Elysium

• Released Internationally on 07/08/13
• Released in Malta by KRS on 28/08/13

Review (27/08/13)

3-word review: Slightly inferior follow-up.

The future is now

The illegal migrants huddle together in terrified silence, praying and hoping to get to their new life safely. After paying more than they can afford to a sleazy merchant who thrives off desperation, they make a valiant attempt to reach the promised land where their children can grow up safely, with clean air and free healthcare. The risk they take is huge - most of them will not survive the trip.

This is not some extract from a news bulletin about the current situation in the Mediterranean, it’s a rather poignant scene early on in the film, which despite being fast-paced and action-driven manages to give us a taste of the migrants’ hopes and fears, and strike home the very relevant message. Just like in Neil Blomkamp’s first film, District 9, the use of a futuristic vision of earth to tackle a present-day issue is very well-executed.

Unfortunately, this second film of his doesn’t manage to maintain the novelty and relevance of his first, and after a very impressive opening the film descends slightly into standard, unemotional action territory, with a few quiet scenes here and there which beg you to care by slowing things down and chucking a wailing ethnic female voice on the soundtrack. It doesn’t always work.

In a nutshell

The stunning opening gives us just two sentences of backstory, and manages to draw us immediately into Elysium’s world - earth is diseased and overpopulated, and the elite few have escaped into a massive space station orbiting the earth, where they live in lush green tranquillity whilst keeping a sharp lookout for any unworthy ones trying to crash the party. Jodie Foster is the face of the elite and Matt Damon is our hero on the ground.

After an accident at work, his health suddenly becomes an issue, and the script goes for the old trick of adding urgency to the story by giving him a set number of days to live. With nothing to lose, he plans a daring trip to Elysium, with the altruistic aim of making their wonderful healthcare tools available for all of Earth.

Has its good points

Damon is, as always, very likeable, and his human side manages to shine through here, despite the prosthetics and exoskeleton they screw into him to make him strong enough for the mission. The shots of earth are impressively done - it looks like one enormous favela - but what I really loved was the look of Elysium. Definitely a space station, but for once designed with the possibility of fresh air and open-air landscapes. Very clever. The visual effects are all top-notch, including droids that looks better than Transformers and a couple of memorable healing shots.

Sharlto Copley, who shot to fame after his unforgettable main role in District 9, is back in a prominent role here, initially treading the line between Earth and Elysium as a rogue gun for hire. The sense of urgency is maintained throughout the film, which runs for what I thought was the perfect length for this type of film, and which thankfully helped us forget some of the inconsistencies and clichés it contained by ending beautifully.

 

 

 

Trailers:

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/elysium/

The Lone Ranger

• Released Internationally on 03/07/13
• Released in Malta by KRS on 14/08/13

Review (13/08/13)

3-word review: Surprisingly, consistently, fun.

 

British comedian Billy Connolly once defined ‘intellectual’ as ‘someone who can listen to the William Tell Overture without thinking of the Lone Ranger’. Well that rules me out. After months spent watching re-runs of the 50s TV show as a child, Rossini’s orchestral gallop is forever linked to the masked hero in my mind, and I must admit I felt a surge of excitement when it burst onto the screen this time around.

News from afar

Inevitably, us European audiences are often influenced by feedback from the US when it comes to tentpole films which aren’t released simultaneously worldwide. In this case, Disney’s big summer blockbuster flopped spectacularly, despite Johnny Depp’s name being plastered everywhere and despite much of the crew from the Pirates of the Caribbean films being on deck. The reasons why could be debated at length, but for starters the film is definitely a good half-hour too long, which always means less box-office returns. That aside, however, I couldn’t find any obvious, major flaws, and I thoroughly enjoyed the ride.

