Thursday 31 March 2016
Victoria Film Review
Transcript:
Victoria is a German crime thriller, directed by Sebastian Schipper and starring Laia Costa as the title character. It's released in UK cinemas this Friday and you can find a screening near you here.
Victoria is a young Spanish woman who has recently moved to Berlin and has yet to assimilate. Whilst out clubbing one night she bumps into four Berlin natives and before she knows it has gotten herself mixed up in an impromptu bank robbery. The real draw of the film, however, is that it was all shot in one continuous take. No edits, no camera trickery, no CGI.
This is an incredible achievement in of itself as the film also plays out in real-time and is spread across a wide section of Berlin's city centre. The sheer amount of logistical planning necessary to make this a possibility is mind-boggling. According to Schipper it took three full attempts to get it right and there a few noticeable moments where the panic or embarrassment of the characters getting something wrong is clearly real.
Considering this the cinematography is fantastic and not merely because getting the lighting right for over two hours straight, covering interiors and exteriors is insane. But also because the film looks great - street scenes all have a gritty, dark feel to them and the club scenes are vibrant and woozy with deep blues and strobe effects.
Clearly with a project such as this you're going to need performers that you can trust to hit their marks and improvise where needed and the main cast of five do a wonderful job. Franz Rogowski plays Boxer with irredeemable abandon but gives him a sliver of self-awareness and Frederick Lau gives Sonne just enough sweetness to undercut his deceptive and immature nature but it's Laia Costa who really steals the show. There's barely a frame of this film that's she's not in and she does a great job of handling Victoria's tonal shifts, delivering some truly moving and emotional scenes.
I really enjoyed the use of music in the film which was provided by the wonderful Nils Frahm and DJ Koze. The former provides melodic piano interludes throughout the film and the latter takes care of the club scenes and the way these are edited together was brilliant. The director also does a great job at building a sense of suspense and as the stakes get higher (and the morals get lower) for our characters the film becomes extremely intense and even stressful. It takes a lot to provoke these emotions in a viewer and I applaud the film-makers for reaching these emotional heights.
There are a number of standout scenes here (Victoria's explanation of her failed career dreams, the Hitchcock-ian heist, the crazed shoot-out and both the club scenes) but in terms of the film's core narrative we've seen it all before. It's a simple story of a bank robbery gone wrong with little of much importance to say. I also found the characters hard to watch as for the most-part I found them to be nasty, annoying and dumb. Victoria was especially difficult to get onboard with as her decisions and motivations, although hinted at, never really made enough sense to me.
And now we get onto the issue of the one-shot-film. On the one hand it's the film's best selling point but on the other hand it hinders the believability and tone of the film. Right from the off an unbroken shot creates suspense – whether the film-makers want it to or not. This creates confusion and unnecessary tension in the viewer where it's not needed. However the main drawback of this technical approach is on a character level - it makes Victoria's moral decent harder to take seriously as it all happens way too fast. The film is also way too long. Because it's told in real-time we have to watch our characters go from A to B and at two hours and twenty minutes long it definitely dragged at points.
Regardless of these negatives Victoria is an eye-pleasing, technical triumph and is often a tense, thrilling ride. I'm going to give it a 6/10 and would recommend it to fans of Run, Lola, Run, Birdman, Pusher and La Haine.
Have you seen Victoria and If so did you like it? Did you hate it? Why? As usual let me know in the comments below and be sure to subscribe for more reviewing coming soon.
Thursday 24 March 2016
Court Film Review
Transcript:
Court is, appropriately enough, an Indian courtroom drama written and directed by Chaitanya Tamhane in his feature length debut. It's released in UK cinemas this Friday and you can find a screening near you here.
The plot concerns 65-year old activist and folk singer Narayan Kamble who is charged with abetting the suicide of a sewage worker through his lyrics. The film follows the personal lives of the Judge, the Public prosecutor & the activist's lawyer as the case drags on for months due to numerous technicalities and delays.
This is a film with a very clear target; the complete and utter failure of the Indian judicial system. It takes aim at the outmoded, under-resourced and conservative system of law giving in India today and as such is a very insightful and important film. This is mainly portrayed via the prosecutor for the case, brilliantly played by Geetanjali Kulkarni, as she sticks to the letter of the law without question, utilises paid witnesses and generally sees Kamble as an obstacle, not a person.
