Category Archives: The Best Of…

The best films from your favourite filmmakers..

Rising Star: Angourie Rice

April 20, 2018 Cookie N Screen Leave a comment

With a name that’s hard to forget and leading roles in These Final Hours and The Nice Guys, as well as her heart-warming role in the upcoming romantic drama, Every Day, Angourie Rice is certainly someone to look out for… To celebrate the release of Every Day, in cinemas April 20^th, we’re taking a look at her recent rise to fame and what is next for the upcoming Australian star!

These Final Hours (2013)

After appearing in a string of shorts, including the Australian film, Transmission, she was plucked from Melbourne and dropped into Zak Hilditch’s feature film, These Final Hours. Working her magic as Rose in this end-of-the-world drama, she provided a stellar performance which earned her a Best Actress nomination at the Australian Film Critics Association Awards. A strong start for the Aussie starlet…

Walking with Dinosaurs (2013)

From superheroes to dinosaurs… Rice expanded her repertoire in 2013 when she starred as part of the voice cast of Walking with Dinosaurs. In this pre-historic pic, see and feel what it was like when dinosaurs ruled the Earth in a story where an underdog dinosaur triumphs to become a hero for the ages!

The Nice Guys (2016)

Three years later, Rice starred in the action-comedy that helped to propel her into the spotlight, starring as the daughter of Ryan Gosling’s character and alongside Russell Crowe. Her warm performance alongside the stars made her stand out in this crime-comedy set in 1970s Los Angeles, where a mismatched pair of private investigators look into the case of a missing girl and the mysterious death of a porn star.

The Beguiled (2017)

Within a year, Rice was auditioning for Sofia Coppola’s The Beguiled. She made her mark amongst big Hollywood names including Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst, Elle Fanning and Colin Firth in this remake of Clint Eastwood’s 1971 film. Based upon the Thomas Cullinan novel, The Beguiled sees the arrival of a wounded Union soldier at a girl’s school in Virginia during the American Civil War, leading to jealousy and betrayal…

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

An entry into the world of superheroes only accelerated her stardom when she joined the cast of Spider-Man: Homecoming in 2017. With the success of the Marvel cinematic universe this was a greater leap into mainstream movies, and her role as a teenage Betty Brant gave her a chance to put her own spin on this character.

Every Day (2018)

In the upcoming romantic drama from the director of The Vow, Michael Sucsy, and based on David Levithan’s acclaimed New York Times bestseller, Rice stars as Rhiannon, a 16-year old girl who falls in love with a mysterious soul named “A” who inhabits a different body every day. Feeling an unmatched connection, Rhiannon and A work each day to find each other, not knowing what or who the next day will bring. The more the two fall in love, the more the reality of loving someone who is a different person every 24 hours takes a toll. This heart-warming tale of love and acceptance with Rice at the centre is sure to steal your heart!

EVERY DAY IS IN CINEMAS FRIDAY 20^TH APRIL

Features, The Best Of...

The Best of…Dan Stevens

April 16, 2018 Cookie N Screen 1 Comment

Dan Stevens.

More like Damn Stevens, amIright?

OK. I promise I won’t spend the entires piece objectifying Dan Stevens but we’ve all been caught in the spell of his blue eyes and dashing blue looks, so I’m sure it is understandable.

Anyway, the actor has had an interesting career, rising to become one of the most watchable performers on the big and little screen. Stevens first delighted on a little TV show called Downtown Abbey then completely levelled the fuck up to be an incomparable leading star.

Bit by bit, Dan Stevens becomes more of a household name and now he is back in his most accomplished role as David Haller in Legion (more on that later)

To celebrate it’s release of season 2, we’re looking at the best work of Dan Stevens.

