The Monuments Men

 

• Released Internationally on 07/02/14
• Released in Malta by KRS on 19/02/14

Review (01/03/14)

3-word review: An odd disappointment.

 

It wasn’t easy to figure out why I didn’t love this. The ingredients all seemed fine, and I was in the mood for some good old adventure. But the film is unusually disjointed and bumpy, especially when compared to George Clooney’s excellent previous films as director. Something must have gone wrong at some point, because the film got delayed, and the end result seems slightly unpolished.

It’s not a complete mess, of course. The film still has some wonderful moments and an overall glaze of class, and a lot of effort clearly went into the WW2 setting and worldwide scope of the film. It tells the story of the piecemeal band of professionals who were assembled towards the end of the war to try to find and preserve the vast collections of priceless art that had gone missing as the war swept through Europe. The Nazi antagonists and the treasure hunt atmosphere give the proceedings a decidedly Indiana Jones feel, which is perfectly complemented by Alexandre Desplat’s vintage musical score, which pays homage to Jones as well as older classics and is probably the single best thing about the entire film.

The cast assembled by Clooney is top notch, but this might be part of the problem. As the team members are dispatched all over the continent, it’s hard to keep up with all of them but still give them enough time to make the characters anything more than superficial stereotypes. Maybe two characters less, and their scenes on the cutting room floor, would have made this the slick, old-school adventure story it was meant to be.

 

 

Trailers:
https://trailers.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/themonumentsmen/

Inglourious Basterds

 

• Released Internationally on 19/08/09
• Released in Malta by KRS on 26/08/09

 

In a nutshell

Quentin Tarantino brings his unique brand of filmmaking to the enduringly popular subject of World War II.

Take a good story

When Tarantino announced he would be making a war film, I doubt anyone expected a run-of-the-mill telling of some particular aspect of the war. As 2008 showed, the tragic events of over half a century ago offer a rich basis for human drama, both factual (Defiance, Valkyrie) or imagined (Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, The Reader). Tarantino opted for the latter, and has allegedly had this alternative history brewing in his mind since before Kill Bill. The setting may be WW2, but the core of the film is a story of pure vengeance, though this time on a much grander scale than the intimate revenge of The Bride in Kill Bill.

Add a fancy title

The titular Basterds are a rogue squad of Jewish-Americans handpicked by Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) for a mission in Nazi-occupied France. The brief is simple - hunt down Nazis, take no prisoners, scalp them, and let word of their cruelty get out so as to terrorise the Reich all the way to the moustached top. Tarantino offered no official explanation for his misspelt title, apart from it being an artistic flourish, so one has to assume it's merely a play on the French pronunciation of this fearsome band's label.

Choose the finest ingredients

Brad Pitt's name and face are understandably plastered all over the promotional material for the film, but by no means is he the only star of this picture. His role as the heroic Raine, leader of the Basterds, provides most of the comedy in the film, and his thick Tennessee accent and black humour serve as a useful counterpoint to the barbaric and graphic nature of his crew's deeds. But there are two lesser-known names that make you sit up and take note. German actor Christoph Waltz is the smiling but ruthless Nazi Hans Landa, ‘the Jew hunter’, in a brilliant performance, not least because of his fluent use of English, French, German and Italian as needed. And French actress Mélanie Laurent gives us a true heroine to root and feel for as the resourceful Shosanna. Looking very much like a French Uma Thurman (Tarantino's frequent collaborator and alleged muse), she stands out as the most vivid and human character in the whole story, and I wouldn't be surprised to see her or Waltz be mentioned come award season. Diane Kruger (Troy) has a smaller but pivotal role as a prominent German actress with wavering allegiances, Mike Myers (Austin Powers, Shrek) has a brief cameo as a British general, and Eli Roth (director of Cabin Fever and Hostel) and B.J. Novak (TV’s The Office) are two of the infamous scalp-hunters.

Add garnish to taste

The director's trademark flourishes are all present here, making this very much a Tarantino tale set in WW2 rather than simply a war movie directed by Tarantino. The main titles are stylistically similar to those of Kill Bill, and the narrative is once again divided into clearly distinct chapters with grandiose storybook titles such as "Once Upon a Time... In Nazi-Occupied France". The storyline is mostly, but not entirely, chronological this time, but it is also punctuated with very brief and often hilarious flashbacks to emphasize certain memories. Plus there's loads of his deft little touches like couples of aggressors staring down at their victims (though not in car boots this time), copious film references, Sergio Leone-style close-ups during stand-offs (even when sitting down) and the good old Wilhelm scream. There's even a snippet of explanatory narration by Tarantino regular Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown), and another brief uncredited role for Harvey Keitel (Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction), at the other end of a phone line. The graphic violence is also present, as expected, however it comes in a few very short, intense bursts.