Wild Wild West

Westerns tend to struggle to find an audience, but when done well I find them hugely entertaining. This one is about as western as it gets, and there’s equal parts sweeping, gorgeous vistas and oppressive heat and dust. Director Gore Verbinski (who has already regaled us with a masterful western starring Depp - Rango), makes more than the occasional nod to the spaghetti westerns of the Sergio Leone days, from highlighting the bad guy’s clear blue eyes to using incidental background sound effects to create tension. And like all the great classic tales from the west, train tracks and native Indians form an essential part of the plot.

Why so serious?

Thankfully, Verbinski steers clear of the classics when it comes to taking himself seriously, and just like Rango this film is infused with a healthy dose of self-awareness and humour. It is mostly provided by the misunderstood and seemingly not-too-bright Tonto (Depp), who proves to be a useful sidekick much in the vein of captain Jack Sparrow. He gets to do a lot of eye-rolling too, due to the bumbling antics of the titular character himself (Armie Hammer, The Social Network). The excuse for the Texas ranger’s lack of expertise is that this is an origin story, and he therefore makes the transition from clean-cut legal office man to bankable vigilante before our eyes. The tongue-in-cheek attitude is a blessing, especially when your hero is a man in a suit, mask and white hat, who rides a horse whiter than Shadowfax and who silhouettes himself against the setting sun whilst yelling “Hi-Ho Silver!”. Verbinski handles all this marvellously, and I for one laughed out loud more than once.

Cast & Crew

Besides the two main guys, the film is populated with a host of two-dimensional characters, but the talented cast does the job admirably, with William Fichtner (The Dark Knight Rises, Armageddon) finally getting a full-blooded bad guy role, Tom Wilkinson (Michael Clayton, Batman Begins) playing his usual shifty self, and Helena Bonham Carter (Big Fish, The King’s Speech) pulling out all her eccentric tricks. Behind the scenes, the film boasts wonderful scenery and some stunning shots, including a few self-aware, eye-catching ones as in all Verbinski’s recent efforts, and one set piece that looks like a scaled-down Helm’s Deep. Composer Hans Zimmer moves on from the noisy Man of Steel and shits into playful mode, including his all-important take on the Overture, which predictably ends up sounding like Rossini on steroids, in a good way.

In the end

It has its flaws, and it could have been shorter, but it’s gorgeous to look at, fun throughout, and packed with action, humour and some (predictable) drama. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I found it ticked all my boxes for a summer blockbuster, and provided more escapist entertainment than many of its more successful summer competitors. And it was definitely the most fun I’ve seen on a train since Back to the Future Part III, which was over two decades ago.

 

 

 

Should you sit through the end credits? Yes

 

Trailers:

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

The Bling Ring

• Released Internationally on 12/06/13
• Released in Malta by KRS on 24/07/13

Review (23/07/13)

3-word review: Sick but fascinating.

I often refer back to a comment I once read - that a good film is one that manages to make the audience feel anything strongly enough. The more films I watch, the more I agree. I liked this one quite a bit, for example, despite it making me want to reach into the screen and slap every single main character hard in the face. I sincerely hope that every person who watches this film is disgusted at some level.

“We had so many beautiful gorgeous things.”

Based on recent true events, this is the worrying tale of a group of spoilt Hollywood teenagers who despite having way too much ‘stuff’ and money in their lives, let their obsessions with fame and celebrity turn them into a ring of burglars, stealing designer items from the mansions of the the stars, enjoying the rush of the invasion even more than the acquisition of more stuff. The warped products of the Facebook generation are presented in near-documentary style, with the camera observing their vapid lifestyles, ridiculous conversation and dangerous boredom. How one spends the day and night is not half as important as how one looks in the ‘selfie’ photos one takes and posts online, and the definition of a successful life is not whether you enjoy your day, but how fabulous it looks on Facebook. I’m sure this rings a few bells with any regular social media user, and this phenomenon is a real and present problem, along with our increasing obsession with watching anything remotely interesting through the screen of our phone camera, rather than with our eyes.

