MARKED MOVIES

Glengarry Glen Ross * * * * *

Posted in Drama with tags 1992 on February 17, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: James Foley.
Screenplay: David Mamet.
Starring: Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Alec Baldwin, Ed Harris, Kevin Spacey, Alan Arkin, Jonathan Pryce.

Writer David Mamet is known for his sharp and natural dialogue but when you combine this with sharp and natural actors, you get nothing less than an intense and searing drama where every word sizzles and every performance lights up the screen. It’s a perfect match.

Set entirely within the office of a handful of real estate salesmen, where business is tough and the threat of unemployment looms. The ruthless boss has them all competing with one another and the prize of a Cadillac for finishing top of the leader board. The bottom of the board, however, will be fired. This leads the desperate men to pull out all the stops in swindling their way to safety.

First of all, have a look at the cast and ask yourself… Does this look good? The answer should be a resounding, Yes! The line-up itself is enough to sell this film and despite having a dodgy title, the cast do not disappoint. This is the type of film that allows you to appreciate good acting. Based on David Mamet’s Pulitzer prize winning stageplay, it’s a very basic premise… One room; Six greed infused salesman; Limited jobs. The perfect melting pot for top actors at the top of their game to spout profanities and act their little cotton socks off. The world that these vile characters inhabit and the cruel and manipulative way in which they operate is torturously played out. There really are no depths to which these people will not stoop. Not only do they vie to take money from unsuspecting, ordinary people, they vie to outdo each other.
Ensembles like this are few and far between and, as always, Al Pacino is great but it’s Jack Lemmon who really shows his class here, as a desperate, bumbling fool who has past his best in this cut-throat business. A 10min cameo from Alec Baldwin though, almost steals the show, informing us of what’s needed to sell Real Estate… “Brass Balls”.

This enables you to sit back, in the comfort of your own home, and view a marvellous ensemble as if being treated to a night at the theatre.
If you appreciate great actors working with great dialogue, then this is one of the best. Top Quality.

Mark Walker

6 Comments »

Dog Day Afternoon

Posted in Crime, Drama with tags 1975 on February 17, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Sidney Lumet.
Screenplay: Frank Pierson.
Starring: Al Pacino, John Cazale, Charles Durning, James Broderick, Chris Sarandon, Sully Boyar, Penelope Allen, Carol Kane, Lance Henriksen, Dick Anthony Williams, Philip Charles Mackenzie.

“I’m a fuck-up and I’m an outcast. If you get near me you’re gonna get it- you’re gonna get fucked over and fucked out”

Al Pacino and John Cazale came into this film just off the back of completing The Godfather parts I & II together. Pacino also managed to do Serpico and Cazale The Conversation in-between. It was a good run they were both on in the early 70’s and this no less of a classic than the aforementioned ones.

On a hot day in New York, on 22nd August 1972, three men set out to rob a bank. It’s supposed to take ten minutes, but things start going wrong from the beginning when one of them bails at the last minute. Four hours later, the bank is surrounded by police, a media circus, and crowds of well wishers.

As the film opens, we are given a montage of New York life and it’s vastness and eclectic mix of people. Not before long though, we are then led into a bank by three men, who proceed to threaten the bank tellers with rifles. Within minutes, this true story has begun with such a tense and completely believable hold-up. The tension is, by-and-large, the masterwork of director Sidney Lumet and a strikingly powerful performance by Al Pacino. Lumet never let’s up for a moment, he has the camera moving at such a pace that the adrenaline of the bank robbery is also felt by the viewer. He has always been a highly respected director and on this evidence alone, you can see why. And then, almost suddenly, the pace is ground to a halt with a phone call… The police are watching everything that going on from across the street. This is when Lumet slows it down and gets closer to his actors and the claustrophobia of the situation. The performances are uniformly brilliant – making you forget that it’s actors you’re watching – but this is ultimately Pacino’s show. He highly on-edge, with despairing eyes and nervous ticks, desperately trying to hold everything together. He injects a real sympathy and believability to his character and it stands as one of his finest pieces of work. Added to which, with the body of work that Sidney Lumet has delivered over a career spanning 50 years (he died in 2011), this is one of his greatest achievements also.

An outstanding, naturalistic heist movie that boasts career highs and an unbearable tension that never let’s up. In a decade of fine cinema, this remains one of the best of the 70’s.

Mark Walker

5 Comments »

Another Earth * *

Posted in Drama, Science Fiction with tags 2011 on February 17, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Mike Cahill.
Screenplay: Mike Cahill, Brit Marling.
Starring: Brit Marling, William Mapother, Matthew-Lee Erlbach, Jordan Baker, Flint Beverage, Robin Taylor, Rupert Reid, Diane Ciesla, Kumar Pallana.

Director Mike Cahill and star Brit Marling make their feature film debuts after their 2004 documentary “Boxers and Ballerinas”. Their earlier collaboration focused on the lives of people from different parts of the world. This film has a similar documentary style and explores a similar theme.

Rhoda Williams (Brit Marling) is a promising student who crashes her car one night, when news breaks that a duplicate Earth has been discovered. A family are killed in the crash but only her and the father John Burroughs (William Mapother) survive. On her release from prison four years later, Rhoda bluffs her way into Burroughs’ life as a cleaner, with the intention of easing her guilt and revealing herself as his family’s killer. Meanwhile, a competition is launched to find the first visitor to “Earth 2”, where the meeting of your ‘other self’ is a very real possibility.

