Recently watched...

 

The Gift (2015)

This film has been on my radar for a while. A dark drama/ thriller about a man who moves back to his home town with his wife and bumps into an old school friend who becomes more sinister when he won't leave them alone. There's a great twist in this film and I loved the ambiguity of not knowing which character was 'good'. Sadly, the final scene totally ruined it for me when the only proper female character in the film was used as a pawn in the revenge of the men (especially since she was the most likeable character in the film) I found that move boring and predicable. 3/5  

The Hateful Eight (2016)

Where to start?! The eighth Tarantino film about eight nasty characters snowed in and not knowing who to trust. Firstly the opening credits blew me away- you don't get openings like that very often anymore! But I did find the film over long, it took a long time to get properly started. When the drama did start of course it was brilliant. High tension, great dialogue. There weren't so many comedic moments in this, although the crazy action towards the end when everything finally did explode was classic Tarantino and I wasn't disappointed. The visuals were stunning (from the snowy landscapes, the horses running, and the intimate indoors feel) and Morricone's score was perfect. I did feel the story was just too predictable though, although I think my high expectations perhaps ruined it a bit. 4/5

Maleficent (2014)

A retelling of Sleeping Beauty with the focus on villain Maleficent this was a stunning film. I'm not really a Disney/ fairytale fan (which is why it has took me forever to get round to watching this) but I do love villains and I actually really enjoyed this. The make up and costumes of Maleficent were beautiful, and I liked the change in story (and the 'true loves kiss' twist) that showed her in a totally different light. 3.5/5

Pride (2015)

Based on a true story set during the 1984 miners strike about a group of gay and lesbian activists from London who start raising money for a group of Welsh miners and form an unlikely alliance. I loved this film, it was warm, funny and touching. I don't know how close to reality the film is but It was a brilliant tale of being an outsider, friendship and acceptance. Definitely a must see. 4.5/5