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Inherent Vice (2014)
There are many pleasures to be found in this dreamlike evocation of L.A.'s south-side in the seventies.
'I need your help Doc'
Arguably the best director of his generation, Anderson's latest film arrives in cinemas with high expectations, this is his seventh feature and he has an impressive track record, including The Master, There Will Be Blood, Magnolia and Boogie Nights.
Robert Altman's The Long Goodbye is an inspiration like that pic this one has a rambling narrative that keeps on leading the audience down rabbit holes. An audience looking for a satisfying conclusion to the mystery will be sadly disappointed however if you engage in the sprawling story, full of the odd and unusual there is much to enjoy. Anderson's films often require multiple viewings to appreciate the craftwork involved, Inherent Vice an adaptation of Thomas Pynchon's novel is no different.
PI, Larry "Doc" Sportello (Joaquin Phoenix), spends most of the two hour running time high smoking weed and shuffling from one incident to another. His ex-girlfriend Shasta Fay Hepworth (Katherine Waterston), appears from out of the past to ask him to investigate the disappearance of her current boyfriend Mickey Wolfmann (Eric Roberts). Real estate deals, the arian brotherhood, bikers, murder, kidnapping, cults, drugs, corruption and a mysterious cartel named the Golden Fang add to the growing complications of the meandering plot. Apart from the weed, Doc spends much of the film verbally and physically sparring with his nemesis come 'bro' Detective "Bigfoot" Bjornsen (Josh Brolin). It is all together hypnotic and transfixing and the cast is in glorious form. From Phoenix as Doc, the part fits like a glove, to Del Toro as a nautical lawyer. Memorable moments include a visit to a cocaine addled dentist played to the hilt by Martin Short, a visit to an Asian massage parlour that offers special discounts to cops, and Brolin sucking on a banana stick as if, well you do the math on that one.
There are many pleasures to be found in this dreamlike evocation of L.A.'s south-side in the seventies. Doc and Big foot are men out of sync with the world around them. Doc because he still seems to be addicted to a drug fueled free wheeling haze of the sixties, Big Foot seems aligned to the conservatism of the 1950s before corruption engulfed the world around him. The film is less interested in tying up the mystery than in celebrating absurdity and the text.
Superb Production Design from David Crank and Cinematography from vet Robert Elswit are a highlight. Jonny Greenwood provides the score and Neil Young features on the soundtrack.
Chappie (2015)
In Chappie he tests the audiences patience, in spending an inordinate amount of time with a number of unlikable characters.
"A piece of intelligence and sentience that's clean and uncorrupted...a blank slate born into what I view as a hostile world," Neill Blomkamp.
Robotics and AI intelligence in modern society are explored in a conceptually fascinating film that falls short of being a fully realised sci-fi action film or a profound examination of violence in the modern world.
The film opens with a brief compact explanation of the history of robots and law enforcement, (300 murders a day have declined) before an exciting freeway car chase ends with one of the robots going off-line, in other words being shot through the heart with a massive gun by a gangster. The story takes place In the near future of 2016, law in Johannesburg is enforced by Police robots called 'scouts'. The genius behind the creation of the robots is head nerd Deon Wilson (Dev Patel) who works for the TetraVaal corporation run by Michelle Bradley (Sigourney Weaver). Deon's wish is to extend the consciousness of the robots to be human, however his plans are discouraged by Bradley, and so he decides to steal the broken robot and infuse it with human characteristics.
Deon's office nemesis Vincent Moore (Hugh Jackman pumped in cargo shorts) wants to control the robots from a remote human centric location and will do everything in his power to stop the humanitarian ideology of Deon from taking over law enforcement. The other subplot involves Chappie being kidnapped for criminal purposes by desperadoes Ninji and Yolandi to carry out a heist. But first he must learn how to function in the hard environment of modern day Johannesburg. When Chappie starts speaking, memories of Short Circuit Johnny Number 5 come flooding back. As voiced by Sharlio Copley, Chappie is innocent, wide eyed and prone to influence from those around him. However this is not a PG 13 wish fulfillment fantasy, instead it's a hardcore ultra violent world reminiscent of Paul Verhoeven's Robocop with a lovable robot. The tone never quite gels.
You have to admire Neill Blomkamp for his original approach to this type of material. His three films to date have focused on the under class as outsiders. District 9 a veiled commentary on apartheid, Elysium an exploration through the action sci fi genre of class and now with Chappie he explores the role of AI in our future world. Will it be used to empower or corrupt?
In Chappie he tests the audiences patience, in spending an inordinate amount of time with a number of unlikable characters. Primarily Ninji and Yolandi as the surrogate parents, out to do more harm than good. In another life Ninji and Yolandi front the African Rap Rave band Die Antwoord. It's an interesting choice that leaves the audience grasping for a character to empathise with, apart from Chappie of course. In essentially a supporting role Jackman has a ball playing a menacing Aussie bad guy, who gets to spurt lines like "frog in a sock" and "smart as a dunny rat".
A Most Violent Year (2014)
Not to be missed.
