Being a huge fan of the theatre production of Les Miserables, I was a little wary about going to see the film. I was worried it would not be well done and that the singing would be nowhere near as good as the stage performances I’ve seen.  However, after hearing that audiences have been regularly standing up to give the film applause, I decided to go give it a go. The songs were not butchered as I had feared and the majority of the cast give first rate performances that would not be out of place on Broadway.
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This is 40 is the ‘sort of sequel’ to Knocked Up. The two main characters from that film have disappeared and instead the focus is on Debbie (Leslie Mann) and Pete (Paul Rudd), the quarreling married couple who were the best thing about Knocked Up and are now both about to celebrate their fortieth birthday and are struggling to accept the path their lives have taken.
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Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, based on the book of the same name, is a corny rom-com with a little bit of fishing  thrown in. The admirable cast is let down by an absurd plot, which although entertaining in book form, has not translated well to film. What starts off as a quirky feel good comedy loses its way about half an hour in when themes of terrorism and politics get involved.
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The Hobbit, based on J R R Tolkien’s children’s book of the same name, was finally released last week. There was inevitably always going to be comparisons between this film and The Lord of the Rings, as they originate from novels by the same author with one book essentially following on from the other, albeit years later, and now they have been filmed by the same director, Peter Jackson, who was always going to draw from his experiences of making The Lord of the Rings. The casting of certain characters who appear in both films is duplicated, making it even harder to separate one film from the other, most noticeably with Ian McKellen appearing as Gandalf.  Jackson’s intention seems to be that ultimately the movies should be viewed alongside eachother as one lengthy experience. This will probably be appreciated by hardcore The Lord of the Rings fans, but less so by fans of  ‘The Hobbit’ book, who may have preferred a more loyal adaptation.
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Rust and Bone is a French Belgian film about a love that grows out of an unlikely friendship between a kick bouncing bouncer and a recent amputee. It’s a powerful romance with believably flawed central characters. They are both in need of eachother’s company, but for contrasting reasons.
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Margaret has largely gone under the radar since its release. It should have been released in 2007, but  was delayed until 2011 due to editing disagreements and lawsuits. Unfortunately even the final cut was not considered satisfactory by all those involved, so the film was only shown in cinemas in the US, and the rest of the world had to make do with the 2012 DVD. Having seen the film, I actually think not giving the film wide distribution was a good decision, as this movie is a difficult sell.  The main  character is essentially an angsty teenager who is horrible to everyone around her. Her tantrums and cruel streak are above and beyond those of normal adolescents, and she is impossible to relate to. The length of the film is also a problem, as watching a teenager throw a tantrum is tiring just for short periods, but for two and a half hours, it’s almost unbearable.
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I’ll just come out and say it. Contrary to my expectations, I hated Skyfall. When I went to see it last week, I was really looking forward to seeing the third Bond movie since the “Daniel Graig reboot”. I loved Casino Royale, and thought Quantum of Solace was pretty good too. Both were clearly Bourne-inspired, with more gritty, realistic action. Bond updated to the 21st century. Skyfall is heralded by many as a welcome return to the “old” Bond, but to me that’s part of why it fails.

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Looper is a sci fi action film where Bruce Willis once again proves he can still kick butt even in an alternative reality setting. It’s not the cleverest of Science Fiction films and defies reason even for a film of that genre, but it’s good fun and action packed. Since the two main actors in the film are actually playing the same character, just at different stages in their life, you don’t find yourself rooting for one of them more than the other, and you can just enjoy watching the plot unfold.
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When Doctor Johan Friedrich Struensee is asked to take care of the mentally unstable king of Denmark, he sees an opportunity to implement some much needed social change. But the rest of Danish royalty will not give in without a fight, and matters are further complicated when he falls for the queen.
A Royal Affair (Danish title: En kongelig affære) is based on historic events, as well as two novels.
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Sergeant Rose Vasquez comes home to her husband Ramon and their young daughter after her third tour in Afghanistan. Fearing for her family’s financial stability, she has made some difficult decisions while she was abroad. But in her absence the situation has changed, and her choices, old and new, will have deep reaching consequences for the future of everybody involved.
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