The Iceman Movie Review

Director: Ariel Vromen

UK Release Date: 7th June 2013

Running Time: 106 minutes

Starring: Michael Shannon, Winona Ryder, Ray Liotta, Chris Evans, James Franco

"The Iceman" was released in 2013 and  is the chilling true story of Richard Kuklinksi.  Kuklinski was a notorious contract killer who murdered over 100 people while his wife and children were unaware of his murderous work life.  The film depicts his story and follows his relationships with his bosses and his family.

In the film Kuklinski (Michael Shannon) is seen meeting and having to work for Roy Demeo (Ray Liotta) having previously met his soon to be wife Deborah Pellicotti (Winona Ryder). He seemingly does a good job of keeping his killing separate and secret from his family life until one day he makes a mistake.  Desperate for money, the stakes are raised as he tries to keep both of his lives separate and avoid being killed or caught by the cops. 

Richard Kuklinski (Shannon) in The Iceman
Photo courtesy of Millennium Entertainment

While watching this film be prepared - the story is very shocking.  Just the idea that a man could kill over 100 people and still hold down a normal family life for so long with them not having any idea is more than enough to send shivers down anyone's spine.  The true story of Kukinski is portrayed very well in the "The Iceman" but the standout aspect of the film is the acting.  Shannon delivers an incredible cold performance as Kuklinski and likewise Ryder gives a great performance as his wife, Deborah.  Liotta's role as Roy Demeo is average. It is a typical role to play for the "Goodfellas" (1990) star.  

More impressive was Chris Evans as Mr. Freezy and also David Schwimmer as Josh Rosenthal.  Both actors are unrecognizable and portray there characters very well.  Having these two in the film and with the addition of James Franco in a very short role really adds some weight the film.  The acting performances in the film really stand out and from this perspective the film is very good.

Mr. Freezy (Evans) in The Iceman
Photo courtesy of Millennium Entertainment

A problem with the film was that it makes the audience feel a certain way.  By the end of the film you feel an emotional tie with Kuklinski when really we should not, as quite clearly he was not a good person.  We sympathise with him and his situation by the end of the film.  We should really be symptahising with his victims, their families and his family who knew nothing about his actions.  This was one let down with the film as it made us feel something for a charcter that we did not want to feel.  Is this good film-making?  Of course, but is it the right way to portray a true story and one of this magnitude surrounded by so much death?

Overall, the film is an interesting one to watch.  Great performances from the majority of the cast make it a real pleasure to watch and it is good to see the lead in a film given to someone who is not as well known as others.  Shannon gives an inspiring performance and is backed up by the likes of Evans and Ryder.  One perfect way to describe this film is by The Guardians Peter Bradshaw who described it as "Zodiac meets Goodfellas." Unfortunately, "The Iceman" does not reach the heights of either of these films but it is by no means a disappointment. 

M+F Reviews: 7/10

Reviewed by M+F Reviews.

The Muppets Movie Review

Director: James Bobin

UK Release Date: 10th February 2012

Running Time: 103 minutes 

Starring: Jason Segal, Amy Adams, Chris Cooper, Rashida Jones

"The Muppets" directed by James Bobin and starring a cast that includes a mix of How I Met Your Mother and The Office US stars, and also features a huge haul of cameo appearances that has only been rivaled recently by "Anchorman: The Legend Continues" (2013) is a fun and light film that brings our beloved characters back to the big screen. The film is a musical centered around easy flowing comedy but is predictable as with many films of this genre. 

The story follows Gary (Jason Segal) and his brother Walter as they try to bring back together the Muppets to try and save Muppet Studios from Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) who is planning drill underneath the studios to strike oil.  With many obstacles along the way and with Gary also trying to celebrate his ten year anniversary with girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams), The Muppets are against the clock to save their real home. 

