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The Imitation Game Review


Excellent

A biopic that plays out like a cerebral thriller, this film traces the life of Alan Turing, the British maths genius who essentially invented the computer and won World War II before being driven to suicide by a cruel legal system. So it's striking that Norwegian filmmaker Morten Tyldum (Headhunters) infuses the film with humour, energy and intelligence. And with an astounding performance from Benedict Cumberbatch, he also manages to find layers of nuance in first-time screenwriter Graham Moore's on-the-nose script.

We meet Cumberbatch's Alan as a 27-year-old Cambridge professor in 1939, recruited by MI6 officer Menzies (Mark Strong) and military commander Denniston (Charles Dance) to join the team at Bletchley Park as they try to crack Germany's Enigma code. An eccentric genius, Alan struggles to fit in with his colleagues (Matthew Goode, Allen Leech and Matthew Beard), but he manages to connect with Jean (Keira Knightley), whom he recruits even though she's not allowed to work alongside the men. Then Alan begins to build his ambitious, unprecedented computing machine. No one understands how it can help decode Enigma, but they can see that he's on to something. Meanwhile, Alan has his own secret: he's gay, which is a criminal offence at the time.

The story is told with three interwoven timelines, with the central plot being the race to break Enigma and turn the tide of the war against the Nazis. Alongside this are scenes set in 1951, when a policeman (Rory Kinnear) interviews Turing about his homosexuality. And there are also flashbacks to 1928, when the young Turing (a superb Alex Lawther) has his first encounter with cryptology, romance and pretending to be someone he's not. The links between these three strands feel somewhat pushy, all hinging on the line: "It's people no one imagines anything of who do things no one can imagine." But Tyldum allows plenty of space for the actors to add uneven edges that draw out the meaning in more subtle, involving ways.

Continue reading: The Imitation Game Review

The Imitation Game - Interview Clip


It's World War II and things are looking bleak as the allies struggle to decipher the Germans' ingenious Enigma Code; a puzzle that could bring an immediate end to the war with all their movements quickly surfacing. Unfortunately, their enigma seems to be nearly impossible, at least until the British government enlist the help of gifted university graduate Alan Turing, whose remarkable ability for solving problems has eluded no-one. With the help of a tireless team, Turing sets about developing a top secret machine with the ability to find and eliminate all possible sequences with the speed and efficiency that would be impossible just using a human brain. When it seems he indeed has managed to make a breakthrough, discoveries about his personal life put him in danger of the very people he was trying to help.

Continue: The Imitation Game - Interview Clip

Before I Go To Sleep Review


Good

A clever premise can't help but grab the audience's attention as this mystery-thriller plays with ideas of identity and memory, but the simplistic filmmaking makes it feel like a cheat. Writer-director Rowan Joffe (2010's Brighton Rock remake) badly underestimates the audience, using melodrama and contrived storytelling to try to manipulate viewers' emotions. And it doesn't help that the leading lady can't move her face.

Nicole Kidman stars as Christine, who wakes up every morning thinking that she's 23. When she discovers Ben (Colin Firth) in her bed, she's almost as horrified as when she sees her 40-year-old face in the mirror. But Ben patiently explains who she is, that he's her husband and that an accident damaged her ability to make new long-term memories. When he leaves for work each day, she is contacted by Dr Nash (Mark Strong), who helps nudge her into the present. But all of this does little more than make Christine wonder whether anyone is telling the truth. As she digs deeper each day, she gets in touch with her friend Claire (Anne-Marie Duff), who offers some continuity. And by piecing clues together she begins to realise that there's a gap between what's really happening and what she thinks she remembers.

With elements of both Memento and 50 First Dates, this film is packed with tricky elements that add to the suspense, creating a creepy atmosphere that's surprisingly moving as seen through Christine's eyes. Even with her immobile face, Kidman's eyes are alert and emotive, strongly conveying Christine's yearning to understand the truth. Opposite her, the always terrific Duff has the film's best role simply because she seems to be who she claims to be. Meanwhile, Firth and Strong have a great time wrong-footing both Christine and the audience, or maybe they're just misunderstood. The fascinating premise forces us to sift through the clues ourselves to figure out what's going on.

