Review: The Muppets / Directed by: James Bobin / Screenplay by: Jason Segel, Nicholas Stoller / Starring: Jason Segel, Amy Adams, Chris Cooper, (voices of) Steve Whitmire, Eric Jacobson, Dave Goelz / Release date: February 10

Jim Henson’s felt-faced critters are back in their first major movie in years and it’s an all-singing, all-dancing extravaganza delivered with gleeful aplomb and a big pair of fart shoes. Co-written by and starring Segel, who demonstrated a nascent flair for puppetry in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, The Muppets drags Kermit & co into the modern age with a touching comeback story that’s as big on meta-textual gags as it is on heart.

Muppet aficionados will be aware that the franchise has been on the wane ever since the late nineties, with hits like 1992’s The Muppet Christmas Carol giving way to 1999 flop Muppets from Space and a number of lacklustre TV movies. While the beloved characters have been on the ropes rather than dangling from strings for the last few years, this riotous reboot hopes to reignite our passion for Henson’s big-hearted Muppet adventures and introduce the gang to a whole new generation of fans. 

The clever, self-referential premise sees mild-mannered muppet Walter (voiced by Peter Linz) growing up in a regular human family alongside brother Gary (Segel). Both huge fans of TVs The Muppet Show, the siblings schedule a visit to the famed Muppet Studio in Los Angeles as part of a romantic trip Gary is planning with his girlfriend, Mary (Adams). 

While Walter’s presence on the sojourn causes tension between Gary and Mary, more heartbreak comes when the young muppet discovers that the studio is practically in ruins and that unscrupulous tycoon Tex Richman (Cooper) is planning to buy the site and raze it to the ground. 

Learning that the only way to save the studio is to raise $10 million, Walter tracks down the reclusive Kermit the Frog and convinces him to reunite the original Muppet line-up for an all-star telethon. Travelling the world to locate the likes of Gonzo, Fozzy Bear, Animal and the inimitable Miss Piggy, the gang begins to reform, but Tex Richman will stop at nothing to prevent the Muppets from winning back their studio. Although the main thrust of the plot is charmingly simple ‘let’s put on a show’ stuff, The Muppets neatly touches on some surprisingly emotional themes, in particular the quest for personal identity. Walter’s growing realisation that he belongs amongst his fellow Muppets is really quite touching, as is Gary’s attempt to come to terms with the fact that he will eventually have to let his brother go. This coming-of-age plot crux is beautifully summed up in a sequence set to ‘Man or Muppet’, one of a number of pitch perfect songs penned by Flight of the Conchords star Bret McKenzie.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Muppet movie without barnstorming musical set-pieces and Bobin’s film has several fantastically choreographed treats. Most notable is the delightfully perky opening sequence set to McKenzie’s ‘Life’s A Happy Song’ and a discotastic scene featuring ‘Me Party’ – an ode to the joys of being stood up – belted out with perfect comic timing by Adams.

Both Adams and Segel are as breezy and amiable as the good-natured script requires and there’s a string of cameos to keep celeb-spotters happy. That said, as with any Muppet movie, the real stars are the manic marionettes themselves. Despite reports that original Muppeteers, including Frank Oz, had disapproved of Segel and Stoller’s script, there’s little here that strays from Henson’s benign vision for his characters; although admittedly the inclusion of Fozzy Bear’s fart shoes and an impromptu punch up at a therapy session do push the boundaries a little. Anyone worried that the Muppets might have gone blue, however, should rest easy as the non-stop gags are the best kind of inspired silliness and devoid of anything remotely mean-spirited.

In the US, the film has been heavily criticised by right-wing TV channel Fox News for its perceived liberal bias and apparent demonisation of the wealthy in the form of Cooper’s broadly villainous Tex Richman. While the accusations are fairly ludicrous, The Muppets may well be a movie of the times, not so much through any kind of anti-capitalist messaging, but through its championing of unabashed optimism and plucky resilience in the face of adversity.

