JessyCritical

Rabbit Hole tells the story of a couple's grief when they tragically lose their son in an accident. With a sombre tone throughout, it is impossible not to feel disheartened and that is why this film is so engaging. It is so easy to believe and associate with Becca (Nicole Kidman) and Howie (Aaron Eckhart) making Rabbit Hole so realistic, it's incredible. Nicole Kidman's performance is Oscar-worthy; her portrayal of a grief- stricken mother is very touching. Her seeming desperation to forget Danny existed, countered with Howie's inability to erase him from his mind, makes for a very emotional watch. Rabbit Hole is very beautiful to watch and he frequent references God and Science means it caters to everyone's beliefs. The idea of a parallel universe is comforting, as Becca says, "Somewhere out there I'm having a good time."

Never Let Me Go depicts the bleak story of three best friends who were raised, more or less, isolated from the rest of the world along with other "special" children. The reason behind their different upbringing remains a secret until over half an hour in to the film. The truth behind Hailsham is hinted at until then, but nothing is clear until Miss Lucy speaks up and announces the reality of their destiny. This tale of an alternative history, set in the mid 20th century is, at times, shocking and disheartening. The blunt references to "donors" and "completion" make for an emotional watch; what is really going on here? As this film is set in the past it makes it even more believable and seems even more able to happen today. With great performances all-round it is hard to criticise Never Let Me Go. Keira Knightley is completely credible as the envious and sometimes, unfriendly Ruth. Andrew Garfield portrays the uncreative, angry, boy stuck in the middle surprisingly well. The best performance definitely comes from Carey Mulligan who plays Kathy, the central character of the story. Mulligan creates an incredibly likable character that the audience will immediately associate with. Her naivety, longing for love and her acceptance of her fate is devastating, yet applaudable. The constant flow of music throughout adds even more sadness to this film and makes what is happening truly heart-breaking. The sombre tone is easily maintained throughout, added to by Carey Mulligan's perfect portrayal of Kathy. Beginning in the middle of the film gives the audience's reason to find out why Kathy chose to become a carer, and why her life is how it is. However, the dark reason behind these questions is unexpected and shocking, to say the least. The main question you will probably ask yourself when you watch this question is "why?" This is because there are so many questions left unanswered. Why do they not rebel against their situation? Why do they accept their fate? Despite Never Let Me Go falling in to the science-fiction category, I would rather label it as a romantic mystery. Purely, because it focuses on a, somewhat, love triangle and you will be left guessing and creating your own assumptions throughout. The answers you have will not be properly answered, and it is because of this you may find the story hard to believe. On the other hand, it is this ambiguity that makes the film even more compelling. The lack of answers will also allow you, the audience, to draw your own conclusions and fill in any gaps with your own ideas. Deliberately misleading the audience appears to be something the director (Mark Romaneck) and the screenplay writer (Alex Garland) wanted to achieve. Believing that the children can escape their destiny with a few drawings is something we, and the characters in the film, hope for. Also, a select few can be chosen for a "deferral" if they can prove to be in true love. To sum up, Never Let Me Go is a wonderfully told, beautiful story of love, friendship and hope. If you don't feel a tiny bit moved by this film, you probably won't be by any other. I was surprised at its ability to linger in my mind after watching. So, if you want a film that will keep you watching, waiting and wishing to the end, then Never Let Me Go is a definite must.

Telling the story of a group of residents from an apartment block defending themselves against glowing- blue-teethed gorilla-type creatures from outer-space, Attack The Block had enough laugh out loud moments to keep me entertained to the end, but it was definitely missing something. The night is November the 5th and a lady notices, you wouldn't be able to tell "if World War 3 is going on out there." That is due to the sound of fireworks lighting up the sky, and she is almost right as something more sinister is about to happen. Attack The Block exceeded my expectations, and certainly everyone in the Cinema found it hilarious. However, there was something a bit try-hard about it. Yes, it was nice to see aliens causing mayhem in the 'ends' of London, instead of choosing to torment the huge cities of Los Angeles or New York. However, the constant gags centred on the slang language of the teenagers, began to grate on me. There are only so many times I can laugh at, "they're aliens, bruv, trust!" Don't get me wrong, the script was very well written and it's great to see England not being presented as a bunch of posh-speaking Hugh Grant's, but, not all teenagers are like that. It is a definite genre-defying, original and very entertaining film that does its Director Joe Cornish justice. It has everything you could want from a sci-fi film: aliens, intense fighting and the typical hero vs monster showdown at the end. There are even a few jumpy moments, something I was not expecting. Also, the damage the monkey-dogs caused was pretty disgusting and the film is undoubtedly not pure comedy. The moments of comedy that usually included the character of Pest were, also, reasonably funny. Perhaps the film would have been funnier if the comedy moments had included Nick Frost and his character Ron. The few scenes he and the very British Brewis (Luke Treadaway) were included in were the funniest and most memorable. The other characters that were created weren't particularly likable, and it was hard to care about any of them. This was probably because their determination to maintain their tough stance whilst facing blue- teethed and very angry extra terrestrials became annoying. However, they did know (sometimes) when it was time to run, and warn others that their water guns were a particularly inadequate choice of weapon. Of course, our heroes knew that swords, guns and a lamp would be more sufficient. Perhaps this film is a warning to knife-wielding teenagers: you should think twice about mugging a stranger on the street, because they may end up saving your life. Or perhaps this is just a director having a lot of fun, making a film that he knows will get rave reviews from its British audience. Whatever reason Cornish chose for making Attack The Block, it was a good one as it has become a very promising debut for the Director. Overall, Attack The Block is a fresh addition to its genre. A very funny, but sometimes tedious, action-packed film, pitting teenagers against their worst nightmare: something that threatens to take over their block.