" Why, she wouldn't even harm a fly..."

Psycho

Perhaps Alfred Hitchcock's most well known piece of work, Psycho is a film about passion, tragedy, deceit, mothers and of course murder. The film follows a young office worker, Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) who sets out to start a new life with her lover Sam (John Gavin) after stealing $40, 000 from her employer. On her way to meet Sam, Marion comes to rest at a motel off the beaten track owned by the lonely Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) who appears to have an unhealthy attachment to his mother.

First off all lets talk about the shower scene. The scene has become an honorary part of pop culture due to its spine tingling score and that famous scream, and for good reason. The scene acts as the chilling turning point for the movie and propels the movie into further mystery and suspense. I have seen a few Hitchcock movies now and this would have to be the darkest movie I have seen, the murder itself has scared audiences to go back to their showers for over 50 years but its the suspense achieved after the initial murder that makes this one of Hitchcock's most unnerving films. As the characters and audience are left working out the mystery the tension continues to build until all is revealed in the brilliant conclusion.

There is no doubt that Hitchcock was ahead of his time his camera techniques and use of mediums such as music and light make his storytelling a joy to watch. The story itself based on the novel by Robert Bloch was revolutionary creating such an identifiable villain and a twist that has since influenced countless movies. Hitchcock didn't have to rely on explosions or guns to create suspense instead he uses gripping monologues that can last for up to 10 minutes and long enduring scenes that truly capture the mood. For a movie that takes place over mainly one location Hitchcock has been able to create a film that was so memorable that it remains an influential piece of cinema 50 years later.

Every character in the movie has a role that is integral to the movie, with everyone giving a fine performance. The movie is stolen by Anthony Perkins who delivers such a memorable performance of Norman Bates that his character has gone down in history as one of the best villains of all time. For Hitchcock enthusiasts his cameo appearance which is present in all of his movies is during the start of the film, he can be seen through the window of Marion Crane's workplace.

The only negative I have regarding the movie is its 1998 shot-for-shot remake by Gus Van Sant starring Vince Vaughn as Norman Bates, the movie symbolises how Hollywood has such little regard for classics. Some movies need to be left alone or before we know it we'll be seeing classics such as Star Wars or Forest Gump remade. For anyone contemplating whether or not to see this movie, I highly recommend you see it as well as any other Hitchcock movie you can find, after seeing many of his movies I have yet to be disappointed.

" Pull my finger "

Children of Men

Set in 2027 London, Children of Men portrays a very bleak world where women can no longer fall pregnant. The movie follows Theo Faron (Clive Owen) as he is thrust into helping a group of activists transport a pregnant girl to a sanctuary at sea. In a world driven to chaos, Theo and his group can trust no one in their attempts to protect the girl and ultimately try to save the future of the human race.

Do not be turned away by the depressing themes and images of this film, for it is made with such care, the end result is one of beauty and genuine emotion. From the very first scene it is evident that the world is in chaos, people are losing hope that the human race can survive and that there will be anything left worth surviving for. Every scene is layered with thoughtful detail and artful direction creating a magnificent and overwhelming feel to the movie, emphasising what is at stake.

 The entire cast is excellent, I believe this is Clive Owen's greatest work as he brilliantly captures the emotions of the people left on earth, whilst transforming into the hero of the story. Theo isn't a typical hero but when it counts he selflessly sacrifices his own safety for the greater goal, the protection of Kee (Clare-Hope Ashitey) who has miraculously become pregnant. Michael Caine as always brings his charismatic personality to the film as well as Julianne Moore who plays Theo's old love interest and the leader of the activist group organising Kee's transport.

Alfonso Cuaron who has directed and jointly adapted the screenplay from P.D James novel "The Children of Men" has to be applauded. Every scene has an important role to play in the storytelling, aided by beautiful cinematography and a moving score (most notably the rendition of Ruby Tuesday). The movie consistently provides wide, continuous tracking shots that capture the enormity of what is happening. The film is made to view more like a documentary, with its brutal realism making it a truly powerful piece of film. Embedded throughout the movie is the theme of hope, most prominently captured through Kee, who is not just a girl that has fallen pregnant, but a symbol of hope and survival, perhaps the last symbol of hope left.

This is a memorable movie that offers a vividly realistic portrayal of futuristic London as well as offering some important messages to the viewer regarding current immigration laws and treatment. The movie is thrilling, deeply moving and exceptionally well made from start to finish, making you realise how fragile our society is and just how precious life is.

