Let Me In

Year: 2010
Director: Matt Reeves
Cast: Kodi Smite-McPhee, Chloe Moretz, Richard Jenkins

In My Own Words
I often wondered (until about 2 days ago) why American studios decideto adapt foreign films not too long after they are released in their home countries. It used to make me slightly angry why they did, it was like I thought they couldn't come up with ideas of their own so they had to "steal" ideas from other countries. Now I realise that I was being really unfair by thinking this. Now I see that foreign films are remade as a means of exposing the story to a greater audience. Many people do not take pleasure in watching foreign films as they are too far removed from what they know, and they also involve a fair bit of reading of subtitles unless you know the language. So making the film into an English speaking film exposes the story to a greater audience. And if it is a great story, why shouldn't it be exposed to an audience? It would be selfish to let language barriers get in the way of great storytelling! Especially when it is a story like "Let The Right One In", the Swedish film which "Let Me In" is based on. I must admit, I was extremely weary going into this film, as I normally am when seeing a remade film, or watching a vampire film. However, it has cometo my attention as of late that a remade film doesn't mean a bad film, especially those that are remade from a foreign film. Just look at "The Departed"!

These are my own words and here is my review.

Review
The thought of another vampire movie may bring on a cringe for some people. With so many vampires going around in movies and on television, one can be forgiven for thinking that "Let Me In" is just another one of those films that has come along with the fad. It isn't. It is far darker and more disturbing than any other vampire phenomenon you have seen in a long. long time. Like it's mother movie, "Let The Right One In", it evokes a number of emotions which are strange to see together in a film. There is tenderness and innocence, as well as fear and horror. Young Owen (Kodi Smit-McPhee) is an outsider at school, badly bullied and is in the middle of his parents divorce. He is without a friend in the world, until he meet a mysterious little girl by the name of Abby ( Chloe Moretz) in his courtyard of his apartment block. He develops a strong friendship and falls for her in the way only a 12 year old can. He finds out in the worst way possible that Abby is a vampire and that everything is far more complicated than it should be for 12 year old best friends.

"Let Me In" is dark, but somewhat beautiful. It stays true to the film which it is remade from, but it is set in New Mexico rather than in Sweden. There is nothing corny about this vampire film, and it represents what vampires should represent, fear in the heart of those who meet them. It is extremely unsettling at times and very intense and suspenseful. However, there is a feeling of sympathy for both Owen and Abby. The film focuses of human emotion and the troubles of a child growing up being bullied and in a troubled family. There is a real sadness to the film, as well as real terror. It wouldn't be a vampire film or a main stream remake without having more blood than it did in the original and therefore leading to some cringe-worthy moments. The "scary" scenes are definately not subtle. "Let Me In" is very dark and not for the faint hearted, it is everything a traditional vampire movie should be.

Kodi Smit-McPhee and Chloe Moretz are perfectly cast for the lead roles. Smit-McPhee is wonderful in this film. He shows so much emotion and his performance will ring true to many parents who are watching their children going through the same things he is going through. He really has a bright future ahead of him. Moretz is no stranger to horror movies or to playing roles of the young girl who is beyond her years. She is not the traditional vampire girl, but that only makes her more suited to the role. She is very good in her role as she is cute and sweet, but also an absolute horror.

"Let Me In" takes the vampire movie back to where it belongs. When vampires were beings that were capable of violent killings and would kill without rhyme of reason and there is no corniness to be seen. There is always something troubling about children in horror films, and this movie is no different. Yet, there is still something very sweet about the friendship between Owen and Abby and that is what makes "Let Me In" work. The combination of childhood love and the presence of pure terror.
8/10

The Town

Year: 2010
Director: Ben Affleck
Cast: Ben Affleck, Jeremy Renner, Rebecca Hall, Blake Lively, Chris Cooper, John Hamm

In My Own Words
I am proud of Ben Affleck. It's like he was taken seriously when he and pal Matt Damon won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for "Good Will Hunting" back in 1997, then had a period for awhile where critics could not see him in a serious light with films like "Daredevil" and "Surviving Christmas", but his last few major projects have shown just how far Affleck has come. He has given some of the best performances of his career in films such as "Hollywoodland" (which is actually one of my personal favourite films) and "State Of Play", and had an extremely successful full length directorial debut in the 2007 film, "Gone Baby Gone". In "The Town", he shows his true talent as a director and an actor. It is great to look at someone like Ben Affleck and see true potential being reached. Being an Affleck fan for a long time, I left the cinema bursting with pride for him. Nothing like a film to prove what you knew all along!

