Interstellar

• Released Internationally on 06/11/14
• Released in Malta by KRS on 12/11/14

Review (11/11/14)

3-word review: Don’t Go Gently. 

You might be stunned into silence by Interstellar, but you might also dismiss it as a confusing waste of three hours of your life. Either way, it will most probably linger in your memory as something unlike anything you have ever seen before. This is not a film that is easy to digest or define, or write about. But it is most definitely another technically marvellous piece of cinema from the mind of the great Christopher Nolan.

An uncertain future

Starting off like a scene from Signs, the film introduces us to single dad Cooper (Matthew McConaughey, still on top of the world), who lives surrounded by corn fields with his two children. The bond with his daughter is clearly a special one, and with just a few opening scenes we are quickly drawn into this tight family unit that is the heart and soul of the sci-fi opera ahead. What is not clear is what year we are looking at, since we slowly learn that mankind has failed and the last few survivors are slowly starving as crops succumb to pests. Farming is encouraged as the human race tries to survive.

Into the wormhole

We are then introduced to the real crux of the dilemma as an ageing NASA professor (Michael Caine, a Nolan regular) recruits Cooper for a desperate mission to travel to other galaxies and find habitable worlds that the human race could emigrate to. The odds aren’t great, and thanks to the bending of time and space as they travel through a wormhole, the expected duration of the mission is far from certain. Here lies one of the film’s master strokes – the narrative potential as loved ones are separated by time and space is heart-wrenching and full of possibility. Cooper promises to his daughter that he will be back, but she has no way of knowing when.

A complex epic

What unfolds must have been a nightmare to write and condense, and quickly fills up the film’s nearly three-hour running time. As the hopeless mission slowly unravels in space and the subtle apocalypse proceeds on earth, we are treated to such an array of emotions, topics and stunning sequences that it can get exhausting at times. From love, to time, to survival instinct, Nolan and his scriptwriter brother have undertaken quite a lot. Some might be disappointed at how it all comes to the boil, but there’s no denying that this is proper science-fiction, with lots of science but also some fascinating and imaginative fiction.

A feast for the senses

Even if you give up on the fine details of the plot, there’s lots to digest and marvel at on the big screen. The balletic scenes in space are gorgeous, with more than a hint of the waltzes of Kubrick’s 2001. Composer Hans Zimmer also enhances the action and drama with a Philip Glass-like score that is one of the highlights of the film. There are a few casting surprises that should bring a smile to any movie-lover’s face, and there’s a particular docking scene which is the most exciting thing I’ve seen on screen all year.

In the end

I might need two or more viewings of this before I truly grasp what Nolan has done, just as happened with Inception. This might not be a film for everyone, but Nolan continues to be the most original and courageous voice in mainstream film today, with an assembled cast and crew that have made something truly spectacular.

Trailer:

Grace of Monaco

 

• Released Internationally on 14/05/14
• Released in Malta by KRS on 18/06/14

Review (18/06/14)

3-word review: Just a fairytale. 

It was a modern-day fairytale with all the right ingredients - a celebrated actress, fresh from an Oscar win, gives up her acting career and moves to Monaco to marry Prince Ranier and live a regal life in one of the most sumptuous places on earth. Of course, there must have been dark moments and behind-the-scenes drama, and there was a fair share of tragedy too, with her unfortunate death after an accident. But the royal family of Monaco has been so upset by the portrayal in this film that they want nothing to do with it, and the film starts with the ominous statement that what we are about to see is a fictional account based on true events. So before the first scene, my interest had already plummeted.

Unlikely to be definitive

Once you’ve lost your credibility, it’s hard to pull off a biopic and keep the audience hooked. Yes, we want to see stories about the stars, but we also want to know there’s some truth in them. If I wanted to see a fictional story I’d hop into the adjacent cinema and watch Maleficent. So although the events as they unfold in this film are interesting enough, you might find yourself trawling through Wikipedia afterwards trying to filter fact from fiction. It does tend to ruin the moment, and it definitely robs the film of a lot of gravitas. It’s uncannily similar to the situation a few months ago with Naomi Watts’ portrayal in Diana. 

Key moments

The film starts by focusing on Alfred Hitchcock’s attempts to convince Grace Kelly to return to Hollywood and star in his film Marnie. This is mostly true, I guess, but it seems to be given huge national importance here. We then shift to the politics of French President De Gaulle trying to force Monaco to pay taxes. Tim Roth (The Legend of 1900, Pulp Fiction) negotiates and looks immensely bored as Prince Ranier, while Frank Langella (Frost/Nixon, Good Night and Good Luck) is the local friar who acts as confidant and advisor to the princess. There’s some marital tension of course, and some sibling rivalry, but somehow Grace manages to solve everything in the end by throwing a ball and giving a soppy speech. Whether things happened like this or whether they even happened in the same decade needs some investigation, but the filmmakers don’t seem to care.

