Les Misérables

• Released Internationally on 25/12/12
• Released in Malta by KRS on 16/01/13

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

The festive season was especially crowded at the box-office last year, so thankfully we have a handful of highly anticipated ‘event’ films trickling over into January. It’s hard to pick a favourite, but based on popular appeal and a huge worldwide guaranteed audience, this is probably the one that will make the most waves. Considering the many millions who have watched and cherished the stage adaptation over the past quarter of a century, this has a lot of great expectations to live up to.

The ingredients for great cinema are all there - a tragic and epic story, stunning and instantly recognizable music, larger than life heroes and villains, and a fair dose of comedy. What has been added recently is a cast and crew who should hopefully do the material justice. After other directors were mentioned in the past, the job was handed to Tom Hooper, fresh from his huge success as the director of The King’s Speech. The scribe roped in to adapt the play for the screen was Williams Nicholson (Gladiator, Elizabeth: The Golden Age). Plus the big names involved in the stage phenomenon are very much on board, with super-producer Cameron Mackintosh (who often visits his mum here in Malta), producing and apparently also having a cameo.

The casting was always going to be a challenge. Hooper insisted that the musical performances are recorded live on set, adding to the realism of the performance, but also making the roles much more demanding. Hugh Jackman has proved he can sing and dance with class, even on the Oscar stage, and he stars as the hero Valjean. His lifelong nemesis is portrayed by Russell Crowe, who has his own rock band down under and should therefore manage at least most of the notes hit by Inspector Javert. Anne Hathaway, who has also sung live on the Oscar stage, is Fantine, whilst Amanda Seyfried (Mamma Mia!) is Cosette. Rising star Eddie Redmayne (My Week with Marilyn) is Marius, and the comic duo, the Thénardiers, will be brought to life by Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen, who had appeared together in the musical film version of Sweeney Todd.

Nowadays, many musicals are adaptations of films, but it is almost inevitable that the long-standing, worldwide success of original musicals results in them making the reverse journey to the screen. After Moulin Rouge! revived the musical as a film genre over a decade ago, we were soon treated to a lavish production of The Phantom of the Opera. This has the potential to be an even better and more successful adaptation, with a stellar cast and a courageous singing ethic. If you’ve never had the honour of watching this amazing story unfold on stage, and hear the timeless music, you’re in for a treat. If you have, then this is a must.

Review (12/01/13)

In future, I hope all musicals are made this way.

When I sat down to watch this film I was starving. Within minutes, I had forgotten about my hunger, and for two and a half hours I was so engrossed in the music, the drama and the anguish of this classic tale, that I only noticed my stomach rumblings well into the end credits. From the first few seconds, it is made very clear that this will be a large-scale adaptation, with a hefty scope and budget as befitting this loved story. But once the spectacle has been taken in, the camera zooms in onto the worn, pained face of our hero Valjean, and this establishes a recurring feature of this adaptation, and one which proves very successful - this is Les Misérables, the musical, in extreme close-up.

As mentioned in the preview above, the ‘singing live on set’ was one of the most discussed issues about this film. I loved the results, especially when coupled with the in-your-face direction by Tom Hooper. I quickly realised why I was enjoying the songs so much. I realised that the quality of the singing is ultimately secondary to the acting of the characters. Since the actors don't need to worry about lip syncing perfectly to a pre-recorded track, they can concentrate more on what they are singing, and what the character is going through. Yes, maybe the resulting soundtrack of this film is far from pitch perfect, and may pale in comparison to the musical’s previous cast recordings - but it sounds, and more importantly looks more real. Having front row seats at the theatre is great, but this is like having the character in a phone booth with you as they belt out their lines. Every line on their face, every grimace or smile as they sing, every furtive look, is wonderfully clear. And this makes the songs all that much better. I understood lines and lyrics I had never understood before, because the acting brought them to life in a more vivid way than was possible on stage. 