Continue reading: Before I Go To Sleep Review

Benedict Cumberbatch Stuns As Alan Turing In 'The Imitation Game' Trailer


Benedict Cumberbatch Matthew Goode Keira Knightley Mark Strong

It appears Benedict Cumberbatch has thrown his hat in the ring for next year's Oscars, playing Alan Turing in the forthcoming drama The Imitation Game. The movie tells the story of the legendary code-breaker and his team at Bletchley Park, who raced against time to break the German's Enigma code during World War II.

Benedict CumberbatchBenedict Cumberbatch as Alan Turing in 'The Imitation Game'

Turing's genius in cracking the code is attributed to the premature end of World War II and his work is said to have helped saved thousands of life. 

Continue reading: Benedict Cumberbatch Stuns As Alan Turing In 'The Imitation Game' Trailer

The Imitation Game - Teaser Trailer


Alan Turing is a mathematician whose genius leads him to be enlisted in a major code-breaking scheme during World War II, where he is set the task of deciphering German secrets. Working strictly covertly at the Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park, he and his team study tirelessly in order to crack a complex Enigma that would allow them to win the war. To everyone's surprise, he begins building a machine which he insists will have the capability to interpret any Nazi Enigmas with it's ability to eliminate possible sequences with efficiency and speed. However, frequently scorned for his unconventional methods and later for his sexuality, he becomes the unsung hero of the War, saving millions of lives and bringing justice upon the world.

Continue: The Imitation Game - Teaser Trailer

'Before I Go To Sleep': Nicole Kidman Is An Amnesiac With A Mystery To Solve In Tense Thriller


Nicole Kidman Colin Firth Mark Strong

All sour memories of Nicole Kidman in Grace of Monaco are about to be forgotten as she gives an unforgettably unsettling performance in new thriller Before I Go To Sleep. Like 50 First Dates meets Memento, the movie focusses on a woman who wakes up each morning with a wiped memory due to her amnesia.

Kidman plays Christine Lucas, who is suffering from a complicated form of amnesia brought on by a terrifying incident that left her injured. Christine wakes up each day with no recollection of anything, despite keeping a video diary to remind herself.

It becomes apparent that no one can be trusted as her husband Ben (Colin Firth) is reluctant to tell her things about the past and her doctor (Mark Strong) seems to have ulterior motives. Christine learns that the only person who could have a chance of identifying her attacker is herself, if only she could remember what happened.

Continue reading: 'Before I Go To Sleep': Nicole Kidman Is An Amnesiac With A Mystery To Solve In Tense Thriller

Before I Go to Sleep Trailer


Christine Lucas is suffering from a complicated form of amnesia whereby she cannot remember anything about her past, who she is, who her family are and the nature of the terrifying incident which left her that way. More still, each day she wakes up with no recollection of anything, despite having learnt plenty of information about herself before she went to sleep the day before. In a bid to recall all the lost information, she records a video diary day by day and soon learns that not everyone around her can be trusted. Her husband Ben is refusing to tell her certain things about her past, while her doctor, Dr. Nash, appears to have ulterior motives as he helps her to recover. It becomes more and more evident as the day presses on that something shockingly corrupt has occurred - and she's the only person who knows what it is.

'Before I Go To Sleep' is a gripping psychological thriller based on the acclaimed book of the same name by S.J. Watson. Starring Nicole Kidman, Colin Firth and Mark Strong, it has been both directed and written by Rowan Joffe ('Brighton Rock', '28 Weeks Later', 'The American', 'Last Resort') and is due for cinematic release in the UK on September 5th 2014.

Click here to read Before I Go to Sleep movie review

Benedict Cumberbatch And Keira Knightley In New Pictures From 'The Imitation Game'


Benedict Cumberbatch Keira Knightley Mark Strong

New pictures have surfaced of Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Mark Strong and Charles Dance starring in The Imitation Game, the World War II drama directed by Norwegian filmmaker Morten Tyldum.

