MARKED MOVIES

Director: Tim Blake Nelson.
Screenplay: Tim Blake Nelson.
Starring: Edward Norton, Susan Sarandon, Keri Russell, Tim Blake Nelson, Josh Pais, Melanie Lynskey, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Ty Burrell, Steve Earle, Richard Dreyfuss.

The last time Edward Norton shifted between characters, showing his range, was in his film debut “Primal Fear”, gathering him an Oscar nomination and catapulting him to stardom. Here, he does similiar work, but the result this time, is a very mixed bag.

Bill Kincaid (Norton) is a respected philosophy professor, who has also been invited to join a law firm using his philosophical teachings. Before that happens though, he recieves a call informing him that his twin brother Brady (Norton again) has been killed. Lured back to his hometown of Oklahoma, Bill soons realises that Brady is alive and well and that he’s been fooled into his brothers involvement with growing marijuana and taking on a local criminal (Richard Dreyfuss).

Maybe working with the Coen brothers (on “O Brother Where Art Thou?”) has lead director/writer/actor Tim Blake Nelson into a false sense of security in his talents and delusions of granduer. It seems as though it’s the Coens’ effortless, genre blending skills he’s trying to emulate here but he simply doesn’t have their finesse. This is an uneven mish-mash of ideas with gaping holes in the plot and extreme changes in tone, shifting from a humourous approach to downright nasty and violent. It doesn’t get the balance right at all and might well have worked better had it decided what it wanted to be. Instead, it meanders, playing unsuccessfully with genres and only marginally keeping your interest with the impressive actors on screen. A real shame despite the talent involved. Norton and Susan Sarandon (who plays his mother) are two of my favourites. Nelson is always good support and also seems to have a good grasp of philosophy, but this time around I can only assume that the studio got their hands on this one, cutting it to shreds. Otherwise, it’s been a big mistake by all involved.

Its fairly appealling to watch Norton play off himself but he’s been much better before and the script seriously let’s his efforts down. A philosophical, hydroponic mess.

Mark Walker

Director: Jonathan Levine.
Screenplay: Jonathan Levine.
Starring: Ben Kingsley, Josh Peck, Famke Janssen, Olivia Thirlby, Mary-Kate Olsen, Jane Adams, Talia Balsam, Method Man, Aaron Yoo, David Wohl, Bob Dishy.

With chameleon-like versatility, Ben Kingsley went from peace-loving pacifist in “Gandhi” to intimidating pychopath in “Sexy Beast”. Here, he finds a juicy role that slots somewhere
in-between.

Luke Shapiro (Josh Peck), is a small-time dealer who literally carts weed around in an ice-cream wagon. He thinks he’s depressed; his therapist, Dr. Squires (Ben Kingsley), thinks he just needs to get laid. Trouble is, the girl Luke’s into is Squires’ step-daughter Stephanie (Olivia Thirlby), a fact he keeps secret from his mentor. The movie follows the evolution of these relationships – Luke and Squires, Luke and Stephanie, and Squires and his cold wife (Famke Janssen).

A fine little coming-of-age/rite-of-passage film that’s elevated above the norm due to fine performances from the two leads. Peck perfectly captures the endearing, but dumb as a bag of hammers, nature of Luke. Director Jonathan Levine does well in keeping the 90’s style flowing and nostalgic, with great use of hip-hop soundtrack but really this film is about one thing and one thing only…Ben Kingsley! Is this really Gandhi we are watching, sucking on bongs, smoking blunts and shagging one of the Olsen twins in a phone box? As it appears, yes it is, and it’s fun to see Kingsley letting loose again and proving how good an actor he is. The problem is though, when he’s not on screen the film suffers and becomes a tad tedious until he appears again.

A decent effort by all involved but the material is nothing new and relies a little to heavily on Kingsley’s eccentricity carrying it home.

Mark Walker

Director: Wes Anderson.
Screenplay: Wes Anderson, Roman Coppola, Jason Schwartzman.
Starring: Adrian Brody, Owen Wilson, Jason Schwarztman, Anjelica Huston, Wally Wolodarsky, Waris Ahluwalia, Amara Karan, Barbet Schroeder, Camilla Rutherford, Natalie Portman, Bill Murray.

