Daniel O'Connor: February 2015

The Monthly Rewind: February 2015

7:42 AM

My 3 Favourite Films of the Month

These are films I watched in February, they may not be February releases

Big Hero 6 - 'Big Hero 6 is truly amazing. It is exciting, emotional, fast-paced, hilarious and thrilling. The plot is original and the film proves that Disney and Marvel is a super team. Even though there is a little confusion towards the end, this definitely would have made my best of 2014 list if I had seen it last year. Big Hero 6 is a 'sick'* animated feature film.'

Kingsman: The Secret Service - 'Kingsman: The Secret Service is a very pleasant surprise. With a really fun story, light-hearted humour and a good mix of comedy and action, the middling special effects are just a minor negative. Egerton shines alongside globally known actors and has really marked his name on the film scene. I wouldn't skip this film as it is quite a treat!'

The Babadook - 'If I had seen The Babadook in 2014, it would have made my top 10 of the year. The Babadook is not one for the faint of heart, it is so clever that it manages to create a new type of horror. There are so many factors for you to get scared about in this film that people actually fear in real life. The Babadook is one of the best horror films that I have seen (Along with The Conjuring) - it is frightening, real, effective, disturbing, chilling and not far off from being a masterpiece. You might want to sleep with the lights on after you watch this---the mind plays with you in the dark...or does it?'

Honourable Mentions: Predestination, The Interview, The Book of Life & Jupiter Ascending

Other Favourites:

Trailer:

Crimson Peak - 'Crimson Peak is either going to be the most magnificent horror film for a long time or a very slow, eery drama. Which ever one it will be? - I will definitely being going out to see it hoping for the former. '

Honourable Mention: Hot Pursuit

Offer:

Orange Wednesday - On the 25th February, it was the last ever Orange Wednesday at cinemas (2 for 1 cinema tickets), so this month I made the most of this offer and I am sad to see it go. Hopefully some new offers will be created soon!

Biggest Disappointment of the Month

Love, Rosie - 'Love, Rosie is a film we've seen done a 1,000 times. It is silly, boring and unfunny. Collins is ok but Clafin is miscast and under performs. There are few laughs and the story is a formula that has worked many times before so works again but is just so predictable. Love, Rosie will probably appeal to tween girls but for anyone else - you should give it a miss.'

Dishonourable Mentions: It Follows, A Million Ways to Die in the West

So they are the highlights on this blog from February. We are happy to announce that our main DVD recommendations for MARCH are The Imitation Game & The Hunger Games: Mockingjay- Part 1.

Note: This post may change as reviews for THE WEDDING RINGER, PREDESTINATION & FIFTY SHADES OF GREY are currently being written.

Thanks again for tuning into this blog this month! I am still really enjoying doing it so I hope to carry this on for a very long time!

See You Soon!

The Best and Worst in Film 2014: OSCARS & RAZZIES REPORT

5:44 PM

Box Office Report

UK Box Office February 20-22: FIFTY SHADES OF GREY Repeats, WEDDING RINGER & PROJECT ALMANAC open above $1 million

2:55 PM

Review

The Book of Life (2014)

11:09 AM

Box Office Report

UK Box Office February 13-15: FIFTY SHADES OF GREY Whips PEPPA PIG

5:00 AM

Review

The Babadook (2014)

5:57 PM

Review

It Follows (2015)

4:08 PM

Review

Project Almanac (2015)

5:32 AM

Review

Dracula Untold (2014)

6:19 PM

The Problem with Romance Movies Today: INFOGRAPHIC

5:56 PM

Guest

Fifty Shades of Grey (2015) - Guest Written

7:17 AM

Thoughts Based on Trailer

Crimson Peak: Thoughts Based on Trailer

5:33 AM

Review

Love, Rosie (2014)

4:35 PM

I Hate, Rosie

Directed by Christian Ditter (The Crocodiles) and inspired by the best-selling novel by Cecelia Adhern 'Where Rainbows End', Love, Rosie tells the story of a couple who have been best friends from a young age, can they both get out of each others friend zones and make a relationship work between them? The film stars Lily Collins (The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones) and Sam Clafin (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire). Can Love, Rosie be a miracle of a rom-com and be original?

No.

So I watched this film on Valentine's Day - I have watched a rom-com on this day for 3 years in a row now. The first year I watched 'I Don't Know How She Does It' which was ok from the first viewing but was terrible the second time I watched it. Last year, I watched 'Girl Most Likely' which was bland and unfunny. This film kind of fits that pattern and was bland, unfunny, terrible, boring, cheesy and unoriginal. I didn't find much likeable about this. The plot was very cliche and has been told so many other times. I wasn't familiar with the book it is inspired by so I cannot comment on accuracies or whether the film was better than the book but all I can say is that I would not recommend this. Love, Rosie is really silly in places and generally unenjoyable.

This film has so much potential and brands itself as a rom-com. It has a romance which is good - however, I found that I wasn't routing for the couple until after 1 hour and 20 minutes of watching the film - I was not captivated at all. However, there are very very few laughs in this. Some of them came from me just laughing at how silly it was. What normal person takes their child to school handcuffed to the head board of their bed? - surely you would call a parent or friend to take your child instead - this is just one example of the film trying to be funny but just makes fun of itself. I also can't use the excuse that the film has British humour so I won't understand because I am British and it still didn't appeal to me.

This rom-com is just the way the characters in 'Friends with Benefits' criticise cliche rom-coms. It has an overuse of upbeat pop music to try and persuade the viewers that they are enjoying themselves. All because there is a catchy Beyonce or Lily Allen song, it doesn't mean the stuff you are actually watching is of a good quality!?

I also found both of the leads very unlikeable. I actually generally like Lily Collins as an actress but in this all she is is a pretty face- she is bland. I'm also unsure what her real nationality is but in all of her previous films, she has been American and I really don't like her British performance in this. Also, Collins never actually ages throughout the film even though she is supposed to be around 30 at the end?. The same applies for Sam Clafin who I don't think is great. He has been mediocre in The Hunger Games films that he has been in but never fantastic. I will give it to the two leads for having chemistry in the last 10/20 minutes of the film.

Love, Rosie is a film we've seen done a 1,000 times. It is silly, boring and unfunny. Collins is ok but Clafin is miscast and under performs. There are few laughs and the story is a formula that has worked many times before so works again but is just so predictable. Love, Rosie will probably appeal to tween girls but for anyone else - you should give it a miss.

2 STARS

What did YOU think?