Jupiter Ascending

Written and directed by Andy Wachowski and Lana Wachowski from the makers of The Matrix Trilogy, this charming story of Jupiter Jones, (Mila Kunis) a young girl born under the night sky destined for greater things. 

She grows up in the family business as a chamber maid and is seen to be cleaning and fixing toilets until one day a fine looking creature from outer space Cain Wise (Channing Tatum), genetically engineered military server comes to earth to seek her out. His indestructible spirit is on a mission to protect and transport the lady to her greater destiny which is on another planet in another galaxy.

Unbeknown to our planet and many others, we had been seeded by alien royalty and are under the rule of the Abrasax Dynnasty of which  Kaleque (Tuppence Middleton), Titus (Douglass Boothe) and Balem (Eddie Redmayne)  are  Aires. Planet earth is about to be harvested in order to give these rulers eternal youth.

Where does Jupiter come into this? Well as it turns out, she is the most perfect molecular  reincarnation of the parent of this dynasty and she actually owns earth. This girl has power in her hands she never even knew about.

Kalque, Titus and Balem were her children in a past life and each one is more corrupt and greedy than the next. The cause is down to the commodity known as  time and it's eternal youth is only obtainable by the death of human beings.

This story has a certain amount of romance aimed at the teenage soul. As usual, amazing effects which are becoming less impressive the more we see.  There was a little too much action which became tedious.The acting was  excellent and in my opinion, the story was  good.

I don’t see this film having a sequel but it probably will. Some things are best left alone.

Ex Machina

Man’s fascination to become a creator of life has been expressed through fiction over the ages in the likes of Frankenstein. However when it comes to making the sexuality of the artificial life female, man never ceases to aim for physical perfection.

Written and Directed by Alex Garland,this film is a calming masterpiece with few characters and not much action. It is pure storytelling through characters and script.

Domhnall Gleeson plays Caleb, a young man who works for the biggest search engine in the world, has won a competition within his company to spend time with a top CEO in his secluded home in the mountains.

It is top secret and he is dropped into the middle of nowhere by helicopter and given instructions on how to find the rest of the way on foot.

The multi billionaire Nathan played by Oscar Isaac is extremely intelligent and it is no coincidence that the chosen winner is this boy. He has actually been hand picked using data from his browsing history.

Nathan is a man of extremes. He appears to be a bit of an alcoholic by night and a fitness freak by day. He has spent much of his time alone and this in itself has given rise to such eccentricities. In any case, it’s a new angle of mad scientist and a far more realistic approach than the classic freaky haired white coated professor.

His creation is a Ava played by Alicia Vikander,  a beautiful robot girl with a sorrowful demeanor. Caleb has been instructed to carry out the Turing test. To find out if the machine can exhibit intelligent behavior and can learn emotions.

Ava gently flirts with Caleb and is able to stir emotions in him.

The film leaves you with many thoughts about many future possibilities of artificial intelligence. Well worth seeing. 

Into The Woods

This film was an adaptation of a musical and well known story about lots of other stories. That’s originality out the window for a start.

On a positive note, it was pleasing to the artistic eye, richly painted with both colour and darkness with good use of scenery and costume. Portraying a tragic tale in monotonous, repetitive rhyme,

It was an impressive ability of all the cast to sing such unmelodious and unmemorable songs.

Particularly the very young and talented Daniel Huttlestone (previously in Les Miserables ) born September 17 1999.  Originating from Essex, this boy sang with a strong accent, characteristic of Dickens’s London and suggesting his station in life. Tracey Ullman played his mother.

The film was heavily laden with very big names but with so many characters it was hard to decipher whose story it was.  

Meryl Streep’s amazing ability was put to great use in this film with her spell binding wrath.

 Jonny Dept’s Wolf character was cringe worthy as it bordered on paedophilia.  If he had been a real wolf he may have got away with it but not as a man dressed up as a wolf. The words that spilled from his mouth as he pursued the little girl in a red cape were inappropriate, as was the sinister way he played the role.