The film is also at pains to show that it is not only individuals within the system but the system itself which is at fault. Cases are dealt with en masse in ram shackle courts with barely an electronic device in site and are stalled for months at a time due to the smallest of case developments. As is pointed out in the film many of the out-dated laws, practises and morals within Indian are directly a result of the British colonisation of the country and as a British national this really hit home. There are also a whole host of other rich topics at play here ranging from racism to sexism, economic inequality and freedom of speech.
Court is deliberately paced, dry and still in it's presentation of the narrative. It's a very slow film which takes it's time to make you really feel the frustration of the characters. The camera work is almost all static wide shots to boost verisimilitude and avoid distracting the viewer from the message of the film. There are no dramatic courtroom speeches or rousing music to be found here and I appreciated this approach a lot.
It's also interesting to note that many of the actors were non-professionals and were actual workers from the area. Tamhane and the rest of his crew also did a vast amount of research into the topic – going to court hearings, interviewing people and touching base with activists and political groups – showing a real dedication to realistic representation.
The sound design adds a lot here as the director chose not to mute background noises, as is the norm, but to accentuate them instead. The use of mise-en-scene is interesting also as there's always so many figures moving and things going on in the background. Both these elements suggestion a world where so much is happening but very little is actually getting done.
Indeed not all our time is spent in the courts as the film often takes detours into the lives of the primary players – we watch as Kamble's lawyer lives his affluent, somewhat Westernised lifestyle, the prosecutor cooks for her family and attends the theatre and the wealthy judge attends a holiday camp in the sun. These scenes expand the world of the film – giving each character more depth and further solidifying the film's themes.
There are also several instances when our main characters leave the court room but the camera stays behind and we get to listen in on other cases which shows that this can, and does, happen to everyone. There's no scored soundtrack to the film but the two scenes of Kamble and his band playing to street crowds are fantastic sonic highlights. There are also a few hilarious scenes where Kamble's lawyer clashes with his more traditional family and these scenes had me in stitches.
Although I've praised the film's restraint and commitment to realism I did find it a bit too slow and dry and ultimately it left me feeling a little cold. Likewise the scenes which follow the various characters from court to home were a nice touch but I still felt like I was being held at arms length from their emotions. It reminded me of the film Timbuktu – I was very interested in the topic but the tone of the film hindered me from fully engaging with the material.
Like that film I could also tell that there were various cultural nuances that I was missing completely, which was a shame, but wasn't a deal breaker. Another thing which didn't connect with me was that critics have described the absurdity of the court scenes as funny - but I actually found them more depressing and frustrating than humorous. Sadly Kamble is barely in the film at all. This is a shame because I found him to be the most interesting character of the lot and would have loved to have heard him speak, and play his brilliant music, far more.
My final criticism of the film is that whilst the vast majority of the film's social critique is smart and elegant there are a few moments of characterisation which felt clumsy and heavy handed such as when the prosecutor goes to see the previously mentioned xenophobic play or the last scene in which we witness the judge smack a young child who was playing a harmless prank on him.
Despite these issues I still thoroughly enjoyed Court as it's a hugely thought provoking and sensitive film. I'm going to give it a 7/10 and would recommend it to fans of Jai Bhim Comrade, A Separation, Wendy and Lucy and Police, Adjective.
Have you seen Court, and if so what did you think of it? As always, let me know in the comments below and make sure to subscribe for more reviews coming soon!
Although I've praised the film's restraint and commitment to realism I did find it a bit too slow and dry and ultimately it left me feeling a little cold. Likewise the scenes which follow the various characters from court to home were a nice touch but I still felt like I was being held at arms length from their emotions. It reminded me of the film Timbuktu – I was very interested in the topic but the tone of the film hindered me from fully engaging with the material.
Like that film I could also tell that there were various cultural nuances that I was missing completely, which was a shame, but wasn't a deal breaker. Another thing which didn't connect with me was that critics have described the absurdity of the court scenes as funny - but I actually found them more depressing and frustrating than humorous. Sadly Kamble is barely in the film at all. This is a shame because I found him to be the most interesting character of the lot and would have loved to have heard him speak, and play his brilliant music, far more.
My final criticism of the film is that whilst the vast majority of the film's social critique is smart and elegant there are a few moments of characterisation which felt clumsy and heavy handed such as when the prosecutor goes to see the previously mentioned xenophobic play or the last scene in which we witness the judge smack a young child who was playing a harmless prank on him.
Despite these issues I still thoroughly enjoyed Court as it's a hugely thought provoking and sensitive film. I'm going to give it a 7/10 and would recommend it to fans of Jai Bhim Comrade, A Separation, Wendy and Lucy and Police, Adjective.