Add a generous amount of Morricone

Music is always an integral part of Tarantino's films, and this is no exception. In his early films Tarantino gained a reputation for picking out classic songs which perfectly fit his scenes, and which younger generations could discover thanks to the resultant soundtracks. In Kill Bill and his recent Death Proof, he veered towards selections from classic film scores rather than pop songs, most prominently Ennio Morricone's spaghetti western scores. The maestro himself was apparently due to provide an original score for Basterds, but had to bow out due to his busy schedule. However many key sequences in the film are scored with selections from his enormous body of work, along with those of other composers and a few songs from various eras. Historical accuracy is secondary here - the music fits each scene like a glove and on numerous occasions adds tonnes of pathos or excitement to the proceedings. Much as I love his earlier music choices, I think these grandiose score cues fit his flamboyant type of filmmaking better, and I hope this trend continues.

Bring to the boil

The excitement is never lacking. It is an often used measure that a good film should provoke feelings in the viewer, whatever feelings those may be. By that yardstick Basterds is a triumph, as from the opening scene is drips with palpable tension and suspense, as even the most seemingly amicable and pleasant of conversations are wrought with the distinct feeling that any second things are going to combust and shots are going to ring out. Each chapter in this chronicle has its own taut climax, and the film benefits hugely from the overall air of unpredictability this alternative history provides. Last year, despite being entertaining, Valkyrie suffered from an inescapable feeling of inevitability, since it was based on fact. Here, anything can happen.

Allow to simmer

Tarantino presented a hurriedly-edited version of his latest fare at the Cannes festival last May, which garnered mixed reviews but heaps of worthy praise for Waltz’s performance. He then had a few more months to fine tune and re-edit the film, before releasing the finished product we see today. Thankfully, he didn’t sacrifice length, because each sequence is wonderful to watch, and the film’s two and a half hours soar past thanks to the chapters and their individual showdowns.

Serve fresh

This is a director still as fresh and enjoyable as he was when he burst onto the scene in the early 90s. A glorious romp of a movie, with heaps of style enhancing, rather than detracting from, the great storytelling and excellent acting.

 

 

Trailer:

http://www.apple.com/trailers/weinstein/inglouriousbasterds/ (High-res QuickTime)

 

The Reader

• Released Internationally on 10/12/08
• Released in Malta by KRS on 04/02/09

 

In a nutshell

Michael Berg is a German teenager who in 1958 embarks on a passionate love affair with on older woman, Hanna Schmitz. The relationship ends abruptly, but they get back in touch with each other many years later, after he has followed a high-profile war crimes trial in which she is the defendant.

Not your average cradle-snatcher

Apart from the usual trysts, the relationship between these two seemingly-mismatched lovers also involves sessions of him reading to her from the books he is studying at school; something she seems to enjoy. He is eager to please, and therefore complies willingly. Later, whilst he is studying law and attending her trial without her knowledge, he discovers that her apparent fetish for being read to dates back to her days as an SS guard in the Nazi concentration camps. He also suddenly realises that she is hiding a secret that she is determined to keep safe, even if it costs her her freedom. As the only person who knows her enough to understand what is happening, he is torn between speaking up and keeping silent, and unsure about which one is the right thing to do.

A man shaped by his past

We first meet Michael Berg in 1995, when he is portrayed by Ralph Fiennes as a cold, unsentimental man who admits to having been deeply affected by his teenage affair. His failed marriage and superficial relationships, even with his own daughter, seem to stem from his ambiguous feelings for this older woman with a horrific past. How he acted at her trial continues to haunt him, and he eventually seeks redemption in trying to resume his reading relationship. The same character is also brought to life by an impressive young German actor, David Kross, who plays the difficult role of the 15-year old Berg caught up in his first sexual relationship, as well as the 23-year old Berg who attends her trial as a promising law student. Both actors complement each other wonderfully, and it is easy to see beyond them and understand this troubled man as one person.

