The Counsellor

• Released Internationally on 25/10/13
• Released in Malta by KRS on 15/11/13

Review (14/11/13)

3-word review: What a waste.

It is unfortunate when the collaboration between numerous talented people turns out to be quite a mess. This is one of those instances. Ridley Scott isn’t very consistent, but for over three decades now he has been directing films from a wide range of genres, many of which turn out to be hugely successful and established as classics. Cormac McCarthy, an American novelist, has a very particular style which makes it hard to put his books down. His fame soared recently thanks to the excellent adaptations of two of his best novels - No Country For Old Men and The Road. This is his first attempt at writing a screenplay. Cast-wise, Brad Pitt, Penélope Cruz, Michael Fassbender, Cameron Diaz and Javier Bardem hardly need any introduction. Yet, despite all these big names drawing you in and raising your expectations, there is a distinct feeling of ‘so what?’ by the time the credits roll.

No ordinary world

The technical aspects are fine, as expected. Everything looks great, from the tantalisingly sexy intro to the bleached look of the scenes in the Mexican desert. The film is set in a world of sharp contrasts - where the filthy-rich owners of pet cheetahs share business dealings with the filthy and crazy world of drug cartels. Michael Fassbender’s clean cut lawyer is new to this underworld, and he hopes to make just a quick visit, for one big-paying job. His crazy client (Javier Bardem) sets it up, but he warns him that it’s hard to not get sucked in. Brad Pitt is the wise, mysterious advisor who has seen it all and is trying to get out while he can. Cameron Diaz is the client’s sexy but dangerous girlfriend. The only seemingly normal person, and presumably the one the audience should try to relate to, is the lawyer’s girlfriend, played with wide-eyed innocence by Penélope Cruz.

Deliberate

Things plod along fairly slowly, but at least it is to McCarthy’s credit that the dialogue is lyrical and attention-grabbing. But the rather thin plot takes much too long to develop, and things rarely get exciting or moving in any way. A few key sequences stand out as vivid ideas that the author might have dreamt up, but they serve little purpose except to allow some character to describe them in disgusting detail. It’s as if he thought of a couple of ways to kill a person, and a couple of fascinating anecdotes, and built a film around them. They make for a few memorable scenes, but not for a good film. Some of the resulting episodes are not for the squeamish, although the most disturbing stuff happens off screen, which makes it all the more effective.

In the end

The word ‘cautionary’ comes up as the counsellor is warned about the dangers of what he is getting himself into, and ultimately that is what The Counsellor is - a cautionary tale. I imagine it would have made for an interesting book, but in heading straight for the screen is has ended up as rather dry and uneventful. There are many slow-paced, deliberate and observational films that I have loved over the years, but this is definitely not one of them. I predict that a couple of sequences will stick around in my memory, but the rest is a forgettable missed opportunity.

 

Trailers:

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/fox/thecounselor/

Past Perfect: Being John Malkovich (1999)

Home movie gems from the past few decades that need some dusting but never get old.

This odd but wonderful gem was the big screen debut of two of the most original minds in filmmaking - writer Charlie Kaufman and director Spike Jonze. To even come up with the concept of this film is impressive enough, but to bring it to the screen in a way that is understandable, funny, emotional and highly entertaining is the stuff of genius. John Malkovich (Dangerous Liaisons, Empire of the Sun) stars as himself, of course. The film centres around a puppeteer (an untidy-looking and pitiable John Cusack, who is excellent here), who discovers a doorway in his office which is actually a portal into the mind of Malkovich. Anyone can slide in, and be Malkovich for around ten seconds. With time and experience, he uses his puppeteering skills to gain more control over the actor, but others also want a piece of the action. The film also stars a nearly unrecognizable Cameron Diaz and the ever-sultry Catherine Keener, and is a joy to watch again and again.

Shrek Forever After

• Released Internationally on 20/05/10
• Released in Malta by KRS on 02/07/10 (also in 3D)

Preview (first published 30/06/10 in VIDA magazine)

In a nutshell

Everyone’s favourite green ogre (Shrek, or Fiona, depending on your tastes), is back for the fourth and final adventure. They have a new nemesis, and he’s short with red hair.

