Eddie The Eagle

If you’re looking for an intellectual and in-depth look into the world of Olympic sport, you’ve found the wrong film. If you’re looking for a highly accurate depiction of the life of the real Eddie ‘The Eagle’ Edwards, you’re not likely to find that here either. But if you don’t smile at least once during this film, you’re made of stone.

Eddie The Eagle follows the (highly fictionalised) true story of a young man named Eddie Edwards (played by Taron Egerton of Kingsmen fame) who has had dreams of becoming an Olympian since he was a child, however lacks any real athletic ability or talent, and has no idea which event he wants to compete in. After trying and failing repeatedly to impress British Olympic Association representatives and meeting stonewall after stonewall, in steps Bronson Peary (Hugh Jackman), an ex-olympic ski jumper that fell from grace. After much pestering by Eddie, he agrees to coach him (partly in order to save his life) and the pair form an unlikely bond.

The positives: The story is fun and entertaining and definitely has its ‘awww’ moments interspersed with moments of surprising sincerity, where we’re reminded that heart is an important part of being human. The film appeals to a wide audience as this story really could be about anyone, and all of us have been in Eddie's shoes at least once before: the important part is getting back up after a fall and trying again. Eddie’s unfailing optimism that he will succeed makes us care about him, a testament to Edgerton’s acting. Hugh Jackman’s performance as the hardy but somewhat unhinged coach plays well with the slightly off kilter Eddie, and their relationship tends to create much of the comedy in the film alongside the obvious jabs at English sport. Jo Hartley’s performance as Eddie’s mother was also a surprising standout.

The negatives: Although the story is a fun ride, it misses a lot of the charm of an original quirky film and does appeal more towards those who love the formula-style in their movies: there isn’t much in terms of ingenuity or innovation, just a straightforward narrative. Although it’s not necessarily a deal breaker, what you see is essentially what you get, which will be a disappointment for some people if you were looking for that indie film vibe.

Overall, the film has its rough patches and certainly misses its beats here and there, but it hits its target audience and the message of the film is has its charm. Its nice to have a film that reminds us that you don’t always have to win to be a winner.

Legend

It seems amazing that we still get a kick out of a single actor playing two separate characters. All the things superheroes and action stars can do seem pretty normal, but put two Tom Hardys on the same screen at the same time and everyone is baffled. Make them fight and we all lose our collective shits. But apart from this novelty value, is Legend offering us much?

In late 1950s London, the Kray twins, Ronald and Reginald (Tom Hardy) are gangsters on the rise. Reggie is seen as the brother that is more level headed, whereas Ronnie is an unrestrained psychopath, having been released from a psychiatric ward at the beginning of the film. They have a stranglehold on the East End of London and are looking to expand across the river, but are hampered by rival gangster Charlie Richardson (Paul Bettany). Meanwhile, Reggie is courting young Frances Shea (Emily Browning), with whom he is enamoured with greatly. In the background, Ronnie and Reggie are trying to snare a deal with the mafia that will put them on top.

That's the problem with this film, the main action that the film should focus on is relegated to the back seat. This movie should be a violent portrayal of how the Krays came to rule London instead of a twisted romance between Reggie and Frances. There is a missed opportunity as well in not delving into the police investigation that brought the Krays down. One thing I will give the film credit for is its frank and honest portrayal of Ronnie's homosexuality. It makes no bones about Ronnie's admission of it either.

Tom Hardy has had an interesting career path. If this film had come after 2008's Bronson and RocknRolla, I would have thought that he was setting himself up as a British gangster actor and that would have made sense. But in this post-Fury Road world where he is being set up as superstar of tomorrow, doing a film like this doesn't make much sense to me. Although I say that, his performance (or performances) do dominate, and he is incredibly charming in both roles. The best thing I could say is that there is a definite difference in the way he plays them, right down to their difference in physicality.

The other performances in this movie fail, not because the acting is bad, but because the characters aren't very interesting. Emily Browning's Frances just seemed like a flat and boring person and that made her scenes hard to watch. The Krays' business partner is played by veteran actor David Thewlis, but just serves to explain exposition. Christopher Eccleston could have done better if he was given more to do, but he floated in and out too rarely for me. Taron Egerton was a shining light in all this as Ronnie's lover and is present in nearly every scene he was in. I didn't even know Paul Bettany was in it until I had to write this review.