Have you seen Court, and if so what did you think of it? As always, let me know in the comments below and make sure to subscribe for more reviews coming soon!
Friday 18 March 2016
The Witch Film Review
Trailer:
Review:
The Witch is a new indie horror film written and directed by Robert Eggers and is his directorial debut. It's in UK cinemas now and you can find a screening near you here. The plot of the film is set in the modern period and sees a Puritan family outcast from a plantation community and forced to live alone at the edge of the woods – woods that may or may not contain dark forces bend on their destruction.
If you like deliberately paced, atmospheric and different horror films then just stop reading and go buy a ticket because this film is great.
So what made it so good? The atmosphere is creepy as hell – Eggers said he wanted to create a nightmare and boy did he succeed. The sound – disembodied cattle bleating, wind whistling through the reeds and the crackle of the fire at night – helps enormously here and really ratchets up the tension. This combined with Mark Korven’s haunting musical score – made using 17th century instruments and featuring screeching strings and a doom-laden choir – reminds the viewer why sound is half of any film.
The film-makers used only natural light aside from night exteriors and candles for interiors shots and this, along with the washed out cinematography, lends the film a bleak, harsh reality. The imagery used in the film is highly suggestive and foreboding until we get a sudden burst of memorable, harsh violence or a glimpse at the witches themselves in all their dirty, ragged beauty.
The editing is similarly paced with long-takes and tracking shots bubbling up tension under the surface until you're shown just enough of the action to make your imagination run wild. There are a number of beautiful shots and the use of space is fantastic – several of the wide shots of the forest look amazing and will have you searching every inch of the frame to find something lurking in the darkness.
Eggers said that he spent four years researching the era, and the lore surrounding witches, and it shows. All the characters speak in appropriate Early Modern English and the small farm where the action is set was actually build from scratch by the crew. This attention to detail and historical accuracy lends the film a great feeling of legitimacy and pulls you further into the nightmare. The Puritan mindset and the toil of farming is also bought to the forefront and makes the family's plight all the more impactful.
The story, although open to interpretation, is far more than it seems. Yes, It is about a family being slowing picked off by witches but it's also much more than that. Traditional Christian values are explored and tested, the ideal of the nuclear family is questioned, blinding pride and societal isolation leads to ruin and it shows how suggestion and paranoia can tear communities apart and make the imaginary become reality.
There is also a nice feminist slant to proceedings as the film rejects the 'witch-as-victim' paradigm and portrays it's female characters as complex and fallible whilst having the same human needs and desires as their male counterparts. The last positive thing to say about the film is that the acting across the board is fantastic – not a single performer puts a foot wrong and everyone's struggles and motivations are clear from the off. Of particular note are younger cast members who do a brilliant job with some truly testing material.
There was little I actively disliked about the film but there were a few things I would have liked to have seen done differently. Firstly, the director has said in interviews that before making this film he had pitched several films which were too weird and obscure to get financial backing. This is a shame because I would have liked to have seen The Witch push it's more out-there and dark imagery further to create something truly twisted and different.
Secondly, I was personally hoping for the feminist angle of the film to be more prominent. The issue of witch persecution is gender-based to such an extreme that I wished the film had explored this element of the story a little more to really do it justice.
SPOILERS
As I mentioned this film is certainly open to interpretation, which I like, but the film does seem to quite clearly state that the witches are real and that they have supernatural powers. On the one hand this is cool, scary and makes for some amazing imagery (that last scene...) but in a way undercuts what I thought were some of the film's more interesting ideas about the history of witch persecution and society's of the past's ignorance.
SPOILERS END
Nevertheless this is a very smart and effective horror film which really got under my skin and will no doubt stay there for days to come. I'm going to give it an 8/10 and would recommend it to fans of The Village, Antichrist, Kill List and The Shining.
Have you seen The Witch? Did you like it? Did you hate it? Why? Let me know in the comments below and subscribe for more reviews coming soon!
Review:
The Witch is a new indie horror film written and directed by Robert Eggers and is his directorial debut. It's in UK cinemas now and you can find a screening near you here. The plot of the film is set in the modern period and sees a Puritan family outcast from a plantation community and forced to live alone at the edge of the woods – woods that may or may not contain dark forces bend on their destruction.
If you like deliberately paced, atmospheric and different horror films then just stop reading and go buy a ticket because this film is great.