Walter and Gary (Segal) in The Muppets

"The Muppets" is an easy enough film to watch although it does verge on the edge of being cringe-worthy.  This is mainly down to some of the songs and a few of the scenes.  This does not impede on the rest of the film, although it can be found to be slightly annoying when watching.  As the film is a musical, obviously songs are common.  The songs themselves are okay.  They did not really stand out to us but they were at times quite catchy and easy to follow.  To us, all of the songs sounded similar to songs we know but different from each other. In fact one song from the movie, 'Man or Muppet' went on to win an Oscar for Best Original Song.  

The acting in the film is okay and is what can be expected.  Segal and Adams are both enjoyable to watch and are great for the roles.  Both perform well on screen and are soft in nature and funny to watch.  They interact well and the characters are well thought out and fit within the story well.  As usual, The Muppets are excellent. The whole 'gang' is present and provide nice comedy and moments of laughter.  The way the film goes you definitely feel an attachment to The Muppets having grown up with them.  

Mary, Gary and The Muppets

This movie features a huge cameo cast that includes the likes of Emily Blunt, Whoopi Goldberg, Selena Gomez and Dave Grohl.  It is good to see many familiar faces but in one way we felt that the film relied to heavily on their influence and also that they took away from the story line.  They felt more of a distraction to us rather than something that added extra depth or comedy to the story line.

Overall, "The Muppets" is a good film that is enjoyable to watch.  It has a fun uplifting feel to it throughout and you are bound to know at least some of the cast.  If you are a fan of The Muppets or not, this film is still worth watching and will provide you with good entertainment that does not require much engagement.  The songs are pleasant and even though the film is predictable, it is a good film that brings together some great characters and memories of The Muppets back onto the big screen.

M+F Rating: 7/10

Reviewed by M+F Reviews.

The Room Movie Review

Director: Tommy Wiseau 

UK Release Date: 24th July 2009

Running Time: 99 minutes

Starring: Tommy Wiseau, Juliette Danielle, Greg Sestero

"The Room" is now a cult classic, but not because it is a good film. It has achieved cult status as it has been labelled one of and if not the worst film of all time. It came out in 2003 but did not have its UK release until 2009 after it had acquired its cult status. This label was to us an open invitation - to view the film and make our own decision on the movie.

The film was written by, produced by, directed by and stars Tommy Wiseau.  It follows the life of Johnny (Wiseau) who is  banker. He is in a relationship with Lisa (Juliette Danielle) but a love triangle forms with his best friend Mark (Greg Sestero). 

If you are a film fanatic and love films for what they are then you will be able to sit through "The Room" but only just.  It is a difficult movie to watch but for none other than the reason that it is poor.  From a film standpoint, it feels like it is ten or twenty years older than it release date.  The scenes are often unmoving, quiet and feature one or two characters conversing in very basic odd dialect.  It really is a strange film.  It features numerous love scenes that are quite frankly unnecessary and also shows clips of the city skyline between scenes for an extended period of time that really are pointless.

However, all is not bad about "The Room" - well it is, but you can make the viewing experience more fun. The reason it has become a cult film is that audiences can enjoy it for being so bad.  There are many lines in the scripts that have become popular and can be enjoyed while watching in a group with friends.  It is only in this setting that you will be able to enjoy this film.

"The Room" is far from excellent and is by far the worst film we have ever seen to date.  Even now, we are still not sure what the point of the movie is.  It does not offer anything, the storyline is poor and very basic.  The dialiect and script are quite boring throughout and it is really dificult to engage with this film.  The only good thing that can be enjoyed is the comfort of others to watch it with you to try and make it a more enjoyable experience.

M+F Rating: 1/10

Reviewed by M+F Reviews.

Behind the Candelabra Movie Review

Director: Steven Soderbergh

UK Release Date: 7th June 2013

Running Time: 118 minutes

Starring: Michael Douglas, Matt Damon, Eric Zuckerman, Dan Aykroyd

 "Behind the Candelabra" stars Matt Damon and Michael Douglas in roles that are both challenging and eccentric.  The good thing is, they are both excellent in their portrayals of the titular characters in the film - Liberace and Scott Thorson.  The film itself is good but does not reach the heights of the performances that both Damon and Douglas give. 

