Clue (1985)

Directed by: Jonathan Lynn

Verdict: Utterly, utterly silly spoof murder mystery. Tim Curry steals the show as the neurotic and criminal (?) ‘butler’ Wadsworth. I’ve seen this several times now and it never fails to make me laugh – it’s guiltless fun, stupid humour and is, in a cheap kind of way, pretty clever really.

Set in 1954 against the back-drop of McCarthyism and its influence in Hollywood, a group of guests are drawn together in a mysterious, secluded mansion. The whole film is an homage to the board game Clue (Cluedo), and as such the characters are appropriately named Miss Scarlet, Colonel Mustard, Professor Plum et al. My personal favourite character name is Mr Boddy, who becomes one of the central mysteries as various characters start dropping like flies at the hands of a murderer in the house.

Curry is a sensation in his dead-pan role as the butler Wadsworth, who helpfully explains everything to the deranged house guests. Each character contributes to the hilarity in this hair-brained comedy that makes the most of slap-stick and verbal comedy. Lesley Ann Warren, Madeline Kahn, Martin Mull and Michael McKean all provide frequent moments of comedy as the group search for the killer in their midst.
With plenty of topical references (‘Communism was just a red-herring’ and ‘Mr Hoover is on everyone else’s phone, why shouldn’t he be in mine?’) for me, this comedy always stays just on the right side of the smart-stupid line.

This is what I personally call a feel-good movie. Despite the many murders and the quite disturbing scene in which Mrs White spends a good minute kissing a corpse (who has been killed twice, no less), this film never fails to make me happy. It’s one for a rainy afternoon, and I think it’s a gem.

The Woman in Black (2012)

Directed by: James Watkins

Verdict: What the Woman in Black lacks in substance it tries to make up in scares. Lauded as Daniel Radcliffe’s big foray into the non-Harry Potter world, for me his performance fell a little flat and the real star of this film was the haunted house at the centre of this spooky tale. The film is carried rather too much by its aesthetics, sound and some chilling performances by the broad supporting cast. In my opinion the film could have been better served with a leading man who packs a little more punch.

It’s a sad thing, but I don’t think Daniel Radcliffe will ever shake the ‘boy who lived’ label. I hate to be so harsh on the star of the films which illuminated my childhood, but I don’t think Radcliffe is likely to be taken seriously as a thespian – not on the basis of his performance as Arthur Kipps anyway. For me, Radcliffe’s Kipps is unlikeable and in a film which is basically the story of him vs. the titular woman likeability and screen presence are key. And it just seems implausible to me that he could be the father of a four year-old-son and be grieving the loss of his wife… I mean, he’s just a student wizard.

Despite the narrative focus on Kipps, the stand-out of this film us undoubtedly the diegetic setting. The haunted house is undeniably spooky, with countless small touches and details making it utterly convincing. The colouring of the small town terrorised by the woman in black is bleak, grim; and with the tour de force collective performance of the supporting cast serves its purpose as a gripping plot thickener.

Director Watkins achieves a visually-spectacular scare-fest with this film, but I can’t help feeling this film could have been a lot better.

The Descendants (2011)

Directed by: Alexander Payne

Verdict: A heart-warming film with a more edgy feel, The Descendants benefits from a sensational Oscar-winning script adapted from Kaui Hart Hemmings’s novel and two outstanding acting performances from Academy Award nominee George Clooney and rising star Shailene Woodley. Shot in the stunning surroundings of Hawaii and featuring arguably the soundtrack of the year, The Descendants combines sorrow, joy, laughter, grief, betrayal and angst in a film that accomplishes both political and familial storylines.

Between the uplifting Hawaiian soundtrack, the unrelenting beautiful landscape shots and the notoriously easy-on-the-eyes Clooney, you could be fooled into thinking The Descendants is a family-orientated comedy. In some moments, it certainly seems like it is. But what sets Payne’s film apart from so many others this awards season is that it possesses so much more substance than that.

