Mockingjay - The Final Flight

Mockingjay - Part 2 is the final installment in the Hunger Games Saga, starring all of the same cast as previous installments, this film is the final chapter of Katniss' story, and shows her final defeat of the Capitol.

Politically the themes of this film show much more depth than previous installments, rather than the film being simply about revolution, and rebellion, this film is about the nature of good, and evil, crossing the line where the oppressed become the oppressors. Where the dictated who have risen up and overthrown their dictators become the dictators themselves.

During this film Katniss realizes that the battle between good and evil is often an internal one, she sees the rebellion growing in power and influence, and she begins to question their purpose and morals. She starts to distrust the leader of the rebellion, Alma Coin and she gradually comes to doubt the sacrifices she has made.

The film also discusses the nature of victory, the fact that nobody really 'wins' a war, all victors experience loss and pain. This is discussed throughout the series as a whole, and this theme is first explored during the first film, in which Katniss and Peeta lose so much, although they are considered 'victors'. At the end of Mockingjay, Effie Trinket encourages Katniss to 'find the life of a victor'. To finally find peace.

Unfortunately Mockingjay, which could have been a glorious finale to the Hunger Games Trilogy has been split into two films, as is often the case with these films, this has left part 1 slow and quiet and lacking any real climax, however it has made part 2 even better, the final film is now chock full of action, and the vast majority of the film shows the rebellions battle in the Capitol.

I was however impressed with Mockingjay - Part 2, the film seems well thought out and well acted, and it doesn't rob us of the opportunity to say a final farewell to the characters we've grown to love over the years, even if those goodbyes are brief. Mockingjay - Part 2 is a satisfying conclusion to what has undoubtedly been one of the greatest young adult sagas since Harry Potter.

AHS: Hotel

It isn't exactly a surprise to my readers that I am a huge fan of American Horror Story, combine this with the appearance of one of my favorite songwriters now turned actress, and you have a pretty good recipe.

The cast of this years season, titled Hotel, is filled out by new and returning actors, man-god Matt Bomer makes a reappearance, as do his perfectly chiselled cheekbones, as does Kathy Bates, playing his mother. AHS regulars Sarah Paulson and Angela Bassett are back and Finn Wittrock returns after his triumphant debut in Freak Show.

New to the cast is Max Greenfield, known mostly to viewers through his work on Fox sitcom New Girl, and Naomi Campbell appearing as part of her much touted return to acting, which started with appearances in Empire.

This season is much darker than previous seasons, and in some ways the show combines the campy visuals of seasons like Freak Show, and the cold metallic drama of seasons such as Coven or Asylum. 

Visually the show is a treat, the vast majority of the drama takes place in the Hotel Cortez, a hotel owned by the mysterious and deadly yet beautiful Countess. The hotel is a beautiful art deco masterpiece featuring a magnificent three storey lobby.

This season has gotten notably more mixed reviews than previous seasons, though the ratings have been better than ever. And in some ways I agree with the reviews, whereas with other seasons, I loved them at first, and my interest slowly trailed away, this being notably true of Freak Show. The first episode of Hotel successfully piqued my interest, whilst not really giving me any idea of what the show was about.

And if the first episodes seemed slapdash, its because they were, and deliberately so, this episode has unfurled like a jigsaw, throwing the pieces out onto the floor, and then slowly putting them together, and unfurling the story that way.

This is ultimately a very good strategy, because it forces the viewer to continue watching, it provides just enough information to grab us.

Finally the most important question, can Lady Gaga actually act, it was tough for most reviewers to comment on this given that she only had two lines in the first episode, but surprisingly the answer is yes, she really can, and what could possibly make this season better, is a lot more Gaga.

Hotel is definitely one of the better seasons of AHS, and it even rivals AHS's debut, Murder House, which is no mean feat.

Wild

"What if I forgive myself? What if I was sorry?", these are the words of a woman who has just walked a thousand miles up the west coast of america, in order to handle the grief of her mothers death. Wild is based on the eponymous memoir by Cheryl Strayed, which rocketed to the top of bestsellers lists after being featured as part of Oprah's book club.