Why we’re hyped?

The third instalment may not have set the world alight, but it had a tough job topping the first and second parts of this alternative fairytale, which remains one of the freshest and funniest franchises around. In less than a decade, Shrek has firmly established himself in popular culture, bringing with him a barrage of quotes and jokes, and giving rise to numerous imitations. Along with Pixar’s stellar output, Shrek is largely to thank for the constant output of smart, hilarious and spectacular computer animation we get to enjoy today. So it’s fitting that he is sent off with a bang, in what the filmmakers have promised will be the final chapter. Something tells me this won’t be a simple sentimental ‘happily ever after’ type closure.

Who’s in it?

The four main stars return. Mike Myers’s faux Scottish accent has become synonymous with the titular ogre, despite no rational reason for it being there. Cameron Diaz continues to sound better than she looks as his blushing, verdant bride. Eddie Murphy, the highlight of the original chapter, is still stomping around as the ever-faithful sidekick, Donkey, and Antonio Banderas once again lends his silky voice to the star of the second film, Puss in Boots, who now has a motivation and weight problem. Voice actor Walter Dohrn is the new major addition as the fiendish Rumpelstiltskin, whose infamous tantrum has now developed into a larger, more anti-social problem. Craig Robinson (Hot Tub Time Machine) also joins the cast as Cookie the ogre, and the wonderful John Cleese and Julie Andrews reprise their roles as Fiona’s entertaining parents. It’s curtain call time for possibly the best original character of the past decade.

Review (01/07/10)

Green and unamused

You'd think Shrek of all creatures would know that the grass is always greener on the other side. But he doesn't, and as his new life with Fiona and the triplets starts to settle down into a routine of burps, nappies, lack of sleep and not a moment of quiet, he starts to miss the time when he was a feared, secluded ogre with nothing to keep him from taking relaxing mud baths all day. So, in a moment of frustration, he says some regrettable things to Fiona, and storms off for some time to think. Enter Rumpelstilskin, a fiendish little redhead with an old grudge and a disturbing pet. He pounces on Shrek's moment of weakness and offers him an apparently simple deal - twenty-four hours of his single, villager-chasing days in exchange for some other day from his life - such as some day from his baby years which he doesn't even remember. Shrek doesn't sleep on it, and signs, which is never a good idea.

Fiona, warrior princess

What follows in a wonderfully inventive and entertaining Shrek adventure in what could be described as an alternate universe - what the kingdom of Far, Far, Away would look like if Shrek had never appeared on the scene and Rumpelstiltskin ruled the roost with his cackling army of ashen-faced witches. This idea works, because it allows us to rediscover the beloved characters and locations all over again, without the storyline having to toss in new elements to keep the novelty factor going, as happened in Shrek the Third. So we meet Puss in Boots, who has outgrown his boots and most other garments in sight thanks to a life of lazy pampering. And a ruffled Donkey who lives a hard life carting slaves and has to sing for his supper. Fiona, on the other hand has grown into a Xena-type revolutionary princess, who leads the resistance against Rumpelstiltskin. And none of them have any idea who this Shrek guy is, despite his insistence that he's their best friend.

Cool mule

As Shrek's friends rediscover him, and Shrek learns to appreciate how great his life was before that ill-fated contract signing, so do we. Which makes this fourth and final chapter a joy to watch. Donkey is given his due prominence, and Eddie Murphy does his usual stellar job as he sings, dances, and even tries to introduce 'flip-flop Fridays'. The music often takes centre stage, with Rumpelstiltskin employing the skills of the Pied Piper to smother the resistance, with hilarious musical results. There's even a brief but wonderfully timed Lionel Richie moment that is one of the musical highlights of the show. And when against all the odds everything falls nicely back into place for our thick-skinned hero, we're treated to the expected swamp-party to end all swamp-parties, which appropriately serves as a curtain call for the entire story, including good old Farquaad.

In the end

After a disappointing third outing (but only by Shrek's high standards), the franchise finishes with a flourish. A fitting end to a fantastic fairytale.

