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Sunday, November 30, 2008 | No Comments »
James Wan’s ‘Death Sentence‘ hits our screens during a renaissance of the vigilante film and while the original ‘Death Wish’ had a certain cache because of the dangerous climate of 70s New York, Mayor Giuliani’s ‘zero tolerance’ approach to crime has made new offerings like this film and Jodie Foster’s ‘The Brave One‘ more fantastical; a case of National Lampoon’s Vigilante Day Out. | Full Article »
Sunday, November 30, 2008 | No Comments »
‘Into the Wild‘ is arguably the most unfiltered expression of Sean Penn’s rebel tradition since his days as a younger actor. While his earlier efforts behind the camera were more insular, existential meditations as with ‘The Crossing Guard‘ and ‘The Pledge‘, his latest is a wildly expressive tribute to the unruly spirit of youth and its place in an increasingly conservative America. It is this passion that is the reason the film is so evocative and also so flawed. | Full Article »
Sunday, November 30, 2008 | No Comments »
We have a lot to thank Hollywood for. Surely their unspoken deal with Chris Tucker to keep him locked away until it’s deemed necessary to make another in the now failing ‘Rush Hour‘ franchise has saved both the audience’s ears and eyes from overexposure to his hysterical and spastic performances. With ‘Rush Hour 3‘, there truly is no escape. | Full Article »
Sunday, November 30, 2008 | No Comments »
Sergei Bodrov’s Mongol is a strange film. While it would be remiss to describe it as a PR exercise by way of mythic reconstruction, there is a sense that in uncovering the little heard story of Ghengis Khan (Temudjin as he is known here) the Younger, the writer-director-producer seeks to reposition the legendary scourge of 13th Century Central Asia as loyal husband, loving father and, most importantly, just leader of the united Mongol tribes. | Full Article »
Thursday, November 27, 2008 | 2 Comments »
Hey, wasn’t Casino Royale good. An accomplished reboot of a stale, campy franchise that managed to retain enough of the humour, sex, and spectacle from the classic Bonds while introducing a new, grittier, more grounded 007 in the crystal blue and granite shape of Daniel Craig.
I say again, wasn’t Casino Royale good. Yeah, keep reminding yourself of that because at no point in the 106 confused minutes of this now unsubtle homage to the infinitely better Bourne franchise will you find one iota of the fun you had with the previous film.
Now on the surface this isn’t particularly fair, the filmmakers clearly positioning Quantum as an extended, and very brutal epilogue to Casino and thematically the structure makes sense. In essence it’s a bloody final act of revenge, driven with blunt force trauma. In a perfect world this would all have worked. Unfortunately as two separate films, it doesn’t.
Ignoring the fact that some of the less cerebral audience members will have forgotten most of the important plot details and characters from the first film, there’s still a chance they could have made this work if they’d only carried across the template from the first film. The action heavy nature of the revenge theme could have supported the plot, suffusing the myriad sequences with the same clever character details and plot elements as in Casino, unfortunately the template isn’t and so it can’t.
Instead of unique twists on staid scenarios it’s opening car chase followed by rooftop chase, then boat chase and oh look there’s a plane and so on, as per the pattern; cue the yawns. Not that the action is terrible, a savage fight in a Haiti and a tussle on ropes helps ease the pain caused by some of the miserable editing in other sequences, it’s just firstly a crushing disappointment from what we’ve come to expect and secondly a major stumbling block to our understanding of the film.
Potentially the introduction of Spect..I mean Quantum is one of the better franchise conformities. Unfortunately it demands a more epic storytelling approach which the few minutes between action sequences can’t provide. Instead of building towards a dramatic and exhilarating clash between Bond and his nemesis, one worthy of the wonderfully malignant Mathieu Almaric, we get a rather limp encounter that has little substance because we’re too dizzy from all the ‘strang und durm’ that precedes it. The fact they name this villain Greene actually mars the first film because while before Mr White felt like a cute affectation, now it feels part of some kitschy reprise of older, less successful Bond villains. And if you’re going to incorporate a more mysterious, global spanning organisation, why burden it with an ostensibly pedestrian motivation about water. It’s like they took the more grounded approach of Casino and drove it right into the earth.
In fact while the first film felt like a near perfect balance of old and new, this new film feels like a lazy, arrhythmic back and forth between elements of classic Bond and a mishandling of the best parts of the reboot. And what’s worse, when one or two of these older homages are better than the new stuff, you know you’re in trouble.
