"By the time you get to a premiere on a film, people have done their judging.  They're out there to have a good time.  You've got the barrage of the photographers, you've got the sort of, you know, having to kind of sell an image… but selling an image is not as hard as selling a story and having people judge it."

Rosamund Pike

Lawless

Set in the prohibition era of America's 1920s, Lawless is the true story of three brothers who defy the law.  Brewing alcohol in glass jars, they are led them into violent conflict with the corrupted society of Chicago.

The depiction of masculinity is predominantly framed within the bildungsroman of Shia LaBeouf's character, Jack Bondurant.  LaBeouf produces an unexpectedly endearing turn as the youngest and most fragile of the brothers, desperate to prove his worth.  Tom Hardy delivers an outstanding performance as Forrest, an almost silent and imposing figure, redolent of violence.  The credible chemistry between the actors allows their relationship as brothers to feel indisputably genuine.   A fleeting appearance by Gary Oldman, however, illustrates how the film also has the tendency to too quickly sideline several of the most engaging characters.

The chaos of the city, ridden with violence and death, spills out into the country and threatens the Bondurant brothers.  This is led by Guy Pearce as the sinister Chicago special agent, Charlies Rakes, with slickly parted hair and an acid demeanour.  The disorder is illustrated through the brutal acts of violence, as the plot is consumed by indeterminate morality and authority.  The costumes and sets allow a sense of authenticity, bringing alive this vivid period of '20s America.  However, the quietly spoken southern accents demand concentration and made the dialogue at times difficult to follow, as did the continual introduction of characters, which caused the plot to fall into uncertainty.

Lawless depicts the themes of masculinity, family and authority through convincing performances.  However, there was something indefinitely missing from the plot, which prohibited the film from proving truly satisfying.

Anna Karenina

A desolate theatre, where the stalls are stacked high the discarded fragments of a lost past. Joe Wright sets Anna Karenina, his latest and most beautiful film to date, in a theatrical landscape, as he delves into the darkness and decadence of forbidden love.

Anna Karenina is a beautiful woman in Russian aristocracy, committed to her marriage to her uninspiring yet devoted husband, until she falls into the path of a seductive young cavalry officer. Set in the opulent world of Russian high-society, their scandal threatens to tear it apart, as the principles of righteousness and desire are challenged and overturned.

At once breaking the fourth wall and drawing you deeper into the stylised and elegant world of old Russia, the story unfolds across the stage, through the stalls and high in the rafters of the ruined theatre. The cast dance gracefully through their scenes in divine costumes, blurring the artistry between cinematic and theatrical performance. The synchronised, rhythmic stamping of clerks introduces the Atonement-esque soundtrack by Dario Marianelli, which is at once powerful and mesmerising. The costumes, sets and cinematography are beautiful and capture a story that is rich with symbolism. The socio-historical context of Russia is subsequently played out by the writer Tom Stoppard through the visual and emotional tensions between rural and urban, with devotion and betrayal. Trains cast in ice roll into smokey stations, while opulent balls mask tempestuous desires. In particular, the sequence at the ball is divinely stunning and evokes the complexity of socio-politics and of the heart.

Although there were moments where the plot was difficult to follow, and it would have been no loss if another leading lady had been cast in place of Keria Knightley, the film maintained a strong and captivating pace. Knightley, at times painfully wooden and unoriginal in her role, eventually grows into her character as Anna grows steadily darker and more tormented. The film stars strong performances from Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Matthew Macfadyen and Jude Law, who bring alive a cast of intense and iconic characters.  Newcomer Alicia Vikander and Domhnall Gleeson particularly shone in the film's second love story, as the misled belle of Russia and the lovestruck Levin, perfectly capturing the vulnerability of being in and losing love.

A divinely cinematic piece, Anna Karenina is the outstanding product of Joe Wright's beautiful artistry and cinematic vision.

Paranormal Activity 2

In a dark cinema with only two others, I found myself doing what I thought I never would... attending a screening of a haunting Paranormal Activity film.

Paranormal Activity 2 is both the prequel and sequel to the uniquely impressive first film, cleverly set both before and after the events of Paranormal Activity.  The family of the previous film's central character, Katie, move into a new house where mysterious and disturbing activity begins to unfold in the dark of the night.

The film exceeds in producing a sense of realism.  Filmed firstly by the daughter, Ali, through a handheld camera, and then through a series of security cameras installed around the property, we are provided with an intimate insight into the going-ons at the house.  Ali's point of view filming, in particular, presents an inescapably immersive experience.  With unsteady shots and grainy footage, the camerawork produces a perfect sense of authenticity.

The filmmakers successfully manipulate the mundane, producing a plausible representation of everyday life against which the paranormal happenings are set and intensified.  The film alternates successfully between sudden startling shocks and something more unnerving and psychological, through an effective use of the unknown.  With long periods of inactivity penetrated by sudden crashes, it plays on the unpredicted and inexplicable.  By cleverly employing low frequency sound at strategic points, an unsettling feeling builds suspense and haunts the sinister scenes.  Amidst this, the script presents an interesting comment on the contemporary subject of terrorism, by exploring the notion that it "thrives on fear."  But when the characters begin to delve into researching the cause behind the activity, the everyday portrait that was so cleverly constructed began to interestingly fall away: prohibiting the previous level of identification.

Rich with authentic filmmaking and shocking to the end, Paranormal Activity 2 is a confident horror film that stands as part of an outstanding franchise.

The New Cloud Atlas Trailer

A daring film that breaks conventions, pushes boundaries, redefines narrative and challenges the very fabric of filmmaking.  An ambitious exploration of fate, consequence and civilization.  Cloud Atlas, released in the UK on March 22nd.

Total Recall

Delve into a futuristic landscape, where the distinction between dreams and memory is so difficult to define that it becomes impossible not to lose yourself.

Set at the end of the twenty-first century, Douglas Quaid - played by Colin Farrell - is entrapped in a mundane life, haunted by inexplicable dreams.  Seeking something greater, he turns to Rekall who specialise in fabricating the memory of a chosen fantasy.  But in doing so, Quaid's world suddenly unravels and he finds himself at the centre of a war between a ruthless state and a terrorist rebellion.

Torn apart by chemical warfare, most of the planet has become completely uninhabitable.  There are now only two places: the United Federation of Britain and the rain-streaked Colony, separated by the seventeen minute passage of 'the fall'.  With moments reminiscent of Christopher Nolan's Inception, Ridley Scott's Blade Runner and Michael Bay's The Island, the film produces an absorbing futuristic landscape.  The cinematography is beautiful and unique - the glares of light and subtle refocusing of the camera create a world that feels at once unstable and uncertain.  This allows the film to delve into the uncanny against a backdrop of doubt and conspiracy.  Nothing is truly as it seems...

Colin Farrell perfectly captures a man who is lost and vulnerable, while also portraying the tensions of the complex and murderous potential that lies beneath.  His co-stars, played by Kate Beckinsale and Jessica Biel, were also highly engaging in their respective romantic and deadly roles.  The film plays on delicious moments that cast both Farrell's character and the audience into an equal sense of doubt as to where the line between reality and fantasy should be drawn.  The only flaw, I felt, was that the filmmakers could have taken this intriguing concept so much further with the ending, which disappointingly felt too neatly tied and simple.  However, with thrilling action sequences and a stunning cast, the conclusion fails to significantly tarnish the film.

Total Recall therefore presents an engaging exploration of subjectivity within a fabricated world, that is cleverly constructed through fractured memories and illusion.