Coming in at a relatively lean 98 minutes, The Muppets does feel a little flabby in its last third and probably could have used an editorial trim to make the last reel as punchy as possible. Nevertheless, it still manages to build to a gloriously triumphant finale and, most importantly, captures the innocence, exuberance and sheer fun that first made The Muppets such an important part of our childhoods.

Expected rating: 8 out of 10

Actual rating:

Review: The Borrowers / Directed by: Tom Harper / Written by: Ben Vanstone / Starring: Aisling Loftus, Christopher Eccleston, Sharon Horgan, Charles Hiscock, Shaun Dooley, Victoria Wood, Stephen Fry, Robert Sheehan/ Released: December 26th, BBC One

This isn’t the first time Mary Norton’s quaint children’s book has been adapted for the screen. It’s been an early-1990s TV series, a big-screen 1997 version (featuring a pre-Malfoy Tom Felton, fact fans) and most recently a Studio Ghibli animation. But now the BBC are dusting off the rights again for this feature-length version to air on Boxing Day.

In this modernised take on the story, teenager Arrietty Clock and her parents Pod and Homily are the titular little people living under the floor boards of James Millman’s house, a young boy whose life has been torn apart first by the death of his mother, and then by the recession. But James’ Grandmother has tipped off the dissection-happy Professor Mildeye to their presence, and they’re forced to go on the run with sewer-wise Borrower Spiller as their reluctant guide.

The Borrowers has always been a kid’s story, and, as the 7.30pm scheduling suggests, it is still very much child-friendly. But thanks to clever casting it’ll guarantee itself an all-ages appeal. Christopher Eccleston surprisingly pops up as Pod, bringing some grit to the overprotective patriarch, while Pulling fans will be pleased to see Sharon Horgan bringing chemistry with Eccleston in her role as Homily, and Robert Sheehan alone should bring in a hefty fanbase, playing a Spiller who is basically a less-foul-mouthed, more-heroic Nathan. The real coup, though, was in persuading Stephen Fry to take a rare acting job as Professor Mildeye. He and his eccentric South African assistant steal the show and it leaves you wishing Fry would step out from behind the QI desk a little more often.

Despite a rather starry cast (did I forget to mention Victoria Wood?) this film is actually something of a test run for three relatively unknown key players. Writer Ben Vanstone has previously only written for Merlin and some soaps, but here he brings a wit and modernity to the rather staid source material, essentially turning it into a charming coming-of-age story. Director Tom Harper, who cut his teeth on the pretty-damn-awful ITV series Demons before moving onto more respectable fare with This is England ’86 and Misfits, brings a verve and pace to proceedings, coaxing an excellent performance out of child actor Charlie Hiscock as James, punching above his budget with the special effects and overseeing some truly spectacular sets.

The final bright young thing is Aisling Loftus as Arrietty, previously known for such unrelentingly grim dramas Dive and Five Daughters. She brings an eagerness and wonder to Arrietty, as well as a bravery initially born out of naivety but soon becoming the real thing. Rest assured, once The Borrowers airs her name will crop up in any discussion about who will be replacing Karen Gillan in Doctor Who.

The Borrowers is perfect Christmas TV viewing – joyous and exciting with inventive set-pieces, something that taps into your inner child without patronising you. The cast is uniformly brilliant and Vanstone and Harper have announced themselves as sci-fi/fantasy talent to watch. I’d be surprised if we didn’t soon get an announcement that the cast would be returning for another seasonal special in the near-future.

Review: Sherlock Holmes – A Game of Shadows (12A) /Directed by: Guy Ritchie / Screenplay by: Kieran and Michele Mulrooney /Starring: Robert Downey Jnr, Jude Law, Jared Harris, Noomi Rapace, Rachel McAdams, Stephen Fry / Release date: Out Now

The first Guy Ritchie directed Sherlock Holmes film was a lot of fun and genuinely a fresh take on the world’s greatest detective. It skillfully balanced the action elements with the intricate mystery plot and sowed the seeds for the introduction of Holmes’ arch nemesis Professor Moriarty. There was great chemistry between Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law and their buddy action comedy style banter was perfectly at home in a film produced by Joel Silver. Perhaps because of the enormous success of the first film and its more risky take on the myth of Sherlock Holmes, the makers have decided here to amplify the action elements in favour of the mystery and clever plotting. Whilst as an action adventure movie Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows works brilliantly and is two hours of fantastic entertainment, it still feels like a missed opportunity.