Since the passing of the great Sidney Lumet, purveyor of some of the great films of the seventies, including Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon, The Verdict and Network, no American filmmaker has emerged to lay claim to the thrown. Lumet shooting largely on the streets of New York using hundreds of locations to make films about corruption and crime featuring some extraordinary performances from the likes of Al Pacino, Paul Newman and Peter Finch. J. C. Chandor announces himself as one of the most interesting directors working today, with a capacity for complexity and nuance in his narratives. Fresh from the Robert Redford alone at sea suspensor here he delivers one of the best American films of the past year. Sadly few people will see it.
New York City 1981 one of the most violent years in the City's history, more murders and rapes in the city than anytime before. It is at this moment that the emerging businessman Abel Morales chooses to expand his business. Unfortunately rival competitors are robbing his Standard oil trucks of their contents. They are also threatening his family, the District Attorney (David Oyelowo) is in the process of bringing a case against him for inappropriate practices in the industry. The unions are demanding their drivers to carry handguns in the trucks, and the bank is starting to lose faith in Abel's ability to payback loans. His wife Anna (Chastain), the daughter of a gangster carefully keeps the books, and he has just moved into a big new house in an upper scale neighbourhood. Progressively his life begins to spiral and the moral question remains, will he resort to violence or calmly use other methods to achieve his dream?
Credit must go to Bradford Young the cinematographer who recently lensed Selma. He captures a noir darkness that imbues the film. A scene in a barber shop early in the pic, between Abel and one of his competitors recalls Gordon Willis's work in The Godfather, the light accentuates the face but everything else in the frame is dark and ominous. As the central protagonist Isaac is compelling, Isaac first came to my attention playing Jose Ramos- Horta in Balibo and more recently in the Coen brothers Inside Llewyn Davis. His Abel is an immigrant who is determined to fulfill the promise of the American dream without resorting to the temptation to use violence to solve his problems. It's a clam understated performance rarely resorting to histrionics to carry a scene, and yes it recalls Pacino's work in The Godfather. Chastain is his equal as his more tempestuous tough-minded wife, who would clearly kill to protect her children. Oyelowo and Brooks provide great support.
Not to be missed.
Love Is Strange (2014)
It will be hard to find a more sharply observed and well written script this year.
"Life has its obstacles but I learnt early on they will be lessoned with honesty."
Ira Sach's begins and ends his feature with the music of Frederic Chopin, it's an exquisite piece of music and sets the tone for the film.
Love is Strange is a New York story about George and Ben played by Molina and Lithgow who decide to get married. George is a music teacher in a catholic school and Ben is an artist. They have been together for approximately forty years, they are comfortable, living in a spacious apartment in Manhattan, then suddenly George is sacked from his job as a music teacher at the Saint Grace Academy. The ageless John Corbett as the Head Priest represents the hypocrisy of the catholic church. "it's important that you don't question your faith" George a catholic is told.
Suddenly their lives are in free-fall, close family and friends come on board to support what at first appears to be a temporary arrangement. The apartment with a mortgage and taxes attached is sold for a massive profit of 17,500 the couple begin looking for a new apartment to live in. This becomes progressively more problematic in a competitive market and a strict budget. Seventy-one year old Ben goes to live with his nephew Elliot and his writer wife Kate (Tomei). He sleeps on a bunk bed shared with the couples moody teenage son Joey (Charlie Tahan) whilst George stays with gay friends in the downstairs apartment, who happen to be cops and seem to have a party ever second night.
Tensions begin to rise, as the impositions of time and personal space takeover. A conversation between the chatty Ben and the frustrated Kate ends when he tells the exasperated writer, "I can't really work if there is someone else around," which signifies the underlying tensions within this claustrophobic space.
The film is simply shot, little camera flourishes are on display, shot largely inside the homes and the streets of Manhattan Sachs creates a rich tapestry of complex human characters, his camera lingers stationary on his performers, for long periods to ensure he captures what is going on inside their heads. The strength of the film is in the script and performances. It will be hard to find a more sharply observed and well written script this year. Molina and Lithgow are wonderful together, see their duet "You've got what it takes" but the whole ensemble are simply terrific, Charlie Tahan as Joey is a young actor to watch.
Insurgent (2015)
Insurgent plays like a series of set-pieces designed to create a substantive whole, yet the end result leaves you unfulfilled.
The second installment in the dystopian franchise I suspect will not disappoint fans of Veronica Roth's young adult fiction trilogy. However for the general moviegoer the film though well mounted feels engineered and orchestrated, Insurgent plays like a series of set- pieces designed to create a substantive whole, yet the end result leaves you unfulfilled.
