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Cinema Reviews Thoughts

Kill List

Despite some intriguing twists this horror film suffers from many of the problems that afflict homegrown British cinema.

The story explores what happens when two hit men, Jay (Neil Maskell) and Gal (Michael Smiley), are hired for a job which becomes ever more sinister and mysterious.

It is hard to discuss the plot without giving away major spoilers, but it also depicts the emotional fallout on Jay’s wife, Shel (MyAnna Buring), Gal’s enigmatic new girlfriend (Emma Fryer) and various other characters including a mysterious client (Struan Rodger) who they meet up with in a hotel.

To the credit of director Ben Wheatley, who co-wrote the screenplay with Amy Jump,  many of the twists are well handled and an ominous atmosphere is skilfully evoked as the hit men gradually uncover details of their new assignment.

Using the suburbs of Sheffield as a main location, though the precise setting is kept ambiguous, the blandness of Britain actually forms a grimly effective backdrop to the events that transpire.

For the most part the main characters are believable and have a natural chemistry with each other in their professional and personal lives.

But as the story progresses Kill List suffers from a kind of split personality disorder, as domestic drama mixes uneasily with more obvious genre elements.

Certain scenes smack of undercooked, improvised dialogue and some of the darker elements of the film (though often well executed) are no more than cheap pandering to slavish horror fan boys turned on by violence.

Similar problems affected Wheatley’s debut film Down Terrace (2009), which involved a lot of people sitting indoors talking about things and pointless scenes where characters light up cigarettes for no real reason.

Whilst Kill List is a more interesting story, both suffer from looking like television: a chronic disease which afflicts many homegrown British films. Is it too much to ask for something cinematic when we actually go to the cinema?

But the biggest drawback of the film is the lead character as played by Neil Maskell, who is almost a parody of the cockney criminal stereotype that has littered British film since the late 1990s.

A brief glance at his acting C.V. suggests he’s been increasingly trapped in Brit movie hell: Bonded by Blood (2010), Doghouse (2009), Rise of the Footsoldier (2007) and The Football Factory (2004) are just some of the dire films he’s been in.

To be fair, this is a film that tries to escape that particular ghetto but when the protagonist is such a jarring cliché it deflates everything around it.

Given that this was shot on a relatively low budget, the technical aspects are solid: the HD camerawork by Laurie Rose, sound design by Martin Pavey and music by Jim Williams all contribute to a believable mood of dread and menace.

Watching this in a decent screening room with excellent visuals and sound was a reminder of how digital projection and distribution can benefit lower budget films like this.

Whether this can break out an be a decent-sized success at the UK box office is another question – there are elements which will put off some audiences but word of mouth at the twists and ending might create good buzz.

Produced by Warp X and Rook Films, with backing from Film4, the U.K. Film Council and Screen Yorkshire, it looks certain to make a decent profit given its relatively low cost.

Sales agent Protagonist Pictures is looking to repeat their trick of last year, when they sold a similar micro-budget film – Monsters (2010) – after making waves at SXSW in Austin, where Optimum nabbed UK distribution and IFC Midnight picked up U.S. rights.

There is also a similar pattern surrounding this film: it will screen at Fright Fest in London and lots of horror bloggers – and some mainstream outlets – will fan the flames of hype surrounding it.

Although ultimately just a watchable horror film, Kill List will no doubt have a decent life on home video (both disc and VOD) and horror aficionados will enjoy the parallels to a certain cult classic of the 1970s.

British micro-budget genre films such as this could be on the rise during the recession, as companies look to capitalise on lower cost, higher value filmmaking techniques and buzz out of festivals like SXSW which attract breakout genre titles.

Although such a trend is likely to produce some talented filmmakers, audiences should be wary of the hype.

> Official site
> Ben Wheatley at the IMDb

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Cinema

UK Cinema Releases: Friday 19th August 2011

NATIONAL RELEASES

Cowboys & Aliens (Paramount): Sci-fi western about a mysterious stranger (Daniel Craig) who arrives in a small town best by aliens. Directed by Jon Favreau, it co-stars Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde and Sam Rockwell. [Nationwide / 12A] [Read our full review]

Spy Kids 4: All The Time In The World In 4D (Entertainment): A mother (Jessica Alba) returns to her old profession as a spy despite being retired in order to prevent a villain trying on stop time. Directed by Robert Rodriquez, it co-stars Jeremy Piven and Dustin Leighton. [Nationwide / PG]

The Inbetweeners (Entertainment): Spin-off from the TV show sees four socially troubled eighteen-year-olds (Will, Neil, Simon and Jay) from the south of England go on holiday to Crete. Directed by Ben Palmer, it stars Simon Bird, James Buckley and Blake Harrison. [Nationwide / 15]

Glee the 3D Concert (20th Century Fox): A concert documentary shot during the Glee Live In Concert summer 2011 tour. It features Kevin McHale and Arena Azuala. [Nationwide / PG]

ALSO OUT

The Guard (Optimum Releasing): Black comedy about an unorthodox Irish policeman (Brendan Gleeson) who teams up with an uptight FBI agent (Don Cheadle) to investigate an international drug-smuggling ring. Directed by John Michael McDonagh, it co-stars Liam Cunningham and David Wilmot. [Key Cities / 15]

In A Better World (Axiom Films): Drama about a Swedish doctor (Mikael Persbrandt) who travels between his home in Denmark, and his work in a Sudanese refugee camp. Directed by Susanne Bier, it won the Beest Foreign Oscar earlier this year. [Key Cities / 15]

> Get local cinema showtimes at Google Movies or FindAnyFilm
Recent UK DVD & Blu-ray releases including Source Code and Countdown to Zero

 

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Cinema

UK Cinema Releases: Friday 12th August 2011

NATIONAL RELEASES

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (20th Century Fox): Reboot of the Apes franchise set in present day San Francisco as a scientist (James Franco) trying to cure Alzheimer’s inadvertently triggers a new breed of ape which gradually rebel against their human masters. Directed by Rupert Wyatt, it co-stars Frieda Pinto, John Lithgow and Brian Cox. [Nationwide / 12A] [Read our full review]

The Smurfs (Sony Pictures): Film adaptation of the comic book series created by Peyo which mixes live action and animation. The story involves the evil wizard Gargamel chasing the Smurfs out of their village, theor subsequent trip to New York and their journey back. Directed by Raja Gosnell, it stars Neil Patrick Harris, Jonathan Winters, Hank Azaria, Jayma Mays and Sofía Vergara. [Nationwide / U]

The Devil’s Double (Icon): Drama about Latif Yahia (Dominic Cooper), an Iraqi forced to act as a body double for the sadistic Uday Hussein (also played by Cooper) during Saddam Hussein’s rule. Directed by Lee Tamahori, it co-stars Philip Quast and Ludivine Sagnier. [Nationwide / 18]

ALSO OUT

The Interrupters (Dogwoof): Documentary about a non-violence project in Chicago which focuses on three workers who try to diffuse potentially violent situations with their experience and knowledge of local areas. Directed by Steve James (who made the masterful Hoop Dreams), it is an incredibly timely film in light of the recent UK riots, rich with human drama and emotion. [Key cities / 15] [Read our full review]

Project Nim (Icon): Documentary about a chimpanzee named Nim who was raised like a human in the 1970s as part of a scientific experiment into language. Directed by James Marsh, it is the follow up from the team that brought us Man on Wire (2008). [Key cities / 12A] [Read our full review here]

The Salt of Life (Artificial Eye): After the arthouse success of his charming Mid-August Lunch (2008), writer-director and actor Gianni Gregorio returns with another film about family relationships. This time it explores a bored house husband and his rediscovery of romantic relationships. [Key cities / 12A]

Elite Squad: The Enemy Within (Revolver): The follow-up film to the 2007 Brazilian crime drama continues the story of the Rio de Janeiro Military Police and has already become the highest grossing film ever in Brazil. Directed and produced by José Padilha, it stars Wagner Moura and Irandhir Santos. [Key cities / 18]

Beautiful Lies (Trinity Filmed Entertainment): French comedic riff on Jane Austen’s Emma with Audrey Tautou in the central matchmaker role. Directed by Pierre Salvadori, it co-stars Natalie Baye and Sami Bouajila. [Key cities]

The Taqwacores (Network Releasing): Film adaptation of the 2003 novel by Michael Muhammad Knight, which imagines a fictitious Islamic rock scene through characters living in Buffalo. Directed by Eyad Zahra, it stars Bobby Naderi, Dominic Rains and Noureen Dewulf. [Key cities / 15]

> Get local cinema showtimes at Google Movies or FindAnyFilm
Recent UK DVD & Blu-ray releases including Stand By Me and Whisky Galore

Categories
Cinema Documentaries Reviews

Project Nim

The life of a chimpanzee raised like a human makes for a rich documentary, which is assembled with considerable skill and intelligence.

After the success of their previous film Man On Wire (2008), director James Marsh and producer Simon Chinn came across another story that has its roots in New York of the 1970s.

In November 1973, a professor at Columbia University began an experiment to raise a chimpanzee like a human being in order to explore how this would affect the his communication skills with humans.

The chimp was named Nim Chimpsky after Noam Chomsky, the linguist whose thesis stated that language is hard-wired to humans only, and the experiment became a practical exploration of communication.

If Man on Wire played like an unlikely heist movie, this film is more like Frankenstein or a genre film where scientific breakthroughs have unintended consequences.

But as it progresses, the film is more than just about a curious scientific exercise as it peels away the different layers of the story to become something profound and unsettling about the relationship between humans and animals.

The opening section explores the behavioural psychologist who supervised the experiment, Professor Herbert Terrace, and his various assistants during the 1970s who treated Nim like a human child – a period which saw him introduced to human breast milk, alcohol and marijuana.

This makes for some eye-opening comedy in places, which is brilliantly augmented with interviews, period photographs and various other media from the time.

Part of the virtues of choosing a scientific project as the subject of a documentary is that the original observational materials can be incorporated into the film, as well as contemporary TV reports and magazine covers.

But the film really hits another plateau when we follow what happened to Nim when he left the supervision of Professor Terrace and his various surrogate mothers.

The story then becomes a darker tale which gradually holds up a mirror to the humans involved with Nim’s life.

Without going in to too much detail, it says a lot that the person who emerges with the most credit is Bob Ingersoll, a pot-smoking Grateful Dead fan who seemed to have Nim’s best interests at heart.

The second half of the film has some genuinely surprising twists and if you aren’t familiar with the real-life events I would recommend going in cold.

Part of what makes the film so effective, is the overall journey of Nim’s extraordinary life, which is presented with a meticulous care that is rare, even for a documentary.

Whilst the scientists depicted in Project Nim held up a mirror to a chimpanzee, the film also holds up a similar mirror to the audience about their relationship with animals and themselves.

On one level the film powerfully depicts the growing pains of a chimpanzee, but as this journey grows messy and painful, it is hard not to see the human parallels – we share 98.7% of our DNA but also a range of emotions and experiences as we age.

Marsh develops this material in such a way that it never feels simplistic or sentimental and along with his editor Jinx Godfrey have managed to whittle the story down to something that is both specific and universal.

Whilst the story of Nim is about an experiment from another era, the film of Nim is a vivid document of the humans who conducted it.

In a week which sees the UK release of an expensive reboot of the Planet of the Apes franchise, it is ironic that the chimpanzee film made for a fraction of the budget should have more drama and surprise.

But then this year has been a very strong one for documentaries with films like Senna, The Interrupters and now Project Nim prove that real stories told well can provide the drama that expensively produced fiction simply cannot match.

Project Nim is out at selected UK cinemas from Friday 12th August

> Official website
> Reviews of Project Nim at Metacritic
> James Marsh at the IMDb

Categories
Cinema

UK Cinema Releases: Friday 5th August 2011

NATIONAL RELEASES

Super 8 (Paramount): A homage to the early films of Steven Spielberg, this small-town tale sees a group of kids discover mysterious things whilst making a short film on their Super 8 camera. Directed by JJ Abrams, it stars
Joel Courtney, Elle Fanning and Kyle Chandler. [Nationwide / 12A] [Read our full review here]

Mr. Popper’s Penguins (20th Century Fox): The life of a businessman (Jim Carrey) starts to change after he inherits six penguins, which forces him to transform his apartment into a winter wonderland. Directed by Mark Waters, it co-stars Carla Guginno and Angela Lansbury. [Nationwide / PG]

Sarah’s Key (Optimum Releasing): A woman (Kristin Scott Thomas) becomes obsessed with tracking down a young woman from the past – for reasons even she can’t quite articulate – in this drama about the past affecting the present. Directed by Paul Popplewell, it co-stars Giles Paquet-Brenner and Melusine Mayance. [Key cities / 12A]

ALSO OUT

The Tree (Artificial Eye): Drama about a woman (Charlotte Gainsbourg) who has to cope with raising her family in the Australian countryside after a momentous event. Directed by Julie Bertucelli. [Key Cities / 12A]

> Get local cinema showtimes at Google Movies or FindAnyFilm
Recent UK DVD & Blu-ray releases including Submarine and The Lavender Hill Mob

 

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Cinema Reviews Thoughts

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Whilst pushing boundaries in visual effects, the latest instalment of the Planet of the Apes franchise is less successful at old fashioned elements like story and character.

Pierre Boule’s 1963 novel about a world where apes are the dominate species inspired a franchise of five films from 1968 to 1973, the most notable being the original Planet of the Apes (1968) starring Charlton Heston.

After an unwise big-budget remake from Tim Burton in 2001, 20th Century Fox have decided to revive the series by going back to the present day and exploring the early origins of intelligent apes.

The story begins when a San Francisco scientist (James Franco) develops a possible cure for Alzheimer’s Disease and over a period of several years notices the remarkable effects of his new drug on a chimpanzee named Caesar (Andy Serkis), who gradually begins to rebel against his human masters.

Essentially a prequel very loosely based on the original films, the main aim here was to create a summer blockbuster in which the main attraction is not a movie star or character but the visual effects.

Employing Weta Digital, the main effects company behind The Lord of the Rings trilogy and Avatar, the film does indeed break ground in the field of performance capture technology.

Having Andy Serkis play the lead ape via performance capture technology certainly gives his character a sense of believability and depth, that a purely digital version created from scratch would not.

Not only do the faces of the apes feel more authentic but their movement and interplay with live action characters is about as impressive as the current technology will allow.

The basic storyline of the apes rising also builds on the powerful metaphor that has made the franchise endure over several decades as a kind of riff on Frankenstein and the arrogance of mankind.

However, the film also cuts corners in vital areas, with the human drama weakened by undercooked writing and an overreliance on digital effects.

The main actors are woefully underwritten and simply going through the motions: Franco walks through the film in a haze (much like he did whilst presenting the Oscars), Frieda Pinto as his partner is merely a cipher, John Lithgow is only intermittently engaging as Franco’s father and David Oyelowo is given an utterly ridiculous role as the token corporate villain in a suit.

Also popping up in curiously underdeveloped roles as ape-keepers are Brian Cox (who is shamefully wasted) and Tom Felton, who appears like he’s on a sabbatical from the Harry Potter franchise.

This all makes the interaction between the two species less effective because it is hard to care about apes rising when the humans are such one-note dullards.

The visual scope is also limited by director Rupert Wyatt using a lot of interior locations: houses, labs and cages dominate much of the film and even when it ventures outside for the big finale, one of the most iconic locations in America is clearly an alternative bridge augmented by green screen effects.

As a studio Fox has become very fond of shooting major releases on an efficient budget in places such as Canada, like The A-Team (2010), or Australasia, such as X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009).

This obviously pleases the studio accountants but reduces the scale and overall visual feel of films on the big screen and Rise of the Planet of the Apes does not benefit from this penny-pinching approach.

Given that the main selling point is the visual effects, the film also suffers from an intriguing paradox – in that as they get more detailed and realistic, they become more noticeable to the human eye.

The most impressive aspect are the close up shots of Caesar’s basic interaction with human beings, but when they try to do flashy ‘one take’ shots of him swinging around the house or climbing trees, the realism is diminished.

One of the supposed advances in this film is that advanced visual creations are seen in real life locations, but that is actually part of the problem.

