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/

Robin Hood

• Released Internationally on 12/05/10
• Released in Malta by KRS on 14/05/10

Preview (Published 01/05/10 in VIDA magazine)

In a nutshell

Mr. Hood needs no introduction. We’ve seen and read countless versions of the story, from fantastic foxes with whistling sidekicks, to Kevin Costner and his princely ways, and even merry men in not-so-manly tights. But that was all quite a while ago, so we’re due for another take, with this one promising to tell the back-story behind the outlaw. The details should remain the same, however – rob the rich, provide for the poor, arrows, friars, etc.

Why we’re hyped

Although Robin’s boots have been filled by various big names over the years, we can now look forward to a visionary director as well as a stellar cast. Ridley Scott has made many excellent films in a variety of genres, but has yet to recapture the epic feel and huge success of 2000’s Gladiator. He nearly managed with Kingdom of Heaven five years ago, but the theatrical cut was a bit of a mess, and Orlando Bloom was a bit of a wimp as the hero. Let’s face it – if you need to rally the troops, beat the odds and win the girl, you’re better off with Russell Crowe.

Who’s in it?

Besides Crowe as the titular archer, the film boasts the presence of the classy and beautiful Cate Blanchett as Lady Marian. As if those two weren’t enough to appeal to all ages and genders, we can also look forward to Max von Sydow (Shutter Island), Mark Strong (Sherlock Holmes), Matthew Macfadyen (Frost/Nixon), Mark Addy (The Full Monty), William Hurt (A History of Violence) and Danny Huston (Birth) in lesser roles of varying menace and personal hygiene. The latest trailer looks very promising, so let’s hope for the best.

Review (14/05/10)

Robin Longstride

This is not the story of Robin Hood’s adventures. It’s a sort of prequel to all the Robin Hood adaptations you may have seen before, and tells the story of how a certain Robin Longstride, after returning from the crusades as part of Richard the Lionheart’s army, helped start an uprising against the tyrannical King John, and ended up being brandished an outlaw. Once this concept has sunk in, the scope and progression of the film become enjoyable to watch, and the ending proves very satisfying.

Political woes

When King Richard’s reign ends, Robin and his closest friends desert the army, and try to make their own way home across the channel. They bump into a covert squad of French soldiers under the guidance of a certain Sir Godfrey, who are attempting to assassinate the king and lay the groundwork for the French invasion of the British Isles. Back in the Tower of London, King John eventually inherits the crown and with a mix of greed and ignorance manages to infuriate the already oppressed and impoverished English people. Tired of wallowing in misery as the state and church squander their precious resources, the villagers across the land start a rebellion, and the well-timed arrival of the charismatic Robin manages to unite them.

The more the merrier

The impressive cast all take to their parts with gusto, and the consistently strong acting is also helped by a script that manages to be grand without going overboard. The mid-section suffers a bit when it’s unclear exactly who is fighting who, but it all works out tidily in the end. Crowe adds a British accent to his Maximus persona, and is convincing as the hero, albeit without enough human flaws. Blanchett’s Marian manages to warm to him, but not too quickly, and Max Von Sydow as her father is, as usual, excellent. Mark Strong is suitably evil as the traitorous Sir Godfrey, King John’s henchman. His shaved head and reckless disregard for protective headgear make him the most easily identifiable of the enemy forces during the various pillage and battle scenes, and his rivalry with Robin develops as the film progresses, culminating in a wet and wild duel during the film’s spectacular climax.

Archers with tonic

The skills with a bow and arrow play an essential part from the prologue right up the epilogue scenes, and reach epic proportions in the French invasion of England - a magnificent scene mirroring the Normandy landings in WW2. It’s more or less everything you would expect from a war movie set in 12^th century England, and at times the film is quite clearly a mix of Braveheart and Gladiator, even down to individual shots and actions. But I guess you could do worse than try to emulate those two modern classics. The score is one aspect which falls short, however, with the music being unmemorable and largely intrusive.

In the end

The second big film of this summer season should appeal to an even wider audience that the superhero antics in Iron Man 2. Anchored by predictably good performances from the hero and heroine at the core of the story, the film presents an original story, but told in a fashion we have seen before. It’s undeniably fun and action-packed, and like all good ‘prequels’ ends on a satisfying note with everything falling into place as you know it. If you loved Braveheart, this should be fun.

Trailers:

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/universal/robinhood/

Body of Lies

 

• Released Internationally on 10/10/08
• Released in Malta by KRS on 19/11/08

Preview (01/11/08)

In a nutshell

Based on the novel by the same name, this political thriller follows a CIA agent as he travels to Jordan to track down a high-ranking terrorist suspect.

Who’s in it?

Leonardo DiCaprio is agent Roger Ferris, the CIA guy who gets most of the action. His boss and eventual partner is Edwin Hoffman, played by Russell Crowe, who looks like he just walked off the set of The Insider because he had to put on weight and grey his hair for the part. Directorial duties fall to the inconsistently brilliant Ridley Scott.

Why we’re hyped

As mentioned above, Ridley Scott is undoubtedly talented, but some of his efforts just seem to miss the mark, and fail to live up to his other amazing work. Let’s hope this will go on the shelf with Gladiator, Blade Runner and Matchstick Men rather than on the shelf with G.I.Jane, Kingdom of Heaven and A Good Year. One thing he can’t complain about here is the cast – because DiCaprio and Crowe have proved to be two of the most bankable and applauded leading men of the past decade.

Review (17/11/08)

I heard the news today

From the opening sequence, this film manages to root itself in today's reality: a tense Middle-Eastern situation and a western world trying, and often failing, to track down the terrorists who are blowing up innocent victims in big cities, and giving the Arab world a bad name. As we have sadly seen on the news numerous times in the past decade, the film starts with a deadly blast which leaves a major city shaken, and all fingers point east, but to nobody in particular. Ridley Scott goes behind the news items to show us what happens before and after the footage we see from the comfort of our homes.

Off the grid

Despite increasing use of sophisticated technology, the big shots in the US are often unable to locate the terrorist leaders due to their hermit-like existence, and their ability to get their message out without using phones, internet and other traceable devices. As Hoffman (Crowe) explains, if only their major suspects would use a mobile phone even once, his job would be much easier. This is where agent Ferris (DiCaprio) comes in - he's the street-wise, hardened agent who's fluency in Arabic and variety of facial hair help him to blend in with the locals, and slowly track down possible leads or suspects. It's a dangerous job, but he's good at it, and doesn't have much to go home to anyway. Where technology reaches its limits, he's the man to call.

Strong Performance

Both Crowe and DiCaprio are on top form here, with the former fashioning an easily dislikeable character, who at times seems to be the most knowledgeable guy in the business, but who might not be as smart as he thinks. DiCaprio continues his string of excellent acting roles with an admirable, believable agent, who is everything that his boss is not. Once his character has been firmly established, Scott introduces the love-interest sub-plot, which provides a key angle to the story. Making his second good impression this year is supporting actor Mark Strong, who stood out from the ensemble cast in Guy Ritchie's RockNRolla. He portrays the head of Jordanian Intelligence, Hani Salaam, and seems to be the only level-headed constant in the whole middle-east.

Great Scott

The film unravels wonderfully and then binds together for a powerful finale, and is a joy to watch. The sense of realism is present throughout, both in the form of recognizable footage and scenarios as mentioned above, but also due to meticulous attention to details in every scene, such as the progression of DiCaprio's facial injuries during the course of the film. We might never know whether this is an accurate picture of what's going on over in the desert, but it's definitely believable and convincing.

 

Trailer: