The Hunger Games (2012) // dir. Gary Ross

Lawrence and Hutcherson prove that the odds are ever in their favour.

Based on Suzanne Collins' best-selling novel; The Hunger Games is set in a post-apocalyptic world. North America (now called Panem), has been separated into 12 dystopian districts and the Capitol, the tyrannical hub of Panem. In an effort to maintain oppressive governmental control following an unsuccessful uprising, a teenage boy and girl from each district is unwillingly chosen to partake in the Capitol's annual Hunger Games; a live televised event in which each of the 12 districts fight to the death. All of the focus is on the impoverished district 12, where Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) makes Hunger Games history by volunteering to take her sisters place as "tribute" in the 74th annual games. Joined by male tribute Peeta (Josh Hutcherson), the pair head to the Capitol for survival and fighting training in preparation for the imminent games. When they finally head into the arena, The Hunger Games really hits its stride, becoming a tour-de-force of slow-build excitement. Ross' use of handheld, shaky camera shots enabled the viewer to empathise with Katniss' struggle, whilst simultaneously adding a 'fight-or-flight' style of urgency to her situation. In order to retain its 12A certificate, The Hunger Games tends to leave the grisly violence to the imagination, opting to focus on the impact of the violence and the tension between the tributes, as opposed to a Battle Royale style bloodbath. The Games' opening ceremony aside, the film keeps its integrity intact with its distinct lack of cheesy moments. Although evidently aimed at a particular age-group, it is surprisingly mature without patronising its audience, presenting itself as a cut above other "teenage" films. Even Katniss and Peeta's inevitable love story does not undermine the film; acting as a catalyst which has the potential to be (and is) manipulated by the Hunger Games dictators, or even the pair themselves. Lawrence, as the films heroine, is entrusted with the task of carrying the weight of the film upon her shoulders, and she does so with an almost gladiatorial quality, acting as the glue holding it all together. She is flanked by fellow newcomer Josh Hutcherson, whose performance is a little wooden at times, but is very likeable as Peeta. Also, look out for veteran's Donald Sutherland, and Stanley Tucci, who is on brilliantly evil form.

It has successfully paved the way for the forthcoming sequels (Catching Fire and Mockingjay), but independently, The Hunger Games stands out as a highly entertaining, grown-up film.

Badlands (1973) // dir. Terrence Malick

Sheen and Spacek attempt to outrun the law in Malick's debut feature.

Inspired by the Starkweather-Fugate killings of the 50's, Badlands follows young lovers; Kit (Martin Sheen), a desensitised and reckless James Dean wannabe, and Holly (Sissy Spacek), an impressionable girl absorbed in the literary fantasies she constantly reads. After Kit's fatal shooting of Holly's disapproving father (Warren Oates), the couple flee into the surrounding South Dakotan badlands. With an increasing body count, the couple detach themselves from society and live a life of solitude until the inevitable final showdown. Badlands, on the surface, resembles a less savvy version of 1967's Bonnie and Clyde. But beneath the lovers on the lam exterior, it is a wholly different affair. In terms of plot and characters, Badlands is a very minimalist and simplistic film. The story, told almost exclusively by Spacek's voiceover, tends to float along at an even pace and seemingly keeps in tune with the deserted South Dakotan backdrop. The character development is similarly uncomplicated. Badlands boasts a cast of very few characters who (bar Kit and Holly) are elaborated upon very little, beyond inadvertently acting as accessories to Kit's nonsensical crimes. The performances are relatively emotionless; from their naive and often childlike relationship, to the added pathos of Spacek's fanzine-style commentary that glosses over the brutality of their crimes - it all adds to the theme of disconnectedness. But where Badlands truly outshines its 1967 counterpart, is through Malick's poetically visual style of filmmaking. The use of endless, panoramic horizon shots gives it a relaxed and dreamlike feel, whilst subsequently acting as a metaphor for Kit and Holly's isolation. However, for some, this may be seen as a weakness. Instead of the couple's crimes being dealt with so casually, sometimes you feel it might benefit from a bit more action, and a little less focus on the mise-en-scene - after all, it is based on a real life killing spree.

Badlands isn't just a pretentious Bonnie and Clyde rehash; it is artistic and evocative, and has definitely earned its understated, yet iconic status.

War Horse (2011) // dir. Steven Spielberg

Spielberg tugs at the heartstrings with this equine centric World War I epic.