" Are you mad that you died at the end of Die Hard? "

Funny People

Funny People is a film about longtime comedian George Simmons (Adam Sandler) who becomes diagnosed with a terminal health condition. Simmons is forced to evaluate his life, causing him to hire an up-and-coming comedian, Ira Wright (Seth Rogen) as his assistant, who in turn becomes his closest friend. Simmons soon realises that the biggest regret in his life was losing Laura (Leslie Mann) the "one" that got away, causing Simmons to try and win her back.

I had looked forward to seeing this movie for a few years, knowing that it was based on Judd Apatow and Adam Sandler's own lives trying to break into the world of stand up comedy. The story itself had such great potential but it was evident early on that it was not living up to its potential. The movie was advertised as a comedy and drama which given the serious themes and backdrop of stand up gigs would seem to fit however the movie was neither funny or particularly moving.

Writer and director Judd Apatow has been involved in countless movies over the past few years, which have all one way or another focused on sex. That's not to say I don't like Apatow's work, most of the time I find his work funny especially The 40 Year Old Virgin, but his work can be a little hit and miss. Unfortunately this movie is a miss. The movie just isn't funny and for a movie about comedians it was a bit of a problem.

The movie portrays Wright as having trouble performing as a stand up comedian and with the guidance of Simmons eventually finding his mojo on stage. However Wright's comedy is crass and unintelligent even when he has supposedly found his place. While the famous Simmons shows no evidence of ever producing comedy worthy of his fame. Perhaps it's understandable that he has lost his way due to the shock of his illness but there were plenty of opportunities for flashbacks to his past glory displaying some quality stand up comedy. I understand that telling brutally honest jokes and stories regarding sex can shock the audience and can be an effective form of comedy, but in this movie it is not effective.

This movie had such great potential and I feel it could have been a great movie, however the character of Simmons is so detestable with significantly minor character developments, I was left wondering why it took two and a half hours for him to change so little. The movie is too long and feels as if it was more like two different movies stuck together in an unsuccessful manner. On a positive note the cameos were very funny especially that of Ray Romano and Eminem and they made a strong point of the difficulties dealing with fame, however the themes were not explored in enough detail leaving me wanting more emotion and more humour!

Being a fan of both Sandler and Apatow I was very disappointed with this film, mainly because I could see how it could be an excellent movie. Maybe my expectations were just a little too high.

" Why am I Pluto? It's not even a planet anymore! "

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

The film follows Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his team as they try and stop a Russian terrorist, Hendricks (Michael Nyqvist) from launching nuclear explosions on the United States. As if terrorists weren't enough Hunt's team is implicated in the bombing of the Kremlin meaning IMF (organisation for which Hunt works for) initiates Ghost Protocol. As a result Hunt and his team are left with no back up and no assistance in their efforts to save the world.

The movie felt like a collage of blockbuster scenes getting better with each new addition. Having seen the past three mission impossible movies I had high hopes for this one especially since J. J Abrams was still attached (director of Mission Impossible 3) and that Brad Bird was making his directorial debut outside of animation after being part of classics such as Ratatouille, The Incredibles and The Iron Giant. The movie delivers the right amount of breathtaking action sequences whilst ensuring there are genuinely funny moments.

The scenes are not just filled with explosions and car chases but are layered with suspense and in most cases genuinely original ideas that succeed in captivating the audience throughout the movie. The Dubai scene involving the Burj Khalifa (the tallest building in the world) is definitely the climax of the movie, Brad Bird and Tom Cruise are testing the limits of filming and storytelling with Cruise famously doing the stunts hanging from the building himself.

Tom Cruise himself is living up to his title as the worlds biggest movie star and when you look back at his impressive repertoire of films you can see why. Despite his somewhat eccentric personality he is a fine actor that can play the part of action hero as good as any actor making films today. The main cast is small which allows adequate character development, Simon Pegg returns to play the brains/comic relief and is always a joy to watch. Nyqvist makes the most of his limited time on screen as he begins to add to his catalogue of Hollywood films. Jeremey Reener and Paula Patton are newcomers to the Mission Impossible franchise, their characters are full of intrigue and interest as they prove they can handle their own. The crew works so well together I only wish they had been around from the start of the Mission Impossible movies.

Each installment in the Mission Impossible franchise has its own unique feeling. Ghost Protocol takes the franchise to the next level, making it my favourite Mission Impossible movie...so far.