Look, this movie is a bit of a disappointment if you're going to watch it with expectations. If you're watching it for Tom Hardy, you might like it.

Testament of Youth

Seldom do we see a war film that is told from a female perspective. Sure there are female characters in war films, but these always act as something that drives the hero's journey to survive. Testament of Youth, however, shows the female relationship with war, particularly of the First World War in a time that was completely different to the one we live in now. 

The movie is based on the memoir of the same name by Vera Brittain. Vera (Alicia Vikander) is a young woman living with her family in the English countryside. She dreams of going to Oxford to study and finally gets in at the outset of the war. Prior to this, she has started a relationship with one of her brother's schoolmates, Roland Leighton (Kit Harrington). This relationship is tested when Roland and her brother Edward (Taron Egerton) volunteer to the army and are eventually sent to the front.

The film does capture some of the issues that plagued women's rights at the turn of the century. Vera has to deal with issues like not being expected to get a higher education (or any education), expectations of staying at home and doing womanly chores, not at all volunteering for any form of service and, this was the most horrifying idea to men of the time, having the right to vote. Apart from female suffrage, which came a little later in the history of the twentieth century, I feel the film tackles all these issues in a rather succinct way. Toward the middle of the film, Vera volunteers to become a nurse and is not only looked down upon by her family, but also the nurses who think that this kind of work is below someone of her social standing. The film also tells of a heart-wrenching romance between Vera and Roland.

This film is a technical masterpiece. The shots are so incredibly crafted, with each one being carefully placed and framed. The camera also moves in not only fluid motions, but some movements are striking for the way they get the viewer to focus on a particular piece of action. The editing is also a marvel and is probably one of the most well edited films I've ever seen. The film occasionally cuts back to shots that we have seen before, most often when Vera is remembering time spent with Roland, and these are done in such a way that they are the reverse shots of what is happening in the current scene. It is a very clever way to do flashbacks and I applaud editor Lucia Zucchetti for this amazing style.

The acting also blew me away, considering I didn't have the highest of hopes for the two leads. Alicia Vikander is beginning to grow on me, despite a rather average performance in last year's Aussie crime flick Son of a Gun. She gives Vera a strong determination that makes you want to succeed in her life, but she also is able to convey the scenes with heartbreak in an amazing manner. Kit Harington is a lot better here than that brooding sad Jon Snow he is always playing. Supporting roles from Colin Morgan, Taron Egerton, Emily Watson and Dominic West are all fantastic, although I did want to see a fair bit more of West.

Testament of Youth is a heart breaking film that is very bleak, but it is also a fantastic film. Despite my feeling that the runtime was maybe ten minutes too long, you are sure to get swept along in the engaging, well written adaptation.

Kingsman: The Secret Service

Matthew Vaughn has achieved critical and commercial accolades in recent years for his entertaining adaptations of cult comics and graphic novels. His previous efforts, X-Men: First Class and Kick-Ass, are smart, often employ good humour, build upon pop-culture knowledge and contain good action buoyed by heavy CGI use. The violence used in Vaughn's films is prominent, and his approach is extra-ordinary, so much so that it's brutality can clearly be considered an integral part of his style. This is perhaps the main feature that will separate Kingsman from it's contemporaries in the soon-to-be crowded spy-comedy sub-genre.

In recent years adaptations of comics like Kingsman: The Secret Service have become commonplace, mind-numbingly so. There are the success stories and cult hits like Men In Black, Road to Perdition, Kick-Ass, Sin City, Scott Pilgrim, 300, but more often are the forgotten and ill-conceived such as The Losers, 30 Days of Night, Wanted, Surrogates, Red, The Rundown. But Kingsman will be remembered for some time. It's smart, sweary, violent, and loyally devoted to modernising and stylising classic spy films, particularly Bond, of course, with a an eye for comedy and reference. Vaughn has stated that he was influenced by the manner Indiana Jones was made for modern audiences and hoped to achieve a similar effect.

