The Reel Life of Real Life

Rating: R:18 Genre: Drama, Horror, Mystery Directed By: Jordan Peele Written By: Jordan Peele Released: March 17 th , 2017   Runtime: 104 minutes Studio: Universal Pictures Summary: Now that Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) and his girlfriend, Rose (Allison Williams), have reached the meet-the-parents milestone of dating, she invites him for a weekend getaway upstate with Missy and Dean. At first, Chris reads the family's overly accommodating behavior as nervous attempts to deal with their daughter's interracial relationship, but as the weekend progresses, a series of increasingly disturbing discoveries lead him to a truth that he never could have imagined. Review: The brilliance behind this film is probably its ability to have you scratching your head in a tense state of bemusement and abundant ‘what the fuck’ moments. I felt lost for most of it and was yet glued to the screen needing to know what was going to happen because I simply could not gues...

Rating: R Genre: Drama Directed By: Damien Chazelle Written By: Damien Chazelle Released: October 10 th , 2014 Runtime: 106 minutes Studio: Sony Pictures Classics Summary: Andrew Neiman (Miles Teller) is an ambitious young jazz drummer, in pursuit of rising to the top of his elite music conservatory. Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons), an instructor known for his terrifying teaching methods, discovers Andrew and transfers the aspiring drummer into the top jazz ensemble, forever changing the young man's life. But Andrew's passion to achieve perfection quickly spirals into obsession, as his ruthless teacher pushes him to the brink of his ability and his sanity. Review: Wow. This is a brilliant movie. Just…wow. J.K. Simmons is slightly terrifying in this. I’m used to watching him in his role in Juno, so placid and gentle. Where did this come from?! I found it stressful watching his outbursts. Slightly awestruck at the same time. He won Best...

Rating: R:18 Genre: Drama Directed By: Kevin Macdonald Written By: Jeremy Brock, Peter Morgan Released: September 27 th , 2006 Runtime: 123 minutes Studio: Fox Searchlight Summary: This film is based on true events of the brutal Ugandan dictator Idi Amin’s regime as seen by his personal physician during the 1970s. Nicholas Garrigan (James McAvoy) is a young doctor from Scotland who goes to Uganda to assist in a rural hospital. Once there, he soon meets the new president, Idi Amin. The pair hit it off immediately and Nicholas soon becomes his closest advisor. As the years pass, Garrigan can’t help but notice Amin’s increasingly erratic behaviour as he slowly drives Uganda into bloody ruin. Realising that Amin is not going to allow him to return to Scotland, and realising the dangerous position he is now in, Garrigan must make some decisions that, if found out, could mean his own death. Directed by Kevin MacDonald. Review: I find this quite a di...

Rating: PG-13 Genre: Drama Directed By: Lasse Hallstrom Written By: Peter Hedges Released: Dec 25 th , 1993 Runtime: 117 minutes Studio: Paramount Pictures Summary: The film centres around the uneventful life of Gilbert Grape (played by Johnny Depp) as he looks after his mentally handicapped younger brother, Arnie (Leonardo DiCaprio), his two sisters and their morbidly obese mother, who hasn’t left the house in seven years following their father’s suicide. Set in the small town of Endora, I think it mainly focuses on the characters and their day-to-day activities, such as Gilbert’s on-going affair with bored housewife Betty Lamson, Arnie’s persistence in venturing up the water tower, and the new arrival of a Food Land supermarket just out of the town threatening to render the small shops in Endora redundant. Amidst this, the Grape family are preparing for Arnie’s upcoming eighteenth party, when a young woman named Becky (played by Juliette Lewis) arrives ...

Rating: PG Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance Directed By: Rob Reiner Written By: Rob Reiner, Andrew Scheinman Released: Aug 6, 2010  Limited Runtime: 89 minutes Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures Summary: When they meet at age seven, Juli Baker falls instantly in love with her new neighbour, Bryce Loski. Bryce, however, does not share the affection. From this day forward, Bryce (played by Callan McAuliffe) tries hard to keep Juli (played by Madeline Carroll) at bay. After six years, she begins to feel that she was wrong about him being the love of her life, while, unfortunately, this is also about the time that Bryce begins to think he was wrong about her too…  Review: While the plot initially seems considerably cliché: “girl likes boy, boy likes girl” underneath all that there’s really something so much more to this story. Put the cliché aside and what you see is that each of the characters have their own background, their own personal journey be...