This film has such an excellent concept, that’s so intriguing, that the delivery fails to do it justice. It’s slow and tedious. Keeping it as realistic as possible, Cahill’s handheld-camera is up close and personal to his characters. It add realism but ultimately fails to entertain. The philosophical questions posed are the closest you’ll get to any form of entertainment but these questions are better considered in your own time (read Plato’s “The Allegory of the Cave”), rather than watching the tediousness played out onscreen. I normally enjoy speculative drama’s but this lost me about half way in. Not because it’s a noodle-scratcher but because it laboured on the grief and guilt of the main characters, rather than thoroughly exploring the possibilities of our doppelgängers from “Earth 2”. I can’t really fault director Cahill or the actors. They put in competent shifts but it’s the unexplored script that’s the problem. To start with such a hypothesis and then allow it to wallow and fritter out, is very discouraging. Granted, the budget isn’t high and it rests on it’s emotional and metaphysical core but it still falls into a very frustrating lull, from which it never recovers. It’s one that would play well alongside the existential films of Lars Von Trier’s “Melancholia” or Terrence Malick’s “The Tree Of Life” but it’s nowhere near in the same league, despite it winning the Sundance Film Festival.

Maybe on ‘another earth’, this film was a masterpiece. On ours though, it’s frankly… dull.

Mark Walker

5 Comments »

Fright Night * *

Posted in Comedy, Horror with tags 2011 on February 15, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Craig Gillespie.
Screenplay: Marti Noxon.
Starring: Anton Yelchin, Colin Farrell, David Tennant, Toni Collette, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Imogen Poots, Dave Franco, Chris Sarandon.

Yet another horror remake comes our way with this modern take on the 1985 original. Really though, all this latest one delivers is the use of CGI that wasn’t available in the 80’s. Added to which, the special effects from the original were actually rather good, so ultimately, this is no improvement whatsoever.

Charley Brewster’s (Anton Yelchin) teenage life is going pretty well. He has a good relationship with his mother Jane (Toni Collette); He’s dating the gorgeous Amy (Imogen Poots), albeit at the expense of losing his geeky friend Ed (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), and is about to finish high school. But then he begins to suspect that new neighbour Jerry (Colin Farrell) is a vampire and enlists the help of ‘vampire slayer’ Peter Vincent (David Tennant), to protect himself and loved ones.

Having the claustrophobic American suburbia as your setting, while sinister things are going on, is normally a winning concoction. It certainly looks this way, when we are introduced to our characters from the get go. However, we kind of know where the story is supposed to be heading yet it takes an age to get there. Too much time is spent on yapping and not enough on biting. It’s no big secret that Farrell is the bloodsucking villain of the show but it seems to waste a lot of time reminding you of this, instead of letting his fangs loose. Like the original, the mixture of humour and horror is competently handled (most notably from Mintz-Plasse doing his “Superbad” schtick and Tennant in the mould of a leather clad, ball scratching Russell Brand) and the film does deliver some dark and threatening moments. Overall though, it’s a bit stop and start and has far too many lulls to fully grip. The performances are what (almost) keep the film’s life from draining away. Farrell makes for an intriguing, brooding vampire, seemingly, relishing the role and Tennant adds some much needed zest to the proceedings. Wasting the talents of the wonderful Toni Collette is unforgivable though.

Ultimately, it’s a lacklustre affair that should appeal mainly to the “Twilight” generation of spotty-faced youths. There may be some biting involved here, but really, there’s nothing to chew on.

Mark Walker

5 Comments »

Don’t Be Afraid Of The Dark * * 1/2

Posted in Horror with tags 2010 on February 11, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Troy Nixey.
Screenplay: Guillermo del Toro, Matthew Robbins.
Starring: Katie Holmes, Guy Pearce, Bailee Madison, Alan Dale, Jack Thompson, Julia Blake, Edwina Ritchard, Garry McDonald, Emilia Burns, Guillermo del Toro.

Having delivered such quality horror films in the past with “The Devil’s Backbone” and “Pan Labyrinth”, Guillermo del Toro does the producing and writing duties on this. He had the intention of directing it himself but due to a hectic schedule, the directing reins were handed to first time feature director Troy Nixey. Maybe, if del Toro had helmed this, it wouldn’t have been as uneventful. But then, he did write the script, which is the films ultimate letdown.

Young Sally (Bailee Madison), who’s neurotic, overmedicated, and feels unloved, is sent to live with her divorced father, Alex (Guy Pearce). He’s renovating a spooky old mansion with his girlfriend Kim (Katie Holmes), but the house has a terrible history. It doesn’t take long for the little girl to hear strange voices, calling to her from a boarded-up basement, behind a furnace vent. The voices belong to monstrous little creatures who mean to overtake her as their latest “friend.”

It builds slowly and assuredly the way a good horror story should. It has the vulnerable child; the disbelieving parents; the grand, dark mansion with it’s enigmatic groundskeeper and the, always reliable, things that go bump in the night. With everything in place, you expect it to take off at some point, but it never does. The good use of atmosphere is wasted and the acting is wooden but even they are overshadowed by a sluggish pace and dull formulaic script. When the little creatures are finally revealed, it looks like it may be onto something but as impressive as they are, they are ultimately underused. Even they couldn’t prevent the tediousness this film has. About half way in, my suspicions were realised as this was never really going to go anywhere and as a result my interest waned.

The fact that this film lay in limbo for 2 years, before being released, says it all really. Like so many horror films (and remakes) these days, it promises so much but delivers so little.

Mark Walker

3 Comments »

The Inbetweeners Movie * * * *

Posted in Comedy with tags 2011 on February 8, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Ben Palmer.
Screenplay: Iain Morris, Damon Beesley.
Starring: James Buckley, Simon Bird, Blake Harrison, Joe Thomas, Emily Head, Lydia Rose Bewley, Laura Haddock, Tamla Kari, Jessica Knappett, Theo Barklem-Biggs, Theo James, Anthony Head, Greg Davies.

High-School Teen comedies of this type have been making regular appearances at our cinema screens. The “American Pie” series and “Superbad” are probably the most successful but although this may not reach the heights as those -in terms of revenue – it is a far better film.

Dumped by love of his life Carli (Emily Head), end of schooler Simon (Joe Thomas), along with mates Will (Simon Bird), Jay (James Buckley) and Neil (Blake Harrison), decides to head for Malia hoping for “sun, sand, sex, sea and sex”. Cue crap hotels, embarrassing sunburn, willing girls, alcohol and a boat party of a lifetime.

What makes this film work so well is the appeal of it’s well drawn characters. The camaraderie between the four friends is entirely believable and each of the performances are spot on. It’s hard to find good comedy that has you laughing out loud these days, and even harder for it to keep the jokes flowing. This does both. Within the first ten minutes you’ll get the gist of where this is heading when it depicts one of the main characters wearing a snorkel and using a pile of cooked ham to indulge his pleasures while watching Internet porn. As if that’s not enough, his mum walks in. This is pretty much the level of vulgarity throughout, but make no mistake, it’s side-splitting stuff. At one point, when our four protagonists have seemingly found love, the film looks like it may be losing it’s momentum as it delves more into serious relationship territory but this lull is short lived and the profane foursome begin to spout their quick-witted lued jokes and sexual behaviour once again. It’s when it gets back to doing what it does best that the film still manages to finish on a high note.

I didn’t see much of the TV series from 2008, of which this originated from, but I will definitely rectify that and have a look back. If this is anything to go by, then the series should be a treat also.
A consistently hilarious little comedy.

Mark Walker

2 Comments »

Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes * * * *

Posted in Action, Science Fiction, thriller with tags 2011 on February 8, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Rupert Wyatt.
Screenplay: Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver.
Starring: James Franco, Andy Serkis, John Lithgow, Freida Pinto, Brian Cox, Tom Felton, David Oyelowo, Tyler Labine, Jamie Harris, David Hewlett, Ty Olsson.

In 2008 director Rupert Wyatt made his debut with British film “The Escapist”. It was a tense and excellently constructed prison drama that was seen by few. Thankfully, someone from across the pond took notice though and gave him a chance on a larger scale. He delivers big-time.

Will Rodman (James Franco) researching a cure for Alzheimer’s takes home a baby chimpanzee after its mother – supposedly a failed experiment – is destroyed. Caesar (Andy Serkis), the chimp, exhibits near-human intelligence, and comes to question his kind’s place on a human planet. After attacking a neighbour, Caesar is impounded and it’s here that he meets other apes and foments rebellion.

This is old school entertainment, in classic B-movie style. It has the hero with a heart and the stereotypical corporate villain. I don’t normally go in for big laden special effects films of this kind but it’s hard to resist when they’re this much fun. Andy Serkis seems to be the actor in the forefront of motion capture these days. His credentials including, “The Lord of the Rings”, “King Kong”, “The Adventures of Tintin” and the forthcoming “The Hobbit”. This, being no less effective. In fact, it may well be his finest yet. He delivers a subtle and soulful performance. As mentioned, the near flawless special effects play a big part in this and are, quick frankly, outstanding.
The biggest disappointment though, is the ending. It’s an obvious set-up for a sequel which leaves an unsatisfying conclusion and the feeling that you’ve just been teased.

As pure unadulterated entertainment this is second to none. One of the most fun-filled films of the year and my personal favourite from the apes franchise.

Mark Walker

3 Comments »

We Need To Talk About Kevin * * * 1/2

Posted in Drama with tags 2011 on February 8, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Lynne Ramsay.
Screenplay: Lynne Ramsay, Rory Kinnear.
Starring: Tilda Swinton, Ezra Miller, John C. Reilly, Jasper Newell, Rocky Duer, Ashley Gerasimovich, Siobhan Fallon, Alex Manette, Joseph Melendez.

Scottish director Lynne Ramsay made her debut with the working class Glaswegian drama “Ratcatcher” in 1999. It was seen as an artistic breakthrough for independent cinema in Scotland but sadly it didn’t really catch on. She followed it up with “Morven Caller” in 2002 but no-one came calling. Then she was basically shafted for the duties on “The Lovely Bones” in 2009 – the studio preferring a more “experienced” director in Peter Jackson. Not to worry though as Ramsay has finally got us talking again.

Based on the novel by Lionel Shriver, this tells the story of Eva (Tilda Swinton), the mother of a teenager (Ezra Miller) who careers off the rails, and her struggle to cope with the aftermath of his devastating actions, reflecting on the boy’s childhood and the breakdown of her relationship with both him and her absent husband (John C. Reilly).

No less a horror than say, “The Omen” in it’s depiction of a troubled and dangerous child. But done in such an elusive and dramatic style that it falls into another genre altogether. If a horror director had gotten their hands on this material it would probably have been a slasher movie, but Ramsay brings dramatic weight. The story progresses with a certain distance from the audience, painting the characters in such a fragmented and elusive light, making us uncertain of the outcome. When the unravelling occurs it’s no less effective whether you predicted the outcome or not but that’s thanks in large to Ramsay’s hypnotic direction and intense performances from her actors. Ezra Miller channels the perfect malevolency and Tilda Swinton is absolutely superb as a mother (and person) at the end of her tether. Unfortunately, the talented John C. Reilly is given very little to do as the loving father in the chaotic household and doesn’t quite suit the role. However, the film’s main focus is on a mother and her son and any other characters are secondary. For this reason, I found it’s elusive nature a bit too distant and hard to identify with the characters.

An unsettling drama that packs a powerful punch, but it’s not entirely easy viewing and may leave a bad taste for some.