Benedict Cumberbatch

The Imitation Game,’ tells the story of the life and work of one of Britain’s war heroes, Alan Turing. But Turing wasn’t a soldier battling on the front line, a pilot-navigating dogfights in the air or a medic dealing with severed limbs – he battled against insignia and encryption to break down the Nazi code, providing the Allied forces with an invaluable asset. 

Continue reading: Benedict Cumberbatch And Keira Knightley In New Pictures From 'The Imitation Game'

Anna Review


Very Good

With a premise that feels almost Inception-like, this brainy thriller plays around with memories in ways that continually shift the story and draw us in. The ending feels somewhat rushed, but the journey there is riveting and sometimes thoroughly unnerving, while a strong cast adds layers of interest.

In a near future, psychic detectives help solve crimes and cold cases by exploring people's memories. Although John (Mark Strong) lost his job when his own past tragedy intruded on his work at Mindscape, a top memory detective agency run by Sebastian (Brian Cox). Months later, Sebastian thinks John is ready to return to work, so assigns him a simple case to help the troubled 16-year-old Anna (Taissa Farmiga), whose mother and stepdad (Reeves and Dillane) are worried that she won't eat. Or maybe they're the problem. As John investigates her past memories, he begins to realise that she's an unusually smart and perceptive young woman.

Spanish filmmaker Jorge Dorado shot primarily in Barcelona, so the movie has an intriguingly European sheen, even though it's set in Middle America. Everything is insinuating and suspicious, twisting standard horror movie tricks in new ways that are both freaky and fascinating. Images of red roses and running water abound, with scenes photographed in familiar ways that make watching this film almost feel like an extended deja vu experience. In other words, this is a thoroughly entertaining nightmare that brings up tension and continually wrong-foots us about what's real and what isn't.

Continue reading: Anna Review

Kingsman: The Secret Service Trailer


A young teen with an incredible IQ and first-rate academic performance takes the wrong path in life by getting involved in drugs and petty crime. He is caught by police during one dramatic car chase but is released unexpectedly by Secret Service agent Uncle Jack. Jack sees a lot of potential in the kid and introduces him to the world of International Intelligence. Initially impressed by the gadgetry and glamour of the Service, Uncle Jack introduces him to a new division: the Kingsman. There’s a job going for the brightest young adults in the country and Jack wants his new recruit to prove himself against the upper class kids who rival him. It soon becomes clear, though, that the world of Intelligence is not just a fun game when the training starts getting intensely scary.

Continue: Kingsman: The Secret Service Trailer

Christian Bale To Play Steve Jobs? Other Actors Who Could Suit The Role


Christian Bale Ashton Kutcher Stanley Tucci Mark Strong Ralph Fiennes

Let’s hope the next attempt at making a movie about the life of American entrepreneur and late CEO of Apple, Steve Jobs is an improvement on the last one. Ashton Kutcher tackled the role in 2013’s Jobs, which only took $35m at the box office...worldwide. This hasn’t deterred Sony, who believe that there is still money to be made with a new script and a new actor.

ashton kutcher steve jobs Ashton Kutcher played Steve Jobs in 2013's jOBS

Many were not pleased that Kutcher had been chosen to play the role, perhaps they’ll be happier to hear that this time Christian Bale is rumored to play Steve Jobs. The new script has been written by Aaron Sorkin, with Guymon Casady, Mark Gordon and Scott Rudin on hand to produce. Director David Fincher has his sights set on the Oscar winning star of The Dark Knight trilogy and American Hustle, although neither Sony nor a representative for Bale have confirmed that he is actually set to nab the role. In turn, David Fincher will allegedly only direct if they do manage to get Bale on board.

