Flushed Away

WITH Christmas looming, anything that can divert your energies away from thoughts of presents is a welcome distraction and Flushed Away is just the ticket.
Animation is becoming the fashionable thing in this digital era and, once again, a children's film has been created that will entertain the whole family.
After all, the movie is by the brilliant Aardman Animations who brought us Wallace and Gromit, so immediately you know you are in safe hands.
Flushed Away is the story of an upmarket pet rat called Roddy living in Kensington who ends up getting flushed down the toilet.
In the sewers, Roddy must learn a new way of life. He meets a love interest called Rita and gets tangled up with some rather nasty gangster rats and frogs.

In a whirlpool 90 minutes, Roddy gets the girl and saves the sewer from destruction at the hands of arch nemesis The Toad (reminiscent of Danger Mouse's Baron Greenback) and learns a valuable, if predictable lesson about true happiness.
What's strong about the film is that it has a distinctly British charm thanks to its production values and storyline. Add to that the usual Hollywood glaze and it has the best of both worlds.
It is also complemented with a well-balanced cast with stars like Hugh Jackman and Kate Winslet, Hollywood heavyweights like Sir Ian McKellen and Bill Nighy, and smaller British talent like Shane Richie and Kathy Burke.
What's disappointing, however, is that Flushed Away has little in the way of adult references to raise a wry smile on the faces of the older audience but, with a fairly compelling core plot, this can be forgiven.

Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny

IN a world of hard-edged Hollywood hits, it's good to know there are still a few movies out there that don't take themselves too seriously.
And The Pick of Destiny is a prime example of throwing out the rulebook in favour of a more hare-brained approach.
Taking the form of a musical, the story follows the path of a young Jack Black who leaves his repressive family to form a band in Hollywood.
There he meets Kyle Gass who initiates him into the world of rock and, before you know it, they are on a quest to find a magical guitar pick crafted from the Devil's tooth. After all, the Devil is the god of heavy metal!
Admittedly, the storyline is absolutely absurd but this is excusable when it sets the film up for some hilarious scenes.
It is also quite refreshing that the movie never pretends to be something it's not.
The producers know this is lowbrow and celebrate this.
However, what's best about this film is the brilliant Tenacious D music integrated seamlessly into the story.
What's more Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl plays the Devil and performs a rock-off' against Tenacious D in what becomes a sly nod to the musical prowess of Grohl, who is arguably the prince of rock himself.
Add to that cameos by Meatloaf, Ben Stiller and Tim Robbins and you're all set for a film, which is far from perfect but great fun nonetheless.
And with Tenacious D fans expected to flock to the cinema, we may have another sleeper hit well on the way.

Borat! Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

FOLLOWING in the footsteps of the infamous Ali G, Kazakhstan's greatest export, Borat Sagdiyev, has finally made his long-awaited debut to British cinema.
And although the spoof eastern journalist has caused controversy for his outrageous depictions of Kazakhstani life, the humour was of a satirical quality that rose way above its detractors.
Created by Cambridge graduate Sacha Baron Cohen, Borat was originally a peripheral character in Cohen's Ali G Show who rose to instant popularity among the fans.
Learning his lesson from the appalling Ali G film, Cohen's new movie sticks to the tried and true formula of the TV show and expands the principal for the silver screen.

On a quest to enrich the culture of Kazakhstan, the Government sends roving reporter Borat to visit America. Taking a largely unrehearsed documentary feel, director Larry Charles (of Seinfeld fame) follows the fearless Cohen around as he throws himself among the blissfully unaware American public. Kazakhstan may not be happy about Borat but it is America that is the real victim here, exposing an ugly xenophobic side to its culture.
For example, there is a shocking Rodeo scene when Borat exclaims that George Bush should "drink the blood of every man, woman and child in Iraq," to rapturous applause from the audience.
Unfortunately, the movie occasionally falters into the farcical such as the awful naked wrestling scene and the film also wanes towards the end. However, if you fancy a dig at America under the subtle veneer of a brilliant comedy, then this is for you.

The Departed

IT'S been a good few years since Scorsese created a movie that could genuinely be considered a masterpiece.
But with excellent pacing, a compelling story and twists and turns reminiscent of the critically acclaimed Goodfellas, Scorsese's The Departed sees a director back on top form.
Based on the 2002 Hong Kong hit film, Infernal Affairs, the movie follows the path of two police officers and their connection to an Irish-American mob syndicate in Boston run by Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson).
Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) is an undercover cop assigned to infiltrate the gang, whereas crooked police officer Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) is an informant for the syndicate.
Both men become deeply consumed by their double lives and are embroiled in a race against time to discover the identity of each other.

The ensuing story is a bold and bloody affair and one of those compulsive thrillers that immediately keeps you hooked right up until the credits.
Scorsese's talents aside, the film also succeeds because of a star-studded cast all at the top of their game, including Hollywood heavyweights such as Martin Sheen, Ray Winstone and Alec Baldwin.
Even Scorsese's golden boy Leonardo DiCaprio and the usually lukewarm Matt Damon give tremendous performances.
However, credit especially goes to Jack Nicholson for his chilling and electrifying portrayal of mob boss Frank Costello.
This is a universal film suitable for Scorsese fans as much as people just after a good police thriller.
But be warned, like much of Scorsese's work, it is very, very violent.