We pick up with Tris (Shailene Woodley) experiencing nightmares, when we left her in last years Divergent her parents had been murdered in front of her, she has been left without a faction and forced to go on the run with Four (Theo James). Insurgent picks up in the peaceful commune/faction Amity where Tris, Four, Caleb and Peter have sought sanctuary. This is short lived as enemy soldiers led by Eric (Jay Courtney) discover their hiding place and mayhem follows. An impressive action scene involving a fast moving train and gunfire provides a hope for a more exhilarating experience than what is delivered. The film follows Tris and Four as they make their way back to the city to do battle with the malevolent Jeanine (Kate Winslett). She wants a Divergent to unlock the secrets inside a mystical box, that is supposedly from the founding fathers. On the way back Four/Tobias meets his estranged mother Evelyn (Naomi Watts) "I always loved to watch him sleep," and Tris must battle her demons to prevail against the dark forces. Other factions come into play including Candor and Erudite but if you are not familiar with the codes and language of this world it doesn't really matter.
Replacing Neil Burger (Limitless) in the directors chair, Robert Schwenke (Red/Flightplan), brings a technical efficiency to proceedings. Fight scenes are efficiently choreographed and the use of CGI is appropriate to the demands of the story. Three writers are responsible for reducing Roth's complex story to under two hours, including Goldsman (A Beautiful Mind) and Mark Bomback (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes). Woodley holds everything together with her commitment to making Tris a complex, kick ass heroine. Miles Teller has fun as the ambiguous Peter who struggles to reconcile which side he is playing for. The prospect of two final installments sounds as if the producers are stretching a concept remarkably thin for the purpose of making a small fortune
Big Eyes (2014)
Big Eyes like all Burton films is a visual feast.
Big Eyes finds Tim Burton reuniting with the writing team responsible for Ed Wood (1994), arguably one of the 54 year old directors finest films. Ed Wood was an exuberant, extrovert, played to the hilt by Johnny Depp in contract the protagonist of Big Eyes Margaret is a shy, introverted artist. It is a challenging role, but Adams is up to the challenge and captures the spirit of the artist in an under stated performance. In contrast Waltz hams it up, I'm conflicted in my response to his turn as Walter Keane.
The film begins in the late fifties as Margaret moves from the suffocating, oppressive burbs to the big bright city by the sea, San Francisco with her young daughter Jane. She works in for a furniture company painting cots and beds with her distinctive style. On the weekend she attempts to sell her painting in the park. Initially her 'big eyes' painting are ignored and scoffed at by not only the public but the elitist critics and gallery owners. Then she meets bullish, real estate broker Walter Keane, who recognises her talent, promotes her work and starts a juggernaut of notoriety and wealth for the couple. The only problem, he takes credit for all her work.
The film details the dominance of Walter over Margaret for much of their marriage, one lie almost destroys her life, she becomes estranged her from her daughter and complicit in a massive fraud orchestrated by Walter. Shut off behind locked doors for up to 16 hours at a time painting to satisfy the demands of an adoring public and a manipulative abusive husband. Margaret gradually emerges out of the darkness escapes to Hawaii to reclaim her life and bring down her megalomaniacal husband who clearly became addicted to the fame and fortune of being a celebrity.
What distinguishes Big Eyes is the recreation of 1950/60's San Francisco, photographed by Bruno Delbonnel who recreates the twisted pastel colours, from the opening shots that recall the suburban sameness in the landscape, to the interior of the dark, smoky Jazz clubs, to the classic Californian home replete with swimming pool and period furniture. Rick Heinrichs a longtime Burton collaborator is responsible for the Production design, Big Eyes like all Burton films is a visual feast.
The performances range from the quiet, power in Adams depiction of Margaret, to Waltz verbose theatrics as Walter. At times Waltz threatens to steer the film to farce, though the Perry Mason inspired theatrics of the climatic court scenes were in fact an accurate reflection of the over the top antics of Keane at the time.
Run All Night (2015)
The ageless Irishman is having a late career changeling as a Charles Bronson action hero
Two Liam Neeson thrillers in 2015 and it's only March. The ageless Irishman is having a late career changeling as a Charles Bronson action hero, he proves yet again his capacity to make any film credible just by appearing in it.
Spanish Director Jaume Collet-Serra and Neeson are now firm collaborators, having made three films in the last four years. Starting with 2011's Unknown, a Hitchcock inspired thriller, last years forgettable heist thriller Non Stop had him play a boozy air Marshall heroically attempting to stop a mid air heist. Now with their third outing together Neeson moves further into noir darkness playing retired enforcer/hit-man Jimmy Conlan whose work for local mobster Shawn Maquire (Ed Harris), has left him a guilt ridden, tormented alcoholic. On the other hand his estranged son Mike (Kinnaman) is living a productive life with two young girls and a loving wife. Unfortunately being in the wrong place at the wrong time threatens to bring Mike's exemplary life undone. The film is taken up with Maquire demanding revenge for the death of his son, whilst Conlan will stop at nothing to protect his son from the onslaught of hired guns out to kill them both.
Few surprises await with Run all Night. It is a run of the mill genre pic, efficiently directed and acted by veterans who know how to imbue a scene with more gravitas than they deserve. The action scenes are handsomely mounted, and Neeson and Kinnaman play well off each other. Kinnaman a Swede, starred in last years failed Robocop reboot and AMC's The Killing series. Common appears in a ridiculous cliché of a role as a cold blooded unstoppable hit-man leaving the dependable Ed Harris to bring his usual skill to the role of the mob boss.