The best example of this being the difference between the two Bond girls. Strawberry Fields (a surprisingly mature performance from Gemma Arterton) is classic Bond, both in name and persona. She evinces just the right amount of flirtation and fun, acting as a contrast to the harsh, unmalleable force that is Bond. And even with the rather cheesy Goldfinger homage she not only brings much needed humour, but in her demise, also provides some much needed characterisation for Bond. Kurylenko’s Camille is the exact opposite; ice cold, and like Bond, driven by revenge. She is in short Bond’s double, and because of that feels utterly superfluous, simply a lazy reversal of the misogyny of previous Bonds, needing little help from Bond to complete her own personal mission.
Craig on the other hand is the one true beacon in this schizophrenic mire. Battling against a script that attempts to turn him into a soulless terminator, ignorant of friendship and devoid of emotion; a terrible Bond theme, more a commercial cacophony by two mismatched artists than an ode to the character; and finally ill judged direction from Mark Forster, whose constant bizarre crosscutting nearly turns the film into a farcical melodrama, Craig survives pretty much unscathed. He ends the film with poise and an intense charisma, a perfect mix of Connery, Brosnan and Dalton without feeling mere composite. Unfortunately he also leaves it relatively unchanged, but again the fault lies with the writers who seem more concerned with filling Bond’s mouth with even more of the clunky dialogue he suffered through in parts of the last film.
The script is just one of the many signs of renewed producer interference and if Broccoli and Wilson aren’t careful, just as with the Brosnan era (through no fault of his own) they’ll come close to finally putting the nail in Commander Bond’s coffin and eradicate what little grace this once again faltering franchise has left.
Hellboy 2: The Golden Army (2008)
Thursday, November 27, 2008 | No Comments »
For movie audiences this summer has been a bounty of blockbuster entertainment. The comic movie genre has matured into a potent mix of high action entertainment and surprisingly complex storylines with ‘The Dark Knight‘, ‘Iron Man‘ and even ‘The Incredible Hulk‘ surpassing their supposedly shallow origins. With ‘Hellboy 2: The Golden Army‘ rounding things off, the question is, how good can it possibly get?
Well, Guillermo Del Toro comes frustratingly close to going out with a fanfare. The film begins with a rather beautiful stop motion intro that sets up the stories of Prince Nuada (Luke Goss), his sister, Princess Nuala, the war between humans and the world of magic which precipitates the rise of the unstoppable Golden Army, the obvious crux of this film. It’s almost a sly dig at the excess of film, showing the power in simple fairytales, something that’s always been a major draw of Del Toro’s films.
In his Spanish fantasies he embellishes the quest or fable with an attention to detail that is truly remarkable. It’s almost impossible not to love his films irrespective of whether you’re a stickler for a watertight structure. He’s a man of rich, ornate ideas and idiosyncrasies over restrictive plot mechanics. The devil is most definitely in the detail and it’s certainly true with this film, an eco-drama that fuses gorgeous fantasy, wit and thrilling action to almost complete success. In fact the film has enough imaginative flair to fill twenty films, the short time we spend in the Troll Market a lavish expression of this. It’s a loving tribute to the Mos Eisley Cantina sequence from Star Wars and matches the wild eyed wonder of his best films.
Taking all that into account, Hellboy is like the young heroes of Del Toro’s Spanish films: an innocent adrift in a world of things he does not yet understand; desperate for attention and affection. Orphaned, and fatherless like the children of Devils Backbone and Pan’s Labyrinth, he still feels the loss of Professor Bruttenholm from the first film and he seeks acceptance from both humans and his outlandish colleagues in the BRPD. Perlman breathes new life into an already vibrant character, even handling with aplomb the rather awkward, Hallmark ‘outcast’ subplot that should have stayed implicit.
In fact there’s a sense Del Toro would be happier if he could ditch the more obvious, commercial elements of the film entirely, and keep this a character piece; the best moments coming from the various interactions between the members of this Paranormal CSI. While Hellboy’s relationship with pyrotechnic Liz is doomed by a combination of his immaturity and a rather unfortunate flat performance by actress Selma Blair, it leaves room to expand on the lesser known Abe Sapien, now voiced by the actual actor Doug Jones, and also introduce a new character in the erudite ectoplasm Johann Krauss.