The results are most evident in two key sequences. First, Hugh Jackman, who by the way is astounding in this film, has a prolonged, uninterrupted soliloquy at the end of the prologue, which plays out beautifully and rushes toward a euphoric ending as the music, and the cameras, soar to signal the start of the next act. But you only get a few minutes to recover, because soon afterwards, Anne Hathaway enters the scene. She quickly loses her hair, her tooth and her pride, but then her brief presence culminates in a four-and-a-half minute tour de force, as she brings ‘I Dreamed a Dream’ heart-wrenchingly to life. Again, it’s an uninterrupted close-up, and again, there might be notes (but just a few) where she falters slightly, but it’s so stunningly and convincingly well-acted that, for me, she brought the song so vividly to life it was like I understood it for the first time, despite having heard it countless times before. The range of emotions she goes through in that one scene is incredible, and I hope she continues to win supporting actress awards all the way to the Oscars, if just for this one scene. Goodness knows how many takes they must have done, but it sure was worth it. 

The rest is all more or less as expected. The damp, ugly setting of revolutionary Paris is recreated wonderfully, and the ensemble of famous names and stage veterans do justice to the timeless music. The exhilarating moments such as ‘Who Am I?’ are all as rousing as expected, and the amusing Thénardiers provide some much needed relief from the heavy proceedings.  Besides working wonderfully as a film narrative, this adaptation showcases what a masterpiece the music is. The recurring themes and songs which serve as signposts in this lengthy saga lend themselves to great montage scenes inbetween the quieter, more intimate moments. There was one point where I had to remind myself not to clap at the end of the song. The ‘building the barricade’ scene is also a joy to behold, and something that only a film adaptation could pull off.

Ironically, I felt the film slacked very slightly once the actual revolution started, with the plot not as tight and fast-moving as previous acts. The barricade action scene was also the only time I thought it felt claustrophobic and ‘on set’. This unfortunately lost some of the grand scale established in previous scenes. But these are minor quibbles and they were quickly swept from my mind as the film’s ending roared onto screen, bringing the curtain down on a masterful adaptation of a masterpiece musical. Stunning.

Trailers:
http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/universal/lesmiserables/

Gangster Squad

• Released Internationally on 10/01/13
• Released in Malta by KRS on 10/01/13

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

Great film noirs, especially those set in the earlier part of the last century, are hard to find nowadays. The last one I can think of is The Black Dahlia. That timeless look and feel is something that some directors get just right, and which is wonderful when it works. I doubt we’ll ever get another Chinatown or LA Confidential, but as long as they keep trying, I’ll keep watching. This latest one suffered a slight hiccup last summer due to a scene in the film in which gangsters open fire on a theatre audience, which made releasing it a bad idea after the Aurora shootings at the Dark Knight Rises midnight screening. The release date was moved, but it’s yet to be confirmed whether the scene was left in place. Josh Brolin (No Country for Old Men), Ryan Gosling (Drive), Emma Stone (The Help), Sean Penn (Milk) and Nick Nolte (The Thin Red Line) star.

Review (09/01/13)

This star-studded gangster film is no Goodfellas, although it does try to emulate it at times and comes quite close. Josh Brolin’s central character is a reliable one, and much like in No Country for Old Men he manages to portray determination and sobriety as the main hero. Sean Penn’s portrayal of the main antagonist is less successful, on the other hand. He has enough menace and presence to be convincing as the man pulling all the strings in Los Angeles, but his dubious accent and odd facial prosthetics are distracting. He leaves no doubt as to what he is capable of, however, with methods of killing his enemies that are both original and disturbing.

Many regular features of past similar films are present - the dry voiceover, the press conferences by the chief of police, lots of smoking, the scenes in nightclubs (including a wonderful long take, possibly a direct nod to Scorsese) and the flinch-inducing violence. There’s even the policeman’s long-suffering wife, although thankfully here she is given a meatier role which makes for a more interesting character we can actually care about. The director also throws in some of his own touches, with stylish slow-motion shots which he used to wonderful effect in Zombieland.

