Man of Steel

Superman is back!!!!!

Without a shadow of a doubt this will be the best film of the year. All you superhero fans go and see it now in cinemas before it is too late. You will regret it if you don't!

Zack Synder has bought us back one of our beloved heroes in a huge way, going back to the very begins of superman. Thanks to the incredible writing of David.S Goyer who really seems to have a way with words which evoke a variety of feelings, and the incredible vision of Christopher Nolan, the crew and cast have really made superman more than just a guy in underwear who can fly.

For those who have seen the Dark Knight Trilogy, you will know how Nolan and Goyer are both able to transform characters and ground them in a way that causes us as an audience to really become emotionally attached to these characters. In this film Clarke Kent is surrounded by such characters including his birth parents Jor-El (Russell Crowe), Lara Lor-Van (Ayelet Zurer) and his adopted parents Jonathan Kent (Kevin Costner) and Martha Kent (Diane Lane). Then of course there is the much stronger version of Lois Lane (Amy Adams) who really plays a huge part in this film and mirrors our love of Superman.

Synder has done a fantastic job of bringing his own vision to the filming and visual aspect of the film. It is beautifully shot and consistently plays with light in incredible ways which help to build enhance the emotion and beauty of the story.

Then there is clearly an aspect of Nolan's love for architecture and land formation which sets the film in stunning locations, taking us from sea to desert and to urban skyscrapers.

Casting of course was perfect. Henry Cavill really becomes superman, not only in his image but in the emotion and complexity of the character. The fact he is torn between humanity and his own kind is clearly created through conflict in his actions.  The relationship between superman and both his dads is truly effective not to mention the maternal instincts from both his mothers.

Of course with every hero comes a villain and that villain happens to be very good. As General Zod, Michael Shannon is ruthless, evil and merciless. The destruction caused throughout the film by this character is significant which increases hatred for him. Accompanied by Faora-Ul, the evil female sidekick who to be quite honest is just as ruthless, Zod tears the Earth apart.

I don't want to give anything away, therefore I will say that the cast is brilliant and the production done on this film is incredible. Similar to the way batman was reinvented superman has become entirely redone. Giving a background to Superman humanises him a lot more and the producers,writers and directors have done an incredible job on this film. For those who stay loyal to the original films, give this a chance, it may surprise you. It certainly has bought superman into modern day and everything is bigger and better. Oh and the soundtrack by Hans Zimmer is awesome!

(No spoilers in comment section please!)

              ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Man of Steel

Superman fans watch out there's a new film being released this year!!!!!

The Dark Knight Trilogy

'It's not who I am underneath but what I do that defines me'

So I don't know about you guys, but without a shadow of a doubt, the Dark Knight trilogy is my absolute favourite series of films ever! The films have the best director, best actors, music, cars,action, gadgets, plot etc I could go on forever.

In my opinion Nolan wiped out every other Batman film there has ever been and has built a trilogy of films that will never be forgotten. Of course we will all remember one of them in particular 'The Dark Knight', for the outstanding portrayal of the Joker by the incredible Heath Ledger. That character will forever be remembered and loved, in fact I have a massive poster of the Joker with his card in my room which is pure awesome.

So of course, aside from Heath, we have the brilliant Gary Oldman, Christian Bale, Morgan Freeman, Cillian Murphy, Michale Caine, Joseph Gordon Levitt, Anne Hathaway... I might as well name the whole cast.

What is so special about these Batman films which really sets them apart, is the fact that we see more of Bruce Wayne and his past than we do in any of the original Batman films. We get to see where the Batman comes from and who he really is underneath. Christopher Nolan is fantastic at creating conflicting identities which characters struggle with and in these films we see the grief of Bruce Wayne and his fight for justice in the jaw dropping urban city Gotham.

The final film 'The Dark Knight Rises' with its surprising end twist is a continuation of that excitement and awe that we have with the first two films. And giving credit to where it is due, Tom Hardy was very impressive as his character Bane, the first villain who has the physical ability to 'break the bat'.

Honestly I am obsessed with these three films and could watch them over and over again. 

Let me know what you all think of the trilogy.

              ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

'Following'

For my film studies coursework this year, I have been researching the work of my favourite director Christopher Nolan. I am really inspired by his work and the way that he brings realism to all of his films. His films also have a neo-noir structure to them consisting of flashbacks and non linear plot structure. He also uses traditional film noir characters such as the femme fatale.

'Following' is Christopher Nolan's debut film that he made in 1998. I saw this film for the first time yesterday and found that I really enjoyed it. As with many other of his films, the plot was clever and consisted of multiple twists which became revealed over time. It is also rather impressive how the film was made on an estimated budget of $6,000 (roughly £3700).

The film is based around an aspiring writer who has an obsession with people and their lives. He follows around random strangers to learn more about them which is rather odd. This however goes wrong when one man he is following notices.

Christopher Nolan filmed this film with a group of friends from his university in London. The film was shot in the streets of London and various apartments which he and his friends owned. The film is in black and white which adds to the dark and mysterious atmosphere created within the film.

The film isn't particularly long, but manages to keep you captivated throughout.  The film also has a non linear plot structure which all makes sense towards the end of the film.I really enjoyed this film and would definitely recommend it.

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