Crimson Peak

                     "It will run red first because of the clay in the pipes but the water will clear up."

A late winter's day, overcast, as a carriage makes its way up the red-clay drive-way of the grounds to

the Gothic mansion that is Allerdale Hall in Cumberland, England. The open carriage laden with luggage pulls up out front, the dirty, elderly caretaker greets the arrivals, the lord of the manor Sir Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston) and his new young American wife Edith (Mia Wasikowska). Edith's welcome by the caretaker is polite, if a tad odd but the sudden arrival of a small Papillion dog surprises the newlyweds, to the delight of Edith and chagrin of Thomas. Edith presses inside the house, her new home, a dark, massive and open manor, her splendid ruffly grey dress with delicate flower arrangements upon it contrasts to the ruinous dark green and mahogany interior of the building, not to mention it's state of decay with dead flies and leaves littering the floor due to the open roof. The house creaks, groans, distant cries and winds mimic both agony and breathing. Edith searches the house, her inquisitiveness seeming to further the apparent life within the house, her new home. Crimson Peak is the latest film from Mexican cult director Guillermo del Toro, the film stars Wasikowska, Hiddleston, Jessica Chastain and Charlie Hunnam and follows Wasikowska's Edith as she marries the mysterious but charming Sharpe and moves in with him and his sister Lucille to the ludicrously large and certainly haunted Allerdale Hall, otherwise known as the Crimson Peak due to the red clay underground that seeps into the snow to a terrifying affect, and soon sets about uncovering the mysteries of the mansion as she is haunted by ghosts.

Guillermo del Toro is a director very much about style over substance, his films, regardless of their overt quality, are all bursting with inspired, mythic art and designs, and his stories often take the form of or relate to fairy-tales, myths and legends and thus Crimson Peak is book-ended with poetic narration and its title sequence is a CGI rendering of a classic fairy-tale book being opened. The plot, setting and design of the film all condition the audience to accept the film as a faery story rather than period horror-drama, there's even a line in the film in which Edith describes the manuscript she's writing as "not a ghost story but a story with a ghost in it", a phrase that certainly applies to the horror genre in this film.  Del Toro's ability to build a world is central to how he builds his characters, his film and directing style, which often involves a thematic exploration on family and place (Hellboy, Mako in Pacific Rim, the farm in Pan's Labyrinth). Scenes open with the moving camera finding it's way around the world before coming to the character or emotion of the scene and often-times using a neat transition such as a match-cut or shrinking the frame down to a single detail in the shot such as a butterfly or ring. The latter method being an overt throw-back to the editing of early cinema, close to the setting of this film, and even further relates to the writing and direction of Crimson Peak which both explicitly and implicitly engage with the different media's of the time, their engagement with death, as well as references to other films and the themes of memory and past.

Written by del Toro and Matthew Robbins who previously collaborated on del Toro's most celebrated film, Pan's Labyrinth, much of the script and editing of Crimson Peak is a return to form following the earnest, gleeful but ultimately (and purposely) average script of Pacific Rim, but the occasional flash of the script or editing can be cancelled out by the failings. Nice character details such as Hunnam's doctor being a fan of Sherlock Holmes thus providing a subtle justification for his heightened investigative nature is forgotten in the face predictable and soon-to-be-cliched third act revelation. In the opposite vein the perhaps too-brutal editing of early scenes is but a scant memory in the presence of some delightful match-cuts and scene transitions. Mia Wasikowska has built a career off playing waif-ish, inquisitive but strong-willed bourgeoisie protagonists with a dark side (see the excellent Stoker and The Double by Park Chan-wook and Richard Ayoade, respectively), and her role as Edith is another notch in that belt, though this is a perfect film for that kind of performance. Tom Hiddleston's effortless charm takes centre-stage as he seduces Edith but within his pauses and puppy-like blue eyes there is some depth and doubt that makes Sharpe more memorable in stark contrast to Charlie Hunnam who, while not bad, just doesn't quite fit in with the film. Chastain's aloof Lucille may be the topic of some debate but her portrayal felt like a well-travelled path, bringing little new or strong to the role until the later moments of the film, and even then the writing/scenario felt cliched instead.

While throughout the film there are several nods to classic films that obviously influenced del Toro, the red ball from The Changeling being one of the more overt references, the finale (without spoiling too much I hope)is particularly reminiscent. It's structure is almost beat-for-beat the same as The Shining, an influence which hangs over this film like a cloud, but the costuming and set design resembles the first Silent Hill adaptation, and for good reason. While marketed as a Gothic horror-romance, Crimson Peak is sparsely decorated with moments of great dread ruined by cheap jump-scares, though the CGI ghosts do look wonderful, unique and disturbing. The narrative of a del Toro film is usually secondary to the world and atmosphere it's always a disappointing experience to be able to predict the very next event in a film and though Crimson Peak is perhaps the most gorgeously produced film of the year, and once again del Toro has created a fantastical breathing world and likely his objectively best film since Pan's Labyrinth, Peak is another film by del Toro that falls just short of being great.

