Category: Reviews

The new remake of The Wicker Man is by no means as bad as it could have been but it still shouldn’t have been made. Although director Neil LaBute was an interesting choice and Nicolas Cage gives a OK performance in the lead role, this version just can’t escape the simple reality that the 1973 original was so unique and effective that remaking it was always a flawed idea.Contrary to what some think, remakes are not always a bad thing.

Ocean’s Eleven and Cape Fear were two films that managed to complement the originals nicely but generally speaking remakes make for bad films. Studio accountants love them because they present an easy opportunity to make a decent pile of cash. If you already own the rights to a film, development costs are low and audiences already have an awareness of the original film so that’s some marketing money saved.

However, from a creative standpoint, there are just too many examples of bad remakes (many of which bombed). You want some evidence? How about Poseidon, Godzilla, The Haunting, Alfie, Get Carter, Planet of the Apes, Charlie’s Angels and The Dukes of Hazard to name just a few? All stunk out multiplexes world wide and left you with a horrible feeling of “why?” that lasted at least until you saw a trailer for yet another one.

To be fair this version of The Wicker Man is a more serious attempt than some of the worst excesses of the genre. But it still falls in to the same dilemma any remake will face. If it changes the story then it is fixing something that isn’t broken and if it stays faithful to the original then why bother at all? There are some changes here that will upset fans of the original but the problem really lies in deciding to remake it in the first place.

The original 1973 film is one of the best British horror films ever made and, despite its poor reception at the time, still stands out as a genuinely unique cult film. If you are unfamiliar it is about a devout Christian police officer (played by Edward Woodward) who travels out to a remote Scottish island to investigate the disappearance of a young girl. There he comes across a pagan community led by the sinister Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee) and is forced to confront his own fears and desires whilst trying to solve the mystery.

Here LaBute has transferred the action to a remote island on Washington State, and Nicolas Cage plays the cop who investigates the disappearance. Apart from location, the main change is that the island is led by a woman – Sister Summersisle (Ellen Burstyn) – and is a matriarchal community to which men play second fiddle. And that is where the problems begin. Although the setting is reasonable faithful (certain shots and scenes are very similar) the colony of female characters on the island just doesn’t work and consequently the film just doesn’t work.

LaBute’s central conceit here is to replace the Christian/Pagan conflict in the original with some sexual politics. He has done this very capably in his best films like In the Company of Men and Your Friends and Neighbours, but it feels all out of place here. As the the story unfolds, virtually all the characters on the island carry little or no menace and at worst come across as laughable (especially when one of the characters puts on some Braveheart-style blue and white makeup).

In order to generate tension, Cage’s character is put through some half hearted escapades involving dodgy barns and deadly bees but none of it comes anywhere near the unique sense of dread in the original. Apart from the misjudged execution, the main problem here is that The Wicker Man is the kind of strange and unique film that just should have been left alone.

I have a feeling that any reinterpretation of the film would only just remind you of how effective Robin Hardy’s original film was – a beguiling experience with terrific performances and a haunting soundtrack. Although LaBute doesn’t bottle the ending (if you’ve seen it you’ll know what I’m talking about, if not, then I won’t spoil it here) he fails to do justice to the material. If you want a genuinely unique horror film then you should see the 1973 version.

> Official site for The Wicker Man remake
> The Wicker Man (2006) at the IMDb
> Reviews at Metacritic for The Wicker Man remake
> Wikipedia on the original film of The Wicker Man
> Extensive new fan site for original Wicker Man

Three years ago one of the finest dramas in recent years hit TV screens in the UK. The Deal was scripted by Peter Morgan and directed by Stephen Frears and dramatised the relationship between Tony Blair and Gordon Brown as they reformed the Labour Party and jostled for the position of leader. It could have descended into a cheap political satire but was a wonderfully audacious and accomplished portrayal of the two dominant figures in recent British politics. The central performances from David Morrissey as Brown and Michael Sheen as Blair were eerily good. Both managed to convey all the familiar mannerisms but also created a convincing persona beneath the accents and make up.

Surprisingly it isn’t available on DVD but Frears has now made a feature film that explores Blair’s relationship with another figure – Queen Elizabeth II – and it is equally good, if not better. Set during the first few months of New Labour in power, it starts off with Blair (again played by Michael Sheen) going to ask the Queen (Helen Mirren) permission to form a new government – as is the tradition in a country that has an “unwritten constitution” – before moving swiftly to the fateful night when Princess Diana was killed in a car crash in Paris. The film then explores the relationship between the Royal Family and Prime Minister as they both have different opinions on how to respond to an event that has gripped the nation.

Contrasting the media savvy New Labour response with the misjudged aloofness emanating from The House of Windsor, it provides an intelligent and frequently witty look at the UK’s leaders. Although viewers in the US and around the world may not be familiar with Stephen Frears previous dramatisation of British politics, The Queen does contain many similarities. Like The Deal, we get a smart and incisive look at recent history with sharp references to all manner of things from the creation of “The People’s Princess” speech to Prince Philip’s disdain for Diana. The same high level of performance both behind and in front of the camera is plain to see and Frears maintains a sure and impressive grasp of recent British history and the key players in it. Plus, there is an added level of spice in depicting the stuffy Royal family on screen and the central figure of Queen Elizabeth herself.

Despite her huge profile and fame, the current monarch is in many ways an enigma. She never gives interviews and is cloaked behind a blanket of formality and tradition. The challenge for the filmmakers here was considerable. Not only do they have to second guess private conversations woven together from a variety of on and off the record sources but they have had to create a believable portrayal. On this count they have resoundingly succeeded. In the title role Helen Mirren gives a remarkable performance that manages to capture her voice and look to an uncanny degree.

Beyond the mannerisms and physicality she also manages to show believable raw emotions and thoughts a head of state might feel. It is a fiendishly difficult role but she pulls it off brilliantly. Michael Sheen also manages to carry on from the good work he did in The Deal by fashioning a believable version of Tony Blair. He nails the Labour leader’s serious desire to be all things to all people, allows us to laugh at his holier-than-thou persona and yet still demonstrates his steely convictions that have became more apparent in recent times. In the notable supporting roles James Cromwell is an amusingly gruff Prince Philip whilst in perhaps the most difficult role of Prince Charles, Alex Jennings manages to avoid the caricature so often portrayed in the media, delivering a surprisingly affecting portrait.

If there is a problem with the film, it lies in not in the execution but in how the subject matter reminds you just how things have changed since those months in 1997. The skilful blend of news footage into the narrative is so good that you can’t help reflect at the end how Diana’s death, and the subsequent reaction to it, has paled in comparison to bigger events such as 9/11 and the Iraq War. To be fair, the film is more about the relationship between a modern political leader and an older constitutional figurehead than it is about recent global politics. It is a drama about individuals and their reaction to events, rather than events themselves. In that sense it certainly doesn’t bite off more than it can chew but at the end I was left wanting to see Frears and Peter Morgan tackle Blair’s relationship with Bush. But perhaps that will be their next project.

For now we have The Queen and it is more than enough. On paper it may sound like a dry and cerebral affair but it manages to be a real antidote to the bland costume dramas the British film industry used to churn out with depressing regularity. A consistently absorbing and entertaining film, it not only takes an insightful look at recent British history but also manages to do it in a provocative way. It raises questions about the role of the monarchy in the modern age without ever descending into clumsy preaching and also manages to dryly satirise our rulers whilst acknowledging the emotional difficulties they find themselves in.

The Queen is released in the UK on September 15th and in the US on October 6th in NY & LA

> Official Site for The Queen
> Trailer at for The Queen at Apple Trailers
> IMDb link for The Queen
> IMDb entry for The Deal
> Film critic mmanuel Levy on Helen Mirren’s Oscar chances
> Wikipedia entry for Queen Elizabeth II (an illuminating and interesting article)
> Variety news article last year announcing the film
> Wikipedia entry for the Death of Diana, Princess of Wales

It wasn’t screened for critics but unlike other films that have been hidden before their release, Snakes on a Plane is more amusing and thrilling than I expected. Reports are coming out now that it has failed to live up to all the Internet hype but a lot of the box office hopes for it did seem a tad optimistic. Plus, its worth remembering that a lot of the buzz about this film was that it was going to be so bad it was good, which would possibly point to a slow burning DVD success rather than an all out bonanza.

If you haven’t seen it yet then you might be taken aback by the intensity of the snake action, the amusing supporting characters and the pleasantly brisk pace of it all. Going in I was expecting a much campier and self conscious affair but it plays like a fairly efficient thriller – albeit with a ridiculous premise. For those unfamiliar with the plot Samuel L Jackson plays a federal agent who has to escort a witness to a mob killing from Hawaii to LA. The only problem is that a corrupt mob boss has paid off an airport worker to plant a time-released crate of deadly snakes on board their plane. When reptiles crawl out, all hell breaks loose and Jackson has to protect his witness as well as survive the havoc on board the aircraft.

No-one should be under any illusions that Snakes on a Plane is going to be a cult success like Donnie Darko or Napoleon Dynamite. Although the bizarre fandom that has grown up around the film reflects how the relationship between audiences and studios is changing, it hasn’t made the film a masterpiece. That said if you have been following its progress over the last few months then you will certainly find something to enjoy here. The drama of the snakes once they are unleashed is effective and the claustrophobic atmosphere is maintained well for most of the film. I get the feeling that some of the violence and gore were ramped up with reshoots and instead of the comedy thriller people director David R Ellis has delivered something closer to a horror.

Samuel L Jackson effortlessly plays his usual cool persona but the real scene stealing performance (and some of the best lines) comes from Kenan Thompson as a passenger with some hidden skills. Other than that the rest of the cast are mostly just perfunctory or ( in the case of Bobby Cannavale) are just given too little to do. But for the most part Snakes does have a lot of low rent charm. The lack of a huge budget has actually helped it in many ways and there is a refreshing simplicity in knowing (to some extent) what you’re going to get from it. Its not the cult film it might have been but in a summer full of bloated big budget dreck like Pirates 2 and The Da Vinci Code it makes a welcome change.

> The screenwriter who inadvertendly helped kickstart the Snakes on a Plane phenomenon
> Reviews of Snakes on a Plane at Metacritic
> Box Office Mojo on Snakes on a Plane
> Sam Leith of The Telegraph on the hype surrounding the film

Thirty years on from the original, this remake of The Omen stays faithful to the plot and characters but lacks the chills and grandeur of the original.

Some bright spark at 20th Century Fox has been eagerly awaiting the date of 06/06/06 so they could release a remake The Omen. There aren’t many films I can think of that have so much of their marketing campaign dependant on an actual date. Indeed, whether by luck or design it is being re-released around the world on this day just as the world is swept up in the religious nonsense of The Da Vinci Code. Fate? A studio selling its soul? Whatever the case it seems like some movie marketing prophecy has finally come to pass.

For the uninitiated, the story involves the US ambassador to Britain who gradually finds out that his adopted son Damien is the antichrist after numerous people around him starts dying in the diabolical circumstances – often in the presence of slobbering dogs and a sinister nanny. The date of his birth? Why, that would be the 6th day of the 6th month of the 6th year. Plus, he also has ‘the number of the beast’ (666) written on his forehead for good measure.

In the original Gregory Peck played the ambassador and Lee Remick was his wife. It is still an effective horror that gains a lot of its power from Jerry Goldsmith’s marvellous score and the serious way in which it treats the extremely hokey aspects of the Bible, in particular the prophecies in the Book of Revelations. In this remake Liev Schreiber plays the ambassador Robert Thorn and Julia Stiles his wife whilst a number of fine actors like Pete Postlethwaite, Mia Farrow, David Thewlis and Michael Gambon pop up in supporting roles.

Director John Moore has gone for a faithful and conventional approach, sticking very closely to the original with a few relatively minor stylistic touches that differentiate it from Donner’s film. Some of these involve some snappy editing and jerky dream sequences that are effective and certain scenes retain their power to disturb. But the problem at the heart of this whole project is that the original Omen is a film that doesn’t really lend itself to a remake. Time and time again as each familiar hanging or decapitation unfolds I was reminded at how much more chilling the first film was.

This problem is further exacerbated by the moderate budget Fox seem to have allocated the film. Despite containing some very good actors, the visual scope of the film is hampered – witness the dodgy CGI London Eye in the background in the scenes at the ambassador’s country mansion and the Czech signs at the climax of the film that reveal the Prague location of the shoot. If you haven’t seen the original then you may enjoy this as it is certainly a cut above recent lazy gore fests like Hostel, but if want to experience the real deal then you should get Richard Donner’s film on DVD.

> Official Site
> IMDb Link
> Reviews at Metacritic
> Buy the original film at Amazon UK

After all the hoopla and expectation surrounding its release, Ron Howard’s film version of Dan Brown’s book is little more than an average pot-boiler.

Given the sales of the book and the recent controversy surrounding the film’s release (much of it the usual bleating from religious organisations) you might be forgiven for thinking that the film version is an exciting event in the film calendar. After all, its not every day a film is based on a book that has sold over 60 million copies. But even by the standards of mainstream Hollywood blockbusters this is a tired and plodding affair.

The action of the film can summed up like this: Harvard professor Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) is called into the Louvre one night to examine a murder scene. There he becomes embroiled in a conspiracy involving shadowy elements of the Catholic church and engages in an extended chase across Europe with a French cryptologist (Audrey Tatou) and a rich historian (Ian McKellen).

On the surface, all of this might sound vaguely intriguing. History, religion and murder could be decent ingredients for a mainstream thriller but director Ron Howard and screenwriter Akiva Goldsman have merely crafted a densely plotted and sprawling adaptation of Dan Brown’s novel. Most of the action involves the main characters talking in earnest tones about the ludicrous soup of historical and religious ideas that form the basis for the plot.

It is hard to watch talented actors like Hanks, Tatou, McKellen and Jean Reno given such one dimensional roles and substandard dialogue. At times McKellen livens things up a little with a performance that suggests he knows how ludicrous the whole thing is. Paul Bettany as a killer albino monk (no, I’m not making this up) is another fine actor trapped in an undercooked role. Unfortunately, characters in this film aren’t real human beings but merely mouthpieces for endless amounts of tedious exposition.

The film has achieved a lot of pre-release publicity courtesy of the Catholic Church who have been offended by the book and the film’s treatment of the bible. But don’t let all the pseudo debates about the ‘controversial’ nature of the story convince you this is an edgy or interesting film. Maybe the filmmakers decided to take their foot off the gas, knowing how wildly successful the book was. But given the different elements that make up the plot as well as the talent involved in bringing it to the screen, it may take experts a long time to decipher how on earth it could be so dull.

> Official Site
> IMDb Entry
> Reviews at Metacritic
> The Da Vinci Code at Wikipedia

Although at times it comes across like a big budget episode of Alias, the third instalment of the Tom Cruise spy franchise is an entertaining ride.

A common complaint of the first Mission: Impossible film was that it was too confusing (a lot of critics seemed unable to grasp what a double agent was), whilst the last one seemed to be suffering from one too many script rewrites. For this film producer and star Cruise has recruited JJ Abrams, the co-creator of hit TV shows Alias and Lost, in order to give the series a more humorous and slick feel.

For the most part, the Abrahams makeover has worked. This is a more colourful and coherent action film than might be expected given that this is his debut in the world of film. The set pieces are executed with a stylish efficiency and the addition of a nice undercurrent of humour helps things tick along nicely in between the well orchestrated mayhem.

The story sees IMF agent Ethan Hunt (Cruise) enticed back into action after enjoying a period of domestic stability with his fiance (Michelle Monaghan) whilst training junior agents. When one of his proteges is killed in the field he assembles his own IMF team to uncover the web of intrigue that caused her death.

As is often the case with summer blockbusters, there are some rough edges and frustrating aspects. For example, the situation of Tom breaking into highly secure locations is overused, be it the Vatican or a skyscraper in Shanghai. It was a recurring motif in the previous two films but surely there is more to the IMF than just glorified cat burglary?

Another disappointment is Ethan’s IMF colleagues: Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames) is becoming a less convincing computer whiz with each film; all Declan (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) seems to do is fly a helicopter; whilst Zhen (Maggie Q) is just an efficient hired gun. Simon Pegg in the Q-like geek role is a welcome presence but the lines given to him don’t quite ring true (especially the unnecessary one about his “Professor at Oxford” that telegraphs the fact that he is English – isn’t the accent a giveaway?).