The film opens with Cheryl, recently divorced and planning on hiking the Pacific Crest Trail to mourn her deceased mother, throughout the film Strayed reflects on her relationship with her mother, and the self destructive behavior that led up to her becoming addicted to heroin, getting divorced and hitting bottom.

Reese WItherspoon plays Cheryl Strayed, in what is almost certainly her greatest leading role since Walk the Line almost a decade ago. Her performance is deft and focused and all the more impressive given that she spends much of her screen time alone, also featured is Laura Dern as Bobbi, Cheryl's mother. The relationship between these two women is central to the film, and the chemistry between Dern and WItherspoon is impressive.

Music is also used impressively in the film, the films 'theme' is El Condor Pasa, by SImon and Garfunkel, which is used to evoke Cheryl's mother, the opening bars of this track are also used as instrumental, adding a mysterious and eerie quality to the film.

Wild is far from a revolutionary film, it doesn't do anything particularly new or different, it has highly familiar structure, which has been used repeatedly in film since it's creation by DW Griffith. This structure is frequently used badly and here it is at least successful.

Wild is worth a watch even if just to witness the incredible performances given by it's leads, it is beautifully acted and thoughtful without being ponderous.

Ray of Light

Ray of Light could be very accurately described as the favorite Madonna of all who hate Madonna, though it should be shocking that people who hate The Queen exist, their existence is an unfortunate reality.

Ray of Light is the least Madonna of all her albums, released just after the birth of her first child and after her conversion of kabbalah, the album brought electronica into the mainstream, and was her first album made entirely without using a single instrument.

The album was also recorded shortly after the completion of Evita, so her voice was at its peak given all the vocal work she did for that film.

The album is also refreshingly uncommercial, it features a song sung entirely in Sanskrit, something very few mainstream pop artists would be able to pull off.

The album begins on a strong if slightly ponderous note, Drowned World/Substitute for Love finds Madonna contemplating fame and everything she has sacrificed. Before launching into Skin and the album's’ title track. The album really finds its rhythm around the middle, with Nothing Really Matters and Frozen being album highlights.

Ray of Light is more of a concept album than a conventional LP, rather than being simply a collection of songs, Ray of Light is truly a record in the truest sense, it feels cohesive and complete, there is a sense of flow and it is a wholly defined piece of art.

The album has a unique sound, and shows Madonna at her most experimental, experimenting with electronica and synthesizers for the first time, the album is soothing and sort of sounds like one is listening to it underwater, everything is softer and slightly more muffled.

Ray of Light is a deeply progressive record and the influences of it are still being heard today, it kickstarted the record industry to embrace electronic music, and it freed mainstream artists from needing to conform to a certain sound, Madonna herself would do well to take her own advice today.

Ray of Light is a hugely thrilling album, and is one that even those most loathing of Madonna will enjoy, it is progressive, original and unique, and it is proof that pop start needn't make generic, conventional records. Ray of Light stands out as not only the best Madonna album, but as one of the greatest pop records of all time.

Snowpiercer

This ecological epic from south korean director Bong Joon-ho is an incredibly powerful piece of art, simultaneously an action epic and an art house indie Snowpiercer is about the last remaining survivors of planet earth who circle the globe in a perpetually travelling train after an ice age has caused the near extinction of the human race.

The film is a massive piece of social commentary, and on the train is a sturdily defined social structure much like on our planet today, at the back of the train the tail passengers live in squalid conditions, the passengers in the middle live lives of lavish decadence while in the head, Wilford, the builder of the train lives in peaceful minimalism.

The tail passengers, lead by Curtis played by Chris Evans surge towards the front of the train hoping to ignite a revolution. The whole train is a metaphor for our societies social structure, for our class system and how the status quo is necessary to keep order.

Mason, Wilford's henchwoman is a fearsome character, played by Tilda Swinton she is a thatcherian masterpiece, with a broad yorkshire accent and ever broader teeth, Swinton's performance is predictably magnificent.

The other performances of this film are also excellent, with Joon-ho directing a fine cast of thespians including Jamie Bell, Octavia Spencer, Ed Harris and John Hurt

Visually this film is a treat, with the segments of the train playing important roles, the train itself is a fully three dimensional space, holistically realized and minutely crafted it is a space the audience longs to explore, we long to walk though the orangery and marvel at the aquarium, we long to explore the nightclubs and saunas.