The cast all perform wonderfully, and the plot moves along at a captive pace without showing any signs of missing the infamous replaced scene (see above). The final showdown is slightly disappointing after the huge build-up, but everything is tied up nicely in the end in what is an entertaining and well-made, if not hugely original, addition to the gangster film canon.

Trailers:
http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/wb/gangstersquad/

Past Perfect: Body Heat (1981)

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

Back in 1981, a certain Lawrence Kasdan was getting some much-deserved attention after writing the screenplay for The Empire Strikes Back and Raiders of the Lost Ark. Not a bad way to start your career. For his next move, he wrote and directed this sexy thriller. It’s set during a Florida heat wave, with ceiling fans, beads of perspiration and sweat patches featuring in nearly every scene, and adding wonderfully to the oppressive atmosphere. The film’s protagonist, a debonair lawyer (William Hurt) who isn’t exactly a star at his job, starts an affair with a wealthy woman (Kathleen Turner, in a sizzling breakout performance) and they plot a crime together which doesn’t exactly go according to plan. The film doesn’t shy away from nudity and racy content where appropriate, but it is also heavy on slick dialogue, great acting and a smart plot. And all dipped in a wonderfully sultry jazz soundtrack by the legendary John Barry.

Jack Reacher

• Released Internationally on 20/12/12
• Released in Malta by KRS on 26/12/12

Preview (first published 01/12/12 in VIDA Magazine)

Tom Cruise’s post-Tropic Thunder renaissance continues, and just in case the Mission: Impossible franchise loses popularity, he has now landed another role as a modern day action hero, with franchise potential. Jack Reacher is a rather unorthodox but highly effective crime fighter, who uses his past military skills rather than donning any fancy costumes, and he’s quite good with his hands too. This film is an adaptation of just one of the series of novels about the character, and it’s adapted by Christopher McQuarrie, who will always be ‘the genius who wrote The Usual Suspects’. If you liked Angelina Jolie’s Salt from a couple of years ago, this should work as the male equivalent.

 

Review (23/12/12)

This film is fun. It doesn’t pretend to be anything it’s not, but rather embraces its role as a smart action film with franchise potential. Tom Cruise is still evidently deeply in love with himself, but to be fair this is one scenario where it works, and his cocksure titular character manages to be both slightly over the top and likeable.

The films opens with a powerful, largely silent extended scene, which as the film progresses is later seen from different angles and provides an intriguing ‘whodunit’ scenario that forms the backbone of the plot. Once that is established, Reacher arrives on scene in stylish fashion, and gets to work. His clever dialogue is often countered effectively by Rosamund Pike’s character, with whom he shows good chemistry. But despite being very witty at times, the script throws in enough humour to make it all very easygoing and engaging. There’s also a fair amount of original action, with even good old fashioned fist fights getting a few new twists.

Throughout all the proceedings, however, not much is as it seems, and things finally fall satisfactorily into place, although the film does lose some originality and smartness in the third act. More importantly, though, the film does a great job of letting the audience get to know Jack, but at the same time leaving enough mystery for us to be curious about what his next adventure will be, if and when he shows up.

 

Trailers:

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/paramount/jackreacher/

Life of Pi

• Released Internationally on 21/11/12
• Released in Malta by KRS on 20/12/12

Preview (first published 01/12/12 in VIDA Magazine)

With Cloud Atlas and Midnight’s Children making it to the big screen in 2012, the list of truly ‘unfilmable’ books grows shorter. Here’s another one. The philosophical and quite unique novel from 2001 gets a gorgeous big screen revival, at the hands of celebrated director Ang Lee. One can only imagine the logistical implications of filming a tale where the main character, a sixteen year-old boy from India, survives a shipwreck and lives for more than half a year on a rescue boat with a fully grown tiger. As if the shipwreck wasn’t enough to ruin his day.