Right At Your Door

WITH the fifth anniversary of 9/11 upon us, terrorism has become something of a startling obsession and shockwaves are now starting to reverberate through Hollywood.
A recent example is the brutally realistic vision created in the film United 93 and Oliver Stone's World Trade Centre movie comes out later this month.
However, Right At Your Door is an entirely different beast because it blurs the line between fiction and a very potential reality illustrating the personal impact of terror.
Playing on our fears, the film sees a series of dirty bombs go off in Los Angeles spreading a deadly toxic cloud throughout the city. The audience is taken on a journey of panic, confusion and fear as Brad, played by Rory Cochrane, must seal himself in his house with a neighbour after a failed attempt to find his wife Lexi.
When Lexi, played by Mary McCormack, finally returns Brad is faced with the appalling reality that he must keep her locked out to prevent the toxins entering the house.
To see these characters go through the motions is horrific and upsetting and makes you wonder what you would do in the same situation and what sacrifices you could make.
Right At Your Door is a realistic thriller that goes a long way to prove how vulnerable we become when our comfort and safety is in jeopardy.
Credit also goes to first time director Chris Gorak for creating such an emotive piece on a limited budget.
But don't expect a happy ending.

Severance

IN an industry dominated by American titles, it's always nice to see a film flying the flag for British cinema and Severance does just that.
Following in the footsteps of new wave British comedy films like Shaun of the Dead, the movie blends together humour, violence and gore with ease and panache.
And that's the main reason Severance succeeds because it never takes itself too seriously and the audience is able to relate to the characters.
The film sees a motley crew of sales people from an ominous weapons company embarking on a team-building weekend in Eastern Europe.
Things take a turn for the worse when they are abandoned by a reluctant coach driver and find a typically eerie lodge to stay in.

All the right elements are present to keep things interesting and you can't help but put on a wry smile as some of these smarmy characters meet a gruesome end.
There are people like the patronising boss Richard, the over enthusiastic jobsworth Gordon, the love interest Maggie and Danny Dyer stars as Steve reprising his usual role as the charming, cheeky geezer.
The only downside of the film is that director Christopher Smith doesn't seem to know whether he wanted to make a horror or a comedy.
This means that some moments are marred by being either too serious or too tongue-in-cheek.
If you like complicated films this isn't for you, but if you're looking for humour mixed with lots of gore, get down to your nearest Odeon.

Harsh Times

HARSH Times is one of those gritty urban tales that's almost impossible to define.
While some may see it as a buddy movie, others might describe it as a film about the degeneration of a callous LA harbouring few opportunities and many dangers.
However, the main theme is a journey into a spiral of self-destruction and madness.
And who better to take us down a path of madness than Christian Bale, star of such disturbing films such as American Psycho and The Machinist.
The story sees Bale playing Jim, an ex-Army Ranger, who slips back into a life of crime following the news that his job offer with the Los Angeles Police Derpartment fails to materialise.

Instead of looking for new jobs, Jim turns to alcohol, drugs and violence in his frustration and the movie follows his path of destruction as the situation goes out of control.
Feeling helpless, Jim loses his reason and better judgement and his grip on everything that's important to him begins to loosen.
You can't help but feel sorry for Jim's best friend, Mike, played by Freddy Rodriguez, who genuinely wants to get a job and sort his life out.
To see it all play out on screen is like a rollercoaster ride. It's frightening, thoroughly entertaining and comes to a shocking climax.
Harsh Times takes you on a terrifying yet compulsive voyage and is a vehicle for Bale's outstanding acting abilities. Well worth it.

Hard Candy

ON the surface, Hard Candy seems to be a Hollywood reflection of the reasonable fears people have about the Internet and child safety.
However, though this movie has a lot of potential by dealing with a fairly new and controversial subject, it does not take it far enough.
This is because while the first half of the film is an accomplished and creepy exploration of two unusual characters, the second part becomes your regular cat-and-mouse affair.
Jeff is a 32-year-old photographer who likes to meet girls on the 'net, and the vulnerable 14-year-old Hayley seems to be the latest caught in his web.
The confident and charismatic Jeff meets Hayley in a coffee shop and shortly after, the pair head off for Jeff's secluded house in the hills.
To say what happens in the house would ruin the experience but the movie becomes a roller coaster ride while you try to work out who is the real victim and who is telling the truth.
Nevertheless, it is worth pointing out there is a gruesome scene in the movie that will have every male in the audience cringing, so don't go if you're too squeamish.
The highlight of the film, though, is the outstanding performance by newcomer, Ellen Page as Hayley.
To conclude, this movie is a curious combination of a potential real-life situation blended with Hollywood horror - and credit also goes to director David Slade for leaving the film so open to interpretation.