What is also apparent from Snowpiercer is how much of a mash up it is of multiple genres, the film is a blockbuster with an A-list cast, yet the way in which the film analyses our current social system. Snowpiercer is a shoestring indie film, with a massive budget and fantastic cast, and this film is the perfect example of how original films can survive in spite of large budgets.

I really enjoyed Snowpiercer, it's refreshing, unique and original, and it's heartening to see how original films can thrive in our adaptation laden movie release schedule.

Gogglebox

Though Tatler is not the place one would usually expect to find television recommendations, I was pushed to watch this television titan whilst perusing the latest edition that I stumbled upon Steph and Dom, AKA the posh couple from Gogglebox.

After another recommendation by my friend from Devon I gave the show a try, and was rather delighted. My parents were horrified when I explained the concept, after all the idea of watching other people watch TV sounds horrifically meta and unbelievably dull.

However conceptually this show is genius, in Britain we manage to squeeze in, on average, around four hours of television every day, and as such many television events have a tendency to unite the nation.

From a purely voyeuristic point of view, Gogglebox offers a fantastic way to see how the other half lives, especially politically, it is fascinating to see how people of various socio-economic backgrounds react to the leadership debates, and it provided an interesting window into how people other than me think.

Gogglebox is undoubtedly the realist of reality shows, it lacks the soap opera flashiness of Keeping up with the Kardashians or Made in Chelsea, and its storyline, rather than needing to be created in the editing suite, is instead guided by the weeks television.

Its other strength is that it airs at the end of the week, and is filmed essentially in real time, so when it airs, many of the events shown have just happened, this is perhaps one of the most current reality television shows, it is particularly useful for me, because as I work in news, I don't have the luxury of burying my head in the sand. Watching Gogglebox allows me to know whats happening on TV, without having to sit through the entire Corrie omnibus.

Whilst conceptually Gogglebox should be a failure, it's possibly one of the most entertaining shows on television today, and is a fascinating look at British couch potato culture.

Tatler: An English Institution

Whilst it might seem strange to review a magazine, indeed reviews are more something which appear in magazines, however, for the last century, Tatler has been more than a magazine, this british institution has been advising the countries elite how to act, behave, dress and shop, teaching them where to take their holidays, and where to buy their tablecloths. It has taught Sloanes how to sext, earls how to eat and rahs how to rock and roll.

Buying a copy of Tatler is always an occasion, I personally read it almost fanatically, and this month it came with a pair of sunglasses (which I offered to my favorite Sloane in return for her driving me to go shopping). This months edition also came with the annual Watches and Jewelry  Guide, filled with gaudily large rocks which could only possibly be desired by the wives of Russian oligarchs.

Unlike most other magazines, which strive to have the most famous cover stars adorning their front pages, Tatler is often fronted by complete unknowns, young women who are entirely unremarkable save for the 'honorable' at the beginning of their names and the zeros at the end of their bank accounts.

What is also remarkable about Tatler is its sense of humor, articles like 'Turbo Sloanes are Go' and 'Whats It Like to be the Imperial State Crown?' set the periodicals tone nicely, whilst this is a magazine which caters to the country's elite, it is an incredibly self aware publication, and everything it does is done with a healthy amount of tongue in cheek.

With a circulation of less than 100 000, the only reason that Tatler exists is purely because of the wealth of its readership, advertisers flock for their adverts to appear in the magazine. Vogue readers aspire, whereas Tatler readers buy.

Tatler is the kind of magazine which is quintessentially British, the humor of the publication and its irreverence is unique to its identity, and I'm sure that for the next century, Tatler will prevail in advising the cream of British society how to behave.

Kingsman: The Secret Service

Whilst watching this film, I was amazed by how iconic the movie felt, I felt as if I was watching the start of a movie franchise which would go on to become the next great spy franchise.

The film, adapted from a popular comic book series feels like a highly modernized James Bond, a version of Bond which, although less classic and less refined, was more energetic and fresher. Kingsman is the story of Eggsy, a young chav recruited into a secret spy organisation called The Kingsmen. Upon arriving at their headquarters he is set a series of tasks to determine his worth.

