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Review of the Year – 2012

Prometheus Poster2012 has been an interesting year for film. Ridley Scott returned to both science fiction and the Alien franchise, releasing the muddled anti-climatic Prometheus. Peter Jackson finally released part 1 of The Hobbit to much anxiety and discussion about his HFR (High Frame Rate) and decision to turn the book into a trilogy of films. Christopher Nolan released arguably the most eagerly anticipated film of the year, The Dark Knight Rises, his conclusion to his Batman trilogy. Universally adored by the fan base, the film was perhaps the most fitting end to a trilogy ever. The true behemoth of the summer though was Marvel’s Avengers (called Avengers Assemble in the UK). The mega blockbuster could so easily have faltered that its monumental success was almost unbelievable.

The film critics and cinephiles were most excited about though was Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master. Anderson has begun to take on Kubrickian levels of reverence and The Master could so easily have fallen short of expectation. Its limited release in 70mm was, for me, the cinematic highlight of the year, even overshadowing The Dark Knight Rises at the IMAX (with a full 79mins of IMAX footage), But The Master served only to draw attention to the reality that 2012 was perhaps the final death knell for real film. Cinema’s across the country seem to have fully adopted the digital projection – and already issues are beginning to rear their ugly head. At a screening of Silver Linings Playbook the film was delayed due to a server rebooting. Not something you ever had to worry about with projectionists.

Bela Tarr's Final Film

Bela Tarr’s Final Film

For British cinema the pinnacle was the return, on his 50th anniversary, of James Bond. At the time of writing Skyfall has become the highest grossing film ever at the UK box office. It was a glorious return to form following the disappointment of Quantum of Solace and the creators infused the film with enough patriotism that clearly struck a chord with audiences in a great year for Britain in general. Other notable releases included Steve McQueen’s follow up to Hunger, Shame – starring the magnificent Michael Fassbender. Ben Wheatley followed up last year’s terrifyingly superb Kill List with Sightseers, the blackest of comedies.

Bond proved himself to be Britain's greatest cultural export

Bond proved himself to be Britain’s greatest cultural export

In world cinema, Michael Haneke returned with Amour, collecting his second Palme D’or at Cannes. Leox Carax ended a 13 year feature hiatus with Holy Motors, Jacques Audiard returned with Rust and Bone. Tabu was widely acknowledged and embraced as a celebration of silent cinema and one of the finest pictures of the year. 2012 will also be remembered by world cinema lovers as the year Bela Tarr directed his final film; The Turin Horse. An epic black and white film made up of only 30 shots, it was a fitting finale to one of cinema’s great directors.

One of many incredible moments for Holy Motors

One of many incredible moments for Holy Motors

Documentary film had a number of films to champion its continued success. Marley, Kevin MacDonald’s film about the late, great Reggae star, Searching for Sugar Man, another music documentary, this time about the long forgotton Rodriguez and finally The Imposter, which told the tale of a young French boy who impersonated a child who disappeared years before and managed to convince the family despite being significantly older and from a different country. The Queen of Versailles which documents the attempts of Jackie and David Siegel to build the largest and most expensive family home in America and the trouble they encounter when the economy crashed.

Olsen was the Woman of the Year

Olsen was the Woman of the Year

American cinema produced some of the best gems of the year, and you could make an alternative best of list just from some of the treats it delivered. Perhaps the most well known was Beasts of the Southern Wild. A beautiful portrait of the poorest in America’s deep south which was a life affirming delight thanks mainly to non professional actors Quvenzhané Wallis and Dwight Henry. Elizabeth Olsen burst onto our screens with a magnificent performance in Martha, Marcy, May, Marlene but also managed to star in the US remake of Silent House. A film notable for being shot in one take with Olsen carrying the film throughout. Liberal Arts, also showing Olsen sets her apart as the “Woman of the Year”. Ruby Sparks, was the follow up from the creators of indie gem Little Miss Sunshine, Killer Joe was a return to form for the great William Friedkin. Take This Waltz, directed by Sarah Polley was a curious little drama which showed the hidden moments of a relationship. Andrew Dominik delivered the years best crime thriller is Killing Them Softly and Ben Affleck finally delivered on the promise of Gone Baby Gone and The Town, with the superb Argo. And finally Your Sister’s Sister was one of the year’s best romantic dramas with stunning performance from the always brilliant Emily Blunt.

So, all in all, despite some major disappointments 2012 has been a pretty good year for cinema. Below are my Top Ten films of the year, and most of the them are truly exceptional works of cinema which make me very enthusiastic for the future.

10. The Raid

Gareth Edwards Indonesian action flick is unquestionably the best action film of the year. A bone crunching, non-stop onslaught of some of the best fight scenes ever put on film. The premise couldn’t be more simple. 20 cops invade high rise apartment block in an attempt to bring down a drug kingpin. From there all hell breaks loose in one of the most unrelenting visceral experiences you could ever hope to have.

9. The Avengers

It shouldn’t have worked. So high was the fanboy (myself included) hype and anticipation that The Avengers should have been a disappointment. It wasn’t. It was so much more than anyone could have dreamed of, that in many ways it is the best film of the year. Josh Whedon delivered the comic book of comic book movies. Funny, moving, action packed and with genuine heart The Avengers had everything in spades. At 2 1/2 hours it could have felt long. It didn’t. It felt, well, perfect. It was the perfect antithesis to Nolan’s dark brooding realist comic book films. Plus, the Hulk smashed. A lot!

