Joy

David O. Russell is an interesting director with on-and-off successes, and has in particular been responsible for a lot of Oscars buzz over the past few years. So it comes as no surprise that his latest film, Joy has already worked its way onto prediction lists. 

Joy Mangano (Jennifer Lawrence) is a divorced mother whose ex-husband, Tony (Édgar Ramírez) lives in the basement, and whose mother, Terry (Virginia Madsen) spends the entirety of her day sitting in bed watching soap operas. Joy’s father, Rudy (Robert De Niro) owns a local mechanic shop, and whilst he’s been key in her inventive fruition over the years, he’s less than helpful when he moves back in with the rest of them. To call this family dysfunctional is an understatement. Despite juggling all these responsibilities, Joy comes up with a self-wringing mop invention and we follow her as she tries to get it funded and sold in a less-than-hospitable marketplace. 

Russell’s past films I Heart Huckabees and Silver Linings Playbook are personal favourites of mine, although I thought that on many levels American Hustle just didn’t work. So I had a decent idea what to hope for with Joy, namely quirkiness and character development before style. Unfortunately Joy still leans a little too heavily on the style for my liking, but more on that later. As the narrator states, this is a story about a ‘strong woman’, although if the aim is to avoid all the patriarchal bullsh*t that plagues so many female characters, perhaps it’s more constructive to consider Joy as an independent woman. Joy supports herself and all those around her, no matter how much they try to undermine her. When she invents the mop and looks for funding, she’s ultimately doing it to support her family. It’s an empowering story that is unfortunately wrapped in an unbelievable world and unlikely background characters. The latter of which is probably the film’s biggest problem. 

Joy is the centre of this film and proves to be another dominating performance from Lawrence; she’s caring and ambitious with enough vulnerability to stay interesting, however the people around her come off as caricatures. It feels like they’re placed in the story solely to pull Joy down and hence provide motivation for her to spring back from. Because of this, they all kinda clump together in an unbearable mass of failed character development. Robert De Niro is good, but Rudy doesn’t really emanate away from what could be considered a stock De Niro performance. Joy’s mother is a loner, hence becomes the butt of many jokes, her sister is just downright annoying and Cooper’s Neil isn’t nearly as fleshed out as he could have been. I also would have liked to see Mimi - probably the next most important character after Joy - become a bit more than just a mentor with a couple cheap lines, and whilst Trudy is a great character, she could have become more worthy of an Isabella Rossellini performance. Tony is one of the few characters you can actually connect with, a sincere support for Joy that doesn’t just turn into a ‘let-the-man-handle-this’ situation, but again he doesn’t really appear often enough to develop as a character. 

My other major issue with Joy is the sense that it’s been constructed as style for the sake of style. Through the costuming and set-design, Russell tries to create this pastiche tribute to the late 80s/early 90s, and whilst it’s not nearly as obnoxious as with American Hustle, it still feels little more than a hollow facade. Although I do think they did a great job recreating the boom of television shopping, helped along by a great sense of humour; and I must say Joy is a fantastically funny movie, which does help to alleviate the issues to some degree. I think the comparison to soap operas is an interesting move - although it possibly adds to the character development problems - and the cinematography is, at times quite beautiful. However I just wish they’d kept the camera still a bit more often! This film is full of ridiculous pans, dolly moves and jibs that do nothing other than draw attention to themselves and honestly spoilt some moments for me because they were just so unnecessary. 

Joy is a funny, at times touching, and ultimately very driven movie. Joy Mangano’s story is worth being told and Jennifer Lawrence nails the role. It’s a shame that it falters due to some directorial decisions and poor character considerations because this had the potential to be one of the best films of the year.

Youth

Paolo Sorrentino's third film Youth ruminates on the qualities of a long life lived, much like his last film The Great Beauty. In fact, you could say that this film is just a straight remake for an English language audience. Despite this, Sorrentino uses a new cast of actors in a new location deftly enough to make an extremely memorable film.

Retired composer Fred Ballinger (Michael Caine) is taking a vacation in the Swiss Alps with his old friend and director Mick Boyle (Harvey Keitel), who is there with a team of writers trying to work on his next film. Also staying at the hotel is young actor Jimmy Tree (Paul Dano) who is getting ready for his next role and famous former football star the South American (Roy Serrano), a thinly veiled allusion to Diego Maradona. During his vacation, Fred is forced to reflect on his life, fame and regret over not being a good father to his daughter Lena (Rachel Weisz).

Once again, Sorrentino is able to create characters who have a lot of depth that don't leave me wanting to know more. It could be anyone from Fred to the masseuse (Luna Zimic Mijovic) and I have all I need about them, sometimes through as little exposition as possible. What he does like to do though is have heavy monologue and dialogue scenes that come out of nowhere. The fantastic dialogues between Fred and Queen Elizabeth's emissary (Alex Macqueen) and a show stopping sequence between Mick and actress Brenda Morel (Jane Fonda) are amazingly indulgent, but it is an emotional monologue from Rachel Weisz early in the film that caught my attention and reaffirmed for me why she is such a superb actor.

Sorrentino's regular cinematographer Luca Bigazzi returns for a third time and does just a spectacular job making the film beautiful. Where The Great Beauty used the streetscapes of Rome as it setting, the breathtaking vistas of the Swiss Alps are the focus and Bigazzi does an amazing job at showing off these views. Another thing I love about Sorrentino's films are the cutaways he uses between sequences. This time they focused largely on the nightly entertainment for the guests, the bizarre habits of some of the residents and even the scratchy violin practice of a young boy.

Ultimately though, this film is a pretty solid reimagining of The Great Beauty, but made more accessible for an English-speaking audience. This isn't a bad thing however, although I have a feeling a lot of people might see this film and think it is a mash-up of The Grand Budapest Hotel and The Lobster.