In the end

It’s pretty to look at, but once the slight magic wears off you’re left with a boring drama that is too artificial to be labelled as biographical, and too mundane to be labelled as a fairytale. It’s June, so do yourself a favour and watch the World Cup instead.

 



Trailer:

Simshar

 

• Premiered in Malta on 27/04/14

Review (26/04/14)

3-word review: Tragic but beautiful.  

Back in the summer of 2008, a fire at sea left only one survivor, and plunged the Maltese fishing village of Marsaxlokk into stunned silence. The details emerged slowly as Simon Bugeja, rescued from the sea after days clinging to a makeshift raft, recovered from his burns and dehydration in intensive care. His son's body was never found. Possibly the only good thing to come from this incident is this beautiful and moving film adaptation, which combines the story of those touched by the incident with the concurrent drama of perilous irregular immigration from Africa to Europe, an issue that Malta was and still is struggling with every summer. First-time director Rebecca Cremona's labour of love is a gorgeous postcard from Malta, which manages to portray some of the magic of this tiny little island without detracting from the solemnity of the fatal Simshar incident.

The fine details
A conclusive report on the incident helped the story eventually leave the front pages, but a few questions did remain unanswered. The script here does not try to answer everything or assign blame, and there is only the slightest reference to possible major illegalities, with the focus merely being on struggling fishermen ignoring fishing restrictions in order to put food on their families' table. The initial scenes with the maritime inspector are a bit clunky, besides the intentional awkwardness, and threaten to get things off to a disjointed start, but thankfully the film flows much better once the Simshar leaves port and the drama gets more intense. 

In front of the camera
I was worried some of the acting might drag the film down to TV soap levels after seeing the final trailer for the film, but thankfully most of the actors rise to the occasion. Jimi Busuttil is particularly good as Simon's father and fellow crew member, and Laura Kpegli is excellent as the subtle voice of reason amongst an increasingly desperate group of rescued immigrants. Claire Agius provides the emotional core of the film as the wife of Simon (and the 'shar' in 'Simshar'), and young Adrian Farrugia makes a notable debut as her son Theo. Lofti Abdelli was brought in to play the main role of Simon, and although his acting capabilities are clear, the obvious non-Maltese accent is unfortunately very distracting and it took me a while to get used to him in the role. Hopefully international audiences won't have this problem. 

Behind the scenes
Any complaints about the acting can be swiftly forgotten by seeing the quality of the film up on the screen, which definitely sets a new standard for films made entirely in Malta. Cremona frames the picturesque fishing village wonderfully, including a clever reveal using linen on a Marsaxlokk roof. The inclusion of the village feast and the international football match manage not to look too forced, and add the necessary colour. A handful of shots, especially during the incident and at the film's ending, are absolutely stunning. The attention to detail is also impressive, my favourite touch being the 'Lost Cat' sign on the bar's noticeboard.

In the end
Ultimately, this is a film about family. The main protagonists have their family torn apart by an unfortunate but possibly avoidable tragedy, and elsewhere many thousands risk their lives in treacherously overcrowded boats so as to give their family a chance of a better life in Europe. One of the immigrants refuses medical help so as not to be separated from her brother, and the attending doctor manages to sympathise and stay on to help her. Because the importance of family is something we can all understand, and that's what makes this film's ending so powerful.

 

 


Trailer:

12 Years a Slave

 

• Released Internationally on 08/11/13
• Released in Malta by KRS on 05/02/14

Review (04/02/14)

3-word review: Harder than fiction.

If you are looking for easy entertainment, look elsewhere. But if you want to see a powerful retelling of a story that is unbelievably true, then this piece of subtle but masterful filmmaking by Steve McQueen and his team comes highly recommended.

Solomon Northup was born a free man in the 19th century, but was working in Washington when he was drugged, kidnapped and sold as a slave. He spent a staggering twelve years in slavery, unable to communicate with the outside world or convince his owners of his freedom. It sounds impossible in this day and age, but in pre-telephone and pre-abolition America, an injustice this grave could indeed, and did indeed, happen. We know about Solomon because he published a book about his ordeal soon after being reunited with his family, and now thanks to Steve McQueen’s uncomfortable but important adaptation.

The unease and disbelief as one watches this story unfold start to sink in just as they do for the film’s main protagonist, portrayed with an impressive array of emotion by Chiwetel Ejiofor (Children of Men). His desperate attempts to stop the chain of events are met with the cruel, arrogant and infuriating behaviour of his traders, captors and owners. Only one (portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch) shows some redeeming glimmer of humanity, but slavery remains the order of the day and its atrocities are never questioned. Whereas Quentin Tarantino tackled this dark issue with a hint of humour and a deceptive light touch in Django Unchained, McQueen holds nothing back, with visceral gore, agonising long takes and nothing left to the imagination. The technical and acting prowess portrayed in one memorable long take are particularly breath-taking.