If you are looking for an escape with a very familiar, moderately entertaining genre pic, Run All Night will satisfy. Those wanting a return to original, compelling, superior thriller narratives will have to wait a little longer.
Taken 3 (2014)
Taken 3 is no Bourne 3, it isn't even Die Hard 3.
One of the watershed moments of Liam Neeson's career was his sudden emergence as a viable action star in the original Taken, directed by Frenchman Pierre Morel from the Luc Besson stable of B grade R rated genre films. The memorable catchphrase, "I don't know who you are but if you don't let my daughter go I will find you and I will kill you," became a pop culture reference point. In his late fifties at the time, this was a marked shot in the arm for his career and allowed the Irish actor to diversify his considerable talent. Unfortunately the sequels that have quickly followed, as if rushed to production to align with a
release schedule, lack the brutal, efficient energy of the original. They seem to get worse with each film. The R rating has been replaced with a PG rating to ensure more people see the film. Olivier Megaton has directed the second and third films, whilst Morel has recently completed the Sean Penn action vehicle The Gunman with a killer cast including Idris Elba and Javier Bardem.
Writers Besson and Kamen clearly decided to infuse a plot into the new film. The early death of a leading character, sets up a Fugitive like scenario in Los Angeles in which Bryan Mills becomes the hunter and the hunted. Dirty corrupt Russians figure, with distinctive tattoos to telegraph they are the bad guys and Forest Whitaker playing the Tommy Lee Jones role spends much of the film eating bagels and twisting a rubber band around his fingers to signal intelligence. The action scenes are edited in a way designed to confuse, the freeway sequence as a case in point, I had little idea of what was happening from one-second to the next, thanks to the rapid fire editing techniques and noise levels deployed. In comparison the Bourne films use the same style but the result is breathtakingly satisfying in comparison. The editors Nicolas Trembasiewicz and Audrey Simonaud have a history of music video work together with Besson films.
Perhaps Taken 4 will be an origin story, where we learn how Bryan Mills attained his unique skill-set. As the credits rolled on the latest installment I was reminded of the closing montage from 22 Jump Street as the series progressively gets more ridiculous until Schmidt and Jenko end up in outer space in 2121 Jump Street. Taken 3 has already achieved this status.
The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2012)
http://filmfanboy.com/the-reluctant-fundamentalist/
In the wake of the Boston bombings Mira Nair's topical political drama arrives in cinemas featuring a standout performance from Riz Ahmed, a British actor in the central role. Adapted from Mohsin Hamid's novel of the same name, the story focuses on a young Pakistani man Changez (Ahmed) who sets out to achieve the American dream in pre 911 America only to bear witness to the dreams nightmare and the emergence of xenophobia after the planes hit the twin towers.
In some ways Nair's latest film continues the themes explored in her excellent 2006 film The Namesake, detailing the Americanization of a young man at the sacrifice of his cultural identity. Here Princeton, Wall Street, a white girlfriend and money represent the dream. The story takes place amidst a kidnapping of an American citizen by extremists. Changez a Muslim relays his story to an American journalist Bobby Lincoln (Liev Schreiber) in a café in Pakistan. Lincoln might be working for the CIA. The films structure is set in motion via flashbacks. The central mystery remains open, what does Changez believe in? Who is he? What motivates him? Is he an extremist or a true lover of America?
Nair's film is most compelling tracking Changez rise to the top of Wall Street. Initially embraced in the West he gravitates seamlessly to downsizing companies and maximizing profit margins as a true capitalist. He sees America as the land of opportunity giving him "an equal chance to win." He has the admiration of his mentor Jim Cross (Kiefer Sutherland) who is himself an outsider. Cross declares "you have a gift for this a very lucrative gift." On his rise he meets the attractive photographic artist Erica (a miscast Hudson). He leaves his old life behind consisting of a poet father and a loving mother and sister. He seems to have it all then the planes hit the twin towers. Suddenly outside his insular Wall Street office the rest of America seem suspicious of the dark skinned man and soon he becomes a person of interest. He is crudely strip searched at the airport, falsely arrested and has his tires slashed as the hateful driver yells out "Osama."
The film flashes back and forth between the growing tension in the café and Changez's past life. The best thing about the film is Ahmed, a relative newcomer whose turn here foreshadows a strong career. He effortlessly details the tonal shifts in the story and his character. The scenes in the café with Schreiber are absorbing. The letdown comes in the dull romance between Changez and Erica. Perhaps the casting of Hudson assisted in getting the film financed but her sullen performance unbalances the film.
Nair is a gifted filmmaker and uses music and location to great effect. Her Monsoon Wedding cinematographer Declan Quinn lends his considerable skill and the production design from Michael Carlin is first rate. The Reluctant Fundamentalist is flawed and problematic but it has something to say about the messy complex world in which we live.
