Side Effects (2013) review

 ‘Side Effects’ is quite possibly, the biggest surprise it didn’t suck film of the year, alongside ‘Beautiful Creatures’ Whilst mystery films were great back in the day, I have grown out of loving mystery films as of late so my expectations for Side Effects were considerably low. Whether it be the low expectations or whether it really be a great mystery film, I really liked Side Effects even if the film was slow, possibly too long and even bland at times.

A young woman named Emily Taylor’s life has gone downhill as she suffers from depression. Following the release from prison of his husband, Martin, played by Channing Tatum, Emily attempts to recreate her life and find happiness but destroys her one chance of happiness by apparently killing him in her sleep due to the side effects of medication she was told to take. From here on in, Side Effects becomes a mystery on what exactly happened and whether or not Emily is guilty of the crime.

Whilst the film is most definitely slow and not fast paced and electrifying as it could’ve been, I must say that Side Effects is an extremely interesting film that keeps you invested in both the story and the characters even if some scenes in the film are bland. The characters in this film are written very well, with much depth given to Emily’s character. This film is a huge shock for me, simply due to how much it explores Emily’s character even though much of it comes late in the film. The exploration of her character early on made me curious as to what happened and what would happen and I thought that was handled very well. To think that this is indeed Steven Soderberg’s final film is rather strange and why he would end with an extremely slow mystery film about a medication with side effects. That said, the direction is good and the writing and musical score is also done well, providing intensity when needed especially early on.

Since the release of 21 Jump Street, people have certainly seem to come and accept Channing Tatum as an actor and in this film, he delivers a solid performance. Going into the film, I feared whether he may not be appropriate for the role considering that he was great in 21 Jump Street, a comedy film and how this is a deeply emotional film. My concerns were forgotten by the end of the film and his performance pleased me once more. Other performances such as those by Jude Law who plays one of the film’s more interesting and energetic characters, Jonathan Banks, the man apparently held responsible to the prescription of the medication and Emily’s psychiatrist, was fantastic. He gave, quite possibly, the best performance in the film. His performance is backed up by solid work by both Rooney Mara and Catherine Zeta-Jones who respectively play Emily and Siebert, lesbian lovers. In all, the performances were great and definitely not a let down.

As interesting as the story is, I would not lie in saying that this film was fast and exciting. It most definitely wasn’t. It was an extremely slow film that often had me bored early on and whilst the first half was slower, it was probably the better half of the film. These slow moments make for some great intensity and by the end, do not ruin the film but do let it down. Either this film was perhaps a bit too long or this film needed to be longer by removing some of the unnecessary sequences and making it a bit faster and more watchable.

Whilst I certainly really enjoyed Side Effects for the fascinating story it was and the great characters, there is no denying that the film is slow and either overlong or too short. General movie goers would most likely be bored by this film and is most definitely not a film that I would rewatch. That said, it was the biggest surprise of the year thus far for me.

Grade- 8/10- Definitely a more than interesting premise and satisfying by the end of the film. Interesting story and characters but nothing in the film is worthy of rewatching, attempts to recreate Hitchcock's glory days. 

#8- Reservoir Dogs (1992) review

The Third Man (1949) review

Orson Welles is one of the great directors from the Golden Age of cinema and whilst I did enjoy his masterpiece, 'Citizen Kane', I found it rather underwhelming and wasn't sure whether my decision to see 'The Third Man' would be a correct one. Would it be one that I would regret? Would it be one to be grateful of? Most definitely. Saying that I enjoyed 'The Third Man' is such an understatement. It doesn't do the movie any justice whatsoever.

In 'The Third Man', Joseph Cotton plays an author by the name of Holly Martins who was sent an invitation by his good friend, Harry Limes, to come and visit him but to Martins' misfortune, Limes had been killed in a car accident a short while earlier. And so, begins the story of Holly Martins' investigation as to how exactly Limes died when he begins to believe that maybe Limes' death was not caused by an accident but a murder of some sort. 



Much like 'Citizen Kane', 'The Third Man' is yet another Orson Welles masterpiece. Everywhere the film went, it continued to surprise me. Whether it be my inability to spot plot twists or whether it be the fact that I had no idea what the story would be about, I do not know. Joseph Cotten is absolutely fantastic in his role as Martins. He brings such a attention grabbing performance in this film that you really buy the pain that he goes through. His relationship with Limes' wife, Ms Schdmit, is also done well and feels realistic all due to the credit of Cotten's fantastic performance. Constantly, you can see the fright in his eyes and you really buy it. In fact, most of the intense sequences in this film work due to Cotten's facial expressions. His acting was masterful in this film. 

