Straight Outta Compton

"Our art is a reflection of our reality. You open your front door and what do you see?"

A typical middle-class LA/Southern Californian high school day ends and the African-American students board the buses. One, O'Shea "Ice Cube" Jackson (O'Shea Jackson Jr.) takes a break from writing lyrics to wistfully gaze out the window at the Anglo-American teens hopping in their sports cars together and driving themselves home. Cube's bus leaves the school, leaves the suburbs and soon crosses from tree-lined roads into a graffiti-ridden industrial area towards the Housing Commission-style neighbourhood of Compton. Along the way a pair of teens throw light joking jabs and gang signs at a passing car full of young men, men who suddenly force the bus to stop, board it and threaten the teens with guns while giving a "motivational speech" that's actually a very thinly veiled threat. Ice Cube recounts this incident shortly after at his friends house where his mate  Andre "Dr, Dre" Young (Corey Hawkins) has just moved in to with his young wife and infant daughter further crowding a small house, and they spend the afternoon laughing and creating music. Ice Cube leaves and is immediately confronted road-side by an LAPD patrol already in the process of arresting another African-American man. Cube is accosted and manhandled by the police and when his parents try to intervene, they too are held back with aggressive dialogue and threats of force from the police. This is the reality of Compton, LA, of the film Straight Outta Compton, the reality that birthed N.W.A ("Niggaz Wit Attitudes), a gangster-rap group from the crime-ridden neighbourhood, a group that was perceived to bring gang violence and culture to America's youth and profit from it.

F. Gary Gray's film has undoubtedly been released in a near-perfect moment in terms of marketing and cultural impact, with the horrific interactions between African-Americans and the Police in the US only getting worse, and the film's trailers have invested heavily in it. And, perhaps intentionally, that's not what the Straight Outta Compton film is about. The film follows the rise and demise of the band, from local zeroes, to heroes, to business and entertainment moguls. The film primarily follows the course of Dr Dre, Ice Cube and Eric "Eazy-E" Wright (Jason Mitchell), arguably the greater contributors to NWA, though MC Ren and DJ Yella are also represented but often relegated to being in the background. The film evolves from following these seemingly non-gang affiliated men be brutally honest about the experiences of their life to the territorial nature of the gangland following them into the recording studios and business as a whole. The trailers infer the band's voice having particular impact during the L.A Riots in the wake of the Rodney King bashing, and while this does seem to resonate with the characters within the film, it has little to do with the overall plot. 

                             "When Tyree died you said we'd always be brothers!"

Straight Outta Compton falters where most biopics of prolific and controversial persons/groups do, especially when the members are invested in the production and marketing of the film. It's dragged down by overly-sympathetic characters, direct and manipulative dialogue and portrayals, and a deluge of cameo's and events that come across more as a highlight reel rather than cinematic narrative. Dr Dre is portrayed as the classic hungry, misunderstood, suffering artist who's quest for artistic purity is being constantly undermined by inconveniences such as his wife and children and his family's poverty. Conflicts and personality flaws that would usually create a more three-dimensional character are omitted to satisfy this image of Dre, which in some ways has been addressed during the promo tour for the film. Ice Cube is treated as the talent and genius that the band cannot exist without, with a full scene devoted to NWA and their manager being left speechless after hearing his insult track "No Vaseline" and repeated lines of dialogue referencing how MC Ren is unable to fill Ice Cube's role with the same power or ability after he split from the group in 1989. Eazy-E as the heart and soul of the group who is constantly being manipulated by others and is portrayed tragically from the start, often his pride and gangster attitude (the source of his success) being instrumental in his conflicts with others, however this is seemingly the most honest portrayal in the film. 

Besides the recording of the eponymous album, many events of the film appear to do little more than pad out soundtracks and cameo's, such as appearances by Snoop Dogg (Keith Stanfield) who just wonders up to Dre at one stage and they instantly create "Nuthin' But a G Thang", or walking into a Death Row Records studio to hear Tupac Shakur in the middle of recording "California Love". The second ninety minutes of the film truly falls into typical biopic territory with a never-ending parade of references and cameos punctuated by hit songs that surrounded the members of N.W.A. The film employs forced and cliched movie dialogue and a manipulative film score (outside of the soundtrack that drives the film) that undercuts emotionally significant moments in the lives of otherwise aggressively real and brutal hip-hop/rap artists perhaps reinforcing the fales-ness of cinematic biopics and their capacity to omit information and create significant bias, or maybe it's just bad writing. And finally, the portrayal of women in the eyes of N.W.A has long been criticised but this film could have its own Every Single Word Spoken By...video for its female characters, who when they do appear are usually some kind of decoration. In a major film made in 2015, it's undeniable, blatant and frankly disgusting, regardless of whatever truth there is behind it and there's never any explanation or reason for it besides excess and greed.