What was ultimately also apparent about Kingsman was the style of the film, the fashion of the film is stylish, classic and quintessentially British, and the films producers teamed up with Mr. Porter to create a clothing line based on the film, a first for the industry.

Although the film does sometimes feel aimless, and suffers from particular drag in its third act, it is never dull, and even when I was unsure about where the film was headed, it was always entertaining.

The star of the film is relative unknown Taron Egerton, who is a welcome addition to British cinema and who is able to make the relatively emotional difficult journey from east London chav to reformed gentleman by the end of the film.

The supporting cast of the film is filled out with Colin FIrth, Mark Strong, Samuel L Jackson and Michael Caine, who all give fine, if not outstanding performances.

Even if the film feels sometimes aimless Kingsman: The Secret Service is a delightfully stylish and entertaining cinematic romp, and may well be the greatest original british spy film since Dr. No, bring on the sequel.

The Fault in Our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars is a 2014 American drama film, about a young girl suffering from terminal cancer who falls in love for the first time. The film was adapted from a novel of the same name by John Green, and stars Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort.

Woodley plays Hazel Grave Lancaster, a young girl living with her parents in Indianapolis, struggling to cope with impending death as a result of her terminal cancer. At a support group for cancer patients, she meets Augustus Waters, an amputee and cancer survivor who she subsequently falls in love with. The cast of this film is superb, with Shailene Woodley giving an outstanding performance as the strong, yet fragile Hazel, a girl who tries to prepare those around her for her death, and who has to convince her parents to go on without her.

Elgort is also fantastic as Augustus, an unusually wise and brave young man, who finds himself weakening and falling for Hazel. Filling out the supporting cast is Laura Dern, playing Hazels mum, a woman dealing with the constant sickness of her daughter. Willem Defoe plays Peter Van Houten, the author of Hazel's favorite book, called an imperial affliction, and who she travels to Amsterdam to meet. The entire film is bolstered by a fantastic soundtrack, featuring the talents Ed Sheeran, Tom Odell and Charlie XCX, who contributes a fantastic song called Boom Clap to the film, which perfectly captures the bittersweet nature of the film.

It should be said that the film is a tearjerker, i personally was sat in my room bawling with a tube of loo roll next to me two thirds of the way through, but that's just me. The first part of the film is reasonably cheerful, and there is something subversive about the way the film sets its viewers up, like a roller coaster train climbing a hill the audience knows that the fall out from this film is going to be huge, and as the film goes on we become more enamored and emotionally connected to these characters, and so to see them hurt is painful to watch.

Overall The Fault in Our Stars is emotional without being melodramatic, it's superbly acted and written, and is a touching heartfelt young adult adaptation. Rating: A

Hazel Grace Lancaster: But, Gus, my love, I cannot tell you how thankful I am for our little infinity. I wouldn't trade it for the world. You gave me a forever within the numbered days, and I'm grateful.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows : The End of Our Journey

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 is the seventh part of the Harry Potter saga, and is currently the only film in this series that i haven't reviewed yet. The film is the first part of the two part finale detailing the seventh year of Harry and his friend's schooling. This is the first and only film not to feature any action at Hogwarts. The film features the wizarding world torn apart by war, its inhabitants living in fear of Voldemort and his death eaters.

The film begins with the order of the phoenix attempting to remove Harry from Privet Drive to a safe house, and features the wedding of Fleur and Bill Weasley. The remainder of the film recounts the story of Harry Ron and Hermione looking for Horcruxes, after realizing the locket they found in the previous film is a fake, they look for the real one, and upon finding it, they search for a way to destroy it, the film then shows their destruction of the locket and their search for the others, in addition to Harry finding out more about Dumbledore thanks in part to Rita Skeeter's tell all exposé.

The problem with splitting the final book into two films, is that while it pays off in the next film, creating a climax that is thrilling and frenetic, it leaves this film a little redundant, and while filling all the action into a single film would have been difficult and would have resulting in the omission of many important details, it leaves this film without much of a climax, while the skirmish at Malfoy Manor is used as the ending of the film, it fails to provide a satisfying conclusion, and is highly unsatisfactory.

