Film Reviews by TB

When Spotlight won the Oscar for Best Picture and also Best Screenplay, it once again shed light on the horrendous and disgusting abuse of children by priests in the Catholic Church, and rightly so.

There have been documentaries about this, most notably Deliver Us From Evil, which interviewed one of the clergyman and saw him openly admitting to what he did and also his feelings about minors in general. Although a difficult watch, it was compelling to see his victims trying to get the justice they deserved.

Spotlight takes a very different tack. It never shies away from the events, but rather than presenting them in a documentary style, it instead goes at a slower pace, creating more tension and traction in its approach. It also has an incredible cast: Michael Keaton, who was red hot after his success with Birdman, here becomes the strong axis the film spins on; Mark Ruffalo as the lead journalist, at times exploding in anger but motivated by the horror of what he discovers; Rachael McAdams as an equally tenacious journalist who uses her disgust to keep pushing for the truth; and finally Stanley Tucci as the lawyer whose refusal to be cowed and intimidated by the Church despite repeatedly threats ensured that the victims had their stories heard.

The film is never boring and completely absorbed me for the entire runtime, never once outstaying it's welcome or straying from the events. Amazingly directed and acted, with a great soundtrack, this film is essential and difficult viewing. A worthy Oscar winner

The boxing/fighting move has in many ways become a right of passage for any actor who wants to make an statement and signal their commitment to hard graft and the training for the role. Robert De Niro, Sylvester Stallone, Tom Hardy and even Daniel Day-Lewis have all made their mark in this genre, even though sometimes the results are mixed.

But because so many people have made what is effectively the same film over the years, the boxing film has more clichés than pretty much any other genre. And this to me is the biggest problem facing Bleed for This. This is a true and absolutely incredible story, often called the greatest sporting comeback of all time. And it deserves to be able to tell it's story. But because of how bloated the genre is, there is no doubt that every one of those troupes would have to be used to tell it, leading people to say "They stole that from Rocky," or "I've seen this before so many times." Bleed for This should have been made 10 or even 15 years ago and would have been able to potentially a lot more of this story.

But having said that, nothing should stop you watching this film for the performance of Miles Teller. A actor who is fast maturing into one of the best people working today in the films, he gives the film an electricity and audaciousness, making you really care about Vinny Paz and his difficulties and eventual triumphs, both in and outside of the ring. Aaron Eckhart is also great as the washed-up trainer, at first horrified by what his pupil is wanting to do before realising this is the redemption both of them need.

The only frustration of this film, as I alluded to earlier, is that it is far too short and leaves out a lot of what was undoubtedly critical to the recovery of Paz.

Finally, the biggest disappointment of all was the lack of special features on the Blu-Ray. 2 short clips of promotional video, both under 3 minutes in length, giving the absolute bare bones on how the film was made, including only interviewing Vinny Paz for around 90 seconds about the film of his life story.... Very poor

Since retiring from politics and going back into films, Arnold Schwarzenegger has starred in a variety of films, trying to broaden his output. Whilst some, like The Last Stand with Johnny Knoxville, have absolutely played up to his action image and satirised this, he has also thrown himself into serious films.

Like Maggie, which was his first film to truly stretch himself as an actor, Aftermath finds him as a grieving father struggling to not only find answers but also attempt to forge a new life through the upset and shock. It is based on a true story, although the setting has been moved from Russia to the USA.

Schwarzenegger is genuinely good in this film. Although when you first see him on screen, you start to think of his quotes and the more silly roles he has played, it is surprising just how quickly these vanish as the film continues. Special mention must also be given to Scoot McNairy, who brings a real gravitas to what is effectively a one sided role.

When I first heard about this film, there were mainly 2 different reactions to it: outright disgust/horror at how rape and sexual violence could be shown in the way it was; or absolute reverence and adulation for it and more specifically, the performance of Isabelle Huppert.

As you can guess from my rating and title, I am firmly in the second camp and also feel puzzled as to why there has been such hysteria from some people about it. The main cause of this appears to be the rape of the main character which the film opens with and then revisits throughout the course of the film.

And I don't want to be trite about how I felt when watching it: it is absolutely horrifying to witness and it is right that it is shown this way. But what appears to be so controversial is the reaction of Huppert's character Michele, which is to almost not react and to carry on with her life as normal. Whilst it is unsettling, what it is showing is that Michele will not be, and refuses to be, a victim. And her actions as the film goes on further illustrate how she shapes her own destiny and turns the tables on her attacker.

The other characteristic about both Michele and the film as a whole is how funny it is. This is the blackest of black comedies, with a brilliant sense of humour and biting satire, along with some of the best lines I have seen in recent films.

But by far the best thing about the entire film is Isabelle Huppert. It cannot be overstated just how phenomenal her performance is and how much this film owes to her. She gives it everything and creates a character that I can quite easily rank alongside Clarice Starling and Ellen Ripley as one of the best female characters ever in film. This is a performance which I have no doubt will be referred back to as a touchstone and, alongside Paul Verhoeven, she has created a masterpiece of provocation and brilliance. To quote Mark Kermode, "She is a force of nature."

See this film and be reminded of just how amazing cinema can be