1. Gnomeo & Juliet – £2,502,806
2. Paul – £2,073,462
3. I Am Number Four – £1,628,523
4. Yogi Bear – £1,465, 863
5. Tangled – £1,352,104
6. The King’s Speech – £1,207,963
7. Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son – £993,485
8. No Strings Attached – £978,974
9. True Grit – £862.260
10. West Is West – £758,226
Rubber revolves around a tyre, Robert, that’s been buried and forgotten in the middle of the desert. When, for some unknown reason, Robert wakes up and discovers his destructive telepathic powers, he soon sets his sights on a desert town; in particular, a mysterious woman who becomes his obsession.
The film, an ode to 1970’s experimental filmmaking, serves as a wonderful social commentary piece of film by not only playing on the typical conventions of commonplace horror films, but by bravely eradicating the “fourth wall” by establishing a subplot of spectators watching the action through binoculars; essentially a film within a film.
The script is solid, and the humour builds on itself in tiers, sprouting from the perplexing moments of hilarity to the ludicrous crescendo of the conclusion, where every element of the film comes together in an ending that, if nothing else, will make sure you never look at a supposedly inanimate object the same ever again.
Quentin Dupieux’ vision, inspired dialogue and dark, stony humor is fluently brought to life by the innovative cast, and the buoyant nature Robert annihilates other living beings.
Jack Plotnick, especially, exhibits the uncommon talent to carry a scene from laugh out loud humorous to acutely afflicting in a matter of seconds, delivering his lines in a magnificent, whimsical style.
Mr Oizo’s soundtrack compliments the on-screen action sublimely and, by working in unison with the excellently lingering, often intentionally off-frame cinematography, builds up and up as Robert, a rolling tyre, is made into the main character, one displaying wholly human characteristics, a feat that’s rarely achieved so distinctively.
Rubber is a uniquely screwy horror-comedy that supplies a fascinating blend of carnage and farcicality, moulding it into a striking romp that deserves to find its audience.
Another Year
Director: Mike Leigh
Starring: Ruth Sheen, Jim Broadbent and Lesley Manville
Easy A
Director: Will Gluck
Starring: Emma Stone, Amanda Bynes and Penn Badgley
Paranormal Activity 2
Director: Tod Williams
Starring: Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat and Molly Ephraim
Africa United
Director: Debs Gardner-Paterson
Starring: Eriya Ndayambaje, Roger Nsengiyumva and Sanyu Joanita Kintu
Leap Year
Director: Michael Rowe
Starring: Monica del Carmen, Gustavo Sánchez Parra and Armando Hernández
Primal
Director: Josh Reed
Starring: Krew Boylan, Ch’aska Cuba de Reed and Santiago Cuba de Reed
Best Picture
Best Director
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Supporting Actor
Best Supporting Actress
Best Original Screenplay
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Animated Film
Best Foreign Language Film
Best Documentary
Best Art Direction
Best Cinematography
Best Visual Effects
Best Costume Design
Best Editing
Best Makeup
Best Short Film (Live Action)
Best Short Film (Animated)
Best Short Film (Documentary)
Best Original Score
Best Original Song
Best Sound Mixing
Best Sound Editing
1. Gnomeo & Juliet – $14,200,000
2. Hall Pass – $13,400,000
3. Unknown – $12,400,000
4. Just Go With It – $11,100,000
5. I Am Number Four – $11,000,000
6. Justin Bieber: Never Say Never – $9,200,000
7. The King’s Speech – $7,700,000
8. Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son – $7,600,000
9. Drive Angry 3D – $5,100,000
10. True Grit – $1,900,000
Worst Picture
Worst Actor
Worst Actress
Worst Supporting Actor
Worst Supporting Actress
Worst Eye-Gouging Mis-Use Of 3D
Worst Screen Couple/Worst Screen Ensemble
Worst Director
Worst Screenplay
Worst Prequel, Remake Rip-off Or Sequel
Best Feature
Best Male
Best Female
Best Supporting Male
Best Supporting Female
Best Director
Best Cinematography
Best First Feature
Best Documentary
Best Foreign Film
Robert Altman Award
John Cassavetes Award
Best First Screenplay
Best Screenplay
Drive Angry 3D follows Milton (Nicolas Cage), a hardened felon who has broken out of hell in order to save his baby granddaughter from being sacrificed to a satanic cult, led by the man who murdered his daughter, Jonah King (Billy Burke).
