Field of Dreams (1989)

Field of Dreams is a rich and timeless drama about Ray, a corn farmer who hears cryptic voices telling him to build something. After seeing a vision, he takes a leap of faith and razes his crops in order to build a baseball field in the middle of nowhere, Iowa. Soon enough, spectres of baseball players from decades earlier appear on the field and Ray is guided to a reclusive writer (played by James Earl Jones who steals the show).  The James Horner soundtrack is as brilliant as the often poetic dialogue and together they complement the overall sense of nostalgia. In the end, the film admits that although baseball can bring people together it's not the be-all and end-all for everyone and that's perfectly okay too. Warm your soul with FoD as often as possible.

10/10

The Invitation (2015)

A slow-burning thriller, The Invitation begins with Will and his new girlfriend travelling to a dinner party to reunite with his old friends. The event is hosted by Will's ex-wife Eden and her new husband David and we are given flashback introductions to the several other couples in attendance. Will is haunted by events in his past and he harbours a suspicious attitude towards some of the guests. This causes an uneasy tension at the dinner table as we are left wondering if Will is paranoid or justified with his accusations. His distrust only intensifies when David introduces them to an unsettling recruitment video for a new wave religion. The film is a little light on music, with only a few creepy instrumental pieces at key moments. This oversight causes the middle of the film to flounder a bit however the realistic setting and the final resolution is dark and thoughtful.

7/10

Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)

A retrospective addition to the sci-fi franchise, TFA is a sequel to the events of Return of the Jedi. With the empire in disarray, a similarly ominous group known as the First Order has risen in its place. We meet Rey and Finn who are accompanied by a much-older version of Leia, Han Solo and Chewbacca as they attempt to piece together a galactic map that leads to Luke Skywalker's hermitage. The soundtrack is largely recycled but works well as the film draws heavily on its predecessors and there's a certain amount of charm in seeing the elder actors return to their original roles. If anything, the film is a little too familiar: there's a bad guy who'll remind you of Vader and an even badder guy who'll remind you of the Emperor. Overall, there's nothing much added to here, but it's derivative slant is still light years ahead of the prequel trilogy.

7.5/10

Tron: Legacy (2010)

A trail-blazing sci-fi, Tron: Legacy follows Sam, a rebellious twenty-something year old searching for answers regarding the mysterious disappearance of his father decades earlier. Sam investigates an abandoned arcade and discovers that his father has been trapped in a war within a cyberworld called the grid. He soon finds himself accidentally uploaded to the grid and must help his father liberate the grid from the security protocol named TRON. On paper the plot is overly nerdy - and even clumsy - but this is one of those rare occasions where the visuals and soundtrack outshine the flaws and drive the film to greatness. From the armour to the weapons and vehicles, the grid is a dazzling light show with second-to-none visual effects that reminded me of real life cel-shading. This is accompanied by the most enjoyable electronic soundtrack ever made for a film; Daft Punk spearhead an album that's adventurous, futuristic and haunting. While it could've benefited from richer father-son moments and a deeper appreciation of open source coding, it's hard not to want to treat your senses to this one again and again. Besides, it's so damned cool.

9/10

The Inbetweeners 2 (2014)

Succeeding enough for a second film, The Inbetweeners 2 follows the lads as they go 'proper travelling' to Australia where Jay is apparently living the dream as a hotshot DJ. Once there the foursome must contend with judgemental hipsters, aggressive bogans and a familiar face or two from previous entries. There's edgier humour this time around including a protracted, awkward cover of Roberta Flack, a rape misunderstanding, bestiality references and yet another 'poo scene' that should never be forgotten. There's also a bit more heart as Will finally has some luck with the somewhat unhinged Katie. This is topped off with a bitter-sweet hand-holding scene that finally reminds us that despite all the ribbing over the years, Will, Simon, Neil and Jay are best mates when it really matters. The only thing really missing is some decent tunes to tie it all together but that's not enough to dispel how much fun there is to be had here.

7.5/10

The Inbetweeners Movie (2011)

Returning from its short-lived TV series, The Inbetweeners Movie follows the crass and yet entirely clueless group of four lads from Bristol as they travel to Crete in search of beautiful women under the pseudonym: Pussay Patrol. Packed with inappropriate jokes ranging from intentionally drowning children to snorting faeces and nudity galore, the group's youthful inexperience and well-intentioned ideas keep the film fresh and not too vulgar. Complemented with an electronic soundtrack that sort of sustains the party vibe, TIM remembers to have fun and channel British slang (see: clunge) to create just the right comedic moments. While not the goal of the film, a little more sweetness with the girls and more music throughout could've rounded out the film nicely. Watch it with a few beers because there's nothing quite like it.