The Martian

    "I'm Mark Watney and I'm still alive...obviously"

The red sands of Mars have settled following a forceful storm, the sky is a healthy red, the Sun bearing down on the rocky mesa's of the Martian landscape. One certain mound of sand is disturbed by the twitching movements of a man laying prone, waking from unconsciousness. His orange-and-white space-suit is both punctured and sealed by a small piece of debris shallowly embedded in his stomach. The debris, leftover from a destroyed long-range communications satellite, is not the only problem the astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) now has to face as he scans the nearby arid landscape. Close by is the habitat Mark and his team have occupied on the planet for the eighteen days preceding the storm and the remains of the launch pad of the team's only rocket back home, which has long since departed with Mark's colleagues believing him dead. Alone on Mars with no communications and limited food, Watney resolves to sustain himself, to communicate, to survive, or as he puts it to "science the shit outta this."

The Martian, Ridley Scott's latest, distances itself from the last decade of epics from the prolific director (Robin Hood, Prometheus, Exodus: Gods and Kings and Kingdom of Heaven) and also, perhaps especially so, from the recent survival dramas of Everest, All Is Lost, Interstellar and the powerhouse Gravity, most notably through the solid writing from Drew Goddard (Cabin in the Woods, World War Z, Cloverfield, Daredevil). Goddard's writing of the characters in the Martian is a blend of Aaron Sorkin's jargon-fuelled relentlessness and Joss Whedon's comical perfection and wit, which has a wonderful effect on the film's tone. Unlike Gravity's direct minimalism, Everest's biopic cliches and Interstellar's cold, Doctor-Who-eyness, The Martian thankfully manages to keep a keen sense of humour to balance out the drama and despair. And this is sold by an ensemble cast of both dramatic actors and practiced comedians including Damon and Jessica Chastain of Interstellar, Benedict Wong of Prometheus, and Kate Mara, Michael Pena, Sebastian Stan, Jeff Daniels, Donald Glover, Kirsten Wiig and Sean Bean (who delivers a silly and charming Lord of the Rings gag).

                        "Every human being has a basic instinct: to help each other out."

Visually, The Martian is pretty, even with it's occasionally questionable computer effects and over-use of Go-Pro footage. The production design is obviously (and smartly) adapted from Prometheus and at times the score the soaring French horns of that score threaten to burst onto the soundscape here. The obligatory Chinese pandering scenes of The Martian are perhaps even more contrived than those in Trans4mers, and even the Chinese Space Agency exterior is the same as the Chinese corporate headquarters in Age of Extinction. But in summation, The Martian is a sci-fi survival story that is slightly more fun than it is tense, but with a strong ensemble, capable lead, balanced writing and solid production. It all comes together to make NASA's perfectl, pretty and impeccably fashioned geek army and the film's two-and-a-half-hour run-time downright fun.

A Most Violent Year

This film has a most misleading title. There is very little violence and it doesn't take place over a year. But J.C. Chandor's latest film is a tense and enthralling film about a legitimate businessman who is trying to make a life in a business that is full of crooks.

The film is set in the industrial areas of New York in 1981. Abel Morales (Oscar Isaac) owns a heating oil company and is looking to expand his business so that he is able to ship the oil straight to his warehouses instead of buying them through a middleman. Lately his company has been plagued by the hijacking of his trucks and he thinks it is his competitors, all of whom run less than legitimate business. Despite urging from his wife Anna (Jessica Chastain), Abel refuses to retaliate through violent means. This is due to his company being investigated by Assistant District Attorney Lawrence (David Oyelowo).

Writer/director Chandor has truly proven himself with this film. His previous two films Margin Call (a film about the 24 hours leading up to the Global Financial Crisis) and All Is Lost (a film starring only Robert Redford, who plays a man lost at sea) were both critically acclaimed but didn't get wide recognition from the public due to their esoteric nature. A Most Violent Year follows in this ambiguity and as such might see the same scorn from general audiences. However, this film is masterfully written and delivers on so many levels. The film doesn't lay all its cards on the table on the table from the outset, instead choosing to reveal backstory as it becomes relevant. It becomes apparent that Abel does not hold any criminal ties, despite the vibe that he does. Instead the real power is held by his wife Anna, who you see holds more power than he does.