Sapien is both brother in arms and spirit to Hellboy and there’s a romanticism to his character that makes him a more interesting proposition. There’s a sense that Del Toro knows this and litters the film with perfectly formed character moments that mark him out as confidant, leader, fighter and even romantic lead. His awkward, yet sweet courting of Princess Nuala is a true highlight of the film, and one that is beautifully sold by Jones in an excellently restrained performance. And though the connection to her brother is one of the parts of the film that seems almost too deus ex machina, it certainly adds a tragic, bittersweet finish to Sapien’s arc.
Johann Krauss on the other hand is anything but subtle, but is all the more wonderful for it. Less a character, more a pure spike of cinematic smack; a wild enigma like the Joker in ‘The Dark Knight’. Barring, a hilarious moment between Hellboy and Sapien where they drunkenly carouse and belt out Barry Manilow, nearly every single other comedic moment comes from Krauss and the brilliant voice work of ‘Family Guy’ creator Seth MacFarlane. While Hellboy goes broad, it’s Krauss who offers a surprisingly adult wit, moving from the profane mangling of , ‘focused!’, to the physical comedy genius of the locker scene and topped by the ‘Allo, ‘Allo stylings of his mincing walk, belting out a kitschy Germanic number. He’s a sublime addition to the cast and the film’s a must see for MacFarlane’s efforts alone.
Unfortunately, where the film truly falters is in the character of Prince Nuada. Not for any wrongdoing on the part of Luke Goss who has been a welcome surprise since he first united with Del Toro back in ‘Blade 2′. He injects an impressive athleticism into his action sequences and provides the necessary gravitas, mixing both the dark and light parts of this sympathetic character well. Indeed, while it might seem hypocritical to praise the complexity of a film that tries to see both sides of the villains story, and then criticise it for doing just that, it’s something I regretfully must do.
In trying to improve on the by the numbers villainy of the first film, Del Toro has removed much of the danger that the first threat posed. With all the power Nuada accrues in the first act of the film, he seems very short on allies; one henchman with a fist on a chain and a stampede of bartered for tooth fairies (rather minor after the Lovecraftian horrors of the first Hellboy) do not a real menace make. And although he causes one of the major setpieces of the film in the Forest Elemental attack, a very nice combination of action and environmental concern as its blood breeds lush new life with every drop, it’s the task of a plot device rather than a major character. Whenever the momentum falters, bring in Nuada to kick-start things, even if his entrance will be slightly deflated by the fact that two of his opponents appear to be pissed.
In fact, instead of building steadily to what should be a climactic battle, we get diversion after diversion, be it the schmaltz of Hellboy’s rejection by humanity, the comedy stylings of downtime at the BPRD and finally the admittedly stunning sequence of ancient cityscape and another hideous beauty for Doug Jones to play with in the Angel of Death (give those production designers and artists an Oscar already). Yes, it infuses the film with more weight in its exploration of a prophecy involving Hellboy, but it rather distracts from the confrontation to come.
In fairness the film has clearly been hampered by budgetary concerns, with a much more modest price tag attached than other films of its kind. Where there should be a horde for Nuada there is a lone search for a mechanical army that only really impresses you when it’s rebuilding the damage done by Hellboy rather than when its actually working (again, detail, gorgeous detail). It does offer yet another moment for Krauss to shine, using his ectoplasmic power to body hop and bring some Hulk smash to the BRPD’s enemies, and there’s the sly kick at governments and the power they crave and wield, but without a single enemy to offer a real challenge the film is left with less exhilaration and more poignancy, Goss impressing with his delivery of the line, ‘We die, and the world will be poorer for it’.
In short, the film is more a nostalgic look to ones childhood when the world was infused with magic; with stories of gobins, elves, ogres and fairyfolk and any failings of action was down to your own lack of imagination. Taking it like that and ‘Hellboy 2: The Golden Army’ does nothing less than it should, and for that it’s a huge and mesmerising success.
Thursday, November 27, 2008 | No Comments »
Comedies are actually funny again. Truly, laugh out loud, snort because you can’t help it, funny. Imagine that, having a sudden realisation about the world while watching a film about slackers getting high. Weed breeds wisdom and while ‘The Pineapple Express‘ isn’t anything revolutionary, it’s further sign that Apatow, Rogen and their growing troupe are revitalising the genre to wonderful effect. | Full Article »
Wednesday, July 30, 2008 | No Comments »
While it seems almost blasphemy to say it, Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight is not a perfect film. Don’t get me wrong, as an endeavour it’s nothing short of spectacular. Incorporating the explosive rivalry of ‘Heat‘, the urban metropolis as character from ‘The Naked City‘, and the perfectly choreographed set pieces and examination of crime at every social strata from ‘The Godfather: Part II‘, Nolan deserves nothing less than our admiration.