“America’s sick fascination”

As I sat peering into the accessorized lives of these pseudo-spiritual juvenile delinquents, I felt a similar feeling of disgust to when I used to watch MTV’s ‘Cribs’, a show which used to showcase the exorbitant and ridiculous excesses that the filthy rich incorporate into their homes. These brand-obsessed teenagers left me feeling similarly empty and soulless, and sad that this level of superficiality actually exists. It’s like watching the E! channel all day long.

The biggest name in the film, Emma Watson, has some initial trouble shaking off her Hermione character from the Harry Potter films, which is of course how us audiences have seen her growing up. But once you embrace the new accent and attitude, there’s a fine-tuned performance worth noting, and one that brings home the complete lack of self-awareness her character has. A lack of self-awareness that is of course fuelled by reality - these young criminals served their short prison terms and emerged ready to milk their new found fame and make the most of the situation. It’s fame that’s important, not how you got it.

Sofia Coppola continues to build her impressive directing filmography and adds her usual brand of style to the proceedings. The brazen titles, the obtrusive but intoxicating music montages and the hedonistic dialogue are equally matched by a few beautifully constructed scenes, including a gorgeous long take of one of the burglaries. She even manages to make CCTV footage look classy. Some might argue that the film offers no statement or lesson at the end of it all, but I didn’t feel it was necessary - the film is a statement in itself and perfectly captures many symptoms of the sick society we live in.

The Vanity Fair article on which the film is based: The Suspects Wore Louboutins by Nancy Jo Sales.





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

Past Perfect: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

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

It was only recently that I finally got around to watching this classic, and once again the overwhelming feeling afterwards was that I really should be dedicating more time to watching these golden oldies, because there’s usually a very evident reason why they’ve endured. I had never watched a film with Paul Newman and Robert Redford in their prime, and I can see what all the fuss is about. If you want a perfect example of on-screen chemistry, look no further - the title pair are so effortlessly brilliant together that they’re a joy to watch. And it gets even better when Sundance’s girlfriend joins the fray, including a famous musical bicycle scene which will have you humming for the rest of the day and bringing out your old Burt Bacharach tapes. It's basically a chase film, and although it doesn't maintain the great quality of the first half, it still ends with a wonderful, classic scene.

World War Z

• Released Internationally on 19/06/13
• Released in Malta by KRS on 26/06/13

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

Watching Malta succumb to a zombie epidemic should be fun, which probably means that this film will be a local box-office hit, whatever the international outcome is. You might recall that, quite a while ago, Brad Pitt was in town, accompanied by the lovely Angelina and their personal child care centre. The result was extensive and ambitious scenes of zombie warfare shot in various parts of Valletta, Floriana, and even the Malta International Airport, amongst others. Shooting then moved to Glasgow, so it remains to be seen who does the best undead impression.

Despite the scale and international appeal of the project, as well as the star at the helm, alarm bells started ringing when extensive reshoots and alterations were announced - something that usually indicates that the film is going to be a bit of a mess. The first trailers didn’t do too much to dispel those worries, with the admittedly impressive footage being a bit too chaotic, and not exactly the best special effects we’ve ever seen.

Hopefully, however, the extensive post-production period has allowed for things to be polished and refined, and we’ll get the epic apocalyptic disaster movie that summer audiences deserve. Zombies aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, of course, but when you might recognise one of them as Uncle Tony or Aunty Phyllis, I think it’s worth plucking up the courage and heading to the cinema.

 

Review (25/06/13)

3-word review: Zombies, but serious.