Snitch (2013)
http://filmfanboy.com/snitch/
Snitch is an effective, efficient thriller "inspired by true events". Yet after watching the film you get the impression "inspired" has provided license to focus more on the fictional elements and less on the factual. The true story more complex and ambiguous would struggle to fit into this simple straightforward narrative. The film explores what would a father do to save his son from 10 years in prison. If the father is Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson the answer is simple he'll risk everything. As he says early in the film "I've been rolling the dice my whole life I'll do it again."
Snitch is schizophrenic grabbling with the "Rocks" action movie baggage and the films family drama themes. The films failings emerge in the conventional trappings of both types of film. The director Ric Roman Waugh previous work Felon is a little seen pulpy prison thriller that featured terrific performances from Stephen Dorff and Val Kilmer.
The story deals with John Matthews (Johnson) a successful truck freighting businessman whose son Jason (Rafi Gafron) is incarcerated for distributing ecstasy tablets after being set-up by his friend in exchange for a lighter sentence. This triggers John to go undercover for the DEA to arrest a major drug dealer in order to free his son. Caught up in the drama is Daniel (Jon Bernthal) an ex-con and family man who works for John and accepts money in order to set-up introductions into the drug world. Around the periphery DA Joanne Keeghan (Sarandon) and Agent Cooper (Pepper) are desperate to deliver arrests and in the DA's case will sacrifice Matthews to achieve her political ambitions.
The best performance in Snitch comes from Jon Bernthal. He' so convincing as an ex-con I needed to check his background in IMDb to validate his acting credentials. In a pivotal scene he rescues his son from the neighbourhood gang. Shot with Waugh's penchant for hand-held jittery camera-work and extreme close-ups to convey intense emotion the scene is authentic and real. Even Johnson is given a three dimensional character to work with here. He is solid and convincing but is self-consciously out to prove that he can act.
The films problems lie primarily with the familiarity of the material. As the film progresses and the melodrama heightens with the introduction of the drug dealers and the Cartel Tsar you're reminded of better representations of this world like Traffic and The Wire. Bratt as "El Tope and Williams (The Wire) as Malik are straight out of central casting for drug dealers.
The feel good ending doesn't help. "Let's go home," seems trite and unconvincing. As a final note the film tries to make a point about the average sentence for a first time drug offender being longer than the average sentence for rape, child molestation and manslaughter. By this stage the impact of the "reel" story has been dulled. Antonio Pinto (City of God) provides the memorable score.
The Call (2013)
http://filmfanboy.com/the-call/
What's terrifying about the premise in The Call is the sad reality that this type of assault is not too far from today's headlines. Early in Brad Anderson's (The Machinist, Series 9) new film Jordan (Berry) the 911 operator receives a call from a terrified young girl trapped in a house whilst a man breaks in to assault her. This scene is expertly shot and performed and promises a film that might be a superior thriller. But the decision to cultivate more of a horror theme particularly in the last third turns the film into a formulaic and unpleasant experience.
This is disappointing because the film starts promisingly taking us behind the scenes into the 911 call centre which receives and dispatches emergency services to crime scenes throughout Los Angeles. The hardest part of the job is knowing that you may be the difference between somebody living and someone dying. This world is captured expertly and efficiently as Anderson takes his time to ensure we understand how this environment functions. Berry is Jordan who works in the call centre known as "the hive" and she seems to know what she's doing. She takes calls, understands classifications, sends squad cars out to the place of the call and knows how to calm panicked callers. Her work mates like her, but her manager Maddy (the excellent Roma Maffia) seems concerned by the intrusion of her cop boyfriend. She seems temporarily distracted and loses focus for a moment. Anderson economically sets the scene. The Call that takes her to the edge and almost breaks her involves the psychopath Michael (Michael Eklund) whose catch cry is "it's already done."
What keeps the Call interesting is the chemistry between two fine actors Berry and Breslin. First discovered in the indie hit Little Miss Sunshine Breslin is graduating into a fine young actor. As the helpless but tough Mary she conveys the fear and anxiety of a teenager trapped in the trunk of a car. The exchanges between her and Berry ensure the audience stays with them until the clunky climax. Berry has some character arcs to work with here and she's convincing but the character is thinly drawn.
Anderson working on limited budgets has a strong history of creating creepy atmospheric narratives. From Series 9, to the Machinist, to Transiberian he takes his audiences into mysterious dark worlds inhabited by troubled characters. He knows how to build tension and suspense supported by a strong script. But here the script by Richard D'Ovidio goes a bit bonkers. C'mon why does every serial killer in Hollywood have to be a raving lunatic? Subtlety is obviously not on the agenda in this contrived b thriller. The psychopath here appears to be in a constant state of sweaty panic. His back story or reason for killing sends the film to a precipice that will have you almost laughing. I'm pretty sure this was not the Andersons intent.
Tabu (2012)
http://filmfanboy.com/tabu/
Who wants to see a film that's shot in black and white, is slow moving and its second part is like a silent film? If the answer is yes then you will be richly rewarded with Tabu. The Portuguese director Miguel Gomes has made a strange poetic film.
