with ease and carrying their characters with the realism and emotion that modern films lack, due to the studios wanting “Bigger names”. Gone are the days of actual animated characterisation, we are now in an age of recognisable names and celeb selling points. Alfre Woodard has often been a reference point for me when watching films with mother characters, especially in animated films, as she performs so fantastically and is constantly bringing a warmth that provides hope for Aladar and the audience in the darker areas of the movie.
At such an early stage in Disney’s exploration into 3D animated films, Dinosaur boasts a wealth of stunning visuals an animated feats that, again, a lot of modern CGI struggles to keep up with. Just five years after Disney's first 3D animated feature; Toy Story, Dinosaur carries the level that Toy Story started, with incredible reptilian designs, jaw-dropping landscapes and specific shots that would've honestly scared a lot of other companies at the time.
In an industry saturated by merchandising opportunities, Dinosaur represents a much needed look back at the earlier stories focused on characters and actual emotion, rather than loop-able soundtracks and promotable actors. 4.5/5 - We cannot let this beautiful creature go extinct.