Beauty and the Beast (2017)

Now, truth be told, I really don’t like this adaptation of one of Disney’s most impressive fairy-tales. It would be mean to break down exactly what went wrong so instead, I want to look at all the good parts including Luke Evans as Gaston and Dan Stevens as the Beast (aka Prince Adam.) There is not an ounce of his presence that we don’t adore: The painted pretty prince at the beginning turning away the beggar woman, the hairy spectacle that transforms from kind to mean, and the changed man at the end. Stevens is pretty intricate in the role, albeit a little bit cheesy, but in the tender moments, he is truly endearing.

Plus, he had to wear this:

And he also got to sing this:

Amazing.

Colossal (2017)

Stevens only has a small role in Colossal but it’s also an opportune moment for me to remind people to watch it and appreciate how wonderful it is. The movie starring Anne Hathaway revolves around ayoung, deadbeat woman Gloria who moves back to her hometown life to start afresh. However, whilst she’s there, she accidentally conjures a kaiju in Seoul. However, she discovers that there may be a monster closer to home…

Dan Stevens is brief as Gloria’s boyfriend Tim who follows her, seeing the extent of her friend’s Oscar’s jealousy. Though not a solution for Gloria’s predicament, he is an upstanding guy who wishes her to change when she hits rock bottom.

Night at the Museum 3: Secret of the Tomb (2014)

Have you ever watched a role and, despite it being absolutely ridiculous, the actor is clearly having the best time (see: Luke Evans in Beauty and the Beast)? That’s exactly what is happening for Dan Stevens in Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb. Here, he plays a waxwork model of Lancelot sprung to life when Ben Stiller’s Larry Daley heads over to the British Museum with the magical tablet. As a somewhat villain to the piece, Stevens encompasses the over-the-top Knight, unaware that he is merely a model. The actor charges forth with a rambunctious energy that is ferociously entertaining. Loving every moment, there is some great comedy here including a lot of fun with a dangling prosthetic nose.

The Guest (2014)

For those who weren’t dining in the Abbey, this is the film that made us all sit up and go, “Well, hello!” Adam Wingard’s brilliant action thriller shone a new light for Stevens who remodelled himself into the star we now know. Here he plays the epitomes guest David who tracks down a family of a fallen soldier comrade and begins to infiltrate himself into their lives.

Dan Stevens is able to hold a fantastic terror burning underneath the charm. He is instantly charismatic but broiling under the surface is this damage, this cold calculated twisted mind that makes a captivating antagonist. At this point, I’d love to see him go full villain – A superhero fantasy mastermind perhaps?

Oh and…

Thank you, The Guest, thank you.

Legion (2017 – )

This TV show is the best addition to our lives last year. Never has a superhero fantasy romp been so enriched with stunning visuals, impeccable set pieces, a winding mysterious plot, and a tortured protagonist. Based on a series of X-Men comics, Legion revolves around David, a mutant who believes his powers are a mental illness and spends most of his time in the hospital. However, when a new patient arrives, he instantly falls in love with her but awakens something dark and terrible within him. Crafted by Noah Hawley and starring Stevens as the lead character, this is a genius conception pulled by the epic performances of Stevens, Aubrey Plaza, and Jermaine Clement. Combining incredible comedy with intense action, and a brilliant twist of the genre, Legion is a must-see and you’ll never listen to the Bolero in the same way.

We can’t wait to see what’s next for the show!

What’s your favourite Dan Stevens project?
Legion is available on FX later.

Features, The Best Of...

The Best of… Michael B. Jordan

February 13, 2018 Cookie N Screen Leave a comment

Michael B. Jordan is one of our greatest talents. And I am not being hyperbolic. The young performer has acting charisma coming out of the wazoo. There is not one performance of his that is bad – even in naff films. I mean, we can all sit there and sniff, grumbling about the Fantastic Four outing but you cannot deny his rambunctious and spirited Johnny Storm (aka The Human Torch) was one of the high points of the film.

The 31 year old star is on a great path; his work is praised by many and he tackles each of his roles with gusto. Now, happily, he has a villainous role in the brilliant Black Panther film and he is, by far, one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s greatest antagonists.

To celebrate today’s release of Black Panther, we’re looking at the best of Michael B. Jordan.

