I guess everything comes back around. Like your goddamn ties.

Date: Monday 15th April

Another day, another trip to The PCC (are we surprised? I bloody love it there), and this time I am introducing my sister to a double bill of films (again with a Q&A) by a writer/director that I love. A writer/director who is tirelessly working on making new and innovative films, or at least films that don't rely on the same old story telling techniques we see a thousand times over. First up...

Film: Brick (2005)
Director: Rian Johnson
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Lukas Haas and Emilie de Ravin
Running time: 01 hour, 50 minutes
Rating: 9/10

I adore this film. I've seen it more times than is healthy. It is a fabulous noir thriller, harping back to classic detective thrillers that we haven't seen since the early days of cinema. It is modernised, taking from the mysteries of old, it tells the story of high school student searching in the shadows to find out what has happened to his ex-girlfriend. he has a couple of clues that make no sense, red herrings throwing him off and
an impenetrable group who know more than they are willing to tell.

I don't want to tell more, the brilliance of this film is all in the mystery. With a fabulous cast and an awesome script, it's hard to believe that this was Rian Johnson's debut. A near perfect film.

After a brief break for supper and a quick Q&A with the man of the hour, in which we learnt a lot more about how Rian Johnson works and what he aims to achieve with his films, it was time to settle down for the second movie of the night and, in comparison to Brick, Rian's big money gamble. A mind-bending time travel film with a decent budget, a big name cast and the chance for Rian to prove that he can do action as well as he can do drama...

Film: Looper (2012)
Director: Rian Johnson
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt and Jeff Daniels
Running Time : 1 hour 59 minutes
Rating: 9.5/10

I've gushed about this film before, and I have nothing to add. With each viewing I feel like I learn a little more about the ,story, about the characters, about the future.

Yes, the time travel logic is a little flawed but if you are looking that deeply into the timeline of a film, you don't deserve nice things.

Challenge day: 201
Challenge time: 12 days, 20 hours, 30 minutes
Challenge film total: 158

You can't change your situation. The only thing that you can change is how you choose to deal with it

Date: Sunday 3rd February
Film: 50/50 (2011)
Director: Jonathan Levine
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen and Anna Kendrick
Running time: 01 hour, 40 minutes
Rating: 8.5/10

Considering the subject matter, 50/50 could have gone two ways - it could be a 'pulling on your heartstrings, sobbing your heart out, serious cancer' film or it could be a 'laugh at cancer with inappropriate jokes' film. Luckily enough, 50/50 manages to combine both of these to be a genuine, heartwarming, funny, touching film about those dealing with cancer.

Joseph Gordon-Leviit is wonderful (I wouldn't expect anything less), as a man dealing with illness and the effect it has on his life, relationships and outlook on the world around him. Supported by Rogen, managing to be appropriately funny, and Anna Kendrick being sublime as usual, 50/50 is a movie that could have been a disaster in any other hands but excels, for me.

It manages that difficult task of being both funny and sad. As soon as you feel yourself getting to close to a sob they manage to drop a line that makes you laugh out loud.

I have a real soft spot for this film.

Challenge day: 131
Challenge time: 08 days, 12 hours, 54 minutes
Challenge film total: 105

You mustn't be afraid to dream a little bigger, darling.

Date: Tuesday 11th December
Film: Inception (2010)
Director: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy and Ellen Page
Running time: 02 hours, 28 minutes
Rating: 9/10

I have the flat to myself and following a weekend of Christopher Nolan films, and revisiting my love for Joseph Gordon-Levitt, it was only fair that I settled down in front of the telly with Inception.

This is a film that I loved from the first viewing, it challenges viewers without alienating them and brings a new twist to traditional mystery stories. Plus  it's one of the only two films in which I get the whole Tom Hardy thing (the other being Bronson).

Something new seems to pop up with every viewing, and my opinion on the meaning of the closing scene changes throughout the film.

And, it's beautifully shot, the folding Parisian street scene is something to behold, as are the slow motion exploding market stalls.

Challenge day: 79
Challenge time: 04 days, 07 hours, 30 minutes
Challenge film total: 54

This time travel crap, just fries your brain like a egg...

Date: Wednesday 10th October
Film: Looper (2012)
Director: Rian Johnson
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt and Jeff Daniels
Running Time : 1 hour 58 minutes
Rating: 9.5/10

Wednesday night, off to the cinema for a new film that I've been waiting forever to see. Worth the wait? Yes. Definitely.

The story has the potential to be really confusing - in 2044 Joe works as a looper. In 2074 the mob send people back in time and Joe is responsible for killing them, no matter who they are. When the mob wants to retire the looper, they send their future self back for them to kill. Except Old Joe comes back, and escapes before Joe can kill him. Setting off a chain of events that can potentially change the future and the present.

Rian Johnson has written the film in a way that explains the more complicated parts of the plot in an understanding way without talking down to the audience. Joseph Gordon-Leviit excels (as usual - has this boy ever made a bad film?), particularly in his mimicry of Bruce Willis, whilst the prosthetics help him with the look, he enhances his act by recreating the mannerisms, the mouth movements and the tone of voice that Bruce Willis is well known for.

Kudos to Emily Blunt for a brilliant Midwest accent, to Paul Dano for a scene stealing performance and to Pierce Gagnon for successfully creeping me out.

I can see why Rian Johnson is getting comparisons to Christopher Nolan, in the same way that Inception was a fresh take on something we've seen done many ways before, Looper is a brilliant take on the well trod time travel film.

Go see it.

Challenge day: 17
Challenge time : 01 days, 00 hours, 02 minutes.
Challenge film total: 12