Most disappointingly of all the great Philip Seymour Hoffman is underused as the chief villain. His character is left largely unexplored and remains too much of a one-note villain despite the attempts in the trailers to make him out as a cold blooded psychotic. On the more positive side of things, Laurence Fishburne and Billy Crudup are neatly cast as Hunt’s IMF bosses and aided by some polished dialogue, they bring the right touch of gravitas and intelligence to their roles.

But despite the disappointing aspects of Mission: Impossible 3 it is hard not to just kick back and enjoy the slick mindlessness of it all. Abrams betrays his TV roots by shooting a lot of the film like a beefed up episode of Alias (notice the quick transitions to foreign locations and lack of long shots) but he does know how to keep things moving along at a good pace and has helped breath new life into a franchise that seemed to have stalled at the second hurdle.

> Official Site
> IMDB Link
> Reviews at Metacritic
> Director JJ Abrams discusses making the film with the AP

N.B. Just a quick thought on the title for these films. Your mission (should you decide to be bothered) is to figure out how to actually write the title. Is it Mission: Impossible III (see IMDb) or the colon-heavy M:I:3 (see the posters). For such a huge tent pole release it seems odd that there should be so many different ways to write a film’s title. Or maybe it’s all part of the marketing strategy…

A beautifully crafted homage to an earlier era of broadcast journalism, George Clooney’s second film as a director is an intelligent and prescient depiction of CBS newsman Ed Murrow and his battle with Senator Joe McCarthy in the 1950s.

The narrative follows Murrow (brilliantly realised by David Strathairn) as he and his producer Fred Friendly (Clooney) try to convince a reticent CBS that an investigation of McCarthy and his questionable tactics is both valid and necessary. Despite pressure from sponsors and the network boss, William Paley (Frank Langella), Murrow and his team manage to engage McCarthy into a debate that exposes the shameful scare tactics of the senator from Wisconsin and the climate of fear his communist witch hunts had created.

Although it unashamedly romanticises Murrow and the journalistic values he represented Clooney’s film (co-written with Grant Heslov) also takes a wry attitude to the period. Cigarette ads and an comically cautious interview with Liberace imply that some things have changed for the better. Aside from the underlying political themes, the film is technically first rate: the black and white photography and seamless editing between real footage of the time (McCarthy effectively plays himself via the magic of archived film) are all highly impressive. The acting (especially Strathairn) is uniformly good and although the running time is little over 90 minutes, the issues explored will run in your head for a lot longer. (Redbus, PG)

> Official Site
> IMDb Entry
> Read reviews of the film at Metacritic
> PBS mini-site dedicated to Ed Murrow
> Participate on the issues behind the film

Martin Lawrence returns for the sequel to 2000 comedy that made an inexplicable amount of money at the box office and the result is just as bad.

Like the first film, it is basically an extended riff on Mrs Doubtfire with Martin Lawrence instead of Robin Williams dressing up as an older woman. The plot here sees Lawrence go undercover as a nanny to a family in the hope of thwarting a threat to national security but essentially, this is a clumsy selection of unfunny situations centred on a man in a dress. Lowlights include the improbably quick transformations into Big Momma, a seemingly endless supply of laboured and truly unfunny gags laboured gags and a cheesy underbelly of ‘family is important ‘ sentimentality. Despite all this, the stone faced reaction of the critics I saw it with was funny in a surreal way. At the climax – which seems to hint strongly of a Big Momma’s House 3 on the horizon – someone cried "Christ!" in desperation. Need I say any more? (20th Century Fox, PG)

> Official Site
> IMDb Link
> Reviews at Metacritic

Although it looked all set for Oscars when it went into production this adaptation of David Auburn’s Pulitzer prize winning play is a flat affair that only hints at what might have been.

An enigmatic young woman living in Chicago (Gwyneth Paltrow) is haunted by her mathematician father (Anthony Hopkins) after his mental breakdown and subsequent death. Fearing that she may have inherited both his genius and madness, she has to deal with a pushy sister (Hope Davis) and a graduate student (Jake Gyllenhaal) who is keen on reading through her father’s notebooks. Forgetting the cardinal rule of stage to screen adaptations, director John Madden and screenwriters David Auburn and Rebecca Miller (the former adapting his own Pulitzer Prize winning play) never really open the action out. Consequently, we are left with a series of talky scenes which may well have been powerful in the theatre but lack the necessary sizzle for the screen. The actors all do their best (though Gyllenhaal is badly miscast) and the underlying themes are interesting, but the creaky way in which the play has been treated makes it a glossy disappointment. (Buena Vista, 12A)

> Official Site
> IMDb Link
> Reviews at Metacritic

Despite a quality cast, this adaptation of Scott Phillips’ novel is a curiously flat affair.

Charlie Arglist (John Cusack) is a mob lawyer who teams up with a strip club owner (Billy Bob Thonton) to successfully swindle $2 million from a Wichita mob boss on Christmas Eve. However, things soon start to unravel into a quagmire of suspicion and double-crosses. On paper this probably had the makings of something special, but in practice it is little more than a substandard Fargo clone, with none of that film’s charm or invention. Cusack and Thornton do their best and Connie Nielsen is good value as the strip club manager but as the narrative lurches from one lacklustre set piece to another, one is struck by the lack of genuine laughs and thrills. It does have its moments – Oliver Platt’s drunken lawyer and the killing of someone in a trunk being two of the best – but for a film with a running time of 88 minutes, it feels an awful lot longer. Director Harold Ramis seems unsure of what the tone of the film should be and as a result it fails to engage either as a comedy or film noir. A missed opportunity for all concerned. (UIP, 15)

> Official Site
> IMDb Link
> Reviews at Metacritic

Two wonderful central performances fro Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon help power this splendid Johnny Cash biopic from director James Mangold.

There are many pitfalls surrounding films about musicians, ranging from the difficulty of recreating the magic of a well known performer to the clich�d “rise, fall and redemption” plot line that attaches itself like a limpet to these kinds of story. Walk The Line not only avoids these pitfalls, it also manages to recreate and celebrate the life and music of Cash with such enthusiasm and class that it is hard to resist. Beginning with Cash preparing to perform in front of inmates at Fulsom prison, it flashes back to his childhood and charts his development from his time in the army to country music icon. Phoenix (bearing a striking resemblance to the man in black) conveys the brooding darkness that drove him as a performer as well as delivering a tremendous vocal performance. Witherspoon, as June Carter (Cash’s musical and eventual life partner) is equally as good with a marvellous performance full of life and energy. The chemistry between them is utterly convincing and provides the film with a raw emotional core. Even though the story arc is familiar, the intensity and execution of the film make it one of the best films about a musical figure in recent memory. (20th Century Fox, 12A)

> Official Site
> IMDb Link
> Reviews at Metacritic

A worthy but absorbing drama dealing with the sexual harassment of female workers at a Minnesota mine in the late 80s.

The film is a fictionalized account based on the first class-action sexual harassment lawsuit in the United States and is directed by Nikki Caro, fresh from the success of 2003’s Whale Rider. An impressive ensemble cast featuring Frances McDormand, Sean Bean and Woody Harrelson is headed up by Charlize Theron. Like her Oscar winning turn in Monster, she has traded in her glamorous looks for a more serious role and once again has been nominated for a golden statuette. Her performance here has the same noble grittiness but this film has a richer and more rewarding narrative. Although the portrayal of male miners is perhaps a little too one dimensional, the film manages to convey the bleak realities of sexism and the difficulties faced in making a stand when livelihoods are on the line, even if the courtroom drama scenes don’t always ring true. A solid and powerful social drama in the tradition of films like Norma Rae and Silkwood. (Warner Bros, 15)

> Official Site
> IMDb Link
> Reviews at Metacritic

A truly remarkable documentary from Werner Herzog, one of modern cinema’s most interesting directors.

The film explores the life and death of Timothy Treadwell, an amateur grizzly bear expert and wildlife preservationist. Although the events chronicled here might initially sound strange or even vaguely comic – a bear enthusiast is ultimately killed by one of the animals he has sworn to ‘protect’ – Herzog has managed to create a haunting portrait of an obsessive individual whilst shining a light on man’s relationship to the natural world. Featuring interviews with Treadwell’s friends and acquaintances – as well as a lot of revealing footage the man himself shot whilst living amongst the bears in Alaska – it highlights the tortured soul of a man who felt more comfortable living in the wild but also underlines the dark barriers that exist when man steps outside his natural habitat. Featuring a beautiful musical score from Richard Thompson it is one of the most compelling and memorable documentaries released in a long time. (Revolver Entertainment, 15)

> Official Site
> IMDb Link
> Reviews at Metacritic

A disappointing thriller from director Mikael Håfström with two badly miscast stars in Clive owen and Jennifer Aniston.