8. Martha, Marcy, May Marlene

Martha, Marcy, May, Marlene is a powerful, difficult film to watch about the emotionally crippling effect a cult can have on a weak, fragile girl. With one of the best performances of the year from Elizabeth Olsen, the film jumps back and forth between her joining and becoming sucked in by the cult and her awkward, difficult attempt to escape both the members of the cult, but also the psychological effect it has had on her. Constantly shocking and compulsive viewing.

7. The Dark Knight Rises

Nolan’s Batman trilogy came a breathtaking conclusion. Tying together the thematic ideas set up in Batman Begins and delivering arguably the greatest comic book film of all time. After the monumental success of The Dark Knight it seemed impossible that Nolan could create something superior, but TDKR has grandeur and intimacy in equal measure and is as emotionally satisfying in the quiet moments as it is in delivering jaw dropping action set pieces. Nolan may have delivered his masterpiece in a film of unparalleled ambition.

6. Looper

In a year which saw Ridley Scott return to science fiction, Christopher Nolan deliver his final Batman film and the biggest and best superhero team assemble in Avengers, it was left to Rian Johnson to deliver the film of the summer. Looper was marketed as this decades The Matrix, and it delivered a story which was a fascinating and intriguing as it was emotionally rich. Superb performances from Bruce Willis and Joseph Gordon-Levitt who play older and younger versions of the same character underpinned film which used its science fiction trappings as a jumping off point for a story about the decisions we make and the lengths we will go to in order to protect the ones we love. No film this year has delivered a third act as powerful entertaining as Looper.

5. Amour

You get to a point with Michael Haneke where you expect every film he makes to be a stark, bleak remorseless masterpiece. Well, Amour is definitely a masterpiece. And it is stark and bleak, but what was most surprising was just how humane and emotional his portrait of a married octogenarian couple coming to terms with the two strokes of the wife is. It quiet, simple, elegant and beautiful. A film which will melt the hardest heart and may well be the best representation of true, unconditional love ever committed to film. A love so strong that the final scenes will have you weeping.

4. Cosmopolis

David Cronenberg delivers another fascinating boundary pushing cinematic experience. With the best ensemble cast of the year (Pattinson, Binoche, Morton, Giamatti, Amalric), Cosmopolis is perhaps the least filmic film of the year. Set almost entirely in the confines of a stretch limo it is a philosophical tour de force. As the world and capitalism crumbles and collapses around him outside, billionaire Eric Packer (Pattinson) watches as his empire disappears and the threat of assassination grows. Its a constantly fascinating, beguiling cinema.

3. Silver Linings Playbook

Silver Linings Playbook has its cake and eats it. It a subversive romantic comedy which ultimately conforms and delivers on every cliche of the genre. That it works, and is a magnificent film which leaves you feeling the way all great romantic comedies should is one of its many charms. The main charm though is in the dysfunctional, emotionally wrecked couple at the films centre. Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence deliver career best performances as two heartbroken (one through infidelity, the other through death) characters. As with most rom-coms, its not about the (always predictable ending) but the journey the characters go on and in the hands of director David O. Russell, this is the best romantic comedy is years. A pure delight.

2. Holy Motors

Of all the films released this year, Holy Motors is both the hardest to pin down, but also the most gloriously satisfying. A dream like, surreal love letter to cinema, and cinematic acting, it contains the years best performance (Denis Lavant). To describe what happens would not only fail to do justice to the film, but would also destroy the bizarre experience of watching it. Leos Carax’s first film since Pola X in 1999, Holy Motors is like nothing you will have ever seen before, and demands to be seen to not only be believed, but to be experienced.

1. The Master

Paul Thomas Anderson is fast becoming a director to develop a reputation on the level of Stanley Kubrick. His films are meet with such fervour and anticipation that they become events in themselves. The Master is no different, and may well be his best effort yet. Starring two performances for the ages from Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman, the film was marketed very much on its subject matter (a loose retelling of the birth of a Scientology-esque cult) but long after you’ve left the cinema and let the film soak in your subconscious what remains is one of the most impressive explorations of male friendship and the destructive and volatile relationship Freddie Quell (Phoenix) and Lancaster Dodd (Hoffman) develop. If you ever need to demonstrate the definition of a cinematic masterpiece to someone, show them The Master.

And 10 more films for your consideration

Argo
Once Upon a Time in Anatolia
Ted
Killing Them Softly
Your Sister’s Sister
The Cabin in the Woods
The Descendants
The Hobbit
Skyfall
Moonrise Kingdom

And the top 10 films this year I missed.

Tabu
Nostalgia for the Light
The Turin Horse
Rust and Bone
Anna Karenina
A Royal Affair
The Hunt
Alps
Marley
Young Adult
Ruby Sparks

Here’s hoping 2013 is as breathtaking and ambitious as 2012.

2012
12/31
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When the Lights Went Out – 2012

When The Lights Went Out

Based on true events is how When the Lights Went Out positions itself. Reportedly the most violent haunting in European history the film tells the story of the Maynard family, who in 1970s Yorkshire move into their dream home only to find that it’s haunted.

To begin with, like most films of this ilk, the hauntings start out fairly subdued; a swinging light fixture here, a rocking chair there. Most of the attention is then focused on the family’s unhappy daughter Sally (played with a truthful conviction by newcomer Tasha Connor). The parents initially ignore Sally’s plea that there is something in the house as the rebellious outburst. But eventually as each parent has their own experience they eventually come round to the idea, first seeing if they can make some money out of it, then finally, once things turn deadly serious trying to rid the house of the malevolent apparition.

