The Christmas holidays are a great time to treat yourself and your loved ones to the cinema. Deciding what to watch can often be difficult as the busy season offers a wide range of movies to view – some forgettable and others equally unforgettable. For your viewing pleasure, I have included some of my top picks for the holiday season below.

Where The Wild Things Are (PG)

I recall vividly the book written by Maurice Sendak from my childhood and therefore was very keen to see how the movie played out. Max (Max Records), as in the book version, likes to play out his fantasies and dress up as a monster. He is particularly frustrated at home and requires an outlet to let his imagination fly. After an especially traumatic day whereupon the frustration builds into extreme rage, he disobeys his mother and attempts to bite her. Embarrassed, confused and angry, Max runs off into the night with his mother (Catherine Keener) chasing after him.

Once he stops running, he finds himself cold and alone and enters an imaginary world in which he can set sail to an island in order to find peace and happiness. The island is inhabited by monsters and as is possible in a childhood dream, he convinces them that he is a Viking king and sets out to rule them promising to keep unhappiness and disappointment at bay. But even in the dreamlike world, he realises that making unrealistic promises can be difficult to keep and after much disappointment once again, he sets home to be comforted by his mum who is ready to offer her arms in a tight hug and a warm smile.

The monsters from the story transform well to the big screen and much of the cinematography is a joy to behold. The movie lapses slightly on the island in terms of the energy we are presented with at the start of the production but overall I found it kept my attention for the most part. I felt Spike Jonze did the book and story justice and I for one was glad to see the story brought to life visually.

Review: 3.5/5

Away We Go (MA 15+)

Verona De Tessant (Maya Rudolph) and Burt Farlander (John Krasinski) are two thirty-somethings adjusting to an unexpected pregnancy. In terms of their lifestyle, they have not quite matured from the casual lifestyle of their student days. Now with the impending birth of their baby in a couple of months they realise that it is now time to make the leap from just surviving in a house to truly making a home for themselves and their family. Knowing that raising a child is a big responsibility they venture out on a road trip in search of a perfect place to raise their child.

The cast is well supported by Catherine O’Hara and Jeff Daniels as parents to Burt and caring grandparents to their unborn grandchild. Melanie Lynskey, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Allison Janney all give wonderful supporting roles as friends of the couple with one or more issues that seems to clash with the ideas of Burt and Verona. One thing you find out when you are pregnant is that everyone seems to be an expert on all pregnancy related issues however Burt and Verona have enough sense to realise that do not need any outside assistance in order to raise their child.

Overall this is a refreshingly funny and honest film about two people entering the unknown world of parenthood. Directed by Sam Mendes, he once again shows that he knows his craft, especially when it comes to movies focusing directly on relationships.

Review: 3.5/5

Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs (G)

Sick of dining on sardines due to a sardine economic crisis, Flint Lockwood inventor extraordinaire comes up with a machine that can manufacture food from water – to order. His unveiling of the machine goes horribly wrong and not only does he manage to upset the entire population of Swallow Falls but his beloved machine is sent hurtling into the clouds. As his machine is lodged in the clouds, it does not rain water as one might expect but hamburgers as his machine was programmed to do.

Mayor Shelbourne, quick to capitalise on any scheme to save their poverty stricken town, realises that this is his chance to put Swallow Falls back on the map. He convinces Flint that he must make it rain 3 meals a day in preparation for the great unveiling of a new tourist town. Sam Sparks, aspiring TV meteorologist, sees this as her manna from heaven giving her a chance to shine and prove to the world that she is more then just a pretty face. Everyone is seemingly happy with the situation except for Flint’s dad Tim who owns a failing fishing tackle shop and would like to see Flint go into business with him.

Messing about with molecular structures day in and day out causes the machine to have a breakdown creating uncontrollable gastronomical weather issues. And it is up to Flint Lockwood, Sam Sparks and his pet monkey to save the day.

It has to be said that the graphics and colours used are very appealing especially for younger children and the movie works particularly well in 3D. Delicious fun and sweet to boot, Sony should be happy with the box-office results.

Review 3.5/5

The Brothers Bloom (M)

Mark Ruffalo and Adrien Brody are brothers – Stephen and Bloom. Passed from foster home to foster home, they discover that Stephen has a knack for knowing what people will do in a given set of situations and creating complicated cons to worm money and even love from unsuspecting victims.

25 years on and looking to create his own identity away from his brother’s scripted cons, Bloom finally makes the effort to leave. However his brother hunts him down and convinces him to return in order to do one final con. The mark in this case is Penelope Stamp (Rachel Weisz), a beautiful but seemingly very odd millionaire heiress who has a hobby of collecting other people’s hobbies. The con is to lure Penelope away from her lifestyle and con her out of some of her cash.

The duo is aided by Bang Bang (Rinko Kikuchi), an explosive expert and silent partner, in all manners of the word. She (oddly enough) appeared one day and the Bloom brothers figure that she will stay and aid with the cons until she has had enough and decides to leave of her own accord.

There are moments of real skill shown by the director and writer Rian Johnson, and the actors work very effectively with the script. The delivery of many of the lines are flawless and the actors manage to add real meaning into the oddly situated scenes and characters. Overall I felt it was too stylised for my liking although I did get a few laughs out of it.

Review: 3/5