The treatment of Northup is mirrored by the heart-wrenching story of his fellow slave Patsey (Lupita Nyong’o, in an impressive breakout performance that has unsurprisingly earned her an Oscar nomination). This helps remind us that as cruel as it is to submit a free person to the hardships of slavery, it is even worse that others lived and died as slaves, with no hope of release.

There’s nothing too fancy about this film, and nothing ground-breaking. But it is an astounding story of human hardship, told in an unyielding manner. That us humans are capable of such acts is an issue that deserves our attention, lest we deceive ourselves that this is all ancient history and everything is now fine.

 

 

Trailers:
https://trailers.apple.com/trailers/fox_searchlight/12yearsaslave/

The Wolf of Wall Street

 

• Released Internationally on 25/12/13
• Released in Malta by KRS on 17/01/14

Review (15/01/14)

3-word review: Sex, drugs, stocks.

Scorsese is a genius at what he does, and subtlety is not it. In his latest sprawling character study, he brings to very vivid life the true story of disgraced Wall Street big-shot Jordan Belfort, portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio, making this their fifth excellent collaboration on screen.

Belfort rose quickly in the money-obsessed world of stock brokers, also thanks to some delicious early advice from his first boss (portrayed wonderfully in an all-too-brief performance by Matthew McConaughey). Enlisting a trusty side-kick (Jonah Hill, whose dramatic roles now start to eclipse his comedic ones), he sets up his own firm selling suspect stocks to hapless buyers, and getting super rich very quickly in the process. This all happened back in the early 90s, and as expected, a lavish lifestyle ensued. The cult following Belfort had amongst young stock brokers was not dampened, but rather fuelled by, his ridiculously over-the-top life and fame as a dubious trader. Scorsese and DiCaprio hold nothing back in stuffing the office antics, epic parties, endless drugs and countless women in our face, leaving very little to the imagination.

Ultimately, the film does serve as a cautionary tale, with justice and heartbreak catching up with Belfort and his team. But the ride is arguably entertaining enough, and some scenes are in equal parts amusing and disturbing. DiCaprio and Hill excel in the drug scenes, along with a few wonderful camera tricks and director touches. It’s so fast, loud and vivid that three hours fly by. The blood and gore so frequently seen in Scorsese’s films are absent this time around, but the drama and the depravity are clearly not. This is excellent filmmaking, but not for the faint of heart.

Trailers:
http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/paramount/thewolfofwallstreet/

Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

 

• Released Internationally on 28/11/13
• Released in Malta by KRS on 01/01/14

Review (01/01/14)

3-word review: Comprehensive, timely biopic.

In what turned out to be a stroke of good (but sad) luck for the filmmakers, and convenient timing for us viewers, this big screen adaptation of Nelson Mandela’s autobiography was being premiered in London on the same night that news of his death swept the world. Not entirely a coincidence, of course, since his health had been waning for a while, but it’s rare for us to be able to sit and watch a well-made, detailed look at an important figure’s life at the same time as he is being remembered worldwide.

There have been a number of films about Mandela in recent years, but none gave us such a broad look at his life and major triumphs as this one. Goodbye Bafana was focused on his time in prison, as seen through the eyes of a racist guard, whilst the better known Invictus focused on a specific time during his presidency. This lengthy but entertaining adaptation spans the time from his early years as a bright lawyer to his involvement in the ANC and his eventual incarceration as a result. We then see a glimpse of what happened inside prison but also on the South African and world stage during those many years, as well as the huge outpouring of emotion and change on his release.

Idris Elba (The Wire, Thor) might not resemble the kind-faced Mandela too much, but he steps into the part enthusiastically and by the end of the film has become the role in all the many facets required. He manages to portray both the suave, lady-charming young lawyer as well as the stately, wise leader that he becomes. Naomie Harris (Skyfall) dons a thick accent to match up to Mandela as his equally spirited and determined second wife, Winnie, who fought his cause through all those many years of being apart.

The film is long, but it needs to cover a lot of ground, and it manages to include all the important political aspects without leaving out the human emotion. The now famous Struggle is mirrored by the smaller scale struggle of a very particular family. The Mandela family had to endure a lot and pay a hefty price, but they were ultimately crucial in the shaping of their country.

 

Trailers:

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/weinstein/mandelalongwalktofreedom/

Saving Mr Banks

 

• Released Internationally on 29/11/13
• Released in Malta by KRS on 29/11/13

Review (28/11/13)

3-word review: Unusual Disney Magic.