Deathly Hallows was written as one novel, and there is really no suitable break point in the story without ruining the balance of the films, the final film of the series is really full with action and yet this film feels a little empty and unnecessary. The novel as it was planned by Rowling starts of slowly and builds momentum as it reaches a zenith with a satisfying climax, this film is only successful if viewed as the first part of a two part film, much in the same way as Kill Bill is, as otherwise, it is a little boring as a stand alone film. Deathly Hallows Part 1 is by far the least satisfying of the films, however it is saved somewhat by it's sequel. Rating: C+

Harry Potter is a fantastic and wonderfully complete adaptation of one of the most beloved literary series of british fiction, and so it only seems fitting to end this series of eight posts with a quite from the sorceress herself:

The stories we love best do live in us forever. So, whether you come back by page or by the big screen, Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home.- J.K. Rowling

Julia - A Review by P M Josse

Julia is a 2008 thriller film directed by Erik Zonca, starring Tilda Swinton in the title role. the film was loosely inspired by the John Cassavetes film Gloria, and is a thriller based in california and mexico, Swinton stars as the eponymous Julia, an alcoholic who goes to desperate measures to find money.

Swinton plays Julia, an alcoholic, whose partying lifestyle has cost her job and means she is rapidly running out of money. She agrees to go to AA meetings where she meets a mexican immigrant named Elena, who wants Gloria to kidnap her son from her ex-husband. Julia after much coercion agrees to partake in the plan, she kidnaps the son, and decides to force Elena's ex-husband in order to extort him for money, while she is with the son, she experiences a spiritual rebirth, finally ending up in mexico, where she will have a final showdown.

The film is much buoyed by Swinton's performance, in her role as Julia, Swinton is brash, visceral and real. The role is much removed from Swinton's other roles, especially at the beginning, we are presented to Julia as a woman who is not unattractive, and who certainly lives a superficially glamorous life. Her appearance is utterly transgressive and differs wildly from her other roles, her hair is red and buoyant and her clothing is showy and glamorous.

Her acting in this film is tense and often terrifying, she shows a level of commitment to her character which is admirable, and which is of benefit to this movie. The film however is troubling towards the end, firstly the film is overly long, clocking in at well over two hours, for a character driven drama, this is a little long to spend with one person. The film also has an unsurprising twist at the end, that is utterly too convenient, the character features a turnaround that it too handy, and which belies the action that came before.

Despite its flaws and it's bloated running time, Julia nonetheless features a superb performance by Tilda Swinton, in one of her best roles to date (which is saying something) in this superb character study. Rating: B-

Julia: Well, I'm not really down with the good neighbor shit.

We Need To Talk About Kevin - Review by Philip Josse

We Need To Talk About Kevin is a british drama film directed by Lynne Ramsay adapted from the novel by Lionel Shriver, and starring Tilda Swinton and Ezra Miller. We Need To Talk About Kevin is about the relationship between a mother and her son, who has recently killed nine people in his school with a bow and arrow, and whith whom she has a distant, unloving relationship.

The cantral figure in the film is the relationship between Eva, and her son Kevin, Eva was a successful travel writer in New York, who had her own imprint and earned a lot of money, she meets a man named Franklin, and suddenly falls pregnant, despite not wanting a child or, really, a relationship with Franklin. Upon the birth of her child, Eva fails to connect with the child, Kevin screams constantly even as an infant, he resists toilet training, and rebuffs her feeble attempts at intimacy and maternal affection. She moves with Franklin to a house in the suburbs at his insistence. In the suburbs, Eva is unhappy and lost, and she lacks direction in her life. She is openly hostile towards to Kevin, telling him that she doesn't love him, and breaking his arm as she lashes out.

As Kevin grows up he becomes even more cold and malicious, as Eva has a daughter, looking for some love in her life, and Kevin reacts to his sister with jealousy, killing her pet hamster in the garbage disposal, and burning her eye with cleaning fluid, leaving her blind. Subsequently Kevin kills nine students at his school, and Eva is forced to loose her house, and she ends up living in a rundown house near the railway line, working in a travel agency, being openly shunned and abused by her neighbors, the film shows her trying to understand the reason behind Kevins actions, and whether this was her fault, or whether he was simply a bad seed.

