Sunday 3 November 2013

Film Reviews - RUSH and Captain Phillips

It is quite rare these days to visit the cinema but actually I actually saw two films in just over a week! First up was RUSH,nothing to do with the Canadian rockers this time. Rush is a 2013 biographical sports drama film directed by Ron Howard and written by Peter Morgan about the 1976 Formula One season and the rivalry between drivers James Hunt and Niki Lauda. It stars Chris Hemsworth as Hunt and Daniel Brühl as Lauda. I'm certainly no F1 fan but nevertheless really enjoyed the film. Definitely need to watch on the big screen to get the most out of the film with the deafening and exhilerating race sequences. Australian actor Chris Hemsworth (Thor) takes the apparent star role as the blond, glamorous English playboy Hunt, driving for McLaren, widely regarded as a maverick risk-taker on the track, routinely pictured with a glass of champagne and two or three stunning females on his arm. The dull and humourless Austrian Lauda, driving for the Ferrari team, is played with wonderful resolve by German actor Daniel Brűhl (Inglourious Basterds). Lauda is everything that Hunt isn't but as the story develops following the horrific crash where Lauda sustains terrible burns to head and face the plot takes an emotional twist. Great entertainment for petrol heads and eco warriors alike! I would give an 8/10. Captain Phillips is a 2013 American action thriller directed by Paul Greengrass and starring Tom Hanks and Barkhad Abdi. The film is based on the true story of merchant mariner Capt Richard Phillips whose vessel the Maersk Alabama was taken hostage by Somalian pirates in 2009. As you would expect Hanks is immense in the role of the tortured Captain trying to save his ship and then taken as hostage on a lifeboat. However the film also highlights the plight of the Somali fishermen pressganged by local warlords into doing their dirty work. Some extremely tense and gripping scenes guaranteed to have you on the edge of the seat. Maybe the film was 20 minutes too long if being ultra critical ? I would award 7.5/10.

Knee Arthroscopy

  Hopefully It's going to be third time lucky with the twice cancelled Knee Op. Previously Covid and Doctors Strikes have conspired top ...