X-Men: Apocalypse

I really enjoyed the last X-Men movie. The decision to go back and explore different stories with younger versions of the characters has ultimately paid off, but even by their own admission, the third movie is never as good. That last statement is a bit of a lie. While Apocalypse may not be a high point in the series, it's still a pretty awesome movie.

In a pretty exhilarating introduction in ancient Egypt, we see all-powerful mutant Apocalypse (Oscar Isaac) get buried under a collapsed pyramid. In 1983, CIA agent Moira McTaggert (Rose Byrne) witnesses his reawakening at the hands of a cult. Meanwhile in Poland, Magneto (Michael Fassbender) is living a quiet life with his wife and daughter until the townspeople discover what he is. Elsewhere, Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) is off looking for mutants and comes across Nightcrawler (Kodi Smit-McPhee), whom she decides to take back to Charles Xavier (James McAvoy). It's at this point that Apocalypse reveals himself to the world with his plan to destroy everyone so he can start the world afresh.

Okay, so after writing out that plot it does sound like the movie doesn't have a lot going on for it. The plot of the movie does take a bit of a back seat, but don't worry, it's not sacrificed for the sake of action. Rather the focus of this movie is character development. Although the majority of characters who we've seen before have already been established, we do get a better insight into their personalities. For example, the psyche of Magneto is explored and we can further see how he is torn between being good and bad. The new characters who are introduced are also given similar inner conflicts. Jean Grey (played by Sophie Turner) is shown to have an immense inner power that she is unable to control. This ties in nicely with the future we saw in X-Men: The Last Stand. 

The performances from the series regulars were solid as usual. The newbies however gave mixed performances. Kodi Smit-McPhee was a standout. He gave Nightcrawler the right amount of a comedic edge that helped lighten the dark mood throughout the film. That complemented the laughs given by Even Peters as Quicksilver well. Sophie Turner, Alexandra Shipp and Tye Sheridan came out okay, but they still need some more time to find their footing, which is okay with a franchise like this as they have plenty of time to do that. I was really disappointed with Oscar Isaac's performance because he is my favourite actor and he was misused so much in this film. I think it primarily had to do with the fact that the character of Apocalypse wasn't all that menacing for me and none of the power that he supposedly had came through.

I know it seems like I'm skirting around whether or not to say this movie is good or bad, but I have to commit to something. I guess I thought it was a little bit better than average, but the lacking plot and Superman level of destruction in the action sequence at the end dragged it down.

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!

Ex Machina

In his directorial debut, writer Alex Garland mixes simple storytelling with high concepts such as artificial intelligence, sexuality and data retention to make a powerful beautiful film. The combination of beautiful images and insanely good acting and you make a definite impact with your first film.

Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson) is a programmer for a popular search engine known as Bluebook. One day Caleb wins a prize of going to stay with his elusive boss Nathan (Oscar Isaac) for a week. Once he gets there, Caleb discovers that his true purpose is to conduct a Turing test on Ava (Alicia Vikander), a female robot created by Nathan that will change artificial intelligence forever. It is when Caleb discovers that Nathan brought him there for darker reasons than he thought, Caleb starts to question what exactly is going on.

Garland's story is very slow-burning, but at the same time your attention is being held completely. The simple narrative of two men and a robot is engaging, as Ava plays Nathan and Caleb off of one another. Indeed the changing relationship and power balance the two men go through is a remarkable thing to watch. Caleb enters this world vulnerable, but once he thinks he learns everything there is to know, his perceived power in his relationship with Nathan is fundamentally changed.

The very topical subject of mass surveillance is being looked at here, as Ava's programming allows her to get her intelligence from looking at what everyone is searching for on the internet. This multiplies the idea of people looking at what we are doing in the digital world by having a single all knowing machine looking at our digital footprints. Garland also examines the idea of programmed sexuality in humans via a scene between Caleb and Nathan. They discuss the idea of sexuality being inherently programmed into humans, so it doesn't matter if you are hetero- or homosexual, this is something that you are born with. This arises when Caleb confronts Nathan and asks whether he programmed Ava to be attracted to Caleb.