I have often spoken about how films can be a great tourism tool, but this film actually got me thinking about how they can sometimes not be such great tourism tools. Boston is a beautiful city, and I know I'm not the only one who thinks this. "The Town" does actually show some of the beauty of Boston, but it shows the bad side of the city as well. It represents Boston in a dangerous light showing the crime and poverty. There is nothing wrong with what Affleck has done here, as he is madly in love with Boston and I am sure he would love people to visit it, but there are people who haven't been to Boston and know nothing of it besides what they see in the film. These people probably wouldn't want to visit Boston after seeing this film. Shame if they are going to base their opinion of all of Boston on a film that focuses only on Charlestown, which is only one part of Boston.

These are my own words and here is my review.

Review"The Town" is one of those truly unpredictable films. There is nothing worse than sitting through a movie with a clear idea of where it is heading and how it will end. With its unpredictability, fine acting and brilliant cinematography, Ben Affleck proves himself as a successful director, if there was any doubt before. Doug MacRay (Affleck) is living in a world plagued with crime and theft which he is trying to escape, but keeps finding himself drawn back into the lifestyle of Charlestown that he and is friends have grown up in. When they rob a Boston bank and take hostage the bank's manager, Claire (Rebecca Hall), Doug feels that he should follow Claire to make sure she doesn't do or say anything that will get them caught out. However, the two start falling for each other, which means that Doug must do all he can to keep who he really is hidden. Being from Charlestown, escaping who the world he has grown up in impacts every aspect of his past, present and more than likely his future.

"The Town" is extremely well done. The story is well written and is perfectly adapted for the screen. It is extremely clever and interesting from the beginning to the end. Although it can be slow in parts, every scene is meaningful and is there for a reason. The cinematography is definately a stand out. It is extremely impressive and often beautiful, as well as being completely appropriate for each instance. "The Town" is very well pieced together with the range of camera shots, sound and locations that help explore the emotion and reality of the film.

Perhaps one of the strongest points of "The Town" is its character development and it's cast. By the middle of the film, it is as though the audience knows each of the main characters personally and is able to empathize which each one of them. Affleck gives a stellar performance as Doug. The audience feels each of his emotions that he passes through and see's that he is desperate to escape the way of life in Charlestown. At times he does come across as perhaps too nice of a guy that you have to wonder how such a nice guy can even contemplate being involved in the type of activities he is.It is as though he doesn't have a reason to commit theft, he just does it for the sake of it. However, this is the way Affleck shows how Charlestown can make people do things that they wouldn't be exposed to anywhere else. Jeremy Renner is perfect as Doug's partner in crime and long time friend, Jem. He has the right amount of aggressiveness and intensity to make the audience believe that a person like this could really do the unspeakable. Rebecca Hall also gives a great performance and perhaps the best performance of her career to date. She is extremely likable and can light up the room with her smile, yet when she is upset or angry, it ignites fear. Blake Lively does well as Doug's ex love interest, Krista, although she does not come across as quite as trashy as the film makes her out to be.