Mark Walker

5 Comments »

The Artist * * * * *

Posted in Comedy, Drama, Romance with tags 2011 on February 8, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Michel Hazanavicius.
Screenplay: Michel Hazanavicius.
Starring: Jean Dujardin, Berenice Bejo, John Goodman, James Cromwell, Penelope Ann Miller, Malcolm McDowell, Missi Pyle, Beth Grant, Ed Lauter, Ken Davitian, Joel Murray, Hal Landon Jr, Nina Siemazsko.

In our modern era of motion capture and CGI – controlling most of what we see on screen – it’s a bold decision for director Michel Hazanavicius to tackle the style of a silent film from the 1920’s. A bold move indeed, but it’s also a masterstroke. This is a true original.

In Hollywood, in 1927, silent movie star George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) is at the height of his career. He’s the toast of the town and loved by all. One day he, literally, bumps into Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo). He gives her a head start in the film business but films are changing, with the arrival of the ‘talkies’. Peppy decides to go with the change while George thinks that talking cinema is just a passing fad. Soon his career (and life) is in decline while Peppy becomes the new starlet that everyone loves to love.

Hazanavicius’ attention to detail is flawless. He has the look, the music, the feel, and overall, the actors to pull it off. He also throws in some of his own artistic flourishes along the way, which include a marvellous dream sequence where George can actually hear the cacophony of sounds around him, yet can’t hear his own voice; or the often used billboards and posters that mirror the very actions onscreen.
The performances are superb, particularly Dujardin with his big shit-kicking toothy grin and endless supply of charisma. The man gets away with the entire film by acting with his teeth an his eyebrows but he also conveys a real depth to his character, without uttering a word – not to mention an obvious allusion to classic film actor Douglas Fairbanks.
I deliberated on how I should have rated this film, considering all the hype I’d heard and read beforehand. I didn’t have to deliberate too long though. For the originality – and sheer audacity alone, in not only conceiving the idea of attempting to entertain in a fashion that’s over 100 years old but also in the execution of it – it’s hard not to give this film top marks.

Worthy of the plaudits and superlatives that’s been thrown it’s way. This is one of those films that even though you go into it looking to criticise, you find that… you just can’t.
An absolute delight.

Mark Walker

10 Comments »

Hugo * * * 1/2

Posted in Drama, Family, Fantasy with tags 2012 on February 5, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Martin Scorsese.
Screenplay: John Logan.
Starring: Asa Butterfield, Chloe Moretz, Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Ray Winstone, Emily Mortimer, Jude Law, Christopher Lee, Helen McCrory, Michael Stuhlbarg.

“My friends, I address you all tonight as you truly are; wizards, mermaids, travelers, adventurers, magicians… Come and dream with me.” These are the words of magician/director George Méliès (Ben Kingsley) and also the very words of director Martin Scorsese in his love letter to all things cinema.

Paris, 1931. Young Hugo (Asa Butterfield) maintains the clocks of a great railway station while avoiding a guard (Sacha Baron Cohen) intent on sending him to an orphanage. Aided by Isabelle (Chloe Grace Moretz), Hugo gets an automaton left by his late father (Jude Law) working. It draws a picture, which prompts the children to delve into the mystery of an unhappy shopkeeper (Kingsley), at this very station, and his intriguing history.

Cinema is to be enjoyed and is the biggest, modern medium for means of escape. Granted, Scorsese allows us to escape here but doesn’t really escape to anywhere noteworthy. The whole film looks absolutely magnificent (thanks to Robert Richardson’s sublime cinematography) and Scorsese’s use of 3D is the best I have seen yet. He doesn’t rely on action set-pieces to get it across but concentrates more on the basics; snow falling, steam drifting and passers-by in order to fully immerce us in the grand scheme of things. It works a treat and looks wonderful but ultimately remains just a visual spectacle, instead of the adventure in which it proclaims to be. In fact, the biggest moment of entertainment comes from his use of archival footage of the great Harold Lloyd and his classic clock tower stunt from “Safety Last!” in 1923. There’s no doubt that Scorsese is a film buff and feels the need to remind us of the craftwork and illusionary beauty of some forgotten pioneers of cinema but he doesn’t quite achieve anything worth noting in telling his own tale. The use of 3D is magnificent (and sometimes distorting) but even that will eventually be bettered in time. Fine performances are included, young Asa Butterfield is commanding throughout but some, like Emily Mortimer, Ray Winstone and Christopher Lee, are wasted in thankless roles. In fact, the film has everything going for it but somehow, strangely, seems uneventful. As a visual spectacle it’s outstanding but also somehow laboured and tedious.

Maybe my expectations were too high going into this. Scorsese’s Oscar nomination for best director is well deserved but I found myself waiting for something to happen and… it never did. What it does do, is allow you to appreciate the craftsmanship and wonderment of cinema, and being Scorsese’s obvious intention, it at least achieves that.

Mark Walker

7 Comments »

Contagion * * * 1/2

Posted in Drama, thriller with tags 2011 on February 3, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Steven Soderbergh.
Screenplay: Scott Z. Burns.
Starring: Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Marion Cotillard, Jude Law, Laurence Fishburne, Gwyneth Paltrow, Bryan Cranston, John Hawkes, Elliott Gould, Jennifer Ehle, Larry Clarke.

Director Steven Soderbergh is no stranger to switching a theme or two. If you look through the films he has delivered over the years – “Sex, Lies and Videotape”, “Solaris”, “Erin Brockovich”, “Traffic”, “Out of Sight” and “Che” to name a few – you’ll find it difficult to pigeonhole him to any particular genre. This is yet another change of direction from him.