A woman hiding secrets

Kate Winslet has received numerous accolades for her equally-impressive performance as Hanna. Sporting a German accent throughout, she discloses little during her early scenes as Berg’s unconventional but bossy lover, yet she seems as involved as he is. But after she disappears from his life without warning, her effect on him takes on an ominous tone as the trial uncovers her dark past during World War II. Reviled as a monster by everyone else, she still casts a shadow over Berg’s life, and eventually he turns out to be the only person she can claim as a friend. Winslet’s powerful performance also covers her later years, when we, just like Berg, are left uncertain about how to feel about her.

A crew-list of note

The film is directed by Stephen Daldry, who brought a smile to everyone’s face with Billy Elliot in 2000 and then shot up to the A-list with The Hours two years later. Amongst the film’s producers are the late Sydney Pollack and Anthony Minghella, two great directors and producers who sadly passed away before they could see the film completed. David Hare, an established playwright, adapted the screenplay from the novel of the same name, just as he had done so successfully with The Hours.

In the end

Starting off deceptively as a story about an unconventional love-affair, the films truly takes off in the second act, and ends as a thoughtful and important film about doing the right thing. A classy film, with excellent acting throughout.

 

 

Trailer:

Defiance

 

• Released Internationally on 16/01/09
• Released in Malta by KRS on 21/01/09

In a nutshell

The new blond Bond, Daniel Craig, returns as a very different type of hero in the moving true story of Tuvia Bielski, who along with his brothers helped an ever-growing band of Polish Jews survive the Holocaust for over two years in the forests of what is now Belarus.

More WW2?

Over sixty years later, the second world war still has lots to offer in terms of shocking and heroic story-telling. Whether it’s fiction and extrapolation such as Life is Beautiful or the recent Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, or fascinating fact like Schindler’s List, Defiance or the upcoming Valkyrie, we still have a lot to learn from a war which most people alive today weren’t around for. The tales of villainy and valour are just as resonant today, as we face new wars and live through new forms of human tragedies, albeit often as detached observers. And this could very well be why the subject matter has produced some of the best and most enduring films of recent decades, apart from the evident opportunity to mix adventure and human emotion. This new addition to the endless story of the ‘great’ war is smaller in scope and focus, but just as important and interesting. As a true story it complements Schindler’s List as yet another story of supposedly selfish but ultimately generous individuals who by their leadership and defiance helped a definite number of individuals survive the holocaust, and start a new life after the war. For every descendant of those survivors, this story is all that matters.

Fight or Fly?

Orphaned at the start of the Nazi invasion, the four Bielski brothers are forced into hiding in the forest they know very well, in what occupied Poland. As time goes by their tiny band grows, and they refuse no one, despite struggling to cope with the numbers of mouths to feed. Their hiding place eventually takes on a more permanent form, and over months a small Jewish community grows in the depths of the forest. The community binds together out of necessity and a common enemy, and new relationships are formed. But the cruel winter and the inevitable frayed nerves and frustration threaten to tear the community apart.

Band of Brothers

Bielski himself cannot see eye-to-eye with his younger, but also adult brother Zus, who thinks fighting the Germans is a more honourable way to live than cowering amongst the trees and scavenging for food. But eventually they rejoin forces when it is most needed, and gather their community together in a last gasp run for freedom.

Who’s in it?

Bonding well with Craig’s Tuvia is Liev Schreiber (The Painted Veil, The Sum of All Fears) as his brother Zus. Jamie Bell (Billy Elliot, King Kong) is surprisingly headfast for his age as their younger brother Asael, while relative newcomer George Mackay rounds off the family as the youngest brother Aron. The film is directed by Ed Zwick, who’s no newcomer to epic war films, having given us The Last Samurai, Courage Under Fire, Blood Diamond and Glory, as well as the expansive Legends of the Fall.

In the end

Craig is convincing as the dominant brother, but it’s not easy for him to shake off his Bond image, despite the dirt, grime and muted cinematography. The supporting cast are all great and bring a number of minor characters to life, and overall the plight of these defiant few becomes a moving issue, although their prospects are never really in doubt.

 

Trailer:

Australia

  

• Released Internationally on 26/11/08
• Released in Malta by KRS on 25/12/08

Preview (18/11/08)

In a nutshell

Set during World War II, this film is unashamedly epic in scope, and hopes to be the biggest thing ever produced down under. It’s a stirring love story between a British aristocrat who inherits a large tract of land in Australia, and one of the men who helps her move the cattle across the country to avoid the bombing of Darwin (the city) during the war.