Directed by Pat Holden whose previous feature include The Long Weekend and Awaydays, When the Lights Went Out is helped by a strong cast including Kate Ashfield (Shaun of the Dead) as Jenny Maynard, Steven Waddington (Sleepy Hollow) as Len Maynard and a supporting cast which includes Craig Parkinson (Four Lions), Gary Lewis (Billy Elliot) and Andrea Lowe (Route Irish). The performances are strong across the board, and work very well to give the film a sense of reality and grounded understatement. There are no overly theatrical performances, which this type of film can often attract.

Being a film about the supernatural though When the Lights Went Out is noticeably lacking in scares or atmosphere though. As the film is based on a true story, you might have expected Holden to have adopted a more realist, documentary-esque feel to the film, but instead, by being set in the 70s it feels a little like Cemetery Junction. The feeling is not helped by the fact that most of the best bits in the film are infused with that classic northern humour. As good as that is, in a horror film such as this, it only serves to undermine any attempts to build up suspense and tension in the audience.

There is also little to no attempt to create a sense of unease. The camera is rarely used in a way that would make the audience feel uncomfortable, and for all its clichéd haunting experiences, there is a lack of clichéd horror troupes at play here.

Which is disappointing, as When the Lights Went Out had the making of an incredibly disturbing and unnerving cinematic experience. It’s not without its moments, but I was left wondering who this film will play to. If it is marketed as a horror film, aficionados won’t be impressed by its lack of scares, and if it is played to a slightly older audience, who might have vague recollections of the events, they will certainly enjoy the spot on period detail above the haunting.

The other issue affecting the atmosphere of the film is the characters reactions to the events around them. Being based on real events can be a blessing and a curse, and Holden seems to have tried to stick as closely as possible to depicting events as originally experienced. In doing so Holden portrays characters who far too late in the story, begin to be genuinely disturbed and worried about events, and this ultimately impacts on the audiences ability to get wrapped up in the mystery and scares.

As the film comes to its conclusion it takes on a bit of an investigative plot, as the truth about the ghost, and it’s haunting become clear. This in itself is far too interesting to be left so late in the story one wonders how much more suspense and mystery could have been created as the creators taken a bit more artistic license.

When the Lights Went Out is a good, entertaining film which lacks the genuine horror or scares of genre classics, but is helped by strong performances and period detail, as well as an interesting and disturbing final act.

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2012
08/28
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Cockney’s Vs Zombies – 2012

cockneys vs zombies

The zombie genre is one of the most versatile and robust of all horror sub genres. As a result it is open to a vast array of forms and experimentations. At its greatest the zombie can produce some of the greatest horror films of all time (as well as some damn great comedy). At its worst it is cheap schlock which satisfies nobody.

Cockneys vs Zombies falls somewhere between these two opposites. At times it is deliriously funny, at other times cringingly bad. Unlike most zombie films CVZ’s decides to offer up some form of explanation for the apocalypse that is running amuck around East London. This opening prologue helping to set the tone of cockney themed comedy and mildly inventive gore.

The premise is simple; enough to hold the film up until the zombie hordes take over. Brothers Andy and Terry, with the help of friends and family decide to rob a local East End bank in a bid to save their grandfather’s retirement home. Once the zombies arrive their priorities become less about saving the retirement home and more about saving its inhabitants.

The film suffers somewhat from poor or over-acting. The strength of the acting comes from Brothers Andy (Harry Treadway) and Terry (Rasmus Hardiker) who have a genuine chemistry and provide the films only real warmth. Supporting them are Michelle Ryan, who could have become another strong female action heroine in the genre, but instead falls flat for the most part, with very little to work with. More entertaining is Georgia King who plays Emma. Emma is not particularly well equipped to handle this world she is thrown into and King’s performance is one of the real highlights of the film; a refreshing break from all the cockney braggadocio.

The retirement home is equally a mixed bag. Alan Ford essentially plays a caricature of his former East End gangster roles, but now as a retired army veteran (his backstory is one of the films early delights). Honor Blackman, of Goldfinger fame, is a token recognisable face, but the sight of her unleashing an Uzi on ambling zombies is almost worth the admission price alone. With the exception of scene stealing Richard Briers (who is genuinely the funniest thing in the entire film) the rest of the cast offer little and I was left wondering why so many of them were worth saving, and couldn’t instead have been despatched in funny, grotesquely gory ways.

The violence is played for laughs much more than scares, as appears to be the standard with modern zombie films. There are a few notable gory moments, but CVZ’s offers little in the way of original deaths that say even the inferior Romero “Dead” sequels do. Almost everything is played for laughs, and when it works, it’s genuinely funny, but often the jokes are forced, lazy or ill conceived.

The problem for me, a huge zombie film fan, was that CVZ’s is more interested in positioning cockney’s as misunderstood salt of the earth types who can take on all comers (even a zombie apocalypse it appears) and less time on the zombie plight, offering little original or new to the genre. The film never approaches the thematic issues zombies bring up or use it as a metaphor for the state of society, which had it done so could have elevated it to a more inspired comedy.

Had the film had a bit more fun and played less to clichés it could have been a genuinely brilliant quirky zombie comedy. Cockneys vs Zombies has a lot going for it, and often you will find yourself being won over by the film. Unfortunately too often it lets itself down and just doesn’t have enough bloody deaths for this reviewers taste.