The story picks up some time after the events of the first film with Holmes investigating Professor Moriarty’s dastardly deeds and their connection with a series of bombings throughout Europe. During this introduction the problems with the screenplay are apparent straight away. Gone is the smartly dressed man in the shadows from the first movie, Moriarty as played by Jared Harris is just there straight away like nothing happened. It’s almost like two movies worth of plotting and story didn’t get made and we have picked up the thread of the story at film number four in the series because it feels like a lot has happened between the two arch enemies. There is an unexpected death of a major character from the first movie which sets the stakes fairly high for the rest of the film. After the introduction scenes we learn that Watson is about to finally be married and that Holmes is his best man. These scenes are fun and we get introduced to Holmes’ brother Mycroft, played brilliantly by Stephen Fry with just the right level of reservation and eccentricity. The stag party and wedding scenes, whilst amusing don’t really add a lot to the plot overall and just pad out an already flabby screenplay. Whilst on the stag party for Watson, Holmes meets a gypsy fortuneteller who is being targeted by Moriarty for reasons involving her missing brother. After Moriarty makes a direct threat against Watson’s life, Holmes has no choice but to tag along on the happy couple’s honeymoon and instead he and Watson embark on a breathless chase through Europe in order to find out Moriarty’s true plan.

There is nothing wrong with Jared Harris’ portrayal of Professor Moriarty, the actors unassuming appearance works well and suggests a whole fountain of evil rage behind the calm exterior. Had the role been played by someone like Gary Oldman then the expectation would have been for scene chewery which hasn’t happened here. The problem is Moriarty is supposed to be Holmes nemesis and the only villain ever truly worthy of challenging Holmes’ vast intellect and cunning. If you think of Holmes as Batman, then Moriarty would be the Joker. In this film Moriarty’s plan boils down to being the same as any number of Bond villains or villains from dumb Joel Silver produced action films from the 90s. It just feels like they went a completely different route with the character instead of really making this story a battle for the ages. I hate to do this because I think that they are completely different beasts but compare this film to the Sherlock BBC series for a moment. The plots in those episodes are some of the most brilliantly written television for quite some time. The manner in which they introduced Moriarty there was excellent – it made a lot of sense for the character and was actually kind of scary. If the film series could match writing that skilful with Guy Ritchie’s talent for directing action scenes then we could be talking classic movies here.

Whilst it may sound like I am quite down on this it’s really not a bad film at all. If you look at Game of Shadows through the prism of pure entertainment then it’s a roaring success. The comedy is amped up; Holmes gets even more eccentric here with his experiments and little quirks. Downey and Law’s chemistry is present and correct and they bicker and banter their way through the film and even get some of the fast becoming cliché bromance type scenes which deepen their friendship. There are some very expensive looking and brilliantly filmed action scenes with a great use of slow motion and pyrotechnics, the whole thing is very accomplished and technically impressive. It’s rollicking good fun throughout and a good bet for a great night out this Christmas. The finale happens to actually live up to all of the potential the sequel had and manages to be one of the best climaxes in a film this year without over reliance on explosions.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is top notch entertainment and still one of the smarter blockbuster sequels to come out for many a year. It’s just a waste of a good villain and a potential classic has been lost.

Expected rating: 9 out of 10

Actual rating:

Review: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (18) / Directed by: David Fincher / Written by: Steven Zaillian / Starring: Rooney Mara, Daniel Craig, Christopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgard, Steven Berkoff, Robin Wright / Release date: December 26th

David Fincher’s interpretation of Stieg Larsson’s novel is sleek, stylish cinema that does the source material justice. The Swedish version, directed by Niels Arden Oplev, was quite straightforward in its presentation, lacking cinematic impact and lifted up by the leading lady. Noomi Rapace’s iconic performance as Lisbeth Salander in the original was always going to be tough to contend with but Rooney Mara is suitably solid in the role.

Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) is a journalist investigating the disappearance of wealthy business man Henrik Vanger’s niece Harriet who disappeared over forty years ago. The Vanger family live in isolation on an island, each in their own separate magnificent homes; filled with years of history and scandal. As Blomkvist delves deeper into the disappearance he unearths a series of murders that he teams up with Lisbeth Salander to solve. Larsson’s themes of abuse, anti-Semitism and capitalism are wrapped up within the mystery of the main story and dealt with in some unsettling scenes.

From the extravagant opening credits sequence where man and machine appear on the screen with black splashes and smooth silver accompanied by an excellent version of Led Zeppelin’s Immigrant Song the senses are attacked with startling and stylish imagery. You are in Fincher territory and it is devastatingly beautiful and affecting to watch.

The caffeine fuelled, chain-smoking hacker Salander is satisfyingly cool to watch in action as she zooms around on her motorbike and stands up for herself in an extremely well-crafted fight scene. Blomkvist is an intelligent investigator whose attire and methods are messy but endearingly so. Craig approaches the role by taking a step back and is understated enough to allow Mara to take centre stage. Their relationship begins as professional and as bonds are built moves into a caring, romantic one that is explored but subtly enough not to take away from the crux of the story.

Snowy landscapes, grand architecture and grey tinges inhabit the present dark world that Lisbeth and Mikael are exploring and are contrasted well with the past of sepia hues where the memories of a young Harriet come to life. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross are in charge of the soundtrack that adds the atmospheric dread needed and is full of low pulsating notes. Inclusion of Enya’s Orinoco Flow to accompany a torture scene may sound strangely juxtaposed but it works to great effect.

Going in I was convinced I wouldn’t like the remake, how could Mara live up to Rapace’s performance? As great as the story is, for me it’s all about “The Girl” and the mystery surrounding her troubled soul. The character is interpreted differently in each film, but the essence of Lisbeth’s strength and vulnerability is intact, and Mara doesn’t disappoint in the role. Even though men do some terrible things to Lisbeth, not all men are portrayed as evil which is nicely shown through the relationships she has with Blomkvist and a former male guardian. She only seeks revenge on those who do wrong; including a particularly graphic scene where vengeance is taken by inflicting pain on a man who raped her. Lisbeth brandishing a dildo as a weapon, unsheathing it like a sword ready for battle was always going to be a striking image no matter what language it was presented in but Fincher adds his own steely signature to this tense yet satisfying scene.

A sumptuously dark thriller that will have you gripped for the most part, the characters have depth and the ensemble cast is sterling.

Expected rating: 6 out of 10

Actual rating:

Review: War of the Dead (TBC) / Directed by: Marko Makilaakso / Written by: Barr B. Potter / Starring: Andrew Tiernan, Mikko Leppilampi, Samuel Vauramo / Release Date: TBC

This troubled movie originally premiered at Cannes in 2008 then quickly vanished, the negative remaining locked up due to financial problems ever since. We recently had the opportunity to view the film at a screening in Los Angeles, which hints that the film may now eventually see the light of day on DVD…

Filmed primarily with an English speaking Finnish cast, the story takes place during the Finn/Russian war of 1941-42; a subject matter very few people know about. Captain Niemi (Jouko Ahola) & Lieutenant Laasko (Mikko Leppilampi) and their men team up with an American unit led by Captain Martin Stone (Andrew Tieman) to destroy a Russian occupied bunker.

Taking refuge in a local house owned by an elderly scientist, one of the Finn soldiers purloins a clockwork type device (secretly invented by him for the Nazis to bring the dead back to life) not knowing what’s its true, sinister purpose is. After a fierce firefight with Russian soldiers where Finns, Russians and Americans are killed and are soon brought back to life where they are viciously stalked by the living dead soldiers with no allegiance to any side. Putting aside their differences, what’s left of the three groups band together and with the help of the scientist’s daughter, Desha (Magdalena Gorska), try to stop what they’ve started.