It’s tricky making a zombie film. No matter how much gravitas you pour in, and how big and respected a star you land as your main guy, it’s hard to shake of decades of zombie film reputation and reactions. The reason is quite simple - zombies tend to be a perfect mix of looking terrifying and looking ridiculous. We all know how to walk like one, and if you add a blank stare and outstretched hands - voila! - instant zombie party. Which is why the more successful zombie films in the past have either dialled-up the horror to the point of making it a guilty pleasure gore-fest, or else added generous amounts of humour. In recent years, two good examples of this were Shaun of the Dead and Zombieland. The former toned down the gore but had some of the best humour of the decade, and ended up being a joy to watch. The latter took the gore to new extremes, but still managed to coat it all in wonderful, self-aware, dry humour, including an inspired opening monologue that sets the quirky tone splendidly.

Here, however, nobody smiles. There is nothing remotely funny or amusing about the whole film, and it very clearly aims for the ‘tragic, heartfelt, disaster movie’ genre, but replacing the usual recipes of aliens, outbreaks or asteroids with zombies. It very nearly manages in that regard, and the worldwide scope is palpable, and befitting of the film’s title. But inevitably, you can expect to hear occasional guffaws from the audience, because zombies still look ridiculous, or at least they can do when they’re not running after you or biting your leg. Possibly because of this, the Z-word isn’t heard until a good half-hour into the film, and great care is taken not to portray them in any amusing way.

International unity

The paranoia sets in very effectively during the opening titles, with the overused-but-still-very-effective method of using newsflashes. Once Piers Morgan appears, you can tell things are going to get really unpleasant. And sure enough, we cut quickly to the chase, with widespread chaos having set in barely minutes into the film. As is necessary in any such film with an emotional core, we zoom into the main character’s family briefly, but we’re shown enough to make them a key motivation throughout the rest of the film. Normal life is shattered, as within moments ordinary citizens are on the run without their car, without their wallet and without their asthma inhaler.

But then we zoom back out and take in just how bad things are getting. The international scope of the film is well-maintained throughout, with the global fight against the zombie epidemic playing out like some huge competition - some countries are winning, some cities have fallen, some nations have ‘gone dark’. The powers that be are suitably international, with the UN and the WHO being the main players here, and Brad Pitt’s character as their man in the field.

Ideas that work

The urgent search for a cure plays out well, with hints dropped along the way and eventually coalescing into a feasible solution, although the film doesn’t hang around long enough for practical loopholes and problems to be given much thought. The whole zombie phenomenon is also given a few interesting twists not often seen is such films - such as their being drawn to noise, and their being aggravated by the killing of fellow zombies. These minor points help to add tension and drama at a few key points in the film. The other main factor that drives this film forward is how the plot delivers us into seemingly safe locations - sheltered homes, aircraft carriers, planes, countryside - before ruthlessly yanking them away from us, thus driving home the message that “movement is life”. Thankfully, amidst all the wanton destruction and killing, there are also a handful of moments to remind us about the true value of each individual life, especially in the case of a female Israeli soldier who ends up being one of the more interesting characters in the film.

Malta and more

On a purely Maltese level, the film is also highly recommended from a sightseeing point of view, as Malta doubles for Jerusalem in the middle section of the film. There’s lots of Valletta on display, as well as our airport being overrun during an aerial escape sequence. Once the plane manages to leave, it allegedly marks the point where the film’s direction was altered after the first draft was made, resulting in extensive reshoots, a few new early scenes, and an entirely different third act. The last bit, set in a claustrophobic WHO facility in Cardiff, does in fact seem very different from the rest of the film - in tone, in pace and even visually. But it manages to deliver some of the more tense scenes of the film, on a minimal budget, and manages to give this film a satisfying conclusion whilst leaving the options open for the inevitable sequel.

 

 

Trailers:

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

Man of Steel

• Released Internationally on 13/06/13
• Released in Malta by KRS on 19/06/13

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

With attention spans and memories getting seemingly shorter, filmmakers are probably justified in never giving up on a film franchise. Just wait a few years, and give it another shot. When Ang Lee’s Hulk wasn’t a success, they tried again a few years later, and when that flopped too, they snuck the angry green giant into Avengers anyway, with record-smashing results. Which brings us to the second attempt at reviving the iconic Superman franchise.