7/10

Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015)

The middle-child of the trilogy, The Scorch Trials reunites us with Thomas and the surviving members of the glade. This time around they are pursued by the scientists of WCKD who want to continue to experiment upon them in order to find a cure for the deadly flare virus. In addition, it seems that much of the world has been scorched into desert and thus the teens seek refuge with a renegade organisation known as The Right Arm. TST has even less narrative than the first movie and instead favours more action and death-defying thrills. This makes the film both entertaining and frustrating as you find yourself longing for scenes with the 'evil' adults as they at least help to flesh out some semblance of a story. Much like its elder brother, the soundtrack and special effects are adequate but there's still no real point to it all. It's re-watchable for the thrills but it's hard to feel invested.

5/10

The Theory of Everything (2014)

A bitter-sweet biopic, The Theory of Everything tracks the physical deterioration of one of our greatest minds: Stephen Hawking. While studying physics at Cambridge University, Stephen meets his future wife Jane but he is soon diagnosed with ALS: a motor neurone disease. As his paralysis worsens, Stephen continues to learn and develop his theories and remains as positive and humorous as can be expected. Despite ALS being incurable, Jane is equally heroic as she cares for her husband and raises their young family. Many years later the pair get divorced however there is a shared understanding between them; this is mirrored by Stephen, an atheist, acknowledging Jane's belief in god in one of his works. With great performances and an enjoyable and understated soundtrack, this is about humanity - odds be damned - and one could easily see it again.

7.5/10

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

An insightful yet testing drama, The Wolf of Wall Street is about a successful investment broker who becomes immensely wealthy by trading, questionably, over a number of years. He lives a decadent life complete with a supermodel wife, luxury cars, yachts and a mansion. Unfortunately his lifestyle of excess also comes with its share of undesirables ranging from international fraud charges to despair and drug addiction. A comfortable Leonardo DiCaprio and a well-chosen rock soundtrack helps to guide this roller-coaster however it remains a generally vulgar experience stretched over an unnecessarily long runtime. In the end, this is neither a cautionary tale nor one of redemption - it lacks any real anchor but it's worth seeing into that crazy world just once.

6.5/10

Boyhood (2014)

An ambitious drama, Boyhood follows a boy named Mason over the course of his childhood: beginning at primary school and ending at college. The twist here is that instead of using different/older actors to show Mason 'growing up' the directors wait an actual year or two and then use the exact same cast - making this a project that took 12 years. The film is essentially a slice of life piece showing the changes in Mason's surroundings as he matures; over the years we're shown Mason's sister taunting him, a string of step-dads who come and go and fortnightly visits with his biological father. Each of these time jumps transition neatly with a new haircut and a familiar song from that particular year. The soundtrack as a whole is fantastic and very well-chosen and this helps to weave a retrospective vibe throughout the film. Worthy of seeing again but be careful not to get wound up in nostalgic regret.

9/10

The Physician (2013)

A historical epic set around 1000AD, The Physician tells of an English orphan named Rob who is raised by a travelling barber-surgeon after his mother dies of side-sickness (appendicitis). When Rob comes of age he adopts a Jewish identity in order to travel across the known world and study under the great Persian doctor Ibn Sina. Rob flourishes under Ibn Sina's tutelage and together they avert an epidemic of the black plague and perform the world's first successful appendectomy. However, tension escalates between the tolerant Islamic ruling faction and the puritanical extremists and this places Rob and his fellow secular scholars in peril. Sweeping and grand, each phase of Rob's life is interesting in its own right and the mystical soundtrack is used well over the 2.5 hour stretch. The medieval backdrop of science vs religion during the Islamic Golden Age also helps to keep you compelled throughout the film. Bottom line: there's a lot going on here so you're going to want to see it again.

10/10

Whiplash (2014)

A strange drama, Whiplash follows a teenage drummer named Andrew who is invited into a prestigious jazz group by an overzealous instructor. The instructor demands absolute perfection from the group and is unforgiving and abusive whenever his ensemble misses the mark. Andrew soon becomes as obsessive as his teacher and the growing tension between the pair leads them towards madness. Filled with jazz numbers and drum solos, Whiplash is easy to recommend to fans of either however it is difficult to relate to the characters - especially if, like me, jazz isn't your cup of tea. As reality blurs towards the end I found myself losing interest in the characters and the performances felt long - even boring - at times. This is not a film that I'd watch again but many would.

5/10