A charming, off-beat coming of age story, TPOBAW is about Charlie, an awkward freshman looking for friendship after spending time in hospital. He befriends two half-sibling seniors: Sam, a beautiful yet damaged girl and Patrick, a flamboyant class clown. He quickly falls for Sam while the seniors introduce him to the world of parties and minor college drug use. The film leans heavily and successfully on a fantastic soundtrack including Come on Eileen and Bowie's Heroes. As they work through their problems, it's easy to like Charlie - who brings a stability to the trio - and this pays off when the film darkens. The only noticeable downside is that it does feel like it's forcibly trying to be quirky at times. That said, there's a few interesting quotes and tidbits that give the film a smartness and these help to make it worth watching several times.
8.5/10
The first of three film prequels to The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit tells of Bilbo Baggins' journey and how he came to own the One Ring. Despite recycling much of the talent of the LOTR movies, including the same director and several actors, this time around it all feels a bit childish - much like the earlier films in the Harry Potter franchise. The comic relief is goofy and includes a protracted dinner table scene where Dwarven warriors outstay their welcome. It also misses the emotional punch of its predecessors and thus fails to connect with the viewer - save for a scene between the Dwarven King and Bilbo. The visuals are sweeping and gorgeous but coupled with the dreary orchestral score the whole thing feels a bit regurgitated. Given the almost 3 hour run time, regretfully, this is a oncer.
6/10
Sacha Baron Cohen's fourth film, The Dictator is unfortunately more of a slapstick comedy than a political satire. It follows a despot from a fictional country in the middle-east who is summoned to New York for developing nuclear warheads. The comic material is centred around cultural and political differences and serves as a heavy-handed argument against oppressive regimes. Certainly funny throughout, the film suffers from the usual Cohen problems; it lacks subtlety or depth and frequently becomes silly. Music is noticeably absent here and a politically-charged soundtrack could've really helped during the more ridiculous moments. Still, it's a guaranteed laugh at least the first time around.
6/10
An odd-ball romantic-comedy, Silver Linings Playbook follows Pat and Tiffany, two twenty-something misfits trying to overcome their mental problems and find their place in the world. This film is essentially about dealing with unresolved loss: Pat is unable to come to terms with his wife cheating on - and leaving - him while Tiffany is unable to let go of her deceased husband. They soon bond and use training for an amateur dance competition as an alternative therapy session. The soundtrack is based around some good oldies tracks but is also hit-and-miss due to some unsurprisingly obscure tracks. However, decent performances from the leads and, in particular, the always-charming Jennifer Lawrence, help to make the quirky, hard-to-relate-to characters a bit easier to digest. It ties up neatly as is to be expected from the genre but struggles to fully engage the viewer throughout. Worth a watch or two.
7/10
