The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby showcases the glamour of the Roaring Twenties in New York, but also explores the dark seedy underbelly of the people who lived during that time.

The story follows young writer Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) moves to New York and gets caught up in the extravagant world of his neighbour, the enigmatic Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio), a mysterious businessman with an undying love for Nick's cousin, Daisy (Carey Mulligan). Daisy lives with her husband Tom Buchanan (Joel Edgerton) on the other side of the bay to Nick and Gatsby. Carraway endeavours to find out more about Gatsby, his background and his fierce love for Daisy.

The relationship between Gatsby and Carraway is an interesting one. Nick is enamoured with Gatsby and not just his lavish lifestyle as many people who attend his parties are. It is interesting to note that early on, Buchanan makes reference to Carraway's voyeuristic tendencies.

The performances by DiCaprio and Maguire are quite amazing. DiCaprio plays this long sense of loneliness perfectly and Maguire's Carraway evolves from a naive, wide-eyed believer in life into a cynical person of the world around him.

Although Daisy's character is central to the plot and Mulligan's performance was superb, I felt as though her character was just a facilitator for confrontations between the male characters. I also felt as though there was no character development on her part. Relative newcomer Elizabeth Debicki shines as Jordan Baker, a professional golfer and friend of Daisy. She is one to look out for in the future.

Normally I am not a fan of Baz Luhrman's overindulgence (the only other film of his I enjoyed was Romeo + Juliet), but here it works. The film is visually stunning and does have a great ethereal feeling to it. However, when shots would pull back from the foreground and reveal a CGI horizon in the background, I did feel a bit removed from the world. Likewise, there are a few scenes in which the film looked like it was running at a faster frame rate, that while extremely subtle, through me off.

One aspect of the film that I thoroughly enjoyed was the soundtrack. I was a bit skeptical when I heard that Luhrmann was going to use hip-hop because 'it currently shares the same status that jazz held in the 20s', but he integrated it seamlessly into the film so that it was unnoticeable next to the jazz tracks.

Verdict: Despite some visual issues and character flaws, I felt as though this was an enjoyable look at drama in the Twenties. And it had one hell of a soundtrack.

Star Trek Into Darkness

One of my best friends brought up a good point during the last Star Trek movie, why are they always setting their phasers to stun. He argued that they must be set to kill just in case and only set them to stun when the threat level isn't that big. Well in Star Trek Into Darkness, the crew of the Enterprise rarely set them to stun.

When we pick up the story, James Kirk (Chris Pine) has been Captain of the Enterprise for some time. After a botched expedition, Kirk is demoted to Commander and Mr. Spock (Zachary Quinto) is reassigned.

Meanwhile, there has been a terrorist attack on a London Starfleet post, masterminded by the mysterious John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch). The leaders of Starfleet decide to declare a manhunt to track him down. After an attack on Starfleet Headquarters in San Francisco, Kirk and the Enterprise are charged with taking him down.

I found that although this movie was action packed, I found it to predictable at parts and too much of a carbon copy of the last movie. There are also elements from The Wrath of Khan, but only Trek fans will pick up on them. There are action cues, emotional cues and comedic cues which are hit at the right times. It's almost as if J. J. Abrams was making this movie with a formula that he has perfected.

The only really good acting of note came from two of the British cast members. Benedict Cumberbatch is cold and calculating as Harrison and I really felt like he was capable of killing without remorse. Simon Pegg is hilarious as Scotty, but that is a given as he is one of the comedic relief characters and considering his relationship with Star Trek (he did a whole comedy series called Spaced), he definitely has the chops to pull it off. I felt as though the third British cast member didn't really have anything to offer. Alice Eve plays Dr. Carol Marcus, a Starfleet doctor who sneaks aboard the Enterprise. I felt as though she was just a damsel for Kirk to save.

The other comedic element comes in the form of Leonard McCoy (Karl Urban), or more properly, Kirk's interaction with him. McCoy is always there giving Kirk advice in the form of elaborate metaphors or pointing that he is a doctor, not a bricklayer, rocket scientist, gym teacher, etc. There are also some humourous lines when Kirk makes reference to the fact that Spock is, in fact, a Vulcan.

Verdict: It was chock full of action sequences and lens flare, but ultimately this is just another voyage of the starship Enterprise.

Spring Breakers

Movies set during spring break tend to portray it as one massive party, where people make mistakes that ultimately get resolved. But Harmony Korine's Spring Breakers shows that when things go wrong, they stay wrong.

The story follows four college girls who dream of going on a spring break trip to Florida, but can't raise the funds. Three of the girls, Candy (Vanessa Hudgens), Brit (Ashley Benson) and Cotty (Rachel Korine), decide to rob a fast food joint to get the money. They come back to Faith (Selena Gomez) and take off to Florida.

Once there, the girls start partying like crazy. But after one party, they end up getting arrested on drug charges. They soon get bailed out by local gangster and celebrity, Alien (James Franco). He takes them in and offers to help them out if they need money. Faith feels threatened by him and decides to go back home.