"The Town" is complete success and it brings out the best in everyone involved. The acting is superb, story thrilling and direction a tribute to Affleck. He has really shown what he is capable of with both his direction and acting in this film. Well done.
8.5/10

Eat Pray Love

Eat Pray Love
Year: 2010
Director: Ryan Murphy
Cast: Julia Roberts, Javier Bardem, Viola Davis, Richard Jenkins, James Franco

In My Own Words
The worst thing about living in Australia is that you hear the whispers come from overseas about films which have yet to be released here. So when I started to hear that “Eat Pray Love” was getting bad reviews, it wasn’t a massive surprise to me. I read “Eat Pray Love” in the middle of last year and I loved it. I love Elizabeth Gilbert’s tale of self discovery while travelling over the world. Some people severely dislike the book or find it really hard to get into. I think I loved it so much because I went through a stage of selfishness where I jet-setted to the other side of the world to do something for myself after giving too much of myself to someone else. However, my journey took me to LA, not to Italy, India and Indonesia. LA was the right place for me to go and find myself though so I’m not complaining! Being big on travel as well, I loved hearing about the three countries that Gilbert visited. Italy, India and Indonesia are three countries I am dying to go to, even though I have been to Bali before. Again, films act as a great tourist tool. I stand by this fact because people love going places and identifying with it because of a movie. And there is no better way to get excited about going somewhere than to watch movies about it.

Anyway, before I went into “Eat Pray Love”, I knew what to expect of it and why it wouldn’t be everyone’s cup of tea. “Eat Pray Love” is a selfish memoir. It is all “me, me, me” for Gilbert. It doesn’t bother me, but I could see how it would other people. And memoirs are great storytelling for books, but they are not always well interpreted on the big screen. I knew “Eat Pray Love” would be one of those memoirs that wouldn’t be. There is no real beginning, middle or end and no major conflict where the story takes a turning point. Gilbert’s book is really a collection of thoughts, which can only be thought, not seen. It may seem like a great idea for a film, but it should have just been left as is. It’s a good book, let’s not destroy it.

These are my own words and here is my review.

Review
“Eat Pray Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert could well be known as the most successful girls book to be released in the past 10 years, the movie is very far from the best chick flick to be released in the past 10 years. It is purely a case of the book should have been left alone and not meddled. There are some good points about the movie, but it isn’t a story. The book isn’t even a story, it is a collection of Gilbert’s travels and thoughts about her life and her past few years. There is no suspense in the book at all as it is not that type of story. Therefore, putting it on the big screen was never going to work and was always going to leave a sour taste in audiences and critics mouths who were going to see it. Liz Gilbert (Julia Roberts) has decided for the first time in her life to devote her life to herself rather than her ex husband or current boyfriend. She has decided to go on a journey of self-discovery by spending 4 months in Italy, 4 months in India and 4 months in Indonesia. Along the way she meets lots of people who make a difference in her life and make her see the world differently.

The production of “Eat Pray Love” has good intentions behind it. It is bringing Gilbert’s book to the big screen in order to send out a message to women out there, who may not read the book that sometimes you do need to be selfish and let yourself go in order to be at peace with yourself. It is a good message to be sending out, but it gets entangled in this film that falls short of the bar which its enormous amount of promotion has set. The movie just comes across as an enormous amount of selfishness set up against some amazing landscapes. The best thing about the film is definitely the presentation of Italy, India and Bali. These three countries are sure to attract many tourists because of the beautiful way in which this film was shot. The camera techniques chosen are amazing, and Julia Roberts is a wallflower compared to the scenery. For the life changing experiences that Gilbert goes through, there isn’t as much emotion as what you would expect. There is no feeling to the beginning or any part through it. It’s all nice is the only word to describe it. The majority of the film is just bland. It is also not a short film as there is so much to cover. Two and a half hours of this film may be way too long for some people.

Julia Roberts is not bad in this film. She does give her role as Gilbert everything she’s got and performs to the best of her ability role the role she played. It is certainly no “Erin Brokovich”, but she does well in a bland film. Richard Jenkins also does well in his role as Richard from Texas. His character perhaps has the most amount of character out of any in the film. On a side note, it is interesting that Tuva Novotny, who is a Swedish born actress, can manage to play Swedish girl, Sofi and speak with an American accent. Something has gone wrong there.