The Good Dinosaur

Earlier this year Pixar came out with Inside Out, an emotional and creative journey that worked on so many different levels. Now for the first time ever, Pixar are releasing a second film in a single year with The Good Dinosaur, and it’s fair to say it has some pretty big footsteps to follow. 

65 Million years ago, deep into the asteroid belt, a collision sends an asteroid hurtling towards Earth, destined to make a significant impact on the future of the planet. However it passes over safely, nothing more than a glint in the eyes of the dinosaurs. After millions more years of evolution, dinosaurs have started to build a life for themselves, cultivating land and learning to speak English, naturally. Underneath the claw-tooth mountains, two Apatosaurus, Henry (Jeffrey Wright) and Ida (Frances McDormand) have built a homestead and are farming corn. They give birth to three children, Libby (Maleah Padilla), Buck (Marcus Scribner) and Arlo (Raymond Ochoa), the well-meaning but cowardly runt of the litter. 

By completing challenging chores around the farm, Libby and Buck soon “earn their mark”, a mud-print on the family’s corn silo which becomes a coming-of-age signifier and a seemingly unachievable goal for Arlo. Soon though, he gets his chance when the family’s corn supply is being eaten by a ‘critter’ and Arlo is tasked to capture and kill it. When the critter turns out to be a feral human caveboy (Jack Bright), Arlo lets him go. However Arlo’s decision ultimately costs him a loved one and lands him lost, way down the river, his fate almost certainly sealed and with only the feral caveboy - which he later names ‘Spot’ - as company. 

As anti-Disney as I am, it’s impossible to ignore a Pixar film when one comes out; because for one, they’re almost always original and nuanced, and also because they only come around in a blue moon. Well, they used to anyway. Under their new road-map plan for upcoming films, the Pixar schedule is getting increasingly condensed which makes me worry about the quality of the releases, and was certainly a major consideration when I went in to see The Good Dinosaur. As much as it may look like a film tailored solely to kids, Pixar has once again built a story that brings something to all ages. There are jokes here that will fly straight over kids heads, something clearly evoked to me through the running commentary of the toddler-packed screening I attended. “Why are they happy? Why are they sad? Are both my eyes crying now dad?”, it’s as hilarious as it is distracting so keep that in mind when choosing a time to go see this if you’re a childless adult like myself with nothing better to do. 

The plot itself is fairly straightforward and as such lacks some of the emotional and conceptual depth of other Pixar films, however it makes up for this with its cute story of an unconventional friendship and a dinosaur that just wants to get home. For a significant part of the story the film takes on a western motif - most likely to keep the dads in the audience entertained - and this was probably the funniest section of the film for me. I had never considered the fact that T-Rex’s kinda look like they’re riding invisible horses. Look I get amused easily alright. Spot, the rabid human of the film actually kinda reminds me of The Feral Kid from The Road Warrior - although I’m not sure if that’s where the inspiration comes from - and for a non-speaking role, the character is surprisingly nuanced, a testament to Pixar’s understanding of the subtleties of movement.

If the fairly colourful, surreal visuals of Inside Out weren’t the revelation in animation technology you always look for in a Pixar film, then this will absolutely make up for it because The Good Dinosaur is utterly beautiful, we’re talking photo-realistic at times. However as staggering as that is, the style is limited to the backgrounds/environment, whereas the dinosaurs and other animals come off as cartoony. This makes for a kinda cute contrast but it probably could have been executed better as at times it becomes slightly distracting and jarring. 

The Good Dinosaur is not the greatest Pixar film, but it’s still definitely worth seeing. The story isn’t as original as I’d hoped but it achieves a lot in a short running time and manages to tailor itself towards children and adults alike. The stunning visuals and joy of seeing Sam Elliott as a T-Rex alone more than make up for the cost of admission.

Trailers Week 77: 27/12/15

Deadpool (NSFW)

When a comic book character is written in the comics as being a certain actor and they get that actor for the movie based on him, it's pretty refreshing. That's why all the comic book fans love Sam Jackson as Nick Fury. But somehow I see Ryan Reynolds reprising his role (although closer to the actual character this time) as being a more mainstream hit.

Everybody Wants Some

One of Richard Linklater's most popular films is his ode to the 70s, Dazed and Confused. Now he's back in nostalgia territory, this time looking at the 80s. The great thing about the last film was that he used relatively unknown actors for the time and now it looks like he's gone down the same path. Starring Zoey Deutch, Glen Powell and Tyler Hoechin.

The Brothers Grimsby

I can't tell if Mark Strong's distaste is just his character or if he actually regrets being in this film.

Fifty Shades of Black (NSFW)
The Wayans brothers find the perfect film to suit their parodic needs.

Desierto

Do we really need a movie to show how scary border crossings are for Mexicans? This isn't helping anyone at all. Starring Gael García Bernal and Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Why are you doing this to us Alfonso Cuarón?

A Perfect Day

Aid workers in the Balkans try to get rope. That's it. Starring Benicio Del Toro, Olga Kurylenko, Tim Robbins and Mélanie Thierry.

Trailers Week 76: 20/12/15

Anesthesia

Is this just going to be another generic romance movie where a whole group of people come together in the end or is it going to have some substance? Starring Kristen Stewart, Glenn Close, Corey Stoll and Michael K. Williams.

Star Trek Beyond

J.J. passes the helm over to Furious 7 director Justin Lin for what looks like a more lighthearted Star Trek film. I swear that Simon Pegg is just turning into Benji from Mission: Impossible.

Diablo

Wow, I think this might be the most stereotypical Western ever made. Starring Scott Eastwood, Walton Goggins, Camilla Belle and Danny Glover.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Eddie Redmayne goes looking for those magical creatures on the loose. Also starring Katherine Waterston and Dan Fogler.

Eddie The Eagle

Taron Egerton dons some truly 80s gear in this movie about British ski jumper Eddie Edwards and looks exactly like the guy he's portraying. Also starring Hugh Jackman as the grizzled coach.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

Tina Fey hits Afghanistan as a journalist trying to make something of her life. Also starring Margot Robbie, Alfred Molina, Martin Freeman and Billy Bob Thornton.

