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.