In spite of all these issues, Straight Outta Compton is an experience worth investing in even with a two hour and thirty minute runtime. The performances are excellent, and the idea behind O'Shea Jackson Jr. playing his dad is amazing and works. Gray often uses handheld and steadicam shots that flow throughout small rooms full of people to great effect, and the constant militaristic threat of the police is both terrifying and brilliant, invoking the fear of a villain in a slasher film. The concert scenes are infectious and the first hour especially has a wonderful social power to it. It establishes these characters well, their visions clearly and the problems they face, and through it all there's a great soundtrack that keeps things in moving forward, often helping to mask the edits that cut an hour off the film's original runtime. Overall, Compton has the same problems as any other biopic, but has landed at a perfect moment, and with it's strong performances, excellent soundtrack and cultural relevance, it's worth the time investment.

Love & Mercy

Bill Pohlad's biopic of The Beach Boys front man Brian Wilson is not only an enjoyable film about the life of a dark, tortured individual, but also a refreshing take on the structure and style that biopics are usually delivered. In the film, Wilson is portrayed by two actors, Paul Dano and John Cusack, both at different stages of his life.

In the 1960s, Brian Wilson (Paul Dano) is looking to take a break from touring with the Beach Boys and stay in the studio to focus on writing what he thinks will be a masterpiece. When the band returns from their tour, they are less than satisfied with his results, especially his cousin Mike Love (Jake Abel). Also affecting his relationships is the fact that Brian begins to display signs of strangeness, caused mainly by mental illness and drug abuse. In the 1980s, Brian (John Cusack) is a broken man who is under the spell of sinister psychotherapist Eugene Landy (Paul Giamatti), who controls Brian's every move. When Brian meets and begins to date car saleswoman Melinda Ledbetter (Elizabeth Banks), does she recognise the abusive situation that Brian is in and tries to get him out.

Pohlad has created both a visually stunning and creatively invigorating film. The two timelines of the film complement each other perfectly despite not having any interaction or crossover apart from the character of Wilson. The timelines also have their own unique visual palates, with the 60s having a fun, bright and colourful look (while the studio sequences have been filmed with 16mm cameras to give a fly on the wall feel) and the 80s has an almost muted look, but not drained of colour. The tones of the timeline also play off each other well, with the 60s matching fun that the band was having, while the 80s plays into the fear that Brian was experiencing.

I've never been a huge Beach Boys fan, but I definitely know their music. After watching this movie, half of which is set during the recording of the now classic album Pet Sounds, I have a better appreciation of the conditions a lot of these bands made their records under, as well as the personal stresses some went through. Wilson is a completely sympathetic character throughout the entire film and in each era has his external critics (Love and Landy).

Whilst having multiple actors portray the same character is no new territory (the Bob Dylan biopic I'm Not There had six actors portray the singer), Love & Mercy splits the two different actors into two distinct characters. Pohlad allowed both Dano and Cusack to play Wilson in their own way, but did not let them interact whilst making the film, lest they influence each other. This really works for the benefit of the film because the two styles are completely different. Dano works exceptionally well as the excited young Wilson, who is ultimately frustrated and confused by his illness. Cusack is phenomenal as the older Wilson and is really playing against type of the films of his youth, like Say Anything and High Fidelity. Both actors have such strong and diverse careers that have given them skills that shine through in this role.

Whilst Elizabeth Banks has never intrigued me much as an actor, as Melinda she really shows off her talents as someone who can tackle hard hitting dramatic roles. Paul Giamatti is once again perfect and so scary as the evil Eugene Landy. His performances as evil characters are always chilling to watch. Stage actor Bill Camp also brings a terrifying performance as Wilson's father Murry.

Even if you don't like The Beach Boys music, Love & Mercy is a great film to watch about a heartbreaking story. Both Dano and Cusack give superb performances that will stay with me for a long time.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2

I am still undecided in my feelings toward the newest iteration of the Spider-Man film franchise. He is my favourite superhero and I grew up with the Sam Raimi/Tobey Maguire films. I loved those movies as a teenager because they had all the things a Spider-Man film needed. When the first of these new films came out, I was very reluctant to see it because I didn't know what they could change from before. I watched that film a week ago, so that I could understand the new angle that was being put forth and I wasn't blown away or disappointed by the film but I understood the new direction. That way was toward the comics on which it was based.

Of course there are a lot of things that has been created for the films, but the character of Peter Parker is much more like in the comics. Andrew Garfield (The Social Network) trash talks the perps he is chasing. He is fun and bubbly when he is in the suit and moody when he isn't. One aspect that Garfield doesn't really portray is the nerdiness that comes with Peter Parker, a trait that Maguire had down-pat.

In this film Peter's relationship with his girlfriend Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) is pushed to the limit, as Spidey promised her dying father that he wouldn't let any harm come to her. That is a one of the big themes in this film; Peter's relationships with all the other characters, whether as Peter or Spider-Man.

Of course this film also has some action in it, with some new villains as well as a new twist on an old favourite. First up is Jamie Foxx as Electro, a former Oscorp employee who gains electrical powers after an accident involving some electric eels. His genesis was very reminiscent of one of the Batman movies of the 90s, the villains were always falling in toxic chemicals back then. I feel as though Foxx wasn't able to flex his acting prowess in this film, rather just shouting through every scene.