2012
08/28
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The Hunger Games – 2012

By Katrina Jackson

It's like Battle Royale... for kids.

Borne over to these shores on a tsunami-level crest of hype, The Hunger Games has been pitched to all and sundry as the teen franchise to take over from Twilight (before Twilight has even officially completed). It seems like every review I’ve read of the film has made mention of two other franchises – Twilight, and Battle Royale. Direct comparisons with the second might seem unavoidable, but I’ll do my best to resist, especially as I highly doubt the vast majority of movie-going audiences have experienced the latter (I have, and it’s brilliant).

It should really go without saying that The Hunger Games is a very different beast from Twilight. It might cover some of the same themes – teens in peril (at least in THG, it’s not of their own making), teenage love triangles being just two. Both the book and the film – which follows the source material rather slavishly, give or take some supporting characters here and there – however, have much bigger themes in their sights than pre-marital abstinence and bucket loads of angst. Set in a futuristic dystopia (why is the future always such a grim, unpleasant place?) where a pair of teenage avatars from their downtrodden districts are selected at random each year to fight to the death in a televised gladiatorial version of the Truman Show for the benefit and widespread acclaim of the rich and flamboyantly dressed, The Hunger Games could never be accused of lacking in scope. And yet, this is a film that doesn’t beat the audience over its collective heads with satire, preferring instead to allude to the broader themes at play.

Jennifer Lawrence takes on her first real blockbuster lead and carries the film with aplomb. While never “acting” (some people you can actually see grit their teeth and thesp on screen) she manages to convey a wide range of internalised emotions which in the book are entirely taken care of through a first person narrative – no mean feat in itself. That she has also been held up as a “Great Strong Female Lead for Teenagers To Look Up To” is a matter for some debate. It’s also notable that she manages to make the central character of Katniss a much more relatable and human character than she is in the book, creating a divergence away from the film’s other by-the-book plotting and characterisations. In my view, that’s a shame, as Katniss is much more interesting when you view that her actions in the arena are almost all motivated by a pure desire to stay alive as best she can and manipulate the Hunger Games audience by so doing. However, I can see how this shift in character gears makes the long-game dynamics of her character much more effective. It’s quite obvious from watching the film after all that the studio behind it sees it very much as the first in a series rather than a standalone in its own right. While admirable – the last film to adopt such an approach was the Golden Compass, and look where that ended up. This decision does leave you departing the cinema screen feeling that the story is unfinished and rather unsatisfying. There’s no fist-punching-the-air, triumph against adversity or relief. It kind of ends on a …meh.

Chief among the downsides to the film’s approach is the pacing and tone as a whole. It’s clear that the studio made this film entirely for the Fans Of The Books, hoping they would flock in their droves to the ticket booths to see it. The results of this approach are threefold: a bum-numbingly slow pace not helped by a musical score so sparse that the instances where incidental music does kick in is almost jarring; an almost unforgivable amount of exposition dropped in throughout; and ultimately a severe lack in tension. Sadly, while the teens on display are set up as lambs to the televisual slaughter, the threat never entirely feels real, especially to Katniss. This is largely due to a lack of gore precluded by the need to make the film accessible to a young teen audience (there were definite under 9 year olds in my screening). In terms of the exposition, Stanley Tucci’s character, initially introduced as a kind of blue-haired Jonathan Ross of the arena to introduce and showcase each tribute to the Capitol’s baying audience, becomes a mere voice throughout dropped in to explain some of the book’s sci-fi future creatures to any non-book readers in the audience. This attempt to remind the (movie) audience that this is all staged for TV is admirable but mishandled – it’s simply not utilised enough for the pop-up commentary to seem natural. This exposition results in a patchy approach, with some features from the books explained through talking head commentators on screen, while other plot drivers more richly deserving a little background are left to speculation.

Still, the overall film is by no means a misfire and if all blockbusters upcoming this year turn out so successfully, we’re in for a cracker. Its an intelligent result overall which is well worth some post-film pub-based discussion and analysis of character development and structure. When the film does diverge from the source material is to give the viewer a greater perception of the impact of the Hunger Games on the broader society – something which is never really comprehended through Katniss’ solo perspective. This is undertaken by giving lead Gamemaker Seneca Crane (played by the seemingly perennially typecast as sinister Wes Bentley, behind comedy beard) and Donald Sutherland’s suitably creepy President Snow more screen time in terms of interim discussions of the Games as they unfold, as well as a riot scene bringing more fully to life just how ingrained and important the tributes’ actions and success or otherwise in the arena is to their Districts. What’s left is a lingering sense of a stewardship of the source material and desire to remain faithful, while enhancing the story rather than detracting from the book’s success by squeezing it for cash with both hands. If only all films with a pre-built target audience were quite so diligent

2012
03/28
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Review of 2011 – Top 10 Films

With so many great films coming out in 2011 it was a particularly tough choice to make this year. Not just in ordering the 10, which was painful enough, but also which films didn’t make the cut.

So, below is my Top Ten films of 2011. If you haven’t seen some or all of them I strongly urge you to seek them out.

10. True Grit
dir. Joel & Ethan Coen

A re-adatpation rather than a remake, the Coen’s first foray into the Western threatened to kick start the genre with its first classic in nearly two decades. Jeff Bridges is amazing but its Hallie Steinfeld who stills the show. Brutal, funny, moving. Everything you come to expect from the Coens.