When Chicago businessman Charles Schine (Clive Owen) indulges in an illicit affair with fellow commuter Lucinda Harris (Jennifer Aniston) things take a turn for the worse when they are confronted at a hotel room by a psychotic gunman (Vincent Cassell) who assaults them and begins a blackmail campaign. A bizarre setup for a thriller, more so because it’s still hard to buy Aniston in a serious role like this after Friends and all the romantic comedies she’s done in recent years. However, the problems lie a lot deeper. It isn’t just the predictable plot twists (which become progressively ridiculous as the film reaches its climax) but the tone of the film is all over the place, veering wildly the cheesy setup to the darker scenes of violence. Why on earth the newly formed Weinstein Company chose schlocky TV movie material like this for their maiden film is hard to fathom. (Buena Vista, 15)

> Official Site
> IMDb Link
> Reviews at Metacritic

It is an unusually good week for cinema releases. Munich, The New World and Hidden are three of the best films I’ve seen in the last 12 months although Bee Season is perhaps best left for die-hard Richard Gere fans.

Munich (UIP, 15): Steven Spielberg’s examination of the aftermath of the massacre at the 1972 Munich Olympics is a riveting piece of cinema. Despite the flak the film has taken from those with axes to grind, it is a tense and thoughtful depiction of the limitations of revenge. Click here for a full review.

> Official Site
> IMDb Entry
> Reviews of Munich at Metacritic

The New World (Entertainment Films, 15): Reclusive director Terence Malick doesn’t make a film very often, but when he does they are usually poetic and beautifully crafted masterpieces (e.g. Badlands, Days of Heaven & The Thin Red Line). His latest is no exception, a slow but spellbinding feast for the senses. The plot is a retelling of the Pocahontas tale, set against the backdrop of the founding of the Jamestown Virginia settlement in 1607 when European explorers first encountered Native Americans. Colin Farrell stars as John Smith, the man who forms a strong connection with Pocahontas (a magical performance from newcomer Q’Orianka Kilcher) and Christian Bale plays John Rolfe, the aristocrat she eventually ends up marrying. Like his other films, it contains some truly stunning visuals, the trademark introspective voiceovers and a memorable score from James Horner. Not for everyone perhaps, but a reminder of what a unique director Malick is even if it doesn’t quite scale the heights of his previous works.

> Official Site
> IMDb Entry
> Reviews of The New World at Metacritic

Hidden [aka Cach�] (Artificial Eye, 15): A chilling drama from Austrian director Michael Haneke about Georges (Daniel Auteuil), a television talk show host, and his wife Anne (Juliette Binoche), a well-to-do Parisian couple who start receiving anonymous videos of their home. Initially perplexed, they gradually start to suspect something sinister. Who is behind the videos? Why are they being filmed? Haneke expertly unfolds the narrative with an icy precision as Georges sees his complacent lifestyle slowly unravel. Weaving history and politics into the mix, Hidden is all the more subversive because the protagonist would appear to be eerily similar to the target audience for this film. It also contains one of the most shocking scenes of recent years. Superb filmmaking on every level.

> Official Site
> IMDb Entry
> Reviews of Hidden at Metacritic

Bee Season (Fox, 12A): A twee and seemingly derivative take on 2002’s documentary Spellbound, with Richard Gere as a Jewish scholar whose family starts to fall apart after his precocious daughter (Flora Cross) competes in America’s national spelling bee. Juliette Binoche stars as his wife and Max Minghella plays his son. Although the actors do their best, the narrative never really engages the interest and there are more than a few echoes of Little Man Tate (another film about a brainy child). It is hard to think that this was directed by the same pair who made The Deep End in 2001 (Scott McGehee and David Siegel). Whereas that film held the attention like a vice, Bee Season ends up drowning in a sea of spirituality and sentiment.

> Official Site
> IMDb Entry
> Reviews of Bee Season at Metacritic

ALSO OUT THIS WEEK THAT I DIDN’T CATCH

Rumor Has It (Warner Bros, 12A): Romantic comedy with Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Costner, Mark Ruffalo and Shirley MacLaine.

> Official Site
> IMDb Entry
> Reviews of Rumor Has It at Metacritic

Frozen (Guerilla Films, 15): According to an IMDb user comment it is “A haunting story of a woman’s search for her missing sister”.

> Official Site
> IMDB Entry
> Reviews of Frozen via the IMDb

USEFUL LINKS
> Get UK showtimes for all these releases via Google
> Get showtimes via EasyCinema

A rundown of the week’s cinema and DVD releases.

AT THE CINEMA
 
A Cock and Bull Story (15): This post-modern reworking of Lawrence Sterne’s ‘unfilmable’ 18^th century novel is a rare treat – a British film that isn’t hopelessly crap. In fact, it’s really rather good, especially given that a lot of the self-reflexive jokes in it could have fallen flat. The film starts off as period adaptation with Steve Coogan playing the central character and Rob Brydon as Captain Toby but soon descends into an elaborate film-within-a-film. Director Michael Winterbottom pokes a lot of fun at the process of making films and Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon provide a lot of laughs (often at their own expense). [Now showing nationwide]
 
 
Fun With Dick And Jane (12A): A remake of the 1977 comedy with George Segal and Jane Fonda, Jim Carrey and Tea Leoni play Dick and Jane Harper, a married couple who turn to robbery after Dick’s company goes bankrupt and they run out of money. A mediocre satire on corporate America (especially Enron), the film’s heart is in the right place but the whole enterprise is devoid of any effective humour. The comic situations are drawn out and the central gag of an affluent couple forced to deal with poverty wears thin very quickly. [Now showing nationwide]
 
 
Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ (15): Rapper 50 Cent makes it to the big screen in this underwritten and badly acted biopic about his early life as a criminal. It follows the template established by 8 Mile in 2002. Get a rapper (50 Cent instead of Eminem); a respected director (Jim Sheridan instead of Curtis Hanson) and create a rags to riches story loosely based on the protagonist’s life. The main problem is 50 Cent (real name: Curtis Jackson), as it appears he can’t act (even though he’s playing himself). The film also dabbles in low life gangster clich�’s and is devoid of any real drama, excitement or wit. [Now showing nationwide]
 
 
Shopgirl (15): Steve Martin stars in this adaptation of his own 2001 novella, directed by Anand Tucker and starring Claire Danes in the title role. Mirabelle (Danes) works at an upmarket department store in Los Angeles and her lonely existence is altered by the attentions of two men: Ray (Martin), a wealthy businessman and Jeremy (Jason Schwartzman), an amplifier salesman. Nicely shot and (for the most part) well acted, it suffers from a meandering plot and a pointless omniscient voiceover from Martin that is not the voice of his character. It bears some similarities to Lost in Translation, but is nowhere near as good. [Now showing nationwide]

FILMS I DIDN’T GET TO SEE THAT MIGHT BE WORTH YOUR WHILE
 
Underworld: Evolution (18): This sequel to the 2003 vampire film with Kate Beckinsale wearing PVC s out this week but there was only one press screening and I couldn’t make it. Sorry.
 
A Bittersweet Life (Dalkomhan Insaeng) (18): According to Variety this is a “tour de force of noirish style and Korean ultra-violence”. Sounds good. [Now showing in selected cities]
 
Drink Drank Drunk (Chin bui but dzui) (12A): The BBC describe Derek Yee’s film as “Light romantic froth”. [Now showing in selected cities]

ON DVD
 
Stealth (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, 12): This action film was a major disappointment for critics, audiences and the studio that released it in the summer. The story centres on a team of three stealth bomber pilots (Scott Lucas, Jessica Biel and Jamie Foxx) who are forced to fly with EDI (“Extreme Deep Invader”), a computer-manned prototype plane that specialises in extra-precision bombing and downloading “all the songs” from the Internet (!). If you are looking for plot holes, bad dialogue (“"Pardon my C-cup!") and clich�’s galore, then Stealth has the lot. [Out on Monday 23^rd January]

 
THE BEST FILMS CURRENTLY SHOWING IN THE UK
 
1. Brokeback Mountain
2. King Kong
3. A Cock and Bull Story
4. March of the Penguins
5. Jarhead

USEFUL LINKS 

> Check out show times courtesy of The Guardian
> Find out show times via Google UK

Here is my end of year list of the best and worst films released in the UK this year.

