'Avatar' (2009) directed by James Cameron

Ok, it's a given that this film is visually spectacular. It's definitely unlike anything I've seen, the 3D and the colour, the whole thing, it is a genuine cinematic experience. Definitely see this in the cinema, don't wait for the DVD. Aside from that though, the story of the film is pretty bland and predicatable. If it wasn't so visually arresting, I think I would have gotten quite bored. In fact, I did get a little bored in parts because the story just didn't excite me in the same way that the effects did. It's a story ridden with cliches meaning that it felt like I'd seen this movie before. It's basically your classic epic tale of a soldier falling in love with a woman from the enemy side and then being faced with the decision about where his allegiances truly lie. The problem is, this classic structure makes the film utterly predictable and the characters aren't strong enough to make it really interesting. There's a sci-fi twist to it, sure, but there is some pretty shocking writing in this film, the opening third is pure exposition of the worst kind and there appear to be some scenes and speeches virtually lifted straight from 'Braveheart'. This film also suffers from having "bad guys" who are "bad" simply because they are "bad guys". I can't stand that kind of thing. At the end of the day though, this film is really all about dazzling special effects and it truly delivers in this respect, it is certainly amazing to look at. I just wish the effort put into the visual side of things was matched by the writing.

'Dog Day Afternoon' (1975) directed by Sidney Lumet

Excellent film. I really, really liked it. The performances are excellent, particularly Al Pacino who just dominates. He's an amazing actor. I really liked the largely improvised dialogue between characters, improvisation creates an interesting dynamic. The way the film is structured is really interesting too, there's always this build up of tension and then the tension is broken, this pattern repeats constantly, subtly giving more information about the characters. You never really get the sense that the central characters are essentially doomed, there is always this element of hope and humour in the film.