Most people alive today, or at least those in the western world, have had their childhood years sprinkled with Disney magic in some form or another. The baby boomers were around when Walt Disney himself was transforming the world of animation and family cinema; my generation got to savour the Mermaid-Beauty-Aladdin peak and all the unforgettable music it brought with it; and today’s children are spoilt for choice thanks to the excellent quality of recent offerings, especially the collaborations with Pixar. Mary Poppins has somehow persisted through all of this, with its most recent incarnation being a stage musical. A childhood without ever having heard the word ‘Supercalifragilistic-expialidocious’ is not one I would wish upon anyone.

The making of

Which is a large part of the reason why this very unique film has such a great, nostalgic appeal to it. It is basically an entertaining, moving, film version of what you normally would expect to find amongst the extras on a DVD set. It is essentially a behind-the-scenes look at how 1964’s Mary Poppins was made. The reason it makes for entertaining viewing is that the author of the Mary Poppins children’s books - a very British lady who went by the name of P. L. Travers - was a very hard nut to crack, and it took Walt Disney many years and tonnes of charm to draw her to tinsel town and let him make the musical version of her books that he had promised his daughters.

Nutcracker

There are few more enjoyable things to watch than a hard nut being slowly cracked, and acting goddess Emma Thompson is wonderful to watch as she slowly, and only very slightly, warms to the carefree Los Angeles ways and cautiously lets go of her precious literary creation. A large part of the persuasion process comes by way of the sublime music that the famous Sherman Brothers (portrayed here by B. J. Novak from The Office and Jason Schwartzman from The Darjeeling Limited) were composing at the peak of their powers, and which can still gets throats humming and toes tapping fifty years later.

Walt

Filling the powerful but warm role of the head of the Disney empire himself is Tom Hanks, who delivers yet another seemingly understated but ultimately excellent performance after his recent Captain Phillips, although if he gets any awards glory this year I imagine it will be for that, not this. His to-and-fro wrangling with Travers whilst never wavering in his determination to make the film he wanted to make is the stuff of warm drama films, not forgotten DVD extras, so I’m glad it has been given this first class treatment. These scenes are carefully woven in between scenes from Travers’ childhood, where her loving but unreliable father (Colin Farrell) was a clear inspiration for the imperfect Mr Banks, and where the events that followed explain her unwavering devotion to the characters in her books.

In the end

Ultimately, the film owes much of its feel-good factor and audience appeal to Mary Poppins itself, and even lifts a couple of songs for key scenes and touching moments. But the two stories are undeniably melded together, so it is a rare and wonderful joy to see this companion piece reach our cinema screens, and remind us of the excitement we felt, back when the winds were in the east, and the mist was coming in.

 

Trailers:

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/disney/savingmrbanks/

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/

Gravity

• Released Internationally on 03/10/13
• Released in Malta by KRS on 08/11/13

Review (07/11/13)

3-word review: Go watch it.

Some films are beautiful, whilst others sacrifice the sweeping vistas and slow shots to deliver a fast-paced thriller instead. Gravity manages to do both, resulting in a film that manages to be gripping from start to finish, whilst still finding time to be a gorgeous feast for the senses.  

Simple, always simple

The first beautiful thing about this film is its simplicity. Two astronauts - one a seasoned veteran (George Clooney) and one a first-timer (Sandra Bullock), are on a space walk when their mission goes very wrong. Cut off from their usual lines of communication and well-rehearsed procedures, they need to struggle to survive. That’s more or less it. No cliché pre-take off introductions on earth, no flashbacks, no deus ex machina. Just a simple, immersive story that leaves you stunned for an hour and a half.

Great performances

As ground-breaking as the technical wizardry on display is, the film succeeds largely thanks to the wonderful presence of both Clooney and Bullock. Clooney is in familiar territory here, character-wise, as the wise veteran who knows all the tricks, offers a voice of reassurance, and never takes things too seriously. His calming presence is vital to his partner in space, whom Bullock instils with equal doses of insecurity and deep-seated determination.

A visual feast

Nowadays, it’s rare that I catch myself wondering ‘How did they do that?!’ when watching a film. I thought it a handful of times during this one. The sheer logistics of creating these completely convincing spacewalks and zero gravity accidents must have caused many a headache, but the end result makes you glad you have your 3D glasses on and a huge screen in front of your face. One scene in particular, as Bullock’s character enjoys a much-earned moment of freedom in zero gravity, is one of those priceless scenes where everything gels perfectly and makes you catch your breath.

Don’t let go

The film somehow manages to keep the tension and action going for most of its running length without ever getting tedious or tiring. Things keep going wrong, but not once does it feel far-fetched. The audience is toyed with continuously, given fleeting moments of security before they are pulled out from under us. This makes for a powerful human drama, the rise and fall of which is played out on the rate of Bullock’s breathing.

