Silence

“I pray but I am lost. Am I just praying to silence?”

For decades Martin Scorsese has been pushing the limits of the cinematic medium through evocative styling and directorial decisions as a channel for storytelling – so perhaps it’s telling that one of his greatest achievements is his new film, the understated, brooding, minimalistic Silence.

In the 1630s, news reaches St Paul’s College, Macau that Cristóvão Ferreira (Liam Neeson), a Portuguese Jesuit who had helped bring Christianity to the people of Japan, has renounced his faith after being tortured in the anti-Christian purges of Japan. Two of Ferreira’s devout pupils, Father Sebastião Rodrigues (Andrew Garfield) and Francisco Garupe (Adam Driver) cannot believe that their mentor would commit apostasy and set out on a three year long journey to find him.

With the help of an alcoholic fisherman, Kichijiro (Yôsuke Kubozuka) the priests reach Japan and land at Tomogi, a small village with a secret Christian population to which the priests administer the sacrament. Soon however a band of Samurais led by “The Inquisitor” (Issei Ogata) arrive in the village, looking to flush out Christianity from the land and are after the Jesuit priests. Meanwhile, the fate of Father Ferreira remains a mystery.

With Silence, Scorsese strips away the directorial personality he’s built up over nearly fifty years of filmmaking. His camera is almost always static because the beauty and terror of what’s on-screen speaks for itself. The Kluge siblings score is practically non-existent, because like with a smattering of examples from Raging Bull, The Last Temptation of Christ, Goodfellas and The Departed, Scorsese’s use of silence is the most powerful sound. His co-authored screenplay doesn’t draw you in like some of his others, but is true to the novel, and aside from a smaller than you might expect role from Liam Neeson, his frequent collaborators are nowhere to be seen. What hasn’t changed is his undying passion and dedication to storytelling. Twenty-five plus years of research, understanding and maturity went into the creation of this, one of his most impressive films to date.

To suggest however that Silence isn’t cinematic would be an injustice to DoP Rodrigo Prieto’s work and would gloss over one of the crucial elements that ties Silence together. With a distinctly minimalist look and feel, the character of the landscape is as mysterious and unforgiving as the inquisitor himself. If Raging Bull is Scorsese’s most physical portrayal of the harsh realities of the body, then Silence is his most visceral representation of how abusively all-encompassing nature can be, and is central to the films depiction of the direct correlation between Buddhist beliefs and the environment – a determinate factor in the fate of the Christian communities living under such intense persecution.

Indeed the core focus of the film is to find some sort of reconciliation between the ancient undying beliefs held in 17th Century Japan and the influx of Christianity, a task simply impossible for the time with many indirect victims on both sides. Layered on top of that is the challenge for these priests and the persecuted population to maintain unwavering faith with no sign or manifestation from their deity; only silence. Where some films use cinematic technique to manipulate audiences, Silence simply lays down a narrative and lets the viewer draw meaning. Faith is cruel and unexplained, as is humanity, and it’s up to the audience to find some sort of answer or at the very least closure from that.

Ultimately though this is the story of one man’s crisis of faith. Garfield’s Rodrigues takes centre stage for the vast majority of the film and suffers immensely at the hands of a people trying to protect their dynasty from what they see as a spiritual pollutant. Rodrigues is torn between his search for answers in regards to Father Ferreira, a desire to peacefully serve the oppressed Christian Japanese, and personal spiritual uncertainties that have been brooding throughout his Mission. This is Andrew Garfield’s best performance to date, brimming with compassion, suffering and spiritual rumination. Driver is similarly fantastic, although as with Neeson his time on screen is limited compared to Garfield. Some of the best depictions come from the hugely talented Japanese cast. Yoshi Oida as the Elder of Tomogi, Shin'ya Tsukamoto - one of the oppressed villagers, and Issei Ogata as the horrific yet somehow serene Inquisitor are all superb in their roles.

Silence is an extremely rare example of elemental filmmaking that will have hugely varied effects on audience. It will enlighten some, bore others and destroy many. It trusts so deeply in its own material and the themes buried beneath that it’s willing to leave audiences with questions unanswered, perhaps to dig deeper if they can find themselves ever watching it again. It may not have the mainstream appeal of Wolf of Wall Street, but Silence is nevertheless, a masterpiece.