Misconduct

A lawyer attempts to take down the head of a pharmaceutical company, but ends up having the tables turned. Starring Josh Duhamel, Anthony Hopkins and Al Pacino.

Yosemite

James Franco goes low-key in a movie about a group of boys trying to look for a mountain lion.

Ed's Thoughts - Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Warning – Whilst the minor details discussed here wouldn’t typically be considered *spoilers*, I know some people want to go into this film with as little information as possible. If you want spoiler-free, check out Jack's official review. You have been warned! 

The truth is, I’m not a Star Wars fan. 

Now before you rage-mash your keyboard into a galaxy far, far away let me clarify; I enjoy jumping into the world of the three Star Wars movies just as much as any casual observer, but given the fascinating obsessiveness of the legion of Star Wars fans, I simply don’t consider myself worthy to be classified among their ranks. So what did I – the casual observer – think about Episode VII - The Force Awakens? I’ll tell you as soon as I stop grinning. 

It’s probably best to address those movies that shall not be named right now. I was about the right age when the Prequel Trilogy started to come out - and I had enjoyed the previous ones - but looking back, these films were the reason why I lost interest in Star Wars. Quite apart from the story concerns that more avid viewers so frequently chastise them with; as a general film lover, my criticisms rest with the fact that they’re so blatantly boring and contrived that I find it difficult to sit through even one of them nowadays. The poor CGI and lack-of-hindsight toward shooting a blockbuster solely on digital at such an early stage in its lifecycle also frustrate me – but the visuals are but part of the problem, so let’s just continue to ignore those films for the time being. 

The Force Awakens is another brilliant lesson from J.J Abrams in how to capture the essence of a classic franchise whilst still selectively updating it for modern audiences. From the cheesy transition effects to the myriad of landscapes – J.J has built a time-capsule that will find the most uninitiated viewer fanboying out over even the most subtle nods to the original films. The reintroduction of old characters, ships, worlds and ideologies is handled with the utmost of care and with an emphasis on fun – and boy is this movie fun! From Stormtroopers backing away from Kylo Ren’s temper-tantrums to Han Solo’s greatly-missed running commentary on the ridiculousness of the situation, The Force Awakens puts as much emphasis on humour as it does adventure, with the two intermingling and playing off each other to form what I’d consider the first quality Space Opera since The Fifth Element. I’m also SO thankful that Abrams ditched the obsession with CGI for a focus on practical effects, another major reason that The Force Awakens really feels like it belongs alongside the original trilogy. 

To be fair, the movie does have its flaws. Parts of the story are occasionally rushed through with moments of blatant exposition - particularly during a conversation between Solo & Leia – and in general it feels like they’re trying to cover too much of the thirty years’ worth of changing content, but conflictingly that gracefully-choppy feeling actually brings it more in line with the style of the original trilogy anyway. Supreme Leader Snoke feels slightly out of place in the series as an actual character and whilst he & Nyong’o’s motion-capture is superbly acted out, their heavily CG’d characters stand-out like a sore thumb in a world that feels so real. There’s also not much room for a quick breather in over two hours of action and dramatics, but that’s never hurt the series before and it’s safe to say that the film is utterly exhilarating from start to finish. 

The returning characters grace the screen with ease, as if they’ve actually been off living their own lives these past few decades – something which is extremely difficult to achieve when reanimating a franchise. The old characters perfectly bolster the new, training them up to deal with the threats of the galaxy and preparing the next generation of crusaders. These new characters really do feel like they deserve to take the baton and carry the series to wherever Disney decides to take it. John Boyega’s Finn is funny and instantly charismatic - you do really hope he finds whatever redemption he’s looking for. Adam Driver returns a sinister arrogance to the dark side through Kylo Ren with just a dash of delightful innocence to keep you interested. Issac’s Poe is as cool as he is stylish with his trusty side-kick (and the cutest character since the Ewoks) BB-8. Make no mistake however, Rey is the cone that holds this film together. An extremely capable and thought-out character who’s no doubt destined for great things, just like her actor, Daisy Ridley; who plays her to perfection – Is it weird that I fanboyed more over the fact that she’s related to Dad’s Army’s Arnold Ridley rather than that she’s in a Star Wars film? 

Watching The Force Awakens exudes the same emotions that audiences must have felt watching A New Hope back in ’77. The care taken and consideration for every detail is evident from the opening crawl. Abrams has breathed new life into the dormant series and hopefully Rian Johnson will have as much success with Episode VIII. This isn’t just a tacky opportunity to relive what was lost and revel in nostalgia. The Force Awakens will make you care about Star Wars again.

Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens

This is definitely the most anticipated film release of the decade. The Avengers may have come close, but the excitement for this film transcends both generations and levels of fandom alike. A lot of that anticipation also comes from whether or not this film will be a disappointment like the prequels that came before. Well, guess what? It isn't! Yay, I know, how great is that. We finally get a film that one of my friends referred to as what the prequels should have been. It's not my job though to sit and sing the film's praises without having an in depth look at what makes it tick, so let's get to it.

This is usually the part in any review where I would set the scene for what happens in a film, but since a friend told me he would end my existence if I said anything about what happens, I won't. Not even vague details. I guess this is a chance for me to hone my skills as a critic, so I shall. J.J. Abrams had said that this is his love letter to the original films and that really shows. Almost a little too much though. There was a point where I realised that they were following the original film almost beat for beat, but they happen in different places and times. Where this episode differs greatly from the prequels is the fact that there will be an overall narrative. Yes I know they did too, but we knew how they were ultimately going to end.