9. The King’s Speech
dir Tom Hooper

If someone had said to me there would be 8 better films in 2011 than The King’s Speech I would have found it hard to believe. A delight from start to finish with a career best turn from Colin Firth. By the long final walk I could barely contain my nerves.

8. The Fighter
dir. David O. Russell

The best boxing film since Rocky? You damn right. Wahlberg and Bale shine as brothers in this familial drama about real life boxers Micky Ward & Dicky Edlund. Raw and intense, the bouts outside the ring provide enough of a punch to dwarf anything that happens in the ring.

7. Kill List
dir. Ben Wheatley

It doesn’t get much more terrifying than Kill List. Unnerving, unsettling, violent and bloody weird, Wheatley’s 2nd feature is the cult classic of the year. Part social realism, part hitman, part something entirely different. It demonstrates a mastery of genre and subverts them all magnificently.

6. Melancholia
dir. Lars von Trier

Putting aside von Trier’s comments at Cannes, Melancholia reveals a director at the peak of his artistic brilliance. An art house apocalypse film. von Trier’s Melancholia once again focuses on strong female characters persecuted – this time by forces greater than anything before. The opening sequence alone merits its inclusion on this lists.

5. We Need To Talk About Kevin
dir. Lynne Ramsey

Very few films are ever this powerful. Based on the best selling novel the film treats its subject matter indirectly, instead creating a film about a Mother’s hatred for her son, rather than about a high school massacre. Ramsey’s fractured structure reveals character and plot whilst simultaneously placing the audience directly in line with Tilda Swinton’s magnificent Eva/

4. Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy
dir. Tomas Alfredson

Alfredson’s perfect spy thriller provided the years best ensemble cast, Firth, Strong, Hurt, Jones, Cumberbatch, Hardy. It marks Alfredson out as one of the best emerging directors in the world and provided a film which was serious, adult and contemplative. A welcome break from the dross cluttering cinema over the summer.

3. Drive
dir. Nicolas Refn Winding

The coolest film of the year, starring the coolest actor in the world currently. Drive belongs with those classic crime films which the 70s did so well.

2. The Artist
dir. Michel Hazanavicius

Silent cinema returns to our screens in what is simply one of the most joyous cinematic experiences for longer than I can remember. A true masterpiece which is as inventive and filmically interesting as it is purely entertaining. Film as art and entertainment in the best possible way.

1. The Tree of Life
dir. Terence Malick

A masterpiece of cinematic vision. Flawed yes, but so ambitious, so audacious and so deeply personal that it became more than just a film. The best evocation of growing up and memory ever commited to film, Malick may have delivered his most ambitious film to date, but he also created his most revealing and emotional.

Ten films really isn’t enough in 2011. The films which nearly made the list nclude Never Let Me Go, the most underrated film of the year. Attack The Block – the funniest British film of the year. The Guard, the funniest film of the year and Cave of Forgotten Dreams, Herzog’s awe inspiring documentary.

As with all years, there was just too many films to see in 2011 and below is a list of the top ten films I missed (in no particular order)

Super 8
Warrior
A Separation
Incendies
Senna
Animal Kingdom
Cowboys & Aliens
Pina
Once Upon A Time in Anatolia
Red State

2012
01/02
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Troll Hunter (Trolljegeren) – 2011

I think it’s probably fair to say that The Troll Hunter is unique. When approaching the film, it’s reasonable to expect a monster flick and perhaps it’s also reasonable to fear another lukewarm rehash of the handheld camera genre that has periodically reared it’s head with varying success since The Blair Witch Project. And initially, it seems this is what you’re getting.

The film opens with a dark screen, upon which some yellow writing informs viewers, without a trace of irony, that the following is “found footage” which has been pieced together and verified by experts. It’s a framing device familiar from Cloverfield and the aforementioned Blair Witch Project, and this familiarity draws knowing titters from the assembled crowd. Already we feel slightly as though we’re a step ahead: we’ve seen all this before and we know the score. This feeling is only intensified as the film trundles through the usual setup, establishing the student filmmakers and their motives through the familiar “we’re making a documentary” pastiche. It’s a simple setup: bear hunters in Norway have become suspicious of a mysterious and unregistered hunter who seems to be stealing their trade. Spotting an interesting angle, the young hopefuls grab cameras and tail him in the hope of getting to the bottom of what’s going on. It’s not an understatement to say that they get more than they bargained for.

Speaking after the film with the wise and knowledgeable keeper of this blog, we both confess to having had the same feeling. About a third of the way through the film, it suddenly began to dawn on us that it’s actually meant to be funny. It’s not trying to sell you the idea that this is real footage, it’s just playing around with the genre to produce what could easily be described as a “romp”. The focus of the drama is the eponymous Troll Hunter, a man who has become disillusioned with his job due largely to the fact that he doesn’t get paid overtime or compensated for working nights. He’s sick of the whole business and especially sick of the bureaucracy of the TSS (Troll Security Service – yes, really) who pay his wages and generally make life difficult by forcing him to fill out forms and keep tallies. This idea is so preposterous in the face of the enormous trolls that one can’t help but laugh out loud, particularly as every line of dialogue is delivered with a straight bat.