As usual I’ve kept it limited to films only released in the UK this year as we are a UK based site (which means films opening in the New Year like Grizzly Man or The New World will probably feature in next year’s list) and they are listed in alphabetical order.

N.B. They aren’t in the ‘Top 10’ format as a) I don’t like squeezing quality films into a limited number of places and b) it’s critical opinion, not a maths exercise.

THE BEST
 
A History of Violence (David Cronenberg, 2005): A thoughtful drama mixed with a smart thriller, David Cronenberg’s exploration of violence in a small town was a welcome return to the mainstream for the Canadian director. Viggo Mortensen is terrific as the family man who may or may not have a criminal past and the creepy atmosphere is superbly sustained throughout.

A Very Long Engagement (Jean Pierre Jeunet, 2004): Although some tagged Jean Pierre Jeunet’s film as “Amelie goes to war”, this love story set amidst the horrors of World War One drama was much more than just a retread of his previous film with Audrey Tatou. Arguably his most visually ambitious film to date, it was also one of the most moving.

Downfall (Oliver Hirschbiegel, 2004): A riveting and disturbingly examination of the final days of the Third Reich, Downfall also gave us the most memorable screen portrayal of Hitler from Swiss actor Bruno Ganz. Although it drew (largely bogus) criticism in Germany for how it portrayed the Nazi leader, the documentary-style depiction of his last days made for gripping viewing.

Howl’s Moving Castle (Hayao Miyazaki, 2004): 2001’s Spirited Away is rightly regarded by many as an animated masterpiece but Miyazaki’s latest effort seemed to get a cooler reception from critics. Mixing childlike wonder with more adult melancholy, it tells the story of a young girl – transformed into an old woman after being cast under a spell – who has to track down the mysterious wizard Howl, who happens to live in a moving castle. Although not quite as good as his previous film it was still a magical and inventive work.

King Kong (Peter Jackson, 2005): Jackson’s follow up to The Lord of the Ring’s trilogy was an awesome spectacle that took visual effects to another level. Contrary to what some say, the first hour isn’t too slow (it’s actually pretty good) and the last two hours contain some of the most exhilarating action I’ve ever seen on a cinema screen. Andy Serkis and Naomi Watts helped give the film a surprisingly emotional core whilst the climax on top of the Empire State building was stunning. (P.S. If you want to complain about the three hour running time, stop reading this now and hang your head in shame).

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (Shane Black, 2005): One of the surprises of the year for me was this delightful comedy thriller from writer-director Shane Black – a homage and simultaneous deconstruction of the kind of film he used to write (Lethal Weapon, The Last Boy Scout). It starred Robert Downey Jr as a petty thief, mistaken for an actor who ends up in Hollywood in the middle of a murder mystery with a private eye played by Val Kilmer. Funny and smart in equal measure, for various reasons it didn’t set the box office alight (plus I always get an odd look when I recommend it) but this is probably the most overlooked film of the year and well worth tracking down on DVD.

Sideways (Alexander Payne, 2004): Outstanding comedy/drama set amidst the vineyards of California from director Alexander Payne. Filled with bittersweet insights into human relationships and some hilarious moments, it featured two of the year’s best performances from Paul Giamatti and Thomas Hayden Church (both shamefully overlooked at the Oscars).

The Constant Gardener (Fernando Meirelles, 2005): Fernando Mereilles choice to follow up 2002’s stunning City of God with a John Le Carre adaptation seemed to be an odd one. But it turned out to be inspired, as this tale of corruption in Africa rightly garnered rave reviews. Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz were superb as the diplomat and his activist wife who get caught up in the intrigue and the fractured narrative enhanced the wrenching emotional content of the film.

The Sea Inside (Alejandro Amen�bar, 2004): The deserving winner of the Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars, featured a towering central performance from Javier Bardem as Ramon Sampedro – the Spanish paraplegic who fought a 30 year campaign to end his life with dignity. Although less showy than Amenabar’s previous efforts like Abres Los Ojos or The Others it was probably his most assured work to date.

Vera Drake (Mike Leigh, 2004): Mike Leigh made arguably his best film with this haunting drama about a backstreet abortionist in 1950s London. In a film full of impeccable acting Imelda Staunton was outstanding in the title role.

Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbitt (Steve Box & Nick Park, 2005): Ever since seeing Wallace and Gromit in A Grand Day Out on Channel 4 many moons ago I’ve been a fan of Nick Park’s wonderful animated creations. Expanding the characters into a mainstream feature film could have been problematic but Steve Box and Park created one of the year’s funniest and inventive films. Crammed full of quality gags (my favourite: “Beware the moon!”) and two excellent voiceovers from Ralph Fiennes and Helena Bonham Carter.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS
 
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Tim Burton, 2005): A surreal and worthy adaptation of the much loved children’s book, this was something Tim Burton was born to direct. Johnny Depp made a fine Willy Wonka the scene with the squirrels was great (if you’ve seen it, you’ll know what I mean). 
 
Crash (Paul Haggis, 2005): Perhaps this film has been a tad over praised by critics who were seemingly unaware that LA had some racial divisions, but for a large chunk of its running time Crash is worthy of the praise dished out to it. Good performances and a memorable score from Mark Isham also helped, but I’m still trying to banish the ill-considered use of a Stereophonics song from my memory.

Kinsey (Bill Condon, 2004): An intelligent drama with Liam Neeson as the famous (or infamous depending on your perspective) sex researcher Alfred Kinsey, Bill Condon’s film contained solid acting all-round and contained some memorable moments of light relief.

Kung Fu Hustle (Steven Chow, 2005): An energetic alternative to the likes of Hero or Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, this action/comedy srt during  1930s China from actor/director Steven Chow was (literally) a riot and despite the slapstick contained some of the most imaginative set pieces seen at the cinema this year (Hollywood, please note).

Sin City (Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller, 2005): Although it contained some truly gruesome (albeit stylised) violence, this adaptation of Frank Miller’s comic books was a remarkable visual achievement laced with some dark wit. The three interlocking crime stories varied in quality but the one involving Mickey Rourke’s Marv (a stunning return to form for the actor) was the highlight.

The Door in the Floor (Todd Williams, 2004): Overlooked drama with two fine performances from Jeff Bridges and Kim Basinger as a couple struggling to come to terms with the death of their two children. Despite bombing at US box office, it is well worth hunting down on DVD.

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (Wes Anderson, 2004): A stylish and quirky comedy with Bill Murray as a Jacques Cousteau-like marine explorer. Judging by the mixed critical reaction it got, perhaps it is an acquired taste but the music, visuals and deadpan performances were all spot on.

THE WORST

Alexander (Oliver Stone, 2004): Oliver Stone has made some brilliant films. But this historical train wreck – complete with comedy Irish accents – wasn’t one of them.
 
Son of the Mask (Lawrence Guterman, 2005): Did we need a sequel to The Mask? No, I thought not.
 
Miss Congeniality 2: Armed & Fabulous (John Pasquin, 2005): Wretched and desperately unfunny sequel.
 
Be Cool (F Gary Gray, 2005): See above.
 
Amityville Horror (Andrew Douglas, 2005): Awful remake of a film that wasn’t that great to begin with.
 
Stealth (Rob Cohen, 2005): Mediocre action film that stunk up the summer box office.
 
Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo (Mike Bigelow, 2005): Tedious and thoroughly unfunny sequel starring SNL ‘funnyman’ Rob Schneider.

Revolver (Guy Ritchie, 2005): Baffling, incoherent nonsense from Madonna’s husband.