The nostalgia and name checking is probably the most noticeable thing in this movie and it's not at all a bad thing. The reveals are fun when they could be extremely tacky and little things that will make fans eyes sparkle, do. If we were to place this film on a dark/light spectrum, Empire being the darkest of the films, Jedi being the lightest, it goes further than Empire did by leaps and bounds. The stakes are higher than any of the films and that's great for tension and excitement. Technically, this is a beautiful looking film. The practical effects are amazing and the CGI is seamless. There are no dodgy insertions or anything hastily pasted on. I was always amazed by the lighting and how it reflects on surfaces around it, especially the lightsabers, which were more impressive than in films gone by.

It should be easy for the returning cast members to slip back into character by now (and they do it well), but to bring a new character to the screen and make them likeable is a difficult task, but the young leads do well. Daisy Ridley is phenomenal as Rey and shows incredible promise as a lead for the series and John Boyega will do remarkably well in his supporting role. Oscar Isaac is one of my favourite actors so of course I am going to demand more screen time with him, but I know we'll see more of him in the upcoming films. Both Domhnall Gleeson and Adam Driver play bad guys way too easily if you ask me.

Giving this film seems like a pretty arbitrary task to me, but I have to give it one. I wouldn't go so far as to give the first Star Wars five stars, it gets a 4 1/2 from me, and the next best is Empire, just half a star down. I'm just really justifying my score now. Go out and see it!

Classic Movie Review: Fanboys (2009)

Over the next few days, Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens will finally be released across the globe. But let's not go crazy with excitement just yet. Some will remember a time when we got excited about a new Star Wars movie nearly twenty years ago. There is a movie that captured our excitement and disappointment back then in Fanboys. Like the Ghost of Star Wars Past, I'm going to take us all on a journey.

The year is 1998 and Eric Bottler (Sam Huntington) is working for his father as a car salesman. At a Halloween party he runs into his old friends Hutch (Dan Fogler), Windows (Jay Baruchel) and Linus (Chris Marquette). They bring up an old idea they had of breaking into George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch to steal a rough cut of the The Phantom Menace. Bottler dismisses the idea, but after Hutch and Windows come to him with the revelation that Linus has cancer, Bottler decides to help him with his dream. Together with their friend Zoe (Kristen Bell), they drive across America to fulfill every Star Wars fan's pre-prequel dream. Along the way they meet a whole bunch of colourful characters, including super geek Harry Knowles (Ethan Suplee), Seth Rogen as a Trekkie and drug dealing Star Wars fan and pimp and William Shatner as himself.

Fanboys is filled with deep cuts references to Star Wars fandom. The guys have debates about whether or not Luke and Leia actually love each other in a romantic way despite being siblings, actual merchandise from he era and the rivalry between Star Wars and Star Trek fans. The film even features Ray Park, who played Darth Maul in The Phantom Menace. All the main characters have equivalents from the movies. While the jokes may seem very basic, but funny if you're in the right mood. The funniest sequence probably comes when they encounter The Chief (Danny Trejo) who gives the guys guacamole laced with peyote. This scene also has an emotional aspect to it as The Chief taps into the fact that Linus has cancer.

The lead actors here aren't the best but that's not the focus of the film, it's more in the smaller roles. This film has some of today's biggest comic actors before we knew how big they would become. Seth Rogen had only marginal fame before he did this. Watching him fight himself is a great scene to watch. Danny McBride features as well as Joe Lo Truglio, Will Forte and Craig Robinson. Ethan Suplee plays actual nerd Harry Knowles, but a little more aggressively than the actual man. Veteran actors William Shatner, Carrie Fisher and Billy Dee Williams all have cameos.

The last line of the movie is uttered by Bottler just before they sit down and watch The Phantom Menace and it's "What if the movie sucks?" I guess what the purpose of this review is for us all to be mindful like our favourite Jedi. We have had new Star Wars movies in the past and been disappointed, so let's not be too upset if we're disappointed by J.J.

Trailers Week 75: 13/12/15

The Legend of Tarzan

This movie has some mysterious vibes coming from its trailer. Jungle man Tarzan gets a modern adaptation with tall Swede Alexander Skårsgard playing the title role. Also starring Margot Robbie, Christoph Waltz, Samuel L. Jackson and Djimon Hounsou.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows

Which one of you went to the first movie? Someone must have because they made enough money to think a second one was a good idea. At least the classic characters of Bebop and Rocksteady are being used from the cartoons. Starring Megan Fox, Will Arnett, Tony Armell, William Fichtner and Tyler Perry.

The Brothers Grimsby

A British football fan tries to track down his missing younger brother; it just turns out that he's one of Britain's top spies. Starring Sacha Baron Cohen, Mark Strong, Rebel Wilson, Isla Fisher and Penélope Cruz.

X-Men: Apocalypse

Apparently the first ever mutant is still alive and all powerful. Will the burgeoning team of the X-Men be able to stop him? Starring James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Sophie Turner, Olivia Munn and Oscar Isaac.

The BFG

This time they're going to adapt a completely new Roald Dahl book for the screen. What a radical idea!

Kubo and the Two Strings

What is it with claymation and why don't I like it? Starring Charlize Theron, Rooney Mara, Ralph Fiennes and George Takei.

The Night Before

Who knew that Kanye West's "Runaway" is actually the perfect Christmas song? Well in a scene straight out of Big, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen and Anthony Mackie prove just that. It's actually a scene that sets the fun tone for the remainder of the film. And it doesn't diminish for the entire length of the film.

On Christmas Eve 2001, Ethan (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) buries his parents after they were killed in a hit and run. His friends Isaac (Seth Rogen) and Chris (Anthony Mackie) decide to get him drunk and help him focus on the present. This is a tradition that they have kept ever since. Fast forward fourteen years and they have all changed. Ethan is a struggling musician with commitment issues, Isaac is about to have his first child with his wife Betsy (Jillian Bell) and Chris is now a famous football player. Because of all the changes that have happened, the guys decide that this will be the last night in which they do this.