It is sad to see a film which is hyped up so much fall short of everyone’s expectations. What is even more depressing is that the book shouldn’t have been made into a movie at all and should not have been subject to the back lashing it has received just by existing. It should have been left as a type of self-help book for girls and the peace would not have been disturbed. On the other hand, it will always be a good movie to watch if anyone is planning on eating gelato in Italy, meditating in India or just chilling out in Bali.
5/10

Despicable Me

Despicable Me
Year: 2010
Director: Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud
Cast: Steve Carell, Russell Brand, Kristen Wiig, Julie Andrews, Jason Segel

In My Own Words
After the hard week I had had, this movie was exactly the medicine I needed. There is something completely uplifting about animation. I know that not all animation is uplifting, but the animation aimed at the younger audience which is also made so that older audiences can enjoy it. Rest assure, if I have had a hard day at work, you will normally find me at home afterwards watching a movie like “Lilo and Stitch” or “The Princess And The Frog”. Movies like this will also bring a smile to my face. When you are suffering from the stress of the grown up world, what’s better to escape than being entertained by the purity in G rated animation films?

The great thing about “Despicable Me” is that before you see the film, you can look at the poster and you have no idea what the movie is about. The promo’s give away nothing about the film which is a great marketing technique. It increases the public’s curiosity of the movie and therefore increases the audience! The most curious part for me before I saw the film was that this film was super successful....and it was an animation purely about a villain! Animation is known for bringing us cute and cuddly characters who overcome the ugly villains, not being purely about an ugly villain! How could something so unattractive be the star of a hit movie? The same thing was thought about “Up” when it was released last year, how could an animated film about an old man and an overweight kid look attractive on the big screen? “Up” was a huge success, and so is “Despicable Me”. There is a lot more cuteness in this film than would be expected. One of the best parts about seeing this film, was when my partner was the only one left laughing in the cinema after everyone had finished laughing at a particular part, because he just couldn’t stop. Priceless.

These are my own words and here is my review.

Review
There is nothing despicable about “Despicable Me”. It is one of the funniest animated films to be released in years. Not only is it very funny, but it also extremely clever, original and well written. There are not many film makers who have been brave enough to make an animated film where the lead character is a villain, and an ugly villain at that. However, directors Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud have done a fine job at turning an ugly character that would usually be disliked into a star. Once best villain in the world, Gru (Steve Carell) knows he is losing his touch after a new villain, Vector (Jason Segel) steals the Egyptian pyramids. Challenged, Gru decides that he is going to aim higher and steal the moon. Of course, a villain must overcome several obstacles in order to get what he really wants. And as one may expect, he is in danger of becoming a good guy in the process.

Apart from being just a tad predictable, “Despicable Me” is very well written. The jokes are very clever, but just simple and easy at the same time. The story is also very creative and played out in an interesting way. There is never a dull moment throughout the film and this is one of the few animated films which has been released in 3D and it has been able to enhance the entertainment value. It is definitely worth seeing “Despicable Me” in 3D as the film makers give the audience plenty of surprises and it just adds to the fun of the film. The graphics are fantastic. It is not an overly emotional film, but there are some moments in which will pull at your emotional strings. Even though there are not any cute and cuddly fuzzy creatures such as talking dogs or cats, there are some hilarious characters such a Gru’s yellow minion friends which are definitely worth talking about after the film.

It is often hard to critique an actor for a voice part, but credit must definitely be given to the players in this film. Steve Carell, Russell Brand and Kristen Wiig are excellent in their parts. The best part about these actors taking part in “Despicable Me” is that they are not merely just lending their voice, but they are making the characters real. If one did not know which actor was which character, they would have a very hard time figuring out who was who, or they wouldn’t even be able to guess that that actor even had a part in the film. Even Jack McGrayer of “30 Rock” fame has a small part in the film, but it is incredibly hard to pick who he is.

“Despicable Me” is the must see animation of the year. It brings a smile to your face and it is incredibly hard not to find this film funny. Great talent went into making every part of this film and it is an absolute winner.
9/10

Easy A

Easy A
Year: 2010
Director: Will Gluck
Cast: Emma Stone, Penn Badgley, Amanda Bynes, Stanley Tucci, Patricia Clarkson, Alyson Michalka, Malcolm McDowall, Lisa Kudrow, Thomas Haden Church

In My Own Words
Some of the things I hate when I am in a movie cinemas-
1. People texting during a film in a cinema
2. People commentating the film in a cinema
3. People talking about something else during the film in a cinemas and then asking their friends what is happening in the film
4. People talking on their phone during a film and then giving you a dirty look when you say something about it!

