IRON MAN
Robert Downey Jr has made one hell of a comeback, after drink and drugs had seemingly killed his career he has somehow not only returned to previous heights but seems to have emerged as Hollywood's golden boy. After working his way back to the top with a series of impressive supporting roles in the likes of 'Zodiac' and 'A Scanner Darkly', 2008 has seen Downey Jr steal the show in 'Tropic Thunder', line up the title role in Guy Ritchie's upcoming 'Sherlock Holmes' and most notably taking centre stage in 'Iron Man'. He plays Tony Stark, playboy billionaire and arms dealer extraordinaire who is kidnapped during a demonstration in Afghanistan. With a piece of shrapnel embedded in his chest and an electromagnet stopping it from penetrating his heart, Stark builds an iron suit to escape his captors and makes his way home. Once back he embarks on developing a more complex suit whilst unknown to him the grip he holds on his company and his life are under threat from an unlikely foe.
Although 'Iron Man' struggles to hide that it is little more than an origin story and the birth of a franchise, it does a near perfect job of establishing character and purpose for the (three already announced) sequels. Downey Jr is a revelation in the lead and has created one of the best alter egos in Tony Stark that the superhero genre has seen. Stark's charisma is undeniably what makes 'Iron Man' distinguish itself from the crowd, the supporting performances from Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Pots and Jeff Bridges as Obadiah Stone act as the solid base upon which he is allowed to form. Story-wise there is nothing particularly ground-breaking, Iron Man's origin is compelling but once the suit is completed the thrust is lost and the final act is merely a series of crashes and bangs to shoehorn in the obligatory big fight climax. Up until then events are nothing short of gripping and it's fortunate that the film was made with the sequels in mind, as they have the potential to eradicate memories of the weak ending with the foundations that have been laid. In fact, the weakest link on this occasion, Terrence Howard, has been replaced by Don Cheadle for the 2010 follow up so there's every reason to be excited about the next chapter.
Verdict: A sturdy start for a franchise that looks set to only get better, as long as Downey Jr maintains the high standard set.
THE EDGE OF LOVE
Scripted by Sharman MacDonald, mother of the film's star Keira Knightley, 'The Edge of Love' is a film loosely based on the real life events of poet Dylan Thomas (Matthew Rhys). Set during the second World War, events are sparked by Thomas running back into his childhood sweetheart Vera Phillips (Knightley) and it seems the two still have feelings for each other. However, Thomas is now married to wife Caitlin (Sienna Miller) who, despite some early frostiness, becomes friends with Vera. This friendly rivalry is nothing compared to the conflict that arises between Thomas and soldier William (Cillian Murphy), who marries Vera before he's deployed abroad. It's a tale ultimately about the relationships between the four, with romance, mistrust and jealousy at the core.
The quality in performance of the four leads is staggeringly diverse, Knightley is superb and her Welsh accent is spot on, Rhys does a fine job portraying a brooding bastard of a poet, Murphy is dull and droll albeit in a role that allows him to do little more while Miller is shockingly bad and frankly shown up by the rest of the cast. Whether her accent was supposed to be English, Welsh or Irish seems destined to remain a mystery, however, the role was originally scheduled to be played by Lindsay Lohan so it may be the case that Miller's presence represents the lesser of two evils. The film's early dreamy vibe is enticing and draws you into the life of the poet and his friends, but later scenes in Wales seem dreary and the story peters out as it becomes clear that the characters lack the depth to carry such a feeling-heavy film.
Verdict: Less about Dylan Thomas than his friends and acquaintances, and none are well constructed enough to care too much about.
It may appear that M. Night Shyamalan is intent on seeing his career sink without a trace, but did he really have to try and drag down Mark Wahlberg with him. Now I'm a big fan of Marky Mark, despite a number of flops he has shown in the likes of 'The Departed' and 'Boogie Nights' his excellent acting capabilities, yet I can't help but worry for the direction of his career. 'The Happening' is a monumental flop, not only is it badly scripted, badly acted, possesses a terrible title and is frankly directionless but it's sanctimonious central message is too tough to swallow. The entirety of Shyamalan's wafer-thin plot simply concerns mother nature turning on us humans and releasing a toxin that makes us kill ourselves. This - as it is practically rammed down the audiences throats - is a warning that if we don't treat the environment better then it will come back to haunt us. It's less of a lesson and more of a stern telling off. 
