I AM SAM

i am sam is a film I discovered when I was still at school. It is directed by Jessie Nelson and has a stunning performance by Sean Penn and Dakota Fanning. It is a heart wrenching story which definitely gets you emotional.

Sean Penn plays a mentally retarded man, and Dakota Fanning plays his daughter. The Story shows his struggle to keep custody of his 7 year old daughter at an age where she is beginning to be able to read and do things with more capability then he is.

Its tag line is 'love is all you need'. It is a fantastic film, one of my favorites.

CONTROL

This film is directed by the acclaimed photographer Anton Corbijn, so as you would expect the filming of it is brilliant and keeps the film interesting.

It is based on Deborah Curtis's "Touching from a Distance," and is the story of the late Joy Division singer Ian Curtis's life, from the bands rise to fame to his tragic suicide.

It is described as "Electric" BY TIME OUT.

It stars Samatha Morton (Minority Report, Sweet and Lowdown) "Beautifully Performed - Samatha Morton is Dynamite"THE OBSERVER, Alexandra Maria Lara (Downfall, Youth Without Youth) and shows an incredible performance by Sam Riel as Ian Curtis. "Sam Riley is a Revelation"THE TIMES.

The film documents the rise of the the band and the effects it has on his relationship with his wife and girlfriend and his health, with his battle with epilepsy.

I don't know what I was expecting from this film but I could ent help but find it slightly disappointing. It was shoot fantastically but it was a bit slow to get going, however Sam Riley did a solid performance as Ian Curtis and it was an interesting film to watch.

THE HANGOVER

If you are up for a light hearted funny film I defiantly recommend that you go and see this film. I got recommended to see it by my brother and it is brilliant and certainly makes you laugh.

It is centred around a group of 4 men who go to Las Vegas for the Bachelor Party of one of them. After a crazy night where none of them remember a thing they realize that they have lost their friend who is meant to be getting married.

It takes you through a number of stupid events that allow them to slowly piece together their metal night that ended in the losing of their friend.

It is directed by Todd Phillips who also directed 'Old School' and stars Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis and Justin Bartha as the four main characters.

The Hangover may not be the best film you will ever see but it has a feel good quality and makes you laugh, which ticks the boxes for me anyway!

COCO AVANT CHANEL

This was a elegant and beautiful film nothing less than you would expect for a film based on such a beautifully elegant designer. 

Audrey Tautou who plays the role of Coco Chanel plays it close to perfection, she glides through the role confidently. The other actor who also stood out was Alessandro Nivola who plays the role of 'Boy' Coco Chanels love. 

The Film shows the life of Coco Chanel before she became the fashion icon that she is today.She turns from a orphan to a humble sewer who works in the back of a tailor shop sticking up old hems, to become one of the worlds most successful designers.

She completely changed fashion as it was known, to something new and exciting. She was an incredible stubborn and directed women which allowed her to have such a successful career even if her private life ended to be incredible sad. 

The filming of this I thought was exceptional with a subtle concentration on the clothes. My favorite image of which i cant find to show you was when Audrey Tautou was lying on rich coloured Autumn leaves under a tree and the camera came down on her. The contrasting colours of herself and the leaves is incredible and the angle of the filming also engaged me. 

This film is not only engaging due to the fact of Coco Chanels incredible life but is also a love story. It ticks all the boxes for a fantastic film and is well worth going to see. 

WHATS EATING GILBERT GRAPE

This is a childhood film of mine which I had ent seen for years before I watched it today, on a rainy day in Devon, which reminded me of what a great film it is. 

It has a star -studded cast of Johnny Depp, Leonardo Dicaprio, and Juliette Lewis all in their much younger years!

This film was released on 6th March 1994. It is a beautifully shot film, set in Endora. It is centred around the Grape family with Johnny Depp playing Gilbert and Leonardo Dicaprio playing his autistic younger brother Arnie. The family also features their two sisters Ellen and Amy and their morbidly obese widowed mother Bonnie Grape.  Gilbert is Arnies Guardian Angel trying to care for his every move. Gilbert is finally given a glimpse of freedom when Becky arrives in town.....

It is an emotional and gripping story described by THE INDEPENDANT as ' A feel - good movie that you could cut your fingers on, if you didn't handle with care."

It is Directed by Lass Hallstrom who has also directed The Cider House Rules, Chocalat, My Life As a Dog. 

Personally I feel that this is one of Leonardo Dicaprio's best performances, despite his young age he plays 'Arnie' amazingly. 

If you have ent seen this film yet it is a must see, and it's only a couple of quid to get on DVD, a couple of quid well spent!