The trolls themselves are just fantastic. Enormous, hulking brutes clearly made with a mixture of stop-motion and some very basic CG, they somehow feel completely believable in the context of this film. What helps this sense of believability is the mythology that the film builds around them. We are given constant tantalising glimpses of how trolls live and the mechanics of hunting them. Brilliantly, these are mostly delivered in the offhand way that only serves to enhance the comedy: much like the moment when we see the bear’s head in the fridge in Borat. When the Troll Hunter’s friendly Vet explains how trolls are killed we buy the explanation wholesale – regardless of the fact it makes hardly any sense – on the grounds that it’s just about real enough to fit in with the overall feel of the piece. Watching a farmer explain, po-faced, to the camera that a freak hurricane is responsible for the damage to some trees on his property is sheer delight.

It would be unfair to recount any more of the specific moments that make The Troll Hunter work so well. To do so would spoil the sheer joy of discovering each one for yourself. Suffice to say that the performances of the supporting cast of characters (particularly the brilliant Finn from the TSS) occupy areas you’ll all know well if you’ve ever seen Flight of the Conchords or Spinal Tap. A particular favourite sequence, when the filmmakers interview the head of a local power station, pays hilarious tribute to the baffled denialism of the classic “these go to eleven” exchange. The climax of the film is also genuinely thrilling, and a little coda at the end is the best example of a cinematic “wink to camera” I’ve seen in years.

In short, The Troll Hunter really is a must-see film. There is no doubt in this reviewers mind that it will soon acquire a cult following, but this is a film that was made to wear that mantle. Endlessly quotable – despite being in a foreign language – and more than likely to offer more and more on each fresh viewing, this is a film that’s clearly made with a lot of love and would beat seven shades out of any blockbuster you care to name. It’s the care and attention with which everything is constructed that makes me love this film. Catch it on the big screen, and you’ll never look at a pile of rocks in the same way again…

2011
09/22
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Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy – 2011

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy comes into the cinemas riding several waves of expectation: fans of the original book, those who fondly remember the BBC series from the early eighties, and those who have encountered
any one of a dozen superlative reviews. Personally, I haven’t ever read the book (which does still maintain a dusty, dog-eared place on my parents’ bookshelf), I was too young for the TV series, and I’ve avoided encountering too many of the reviews so far in a bid to avoid any spoilers before voluntarily heading into the film totally fresh.

It should be stated from the off that the film does not spoonfeed the audience in any way. Some have taken this as confusing. I find it refreshing for a ‘Hollywood’ film not to talk down to its audience. Without approaching this film attempting to second guess the narrative, it’s a much more pleasant viewing experience than in constantly struggling to get ahead. It’s not one for explaining why characters follow certain lines of reasoning or indeed track down certain clues as it goes along. Right from the opening it presents the viewer with a shifting kaleidoscope of seemingly unrelated and unconnected scenes. It entirely expects its audience to relax and trust in its main character’s direction – a tricky proposition when
the trailer itself sets him up as a potential candidate to be the spy movie stalwart: the mole.

The film’s palette is appropriately muted – every conceivable shade of grey and miserable brown, bolstered by some of the most horrendously clashing and furiously depressing 70s flop wallpaper I’ve ever had the
misfortune to encounter through celluloid. It’s so immersed in this mood that Oldman is even shown swimming, horrendous period specs firmly in place, in an outdoor lido as murky and presumably freezing
as the waters he navigates through his work. It’s a film quite beautifully directed – but you would expect nothing less from the man who gave the world a new reason to be properly chilled by vampires again through Let The Right One In. Alfredson again works his reinvention work here on the spy drama, away from flash-bang-wallop action of Bond to something altogether more calculating, a tremendous game of chess – often remote, regulated by surprisingly gentlemanly rules, and occasionally brutally violent. This tone is set from the off, through an initial early scene twanging with tension.

The cast alone deserves pause: a veritable who’s who of British film. At the centre is an impeccable Gary Oldman central performance, anchoring the film completely despite a character who surveys his world with a chilly logic borne of longstanding mistrust – the perfect soldier to fight a very cold and cerebral war. Oldman truly disappears into the role, lurking behind horrendous 70s glasses, only occasionally cracking Smiley’s steely facade to the audience – involuntary twitch here, overcome lean to a banister there. It’s a
technique mirrored by other characters for whom hiding your inner life has had to become a way of life. He’s utterly hypnotic to watch, providing you’re not struggling against the labyrinthine plot but just
trust him to take you to the right place and don’t question his character’s reasoning.

Orbiting around this central core are some excellent turns from Colin Firth (often likable, infrequently humorous, occasionally exploring an inner sleaze – who knew that ringing a bicycle bell could be a
come-on?), Toby Jones (inexplicably Scottish, astonishingly passive-aggressively threatening), Tom Hardy (always a personal joy, impressively layered) and a restrained supporting role from Benedict Cumberbatch. The film even follows the current cardinal law of British film making: thou shalt, before all others, cast Mark Strong. He’s another supporting character so tightly wound you would swear you can see him vibrating under the strain. Appropriately, in a frankly massive cast, there are some characters who are literally cyphers, given it would be impossible even in the film’s admittedly lengthy running time to do each and every one justice. One is even called, fittingly, Bland. There’s also a truly standout early performance from some vehemently buttered toast. It’s these little touches now and again which stop the film from disappearing up its own po-faced, medium-to-hardboiled twists.

