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Green Room (2015)
9/10
It creates more tension than a math exam
17 May 2016
Green Room is so far one of the best films of 2016. It doesn't heavily invest in character development nor can you find some deep philosophical meaning from it. But what it delivers is extreme tension and gore that actually makes you cringe.

The plot revolves around a financially poor punk band who perform a gig to a skinhead club. Later, one of the members gets into trouble and they all get locked in to green room. What follows is an adrenaline rush for the viewers. The main characters are faced against skinheads who want them dead as fast as possible.

Though the plot may sound a bit silly, it most definitely isn't. The neo-Nazis in this film are actually terrifying. They are ruthless cold people, however they are also hesitant. They know that the punk band can fight back, so caution must be taken. This shows that the people in this film are realistic. They fear, but they can also cause fear. That is also one of strong aspects of this film- realism. When things happen, there will be consequences. That also applies to gore. The gore will make you cringe. It's realistic and they show you every little detail. When somebody gets injured, they suffer from that injury, making them weaker and easier to kill. The feeling that somebody may die any second creates tension I have never witnessed before.

Another strong point is the acting. Though some of the band members are a bit dull, performances from Anton Yelchin and Imogen Poots are fantastic. They are dumb, they have not been in that sort of situation before and they will make dumb decisions, sometimes causing a lot of harm. Another special performance is from Patrick Stewart, who plays the head of the skinheads. My god this man was born for this roll. Every scene is instantly better, when he appears. Whenever he speaks, people listen. People are afraid of him, because he is smart. He knows how to act in these kind of situations. But even he is afraid, because he has to deal with the problem as fast as possible or he will face suspicion from the police. I honestly think that Patrick Stewart should be nominated for an Oscar for that incredible performance.

I also loved the camera work. The scenes in the green room feel claustrophobic with shots close to the faces. The scenes away from the green room look awesome as well. For example, the clubhouse looks empty, dark and quiet, creating some intense shots.

The only negative point is that some of the dialogue is a bit weird at times. At some points the members of the band say things no sane person would say in intense situations, for example: "Let's split up! Alright good idea!" It may distract you sometimes, but overall it's not the worst flaw in cinema history.

All in all, Green Room is a must see film, I was sad to see only 3 other people in the cinema with me as this film deserves so much more.
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4/10
A forgettable film
17 May 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Our Kind of Traitor is that type of film that isn't totally rubbish, but it's not exactly Casino Royale either. It's one of the most mediocre films I have ever seen. To begin with, the plot is uninteresting. Basically, it's about a university teacher Perry (Ewan McGregor) who tries to help a guy called Dima (Stellan Skarsgård), who is from the Russian mafia. Perry is assisted by his wife Gail (Naomi Harris)and a guy from the MI6 called Hector (Damien Lewis) , who also has some generic agent friends. The plot is filled with problems. Why would a poetry teacher help a Russian mafia? Well the movie doesn't really explain it. Perry just agrees to help Dima, just because Dima seems like a friendly bloke. The relationship problems between Gail and Perry are unnecessary for the film. It never shows how they work out their problems, they just sort of get along after a while. Also, there is no real villain. There are just some guys, who don't like Dima (for a special reason) and want him dead. And that's it! It's boring all the way through by not having any interesting dialogue or memorable scenes.

Visually it's nothing special. It's just really bland and gray. Some of the special effects are of questionable quality as well. The music is unnoticeable. Intense music was there when needed, but there isn't much else.

Now the only reason this film is not horrible, is because the acting is decent at times. Ewan McGregor and Naomi Harris try their best, but they can't really save much, because of the boring dialogue. Stellan Skarsgård was miscast . His stereotypical Russian accent is embarrassingly bad and he just doesn't feel like a guy, who would be in the Russian mafia. Furthermore, the family of Dima is a weird one. They speak English in Russian family. The only constantly speaking Russian member was the mother, but even she was unconvincing . However, Damian Lewis did a great job. I thought his character was interesting and I understood his motives. He was also the best written character, but that doesn't say much in this film.

Overall, you should probably avoid seeing Our kind of Traitor. It is average in pretty much all aspects.
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