What I love about this movie is that the plot motivation is very simple. The three guys are trying to get to the holy grail of Christmas parties: the Nutcracker Ball. That's the ultimate goal of the movie, but the journey along the way is the fun part. Ethan is trying to get back with his girlfriend Diana (Lizzy Kaplan), Chris is trying to get some weed for his football teammates, but is thwarted by the Christmas Grinch (Ilana Glazer) and Isaac just trips out on every drug under the sun while he tries to recover his phone from Diana's friend Sarah (Mindy Kaling). Tying them all together is the mysterious drug dealer Mr Green (Michael Shannon).

Mr Green acts as the emotional core of this movie, but he is also one of the many references to other classic Christmas movies. He is the substitute of the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future which he delivers through three different strains of weed. Ilana Glazer's character references The Grinch, Die Hard and Home Alone. The large majority of jokes in this film go towards Isaac's confusion about Christianity as he is Jewish, but there are some like Sarah's overt sexuality and James Franco's ambiguous sexuality (he plays himself) and confusion over his dick pics.

Not all the performances in this film are really worthy. Seth Rogen is adept at playing his character by now, as are Lizzy Caplan and Mindy Kaling. I feel as though both Anthony Mackie and JGL dropped the ball, as they both felt quite hollow to me, which is disappointing for leading actors. It was great to watch the serious dramatic actor Michael Shannon have fun in this movie, although he doesn't drop his seriousness at all, instead bringing the film a touch of class. It's great to see Tracy Morgan back in action as Santa and cameos by Randall Park, James Franco and Miley Cyrus lift the fun.

Seth Rogen keeps up his annual comedy releases with The Night Before and doesn't disappoint. Like I said with Love The Coopers, this is a great movie for those who love Christmas, although a lot more silly, less depressing and a lot less traditional.

The Revenant

"I ain't afraid to die. I've done that already."

                                          

A man wakes and pushes himself out of his frozen, half-covered grave. He is injured and left for dead in the cold, harsh winter of the wild American frontier. He crawls across the ground in obvious agony to the snow-covered corpse of his loved one, the last of his family. He checks the corpse for breath or a heartbeat before laying on the chest and vowing to never leave. The camera, low to the ground, pushes in on this broken man and as his breathes become more ragged and heavy, the camera fogs. The scene transitions to an aerial shot close to a patch of thin clouds, high over the snow-capped mountains and plains of the rugged, brutal countryside as time and space pass. These clouds then become the smokey, slightly nervous breath of the murderer. A man, as tough as the land, who inhales his pipe while his companion nearby is unaware of the man's crimes. He is contemplative, eager to survive this moment and willing to do anything but to survive he must keep his companion alive without alerting him to his crime. The murderer and his companion are unaware that the injured man is hell-bent on revenge and hunting them across the wilderness.

Alejandro González Iñárritu won Best Picture last year with Birdman, Or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance, a comedic-drama about the decayed mind of a star actor that was most presented in one take thanks to some nifty digital editing, In 2015/2016 he and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki return for The Revenant, a breathtaking journey through the uncharted American frontier that has made headlines throughout the year due to its troubled production. Moving the entire production from Canada to Argentina to follow the weather, overblown action scenes and shooting in harsh wilderness and natural light. The Revenant stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson and Will Poulter as prominent members of a band of hunters during America's early days who, after their camp is destroyed by Pawnee Native Americans and their hard-earned cargo of animal pelts lost, are forced to march across the frozen mountains and tundra's back to the safety of their frontier fort. Meanwhile the Native American tribe search and hunt for their chief's missing daughter.

The concept of breathing is the central thematic concern of the film, whether that be the physical embodiment of it, the emotional significance of it or even the psychological motivation such an innate part of life can provide within the perils of such a brutal environment. The score invokes the concept with percussion and low tones briefly swelling, booming and dissipating like heavy breaths, or higher more tense tones emulating hyperventilation in some action scenes. The transitions and editing within and between scenes uses the setting to its fullest, specifically bodies of water, to add the feeling of breathing through editing besides just communicating the advancement of time, and this extends to Iñarritu repeatedly using the emergence of characters from womb-like positions to echo the first breaths of life. Breathing is an integral part of the performance of the antagonistic leads DiCaprio and Hardy, often used instead of dialogue and feeding into the simplistic manner of this well-told story. Hardy again especially puts in another fine performance this year disappearing into the role of Fitzgerald, and this certainly is exemplified in his scenes with the other leads such as DiCaprio's silent skilled survivor, Poulter's youthful moralist and Gleeson's passionate, rational and tested noble captain who all often run foul of Hardy's brutal simplistic logic, lack of scruples and antagonism fueled by his desire to live in spite of those around him. The performances of the cast, the film's production design and costumes are flawless, brilliant and brutal, creating unique characters, and are never stock in appearance or performance but the true star of the film is the cinematography of Emmanuel Lubezki who, if all is right with the world, should take home his third straight cinematography Oscar because of his work on this film.

Iñarritu and Gonzalez collaborated last year on the Oscar-winning Birdman and enough of the camera styles of that film are evolved within The Revenant to warrant the connection between the two films. While far from a single-take film there is plenty of single-take scenes and digital editing, "invisible cuts" achieved through matching moments and using digital editing software to manipulate and create the appearance of an unbroken moment, within large moments and the low-angle, diagonal close-ups on faces that made Birdman such a stand-out visually. But The Revenant is bolstered by a camera that almost breaks the fourth wall, that uses the breath-taking scenery and natural light to un-matched effect, and pushes digital film-making forward with its enviable clarity. Simply put, this is easily the best looking film in a good long while. Some of the landscape, establishing and aerial shots could be directly compared to the westerns of Sergio Leone and his unparalleled eye for capturing the location, while others appear as though directly taken by a seasoned wildlife photographer. Certain moments of action and tension are tastefully shot in one take, but the night shots prove especially beautiful with incredible scenes captured supposedly without artificial light sources. Lubezki committed to using the ALEXA 65 camera on the shoot and the results are instantly and emphatically apparent.

