Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
This movie was very interesting to watch. It's not usually the type of film I'd go for, but it came highly recommended by a very trustworthy source, so I thought I'd check it out and was not disappointed.
Gary Oldman plays Mr Smiley, an MI6 agent called out from forced retirement in order to find a mole lurking somewhere within the organisation. The story was slow paced and built itself steadily as it picked up speed, drip feeding the audience just enough information to keep them comfortably in the dark but satisfied that the plot was progressing. The actors definitely played their parts bringing this story to life and did a fantastic job portraying their characters in both the present and the past.
The only negative this movie had for me were the scene transitions between the past and the present. In a way, they were almost too subtle and sometimes left me unsure whether or not the scene I was watching was still set in the past, or if we'd moved back into the present.
Overall, I rate this movie an 8.5/10. I feel like this is one of those movies you need to watch more than once to fully appreciate and will most likely watch it again at some point in the near future.
Silent Hill
This is not the first time I've seen this movie, though it's the first time I've seen it since its release and I'm almost ten years older than when I first saw this film back in 2006 and I still have never played a single game that this film is based on.
A mother takes her daughter, who suffers from sleep walking and nightmares, to the ghost town that is Silent Hill and along the way helps unearth a secret long since buried by those who once lived there.
Psychological horror is one of my favourite genres and I felt that this film was able to pull it off really well. The effects looked a little bit dated but not by much. The characters themselves were varied and though some were clear archetypes, they weren't over the top as they sometimes tend to be.
There's a point in the movie where I feel it loses a lot of the tension that it builds up to that point, but eventually it manages to save itself with a twist that can be seen coming if you've been paying attention (but caught me off guard many years ago).
Overall, I rate this a 7/10.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
I loathed the first installment of this franchise, but due to poor weather, I found myself severely lacking in things to do so I decided to finally give this movie a chance. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I did not hate it.
I felt that it was much better than the first, but admittedly preferred many of the scenes where Katniss was dealing with the psychological trauma left by the events of the previous film to the sequences that took place during the games.
I found the ending to be very anticlimactic as it blindsides the audience out of nowhere. Usually I can appreciate a twist in a plot but it felt almost disjointed when it transitioned. I feel like there were many gaps within the story and as if much content was missing from this film, so I intend to seek out and read the books before I see Mockingjay Parts 1 and 2.
Overall, it wasn't horrible, but it's definitely not my favourite franchise. I rate Catching Fire 6.5/10.
Chef
I was less than impressed when this movie began and was ready to call it quits before the first half hour had even played, but I'm glad I didn't. The beginning feels disjointed and the direction that the movie is headed in seems really unclear until the first turning point.
It's hard to talk about the themes in this movie without giving away too much of the plot but if you enjoy stories about fractured relationships, especially those between families, this movie may be for you (assuming you can make it through the first 45mins of the film).
Overall, I give this one 6.5/10 (Most points lost because of the beginning).
