Pan's Labyrinth (2006) - Spanish film directed by Guillermo del Toro

* * * *

This is often thought of as a horror film by those who haven't seen it, possibly because of the spooky poster and terrifying creature creations, however it is actually just quite sinister and creepy, the only horrific things are the bloody violent sequences. The film takes place in fascist Spain on a house that is owned by a brutal captain of the Spanish army. After her pregnant and ailing mother marries the captain a fanciful girl moves to this place and discovers magic within the Labyrinth. 

The film is marvellous for anyone who was the type of child who lived in stories and dreamed of magic and fairies. The darkest and most dangerous moments in the film are all to do with humans and reality, even though some of the magical creatures appear dangerous at first. The magic used is very creative because there is a mixture of classic, such as fairies or mandrake root, but there are also new ideas, such as the Pale Man. A balance between known and unknown magic is really useful because sometimes a magical realm can become overwhelming if everything has been created just for this one story. 

The brutality in the film is quite shocking. A lot of violence is shown and countless pints of blood and this can be really off-putting to a lot of viewers. Personally I am not overly squeamish and this made me squirm a fair amount. The violence is justified, however, because it is (apparently) based on real events that occurred during Spain's fascist period. Gore for shock is not always needed in a film, just like some sex scenes, however gore that proves a point, develops a character and marks a period in history is effective and it is the latter type of gore that you find in Pan's Labyrinth.

The film can be confusing because there are a few plots running at once. The girl's magical quest to help her mother through a difficult pregnancy and become a princess of another world, and the captain's fascist vendetta against the opposition. The two topics are obviously distinct and there is little crossover between the two, however sometimes you really get into one of them and then everything switches suddenly and you have to try to remember at which point the other storyline was at. It's not a huge problem but it means that you have to stay fairly alert while watching this film.

Pan's Labyrinth is (I think) the only Spanish film that I have seen and if it is a marker for what wonders Spanish cinema can produce then I will definitely be looking into watching more. A beautifully twisted fairytale for the adult dreamers but also a poignant look at a terrible time in Spanish history.

Blackout (2013) - Film made for Channel 4

* * * *

This film was advertised as a type of documentary about how Britain would react to a week long blackout. Throughout the film there were facts displayed intermittently as inter-titles but other than that it comes across as a drama film. The premise of Blackout is that it looks like real footage caught on phones or video cameras, although is obviously acted and scripted, about several people and how the blackout affects them.

My favourite thing about this film was its guerilla style because it is very common nowadays to see such filming especially during interesting events like an extended blackout. The acting was good enough that you believed that they could be real people although some of the situations seemed slightly excessive, for instance one man and his wife kept arguing about different types of water which is a minor problem at any time.

A majority of the things that happen away from the main characters, such as rioting and thievery, are very realistic and can easily be imagined happening during a troubled time. The film makers obviously used footage from the London Riots in 2011 and also used the Prime Minster's words but kept them vague to make real footage appear to comply with this situation. I thought that this was clever and a good use of archives, rather than hiring an actor to play a Prime Minister or break the budget on sets that need to be destroyed.

The story was quite harrowing because a few of the people really struggle, mostly caused by other people being inconsiderate and selfish. This is the disturbing thing about the film because it reminds you that in when things go wrong there are thousands willing to take advantage. Personally I felt as though the message about how important the Nation Grid is to Britain was lost in a more political message about interpersonal relations within London and the fact that there can be a lack of decency. Some stories show people banding together to help each other while others show destruction caused by antisocial behaviour.

Overall I thought it was very interesting and compellingly put together. It certainly makes you appreciate the fact that we have electricity, running water, etc. and aware of how quickly society can crumble without the luxuries we have become so used to. Obviously some points were over-dramatised but it doesn't detract from the film as a whole.

Fame (1980) - Film directed Alan Parker

* * *

An interesting film and not what I was expecting. Watching this was a little bit like my experience of watching Saturday Night Fever because you know that they are both about dance/music but you don't realise that they also explore quite deep story lines. Fame follows numerous ambitious students in a prestigious New York high school for dance, drama and music.

The film has a weird inconsistent energy because there are long fairly boring sequences that don't seem to aid the story and only slow down the film. In addition the dance and musical sequences don't fit in with the rest of the film because this isn't a musical so the songs don't inform the viewer and the dance is just for spectacle.

The character's back stories are quite compelling and cover a wide range of teenage issues from overbearing parents to sexuality. The fact that they explore so many problems that a lot of teenagers might be able to relate to is probably why this film is quite popular, similar to the Breakfast Club. Unfortunate I found some of the characters unlikeable and therefore not overly relatable but that is personal taste.

Slightly disappointing for such a famous film but it might be a case of the song in the film of the same name being more famous and well known. The main topics span the test of time because it seems that in any era teenagers will always be struggling with the same issues. Similarly the genre of musical students is a fairly popular one with films such as Step Up or Hairspray.

Ouran High School Host Club (2006) - Japanese TV show

* * * * 1/2

I approached this series not having ever watched any anime before and was very confused for the first few episodes by the style, as I watched more episodes, and especially after I had watched the series twice, I grew to adore this show for all its eccentricities. The story follows a group of attractive boys who have started a Host Club to earn extra money by wooing girls, however one of the Host Club members is actually an unfortunate girl who has been duped into working as a host.