On the downside The Revenant does feel its 156-minute run-time with more than enough scenes of birth-like emergence and hairy men breathing heavily while hungrily devouring meat, Hardy's voice again borders on impenetrable at moments, a multi-lingual exchange has its immersion destroyed by the necessity for the subtitles to tell the audience that they're in French, and the final shot is a bit of a cop-out. But that hardly matters, The Revenant is worth the hype on the strength of the cinematography alone, and the reality that behind that is an intense, affecting, tragic story by a director in his prime, a brilliant cast and skilled crew (with a perfect score to boot) makes The Revenant a must-see film.

Love The Coopers

I love Christmas movies. I've grown up with every single one you can imagine, from conventional ones like Home Alone and The Santa Clause to more adult ones like Scrooged and Bad Santa. Even cheesy ones like Christmas With The Kranks (when you think about it, Tim Allen has been in a lot of them). So when I came to watch Love The Coopers, I thought it was going to be a cheesy one, especially since it stars Diane Keaton. I wasn't expecting a movie about divorce, unemployment, political differences, child abuse, sexuality and, least of all, a magic dog voiced by Steve Martin.

Charlotte Cooper is hoping to bring her large family together for a big happy Christmas. She wants this desperately because it will be the last Christmas she has before her and her husband Sam (John Goodman) get a divorce after forty years of marriage. Everyone of their relatives are living their own troubles. Charlotte's sister Emma (Marisa Tomei) gets arrested for shoplifting, her divorced son Hank (Ed Helms) is having financial troubles, her daughter Eleanor (Olivia Wilde) can't face her mother's disappointment and her father Bucky (Alan Arkin) is struggling to express his love for the much younger Ruby (Amanda Seyfried).

The drama outweighs the comedy heavily in this movie about a supposedly happy time of year. Some of the themes alluded to are quite obvious, such as Sam and Charlotte's divorce and Hank's redundancy, but others, like Ruby's abusive childhood, are a little harder to identify. The most heartbreaking part of the movie comes when Officer Percy (played by a hard faced Anthony Mackie), the officer who arrests Emma, reveals that he could never live up to the expectations of his mother, despite the fact that she is welcoming of his homosexuality.

This film has a lot of weird film techniques that I would not expect in one like this. Whip pans and crash zooms that you'd expect in some Paul Greengrass political thriller are used liberally and with almost every character's situation. I found the use of an extreme close-up on Olivia Wilde but not on the person she was talking to very unnerving, but I suppose that might be a personal taste issue.

As you'd expect from an ensemble film like this, everyone brings their best. The standout performances for me come from Amanda Seyfried, Timothée Chalamet, Anthony Mackie and June Squibb. All of these actors have a small parts, but they all make them their own roles. Especially June Squibb, who doesn't love her? Anthony Mackie is almost unrecognisable without his signature facial hair and Amanda Seyfried brings her character an underlying pain that I didn't even know she could pull off.

Despite all these deep and dark themes, the film does come together nicely at the end. It's definitely one worth watching if you like Christmas movies, but not really too much of a stretch for comedy fans.

Trailers Week 74: 06/12/15

Mojave

Garrett Hedlund is looking decidedly Dude-like in this movie which has him battling a super coked out Oscar Isaac. Also starring Walton Goggins and apparently Mark Wahlberg.

The Nice Guys (NSFW)

Rusty and Ryan team up with hilarious writer/director Shane Black (Iron Man 3, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang) for a crazy 70s action comedy. Also starring Matt Bomer and Kim Basinger.

Exposed

Keanu tries to reclaim some integrity by acting in this gritty cop drama. Good luck! Also starring Ana de Armas, Mia Sorvino and Christopher McDonald.

Eye in the Sky

Do you know how to get the public behind a controversial political subject? Make a movie that paints that subject in a good light. Enter the drone. This ensemble flick looks at morality. Starring Helen Mirren, Alan Rickman, Aaron Paul, Barkhad Abdi and Iain Glen.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

Woah! There is just way too much going on in this trailer. Something about clowns and bats with shotguns and I really can't look at Henry Cavill the same way after The Man From U.N.C.L.E. I really just want to see the indie version of a Batman or Superman movie now.

I Saw The Light

I wouldn't think that Tom Hiddleston of all people would be the one to play Hank Williams in a movie, but it looks like a perfect choice. Also starring Elizabeth Olsen.

In the Heart of the Sea

Herman Merville’s novel Moby Dick has an interesting film history, with the last notable adaptation of the epic being the 1976 John Huston film with Gregory Peck – Unless you count Moby Dick: 2010. Now the disaster-master Ron Howard has had a crack at it with In the Heart of the Sea – which tells the story of the sinking of the whale-ship Essex, which was one of the inspirations for the novel.

In the early 19th century, whale-oil is in hot demand, used to fuel the lights and industry of the era. Nantucket, Massachusetts is one of the centres of whale-oil production and one of its most profitable ships, The Essex has just been restored and ready to go out hunting. Owen Chase (Chris Hemsworth) is an experienced first mate who is due to be given his first command, but is disheartened to find out that he is only being offered his usual position because a Captain George Pollard, Jr (Benjamin Walker) has been assigned to the Essex. Pollard is part of a long-line of naval royalty and Chase feels that he is not experienced enough to command the vessel. Their relationship is off to a rocky start. 

After a series of unsuccessful months out at sea, the Essex crew is getting weary, but know they can’t return until they’ve “filled their belly” with oil. After a visit to South America, the crew learn of a mythic field of whales as far as the eye can see, so they set sail in the hope that they can finally bring their journey to an end. Although they also hear of a ‘monster’ whale that lurks in those fields, capable of sinking an entire ship. 

