Hacksaw Ridge

Hacksaw Ridge has a lot riding on it. It marks the return of controversial filmmaker Mel Gibson to directing, it’s a story that many have tried to put on the big screen for decades, it’s been receiving rave early reviews, and its strategically poised at the start of Oscars season.

Desmond Ross (Andrew Garfield) is a devout Seventh-day Adventist, which prevents him from harming another being and renders him a conscientious objector. He and his brother Hal (Nathaniel Buzolic) live with their mother Bertha (Rachel Griffiths) and their father Tom (Hugo Weaving), who is an alcoholic clearly suffering from his time in the First World War. After helping a man who’d be pinned under a car get medical treatment, Desmond meets Dorothy Schutte (Teresa Palmer), a nurse that he’s instantly smitten with. After Hal enlists in the army against the wishes of their father, Desmond decides that he also should enlist, intending to serve as a field medic that would never have to touch a gun. However, things don’t work that smoothly in the army, and Desmond encounters opposition to his beliefs at all levels of the military, fighting his own battle before he’s even given permission to serve his part in the war.

For all the hype and opinion around Hacksaw Ridge, perhaps it's best to first address its issues. For a start, there’s an abundance of slow-motion work all throughout, which can come off as pretty heavy-handed stylism. There’s also several moments of surprisingly poor CGI, particularly the explosions and even with things as simple as background compositing. It’s worth noting that the film had significant production challenges, being independently produced by several companies, but in this day and age that’s no excuse for sub-par technical qualms. Though by far the biggest weakness of Hacksaw Ridge is its first act, where it takes us to his childhood, then explains his family situation, explores his enlistment challenges and religious views, all whilst mixing in this extremely ‘classical Hollywood’ love story. It becomes overwhelming and feels like we’re about to watch another ‘this-is-your-life’ rushed Oscars-season biopic. But then everything changes when we’re dumped into the main act; arriving at Hacksaw Ridge, and the contrast between this hour-long cliched opener and the horror that’s about to unfold couldn’t be greater.

The first battle sequence hits you like a brick wall, just as the Saving Private Ryan opener did eighteen years ago - only this time there’s no refuge from nearly an hour of horrific, unbelievably gory action. There’s been a lot of talk about this film glorifying violence, and whilst Gibson might be overly ambitious with his slow-motion coverage and CGI fireballs, anybody that could consider what unfolds as ‘glorious’ needs to have their head checked. This main body of the film is incredibly visceral, it’s where Hacksaw Ridge finally comes together and decimates you with some of the most intense war-scenes ever put to the screen. Subtlety is not a word that should ever be associated with this film but the battle sequences are damn effective.

However, Hacksaw Ridge doesn’t exactly break new ground for the war film genre, in fact it fits in closer with the massive Hollywood war-romance classics of yesteryear than it does to almost any equivalent modern war film. In that regard, Teresa Palmer’s performance feels a bit like a really toned-down Scarlett O’Hara and Rachel Griffiths epitomises the grieving mother who’s family has been torn apart by war. Andrew Garfield is superb in the leading role, and brings gently-voiced compassion to Desmond.

Luke Bracey plays the typical douche-bag semi-antagonist that typically roams the barracks of these sorts of films, but at least it’s a whole lot better than his role in the Point Break remake. Sam Worthington is pretty dry as Captain Glover but he doesn’t receive much screen time, whereas Vince Vaughn makes the most of his role as the stern Sergeant Howell, weaving in just the right amount of humour to what is his most serious performance to date. Hugo Weaving was by far the standout of the film, and whilst he’s only really on-screen in the opening act, his performance as the clearly conflicted, demoralised alcoholic father is up there with some of his extremely difficult to beat previous roles. It was also hilarious to have good ol’ Richard Roxburgh appear briefly as a psychiatrist, trying to hide all the charisma and charm that he has behind a questionable moustache. I see you there Roxburgh...

Hacksaw Ridge might not be fully deserving of the incredible praise it’s receiving - particularly due to a handful of technical issues/stylistic choices and a dreary opening act - but the performances, incredible battle sequences and the heroics of Desmond T. Doss all make this well worth a viewing.

Lights Out

Based off of the short film of the same name by David F. Sandberg and Lotta Losten (the link to which I will provide at the bottom) the latest James Wan-produced horror release ‘Lights Out’ is finally here, riding the coat tails of ‘The Conjuring 2’ and bringing us another classic story. When a strange figure begins to haunt the halls of his family home soon after the death of his father, Martin (Gabriel Bateman) recruits the help of his older step-sister Rebecca to help him cope with their reclusive and depressed mother Sophie (Maria Bello). Experiencing the same events during her own childhood when her father left, Rebecca (Teresa Palmer) has since become detached from her family, believing the figure to be a hoax manifested by her mother’s mental illness. Joined by her boyfriend Bret (Alexander DiPersia), she reluctantly decides to help her mother for Martin’s sake, as he has become paranoid about the dark. As the mysterious circumstances surrounding the figure begin to unravel, the group is left with one question: Who is Diana? 