Watching this on an unforgiving big screen, one can see the digital joins in certain scenes which make the technically ‘inferior’ old school approach of ape make-up – as used in 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) or the 1968 and 2001 versions of The Planet of the Apes – seem more believable.

But whilst the film is a decidedly mixed bag, there may be a strong appetite for a big release that isn’t an animated feature or a film based on a comic book character.

Fox have been keeping this film under wraps until the last week, which they claim was a result of working the visual effects up to the last possible minute.

I suspect it was part of a more carefully planned marketing strategy, as the selling point of this film is that the creepy Frankenstein narrative gives it a different tone to the good versus evil stories that have littered the multiplexes this summer.

This film could mark the resurgence of a franchise whose apocalyptic atmosphere may chime in with current fears of an economic collapse, but it also shows the limits of even the most advanced visual effects, if traditional elements are found wanting.

Aside from having one too many the’s in the title, the film is almost a metaphor for itself: advanced technology (CGI) is used to create super apes (on screen) but only ends up showing how shallow humans are.

> Official website
> Reviews at Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes
> Find out more about the Planet of the Apes franchise at Wikipedia
> Popular Mechanics interview Andy Serkis about the motion capture process

Categories
Cinema Documentaries Reviews

The Interrupters

The latest documentary from Steve James is a riveting examination of a community group tackling urban violence in Chicago.

Inspired by a 2008 article by Alex Kotlowitz in the New York Times Magazine, it explores the work of CeaseFire, a program which adopted ‘The Violence Interrupter’ concept, which uses people with experience of violent crime in order to prevent it.

The brainchild of epidemiologist Gary Slutkin, the interrupter concept treats urban violence like an infectious disease – if you go after the most infected, then you can stop the infection at its source.

Shot over the course of a year in Chicago, it focuses on three interrupters: Ameena Matthews, Cobe Williams and Eddie Bocanegra, who all have lives shaped by past violence on the streets.

But the fascination of the film lies is the way it combines the history of the interrupters with their practical application of Slutkin’s theory.

CeaseFire utilises whatever nonviolent means possible to prevent violence: interrupters listen to the chatter on the streets and intervene when something is about to go wrong.

We see the power of ‘interruption’ in practice as Ameena, Cobe and Eddie apply it in the streets, using their contacts, negotiating skills and quick wits to diffuse potentially volatile situations in areas blighted by poverty and crime.

This means that in order to be effective, they have to exercise a special brand of street diplomacy, which can involve anything from talking out issues on a porch to an impromptu trip to the local food joint.

Ameena draws on her own background as the daughter of a notorious gang leader to befriend and mentor a girl who reminds her of her younger self; Cobe uses his experience of loss and time in prison to disarm people with his charm and good nature; whilst Eddie’s empathetic work with young children is driven by his own haunted past.

Each of these narrative strands could potentially provide the basis for a gripping feature film, but Steve James weaves them skilfully into a documentary which tackles a deep problem with considerable insight and human drama.

Returning to the same city that formed the backdrop of his landmark film Hoop Dreams (1994), the film is refreshingly candid about the problem of urban violence and mercifully free of the fake inspiration of mainstream TV documentaries.

The cameras here capture some extraordinarily raw scenes: a quick-witted doorstep negotiation with an angry man bent on revenge; a dramatic apology delivered to the owners of a barbershop; an interrupter lying on a hospital bed; and a school girl describing the effects of violence, are just some of the most affecting things I’ve seen this year.

But their power comes from the extensive groundwork laid out by James and Kotlowitz, who shot over 300 hours of footage and took time to earn the trust of their interviewees and the communities where they filmed.

This means that what we see on screen is filled with the kind of genuine surprises, narrative suspense and inspiring actions that only real life can provide.

Perhaps the most lasting aspect of The Interrupters is that it serves as a welcome counterblast to traditional ways in which the issue of urban violence is framed.

Hollywood favours improbable stories of mavericks beating the odds, whilst mainstream media such as CNN and Fox devote plenty of time to the gory outcome of murder whilst ignoring the root causes.

James and Kotlowitz (who served as co-producer on the film) adopt a slower and more considered approach which reaps rich dividends in exploring the complexity of human beings and the environment they inhabit.

In a sense, the film stays true to the long form journalism that inspired it, as research and a careful fidelity to the facts and issues at hand provide the backbone to the film.

According to the filmmakers, the minimalist production values and aesthetic were partly a product of making their subjects feel comfortable on camera, but it also emphasises the human factor well, which after all is what the film is really about.

The real genius of The Interrupters is that it immerses us in a particular situation but ultimately achieves a universal significance in depicting human struggle and redemption.

It also acts as a valuable document of a time when Chicago was brought into the national spotlight through the death of Derrion Albert in September 2009, and almost became a symbol for the violence across US cities.

After an acclaimed run at film festivals including Sundance, Sheffield and South by Southwest, it is very hard not to see this as an early Oscar frontrunner for Best Documentary.

At Sundance its running time was 164 minutes, but will open in the UK at a more audience-friendly running time of around two hours.

This means its commercial theatrical prospects have been improved – and it is a film I would urge you to see at a cinema – but presumably there is enough raw material for an extended cut on DVD or even a mini-series.

Like Hoop Dreams, the achievement here is immense and the film shines a valuable light on an issue which affects not just Chicago but every city suffering the human cost of violence.

The lasting legacy may be that practical, grass roots activism can provide relief from even the most intractable urban problems.

In what is already a very strong year for documentaries, this is one of the very best.

The Interrupters opens in the UK on August 12th and you can find a list of cinemas showing it here

> Official website
> Official Facebook and Twitter
> Reviews of The Interrupters at Metacritic
> Original NY Times article by Alex Kotlowitz that inspired the film

Categories
Cinema Reviews Thoughts

Cowboys and Aliens

An uneasy blend of Western and science fiction is another reminder of the dangers of pandering to the Comic-Con mentality.

Based on a 2006 graphic novel by Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, the story begins in 1873 when the enigmatic Jake Lonergan (Daniel Craig) wakes up in the Arizona desert with no memory and a mysterious device around his wrist.

On entering the local town he discovers a local lawman (Harrison Ford) is after him, but when mysterious alien forces attack, people soon realise this stranger might hold the key to their salvation.

The easiest way to describe the premise of Cowboys and Aliens is that it plays like an unholy mix of Unforgiven (1992) and War of the Worlds (2005), although it never really works as a western or an alien invasion movie.

Ultimately the biggest problem is that it never rises above its goofy high-concept premise and simply lurches from one set-piece to another, whilst scrambling to find coherence in half-baked clichés.

It’s a difficult film to fully analyse without giving too many plot spoilers away, but the twists range from the predictable to the ridiculous and the presence of five credited screenwriters is revealing.

The huge gaping holes in the story are compounded by thinly written roles: Craig is uneasy as the mysterious loner; Ford hams it up as the cranky lawman; Wilde is utterly wasted in a curious role; and the supporting cast (including Sam Rockwell) is treated little better.

This is not to say that the film is a total write off.

Director Jon Favreau shoots the Western elements with some skill, making great use of the New Mexico landscapes and, in some scenes, cinematographer Matthew Libatique brings the same visual pop  that made Iron Man (2008) so vibrant.

The look of the period is convincingly realised with the production design by Scott Chambliss and costumes by Mary Zophres, whilst the visual effects by ILM (supervised by Roger Guyett) are generally first-rate.

Whilst the cowboys are watchable, the aliens are walking clichés that we’ve seen before in many movies, with the same physical attributes, spacecraft and vague motives that characterise the sci-fi genre.

Although the opening is intriguing, by the end there is very little audiences haven’t actually seen before, including: token memory flashbacks, gruff characters learning to become nice, and traditional enemies joining forces against a common enemy.

At one point, there also appears to be a deeply questionable visual reference to the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster.

After a protracted development history over fourteen years, it bears the hallmarks of an idea that has been prodded and embellished with the sole intention of getting geeks excited at Comic-Con.

In fact, a quick look at the history of this project reveals that’s exactly what happened.

After the success of Iron Man, perhaps Jon Favreau felt he owed something to the fans that went nuts about the project at Comic-Con in 2007 as that film worked and gave a boost to his career.

But Iron Man 2 (2010) and Cowboys and Aliens are casebook studies of the perils of pandering to the fans: both surfed a wave of pre-release hype, but were proved inferior films when they finally came out.

Last year may have marked a watershed for the major studios and Comic-Con: both panels for Cowboys and Aliens and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World got people excited in the fevered atmosphere of Hall-H, but baffled mainstream audiences.

Scott Pilgrim bombed and although it is still early days for Cowboys and Aliens, which opens in the US this weekend, the early signs aren’t good and it may even suffer the ignominy of being beaten by The Smurfs movie this weekend.

One of the early marketing problems it faced was that some people mistakenly thought the premise was comedic, which although not true, does actually speaks volumes about the deficiencies of the film.

The final film feels like the result a studio pitch-meeting that geeks were invited to (“Cowboys and aliens? Awesome!”).

But the Comic-Con mindset is all bout celebrating what a movie could be, rather than what it actually is: in recent years list of Comic-Con flops grows ever longer (Sucker Punch perhaps being the ultimate example) as the hype of Hall H fades into the reality of the multiplex.

Maybe its time for the studios to allow filmmakers to focus on making better films rather than whipping up hype at conventions several months before it has even been released.

There is a director who has managed to do this very successfully. His name? Christopher Nolan.

> Official site
> Reviews of Cowboys and Aliens at Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes
> More on the original graphic novel at Wikipedia

Categories
Cinema

UK Cinema Releases: Friday 29th July 2011

NATIONAL RELEASES

Captain America: The First Avenger (Paramount): The latest installment of the Marvel cinematic universe traces the origin story of Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), a plucky soldier who is transformed into Captain America in order to fight the Nazis during World War II. Directed by Joe Johnsoton, it co-stars Hayley Atwell, Tommy Lee Jones and Hugo Weaving. [Read our full review here] [Nationwide / 12]

Zookeeper (Sony Pictures): Comedy about a Boston zookeeper (Kevin James) who gets some life advice from the animals under his care. Directed by Frank Coraci, it co-stars Rosario Dawson, Leslie Bibb and features the voices of Sylvester Stallone, Cher, Nick Nolte and Adam Sandler. [Nationwide / PG]

Horrid Henry 3D (Vertigo Films): Adapted from the children’s books about a naughty little boy (Theo Stevenson) named Henry, this co-stars Anjelica Huston, Rebecca Front and Richard E Grant. Directed by Nick Moore, for some reason it is being released in 3D. [Nationwide / U]

ALSO OUT

A Better Life (E1): Drama about a Mexican father (Demian Bichir ) and son (Bobby Soto) who struggle to survive as immigrant workers after their truck is stolen. Directed by Chris Weitz. [Key cities / 12A]

Arrietty (Optimum Releasing): The new film from Japan’s Studio Ghibli is a version of The Borrowers, based on Mary Norton’s 1950s novels, where miniature people live under the floorboards. Directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi. [Key cities / U]

> Get local cinema showtimes at Google Movies or FindAnyFilm
Recent UK DVD & Blu-ray releases including The Eagle and The Lincoln Lawyer

Categories
Cinema Reviews Thoughts

Captain America: The First Avenger

The latest Marvel character comes to the big screen in a period fantasy which has its moments but is ultimately diminished by being part of a wider comic book narrative.

Ever since 2008, Marvel Studios has been on something of a roll.

Previously, major Hollywood studios had licensed Marvel properties such as Spider-Man, X-Men and Fantastic Four and reaped huge commercial rewards in the resulting movies.

With Iron Man (2008) the comic book company decided to finance a movie themselves – with major studio just distributing -and monetise their properties more effectively than they had done before.

The resulting film was significant as it was not only a huge hit which rejuvenated the career of Robert Downey Jnr, but the beginning of a connected franchise of films involving Marvel characters.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (it has its own Wikipedia page) includes: The Incredible Hulk (2008), Iron Man 2 (2010), Thor (2011), Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) and The Avengers (2012).

Captain America’s story begins with a present day discovery in the Arctic, before flashing back to the 1940s when a plucky Brooklyn weakling named Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) is recruited to be part of a secret program headed by expatriate German scientist (Stanley Tucci).

He becomes part of a ‘super-soldier’ program under the command of a Colonel (Tommy Lee Jones) and British officer (Hayley Atwell), whilst in Europe his evil German counterpart Johann Schmidt (Hugo Weaving) has a contrasting transformation into the villainous Red Skull.

What follows is a standard superhero origin story, but the screenplay by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely deftly pokes fun at the patriotic origins of the character whilst at the same time largely delivering the action movie goods.

Unlike Iron Man, it is hard to imagine a modern incarnation of Captain America in an age where US foreign policy has angered so much of the world, but the period setting is a smart move, as it allows us an ironic distance from the character and the story.

Director Joe Johnston was presumably recruited because he made The Rocketeer (1991), another period superhero film set around World War 2, and to a degree that pays off, as the old fashioned look, witty dialogue and romantic angles are well realised.

But there are some underlying problems to this version of Captain America, which stem from the underlying blandness of the character, the uneasy mix of period design and CGI, and the creeping familiarity of the Avengers universe.

Steve Rogers is still a fairly one-dimensional hero and although there are nice recurring motifs (such as his use of a shield), he’s still the archetypal loner surrounded by characters who initially doubt and then come to respect him.

The actors do their best: Chris Evans has a steady, innocent charm in the lead role and Hayley Atwell and Tommy Lee Jones are also good value, but the underlying material doesn’t really provide them with anything truly substantial.

The production design by Rich Heinrichs features some good use of sets and real world locations (with various UK places standing in for Brooklyn and World War 2 Europe) but for many of the more expansive action sequences CGI is used in a distracting way.

This is a problem that plagues many modern action films and in crucial sequences the mix of real actors and CGI enhanced backgrounds just doesn’t look right.

The 3D compounds the problem as it not only reduces the brightness of the film, but the post-conversion process used here doesn’t provide images of sufficient depth or detail.

In contrast, the sound design supervised by Howell Gibbens is first rate and gives the action sequences a real kick, especially in the action sequences and the moments involving Captain America’s iconic shield.

Alan Silvestri’s old fashioned score also adds the appropriate lift to the proceedings.

But the wider Avengers universe is always hovering in the background: we see Tony Stark’s father (Dominic Cooper) and there’s a climax involving the now obligatory cameo from a certain S.H.I.E.L.D agent, along with a post-credits scene for hardcore fans.

This is all part of leading up to next year’s Avengers movie, which will combine the characters of Iron Man, Thor, Hulk and Captain America, but the whole approach of the franchise so far has made the Marvel films up to this point feel like watered down prequels rather than standalone movies.

Captain America: The First Avenger has its moments but ultimately makes you pine for a superhero movie which has a proper resolution and doesn’t feel part of some brightly coloured, never-ending franchise.

But don’t panic: The Dark Knight Rises is out next summer.