This is a fast-paced film overall and is split up into several distinct sections. The close-up action shots and detailed edits build a sense of tension that keeps you on the edge of your seat, however at times this works against the plot and makes it difficult to understand what’s happening. As Nickerson says, the story of the Essex is about two men, Own Chase and Captain George Pollard, Jr. and really the plot focuses on how their relationship evolves over the course of the disaster. Their polarizing backgrounds and lifestyles play out the classic class-war tale but ultimately this is a simple story about men trying to survive at sea whilst a ‘monster’ whale hunts them down. 

With the flourish of recent films that see characters surviving at sea (Life of Pi and Unbroken notably), we’ve seen a lot of CGI development put toward the ocean. Considering this is a major Hollywood release and that Howard made significant use of CGI in Apollo 13, it’s surprising that the sea and background landscapes sometimes can’t hold up to the level set by recent films. The scenes set in thriving 19th century Nantucket in particular, struggle to convey the complexity of the surroundings. 

Chris Hemsworth and Ben Whishaw both give admirable performances, although their accents don’t quite hold up throughout. Brendan Gleeson has a similar problem, although in his few short scenes he manages to out-act the rest of the cast. Cillian Murphy is sadly underused and Benjamin Walker’s character development feels slightly forced, although Waller is certainly one of the more interesting characters to see evolve as the situation unfolds. A stand-out for me was Tom Holland as the young Thomas Nickerson, who captures the conflicting fear and excitement with surprising finesse.

In the Heart of the Sea is a solid action film that keeps you interested throughout. Its skillful composition and editing construct a compelling story, however its occasionally confusing direction and questionable acting decisions hold the film back.

Trailers Week 73: 29/11/15

Every Thing Will Be Fine:
The latest feature from Wim Winders (Paris, Texas , Wings of Desire), this film seems to be about both creativity and cause & effect. Starring James Franco, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Rachel McAdams.

Zootopia:

Disney's fascination with Anthropomorphism continues...Starring Idris Elba, Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Alan Tudyk and J.K. Simmons.

Barbershop: The Next Cut:

There's a film series about Barbers starring Ice Cube? This is the fourth film? Nicki Minaj is an actress?? Also starring Common, Anthony Anderson and Regina Hall.

Dixieland:

An Indie film about an Ex-convict and a stripper trying to run away from home? Sign me up! Starring Chris Zylka, Riley Keough and RJ Mitte

The Bronze: - Teaser Red Band (NSFW)

I just...don't quite know what to say about this one. Starring Melissa Rauch and Gary Cole.

The Other Side of the Door:

Oh Lori, why have you been reduced to such horrendous movies. Starring Sarah Wayne Callies.

Captain America: Civil War:

So, Marvel's got a movie. Starring everyone.

By the Sea

It’s no secret that I was less than impressed with Angelina Jolie Pitt’s last foray into the directing world with Unbroken. Now she’s back with what appears to be a much more personal story in By the Sea. 

Winding down the mountains toward the sea-side in an elegant convertible, American writer Roland (Brad Pitt) and his wife (Angelina Jolie Pitt) sit silently as he lights-up a cigarette, the first of many he’ll have throughout the film. Vanessa is an ex-dancer and is clouded in a mysterious depression. Her attitude and his failed career/spiralling alcoholism has caused the two to grow disparate, however as much as the trip is about Roland gaining inspiration for a new book, it’s also a chance for the two to rekindle their relationship. A chance that Vanessa seems fine to squander. 

Staying in a luxurious villa-style hotel, Vanessa frequently stays home, often not even venturing out onto the balcony, while Roland gets to know the town-folk, hoping to find an interesting character amongst them. In the next room, a young couple Lea (Mélanie Laurent) and François (Melvil Poupaud), just married, prove fascinating to Vanessa and she starts to interact with the couple and introduce them to Roland. 

A thriller this is not. Stretches of this film are so agonisingly bland that I gained a whole new appreciation for cinema design. How did they choose what felt to use on the walls? Who designed these cup holders? Much more interesting than watching the film during these sequences. The first 20 minutes or so are so depressingly dull and repetitive (day after day) that I was sure this would all amount to possibly the worst film I’ve ever had to review. However soon afterwards, the story takes a turn that I can only describe as ‘voyeuristic’ - that’s about as spoiler-free as I can make it - and this at least brought some interest back. 

Ultimately this film’s downfall is its characters, a pretty-big sin for an utterly character-driven drama. Jolie’s Vanessa starts off a depressed social introvert/agoraphobic, brought on by a traumatic event slowly pieced together through flash-editing - a technique that certainly doesn’t suit this type of film and proved more of a distraction - and the character really doesn’t evolve enough out of that state. The aim is obviously to draw pity towards Vanessa, but she comes off as more annoying than anything else, despite whatever troubles she may have. Roland seems a little more fleshed-out, despite being a struggling alcoholic writer - how original - and his interactions with the barman Michel (Niels Arestrup) are probably the most interesting scenes in the film. 

Sure, the view of Malta and scenic shots of the ocean looks beautiful, but the story flows about as willingly as a stagnant pond. It feels like an unhealthy mix between a romantic Arthouse film from the French New Wave and poorly integrated stylistic elements from a Fincher or even Aronofsky film. It just doesn’t work. 

By the Sea is another disappointing project from director Jolie, however where Unbroken was unoriginal and tedious, this film squanders its opportunity to embrace originality. It's bland opening act is only replaced by a weird subplot, carried through by characters that are near-impossible to care about. Jolie has said the message of this film is about grief and how it consumes you. Ultimately the only grief I felt was for my wallet.

Trailers Week 72: 22/11/15

Zoolander 2

Someone's killing the world's most beautiful people and it's up to Zoolander and Hansel to find out who is doing it. Starring Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Penélope Cruz, Kristen Wiig, Benedict Cumberbatch and Will Ferrell.

How To Be Single

Two friends learn how to be single through stupid behaviour. I seriously wouldn't take Rebel Wilson's advice if that's what she was giving. Also starring Dakota Johnson, Anders Holm, Allison Brie and Leslie Man.