The Wire (2002)

Despite this being one of the actors first roles, and at a young age too, his performance is still revered. Perhaps one of the sadder stories on the first season of the show, audience and cast favourite Wallace was a teenager coerced into the world of drug-running and gangs. It was a great role with Jordan that was ultimately cut short. His work was impressive, a character who wished to get out but fell into old habits. Charismatic with lots of potential, Jordan’s teeth-cutting character proved he had meat for his upcoming career.

Chronicle (2012)

Josh Trank’s innovative superhero drama is an indie classic and a perfect re-envisioning of the two genres. The film revolves around a group of high-school kids who find a strange entity in a forest one day and discover the next that they have special abilities including telekinesis, flight, and more. It is all exuberant and adolescent until one of them goes slightly mad with the power. Jordan’s high-spirited antics caused many to shuffle their bums, sitting up to pay attention to him. Though only a supporting role, his work here is an exhilarating one – capturing that excitable youth attitude, enough to make his casting of Johnny Storm in Fantastic Four, legitimately exciting (again, Fantastic Four wasn’t a good film, but Michael B. Jordan was tippity top.)

Fruitvale Station (2013)

Perhaps Jordan’s greatest performance and most certainly his breakout one, denoting the first time he and Black Panther director Ryan Coogler worked together, Fruitvale Station is an intimate and harrowing drama. Jordan stars as Oscar Grant, the victim of a heinous police-shooting in 2009 by a BART police officer. Coogler’s debut feature film, Fruitvale Station follows Grant’s last day as he tries to reconcile his past mistakes and look towards a better future for his family until the awful fatal incident. Jordan is phenomenal here as Grant, bringing to the big screen a man who is simply trying to put his best foot forward and the injustices of his murder. It is an amazing and delicate performance.

Creed (2016)

The biggest problem with Creed is how Jordan was bereft of nominations for his performance, considering how momentous the film was . The second collaboration with Coogler, Jordan takes on yet another lead role as Adonis Creed, the illegitimate son of the late Apollo who wishes to be a boxer just like him. Finding solace and a mentor in the legendary Rocky Balboa, Adonis rises from turbulent young man into a great sportsman. Creed is a passionate film that is more about human strength than the fighting and looks at relationships more so than the boxing. With this focus, Jordan excels as the lead character, from the initial steps to the ferocious finale. It’s a fantastic performance as Jordan spars off with Sylvester Stallone and has great energy with Tessa Thompson.

Black Panther (2018)

There are many and countless reasons to go and watch Black Panther today: The visuals, the director, the characters, the cast, the soundtrack, the action – all the elements that make a impeccable film. But if you want one specific reason to see the latest Marvel action movie, it’s Michael B.Jordan’s Eric Killmonger. As the main antagonist, he attempts to infiltrate the secretive and technologically advanced Wakanda in order to better the plight of minorities across the world. Though brutal in this execution, Killmonger’s message is vital and important. Jordan layers this brilliantly, making Killmonger an emotional, intellectual, and highly compelling villain who is imposing throughout the film. It’s an impressive performance that solidifies him in Marvel history.

BONUS –

Black Panther is out now!

Features, The Best Of...

The Best Of…Sam Claflin

February 2, 2018 Cookie N Screen Leave a comment

Sam Claflin is one of our greatest young talents. His performances in a whole array of genres have helped his career soar and accumulate a great deal of fans along the way (including us, we LOVE him,) The actor, hailing from Suffolk, bounced into our lives in television series The Pillars of the Earth. But it’s his inclusion in franchises such as The Hunger Games and Pirates of the Caribbean that launched him as one movie star to keep an eye on. Yet Claflin is unafraid to get into the dirt and excavate a grim, hapless, or villainous role. That’s what really makes him special.

To celebrate his starring role in drama Adrift, we’re looking at the best of the actor!

Honourable Mention: While we certainly had a few tears in our eyes during romantic drama Me Before You, we had to leave it off our main list.