Continue reading: Christian Bale To Play Steve Jobs? Other Actors Who Could Suit The Role

'Justin And The Knights Of Valour' Attempts To Break A Crowded Marketplace [Trailer + Pictures]


Freddie Highmore Saoirse Ronan Mark Strong Antonio Banderas Olivia Williams Charles Dance Julie Walters Alfred Molina Rupert Everett Tamsin Egerton David Walliams

It’s been a pretty solid year for animated features so far; Wreck it Ralph, Despicable Me 2 and Monsters University all performed solidly with the critics and in the box office. But it hasn’t been all plain sailing – films like Turbo and Escape From Planet Earth haven’t gone down too well.

Justin and the Knights of ValourCan Justin, voiced by Highmore, learn the ways of the Knight?

There was a time when all animated films were basically the best films ever: Ratatouille, Finding Nemo, Toy Story(s), Up – but now there seems to be room for some pretty average efforts. Striking up some cute characters with big eyes, pitting them against a baddie and creating a weird little fella for comic relief just doesn’t cut it anymore.

Continue reading: 'Justin And The Knights Of Valour' Attempts To Break A Crowded Marketplace [Trailer + Pictures]

Justin and the Knights of Valour Trailer


Justin is an average boy with big dreams living in a Kingdom where the Queen has enlisted lawyers instead of knights. However, Justin wants more than anything in the world to become one the latter, just like his deceased grandfather Sir Roland. He must embark on a quest to train to become the best knight he can and on the way meets his three mentors, Blucher, Legantir and Braulio, a wacky wizard named Melquiades and the very beautiful Talia. Sooner than he'd hoped, he finds his first challenge; Sir Heraclio and his sidekick Sota are attempting to raise an army to defeat the Kingdom, leaving Heraclio crowned king. Justin must protect the Kingdom he was brought up in and, in doing so, purloin his grandfather's old sword from Heraclio's clutches.

Continue: Justin and the Knights of Valour Trailer

Blood Review


Good

Finely detailed acting and stylish direction are somewhat undermined by a script that can't resist overstating its moral themes. Without any sense of ambiguity, we are never able to engage with the dilemma facing the central characters because, as things get messier and messier, we never really doubt what each person will do. But the actors make it fascinating to watch.

Set in the Wirral, the story centres on two second-generation detectives: Joe (Bettany) and his brother Chris (Graham) live in the shadow of their legendary dad Lenny (Cox), who's now drifting into senility. Their current case involves the brutal killing of a teen girl, and working with fellow cop Robert (Strong), they close in on creepy loner Jason (Crompton) as the chief suspect. But with no evidence linking him to the crime, he's quickly released, raising memories of a similar case from the past that resulted in a horrific murder. On a drunken night out, Joe and Chris decide to make sure that doesn't happen again. But it isn't easy to live with what they've done.

There's plenty of scope to explore the power of guilt and regret in this multi-generational story, and the screenplay pushes the brothers into some seriously strained situations as they're forced to consider the fallout from their actions. And all of this stress begins to affect their relationships too: Paul with his wife and daughter (Little and Battrick) and Chris with his fiancee (Tapper). All of the actors are terrific, with Bettany and Graham especially solid as they create a believably mercurial sibling camaraderie. Other characters remain a bit on the edge of the film, but add to the tension.

Continue reading: Blood Review

Welcome To The Punch Review


Good

After the tiny drama Shifty, British filmmaker Creevy turns to both Hong Kong and Hollywood for inspiration, creating an unusually glossy, explosive London cop thriller. But for all the sleek filmmaking and energetic action, the film struggles to make us care about characters who are dark and troubled. Their complexity is interesting, but not hugely engaging.

Adding to the visual sheen, the action is set among the gleaming glass and steel skyscrapers of Canary Wharf in East London, where detective Max (McAvoy) is still struggling to accept his inability to stop a heist three years earlier. The mastermind Jacob (Strong) managed to escape then, but he's back in town now, so Max is chomping at the bit to grab him. Max's lieutenant (Morrissey) tells him to back off, but he secretly works with his partner Sarah (Riseborough) to join the hunt. Meanwhile, Jacob teams up with an old pal (Mullan) to find out why one of the gang members (Harris) is on a murderous rampage. Which puts Jacob on a collision course with Max.