The film is worth the price of admission alone for a single scene – sure to be Gary Oldman’s ‘for your consideration’ clip – where he brings to life the dubious respect and admiration Smiley has for the
Russian spymaster, Karla. It’s one of those scenes where the crunching of popcorn from your neighbour suddenly becomes inaudible and you become utterly transfixed by the screen. It’s a shame therefore that
the denouement feels a little rushed and unsatisfying after all the legwork beforehand – the second film I’ve seen this year which could have benefited from a longer running time. In essence then – one to
savour, not to fight. Forget the time, ignore the potential destination, and enjoy the intricacies of the journey, just as you would with a really good read. Rush it, and you’ll miss the nuance.

2011
09/21
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Rise of the Planet of the Apes – 2011

I went to see the latest in the Planet of the Apes series with some trepidation. Beyond the original classic the series is not one known for its dignity. I was unfortunate enough to spend £10 (back when cinema tickets were half that) to go for my first time to the Odeon Leicester Square to see Tim Burton’s dreadful remake (or is that re-imagining or re-envisioning, or who cares), which had a lot of input in my, until recently, dislike for Mark Wahlberg. So the prospect of a new, reboot if you like, of the Planet of the Apes franchise struck me with apathy.

Yet, despite this, I was intrigued. Positive-ish press coverage had suggested this wouldn’t be the awful, pointless piece of cinema I had expected. Add to this the fact that is directed by Rupert Wyatt who’s excellent debut feature was the Brian Cox starring prison drama, The Escapist. With a cast including Cox, James Franco, John Lithgow and (predictably) motion-capture go-to-guy Andy Serkis, the film boasted some intriguing credentials.

What a pleasant surpise then that Rise of the Planet of the Apes may well be the most entertainingly intelligent summer blockbuster of the year. Yes it has problems; including some massive plot holes, two-dimensional characterisation and a resolution which felt rewarding if not entirely satisfying. Yet ROTPOTA is without doubt an entertaining thought provocating film which has some incredible visual effects and a stunningly emotive performance from Andy Serkis (as lead ape Caesar).

The story is a prequel, and helps to explain how Apes grew to take over the world. Franco works as a scientist for a pharmaceuticals company developing a cure for Alzeheimers and other neurological diseases. As part of his work he runs trials on apes, and those injected with his “cure” begin to show signs of not only improvement but enhanced brain function.

Gradually, after developing a bond with lead ape Ceasar, things turn sour and the ape, now with massively advanced intellect, begins to realise that he and his kind are seen as a sub-species (even by those who claim to love and protect them). In fact, the film’s exploration of dignity and the differing roles of subordination is one of the most interesting – especially as Caesar expresses non of this predjudice, either toward other chimpanzee’s or other apes. Treating all as equals.

In the subplot we understand Franco’s motivation for wanting to develop this drug; his father – played magnificently (in the best human performance of the film) by John Lithgow – suffers from the debilitating illness and strikes up an unlikely relationship with Caesar. He is incredible and makes what could have been a trite, cliched subplot watchable and one of the most engaging elements of the film.

What’s also surprising is that the film spends so little time on big action set pieces. You could argue part of this is because the budget went on creating the hundreds of apes we see in the film (presumably all CGI). But it also demonstrates a focus on character and story which most likely attracted such a strong cast.

Credit should also be paid to Andy Serkis. As an actor he has become typecast slightly as the motion-capture guy, but if anything this is a compliment. His work as Gollum, King Kong and now Caesar (with other notable performances along the way) have demonstrated not only the benefits and incredible leaps in computer generated performance, but also Serkis’ keen acting skills. Caesar as a character is deeply moving and there were times when I felt a lump building in my throat – for a CG character this may be a first.

There are problems as I mentioned. Cox, Tom (Draco) Felton and Franco’s boss David Oyelowo are 2 dimensional caricatures who are either money hungry businessmen or evil animal abusers. You can see why they have created these characters and it helps serve the plot. It just a shame that when the film is trying to be so intelligent for a summer blockbuster a bit more time and consideration couldn’t have been spent on the villains of the piece.

Having said that, as the films breathtaking final act swings into action, you’ll be hard pressed to remember the little niggling problems as you are blown away by one of the most exciting and accomplished finale’s to any summer blockbuster this year.

2011
08/23
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The Guard – 2011

The Guard is the feature film debut from John Michael McDonagh and stars Brendan Gleeson and Don Cheadle. In essence that’s all you need to know when deciding whether you should go and see the film. Any film which can boast both Gleeson and Cheadle is guaranteed to have great acting and be more entertaining and enjoyable than most films. That The Guard is also one of the most hilarious films you’ll see all year only serves to highlight why this film should be a massive success.

Already released in Ireland, the film is (at the time of writing) the 2nd highest grossing independent film in Irish Box Office history, recently toppling In Bruges (Directed by McDonagh’s brother). The film is a raucous, off-beat black comedy which feels like a cross between Hot Fuzz and Father Ted mixed with Bad Lieutenant. The film centres on Gleeson’s Sgt Gerry Boyle, an angry, outspoken Guard who dabbles in bending the law as much as he stands to uphold it. His introduction is one of the finest in recent years.

Thrown into Boyle’s world of Galway, where he has pretty much free reign to police in his own bizarre way, is Don Cheadle’s FBI agent Wendell Everett. This being a sort of buddy movie, initially the characters don’t get along. Boyle’s outspoken, racist outlook on life rubbing up against the privileged FBI man. Everett’s reason for being in Galway is a shipment of drugs which they believe will be imported into the area.

Alongside Gleeson and Cheadle (as if they weren’t enough) we get Liam Cunningham, David Wilmot and Mark Strong as the most unlikely group of philosophizing, existential crisis experiencing drug dealers you will ever see on screen. All of them are magnificent, chewing up McDonaugh’s blistering dialogue and relishing the chance to subvert genre conventions.