Obviously this was my experience while watching “Easy A”. I don’t understand why people do these things in the movies. If you were going to talk to your friends the whole way through or look at your phone, then why purchase a $10 movie ticket when you could just do that at home for free? Maybe I get too fired up about it...but one more thing I don’t get. I saw the new Harry Potter trailer today (something I am VERY excited about and went home to watch “Harry Potter and The Prisoner Of Azkaban to celebrate seeing the trailer!) and the group of teenage boys and girls killed themselves laughing whenever any emotion was shown in the trailer and when the sentence “The Motion Picture Event Of A Generation”. This also happened when I saw “Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban” at the cinemas when it first came out. A group of teenagers killed themselves laughing when Harry cried. Is it really that cool to laugh at Harry Potter? Is it taboo for some teenagers to like Harry Potter and will they really be social outcasts if they do? I actually know plenty of teenagers who like Harry Potter and plenty of adults as well. I am probably over-analysing.

I suppose this is just what you are going to experience when you go to see a “teen flick” like “Easy A”. I am getting cynical in my old age. Or has anyone else noticed this?

These are my own words and here is my review.

Review
“Easy A” is just a load of fun. One would think that with a subject matter such as this, a film would be crude and dirty. However, there is an evident lack of obscenity in this film that makes it a film that a wider audience can enjoy, rather than just the hormonal teenage crowd. The quick witted humour, well written script and the leading lady make this film a breath of fresh air and a pleasure to watch. Olive (Emma Stone) was to invisible to ever have any type of reputation until the day that she makes up a tale to get her out of spending the weekend with her best friend, Rhiannon’s (Alyson Michalka) crazy parents. Before she knows it, the school’s rumour mill is in over drive and Olive is the subject. Rather than publicly deny the rumours, Olive decide to use her promiscuous reputation for good by making people believe that she has slept with the school’s bullied to ironically better their reputation. Before she knows it, she is in too deep and she has no idea how to climb back out.

It is the simple but smart humour which makes “Easy A” a winner. It is a stereotypic al teen movie which, like a good genre film should do, breaks past the target audience and is a film that many people will enjoy. One would expect the topic of a girl pretending she is having sex with all these guys to lead to jokes of a sexual nature, but the jokes and humour is very tame. The one-liners are especially funny and credit must definitely be given to the script writers. “Easy A” is not a tear jerker or in any means is very deep, but it is a great film to watch without having to think too much. There is nothing really spectacular about the directing or the cinematography. It’s a film that relies more on the script and the wording than anything else. It is a very simple comedy.

The other big thing that makes “Easy A” work is Emma Stone. She is absolutely perfect as Olive and is just hilarious. She is witty, sarcastic, clever and insane all at the same time. Minus the fact that she is lying and pretending to be a floozy, she is the way you would have liked to have been in high school. Well, maybe not the way you would have liked to have been, but definitely someone you would’ve liked to have known as there would be a laugh a minute and never a dull moment. It is a credit to both her acting and Will Gluck’s direction that she is such a great character. Stone stands above all the over young actors as they all give rather mediocre performances in which nothing is really special about their roles in this film. Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson are both hilarious as Olive’s parents. They don’t have much chemistry between them on screen, but the laughs they create make up for it.