Gary "Eggsy" Unwin is a young cocky troublemaker living with his Mum and her gangster boyfriend in a poor flat complex in London. After getting into trouble with the police, he uses a code and phone number imprinted on his medallion, the only memento from his father who died mysteriously when Eggsy was a toddler, to bail himself out. Doing so Eggsy unintentionally summons Harry Hart, a.k.a Galahad, a smartly dressed man who declares himself to be a tailor and informs Eggsy that his father saved his life. Hart then recruits Eggsy into the Kingsman program, a modern day melding of the Knights of the Round Table with the flair and resources of Ian Fleming's famous espionage firm. Meanwhile, an eccentric billionaire communications mogul and his assistant (sporting sword-like leg prostethics) begin to kidnap prominent scientists and world leaders while simultaneously unveiling a new free mobile and network, which draws the attention of the Kingsman.

Kingsman is a shockingly violent film, containing extended set pieces resplendent with glassing, gun violence, bone-breaking and limb dismemberment, and in the first 10 minutes even a head-to-toe dissection. Funnily enough, and in contrast to recent bouts of extreme violence in unexpected films such as The Interview, Kingsman is largely bloodless. Obviously this is likely a combination of the wider production trend of adding CGI blood effects during post-production (see The Expendables series) and used to appeal to censors for a more commericially viable rating, but this appears in contrast to the unrestrained take on language used by Eggsy and Galahad. Though the language fits more into the films broader commentary on gentlemently dignity and behaviour that is the source of much of the comedy. In either case, the action is well-staged, Colin Firth and the stunt team of Kingsman really steal the show from Taron Edgerton's Eggsy. Firth performs much of his own stunts, though often he and the camera go beyond their usual capabilities. Firth morphs first into a CGI rendering of himself and then into one of his stunt doubles and back, whereas the camera performs zooms and digital edits that do help the flow and dynamism of the fights, particularly the pub and church fights. The use of POV shots during gunfights, Gazelle's prosthetic sword-legs and the trippy and artful method of eradicating Valentine's henchmen army in a single fell swoop also add oodles of flair to the well-choreographed action.

For all its flash and folly, Kingsman is ultimately as much of a homage to the spy films of old as Austin Powers is. Numerous direct and indirect references to the Bond and Bourne films as well as the influence of both plain on the film's style, with Jackson and Firth are the main offenders through their near constant references and mentions, though slightly more subtle aspects like the interior design of Valentine's secret base being similar to the one in You Only Live Twice, or the scope Valentine's attack being as grand as in Moonraker. At the risk of spoiling the final act, Kingsman's villainous plan fits in appropriately with contemporary society. Instead of a simple threat of terror and attack, Valentine's plan is to aggressively combat climate change by forcibly culling the population through the use of a signal emanating from his company's mobile phone that forces the aggression centre of a persons brain into overdrive. It's a brilliant tactic and affect as the film depicts mass carnage in a 28 Days Later-style effect, and the combination of mobile technology and environmental awareness really cements the time period.. Unfortunately, the Kingsman have little reason to stop it aside from a lot of people dying, and there's very little debate. It's also during these scenes it becomss clear that Kingsman has problems with it's female characters. Earlier in the film, Eggsy's Mum, Roxy and the assassin Gazelle are all strong, yet underwritten characters, but during the finale a shift occurs with the former two. Eggsy's Mum has a few shots dedicated to her and her baby in an attempt to personalise the plight of Valentine's rage-inducing attack and Roxy's role in the finale is reduced to riding a balloon into the upper atmosphere, where Mark Strong's Merlin activates a missile on her behalf from her rig that's attached to the balloon, then she promptly parachutes back to Earth and rings Eggsy's Mum. During that time Eggsy, who is not a member of the Kingsman fights an army of henchmen, Gazelle and Valentine and ultimately saves the world. Seeing Eggsy's heroic actions intercut woth Roxy standing in one spot and talking on a phone emphasises the creeping feeling that these two female roles were after-thoughts shot after principal photography ended. It's really very grating to see two of the main female voices in this film written into these corners, especially when Roxy has a great set-up. But the most baffling and repugnant treatment is saved for the immediate aftermath of Valentine's defeat, which is played for comedy, but makes the Moonraker "I think he's attempting re-entry, sir!" moment look regal by comparison.

Smart, funny, and inventive with it's action and violence, Kingsman moves well beyond it's basic existence as Alex Rider: Stormbreaker meets Kick-Ass. It has plenty of flaws, but has enough fun and flair to impress.