In many ways, Superman is the purest, most impressive and certainly oldest superhero, appearing in some form or another since way back in 1938. As discussed at length in a wonderful dialogue scene in Kill Bill, he is also the superhero whose natural state is the heroic form, whereas the ordinary human clothes he wears whilst on earth are a costume for him to blend in. The red cape was something he was wrapped in from birth, and none of his powers were designed in a workshop or caused by some lab meltdown or insect bite. Yet, despite all these attributes, his popularity waned recently, as moviegoers shunned his red spandex briefs for the cooler outfits and antics of Batman, Iron Man and Spider-man, to name just three of the many recent crowd-pullers. Superman reached his cinematic pinnacle with the first two Christopher Reeve films in the late 70s and early 80s, helped by then-ground-breaking special effects and by one of the best musical themes in cinema history, courtesy of John Williams during his wonder years.

But when Bryan Singer tried to revive the franchise with Superman Returns in 2006, the results were entertaining but forgettable, with too much deference to the original films, and Superman’s good boy image (and red briefs) jarring slightly after 2005’s unbelievably cool and dark Batman Begins. The two masthead heroes from the DC comics universe apparently could not co-exist, and whilst Superman was shelved, Batman went on to dominate recent years with a critically acclaimed trilogy by Christopher Nolan. So, sure enough, it’s Nolan himself who now has a hand in trying to bring Superman back into the reckoning, although he’s producing, not directing.

Surprise, surprise, the red briefs are gone. So is the boyish curl on his forehead. This is no goody-boy superhero - he’s masculine, he’s damaged, and the first glimpses we got of him were him busting out of a safe and him being escorted in handcuffs. A crucial factor in bringing Superman into the current gritty trend of superheroes was casting Henry Cavill (The Tudors), who looks a bit more weathered than 2006’s clean-cut Brandon Routh. The rest of the cast is an exciting mix - Russell Crowe as Superman’s natural father, Kevin Costner as his adoptive father on earth, Diane Lane (Unfaithful) as his adoptive mother, plus Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix), Amy Adams (The Fighter) as Lois Lane, and the wonderful character actor Michael Shannon (Boardwalk Empire, Revolutionary Road) as the main villain, General Zod.

Directing duties went to Zack Snyder (300, Watchmen), directing from a script by David Goyer, who wrote the recent Dark Knight trilogy. Nolan himself has also contributed to the story, and amongst his many usual collaborators, he also brought along veteran composer Hans Zimmer, who was faced with the unenviable task of taking a new musical direction which will inevitably be compared to Williams’ Superman theme. He did a wonderful job with the Dark Knight music, and based on the stunning music which dominated the latest Man of Steel trailer, he might just pull this one off too. There hasn’t been a trailer that caused so much fuss since Inception (also by Nolan, of course).

Now that the film’s release is imminent, the sublime marketing campaign and response so far have more or less guaranteed that the film will be a financial success, probably based on the first few days alone. But the important question will be whether it can stand up to all the hype, and ensure we get to see a quality, well-made Superman trilogy that is as great as those of his peers.

Review (18/06/13)

3-word review: A super disappointment.

I was so let down by this film that I felt sad for the rest of the day. A first-world problem, granted, but it had never happened to me to this extent. It’s my fault, of course. I get caught up in the excitement. I read the news scraps we’re fed as the film is being made. I feed on the excitement and I believe the hype. I felt justified in this case based on the list of key players, and based on the subject matter. Then, in mid-April, the third trailer was released, and I was in awe. I think making trailers is an art form that not all filmmakers succeed at, but this trailer was by far the best this year, and caused an appropriate level of excitement as it spread online. Now, having seen the film, that ‘Trailer 3’ remains for me a perfect mini-movie which contains most of the things I loved about Man of Steel – the key scenes, the best lines, the best parts of the plot, and the best piece of the soundtrack. For me, it’s all I need to remember, and it’s far better than the film as a whole.