The others stay and start doing robberies with Alien and it's only when Cotty gets shot do things start to get shaky. Cotty decides to go home as well. Candy, Brit and Alien start to develop a relationship and Alien confesses that he is feeling threatened by his former best friend and he decides to take him out, despite the fact that he is scared. Brit and Candy promise to help, no matter what. This leads to the final confrontation.

Harmony Korine has really created a movie that captures the recklessness and impulsivity of youth. These girls get caught up in a lifestyle that, while highly dangerous, is highly addictive. It's only when getting shot or landing in prison, do these girls see the reality behind the glamour.

It is also edited in a really interesting way. There is never a scene that is presented in a standard way. The characters start talking, but are intercut with flashbacks or scenes yet to come. There all also shots throughout the movie of a beach party that none of the main characters ever attend and it has no bearing on the plot.

All the actors in this film are superb. James Franco is totally unrecognisable as Alien and I couldn't help feeling like there was a homage to the film Alien, with his metallic teeth. I didn't feel like I could make a connection to any of the girls, because there was nothing in the way of character development on their part.

I also felt like there were a lot of subtle references to Scarface, mainly in the behaviour of Alien, who acts like he's a big shot before his fall.

Verdict: An enjoyable movie to watch, but it left me feeling hollow inside after watching it. The style of editing may catch some people off guard.

The Place Beyond The Pines

One of the first descriptions I read of this movie said that it was a multi-generational saga. And boy, you better believe it's a saga. But at no stage during the 158 minute running time did I want it to stop. Also, Ryan Gosling.

The Place Beyond The Pines has three consecutive stories that all affect each other and, more importantly, the characters within them. The first story follows Luke Glanton (Ryan Gosling), a stunt rider in a traveling carnival (so basically he's a carnie), who finds out that he has a son from a fling that he had with Romina (Eva Mendes). Because he doesn't want his son to turn out like he did (with an absent father), he promises to provide for him. But Romina has moved on, with a new man in her life, Kofi (Mahershala Ali). Luke still wants to provide for his son, so he starts to rob banks with the help of his friend, Robin (Ben Mendelsohn). This life soon takes a heavy toll on him.

The second story follows Avery Cross (Bradley Cooper), a young hero cop who becomes involved in police corruption. He turns to his father, a former judge, for advice. His father tells him that the best course of action would be to take down the corrupt officers, which include Pete DeLuca (Ray Liotta). He turns them into the district attorney, Bill Killcullen (Bruce Greenwood). He also has an infant son with his wife (Rose Byrne).

The third story picks up fifteen years later. Both Luke's son, Jason (Dane DeHaan), and Avery's son, AJ (Emory Cohen), become friends in high school. It is only after Jason becomes aware of Avery's involvement in his father's death that things start to go off the rails.

This movie is fantastic. This is Derek Cianfrance's second film after Blue Valentine (which also starred Gosling). He has crafted an immense flowing storyline, that whilst doesn't explore every single possibility, is still coherent and easy to watch.

The film also looks amazing. It is set in upstate New York and some of the scenery is amazing. So too is the set design in the small town in which it is set.

In my review for Gangster Squad earlier this year, I said that Ryan Gosling works best when he's outside the Hollywood system. Whilst he's not in this movie for too long, his character resonates and you can see a little bit of him in his son. Because he has worked with Cianfrance previously, you can see that relationship come through. At first I thought his character was going to be similar to the Driver, but not at all. You can see that all Luke wants is what's best for his son.

The character who we see the most in this movie is Avery Cross, so that meant just a little bit too much Bradley Cooper for me to handle. When he's in a movie like the Hangover where he has other actors as a buffer, I find him more tolerable.

The women in this movie are also very strong. Mendes' Romina still shows feelings toward Luke, but ultimately knows what's best for her son. We don't see a lot of Rose Byrne, but when we do, you know that she is a stronger person than her husband.

I always feel good when I see Australians in American film, so to see Ben Mendelsohn in this movie made me feel good. Here, he plays an extremely toned down version of the character he played in Animal Kingdom, a man who has lived the life but is happy to settle down. Ray Liotta on the other hand, plays the greediest person alive. His character knows that because this is a small town, he can get away with his corruption.

Finally, Dane DeHaan is someone to watch out for. I recognised him from Chronicle and I hear he will be playing Harry Osborn in the new Spiderman movie. In this role, he has to carry a lot of emotional weight on his shoulders and he pulls it off perfectly.

Verdict: I'm not afraid to say that this film might have to compete with Django for my favourite movie of the year, because it really deserves it. And, of course, Ryan Gosling.

Classic Movie Review: The Evil Dead (1981)

What better way to celebrate the Australian release of the Evil Dead remake this week by revisiting the movie that spawned the franchise. The original Evil Dead was written and directed by Sam Raimi (the Spider-Man movies, Oz: The Great and Powerful) because he thought he could make a drive-in horror movie better than those that had been around in the 70s.

