Fantastic Four

I think we can all be in agreement now that a Fantastic Four movie will never work. This is the fourth attempt (you think the symbolism of that number would be lucky) and it just didn't work on any level. Even director Josh Trank doesn't like it.

In 1997, new childhood friends Reed Richards (Owen Judge) and Ben Grimm (Evan Hannemann) work on Reed's teleporter. Seven years later, Reed (Miles Teller) and Ben (Jamie Bell) present their science project to their science teacher to a lukewarm reception. They do get the attention of Dr Franklin Storm (Reg E. Cathey) and his daughter Sue (Kate Mara), who are working on the same project: interdimensional travel. They bring Reed to work on their project with the help of Franklin's renegade son Johnny (Michael B. Jordan) and reclusive scientist Victor Von Doom (Toby Kebbell). Once they complete the project, Reed, Ben, Johnny and Victor recklessly use the machine to go to the other dimension, where an accident occurs leaving Victor for dead and the other three with their respective powers. Sue gets hers when trying to bring them back.

What I have just told you is more than half the movie. If you think that that is spoiler-y, let me tell you, there is nothing to ruin about this movie. The climax of this movie happened so suddenly and so soon, that I turned to my friend and said "I think it's finishing". That's because this movie has a big problem with time. Both the shortness of the film itself (it's only 99 minutes) and what it does with that run time. It is about an hour of build up to when the characters get their powers, barely any time to develop the characters, first appearance of the villain (surprise it's Doctor Doom) and then death of main villain. All up I think there are two major action sequences and they don't last very long.

Despite the lack of character and action, the design of the film is pretty nice to look at. All four have a great design in their post accident bodies, but particularly that of Ben Grimm. In the last movies, he was just Michael Chiklis in a rubber suit, so making the character CGI is a big improvement. Also Doctor Doom's design is pretty cool (he has been fused with his spacesuit). While we're on the subject of Doctor Doom, why do all the film iterations try to give him the same origin of powers as the others. He's a witch doctor from Latveria (although they do make an attempt to hint at that).

The actors in this movie don't really get time to develop much of a character at all. Miles Teller disappears for a large chunk of the film, Kate Mara acts rather moody and Michael B. Jordan tries hard (but I feel his best stuff probably ended up on the cutting room floor). Pre transformation Jamie Bell is quite good, but then his performance is lost in the CGI. Toby Kebbell is the same, as he usually gives quite nuanced performances. Reg E. Cathey however will never live up to his character of Martin Querns on Oz though.

Basically just a tease at what could have been a rich exploration into what might have been, Fantastic Four falls dramatically short of any semblance of a good superhero movie.

Lincoln

I went into this movie expecting standard Spielberg fare, that we have come to know of late. But I was surprised to find a film that played to filmmaker sensibilities inside me and I can see that a lot of meticulous detail went into making this film the best it could be.

We join Abraham Lincoln (Daniel Day-Lewis) in 1865, the Civil War has been going for four years and Lincoln has just been re-elected for his second term as president. Everyone around him, including his wife Mary Todd (Sally Field) and his Secretary-of-State William Seward (David Strathairn) are urging him to make peace with the Confederacy and thus put an end to the bloody and gruesome war.

But Lincoln wishes to banish slavery forever, a condition which the Confederacy will not stand for. So before his inauguration at the end of January, Lincoln wishes to get his 13th Amendment passed in Congress, that will hopefully put an end to the war.

Before I saw this movie, I had no idea how the US Congressional process worked. Now I feel slightly informed, albeit a little confused. But like all democracy, Lincoln must have a majority vote in order to get his bill passed. He must get some votes from noncommittal Democrat congressmen, whose party is opposed to the idea of the abolition of slavery. And he will get these votes anyway he can, he's the president, damn it.

So, William Seward is entrusted the task of hiring some men to acquire these votes (played by James Spader, John Hawkes and writer/director/actor Tim Blake Nelson). These men go about their job and acquire these votes, that lead to the inevitable passing of the amendment, much to the dismay of the Vice President of the Confederacy (Jackie Earle Haley), who had been sent from the South with terms for a peace agreement.

Spielberg has formed an interesting insight into a man who died almost 150 years ago. We not only see the popular public figure that was Abraham Lincoln, but we also get a glimpse at a family man, who consoles his wife when she is sad and fights with his son, who wishes to do his bit and be a part of the fighting.

Although I have not been a fan of his work in the past, Day-Lewis has really earned the praise he has received. He has thoroughly done his job, which is convincing me that that man on the screen is a not a character, but a person. He really plays up the popular person who was Lincoln, whilst at the same time showing the personal struggles that the man went through. He deserve the Oscar for his performance.

David Strathairn (The Bourne Ultimatium) is excellent as Seward, a man who supports his president, but also wishes to see an end to the conflict. Tommy Lee Jones plays the man in charge of the Abolition movement and gives a stellar performance. A surprise for me was Joseph Gordon-Levitt, fresh from the success of Rian Johnson's Looper, as Robert Todd Lincoln. He played the role with conviction and showed the immense frustration felt by his character.

Steven Spielberg has helmed a masterful cast led by Daniel Day-Lewis, with the story of one of the most beloved US presidents. Even if you're not a fan of the US political system or the history of the Civil War, see this movie for the amazing performances.