The film also has an incredibly strange tone which is somehow manages to maintain despite occasionally nearly getting it wrong. The opening scene sets things up perfectly, and the clash of characters helps you find solid, if unpredictable, footing because so rarely do so many strange characters exist in the same world. Some of the of subplots feel a little strange, but ultimately, they just add to the comedy and tone and suck you into McDonagh’s surreal vision.

The comedy is delivered in Gleeson’s relishing of the dialogue, the weird world and in particular each characters outlook on the world. Strong’s in particular is fantastic – a drug dealer who is going through an existential crisis – and another characters who’s (almost) last line is “don’t mock me”. The film’s humour derives from the shockingly original view of a tried and tested genre.

The Guard is also extremely accomplished as a directorial debut. The art house tendencies of McDonagh helping to give the film a fresh look and feel. He never once allows himself to fall into convention; not in the story, the characterisation or the directing. Even the action scenes (and there are some) don’t feel like action scenes, but carry the emotional intensity because you come so quickly to love the characters.

The film reaches its loftiest heights when Gleeson and Cheadle share the screen. There is an easy rapport between them which warms you instantly, and when they are clashing, through Gleeson’s deliberately cheeky, confrontational attitude to both Cheadle and the investigation, the film comes alive. With lesser actors this film could have fallen flat on its face. But there is something about Gleeson and Cheadle which reaasures constantly that, when the film veers too close to offensive, they will always find the right line. It must have been a pleasure for McDonagh working with them.

The Guard is one of the best comedies of the year and deserves all the plaudits it gets. I saw it at The Prince Charles Cinema courtesy of LoveFilm and the audience adored the film. On more than one occasion I felt my sides hurting as I wiped away the tears. It’s truly one of the best film experiences I’ve had in a long time and I want to go back just to hear and see the jokes I missed from laughing.

2011
08/19
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Captain America: The First Avenger

I may as well state it straight out of the gate – I’ve been keeping an eye on Chris Evans’ films of late. I even count myself in the rarefied (read: small) group of people who found recent films like Push and The Losers not just watchable, but re-watchable (several times over in the latter case, and largely for Evans’ comic-relief character). What’s clear to me from Captain America is that he’s been slightly ill-served by his square-jawed, American jockish, wisecracker typecasting following films like the Fantastic 4. There’s decent acting work coming through in Captain America, where he’s called on to be rather worthy and dedicated not so much to the ‘American’ cause, but guided by an inbuilt sense of right and wrong, rather than cocky and arrogant. As a result he shows a range and ability to build a character I think many people may not have expected.

Captain America is a solid origin story where even the more ludicrous superhero set-up elements are introduced in a sensible manner – even down to the frankly ridiculous suit, shield, and daft “USA! USA!”
moniker. In fact, they’re set up so carefully not to seem ridiculous, it’s clear someone has put a lot of time and effort into making sure the audience doesn’t find a character who could well be viewed as a
walking, talking emblem of rampant Americana made flesh seem too daft. Even the 3D is quite good, if a little flat a few planes in, and most frequently used to give perspective on dialogue shots (there are a lot of blurry backs-of-people’s heads looming out of the screen). In style, it’s also vaguely reminiscent of Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow given its 1940s cgi backdrops. Occasionally, even real backdrops look like they’ve been dropped in through post production, looking ever so slightly-fuzzy round the edges. While handled about as well as they could be, the shots of Evans’ head on a skinny body pre-injections of super serum are also vaguely reminiscent of Mr Mackay in South Park.

Major supporting characters are patchy. Tommy Lee Jones hoovers up all of the best lines by joyfully invoking his grumpy snarky shtick; Stanley Tucci shines once again, embuing an all-too-small role with
humour, emotion and heart. I remain unconvinced by Hayley Atwell as the Captain’s leading lady – tough and more than able to handle herself in a scrap she may be, but her character is undermined by the direction of the plot and she’s not given much space to prove herself. The casting of Hugo Weaving as the film’s key villain, the Red Skull, is mildly baffling. Granted, he has the ability to be menacing through voice alone. However, a silly and patchy “zee Germanz” accent lets him down, as do some frankly ropey special effects. His Nazi big-shot is dropped in straight out of an Indiana Jones film in terms of motivations, and the semi-magical/ legendary macguffin he gets his mitts on at the start of the film probably makes more sense if you’ve seen Thor (I haven’t). It’s tonally odd when the rest of the film is set in dewey-eyed WW2 nostalgia-vision. It also looks rather a lot like something you could pick up from Ikea on a wet weekend.

The film’s failings stem largely from the fact that Captain America is the last puzzle piece to drop before next year’s The Avengers – its crossover scenes like the Thor link and inevitable Nick Fury appearance, supporting characters lucky if they get five lines maximum, right down to the fact that most of the audience will know that the central character is never in any real peril, in as much as a superhero ever is. As a result the film’s final third is also much weaker than its start. It’s also strange that for a superhero film, you also never get a good sense of exactly what Captain America’s powers actually are or see him testing their limits, aside from some uncanny skills flinging a shield around. Still, it’s well worth the ticket price for a summer blockbuster. For me it’s much more enjoyable than this summer’s lacklustre crop of Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and The Green Lantern, more balanced than Super 8, but not quite as satisfying as the Harry Potter finale.

2011
08/01
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