Who’s in it?

Nicole Kidman is Lady Sarah Ashley, and with a name like that you can probably imagine what she talks and walks like, and what she likes to drink in the afternoon. The rough cattle-hand whom she meets down under is played by Hugh Jackman, who like Kidman is also an ozzie, as is the rest of the cast. David Wenham (300, Faramir in The Lord of the Rings) plays the excessively slimy Neil Fletcher, who isn’t too pleased with Ashley taking over the ranch. The film is directed by the amazingly talented Baz Luhrmann, who last graced the big screen with probably the most spectacular film of the century so far – Moulin Rouge!

Why we’re hyped

Luhrmann has a short, but stunning filmography, and besides Moulin Rouge! has also directed Romeo + Juliet and Strictly Ballroom in the 90s. Since then, he staged a successful version of La Bohème on Broadway, and set about researching Australian history to see when best to set his next epic project. He claims to have made the film as grand and moving as such classics as Gone with the Wind and Out of Africa, which might sound pretentious, but is still mouth-watering. It’s highly unlikely that this film can live up to the massive hype it has generated (also courtesy of Oprah), but anything by Luhrmann should still be, at very least, a feast for the senses.

 

Review (23/12/08)

Out of Australia

Our epic journey begins with the arrival of prim and proper Lady Ashley in rough and ruthless Australia, where the dry season is a killer and the beef trading business is not exactly well done. As she arrives with all her spotless luggage and slowly starts to realise how much adjusting she’ll need, you’d be forgiven for thinking this is a remake of Sydney Pollack’s gorgeous Out of Africa from over 20 years ago. As mentioned above, Baz Luhrmann drew some inspiration from the award-winning safari-fest, and the early similarities are remarkable. Thankfully, the plot soon veers off in a totally different direction, and the only resemblances remaining are the wonderful vistas of the titular countries, and the unconventional love story between two very different people.

The Wizard of Oz

Australia’s very own Baz Luhrmann is evidently still in top form. From the outset, he waltzes through the introductions using some of the playful editing and imagery he put to such good use in Moulin Rouge!, and once again every scene is a beautiful spectacle of colour. A simple early shot of a horse rising out of a billabong (small lake) is exquisite, and helps remind us that this is no run-of-the-mill director, but one who has fashioned some of the most striking sequences in recent memory. This attention to detail persists throughout the entire film (and it’s a long one), and looks great on the big screen. The wartime-era views of Darwin port, both before and during the bombings, sometimes focus more on aesthetics than on realism, and this helps enhance the whole fairytale aspect of the film.

Rescuers Down Under

While the love story and heroic journey make for great storytelling, there comes a point where the plot seems to have thinned and burnt out too quickly. But any doubts are quickly blown away by the oncoming war, and by the film’s secondary plot about race, equality and the ‘stolen generations’ of aboriginal children, which comes to the fore. This is personified by the attention-grabbing performance of a twelve-year old debutante, Brandon Walters. He brings such life and charm to the character of the aboriginal child Nullah, that he is as pivotal to the film as the two main stars. His relationship with the star couple forms a moving trio that lifts the love story to heights it could never have achieved on its own. He gives a memorable face and voice to the aboriginal children who suffered during the past century, and who were first in line when the Japanese bombers flew down from Asia.

Cinema Paradiso

Adventure, fate, victory, love, war, salvation, justice. These are some of the main themes that have brought movies to life over the years, and which we watch again and again in different forms and with different protagonists. Baz Luhrmann has ambitiously weaved them all into his grand fairytale, and has managed to pull it off with panache. His love for cinema, showmanship and storytelling is evident in every scene, and he has managed to give us a good-old fashioned yarn to feel great about. This is what going to the movies is all about, and it’s the perfect Christmas film for story-lovers, whatever their age and whatever their tastes. A dazzling masterpiece.

 

Trailer:

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

• Released Internationally on 14/11/08
• Released in Malta by KRS on 19/11/08

 

In a nutshell

Based on the 2006 novel, this moving and original WW2 drama allows us to stumble upon a concentration camp as seen through the eyes of an 8-year-old German boy, and is a wonderful piece of storytelling with a hard-hitting message.