Based on Michael Morpurgo's 1982 novel, War Horse centres around Joey; a seemingly untameable horse bought at auction by the Narracott family for an extortionate price. From this point on, the Narracott's son, Albert (Jeremy Irvine), devotes all his time to training Joey thus forming a strong, unbreakable bond with him in the process. In order to pay off his debts to landowner Lyons (David Thewlis); Albert's father, Ted (Peter Mullan) sells Joey to Captain Nicholls (Tom Hiddleston) on the promise that he will be returned to the family following the end of the war. War Horse is full to the brim of typical Spielberg cheese, who adorns every emotional scene with an incessant and over-the-top musical score - which in turn, tends to devalue the story. It is also in parts, predictable, particularly the unsurprising 'happy ending', which feels a little unrealistic and contrived. The cast is packed with well known faces of British cinema (e.g. Tom Hiddleston, Benedict Cumberbatch, David Thewlis), but due to their small, low key roles, they don't really add another dimension to the film, and are generally overshadowed by the horses and the realistic CGI. The major strong point of the film, and is indicative of Spielberg, is the incredible camerawork, really capturing the beauty of the picturesque Devonshire setting with endless landscape shots. The scenes of war, although not up to the gritty realism of Saving Private Ryan, are Spielberg's strong suit and really create an atmosphere of a real World War I battle. Another strength is War Horse's accessibility; it is an inoffensive family film with a feel-good atmosphere, that can be enjoyed (and cried at) by all generations - even if it doesn't quite match up to the standards of E.T and Jurassic Park.

Less of the war and more of the horse, Spielberg offers up a crowd pleasing war tale packed with cheesy, yet endearing (and sometimes emotional) moments.

Milk (2008) // dir. Gus van Sant

Penn flexes his acting muscles in this political biopic.

Milk follows the real life story of California's first openly gay elected official, Harvey Milk (Sean Penn). From his and boyfriend Scott's (James Franco) arrival in San Francisco from New York in the early 70's, to his assassination in 1978, Milk's short but fulfilling political career changed America forever. Milk's political life is narrated to us by Penn via an audio recording to be played in the likely event of his assassination. Starting out as a camera shop owner, Milk quickly becomes an influential character within The Castro area of San Francisco. After giving himself the title "the mayor of The Castro", and surrounding himself with an entourage of supporters and lifelong friends, Milk decides to repeatedly run for office in order to campaign for equality rights - much to the displeasure of colleague and rival, Dan White (Josh Brolin). Milk is a prime example of a finely executed biopic; one that is rightly concerned with very accurate storytelling and honest performances, which ultimately makes the audience empathise with Milk, and root for him to succeed. There is also an accompaniment of authentic 1970's news footage which simultaneously breaks up the storyline, and helps to explain each major political development. The casting is terrific, featuring an abundance of familiar faces (Emilie Hirsch, James Franco, Alison Pill) who are given the opportunity to flaunt their acting talents. Also, Brolin tactfully builds the tension to a climactic boiling point as Milk's supervisor and arch-nemesis. However, it is Penn that is truly outstanding in this empowering and heartfelt role - which he deservedly won his second Oscar for. He fully embodies the titular character, and accurately channels Milk's warmth and likeability, whilst also displaying his fragility and inability to find the appropriate balance between his relationships and politics (something both of Milk's boyfriends struggle to cope with throughout the film). The only minor weakness was, due to it being a story spanning over a number of years, in parts it did feel overlong and you may find your interest waning slightly.

Nonetheless, this is a fantastic, well-written and well-acted biopic of a man who you'll wish you knew about sooner.

The Tree of Life (2011) // dir. Terrence Malick

Pitt and Malick take a transcendental look at family values and the emergence of the cosmos.