This film looks incredible. Cinematographer Rob Hardy has crafted some exceptional shots both of interiors and exteriors. Everything from forests to mountaintops looks so enticing and clear, but it is Hardy's use of lighting and colour in Nathan's underground facility that truly standout. The colour scheme draws heavily from the RGB scale and the predominant colours in each location are red, green and blue. In scenes where the facility goes into lockdown, the interior is bathed in foreboding red light that mutes out every other colour. In certain pivotal scenes, Hardy also employs a fisheye lens to great effect. The bending of the image adds a certain surreal feeling to these scenes.

The three central performances in this film are just so superb, each feeding into the other to make this film entirely collaborative. Domhnall Gleeson's Caleb is just so naïve of the situation that he is in and thinks he has complete control the entire time, but should really be trusting no one. His confused looks throughout the film are completely warranted as the unique situation he is in would be a new one for anybody. Oscar Isaac makes his character deep and intriguing whilst, not giving away any of his inner feelings. I feel as though Nathan has a complex past but I am happy not knowing what it is at all. Alicia Vikander ties it all together with her nuanced performance of Ava. She moves fluidly, but there are still some subtle movements she makes that are not entirely human. Sonoya Mizuno adds a great supporting character as a mute robot.

All up Alex Garland's first feature is a massive success. It offers a look at the near future the same way Spike Jonze did with Her, one that is not entirely implausible. I think the take away message from this film is that there may already be robots living among us.

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.

The Two Faces of January

I'd expect nothing less from the writer of Drive for his directorial debut. Hossein Amini is a master at adapting novels and if you can adapt James Sallis' existentialist Drive, you can adapt anything.

Rydal (Oscar Isaac) is a young American conman working as a tour guide in 1960s Greece. He takes around rich college girls whilst overcharging them for everything. One day he comes across the MacFarlands, Chester (Viggo Mortensen) and Colette (Kirsten Dunst), a mysterious wealthy couple from America. He is drawn to both of them and soon becomes embroiled in their dangerous past.

Based on the 1964 novel by Patricia Highsmith (who is known for writing The Talented Mr Ripley), Amini has constructed an intensely suspenseful adventure that very reminiscent of suspense films of the 1960s, not unlike those by Alfred Hitchcock. There were many times where I did in fact hold my breath at the outcome at many of the situations.

Isaac has proven himself once again in this film. His character Rydal is naive enough but not entirely unknowing of how things will turn out. Rydal's backstory is present, but because of the nature of him being a conman it is hard to know whether or not he is telling the truth about his past.

Both Mortensen and Dunst play perfectly off each other. Their chemistry is evident at the beginning and as the film goes on you believe that the strain in their relationship is genuine. Isaac also works well with both of them. The subtle hints of romance between Colette and Rydal are believable and Chester's strange surrogacy as father to Rydal is quite telling.

Verdict: An intensely suspenseful and gripping adventure through Greece. Amazing performances from all three actors.

Inside Llewyn Davis

The Coen brothers are fantastic filmmakers. They can make light-hearted films (The Big Lebowski), brooding pseudo-action films (No Country for Old Men) and crime films (Blood Simple). Almost all their films are funny. And so is Inside Llewyn Davis. At times. Mostly though, it's just cold and a little sad.

Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac) is a struggling folk singer. He used to be doing okay until his partner committed suicide. He drifts around staying at his friends apartments in Greenwich Village. The film centres on a week in his life as he tries to get recognised for his solo music, playing gigs, helping his friend Jim (Justin Timberlake) record a new song and traveling across the country to visit a manager.

The film was very weak on story, which is very unlike a Coen brothers film. Normally, they fill a film with so many plot points and characters, it's hard to keep up. But this film is more character based. I'm not sure how I feel about that approach.

On the other hand, the performances are fantastic. Oscar Isaac has really shown that he has what it takes to be a lead actor. In the past he's only been in supporting roles, but he shows an emotional range in this film that can't be ignored. Carey Mulligan (who played Isaac's wife in Nicolas Winding Refn's Drive) is fantastically cold as Jean, a fellow folk singer. There are some great performances by Adam Driver (Girls) and John Goodman (everything!) too.

I was not expecting (and a little stupidly on my part) for all the songs to be played in full. I was a little taken back by this, but it is a movie about a musician so I should have seen it coming. Folk music just isn't my thing.

Verdict: I was a little let down by this film, but then again I don't know what I was expecting. Oscar Isaac gives a fantastic performance.