MORE DETAIL
> Movie City News Big List of Critic’s Top Tens of the year
> The Reeler’s Top Ten List of Top Tens
> Xan Brooks of The Guardian picks the films ‘you really out to have seen this year’
> Wikipedia on 2005 in film

Here is the weekly rundown of the latest cinema and DVD releases:

AT THE CINEMA

King Kong (12A): What more is there to say? Peter Jackson’s remake is simply awesome. Great acting (Watts and Serkis via CGI are the standouts), some incredible action set pieces (the sequences on Skull Island and the Empire State building are as good as anything I’ve seen on a cinema screen) and Jackson’s love for the material make this the best blockbuster of the year. I hope its disappointing opening day at the US box office isn’t a sign of things to come because this is as good as mainstream cinema gets. (Click here for our full review)
(Now showing at cinemas all over the world)

The Family Stone (PG): A weird mix of the conventional and subversive this comedy/drama misfires more than it hits. When Everett Stone (Dermot Mulroney) brings his uptight girlfriend Meredith (Sarah Jessica Parker) home for the holidays she finds that she mixes with the family like oil and water. Some good moments but mostly an uneasy mix of half-laughs and sentiment.
(Now showing at cinemas nationwide) 

Merry Christmas (Joyeux Noel) (12A): French drama set on Christmas Eve during World War I, based on the real life truce when Germans, French, and Scottish soliders decided to play football instead of killing each other. Diane Kruger, Guillaume Canet, Gary Lewis and Daniel Brühl star in a polished and watchable period piece.
(Now showing at cinemas nationwide)  

Lassie (PG): A new version of the story about a couple (John Lynch and Samantha Morton) forced to sell Lassie to a Duke (Peter O’Toole) only for their beloeved dog to try and find its way home. Harmless but unecessary remake. An impressive cast also includes Peter Dinklage (probably best know for his role in The Station Agent).
(Now showing at cinemas nationwide) 

Films also out this week that we haven’t seen yet but might be worth checking out:
 
Screaming Masterpiece (12A): Apparently this film "captures all the energy of the world’s hottest indie music scene in Iceland’s cool capital city of Reykjavik". Sounds interesting, despite
(Now showing at the Curzon Soho in London)

THE BEST FILMS CURRENTLY ON RELEASE IN THE UK

1. King Kong
2. The Constant Gardener
3. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
4. March of the Penguins
5. Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit

> Check out showtimes courtesy of The Guardian
> Find out showtimes via Google UK (very handy indeed)

DVD PICK OF THE WEEK

King Kong Collector’s Box Set: Check out the 1933 original (groundbreaking although it looks a little hokey compared to Jackson’s version), a colourised version (maybe not such a good idea), the 1976 remake (not quite as bad as I remembered it and the climax on the World Trade Centre is now quite eerie in retrospect), the documentary "It Was Beauty Killed the Beast" and "King Kong Vs. Godzilla (1963)" and "King Kong Escapes" (1968).

Peter Jackson’s remake of his favourite film is a marvel to behold that breaks new ground in visual effects and further enhances his reputation as one of the best filmmakers of his generation.

I must confess I had a few doubts about this project when it was first announced. Was it too soon after the critical and commercial success of the Lord of the Rings trilogy? Was the original film worth remaking on this scale? Wasn’t the previous remake in 1976 a disaster? The initial teaser trailer was intriguing but it didn’t fill me with awe and anticipation of the Rings films. After viewing a short preview of the film and the more recent trailers I was more excited. However, nothing fully prepared me for the awesome spectacle Jackson and his collaborators have created. It is no exaggeration to say that this film takes visual effects in to a new era and leaves us with the year’s best blockbuster.

Wisely fleshing out and expanding the 1933 original it starts off with some surprisingly gritty but superbly realised scenes in Depression hit New York. By chance the recently unemployed actress Ann Darrow (Naomi Watts) and under pressure director Carl Denham (Jack Black) meet outside a theatre. He desperately needs a female lead for his latest project and she needs the work. Enticed by the offer of shooting on an exotic island she sets sail along with Denham’s beleaguered colleagues, a screenwriter (Adrien Brody) and the ships crew.

When they reach the island they are attacked by hostile natives and Ann is eventually kidnapped and offered as sacrifice to a giant gorilla named Kong (‘played’ via CG technology by Andy Serkis). The crew embark on a rescue mission and eventually manage to capture Kong, intending to make money from him as a theatre attraction. But the plan proves unwise as he unleashes havoc on downtown New York in search of the woman he forged a connection with on the island.

The first and most striking thing about this King Kong is the extraordinary attention to detail up on screen. From the desolate streets of Depression era New York to the exotic mystery of Skull Island and finally back to a wintry Manhattan the film is a marvel of production design and digitally rendered landscapes. More than that, the film integrates its characters into these environments with such verve that the more fantastical elements of the story appear believable. Added to this the pacing and editing makes the three hour running time breeze by as it moves from one well executed set piece to the next.

Some may find the first hour drags a little in comparison to the last two, but the build up helps ground the films characters in a more believable setting. It might not seem believable but once you are inside the film, the fantastical creatures on the island seem all too plausible. All this is aided by the shrewd casting that makes the leads more rounded and interesting individuals. Naomi Watts further demonstrates her considerable acting presence in a role that could have just descended into a lot of running and screaming. Instead we get a deeper and more soulful Ann Darrow than previous screen incarnations, one which makes her interaction with Kong all the more touching.

Jack Black is more of a surprise as he is less comedic here than in previous roles. He has some funny lines but mostly gives an assured and serious performance of a maverick filmmaker living by a grey moral compass. Adrien Brody gives solid support as the film’s screenwriter, although his would be romance with Ann is overshadowed somewhat by all the action. The other supporting roles are also capably filled out, without ever being truly outstanding, but are largely overshadowed by the films true star – Kong himself.

Which brings us to Kong himself. When WETA Digital created Gollum for The Two Towers and Return of the King it felt like a landmark moment in CGI, along with the T100 in Terminator 2 and the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park. But this is something else altogether. Andy Serkis provided the acting muscle beneath Gollum and he returns here to provide Kong’s movements underneath WETA’s incredible visual costume. The giant gorilla feels like a truly believable character – his fights with the dinosaurs on the island and his interaction with Ann are superbly realised, as are the revolting creatures that attack the crew. At times you can see some joins but mostly the effects are first rate and in the final third of the film Jackson and his team pull out all the stops.

Kong in New York is simply one of the best action sequences in recent memory, a triumph of pacing, emotion and eye popping visuals that have raised the bar to a new level. The recreation of the Empire State building and the landscape of New York are executed with remarkable precision  and they add weight to the relationship between Kong and Anne – one that is much more emotional than I had expected. Where Jackson and his team go after this will certainly be interesting. He is slated to adapt Alice Sebold’s novel The Lovely Bones, which is likely to be a much smaller scale project, but until then he be proud at having created two of the most remarkable film projects in recent memory. 

MORE DETAIL
> Official Site
> Kong is King – The main site for news on this production with video diaries featuring Peter Jackson and the cast and crew. A must visit. 
> Wired Magazine with a story of the Kong is King site and the making of the film
> Watch the trailers
> IMDb Link
> Wikipedia on the character of King Kong
> Dark Horizons talks to Peter Jackson about the film
> Andy Serkis talks to Coming Soon about his role(s) in the film
> The Observer profile Jack Black
> Also in The Observer Peter Conrad muses on the appeal of Kong
> Gauge the critical reaction to the film at Metacritic
> BBC News took some pictures at the London premiere
> King Kong Tag on Flickr
> Kong drunk in Times Square 😉

Here is this week’s guide to the latest releases on cinema and DVD…

AT THE CINEMA

The Chronicles of Narnia (PG): Faithful but ultimately uninspiring version of C.S. Lewis novel that has a) got some mystifyingly good reviews and b) upset some people with it’s pro-Christian undertones. Neither are worth worrying about but who cares anyway with King Kong opening next week?
 
March of the Penguins (U): This documentary about the incredible journey Emperor Penguins take in order to pro-create is directed by Luc Jacquet and narrated by Morgan Freeman. It’s an eye catching and interesting look at an animal rarely seen on the silver screen but not quite as riveting as it’s US box office success might suggest. Still worth seeing though. [Now showing at cinemas nationwide]
 
N.B. King Kong is out next Thursday and a review will be posted here on Monday.
 
Other films out this week that we haven’t seen yet but might be worth checking out:

After Midnight (15)
Now showing at selected cinemas nationwide
 
Calvaire (18)
Now showing at the Odeon Panton St in London
 
Crying Fist (15)
Now showing at selected cinemas nationwide
 
Scorched (12A)
Now showing at selected cinemas nationwide
 
33 X Around The Sun
Now showing at the ICA Cinema in London

The Wild Parrots Of Telegraph Hill (PG)
Also showing at the ICA Cinema in London

> Get cinema show times in your area via Google
> Check out the top films at the UK Box Office

 
ON DVD

As there isn’t much out this week other than Quantum Leap – Season 3 (“Ziggy!, Ziggy!”) and Saving Face, we thought we’d list some of the weirder DVD releases listed on Amazon:
 
John Wilson – Float Fishing: “Join John as he demonstrates the techniques of Float Fishing”.