It’s a confusing story with far too much going on to make any sense. Writers Makilaakso and Barr D. Potter seemed to dream up a bunch of ideas while playing Castle Wolfenstein for the umpteenth time, combined them with bits of Alex Proyas’ Dark City then threw them in a blender, whipped it up and poured out the script.

The acting is pretty bland with delivery of lines no better than actors in a high school play. Tieman wears a single expression throughout the movie as if his face was filled with Novocain. You really know nothing about the soldiers or their plight to care enough what happens to them. They play out like characters in a video game that are quickly expendable. The only recognizable name was washed up, 80’s martial arts actor Oliver Gruner billed as a Russian soldier whose on screen appearance is more that of an extra role. 

Action sequences are also weak – even watching Roger Corman’s Ski Troop Attack is better than this movie and he combined stock footage with scenes he shot in the snow covered South Dakota Mountains in two weeks!

War of the Dead wasn’t a good idea on paper and nor does it work on film. Avoid.

Expected rating: 7 out of 10

Actual rating: 

Review: Saint Dracula 3D (TBC) / Directed by: Rupesh Paul / Written by: Rupesh Paul / Starring: Mitch Powell, Patricia Duarte, Daniel Shayler, Suzanne Roche / Release Date: TBC

Written and directed by Rupesh Paul based on his novel, this version of Dracula is set in modern day and depicts a tortured Dracula, Prince of Wallachia, losing his one love. Alone, he takes to wandering the night and hiding by day from those that want to destroy him for the past 150 years.

Yet Dracula gets a second chance at love (as indeed he should!) in Clara, a woman he sees wandering the abandoned castle grounds. Problem is – she’s a nun. Maybe regaining love will mellow him out a bit, but then again, there’s always those pesky villagers that just want to rain on ol’ Drac’s parade. Bastards.

Clara passionately falls in love with Dracula who’s torn between who he is and making her immortal with his bite. Clara’s torn between her vows and her duty to the Catholic Church. To make matters worse, the Vatican decides to use Clara as bait to set a trap for Dracula ending his reign of terror once and for all. I’ve been in love before, but it’s never been this complicated!

Mitch Powell as Dracula turns in a good performance as well as Brazilian beauty Patricia Duarte as Clara. The rest of the cast is rounded out with solid performances. Rupesh Paul’s use of relatively unknown actors from the UK and the States helps the believability of the story.

Beautifully shot in and around the English countryside, Saint Dracula weaves a solid tale of love lost and regained between two tortured souls in a gothic, horror romance story that works on all accounts.

Expected rating: 5 out of 10

Actual rating:

For more information visit www.saintdracula3d.com

Review: Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol (12A) / Directed by: Brad Bird / Starring: Tom Cruise, Paula Patton, Simon Pegg, Jeremy Renner / Release date: December 26th

Ethan Hunt is in a trap: a thoroughly cinematic one. When the Mission: Impossible series launched in 1996 007 had just made a stunning comeback the year earlier in GoldenEye and the likes of Arnie and Stallone’s brand of blockbuster was dying out. Jason Bourne, Robert Ludlum’s amnesiac assassin, was yet to get the film treatment and effectively force the re-calibration of the whole action/spy genre. IMF Agent Ethan Hunt, never really the strongest or compelling figure, has been wedged somewhere in between these mighty pillars and suffered a little bit. Bond is Bond, Bourne is a highly paranoid man on a mission and Hunt is incredibly bland.

Brian De Palma’s audacious opener had its action-packed moments, but deep down it was a high-tech spy thriller. By Mission: Impossible II the series, essentially, became bang-for-your-buck actioners without much thought gone into characterisation. These films are perhaps more about Tom Cruise’s ego and desire to have his action-man cake and eat it. He’s always been a great character actor wanting to play superstar. We’ve only encouraged him by providing our hard earned money at the box office. The return, we might say, has been mixed.

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, the fourth instalment in the franchise, received a major shot in the arm thanks to J.J. Abrams’ crazy third entry, which thankfully banished all memories of John Woo’s dud sequel. Hunt was back in the spying game proper with a new team and some superb action sequences. More importantly it felt, at least in spirit, like what we expect from something called Mission: Impossible.

