Review: The Talented Mr Ripley

Matt Damon, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow and - the selling point for me of any movie - Cate Blanchett. And they're just the names on the cover - Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Jack Davenport also feature in this psychological crime drama thriller. Yes, it's so good it gets four genres! You could also add 'romance' to that list...in a very twisted sort of way.

 Directed by Anthony Minghella (of 'The English Patient' fame), who also wrote the screenplay, and based on the novel of the same title by Patricia Highsmith, The Talented Mr Ripley takes an intense and unconventional look at identity, relationships, friendship, lies and love in all it's complicated glory. As the tag line asks, how far would you go to become someone else?

 I can't believe it's taken me so long to see this movie - if you haven't, I urge you to as soon as you can. What struck me the most was the quality of the writing. We are presented with a story that on one hand seems so far fetched, and yet on the other is so real. Highsmith and Minghella have captured perfectly the humanity and the truth in each of the characters and in their relationships with each other. These characters are brought to life superbly by the cast - Matt Damon gives an absolute stand out performance as Tom Ripley, conveying the extremely complicated array of thoughts and emotions battling inside this very conflicted character. I found myself completely sympathising with him despite the horrific things he does, and I think this is a testament to the writing and Damon's portrayal of truth in the character - as Tom Ripley says in the movie, "Whatever you do, however terrible, however hurtful - it all makes sense, doesn't it? Inside your head. You never meet anybody who thinks they're a bad person..."

Jude Law exceeded my normally average expectations and delivered a fantastic performance as the manipulative, rich, completely selfish, yet entirely charming Dickie. Even Gwyneth Paltrow, who I normally don't think very much of, impressed me with her portrayal of Dickie's gorgeous and easy-going girlfriend. And Cate Blanchett, who never fails to give an outstanding performance, turned a relatively small role into an extremely memorable character.

I was not aware when I started to watch this film how dark and disturbing it was going to get as Ripley's web of lies entangles him to the point of no escape, but the writing was so brilliant, and each character so truthfully played, that it never for a second felt over the top or unrealistic - something that could easily have happened with the same concept but average writing - and I was captivated from start to finish.

Review: The Tree of Life

This movie is not for everyone. Director Terrance Malick is not for everyone. I am the first to admit that. But I loved it. I truly loved it.

To me, this film was utter poetry. My only regret is that I never saw it at the cinema - I can only imagine what it would have been like to view this on the big screen. The imagery and cinematography is breathtaking, the soundtrack moving and powerful, the acting stunningly subtle and real. Jessica Chastain is perfection as the loving, nurturing mother, living by the ways of grace, and Brad Pitt once again proves he is so much more than a pretty face, as the father struggling to raise three boys through the tough and unforgiving ways of nature.

What is the film about? A good question, with many answers. It is about choosing how to live - by grace or by nature - and the consequences of both. It is about struggling with loss and the questioning of God in suffering. It is about growing up and the loss of innocence. It is about the complicated relationships within a family. It is about seeing the beauty in life. It is about the universe and how small we are in comparison. It is about the meaning of life. Interwoven throughout the film is the story of Jack, a young boy, his complicated relationship with his father, mother and two brothers and his loss of innocence as he grows up and struggles to find a place in the modern world (played as an adult by Sean Penn). This is ridiculously simplified as this film is less a narrative and more a representation of life from every angle.

You come out of this movie with many questions, but I'm ok with that. I am able to not fully understand a movie and not be annoyed by that. Most people can't deal with that or find it immensely frustrating, and if you are one of those people, you will find this movie frustrating, perhaps even tedious. You will almost certainly voice the question, "What on earth was with the dinosaur?". Intrigued? You will have to watch the movie. Don't expect a narrative as such, expect to not fully understand, accept that that is ok, do not destroy the mood by playing with your phone or laptop at the same time, just sit back and watch and you will be blown away. I was.

Review: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

A couple of days ago I realised that I had a movie ticket voucher that expired that same day. Desperate to not let it go to waste, I whisked myself off to the cinema to see The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel - and boy am I glad I did! I enjoyed myself so much during this film that I simply had to tell you all about it and recommend you go and see it for yourself. The exquisite Judi Dench leads an all-star cast including Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, Dev Patel (who you probably remember from Slumdog Millionaire) and, of course, Maggie Smith as the hilariously racist Muriel, in this heartfelt comedy drama. As contradictory as that genre sounds, this film beautifully contrasts and combines humour with pain to create a poignancy underneath the comedy.

John Madden (director of Shakespeare in Love) directs this film about a group of British retirees, from all different walks of life, who travel to India to stay at the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel...which is, in fact, not quite as 'exotic' as the name or the advertisements would have them believe. We follow the stories of these people, all fascinating in their own right, and their relationships with each other and the people of India as they struggle to fit in to this vastly different culture.

I was very impressed with all the performances - Judi Dench and Maggie Smith being the two stand outs in my opinion, and it was so good to see Dev Patel again in a more lighthearted role.

This isn't a challenging film and I doubt it will change your worldview (two qualities that I tend to like in movies), but it was a lot of fun and a real 'feel-good' flick with some excellent actors and story telling.