Technical masterpiece

This is an astounding achievement in every regard. The eerie, pulsating music; the visual effects; the spectacular shots of earth; the great use of sound - it all comes with a sheen of excellence and feels so much better and cleaner than anything I can recall in many months. Easily the best film of the year so far, and one of the most accomplished pieces of cinema I can remember experiencing.

 

Trailers:

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/wb/gravity/

Teaser Trailer

Captain Phillips

• Released Internationally on 10/10/13
• Released in Malta by KRS on 18/10/13

Mini-Review (29/10/13)

3-word review: Hanks excels again.

Some of the best films ever made focus on a single person’s struggle, and Tom Hanks has portrayed that person on numerous occasions. He’s back in top form here, as the true life captain of the first American cargo ship to be captured by Somali pirates back in 2009, before these hijackings became regular news. Director Paul Greengrass (United 93, The Bourne Ultimatum) gives us a simple, no-frills look at the unfolding events, and Hanks perfectly portrays the ordinary man caught up in extraordinary circumstances. His powerful acting starts off subtle and unremarkable but ends in a powerful finale as the hostage situation reaches its conclusion. Credit must also go to the supporting cast, especially his captors – clearly desperate and unprepared, but led by the chillingly calm Muse (impressive first time actor Barkhad Abdi). It’s a moving story of confrontation and survival, and a great piece of cinema.

 

Trailers:
http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/captainphillips/

Diana

• Released Internationally on 20/09/13
• Released in Malta by KRS on 02/10/13

Review (30/09/13)

3-word review: A missed opportunity.

This is by no means a successful, definitive, biopic. Those films are hard to find, and in recent years have often been passed over in lieu of films focusing on specific periods or incidents in famous people’s lives, without ambitiously claiming to be an all-encompassing account of the person’s time amongst the living. The King’s Speech was a wonderfully-executed example of these focused types, whereas The Iron Lady was a rather successful overview of Thatcher from her dawn to her twilight. 

Making a modern royal biopic must be quite tricky. A chunk of your intended audience probably have the subject of your film on some pedestal and will carefully scrutinise your every move and see if the film is worthy of its subject. Another chunk hate the idea of a monarchy and will gladly ignore the film or tear it to shreds. But it gets even trickier when your subject is one of the most photographed and public figures of the past decades, and everyone has an opinion about her.

As superficial as it sounds, however, a lot is riding on the resemblance of your main star to the person in question, aided as necessary by prosthetics and makeup. Which is a large part, of course, of why The Iron Lady worked. Naomi Watts, despite her very good acting and wonderfully 80s hairdo, does not look like Diana, and it takes a while for this to sink in and allow you to look past it. In fact some of the best shots in the film feature her from behind or from an angle, and I found myself making a double take to see whether it was archival footage or a carefully re-created scene. 

Unfortunately these designed re-enactments of iconic Diana photos and moments are the most enjoyable aspect of the film, since the love story itself feels like a standard soap-opera romance, which could be completely accurate, or mostly conjecture - we might never know. Naveen Andrews (Lost, Sinbad) is confident enough to pull off the role of the heart surgeon who stole Diana’s heart, and Watts manages to combine enough grace and fragility with occasional moments of daring to remind us what a complex person Diana must have been.

It’s interesting to dip back into the mid-90s, in an era of flip-phones, Concordes and cassette tapes, because back then the internet was brand new, and despite Diana’s constant media presence she was spared the endless, permanent internet plastering that some celebrities get today. Which might be why she managed to enjoy this modicum of privacy and have a last few years searching for happiness, albeit away from her sons for long stretches. “My boys need to see me happy”, she said, and at least she gave it a good try.

The cardiac love story plays out as we expect it to, and the film feels like it could end there, but of course it needs to go on a bit longer so that Dodi Fayed (Cas Avnar - Argo) can come into play, and lead things towards that fateful night in Paris. The chilling, famous scenes most of us will recognise provide a powerful coda to this sad tale, but ultimately they fail to lift this film to the incisive portrait it could have been.

Trailers:
http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/independent/diana/

The Big Wedding

• Released Internationally on 26/04/13
• Released in Malta by KRS on 12/06/13

Preview (as published 01/06/13 in VIDA Magazine)

Another month, another wedding film. This one is a remake of a French film, and covers the familiar ground of a dysfunctional family having to get together for a wedding, with all the awkwardness, drunkenness and varying amounts of love that ensue. The cast is quite impressive, although reviews elsewhere have so far been lukewarm at best. Robert De Niro, Diane Keaton and Susan Sarandon head the veterans section, and Robin Williams makes one of his appearances as a member of the clergy. Katherine Heigl (Knocked Up), Amanda Seyfried (Les Misérables) and Topher Grace (Spider-man 3) lead the younger section of the wedding entourage.