Things go surprisingly well, however, and the life-changing journey will hopefully flourish as well on screen as it did on the page. Ang Lee is no stranger to making stunning looking films (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Brokeback Mountain), but based on this film’s trailers, we’re in for a whole new level of visual awe. It’s exciting to have Lee back in the limelight after a few years of lying low, and this seems to be one film that will appeal to all sorts of cinemagoers.

 

Review (19/12/12)

If there is one film that deserves a proper big screen viewing, this is it. Shamelessly gorgeous from start to finish, as well as being a near-perfect film in every regard, this was, for me, the cinema-going highlight of 2012, and one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen on a screen of any size.

From the word go, you realise you’re in for something special. The opening credits help set the scene, in a zoo paradise in one of the prettier parts of India, and for the duration of a sublime lullaby by composer Mychael Danna, we are treated to scenes that would give any top notch David Attenborough documentary a run for its money. Much like most of the film, I would gladly frame any scene from this opening sequence.

Things then shift into a more playful, humorous mode as we chronicle the early days of our protagonist, and in a quasi Amélie-like fashion the story unfolds with larger-than-life characters and wonderful attention to detail. The opening scenes also introduce us to Richard Parker, the tiger who is so central to this wonderful story, and within seconds I had stopped wondering which scenes were real tiger and which were computer-generated. The tiger is a technical marvel, and throughout the film remains as convincing a digital creation as any Gollum or blue alien.

The first act also introduces the subject of religion, which Pi is fascinated with from an early age. He adopts three religions as a child, much to the amusement of his parents, and without being too heavy or overbearing this sets the film up for what will ultimately be an interesting metaphor for questions of faith.

Before long we skip forward to the crucial sea voyage, and the life-changing storm which casts our heroes into a boat together, for a battle of wits and will that may or may not be all that it seems. The film then adopts a surprisingly engaging tone as the survival battle unfolds, often without words or distractions. Much like in Cast Away, the fascinating situation of the main character makes for compelling viewing, and in this case the relationship with the tiger adds another wonderful layer.

In the meantime, we are treated to numerous scenes that surpass even the opening sequence in terms of beauty and marvel. I tried to keep track of the most beautiful scenes, but after jellyfish, whales, flying fish and meerkats I stopped counting. The artistry that has been poured in this film is all up on screen for us to see, and should leave most audiences open-mouthed.

But in case you’re worried that this is just eye candy and not much substance, the film then delivers with an ending that manages to both immediately satisfy but also provide much food for thought, and I for one was pondering the final message long after I left the cinema. It is, after all, the reason why the book was such a success.

On every level, this is the best film I have seen in 2012, and one of the most beautifully made films I can remember. It should appeal to all ages and most tastes, and I strongly recommend you do it justice by seeing it on a proper big screen, and in 3D. To quote from the film, “You have to see this, it’s beautiful!”.

 

Trailers:

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

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

• Released Internationally on 13/12/12
• Released in Malta by KRS on 13/12/12

Preview (first published 01/12/12 in VIDA Magazine)

It’s finally here. When the The Lord of the Rings trilogy came to a resounding conclusion back in 2003, the general feeling was that there had never been a more satisfying and well-made trilogy of films in memory, and that there weren’t many other books out there that could be adapted and reach such heights. The trilogy also managed the tricky task of pleasing both obsessive fans of the source material and the general film-going public, and there was hardly any aspect of the whole production that was not standard-setting and flawless. So, inevitably, the ending of the trilogy also brought with it a certain feeling of sadness, like that empty feeling you get after a great holiday. Is that it? Do we go back to normal mediocrity now?

Possibly, but it was inevitable that the ‘other’ great Tolkien story would also get the big screen treatment, despite it being a shorter, less epic and more childish tale. But hey, it’s got hobbits in it, and Gandalf, and even Gollum, so why not at least try. Things got delayed, and there was even a point when Peter Jackson, the director and driving force behind the initial trilogy, took a backseat role and handed the project to others. Common sense eventually prevailed, and sure enough we are now getting this prequel part of the tale with the same cast and crew that fared so excellently a decade ago.