With so much full-on gunplay in a city where cops aren't actually armed, the film feels like it's set in some sort of parallel reality London. And Creevy augments this fantasy tone by indulging in shootouts that are sudden and brutal - like John Woo crossed with Michael Mann. The plot is full of clever twists, as motivations are revealed and a political conspiracy becomes apparent. It's all a bit convoluted and implausible, and the details are annoyingly murky, but within this premise the cast are able to find some emotional resonance.

Continue reading: Welcome To The Punch Review

Welcome To The Punch Trailer


Max Lewinsky is a determined police detective who remains bitter about never managing to find and arrest the elusive criminal that is Jacob Sternwood. However, he is in with another chance of victory when Sternwood leaves his hideout in Iceland to return to the streets of London where his son Ruan is lying unconscious in a hospital bed after suffering a near-fatal bullet wound to the stomach during a heist that went wrong. Knowing that Sternwood will attempt to sneak in to the hospital to see his son and also attempt to smuggle him out under the police's nose, Lewinsky pulls out all the stops in the biggest effort of his career to catch this former criminal and reinstate his flawless reputation. However, as they come face to face, the both of them find themselves in the middle of a much bigger scheme and the pair must work together to uncover the shady truth.

Continue: Welcome To The Punch Trailer

Zero Dark Thirty Review


Excellent

Blistering writing, directing and acting hold us firmly in our seats as this procedural drama snakes its way to a riveting action finale. Although it's sometimes not easy to know whether director Bigelow and writer Boal are celebrating or criticising the way America has conducted itself on the world stage in its war on terrorism. Clearly the characters believe that these dodgy methods are essential tools in their job. But the film cleverly respects and challenges our own views on the issues.

The story begins with the events of 9/11, after which the CIA is determined to track down Osama bin Laden. Spearheading the search is tenacious analyst Maya (Chastain), who works with her colleague Dan (Clarke) to interrogate prisoners and mobilise their team (including Ehle and Perrineau) to action. Their bosses (Chandler and Strong), the CIA director (Gandolfini) and the national security advisor (Dillane) offer support and challenges. And eventually they get approval to illegally send a black-op team into bin Laden's suspected hide-out in Pakistan.

It's astonishing that Boal and Bigelow have managed to tell this true story without taking sides. They have been criticised for possibly using classified details or for depicting torture as an interrogation tool, but the facts can't be denied just because we don't like them. And your attitude going in will probably colour how you feel about the movie: some will find this a story of triumph while others will be troubled by the methods it depicts. Either way, it's impossible to ignore the film's urgency as it pulls us into a fascinating story.

Continue reading: Zero Dark Thirty Review

Zero Dark Thirty Trailer


Following the tragic events of the twin towers bombing on September 11th 2001 in New York City, Islamic extremist group Al Qaeda's leader Osama Bin Laden was the most wanted man in the entire world. He had managed to evade capture and certain execution for nearly ten years when, in the year of the 10th anniversary of the tragedy, he was found by the extraordinary Navy SEAL Team 6 and shot dead at his residence in Abbottabad, Pakistan on May 2nd. The event, however tarnished with conspiracy theories and speculation, marked a moment in history and was seen as a giant step in the current war on terror. 

'Zero Dark Thirty' is the gritty historical drama telling the story of when Bin Laden was successfully captured and assassinated by a remarkable group of CIA operatives whose covert operations and well-kept secrets gave America their biggest victory in many years. With director Kathryn Bigelow ('Point Break', 'Strange Days') and writer Mark Boal ('In the Valley of Elah') who have previously worked alongside one another on the six time Academy Award winning war flick 'The Hurt Locker', it is set to be a seminal movie that may itself become an important part of history. It is set to be released on January 25th 2013.

