Mean Girls (2004)

Fifteen years after its release, this film is still as relevant as ever. Based on the book "Queen Bees and Wannabes" by Rosalind Wiseman, the film showcases what being in high school is really like, especially for teenage girls, who live with the desire to be noticed, and the pressure to be popular and liked.

Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) has her first day of "real" school at the age of sixteen, having been home-schooled her entire life thus far. Her parents were zoologists living in Africa, and have only just returned to the United States when her mother was offered tenure at Northwestern University.

On her first day, she doesn't really fit in anywhere; the cliques in the school are already well-established, and there isn't any place for her.

Janis (Lizzy Caplan) and Damian (Daniel Franzese).

But on her second day, she is taken under the wing of outsiders Janis (Lizzy Caplan) and Damian (Daniel Franzese), and introduced to the highly-observed and strict political system of cliques in the school. She is warned primarily about a group called The Plastics, the three most popular girls in school, whose mission in life seems to be making life miserable for everyone else.

However, the next day, Cady is taken in by The Plastics: Gretchen Wieners (Lacey Chabert), Karen Smith (Amanda Seyfried), and self-appointed leader Regina George (Rachel McAdams).

At Janis's insistence, Cady infiltrates The Plastics, observing them from within, and passing information on their goings-on to Janis and Damian.

Unfortunately, it isn't long before Cady starts to take her new lifestyle and emerging personality a little too far, becoming a Plastic herself, to the detriment of her other relationships.

L-R: Gretchen Wieners (Lacey Chabert), Regina George (Rachel McAdams),Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan), Karen Smith (Amanda Seyfried).

I don't want to spoil things, in case there are still people out there who haven't seen this film yet, but the story carries with it many lessons and messages that are still as important and relevant to young people as they were when the film was made. (In fact, the lessons of the film are still so important, the film was recently adapted into a Broadway musical, and is enjoying great success on the stage after more than 600 performances at the time of writing).

The screenplay, written by Tina Fey (who also plays math teacher Ms. Norbury), is very clever. There are so many quotable lines that have quickly become part of popular culture. The characters are all very clearly defined, with plenty of conflicts, but there are also plenty of teachable moments. Having said that, the film doesn't come across as didactic in viewing as it actually is, which I believe is testament to its genius. Fey shows her incredible talent for writing (particularly comedy) here, and also plays the role of Ms. Norbury in a brilliantly understated way.

The costume design (by Mary Jane Fort) and production design (by Cary White) are also perfectly on point, establishing character and location respectively in such a strong way.

Ms. Norbury (Tina Fey).

It is in the performances of the cast, however, where this film truly shines. In particular, Lindsay Lohan and Rachel McAdams play their respective roles with perfection, breathing real life into their characters, characters that could have fallen into cliche in the hands of other performers. Amanda Seyfried also deserves a mention here; playing a character as unintelligent as Karen actually requires a great deal of intelligence and skill, both of which she displays beautifully.

Director Mark Waters has made a wonderful film here, a teen classic that still stands the test of time, and is sure to continue to delight and educate audiences for years to come. It doesn't matter how many times I see this film, it still gets to me every time.

If you haven't seen it yet, you totally should check it out as soon as you can. This film is totally "fetch", and with Mean Girls Day (yes, it is a thing) tomorrow, now is the perfect time to do so.

9 out of 10.

127 Hours (2010)

Based on the book 'Between a Rock and a Hard Place' by Aron Ralston, this film tells the true story of a man who spent - you guessed it - 127 hours with his arm trapped under a rock.

Aron (James Franco) is an intrepid adventurer, and one Saturday, he ventures into the canyons of Utah, planning to rappel down a cliff face. After meeting strangers Kristi (Kate Mara) and Megan (Amber Tamblyn), and showing them to the climb they are looking for, he heads off on his own.

While climbing down between two rock faces, the rock he is standing on slips beneath him, and as he falls, the rock falls too, and traps his arm against the cliff.

Aron Ralston (James Franco).

Try as he might, he cannot pull it free and, given that no one else knows where he is, faces the prospect that he will inevitably die here.

Nevertheless, over the coming days, he tries as many things as he can think of to free himself, while also recording a video message for his parents (Treat Williams and Kate Burton) in case anything goes wrong.

I won't go any further with plot description, you really need to see it for yourself.

It goes without saying that the majority of the film consists of only James Franco on screen, and he carries this incredibly well. It takes a real talent to hold the attention of the audience with only one person, but Franco is truly in his element here. There are occasional flashbacks to earlier memories, including the turbulent relationship with ex-girlfriend Rana (Clémence Poésy), and his close relationship with his sister Sonja (Lizzy Caplan).

Aron Ralston (James Franco) and Rana (Clémence Poésy).

The screenplay is written by Danny Boyle & Simon Beaufoy, based on Ralston's own memoir. I have not read the book, so cannot comment on the quality of the adaptation, but the script is very well constructed. Again, with only one person on screen for the majority of the film, it cannot have been an easy undertaking, but the writers have managed to inject the script with plenty of action, and plenty of conflict, so that you will be on the edge of your seat from the moment Aron falls until the film's conclusion.

A. R. Rahman's music is barely present, but in a good way. At no point does any underscoring detract from what is going on on screen, but the few times where music is used, it is always supporting the on-screen action or, more to the point, the increasing level of tension and suspense.

Where this film truly shines is in its cinematography. Enrique Chediak and Anthony Dod Mantle have captured not only the beautiful landscape of the natural environment, but also bring us right into the action when Aron finds himself trapped. The camera shots are well balanced between the vision from his camcorder and traditional shots that take in all the action. But at all times, we are right there in the middle of everything, experiencing Aron's growing terror along with him.

Aron Ralston (James Franco).

Director Danny Boyle has truly captured the emotion and fear of Aron's experience here. Despite having seen this film several times before, I still found myself drawn in yet again watching it for the purposes of writing this review; every twist and turn in the plot shocked me all over again.

If you haven't seen this film yet, I suggest you watch it at your earliest convenience.

7 out of 10.