Philomena (2013) - ★★★★

Director: Stephen Frears
Writers: Steve Coogan, Jeff Pope, Martin Sixsmith (book)
Stars: Judi Dench, Steve Coogan, Sophie Kennedy Clark, Mare Winningham, Barbara Jefford, Michelle Fairley

Philomena is one of my favourite films of 2013. In a year filled with many unoriginal and uninspiring stories, Philomena stands out with a truly emotional punch that hit me to the core. The touching screenplay made it such a beautiful film, as well as Judi Dench's stunning turn as a woman looking for the child that was taken away from her some fifty years ago. It really is one of the most moving performances I've ever seen. What surprised me about Philomena most is that it's an exquisitely crafted human interest story, with memorable cinematography and a soul-touching score by the great Alexandre Desplat. While some pan the film for being too "condemning" and not understanding enough of these nuns from 1950s Ireland, I thought Philomena said everything that needed to be said, and moved the audience more than the creators could ever have imagined.

Game of Thrones: Season 3 (2013) - ★★★★½

Stars: Peter Dinklage, Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke, Maisie Williams, Michelle Fairley, Kit Harington, Sophie Turner, Richard Madden, Alfie Allen, Rose Leslie, Gwendoline Christie, Natalia Tena, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (and many more amazing actors).

Where to start with Season 3? It's bloody brilliant of course, but that's to be expected. I guess you could say that the story just keeps getting better and better. I found myself more interested in this season than any other before it. Everything is still top-notch, especially the acting. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I was a little disappointed in this season. It's still the best show I've ever seen, but Season 3 lost a little bit of the spark that ignited Season 2 and Season 1. It's not necessarily the show's fault, but the story lacked the epicness of the previous seasons. (However, it had an ending that shocked me. It was beyond words).

Game of Thrones: Season 2 (2012) - ★★★★½

Stars: Peter Dinklage, Lena Headey, Maisie Williams, Emilia Clarke, Michelle Fairley, Iain Glen, Kit Harington, Sophie Turner, Alfie Allen, Jack Gleeson, Richard Madden, Sibel Kekilli, Donald Sumpter, Gwendoline Christie, Rose Leslie, Natalie Tena, Joe Dempsie, John Bradley, Charles Dance

To put it simply, Season 2 of GoT was near perfection! New and mysterious characters are introduced, old and awesome characters are killed off! There are twists and turns in practically every episode, making the game extremely riveting. We're introduced to magic, supernatural creatures, wars and epic battles. After watching this season, I've finally been convinced that this is the greatest show of all time.

Game of Thrones: Season 1 (2011) - ★★★★★

Director: Timothy Van Patten, Brian Kirk, David Minahan, Alan Taylor
Writers: David Benioff (Creator), D.B Weiss (Creator), George R.R. Martin (Novel)
Stars: Sean Bean, Mark Addy, Peter Dinklage, Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke, Michelle Fairley, Maisie Williams, Kit Harrington, Sophie Turner, Alfie Allen, Iain Glen, Jack Gleeson, Aiden Gillen, Richard Madden, Isaac Hempstead Wright, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Rory McCann, Conleth Hill, John Bradley, Donald Sumpter

I haven't reviewed any TV shows for a long time, so I've decided to talk about one of my all time favourites, Game of Thrones! The reason I've added practically every actor in the cast to this review is because all of them are brilliant and memorable in their own way. From the main character to the smallest of peasants, this show is just breathtaking. It's like Lord of the Rings meets Harry Potter, set in medieval times. My father doesn't like TV Shows or movies, but when he saw Game of Thrones he said "This is the greatest show of all time." I agree, it's definitely up there with the best.