Rating: R:18  Genre: Classics, Horror, Mystery & Suspense Directed By: Roman Polanski Written By: Roman Polanski Released: June 12 th , 1968 Runtime : 136 minutes Studio: Paramount Pictures Summary: Directed by Roman Polanski: Rosemary (Mia Farrow) and Guy (John Cassavetes) Woodhouse move into an apartment despite several warnings about the building. Following the suicide of a girl staying in their building, they befriend an older couple, Roman and Minnie Castevet, with whom the girl was staying. Guy seems to form a very close bond with the couple, much to Rosemary’s disgruntlement. However, following a strange dream in which she is raped by an odd looking creature, Rosemary is elated to discover she is pregnant. The neighbours rally round but Rosemary soon becomes suspicious of their controlling behaviour and fears for the safety of her unborn baby. The film is based on Ira Levin’s novel of the same name. Review: I watched this film years ag...

Rating: R:15 Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance Directed By: James Ponsoldt Written By: Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber Released: August 2 nd , 2013   Runtime: 95 minutes Studio: A24 Summary: An innocent, bookish teenager (Shailene Woodley) begins dating the charming, freewheeling high-school senior (Miles Teller) who awoke on her lawn after a night of heavy partying. Review: I really like this film. I like the characters and their development. Their relationship is cute. And it’s got a lot in there, more than you’d think at first. There’s something more to it than just another teen-drama. Miles Teller is a good actor. So is Shailene Woodley. I think of the movies I’ve seen both of these actors in so far this might be my favourite roles they play. It doesn't feel like a sad movie while you're watching it but I’ve watched it twice now and both times I’ve come away from it feeling sad after watching it. There are sad things in it but...

Rating: PG-13 Genre:   Comedy, Drama Directed By: Josh Boone Written By: Michael H. Weber, Scott Neustadter Released: June 6 th , 2014   Runtime: 125 minutes Studio: 20th Century Fox Summary: Hazel Grace Lancaster (Shailene Woodley), a 16-year-old cancer patient, meets and falls in love with Gus Waters (Ansel Elgort), a similarly afflicted teen from her cancer support group. Hazel feels that Gus really understands her. They both share the same acerbic wit and a love of books, especially Grace's touchstone, "An Imperial Affliction" by Peter Van Houten. When Gus scores an invitation to meet the reclusive author, he and Hazel embark on the adventure of their brief lives. Review: This is a very good film. One of the better tear-jerkers out there. It has its funny moments and I has its sad moments. The characters are engaging and feel real. The film isn't over-sentimentalized which it so easily could have been given the subject matter...

Rating: PG Genre: Action, Drama, Mystery & Suspense Directed By: John Badham Written By: Lawrence Lasker, Walter F. Parkes, Walon Green Released: June 3 rd , 1983 Runtime: 110 minutes Studio: MGM Summary: High school student David Lightman (Matthew Broderick) unwittingly hacks into a military supercomputer while searching for new video games. After starting a game of Global Thermonuclear War, Lightman leads the supercomputer to activate the nation's nuclear arsenal in response to his simulated threat as the Soviet Union. Once the clueless hacker comes to his senses, Lightman, with help from his girlfriend (Ally Sheedy), must find a way to alert the authorities to stop the onset of World War III. Review: I really enjoyed this film! It was more exciting than I thought it was going to be! In a pre-Ferris Bueller role, Matthew Broderick plays our gallant and technically minded lead in this adventure. Ally Sheedy plays his equally gallant co-l...

Rating: PG-13 Genre: Action & Adventure, Science Fiction & Fantasy Directed By: Peter Chelsom Written By: Allan Loeb, Peter Chelsom, Tinker Lindsay Released : Feb 3 rd , 2017 Runtime: 120 minutes Studio: STX Entertainment Summary: Gardner Elliot, the first human born on Mars, begins an online friendship with Tulsa, a teen in Colorado. On his maiden voyage to Earth, the 16-year-old finally gets to experience all the joys and wonders of a world he could only read about. Problems arise when scientists discover that Gardner's organs can't withstand the atmosphere. United with Tulsa and on the run, the interplanetary visitor races against time to unravel the mysteries of how he came to be, and where he belongs in the universe. Review: I enjoyed this film more than I was expecting to. I thought it looked good from the trailer and I felt the plot was something different which is what drew me towards it. I had my reservations after noticing ...