The positives: This film wastes no time in getting right into the action and building tension, and doesn’t stop until the film ends, keeping that atmosphere that Wan’s films are becoming known for. Sandberg has done excellent work in keeping his simple premise as effective for a feature length film as possible. The performances were on the whole good with the standouts definitely being Gabriel Bateman who provides a foil for Rebecca and helps the viewers remember what it was like being afraid of the dark as a child, as well as Maria Bello’s caring yet unstable Sophie. I was also pleasantly surprised by DiPersia’s character Bret: it was nice to see a boyfriend in a horror film that wasn’t, for lack of a better word, an asshole. I enjoyed the ways that the film played on a fear within all of us: the fear of the unknown, the fear of the dark spaces in our houses we subconsciously avoid, and the fear of being abandoned. The premise of staying in the light is a relatively new take on this idea and was very entertaining.

The negatives: A common theme in a lot of the films I’ve seen of late, the most glaring issue for ‘Lights Out’ is pacing. At a mere 81 minutes, this film flies through much of the plot and character development, leaving the viewer looking for more of an explanation and having them make leaps in order to connect the dots. Perhaps this was done because there is currently a sequel in the works, but it still felt as though the film was incomplete. Because of its fast pace, it becomes harder to form an attachment with the characters and they tend to fall into some horror movie clichés (like making stupid decisions for seemingly no reason and painting Rebecca as the ‘rebellious young adult with equally rebellious boyfriend’), which was a bit of a let down.

On the whole, this movie is good for a scary night in and definitely brings a good old fashioned spook, but isn’t too revolutionary. The acting was decent and the plot was interesting, but I’m hoping that the sequel provides us with the answers the audience is looking for and a more solid, well paced story. If you’re a horror fan, its definitely worth a watch.

Lights Out (A Short Horror Film)

Triple 9

Aussie director John Hillcoat is no stranger to making brutally violent films. Triple 9 is no exception to this rule, showing the brutal lengths that people will go to when their backs are against the wall. While it is an enjoyable heist movie, it can at times seem a bit predictable and some of the character motivations aren't even evident.

In Atlanta, a small crew of criminals led by Michael Atwood (Chiwetel Ejiofor) are made to pull a heist on a bank by Russian mobster Irina Vlaslov (Kate Winslet). Among the crew are two corrupt cops, Marcus Belmont (Anthony Mackie) and Franco Rodriguez (Clifton Collins Jr), as well as brothers Russell (Norman Reedus) and Gabe (Aaron Paul). Despite the fact that they pulled off the heist without a hitch, the crew are forced to pull another with even higher stakes. To help avoid police attention, they come up with a scheme to murder a police officer, which they know the cops will have a higher priority to get to. They decide upon Chris (Casey Affleck), Marcus' new partner. Meanwhile, Chris' uncle Jeffrey (Woody Harrelson) is investigating the crew.

Triple 9 ends up being a very generic heist movie. It does have some surprises, but it turns out to be very predictable. As you watch it, you can pick out who will turn on who and which characters will end up dying. I suppose that that is one thing where John Hillcoat makes a tiny bit of a difference. Life in this movie is cheap, people die when you think for sure that they are the main character. Maybe that stems from packing the movie with so many big name actors. I felt as though they were all important because of the star power that they brought to the movie. Turns out, they aren't.

Another problem that arises from stacking a movie like this with stars is that no one stands out in any way. Actors like Teresa Palmer, Gal Gadot, Norman Reedus and Michael K. Williams were only cast so that their names could be put on the poster so that people would go see the film. Casey Affleck, who ends up becoming the main character only appears after twenty minutes into the action. Clifton Collins Jr. is the only actor to give a truly good performance as the surprising second villain only due to the fact that he has no star power and has to work to be noticed. Kate Winslet is also good, but only when you compare how different her role here compared to Rose in Titanic is.

All in all Triple 9 is a movie that you're going to watch for the action over the story. It has surprisingly little heart. If anything you're not going to ever want to go to Atlanta.

Point Break

Kathryn Bigelow’s 1991 film Point Break is considered a classic by many, and is one of several films that mark the transition in style between 80’s and 90’s action flicks. Now the latest in a string of Hollywood remakes, 2015/16’s Point Break, directed by Ericson Core, promises breathtaking action and a new take on the story. 