Not all the cast needed to return, of course, but it was paramount that Ian McKellen reprises his Gandalf role, since he had inhabited those grey and white cloaks with uncanny precision and he became Gandalf on screen. Less evident but equally talented was Andy Serkis as Gollum, in that ground-breaking marriage of visual effects and character acting, which resulted in a CGI character that has yet to be matched. He’s back, of course, for the expansion of the infamous ‘riddles in the dark’ scene that got a brief mention in The Lord of the Rings but occurs in detail during the events of The Hobbit.

Bilbo Baggins is also back, since this is of course his story and not Frodo’s, but although Ian Holm does reprise his role, a younger Bilbo was needed for most of the plot, so the main new casting choice was the delightful Martin Freeman (The Office, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Love Actually, Sherlock) as the titular hafling. Accompanying him on his first adventure are thirteen dwarves, portrayed by interesting-looking but lesser-known actors who all seem to share a fine, manly singing voice.

In a nutshell, the plot involves Bilbo accompanying the dwarves, hesitantly, on a quest to reclaim their ancestors’ gold from the hoard of the deadly dragon, Smaug (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch - Sherlock, Atonement). Trolls, elves, ‘shapeshifters’ and unusual towns stand in their way, not to mention the pitch black depths where Gollum is fiddling with his precious ring.

The adaptation was originally planned as two films, but earlier this year a not-too-unexpected announcement was made that it will be a trilogy. I hope Peter Jackson has tonnes of great material, and I guess after his previous films we can rest easy in the knowledge that he knows what he’s doing. Let’s just hope it was a mostly artistic and not mostly financial decision. In the previous trilogy it was remarkable how he managed to end each film wonderfully, despite not strictly adhering to the book endings. Here it’s just one book with no immediately obvious satisfying endings mid-way, so that’s at least one surprise those who love the book can look forward to.

At the end of the day, watching more of those characters, in more of those locations, with more of Tolkien’s dialogue, to the sound of more of Howard Shore’s music is better than we can hope for with most other film releases nowadays, so even if it fails to reach the lofty standards of its predecessor, this is still the undisputed highlight of this festive season.

 

Preview (14/12/12)

The Hobbit is no The Lord of the Rings. The scale of the book was much smaller, and the tone was more childish. But Peter Jackson has very evidently set out to make a Hobbit trilogy that is very similar to his previous masterpiece trilogy, and this might be the main reason why I left the cinema disappointed.

My first problem was one which was rather inevitable. By deciding to make the rather short book into an entire trilogy, and a hefty nine-hour one by the looks of it, there was always going to be a lot of extra material thrown in. This turned out to be even worse than I feared, with plot lines and incidents that are mere footnotes in the book getting entire sequences and lavish detail. They’re interesting to watch, and one might argue that they are fascinating when looking at the Tolkien world as a whole, but with regard to this film in particular they are sometimes dragging, not always very relevant or needed, and they detract from the essence of the quest at hand. I was more than happy when Peter Jackson released the extended editions of the Lord of the Rings films on DVD, with added scenes thrown in. But if he plans to appeal to the general movie-going public, the focus should be on telling a good story in style, rather than on less necessary padding.

The second problem was unexpected. The two trilogies unfold in the same world and share many characters, but I was disappointed to see Jackson rehash and recycle entire concepts, scenes and ideas from his previous films. He seems so intent on reproducing the success of the previous trilogy that this one has been structured in more or less the same way, even where the book doesn’t call for it. We therefore get a prologue in the same style, which is fine, except that it includes scenes of battle (with Thorin the dwarf versus the pale orc) that are uncannily similar to the flashbacks of Isildur battling Sauron. The pale orc is then elevated to a status very reminiscent of Lurtz, who led the Uruk-hai in Fellowship.

