The Thin Red Line (20th Century Fox Home Ent.): Terrence Malick’s stunning World War II movie about US troops fighting at the Battle of Guadalcanal gets the HD treatment at long last. His long awaited return to the big screen after a twenty absence is a visually stunning and hypnotic meditation on war and man. The all star ensemble cast features Jim Caviezel, Sean Penn, Ben Chaplin, Nick Nolte, Elias Koteas and John Cusack in key roles. Look out for John Toll’s incredible cinematography and Hans Zimmer’s remarkable score, which is the finest of his career. [Buy it on Blu-ray or DVD]
Black Swan (20th Century Fox Home Ent.): Intense drama about a ballerina (Natalie Portman) in a New York production of Swan Lake who starts to have a meltdown as the role takes a physical and mental toll on her. Directed by Darren Aronofsky, it features a powerhouse performance from Portman and is an exhilarating mix of The Red Shoes, Repulsion and the body horror of David Cronenberg. Riffing heavily on the raw source material of Swan Lake itself, it proved an unlikely box office hit and won Portman an Oscar for Best Actress. [Buy it on Blu-ray and DVD] [Read or full review]
ALSO OUT
El Cid (Anchor Bay Entertainment UK) [Blu-ray / Normal] Gulliver’s Travels (20th Century Fox Home Ent.) [Blu-ray / Normal] John Carpenter’s The Ward (Warner Home Video) [Blu-ray / Normal] The Next Three Days (Lionsgate UK) [Blu-ray / Normal] The Runaway (ITV DVD) [Blu-ray / Normal] The Walking Dead: Season 1 (Entertainment One) [Blu-ray / Normal] Tigerland (20th Century Fox Home Ent.) [Blu-ray / Normal]
Tangled (Walt Disney): Disney’s latest animated film is a reworking of Rapunzel, featuring a young maiden with magical hair (Mandy Moore) who lives in a secluded tower, until a visiting thief (Zachary Levi) shows her the outside world. In keeping with the renaissance of Disney Animation under the guidance of John Lasseter, Tangled is a satisfying and well-crafted affair with a good mix of heart and humour.
The 3D is very well done – although not entirely necessary – and visually the hair works a treat, with the animators finding ever more creative ways to manipulate it for narrative and comic effect. Directed by Nathan Greno and Byron Howard, it is reportedly the second most expensive film of all time due to years of development, but it has already grossed over $400m worldwide and along with strong reviews is likely to do excellent business over here with family audiences. [Vue West End & Nationwide / PG]
Hereafter (Warner Bros.): Clint Eastwood’s latest outing as a director is this curious tale of three people across the world affected in different ways by death. There is a French TV presenter (Cécile de France) who narrowly surviving the 2004 Asian Tsunami; a former psychic (Matt Damon) in San Francisco who feels cursed by abilities; and a London schoolboy (Frankie McLaren) grieving after losing his twin brother.
Scripted by Peter Morgan, best known for political dramas The Queen (2006) and Frost/Nixon (2008), the material boldly dives in to big themes but as it progresses feels curiously disjointed and more like an early draft of something more profound.
The intercutting of the three stories at first feels like a bold move but soon becomes wearying and as the film enters into the final act, the curious lack of tension or revelation for a subject as big as death feels oddly underwhelming. Box office is likely to be as muted as it was in the US, where it sank relatively quickly after mixed reviews. [Nationwide / 12A] [Read full review here]
Barney’s Version (Universal Pictures): Adapted from the novel by Mordecai Richler, this comedy-drama stars Paul Giamatti as Barney Panofsky, a man who falls for a woman (Rosamund Pike) at the wedding to his second wife (Minnie Driver).
Narrated by the central character, the film spans 30 years of his odd life – from his first marriage, his affair with a free spirit (Rachelle Lefevre), his third marriage and his relationship with his loyal father (Dustin Hoffman). Directed by Richard J. Lewis, it has got mostly positive reviews in the US although it will face significant challenges to find an audience over here in a crowded week. [Empire Leicester Square & Nationwide / 15]
How Do You Know (Sony Pictures): A romantic comedy centering around a softball player (Reese Witherspoon), an executive (Paul Rudd) and a baseball pitcher (Owen Wilson) for the Washington Nationals.
Directed by James L Brooks, it co-stars Jack Nicholson as Rudd’s father and boss but bombed in the US, triggering an industry debate about how much a film like this should really cost. Box office here is likely to be similar. [Nationwide / 12A]
The Mechanic (Lionsgate UK): A remake of the 1972 thriller, with Jason Statham as the title character, a professional assassin who hunts down the murderers of his friend Harry (Donald Sutherland). Directed by Simon West, it is unlikely to win any critical support or acting awards. It will probably find its natural home on DVD. [Nationwide / 15]
ALSO OUT
Biutiful (Optimum Releasing): A powerful depiction of life on the edges of a modern city, the latest film from Alejandro González Iñárritu is a full on experience featuring a dazzling central performance by Javier Bardem. Marking a break from his triptych of films with screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga, Biutiful is the more linear tale of Uxbal (Bardem), a father struggling in the slums of contemporary Barcelona.