Trailers:

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/dreamworks/shrekforeverafter/

My Sister’s Keeper

 

• Released Internationally on 26/06/09
• Released in Malta by KRS on 01/07/09

 

In a nutshell

Based on the novel by bestselling author Jodi Picoult, this heart-wrenching drama about the rather unconventional way that a closely-knit family handles the terminal illness of one of its members is packed with powerful performances, a moving story and a number of important issues.

Anna

Like the book, the film starts with the narration of Anna (Abigail Breslin, proving that her star turn in Little Miss Sunshine was no fluke) who calmly explains how her birth was no accident – she was engineered by her parents and doctors so as to be a perfect genetic match for her elder sister. Thus starts a traumatic childhood of blood donations, bone marrow transplants and various other procedures which Anna goes through in order to help treat her sister, who has a rare form of leukaemia. Then, at age 11, she seems to have had enough, and trots off to a high-powered attorney to sue her parents for the right to her own body, and refuses to donate the kidney that will save her sister’s life.

Kate

Despite this shocking turn of events, there seems to be no love lost between sisters. The balding but still smiling Kate (impressive newcomer Sofia Vassilieva) seems to take everything in her stride, and is possibly the only person holding it together as her illness brings her family tumbling down. In a series of flashbacks we meet the earlier Kate and join her on the emotional highpoints of her seemingly all-too-short life, including small doses of love and laughter amidst higher doses of hospitals and drugs.

Sara

With her every step of the way is her mother, brought vividly to life by an extremely talented Cameron Diaz. It’s a relief to see her shine in roles like this and Being John Malkovich, which are often forgotten amongst her flashier roles like Charlie’s Angels. Giving up her job, most of her life and possibly her marriage, Sara is determined to stop at nothing to keep her daughter alive, and cannot imagine why her other daughter would do such a horrific thing as sue her and put her sister at risk. Her journey and change over the course of the film is written, acted and handled wonderfully and convincingly.

Brian

The sadly underused Jason Patric (Narc, Sleepers) is Brian, the silent but determined father who works in the shadows to keep his fragile family together, and seems to be the one who truly knows what’s best for them. His devotion to his daughter sometimes leaves his son Jesse (Evan Ellingson – 24, CSI: Miami) in the cold, but the troubled teenager proves essential in the film’s resolution.

Campbell

Once again, it’s a joy to watch Alec Baldwin (The Departed, 30 Rock, The Cooler) in action. The revitalised star brings zest and charisma to the delicate role of the rich attorney who decides to take on the legal case. His character’s brief but major role also provides just the right touches of humour, when they are most needed. He shares the commanding court scenes with Judge De Salvo (Joan Cusack – In & Out, Working Girl, Arlington Rd.) whose painful history puts her in an ideal situation to deftly manage this life-and-death case.

Weepy but wonderful

Director and co-writer Nick Cassavetes (The Notebook, John Q) is a master at making the audience reach for the tissues, but rarely at the expense of the pace and realism of the plot. Apart from a few changes to the ending, he manages to bring the spirit of the book to the big screen gracefully and colourfully. I’m quite sure that the scenes of Kate enjoying her first date and dance, as well as various other key moments in the film, are enough to cause a lump in the throat of even the toughest Saw fan. Some scenes might seem like extended Grey’s Anatomy sequences, with gentle voiceover and pensive ballads in the background, but it’s excusable considering the human tragedy at hand.

In the end

Emotionally draining human dramas might not be your idea of a summer night at the cinema, but miss this at your own peril. Very often the saddest films are the best ones, and this is definitely one of my picks for the year so far. Great acting all around and a story that offers enough surprises to keep us involved are the key to this film’s appeal. Depressing as the subject matter may sound, the film tackles extremely important ethical questions about quality of life, the medicalisation of illness, and the process of saying goodbye. And whether we like it or not, these are issues that are somehow present in everybody’s lives. The most moving release of the year so far.

 

 

Trailer:

http://www.apple.com/trailers/newline/mysisterskeeper/ (High-res QuickTime)