As an unknown and deadly virus spreads across the world, a man (Matt Damon) struggles to cope with it’s tragic impact on his family and the death of his wife (Gwyneth Paltrow), while a World Health Organisation doctor (Marion Cotillard) seeks to find its source and the Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (Laurence Fishburne and Kate Winslet) fight to contain the epidemic and make a vaccine. Meanwhile, a blogger (Jude Law) claims he knows the true cure…

Surprisingly, there are very few of these types of films anymore. The premise is always a winner as it can genuinely strike fear into people but for one reason or another they never seem to reach the screen as much as they should. In 1995 director Wolfgang Petersen released the similarly themed “Outbreak” that dealt with an epidemic of deadly proportions. That film had a Gung-ho approach but the cruciality it had is exactly what this film lacks. Where Soderbergh falters is trying to squeeze in too much detail and not enough drama. His detail is impressively meticulous though which adds a frightening sense of realism but there’s also a feeling of distance from the characters. Despite this, it strangely still manages to hold your attention and even on occasion, your breath. There is some fine acting on show from a first class ensemble – particularly Damon – but with all that’s going on, the investment in the characters just isn’t there, leaving the impressive cast slightly wasted. The premise is a gripping one though and it’s horror in it’s most frightening and realistic form.

A bold attempt by Soderbergh and as a commentary on the fragility of our society it’s a winner, but as entertainment it’s lacks a sense of urgency.

Mark Walker

2 Comments »

The Adventures Of Tintin * * * *

Posted in Action, Adventure, Animation, Family with tags 2011 on February 3, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Steven Spielberg.
Screenplay: Edgar Wright, Steven Moffat, Joe Cornish.
Starring: Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, Daniel Craig, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Toby Jones, Mackenzie Crook, Daniel Mays, Gad Elmaleh, Joe Starr, Kim Stengel, Sonja Fortag, Tony Curran.

Herge, the writer and creator of “Tintin” apparently once said that Steven Spielberg was the only director who could truly capture his creation on the big screen. Thankfully for him then that Spielberg has got himself involved, along with visionary support in Peter Jackson.

Uniting elements from Herge volumes ‘The Crab With The Golden Claws’, ‘The Secret Of The Unicorn’, and ‘Red Rackham’s Treasure’, valiant Belgian reporter Tintin (Jamie Bell), along with brainy mutt Snowy, is on the trail of a lost family fortune, involving future friend and rambunctious soak Captain Haddock (Andy Serkis).

I do hope that when (or if) Indiana Jones 5 arrives that Spielberg has a better story to work with. The story here by Steven Moffat, Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish is familiar Indy fare for Spielberg but it doesn’t have enough in the tank to grab you, leaving him to stage one action set-piece after another to keep the excitement flowing. These set-pieces are undeniably exhilarating though and his handle on the animation side is entirely successful. Before him, director Robert Zemeckis tried (and failed) with similar motion-capture animated features “The Polar Express” and “Beowulf” but Spielberg and Peter Jackson have cracked it. The motion capture is flawless and every pixel of animation is refined to perfection. The problem that Zemeckis had was achieving believable and realistic eyes in his characters. That problem is now gone here. It’s so good that it’s hard to accept that real actors are responsible for the performances. Jamie Bell is impressive as the eponymous man-boy reporter and Daniel Craig is a delight as the villain Sakharine, but the real treat here is Andy Serkis as Captain Haddock the bumbling seaman, complete with Scottish brogue and drunken mishaps.

Classic boys-own adventure and the stuff that Spielberg has been churning out for years. Unfortunately, the script doesn’t hold up to the exquisite visuals and rollicking action but it’s still a treat nonetheless.

Mark Walker

The Tree Of Life * * * * *

Posted in Drama with tags 2011 on February 3, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Terrence Malick.
Screenplay: Terrence Malick.
Starring: Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, Jessica Chastain, Fiona Shaw, Irene Bedard, Jessica Fuselier, Hunter McCracken, Laramie Eppler, Tye Sheridan.

Director Terrence Malick is an enigma all his own. He’s a closed book when it comes to his personal life and he never gives interviews. Very little is known about him but the one thing that is known, is that he was once a philosophy lecturer and this certainly shows in his visually poetic films.

On the anniversary of his brother’s death, troubled architect Jack O’Brien (Sean Penn) ponders his place in the universe, leading inevitably to powerful memories of his turbulent 1950’s childhood in Waco, Texas – in particular, his formative relationship with his loving mother (Jessica Chastain) and disciplinarian father (Brad Pitt).

The themes for this film will be discussed endlessly but essentially they come down to Birth, Life & Death. Ranging from astronomical to our very own existence. Our paths, be them intuitive, spiritual, empirical or material are also explored. Within this birth, life and death is the violence and cruelty. Most are essential parts of life, while others are unnecessary or learning curves in the journey itself and Malick ruminates on them all. This is quite unlike anything you’ll come across. The closest you’ll get will come from Malick himself, in his previous films. The man has a certain unmistakable style all his own. He’s slow, methodical, even ethereal and there is no other quite like him. I love his idiosyncracy and ability to magnify life and his wonder of it. “The Thin Red Line” still remains his masterpiece, but that took a while to grow on me much like I think this will. I loved this, but I have a sneaky feeling I’ve not taken it all in yet and it may grow to be something even more stupendous than it already is. This is a film that will require several viewings to fully appreciate and most certainly will not appeal to everyone. The beauty of Malick is his appreciation for nature in all it’s forms. Sometimes it can be like watching National Geographic but rightfully it plays a part in his creative process, as it plays a part in everything around us. There’s no escaping it and Malick is highly attuned to this, helped by Emmanuel Lubezki’s gorgeous cinematography. Not content with just some stunning shots of the flora and fauna from our planet, Malick branches out to show us the birth of the universe which is highly ambitious and nothing short of breathtaking. It may well split some peoples opinions of it’s relativity as a whole, but this is no simple family drama. The human element to this story is only the microcosm of the macrocosm. It may well have been possible to omit the cosmic section of the film but it’s inclusion is only a visual expansion of the point and themes that Malick is exploring.
Amongst all the visual splendour there are three fantastic performances. Hunter McCracken playing Jack as a young boy shows a great talent and as the vastly different parents Jessica Chastain is wondrously graceful, while Brad Pitt is astonishingly good at being stern and quixotic. Sean Penn however, is given very little to do and his talents are somewhat wasted.