Even small ideas like Gandalf appearing to grow in stature when he gets angry, and mounted warriors circling unexpected visitors, are repeated. The whole wargs chase scenes and Rivendell sequences also end up looking like leftover footage from the previous films. We even get a council of sorts half-way through the film, just like in The Fellowship of the Ring, which also serves as a very unnecessary opportunity to bring back some of the old cast for a reunion. And just as Gandalf delivered a memorable line to Frodo before (“All you have to do is decide...”), everything grinds to a halt and sounds the same as Gandalf tries to impart a similar quotable line to Bilbo this time (“...simple acts of kindness...”). It starts to get annoying once the moths and eagles return, and it is ultimately distracting from the story at hand.

Thankfully, the story does contain numerous completely new elements which allow Jackson to present something that looks fresh and original. The new wizard, Radagast, is one of them, and the disgusting but somehow endearing Goblin King is another. The pivotal ‘riddles in the dark’ scene is also a joy to watch, largely thanks to the excellent performances by Martin Freeman as a young Bilbo, and Andy Serkis (via motion capture) in a continuation of his acclaimed Gollum role. The pivotal moment when Bilbo finally picks up the ring, however, doesn’t look like the scene many will remember from The Lord of the Rings, and this is one occasion where some continuity and consistency would have been appreciated.

The arbitrary choice of ending point sort of works, although it hardly has the emotional impact of the ending of Fellowship, and Jackson wisely drops in a tantalising glimpse of the much anticipated dragon, as he did in the prologue, since it is mostly once he joins the fray that we can expect proceedings to pick up in intensity, and hopefully in a fashion completely unique to this trilogy. The end credits song, by Crowded House frontman Neil Finn, is my last minor complaint. It sounds just slightly out of place, and doesn’t blend in seamlessly with the famous orchestral themes of Middle Earth like the three stellar songs from the previous trilogy did.

Don’t get me wrong, this is still a spectacle to watch - especially in 3D and in the brand new HFR (high frame rate) presentation. There’s enough orcs and dwarves and action and humour to keep everyone entertained, and the overall quality on display far exceeds most films we’ve seen in recent years. If this had been released in a world where The Lord of the Rings didn’t exist, it would be taking the world by storm and wowing us all into silence. But ultimately, it tries too hard to repeat the formula of its predecessor, which is not a wise move since it is a weaker story. Maybe a different director would have been a good idea after all, but then again I’ll reserve judgement because I still hope that Jackson has some surprises in store for the next two instalments, and that the trilogy as a whole will be looked back on as a wonderful piece of fantasy cinema.

 

Trailers:

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

Past Perfect: The Remains of the Day (1993)

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

Before Downton Abbey and Gosford Park, there was another understated but meticulous treasure that showed the world of servitude and dedication to one’s household in all its soul-destroying detail. A couple of years after he first terrorized the world as Hannibal Lecter, Anthony Hopkins gave a completely different but no less amazing performance as a butler who realises that his loyalties and priorities might have been misplaced. Emma Thompson is sublime as his co-star, but it is Hopkins who commands our attention and subtly makes our blood boil. There’s no action, there’s no overstated melodrama, but with the smallest of his gestures one realises the enormity of what has happened in his life. This is not one to watch if you’re feeling sleepy or being interrupted. It’s one to savour with your eyes and ears wide open.

Rise of the Guardians

• Released Internationally on 21/11/12
• Released in Malta by KRS on 30/11/12

Preview (first published 01/11/12 in VIDA Magazine)

This looks like the clear winner for children this month, and may even carry through until the festive season. The animation team at DreamWorks, who have brilliant films such as How to Train Your Dragon to their name, have turned their attention to children’s author William Joyce, who also has experience in film and animation. He is working on a series of books about the Guardians of Childhood - an Avengers-like gathering of famous names including Santa Claus (voiced by Alec Baldwin), the Tooth Fairy (Isla Fisher), the Easter Bunny (Hugh Jackman), the Sandman (who takes care of dreams) and Jack Frost (Chris Pine). They all team up to protect children when Pitch (the nightmare king, voiced by Jude Law) threatens to take over the world. So there’s a fair bit of magic and wonder involved, which allows the animation teams to run riot. This should be fun, but even more so if you’re still at that wonderful age where you believe.