Captain America: The First Avenger opens in the UK on Friday 29th July

> Official site
> Reviews of Captain America at Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes
> Find out more about the Captain America character at Wikipedia

Categories
Cinema

UK Cinema Releases: Friday 22nd July 2011

NATIONAL RELEASES

Cars 2 (Walt Disney): Pixar’s sequel to the 2006 film sees racing star Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) go an international adventure as they go up against the world’s fastest cars. Directed by John Lasseter, it features the voices of Bonnie Hunt, Cheech Marin and Tony Shalhoub. [Nationwide / U]

Horrible Bosses (Universal): Comedy about three friends who conspire to murder their awful bosses when they realize they are standing in the way of their happiness. Directed by Seth Gordon, it stars Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Spacey, Collin Farrell, Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis and Charlie Day. [Nationwide / 15]

Beginners (Universal): Drama about a man (Ewan McGregor) who is surprised when his elderly father (Christopher Plummer) makes two bombshell announcements. Directed by Mike Mills, it co-stars Melanie Laurent. [Nationwide / 15]

ALSO OUT

The Big Picture (Artificial Eye): Drama about a partner in a big Paris law firm (Romain Duris) who finds his life turned upside down by unexpected events. Directed by Christopher Guest and Eric Lartigau. [Selected cinemas / 15]

> Get local cinema showtimes at Google Movies or FindAnyFilm
Recent UK DVD & Blu-ray releases including American Graffiti and Dazed and Confused

Categories
Cinema

UK Cinema Releases: Friday 15th July 2011

NATIONAL RELEASES

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (Warner Bros.): The final chapter in the long running franchise sees Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) battle Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) for the last time. Directed by David Yates, it co-stars Emma Watson and Rupert Grint. [Nationwide / 12A] [Read our longer review]

ALSO OUT

Bobby Fischer Against The World (Dogwoof): Documentary about the rise and fall of legendary US chess player Bobby Fischer. Directed by Liz Garbus.[Selected cinemas / 12A] [Listen to our interview with Liz Garbus]

 

 

Hobo With A Shotgun (Momentum): A homeless vigilante (Rutger Hauer) takes on away crooked cops and other scumbags with a shotgun. Directed by Jason Eisener, it co-stars Gregory Smith and Jason Eisener. [Key Cities / 18]

Bal (Honey): Turkish-German drama about a young boy and his father living in forested region of north-eastern Turkey. Directed by Semih Kaplanoglu and starring Erdal Besikçioglu, Tülin Özen and Bora Altas, it won the Golden Bear at this year’s Berlin film festival. [Key Cities / PG]

Cell 211 (Optimum Releasing): Spanish drama about a prisoner who enters jail just as a riot kicks off. Directed by Daniel Monzon, it stars Wis Tosar and Alberto Ammann. [Selected cinemas / 18]

Just Do It (Leftfield Films): Documentary about climate change protests directed by Emily James. [Selected cinemas / 12A]

> Get local cinema showtimes at Google Movies or FindAnyFilm
> Recent UK DVD & Blu-ray releases including Animal Kingdom and Obsession

Categories
Cinema Reviews Thoughts

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

The final chapter of the highest grossing film franchise in history will delight fans and presumably break box office records, even though the final book shouldn’t have been split in two for the big screen.

Opening with a brief snippet of the climax to Part 1 (intriguingly before the studio logo), the final Potter extravaganza deals with Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) finally confronting his destiny and taking on his wizard nemesis Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) as the forces of darkness surround Hogwarts.

For those that aren’t Potter experts here is a brief summary of the film series so far:

  • Philosopher’s Stone (2001): Harry enrols at Hogwarts, a school for wizards headed by Professor Dumbledore, where he makes friends with Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. We learn Harry’s parents were killed by the evil Lord Voldemort, who wants to become human and kill him too.
  • Chamber of Secrets (2002): Returning to Hogwarts, Harry learns about a series of attacks on students and a secret chamber where he has to kill a large serpent and defeat Lord Voldemort’s ‘memory’, which is in an enchanted diary.
  • Prisoner of Azkaban (2003): Harry hears an escaped murderer named Sirius Black is after him but realises Black was framed and is actually his godfather.
  • Goblet of Fire (2005): Harry enters the Triwizard Tournament at Hogwarts and witnesses the return of Lord Voldemort to human form.
  • Order of the Phoenix (2007): Harry forms a secret student group after Hogwarts comes under the influence of a new teacher and ends up having to fight Voldemort’s followers (Death Eaters) at the Ministry of Magic.
  • Half-Blood Prince (2009): Harry learns how Voldemort has been using special artefacts (‘Horcruxes’) to become immortal and sees his mentor Dumbledore killed by Severus Snape, a teacher at Hogwarts who Harry has had suspicions about.

In the The Deathly Hallows Part 1 (2010), Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) followed clues left by the late Dumbledore and went in search of Horcruxes  (magical artefacts) to help them kill Voldemort, whilst avoiding the clutches of his followers.

Part 2 opens with Voldemort in possession of Dumbledore’s wand, whilst Harry and his gang have to get back to Hogwarts to destroy more Horcuxes and fight off the forces surrounding their school.

Now, did any of these plot details make your head spin?

One of the problems in writing anything about the Potter films is that it’s like reporting from a large foreign country – people know it exists but can get confused by the local details.

In many the Harry Potter phenomenon is the Star Wars of its generation – a franchise which recycles previous tales of good and evil, repackages them with special effects and places them within a detailed fantasy world.

When the films began in 2001, there was already a generation of children obsessed with the books (by then the fourth had been published to record breaking sales), so there was already a built-in audience.

But Warner Bros were smart to preserve J.K. Rowling’s vision and even if you are not a fan, these films are faithful to the books and technically well made.

Since David Yates started directing the films with The Order of the Phoenix (2007), there seems to have been a ramping up of the films in terms of scale and effects, even though they weren’t exactly small to begin with.

With this, the decision to split the final book in two was presumably made because the source material was longer than before and the studio was getting two blockbusters for essentially the price of one (albeit large) production.

Although this story is fast-paced, it feels like the third act of a previous film spread too thinly and perhaps the correct way for fans to see it is to experience it as a double-bill with Part 1.

Experienced in isolation, this film moves a bit too fast, whereas the previous film was a bit too slow.

At a running time of 131 minutes, Part 2 is essentially a war film in the wizarding universe as Hogwarts is under siege from Voldemort’s hordes: this means some key developments (especially involving two major characters) don’t really get the screen time they deserve and are drowned out by the clash of magical armies and characters brandishing wands.

Voldemort isn’t as scary now either, which is a bit of a let down considering the whole series has been leading up to this confrontation.

The best narrative pay off involves Severus Snape (Alan Rickman), who has a flashback montage that shows new sides to his character.

By coincidence I happened to see this on the same day as watching Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life and was struck by certain bizarre similarities: there is an extended flashback sequence involving trees, flowing water and an idealised red haired woman, plus there is also a sequence which touches upon issues of mortality.

Despite obvious differences with Malick, it is unusually bold territory for a children’s franchise to venture.

But part of the main appeal of the film franchise over the past decade is how they have provided a showcase for the latest in visual effects and cutting edge CGI.

The Yates films have been especially impressive at spectacle and here DP Eduardo Serra, the VFX crew under John Richardson and production designer Stuart Craig all work wonders in integrating CGI with real world locations and sets.

One of the more positive by products of the Potter series has been the growth in UK effects houses such as Double Negative, MPC, Cinesite and Framestore, who all sign off the franchise with absolutely sterling work.

The decision to make this 3D is a nakedly financial one that adds little to the visual impact of the film and the 2D version may be preferable for general  audience (For the record, I saw it in 3D).

A final coda suggests there is room to expand the franchise if Rowling and Warner Bros wanted to, although whether that would be wise is another question.

With each new film over the last decade, the series has become something of a slog to those not addicted to the books, as you try to recap previous events and characters, so there is something satisfying that it is all finally over.

So, the final chapter is doubly satisfying: for fans it delivers the visual spectacle and reverence to the books, whilst for general audiences it is a last chance to experience the franchise before getting sick of the boy wizard and his pals.

Official site
Find out more about the Harry Potter series at Wikipedia
> Reviews at Metacritic

Categories
Cinema Reviews Thoughts

The Tree of Life

UK cinemagoers can now finally see Terrence Malick’s latest film but how does it hold up after all the buzz and anticipation?

Ever since his debut Badlands (1973) screened to acclaim at the New York Film Festival nearly 40 years ago, a Terrence Malick film has become something of an event.

One of the most audacious directorial debuts in US cinema was followed five years later with Days of Heaven (1978), a troubled production which fortunately yielded one of the most visually remarkable films of the 1970s.

Then there followed a twenty year period where Malick didn’t make any movies, a time which stoked his legend and made people revisit the extraordinary beauty and craftsmanship of his work and cemented his place in the canon of American cinema.

Just when it seemed he would become the J.D. Salinger of US cinema, in the mid-90s it emerged that he was actually returning with an adaptation of the World War II novel The Thin Red Line (1998), which has the distinction of being one of the greatest and most unusual war films ever released by a major studio.

Six years later he made The New World (2005), a retelling of the Pocahontas story which contained the same slow-burn ecstasy as his previous work along with some breathtaking use of imagery and music.

Malick remains an enigma as his refusal to do any publicity or play by conventional Hollywood practice is matched by an extensive network of admirers and supporters throughout the very system he flouts.

Up to this point his forty year career has been highly singular.

Not since Stanley Kubrick has a filmmaker achieved such creative control nor inspired such reverential awe amongst his peers and true cineastes.

Financing for this film was presumably a bit trickier than his last two, but River Road Entertainment and producer Bill Pohlad managed to raise the reported $32 million budget and followed the recent Malick formula of casting a big star alongside talented newcomers.

The production was three years in the making, with the bulk of photography taking place in 2008 and various other elements stretched out until it eventually premièred at Cannes back in May.

One of the most hotly anticipated festival screenings in years, it seemed to divide initial reaction at the festival (it was both booed and cheered at the press screening in the morning), but with high praise from experienced trade critics, the film was rapturously received at the evening premiere and went on to win the Palme d’Or.

Malick was actually spotted at the festival, but the producers accepted the award on his behalf and there was a wonderful symmetry to The Tree of Life winning a trophy of golden leaves.

Over the last few weeks Fox Searchlight have given it a platform release and amongst discerning film goers it has become one of the must-see events of the summer.

After all, this is a work by one of America’s most revered directors featuring one of the biggest movie stars on the planet.

But exactly is The Tree of Life all about?

It charts the memories of an architect (Sean Penn) as he remembers his childhood growing up in 1950s Texas, with two contrasting parents: his stern father (Brad Pitt), loving mother (Jessica Chastain) and two brothers.

At the same time, there is an extended sequence which explores the beginnings of creation and the development of life.

But the surprising aspect of the film is how these seemingly disparate strands do actually mesh.

Whilst it may divide opinion, there is nothing here that should perturb anyone with a genuinely open mind.

It is difficult to discuss specific story points without spoilers, but this is not some kind of art house indulgence but an inspired meditation on human existence and memory.

The signature Malick motifs are here: internal monologue voiceover, magic hour visuals and elliptical editing, and it follows themes he has previously explored, such as life, death and the nature of man.

Here Malick explores how life began but also asks the more pressing question of how death affects how we live our lives: should we embrace the selfish instinct to merely survive or a more compassionate approach to appreciate the present?

These two ways are embodied in the characters of the father and mother but also relate to any living thing in the history of the world, which is why the inclusion of Malick staples such as creatures and plants is not only appropriate but significant.

That the film relates these to the story of Penn’s character and his memories of childhood is part of its particular wonder: it is almost as if Malick was born to make this.

Parallels have been drawn to the director’s own life story and there is no doubt that this is an acutely personal film which I suspect has been brewing inside of him for a very long time.

Some viewers of a particular experience may find certain sequences hit home with an almost unbearable emotional intensity.

But the lasting power of The Tree of Life is how manages to find the universal within the particular.

Viewers may be jolted by the juxtaposition of the cosmic with the domestic, but aren’t experiences of childhood and our later memories filled with such existential questions?

Is there a creator? Why are we born in order to die? What happens in the afterlife?

These are pretty big questions and the fact that Malick tackles them head on with an admirable lack of detachment is actually amazing in this day and age of recycled narratives and endless sequels.

Cinema is a medium wonderfully suited to getting inside people’s thoughts and feelings and Malick is a past master at capturing both the internal and external landscapes of the human experience.

That he does so again here with his impeccable artistry is to be richly savoured as the technical achievements of The Tree of Life are extraordinary.

For the Texas sections, cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki creates stunning images with a fluid intimacy that captures both the wonder of growing up and the internal emotions and memories of the major characters.

He used natural light and Steadicam to amazing effect in The New World (2005) and here he repeats the ecstatic brilliance of that film with photography that is appropriately transcendent.

The actors respond with considerable distinction: Pitt captures the simmering frustration and deep love of a stern but loving father; Chastain is magnetic as the ethereal mother; whilst the child actors – Hunter McCracken, Tye Sheridan and Laramie Eppler – fully convince. (Incidentally, Eppler looks uncannily like Pitt, although they aren’t related).

Pitt is cursed with a celebrity that often overshadows his acting work, but his performance here is quietly brilliant: his changing moods and inner conflicts are powerful to watch and this is his best work since The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007).

Penn has a much smaller role but he is a key presence and powerfully depicts a haunted, introspective man reflecting on his life. His role is brief in terms of screen time, but he is an important lynchpin for what happens.

Malick fans may like to note that Penn’s sequences are the only one Malick has ever set in the present – all of his previous films have been period pieces and there is a weird jolt at seeing mobile phones and skyscrapers here.

Past vs. Present
The Tree of Life at MOVIECLIPS.com

As for the scenes involving the rather large subject of the creation of mankind, they not only convince but provide something of a master class in the visual effects work of the last forty years.

Supervised by Dan Glass, they are genuinely awesome blend of high-resolution optical photography, modern CGI and unspecified trippy stuff which looks like nothing I’ve ever seen on a cinema screen.

The presence of VFX pioneer Douglas Trumbull on the effects team is obviously going to invite comparisons to Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) but I suspect his own film Brainstorm (1983) may have also been an influence in hiring him (although a forgotten sci-fi thriller it has sequences which visualise similar themes).

There is a grand sweep to the creation sequences which involves spectacular footage of natural phenomena, both in space and on earth: planets, meteors, volcanic eruptions, waterfalls, microscopic cells, jellyfish and even dinosaurs are all used.

Careful viewers may actually notice how they link to the Texas story, as there appear to be subtle visual and thematic clues between the creation of life and the individual lives depicted on screen.

Some stunning sound work throughout the film also helps anchor two seemingly disparate worlds, as the rumblings of nature and space are contrasted with the carefully constructed scenes of the family at home. (Malick aficionados might want to listen carefully for a particular recurring sound that also appears in the The Thin Red Line).

Although Alexandre Desplat worked on a score, Malick has opted to go for a score filled with classical composers, such as Bach, Berlioz, Smetena, Mahler, Holst, Górecki and John Tavener.

Again there may be comparisons to Kubrick, but Malick has his own style and edits to music like no other filmmaker working today, including some exhilarating sequences as the young boys grow up.

The period feel of 1950s small-town Texas is expertly captured by production designer Jack Fisk and the costumes by Jacqueline West give it a vivid period feel, which neatly evokes the power of childhood memories.

The Tree of Life is not a film that will be embraced by everyone and I suspect some may resent the fact that this is pure, distilled Malick with no compromise to conventional Hollywood storytelling clichés.

It is unashamedly ambitious and emotional, which are two qualities that put some audiences immediately on the back foot.

But there is a compelling story here, which is clearer than one might initially think – it just happens to be told in an unconventional way.

Malick has always made films built to last, even if recurring themes and motifs have vexed some viewers of his most recent work.

But the mere existence of this film in 2011 is almost as miraculous as the mysteries depicted within it.

A sublime work in the truest sense of the word, its beauty, vastness and grandeur make it quite something to behold.

It will probably be debated and thought about for a long time, which is entirely appropriate as it both reflects the questions and feelings of life itself.