Unfortunately, with all this ambition there are the inevitable slip-ups. While he is a consummate cinematic strategian thrilling the audience with perfectly orchestrated scenes like the opening bank job and the tense montage that targets the major players in Gotham, Nolan still struggles with the tactics. In his attempts to remedy the jagged, and confusing editing of 2005’s Batman Begins he has made the action too languid, a sequence of extended shots where every punch or block can be seen a mile off.
The film has a number of these tradeoffs. While the film is a startling tapestry of plot and subplot, literally pulsing with a vitality and wealth of ideas, the pacing sometimes falters; a move to Hong Kong presented as essential to the narrative actually feels like an unnecessary distraction from Nolan’s efforts to present Gotham as an encompassing entity. And it’s something he succeeds in triumphantly.
Gone is the brooding pulp and gloom of the first film, and in its place is a more realistic landscape of gleaming skyscrapers and bustling streets all captured by Wally Pfister’s beautifully slick cinematography. There’s even a new Batsuit, a change that jokingly acknowledges the lack of neck movement in the first film. But even though these are welcome amendments the added realism moves the franchise further and further away from its origins, losing the playful charm of the comics and almost unconsciously playing up the absurdity of a man in a bat costume.
Fortunately these are minor flaws and while the film fails to attain that perfection it does have as close to perfect a piece of acting as you can hope to see. Ignore the media storm and the hysteria surrounding it. Do your best to strip it away, and you will see Heath Ledger give the kind of performance that reminds you just how intoxicating it can be when an actor disappears completely into a role. His Joker, all rag doll arms and pouting, flick tongued ripped ruby lips is one of the most detailed portrayals of villainy ever seen onscreen in both diction, timing and poise. And seriously, forget the Oscars. This Joker spits on that devalued merit quest. In fact, Nolan is so enamoured with the Joker, as he is with so many morally flawed characters, that Batman becomes almost secondary to him; Bale’s tortured nobility swamped by this primal force.
The film is a framework for his wicked game created purely to destabilise Gotham. As a twist on terrorism, his own brand of shock and awe is almost too potent to be fiction. His wicked comedy can be seen in the shocking double bluff of a major character’s death, his enigmatic past which he hides behind endless iterations of his horrifying catchphrase, ‘Wanna know how I got these scars?’, and the seemingly inexplicable moments of violence that litter the narrative. His magic trick is definitely not one for the kids, but if you find yourself nervously giggling away at it, don’t be ashamed. That’s simply the power of Ledger’s performance.
With the Joker taking one side of the coin, the reverse of the Batman, the chaos to his civilisation, it’s Aaron Eckhart’s Harvey Dent that’s stuck in the middle flipping it, giving the film’s most surprising performance as the saint destined to fall. Sharing Batman’s crusade against crime while offering Bruce Wayne’s sweetheart Rachel (now played by the far more believable Gyllenhal) the normality and love she so desires. It’s the heart of the film and Eckhart never lets it get too showy, balancing charm and moral certitude and later tragedy without becoming preachy or unconvincing. The fact he shares the screen equally with the likes of Gary Oldman, brilliantly rising above the more subservient James Gordon of the first film, is further testament to his abilities.
While the film’s climax might ring hollow to some as Batman makes a decision that changes his character irrevocably, it‘s all part of Nolan‘s subversion of the franchise. It’s an admission of how much humanity Bruce Wayne has lost to the Batman. How he has changed from a symbol to Gotham and its people to becoming a controlling, almost malignant force; a magnet for freaks. Freaks like the Joker. The man who broke the Batman.
It’s a brave director who positions the villain as the true protagonist, but in a film that revels in a shot of him leaning out the window of a cop car, face to the wind, his back to the twinkling lights of the city, accompanied by an industrial, throbbing pulse on the soundtrack, there’s a part of you that’s very glad he did.
Sunday, July 13, 2008 | No Comments »
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
Sunday, July 13, 2008 | 1 Comment »