 

Review (29/11/12)

This delivers as expected, with stunning visuals and animation, right from the first few minutes. After a brief prologue introducing the central, misunderstood character of Jack Frost, the film launches into full festive mode, and despite being set around Easter time, provides enough north pole material to feel like a festive holiday treat. The ‘guardians’ all get ample screen time, but are slightly different to their usual self. Alec Baldwin provides a deep Eastern European accent for Santa Claus, who also sports heavily tattooed arms. But otherwise it’s business as usual, from tooth fairies to Easter bunnies to the lesser known Sandman. It’s a testament to the animation team at DreamWorks that the latter is probably the most memorable character, despite not uttering a single word throughout the film.

Jude Law’s villain draws heavily on Hercules’ Hades, and probably deserved a better ending. The film also seems to be cramming too much into one short film at times, and risks losing the plot in the second half. Worst of all, however, it somehow misses out on that extra something, that magical spark, that made recent gems like How to Train Your Dragon and most Christmas classics so heart-warming and special. The ingredients are all there, but something hasn’t set. Or maybe I just dampened my sense of awe when I found out the secrets behind the tooth exchange system and Christmas presents. Either way, young kids should be suitably blown away, and this should serve as a wonderful holiday treat.

 

 

Trailers:

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

Argo

• Released Internationally on 11/10/12
• Released in Malta by KRS on 21/11/12

Preview (first published 01/11/12 in VIDA Magazine)

Based on the track records of those involved, and initial reviews, this looks like it will be one of the main films we’ll be hearing about come Oscar time. More importantly, though, it’s a high profile adaptation of a fascinating true story.

Back in the late seventies, there was a hostage crisis in good old Iran, during the course of which six American diplomats in their late 20s and early 30s were successfully rescued. But rather than politicians sitting around a boardroom table, this rescue involved the Canadian government lending a hand and working with the CIA to create a fake film company and purported production of a film named ‘Argo’, to act as an elaborate cover for getting the diplomats to safety under false identities. So not your average day in foreign affairs.

This is the third film directed by Ben Affleck after his brilliant Gone Baby Gone and The Town. He starred in the latter, and he again he takes on the main role here as a CIA identity expert. He also produces, along with George Clooney and Grant Heslov, who together have already given us a few gems, including another period political thriller Good Night and Good Luck. The cast also includes John Goodman (The Big Lebowski, The Artist), Alan Arkin (Little Miss Sunshine, Edward Scissorhands) and Bryan Cranston (star of TV hit Breaking Bad).

So it seems like the good story is a given, and with these sort of artists it should be a well-told one. Plus everyone loves a bit of international espionage, and the period setting should add an extra layer of class. Let’s hope this is as good as Munich, although if all turns out well there should be a much lower body count.

Review (20/11/12)

In a year during which the Avengers assembled, the Dark Knight rose and James Bond came back from the dead, the best and most thrilling film so far turns out to be based on a true story. With Argo, it truly is a case of ‘you can’t make this stuff up’.

The film is chilling from the first minute, with a wonderful opening sequence that draws from the sci-fi storyboards that feature later on to give us a no-nonsense history lesson and set the scene for the hostage crisis. The setting is late 70s / early 80s, but the images are uncannily similar to ones we still see on the news today. The American embassy is taken by rioters, and within minutes we are able to grasp the desperate plight these diplomatic employees face. We then fast forward to 69 days later, when the stalemate persists and the US is getting increasingly desperate in its attempt to get the hostages home to safety. Which is why the ‘Argo’ idea (see preview above) gets the green light.