> Official site and Tumblr blog
> Reviews of The Tree of Life at Metacritic
> Find out more about Terrence Malick at Wikipedia

Categories
Cinema

UK Cinema Releases: Friday 8th July 2011

NATIONAL RELEASES

The Tree of Life (20th Century Fox): Terrence Malick’s fifth film arrives in UK cinemas after winning the Palme d’Or at Cannes and a wrangle involving the film’s initial UK distributor Icon. The creation of the world is intercut with story of a Midwestern family in the 1950’s and we follow the eldest son as he tries to reconcile his feelings towards his father (Brad Pitt), mother (Jessica Chastain) and the wider cosmos. [Selected cinemas nationwide / 12A]

Trust (Lionsgate UK): Drama about the parents (Clive Owen and Catherine Keener) of a teenage girl who is stalked by an online sexual predator. Directed by David Schwimmer, whilst Liana Liberato co-stars as the young girl. [Selected cinemas nationwide / 15]

The Princess of Montpensier (Optimum Releasing): Bertrand Tavernier directs this period drama, based on the 1662 romance by Madame de la Fayette. Set amidst the religious wars of the period, it stars Mélanie Thierry in the title role, as a woman forced into marriage while loving another man. It co-stars Gaspard Ulliel, Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet, Lambert Wilson and Raphaël Personnaz. [Selected cinemas nationwide / 15]

ALSO OUT

Super (G2 Pictures): Dark comedy about a man who becomes a superhero vigilante (Rainn Wilson) and his sidekick (Ellen Page). Directed by James Gunn, it co-stars Liv Tyler and Kevin Bacon. [Selected cinemas / 18]

Holy Rollers (Crabtree Films): Comedy-thriller about how Hassidic Jews were recruited as mules in the late 1990s to smuggle ecstasy pills from Amsterdam into New York. Directed by Kevin Asch, it stars i Graynor, Danny A Abeckaser, Jason Fuchs, Jesse Eisenberg and Justin Bartha. [Selected cinemas / 15]

Film Socialisme (New Wave Films): Jean-Luc Godard’s latest film consists of three movements, including a Mediterranean cruise ship, multi-lingual conversations, a pair of children, and six sites from around the world in Egypt, Palestine, Odessa, Hellas, Naples, and Barcelona. [Selected cinemas / PG]

> Get local cinema showtimes at Google Movies or FindAnyFilm
> Recent UK DVD & Blu-ray releases including Don’t Look Now and Apocalypse Now

Categories
Cinema Documentaries Interviews Podcast

Interview: Liz Garbus on Bobby Fischer Against The World

Bobby Fischer Against The World is a new documentary about the rise and fall of the legendary American chess player and his 1972 match with Boris Spassky.

The film explores Fischer’s rapid rise to national fame and the political significance of his clash with Spassky, which attracted global media coverage as a wider Cold War confrontation between America and Russia.

It then delves into the later years of his life as he effectively retired at the peak of his career and became a wandering enigma, exiled from his own country, making controversial statements after 9/11, before eventually retreating to Iceland where he died in 2008.

Directed by Liz Garbus, it premiered at Sundance earlier this year and mixes rare archive footage and photos, along with interviews from those close to Fischer as well as figures such as Gary Kasparov and Henry Kissinger.

I recently spoke to Liz in London at the offices at Dogwoof, who are releasing the film in the UK, and you can listen to the interview by clicking below:

[audio:http://filmdetail.receptionmedia.com/Liz_Garbus_on_Bobby_Fischer_Against_The_World.mp3]

You can also download this interview as a podcast via iTunes by clicking here.

Dogwoof release Bobby Fischer Against The World at selected UK cinemas on July 15th

> Download this interview as an MP3 file
> Official website for Bobby Fischer Against The World
> Get updates for the film via Facebook and Twitter
> Find out which local cinemas are playing the film
> Follow Dogwoof on Twitter
> Find out more about Bobby Fischer at Wikipedia

Categories
Cinema

UK Cinema Releases: Friday 1st July 2011

NATIONAL RELEASES

Transformers: Dark of the Moon (Paramount): The third film in the series sees more battles between alien robots, which includes the destruction of large chunks of Chicago. Directed by Michael Bay, it stars Shia Labeouf, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and John Turturoo. [Nationwide / 12A] [Read our review here]

Larry Crowne (Optimum Releasing): Comedy-drama about a man (Tom Hanks) who tries to turn his life around by returning to community college in LA. Directed by Hanks, it co-stars Julia Roberts and Gugu Mbatha-Raw. [Nationwide / 12A]

The Conspirator (Universal): Period drama about Mary Surratt, the only female co-conspirator charged in the Abraham Lincoln assassination. Directed by Robert Redford, it stars James McAvoy, Robin Wright, Tom Wilkinson and Kevin Kline. [Nationwide / 12A]

ALSO OUT

A Separation (Artificial Eye): Iranian drama about the knock on effects of a couple breaking up. Directed by Asghar Farhadi, it stars Leila Hatami, Peyman Moadi, Shahab Hosseini, Sareh Bayat, Sarina Farhadi and Babak Karimi. [Key Cities / PG]

As If I Am Not There (Element Pictures): Drama set during the Bosnian war, about a woman (Natasha Petrovic) who gets caught up in the horrors of the conflict. Directed by Juanita Wilson, it stars Stellan Skarsgard and Miraj Grbic. [Key Cities / 18]

Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo (November Films): Documentary about the Japanese fascination with insects. Directed by Jessica Oreck. [Key Cities / U]

> Get local cinema showtimes at Google Movies or FindAnyFilm
> UK DVD & Blu-ray releases for Monday 27th June 2011, including Never Let Me Go and Akira

Categories
Cinema Thoughts

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

The latest Transformers film is almost precisely the hollow exercise many were expecting. But will it save 3D?

How do you really ‘review’ a film like Transformers: Dark of the Moon?

After all, this is a tent pole release that gives a huge middle fingered salute to the critics who loathe them and revels in the mindless thrills it serves up to audiences eager to part with their cash.

For two and half hours, we get the same template: alien robots transform before beating each other up, military people debate what to do (before deciding to blow up stuff anyway) and a young man (Shia Le Beouf) is caught up in all the action with his girlfriend (the fact that he has a new one here really makes no difference).

At times, the story didn’t entirely seem to make sense but involves the evil alien robots (Decepticons) tricking the decent ones (Autobots), after an important discovery which the US government has kept secret since 1969.

So in essence, this is just an empty retread of the basic elements of the series and whilst not quite as bad as the previous film, still provides precious little in the manner of genuine excitement or emotion.

But there is another side to the third Transformers movie which makes it an interesting case study, as it contains many elements (expensive visual effects, 3D) that typify the modern Hollywood release in 2011.

As we speak, an army of regular critics are desperately trying to pen anguished words on why a film like this even exists, why Michael Bay is Satan and that they got a headache from all the noisy action.

But we all kind of knew that going into this didn’t we?

It’s not like he hired Bela Tarr to do a page one rewrite of the script because of the negative reactions to the last film.

However, this release may have interesting implications for mainstream cinema going, coming after two blockbusters this summer (Pirates 4 and Green Lantern) were judged to have disappointing returns on 3D tickets.

Bay and Paramount have spent a lot of time and money trying to make this not only a big summer blockbuster, but one that gives an extra lift to the 3D format, which some see as vital to Hollywood’s long term future.

So instead of writing a ‘regular review’, here are 10 points that struck me after watching it.

BAY PUMPED TO THE MAX

This film almost plays like an extended tribute reel to the director.

At times it feels like that self-deprecating commercial he did for Verizon:

All of the signature Bay touches are here: swooping helicopter shots, an ‘inspirational’ musical score, fast cars, women filmed like models (he’s even cast one in a lead role), bright colours, men walking towards the camera in slow motion and – of course – slick, hyperactive editing.

And let’s not forget the choppers at sunset:

THE 3D DOESN’T REALLY WORK

Whatever side of the 3D camp you are on (and I’ve been very disappointed with the mainstream releases over the last 18 months) there is no doubt some are looking for this to inject new life back in to the format.

Previously a sceptic, Bay has admitted producer Steven Spielberg and James Cameron persuaded him to use the special 3D cameras invented for Avatar.

Bay and Cameron even recently had a lengthy sit-down together at a preview screening in order to build excitement for the film (which judging by the early geek reaction largely worked).

Paramount has gone to great lengths to combat the traditional (and accurate) complaint that 3D films are just too dim.

This resulted in the studio coming up with enhanced prints and Bay has even penned a letter to cinemas urging them to set the brightness levels correctly.

After watching this at one of the best cinemas in London (Odeon Leicester Square), it still looked too dark.

An inherent flaw with 3D films (as technology currently stands) is that they lose up to 80 per cent (!) of their brightness.

Here some sequences have shots which utilise depth well, but Bay’s natural tendency for quick cuts and frenetic action isn’t really suited to the format.

Bay also admitted that he shot faces with 35mm as he wasn’t happy with the conversion process, which sounded like a lot of time and money was spent on it.

But was all this effort worth it? When I looked at the spectacular action scenes, part of me just wanted to see them with proper levels of brightness and colour.

The bottom line is that when I go to the cinema I want that extra visual pop, because that’s part of what makes the medium so special and visually superior to home entertainment.

As it stands, 3D is hindering and not helping cinemas.

GOOFY COMEDY CHARACTERS

The silly comedy characters are now just annoying: in the first film Sam Witwicky’s parents were an acceptable supporting act, whilst in the second film they had become a serious nuisance.

Here their screen time is mercifully brief but weird, comedy supporting characters appear seemingly at random.

John Malkovich crops up as a boss with a weird voice who has an unexplained fetish for yellow, whilst Ken Jeong is a strange, hyperactive office worker and there are some dumb ‘pet’ robots thrown in for good measure.

I guess the point is to provide comic relief but it just ends up as distracting.

THE FINAL SECTION

The final battle sequence is epic but drags in the context of the overall film.

Lasting over over an hour, it contains some impressive scenes (such as live action skydiving stunts) but the curious side effect is that you become numb to it the longer it goes on.

That said, a lot of paying audiences are going to eat up he sky diving scenes and the bit where a building is being squeezed.

A-GRADE VISUAL EFFECTS

Lazier critics might just assume the visual effects on these films will be good given their budgets.

But treated separately, the work ILM and Digital Domain have done in bringing these robots to life has been stunning.

The level of detail in some of the set pieces (especially a collapsing building, complete with reflective glass) is extremely impressive, whilst the integration with the lighting gives it an extra kick.

Although the first film was robbed of the visual effects Oscar in 2007 (to The Golden Compass!), it is now the clear frontrunner for this category.

NASA INVOLVEMENT?

It seemed that this film was done with the co-operation of NASA (you’ll see why if you watch the first teaser trailer) and it even features a surprising cameo from a certain astronaut.

Only the most deranged viewer would believe in the fictional events depicted here, but could this film help stoke the popular mistruths about the Apollo missions that Capricorn One (1978) helped usher in during the 1970s?

WEIRD WORLD WAR II METAPHOR?

A significant plot development (which is firmly in spoiler territory) appears to be some kind of weird metaphor for World War II and how certain nations collaborated with an occupying invader.

This plot line also features the obligatory scene where the villain explains everything. Maybe Bay was getting nostalgic for when he shot Pearl Harbor

These films also have a fetish for the military running right through them, so maybe it stems from that.

Watch out too for a bizarre reference to Iran’s nuclear weapons programme, which I certainly never expected from a Michael Bay movie, although his DP Amir Mokri is Iranian, so possibly its some kind of in-joke.

THE GENERATIONAL DIVIDE

This franchise exposes an interesting divide between the discerning critics who almost universally loathe them and the younger, paying audiences that lap them up.

Although even some fans of the first film didn’t like the second, it still grossed an enormous amount (over $800m worldwide), which suggests that despite their obvious shortcomings they provide the kind of action spectacle mainstream global audiences enjoy watching during the summer.

At the screening I attended, sections of the crowd were visibly excited and even cheered at one scene.

Despite the lack of interesting characters and story, their financial success seems to be because they mix elements of computer games (all shoot ‘em up and fighting robots) with a fairground ride (bright colours, quick movement).

Plus, we shouldn’t forget that an influential group of geeks grew up with the TV show and toys during the 1980s.

KILLER SOUND

Employing Dolby’s new 7.1 surround system Bay’s sound team have really surpassed themselves here. This Soundworks video explains how the many sounds were achieved:

The range of sounds is fantastic and although they sometimes go overboard with the levels, it gives some sequences a real lift. As with the visual effects, this is a likely contender in the sound categories come the awards season.

INFLUENCE OF NOLAN?

This might sound odd, but for stretches of the film I got the feeling that Bay is a big fan of the Christopher Nolan Batman films.

Not only does the climactic battle take place in the same Chicago locations as The Dark Knight (especially Wacker Drive) but there are little music and sound beats that seem to echo that film.

Shia LeBeouf has revealed that Bay wanted to play him some ‘Batman orchestral’ music (presumably Hans Zimmer and James Newton’s score) before a key sequence.

One wonders if the director secretly craves to make an action movie that is embraced by both audiences and critics in the way the Batman films or Inception were.

Of course there are major differences (in quality as much as anything else) but in the last hour Nolan popped into my head more than once.

So where does this all leave us?

Pretty much where we began, as critical opinion and commercial success will follow the usual Bay formula.

Whether it can save the current trend for 3D is the really interesting question.

> Find out more about the Transformers movies at Wikipedia
> Reviews of Transformers: Dark of the Moon at Metacritic
> Hilarious GQ profile of Michael Bay featuring input from people he’s worked with down the years
> Variety on the 3D release of the film

Categories
Cinema Documentaries Reviews

Countdown to Zero

Lucy Walker’s campaigning documentary is an absorbing warning about the dangers still posed by nuclear weapons, even though its optimism blurs the wider issues.

Did you know that the world teetered on the brink of a nuclear apocalypse in January 1995, when Russia mistook a Western weather satellite for a US strike?

This is just one of the startling facts in Countdown to Zero, produced by Lawrence Bender and co-funded by Participant Media and the World Security Institute, which explores how the nuclear threat has stayed with us ever since the Cold War ended.

Interviewing a variety of political leaders (Mikhail Gorbachev, Pervez Musharraf and Jimmy Carter) along with experts in the field (Joseph Cirincione) it paints a sobering portrait of a persistent, yet still largely hidden, menace.

Since the dangerous days of the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 or the Able Archer incident in 1983, it seemed that the collapse of the Soviet Union signified a new era where the superpowers relented from their deadly game of brinkmanship.

The film shows through inventive graphics and research, the newer threats have emerged over the last 20 years: how states such as Pakistan and North Korea have acquired nuclear capability; the problems of enriched uranium on the black market; the near-miss incidents caused by human error and the prospect of terrorists using a dirty bomb.

Aside from the aforementioned incident in 1995, there are documented cases involving shocking lapses within the US military and the elusive figure of Dr. A.Q. Khan, the shadowy scientist mostly responsible for Pakistan (and maybe others) getting the bomb.

Director Lucy Walker didn’t originate the project, so it perhaps lacks the personal touch of her other recent film Waste Land, but she handles the information and interviews with efficiency and intelligence.

Where the film falls down slightly, is in the campaigning edge which creeps in too often: we sees pointless vox pop interviews where members of the public around the world are asked about nuclear weapons.

Is it really a shocker that most people aren’t experts on this?

There is also a disconnect between the premise of the film, which is the noble aim of reducing global nuclear stocks to zero, and the dark side of humanity which it reveals.

After watching it you may be more convinced than ever that zero nuclear weapons is necessary but virtually impossible, so long as nation states continue to have them or pursue them.

In the last decade US foreign policy in the Middle East has probably helped accelerate proliferation, with states such as Iran seeing it as a necessary deterrent to what they regard as Western aggression (Tony Blair’s presence in the film only accentuates this point).

The example given in the film of South Africa dismantling their programme is misleading, as it remains hard not to conclude that the racist Apartheid regime simply didn’t wanting the incoming ANC government to have it.

The fact that Israel officially deny the existence of their nuclear weapons program (which conveniently allows them to opt out of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty) shows the extent to which even developed countries are literally in a state of denial about them.

One of the paradoxes of a nuclear arsenal is that countries feel safer with deadly weapons that they cannot use, as to do so would trigger their own destruction.

This dilemma still haunts governments today and even though President Obama has in theory pledged that zero is an option for the US, the current state of world affairs suggests it may remain a distant dream.

Speaking of which, at one point we see Osama bin Laden on screen and watching this film just days after his death was an interesting (if chilling) experience, which highlighted a pressing problem documentaries face in depicting current affairs.

This film premiered at Sundance in January 2010 and screened to acclaim at Cannes later in May of that year, but has taken over a year to reach British cinema screens.

In that time we have seen such seismic global events as the Wikileaks revelations, the Arab Spring and the death of the world’s most wanted terrorist (the latter may indeed have grave implications for US/Pakistan relations).

As it happens the core of Countdown to Zero is still relevant, but in this day and age why does it take so long for a documentary like this to come out and risk being out of date?

Perhaps a multi-platform release around the buzz of opening at festivals might be an option for more arthouse films like this.

That being said, despite the ambitious optimism of the film’s campaign, this is still one that demands to be seen as it is an alarming reminder of the dark, self-destructive impulses of mankind.