Halfway through the film we hit a conclusion and I would’ve been happy to leave it there but then a strange turn of events took us down another path and the film carried on.  In a world of so many distractions who could carry on concentrating on this.

I left the Cinema not understanding whether or not this was for adults or children. I came to the conclusion that it’s one of those artistic pieces you dare not criticize or you will be found out to lack culture.

The film had some good moments, namely Meryl Streep, but all in all it was drawn out for too long.

Mojo Dollar

If you love sixties music, this band is for you in fact even if you don't like sixties music, this talented bunch of musicians will convert you because they were absolutely brilliant. I went to see them play at the Old House at Home in Locksway road, Portsmouth on Saturday night and was blown away.

This five piece band played Mod, Beat, Blues,Motown and party stuff. They revive the sounds of the all time greats like the Who, The Stones, The Beatles and many more.

At the back of the pub if you're small like I am you couldn't see them but small people can inch their way to the front easily as I did. However, the music alone got people of all ages bopping around.

The drummer was completely insane and quite mesmerizing to watch.

The band has already got an enormous following of all ages. It's amazing how passionately they play the music of fifty years ago and make it sound totally trendy.

A great night out.

The Theory of Everything.

Written by Jane Hawking directed by James Marsh. It opens in 1963 at Cambridge university.

The story of Professor Steven Hawking who was authentically portrayed by Eddie Redmayne. It doesn't matter if you are not interested in science as there were hardly any equations at all in the film. It's a story of love, perseverance and the gift of life. It explores commitment and loyalty within the binds of a tragedy. A brilliant mind determined to explore and share his theory of time against all odds.

Eddie Redmayne was absolutely brilliant, so much so  that I could almost believe he actually was Steven Hawking. His sparkly eyes and smile shone through behind the progressively dying body.

Jane (Felicity Jones) cared for him and their three children on her own for many years but cracks began to show as time went on. She joined a choir and became friendly with a man named Jonathan who becomes very close to the family offering help and support.

There were bursts of nostalgia in the background of this film with genuine representations of the era such as furnishings, costumes or cars. For me there were moments of “I remember those” or “My aunt had that T-Set” throughout the production.

Mostly though, it was very emotional. This atheist physicist married to a church going girl who never gave god any leeway some how surpassed this illness miraculously.

A dramatic, thought provoking, tear jerker and best film so far this year.

Elf The musical

Last year I saw this in Dublin and this Christmas it will be at the Dominion Theatre in London well worth seeing.

December can be a stressful time of year for some and this show will make you sit back and forget who you are for a couple of hours. I thoroughly recommend it.

Broadway musical based on the film of the same name, it's the story of Buddy the Elf and it makes me want to burst into song as I write. The film is up there with all the classic Christmas movies and I watch it every year, so it makes complete sense that it should be made into a musical. This fabulous comedy production was put together by Morgan young (Director and Choreographer) and Michael Rose (Producer) at Plymouth's Theatre Royal and The Bord Gais Energy Theatre in Dublin up until January 10^th 2015. 

It opens with Santa,( Mark McKerracher) narrating the story.Buddy was human but raised in The North Pole by the elves at Santa's work shop. Innocent and full of Christmas cheer, Buddy goes to New York City in search of his real father who just so happens to be on Santa's naughty list. He is misunderstood in this cruel city which lacks Christmas spirit. It's a very funny tale for all ages. Although it's essentially a Festive show, it had all the lustre of a long running west end production.

The Bord Gais Energy Theatre is an astounding work of modern art. I felt as though I had set foot in the future. It has given Dublin's Docklands a reason to celebrate as people flock to see shows in a once business only zone. Restaurants and bars now bustle with people. With comfy seating and plenty of leg room it was the ideal place to show Elf.

bordgaisenergytheatre

The set design and special effects were awe inspiring and the changes were slick. These included the North Pole, Santa's workshop, interior and exterior of the Empire State Building, Macy's and so much more. Costumes were lavish and colourful.