 

Review (12/06/13)

3-word review: Light and fluffy.

If the cast of this film were a selection of unknowns, I doubt anyone would bother sitting through it. But blessed as this film is with a trifecta of acting titans, as well as an impressive supporting cast, it plays out as an amusing and mostly harmless feast of family awkwardness, which is a tried and tested formula for this sort of wedding film.

Amongst the many issues thrown into the mix for this wedding are the aftermaths of separation, the emotional exhaustion of IVF and the complications resulting from adoption. At the core of the plot, however, is an issue which is rather relevant to Malta, with a light-hearted look at the potential hypocrisy of religious weddings, as everybody puts on a devout face and looks virginal, united and happy for the benefit of the wedding guests and the clergyman at the altar.

Some of the many subplots are more ridiculous than others, and Topher Grace in particular is quite embarrassing to watch at points. But Diane Keaton adds her own unique glow to the festivities, and De Niro ties it all together as the blundering, imperfect, lovable patriarch of the family.

In the end, it’s a comic look at the many different types of love that families are made up of nowadays, and just like most weddings it should be able to provide some connection or entertainment for most audiences, without necessarily being original or memorable.

 

Trailers:

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/lions_gate/thebigwedding/

Past Perfect: Unbreakable (2000)

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

Bigger and louder are usually better when it comes to superhero films, which is probably part of the reason why I find this second outing by director M. Night Shyamalan to be a refreshing and near-perfect piece of restrained storytelling. The concept is brilliantly simple - what would it be like for an average Joe in today’s world to slowly realise that he is, in fact, a superhero, and how would he react to the news and use his powers for good? The person in question is portrayed by Bruce Willis, in one of his outstanding dramatic performances, and he is aided on his journey of discovery by an equally impressive Samuel L. Jackson. Everything you’d expect from a hero/villain story is here - the costumes, the fancy character names, the family backstory, the heroic deed, the heroic musical theme - but it’s so subtle, so carefully awakened, and ultimately so real, that you hardly notice the overall effect until you sit back and take it all in at the end. There’s not a word out of place in the entire film, and despite it being considered a disappointment after The Sixth Sense, I find it to be a much more satisfying film on repeat viewings, and one of my favourite films of all time.

The Great Gatsby

• Released Internationally on 10/05/13
• Released in Malta by KRS on 25/05/13

Preview (as published 01/05/13 in VIDA Magazine)

This cinematic summer, amidst all the inevitable sequels, prequels and reboots, there are a few standalone giants to look forward to. And there’s no prize for guessing which will be the most lavish, colourful and all-round spectacular. Baz Luhrmann is back.

The man behind one of the best films of the millennium so far (Moulin Rouge!) is now bringing his unique brand of vivid craziness to one of the all-time great stories - F. Scott Fitzgerald's famous tale of society and excess. That the story still resonates nearly a century after its publication is a testament to its relevance, and it has already been adapted numerous times before - most famously in 1974 by Francis Ford Coppola, with Robert Redford in the title role.

Luhrmann teamed up with his regular writing partner Craig Pearce, who had also helped him with the highly original adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. Another returning collaborator from that huge success is Leonardo DiCaprio, who has of course grown in both age and star stature since then, and who will portray the exuberant Gatsby. The narrator role goes to Tobey Maguire (Spider-man), with Carey Mulligan (Drive, An Education) starring as the lovely Daisy who is swept up into Gatsby’s party world. Isla Fisher (Wedding Crashers), Joel Edgerton and Jason Clarke (both recently seen in Zero Dark Thirty) also star.

As with every Luhrmann film, music will be a key player, and for this outing the director enlisted a host of stars, led by superstar rapper Jay-Z, to oversee the music. How the music will reflect the 1920s setting remains to be seen, but for the man who brought Fatboy Slim to the can-can shows of Paris that shouldn’t be a problem. The trailers have so far been stunningly beautiful, and I can’t wait to see this on a massive screen.

Review (24/05/13)

3-word review: Quite Great Indeed.


Anyone sitting down to watch this and expecting a somber, reverential adaptation of the classic should know better. This is Baz Luhrmann, so everything needs to be gorgeous, everything needs to be operatic, and everything needs to sparkle. Thankfully, this is a story that works wonderfully with the Baz treatment.