> Official site
> Reviews of Countdown to Zero at Cannes 2010
> Find out more about countries with nuclear weapons at Wikipedia

Categories
Cinema

UK Cinema Releases: Friday 24th June 2011

NATIONAL RELEASES

Bridesmaids (Universal): Comedy about a single woman (Kristen Wiig) who is asked to be her best friend’s maid of honour, only for mishaps to ensue at the pre-wedding event. Directed by Paul Feig, it co-stars Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne and Chris O’Dowd. [Nationwide / 15]

ALSO OUT

Countdown To Zero (Dogwoof): Campaigning documentary about the proliferation of of nuclear weapons in the post-war era and the dangers they still pose in a post-9/11 world. Directed by Lucy Walker, it features contributions from Jimmy Carter, Mikhail Gorbachev, Pervez Musharraf and Tony Blair. [Nationwide / PG]

The First Grader (Soda Pictures): Drama based on the true story of an 84 year-old Kenyan villager and ex Mau Mau freedom fighter who fights for his right to go to school to get the education he could never afford. Directed by Justin Chadwick, it stars Naomie Harris and Oliver Litondo. [Key Cities / 12A]

Incendies (Trinity Filmed Entertainment): Drama about a mother’s last wishes which send twins Jeanne and Simon on a journey to the Middle East in search of their tangled roots. Directed by Denis Villeneuve, it stars Lubna Azabal, Melissa Desormeaux-Poulin, and Remy Girard. [Selected cinemas / 15]

Love’s Kitchen (2020 Films): British comedy about a chef (Dougray Scott) who takes over a pub restaurant. Directed by James Kacking, it co-stars Claire Forlani, Simon Callow, Gordon Ramsay and Michelle Ryan. [Key Cities / 15]

Cutter’s Way (Park Circus): Re-issue of the 1981 thriller about a mysterious murder which may or may not be linkd to a conspiracy. Directed by Ivan Passer, it stars Jeff Bridges, John Heard and Lisa Eichhorn. [Key Cities / 15]

> Get local cinema showtimes at Google Movies or FindAnyFilm
UK DVD & Blu-ray releases for Monday 20th June 2011, including  The Fighter and Rabbit Hole

Categories
Cinema Reviews Thoughts

Super 8

A loving homage to the early work of Steven Spielberg, Super 8 mixes genres to create an unusual but enjoyable summer movie experience.

Set in Ohio during 1979, it tells the story of a teenage boy named Joe (Joel Courtney) and his group of friends who accidentally discover strange things happening in their small town whilst making a movie using a Super 8 camera.

After witnessing a spectacular train crash, quickly covered up by the US army, Joe has to deal with his lawman father (Kyle Chandler), his filmmaking buddies led by Charles (Riley Griffiths), a classmate named Alice (Elle Fanning), and a series of increasingly mysterious events.

In a summer filled with remakes and sequels, this singular project sees director J.J Abrams blend his love for the original series of The Twilight Zone with the Spielberg films that enchanted him as a young man.

For a major studio like Paramount, this is an unlikely summer tent-pole release as it isn’t based on a pre-existing property (or is it?) and there are no star names attached.

With a relatively cheap production budget of about $50 million, it is being sold on the central concept of ‘what if Steven Spielberg made Cloverfield in 1979?’

The end result is an entertaining love letter to the era in which Abrams grew up but also to the movies and TV shows which inspired him to become a storyteller.

Whilst the bedrock is a coming-of-age tale, it also mixes sci-fi and family drama with the kind of mystery and wonder that Abrams and Spielberg have both specialised in during their careers in film and television.

Spielberg is a producer on the film and reportedly had significant creative input into the script and final movie (it is even co-produced under his iconic Amblin’ banner), which is kind of like Paul McCartney teaming up with a Beatles tribute band.

Indeed, Super 8 is so intentionally marinated in Spielberg tropes that it is almost difficult to categorise.

Is it a homage? A cinematic mashup? Perhaps one analogy would be to say that it is a filmic remix of Spielberg’s greatest hits by Abrams.

It certainly draws deeply from Spielberg’s early blockbusters but also on other films he wrote and produced in that period when he established himself as Hollywood’s boy wonder.

Like Jaws (1975), it deals with a sinister threat to a small town; like Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), ordinary people are caught up in extraordinary events; like E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), innocent children are contrasted against guilty adults; like Poltergeist (1982), a family struggles against dark, underground forces and like The Goonies (1985), a band of friends bond on an adventure.

(Spielberg fans will have fun spotting many other little details and references to his work)

Some people might level the accusation that Abrams and Spielberg have combined to just rip off and revisit the latter’s movies, but it is to their credit that they have actually crafted something new, whilst remaining respectful to those original works.

Perhaps the neatest trick of Super 8 is that it remembers that despite their spectacle, Spielberg’s early films had a rich vein of emotion that flowed from memorable characters.

Opening with an scene of eloquent sadness, the film is grounded in real life and even if some fantastical things later happen, it is all about how these events affect the characters and their relationships.

A good deal of this comes from the two young actors who anchor this film brilliantly.

Newcomer Joel Courtney has just the right amount of innocence and spirit in what is essentially the lead role, whilst his chemistry with Elle Fanning is both believable and charming.

She too is really quite something, conveying complex emotions with an ease rare for actors her age. One sequence early on, as she rehearses a scene for the Super 8 film-within-the-film, has shades of Naomi Watts’ audition in Mulholland Drive (2001).

The other actors round out the film nicely, with Riley Griffiths, Zach Mills, Gabriel Basso and Ryan Lee making up an engaging patchwork of friends and budding filmmakers.

In the token adult roles, Kyle Chandler as Joe’s police officer father and Toby Emmerich as the military commander are OK without bringing the house down, but perhaps that’s a by product of having so much focus on the kids.

It is also worth noting that for all his obsession with sci-fi spectacle Abrams (like early Spielberg) is deft at handling the little character touches, whether it be an extra talking on a payphone or revealing background visual details.

His recent reboot of Star Trek (2009) worked wonderfully because of this kind of attention to character and place and the same is true of Super 8.

The production design, cinematography and tone are all remarkably authentic to the vibe of the period and DP Larry Fong creates widescreen images that seem to curb his director’s occasional instincts to frame the action like he’s still working in television.

On the downside, Abrams penchant for lens flares becomes distracting – they are even on the poster! – even if the visuals overall work well. Some shots of awestruck kids and depictions of small-town suburbia nicely reference Allen Daviau’s cinematography in E.T and Vilmos Zsigmond‘s work in Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

Ben Burtt’s sound design is also very effective, especially during the action set-pieces, which simultaneously keeps things real whilst also giving certain scenes a requisite fantastical lift.

One major caveat is that the visual effects sometimes feel overdone for key scenes, but that could be a case of the production needing to spend its allocated budget.

This is especially true as the film enters its final act and the compulsion to introduce big set-pieces threatens to drown out the carefully constructed tone of the film.

But even here Abrams deploys his secret weapon in composer Michael Giacchino, who is fast becoming one of the best of his generation after establishing himself with TV shows such as Lost and winning awards for his work on Pixar movies like Up.

As you might expect his work here deliberately channels Spielberg’s regular composer John Williams, but he also manages to weave in his own blend of melodies, which give the final sequences a special emotional kick.

It is difficult to discuss much of the plot without giving away spoilers, but despite some problems with the latter stages, it was very hard not to exit the film smiling.

Some might feel this whole project is simply an exercise in nostalgia, but it manages to be more than just a retread of Spielberg’s work by tapping in to the essence of what made them successful.

By mining the magic of a previous era, Super 8 reminds us that the simple pleasures of summer movies, like character and emotion, are often the most rewarding.

Super 8 is out now in the US and opens in the UK on Friday 5th August

> Official site
> Find out more about J.J. Abrams and Steven Spielberg at Wikipedia
> Reviews of Super 8 at Metacritic

Categories
Cinema

UK Cinema Releases: Friday 17th June 2011

NATIONAL RELEASES

Green Lantern (Warner Bros): Big-budget superhero movie about man (Ryan Reynolds) who gets special powers after an alien gives him a mystical green ring which sees him join an intergalactic peace keeping force. Directed by Martin Campbell, it co-stars Blake Lively, Mark Strong and Peter Sarsgaard. [Nationwide / 12A]

Bad Teacher (Sony Pictures): Comedy about a lazy, foul-mouthed school teacher (Cameron Diaz) who, after being dumped, tries to woo a colleague (Justin Timberlake) who is also being pursued by a well-loved teacher (Lucy Punch). Directed by Jake Kasdan, it also stars Jason Segal. [Nationwide / 15]

The Beaver (Icon): Drama about a depressed businessman (Mel Gibson) who seemingly turns his life around by talking to his wife (Jodie Foster) and work colleagues through a beaver hand puppet. Directed by Jodie Foster, it also stars Anton Yelchin and Jennifer Lawrence. [Nationwide / 12A] [Read our longer review]

ALSO OUT

Potiche (Optimum Releasing): French comedy set during 1977 about a housewife (Catherine Deneuve) who takes over her husband’s umbrella business after he falls illness. Directed by Francois Ozon, it co-stars Gerard Depardieu. [Key Cities / 15]

The Messenger (The Works): 2009 drama (yes, a film that’s two years old is finally getting a UK release) about two officers (Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson) who who’s job it is to notify the families of fallen soldiers. Directed by Oren Moverman, itco-stars Samantha Morton. [Selected cinemas / 15]

Born To Be Wild (bfi IMAX): IMAX documentary about orphaned orangutans, elephants and the people who rescue and raise them. Directed by David Lickley and narrated by Morgan Freeman. [Key Cities]

Life In A Day (Scott Free): A crowd-sourced documentary made up of 80,000 YouTube clips shot around the world on July 24th 2010. Directed by Kevin McDonald, it will be screened across Vue cinemas on June 17th. [UK wide / 12A]

The Round Up (Revolver): French film about the true story of a young boy during the mass arrest of Jews by Paris police who were Nazi accomplices in July 1942. Directed by Roselyne Bosch, it stars Mélanie Laurent, Jean Reno, Sylvie Testud and Gad Elmaleh. [Selected cinemas]

Stake Land (Metrodome): Dystopian horror set in an America under attack from undead creatures. Directed by Jim Mickle, it stars Connor Paolo, Nick Damici and Kelly McGillis. [Key Cities / 15]

Swinging With The Finkels (UNO Films): British comedy about a pair of London millionaires who discover problems in the bedroom of their Covent Garden loft apartment. Directed by Jonathan Newman and co-starring Angus Deayton and Melissa George.

> Get local cinema showtimes at Google Movies or FindAnyFilm
UK DVD & Blu-ray releases for Monday 13th June 2011, including Apocalypse Now, Witchfinder General and Inside Job

Categories
Cinema Reviews Thoughts

The Beaver

Jodie Foster’s first film as a director in 16 years is a curious drama laced with surreal comedy.

Opening with the depressed head of a toy company (Mel Gibson) being kicked out of the family home by his wife (Foster, who also stars) and explores how he seemingly turns his life around by talking to people through a beaver hand puppet.

Loved ones and co-workers are bemused but initially welcome him back, with the exception of his angry teenage son (Anton Yelchin), who strikes up a relationship with a classmate (Jennifer Lawrence) who also has issues of her own.

Kyle Killen’s script was hot property back in 2008 and part of the appeal might have been the way it mixes a striking concept within a conventional setting, whilst providing a showy lead role for the central character (Steve Carrell was attached early on).

The resulting production had a rocky joureny to cinemas, as a much publicised voicemail scandal involving its star (on the back of other well-documented problems) led to its release being delayed by several months.

With this all in mind there is poignancy to the finished film, as the parallels between Gibson and his character are painfully apparent.

But if you put all that pre-release baggage to one side, how does the finished film stand up?

It turns out that the film isn’t bad at all and has surprising levels of emotion if one treats it as a drama, which happens to be sprinkled with humour.

Gibson gives a surprisingly nuanced performance in the lead role, which is no mean feat given that for most of the film he’s talking like Ray Winstone through a hand puppet (for some reason, the beaver has a British accent).

This leads to some bizarre scenes that strain credibility, but given his position of power at work and the relief of his loved ones to have him back home, it just about works.

The scenes where Gibson’s character talks through his puppet actually work pretty well, given that they could have been utterly ridiculous.

In the supporting roles, Foster convinces as an exhausted but loving wife, whilst Yelchin and Lawrence do their best with teenage roles that feel a little underwritten.

Although she hasn’t directed in a long time (her last film was 1995’s Home for the Holidays), Foster has mixes the contrasting tones in a way that you don’t often see with Hollywood productions.

The tasteful widescreen lensing by DP Hagen Bogdanski (who also shot The Lives of Others) gives it a nice visual polish and the slick editing by Lynzee Klingman keeps things moving well, whilst skilfully intercutting the main plot of the father with the parallel subplot of the son.

On film, the mentally ill are often depicted as either psychotic killers (e.g. Psycho) or underdog geniuses (e.g. Rain Man) but to her credit Foster avoids these cliches, focusing with a good deal of empathy on how regular families grapple with the pain and uncertainty of having a loved one suffering from a psychological ailment.

Furthermore, it floats the idea that traditionally accepted treatments might not work for everyone, which contrasts with films which routinely dish out the subtext that everything will be OK in the end.

Not everything works here. Two significant strikes against the film are Marcelo Zavros’ jaunty score, which belongs in another film entirely, and a key plot development late on which feels too melodramatic.

As I write this, The Beaver has died a death at the US box office, which suggests Gibson and Foster are no longer the box office stars they were and that audiences were baffled by the story and tone.

Parts of the preview audience I saw it with seemed to be laughing at certain scenes in a derisory way (never a good sign), but to sneer at this film (as some may do), is to ignore its empathetic heart, even if in places it doesn’t fully work.

Some of the influences here appear to be Magic (1978), the drama starring Anthony Hopkins as a ventriloquist and American Beauty (1999), with its dissection of suburban angst.

One recent film it closely resembles is Lars and the Real Girl (2007), which also featured a troubled, yet sympathetic, lead character with a bizarre fixation.

Like that film it may struggle to find a wide audience, but if you are prepared to go with it, The Beaver is a film with unusual depths that lie beneath its goofy premise.

> Official site
> IMDb entry
> Reviews for The Beaver at Metacritic

Categories
Cinema

UK Cinema Releases: Friday 10th June 2011

NATIONAL RELEASES

Kung Fu Panda 2 (Paramount): A sequel to the 2008 animated hit about a panda named Po (Jack Black) and his his friends known as the Furious Five – Tigress, Crane, Mantis, Viper and Monkey. Directed by Jennifer Yu Helson, it also features the voices of Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, David Cross and Lucy Liu. [Nationwide / PG]

Honey 2 (Universal): A sequel to the 2003 film, focusing on a different dancer (Katerina Graham) recently released from juvenile detention, who finds an outlet for her passion with a new dance crew. Directed by Bille Woodruff, it will go direct to DVD in the US. [Nationwide / PG]

Mother’s Day (Optimum Releasing): The sadistic members of a villainous family return to their childhood home to terrorize the new home owners and their guests. Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman and starring Rebecca De Mornay and Jaime King. [Nationwide / 18]

ALSO OUT


Point Blank (Vertigo Films): French thriller from director Fred Cavaye about a man (Giles Lellouche) going to extreme lengths to rescue his kidnapped wife (Roschdy ZemKey). [Key Cities / 15]

Kaboom (Artificial Eye): A sci-fi story centered on the sexual awakening of a group of college students. Directed by Gregg Araki, it stars Thomas Dekker, Haley Bennett, Chris Zylka, Roxane Mesquida and Juno Temple. [Key Cities / 15]

Cria Cuervos (bfi Distribution): Re-release of the 1976 Spanish film about a young girl dealing with loss, directed by Carlos Saura. [Key Cities]

> Get local cinema showtimes at Google Movies or FindAnyFilm
UK DVD & Blu-ray releases for Monday 3rd June 2011, including Taxi Driver and Cross of Iron

Categories
Cinema Documentaries Reviews Thoughts

Senna

Asif Kapadia’s documentary about the life and career of Ayrton Senna is a riveting portrait of the F1 driver.