Malick has achieved mainstream arthouse cinema with this transcendental contemplation of life. It’s an accomplished and ambitious film that’s highly spiritual and deeply philosophical. Simply put, it’s a majestic piece of visual poetry.

Mark Walker

2 Comments »

Melancholia * * * * *

Posted in Drama, Science Fiction with tags 2011 on February 3, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Lars Von Trier.
Screenplay: Lars Von Trier.
Starring: Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Kiefer Sutherland, Alexander Skarsgard, John Hurt, Charlotte Rampling, Stellan Skarsgard, Brady Corbet, Cameron Spurr, Jesper Christensen, Udo Kier.

With his “Nazi sympathiser” outbursts at the Cannes film festival – getting him thrown out and declared ‘persona non grata’, you’d be forgiven for expecting this latest from director Lars Von Trier to be provocative and disturbing like his previous films. However, it’s far from it and probably the most restrained and technically accomplished film of his career so far.

At her own wedding reception, Justine (Kirsten Dunst) is overcome by depression and alienates everyone, including her new husband Michael (Alexander Skarsgard), her devoted sister Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg) and brother-in-law John (Keifer Sutherland). When a new planet, “Melancholia”, appears in the sky and is on a collision course with Earth, some believe it will fly-by, others are not so positive… Justine believes it to be the end.

The intellectual weight behind this one is not as heavy as you might expect from Von Trier. The heaviness comes in the form of watching very unhappy and angst ridden people for over 2 hours. Von Trier’s understanding and personal portrayal of mental illness may seem uneventful, but it’s captivating nonetheless. That’s by and large to his wonderfully artistic eye and strong performances from Dunst, Gainsbourg and Sutherland. The constant reminder of the descending planet adds an unbearable sense of foreboding, again, expressed through Justine and her everyday struggle with depression. The science fiction element to the story plays second fiddle to the human drama but it’s no less impressive. Much like Terrence Malick’s recent “The Tree of Life“, Von Trier is happy to use wondrous images of star forming galaxies. But where Malick explored the birth of Earth, Von Trier explores the destruction of it, making this an unofficially strange, yet apt companion piece. The baroque style that Von Trier employs is also highly effective. From the dominating architecture and artistic flourishes to the haunting classical score, culminating to an eerie and visually striking piece of cinema.

Provocateur Lars Von Trier is not so provocative this time around. Instead he delivers a personal understanding of mental illness, with highly artistic and meditative filmmaking.

Mark Walker

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AntiChrist * * * *

Posted in Drama, Horror with tags 2009 on February 3, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Lars Von Trier.
Screenplay: Lars Von Trier.
Starring: Charlotte Gainsbourg, Willem Dafoe.

By his own admittance, director Lars Von Trier’s intention with this film was not exactly how it turned out. He tried to turn his hand at making a genre horror film. Much like trying to make a musical with “Dancer in the Dark”, he can’t help but imbue it with his usual intelligence and artistic flourishes that take it beyond a mere genre picture. Von Trier doesn’t quite do genre.

After the accidental death of their child, a therapist (Willem Dafoe) and his wife (Charlotte Gainsbourg) – listed in the credits only as “He” and “She” – retreat to a cabin in the perhaps haunted woods to recover. Eventually, they turn savagely on each other and bloody mayhem ensues.

There are many similarities with this and Von Trier’s most accessible film to date “Melancholia“. Not only in the exploration of mental illness in his leading female character but also in his recurrent theme of despair and chaos and his strikingly stylish, slow-motion prologue and use of music. Has Von Trier settled on a particular style now? If so, it’s a style that will serve him well. During the making of this, the director was himself suffering from depression (which was further explored in “Melancholia“) and it shows. You can see his understanding of the isolation of mental health not to mention the false hope in any saviour from it. This is brilliantly portrayed by two exceptionally brave performances from his actors. Gainsbourg in particular delivers one of the most daring pieces of acting since Harvey Keitel in “Bad Lieutenant”. The subject matter may be one that would be overlooked come awards season but she was certainly deserving of recognition. It’s a stunningly shot film with atmosphere and creepiness in abundance and disturbing images of the cruelty of nature. In some ways, Von Trier’s realisation reminded me of dutch artist Hieronymus Bosch and his fantastical paintings. In particular, Bosch’s most famous “The Garden of Earthly Delights” which depicts Adam and Eve in a wondrous garden before descending to Hell where punishments are handed out for sinners. The fact that Von Trier has his characters’ unravelling in a remote place called ‘Eden’ further fuels this.

Be warned, there are brutal and unbearable violent scenes, that I’m surprised the censors overlooked. However, it’s still an extraordinary, surreal and highly provocative journey. Just another day at the office for Lars Von Trier then…

Mark Walker

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Hanna * 1/2

Posted in Action, thriller with tags 2011 on February 3, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Joe Wright.
Screenplay: Seth Lochhead, David Farr.
Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Eric Bana, Cate Blanchett, Tom Hollander, Olivia Williams, Jason Flemyng, Jessica Barden.

When “Atonement” was released in 2007, I was pleasantly surprised by how solid a film it was, considering it’s not normally something I’d be drawn to. After that, director Joe Wright went up in my estimation. As did a young Oscar nominated Saiorse Ronan from that film. Much to my delight, they both collaborated again on this espionage thriller. That being said, ‘thriller’ is not exactly the word I would choose for this and it’s certainly nowhere near the standard of their earlier production.