Spoilers ahead: This is my very first time watching this film and twenty years later, when I think of this film, there will be a scene that will stick in my mind. I am referring to the iconic sequence in the middle of night, following the scene with Martins and Limes' wife, where Martins begins to show his feelings towards Ms Scdmit by saying that it was her who wanted him to find a girl. In the scene, in the middle of the night, the intensity is felt. Every bit of the wind blowing is felt. The intensity is right in your face. Then it happens, first by a cat meow'ing followed by a shadowy figure, then you see it! This was the most shocking thing I'd seen in quite a while and it had been done in a way that I was completely blinded all the way through! You see it! You see the iconic figure of Orson Welles' Harry Limes from rather afar then the camera continues to zoom in! What made this all the while better was the fact that you were never shown the picture to Harry Limes earlier, when his wife was looking at the picture! The face was such an iconic thing!

 

That was such an iconic moment and it all worked. This could easily have turned into some stupid ghostly, mythical story from here on in but it wasn't. The fact that these characters had depth to them and heart to them was just fantastic. Even Harry Limes, after the truth about him is revealed, which was yet another absolute shock to me, there was still some good in him which you felt. Orson Welles also gives such an amazing performance, as he always can. 

The acting was unbelievable, no doubt! The black and white cinematography looked immaculate throughout the entire film but nothing looked better than the iconic introduction to Harry Limes as well as the scenes in the tunnel at the end of the film, where Limes tries to make yet another escape. This scene looked breathtaking and the entire sequence, which lasted close to ten minutes was intensifying. It was nailbiting stuff by the end of the film. The emotion displayed moments before the death of Limes was great. Yet another perfect moment in acting. 

The music is such a strength in this film. The composer of this film gave some truly intense musical scores, especially at the end. Again, the score isn't put into any bloody and gory sequences but into regularly intense scenes. There were plenty of moments where the score's intensity had me absolutely glued to my seat in a way that I rarely am. Whilst I am currently creating a list of my favorite 25 films of all time, it is such a pity to see that this film falls only a very few places short of it. 

'The Third Man' is a rather underrated Welles masterpiece. The performances, the story, the characters and the tone of the film are undeniably superb as are the black and white cinematography and the scenes and how perfectly they fit into the film. 'The Third Man' is one of the perfect films of the 1940s, right up there with Casablanca and Citizen Kane. 

Grade- 10/10
Absolutely perfect. An unbelievable film with great performances, amazing cinematography and fantastic storytelling. Includes the most iconic entrance to a character of all time!  

#25: 12 Angry Men (1957) review

Keeping a spot in the top 10 of IMDb's infamous top 250 list, 12 Angry Men is definitely a must see for all  movie fans. Most definitely not your everyday film, 12 Angry Men plays out in the most interesting of ways for a movie- The entire film takes place in one room during the same day! 

I myself, prior to seeing it for the first time, remember that I desperately needed to see this movie. It was also the first black and white film I had seen and the first film of its era that I saw. For that, this film is very special for me. 12 Angry Men is near perfection, in my eyes, and is one of the few instances that despite the plot to the film being very basic, keeps me more than entertained for the entire duration. The film is masterfully directed, which is evident right throughout the film. For such a concept to work, the film must be superbly directed and that's exactly what happens with this film. 

What good is great direction without great writing? The dialogue in the film is absolutely amazing. Being a dialogue crucial film, 12 Angry Men is written in such a way that it resembles Tarantino's best writing...of course, without all the profanity! The film is not only extremely funny, but also intriguing, intense and exciting. How often can it be said for a movie that takes place in one scene with 12 men sitting around a table and discussing whether or not a verdict is guilty, to be tense. The film is definitely tense, especially Lee J Cobb's character. The film contains a few big stars, mainly Lee J Cobb and Henry Fonda as the protagonist and antagonist. 

The acting is unbelievable in my eyes. Each character has enough screen time to remember and to care for, despite the fact that none get names save for two characters by the end of the film. This could either come off as horrible or confusing but thankfully, is neither. From the dialogue alone, we are able to clearly tell the personality of each of the juries. 

'12 Angry Men' is definitely a classic, and one of the very best of the 1950s. It defines how amazing a movie can be with the simplest of concepts executed to the best of abilities. Everything about this film works, and works to its maximum level, whether it be the characters, story, acting or execution. 12 Angry Men is a near perfect masterpiece.