Genre: Comedy/ Drama/ Crime

Run Time: 94 minutes

Rating: 12A

Director: Harmony Korine

Actors: Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Benson, Rachel Korine, James Franco





Plot: Four college girls have known each other since school but now they search for adventure. They land in jail during spring break but get bailed out from a drug/arms dealer called Alien. He promises that he will provide adventure and excitement for them. How far will they make it.

Comment:  Harmony Korine is known for his unique style of directing. This is a massive step for the main actresses, seeing them in this from their stereotypical roles but they did actually suit the parts. I lost interest in the movie and wanted to fast forward some parts. This isn't for the average movie goer so I wouldn't recommend for a cinema day or a movie night. If your interested go ahead but it's not my type of film. I'm sure there are loads of 'deep' factors that film will focuses on but I just didn't like it that much.

Genre: Drama/ Autobiographical/ Sport

Run Time: 106 minutes

Rating: 12A

Director: Sean McNamara

Actors: AnnaSophia Robb, Helen Hunt, Dennis Quaid, Lorraine Nicholson, Carrie Underwood



Plot: Teen surfer Bethany Hamilton is a champion surfer and practically lives in the sea. Until one day she loses her arm in a shark attack. Now she must re-learn how to do everything with one arm and face her fears of returning to the sea.

Comments: This film is based on a true story of Bethany Hamilton. Soul Surfer is an inspirational film about overcoming obstacles. For this film being based on a true story it has action and the story is well paced and you feel connected to the family. A bonus at the end, toy can see the real Bethany Hamilton and some home videos that were incorporated into the film.

Genre: Drama/ Romance

Run Time: 142 minutes

Rating: 12A

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Actors: Tom Hanks, Sally Field, Robin Wright




Plot: Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks) is a man with a low I.Q. but is a kind man and does the right thing. All his he has been teased and called names but his mum and only friend Jenny (Robin Wright) are by his side. Forrest joins the army, finding new friends Bubba and Dan and starts beginning to inspire people. All he cares about is his childhood sweetheart Jenny.

Comments: This movie has it all drama, humor, sadness and  action all in one. Tom Hanks is great in this film and he shows the innocence in Forrest Gump. The famous line 'Run, Forrest! Run!' is a great scene because his braces fall off his legs and himself running is a big theme in the movie.

Genre: Romance/ Drama

Run Time: 129 minutes

Rating: 12A

Director: Joe Wright

Actors: Keira Knightley, Jude Law, Matthew Macfadyen, Kelly Macdonald





Plot: This movie is set in 19th Century upper class society in Russia.  It follows the story of a woman, Anna Karenina played by Kiera Knightley who battles with the idea of marriage, divorce and affairs. She is wooed by an affluent Count Vronsky played by Jude Law. Although Anna is married she embarks on an affair with Vronsky. This adaptation shows how society treats those who stray from the sanctity of marriage.

Comments: Overall, I enjoyed this movie, it was compelling and kept me interested until the end. Knightley gave a convincing performance as she captured the anguish and torment which Karenina faced. My one criticism of this movie would be that I didn’t particularly enjoy how the movie was set on a stage and focused on the stage when changing scenes.

Genre: Romance/ Drama/ Classic

Run Time: 142 minutes

Rating: 12A

Director: Baz Luhrmann

Actors: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Joel Buchanan, Carey Mulligan




Plot: Set in the time of the First World War. This classic novel is about the life of the famous party- thrower Jay Gatsby. He is the “king” of West Egg- the elite place to live. No-one knows Gatsby very well. The majority of guests at his party have never even met Gatsby before. However Gatsby is not as he seems, his sinister behaviour leaves much to be desired. Other inhabitants of West Egg include Nick(the narrator), in the readers opinion  the most “real” person on West Egg, he is a part of the nouveau riche along with Gatsby. Nick is Daisy’s cousin. Daisy lives in West Egg with her brute of a husband Tom, they have a daughter together. Throughout the novel Gatsby’s secrets unravel and in their destruction leave the real inhabitants of West Egg.


Comments: I believe that Luhrmann did a fantastic job in recreating this classic. Although there has been much criticism about this adaptation, I found that it was true to the book and expressed the motifs within the beautifully; for example, the green light at the end of the dock and the lavishness of the life that Gatsby lived.  The music also fitted in perfectly with the movie. I couldn’t recommend this movie enough- I would watch it again and again! My one criticism would be that it was unnecessary for it to be in 3d.
 