A Portuguese film in two parts "Paradise Lost" and "Paradise." The bizarre short prologue transports us to a strange world where an intrepid explorer mourning a lost love gets eaten by a melancholic crocodile in Africa. The crocodile reappears throughout Tabu and accept for concluding that it represents an ancient old soul looking over the proceedings I'm not sure of its significance. The first part is set in modern Lisbon which appears to be full of bland apartment blocks. It explores the relationship between the kind melancholic Pilar (Teresa Madruga) and her gambling addicted; fading neighbor Aurora (Laura Soveral) who has a tendency to exaggerate and get lost in her vivid imagination Aurora is having problems with her housekeeper Santa (Isabel Cardoso). She believes Santa has turned her daughter against her with her black witchcraft. In between rescuing Aurora from the casino, Pilar goes to the cinema, joins the UN protests and shares time with her romantic painter man friend. The health decline of Aurora triggers the death bed request to see Gian Luca Ventura (Henrique Espírito Santo). Over coffee Gian shares another story of Aurora back in deepest darkest Africa.
We are transported back to another time and the film takes on another feel, romantic and sensual. Gomes referencing Sydney Pollack's epic romance Out of Africa begins the story with the immortal lines, "She had a farm in Africa." This part is without dialogue but features a finely scripted voice-over and the sounds of Africa. This section melodramatic and dreamlike details the doomed love affair between Aurora (Ana Moreira), and the seductive adventurer Gian (Carlota Cotta). Cotta looks and is framed like a silent film star, Moreira more like a star of French cinema of the sixties. In between the all-encompassing romance of the privileged whites the Africans toil away, in the fields, as servants, basically second class citizens. Throughout the film Gomes intentionally positions the whites as the ruling class whilst the blacks struggle to be heard. Yet this is never over emphasized.
Gomes has crafted a film that stays with you. Those moments in time
A solitary tear awkwardly swiped away by the elder Gian recalling the loss of great love, the stony faced Santa eating the prawns given to her by the annoyingly kind Pilar, the first meeting of the young lovers almost unable to hide their attraction for each other, the bizarre performance of the boy band at the pool house. The performers are all excellent and Rui Pocas does a great job with the black and white cinematography.
Dead Man Down (2013)
http://filmfanboy.com/dead-man-down/
Niels Arden Oplev"s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was a terrific thriller primarily because the central characters were compelling and the resolution was deeply satisfying. Unfortunately his follow-up featuring Tattoo's Noomi Repace and Colin Farrell is devoid of most of the things that made Tattoo so memorable. Like so many foreign Directors who make the leap to American filmmaking the Swedish director stumbles. Most of the fault lies in the screenplay that lacks the complexity and richness of the earlier work.
The film is all about revenge and what it does to you. It focuses on two tormented souls committed to seeking justice for heinous crimes. Victor (Colin Farrell) works for a criminal enterprise in New York who's leader is the unusually named Alphonse (Terrence Howard), when his neighbor Beatrice (Rapace) spots him strangling a man, she threatens to tell the police. She will keep her secret as long as he murders the drunk driver who left her with a badly scarred face (she still looks beautiful under the scars). But the plot is further complicated by someone killing off his gang and some mysterious Albanians lurking on the periphery. Twists follow as the bad guys are mailed pieces of a puzzle that will lead to the identity of their enemy. In the mix is the family oriented small time hood Darcy (Cooper) who is getting closer to the truth behind the films mystery.
The cast seem lost; Farrell is frozen in time as Victor, an Irishmen playing a Hungarian with an American accent. His introverted sullenness makes his character dull which I guess was not the filmmaker's intention. Rapace doesn't fare much better she's a swede playing French. Her outburst early in the film justifying her vengeful plans is way over the top with its histrionics. Then the great Isabelle Huppert appears playing her hearing-impaired mum who makes great cookies and wants her Tupperware back. These strange moments designed to distinguish the film from their films of its type only derail it further.
The script by "The Mexican's" J.H. Wyman is clearly aiming for originality and to mess with the conventions of the genre. But it doesn't work; its combination of moody film noir mixed with violent action film makes it weirdly enjoyable at times but completely unconvincing. After a journey into darkness for most of the film Oplev chooses slam bang and happy endings. Cinematography by Paul Cameron (Collateral) and evocative score (Jacob Groth) help the two hours pass pleasingly.
A major disappointment from Oplev and his cast of talented actors.
Les adieux à la reine (2012)
http://filmfanboy.com/farewell-my-queen/
In film alone there have been eight representations depicting the life and times of Marie Antoinette. Benoit Jacquot's latest interpretation comes from a screenplay that he and Gilles Taurant adapted from Chantal Thomas's novel. Filmed largely at Versailles it looks closely at the class divide between monarch and servant and how blind love can distort your view. It's told from the point of view of a servant blindly committed to her Queen. Visually sumptuous with a compelling narrative it skilfully avoids the dullness of many period dramas.