The film is unequivocal in it's presentation of Eva's guilt, her house is at one point splashed with red paint, and we see Eva washing her hands after having cleaned it, rinsing the red paint off her hands like a murder washing the blood off their hands. Eva is openly abused and is at one point slapped by one of her neighbors, however she doesn't react, and she takes the abuse as if she deserves it. Red is omnisciently present in the film, the film opens with the food fight in valencia showing red splattering and people running, the murder scene is presented similarly to this, with the police lights giving the scene a garish glow. The color red is present mainly after the murder, reminding her constantly of the acts her son committed.

Environments are also very important in the film, the apartment into which Kevin is born is a very personal space, curated over time and filled with memorable trinkets. The house in the suburbs to which they move is in direct contrast, it is cold, uninviting  and impersonal. In the house both of the children have personal spaces which represent them, even Kevin, Eva's only attempt at a personal space is ruined by Kevin, who sprays it with black ink. The rest of the house has a clinical feel, lacking personality or feeling.

The performances in the film are superb, Tilda Swindon is magnificent, playing a woman who is wracked with guilt, who feels responsible for the abhorrent acts her son committed, and who accepts her punishment with an almost saintly penitence. Ezra Miller is also fantastic as Kevin, a sociopath who feels almost nothing, a psychopath who doesn't know why he killed those people, and who acts out of curiosity. The lack of chemistry between Swinton and Miller is incredible, and their performances are subtle and complex.

However We Need To Talk About Kevin raises more questions than it answers, and the film is ultimately more of an exploration than a decipherment. Nonetheless We Need To Talk About Kevin is a visually intriguing and beautifully acted drama. Rating: A-

Eva: Whenever I see fat people, they're always eating. Don't give me any of this... 'slow metabolism, it's my glands' crap.

HP6 - Review by Philip Josse

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince is the sixth film in the Harry Potter franchise. I know i previously stated my intention to review all these films before the end of the summer, but to tell you the truth i still haven't gone back to university, and so hopefully i will complete them all before freshers week, only two to go. Half Blood Prince recounts the sixth year at Hogwarts School, and is the year in which Harry finally learns more about his past and his destiny from Dumbledore. The title refers to an old potions book which Harry founds, which was once the property of the mysterious Half Blood Prince, a potions genius from who he learns a great deal.

Half Blood Prince adds very few new characters to the series, as the work focuses mainly on Harry's past and future, and there is no 'mystery' to be really solved, however one fantastic addition is that of Jim Broadbent as Slughorn, i love this actor and he really shows both his comedic and dramatic range in this film. The movie is much more introspective, the pensive is a device used in other books and films which allows the characters to enter memories and explore them. Here Dumbledore uses the pensive to show Harry memories about Voldemort from his past, in order for Harry to understand Riddle's motives. Dumbledore shows Harry Voldemort's discovery of horcruxes and his childhood. The film shows us a lot about Voldemort's descent into psychopathy and the birth of his obsession with eternal life.

The second half of the film deals with the trios raging hormones first and foremost, the burgeoning relationship between Ron and Hermione, and Harrys growing affection for Ginnie. This part of the film also deals with horcruxes, and Dumbledores search for them. Harry and Dumbledore journey to a cave, where they find a locket and fight off inferi, upon their return to Hogwarts Dumbledore and Harry face off against a group of death eaters in the battle of their lives.

The film is much darker than it's predecessors, and this film continues the trend of desaturating the film of each subsequent installment of the series, becoming darker and less colorfull, to represent the happiness being sucked out of the world. The sets are beautiful in this film, and the movie is tender and poignant. The cave where Harry and Voldemort find the locket is a fantastic creation, and identically mirrors the illustration from the book cover. The film shows the same world as the first film, but with all the life, light and colour sucked out of it, and the future looks bleak as we gear up for the final battle. Rating: B

Harry Potter: Be brave, Professor. Be brave like my mother... Otherwise, you disgrace her. Otherwise, she died for nothing. Otherwise, the bowl will remain empty... forever.