“Easy A” is far off being a contender for an Oscar. It is not overly fantastic, but the humour just allows for good movie viewing. The quick banter and witty one liners make this a movie which people who aren’t in their teenage years can enjoy. It may also give teenage girls the idea that if they think they are an outcast because they are a virgin, it is far worse being an outcast because you are the complete opposite. And there is nothing wrong with knowing that.
7.5/10

Wall Street:Money Never Sleeps

Year: 2010
Director: Oliver Stone
Cast: Michael Douglas, Shia LaBeouf, Carey Mulligan, Josh Brolin

In My Own Words
Well, it’s been a long time in between drinks for Gordon Gekko. I watched “Wall Street” for Business Studies while I was in school (stop trying to guess how old I am, it was way after the film actually came out so you can’t win this one). I’m thinking that the real reason the teachers got us to watch it was to take a break from teaching for the day, but I’m assuming that their reason for us to watch it was to learn about business ethics. That if we are unethical we will end up in jail like Gordon Gekko. It must’ve worked because as far as I know, none of the girls I went to school with are in jail. It was hardly the most exciting film for 15 year old girls to watch. “Wall Street” is definitely an adult film. Not because it has adult content in it, but school children aren’t able to relate to it in any way, shape or form. It’s long awaited sequel isn’t a younger person’s film either, however the admission of Shia LaBeouf may bring a younger audience into the cinemas. If so, they may not have the same movie experience as they did when going to see their heart throb in “Transformers, but at least they won’t end up in jail for fraud.

These are my own words and here is my review.

Review
“Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps” is the long awaited sequel to “Wall Street”, which means that, like it or not, it does have a level of expectation attached to it. Those who were waiting for a huge Gordon Gekko extravaganza, then it’s not that. However, if you haven’t seen “Wall Street” or think that less Gekko is better, you may not be disappointed. The much updated version of the 1980’s corporate drama is one of those films which you will sit on the fence about. Neither a failure, but far from a classic. Jake Moore (Shia LaBeouf), a young, up and comer on Wall Street who is going out with the infamous Gordon Gekko’s (Michael Douglas) estranged daughter, Winnie (Carey Mulligan). It has never been an issue, but when Jake’s mentor and father figure, Lewis Zabel (Frank Langella) commits suicide and he then proposes to Winnie, he becomes completely intrigued by his future father in law. Although he tries to tell himself that he has got in contact with Gekko for Winnie’s , it is clear that there are more selfish motives involved on Jake’s behalf.

What fans of the original “Wall Street” will find is that this film isn’t as centred around Gordon Gekko as many would have hoped. However, for people who are not fans of the original or those who haven’t seen the first, you don’t need to have seen it to understand it or enjoy it The film is more about Jake and Winnie rather than Gekko and his daughter or Gekko and his future son in law. By the focus not being purely on Gekko himself, the film can be judged as a stand alone film rather than have the stigma of a sequel be in the way.

There are some truly good things about “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps”. For one, the directing is quite superb, as one would expect from Oliver Stone. He makes some interesting choices in camera shots, but they work. There are some scenes were the choices he makes on the way things are shot are quite beautiful and spectacular. The only thing that can be criticised about the cinematography is that at times, it seems like Stone tries to do too much and is trying too hard to impress with what he can do and what can be done. The script is well written and has just the right jargon for the subject matter. The only criticism is that it is really quite predictable. There are no surprises hidden in the film at all, which can make it quite tedious. It is also very slow at times and is very slow getting to the point.

Michael Douglas is back to his best as Gordon Gekko. His performance this time around isn’t quite as effective as it was in the first film (sequel stigma rears its ugly head). It’s his actions in the script which make him the scheming Gekko, rather than his acting. Shia LaBeouf unfortunately seems miscast in this film. He is made out to be a young Wall Street yuppie, but it is hard to tell from his performance that he is as ambitious and money hungry as the film tries to make him out to be. He can actually seem a bit pathetic at times. His acting isn’t all bad, but his performance should have been done with more arrogance or the role should have been given to another young Hollywood male. Carey Mulligan once again gives a heartfelt performance and takes her role as far as it can go. Her only fault as far as her character is more a criticism of Stone’s direction than her acting is that she spends so much time crying and being depressed that her character of Winnie can be extremely morbid and almost painful. Mulligan still manages to give an extremely realistic performance and lacks nothing in her acting. Frank Langella also must be commended for his performance. Langella is never one to not give 100% in his roles and this is another one of his successes.

“Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps” will have its fans and its cynics. It’s ironic that there is more chance of non-fans of the original “Wall Street” enjoying this than fans of the original enjoying it. Don’t be afraid to go and see this film if you don’t enjoy the first or even if you haven’t seen it, because you may be pleasantly surprised. If you are a fan of the original, still do see it, but don’t expect it to be a direct follow on from the original, which would be impossible anyway as the original was released 23 years ago. Clear you mind and go to see the film purely as a stand alone.
6/10

I want to know more about......
Michael Douglas
http://www.moviecritical.com/2010/10/michael-douglas.html

Shia LaBeouf
http://www.moviecritical.com/2010/10/shia-labeouf.html

Carey Mulligan
http://www.moviecritical.com/2010/10/carey-mulligan.html

Carey Mulligan

DOB: 28th May 1985
Place of Birth: Westminster, London, UK
Film Debut: “Pride And Prejudice” (2005) as Elizabeth’s younger sister, Kitty

You may remember Carey from....
• The Greatest (2009) as Rose, the girlfriend of a boy who is killed in a car accident. Carey co-starred with Pierce Brosnan and Susan Surandon in her first US production
• An Education (2009) was the film that made Carey into a star. She played Jenny, the schoolgirl who cannot wait to grow up, but learns some very hard lessons when she does. Her role in “An Education” earned her a Best Performance By An Actress In A Leading Role nomination at the 2010 Academy Awards.

Shia LaBeouf

DOB: 11th June 1986
Place of Birth: Los Angeles, California, USA
Film Debut: “The Christmas Path” (1998) as Cal

You may remember Shia from.....
• Disturbia (2007) was the film which catapulted Shia into stardom. Shia played Kale, the rebel teenager who is placed under house arrest and comes to believe that his neighbour has committed a terrible crime.
• Tranformers (2007) as Sam Witwicky, a teenage boy who befriends a Transformer and thrusts himself into an ancient battle. Shia was the envy of every male when he was teamed up with Megan Fox in this film and in its sequel , Transformers 2: Revenge Of The Fallen in 2009.
• Indiana Jones and The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull (2008) as Mutt Williams, the motorcycle riding son of Jones’ old flame, Marion.

Michael Douglas

DOB: 25th September 1944
Place of Birth: New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
Film Debut: “Cast A Giant Shadow” (1966) as a jeep driver



You may remember Michael from...
• Romancing The Stone (1984) as the adventurous soul Jack Colton, the object of Kathleen Turner’s Joan’s attention.
• Fatal Attraction (1987) as Dan Gallagher, the married man who commits adultery and makes a huge mistake by doing so.
• Wall Street (1987) as the charismatic and unforgettable Gordon Gekko, perhaps one of the most memorable businessmen ever to grace the big screen.
• Basic Instinct (1992) as Nick Curran, the detective who is investigating a murder in which a woman he is becoming further involved with may be responsible.

Happy 1st Birthday Movie Critical! And now for something new and exciting......

Happy Birthday Movie Critical! To celebrate our 2nd year, Movie Critical's is expanding!

Have you ever been watching a film and thought "Now where have I seen that ator before?" Or when you hear someone talking about a movie or you read a review and think "I have no idea who you are talking about!" Movie Critical is now going to help you out now more than ever!

When you are reading our reviews, we will now also be your point of reference for the actors in the film! On the same page as the reviews for the latest movies, you will also find a link to the stars Movie Critical pages. Their Movie Critical page will give a basic bio of the star, as well as tell you where you may have seen them before. Not only this, but on their page you will also be able to tell everyone what you think of this star!

This is a very exciting new beginning for Movie Critical! For those of you who are film makers or actors, this is also a great opportunity for you. We will be able to give you and your starring actors a great source of publicity and extra coverage. If you would like your film reviewed by us, please do not hesitate to contact us via e-mail to see your film reviewed on Movie Critical.

Hope you all enjoy this new era of Movie Critical and thankyou again for a great year! We can't thank all of you enough for the support, we couldn't have made it without you.

Nicki Price
Movie Critical Head Writer and Founder
movie_critical@hotmail.com