Johnny Utah (Luke Bracey) is an extreme-athlete that knows the ins-and-outs of just about every ultimate sport imaginable. After a tragic accident that claimed the life of his friend, Utah retires and trains as an FBI candidate. Utah is brought in to investigate a heist which ended with a parachute escape and soon draws a connection between several of these heists and a man known as Bodhi (Édgar Ramírez). Utah goes undercover and learns that the crime syndicate is composed of thrill-seekers that are attempting the ‘Osaki 8’, a series of ordeals that pit man against nature through extreme situations. 

The very first article I wrote for TOMB was essentially a rant about the ridiculousness of Hollywood remakes, and my opinions are still the same with the new Point Break. Point Break didn’t need a remake, just as much as Memento definitely doesn’t need a remake. This film is undeniably worse than the original – no matter what you may think of it – and this only got made because the various production companies involved understand how to exploit audiences with 3D thrillers and have a thirst for quick cash. Having said that, I have to give them credit for at least bringing in new elements to the story. I actually thought the idea of the Osaki 8 ordeals was quite cool, and visually the film is stunning, with beautiful locations and superbly choreographed stunts. 

The problem with Point Break is that basically every character in the film is an obnoxious wanker; from the FBI chief who always has his “ass on the line” for the mission, to Bodhi who lets the spiritual enlightenment of nature lead him through life, to Johnny Utah who somehow goes from an “extreme athlete” performing motocross stunts – a great opportunity for subliminal advertising from GoPro and Monster Energy drink – to an up and coming FBI agent who is conveniently assigned to a case on a syndicate of extreme athletes. Ray Winstone is totally wasted as Pappas, an agent in the cockney-branch of the FBI who stands around shouting, pumping his shotgun and growing a moustache. Luke Bracey brings little inspiration to Utah – his job is basically to show off his rock-hard abs looking sad – and Teresa Palmer’s Samsara is amazingly bland as Utah’s love interest. Characters died, and I honestly didn’t care. Johnny Utah in particular has severe character development issues. He starts off the film essentially as an extreme sports master and when he unsurprisingly finds himself in the middle of the Osaki trials – feats against nature that would make even Bear Grylls cower in a puddle of his own urine – he is not at all fazed. I mean he literally goes though the trials with a blank, disinterested face. The result is no tension and no risk to the payoff, which defeats the whole purpose of the trials. 

That just leaves Bodhi, who becomes the anti-hero (whatever that really means) of the film. He’s a bit of a Robin Hood type figure, following his own interpretation of Osaki’s teachings, “giving back” by taking from big corporations and distributing to the needy/the Earth, which is where the crime element comes in. Ultimately the real story is whether or not Bodhi will finish the Osaki 8 – which you genuinely hope he does – and whether the spiritual enlightenment gained from this achievement outweighs the crimes he’s committed to get there. I wouldn’t call the character fleshed out exactly, but Bodhi is the best that Point Break offers, and often that’s far from enough. 

Ericson Core also acted as cinematographer on Point Break, and perhaps he focused too much of his attention on camera settings and not enough on direction. The whole purpose of the remake seems like an opportunity to pander to those that live their lives strapping GoPro’s to things and performing sporty selfie-stick moves, a far-cry from the original action piece. However as I said before, they clearly didn’t use GoPro’s here because the film is absolutely stunning. I can’t speak for the 3D and honestly I don’t really care about it, but the 2D experience features jaw-dropping landscapes which once again more than prove the worth of Arri Alexa cameras. Comparisons could be made to last year’s Everest, however where that balanced cinematography with decent character and story, Core has decided that the buck stops with the visuals. 

Point Break is testament to the unimaginative recycle-for-cash nature of the current Studio system. Whilst the new story elements manage to bring something fresh to a fifteen year old film and the visuals are undeniably gorgeous, the shallow, ridiculous and annoying characters more than destroy any hope this film had for success. 

Kill Me Three Times

 "This place feels like an open-air fucking insane asylum!"

With a staggered release and recent semi-ceremonial dumping onto video-on-demand platforms and home release, Kriv Stenders follow-up to the runaway success of 2011's Red Dog, Kill Me Three Times, lands with a dull splat on the Aussie cinematic pavement. The rather oblique path to audiences that this film endured works decidedly against its internationally appealing cast, with the always welcome Simon Pegg (Cornetto Trilogy, Mission Impossible, Star Trek) heading the bill, followed by Brazilian supporting player Alice Braga (Predators, I Am Legend, City of God), Teresa Palmer (Warm Bodies, Point Break) and stars of the criminally underrated 300: Rise of an Empire Sullivan Stapleton and Callan Mulvey. Veteran Bryan Brown and the Luke "the Lesser" Hemsworth round out the cast with minor roles.