There are two basic subplots: Matt King is facing a decision as the descendant (now you get it) of one of Hawaii’s original white land-owners over what will happen to the 300-acre piece of ‘prime real estate’ and at the same time has to deal with the various revelations that emerge from his wife Elizabeth’s fatal boating accident. Clooney is superb as King who struggles both internally and externally with the sudden pressure of becoming a single-parent to his two daughters whom he knows little about. His often under-stated grief and anger is suited perfectly to the mise-en-scène of the film, which makes the most of calm and breezy weather and local attire.

For me, Woodley is the star of this film and it is extraordinary that she didn’t receive an Oscar nod alongside Clooney. She has one of the most expressive faces I’ve seen in a young actress for years, and the underwater scene in the King’s pool is one of the most hear-breaking film moments I’ve seen (not to mention ingeniously shot). Woodley’s character Alexandra is King’s eldest daughter and graduates from rebellious teen to mature young-adult as the film progresses. Her frustration is beautifully acted by Woodley, who is utterly convincing. It is in keeping with the theme of Matt’s familial absence that it is Alexandra who breaks down and informs him that her mother was conducting an affair.


As brilliant as these two performances are, they are undoubtedly complemented by the rest of the acting ensemble. Amara Miller as King’s younger daughter Scottie and Nick Krause’s dumb-but-lovable Sid provide most of the comic relief as they accompany Matt and Alexandra on their quest to seek out Elizabeth’s former lover Brian Speer (Matthew Lillard). Judy Greer’s cameo turn as Brian’s wife Julie culminates in a heart-wrenching, tear-inducing scene at Elizabeth’s bedside, and Beau Bridges as Cousin Hugh is a smiling yet menacing counter to Matt’s wishes.

Beautifully captured by Payne and cinematographer Phedon Papamichael, The Descendants is sure to charm everyone who sees it.

Shame (2011)

Directed by: Steve McQueen

Verdict: What could have been a hard-to-watch, uncomfortable 1 hour 40 minutes is actually a gripping, chilling account of addiction and the damaging human condition. A masterful performance by Michael Fassbender brings the troubled character of Brandon to the brink of audience-detestation and back again. Carey Mulligan’s painful howl of a performance steals the show as Brandon’s damaged sister, all captured in a horrifyingly beautiful motion picture.

There are many out there who are bemused/outraged/cynically raising a British eyebrow over Fassbender’s omission from the Academy Award nominees list. After seeing his tour-de-force performance in this film, I’m right there with them.

On paper, I thought I was going to hate this film. I thought it would be uncomfortable, and that Fassbender’s character would be unlikeable, unrealistic and dull. What Fassbender achieves in this film mostly through body language and facial expression is astounding. Brandon is portrayed as a fairly normal guy, albeit with a sometimes terrifying sex addiction.

I had read beforehand that this film was ‘chilling’ and ‘gripping’, but quite honestly didn’t believe that a film about a well-to-do office worker in modern day America would really have that many scary elements. However, I was both chilled and gripped within the first 15 minutes of watching. The sequence where Brandon watches and stalks a woman through the subway station is both beautifully shot and masterfully performed.

Mulligan’s turn as Sissy is striking as she self-destructs in the most heart breaking way. As the film progresses the brother-sister relationship frequently breaks conventions – both filmic and social – and becomes increasingly uncomfortable and hard-hitting, culminating in Sissy’s tragic suicide attempt. Mulligan’s part is relatively small in this film and the star is undeniably Fassbender; in saying this Sissy’s rendition of ‘New York New York’ is gorgeously shot in close-up and Mulligan’s more than capable vocals capture every ounce of heart-wrenching emotion.



In all, this film was a total surprise to me. McQueen has taken some inordinately tough subject matter and turned it into a beautiful motion picture. I doubt very much anyone who has seen this film exited the cinema without questions buzzing around their mind. The film can be seen as focussing on one complex and dangerous fictional character, but really it’s a much broader social commentary that is utterly striking and one of the most ambitious films of our time.