The comedy style of the series, though hard to understand fully at first, is brilliant. Since watching this I have seen some more anime and it seems as though a lot of the rely on physical humour whereas in this there is also a very good script that delivers funny lines without the need to add exaggerated animation. Furthermore, the longer you watch the series then the better you know the characters and the more inside jokes become apparent.

The characters seem to be staple anime characters but are very self-aware of this fact because, as part of the Host Club, everyone must fit into a typical type of attractive role.The good thing about these characters is that most of them are given their own episodes, the girl (Haruhi) is the character followed most often, but you get to see more about the boys and what makes them who they are. The fact that you explore the characters quite deeply, and in a short space of time because there has only been one series, means that the audience feels very attached to them.

This light-hearted programme creates a short but sweet series. There is something for everything, not only in the Host Club, but because it can be serious or funny or meaningful all in the same episode.Personally I found that it took some getting used to because of the difference between anime and the TV cartoons that I have watched all my life but I would recommend it to anyone. 

Pointless (2009 - ) - TV series aired on BBC

* * * * *

This TV show has a ridiculously simple premise but one that is very difficult to explain. Each category has been asked to 100 people and then the 8 contestants are trying to answer the same questions in the most obscure way possible in the hopes that none of the 100 people have said it. The number of people in that 100 who have is the number of points the player gets. At the end of the round the person with the highest points leaves.

The questions are brilliant because they span categories from the Oscars to types of lettuce to Olympic athletes. Every episode you can learn more useless information and also find out how many people know certain facts (for instance 100/100 people could finish this movie title: _______ I Shrunk the Kids.) The diversity of the possible questions makes every episode different and interesting.

The two hosts, Alexander Armstrong and Richard Osman, are wonderful. They have good chemistry, because they are friends from before the show, and this makes everything appear more light-hearted. Furthermore they talk to the contestants in a friendly way and are able to bring out the best in them. Some times of game shows I find myself wanting the contestants to lose but I never have that feeling on Pointless.

This is perfect viewing for anyone who likes gentle TV shows, with a little suspense and a lot of useless knowledge.

The Great Gatsby (2013) - Film directed by Baz Luhrmann

* * * * 1/2

Amazing film. Beautiful cinematography, careful casting and a wonderfully modern but reminiscent sound track. The film is a sceptical and perfectly represents the grandeur and excess of Gatsby and his lifestyle. A quick disclaimer that I have only read to book once and have not studied it in school, as many people seem to have, so my interpretation is heavily based on the film.

The casting is brilliant because first and foremost everyone can act to a high standard. Secondly they all fit into the 1920s era effortlessly whereas some people who do period films appear too modern in their mannerisms. In particular Gatsby (DiCaprio), Daisy (Mulligan) and Jordan (Debicki) give particularly strong performances.

Throughout the film I was constantly in awe of how it looked. Luhrmann didn't just focus on the party scenes or Gatsby's house but instead made every frame of the film beautiful. The sets were especially breathtaking and almost always filled with flowers, lights or people to enhance their beauty.

I cannot talk about the story because they seem to have stayed relativity faithful to the original book and Toby Maguire for most of the film seems to just be reading from the book in his narration.Obviously there are differences because cinema and literature are genres that have to be handled differently, as are the audiences of the time of the book's publication and the film's release.

The creators of this film brought the best of the 1920s into the 21st century. The beautiful outfits, brilliant cast and amazing music all added to the aesthetics of the film. No detail was overlooked to make this one of the most spectacular films of recent times and demonstrative of a good use of CGI.

Criminal Minds (2005 - ) - TV series aired on Sky Living

* * * * 1/2

Not my normal genre of TV programme because the 'whodunit' genre is often incredibly repetitive from episode to episode and even series to series. Criminal Minds, although you always know that they will catch the bad guy in the end, prevent the feeling of the plot stagnating by moving the people around America and also focusing on strong characters, from the leads to the criminals.

The most clever
difference between this crime series is that the investigators are not confined to one city. In fact they have a private jet which can carry them all around America. This changes the dynamic of the story every episode and can keep some audiences interested as they can relate to some places they go to.

This diversity is reflected in almost every aspect of the show. The criminals are various and include men, women, even children. Obviously the methods and motive change too which is incredibly interesting because it is then analysed from a psychological perspective. The main characters are also different and they maintain a good balance of male and female influence, which is often rare.

Personally the biggest appeal is the psychological aspect of the stories. The  detectives' job is to analyse the minds of the criminal to help the police find them. Looking at the psychological elements of the criminal mind is intriguing because rarely do real-life stories report on the mentality of a criminal. Sometimes the criminal is even sympathised with for various reasons and this is another refreshing variation from the norm of simply presenting all criminality as thuggish and inexplicable behaviour.

Criminal Minds is the perfect mix of originality and well thought through writing to produce a more interesting take on a classic genre. The characters are also carefully written to give them extensive personalities and make watching them enjoyable.