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Film Review:-
"Despicable Me 2"
Report by
Rebecca Langtry
THIS film has a cult
following internationally and has gained 8 out of 10 ratings on many
of the major film reviews on websites and magazines. Because of
that, that the Editor thought it would be a fantastic film to send
me to review, as he and another of the team are big fans of the
first film. So I headed over to the cinema to take a look at this
new release.
"Despicable Me 2" is the brand new animated comedy that
follows on from the 2010 hit film 'Despicable Me' and
is no doubt going to catch the attention and hearts of the
youngsters out there, with more Minions than ever from those yellow
torpedoes who are the whimsically comic heart of both films .The
franchise certainly knows it audience and, whether you find them
endearing or annoying, your inner child is guaranteed to laugh at
their antics.
The main character of the Russian accented Gru (voiced by Steve
Carell) has now escaped from his evil ways and desires for riches
and power with a plan to destroy the world and is a retired and
reformed super-villain and number one family man to his trio of
adopted daughters, Margo, Edith and Agnes, whose individual
characters and personalities each help to push Gru further into the
person he becomes at the end of the film, but not without
difficulty.
As he leaves behind his old life and occupation to become a devoted
and adored father, whilst having his own line of Jelly and Jam with
his accomplice Dr. Nefario, he has to deal with planning his
youngest and most innocent daughter's dream birthday party, this
results in him pulling on a pair of bloomers, ballet tutu and heels
when the special fairy princess he hired didn't show up for young
Agnes (Elsie Fisher). Despite her being the youngest she is way too
smart to fooled and knows just exactly how big Gru's heart is, which
leaves you with some very nice, warm, soft touching moments for
parents to enjoy whilst your children admire the Minions' laughter
and clowning about.
Along with raising his 3 angels, he is recruited by an Anti-villain
league, led by Silas Ramsbottom (Steve Coogan) who needs the expert
help of a reluctant Gru to help hunt and capture a new enemy who's
taken a serum that turns cute fluffy bunnies into aggressive purple
raging hulks. Alongside the stress he receives from the mission and
the emotion of his doctor leaving him for another placement, he
sparks a romantic interest with his paired partner Lucy Wilde
(Kristen Wiig) and the two go undercover to complete their
assignment. Through this we see flashbacks of Gru's past and it
becomes clearer that the storyline in this sequel is much more
mature, as it shows him 'dealing with his fear of women'
and moving on from his past. There are however other storylines
around the narrative, such as Lucy's love interest in a possible
suspect's son and a minion-napper who is making off with Gru's
worker bees at an alarming rate.
There's no need however to splash out on the 3D glasses as it
doesn't actually add much more allure, the only big exception being
during the final credits where minions reach out as far as they can
trying to grab the screen. Nevertheless, if you are into the
slapstick comedy this film is definitely for you but most certainly
it will have children's eyes glued to the screen from start to
finish. Personally, I did enjoy the film and I did laugh in some
areas but it is most recommended to younger viewers as that is where
its humour lies. A "Despicable me" spinoff is set for
release in 2014 called:- 'Minions'.
 
Our rating:- 3 out of 5
Directors:- Pierre Coffin, Chris
Renaud
Production company:- Illumination Entertainment
 Run Time:- 1hr 38min
Language:- English
Producers:- Janet Healy, Christopher Meledandri
Film Website:-
despicableme.com
Modest
improvement in cost and availability of credit for SMEs despite
higher demand
INDUSTRY in the UK is
calling for more competition in SME lending as long-term answer to
drive a better deal for businesses. Responding to a report on 3 July
2013, by the Bank of England Credit Conditions Survey, David Ost,
North West Region Director at EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation
said:- "Demand for credit was reported as higher by lenders
for both small and medium sized businesses. Yet despite
participating in Funding for Lending, a scheme that offers cheaper
funding in return for expanding net lending, the availability of
credit for SMEs improved only modestly and in terms of the cost of
credit small businesses are seeing no improvement. We need to see a
vigorous response from the government to the Parliamentary
Commission on Banking Standards’ call for more competition in retail
banking. In the long run, only a more competitive, dynamic, and
diverse funding landscape will sustainably improve credit conditions
for SMEs."
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Film Review:-
"Hummingbird - Redemption"
Report by
Patrick Trollope
NOW this film has not had a
lot of press attention and, in my view, it is one that should have
had. Still more confusing is the fact that in the UK it is marketed
as:- 'Hummingbird' and the US it is called:-
'Redemption'. It was not my first choice to see, but I am so
glad I did go. It is one of those films that not many people know
and is very sad. What few reports and trailers there are about, do
suggest that it is excellent, and we agree. This plot is gripping
and extremely plausible, but if you are expecting all out action,
well this is not the film for you! We consider it to be one of the
most underrated movies this year.