The film has some very tense scenes which culminate in extremely violent actions, but they come from people who you least expect and are intended upon the unexpected, which really throws you on the back foot. As soon as I realised that this wasn't a straightforward crime drama, I was kept guessing as to what would happen. The whole time you are hoping that Abel comes through the events using his legitimate means.

The film is superbly shot by cinematographer Bradford Young and really captures the feel and look of New York in 1981. The production design is also remarkable. Anna's dresses are all vintage Armani, the cars are all of the era with late 70s Lincolns and the skyline of New York is transformed to be identical of how it was in 81. Alex Ebert's score is rousing and punctuates the tension that is rippling throughout the film.

For me, Oscar Isaac seems to be getting better and better with each film I see him in. Here, you can see the immensely frustrated businessman, with pressure coming at him from all angles. His performance is perfectly revealing and shows Abel's weaknesses as the film progresses. Jessica Chastain's character is likewise revealing and slowly becomes a terrifying character as you discover what she is capable of. David Oyelowo is just a superb chameleon and is fantastic at wholly becoming each character he plays. Albert Brooks is amazing as Abel's lawyer and Elyes Gabel is fantastic as one of the drivers who is constantly getting hijacked.

J.C. Chandor's A Most Violent Year may not be as exciting for some people due to its misleading title, but it ends up being a scary and tense film about a man who just wants to take the most right path in life.

Interstellar

I have to hand it to Christopher Nolan, time and time again he takes on diverse and interesting projects and makes them his own, especially when scripting with his brother, Jonathan. Their latest endeavour, Interstellar sees the siblings flex their creative muscles, and certainly stretches far beyond the reach of its trailer.

In a grim future, where blight and famine have pushed humanity to the breaking point, Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) is a former pilot and engineer that now works as a corn-farmer, one of the few crops that still grows. His son, Tom (Timothée Chalamet) has been assigned a future in farming and his daughter, Murph (Mackenzie Foy) is adventurous, yet stubborn. After investigating an anomaly which provides a message, that Cooper interprets as co-ordinates, he and Murph go to investigate.

What they discover is a secret project run by what is left of NASA, led by Cooper's old mentor Dr. Brand (Michael Caine). They aim to send a crew through a wormhole near Saturn, in the hopes of discovering an inhabitable planet that would serve as a new home for the human race, as their old one is slowly dying. Cooper joins the crew - against the wishes of Murph - along with Brand's daughter, Amelia (Anne Hathaway), Romilly (David Gyasi) and Doyle (Wes Bentley). The mission will be perilous and with no knowledge when and if they will return, Cooper hopes that he will both be able to save his family, as well as return to see them again.

As with most of Nolan's films, Interstellar will likely require multiple viewings to fully comprehend. It explores, not just the wonder of space travel, but the perils of venturing into the ominous darkness of the unknown. I found that the whole post-apocalyptic scenario where our future as a civilisation rests somewhere in the stars, made for a truly thought-provoking and surprisingly emotional narrative. Yes, some of the intimacy is lost in the vastness of the cosmos, but the noble sacrifices of the crew can be incredibly poignant, especially during the low times, when they just want to go home. Some will find Interstellar quite fantastical, but in many ways, that's what lies at the heart of a great Sci-Fi film, and here with the familiar thematic use of time weaving into the complex and generally intriguing story, it proves a much more compelling tale than Gravity, which I personally found a bit average. At nearly three hours though, it could possibly have done without some scenes, especially at the beginning, though it manages to cover a spectacular amount of material in the time that its given.

 Matthew McConaughey is undoubtedly a talented actor, yet after his string of appearances around the last awards season, on top of True Detective, I walked into this fully expecting to be sick of him by now. Though this was definitely not the case. He brings the vehemence and humanity to the screen that this role really requires. Both Hathaway and Jessica Chastain of Zero Dark Thirty fame, also provide very strong performances, but for me it was Mackenzie Foy who really shined and showed incredible promise for a young actor. All the main roles are certainly helped along by a strong supporting cast, including Casey Affleck, John Lithgow, Matt Damon, and Michael Caine (It wouldn't be a Christopher Nolan film without Michael Caine am I right?).

I'm sorry to constantly rattle on about 2001: A Space Odyssey on this blog, but Nolan has undeniably gained influence from the classic here. From the simplistic yet hyper-real visuals, the eerie moments of silence, uses of classical music, even down to the design of some of the spaceships. Hoyte van Hoytema (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Her) was cinematographer here, and he has certainly done a stellar job, thanks in part to Nolan's love affair with IMAX cameras. The special effects are low-key but nothing short of stunning, and during the tense scenes, the outstanding sound design had me on the edge of my seat. Also the robots that support the crew are simultaneously one of the coolest and wackiest designs I've yet encountered in a Sci-Fi film.

