The Help- A Real Surprise

The Help is quite simply a fantastic watch. I have to admit I was real surprised when I watched it as I thought it would be a boring chick flick that I as a 19 year old boy would never dream of liking but, I could not have been more wrong when I watched it.


This film is a moving adaptation of the famous novel by Kathryn Stockett "The Help". Its very rare for a big budget film to make a good adaptation of a famous novel, however The Help can be seen to go against this and really do the book justice. The film takes place in a small 1960s town in America called Jackson, Mississippi. In Jackson, Mississippi there is a clear divide of races with the white race being so dominant over the black race with the black women working for the white women and men and have to do everything they demand. The black people in this film are given the label of "the help" where of course the title of this film comes from. The white race is quite simply horrible to the help and treat them as slaves, who have to look after there kids cook there foods and clean there house while the white women go out and have lunch. The character of Skeeter, who is a white female, can be seen to go against the norm attitude of the other white women in this film as she decides that the help are treated horrible and wants to make a change to there lives and get there story across. Skeeter decides to write a book about the way the help are treated in Jackson and wants to write the book from the helps perspective.


The characters of  Aibileen Clark and Minny play the main roles of the help and really do bring a moving role to the characters and you really do begin to feel sorry for them and want them to be treated as an individual. The fact that the help have to use a separate toilet to the white people really does show how difficult times were in America in the 1960s and how wrong they were too. 


While watching this film I could not help think about my all time favourite film Shawshank Redemption while these two films are not at all similar I do think they are both a unbelievable watch. The fact that both these films don't have a lot of action with car Chase's and shootings, you cant help feel that don't matter because what both these films do so well is tell a story and take you along with it weather your a big film geek (like me). Down to the characters and the way the story is told you cant help but fall in love with it and want to be apart of it.  


Believe me even if i make this film sound crap watch it!  

I give it 9/10 
My Film of the year.

Safe House- A Safe Watch

I spent this Saturday going to the Cinema and as this another review its a tiny bit obvious that I would do so, however I went to go see the new Daniel Espinoza thriller Safe House staring Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds. While sitting there I could not help and be film geek and let my media personality come out and could not help thinking there is something about watching an action thriller on the big screen weather it be the big screen the loud surround sound which makes you feel part of the film or the popcorn and pick and mix on sale or the annoying person sitting next to you taking your arm rest. However when you put them all together it makes a memorable experience and especially when your watching a good film. 

Safe House is a fantastic watch it really is, if you look conspiracy and the CIA and lets face it who don't? then this film is for you. The plot follows a young and inexperienced agent who has the role of being a safe house watchman called Matt Weston played by Ryan Reynolds who has the task to watch over fugitive and experienced agent Tobin Frost played by Denzel Washington these two characters go on an action packed adventure which of course lands them in dangerous trouble and to wonder who can be trusted and who cant? 

I know what your thinking but Ryan Reynolds as an CIA agent? why would you want to watch this? even though only a couple of months ago Mr Reynolds was on the big screen as The Green Lantern he still managed to surprise me and produce a real hard CIA agent with a heart, performance and when he is going up against someone who has defiantly proven himself in a lot of our minds and that of course is Denzel Washington who really does play the fugitive role really well. 

This is not Just a film for the Boys but its also a film for the girls, as stated above Mr Reynolds brings a lot of heart to the character of a CIA agent which to be honest I have never really seen before in an action packed thriller. Its got romance in it so if your taking a girl out on a date then that alone will make you do well and if not the fact that countless of times he has his top off then im sure that will do just as well. 

Its an all shooter all action packed conspiracy theory thriller with the romance and feeling and to be honest I would have to say you would be crazy to miss it. If once again I have not persuaded you then take a look at the clip and make up your own mind.   

Its All About The RocknRolla

From the title you can assume that I am a fan of RocknRolla although it also might be down to the fat that its a Guy Richie film. when you watch RocknRolla its clear that this is Guy Richie at his finest a real fast action, trigger happy swearing cockney blinder.

I just watched this film and found it really good and a must see, its a classic Guy Richie film much like Lockstock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch. RocknRolla can seem to be just like the other two about drugs, guns and a lot of violence which of course makes it a good watch just because of that. However when you add a rich Russian not Roman Abramovich  to the mix things seem to get even more interesting and of course a lot more trigger happy.

The basic plot of the film is about a rich 'business man' called Lenny Cole  making a property deal with the sneaky Russians worth millions and when you add a greedy accountant, some dangerous goons and a drugged up rock star then things get a bit more interesting for Lenny and his business deal. when things don't go his way he uses his best worker Archie to sort the whole mess out although things don't seem quite that straight forward.....

If non of this has made you want to see it then I guess the fact that "its all about the money money money" will make you watch to watch it and even if that don't seem to float your boat then the fact that you have full star cast with the likes of Gerard Butler known for his roles in 300, P.S. I Love You and Law Abiding Citizen. Tom Hardy known for Warrior, Batman Dark Knight rises and Layer Cake. Tom Wilkinson known for Batman Begins, Valkyrie and The Truth can be Adjusted and of course many more famous stars.

Now im sorry if this boring review has not made you want too see it then have a butchers at the trailer.....  

 

Sport Podcast

This was the first production piece I have ever done completely by myself and the first ever podcast I have done. I had to create this sport podcast as my first piece of coursework in St Marys, I had a lot of fun editing this and for a short two minute video where not a lot happens I am really proud of this. Looking back its funny how a two minute video takes weeks to make from producing the script, learning it, filming it and editing it. I have to acknowledge my team mate Fabio who made it a funny video a fun couple of weeks. I hope you enjoy it and watch out for more videos.

I have a dream.....

"The Oscar for the best Picture goes too....." One day I want this to be me. I want to win an Oscar for making the years best film by a landslide and become one of the best directors of my time following the greats like Oscar Wilde, Hitchcock, Spielberg, Martin Scorsese what an achievement that would be. It would be even sweeter if it was for a Cartoon Picture.

However... if it goes....

"The Oscar for the best picture goes too"..... anyone else but me

Then I would be with joey and not be so happy...

(Thanks for the video) 

    

My Band....

This is my band....well it was for a day when I was filming for my A level coursework. I'm not really a music goer and to be honest I hardly listen to music but I did however have a lot of fun filming this video not just because as a band we are fantastic and Simon Cowell would be overjoyed to have us on his never ending record label and get that very prestigious Christmas number one. No its mainly because I like filming and trying to be as creative as possible in editing and getting those weird and wonderful shots plus I was a drummer for the day!!!     

Outsider: Title Sequence

Outsider was a piece of coursework I created in 2010 in college. I created it with four other people in my class, it was created as a title sequence for the conspiracy thriller genre. Outsider comes from the idea of Jason Bourne meet James bond type movie based on government conspiracy very much like the Bourne films with the evil figures that would feature in a James Bond film. I had a lot of fun both filming this title sequence both in production and pre-production. This was the first production piece I had ever created and for a first time for me and most of my production team I think we done well. Looking back I think i would have done some stuff differently but overall im really proud of it i hope you like it too and will see more films of mine one day.