I was also disappointed with the inclusion of Paul Giamatti as Aleksei Sytsevich or The Rhino. He appears only briefly in the film at both the beginning and the end and is underused completely, especially having such a fantastic actor as Giamatti playing him. My only hope is that he makes another appearance in the next film.

James Franco did such an amazing job as Harry Osborn and was such a good character in all three films, so I was understandably shocked with Dane DeHaan's amazing portrayal of the character. Harry is dying of a rare genetic disease which he inherited from his father Norman (Chris Cooper) and believes that Spider-Man's blood will save him. This is where the plot gets too convoluted for me. (Also quick side note before I go on, who thought it was a good idea to cast Chris Cooper as Norman Osborn. Willem Dafoe is the only person who should ever play that character).

Now, the convoluted plot elements come from including Richard and Mary Parker, Peter's parents, in this film. (Also isn't Richard Parker a tiger, or did Spidey's dad come first?) I understand putting them in the first film to make sense of Peter's relationship with The Lizard, but in this one it really just slows down the pace. There is one scene between Peter and Aunt May where bringing up his parents is needed, but that's it.

Verdict: I am still unsure what the point of having this new series of films is or what it's leading to, but these need to get a little better in the story department. We needed to see more of the Green Goblin and Rhino in their suits.

12 Years a Slave

Steve McQueen makes confronting films. His previous two, Hunger and Shame, were especially confronting for their portrayals of both the struggles of the 1981 Irish hunger strike and a New York sex addict, respectively. 12 Years a Slave is no less confronting than those two films.

The film follows the true story of Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a freed slave, who is sold back into slavery in a set of nefarious circumstances. Solomon eventually ends up as the property of Edwin Epps (Michael Fassbender), a psychotic cotton plantation owner, after attacking a carpenter at his previous plantation. Epps is an especially cruel master and regularly punishes his slaves. Solomon tries many times to get word back to his family, but is unable to, due to the resistance of people around him who are too afraid.

McQueen superbly conveys the pain of his characters in the film. Likewise, he is unflinching in the depiction of violence toward the slaves. At many times the whippings and lynchings are extremely hard to watch. What's even more hard to comprehend is the fact that this actually occurred, not only in the case of Solomon Northup, but to slaves throughout the South in the pre-Civil War period.

Chiwetel Ejiofor (Love Actually) plays Solomon with such pain that I could see through his performance to the reality of both the character and the actual man within who feels for the injustices that happened in the past. Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock) is amazing as Solomon's previous master.

The most amazing performance for me comes from McQueen's muse Michael Fassbender (Shame). His ugly and honest portrayal of a southern plantation owner is painful to watch, but that's a good thing. If you like his character there's something wrong with you.

Verdict: An extremely confronting film about a dark time in not just the history of the United States, but the history of man in general.

Saving Mr. Banks

A Disney movie about Walt Disney? Now that's meta. I was thinking it would be funny if they put the Paramount logo at the front of the film. I probably would have found it funnier than half the jokes in the film. Not that it wasn't entertaining, it just tried too hard.

The film is split into two stories. One is P.L. Travers (Emma Thompson) travelling to Los Angeles to decide whether to sell the rights of her character Mary Poppins to beloved businessman and entertainer Walt Disney (Tom Hanks). Disney has told her that she can work with the writer Don DaGradi (Bradley Whitford) and composers Dick and Bob Sherman (Jason Schwartzman and B.J. Novak) to decide if she will sell the rights.

The other story revolves around a young Travers (Annie Rose Buckley) as she grows up in Australia. She is very close with her alcoholic father (Colin Farrell) who only wants the best for his young family.

Overall, this film tries too hard to be both emotionally engaging (as with Travers recollections of her father) and hilariously funny (as with Hanks' portrayal of Disney). Also the flashback scenes to Australia, while an interesting insight into this woman's early life, feel disjointed and at times made me confused.

Tom Hanks, who is an actor whom I usually enjoy, didn't really work in the role of Walt Disney. He was very charming, to say the least, as I am sure the real man was, but I felt as though he was playing Tom Hanks as Walt Disney. The film also brushes over some of the more nefarious aspects of the real Walt Disney, but being a family film, I can understand why.

Thompson did an okay job at portraying Travers, but she played the character a tad too cold for my liking. The film ends with a recording of the real Pamela Travers, who although bitchy, you can definitely sense a playfulness in her attitude, whereas Thompson just played the character as mean throughout.

Colin Farrell was excellent as Travers' father. He did a wonderful Australian accent, although sometimes he would slip into his own Irish one. I can overlook this however, as he was playing an Irish Australian. 

My favourite performances came from relatively minor characters. Bradley Whitford (Billy Madison) played the exasperated screenwriter excellently and both Jason Schwartzman (Rushmore) and B.J. Novak (Inglourious Basterds) did a fantastic job. I only felt as though Novak's character could have been fleshed out a little more. Paul Giamatti (Sideways, Barney's Version) was also good as Travers' chauffeur.

Verdict: An enjoyable film that I felt tried a little too hard to both funny and emotional.