The Riot Club (2014)

Perhaps the first film where you can see the intricacies of Claflin’s acting skill and how he can transform into a beastly and slimy character. In The Riot Club, Lone Scherfig’s movie about high society students acting awfully because of their entitlement, Claflin is a main draw. Here, he excels in a sea of plum voices all equally brilliant and deplorable as the next. Though his performance is perforated by that of Max Irons, Freddie Fox, Douglas Booth and the lovely Ben Schnetzer, Claflin is vilified and it’s a stunning loathed role. He captures the essence of Alistair and unravels it with ingenuity. Starting off coaxing slight empathy as he is backlashed against by his family, Iron’s Milo and is even mugged, Claflin dwindles his mad sense of entitlement in an enthralling way. Lyle’s viewpoint of his comforted world has turned into rage, one that he uses to undermine those he think are beneath him. Claflin’s talent is to not exude it with straight-on ferociousness but placates the anger so it boils under astute facial expressions and eye flickers. When that steam rises to straight-up bile from his mouth, you loathe him, which is a stellar turn from the likeable Claflin.

My Cousin Rachel (2017)

The growing talent of Sam Claflin has been a phenomenal one indeed. And he turns his astute talents to the role of Phillip, a heir who becomes enthralled with the widow of his late cousin (played phenomenally well by Rachel Weisz) These are palpable qualities that he brings to the role of Phillip. As the young heir and farm-owner, he commands the screen with is a waspish and irritable man but layered with fascinating emotions and a beguiling innocence. This is all flourished with Claflin’s performance as he dominates with Phillip, making us yearn and burn alongside him.

Their Finest (2017)

A story about screenwriters crafting propaganda during WW2 may not seem interesting but Lone Scherfig’s brilliantly layered film is greatly entertaining. Here Claflin plays Buckley, a pompous and maddening writer who has a plethora of character development that the talented (but unrecognisable) Claflin fleshes out. He is impossibly charming in his disconcerting manner, and Claflin makes him meaty and real. It helps that he has an abundance of chemistry with our leading star Arterton and their friendship sparks throughout the film.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)

Catching Fire is one of the best book adaptations of all time. It is also one of the greatest Young Adult films ever. It is astonishing. Kinetic, dark, beautiful, and rich with detailed themes, the movie went beyond The Hunger Games premise and crafted a masterpiece action drama. Claflin is a welcome addition to the series as Finnick Odair. A previous winner of the Games, he’s considered a “heartthrob” in the Capitol. But like many survivors of the vicious and brutish sport, he has darker elements and is considerable suspicious throughout. Claflin is great balancing this duality where you’re never sure where his loyalties lie until the bitter end.

Journey’s End (2018)

The brutal horrors of war are captured in this mournful and rage filled performance by Sam Claflin. As Captain Stainhope, he is the leader of the squadron in a bloody and brutal dugout. With hope and morale dwindling, Stainhope turns to alcohol to calm his nerves Claflin showcases an immersive talent that really inhibits the roles that he is playing. As Stainhope, he plays a man with enormous responsibility that becomes progressively twisted and rotten due to the countless deaths of his men. If this was a just and fair world, he’d have a BAFTA nomination for this.

Adrift is out in cinemas now!

Features, The Best Of...

The Best Of… Meryl Streep

January 18, 2018 Cookie N Screen Leave a comment

Meryl Streep is pretty much regarded as the Queen of Acting (Acting? Everything. Queen of Everything.) Performing since 1971, she has gifted the world with humour, emotion, power, and nuance. Ranging from a refugee to a witch, a prime minister to a magazine executive, Streep is a daring and intellectual actress who consistently monopolises acting awards because she is just that good (if, albeit, it gets tiresome seeing her name so much.)

Anyway, to celebrate the release of The Post, in which is stars alongside Tom Hanks as a powerful newspaper editor, we’re going to skim her huge portfolio and try and come up with exactly five films of hers that we love.