The character is brought vividly to life by an incredible central performance by Javier Bardem: in addition to his magnetic screen presence, he convinces as a shady, underworld operator but also conveys his interior emotions with remarkable grace and authenticity.
Iñárritu is a director who likes to deal with big themes on a wide canvas, which can run the risk of seeming grandiose or self-important. But Biutiful – the title comes from a misspelling within the story – is admirable precisely because it tackles huge subjects with an unusual intensity and a refreshing lack of distance or irony.
The film’s grim milieu is expertly realised and, to its great credit, doesn’t shy away from showing the stark reality of a modern metropolis built on cheap labour and the suffering of the poor. Technical contributions are especially of note here: Rodrigo Prieto’s handheld camerawork, Stephen Mirrione’s editing and the sound design by Martin Hernandez are all first class.
Optimum will be hoping for buzz of Bardem’s Oscar nominated performance but this is a tough watch, even for discerning arthouse audiences, and will do well to make an impact. [Curzon Soho & Nationwide /15] [Listen to our interview with Alejandro González Iñárritu here]
Accursed Blood (Metrodome): A horror film starring Kellan Lutz and Roddy Piper, about five people who unlease a curse in a hotel. [Altrincham, Burnely, Leamington, Redditch Appollos & Key Cities]
How Much Does Your Building Weigh, Mr Foster? (Dogwoof): A documentary by Deyan Sudjic about the architect Norman Foster, who has designed Beijing airport and the revamped Reichstag in Berlin. [ICA & selected Key Cities]
Men on the Bridge (Verve Pictures): Turkish drama following the lives of three young inhabitants from the suburbs of Istanbul. Directed by Asli Ozge. [Odeon Panton Street, BFI Southbank & Key Cities]
The Lovers’ Guide 3D (Optimum Releasing): A 3d update of the 1991 Lovers’ Guide video presumably intended as some kind of cash-in or joke. Or maybe both. [Selected cinemas / 18]
Zebra Crossing (Exile Media): A drama set against the backdrop of a south London council state, directed by Sam Holland. [Riverside Hammersmith & Selected Cinemas / 18]
In the latest drama from director Alejandro González Iñárritu, an underworld fixer in Barcelona struggles to deal with his family’s future and his own mortality.
Uxbal (Javier Bardem) oversees an illegal underground operation involving immigrant workers, drugs and construction, whilst also trying to be a good man to his estranged wife (Maricel Álvarez) and his two children (Hanaa Bouchaib and Guillermo Estrella).
Notable for an outstanding lead performance from Bardem, the film powerfully explores the dark edges of a modern city and the lives of those who live in it.
It marks a break from Iñárritu’s triptych with screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga (Amores Perros, 21 Grams and Babel) and I recently spoke with the director in London about his latest work.
You can also download this interview as a podcast via iTunes by clicking here.
N.B. The title of the film refers to the orthographical spelling in Spanish of the English word beautiful as it would sound to native Spanish speakers.
Biutiful opens in the UK on Friday 28th January and is already in limited release in the US
As usual these are my favourite films of the year in alphabetical order (just click on each title for more information).
THE BEST FILMS OF 2010
Animal Kingdom (Dir. David Michôd): The outstanding debut feature from director David Michôd is a riveting depiction of a Melbourne crime family headed by a sinister matriarch.
Another Year (Dir. Mike Leigh): A moving, bitter-sweet drama about relationships, filled with great acting, is arguably the peak of Mike Leigh’s career.
Biutiful (Dir. Alejandro González Iñárritu): Searing exploration of life and death in a modern European city, featuring a tremendous central performance from Javier Bardem.
Black Swan (Dir. Darren Aronofsky): Swan Lake is retold with glorious intensity, channelling Polanski and Cronenberg whilst giving Natalie Portman the role of a lifetime.
Carlos (Dir. Olivier Assayas): Scintillating and immersive depiction of a 1970s terrorist with a tremendous performance by Edgar Ramirez.
Enter the Void (Dir. Gaspar Noé): Technically dazzling depiction of a dead drug dealer that also features what is possibly the greatest opening title sequence of all time.
Exit Through The Gift Shop (Dir. Banksy): An ingenious and hilarious hall of mirrors which is brilliantly executed and so much more than a ‘Banksy documentary’.
Inception (Dir. Christopher Nolan): The ingenious puzzles of Christopher Nolan’s early films were given the scale of his blockbusters in this hugely ambitious sci-fi actioner.
Inside Job (Dir. Charles Ferguson): Devastating documentary about the financial crisis which plays like a heist movie, only this time it is the banks robbing the people.
Tabloid (Dir. Errol Morris): The media feeding frenzy surrounding a bizarre 1970s sex scandal provided Errol Morris with the raw material for one of the most entertaining documentaries in years.