Using only archive footage alongside voiceover contributions from those who knew and wrote about him, it constructs a compelling story of a sporting icon.

Beginning with his early career in Europe, it charts his rapid ascent to Formula One where he joined the McLaren team in the late 1980s and quickly established himself as a precocious rival to reigning world champion Alain Prost.

Exploring his extraordinary feats on the track and the joy his three world titles brought to his native Brazil, it then covers his tragic early death at the San Marino Grand Prix in 1994.

With judicious use of archive footage, which really comes alive on the big screen, it also covers the murkier politics off the track with former FIA boss Jean-Marie Balestre coming across as another rival to be beaten.

Although this will be devoured by motor racing fans, it also works as a fascinating introduction for those who know little or nothing about Senna and his impact on the sport.

Part of what makes it so exciting is his life story, which whilst not a rags-to-riches tale (he was from a wealthy Brazilian family), feels like the subject of an epic novel filled with memorable touches.

His iconic yellow helmet, loving and devoted parents, faith in God, millions he donated to charity, glamorous girlfriends and the driving skills which established him as one of the greatest racing drivers of all time are just some of the rich details which make up the story.

The film contains many of his greatest moments: his amazing F1 debut at Monaco in 1984; his victory at the 1988 Japanese Grand Prix to clinch his first world title and his electrifying win at the Brazilian Grand Prix in 1991.

Assembled from hours of footage from various broadcasters and the F1 archives, the editing is frequently inspired, providing an unusual level of excitement for a documentary.

At one point we see some especially prophetic comments from Prost (“Ayrton Senna has a small problem, he thinks he can’t kill himself because he believes in God and I think that is very dangerous for other drivers”) as well as footage from family home videos.

Some of the internal F1 videos of driver meetings are an eye-opening glimpse into the world of a dangerous sport and Senna’s pleas for more safety add to the tragic irony of his untimely demise.

There are also astute voiceover contributions from journalist Richard Williams, F1 doctor Sid Watkins and racing commentators Galvão Bueno and John Bisignano which explain and illuminate his impact on the sport and his home country.

For director Asif Kapadia this marks a change from his previous feature films (such as The Warrior and Far North) but he seems to have a natural feel for the drama of real life and of the intense highs which sport can deliver to both participants and fans.

A subtle but atmospheric use of music augments the film nicely and the use of internal F1 footage of the drivers observing the horrific accidents during that fateful weekend in 1994 brings a new perspective to what would be a turning point the sport as a whole, as major safety changes were brought in following the crash that killed Senna and Roland Ratzenberger.

Although the exact cause of Senna’s crash at Imola still remains a mystery, it seems an unlikely confluence of events was ultimately to blame: the new rules imposed on the Williams car that season, an engineering fault, a previous crash at the start of the race and bad luck in how the car actually crashed on impact.

On paper this might sound like a film just for devoted F1 fans, but perhaps its greatest achievement lies in how it not only makes the races truly thrilling but finds universality in the details of a sportsman’s life.

After scoring major buzz at Sundance earlier this year, Universal and Working Title will be quietly confident that it finds a deserving audience hungry for engaging factual entertainment.

With the summer movie season fuelled by comic book fantasy, Senna provides a welcome injection of real-life drama and excitement.

> Official site
> Find out more about Ayrton Senna at Wikipedia
> Follow Asif Kapadia on Twitter
> Follow the film on Facebook and Twitter

Categories
Cinema

UK Cinema Releases: Friday 3rd June 2011

NATIONAL RELEASES

X-Men: First Class (20th Century Fox): Set in the early 1960s, this prequel to the X-Men series explores the formative years of Erik Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender) and Charles Xavier (James McAvoy), as they discover their special powers and fight to stop a mysterious villain (Kevin Bacon) from exploiting Cold War tensions. Directed by Matthew Vaughn, it co-stars Jennifer Lawrence, Rose Byrne, January Jones, Oliver Platt and Nicholas Hoult. [Nationwide / 12A] [Read our full review here]

Senna (Universal/Working Title): Documentary about the life and career of Brazilian F1 racing driver Ayrton Senna, who won the world championship three times before his untimely death at the age of 34 in 1994. Directed by Asif Kapadia, it was awarded the World Cinema Audience Award for Documentary at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. [Nationwide / 12A]

Last Night (Optimum Releasing): Drama about a married couple (Keira Knightley and Sam Worthington) who find their relationship disrupted by a work colleague (Eva Mendes) and an old lover (Guillaume Canet). Directed by Massy Tadjedin. [Key Cities / 12A]

Prom (Walt Disney): Comedy about a detail-obsessed prom committee leader who is caught off guard when she unexpectedly falls for the school’s bad boy. Directed by Joe Nussbaum, it stars Aimee Teegarden, Thomas McDonell, Danielle Campbell, Yin Chang, Kylie Bunbury and Nicholas Braun [Nationwide / U]

ALSO OUT

Screwed (Lionsgate UK): Prison drama based on ex-prison officer Ronnie Thompson’s memoir about the battle between a warden (James D’Arcy) and a prisoner (Noel Clarke). Directed by Reg Travis. [Key Cities / 18]

Mammuth (Axiom Films): Road movie about a fat meat worker (Gérard Depardieu) who is confronted with his past as he travels around France. Directed by Benoit Delephine and Gustave Kervern, co-stars Yolande Moreau and Isabelle Adjani. [Key Cities]

The Flaw (Studio Lambert): Documentary about the 2008 financial crisis directed by David Sington, featuring contributions from Joseph Stiglitz, George Cooper, Professor Robert Frank, Robert Schiller and Louis Hyman [Key Cities]

Donor Unknown (Redbird Productions): Documentary about children born through artificial insemination trying to find their sperm-donor fathers. Directed by Jerry Rothwell. [Key Cities / 12A]

> Get local cinema showtimes at Google Movies or FindAnyFilm
UK DVD & Blu-ray releases for Monday 30th May 2011, including Treme: Season 1

Categories
Cinema Reviews Thoughts

X-Men: First Class

The Marvel franchise finds new energy and charm with a stylish 1960s period setting, well staged action and fine performances from an impressive ensemble cast.

Opening with the same scene as the 2000 film, an extended prologue explores the formative years of Erik Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender), Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Raven Darkholme (Jennifer Lawrence), as they discover their special powers.

Moving forward to the early 1960s, we see how the original X-Men group come together as a CIA agent (Rose Byrne) recruits Xavier and a team of mutants to help them fight the mysterious Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon), who seeks to exploit Cold War tensions for his own gain.

Along the way they recruit Lehnsherr (for whose deeply personal reasons for joining the mission) and several other mutants (Nicholas Hoult, Caleb Landry Jones and Zoë Kravitz), whilst Shaw has his own team of cohorts (including January Jones, Jason Flemyng).

The most striking thing about the film is the way it erases the bad memories of the shambolic Wolverine prequel – X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) – and the unsatisfactory third film – X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) – which both suffered from the absence of director Bryan Singer (who went off to do Superman Returns instead).

He was back on board as producer here and although the screenplay is credited to four writers, director Matthew Vaughn wisely taps into the vibe of Singer’s first film, which effectively blended issues, emotions and action.

That in turn reflected the original comics, which were forged in the social tumult of the 1960s, so there is something appropriate about seeing these characters brought to the screen in the decade which gave birth to them.

Despite the large ensemble cast, the heart of this film is the relationship between Eric (the future Magneto) and Charles (the future Professor X) and the casting of Fassbender and McAvoy is inspired.

Making the roles their own, they bring surprising levels of gravitas and emotion to their superhero bromance, elevating the material above most comic book adaptations and providing a solid foundation for the wider story.

The supporting cast is also good, with Lawrence (as the future Mystique) standing out in particular and there is a nice smattering of veteran actors from genre movies in cameo roles, including Rade Serbedzija, Ray Wise, Michael Ironside and James Remar.

Moving at a healthy pace, the story takes its cues from classic Bond, with globe-trotting action set-pieces linked to a narrative involving a super-villain, which ends up in a climactic showdown.

Although the action and visuals are handled well, it says a great deal about the film that the most effective thing is the relationships that lie at the heart of the film.

The villains are a little one note at times (especially January Jones) and Bacon too much like a Bond villain for comfort.

But overall the conflicts are well played, whilst the ethical dilemas of the mutants (should they join or fight a suspicious society?) hover effectively in the background.

It doesn’t approach the heights of X-Men 2 (2003), still the best of the series, but fans of the franchise might notice the narrative parallels between this prequel and Singer’s first two films: a rouge outsider joins forces with other mutants to fight a common enemy; and opposing mutants band together despite their differences.

My main reservation plot wise was something that happens at the climax (which I can’t reveal for spoiler reasons), suffice to say that a particular character develops a bit too early.

The period detail is impressive, although in keeping with a stylised fantasy version of the 60s, and the production design effectively channels the Cold War era, with films such as Dr. Strangelove (1964) and You Only Live Twice (1968) being a marked influences on the design.

There is a distinct influence of Mad Men in the air with casting of Jones, the 1960s setting and the resulting costumes, although it never overpowers the material itself.

Blending the Bond influence with the events of Cuban missile crisis also feels appropriate given how often 007’s adventures were inspired by Cold War intrigue.

As you might expect for a film of this scale, the production design, costumes and visual effects are impressive, although at times (especially the climax) the CGI is a little over used.

Plus, for a film so faithful to the original trilogy there appears to be a continuity error so glaring, I’m assuming it must be deliberate (email me for further details, as it is firmly in spoiler territory).

In an age of prequels, sequels and remakes, perhaps the best thing about X-Men First Class is that it feels like a fresh spin on the comic book formula.

There is enough here for both the mass audience and experienced comic book geeks to enjoy (one ‘Easter Egg’ cameo is sure to bring the house down).

When this project was first announced, it seemed like Fox was just rehashing a cash-cow franchise, but credit must go to the studio for trusting filmmakers to revisit the essence of the original comics and translate them into a deeply satisfying summer movie.

X-Men First Class opens on Wednesday 1st June

> Official site
> Reviews at Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes

Categories
Cinema

UK Cinema Releases: Friday 27th May 2011

NATIONAL RELEASES

The Hangover Part II (Warner Bros.): The sequl to the 2009 comedy blockbuster sees friends Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms), Alan (Zach Galifianakis) and Doug (Justin Bartha) travel to Thailand for Stu’s wedding where they get into more drunken scrapes. Directed by Todd Phillips, it co-stars Ken Jeong, Jeffrey Tambor, Jamie Chung and Paul Giamatti. [Nationwide / 15]

Diary Of A Wimpy Kid 2: Rodrick Rules (20th Century Fox): Sequel based on the second book in the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series, which follows middle school student Greg Heffley (Zachary Gordon), his older brother Rodrick (Robert Capron) and the school talent show. Directed by David Bowers and co-starring Rachael Harris, Devon Bostick and Steve Zahn. [Nationwide / U]

ALSO OUT

Apocalypse Now (Optimum Releasing): Re-release of the classic 1979 Vietnam war drama, which has been digitally restored. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, it stars Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando, and Robert Duvall. [Key cities / 15] [Read our full review here]

Le Quattro Volte (New Wave Films): Italian drama about an ageing shepherd (Giuseppe Fuda) and his animals in the southern town of Calabria. Directed by Michelangelo Frammartino, it stars Bruno Timpano, Giuseppe Fuda and Nazareno Timpano. [Key cities / U]

Heartbeats (Network Releasing): Drama about a love-triangle between three friends in Quebec. Directed by Xavier Dolan (who also stars), it co-stars Monia Chokri and Niels Schneider. [Key Cities / 15]

Life, Above All (Peccadillo Pictures): Drama about a mother-daughter relationship that reflects the modern South Africa. Directed by Oliver Schmitz, it stars Khomotso Manyaka and Keaobaka Makanyane. [12A]

Angels Of Evil (Artificial Eye): Italian gangster drama based on the life and times of Renato Villanzasca, a criminal from Milan who captured Italy’s headlines in the 1970s. Directed by Michele Placido, it stars Kim Rossi Stuart, Filippo Timi, Moritz Bleibtreu, Valeria Solarino, Paz Vega and Francesco Scianna. [Key Cities / 15]

Dancing Dreams (Soda Pictures): German documentary about untrained dancers learning Pina Bausch’s 1970s dance piece, Kontakthof. Directed by Rainer Hoffman and Anne Linsel. [Key Cities]

> Get local cinema showtimes at Google Movies or FindAnyFilm
UK DVD & Blu-ray releases for Monday 23rd May 2011, including The Stanley Kubrick Collection and The Hustler

Categories
Cinema

Apocalypse Now Revisited

Francis Ford Coppola’s classic war movie Apocalypse Now gets re-released in a restored digital print at UK cinemas this week before a special edition Blu-ray release on June 13th.

The new restored print is a reminder of this extraordinary 1979 film, which remains one the most ambitious productions ever attempted in Hollywood but also a lasting depiction of the insanity of warfare.

Set during the Vietnam War, it depicts the journey of a US special operations officer, Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) who is sent to assassinate the rogue Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando), who has established his own outpost in the jungle.

Willard joins the crew of a patrol boat (Albert Hall, Sam Bottoms, Laurence Fishburne and Frederic Forrest) and he meets various characters on his trip, including the surf-obsessed Lieutenant Colonel Kilgore (Robert Duvall) and a manic photographer (Dennis Hopper).

Evolving over a number of years, with a script by John Milius loosely based on Joseph Conrad’s novella Heart of Darkness, Coppola decided it would be his next project after the huge success of The Godfather films.

It was rare then – and even rarer now – for a filmmaker to use his personal finances to help bankroll a film but Coppola did just that and it is to his lasting credit as this is a film that major studios wouldn’t even think of making today.

The gruelling production is now the stuff of legend, as the arduous shoot in the Philippines involved the director replacing his original lead actor (Harvey Keitel), sets wrecked by typhoons, Martin Sheen having a heart attack and numerous delays to the production and eventual release date.

On its original release the film was met with somewhat muted acclaim after an unfinished cut screened at the Cannes Film Festival in April 1979, before its wider US release later that summer.

But over the years it has become one of the most acclaimed films of the 1970s and its achievement and cultural influence has proved to be more lasting than perhaps some at the time realised.

Part of the initial confusion was the different versions of the ending that Coppola put out on the initial release and the extended ‘Redux’ cut released in 2001 which added scenes shot but never used for the original.

This new, restored version is the original cut that deliberately omits opening titles and end credits, although the sound and visuals have been given a sparkling upgrade overseen by Coppola.

It was the first time I’d seen this version on the big screen and it was really quite something to see and hear with decent projection and sound.

I’ll post some thoughts soon on the forthcoming Blu-ray, but I’d highly recommend seeing this film in a cinema to appreciate not just a classic film, but one that set new technical standards for the industry.