The Tree of Life attempts to chronicle the origin and meaning of life through a middle-aged man's (Sean Penn) childhood memories. Visionary Malick, presents us with his interpretation of the Big Bang - from the creation of the planets, the forming of the oceans, and the tale of evolution (even including dinosaurs). Eventually, we arrive at Penn's suburban childhood home in 1950's America, where we meet his amiable, nurturing mother (Jessica Chastain), and his overbearing, austere father (Brad Pitt). With an excellent film-making reputation preceding the reclusive Malick (Badlands, The Thin Red Line), coupled with endless 5 star reviews and awards buzz, I went into this film with extremely high expectations. Malick's notoriety for precision during the editing process (it spent almost 3 years in the cutting room until The Tree of Life made it to the big screen) only added to the anticipation. Unfortunately, I was extremely disappointed. There was a distinct lack of dialogue throughout, meaning that character development and interaction was minimal. Additionally, there was an absence of a structured storyline, making the film very ambiguous and subjective, partly as a result of the aforementioned lack of dialogue. The Tree of Life is inundated with biblical undertones and references, which are somewhat rendered obsolete by Malick's highly contradictory, excessively long interpretation of the creationist theory. It all seemed a little bit bizarre and inconsequential thus far. The films pace is painfully slow, and when we finally arrive at Penn's childhood memories, we encounter a large number of scenes illustrating different aspects of the same family dynamic - it soon becomes a little tedious. By the time we reach the incongruous final scene, the levels of pretentiousness are unbearable.

Having said that, The Tree of Life is a brave and innovative film, it just didn't personally resonate with me, but give it a watch and draw your own conclusions.

The Descendants (2011) // dir. Alexander Payne 

Clooney struggles to become a family man following his wife's tragic accident.

Matt King (George Clooney), is called upon to reconnect with both his daughters following his wifes involvement in a near fatal boating accident. Whilst struggling to deal with the doctors foreboding prognosis, and the decision of whether to sell the millions of dollars worth of unspoiled, inherited real estate; King is hit with another shocking revelation...This films success lies in its ability to accurately portray conflicting and complex human emotions. In relation to the upset, it is more impactful for the audience due to the understated and subtle delivery. It is marginally unlike its other mainstream counterparts, opting to go for a consistent approach as opposed to a climactic build-up to a 'grand finale'. The Descendants trusts the viewer to be more intelligent and understanding, thus making the whole experience more realistic. The Hawaiian backdrop, upon which The Descendants is set, is beautiful and idyllic, a complete contradiction to the family's chaotic life (as Clooney says, "Paradise can go fuck itself"). The inevitability of the ending doesn't make it any easier, or any less upsetting to watch, but neither does it detract from the films uplifting and optimistic feel. Newcomer, Shailene Woodley is fantastic as eldest daughter Alex; who, from being an angsty, rebellious teen, matures into a young woman, adopting the role of her mother - and even occasionally plays parent to her father. Even Clooney proves he undoubtedly has the acting capabilities to make the film work; and develops strong, believable relationships with his daughters. He underplays his role terrifically, and finds the appropriate balance between humour and emotion. The only minor drawback is the subplot, regarding conflicting interests upon whether to sell the family's inherited land, kind of gets lost in the crush.

Winner of the Best Picture, and Best Actor Golden Globe's, The Descendants is an emotional, yet uplifting watch.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2012) // dir. Stephen Daldry

A young boy attempts to deal with his fathers death in the 9/11 attacks.

Based on the novel by Jonathan Safran Foer, the film follows Oskar (Thomas Horn), a meticulous young boy on a quest to find the owner of a mysterious key seemingly left to him by his father (Tom Hanks) after his tragic death in the 9/11 attacks. Using a good premise and a sensitive subject matter as a baseline, the start of the film is promising; flashback footage illustrating the strength of the father-son relationship, phone messages from Hanks at the time of the attacks, and Oskar's resentful attitude towards mother (Sandra Bullock). Subsequently, we arrive at the hunt for the key. With the word 'Black' being the only clue, and an enigmatic, mute lodger as his only accomplice (Max von Sydow), it seems like an impossible task. Here, the film dips slightly as Oskar's quest becomes overlong and a little lacklustre - you'd be forgiven for becoming a tad uninterested by the time it reaches it's anti-climatic conclusion. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close feels very formulaic in parts, unnecessarily trying to encompass all the ingredients of an archtypal Hollywood blockbuster. When we meet von Sydow, the "unexpected" lodger, it all feels very predictable and an altogether unsurprising revelation. The turnaround in the mother-son relationship also seems very clichéd, as if it was included solely for a moral ending. One of the film's major downfalls was the lack of a likeable protagonist. As a viewer, it was difficult to feel sympathetic towards a character so insolent and annoying.

A little mediocre in parts, and undeservedly nominated for the Best Picture Oscar, but watchable nonetheless.