THE LOOK OF LOVE… sexy? Sleazy? Funny? Serious? This film tries to be everything and does none of it well. Based on the life of entrepreneur Paul Raymond (Steve Coogan) a man who rose to success from humble Liverpudlian roots to become the richest man on Soho’s streets by discovering just how much sex really does sell.
Coogan is irritatingly sober and only gives hints of the quirky humor that we have come to expect from the the chameleon 24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE and Alan Partridge actor. We can enjoy little bites of genius Coogan comedy but it is not enough to satisfy the appetite of a fan. His portrayal of the man who is adored by many but liked by few and who selfishly controls the lives of his friends, wives and children through neglect, sex and drugs is on the whole a convincing one, but it is not enough to bring life to the plot.
The quantity of naked flesh in this film mirrors the themes of Paul’s life itself by questioning how much is too much, and when does art become pornography? The line is blurred in both senses and the quantity with which it is delivered to the screen takes away all of the gloss, glamour and excitmente of the erotic world and leaves you bored and entirely un-sympathetic to the characters.
The supporting cast do little to carry the movie long, however there is an intriguing and surprising performance by comedian Chris Addison as one of Paul’s employes, he is natural and funny and stars effortlessly against bigger names. Imogen Poots is another name to mention, she plays Paul’s spoilt daughter, desperate for the adoration of success but with none of the physical or intellectual assets, her character is hard to like and her singing much much worse.
No amount of celebrity cameos (of which there are many) can save this film from its bargain bin destiny. Michael Winterbottom disappoints the audience by turning an otherwise interesting story into a long and anticlimactic orgy of lifeless acting and plastic boobs.

Written by Katy Brooks

I’m So Excited is the new film from Pedro Almodovar, who most recently brought us The Skin I Live In, which was a very dark, stylish thriller. His new film is very much the opposite; awash with bright colours, latin temperaments and full of comedy, music and sex.

A plane is en-route and in the air when the pilots discover a problem which means that landing will be extremely dangerous. The crew respond in a variety of ways, mainly getting drunk, and then performing a full dance routine to the song ‘I’m So Excited’ to cheer the passengers up. They decide that the best course of action will be to give their passengers a cocktail which includes mescaline. It’s not long before various people have coupled off and become a little more amorous.

Behind the fizz, fervour and frivolity is a dark edge, though, with death also being an important presence throughout the film.

Each of the passengers has an outrageous backstory which we are given the chance to explore. The performances are appropriately dramatic, and the cast perfectly put together. Almodovar certainly has a touch for casting!

Some of the jokes are a little blunt, and there is certainly a heavy reliance on gay stereotypes – although in the almost cartoonish world of the film, this works rather well.

Short, sweet and fun. I’m So Excited is a film that will cheer you up, and add some colour to your life.

I have enjoyed both Iron Man films, even though the second had its problems. Indeed, I’ve enjoyed all of the Marvel films so far, and Avengers (or Avengers Assemble for us in the UK) was one of the best films of 2012, and really can’t be topped as a summer blockbuster.

Iron Man 3 had the difficult task of bringing us back down after the heady highlight of Avengers, and it achieves this by bringing down our hero, Tony Stark. Having fought with gods and wormholes, he is struggling to make sense of everything, and is even suffering from anxiety attacks.

This time the threat is coming from a new terrorist, the Mandarin, who is played wonderfully by Sir Ben Kingsley. A perfect choice of foe, the Mandarin can represent many real-world problems, and serves excellently to bring the Marvel films back to Earth. Kingsley is very good in the role, with a performance that will stay with you for a while.

We also have Guy Pearce as Aldrich Killian, leader of a ‘think tank’ with a grudge against Tony Stark. He doesn’t get a great deal of screen time, but is suitable creepy when needed.

The real strength of the Iron Man films has never been with the suit of armour, but with Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, and in this more than any other, he gets centre stage. This time, however, not as a platform to be a genius billionaire playboy philanthropist, but as someone suffering and trying to find his place in a world that has changed around him.

Having said that, the film is full of humour – in characters and situations. I laughed more during this, than for most comedies. Iron Man 3 doesn’t forget its comic book origins, or play it too straight.

The action scenes are exciting and innovative – due in part to the new suit, which has the ability to fly around in separate pieces. There are also action sequences which Stark has to survive without the suit. These are fun, and important in terms of the film’s themes, although ultimately I wanted to see more of the suit!

I highly recommend Iron Man 3. If the rest of the blockbusters are this good, then we are set for an excellent year…

Paul Dano plays Joby. With black-painted, chipped nails and a whisky beard on his chin, Joby is a rock star who is telling the world, and himself, that he is about to make it. Each day he wears the same leather jacket, the same fingerless gloves and the same jewellery. He will check that his hair is right, and his chin properly fluffed before doing anything important. We meet him as he is driving through ice and snow in order to sign papers which will end his marriage with Claire, and split their possessions.

Their relationship has reached a point so low that they are communicating through lawyers, and Claire – much to Joby’s frustration – refuses to answer his questions correctly. The sticking point of the entire process is Ellen, their daughter. Although he has never visited her, Joby refuses to give her up completely.

The story is that of Joby fighting for a chance to see his daughter, and accepting his place in her life. It is touching, and well told. The relationship between Joby and Ellen had to work in order to hold the film together, and thankfully it does. The awkward stretch of two people reaching out to each other feels real, despite the young age of Ellen.

Beyond this, the film is exploring how our lives are determined by the identities that we choose and how we present ourselves to the world. Joby is so caught up in being a rockstar, that he gave up more important things. It is how he defines himself – at one point even yelling down the phone that he is ‘Joby Taylor’ lead singer and is clear that as far as he is concerned, his role and personality are one. Throughout the film, the identity that he has created for himself is eroded. The only times he is true to himself, is when he gets drunk and lost in music at a bar, or when he makes rash decisions when upset.

The only character not yet playing a self-designated role is young Ellen, and it is this harsh difference with the adults around her that pushes the message of the film into real clarity.

Paul Dano is wonderful, and makes the role of Joby Taylor a deep and meaningful one, when it could have been very two-dimensional. Jon Heder is also excellent as Fred Butler, Joby’s lawyer. He is just as constrained in life by the way he wishes to present himself, and will play at being more like Joby (holding a cigarette without actually smoking, for example) without stepping outside of his safe boundaries.

The use of music and sound is very clever. As mentioned above, music is used as a means of expression for the characters in the film, and this is true of the soundtrack generally. Beyond this, there are moments when simple sound and background noise is used not just to convey the emotions of the characters, but to explore the themes being investigated.

A great film, with lots to say. Great performances, and some clever directing make For Ellen stand out as a film worth watching. It seems that the only way we can truly be ourselves is to lose ourselves, and I recommend losing yourself in this film.