Interstellar is likely to divide audiences at the cinema, just as most thought-provoking films do. Indeed I feel its difficult to properly judge it with just one viewing. But despite some plot issues, Nolan has once again created a captivating piece that is full of action, adventure and emotion. It's a visceral experience.

Zero Dark Thirty

First off, this is not a propaganda movie for the US, glorifying their operation to kill Osama bin Laden. It does tell the story, but it also shows the pain felt by both sides and that it wasn't just some clean in and out operation.

The story picks up two years after 9/11, with a young CIA operative (Jessica Chastain) is witnessing her first interrogation of a detainee at the hands of her new colleague Dan (Jason Clarke). Her character, Maya, has just been transferred to the US embassy in Pakistan, tasked with finding information about top al-Qaeda personnel. The detainee that they are interrogating has links to Saudi terrorists. They soon trick him into divulging information about Abu Ahmed, an old acquaintance, who, through information they can piece together from other detainees, is the courier between bin Laden and Abu Farraj al-Libbi, a ranking officer within al-Qaeda.

Many years later, Maya is able to set up a meet with the detained Abu Farraj, only to find that he is hiding the existence of Ahmed, which Maya interprets as Ahmed being a person of extreme interest. Her senior officer at the embassy (Kyle Chandler), believes Maya should focusing on bringing in known terrorists and be trying to find out where the next global attack will be, so that they can protect the homeland.

Over the next couple of years a lot of things happen in Maya's life. She survives a bombing at the Islamabad Marriott Hotel, her friend Dan is reassigned to Washington and her friend and co-worker Jessica is killed in a botched attempt to try and bring in one of bin Laden's inner circle that she had been spearheading. Whilst trying to find any information on Abu Ahmed, Maya comes across an interview with a detainee who says that he personally buried the man they know as Ahmed, his real name being Habib Sayeed, all the way back in 2001. This seems to have defeated Maya, until a junior officer in her office finds information from the Moroccan intelligence community saying that that man that was buried was actually the brother of the courier. His name is Ibrihim Sayeed and they are able to trace his phone number with the help of Dan. Before Maya can go anywhere with this information, she is attacked coming out of her home by insurgents and subsequently sent back to Washington.

Once they find Sayeed, the operatives are able to trace him to a compound in Abbotabad in Pakistan. Through continued surveillance, Maya soon believes that bin Laden himself is residing within the compound. This belief is not shared by her seniors, who deliberate on the risk of sending in a team to take out the occupants. The CIA chief (James Gandolfini) soon decides that sending in a team to the compound would be beneficial, as whoever this mystery man is, it would be a good idea to take him out.

So Maya is sent to Afghanistan, where she is to oversee the mission to the compound. A SEAL team is put together and with the latest in stealth helicopter technology, they fly into Abbotabad to assault the compound. One of the helicopters loses power and crash lands within the walls of the compound. The team goes in and obliterates the three men who are in there, including Osama bin Laden, whose body they take with them. They also take any hard drives and intel that they can get their hands on. Once they are back at base, the team is welcomed with open arms by everyone, whilst Maya is left to contemplate what she is to do with her life now that her goal that she has been working on for a decade is completed.

Katheryn Bigelow has put together a movie that pulls no punches. Whilst it's hard to tell what actually happened in the events leading up to the operation at the end of the movie, most of the events revolve around real bombings and the detaining of real life individuals. The casting of the movie is amazing.  None of the actors have huge star power, so they are believable in the roles that they play. Jessica Chastain is brilliant as Maya and you can really see that following through with this mission means everything to her. Jennifer Ehle is great as Maya's friend Jessica who really wants to show her friend that she wants to do her best on this mission. Mark Strong plays Maya's boss in Washington and really wants to believe that bin Laden is in Pakistan.

I found the torture scenes at the beginning to be confronting, but that is how matters were handled and it is a brutal and honest truth. The water-boarding scenes, in particular, were pretty full on. The mission at the end is shown to be a far from clean mission, resulting in the loss of a state of the art helicopter and civilian casualties that should have been avoided.

The film opens with a black screen where we hear the various radio chatter that happen on 9/11, including one iconic 911 call from one of the towers. The film also has news footage from various attacks throughout the decade, as well as press conferences from both George W. Bush and Barack Obama. These give insight into the world that was happening around the events of the film.

Verdict: Spanning almost a decade, this film shows that the events leading up to the death of Osama bin Laden were not as easy as some might of thought. Although I was not a huge fan of The Hurt Locker, I think Katheryn Bigelow has done a much better job this time around.