Trailer: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

For the record, I actually thought the first film, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, was excellent. Entertaining and funny with enjoyable performances, it was everything you wanted from a classic Disney family adventure film. Since then, I've seen none of the sequels. This may just be my relentless cynicism, or it could speak volumes about where the series has gone since its original incarnation. Either way, the fourth one is here, with the addition of Ian McShane and Penélope Cruz to the standard cast. Given my apathy towards the franchise, my opinion is invalid, so I've posted the trailer so everyone else can see what they think. Regardless, I'm sure this 3D blockbuster will rake in the cash come summer time, giving the studio licence for, dare I say it, another sequel. Johnny Depp's wallet must be more like a toddler's booster seat by now.

Trailer: Super 8

We'll be doing a full preview on J.J. Abrams' upcoming summer sci-fi thriller Super 8 very soon, since it's one of our most anticipated films of the year. For the time being, just watch the latest trailer for the film, and let the old-school Spielberg (producer and huge creative influence on the project) vibes wash over you.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt Confirmed for The Dark Knight Rises, will play Alberto Falcone

The rumour mill at the centre of The Dark Knight Rises, follow up to Christopher Nolan's hugely successful Batman Begins (2005) and The Dark Knight (2008), has been working overdrive, and now it appears at least one of its predictions will come to fruition. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, rumoured from the beginning to join fellow Inception actor Tom Hardy in Rises, will play Alberto Falcone, Variety reports. Alberto is the son of mob boss Carmine Falcone, a major antagonist in Batman Begins, so his presence fits neatly into Nolan's story arc. He also moonlights as the villain Holiday in Nolan's favourite and most-referenced Batman story, The Long Halloween. It's rumoured that Selina Kyle (Catwoman, to be played by Anne Hathaway) will have an interesting relationship with Alberto, believing Carmine Falcone to be her father too, as she does in the comic Catwoman: When in Rome.

Variety also reports that British actress Juno Temple will be joining the cast. The youngster has impressed with roles in Atonement, Notes on a Scandal and most recently in the psychological drama Cracks alongside Eva Green. There's no news yet on who she might be playing other than it'll be a 'street-smart Gotham girl'. Holly Robinson could be a possibility; in the comics she is trained by Selina Kyle. She's also a lesbian, which as Black Swan proved, can do wonders for the marketing of a film. Another possibility could be Harley Quinn, since Temple could certainly pull off the gothic clown look.

Traditionally comic-book films struggle with the problem of packing in too many characters, think Spider-Man 3. But Nolan proved with Inception that he's extremely adept at balancing a large cast, and it certainly seems that he's building a similarly epic ensemble here. Excitement levels are beginning to bubble for the summer 2012 release.

Trailer: Larry Crowne

Ok, this looks like a run-of-the-mill drama/rom-com, the only reason I'm posting it as an interest is the talent involved and the mildly topical subject matter. Tom Hanks plays a man who, having just lost his job, goes back to college to find some qualification, and ends up finding himself along the way, as well as Julia Roberts, his class teacher. Sound familiar? Hopefully Hanks and Roberts can make it interesting by returning to their previous superb form in this, Hanks' first directorial role since his debut back in 1996 with That Thing You Do!. At least we can hope.

Review: Blue Valentine

Although a basic concept in theory Blue Valentine manages to transform the simple love story into something altogether more complex. Not an easy watch, but certainly a rewarding one.

They say love and hate are different sides of the same coin. A thin veil separating feelings of strong adoration and strong detester. But what is left when both of these feelings are gone? The answer is indifference, a feeling more corrosive to a relationship than dislike or disdain can ever be. This is the area that Blue Valentine exposes, as well as everything in between. Not only are all these phases of a relationship shown, they are in shown in tangent to each other. This could have ended in disaster but is actually one of the elements of the film that makes it stand out from the crowd of other romantic dramas. It’s directed in a way which uses jumps in the timeline very effectively showing the beginning and the end of the relationship simultaneously. This makes the story more than just a linear process tracking a relationship. Depending on your preference, this can either provide an interesting prospective or complicate a rather simple narrative. It is a concept that allows us to see the striking changes that the relationship goes through. Showing scenes from the beginning and the end really serves to emphasise the message of the film, that passion fades.

Review: Catfish

Catfish is the kind of movie that you’ll be discussing as soon as the credits start rolling. It is an unexpected and beautifully made film, which will surprise you in ways that you could not predict.

This was a little project which made the rounds at various film festivals and art-house cinemas around the country last year without getting a major release. It’s now available on DVD and this review is to point out the film if it passed you by last year.

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