Purists might balk at the hip-hop sounds that are heard in early twentieth-century New York, and conservatives might have reservations about the unabashed portrayal of ridiculous excess which jars substantially in these times of preached austerity. But ultimately the seamless blend of music genres works wonderfully throughout the film, and the depiction of the absurdity of excess wealth helps drive the story’s message home. Because beneath all the sequins and within all the mansions, this is a timeless tale of wealth, and whether it alone is enough to make a man, irrespective of whether it was inherited, earned or dubiously earned. And as with most tales of the rich, it is also a careful analysis of fair-weather friends and the abuses of hospitality that ensue. The tour of Gatsby’s house, as crafted in this adaptation, manages to be both a beautifully whimsical montage whilst still highlighting the disgusting excess of it all. It’s a fine balance, but Luhrmann pulls it off with aplomb.

DiCaprio, who can’t seem to make any bad films, is a joy to behold as the titular bachelor and legendary party host. He dominates every scene he’s in, also thanks to the masters in the wardrobe department. More importantly, he manages to convey the paralysing insecurity and doubt that is central to his character, as well as all the other problems that us non-billionaires secretly hope the rich face. And he manages to drive the story forward thanks to his very convincing interpretation of Gatsby’s obsession with Daisy.

Daisy, the main female character and the cause of most of the events in the film, gets a very slightly disappointing turnout from Carey Mulligan, but it was always going to be a tall order to manage to be the woman that can fuel such obsession. To help her along, Luhrmann orchestrates one of the most visually magical character introductions I can remember - an introduction that is then topped a few minutes later when we first meet Gatsby. These two scenes, along with a handful of others throughout the film, are such a perfect marriage of colour, acting, set design, music and imagination, they remind us why we head to dark cinemas and gaze up in amazement.

It’s not all fireworks and champagne, of course, and the filmmakers treat the source matter with respect, including a clever nod to the novel’s first cover, carefully watching over proceedings on the road to ruin. Tobey Maguire’s narrator gives us someone to identify with in all this craziness, and he skillfully guides us through the tale with the benefit of hindsight. His arrival at the party to end all parties is a joy to behold, and it’s great that we have him to cling onto.

Ultimately, it’s an excellent story, very well told. Luhrmann’s unique brand of storytelling charges fiercely on, and I for one hope it never fades. It’s not as overall excellent as Moulin Rouge! or Romeo + Juliet, but it’s a huge step up from his more recent Australia, and easily one of the best films of the year so far.

Trailers:

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/wb/thegreatgatsby/

Rust and Bone

• Released Internationally on 17/05/12
• Released in Malta by KRS on 30/04/13
• French, with subtitles

Review (29/04/13)

3-word review: Visceral and beautiful.

Love is not always pretty. Some might argue that love is never pretty, but after many decades of romantic comedies full of good-looking, smartly-dressed people with toothpaste smiles, it’s not surprising that many of us roam around expecting knights on white horses or proposals during summer rainfall. Thankfully, every so often a love story comes along that manages to convey the ugly, compromising side of relationships, but which also manages to show how the resulting emotions are no less genuine or intense. I have been lucky enough to come across a few such films, but this is definitely one of the best I can remember.

Directed by French director Jacques Audiard, who received mountains of praise for his last film - 2010’s A Prophet - the film stars Oscar-winner Marion Cotillard (La Vie en rose, Inception) and relatively unknown Belgian actor Matthias Schoenaerts as the central roles. The two characters have very little in common, but both have been dealt a rough hand in very different circumstances. A chance chivalrous encounter leads to future meetings, but in the meantime both their lives have changed significantly. He is a single father who struggles to make ends meet and ends up using his brute strength to support his son. She is a killer whale trainer who suffers an accident at work that changes her outlook on life.

This is a very emotional film - I went from fear to tension to anger to sadness in quick succession, but the emotions and salient points are not spoon-fed to the audience. Audiard has the courage and skill to get his message across with very few words and with many missing pieces needing filling in. He is aided immensely by the powerful yet subtle performances from both main actors, as well as the unobtrusive visual effects where needed. The film has its graphic moments, but no amount of bloodied fists can compete with what’s going on inside. Very different and very impressive.

 

 

Trailer:

Safe Haven

• Released Internationally on 14/02/13
• Released in Malta by KRS on 24/04/13

Preview (first published 01/04/13 in VIDA Magazine)

Nicholas Sparks (The Notebook, My Sister’s Keeper) has a solid reputation for writing moving human dramas, and Lasse Hallström (Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, Chocolat) has an equally solid reputation for directing moving human dramas. So here they are, together again (after Dear John a few years ago). Julianne Hough, who made the move from dancing to acting when she starred in the remake of Footloose, stars as a woman escaping an abusive husband, who finds solace in a small town, where she meets a widower with two children (Josh Duhamel, Life As We Know It). Based on past experience, I’d suggest you bring tissues.

 

Review (23/04/13)

3-word review: Safe is dull.