There’s obviously been a lot written about Apocalypse Now, but here were my initial thoughts on seeing the latest release on the big screen:

  • This is definitely the best version I have ever seen: My first experience of Apocalypse Now was on TV in 1988 and although I didn’t fully understand the film then, it still struck me as haunting and captivating. Subsequent viewings on TV and video only whetted my appetite to see it on the big screen and this restored version not only captures the amazing visuals but especially emphasises the pioneering sound mix.
  • It is better the 2001 Redux version: Ever since seeing the Redux cut, I’ve had problems with that version, which adds 49 minutes of scenes including an extended sequence involving a French colonial family. Whilst interesting, the original cut which omitted them is better paced and more tightly constructed.
  • The incredible sound design by Walter Murch: It is difficult to actually stress how important the sound editing and design was to the film and how it proved to be a watershed for the wider film industry. Walter Murch and his team not only recreated the sounds of the jungle from scratch but took the design of sound on film to new levels, using a computerized mixing board, fusing sound elements with the score through synthesizers and giving birth to 5.1 surround sound.
  • The stunning visuals by Vitorrio Storraro: Coppola recruited the Italian cinematographer after seeing his work on Bertolucci’s The Conformist (1970) and his astounding work on Apocalypse Now provides some of the most memorable cinema visuals of all time. Not only are sequences truly epic, but the use of colour and light is stunning.
  • The movement of the story: Although the original script went through rewrites and Coppola agonised over the ending of the film, the movement of the story makes a great deal of sense. Although long by modern standards (2h 27m), it neatly mimics the journey of Willard as we venture with him up river towards Kurtz and his destiny.
  • The Vietnam metaphor: Conrad’s Heart of Darkness is a great basis for a film about the US experience of Vietnam, but Coppola’s film itself has become an even better one. The madness and ambition of the production – at times breathtaking – mirrors the insanity of the war itself. Willard (the US) has to confront the dark side of himself (the industrial, military complex) as represented by Kurtz. We see the trauma of the troops adjusting (the opening), commanders trying to salvage a bad situation (the briefing), the might of US military power (Kilgore and the napalm attack on the village), the excess (the Playboy event for the troops), the murder (the boat massacre) and ultimately the confrontation (Willard meets and kills Kurtz) in which the US sees the darkness of itself.
  • The rejection of war movie clichés: Notice how the Vietcong aren’t really the enemy in the film (they are massively overpowered in the beach sequence) and it focuses on the journey of a man who is mostly an observer (a witness, essentially) of the US army as it passes him. Kurtz is a Frankenstein creation of the US army. They only want to kill him because he has gone off the reservation (his ‘missions’ are too good) and become something of an embarrassment.
  • The spiritual accuracy of the film: Some military advisors to films have criticised Apocalypse Now as containing fantastical inaccuracies in its depiction of US troops in Vietnam. Whilst certain elements have been exaggerated for effect, part of what made the war so shocking to the American public was that US troops did – at times – engage in bizarre behaviour which involved drug use, loud music and war crimes. Whilst sections of the film may not be literally accurate, they stand as a compelling reminder of the grand madness of the conflict and how it affected those involved.

The forthcoming Blu-ray is one of the most significant home video releases of the year, but in the meantime the cinema is the best place to catch one of the enduring classics of US cinema.

Apocalypse Now is being re-released by Optimum Releasing at selected UK cinemas from Friday 27th May

> Apocalypse Now at the IMDb, Wikipedia and MUBi
> Find a cinema near you showing the restored version via Google Movies UK

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Cinema

UK Cinema Releases: Friday 20th May 2011

NATIONAL RELEASES

Pirates Of The Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides (Walt Disney): The fourth installment of the franchise based on a Disney ride sees Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) team up with Angelica (Penélope Cruz) to search for the Fountain of Youth. Directed by Rob Marshall and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, it co-stars Ian McShane, Kevin R. McNally and Astrid Berges-Frisbey. [Nationwide / 12A]

Win Win (20th Century Fox): Comedy-drama about a New Jersey lawyer (Paul Giamatti) who is confronted with an ethical dilemma involving a old man with dementia (Burt Young) and his teenage grandson (Alex Shaffer). Written and directed by Thomas McCarthy, it co-stars Amy Ryan, Jeffrey Tambor and Bobby Canavale. [Nationwide / 15] [Read our review]

Blitz (Lionsgate UK): Thriler about a cop (Jason Statham) who is dispatched to take down a serial killer who has been targeting police officers. Directed by Elliot Lester, it co-stars Aiden Gillen. [Nationwide / 18]

Age of Heroes (Metrodome): The story of the formation of Ian Fleming’s 30 Commando unit, a precursor for the elite forces in the UK. Directed by Adrian Vitoria and starring Sean Bean, Izabella Miko and Danny Dyer. [Key Cities / 15]

ALSO OUT

Julia’s Eyes (Optimum Releasing): Spanish thriller about a woman losing her sight to illness, who investigates the suicide of her already blind twin sister. Directed by Guillem Morales and produced by Guillermo Del Toro, it stars Belen Aueda. [Key Cities / 15]

The Great White Silence (bfi Distributors); Re-issue for this 1924 silent film about Captain Scott’s race to the South Pole, featuring a new score by Simon Fisher Turner. Directed by Herbert Ponting [Key Cities / U]

Vidal Sassoon: The Movie (Verve Pictures): Documentary about the hairdresser who rose from humble beginnings to become a key fashion figure of the 1960s. Directed by Craig Teper. [Key cities / PG]

Fire In Babylon (Revolver): Feature documentary about the great West Indies cricket team of the 1970’s/80’s. [Selected cinemas / 12A]

> Get local cinema showtimes at Google Movies or FindAnyFilm
UK DVD & Blu-ray releases for Monday 16th May 2011, including The Thin Red LineBiutiful and Black Swan

Categories
Cinema Reviews Thoughts

Win Win

It contains familiar ingredients but the third film from writer-director Thomas McCarthy is a satisfying comedy-drama with brains and heart.

Set in New Jersey, it explores the ethical dilemmas of local attorney Mike Flaherty (Paul Giamatti), who also coaches a high-school wrestling team.

With his law practice struggling due to the recession, Mike keeps his worries from his wife (Amy Ryan) and two young daughters.

When an opportunity arises involving an elderly client (Burt Young) and his teenage grandson Kyle (Alex Shaffer), Mike sees a potential solution to his problems.

Similar in tone to McCarthy’s previous efforts – The Station Agent (2003) and The Visitor (2008) – the film explores the bittersweet comedy that lies under the surface of everyday life.

The main draw here is Giamatti and the actor fits the material perfectly, managing to convey the light and shade of a good man caught in a bad situation.

It is perhaps his most significant role since Sideways (2004) and it’s a relief to see him in a lead role after the usual supporting turns he gets burdened with in bigger budget films.

The other stand out is Shaffer, a non-actor making his screen debut, who is note-perfect as an awkward teenage wrestling prodigy.

Solid support comes from Amy Ryan as his tough but supportive wife, Jeffrey Tambor and Bobby Canavale as Mike’s friends and fellow wrestling coaches, and Melanie Lynskey as Kyle’s absent mother.

McCarthy has a wonderful eye for character and he skillfully wrings out the comedy and drama, demonstrating without cliché or bombast how Mike’s actions gradually affect everyone around him.

The humour of Mike’s interaction with his friends and family is wrapped up with an unusual empathy for regular, small town life that is rare in the indie or mainstream realm.

Although the plot takes a while to get going in the conventional sense, but the slow-burn build up pays off well as it reaches its latter stages.

Contemporary New Jersey is evoked with impressive attention to detail: the legal office, gyms and houses are all convincingly realised.

Perhaps most impressively, Win Win does the simple things (acting, writing and direction) so well that you don’t really notice them until after the story has reached its surprising climax and payoff.

It may have the familiar tropes of a US indie movie made inside the studio system after premiering at Sundance, Fox Searchlight are releasing it.

But with the avalanche of sequels, remakes and empty romantic comedies currently hitting cinemas, a film like Win Win feels like an especially rare treat.

Listen out too for ‘Think You Can Win’, a moving song by The National which the US band wrote especially for the film.

Win Win opens in the UK on Friday 30th May

> Official site
> Reviews of Win Win at Metacritic
> Thomas McCarthy at Wikipedia

Categories
Cinema

UK Cinema Releases: Friday 13th May 2011

NATIONAL RELEASES

Attack The Block (Optimum Releasing): An horror-comedy-action film about a group of teenagers who have to fend for themselves when aliens attack their South London council estate. Directed by Joe Cornish, it stars John Boyega, Nick Frost, Jodie Whittaker and Luke Treadaway. [Nationwide / 15] [Read our full review]

Take Me Home Tonight (Universal): Comedy set in the 1980s which follows an aimless college grad (Topher Grace) who pursues his dream girl at a wild weekend party. Directed by Michael Dowse, it co-stars Anna Faris and Dan Fogler. [Nationwide]

Red Hill (Momentum): Australian thriller about a young police officer (Ryan Kwanten) who must survive his first day’s duty in a remote country town. Directed by Otto Jespersen, it co-stars Tommy Lewis, Patrick Hughes. [Nationwide / 15]

The Way (Icon): An American father (amrtin Sheen) travels to France to recover the body of his estranged son who died while traveling the Route Napoleon. Directed by Emilio Estevez, it co-stars Deborah Kara Unger and James Nesbitt. [Nationwide / 12A]

ALSO OUT

Taxi Driver (park Circus): 35th anniversary re-release for Martin Scorsese’s classic 1976 drama about a cab driver (Robert De Niro) who gradually finds himself isolated in New York. Co-starring Jodie Foster, Albert Brooks, Leonard Harris, Peter Boyle and Cybill Shepherd. [Key Cities / 18] [Read our full review]

A Screaming Man (Soda Pictures): African drama about a hotel pool attendant in Chad and his relationship with his son. Directed by Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, it stars Diouc Koma, Emile Abossolo M’Bo and Youssouf Djaoro. [Key Cities / 15]

Love Like Poison (Artificial Eye): French coming-of-age drama about a young teenage girl struggling to cope with her parent’s splitting. Directed by Katell Quillevere, it stars Clara Augarde, Lio, Michel Galabru, Stefano Cassetti, Thierry Neuvic and Youen Leboulanger-Gourvil. [Key Cities / 15]

After The Apocalypse (Dartmouth Films): Documentary about the aftermath of Soviet nuclear testing in Kazakhstan. Directed by Antony Butts, it features Bibigul Balargazinov and Dr Toleukhan Nurmagambetov. [Selected cinemas]

> Get local cinema showtimes at Google Movies or FindAnyFilm
UK DVD & Blu-ray releases for Monday 9th May 2011, including The King’s Speech, The Way Back, I Saw The Devil and Blue Valentine

Categories
Cinema Reviews

Attack the Block

Combining genres with considerable confidence and skill, this anarchic alien-invasion film marks a highly promising directorial debut for Joe Cornish.

Set during the course of one night on a South London council estate, Attack the Block begins when a gang of youths – Moses (John Boyega), Pest (Alex Esmail), Dennis (Franz Drameh), Jerome (Leeon Jones) and Biggz (Simon Howard) come across an alien creature falling from the sky.

After killing it, they realise it is the start of a bigger invasion and retreat to their tower block, where they fend off their attackers along with the local pot dealer (Nick Frost), a posh neighbour (Luke Treadaway), a nurse they previously mugged (Jodie Whitaker) and the local drug lord (Jumayn Hunter), who is out for revenge.

What’s immediately apparent about the film is the pacing and movement, as it plunges the audience straight into the action and doesn’t let up for the lean, 87 minute running time.

The main influences seem to be the genre films that Cornish grew up watching: Assault on Precinct 13 (1976), The Warriors (1979), Escape from New York (1981), An American Werewolf in London (1981), The Thing (1982), Gremlins (1984) and Aliens (1986).

But these films are funnelled into something lighter and uniquely British, without getting bogged down by the ponderous clichés that can often infect filmmaking from these shores.

Whereas some British directors shy away from excitement and humour, here they are ramped to the max and the end result not only features some memorable set-pieces but is genuinely thrilling and funny.

In particular, the excellent night-time cinematography by Tom Townend and fluid editing by Jonathan Amos give everything the sheen of a much bigger movie, which is all the more impressive for a modestly-budgeted UK production.

The young actors who play the gang, especially John Boyega as the ringleader Moses, are perfectly cast and wisely there isn’t any clumsy attempt made to sandpaper down their actions or characters as they try to survive the night.

Some moments feel like a mammoth piss take of recent UK urban dramas such as Kidulthood (2006) and Adulthood (2008), with frequent use of urban slang (especially the term ‘fam’, which seems like it gets used over 200 times).

But overall it manages to poke good-natured fun at all the characters who reside in the tower block as they unite against a common enemy.

The aliens themselves are an interesting creation, coming across as dark ape-like creatures with radioactive teeth, and the practical and CG effects (by Mike Elizalde and Double Negative respectively) are highly effective for the most part.

Steven Price’s electronic score, with contributions from Felix Buxton and Simon Ratcliffe of Basement Jaxx, fits the setting well and ramps up the tension during the action set-pieces.

Given the pacing and genre trappings, it has major potential for a mainstream crossover success, although I suspect that the local slang used by the gang will prove impenetrable to mainstream US – and maybe some UK – audiences.

Despite this, it has a visual panache and sense of movement that could speak to audiences on a deeper, more visceral level and it could end up as a fan favourite in years to come.

Edgar Wright is a friend and collaborator of Cornish (even serving as producer on this film) and Attack the Block takes John Carpenter to South London in the same way that Shaun of the Dead (2004) took George A Romero to the North.

Both wear their influences firmly on their sleeve, but mash them up to create something vibrant, cinematic and funny.

> Official site
> More on Joe Cornish at Wikipedia
> Reviews of Attack the Block at IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes

Categories
Cinema

UK Cinema Releases: Friday 6th May 2011

NATIONAL RELEASES

Hanna (Universal): Thriller about a 14-year-old (Saoirse Ronan), raised by her father (Eric Bana) to be an assassin, only to be pursued by shadowy government agents. Directed by Joe Wright and co-starring Cate Blanchett. [Nationwide / 12A]

Water For Elephants (20th Century Fox): Period drama about a veterinary student (Robert Pattinson) who abandons his studies after his parents are killed and joins a traveling circus as their vet. Directed by Francis Lawrence, it co-stars Reese Witherspoon and Christoph Waltz. [Nationwide / 12A]

Priest (Sony Pictures): Action film about a warrior priest (Paul Bettany) who disobeys church law by teaming with a young sheriff (Cam Gigandet) and a priestess (Maggie Q) to track down a group of renegade vampires who kidnapped his niece. Directed by Scott Stewart. [Nationwide / 12A]

Something Borrowed (Entertainment): Romantic comedy about a young New York attorney (Ginnifer Goodwin) who ends up falling in love with her best friend’s fiancé. Directed by Luke Greenfield, it co-stars Kate Hudson, John Krasinski and Steve Howey. [Nationwide / 12A]

ALSO OUT

13 Assassins (Artificial Eye): Martial arts epic about a group of assassins who come together for a suicide mission to kill an evil lord. Directed by Takashi Miike, it stars Koji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada, Yusuke Iseya, Goro Inagaki and Masachika Ichimura. [Selected cinemas / 15]

Everywhere and Nowhere (Axiom Films): A DJ comes into conflict with his parents in this drama about second-generation British Asians. Directed by Menhaj Huda, it stars James Floyd and Adam Deacon. [Selected cinemas / 15]

My Dog Tulip (Axiom Films): Animated film about a man who rescues a German shepherd and how the two become fast friends. Directed by Paul Fierlinger and Sandra Fierlinger, with the voices of Christopher Plummer, Lynn Redgrave and Isabella Rossellini [Selected cinemas / 12A]

> Get local cinema showtimes at Google Movies or FindAnyFilm
UK DVD & Blu-ray releases for Monday 2nd May 2011, including Midnight Cowboy and The Twilight Zone Season 1

Categories
Cinema

UK Cinema Releases: Friday 29th April 2011

NATIONAL RELEASES

Thor (Paramount): A nordic god from another realm (Chris Hemsworth) is exiled to Earth where he meets a scientist (Natalie Portman) who tries to help him return to hims home. Directed by Kenneth Branagh, it co-stars Anthony Hopkins and Tom Hiddleston. [Nationwide / 12A] [Read our full review]

Cedar Rapids (20th Century Fox): Comedy about a naive insurance worker (Ed Helms) who is sent to Cedar Rapids, Iowa for a work convention where he finds himself under the “guidance” of three convention veterans. Directed by Miguel Arteta, it co-stars John C. Reilly and Anne Heche. [Nationwide / 15]

Insidious (Momentum): Horror film about a married couple (Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne) whose young son is possessed by an evil spirit. Directed by James Wan, it co-stars Barbara Hershey and Lin Shaye. [Nationwide / 15]

ALSO OUT

I Saw The Devil (Optimum Releasing): Dark Korean revenge drama from director Kim Ji-woon about a deranged serial killer (Choi Min-sik) and the secret agent (Lee Byung-hun) who tries to track him down. [Selected cinemas / 18]

Tracker (Kaleidoscope Entertainment): Drama about an ex-Boer war guerrilla (Ray Winstone) in New Zealand who is sent out to bring back a Maori (Temuera Morrison) accused of killing a British soldier. Directed by Robb Wells. [Selected cinemas / 12A]