Tom Cruise and returning producer Abrams hired award-winning animation filmmaker Brad Bird to oversee Ghost Protocol and it has proved a smart move. Bird opted out of using 3D and chose to shoot over thirty minutes worth of scenes in the IMAX format.

The opening helicopter shot over Budapest may well induce nausea and the whole Dubai tower sequence is easily one of the best examples of stunt work for ages. That Cruise actually did a lot of hair-raising stunts himself is commendable. It’s a sequence that manages to be tense and funny.

The story kicks off with IMF point man Ethan Hunt languishing in a Moscow jailhouse. He’s rescued by fellow agents Jane Carter (Paula Patton) and Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg). Hunt refuses to leave the prison until he’s rescued a guy named Sergei, who turns out to be used in the third act as an awfully convenient plot device. The opening scene however paves the way for an ace ‘light the fuse’ moment which then bursts into a thunderous credit sequence accompanied by the iconic theme tune. It is things like this that really deliver those movie thrills.

The major problem with Ghost Protocol, apart from the egregious product placement, is the sub-Bondean narrative. Michael Nyvist plays a nuclear scientist who truly believes the world needs to experience nuclear annihilation in order to realise what a danger it is. That’s all the story there is bar a poorly realised subplot involving Hunt and new boy William Brandt (Jeremy Renner).

What saves the entire film is Brad Bird’s assured direction and Jeremy Renner’s mystery man character. Who is Brandt and can he be trusted? Renner plays him as an initially scared corporate suit but gets to join in the fun and unleash his deadly skills in the third act. He’s also funny and plays well off Simon Pegg’s geeky tech man.

The use of handheld camera work in early scenes gives the movie an immediacy and quite unexpected frisson given the glossy sheen of the Hollywood action flick. Mixed in with this are sleek tracking shots, IMAX sequences, gorgeously framed compositions, massive special effects and taut editing. Given his background in animation there is a rather sly cartoon-like feel which serves rather than deters from the overall hugely enjoyable experience that is Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.

Hunt, however, is a colossal bore and one of the least thought out characters in any action series. The attempt to give the man a back story and introduce a wife in the third film was at least an attempt to address this, but there’s a very clunky coda here which feels little more than a poor attempt to add depth to a pretty soulless sort.

Expected rating: 7 out of 10

Actual rating:

Review: Superheroes (TBC) / Directed by: Michael Barnett / Starring: Mr. Xtreme, Zimmer, Master Legend, Life, Apocalypse Meow / Release date: (TBC)

It’s dark, it’s late and your loved ones are asleep. Can you doze off? No. The city needs you. Crime, corruption and danger remain unchecked. You pull on your outfit, finishing with the mask. It feels so good, doesn’t it? Stepping out of your front door, you are no longer a mere citizen – you are a superhero!

Surely everyone has dreamed of being a superhero at some point? Most of us, however, don’t actually do it. Superheroes is a documentary that follows a few of America’s real heroes as they go about their daily routines. We meet Master Legend, one of the longest serving superheroes. He is well-known in the area, but relies on perhaps a few too many beers to feed his super-thirst when on his rounds. There is Mr. Xtreme, who is in the process of moving out – to live in his van. This is so that he doesn’t put any of his family at risk. He is also currently the only member of the ‘Xtreme Justice League’. We meet a group of superheroes in Brooklyn who ‘bait’ criminals – a dangerous and legally awkward past-time.

It would be, of course, very easy to produce a documentary that simply makes fun of these individuals. To a certain extent, Superheroes does. Thankfully, however, there is more to it.

The focus shifts slightly in the second half to the various things that these superheroes actually achieve – which is far more than simply fighting crime. They go out of their way to speak to the homeless, and hand out packs which include water, socks, sanitiser and other useful items. They work on community ventures, and use their superhero personas to help publicise these acts. Real good is achieved, and the world is certainly a better place for all their hard work.

It also becomes clear throughout the film that nearly every superhero involved has, at some point, been a victim or deeply affected by violent crime. This isn’t just a game, but a serious reaction to life-changing events.