Genre: Romance/ Drama

Run Time: 127 minutes

Rating: PG

Director: Joe Wright

Actors: Keira Knightley, Matthew Macfadyen, Simon Woods, Donald Sutherland, Brenda Blethyn, Rosamund Pike, Talulah Riley, Carey Mulligan

Plot: Based on Jane Austen's novel 'Pride & Prejudice'. Mrs.Bennet is trying to find husbands for her five unmarried daughters. Their sights are changed when two rich men, Mr.Bingley and his friend Mr.Darcy arrive into town. Which of the Bennet sisters will grab the chance and will a higher class man fall in love with someone who is in a lower class than them.

Comments: The cast and Keira Knightley did a wonderful job and played their roles excellently. Even though the movie had to be cut down a lot to be made into a movie and many things were cut out it still was very good. There is also a BBC version which is 5 hours which is very close to the books description.

Genre: Romance/ Comedy/ Musical/ Bollywood

Director: Furinder Chadha

Run Time: 122 minutes

Rating: 12A

Actors: Aishwarya Bachchan, Martin Henderson, Daniel Gillies, Naveen Andrews




Plot: Bollywood style of Jane Austen's famous novel. Mrs.Bakshi is looking to find suitable husbands for her 4 unmarried daughters. When a rich American comes to visit India with a friend, the Bakshi's have high hops. But certain things threaten to get in the way of romance.

Comments: Chadha has made Jane Austen's novel into a colourful Indian musical. The musical numbers are very catchy and the choreography is very good. I have not watched many Bollywood movies but this is a great movie. 

Genre: Drama/ Autobiographical

Rating: 12A

Director: David Fincher

Actors: Justin Timberlake, Andrew Garfield & Bryan Barter








Plot :Based on the worldwide phenomenom ‘Facebook’. This movie shows the rise of the multi- million dollar success of the social network. Following the moves of Mark Zuckerberg(creator) we see the lengths he had to go to to make Facebook a success. His original idea for Facebook started off with 5 friends but soon turns into 500 million friends, but how many of those friends can he really trust?

Comments:In my opinion I believe it was a fantastic idea to create a movie about facebook- a worldwide phenomenom all around the world. I liked how the director started off with Zuckerberg & a small idea which he created after his girlfriend split up with him to the development into the success that it is today. The contrast between good and evil is a strong theme throughout this movie. Justin Timberlake portrays the character of ‘evil’ perfectly convincing Zuckerberg to make his company go global. Overall this is a fantastic movie in my opinion with brilliant actors, directing & likeliness to the original story ere to edit.

Genre: Drama

Rated: 12A

Run Time: 117 minutes

Director: Gabriele Muccino

Actors:  Will Smith, Jaden Smith & Thandie Newton





Plot:Based on the true story of Chris Gardner. This movie is both a documentary as well as a movie following the incredible person that is Chris Gardner. Chris went from rock bottom to sleeping in a train station with his son to being a multi- millionaire in the stock market. How did he do it? Perseverance & a constant smile on his face! 

Comments:This is probably one of the best movies of the century in my opinion. It is a beacon of hope for all those who suffer from hardships in life. One of the aspects that made this movie special for me was how a classic story of rags to riches was turned into a breathtakingly honest view on life itself. The relationship between Chris and his son, Christopher, was portrayed perfectly by Will Smith & his son Jaden – who made it their own. I highly recommend this movie to all those who need to be reawakened to the beauty of human nature. 

Genre: Historical/ Drama/ Autobiographical

Rated: 12A

Run Time: 118 minutes

Director: Tom Hooper

Actors: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush & Helena Bonham Carter




Plot:This documentary- esque movie follows the journey of King George VI- who suffered with a severe stammer his whole life. It has always been an issue with George, but however it becomes a major setback after the death of his father, resulting in him becoming the King of Great Britain. Desperate to be able to deliver the all – important Christmas Day greeting George looks for help in the unorthodox ways of Lionel Logue, he may not have all the certificates and qualification as the other therapists George attended over the years but he was the one person who accomplished what so many speech therapists could not achieve- he gave George the confidence and freedom to speak without stammering- the best gift ever given to King George VI.

Comments:In my opinion there was no other actor able to perform as spectacularly as Colin Firth did in this movie. His depiction of both the regal and vulnerable side of King George was mesmerising. His interpretation of the stammer was not too overplayed or false. There was a perfect amount of stammering to keep in tone with his character. The way in which the movie was directed gave the audience a chance to feel as if they were in the same room as the king. Overall a fantastic movie – both actors and director did a great day and they deserve all the awards they receive