Teaming up with young sexy-smart waitress, Piper (Amber Heard), Milton must put the cult to an end while outrunning the advances of an enigmatic killer known only as The Accountant (William Fichtner), who is sent from hell to bring Milton back.
Patrick Lussier has elevated his My Bloody Valentine craft to an even trashier level, with the accentuation on uninspired tones, sexy woman and fast cars contriving that 70’s exploitation feel, throwing carnage at the screen with delirious exuberance.
He keeps the pacing tight, conforming to the ticking clock aspect of the plot and lets the film advance along on a never-ending cascade of fistfights, gunfights, explosions and snarky banter.
However, no matter how much blood and bare flesh grace the screen, Drive Angry, especially in it’s third act, is left feeling lifeless and padded at times, mainly due to the slapdash script, never quite matcheing the success Quentin Tarantino reached with his magnificent Death Proof.
The 3D element serves its purpose by immersing the viewer in the world and seldom being distracting, but it never adds anything or reinforces the overall viewing experience to compensate the heightened ticket price.
Cage, in a role similar to the one he played in Ghost Rider, looks tired, acting throughout with a glazed expression that implies he simply isn’t enjoying himself or has any belief in the source material, which, in turn, withholds the film from reaching its true potential.
Heard and Fichtner triumph over Cage in every way; getting the best dialogue, having the most convincing physical presence, and purely playing characters that are entertaining to watch.
Drive Angry 3D is easy, somewhat fun weekend viewing. Simple as that.
Directed by D.J. Caruso – and adapted by Alfred Gough, Miles Miller and Marti Noxon – I Am Number Four is new teen-based sci-fi adventure film based on the best-selling novel by Pittacus Lore.
Extraordinary teen John Smith (Alex Pettyfer) is a fugitive on the run from ruthless enemies sent to destroy him. Changing his identity, moving from town to town with his guardian Henri (Timothy Olyphant), John is always the new kid with no ties to his past.
In the small Ohio town he now calls home, John encounters unexpected, life-changing events – his first love (Dianna Agron), powerful new abilities, and a connection to the others who share his incredible destiny.
The first two thirds of the film are irritating, evoking scenes from any pointless high school drama series you’d care to waste your time naming. It’s a bland, and all-too smooshy opening, one that drags on for an unrelenting amount of time.
Thankfully, but ultimately much too late, the third act pushes the saccharine romance to one side and hits a higher point with the arrival of Number Six (Teresa Palmer), a deadpan snarker in black leather, who unites with Number Four to defend their species from the invading Mogadorians, wrecking a path of carnage as they release their newfound supernatural powers.
Alex Pettyfer, in his second attempt to hit the big time, makes for a satisfactory lead, but ultimately feels out of his depth, never quite encapsulating Number Four to the extend needed to hold viewers’ attention.
Dianna Agron is good enough in the role of Number Four’s eternal soulmate, but she doesn’t have the experience, or solid-enough source material, to elevate her character to a higher level.
The special effects are competent, but nothing exceptional, and fail bring the intriguing subject matter, and life-altering final battle to life.
The soundtrack, and use of songs from pop bands The xx to King of Leon, feels bizarre and enervating, never contributing or highlight anything of importance in the film.
I Am Number Four is a pedestrian, poorly executed and badly cast supernatural thriller that tries hard, but ultimately fails to connect.
Drive Angry 3D
Director: Patrick Lussier
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Amber Heard and William Fichtner
No Strings Attached
Director: Ivan Reitman
Starring: Natalie Portman, Ashton Kutcher and Greta Gerwig
The Rite
Director: Mikael Håfström
Starring: Colin O’Donoghue, Anthony Hopkins and Ciarán Hinds
Animal Kingdom
Director: David Michôd
Starring: James Frecheville, Guy Pearce and Joel Edgerton
Howl
Director: Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman
Starring: James Franco, Mary-Louise Parker and Jon Hamm
West Is West
Director: Andy DeEmmony
Starring: Aqib Khan, Om Puri and Linda Bassett
Waste Land
Director: Lucy Walker, Karen Harley and João Jardim
Starring: Vik Muniz
Empty Screens 