The story takes place during the last four days leading up to the French Revolution. Culminating in the overthrow of the monarchy and the execution of the King and Queen of France. A young woman Sidonie (Lea Seydoux) is the official reader to the Queen. She is Marie Antoinette's (Diane Kruger) number one fan. Scratching away at mosquito bites and grimacing at the site of a giant rat lurking in the servant's quarters she chooses to ignore all the rumblings and gossip of rebellion and dissent emerging around her. She is an unapologetic servant of the beautiful seductive Queen. Having shared a coffee she observes "It's all going wonderfully well." Marie Antoinette spends most of her time draped in fine clothes and surrounded by gold in her private chambers. She vaguely peruses the latest fashion magazine. She requests embroidery and books, self-absorbed, vain and removed from the realities of poverty and deprivation outside her Palace walls. Running and stumbling and always late Sidonie serves at the behest of her Queen. "So young and already so blind" comments the wise old historian Morcau (Michael Robin). As the days pass the hallways and corridors become crowded with panicked servants and gentry alike. A list of names to be beheaded emerges causing terror amongst the Bourgeoisie. The final hours of a corrupt monarchy reveal a Queen who will sacrifice anyone for the love of her dearest Mme de Polinac (Virgine Ledoyen).
Throughout the proceeding Jacquot gives the film a contemporary feel, using a constantly moving camera that follows Sidonie wherever she goes. No conventional traditional set-ups, the fluidity of the camera-work gives the film a sense of urgency. Benoit loves a tracking shot. The Production Design by Katla Wyszkop (Potiche) is worth the price of admission contrasting the emptiness of the maid's quarters, against the opulence of Marie Antoinette's private quarters. Cinematography and lighting by Romain Winding is exquisite. It's as if he's lighting by candle for much of the picture. The performers are all excellent, Kruger captures the seductiveness of the Queen, but it's Seydoux in almost every seen who transfixes with her sublime performance.
Un bonheur n'arrive jamais seul (2012)
Happiness Never Comes Alone
James Huth's film which he also wrote with Sonja Shillito celebrates Hollywood cinema. It references classics like Casablanca, Singin In the Rain and West Side Story but plays more like Moonstruck and Notting Hill for its melding of romance and slapstick humor. Even the soundtrack features largely soulful American music. It's glitzy, formulaic and contrived but helped by two charismatic performers has enough charm to make it a crowd pleaser.
The film begins with Sacha Keller (Gad Elmaleh), a musician playing at a jazz bar, and picking up girls for one night stands. He has everything a single man would want until he bumps into Charlotte (Sophie Marceau) and before long these two opposites are in bed and in love. This is the type of film where the girl hails a taxi and get drenched as the car drives by a huge puddle of water or falls down a flight of stairs simply to get up and walk away with minor bruises. The films commitment to slapstick is at times grating but more often charmingly old fashioned. Complications in the relationship occur with the revelation that Charlotte has three children from two failed marriages. But let's face it not every single mother looks like Sophie Marceau and soon Sacha is experiencing the joys of parenthood. The kids are not too cute and obnoxious which is a blessing. The youngest boy throws up and complains "I don't like you." The older girl recruits Sacha to help her with her mathematics homework. That and two ex's one played by the terrific François Berléand in strong ruthless mode. After the trial and tribulations of struggling to make it work you know these two are meant to be together because they each have posters of Casablanca in their bedrooms.
Huth directs with a light touch and the first hour is the best. He wraps it all up nicely, it's better than most of the product coming out of the American studios these days. Elmaleh and Marceau make it work; they have the chemistry to carry off the romance and comedy with aplomb. The soundtrack is a highlight blending the music of Etta James and Stephanie Mills. James belting out A Sunday Kind of Love is glorious.
Still Mine (2012)
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Canadian filmmaker Michael McGowan hands James Cromwell a gift with the character of Craig Morrison. It's the role of a lifetime and Cromwell seems to understand the opportunity that has been handed to him. Still Mine following the darker Amour is another journey into the challenges of growing old and protecting your independence amidst the absurdity of modern life. At its core it's the story of an heroic individualist who just happens to be a sprightly 89 year of age.
Hauled into court and facing jail time Craig Morrison staring down a visibly unimpressed Judge asks "Do you watch baseball, your honor?" This comment transports the narrative back to how his story let to this moment in time. Morrison lives with his wife Irene (Genevieve Bujold) who is progressively losing her memory with the onset of Alzheimer's. Attempting to build a new home to make life easier for his wife he comes up against an unforgiving system represented by the officious government inspector (Jonathan Potts). Craig just wants to do things his way, on his land and to be independent. Not wanting to go into debt or sell off the land he has worked his whole life, he decides to do what his father did build a home. It's a simple story, beautifully rendered.
At first glance Craig seems cantankerous and stubborn to an outsider, refusing help from his family and friends he intends to care Irene single handily. Yet beneath the surface he is stubbornly self-reliant and strong. The cruelty of Alzheimer's throws up some challenges for the couple as Irene becomes dangerously incapable of looking after herself. She falls once and then again and their luck seems to be running out. Yet amidst the heartbreak of losing Irene to dementia there are still moments of deep tenderness. McGowan's finely crafted script captures the intense love and affection of two people ingrained in each others soul. The bedtime conversations of remembrances of a life spent remarkably happily. Even stripping down to enjoy a night of passion after 60 odd years of marriage brings a celebratory joy to the proceedings. In these moments Cromwell and Bujold create a lifetime together, and their chemistry is palpable.