While I have no desire to dress as a superhero, I did leave the cinema wanting to do a little more good in the world. That, surely, is a sign that some of the passion of Mr. Xtreme and his cohorts is successfully carried through the film. Don’t worry about the mask, just make the world a better place.

Expected rating: 6 out of 10

Actual rating:

Review: Another Earth (12A) / Director: Mike Cahill / Screenplay by: Mike Cahill, Britt Marling / Starring: Britt Marling, William Mapother, Matthew lee-Erlbach / Release Date: Out Now

Talk about bad timing. Promising young student Rhoda Williams (Marling) is out at night drinking whilst drunk and is, not surprisingly, a bit distracted when a mirror-image planet Earth suddenly appears in the sky.

So startled is Rhoda that she loses control of the car and she ploughs into another vehicle, killing two of the occupants. Rhoda is jailed for four years and the accident survivor, music professor John Burroughs (Mapother), is left comatose, his pregnant wife and son dead. Emerging from prison an introverted, nervy changed woman, Rhoda wants to slink into the shadows and she takes a mundane job as a cleaner at the local school. But a chance close encounter with the grieving Burroughs persuades Rhoda to at least try to make amends for the devastation she’s wrought but her attempts are fraught with complications when she finds herself posing as a domestic cleaner, unable to tell Burroughs the truth. As her presence in his life starts to ease the professor out of his despair, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity forces Rhoda to confront herself and her past head-on and she has some life-changing decisions to make.

It might not sound like it, but there’s a big, solid sci-fi concept throbbing away at the heart of ‘Another Earth’ and while it’s only explored in the broadest and most allegorical of manners (the film’s not concerned with what would be the  physical effects of such close proximity with a planet the same size as our own or the psychological consequences for humanity of Earth 2’s discovery) it informs every frame of this moody, melancholic and proudly lo-fi indie movie. To all intents and purposes this is a two-hander, two characters both devastated by the same tragedy, two characters still trying to understand and make sense of what’s happened years after the event. But where Rhoda at least has a shot at redemption and the chance of a new life – albeit a rather less starry one than she might have been expecting as an MIT student – John Burroughs has lost everything, even the will to live, and he’s become a grubby, listless recluse when Rhoda inveigles her way into his life and slowly but surely starts to turn him around. In the background there’s constant media chatter about Earth 2 – what will it be like? How can we communicate with it? The film doesn’t explain why it’s taken four years to make contact with the planet – when it’s made it’s through a simple radio transmission where the mirror-image nature of the planet and its occupants is revealed – and the conceit of a competition where the prize is a seat on a shuttle to the new planet seems a bit unlikely when no-one has any real idea what the planet’s actually like. But ‘Another Earth’ isn’t hugely bothered with such relative inconsequentialities; the film needs Rhoda to become obsessed with Earth 2 because of what it’s done to her, it needs her to want to leave her world behind and travel to another one, particularly when she realises, on watching a late-night TV broadcast, that Earth 2, identical as it may be, might possibly offer a ’road not travelled’ alternative.

Like last month’s ’Take Shelter’, this is a raw and intelligent indie movie which takes some big ideas and grounds them in a four-square real world populated not with super-heroes in tights but with ordinary folk trying to deal with something extraordinary. The script is tight and economic, the performances from both Marling, a strikingly-attractive girl and a name to watch – wait till Hollywood gets its hands on her – and Mapother are spectacularly persuasive and compelling. The jagged, handheld cinematography gives the film a bold and sometimes uncomfortable intimacy and the simple visual image of the duplicate Earth hanging in the sky gazing balefully down upon its twin is effortlessly effective. It’s not often this reviewer’s neck-hairs are forced to stand to attention but there’s a sequence in ‘Another Earth’ where Burroughs takes Rhoda to a small concert hall and performs a beautiful and haunting piece of music with a most unusual instrument which will remain with me for some time.

Refreshingly simple and honest as it handles big emotional and fantastical subjects, ‘Another Earth’ is an enchanting and rewarding little movie, another win for the indie sector as the big studios go round and round in circles obsessed with remaking and rebooting and squeezing every last penny from even the most exhausted of franchises. ‘Another Earth’ is a movie to cherish.