The Evil Dead follows five friends, Ash (Bruce Campbell), Cheryl (Ellen Sandweiss), Scotty (Hal Delrich), Linda (Betsy Baker) and Shelly (Sarah York), as they go to spend a weekend in a cabin. On the first night, the cellar door blows open and Scotty and Ash go down to investigate. In the cellar, they find a number of occult items, a tape recorder and a copy of the Necronomicon (the book of the dead). The recording is of a man who reads a demonic incantation that unleashes evil demons.

Cheryl, Ash's sister, is disturbed by this and after hearing voices outside her window, she goes out to investigate. Once outside she is held down by the trees and raped by them (heavy stuff). She returns and tries to convince Ash to take her back to town. After they return, because the bridge has been destroyed, Cheryl becomes possessed by demons. They manage to wrestle her into the cellar and chain up the door, but not before she stabs Linda in the ankle with a pencil. Cheryl then tells everyone that the demons will possess them one by one.

Scott's girlfriend, Shelly, is soon possessed by a demon and he cuts her up into little pieces. Ash and Scotty then bury the body and Scott says that he is going to try and find another way out from the woods. Ash is left alone with Linda and Cheryl. Linda soon becomes possessed due to the cut in her leg, but just sits there with a demonic laugh.

Scotty returns, all cut up, and tells Ash that the woods won't let them leave. Scott then seems to die, leaving Ash distraught before Linda attacks him. Ash eventually kills Linda and buries her, only for Linda to claw back out of the grave to be decapitated by Ash.

Ash returns to the cabin to find that Cheryl has escaped. He is then attacked by both Cheryl and a newly resurrected Scotty. Ash finally kills both of them by throwing the Necronomicon into the fire.

This movie is a horror classic. To watch it now, 30 years later, it has aged. The make-up is pretty sloppy and the special effects are quite bad. But to know the background of the film just makes it better. It was shot on a tiny budget and with a crew and actors who had never worked before.

Much like how Rebel Without A Cause started the cult of James Dean, this film spawned the cult of Bruce Campbell. He is such an amazing actor in this film, but his haircut at the beginning is questionable.

But despite all this, it is a super enjoyable film. The horror is amazing and it scares the shit out of me. Because of the low budget, the idea that these people are possessed is genuine. The scenes where where Cheryl is hidden in the cellar and she's calling out made me scared to look under my bed.

Verdict: The Evil Dead is a cornerstone of the horror genre. It may seem like it is filled with cliches, but this film created them. I am looking forward to the remake, especially with the advancements in movie magic and a bigger budget. Just a warning, watch out for rapey trees.

Iron Man 3

It's taken three movies but I think I finally see the appeal of Tony Stark. His abrasiveness and bluntness add to his charm. Over the course of the last two Iron Man movies (and that massive Avengers flick), I have to come to love the man in the Iron mask.

In this first post-Avengers movie, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is suffering from PTSD caused by the events that happened in New York. He spends most of his days tinkering with his many Iron Man suits with the help of his robotic assistant Jarvis (Paul Bettany). Stark's girlfriend Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) is running Stark Industries. And Stark's best friend Col. James Rhodes (Don Cheadle), AKA War Machine AKA Iron Patriot, is working for the US Government.

In recent weeks, attacks by a shadowy terrorist known as the Mandarin (Sir Ben Kingsley) have been ramping up in their intensity. Pepper Potts is in talks with Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce), a scientist who was once ignored by Tony, about some new biotechnology he has engineered.

The shit hits the fan when an attack by the Mandarin hits Tony's old bodyguard Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau). Tony reacts to this attack by saying that he is going to take revenge on the Mandarin and even goes so far as to give him his home address (via the means of good old fashioned media). The Mandarin responds in turn by attacking Stark's cliffside mansion.

Tony's suit breaks down and decides to fly across the country. He wakes up in Tennessee and finds refuge with a young boy who helps repair his suit. Once this is done, he teams up with Rhodey to take the Mandarin out.

I think what I enjoyed so much about this film is the fact that it wasn't directed by Jon Favreau (not that he's a bad director). Shane Black brings some fresh ideas and they definitely show through his directorial style.

Ever since I saw 2002's Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, I have always had faith in RDJ. He brings lightness to roles that would otherwise be quite depressing (because let's face it, Tony Stark is Bruce Wayne or vice versa). As I said earlier, Tony Stark is quite blunt and has no qualms about driving off and leaving a kid in the cold snow.

I have found that putting Ben Kingsley in a movie is great marketing (that this film doesn't really need), but he has only ever played a handful of dramatic roles. This is one of those borderline roles and once you see the film, you will agree that he is a fantastic actor. I have always been a fan of Guy Pearce (one of the first films I ever saw being made had him in it). In this movie, his devious Aldrich does whatever he wants to get his way.

Of course the most important element of these Marvel films is the stunning visuals. The seen where Tony's mansion is falling into the see is fantastic to look at and the climax of the film is even better.

Verdict: A fantastically entertaining superhero romp that is better than the last two Iron Man films combined. Lots of hilarious dialogue between RDJ and Paul Bettany.