The Fighter (Dir. David O’Russell): A boxing story which follows a familiar path but remains energetic, inspirational and funny, with Christian Bale on career-best form.
The Kids Are Alright (Dir. Lisa Cholodenko): A perfectly pitched comedy-drama that explores modern family life with genuine heart and humour.
The King’s Speech (Dir. Tom Hooper): Wonderfully crafted period drama with two brilliant lead performances and a moving story filled with hilarious one liners.
The Social Network (Dir. David Fincher): The inside story of Facebook is a riveting tale of ambition and betrayal, which sees Fincher, Sorkin and a young cast firing on all cylinders.
Toy Story 3 (Dir. Lee Unkrich): The ground breaking animated series gets a worthy final chapter whilst maintaining Pixar’s impeccable standards of story and animation.
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
127 Hours (Dir. Danny Boyle) Blue Valentine (Dir. Derek Cianfrance) Catfish (Dir. Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost) Four Lions (Dir. Chris Morris) Let Me In (Dir. Matt Reeves) Restrepo (Dir. Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger) Somewhere (Dir. Sofia Coppola) The American (Dir. Anton Corbijn) The Ghost Writer (Dir. Roman Polanski) The Illusionist (Dir. Sylvain Chomet) Winter’s Bone (Dir. Debra Granik)
A powerful depiction of life on the edges of a modern city, the latest film from Alejandro González Iñárritu is a full on experience featuring a dazzling central performance by Javier Bardem.
Marking a break from his triptych of films with screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga, Biutiful is the more linear tale of Uxbal (Bardem), a father struggling in the slums of contemporary Barcelona.
A fixer of sorts for illegal immigrant labour in the city, he sets up jobs, smoothes over ‘relations’ with the local police and deals with various figures involved in this hidden economy, including his brother Tito (Eduard Fernandez) and business partner Hai (Taisheng Cheng).
He is also a devoted father to his children, Ana (Hanaa Bouchaib) and Mateo (Guillermo Estrella), and in addition to caring for them, struggles to cope with his bipolar ex-wife, Marambra (Maricel Alvarez) and an immigrant Senegalese woman (Diaryatou Daff) he feels responsible for.
There is more to the story and clocking in at 138 minutes, Iñárritu doesn’t hold back in showing us a kaleidoscope of problems as Uxbal deals with health issues, emotional anxieties and a deep sense of his own mortality.
The film’s grim milieu is expertly realised and, to its great credit, doesn’t shy away from showing the stark reality of a modern metropolis built on cheap labour and the suffering of the poor.
Rodrigo Prieto’s handheld camerawork captures the exterior and interior worlds of Barcelona with remarkable authenticity, and there are shifts in aspect ratio and camera speeds which add to the rich visual architecture of the film.
Stephen Mirrione’s editing is another standout element, stitching the action together with considerable skill – one sequence involving the police chasing an immigrant gang is a masterclass in construction and pacing.
The sound design by Martin Hernandez is also highly effective, used to accentuate the reality of Uxbal’s world but also employing unconventional effects to take us inside his mind.
After the globetrotting nature of Babel, Innaritu seems to have become more interested in a single place and a central, unifying character who acts as a nexus for the themes and events of the story.
Uxbal is an intriguing protagonist of considerable contradictions: he uses people, whilst also helping them; is angry but loving with those closest to him; and appears to be both resigned to and in denial about his ultimate fate.
The character is brought vividly to life by an incredible central performance by Javier Bardem: in addition to his magnetic screen presence, he convinces as a shady, underworld operator but also conveys his interior emotions with remarkable grace and authenticity.
It is one of the most affecting portrayals of fatherhood I can remember seeing on screen: the chemistry with his children is touchingly real and the emotional latter stages are almost hard to watch.
But whilst Bardem dominates the film, other actors also leave their mark: as Uxbal’s ex-wife, Alvarez convincingly alternates between her moods; and as their children Bouchaib and Estrella display a realism and maturity rare amongst young actors.
Iñárritu is a director who likes to deal with big themes on a wide canvas, which can run the risk of seeming grandiose or self-important.
But Biutiful – the title comes from a misspelling within the story – is admirable precisely because it tackles huge subjects with an unusual intensity and a refreshing lack of distance or irony.
Although he seems to be returning to similar themes in his films – love, death, existence – Iñárritu has considerable skills as a filmmaker and uses his full armoury to open these subjects up for the audience to process.
Not everything works – a diversion into the supernatural is perhaps a step too far – but the barrage of elements presented is wildly ambitious and admirable for its naked, emotional quality.
In exploring life in a modern city through one character he manages to find something universal in the particulars of a man’s life and it ends up being more than just a supercharged retelling of the Book of Job.
Biutiful is not a film that will please everyone or reach a massive audience, but it features one of the great modern screen performances and in exploring the rawness of existence, reaches a level of transcendence rare in modern cinema.