A bit much.

I had a hard time rationalising why I hadn’t liked Avengers last summer, but this film helped confirm why. I dislike films that use the ‘aliens’ plot device to signify that absolutely anything can happen, and that for a good chunk of the plot they will throw everything at the audience, in bigger and bigger waves, seemingly trying to outdo themselves. In Avengers it was that wormhole at the end, and all the enormities that emerged. In this case it’s practically the entire third act of the film, as the two main protagonists conduct their alien duel on our planet, with increasingly immense swipes of destruction, increasingly complex technology and ‘powers’, and increasingly enormous vessels. I am fine with science fiction, but the type I love sets out a few basic ‘rules’ for the world we are about to see, and then plays out using a mix of those rules and the rules of reality we are used to. So, to use an obvious alien example, in E.T. we of course know he is an alien, we know what ship he arrived in, and we soon find out what his handful of alien tricks are. But the story then develops using those factors and a good dose of earthly reality we can connect with. The same goes for the more recent Super 8, or to use another superhero example, the Iron Man trilogy. It’s that dose of reality and scale that helps us connect with what’s happening. The Dark Knight trilogy is of course a wonderful example of this, since Batman is a very human and real hero, and the fantasy/sci-fi element is tiny. His technology might at times be stuff we haven’t invented yet, but otherwise we can get a pretty good picture of what is happening. Even Star Wars, which is of course entirely alien and sci-fi, is wonderfully set in a world we can appreciate – dirty, rough around the edges, human. Where farm boys dream of glory, vessels often break down, and having your hand cut off is a huge inconvenience. We’re told what the ‘Force’ is, we’re shown what lightsabers do, we can grasp the concept of spaceships – and then the plot plays out like any earth-bound drama, but in that setting.

Loss of scale.

But here, that sense of scale is thrown out of the window. After a reasonably entertaining, albeit overlong, prologue detailing the titular character’s birth and destiny, we finally get to earth for what I considered to be the best part of the film – the non-chronological scenes of Clark Kent growing up and learning to harness his powers without making a splash. Director Zack Snyder covers these wonderfully, and the focus on Clark’s relationship with his father (a wonderful Kevin Costner) and their agreement to keep the powers hidden is a joy to watch. But once the cover is blown and the final battle begins, the destruction and action takes on ridiculous Transformers-type proportions, with endless, mind-numbing visual effects and wave after wave of to-and-fro hammerings and near-death experiences. How am I supposed to care about either Clark Kent or even his new foe, General Zod, if every scene is trumped by the one after it, and if new powers, options, ships, devices and weaknesses are introduced and used ad hoc? Why should I be awed by the appearance of an enormous spaceship or destruction of a city, if something even bigger could easily just turn up five minutes later. Why should I feel for a battered superhero if his capabilities are being revealed on an as-needed basis? Rarely has an epic battle left me so tired, uninvolved and bored.

Not all bad.

As mentioned above, the growing up scenes are excellent, and I wish they had been the focus here. One particularly interesting concept introduced might prove interesting to those with autism spectrum disorders, and their families. The performances are generally great throughout, although Henry Cavill doesn’t get to do or say too much as the main man. He looks the part brilliantly, however, and is clearly a great choice to take this franchise forward. There’s a scene as he flies up into a jet stream where for a second he looks uncannily like the late Christopher Reeve, which can’t have been just a coincidence. His love interest, Lois Lane, gets an interesting portrayal by the talented Amy Adams, who manages to make her likeable from her first scene, and who prefers jumpsuits and anoraks to the pretty dresses the character is used to. She also gets the best line, right at the end. Russell Crowe, who is thankfully back in a non-singing role, provides a great anchor of stability and wisdom, and delivers the important monologues with class. Another highlight is the obvious attention to the small, but key, moments – the ‘S’ word is only heard once, if I remember well - a good hour-and-a-half into the film. The outfit gets a befitting reveal scene, and the flying sequence that follows is gorgeous and appropriately exhilarating.

