Welcome to the Punch: Film Review

British film is often acclaimed for its excellent scripting, its real, tangible plotting and of course, minimal budgets.

Here, only the budget side of things plays true to continuance. For, while the script is hardly pitiful, or story obtrusively poor, they could both be far better.

That said, I enjoyed the story well enough: Jacob Sternwood, a former crook (Mark Strong) hiding away in Iceland has to return to save his beloved son after a heist goes wrong; thus allowing a revengeful detective by the name of Max Lewinsky (James McAvoy) to take one last pop at nabbing his most wanted.

As a thriller, deep-set and dark the game of shadows naturally then unearths deeper conspiracies, with all the usual suspects, politicians, gangs and the police, all involved. The good and bad must uncover these secrets to survive.

Where this film stands out above all though, taking it far above the average mark is the cinematography and setting. Director and writer Eran Creevy puts London in predominantly night vision, with the steel, glass and all its offerings giving an awesome backdrop to the criminal underworld and intense drama.

James McAvoy and Mark Strong are commendable in their roles, both offering their talents admirably and lifting the poorer points of the film above water where necessary. Andrea Riseborough also puts in a strong performance.

Therefore, Welcome to the Punch is a solid crime thriller. And it’s easy to see that Eran Creevy has the potential to do so much more; with a slightly better script and a touch more plot precision, his next might be nothing short of outstanding. But with only £8.5 million to play with, you have to acknowledge that regardless of a few flaws, this is impressive overall.

Director: Eran Creevy
Produced by: Ben Pugh; Brian Kavanaugh Jones; Roy Aitken
James McAvoy, Mark Strong, Andrea Risborough
Release date: March 2013
Running time: 99 minutes

- Joshua Barrie





You need to login or register to post comments.
Discuss this item on the forums. (0 posts)

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone: Film Review

You would have called it rather fanciful to combine the comedic talents of Jim Carrey, Steve Carell and Steve Buscemi before now. While always plausible, it’s a trio of funny men that to some might seem ‘too good to be true;’ a selection that offers real promise. It is the type of assemble that might be talked about in film fanatic groups at the pub for instance, while remembering Ace Ventura or acknowledging the American Offices’ amusement in its own right.

Well, such a cast has come together for The Incredible Burt Wonderstone and has performed well. With a script that was a long time in the making, its roots stemming back to 2006, the antics of these magicians has finally hit our screens – making jokes out of the populist craze of magic that has lately come to the fore. A good idea. And with the addition of Alan Arkin and Olivia Wilde, it is all the more set up for laughs.
While it pokes fun at street performers and on-stage Las Vegas magicians, it doesn’t mean any harm; rather, it is simply a brilliant platform in which to create humour.

Burt Wonderstone (Steve Carell) and Anton Marvelton (Steve Buscemi) are long-time childhood friends who have graced plentiful stages in the Las Vegas magician scene. They have since abandoned their double act after unfortunate times, but come together once more under Burt’s application – and renewed inspiration from an old-time magician (Alan Arkin) – when a new and dangerous street performer arrives.

That act is Steve Gray, played by Jim Carrey – who has surely been out of the picture too long – and he duly provides his usual frivolity.

While the film is lacking in any real bite or nourishment, and plot hardly ground-breaking, the jokes are there for the film to play out well enough. It is an easy, casual watch at best; but no matter as to how well constructed or thought out it is, the audience is granted a funny enough show with a good backdrop – and that is enough.

Director: Don Scardino
Produced by: Chris Bender; Steve Carell; Jake Weiner; Typler Mitchell
Steve Carell, Steve Buscemi, Jim Carrey, Olivia Wilde, Alan Arkin, James Gandolfini
Release date: March 2013
Running time: 100 minutes

- Joshua Barrie


You need to login or register to post comments.
Discuss this item on the forums. (0 posts)

Alan Partridge Movie Teaser Trailer

Dim lights Embed Embed this video on your site

Title of Alan's new movie revealed. In cinemas August 7.


You need to login or register to post comments.
Discuss this item on the forums. (0 posts)

*Kick-Ass 2* - Official Trailer (2013) [HD]

Dim lights Embed Embed this video on your site

After Kick-Ass' insane bravery inspires a new wave of self-made masked crusaders, led by the badass Colonel Stars and Stripes, our hero joins them on patrol. When these amateur superheroes are hunted down by Red Mist -- reborn as The Mother F%&*^r -- only the blade-wielding Hit Girl can prevent their annihilation. When we last saw junior assassin Hit Girl and young vigilante Kick-Ass, they were trying to live as normal teenagers Mindy and Dave. With graduation looming and uncertain what to do, Dave decides to start the world's first superhero team with Mindy. Unfortunately, when Mindy is busted for sneaking out as Hit Girl, she's forced to retire-leaving her to navigate the terrifying world of high-school mean girls on her own. With no one left to turn to, Dave joins forces with Justice Forever, run by a born-again ex-mobster named Colonel Stars and Stripes. Just as they start to make a real difference on the streets, the world's first super villain, The Mother F%&*^r, assembles his.

Launch date - July 19th in the UK; August 16 in the United States.


You need to login or register to post comments.
Discuss this item on the forums. (0 posts)

Side Effects: Film Review

If the rumours Steven Soderbergh is to retire are true, he’s left us with a triumphantly compelling last watch that is worthy of any directorial sign-off. If not, and they are merely a ploy then we can surely forgive, and hope that this is a sign of more of his talent to come.

Side Effects, a neo-noir thriller is everything you want it to be: dark; clever; and as tense as any I’ve seen. With the plot based around depression, corporate pharmaceutical games and lies, the film conjures a perfect toxin to lure you in.

It’s superbly acted, with Rooney Mara playing Emily Taylor, the depressed wife of a husband (Channing Tatum) recently released from a prison stint of four years for insider trading. After her state worsens, her physiatrist, Jonathan Banks (Jude Law) prescribes her an unproven drug under recommendation from her previous psychiatrist Victoria (Catherine Zeta Jones).

The drug has side effects, and the film’s callous underbelly soon begins to be exposed with all manner of twists and turns thanks to a wonderfully intelligent and original script.

Every performance is a good one, with Jude Law leading the sinister line, sculpting an eye-cutting character who plays beautifully against Rooney Mara’s unstable and seemingly broken Emily. Steven Soderbergh is truly on song here, creating a mesmerising and eerie film with as much technique as you’d imagine from a director who’s putting out his final thrust. Or so they say.

Medicine is quite often the formula in successful thrillers and this is no exception; Side Effects is a pill you will want to take. And you will react.

Director: Steven Soderbergh
Produced by: Lorenzo di Bonaventura; Gregory Jacobs; Scott Z. Burns
Jude Law, Rooney Mara, Channing Tatum, Catherine Zeta Jones
Release date: March 2013
Running time: 106 minutes

- Joshua Barrie


You need to login or register to post comments.
Discuss this item on the forums. (0 posts)

More Articles...