Gods of Egypt

Gerard Butler returns to the ancient world, but this time he's a god. A thief helps the God Horus reclaim his rightful place in the mythical status quo. Also starring Brenton Thwaites, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Abbey Lee.

The Huntsman: Winter's War

Two warriors take on The Evil Queen of Snow White fame and her sister The Ice Queen. What I don't get is why these trailers always need a pop song to sell them. Starring Charlize Theron, Emily Blunt, Jessica Chastain and Chris Hemsworth.

Now You See Me 2

So they let a team of magician bank robbers go free and not expect them to pull more heists? I think someone should lose their job. I'm talking about those screenwriters. Seriously guys? Why not a team of magicians breaking out of prison? Now that's a movie I'd watch. Starring Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, Lizzy Caplan and OG Magic Man Daniel Radcliffe.

Fifty Shades of Black

Alright look I'm not at all a fan of the Marlon Brothers parodies anymore, but if you're gonna be making fun of Fifty Shades of Grey then that's pretty funny. Starring Marlon Wayans, Kali Hawk, Mike Epps and Fred Willard.

Extraction

Bruce Willis gets captured and it's up to his son to save him or else everyone in the United States is going to die, hard. Also starring Kellan Lutz and Gina Carano.

Midnight Special

A father and son become fugitives after learning the kid has special powers. Starring Joel Edgerton, Kirsten Dunst, Adam Driver and Michael Shannon.

The Benefactor

After the death of her parents in a car crash, a young pregnant woman and her new husband are taken care of financially by her mysterious benefactor. Starring Dakota Fanning, Theo James and Richard Gere.

The Boss

After the wealthiest woman in America loses her money by going to prison, she decides to build her way back to the top through a brownie empire run by girl scouts. Starring Melissa McCarthy and Kristen Bell.

Central Intelligence

Kevin Hart teams up with Dwayne Johnson in a movie that's going to have a whole lot of jokes about their height differences.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2

The Hunger Games is one of those series that I never really give any thought towards until the next film comes around, and apparently it’s been a year since Mockingjay - Part 1. Francis Lawrence - who has directed all but the first of the films – has returned to wrap-up the young-adult series with Mockingjay - Part 2. 

The nation of Panem is now in the midst of a civil war, with the rebels led by President Coin (Julianne Moore) looking to assassinate President Snow (Donald Sutherland) and unify the districts. Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) is recovering from the injuries that Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) has caused her and their relationship is in turmoil as he becomes more and more unstable. The time has come to take down President Snow, with the rebels planning to film Katniss assassinating him as the ultimate piece of propaganda. 

Traversing through the Capitol to reach the palace is a challenge. Snow has evacuated the perimeter and transformed it into a sadistic minefield of unique ways to die. Katniss and the District 13 unit undertake the challenging mission with her friends Gale (Liam Hemsworth), Finnick (Sam Claflin) and Cressida (Natalie Dormer), who is to direct the propaganda piece. This is their best chance to take down Snow’s regime, but it’s certainly no easy task. 

There are some interesting side-stories in Part 2 that jazz up the arcs of the various characters - such as Peeta’s inability to control himself at points due to the Capitol's brainwashing, and Finnick’s marriage which gives his character more of a reason to fight for Panem’s freedom - and this is essentially still an ensemble film, however the ‘will they, won’t they, and with whom?’ love triangle between, Katniss, Peeta and Gale is beginning to wear extremely thin, and is resolved in both an expected and confusing way. The same can be said for most of the film, it reaches the point that you knew it would, but in a convoluted and stretched-out manner. Most of the film feels like a montage and is at times, difficult to follow. They could have had about five end-points before they finally finish with such an overly-sentimental, unnecessary scene that it actually detracts from the quality of the film. It’s as if the producers were desperately trying to hold on to the only half-decent Young Adult film series they have. 

On top of this there are plot-holes and timing issues that quite noticeably screw with the sense of immersion. For example at the beginning of the film, following on from the injuries she sustained at the end of the last, Katniss is almost completely unable to speak. However, no more than five minutes later, she’s up and having a healthy conversation with President Coin and Plutarch - the last filmic appearance of the late Philip Seymour Hoffman and a reminder that this movie was (largely) filmed years ago, at the same time as Part 1. Perhaps that’s why it feels so rushed. It’s uncertain how much time is passing throughout Mockingjay - Part 2, and that removes much of the tension that it works so needlessly to build up. 

To redeem itself from some of these issues, Mockingjay - Part 2 does have some pretty intense fight sequences, including a weird hot-oil chase and a sewer-system scene which is either a homage or a shameless rip-off of Aliens, depending on how you view it. The concept of President Snow evacuating the outskirts of the Capitol and filling the streets with a system of eloquent booby-traps is a pretty cool idea, but it does feel a bit-too much like it’s YA competitor The Maze Runner - perhaps it’s a big F-You from the author, Suzanne Collins to Maze Runner’s James Dashner. 

Past issues with the characters again crop-up again here, with Natalie Dormer’s Cressida as annoying as ever, Woody Harrelson barely making an appearance, and Moore’s President Coin a bland mirror of Snow, preaching a distorted view of what ultimately becomes the same ideology. President Snow is still pretty much the only likable character for me, with his eccentric bond-villian persona the guilty pleasure of the series, played expertly by the great Donald Sutherland. Although I must say Katniss is suitably badass for such a finale. Ultimately though I care about as much for the characters as I do for the world that they inhabit. 

For an impartial-viewer, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 is a relatively satisfying, albeit overly long and convoluted conclusion to a series that’s never particularly gelled with me. It has its issues but keeps your attention fairly well. If you’re a massive fan, I can’t speak for how much you’ll enjoy it, but it’s certainly worth a watch even if only to serve as a catharsis for the many hours you’ve already spent delving into this series.