The film focusses on the relationship of Liberace (Douglas) and Scott Thorson (Damon).  The film is based on the real memoir written by Thorson called Behind the Candelabra: My Life with Liberace which was published in 1988. The film recounts how the two of them meet and interact with each other and ends with Liberace's death.

As a film "Behind the Candelabra" is presented in a good way. It is easy to follow and portrays the story well.  The background music throughout is in true Steven Soderbergh style and similarities can be drawn between this and the films in the Oceans film series. Although this film is not billed as a comedy it can be quite amusing at times.  Firstly it is quite funny to see Douglas and Damon is the roles they play as they are so different to what they have done before, and what we are used to.  This is more so for Damon who usually plays an action based character like he does in "Elysium" (2013) and the Bourne Trilogy.

Staying with Damon as Scott Thorson - it really is a tremendous performance.  As we said, it is very different to what we have seen him do before but he plays the role really well and is convincing.  It is funny to see him with a face that has been modified and even by the end you are still not quite used to it but this does not take away from how good Damon is in "Behind the Candelabra". 

Equally good is Douglas as Liberace himself. A spectacular performance that is a near on perfect representation of Liberace, Douglas shows his greatness as he has done before. At first it is odd to see Douglas play a character like this but we felt more accustomed to it compared to Damon's portrayal of Thorson. 

"Behind the Candelabra" is a highly entertaining and well thought out film.  It flows relatively easy throughout and is flamboyant in each scene while featuring great acting performances provided by Douglas and Damon.  This film really depicts how loneliness can creep up on someone but does it in a way that is not obvious.  It is not something you realize while watching - but if you think in more depth about the film afterwards you realize it.  However, the film is funny, exciting and gives a good account of the life and times of Liberace and Scott Thorson. A nice watch.

M+F Rating: 7/10

Reviewed by M+F Reviews.

Rush Movie Review

Director: Ron Howard

UK Release Date: 13th September 2013

 

Running Time: 123 minutes

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Daniel Brühl, Olivia Wilde, Alexandra Maria Lara

"Rush" is an exhilarating film from start to finish - don't worry we will try to keep the puns to a minimum. Based on the real life rivalry, friendship and battles of Formula One drivers James Hunt and Nikki Lauder, the film begins with the start of their  racing careers going head to head in Formula Three.  The film portrays the playboy lifestyle of Hunt and the more reserved character of Lauder.

The film is very good and thoroughly enjoyable.  A large part of this is down to the acting. Chris Hemsworth is James Hunt and Daniel Brühl is Nikki Lauder.  These two really deliver top performances in the movie but they are not the only ones.  Even though the main characters are Hunt and Lauder the other minor characters help shape the film and are fundamental to the story.  In some films, these characters are not considered as important but they definitely are here and "Rush" proves this.  There are many smaller characters in the film and each one adds to the overall feel to the movie. This helps the film feel more rounded and not just a portrayal of the life of the two main characters but an opportunity to understand this time period.

Hemsworth performance as James Hunt is really spectacular.  His acting feels true and having watched real footage of Hunt, you can really see how good Hemsworth's delivery is. He easily displays the brash, overly-confident persona of Hunt perfectly.  The character is similar in ways to the confidence of Thor in the first film of the Thor franchise - "Thor" (2011).

Hemsworth was not the only standout in the film -  Brühl was just as good if not better.  For us, the character Brühl plays is the harder to portray of the two.  Convincing and serious,  Brühl really demonstrates how well he can perform and Lauder is a great character for him to be able to show his talent.  

What we found great about "Rush" is that anyone can watch it - you do not have to be a racing car or Formula One fanatic to enjoy the film. Ron Howard has directed the film in a way that it can appeal to all and this really makes this film stand out against other car racing films.  For instance, we are not huge Formula One fans but the film's content focused on the personalities of these two great Formula One racers rather than the cars.  Even the racing scenes themselves are appealing and convey well to the screen. 

Both Hemsworth and  Brühl do great justice in portraying these real life characters.The direction of the film is great and it is really enjoyable and thrilling to watch.  A really solid film and account of two greats, this film is a good watch.

M+F Rating: 8/10

Reviewed by M+F Reviews.