The Accountant

What do you get when you bring Batfleck more into the realm of The Big Short? Well, The Accountant, apparently. This movie is all over the place in terms of thematic stability, with way too much attempted dynamism plaguing every character. Is it really necessary for the autistic mathematical super-genius to also be trained in martial arts and heavy weaponry? Probably not. It's a mess, but at least it's a hot mess.

Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck) is an on-the-spectrum savant working as an accountant for some of the baddest bads in the crime world. As a treasury agent (J.K. Simmons) starts searching out his identity, Christian takes on a legitimate client in a robotics  company with conveniently way too much to hide. Obviously, this creates room for an emotional connection with the company's lowly assistant Dana (Anna Kendrick), because what would an action-thriller be without a love interest? Oh, and there's a hitman (Jon Bernthal) chasing him, but don't worry too much about that.

The Accountant plays with a lot, and sadly, it does not do so delicately. From the opening scenes, we are heavily handed a bunch of disjointed plot stories that we spend the majority of the film trying to reconnect. Jarring flashbacks and out of place monologues are apparently the way to go to create 'character depth' these days. Every character has some motivations or back story that are supposed to make us think "Hey, maybe he's not a bad guy, maybe he's just misunderstood". Sadly, this moral ambiguity seems to lose its punch when applied to every single character in the movie.

While his introduction and validation are a bit abrupt, Christian Wolff springs to life through Affleck, who comfortably portrays the mannerisms of autism in a subtle yet effective way. Affleck seems to do all he can with a clunky and overloaded character. It's probably best to blame the writers for this one if you dislike his performance. The real standout as far as acting is concerned is Jon Bernthal's Brax, who is sadly underutilisied and seemingly forgotten as the plot unfolds. And Anna Kendrick just plays Anna Kendrick. 

While the movie is fun, it is definitely hindered by its drive to tick all the boxes. It is hard to strive to be a message movie for people with autism when you also make the lead character a kickass sharpshooter and martial arts expert. The Accountant could have bypassed the guns and fight scenes completely and just had a detailed, dialogue-driven, A Beautiful Mind-esque drama. But instead, we are left with this identity crisis of an action flick. While it surely is cool to see an autistic character explored on-screen as a bit of a badass, is this really the best way to go about representing people with disabilities? This may not be the movie people with autism deserve, but until that one arrives, at least it's a bit of fun. 

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.

Robin Williams Tribute Month: The World According To Garp (1982)

Out of all of Robin Williams' comedic roles, The World According To Garp is probably one of his most subtle. Sure, there are some hilarious moments, but he hasn't quite gotten to that manic state that he would be known for half a decade later. This is also Williams' first big starring role, unless you're counting Robert Altman's Popeye and I don't think anyone really counts that one.

Jenny Fields (Glenn Close) is a feminist woman who wants a child, but not a husband. After she rapes a soldier in the war hospital where she works, she gets her wish. She raises her son T.S. Garp (T.S. standing for Technical Sergeant) the way she wants to. We get an insight into Garp's early years, but the fun doesn't really start until he is in his early 20's.

When Garp (Williams) is at college he expresses a keen interest into both wrestling and writing and he excels at both. He has a passion to be a writer, which he is really good at, but it isn't until he meets Helen Holm (Mary Beth Hurt) that he really strives toward it. It is at this time that his mother notices lust for the first time in Garp and decides to write her own book on the subject.

Jenny soon releases her book A Sexual Suspect, which is part autobiographical. This is both a huge success with feminists and overshadows the release of Garp's book. Garp decides to settle down with Helen to pursue his career, whilst his mother sets up a feminist colony.

One thing about this movie is that it is incredibly long (it quite literally tracks one man's entire lifespan), but it is also incredibly rewarding and fun.Williams has many one liners about the situations that he finds himself in that cracked me up. This movie has its poignant moments too that can't really be forgotten.

The majority of the performances are fantastic. I am not really a fan of Glenn Close at all, but her performance is fantastic, considering that this was her debut film. She is a very strict mother, but at the same time you can tell that she loves Garp more than anything. John Lithgow gives a performance that will make me look at a different light forever. He plays transsexual ex-football player Roberta Muldoon. His performance is amazing as this big woman who is very gentle.

Of course this movie would be nothing without Williams. He is very gentle and softly spoken throughout the film although there are times where his character does get quite angry. It is fun to see him in a role that came after his serious acting training at Julliard and before his manic, crazy movie roles that would make him famous in the years to come.

Verdict: A fun and touching movie about the life of T.S. (Terribly Sexy) Garp.