The film works wonderfully at giving us both the bigger picture but also the personal stories of those six hostages and the man sent to get them out. The whole mission revolves around whether they can find it in them to trust him or not, and for a hugely entertaining two hours so must we. We the audience also get to feel some of that ‘fear of the mob’ that pervades the whole situation, as hordes of unnamed and justifiably angry protesters are heard in the distance. Have you ever felt that awkwardness as you stand there with a customs official leafing through your passport? Or that complete helplessness as some bouncer glances in your direction, and despite you disliking him instantly and having a firm opinion about his level of intelligence, knowing that in this one instant you are completely at his mercy? Imagine that a hundred-fold, and we might be getting close to what these ordinary citizens had to go through.

The period setting is done with great attention to detail, placing us firmly in the immediately post-Star Wars era when such a crazy sci-fi scheme sounded like a good idea. From costumes down to bedroom quilts, nothing is overlooked. The Iran setting is also pulled off reasonably well, despite no film crew having set foot there. Istanbul has to stand in for many Iranian scenes, but this is a minor issue since the film is primarily about people and fear, whatever the setting.

As the film races to its climax, there is some inevitable playing with timelines so as to throw more tension into the mix, but thankfully it manages to steer clear of being incredible. And with so much invested into the hostages, the feelings at the end are well-earned and provide a very emotional conclusion. As with all such films, the true impact of what you have witnessed hits home once the end credits roll, with real-life images alongside images from the film reminding us that these are true stories of true individuals.

Ben Affleck and his team have done it again, and I for one was transfixed by the events onscreen, despite the whole saga having come to an end only a few days after I was born. This film remains extremely relevant in today’s world, but is also a fascinating story. Easily the best of 2012 so far.

Trailer:
http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/wb/argo/

Frankenweenie

• Released internationally on 05/11/12
• Released in Malta by KRS on 07/11/12

Review (07/11/12)

Frankenweenie is a rather odd little gem. As a very personal project by the very unique Tim Burton, it’s his characteristic vision in all its gothic, macabre and irreverent glory. But it remains a fairytale at heart, and features a very lovable dog, albeit recently deceased, at its core.

Burton first made Frankenweenie as a 30-minute short back in 1984, when he was still in his pre-Beetlejuice and Batman obscurity. You can watch it on YouTube if you don’t mind spoiling the surprise. It was a live action short in black and white, and due to its unusual length and debatable child-friendliness, it ended up as a mere extra on the DVDs for The Nightmare Before Christmas.

This full-blown, full-length adaptation is done with the same stop-motion animation that made Nightmare so special, and has thankfully been left in monochrome which adds so much to the atmosphere and lends a nod to the Frankenstein films of old. As soon as the playful Disney logo turns grey and dark, and Danny Elfman’s score turns foreboding, children and adults alike should know that they’re in for something rather different.

In a nutshell, the story is about a young, smart and inventive boy, who is a bit of an outcast and prefers to pass the time alone in his attic, inventing. When his beloved dog Sparky dies suddenly, he finds a way to harness lightning and bring him back to life. But inevitably word gets around, and his jealous classmates use the invention on other creatures, with less romantic effects. The story also portrays the fight between progress and tradition, with the Salvador Dali-esque (and Vincent Price-inspired) science teacher (voiced marvellously by Martin Landau), facing resistance from the town locals when he tries to challenge the minds of his pupils.

Nods to other Burton films abound, with the suburban setting being practically identical to that of Edward Scissorhands, and the resurrected Sparky looking uncannily like the Penguin from Batman Returns. And I think I even detected a nod to the old Rankin/Bass stop-motion classic Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town, whose evil Burgermeister is reborn as this town’s mayor.

If you enjoy Tim Burton films, you’ll love this. If you enjoy films that champion the oddballs and the quiet types, you’ll love this. If you want to show your kids something less fluffy and sparkly than usual, here’s a chance to take them on a PG tour of the dark side.

 

Trailers:

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