Starring: Jessica Chastain, Scott Adkins, Jason Clarke, Joel Edgerton, Chris Pratt, Jennifer Ehle, Mark Strong, Taylor Kinney, James Gandolfini, Mark Duplass, Harold Perrineau, Jennifer Ehle, Kyle Chandler, Frank Grillo, Stephen Dillane & Edgar Ramirez.

Continue: Zero Dark Thirty Trailer

John Carter Review


Excellent
While trailers make this look like an effects-heavy sci-fi mess, the film is actually a rollicking adventure firmly centred on characters rather than the creatures or action. It's an involving, strikingly well-made action drama.

At the end of the American Civil War, John Carter (Kitsch) is in Arizona looking for gold when a strange artefact in a cave transports him to Mars, known locally as Barsoom. Getting used to the lower gravity is one thing, but he's soon captured by green, 15-foot-tall Tharks, who have four limbs plus tusks on the sides of their faces. He earns the respect of leader Tars Tarkas (Dafoe), but when he rescues Helium's Princess Dejah (Collins), he ends up in the middle of the war between red human kingdoms Helium and Zodanga.

Continue reading: John Carter Review

Black Gold Review


Very Good
The history of the oil industry in Arabia is reduced to a fast-paced adventure movie in this lively project that probably should have been a TV series. It keeps us thoroughly entertained, but only manages to flesh out a couple of characters.

To bring peace between the two leading kingdoms in 1920s Arabia, Sultan Amar (Strong) allows Emir Nesib (Banderas) to raise his two sons. Younger son Auda (Rahim) grows up as a bookworm with a soft spot for Nesib's daughter Leyla (Pinto), which comes in handy when they are asked to marry to link the two kingdoms. But their fragile treaty is strained when Texans arrive and start to to drill for oil: Nesib rather likes the money, but Amar sees this as a violation of their treaty.

Continue reading: Black Gold Review

Mark Strong

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Mark Strong

Date of birth

5th August, 1963

Occupation

Actor

Sex

Male

Height

1.88


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Mark Strong Movies

Kingsman: The Golden Circle Movie Review

Kingsman: The Golden Circle Movie Review

Two years ago, Kingsman: The Secret Service seemed to come out of nowhere, ruffling feathers...

Kingsman: The Golden Circle Trailer

Kingsman: The Golden Circle Trailer

For those who knew him, Gary Unwin (better known as Eggsy to his friends), was...

6 Days Trailer

6 Days Trailer

In 1980, a group of six armed terrorists storm the Iranian embassy in London, taking...

Miss Sloane Trailer

Miss Sloane Trailer

Elizabeth Sloane is a lobbyist and often finds herself facing off against some of the...

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Grimsby Movie Review

Grimsby Movie Review

Although it contains some memorably outrageous comedy moments, this movie (retitled The Brothers Grimsby for...

Grimsby Trailer

Grimsby Trailer

Nobby is a good ol' northern lad who loves nothing more than spending time with...

Grimsby - Red Band Teaser Trailer

Grimsby - Red Band Teaser Trailer

Nobby and Sebastian are long lost brothers who live completely different lives. Sebastian is a...

Kingsman: The Secret Service Movie Review

Kingsman: The Secret Service Movie Review

With virtually the same tone as they used in their superhero spoof Kick-Ass, filmmakers Matthew...

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The Imitation Game Movie Review

The Imitation Game Movie Review

A biopic that plays out like a cerebral thriller, this film traces the life of...

The Imitation Game Trailer

The Imitation Game Trailer

It's World War II and things are looking bleak as the allies struggle to decipher...

Before I Go to Sleep Movie Review

Before I Go to Sleep Movie Review

A clever premise can't help but grab the audience's attention as this mystery-thriller plays with...

The Imitation Game Trailer

The Imitation Game Trailer

Alan Turing is a mathematician whose genius leads him to be enlisted in a major...

Before I Go to Sleep Trailer

Before I Go to Sleep Trailer

Christine Lucas is suffering from a complicated form of amnesia whereby she cannot remember anything...

Anna Movie Review

Anna Movie Review

With a premise that feels almost Inception-like, this brainy thriller plays around with memories in...

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