Honourable Mentions: While we’re sure we’re missing loads, we feel bad for missing The Hours (2002) and her Academy Award winning films Kramer vs Kramer (1980) and The Iron Lady (2012) because we wanted to go for films from every decade (and try to be little bit different in our choices. Our….Sophie’s Choices.)

The Deer Hunter (1978)

Earning her first Oscar nomination at 28, Streep’s performance in Michael Cimino, as the central love interest for Christopher Walken and Robert De Niro’s afflicted war veterans. Her gifted performance as an abused woman suffering from the consequence of war. Streep wrote most of her lines and gave a tremendous performance. Though filmming was marred with tragedy, her terminally ill boyfriend of the time John Cazale died after shooting was complete.

Sophie’s Choice (1982)

Earning Streep’s second Academy Award (she has three, and like, a buttload of nominations,) and this time in Best Leading Actress category. Of course, we’re going to include Sophie’s Choice here. Of course. The utterly traumatic and absolutely shattering, Alan J. Pakula’s film about a Polish immigrant struggling between her two lovers is a painful film about the ramifications of WW2. Streep is delicate, passionate, and crushing with tones of a sorrow-fillled humanity ebbing for forgiveness. That moment in which you figure out exactly where the title comes from is a sob-inducing and sobering scene.

Death Becomes Her (1992)

The ultimate guilty pleasure: a film that is trashy as it is brilliant and regular viewing in my household since I was three. Streep stars alongside Goldie Hawn and Bruce Willis in a movie about sparring women who thwart death with a special potion that makes them look young. While we’re way passed the point of enjoying female rivalry (especially over the nerdy looking Willis,) this humours dark comedy as a gumption about it. Especially when Hawn and Streep are straight up murdering one another all the time.

The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

Though Streep is a household name across the world, she certainly is perhaps most beloved in The Devil Wears Prada even if she is very reviled in it. There’s a really underhand assertion that successful women have to be bitches or ignore their personal lives to get in their high-powered position but, regardless, Streep as the cool and calmly collected but devastatingly insulting Miranda Priestly, editor of a high fashion magazine, is a brilliant performance in this witty film co-written by Crazy Ex-Girlfriend co-creator Aline Brosh McKenna (it is important to us that we mention this fact.)

August: Osage Country (2012)

This vicious and violent movie about the damage of family secrets is a very underappreciated movie considering it contains Julia Roberts, Ewan McGregor, Benedict Cumberbatch, and the late Sam Shepard. The film, based on on award-winning play, revolves around patriarch Beverly Weston who commits suicide and his feuding dysfunctional family gather. Streep plays Violet, a particularly brutal matriarch, suffering from cancer which she cures with pills and alcohol. Her brand of torture is verbal, taking down everyone in her path with a vile tongue and, despicable nature is palpable. Streep takes this awful creature and adds a layer of sympathy and pity that fleshes her out beyond this villain. It’s a quaking and tremendous performance that’s matched by Roberts’ runaway daughter who spars with her regularly. A terrific film that needs more recognition.

The Post is out now!

Features, The Best Of...

The Best of…Tom Hanks

January 18, 2018 Robbie Jones 1 Comment

I’m still convinced that Tom Hanks is the light that shines in this eerie world; the man is pure joy. A delightful screen presence who can do no wrong no matter what the script, Hanks has been a favourite for many years, and now he’s back on our screens with frequent collaborator Steven Spielberg in the historical drama The Post. As such, it’s time to take a look at the man’s best work. Condensing it to five is no easy feat…

Honourable Mentions: Apollo 13, The Green Mile, Sleepless in Seattle, A League of Their Own, Cast Away, and as good as it may be, we’re gonna leave Forrest Gump in the honourable mentions because there are just far more interesting films to talk about.