Vot is ze plot?

This British film introduces us to a well-groomed young boy named Bruno, whom we soon is found out is the son of a prominent Nazi officer. The director has decided to do away with any German accents, and instead all the characters in the film have pristine British accents. This makes the dialogue flow better and enhances the acting, although it takes a few scenes to get used to, and see past. There is no doubt which side of the fence our main protagonists are on, however, as Bruno's father hosts the Berlin elite at his house for a party to celebrate his promotion, and he proudly descends the main staircase to the sound of the German national anthem. We later discover that he has been promoted to commander of a concentration camp, and he is obliged to move his wife and two children to a villa close to the camp. This is where Bruno's adventure begins.

Who's in it?

Vera Farmiga, whom you might recognise as the love interest from Scorcese's The Departed, is Bruno's mum, whilst David Thewlis (The Big Lebowski, Remus Lupin in the Harry Potter franchise) is his newly-promoted father. Bruno himself is played by relative newcomer Asa Butterfield, who quite easily steals the show from all the adults around him. Another relative newcomer, Briton Mark Herman, sat in the director's chair.

Ignorance is bliss

Like most 8-year olds, Bruno thinks the world of his father, and has little interest in politics or what is going on outside the confines of his little world. But the stiffling limits of their countryside villa can only hold him for so long, and he soon finds a way out into the surrounding grounds, and inevitably reaches what he initialy thinks is a farm, but which we all know is something far worse. Despite his mother's best efforts to shelter her two children from the atrocities happening just miles from their home, it inevitably starts to dawn on her that what her husband is doing goes far beyond patriotism, and is not an environment she should be raising her children in.

Life is beautiful

It's been around a decade since Benigni's seminal film showed us how a father managed to protect his son from the terrors of war by pretending that it was all a game, and wrapping it all in fantasy. Here we see the other side of the coin - the young boy who starts off with a childhood fantasy but is slowly and painfully exposed to the truth. The innocent, childlike and stepwise way in which Bruno is slowly exposed to the horrors of the concentration camp help remind us just how horrifying and sad they are. Any comparison to Benigni's masterpiece has to be a good thing, and this flm definitely deserves it.

In the end

The build-up is wonderfully done, and the slow breakdown of Bruno's family relationship, exemplified by his mother being torn between her husband and her children, is well-written and acted. As the film rushes to its jaw-dropping climax, the pace quickens, and I was left silent and stunned as the end credits rolled. Simple, effective, and important - this is one film you shouldn't miss.

 

 

Trailer:

The Edge of Love

 

• Released Internationally on 20/06/08
• Released in Malta by KRS on 13/08/08

 

In a nutshell

Set during WW2, this British film covers a short but eventful period in the life of Welsh poet Dylan Thomas, and two women who featured prominently.

Who’s in it?

Keira Knightley plays Vera Phillips, Thomas’ childhood sweetheart who bumps into him during the war. Sienna Miller plays the vibrant Caitlin MacNamara, Thomas’ wife, who gets along surprisingly well with Vera, despite their awkward love triangle. Matthew Rhys plays the poet in question, and the enigmatic Cillian Murphy (Batman’s Scarecrow) plays William Killick, the soldier who marries Vera and threatens to upset the balance of their little trio, with tragic consequences. John Maybury, who previously gave us the creepy The Jacket, directs. The script was written by a certain Sharman Macdonald, who just so happens to be Keira’s mum.

Keira

Whether she’s looking glamorous whilst singing in the shelters, or unkempt as she grapples with motherhood, Keira looks very much at home in these sort of period films. She has British written all over her, and here is very much in Atonement territory, rather than Caribbean territory. And speaking of Atonement, it’s hard not to be reminded of that gem from last year when Knightley is walking around in dinner dresses, meeting soldiers, and whispering ‘come back to me’ in men’s ears. Maybe it’s intentional.

Much ado about nothing?

Plot-wise, not much happens. The events and emotions which form the basis of the script could probably have been made into a much more involving piece of cinema, but here we plod through the proceedings at a dreary place, and when things finally come to the boil, I found that I didn’t know enough about the characters to really care what went wrong. Still, the film is a pleasant watch, but don’t expect it to have you holding your breath.

 

 

Trailer:

http://www.apple.com/trailers/independent/theedgeoflove/ (High-res QuickTime)