Change Your Image
ebmarshie
Reviews
Murder: Joint Enterprise (2012)
Please BBC, commission a series.
So, 'Murder: Joint Enterprise'. For some reason the BBC decided to schedule this in somewhat of a death slot - 10pm on a Sunday. This is an original take on the murder mystery and I want more of them.
A girl has been murdered in her flat, her sister calls the police from the bathroom, where she's locked herself in, a man is arrested driving away from the scene in the victim's car. Throughout the hour the characters address the camera, giving us their various testimonies as we move through the initial questioning, charging and the court case. As we move through the days new information comes to light, we learn of new circumstances surrounding the night of the murder, new background to our characters, and with each monologue we must reassess what we thought we knew. I believe the concept came from watching cases unfold in court, and the way a jury hear the story of a crime from witnesses, the accused, the police, and lawyers. This creates a constant flux in opinions as gradually ideas solidify and we come to our own understanding of the case. It demonstrates how little one can really 'know' when being told not shown.
The monologue style is a challenge on television. The actors cannot feel the audience reaction as they can onstage. Their utterances cannot be provoked by dialogue, or another character's physical behaviour. Visually the scene is static, something addressed here by the use of crime scene photographs, CCTV footage and video from a camera-phone intercut throughout the speeches. The monologues are entirely successful, mainly because the actors are great. Joe Dempsie was always the most talented of his 'Skins' generation, and he continues to prove so here. Karla Crome as Coleen plays vulnerable yet dangerous perfectly. As the only two people who know what happened on the night in question, and the entirety of their own backstories, they maintain the suspense, but brilliantly leading us further into the mystery.
After the jury's judgement has been passed, we finally see the night of the crime in full. I doubt I'll be alone in thinking that this explicit resolution was unnecessary. There is a final hint from one character that I think allows us to come to this conclusion without being shown the scene, but equally some people will crave a clear, unquestionable solution. Robert Jones (the writer) being interviewed on Front Row before transmission said that if they make more dramas in the style of 'Murder', they might not show the solution. However they end them, with or without 'solving', I really want more of these. Please BBC, commission a series.
The Place Beyond the Pines (2012)
This film is a proper drama.
Be prepared for three acts, I wasn't quite and just after halfway thought the film's ending was dragging a bit. The fuller structure then became clear to me, suddenly all the pacing made sense, and the whole film took on more of an epic quality. I'd really love to see it again knowing the shape to expect and not have that small doubt that kicked in just over halfway through.
Each new act brings a wider sense of perspective to the events so far. Bradshaw's review in the Guardian called it "operatic" and I think that's probably a good description. I've been writing an essay about plot all week, so the structure of this film felt like a bit of a reward!
This is Ryan Gosling's best performance yet, probably. This or Blue Valentine. It's no coincidence that this is the same director of that film, Derek Cianfrance, he must have a way with actors, or at least this actor. Gosling's Luke is a very vulnerable little boy hiding behind a stunt-bike-riding front. When he discovers a fling from a year before has resulted in a child, he fundamentally misunderstands what it is he needs to provide for his newly discovered family, a mistake which drives the plot of the whole film.
Bradley Cooper plays a cop, Avery, struggling with the world of police corruption over the course of the film's second act. In balance with Gosling's character, he encapsulates the film's themes of morality, fatherhood, and masculine vulnerability. The third act allows us to see how the effects of these fathers' actions play out over a longer period of time. Avery's full and honest understanding of the ramifications of his past is powerfully painful.
Eva Mendes is also fantastic, there are some truly heartbreaking moments that she plays to their full even when she's not central in the shot. She doesn't upstage, she's actually quite understated, but is perfect as the thread that hold the three acts together and maintains the parallels between them.
There are plenty of such parallels throughout the film, which play out as you watch it, and I don't need to spoil for you here. The film this most reminded me of was Brokeback Mountain. There's a similar aesthetic, as well as its grand structure arching over decades. Gosling's performance reminded me of Heath Ledger's in that film, understated, internal, but managing to say an awful lot nevertheless.
I really believe this film will stand up to multiple viewings, I already want to see it again. It's the kind of film that deserves to become a modern classic; high production values, wonderful performances, and a beautifully structured plot.
Last Night (2010)
Thought-provoking and emotionally involving - http://ellenreview.wordpress.com/
'Last Night', written and directed by Massy Tadjedin, is a film that explores the issue of fidelity and in particular the differences between emotional and physical betrayal. A married couple, played by Keira Knightley and Sam Worthington, apart for one night, are tempted to be unfaithful. Worthington's character, Michael, is physically attracted to a co-worker Laura, played by Eva Mendes while on a business trip. Meanwhile, Knightley's Joanna runs into an ex – Alex, played by Guillame Canet.
Over the course of the night we see Michael and Laura move closer to physical intimacy and Joanna and Alex think back over the failure of their relationship and the reasons for it. The film causes the viewer to consider the value of marriage and the relationship that the union creates. A friend, Truman, points out to Alex that he could never take away the years Joanna has spent with Michael, because that is what marriage is – time invested, time that cannot be forgotten, lost, or replaced. It is this central relationship between Joanna and Michael, and the commitment of marriage, that is tested and explored throughout the film.
The question posed, explored, but never answered is: at what point is someone unfaithful? When is that line crossed? Going for dinner? Kissing? Sleeping in the same bed? Having sex? Each audience member will judge Michael and Joanna in their own ways against their own values, and it is one of the film's main successes that it does not attempt to answer the question for us. The ending is beautiful and perfect for the film – left open for the viewer to fill in, or not, as they wish.
The reason I found the ending so beautiful is because I had genuinely come to care for the characters – particularly Joanna and Alex, thanks to wonderful performances from Knightley and Canet. Their chemistry throughout is powerful, making their story both realistic and heartbreaking. The chemistry between Worthington and Mendes is less palpable, which is problematic, considering their attraction is supposedly purely physical and completely undeniable. Worthington's Michael is oddly unengaging, which does make it difficult to believe in his relationship with Joanna, but this is the only weak link I found in the film. Some viewers have decided to see his character as an extremely masculine man who cannot be outwardly emotional, which could explain his performance, but which doesn't quite fit with the script.
I finished the film and wanted to watch it again – I got the sense that there was more to read into, and more to see on a second viewing. 'Last Night' truly is thought-provoking and emotionally involving. One to seek out, watch, watch again, and come to your own conclusions on.
More reviews at: http://ellenreview.wordpress.com/