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

Kicking us off is the first Hanks/Spielberg combination that to this day is still regarded as one of the greatest war films of all time. Saving Private Ryan famously starts with an exhilarating and breathtaking sequence on Omaha beach and though there are many who think the films loses steam once this scene is over, especially considering it’s extended run time, but what follows is very much an emotional and reflective experience with an exceptional leading performance from Hanks. And hey, it’s a hell of a lot better than Shakespeare in Love…

The Toy Story Trilogy (1995 – 2010)

Up next is one of the most beloved franchises of all time; the first two Toy Story films are among the best animated films ever made, offering a beautiful presentation of the heights of imagination that come with being a child. Hanks and Tim Allen are simply unforgettable in their voice roles as Woody and Buzz, with a great supporting cast behind them. The films are hilarious, heartbreaking – The second one in particular and full of wonder, and though the third instalment doesn’t quite live up to it’s predecessors, it’s a worthy entry at least.

Catch Me If You Can (2002)

Is it controversial these days to say that this is the best Spielberg movie? The pair’s second collaboration was a biopic of con artist Frank Abagnale Jr. (Leonardo Dicpario) and the FBI agent desperate to catch him (Hanks), and if it’s not his best, it’s easily in the top five. Catch Me If You Can is slick and stylish but also endearing and one of the most interesting biopics made. A sharp screenplay, excellent direction and while Hanks is good in his supporting role, this is Dicpario’s show all over. Of all the Oscar nominations he got and didn’t win, I’m still astounded that he wasn’t even nominated here for what is easily his best performance.

Big (1988)

Now, it’s time for some pure joy; Penny Marshall’s 1988 hit told the story of Josh Baskin, a young boy dismayed at his height who makes a wish on an eerie carnival machine and, low and behold, he wakes up the next day as a fully grown Tom Hanks, which I’m sure is a dream for absolutely everyone but sadly just not achievable in our stupid real world. Now an adult, Josh takes his childlike wonder to a grown up life, and it’s one of the best feel good films ever made. Hanks is terrific in his first Oscar nominated role, perfectly capturing the essence of a child plunged into a mature world, and while some have pointed out the darker implications of the film’s events, it’s impossible to describe many of this film’s most famous moments as pure glee.

Philadelphia (1993)

Let’s be clear on something, I have no issues with Forrest Gump; in the years following his success, many have changed their minds on the 1994 Best Picture winner and it’s now a fairly hated film among many. Whilst I could never agree it’s a bad film, I could also never agree that it’s his best. Many lists charting Hanks’ top films usually have Forrest right at the top, but I’d say it was the film that earned Hanks his first Oscar that should be in that spot. In 1993, the late great Jonathan Demme brought us a spectacular film in Philadelphia, the story of a gay lawyer discriminated against by his superiors when he contracts AIDS, and his legal fight against them to prove they sabotaged him in light of it. Philadelphia was among the first films to draw attention to AIDS and homophobia, and to this day I insist it should be played in schools on the subject of discrimination. It is a beautiful though heartbreaking film featuring what is easily the best performance Hanks’ career, and as far as I’m concerned, one of the best in film history. The scene in which he translates opera to his lawyer is overwhelming; much like the film as a whole, it’s crushing and enticing, and Hanks is on another level entirely. If you haven’t already, make sure you check this one out.

BONUS:-

What are your favourites?
The Post is out now!

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These Final Hours (2013)

Walking with Dinosaurs (2013)

The Nice Guys (2016)

The Beguiled (2017)

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Every Day (2018)

Beauty and the Beast (2017)

Colossal (2017)

Night at the Museum 3: Secret of the Tomb (2014)

The Guest (2014)

Legion (2017 – )

The Wire (2002)

Chronicle (2012)

Fruitvale Station (2013)

Creed (2016)

Black Panther (2018)

Black Panther is out now!

The Riot Club (2014)

My Cousin Rachel (2017)

Their Finest (2017)

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)

Journey’s End (2018)

Adrift is out in cinemas now!

The Deer Hunter (1978)

Sophie’s Choice (1982)

Death Becomes Her (1992)

The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

August: Osage Country (2012)

The Post is out now!

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

The Toy Story Trilogy (1995 – 2010)

Catch Me If You Can (2002)

Big (1988)

Philadelphia (1993)

Talking Movies and Making Them Too