Enough Said - A Review by Philip Josse

Enough Said is a 2013 comedy film directed by Nicole Holofcener, starring Julia Louis Dreyfus and James Gandolfini, in one of his last starring roles. The film is also the first leading film role for Julia Louis Dreyfus, who is mostly known as a television actress, and has only had small parts and cameos in films up till now. Enough Said is about two middle aged baby boomers, both single parents and divorcees who have to deal with new relationships and their children leaving to college.

Louis Dreyfus plays Eva, a masseuse who meets and falls for Albert played by Gandolfini. Things are complicated somewhat when Eva realizes that her new friend and client is actually her new boyfriend's ex-wife. Despite how corny this story sounds, Enough Said is actually rather good, it is a rather unconventional romance film, and it never tries to overstretch its boundaries. Enough Said is a small film, but it is a good small film, and it is able to successfully analyze it's subject matter, without feeling the need to be 'about something'.

Louis Dreyfus is superb in the lead role, she really shows her versatility as an actress, as this role is very different from most of her television performances. Eva is a fairly uncomplicated woman, she works as a masseuse and she has a small circle of friends. Upon meeting a new client and realizing that she is Albert's ex-wife, she becomes slightly more catty, meaner and more harsh. However the film never looses it's sense of fun, and the spirit of the film is always light and friendly. James Gandolfini is also fantastic as Albert, and this character is certainly very different to Tony Soprano. Gandolfini had a superb comic range, and his work on this film is impressive.

Enough Said is a well written comedy with a supreme sense of fun, it is entertaining and well acted, and works within the bounds of it's genre. Rating: B-

Eva: You think they have threesomes?

Down the Rabbit Hole We Go

Rabbit Hole is a 2010 drama film directed by John Cameron Mitchell, starring Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart. The film is an adaptation of the 2005 play of the same name, and revolves around a couple dealing with the death of their son in a car incident. Kidman stars as Becca, a woman attempting to cope with her grief and move on from her sons death. Becca want's to give away all his clothes and toys, sell the house and move on with her life, her husband, Howie is more maudlin, and wants to keep his sons' room exactly as it was, and resents Becca's attempts to move on.

The couple struggle on for a few months, Becca want's to sell the house though Howie attempts to stop this, he tries to resume sexual relations with Becca in the hope of having another child, however she rebuffs his advances. Later in the film the couple attend a self help group for grieving couples, but Becca finds the group tiresome and contemptible. Howie attends without her, finding solace in the meetings, and begins to bond with the other attendees. Becca meets with Jason, the driver of the car that killed her son. Howie resents her meetings with Jason, but he shows her a comic he is writing about parallel universes called Rabbit Hole, which she thinks is wonderful.

The film endeavors to dissect the differences between the way they process their grief. Becca takes a more typically masculine approach, she compartmentalizes her feelings and avoids all interaction with her husband, becoming detached and depressed, but managing to function relatively normally. Howie on the other hand takes a more conventionally feminine approach, keeping his sons room exactly as he left it, making no changes as if he expects him to return, becoming agitated when Becca attempts to alter anything, clinging emotionally to the last video taken of him, becoming distressed when Becca accidentally deletes it.

The film is superbly acted, led by Nicole Kidman who is incredible as Becca, a woman racked by grief, yet making all attempts to hide it, seeking to function and rebuking all suggestion from her mother that any other situation could be like hers. Attempting to appear normal and buoyant to the outside world when she is screaming and crying in the depths of her mind. Rabbit Hole is a film which should be depressing, however unlike August Osage County which sucked all the humor out of it's original play, there is a sense of hope left in Rabbit Hole, even if much of the humor of the original play is lost, there is still the possibility of redemption.

Rabbit Hole is a rare film, one with a subject matter so depressing, that it should make it's viewers feel positively suicidal, yet the whole film is an exercise in atonement and emotional restitution, it features a masterful performance by Nicole Kidman leading a fine cast, in a challenging film dealing with a difficult subject. Rabbit Hole is a rare film, one that inspires contemplation. Rating: B

Becca: Somewhere out there I'm having a good time.