The decision to shoot in New Brunswick lends the film authenticity and beauty. In many ways the picture is conventionally shot, no stylistic flourishes, no fanfare but it suits the tone of the piece. McGowan who has a mixture of TV and films to his credit, understands the power of words and character. In his actors he has two giants who bring this great story to life. Mumford and Sons contribute their talent to the soundtrack.
Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)
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This movie has a very simple driving force. How can we top what came before? Already Ironman has produced some sensational visceral action and now Star Trek shot in IMAX 3D delivers a non-stop juggernaut of wall to wall action. JJ Abrams new film is a lot of fun, an all-out assault on the senses. It fulfills the intent to do "Star Trek like Star Wars." But it doesn't get everything right, for all its technical wizardry Abrams seems content to present a story short on anything new to say.
Abrams continues his appreciation of Spielberg with a "Raiders of the Lost Ark" inspired opening replete with spears and angry painted natives. The film jumps directly into the action where Kirk and Bones are fleeing savages whilst Spock jumps onto an erupting Volcano. The clock is ticking as the first of many cliff-hangers is engineered. Remember this is the creative team responsible for Alias and Lost. The action then takes us to London 2259 and the Royal Children's Hospital. A child is dying. John Harrison (Cumberbatch) appears offering the hopeful words, "I can save her" to the child's father Harrison is clearly not all he appears to be, he's a complex character and it's difficult to know if he is a villain in the true sense of the word. Another assault inspired by a "Godfather 3" style action set-piece ends with Kirk on a manhunt. His admiral proclaims "Run this bastard down
take him out." By now it's clear this addition will not be "exploring and observing" more like shooting and blowing stuff up.
But who dies or gets hurt in these franchise films? Audience test screenings instill the happily ever after formula. But action without consequence is arguably dull no matter how many millions you spend on it. Spoiler Alert: In one scene "Scotty" seemingly has his head crushed, yet moments later he seems almost unaffected by the incident. He touches his sore head a few times and moves on to save the Universe. And what's up with the bad accents? Was it an intentional decision to make Pegg and Yelchin's (Chekhov) accents so laughable? Other performer's fair better, Quinto continues to shine as the logical Spock capable of warmth when needed. Pine seems to be channeling Shatner more so this time which is teeter on the dangerous and Cumberbatch looking gym hard makes an impressive foil. Greenwood and Weller are also excellent in smaller pivotal roles. Unfortunately the women Saldana and Eve are left with little to work with. Though Eve gets to show off her hard body. This is clearly a boys own adventure.
Quibbles aside Abrams tells his tale with the skill of a craftsman at the peak of his powers. His team of technicians including cinematographer Dan Mindel, production designer Scott Chambliss and visual effects expert Roger Guyett help bring his vision to life.
Stuck in Love (2012)
An amiable diverting film about a family of writers and their experience of love over the course of a year.
In its short life this film has undergone several name changes. For its debut in Toronto it was entitled Writers, then it got changed to Stuck in Love to now A Place for Me. Personally I prefer Stuck in Love. Bookended by the thanksgiving holiday it's an amiable diverting film about a family of writers and their experience of love over the course of a year.
Poor William Borgen's (Kinnear) is having trouble writing after his wife (Connolly) left him for another man. He is having a "friends with benefits" relationship with his neighbour Tricia (Bell). To pour salt into the wound his daughter Samantha (Collins) has just had her latest novel published. But Samantha is unhappy to, unable to be emotionally intimate with men and permanently angry with her estranged mother. A class mate (Lerman) a fellow writer and part time musician attempts to get to know the real Sam. William's son Rusty (Wolff) a Stephen King devotee is in love with the pretty troubled Kate (Liberato) who decides to take his father's advice 'a writer is the sum of his experiences: go get some.' Over the course of a year the writer/director Josh Boone explores the travails of this family of writers.
Boone's film recalls a better film of its type Curtis Hanson's Wonder Boys which had an acerbic script from Steve Kloves. That told the tale of a writer struggling to deal with his wife leaving him amidst a bout of writers block. Amidst the comedy it had an edge which this film lacks. It feels a little underdone a draft shy of memorable.
The cast are all fine though, Kinnear underplays nicely, and he is an observer to the action going on around him. Kinnear is one of cinemas best reactors. Connolly and Collins even look remarkably like a mother and daughter, Collins (daughter of Phil) has the juicier role and Boone gives her some smart dialogue to highlight the intelligence behind the beauty. Wolff a newcomer is a promising newcomer as Rusty.
By the rather trite yet optimistic conclusion love has been rekindled, delivered heartbreak and even the death of a loved one is rather coarsely explored. As the family gather around the table overlooking the glorious ocean, about to gorge on a turkey the music rises and the melodrama of the last year has finally ended.