Expected rating: 6 out of 10

Actual rating:

Review: Hugo (U) / Directed by: Martin Scorsese / Written by: John Logan, Brian Selznick / Starring: Asa Butterfield, Chloe Grace Moretz, Christopher Lee, Ben Kingsley, Jude Law / Released: December 2nd

Martin Scorsese is reflective in his latest film, it hails back to an era where children enjoyed reading books and were inspired by the movies. It is a romantic look at the past and at the films of George Méliès. Based on the book The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick and influenced by Scorsese’s love for early cinema this is an entertaining and educational film for all the family.

Hugo (Asa Butterfield) lives in the walls of a 1930s Paris train station keeping the centrepiece clock ticking and living an isolated existence, until he meets a young girl called Isabelle (Chloe Grace Moretz) and they embark on an adventure of discovery together. The world that Scorsese has created is rich in tone, steam filled and dusty. Clockwork is like magic, orphans are rife and the fantastical cinema of Méliès is no longer in demand after The Great War. You can see every thread of the authentically recreated clothing and the actors have this lavish golden sheen to their skin; the 3D is utilised well and it enhances the surroundings.

The story is slowly presented as each character is introduced; Hugo wanders around the bustling train station coming across a toyshop owner (Sir Ben Kingsley) who questions Hugo’s ownership of a handwritten manual on how to work an automaton. He is then chased across the enchanting set (thanks to the expert eye of production designer Dante Ferretti) by the lean turquoise clad station inspector (Sacha Baron Cohen) who he manages to escape from through a steamy vista. The scene is set wonderfully. Hugo’s solitude in the busiest of places is used to move the supporting characters’ stories along as he watches their interaction on the concourse of the train station. A love story between the station inspector and a flower girl (Emily Mortimer) is seen through the eyes of a child and presented to the viewer from this detached but charming vantage point.

Christopher Lee joins the story as bookshop owner, Monsieur Labisse, who dotes on Isabelle and warms to Hugo. The bookshop is again, rich in appearance, books piled up high creating a hiding place for the children to get lost in their imaginations and to begin their voyage of discovery. Scorsese also uses the cinema as a refuge when Hugo and Isabelle sneak their way into a theatre to catch a glimpse of the moving picture. Both these locations are portrayed as special, magical places to be and the cautious mood as they (GASP!) hold hands is a lovely nod to a bygone era.

Asa Butterfield’s performance starts off a little creaky but as soon as he is joined by Moretz his acting gets more assured. Moretz is lovely to watch as Isabelle, with her eagerness for adventure and her affection for vocabulary. The interaction between the two and their enthusiasm lifts the film into adventure territory as they lay the foundations of their relationship. Hugo is a nab hand at fixing clockwork mechanisms, and his fondness for an automaton that is the last link to his late father (Jude Law) is extraordinarily fascinating to look at. The automaton is incredibly creepy; its blank expression on a metal canvas is quite disturbing. The casing hides an intricate clockwork interior that comes alive to unlock the secret surrounding its existence.

The first part of the film revolves around the inventive clockwork world that Hugo inhabits, whereas the second half takes the viewer to even more surreal surroundings from the films of Méliès, lovingly recreated by Scorsese. Méliès’ science fiction film A Trip to the Moon, where a spaceship hits the moon in the eye, is brought to the big screen and will delight cineastes and perhaps trigger some interest with those not familiar with his work. Méliès story is a sad one, his work was neglected, he went bankrupt and many of his films were melted down to make boot heels. A pioneer such as Méliès deserves to have his films honoured and Scorsese is the man for the job.

Is it indulgent? Yes. But it is worthy subject matter and Scorsese’s passionate message about the importance of film preservation and his attachment to the films of George Méliès is exquisitely illuminated on screen. He is passing his knowledge onto the next generation and does so extremely well in this finely crafted piece of homage. Nostalgic, heart-warming and beautiful to watch, this is a thoughtful and impressive piece of cinema with a great message at its core.

Expected rating: 7 out of 10

Actual rating:

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