Movies of January 2016

I think January, I think cold, not going out, saving money. Which are optimum conditions for cinema trips. And around this time of year, when awards season is upon us and everyone is full of Oscars buzz, the cinemas are usually full of really stellar releases. I am starting 2016 with a new monthly series, rounding up all the movies I have watched in the month, some new and some old releases.

The Revenant
We went to see this in the cinema one very cold and wet Sunday afternoon. I was so glad I brought a coffee into the cinema because this film makes you feel COLD. I don't know if I can say anything about this that hasn't already been said. We all know to what lengths Leo went to for this character. We know how arduous the shoot was and how much the cast and director put into it. The bottom line is this story was an amazing story, based on true events, which deserved to be told with the reverence it got. The picture is a masterpiece, the acting sublime and the story stupendous.  My favourite film of January.
9/10


Beasts of No Nation
In January I read this book, preparing to watch it on Netflix. Nothing prepared me for how disturbing the book would be. It tells the story of Agu, whose world is turned upside down when is family are killed in a raid on an unnamed African village following the breakout of a civil war. The movie takes some creative liberties and differs slightly in some plot points from the book, but overall I thought the story was told very dramatically and quite well. I felt less abhorred by the movie than I did the book, which I didn't expect. I think the movie could have been slightly bolder, and could have done more to make the commandant as hateful as he was in the novel. That being said, Idris Elba gives a stunning performance, while the real star of the show was Abraham Attah, who played Agu with unrelenting sincerity.
7/10

The Hateful Eight
I have really got into Tarantino in the last few years, and Django Unchained was one of my favourite films in recent years. So I was very much looking forward to seeing The Hateful Eight, as it seemed a similar genre of movie. I have to say, while I really enjoyed it, it wasn't as good as I had hoped. It may be slightly unfair, as I have different expectations of Tarantino than I would of someone else. I thought the start sequence was too long, and overall I thought the film could have been about 30-45 minutes shorter, and at times felt like a bit of Tarantino indulgence, which I don't mind in smaller quantities but could have done without in this picture. After this though, the script is good, the actors brilliantly cast and the action classic Tarantino.
8/10

Highlight of 2016

Room
If I could reverse time, and do my January favourites after having seen Room, this would have been my favourite film of January. What.A.Movie. I read the book a few years ago, but had really forgotten a lot of the smaller plot points, which was great watching this as everything was a bit more of a surprise. The performances were mind-blowing. How Jacob Tremblay isn't nominated for an Oscar is beyond me. The story follows Ma, who was abducted when she was a teenager by 'Old Nick', as he's known. Everything is told from the point of view of Jack, her five-year-old son, by Old Nick. It's harrowing and it's emotional and very raw. Brie Larson is a real star in the making.
10/10

The Boy Next Door
D and I watched this curled up on the sofa the morning after having been to see Room. I love a thriller and I love JLo, so what could go wrong, you ask? Well, just about everything with this film. Predictable, badly written, badly edited, badly produced and pretty shoddy all round. I don't like panning films, as I know people have worked hard for months at a time on them. So I will end with some positives. JLo is very pretty to watch. She actually played the part very well. .... I'm out.
4/10