Midnight Special

Unique American filmmaker Jeff Nichols has achieved critical success with his first three features Shotgun Stories, Take Shelter and Mud, none of which found similar triumphs at the box office. His latest feature, Midnight Special - starring Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton, Kirsten Dunst and Adam Driver - is his most ambitious film to date, and with his largest budget thus far, so it has a lot to prove to audiences and critics alike.

Alton Meyer (Jaeden Lieberher) sits in the rear of a car with Roy (Michael Shannon) and state-trooper Lucas (Joel Edgerton) as they cruise through the night with no headlights, evading a state-wide manhunt issued by the AMBER alert system. Alton wears bright-blue goggles and can only be outside at night. He has some serious powers that nobody fully understands and has been the religious focus of a cult on the ranch that he was taken from. The FBI and the NSA are out on the search, with agent Sevier (Adam Driver) trying to gain as much information about the boy as quickly as possible. Nobody knows where they’re going, not even us. All we know if that it’s crucial to the future of the planet.

Right off the bat, it’s clear that Midnight Special is a surprisingly beautiful movie. Shot on film and harking back to some of the more minimalistic 70s and 80s sci-fi flicks, it doesn't present a hyper real world or a CGI riddled environment, but the level of thought behind every visual decision from DoP Adam Stone is obvious. With large sections of the film occurring at night, it’s these sequences that shine, and there’s certainly no pun intended there because half the time it’s literally impossible to see what’s going on. The action is just hinted at; the silhouette of a car travelling down the road with no headlights on, the thin sliver of light on the horizon. The night scenes show a degree of subtlety which is often left abandoned by sci-fi films for fancy special effects sequences. Sequences which ultimately destroy any sense of noiresque mystery that make films of this ilk so unique.

But you didn't come here to read about the visuals, and Midnight Special’s soundtrack is just as impressive. The immersive sound-scape manages a lot with the few action sequences at hand, and in quieter scenes the subtle layers of environment come alive. David Wingo’s intense score pulls you in and somehow manages to only become intrusive at a couple of moments. But Ed, what about the costuming? Well the decision to give Alton goggles was...alright alright, so I admit, I might have struggled a bit with Midnight Special’s story. An obvious homage to Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Midnight Special’s ambitious plot is mysterious, and often captivating but most of the time I just couldn't get enough information to really care about the characters or invest myself in the story.

Take the beginning for instance, through an intense opening montage we learn that a boy has been supposedly kidnapped from a ranch belonging to a religious cult, we know that Edgerton and Shannon’s characters are involved, and that’s about it. It’s clever and provides a set up that draws us in, but it continues like this for most of the film, with the little crucial details that keep us asking questions just not provided. It’s frustrating to say the least, especially since the film’s story clearly has some interesting things to say.

Before more is revealed, you’re forced to side with either a misguided cult or two men who have kidnapped a young boy, yet any presumptions you might make about either side are not backed up with anything indicative of what you might expect, which makes it difficult to decide who - if any of them - is doing the right thing. It’s also unclear exactly what Alton’s powers are - even when we see them in use - and how they relate to these theories about another dimension of beings. The third stakeholder in the story is the government, specifically the FBI and NSA, who are the clear antagonists. The NSA agent Sevier - an Edward Snowden-like figure who secretly helps Alton - is sort of like the comic relief, and well played by Adam Driver. In fact the film has great performances all round, especially from Michael Shannon and Jaeden Lieberher. Sadly though the performances can only convey so much.

Midnight Special is an expertly constructed film. It’s beautiful, well acted and has so much potential lying under the surface. However, whilst I’m normally one to favour the ambiguous plot-line, it consistently failed to reveal enough to keep me on the edge of my seat, or away from that all-too-telling watch glance.

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!

While We're Young

Noah Baumbach's latest feature While We're Young continues in a similar vein to his two previous films Greenberg and Frances Ha of being unable to find direction and comfort in your own life; only this time he adds in the idea of getting old. Baumbach also confusingly shoehorns in a subplot about authenticity in documentary, which threw me about what the film was actually about.

Josh (Ben Stiller) and Cornelia (Naomi Watts) are a couple who are experiencing a rough patch in their life due to indecision over having children. Josh is a documentarian who was been working on the same film for close to a decade and is struggling to complete the project. One day after giving a lecture, he meets a young couple, Jamie (Adam Driver) and Darby (Amanda Seyfried) and decides to spend time with them after learning Jamie is a fellow documentarian. Both Josh and Cornelia start to regain their youth by spending time with Jamie and Darby.