Director Wes Anderson’s films are always an off-beat delight (“The Royal Tenenbaums”, “Rushmore”, “Fantastic Mr. Fox”) and this is no exception. In fact, it’s his best yet.

Francis (Owen Wilson), Peter (Adrian Brody) & Jack (Jason Schwartzman) are three brothers who reunite a year after their father’s death and go on a spiritual journey through India on the infamous train “The Darjeeling Limited”. The rivalry between the siblings is ever present and it also doesn’t help that they are all reliant on prescription drugs, changing their intended spiritual journey to one of chaos and resentment. The trio find themselves facing life changing moments along their path and fulfilling their spiritual awakening in unintentional ways.

On the surface, the brothers are very different characters but the subtlety of Anderson’s writing and directing show them to be very similar, in a lot of ways, as they begin to realise the strong bond between them.
The three leads are excellent and each play their roles with the perfect sensitivity and humour. The cinematography by Robert Yeoman is wonderful, as is Anderson’s great use, yet again, of classic 60’s/70’s songs throughout the film.

Admittedly Wes Anderson may not be to everyones tastes but I find his films an absolute joy and always wonderfully well written and directed. None more so than this beautifully rich treat.

Mark Walker

Director: Ken Loach.
Screenplay: Paul Laverty.
Starring: Steve Evets, Eric Cantona, Stephanie Bishop, Gerard Kearns, Stefan Gumbs, Lucy-Jo Hudson, Matthew McNulty, John Henshaw.

The master of British working class cinema Ken Loach, offers up a more light-hearted little film in the wake of his hard hitting Irish revolutionary film “The Wind that Shakes the Barley”.

Eric Bishop (Steve Evets) is a 50 something postman who’s life has taken a serious downturn. He is plagued with regrets of his past, in abandoning his first wife and newborn baby and now struggling to manage his teenage sons from his second marriage. One of his outlets for fun is following his beloved football team Manchester Utd and it’s from the past years of this succesful team that he is given some life coaching and guidance from none other than Eric Cantona, the French footballing sensation who is also famous for his philosophical ramblings.

A far more uplifting film from Loach than his usual depictions of the british working class. This still has the gritty realism of his previous work but he’s concentrated more on the humorous aspect of his and writer Paul Laverty’s talents. This is all helped perfectly by an excellent lead performance by Evets as the downtrodden, angst riddled father and despite Cantona being no thespian, he manages to add a surprisng amount of humour to the film. An enjoyable way to spend an hour or so but I think I still prefer my Loach films, less poached and more hard-boiled.

Mark Walker

Director: Joel Coen & Ethan Coen.
Screenplay: Ethan Coen & Joel Coen.
Starring: Michael Stuhlbarg, Richard Kind, Fred Melamed, Sari Lennick, Aaron Wolff, Jessica McManus, George Wyner, Adam Arkin, Michael Lerner.

Quite a difficult one to get a handle on from the Coens, especially when you’re not familiar with the book of Job from the Old Testament, of which this is an allegory of. They can always produce something tense, then effortlessly switch to something hilarious and then…well…and then they craft something like this, that’s hard to pigeonhole. God bless those pesky brothers.

Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg) is a physics professor. He leads a God fearing Jewish life in the suburbs with his wife and two children. When he comes home from work, after an attempt at bribery from one of his students to get a better grade, he is informed by his wife that she wants a divorce. She has fallen in love with their neighbour and wants Larry to move out. Meanwhile, his son is approaching his Bar Mitzvah but has got himself mixed up in drugs and spiraling financial debts in Larry’s name and his daughter is determined to get a nose job, while his brother who sleeps on the couch, can’t cope with the world and relies heavily on Larry’s support. Things are not going well for Larry and he finds himself in need of some serious guidance and turns to his local but elusive Rabbi to seek advice in his life.