Hanna (Saiorse Ronan) is a young girl who, for most of her life, has been living in the wilderness away from society and being conditioned to be a crack assassin by her father (Eric Bana). When decided that she wants to leave her cloistered life, she finds herself on the run from the CIA in the stern form of Marissa (Cate Blanchett), the very person who knows who or what Hanna really is.

When I first saw the trailer and some of the critical praise this film was recieving I couldn’t wait to see it. That anticipation was maybe the reason I was so disappointed in the delivery though. Everything seemed distant, far-fetched and unreal and not quite what I think was intended – If it was intended, it didn’t work. It started to become a childs eye-view of the world and more specifically, a teenage girls eye-view. This was not what I was expecting at all. I was expecting action, thrills and suspense. I was expecting the film that we were told it would be. Not some dull coming-of-age tale masquerading as an espionage film. It has a couple of impressive action set-pieces but that’s it. The themes have been explored thousands of times before and this brings nothing new to the table. I also struggled to connect to the characters and their unnecessary accents. There were plot holes aplenty and some characters even left without an explanation as to what happened to them. The level of inconsistencies are lazy and quite frankly, insulting. On the plus side, ‘The Chemical Brothers’ soundtrack is fast paced and kinetic and has a vibrancy the film lacks. The performances were also good (despite the dodgy accents). Ronan and Bana are always reliable and Tom Hollander pitches in a creepy role. Blanchett is an actress I have always admired and here her acting is great, but there’s just one problem… It looks like she has stepped onto the wrong set. Her emotional responses are baffling and don’t seem to fit what’s happening onscreen. Very talented actors with wasted efforts. Three times it took me to finally finish watching this. Not because it was convoluted or demanded a level of attention but because it was tedious and uneventful. The only reason I attempted it three times is because I thought I must be missing something. Surely, it couldn’t be as bad as what I was witnessing. Sadly, it was. I’m astonished at the praise this has recieved. It’s an absolute turkey with the only redeeming qualities being a glimmer of originality and very commited performances.

Director Joe Wright still has a lot to learn. After the equally bad “The Soloist” and now this, it’s starting to look like the solid “Atonement” was a fluke. Dull as dishwater.

Mark Walker

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Submarine * * * * 1/2

Posted in Comedy, Drama with tags 2011 on February 3, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Richard Ayoade.
Screenplay: Richard Ayoade.
Starring: Craig Roberts, Sally Hawkins, Noah Taylor, Paddy Considine, Yasmin Paige, Darren Evans, Osian Cai Dulais, Lily McCann, Otis Lloyd, Ben Stiller.

Director Richard Ayoade is better known for his acting chops on the television comedy series “The IT Crowd”. Not a series I was particularly fond of though, as the humour seemed quite forced. However, that’s not what Ayoade brings to this. He brings a subtlety, a realism and a highly creative and visual approach.

Based on the novel by Joe Dunthorne it tells the story of precocious, 15 year old boy Oliver Tate (Craig Roberts) approaching manhood. A major rite-of-passage that he faces is that he’s besotted with Jordana (Yasmin Paige), a feisty girl in his class. Yet, as he embarks on his first relationship, he also frets over the relationship of his parents Jill (Sally Hawkins) and Lloyd (Noah Taylor), a situation exacerbated by his mum’s ex-boyfriend, Graham T. Purvis (Paddy Considine), a self help guru, who has moved in next door.

A sharp, observational coming-of-age tale with a precise insight into the awkwardness of adolescence, not to mention, disillusioned, mundane adulthood. It’s a very impressive directorial debut from Richard Ayoade, who’s artistic and quirky style perfectly matches the eccentricities of the characters onscreen. Despite a few visual florishes here and there, this is not a flashy film by any means. Everything is very understated. So much so, that a lot of the humour may go right over your head. But this understatement is to Ayoade’s credit as well as his exceptional cast. The wonderful Sally Hawkins delivers another strong character to her resume as the neurotic, repressed mother. The very underrated Noah Taylor is marvellous as the depressed father and Paddy Considine never ceases to amaze me with his brilliant portrayal of the self-help ‘mystic ninja’. The real star though, is Craig Roberts as our young eccentric protaganist. An avid reader of the dictionary, who’s keeps surveillance on his parents. All nervous energy, shifty eyes and desperation. He’s a real find and handles every scene he’s in with aplomb. To stand out in the company of the aforementioned supporting actors is talent indeed. Alex Turner from the Arctic Monkey’s also deserves a mention for providing a touching soundtrack of melancholic songs throughout this heartfelt and unconventional story of teenage angst. Comparisons with director Hal Ashby’s “Harold and Maude” and director Wes Anderson’s style are there for a reason. As that film and Anderson’s stuff are favourites of mine, I enjoyed this immensely.

An absolute gem of film with a lot of style and a lot of heart. Pragmatic, low-key and one of the year’s genuine treats.

Mark Walker

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Horrible Bosses * * 1/2

Posted in Comedy with tags 2011 on February 3, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Seth Gordon.
Screenplay: Michael Markowitz, John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein.
Starring: Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Aniston, Colin Farrell, Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx, Julie Bowen, Donald Sutherland, Lindsay Sloane.

The last time Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx were in a film together they were cool, charismatic crime fighters in “Miami Vice“. This sees them playing roles that couldn’t be further from that brooding intensity but unfortunately, despite their best comic intentions and through no fault of their own, this is just as flat as their previous film.

Three disgruntled employees Nick (Jason Bateman), Kurt (Jason Sudeikis) and Dale (Charlie Day) decide to murder their bosses Dave Harken (Kevin Spacey), Bobby Pellitt (Colin Farrell) and Dr. Julia Harris (Jennifer Aniston) respectively. But their plans, assisted by dodgy ‘professional’ Dean “Motherfucker” Jones (Jamie Foxx), don’t quite go to plan.