In the end.

The bookends are wonderful too – a slow, gorgeous logos sequence at the start, and a brief but perfect ‘What are you going to do when you are not saving the world?’ scene at the very end, which returns to earthly, nostalgic emotion once the action has ended, and nearly managed to make me forget the exhausting half-hour that had preceded it. It also features by far the film’s best piece of music, with a rousing new heroic theme by Hans Zimmer, which was also one of the reasons that third trailer was so jaw-dropping. Just like the film, this last piece of wonderful music unfortunately comes after a long sequence of battering noise (see a wonderful review here), but at least it allows you to leave the cinema with a slightly better taste in your mouth, and hope that the sequel will be better.

Trailers:

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

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/

The Hangover Part III

• Released Internationally on 23/05/13
• Released in Malta by KRS on 01/06/13

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

Another trilogy is set to conclude. The second instalment was a bit of a let-down, since it was a replica of the first, just set in Bangkok instead of Las Vegas. The first was of course one of the funniest and most irreverent films of the past decade, so a slight hope remains that this one can return to that level. There’s no wedding this time, and the road trip involves taking Alan (Zach Galifianakis, by far the funniest of the cast) to a ‘retreat’ centre to get his life back together. En route they bump into a new menace (John Goodman, whose career just never seems to slow down), and things, as expected, go haywire. There’s lots of Vegas, with some Tijuana thrown in, and all the old cast and crew are back for the final bash.

 

Review (01/06/13)

3-word review: Where’s the hangover?.

It seems that director Todd Philips and his team listened to the scathing criticism of the repetitive, unoriginal second film, because this third and final act is very different in terms of plot. The problem is, it veers so markedly off course that it has morphed from a crazy comedy into a slightly twisted crime caper, and I don’t mean that in a good way. The title doesn’t fit any more either, because hardly any substances are consumed, and there’s no hangover in sight (if forced, cringe-worthy, last-gasp additions to the end credits don’t count).

That’s not to say this is a completely terrible film. The opening might have you wondering whether you walked into the wrong cinema, but it eventually positions Mr Chow (Ken Jeong) as one of the main players, in a role that grew in importance over the course of the trilogy. Again, this seems to reflect fan demand, and the actor’s growing popularity since the release of the first film. Your enjoyment of this one will largely depend on whether you find him funny or intensely annoying. I haven’t completely decided yet, but it’s probably the latter. The second part of the film’s introduction manages to outdo even the first film in terms of overdoing it in a bad way, in a scene that would have been funny if handled sensitively, but plays out as a disgusting combination of bad special effects and extreme lack of taste.

With those two complaints out of the way, things improve, as Zach Galifianakis is given ample screen time to display his particular brand of awkward humour. The inevitable guys’ road trip commences, and things get rolling thanks to a few helpful flashbacks from previous films. The darker tone of this film is evidenced by the large amount of dramatic music that is needed to accompany various scenes, whereas the first film was very much the type that could get by with a selection of catchy songs. The plot is simple, with the main protagonists being caught up in a gold feud between two criminals. The details, especially the plot twists and solutions that our heroes face, feel very much like they were conceived by an excited teenager, possibly whilst drunk.

On a positive note, this film does in fact manage to tie off the trilogy in a conclusive way, and definitely leaves a better taste in the mouth than its predecessor. I suspect that any scene featuring friends staring out into the desert from a parked car will from now on remind audiences of this hapless trio, and the script does allow for some welcome nostalgia sequences and montages of similar shots from the three films. There’s even a cute scene with the baby, now a boy, from the first film (and its famous poster). I was actually feeling slightly positive about the whole thing up until the epilogue started. Ah well. At least we got one good film out of this package deal – the two sequels don’t change that.

 

 

Trailers:

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

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/