Graham Lappin (Stressed Store manager)

 The make up artists and wig department worked wonders transforming the characters, in particular the manager of Macy's toy department, Graham Lappin. With superb choreography and even ice skating, it was magical to watch. The whole production moved seamlessly from scene to scene.

The music and songs were really catchy I'm still humming them to myself now. The cast and ensemble were dynamic. This was after all, the last show of the season. Multi talented Ben Forster played Buddy with such exuberance it was contagious.

Ben Forster with Santa Mark McKerracher.

 Stunning Aoibhinn McGinty played Jovie  (The girl he falls in love with.)

Aoibhinn Mc Ginty

 Joe McGann played Walter Hobbs the workaholic father teamed up with Jessica Martin as his wife Emily bringing a wealth of experience to the production.. 

Joe McGann 

Jessica Martin

Several young boys played the part of Michael Hobbs, Buddy's little brother. The boy I saw was extremely talented at only ten years old he had a beautiful singing voice.

Michael and Buddy

There was some magical moments especially at the end of the show which I can't give away as the success of this tour means it should be going to the West End next Christmas. Ok Santa needed a stunt double (Paul Hutton) and that's all I'm going to say.

I overheard some people in the foyer saying that they would go to this show at any time of the year and I agree. I'll be booking my tickets for next year as soon as they are available.

You can't see in this photo but they have ice skates on.

Exodus: Gods and Kings

Directed by Ridley Scott, set to the dramatic music of Alberto Iglesias, filmed in Pinewood Studios and the Canary Islands, this epic film was visually stunning right down to the minutest details. Christian Bale played Moses, Joel Edgerton played Ramses with Aaron Paul as Joshua. With superb effects portraying thousands of Hebrew slaves, buildings and large statues of Ancient Egypt, the story it'self has no narration and not much of a script to go by just sheer cinematography at it's best. 

Janty Yates created all of the splendid costumes based on rich Egyptian art laiden with colour and jewels.  Arthur Max is largely responsible for the layout and scenery involved.

 Before going to see this film, it may be a good idea to familiarize yourself with the story. Exodus Kings and Gods is a recreation from the Bible much like the "Ten Commandments"  from 1956 about the life of Moses a spiritual leader. This version entails a very in depth depiction of the Hebrew deliverer more as a warrior, who leads his people out of Egypt after more than four hundred years of slavery.

Moses is born a Hebrew but raised as an Egyptian by the daughter of a Pharaoh. His nemesis in the Film is Ramses (the current Pharaoh's natural son). Although there is  kinship between them, we can gather Ramses is a little threatened by Moses's favor from his father.  When the Pharaoh dies Ramses becomes the ruler and that's when it all changes for Moses when they both discover his true heritage.

Moses leaves Egypt and finds refuge in some mountains where he settles for a while, marries and bares a son.

Maria Valverdie plays Zipporah (Moses's wife)

 He then encounters  the famous  burning bush and God appears to him in the form of his inner child seeking revenge. Moses is urged to go back to Egypt to free his people. His wife and son are not too happy about this.

Moses returns and begins to train the slaves with military skills whilst Egyptians hunt him down. This doesn't win immediate approval from his own people and he still has much to prove whilst the Egyptians continue to administer more cruelty to the slaves. 

The mark of the beginning of ten plagues begins with the curse of the Nile turning to blood. The plagues appear to be natural occurrences rather than the wrath of Moses's God. Ramses's adviser comes up with a valid scientific explanation for each hideous tragedy. 

The final curse came which caused death all over Egypt and finally Ramses lets the people go. So in their thousands, the refugees set out in search of their promised land but find themselves faced with the Red Sea.

I was expecting a huge miraculous parting of the sea with ocean walls either side of the travelers. It didn't happen that way in fact there was no actual magic in this film even though the effects were fantastic, all of it was explainable. The Easterly wind blew the currents side ways making the water shallow enough to cross. Many Egyptian chariots were destroyed before they even got to the sea although some got swept up in what appeared as a huge tidal wave.

I thoroughly enjoyed the visuals of the  film but I am not sure if I'd have been able to follow it with out prior knowledge of Moses story.

watch the trailer below