This movie wants to make you think that it is all about getting old and dealing with it, but Baumbach replaces this story rather quickly with the idea of authenticity (or the lack of it) in documentary filmmaking. Josh finds out that Jamie's style of documentary making is far from genuine and seeks to expose his ways. This storyline dominates the majority of the film and everything else is dropped in lieu of it. That's where this movie falls apart, it could have been a fun movie about to grown ups realising the life that young people lead isn't for everyone, but Baumbach gets to this in a rather roundabout way.

None of the lead actors bring their best to this film. Both Watts and Seyfried are relegated to the background of the movie and therefore we don't care about them. Driver gives an entirely lazy performance here. He is so much better in other movies, but here he really calls it in. Stiller is the worst offender of the film. We are supposed find the main character relatable, or at least likeable, but his character is a total asshole. Only Charles Grodin and Adam Horovitz (Ad-Rock of The Beastie Boys) give the most passable performances.

All in all, this is a missed opportunity of a movie. What could have been a smart, funny movie about the idea of growing old gracefully ends up being an unfunny mess about the ethics behind documentaries. Baumbach needs to change his approach.

This Is Where I Leave You

As I have mentioned before here and here and I think maybe here, I'm a huge fan of movies about families. Doubly so if they're about dysfunctional families. I think it's because I come from a slightly dysfunctional one myself (sorry guys, if you're reading this). Anyway, that is what drew me into this movie.

Judd Altman (Jason Bateman) finds out that his wife is cheating on him with his boss. This comes just before Judd finds out that his father has died. His mother Hillary (Jane Fonda) wants to honour his last wishes by holding the Jewish practice of shiva, which is ironic because they are all atheist. During shiva, they must all stay together for a week. The rest of the family, Paul (Corey Stoll), Wendy (Tina Fey) and Philip (Adam Driver) all have their problems with each other, making the week extremely hard to get through.

I think this movie has my dream cast. All the actors in the rate among my favourites. Jason Bateman is back to his funny ways in a role not too similar to Michael Bluth in Arrested Development, but you can definitely see how this role is so easy for him. Tina Fey is a delight to watch in this and plays a much more sweeter character than some of her more recent roles. Corey Stoll (House of Cards) is great to watch in a comedy although he is a bit more of a straight-laced character.

Adam Driver is a lot of fun in this movie and a lot more wacky than some of the things he has been in and Ben Schwartz who plays the rabbi known only as "Boner" is great as Philip's foil. Schwartz has to be one of the funniest improv actors around (along with Thomas Middleditch) and is just great in this movie. Timothy Olyphant, who I have admired ever since seeing The Girl Next Door, plays a fantastic character who has a touching relationship with Tina Fey.

While the movie does seem to be a great comedy on surface, the movie does have overarching themes of family and taking risks in your life. These moments are sometimes interjected by jokes, but that doesn't interfere with the pacing at all, instead it makes the film more poignant and funnier.

Verdict: A great comedy-drama filled with some wonderful characters and fantastically hilarious moments.

Tracks

Tracks begins with a quote from Robyn Davidson (the subject and main character of the film) on the nature of nomads. You don't know it at first, but this quote is a great foreshadowing about, what I think anyway, her feelings toward people as well as places.

In the late 1970s, Robin Davidson (Mia Wasikowska) decides to make an overland trek from Alice Springs to the Indian Ocean. To help her on the journey, Robyn acquires three camels, that will help carry supplies. She gets funded by National Geographic, who insist that photographer Rick Smolan (Adam Driver) occasionally takes photos of her on the journey.

Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland) is normally a good actress with a strong emotional range, but I felt as though she was very passive in this film. There are a lot of blank stares off into the desert, but I couldn't read any emotion into them. The only time I felt convinced by her performance was when she was confronted by big groups of people and showed obvious discomfort.

Adam Driver's (Inside Llewyn Davis) character had a very interesting arc, having started off as an American uncomfortable with the outback and always taking pictures when he should be helping to showing respect for Davidson's discomfort at being on camera.

I felt that the explanation that bookended the film was overkill. It did help to explain the history of the film but it told me the same things at the start and end. The ending came a little anticlimactically for me as well.

Verdict: A visually spectacular film with an interesting story but not something to get too excited about.