Battleship Potemkin (bfi): Re-release for the pioneering Russian film which helped introduce montage editing into cinema. Directed by Sergei Eisenstein, it stars Edmund Meisel. [Selected cinemas]

Upside Down (Revolver): British documentary charting the rise and fall of influential indie music label Creation Records. Directed by Danny O, it features interviews with founder Alan McGhee and the various acts he signed, including The Jesus and Mary Chain, Primal Scream, Ride and Oasis. [Selected cinemas / 15]

The Veteran (Revolver): British drama about a UK soldier (Toby Kebbell) struggling to adjust to life back home on a London council estate. Directed by Matthew Hope, it co-stars Brian Cox and Ashley Thomas. [Selected cinemas]

> Get local cinema showtimes at Google Movies or FindAnyFilm
UK DVD & Blu-ray releases for Monday 25th April 2011, including Enter the Void

Categories
Cinema

UK Cinema Releases: Friday 22nd April 2011

NATIONAL RELEASES

Arthur (Warner Bros.): Remake of the 1981 comedy about a drunken playboy (Russell Brand) who stands to lose a wealthy inheritance when he falls for a woman (Greta Gerwig) his family doesn’t like. Directed by Jason Winer, it co-stars  Helen Mirren, Jennifer Garner and Nick Nolte. [Nationwide / 12A] [Trailer] [Reviews]

Fast & Furious 5 (Universal): The fifth film in the Fast and Furious franchise sees fugitives Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) pursued by a group of legendary lawmen. Directed by Justin Lin, it co-stars Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. [Nationwide / 12A] [Trailer] [Reviews]

Beastly (Paramount): A modern-day take on the ‘Beauty and the Beast’ tale where a New York teenager (Alex Pettyfer) is transformed into a hideous monster in order to find true love. Directed by Daniel Barnz, it co-stars Vanessa Hudgens. [Nationwide / 12A] [Trailer] [Reviews]

Dum Maaro Dum (20th Century Fox): A Hindi language film about six Indians who meet in Goa and have their lives changed once they get involved with drug dealers. [Nationwide] [Trailer]

ALSO OUT

The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc (Optimum): An adventure set in the early party of the 20th century, focusing on a popular novelist (Louise Bourgoin) and her dealings with would-be suitors, the cops, monsters, and other distractions. Directed by Luc Besson, it co-stars Mathieu Amalric, Gilles Lellouche and Jean-Paul Rouve. [Selected cinemas / 12A] [Trailer] [Reviews]

Pina (Artificial Eye): A 3D dance film about the late modern dance choreographer Pina Bausch, directed by Wim Wenders. [Selected cinemas / U]

Island (Soda Pictures): Drama about a young woman who tries to find her mother after having spent most of her life in care. Directed by Elizabeth Mitchell and Brek Taylor, it stars Natalie Press, Colin Morgan and Janet McTeer. [Selected cinemas]

World of the Dead: Zombie Diaries 2 (Metrodrome): Another British zombie film. [Selected cinemas]

Zombie Undead (Metrodrome): Yet another British zombie film. [Selected cinemas]

> Get local cinema showtimes at Google Movies or FindAnyFilm
UK DVD & Blu-ray releases for Monday 18th April 2011, including The Princess Bride

Categories
Cinema Reviews Thoughts

Thor

One of Marvel’s most famous characters is brought to the screen with energy and charm, even though certain elements don’t quite work.

How do you adapt a character like Thor for the big screen?

One of the mainstays of Marvel comics since the 1960s, he isn’t just a man with special powers but a god from another realm.

With his costume and magical hammer he might strike younger audiences – familiar with Spider-Man, Iron Man and Batman – as an eccentric extra from the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

But Marvel Studios and director Kenneth Branagh have managed to find a way of crafting a satisfying story which not only introduces the character to a wider cinema audience, but please those who grew up reading the comics.

Opening in the New Mexico desert, astrophysicist Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), her assistant (Kat Dennings) and scientist mentor (Stellan Skarsgard) discover a stranger named Thor (Chris Hemsworth) after a mysterious storm.

In an extended flashback on the heavenly realm of Asgard, we see Thor’s ruling father Odin (Anthony Hopkins) banish his eldest son to Earth, along with his magical hammer Mjolnir (yes, it actually has a name and even a detailed Wikipedia entry).

Stranded on Earth he must deal with a curious government agent (Clark Gregg) and agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., his brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and learn to free his hammer by being more humble.

In addition, there is also a group of his warrior friends (Jaimie Alexander, Ray Stevenson, Josh Dallas and Tadanobu Asano), the Frost Giant leader (Colm Feore) and a gatekeeper to both worlds (Idris Elba).

There is even a cameo from Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), preparing audiences for next year’s film version of The Avengers, where various Marvel characters (including Thor) team up.

Whilst at times it feels overcrowded with characters – a problem which wrecked Marvel’s Iron Man 2 – this is agreeable superhero stuff, which cuts between convincingly staged action on Earth and the fantastical realms of Asgard.

Branagh might seem an unusual choice to direct this kind of material, but his background in Shakespeare proves useful in humanising and even gently satirising the grandiose nature of the central character and the battles he fights.

He has also got decent performances from his cast: Hemsworth has presence as Thor, playing him with a nice blend of authority and humour; Hopkins and Hiddleston are solid; and the rest of the cast do their best with fairly thin roles.

There is plenty of fish-out-of-water comedy as Thor struggles with contemporary life on Earth and his chemistry with the scientists is well done, even if Portman’s role isn’t as significant as you might expect.

His fantastical battles are also well staged, with some effective sound work augmenting the CGI and lending a certain weight to scenes which could have been ridiculous.

The visual effects work must have presented a major challenge and most impressive is the magical, mechanical portal through which the characters venture from Asgard to Earth.

Less successful are the landscape shots, which – like a lot of CGI-reliant films – blend into a digital background mush, reminiscent of the Star Wars prequels.

Despite this, the overall production design by Bo Welch and the costumes by Alexandra Byrne are impressive, giving detail and believability to both realms.

An added bonus is Patrick Doyle’s rousing score which suits the mood and themes of the film perfectly, even if at times it is reminiscent of Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard’s work on the recent Batman films.

This is also the first Marvel film in 3D and although the post-conversion is better than other mainstream releases (such as Clash of the Titans) it doesn’t really add a whole lot to the action.

After a decade of superhero films, it increasingly feels that Hollywood is reaching the bottom of its comic book barrel.

A list of the major summer releases already feels like an overloaded Comic-Con schedule, with Green Lantern, Captain America and X-Men: First Class continuing what seems to be a never-ending cycle of superhero titles.

Despite this, Thor is actually a pleasant surprise. Although not on the same level as Marvel’s Iron Man or Nolan’s Batman films, but there is something pleasantly old fashioned about the way in which the Nordic god has been brought to the big screen.

> Official site
> Reviews of Thor at Metacritic
> Find out more about the Thor character at Wikipedia

Categories
Cinema

UK Cinema Releases: Friday 15th April 2011

NATIONAL RELEASES

Scream 4 (a.k. SCRE4M) (Entertainment): The fourth film of the horror franchose reunites the surviving members of the original cast as Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) is visited again by the Ghostface Killer. Directed by Wes Craven, it co-stars David Arquette, Courteney Cox, Emma Roberts and Hayden Panettiere. [Nationwide / 15] [Trailer] [Reviews]

Red Riding Hood (Warner Bros.): Loose adaptation of the folk tale, about a medieval village that is haunted by a werewolf and a young girl (Amanda Seyfried) who falls for an orphaned woodcutter (Shiloh Fernandez). Directed by Catherine Hardwicke, it co-stars Gary Oldman, Virgina Madsen and Max Irons. [Nationwide / 12A] [Trailer] [Reviews]

Winnie The Pooh (Walt Disney): An animated feature produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios which features five previously unadapted stories from the original books. Directed by Stephen Anderson and Don Hall, it features the voices of Peter Cullen, Craig Ferguson, Jim Cummings and Tara Strong. [Nationwide / Cert U] [Trailer] [Reviews]

Your Highness (E1 Films): Fantasy comedy about an arrogant, lazy prince (Danny McBride) and his more heroic brother (James Franco) who must complete a quest in order to save their father’s kingdom. Directed by David Gordon Green and co-starring Natalie Portman, Zooey Deschanel and Damian Lewis. [Nationwide /15] [Trailer] [Reviews]

ALSO OUT

Cold Weather (Axiom Films): US indie drama about a former forensic science student (Cris Lankenau) investigating the mysterious disappearance of his ex-girlfriend (Trieste Kelly Dunn) in Portland, Oregon. Directed by Aaron Katz, it co-stars Raul Castillo. [Key Cities] [Trailer] [Reviews]

Little White Lies (Lionsgate UK): French comedy-drama exploring the tensions amongst a group of friends who go on a holiday together. Directed by Guillaume Canet, it stars François Cluzet, Marion Cotillard, Benoît Magimel, Gilles Lellouche, Jean Dujardin, Laurent Lafitte, Valérie Bonneton and Pascale Arbillot. [Key Cities / 15] [Trailer] [Reviews]

Meek’s Cutoff (Soda Pictures): US indie western set in Oregon, 1845 about a wilderness guide (Bruce Greenwood) who comes into conflict with the settlers he is guiding. Directed by Kelly Reichardt, it stars Michelle Williams, Will Patton, Zoe Kazan and Rod Rondeaux and Paul Dano. [Selected cinemas] [Trailer] [Reviews]

The Last Picture Show (Park Circus): Reissue of the 1971 drama about the coming of age of two friends, Sonny Crawford (Timothy Bottoms) and Duane Jackson (Jeff Bridges). Directed by Peter Bogdanovich, it co-stars Cybill Shepherd, Ben Johnson, Ellen Burstyn, and Randy Quaid. [Selected cinemas] [Trailer] [Reviews]

Cooking With Stella (Mara Pictures): Comedy about a Canadian diplomat (Lisa Ray) and her husband (Don McKellar) who live in New Delhi with their cook, Stella (Seema Biswas). Directed by Dilip Mehta. [Key Cities]

A Small Act (Dogwoof): HBO documetary about the effects of altruism in Kenya. Directed by Jennifer Arnold. [Key Cities / 12A] [Trailer]

Sparrow (Terracotta Distribution): A 2008 Hong Kong caper film about a gang of pickpockets who are mysteriously approached by a beautiful Taiwanese woman (Kelly Lin). Directed by Johnnie To, it stars Simon Yam, Kelly Lin and Law Wing Cheong. [Key Cities]

> Get local cinema showtimes at Google Movies or FindAnyFilm
> UK DVD & Blu-ray releases for Monday 11th April 2011, including Of Gods and Men, Monsters and Two in the Wave

Categories
Cinema Documentaries

Armadillo

A riveting documentary about Danish soldiers in Afghanistan provides an eye-opening view of the War on Terror.

The directorial debut of Janus Metz is a startling one and the title comes from the military base in Helmand province where troops are based for six months.

Over the course of the film we see various troops as they leave home, go out on patrol, get involved in skirmishes with the Taliban and deal with civilians caught up in the conflict.

Comparisons will be made with last year’s Restrepo, the Oscar nominated documentary about US troops in the mountainous Korengal Valley, and even Susanne Bier’s drama Brothers (2004) which explored how the conflict affected Danish troops.

But Armadillo has its own distinct flavour and part of this comes from the extraordinary level of access afforded to Metz and his crew, which one suspects would not have been afforded to a similar film about US and UK troops.

A brutal honesty pervades the film and it doesn’t shy away from showing details which don’t make it on to the nightly news.

We see soldiers bored in their downtime as they watch porn, play first-person shooter computer games and make phone calls to worries relatives.

When it comes to the battlefield, the uncertainty and mistrust of the locals isn’t whitewashed as the local elders demand to know why innocent people are dying in the crossfire and even children insult the troops.

But where the film kicks into another gear is with the remarkably candid and unsettling scenes where the troops confront the Taliban.

One fire fight involves a hauntingly ambiguous image of a corpse and the images captured are a world away from the carefully edited coverage you see on the nightly news.

The most memorable sequence involves an extraordinary shootout at dawn where the soldiers find themselves right next to five Taliban soldiers in a ditch.

After it screened at Cannes last year, this sequence proved controversial in Denmark and led to an official investigation which eventually cleared soldiers in the film of any wrongdoing.

Part of the footage was actually shot from a camera attached to a soldier’s helmet, and the resulting images provide an incredible glimpse into life on the frontline.

This will prove a turn off for some audiences, but as a document of the brutal realities of war, it remains vivid and valuable document of this conflict.

There are numerous interviews with the soldiers and some revealing conversations, which capture their love of battle as well as the anxiety of knowing death is close by.

Shot on a variety of digital cameras, the visuals by DP Lars Skree are highly impressive and effectively mix the energy of combat with quieter moments.

The mood of the film is also greatly enhanced by Uno Helmersson’s atmospheric score and the sound design by Rasmus Winther.

There also appears to be a use of colour correction to give the film a consistent look, giving it the visual sheen of a dramatic feature like The Hurt Locker (2008).

Aside from being a technically brilliant portrait of modern warfare, Armadillo also poses interesting questions about how the war in Afghanistan has been represented.

Could it be that mainstream media have subconsciously watered their coverage down to gain access and submit to a conventional narrative of the troops as heroes? Recent revelations would suggest things are more complicated.

It is easy to forget that Afghanistan isn’t just an American war. The allied forces which make up the International Security Assistance Force are drawn from many countries from around the globe, including Denmark.

Perhaps it took a Danish perspective to craft such an illuminating film, which doesn’t take sides but still confronts the audience with difficult questions about an intractable conflict.

Armadillo is currently out at selected UK cinemas and is released on DVD on June 13th

> Official site
> Find out if Armadillo is showing near you with Google Movies or Find Any Film
> Reviews at the IMDb
> More on the ISAF and the War in Afghanistan at Wikipedia

Categories
Cinema

UK Cinema Releases: Friday 8th April 2011

NATIONAL RELEASES

Rio (20th Century Fox): An animated comedy-adventure about tropical birds, focusing on Blu, a rare macaw who travels to Rio to find a partner. Directed by Carlos Saldanha, it features the voices Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway and George Lopez. [Nationwide / U] [Trailer] [Reviews]

Mars Needs Moms (Walt Disney): One of the biggest flops in recent Hollywood history is this animated film about a young boy who gains a deeper appreciation for his mom after Martians take her away. Directed by Simon Wells, it features the voices of Seth Green and Joan Cusack. [Nationwide / PG] [Trailer] [Reviews]

The Roommate (Sony Pictures): Thriller about a college student who finds herself in danger after she’s assigned to a dorm room with a new roommate. Directed by Christian E. Christiansen, it stars Minka Kelly, Leighton Meester and Cam Gigandet. [Nationwide / PG] [Trailer] [Reviews]

Tomorrow, When the War Began (Paramount): Action-adventure about a group of teenagers who fight back after their country is invaded. Directed by Stuart Beattie, it stars Caitlin Stasey, Rachel Hurd-Wood and Lincoln Lewis. [Nationwide / 12A] [Trailer] [Reviews]

Thank You (UTV Communications): A Bollywood romantic comedy about a pretty, young girl tennis player falls in love with a playboy. Stars Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor and Anees Bazmee. [Selected cinemas]

ALSO OUT

Rubber (Optimum Releasing): Cult film about a killer tire, directed by Quentin Dupieux and starring Stephen Spinella, Roxane Mesquida and Jack Plotnick. [Selected cinemas / 15]

Armadillo (Soda Pictures) Acclaimed documentary from director Janus Metz Pederson about a group of Danish soldiers in Afghanistan. [Selected cinemas / 15]

Before The Revolution (BFI): Re-release for Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1964 film starring Francesco Barilli and Adriana Asti. [Selected cinemas]

Cold Fish (Third Window Films): Japanese film directed by Sion Sono about a muderous fish-breeder. Stars Asuaka Kurosawa, Denden, Hikari Kajiwara and Megumi Kagurazaka. [Key Cities / 18]

> Get local cinema showtimes at Google Movies or FindAnyFilm
> UK DVD & Blu-ray releases for Monday 4th April 2011, including The Man Who Fell To Earth, The American and Somewhere