There are very few characters in this film, and they are all pretty two-dimensional and clichéd. I guess the overall effect works if you’re looking for an undemanding thriller/romance, but I felt that the thrills were few and the romance was quite tepid. Julianne Hough portrays the woman on the run, who decides to stop in a tiny fishing village in the middle of nowhere. Her decision may or may not have been affected by the handsome man who runs the local store, but if she has any doubts that they’ll end up an item, I’m pretty sure the audience won’t. The reason why she is on the run is the only real secret of the film, and once that is revealed there’s nothing much more to do but watch the inevitable unfold.

Maybe if you’ve had a long, emotionally draining day, or your favourite pet just died, you might get a bit teary-eyed during the blatantly manipulative scenes at the end, but I guess my day was going just fine. And this is someone who can unashamedly admit to having shed a few tears during My Sister’s Keeper. I’m not sure whether that was a better Nicholas Sparks novel, but they certainly made it into a better film than this.

 

Trailers:

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/independent/safehaven/

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.

Past Perfect: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

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

Believe it or not, there are men and women walking amongst us who haven’t seen this yet. I found one recently, but the situation was remedied within a few days. Whether watching it now, as an adult, can have the same immense impact as it had on my generation back in the 80s is debatable, but nostalgia or not, it’s hard to deny that this is a technically marvellous and emotionally splendid film. I grew up watching it, and feeling incredibly cool on my bike as a result, and I rediscovered some of that magic when I took my younger sister to the cinema to watch it when re-released in 2002. Since then I’ve caught it a few times on TV, and occasionally get the urge to watch the DVD. There’s always new lines or scenes to appreciate fully, and laugh-out-loud moments that never grow old. And then, as things come to a boil, there’s possibly the best fifteen minutes of film music ever composed, and one of the all-time best examples of the perfect marriage between what you see and what you hear. The escape, the chase, and the goodbye that will leave you in bits.

Past Perfect: Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)

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

I was a latecomer to this timeless gem of a movie, and inevitably I had built up my own (incorrect) impressions of what the film would be like, based on the countless posters, imagery and little black dresses (not for me, of course) that have resulted from Audrey Hepburn’s look in this film. But when I actually sat down to savour it, without having any idea of the plot or concept, I was very pleasantly surprised. Despite looking like the most fragile and beautiful creature on earth Hepburn’s Miss Golightly is a feisty character if ever there was one, as she waltzes through life appearing tipsy but actually knowing exactly what she’s after. By the time Paul (George Peppard, or Hannibal from The A-Team before his hair turned white), falls for her, so had I. With the audience wrapped around her skinny finger, Hepburn can then cause all the more heartbreak and frustration with her seemingly spur-of-the-moment decisions. The ending veers slightly from that in Truman Capote’s book, which I then looked up and devoured. The film and the book seem like slightly different versions of the same story, but they’re both a showcase for artists at the height of their talent. There’s also a wonderful party scene thrown in, and of course Henry Mancini’s music, which you’ll be humming for days.

Lincoln

• Released Internationally on 16/11/12
• Released in Malta by KRS on 30/01/13

Preview (first published 01/01/13 in VIDA Magazine)

I have yet to watch a Steven Spielberg film I didn’t enjoy, and which didn’t showcase his huge talent and knack for storytelling. And I have yet to see a Daniel Day Lewis performance that was not completely convincing. Few actors have gained as much respect as he has recently, especially after his seminal There Will Be Blood. So when Spielberg has a long-standing desire to make a film about Abraham Lincoln, and Day Lewis looks uncannily like the famous US President, the board is set for a piece of classic Americana storytelling. Any US president would probably be worth making a film about, but if you abolish slavery and end up assassinated, that film might just be all the more important and poignant.

Review (29/01/13)

This film might not provide you with many edge-of-your-seat moments, and its main plot point - the abolition of slavery in the US - is an outcome that all viewers will (hopefully) already know was successful. But it still manages to portray the time and the process with the gravitas that such a historic moment deserves, and much of that gravitas is carried and dished out by Daniel Day Lewis' Abraham Lincoln. 

It's a restrained but stunning piece of acting, and in ways far more impressive than the over-the-top performances he excelled at, such as Bill the Butcher in Gangs of New York. There's a wonderful mix of the serious side and the playful side, as well as both his political facade and his struggles as a husband and father. During the family scenes, he jousts with another veteran - Sally Field as his pained wife. The rest of the cast are far too numerous and wonderful to mention individually, although Tommy Lee Jones does stand out, and his wizened character is given probably the best ending in the whole film.

Spielberg evidently has great respect for the subject matter here, and he delivers this wonderful historical chapter without much gloss, but with loads of class. Some might argue that this is more a film that needed to be made rather than one that was released for entertainment purposes, but I for one enjoyed it from beginning to end, and every aspect of what you see and hear on screen is top notch work from quality artists. 

Trailers:
http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/dreamworks/lincoln/