The “Horrible Bosses” in question are the ones that make this comedy (almost) work. Spacey, Farrell and particularly Aniston are an absolute delight to watch. Spacey has done this all before of course with “Swimming With Sharks”. Farrell, complete with comb-over, ditches his usual tough, cool guy approach and Aniston shouldn’t have to try much harder than this to lose her cookie “Friends” persona. Here she’s a foul mouthed sexual deviant and the highlight of the film. Despite all these wonderful comedic performances though, the script really let’s them down. This had the potential to one of the finest comedies for quite some time but ends up being no more than just an entertaining time-passer. There are very few laugh out loud moments and the ‘Horrible Bosses’ are simply not in it enough. These are roles that all three of Spacey, Farrell and Aniston seem to revel in but are denied the chance of any substantial screen time. If the film had them at it’s heart it would have been a different and far more fulfilling story.

Concentrating more on the employees rather than the deliciously nasty bosses, is the films first fault. A dull script and flat direction don’t help either, leaving this somewhat of a misfire and a wasted opportunity.

Mark Walker

Red State * 1/2

Posted in Action, Horror, thriller with tags 2011 on February 2, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Kevin Smith.
Screenplay: Kevin Smith.
Starring: Michael Parks, Melissa Leo, John Goodman, Kevin Pollak, Michael Angarano, Nicholas Braun, Ronnie Connell, Kaylee DeFer, Stephen Root, James Parks, Kyle Gallner, Gary Sievers, Damien Young.

After the critical panning of his Bruce Willis starring “Cop Out“, writer/director Kevin Smith had to prove that he still had something to offer. On this evidence he doesn’t and maybe this film would be better with the title “Cop Out” instead.

Pastor Abin Cooper (Michael Parks) is a fundamentalist preacher who kidnaps and executes “sexual deviants” and three teenage boys find themselves lured to him in search of group sex from a woman on the Internet. Things go a bit too far though, which attracts the attention of veteran ATF agent Joe Kennan (John Goodman) who lays a siege on Cooper’s heavily armed church.

It’s redneck country and Smith doesn’t fuck about. He delves straight into the extreme religious mindset (probably the same religious fanatics who criticised his film “Dogma“) and he chooses to address it in the torture porn fashion. Gone are his eccentric characters, sharp snappy dialogue and obvious ability for comedy. In their place are detestable characters, mundane monologues and brutal violence. All done with shaky handheld camerawork. It’s not smart and it’s not clever. I have to admit it left a very bad taste very quickly and I couldn’t quite work out the point. Was it to prove his naysayers wrong by changing genres? Or was it a personal attack on his critics? Who knows? Who cares? I’m really not into this disasteful type of filmmaking. Yes, it may be an attack on his critics but Smith is far more intelligent than having to resort to this type of material. I’m a longtime admirer of John Goodman, Michael Parks and Melissa Leo but what the fuck? Did anyone think to inform them of the script before they commited themselves to this? Every one of the characters meant absolutely nothing me but I think I was supposed to care. This is raw, visceral, self ejucalatory nonsense. I hate the very small mindset of the people Smith depicts, but that doesn’t mean I want to spend an hour an a half watching that trash, regardless of them getting their heads blown off or not. And to top it all, just when you think it might all make sense, you get a “single note trumpet blast through an iPod” as an explanation for a major plot development? Give me a break! If it sounds ridiculous that’s because it is.

The very last words uttered at the end of this movie are… “Shut the fuck up!”. I wish those had been the words heeded by the director before embarking on this major shit heap.

Mark Walker

Amelie * * * * *

Posted in Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Foreign Language, Romance with tags 2001 on February 2, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Jean-Pierre Juenet.
Screenplay: Guillame Laurant.
Starring: Audrey Tautou, Mathieu Kassovitz, Rufus, Yolande Moreau, Artus de Penguern, Urbain Cancelier, Dominique Pinon, Maurice Benichou, Jamel Debbouze.

Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s collaboration with co-writer/director Marc Caro resulted in a couple of marvellous and inventive films in “Delicatessan” and “The City of Lost Children”. Those two had a dark element to them but now that Jeunet has went his own way, “Amelie” shows that he is the one that possesses the lighter side of the duo.

In the heart of Paris, Amelie (Audrey Tautou) brings joy to her friends, secretly sorting out the sad little problems in their lives. But when she discovers a strange photo album belonging to Nino (Mathieu Kassovitz) she realises that she is in love and has problems of her own to sort out.

I struggle to think of a contemporary film that boasts such richness in detail and creative, infectious enthusiasm as ‘Amelie’ does. It’s playfulness, poetry and emotion are rarely touched upon these days in film and director Jean-Pierre Jeunet deserves applause for his uplifting achievements here. It’s also stunningly shot by cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel (inspired by the paintings of Brazilian artist Juarez Machado) lending an artistic look to the highly creative and artistic content. Without being overly elaborate though, it finds its art in the simple things in life, observing people’s individual pleasures and pains. Quite simply, the whole film is a complete joy to behold. The performances are also delightful. As much as I’m an admirer of actress Emily Watson (whom the role of Amelie was originally intended) I’m glad the relatively unknown Audrey Tautou got the part. She is absolutely adorable and captures the essence of this wonderful character perfectly. With flair and originality that’s hard to come by these days, ‘Amelie’ is one of the most beautiful pieces of cinema I have seen and will always be one of my favourites.

The humour; the look; the characters and performances; the delightful and fitting music by Yann Tiersen all culminate into the ultimate feel-good film and confirmation of the creativity and inventiveness of French cinema. A heartwarming modern classic.

Included in My Top Ten films.

Mark Walker