The Moomins: “Featuring the 1980s puppets and a series of adventures including ‘Magic Cloud’, ‘Ant Lion’, ‘The Voyage’, ‘Island Treasures’, ‘The Great Search’, ‘Emma The Theatre Rat’, ‘The Lady Of The Cold’, ‘The Rockfall’ and ‘The Giant Eagle’”.

The Eye – Mark Wallinger: An interview with the contemporary artist, Mark Wallinger, featuring film footage of his work.

Dulwich Picture Gallery: There doesn’t appear to be a description for this but I’m intrigued that a picture gallery has it’s own DVD

> Browse some DVD releases on Play
> Check out the latest DVD news and reviews at DVD Times

It might be a competent and intermittently engaging adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ much loved children’s book, but for the most part this is an average Christmas blockbuster.

The massive box office success of the Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter franchises obviously alerted Hollywood executives to the fact that there was money to be made in children’s fantasy books and the Christian audiences who lapped up The Passion of the Christ. After reportedly turning down the chance to make Lord of the Rings, Disney (in a co-production with Walden Media) have now invested a considerable amount in bringing The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe to the screen, the first of Lewis’ seven books set in the magical land of Narnia.

During the Blitz, the children of the Pevensie family are sent off to a large country house. There they amuse themselves by playing hide and seek and the youngest, Lucy (Georgie Henley), decides to hide in a large wardrobe. She finds that it is a magical portal to the world of Narnia, a land of permanent frost and snow. After meeting a kindly faun named Mr Tumnus (James McAvoy) who tells her about where she has found herself, she goes back through the wardrobe to her sceptical siblings. Eventually they too discover Narnia and find themselves drawn into a battle between the evil witch (Tilda Swinton) who controls the kingdom and the forces of good led by the lion Aslan (voiced by Liam Neeson).

For fans of the original book, there is initially much to chew on here. It is faithful to the source material, the production design is technically impressive and the CGI used to bring animals such as Aslan to life is (for the most part) convincing. The young actors in the lead roles all do a decent enough job and Tilda Swinton brings an icy gravitas to the role of the White Witch. But despite the qualities that will no doubt make this one of the most popular films over the Christmas period, there was too much here that left me deflated. The central problem is that none of the elements really gel into a memorable whole. Although director Andrew Adamson has taken some care to ensure that the details of the book have been translated on screen, there is little here to truly inspire or excite.

The world of Narnia is recreated with an solid attention to detail and the CGI used to create the animal characters is mostly good (without ever being outstanding). However, there is lack of cohesion between the characters and their surroundings that makes Narnia less magical than it should be. When we fist come across Tumnus and the famous lamp post it feels too much like a set and the final battle scenes are nowhere near the standards set by Peter Jackson in the Lord of the Rings films.

Given the way this film has been marketed to religious audiences in the States, one might expect the Christian themes to have been laid on quite heavily. But in truth it’s not an explicitly religious film, certainly no more than the book. If you object to the metaphors in Lewis’ original (Aslan is essentially a Christ-like figure) then, you will probably object to them here as it reproduces the tone of the story quite faithfully. But the problem with this adaptation is not religion, it is the lack of wonder and magic needed to make a film like this truly memorable.

MORE DETAIL
> Official Site
> IMDb Link
> Watch the trailer
> See what the critics think of the film at Metacritic
> Wikipedia on the original books
> Detailed bio of C.S. Lewis
> The Economist with an article profiling Philip Anschutz – the man behind Walden Media, co-financiers of the film along with Disney – who wants to make films without sex and violence (you mean all the good stuff? – Ed)
> The Village Voice with an interesting article on the way ‘Christian values’ are finding their way into Hollywood films
> Polly Toynbee in The Guardian is upset by the Christian elements in the book and film

A rundown of the latest cinema and DVD releases…

AT THE CINEMA

Doom (15): Lame adaptation of the computer game which sees a group of marines (led by The Rock) take a trip to Mars, where something in the deep, dark innards of a lab has been killing scientists. Like Aliens only without the excitement, good acting and class. (Open now at cinemas nationwide)

Keeping Mum (15): Rowan Atkinson plays a priest in a sleepy village whose frustrated wife (Kristin Scott Thomas) is having an affair with her American golf teacher (Patrick Swayze). When an elderly housekeeper (Maggie Smith) arrives to help out mysterious things start to happen. Gently amusing although it won’t win any awards for originality. (Open now at cinemas nationwide)

Where The Truth Lies (18): When a hotel maid turns up naked and dead in the room of popular ’50s double-act Lanny Morris (Kevin Bacon) and Vince Collins (Colin Firth), it signals the end of their partnership. Fifteen years later, a young journalist (Alison Lohman) meets them to uncover the truth. Not up to the standards of Atom Egoyan’s best work, but still an intelligent drama with solid performances. (Open now at cinemas nationwide)

Other films out this week that we haven’t seen yet but might be worth checking out:
> Lower City
> Steamboy
> The Hidden Blade
> 2 Young

DVD PICKS

Crash (15): Set over the course of two nights and one day, this multi-stranded ensemble drama dissects the turbulent state of race relations in LA. Starring Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon, Thandie Newton, Sandra Bullock, Ryan Phillippe and Brendan Fraser it is bold and absorbing stuff, despite sagging in a few places. (Out on Monday 5th)

The 40 Year Old Virgin (15): Unassuming, toy-collecting electrical-store worker Andy (Steve Carell) is goaded by his workmates into admitting that he’s never had sex. Surprisingly funny for a broad commercial comedy, Carrell (best known for his work in the US version of The Office) displays a nice comic touch. (Out on Monday 5th)

Browse for other UK DVD releases this week over at Amazon

MORE DETAIL
> UK and US Box Office Stats at The Z Review
> UK Film release schedule at the Film Distributor’s Association
> Check out what the critics are saying about the latest cinema and DVD releases at Metacritic

The fourth Potter is an improvement on the first two it lacks the invention and charm of last year’s The Prisoner of Azkaban.

I have a confession to make. I am puzzled by the success of Harry Potter. Whilst it’s heartwarming to see the printed word triumph so spectacularly in an age where kids are expected to play computer games I have never been fully bowled over by the whole Potter phenomenon. Maybe its beacuse the films have failed to really spark my imagination or perhaps its because I’m too old. When people ask me if I have read the books and my honest reply is that I prefer to read adult books and anyway I can catch up on the adventures of the boy wizard when the next film comes out, which at the moment is nearly one a year. The film franchise has now made over a billion dollars worldwide and no doubt the accountants at Warner Bros will be very happy, particularly with three more films on the way.

The Goblet of Fire sees young wizard Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and his two friends Hermione (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint) enter their final year at Hogwarts and after seeing the Quidditch World Cup disrupted by the followers of Lord Voldemort. The start of term sees the Triwizard Tournament take place where pupils are selected by having their names drawn out of the magical ‘goblet of fire’. When Harry’s name is drawn out he is surprised as he isn’t officially old enough to participate but after some consideration he is selected. Also causing Harry some concern is the new teacher "Mad Eye Moody" (Brendan Gleeson). As Harry takes part in the arduous tasks of the tournament he discovers more about what is going on at Hogwarts and the truth about the death of his parents at the hands of the evil Lord Voldemort.

If the previous paragraph made no sense then I assume you haven’t been yet experienced the adventures of the boy wizard. My advice to people coming to this film new is to either a) stay away or b) watch the previous 3. We are now so deep into the Potter series that I defy anyone who hasn’t experienced the books or films to understand what’s going on here. The book of The Goblet of Fire ran much longer than it’s predecessors and contains a lot more plot. Some of this has been compressed for the film, but it still is a lot to take in for those who aren’t Potter afficionados. This film is certainly darker and more exciting than the first two, but as a whole it lacks the sense of invention and playful quality that director Alfonso Cuar�n brought to the last film.

Mikle Newell had a tricky job in compressing all the book’s action into this film, although to his credit the action set pieces are as good as any in the series. The Triwizard challenges in particular are handled with a deft assurance. Brendan Gleeson is also a highlight as the new teacher on the block. As his character’s name might suggest he has one eye that seems to have a life of it’s own. As you might expect from a film of this scale and size the production design and technical contributions are all impressive, but one aspect that left me a little underwhelmed was tha ttention paid to the three main characters.

