The Young Victoria

Cast
Emily Blunt
Rupert Friend
Miranda Richardson
Jim Broadbent
Thomas Kretschmann
Paul Bettany
Mark Strong
Julian Glover
Screenwriter
Julian Fellowes
Director
Jean-Marc Vallée
Running Time
104m 39s

1837. Princess Victoria (Blunt) succeeds her uncle as monarch, but is caught up in a power struggle involving her mother (Richardson), her mother's mentor (Strong), Lord Melbourne (Paul Bettany) and Robert Peel (Michael Maloney). She is gently wooed by a German cousin, Prince Albert (Friend).[Empire]

Not a lot to say, it was OK perhaps a little dull.

Watchmen

Cast
Jackie Earle Haley
Patrick Wilson
Billy Crudup
Malin Akerman
Matthew Goode
Jeffrey Dean Morgan
Carla Gugino
Matt Frewer
Screenwriters
David Hayter
Alex Tse
Director
Zach Snyder
Running Time
162 minutes

Watchmen is set in an alternate 1985 America in which costumed superheroes are part of the fabric of everyday society. When one of his former colleagues is murdered, the outlawed but no less determined masked vigilante Rorschach sets out to uncover a plot to kill and discredit all past and present superheroes. As he reconnects with his former crime-fighting legion--a disbanded group of retired superheroes, only one of whom has true powers--Rorschach glimpses a wide-ranging and disturbing conspiracy with links to their shared past and catastrophic consequences for the future. Their mission is to watch over humanity...but who is watching the Watchmen? (Warner Bros.)

It is difficult for me to really judge it, I mentioned in a Harry Potter review how I got the impression of being told the synopsis of a book and here as I have read Watchmen lots of parts that were missing I was filling in subconsciously. They have changed the ending slightly, I guess mostly for time because it cuts out having to do the storyline about the manufacturing of the alien creature. The comic is a very complex philosophical drama and although the film was long a lot of that was missed out and action scenes added. I thought the cast were all fine, there have been some reviews that maligned Akerman but I had no problem with her. The guy playing Nixon was wearing basically a rubber mask and that would have been better done like Frank Langella in Frost/Nixon. Overall I thought it was good but not great but it's difficult to seperate it from my memories of the book which is so much greater.

Gran Torino

Cast
Clint Eastwood
Bee Vang
Ahney Her
Christopher Carley
Brian Howe
Dreama Walker
Screenwriter
Nick Schenk
Director
Clint Eastwood
Running Time
116 minutes

Retired auto worker Walt Kowalski fills his days with home repair, beer and monthly trips to the barber. The people he once called his neighbors have all moved or passed away, replaced by Hmong immigrants, from Southeast Asia, he despises. Resentful of virtually everything he sees--Walt is just waiting out the rest of his life. Until the night someone tries to steal his `72 Gran Torino. The Gran Torino brings his shy teenaged neighbor Thao into his life when Hmong gangbangers pressure the boy into trying to steal it. But Walt stands in the way of both the heist and the gang, making him the reluctant hero of the neighborhood--especially to Thao's mother and older sister, Sue, who insist that Thao work for Walt as a way to make amends. Though he initially wants nothing to do with these people, Walt eventually gives in and puts the boy to work fixing up the neighborhood, setting into motion an unlikely friendship that will change both their lives. (Warner Bros. Pictures)

There have been reviews that have criticised the acting ability of some supporting actors and I kind of agree with that, it's a pity because Eastwood gives a great performance but no one really matches him. The end makes perfect sense, it is clever and logical but it is disappointing. Overall I enjoyed it.