The main character, Joey, is played by Jason Statham, not normally
the man you might expect to see in a serious/dramatic role, yet
alone a Steve Knight drama about London's seedy underbelly. But his
delivery and the supporting cast, in particular the co-star Agata
Buzek, who plays a nun called Cristina, really do deliver very
natural and convincing performances.
This is a very intellectual film and is aimed at a higher IQ market
than the regular rabble films being released by Hollywood of late. I
was very surprised to hear the reactions of a group of 17 year old
girls, at the end, who wanted more. Not that they did not like it,
but quite the opposite! They said they fully enjoyed it and, at the
other side of the scale, so did my Dad. Yet I have been told that
the local cinemas have found that quite a few Jason Statham 'fans'
have gone away disappointed and have hated it. This disappointment
is probably a result of Jason being better known for his action man
roles in the crime films like Transporter, Revolver, Snatch, and
Lock, Stock and 2 Smoking Barrels. This film is not set around the
action, but around the story. So what exactly is this plot? It is
really not that complex, but I will not go into it fully, as it will
spoil the film. It heavily revolves around psychological problems,
morality, sex, homelessness and drug/alcohol addiction. If your idea
of a true recipe for a good engaging drama is like CSI or Dexter,
then this plot might be for you! The story features a homeless man,
going by the name Joey, who is on the run from a military court
martial. He is a 'damaged' ex-special forces soldier; who has made
it home from Afghanistan to the streets of London. Trying to
navigate round London, without popping up on the authority's radar,
he gets caught up in a petty crime. This leads on to the character's
background being revealed and the social injustice he has faced and
is still facing. Along the way he gets an opportunity to assume
another man's identity, thus transforming into an avenging angel or
devil in the process. As this new opportunity presents itself, he is
drawn deeper into a gritty and violent London underworld. It is only
near the end you see the true nature of the 2 main characters come
through and the connection to the film's title becomes apparent. The
plot has a dramatic heart beating at its centre and, if you let it
deliver with an open mind, you will be truly rewarded. This is both
a dark, bloody movie and, oddly, very engaging. The kind of sub
plot, the relationship between Jason and the other main character,
Cristina, was very well done too. Their actions and conversations
made me laugh, smile and cry throughout the film. This film has so
many powerful messages hidden in it, I think; I will have to go back
a few times to find them all. The overriding one is that it suggests
it's never too late to make a difference. The other is, what cost is
one willing to pay to make a difference? Oddly, unlike many so
called 'high brow' films this does not pretend to have hidden
meanings as that the story alone is the vehicle for the film's plot
to move on.
Stunts and fights are plentiful, but like most of the story, it
blends in to the flow easily and is logical and as realistic as you
can get in film. Do not expect large explosions and bands for the
sake of it.
When it comes to the aesthetics of the film, oddly it is not that
special, like the story but it was packed full of views oozing a
strange electrifying quality that made you feel like you are there.
This was backed up with the audio track, which was very well edited
and thought out. Music and background sounds are used to highlight
the plot and not as fillers or as over dramatic announcements which
was very refreshing. The cinematography is magnificent to watch,
capturing City's scale and at times its beauty, but simultaneously
exposing the cracks. Its filming angles are more what you would
expect on wildlife documentary, but with the same attention to
detail to sets and lighting, as in many of the greatest art films.
It had a feel of the cult TV show, the Equalizer, thanks to the
camera positions. Yet the angles and lighting does not jump out at
you, as in many action or horror films. Strangely, it has a distinct
lack of anything overly shot and it is the simple panoramic
placement shots, capturing the odd view London's sky line, which
gives this film its great depth. Both the audio and the filming make
you feel far more familiar with its surroundings and that is its
selling point. This unusual, apparently minimalist, approach adds to
the characters' portrayal and completes the package.
To sum this film up; go with a closed mind, expecting to see yet
another of Jason's previous works and you will be heading out of the
cinema disappointed. If you go with an open mind, you will enjoy
watching this film. In our view it is one of the best films we have
seen in years. I cannot see it winning awards, as it has been too
overlooked, yet I am compelled to say that it should! Don't bother
reading the negative reviews from action fans, this film will and
does deliver if you let it! For us we give this a well deserved 5
out of 5, despite some movie sites, bowing to the action fans, who
give it a slightly above average score. I think it will be a
"suck it and see" film for many!
5 stars out of 5
 Director:-
Steven Knight
Running time:- 100 minutes
Cinematography:- Chris Menges
UK Age Rating:- 15
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