A unique and informative insight into Jewish religion and culture from the Coens. It’s very different from anything they have done before and wasn’t what I was expecting at all. The theme of the uncertainty of religious guidance in our lives is perfect to support the choatic events that are inexplicably bestowed upon Larry and how religion doesn’t have all the answers. If anything it asks more frustrating unanswered questions for our protaganist and with some hilarious results. The cast of unknowns are uniformly excellent (especially Stuhlbarg) and add to the believable Jewish community that the brothers have created and Roger Deakins’ cinematography is as always, beautifully rich in capturing the 1960’s era in which it’s set.
It didn’t share the tension of “No Country for Old Men”, the complex hilarity of “The Big Lebowski” or even the surreal imagery of “Barton Fink” but this is still a very subtle treat from the brothers Coen and one which I will no doubt be visiting again, looking for answers, just like Larry Gopnik.

Mark Walker

Director: Rob Reiner.
Screenplay: Justin Zackham.
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Morgan Freeman, Sean Hayes, Rob Morrow, Beverly Todd, Alfonso Freeman, Rowena King.

Jack and Morgan, now over the hill, attempt fetching a bucket of laughter. Jack fell down in a hospital gown and Morgan came tumbling after.

Pretty damn poor considering it unites two of cinema’s great actors in Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman, under the direction of the normally reliable Rob Reiner – who is no stranger to fine comedies. However, Reiner seems to have forgotten something integral here…namely comedy itself.

Nicholson and Freeman play two terminally ill patients sharing a room in hospital. When faced with the news that they have months to live, they compose a “Bucket List”. A list consisting of all the things they’d like to do before they shuffle off their mortal coil. Working their way through their list, they achieve feats of sky-diving, racing fast cars, tackling the Himalayas etc.

You’d think watching these two veteran actors in several hair-raising scenarios would be a joy but quite frankly, it’s not. What it is, is dull and uneventful. Jack and Morgan are given next to nothing to work with and are let down by a very tedious and formulaic script. Reiner’s direction is also extremely flat, not helped by some very poor, sub-standard special effects and fake use of international locations. By today’s standards it’s very insulting and the talent involved, not to mention us, deserve more.

If I ever compose a Bucket list for myself, first thing on the list will be…’Don’t attempt to polish a turd. Despite what it says on the tin’. Avoid at all costs.

Mark Walker

Director: Noah Baumbach.
Screenplay: Noah Baumbach, Jennifer Jason Leigh.
Starring: Ben Stiller, Greta Gerwig, Rhys Ifans, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Chris Messina, Juno Temple, Jake Paltrow, Susan Traylor.

Dysfunctional families (and people) share a common theme throughout writer/director Noah Baumbach’s films. He focused on the dissolution of a relationship in “The Squid and The Whale”, a destructive neurosis in “Margot At The Wedding” and now the disintegration of a personality with “Greenberg”.

Following a nervous breakdown, New York carpenter Roger Greenberg (Ben Stiller) arrives in LA to look after his brothers family home and sickly dog. His path crosses with the family’s young assistant Florence (Greta Gerwig), and an awkward relationship develops. He also tries to rekindle old friendships from when he was an up-and-comer quite some time ago.

Baumbach focuses yet again on neurotic behaviour and the fragility of a person crumbling under the weight of his own expectation and ambition. I wouldn’t say that I’m all that keen on Ben Stiller but like Jack Black in “Margot at the Wedding”, he puts all his irritating and outrageous send-ups aside and concentrates on acting. No, he doesn’t get his dick caught in his zip or anything, but what he does do is show restraint and puts in a very nuanced and subtley brilliant dramatic performance. This director certainly knows how to get the best out of an actor and Stiller is not alone. Greta Gerwig is absolutely marvellous and produces one of the most natural and beautifully rich performances I’ve seen in a long time. This is an actress that deserves more attention. Rhys Ifans is also very endearing and adds depth and realism as Greenberg’s long suffering friend. It’s a trio of excellent performances, making the characters really come alive and Baumbach displays a talent for capturing the everyday perfectly, showing an affinity with Woody Allen in his sharp observations and neurotic characters.
Roger Greenberg as a character has a lot in common with Nicole Kidman’s Margot in their social awkwardness and almost natural ability to hurt someones feelings and despite Stiller’s excellent performance, that’s what hinders the film slightly. He’s a detestable, rude and egotistical man, that we are forced to spend a lot of time with, making it less enjoyable than the director’s previous outings to angst-ville.

Despite the irritatingly self-absorbed character and his very privileged lifestyle this is still another refined and assured character study from the very talented Noah Baumbach.

Mark Walker