In this film Harry, Ron and Hermione all go through the traditional problems teenagers face growing up. We see some of these in brief, Ron and Harry fall out over the competition and Hermione is upset when she isn’t asked to the school ball. But these moments feel few and far between and given that the film is filled to bursting with plot developments it would have been nice for a change of pace with more character based drama to contrast with all the action and special effects. It is no coincidence that one of the best sequences in the film – when we finally get to see the infamous Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) – is slower and more considered.

It is rare that franchises go past a fourth film but with the books in danger of outselling the Bible it seems like the Potter films will continue till the seventh and final installment. Despite their popularity I don’t think they will ever compare favourably to the Lord of the Rings trilogy,  the other blockbuster fantasy franchise of recent years. Those films had a scale and intensity that the Potters have so far not matched but they have improved on the first two films which often seemed to be coasting on the coat tails of the books and the charming world Rowling had created. Here Mike Newell has passed on the baton well but if the series is to be remembered for more than just box office receipts the next films need to be more daring.

MORE DETAIL
> Official Site
> IMDb Link
> Watch the trailer
> Brush up on your Harry Potter knowledge with the help of Wikipedia
> Go even further with the Harry Potter Wiki
> JK Rowling’s official site
> Confused by all the Potter jargon? Struggling to understand what a Muggle is? Then the Harry Potter Lexicon can help you out
> One of JK Rowling’s favourite fansites is The Leaky Cauldron. Full of the latest news on all things Potter

A wonderfully smart and cocky pastiche of the kind of films that writer-director Shane Black used to pen himself in the late 80s.

Throughout its 102 minute running time Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang treads a tightrope.

Any film with a heavy use of voice over and a plethora of self reflexive gags stands in grave danger of being a self indulgent piece of crap.

But despite all this, Shane Black has managed to craft a supremely witty and inventive film that contains two sparkling lead performances from actors whose talents had been submerged by showbiz nonsense in recent years.

The film is narrated by Harry Lockhart (Robert Downey Jr.), a petty thief who stumbles across an audition in New York whilst on the run from police.

Flustered and desperate he manages to impress a producer who mistakenly believes he is some kind of intense method actor. Flash forward to LA and Harry is at a Hollywood party ready for his breakthrough role, when he meets the aptly named private detective Gay Perry (Kilmer).

Together they get involved in a complex noir murder plot that involves – amongst other things – an old high school sweetheart (Michelle Monaghan) and a dead body.

Back in the 80s Shane Black struck gold by creating the Lethal Weapon franchise and influenced countless action films with a weary wisecracking protagonist.

After Warner Brothers bid a then record amount for The Last Boy Scout and were reportedly less than thrilled with its dark edge and underwhelming box office performance Shane Black withdrew from the Hollywood mainstream.

After 1996’s The Long Kiss Goodnight his last writing credit was 1999’s A.W.O.L – a film whose title was all too prophetic, at least as far as his career was concerned.

Six years on Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang feels like the first Lethal Weapon film with a script polish from Charlie Kaufman.

We have the stock Shane Black ingredients: mismatched partners, witty one liners, a feisty love interest, kidnappings and well orchestrated mayhem. But what we also get is a slick narrative, laced with some irresistible self reflexive humour.

At times the gags are too centred on Hollywood and film making but given the setting that is entirely excusable. All of this is enhanced by some winning lead performances.

Downey Jr. has long been touted as a next big thing but his off screen activities prevented him from the best roles (as well as for a time his actual freedom). Here he shows how good a comic actor he can be and his interplay with Monaghan is always good value.

Even better is his chemistry with Kilmer, whose deadpan delivery and languid charm is an unexpected delight. Together they are reminiscent of Gibson and Glover in the Lethal Weapon films only here we get more comic confusion and less macho posturizing.

Screenwriting gurus might tell you that voiceovers are lazy narrative devices but in the right hands they can work a treat.

The voiceover is one of the best in recent memory, managing to elicit plenty of laughs through Downey Jnr.’s pitch perfect delivery and the wonderfully subversive way it refutes many of the conventions of Hollywood storytelling.

As the plot of Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang jumps through ever more complex hoops, Downey’s voice over becomes a welcome relief, reminding you of the absurdities of most thrillers whilst revelling in them at the same time.

Some may not like the smarty-pants tone of Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang and complain that it is all surface, but ultimately that is what is so fun about the film.

If only more films had a surface as delectable as the one Black has constructed here.

Is it shallow? Absolutely. Does it matter? To be honest, most of the time I was too busy laughing to care.

MORE DETAIL

> Official Site
> IMDb Link
> Watch the trailer
> Jonathan Bernstein in The Guardian with an excellent article on the film and the buddy movie in general
> Culturepulp have an extra long ‘directors cut’ Q&A interview with Shane Black
> Screentalk discuss the script with Shane Black

A gripping thriller that also functions as an intelligent and moving drama, The Constant Gardener is easily one of the year’s best films.

Fernando Meirelles’ last film, City of God, was a stunning look at crime in the slums of Rio De Janeiro. He may have been a surprising choice to tackle the intrigue of John Le Carr�’s 2001 novel, but he turns out to have been an inspired choice, bringing an unexpected energy and power to the material. This is very different from the refined world of previous Le Carr� adaptations like The Russia House and The Tailor of Panama.

Coming from a writer-director as talented as Cameron Crowe, Elizabethtown can only rank as a major disappointment.

With films like Say Anything, Jerry Maguire and Almost Famous, Cameron Crowe carved a niche as a film maker who could blend heart felt emotions with a nice comic touch. His last film, Vanilla Sky (a remake of Spanish thriller Abre Los Ojos, was brave yet flawed departure from his usual style. His latest goes back to the themes of his earlier films but is almost unrecognisable in terms of quality and execution.

Although it has some interesting touches The Brothers Grimm is not the film it should have been.

Terry Gilliam’s first film in 7 years sounded almost too good to be true. One of the most inventive film makers of his generation making a film about the Brothers Grimm had the potential to be a dazzling visual and storytelling feast. Unfortunatley, it wasn’t to be. Judging from recent interviews with Gilliam it seems that creative differences with the films backers (Miramax, making the film through their Dimension arm) wrecked the project almost before it had started filming.

Things got so bad that production was even shut down for several months � a hiatus during which Gilliam even shot another film � only before compromises were finally reached. Compromised is probably the best way to describe the final result. Gilliam�s ideas are visible but they are too often stifled by a confusing and uneven narrative.

Tony Scott�s semi-autobiographical take on the life of Lawrence Harvey�s daughter is a strange mix of the entertaining and the uneven.

The real life of Domino Harvey is as surreal as any fiction Hollywood has come up with in recent years. The daughter of actor Laurence Harvey, she was initially raised in Britain and educated at private schools before moving to LA with her mother. There she proceeded to rebel against her privileged upbringing by becoming a bounty hunter and finding criminals who had jumped bail. An already intriguing story took a tragic real life twist when Harvey was found dead earlier this summer, some months after principal photography on the film was finished. The end result is an entertaining – if not entirely successful – action film that showcases Tony Scott�s kinetic shooting styles.

Despite a few missteps, Andrew Niccol�s latest film is a diverting tale set amidst the arms business.

The bravura opening sequence of Lord of War sets the darkly comic tone of the film. Playing like a twisted variation on Forrest Gump, we see the journey of a bullet (instead of a feather) as it is created in a factory, loaded into several crates, shipped, loaded into rifle and finally shot into a young man�s head with a sickening thud. In telling the story of a Ukrainian immigrant who finds his fortune by becoming a global gun runner, Niccol has created an interesting and intelligent look at the bleak logic of the arms trade. Whilst it never fully lives up to it�s potential, the central premise, of how the world�s �peace keepers� fuel global violence by selling weapons to poorer countries, is an engaging one.

Roman Polanski�s new adaptation of the famous Dickens novel is technically accomplished and well acted, but never really lives up to its promise.

Every so often a film comes along in which there is much to admire but ultimately leaves you feeling unsatisfied. Polanski�s new version of Oliver Twist is just such a film. Despite the impressive production design, some solid performances and a gritty evocation of the Victorian era the film left me feeling like young Oliver in wanting more. After their Oscar wins for The Pianist, it seems odd that Polanski and screenwriter Ronald Harwood would choose to make such a conventional adaptation of an already famous work.