Kill Me Three Times opens with black-clad, muscle-car-driving, handle-bar moustachioed hitman Charlie Wolfe (Pegg) hunting an unknown blue collar worker on the sands of a WA mining site. After a clumsy attempt at a stylish kill, for both the character and the film, Wolfe receives a mysterious job offer. The job involves following Alice (Braga), wife of the vaguely criminal Jack (Mulvey), who is having an affair with mechanic Dylan (Hemsworth), who is mates with dentist Nathan (Stapleton) whose married to Jack's sister Lucy (Palmer). For various reasons everyone wants Alice dead and Bryan Brown shows up on occasion to deliver threatening dialogue in a police uniform. It's all inter-connected and numbingly simple.

With such an internationally appealing cast, a farcical noir premise, and a picturesque location, Kill Me Three Times flaws are almost instantly blatant. The debut screenplay from Irishman James McFarland leaves much to be desired with its banal plotting, empty world and on-the-nose dialogue and is certainly dragged further down by the flat, bored direction of Stenders, who has obviously put as much effort and style into the character and camera-direction of this bloody noir-ish farce as he did with Red Dog, a film with underwhelming direction though undeniable family-friendly charm. KMTT markets itself as a triumvirate of stories of remote, back-country murder and mayhem, but it's actually one story split into three parts; the set-up and execution of an action, the context, depth and character motivations behind that action, and the consequences. Finally, add a simple and over-used 70's Southern-style guitar riff in place of a score and you have the recipe for Wasted Opportunity.

The obvious inspiration behind KMTT is to create a 70's-styled, Coen-brothers film, but the execution is almost devoid of effort or visible interest. Pegg's charm and star-power is simply wasted, a golden opportunity to capitalise on his comedic skills into an enjoyably evil character but instead he spends much of his time hiding in bushes or sitting in his car staring at the other characters. Braga is either tossed into car boots, in hiding or unconscious, and so similarly wasted.  Palmer and Stapleton are the only ones involved who seem care about what they're doing but with the limited creative authority involved, there's not much to do. What little enjoyment this film elicits comes from the performances of Pegg and Brown and the beautiful setting that is almost as devoid of life, save for the cast, as the film itself is for original ideas or satisfactory execution. A derivative, wasted opportunity.

Warm Bodies

Warm Bodies isn't your average zombie flick, nor is it your average romantic comedy. Yet Warm Bodies seems to fulfil both genres.

Warm Bodies chronicles the story of R (Nicholas Hoult), a zombie who shuffles around an airport and occasionally spends time with his best friend M (Rob Corddry). During a food hunt into the city, R comes across Julie (Teresa Palmer), a human who was out looking for medical supplies. After eating Julie's boyfriend, Perry (Dave Franco), R sees Julie and immediately falls in love with her. He manages to calm her down and takes her to the plane where he lives. The two eventually bond, which causes R to come back to life.

After a couple of days, Julie is anxious to return home and R convinces her to let him join her, only to be abandoned by her. On his way back to the airport, R comes across M, who tells him that he and his group of zombies were kicked out of the airport by the Bonies, a form of zombie that has reached a new level of decomposition. M tells R that all the other zombies have started to come back to life and the Bonies feel threatened by this and that they are looking for him and Julie.

R uses the memories of Perry to find a secret entrance to the city, so that he can tell Julie the good and bad news. Once there, he meets Julie's friend, Nora (Analeigh Tipton), and her bitter and aggressive father, Colonel Grigio (John Malkovitch). R eventually convinces them of the Bonie threat by showing them that he can bleed (zombies don't bleed). Grigio turns his efforts to wiping out the Bonies.

This movie is really funny. Not in a hysterically funny way, but in a sustained and prolonged way, so that you feel satisfied by the humour in it. Most of the jokes come from R's internal monologue about his feelings toward Julie. That's another thing this movie does. It portrays the angst of youth and the feelings you get when you meet someone you like. Also the awkwardness. Lots of that.

Nicholas Hoult (Skins) is amazing as R. His portrayal of a thinking zombie is something that has never been done before and it certainly gives an insight into their motivations. His long and gangly body also helps get in the way of his movements (as we've seen before in X-Men: First Class).

Teresa Palmer (The Sorcerer's Apprentice) fantastically plays Julie. At the start, we see her confusion about R saving her and then how she falls for him. The inner conflict in her character is always there, but her performance is so captivating that you don't notice.

The rest of the cast is rounded out with performances from Rob Corddry (Moses Taylor for you Arrested Development fans out there), Dave Franco (brother of James) and John Malkovich (who still haunts my dreams).

Verdict: Warm Bodies is a really satisfying comedy about a situation that isn't. Not since Zombieland have I laughed so hard at zombies. But that was also it's downfall. No Bill Murray.