So what made it so good? The atmosphere is creepy as hell – Eggers said he wanted to create a nightmare and boy did he succeed. The sound – disembodied cattle bleating, wind whistling through the reeds and the crackle of the fire at night – helps enormously here and really ratchets up the tension. This combined with Mark Korven’s haunting musical score – made using 17th century instruments and featuring screeching strings and a doom-laden choir – reminds the viewer why sound is half of any film.
The film-makers used only natural light aside from night exteriors and candles for interiors shots and this, along with the washed out cinematography, lends the film a bleak, harsh reality. The imagery used in the film is highly suggestive and foreboding until we get a sudden burst of memorable, harsh violence or a glimpse at the witches themselves in all their dirty, ragged beauty.
The editing is similarly paced with long-takes and tracking shots bubbling up tension under the surface until you're shown just enough of the action to make your imagination run wild. There are a number of beautiful shots and the use of space is fantastic – several of the wide shots of the forest look amazing and will have you searching every inch of the frame to find something lurking in the darkness.
Eggers said that he spent four years researching the era, and the lore surrounding witches, and it shows. All the characters speak in appropriate Early Modern English and the small farm where the action is set was actually build from scratch by the crew. This attention to detail and historical accuracy lends the film a great feeling of legitimacy and pulls you further into the nightmare. The Puritan mindset and the toil of farming is also bought to the forefront and makes the family's plight all the more impactful.
The story, although open to interpretation, is far more than it seems. Yes, It is about a family being slowing picked off by witches but it's also much more than that. Traditional Christian values are explored and tested, the ideal of the nuclear family is questioned, blinding pride and societal isolation leads to ruin and it shows how suggestion and paranoia can tear communities apart and make the imaginary become reality.
There is also a nice feminist slant to proceedings as the film rejects the 'witch-as-victim' paradigm and portrays it's female characters as complex and fallible whilst having the same human needs and desires as their male counterparts. The last positive thing to say about the film is that the acting across the board is fantastic – not a single performer puts a foot wrong and everyone's struggles and motivations are clear from the off. Of particular note are younger cast members who do a brilliant job with some truly testing material.
There was little I actively disliked about the film but there were a few things I would have liked to have seen done differently. Firstly, the director has said in interviews that before making this film he had pitched several films which were too weird and obscure to get financial backing. This is a shame because I would have liked to have seen The Witch push it's more out-there and dark imagery further to create something truly twisted and different.
Secondly, I was personally hoping for the feminist angle of the film to be more prominent. The issue of witch persecution is gender-based to such an extreme that I wished the film had explored this element of the story a little more to really do it justice.
SPOILERS
As I mentioned this film is certainly open to interpretation, which I like, but the film does seem to quite clearly state that the witches are real and that they have supernatural powers. On the one hand this is cool, scary and makes for some amazing imagery (that last scene...) but in a way undercuts what I thought were some of the film's more interesting ideas about the history of witch persecution and society's of the past's ignorance.
SPOILERS END
Nevertheless this is a very smart and effective horror film which really got under my skin and will no doubt stay there for days to come. I'm going to give it an 8/10 and would recommend it to fans of The Village, Antichrist, Kill List and The Shining.
Have you seen The Witch? Did you like it? Did you hate it? Why? Let me know in the comments below and subscribe for more reviews coming soon!
Wednesday 9 March 2016
Anomalisa Film Review
Transcript:
Anomalisa is a stop-motion drama written by the Charlie Kaufman and co-directed by Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson. It's released in the UK this weekend, find a screening near you here: https://film.list.co.uk/. The film follows a self-help author called Michael Stone (David Thewlis) who perceives everyone as identical (quite literally as they're all played by Tom Noonan) until he meets a unique woman called Lisa (Jennifer Jason Leigh) at the hotel he's staying in.
I've been a massive fan of Charlie Kaufman for years. His meta-textual, introspective writing for films such as Adaptation and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind made those films modern classics and his directorial debut, Synecdoche, New York, further cemented his status as one of the most interesting and out-there film-makers working today.
I was really, really pleased with this film and it was my choice for best animated feature film at the Academy Awards - check out my Oscars video here: https://youtu.be/C-dFKBJS1JQ. First and foremost the animation is incredible. Visually the film has a unique blend of the realistic and the fantastical.
For example the character models, which were made using 3D printers, are incredibly expressive and realistic looking but the director's choose to show the moving plates of their faces. Little effects such as these - or others such as a steamed up mirror, an airplane moving through clouds or hair moving from side to side - look beautiful and add to the fact that everything feels at once true to life but otherworldly at the same time.
The tone of the film carries on with this sense of everything being off-kilter as the film is full of misunderstandings, the banal mixed with the extraordinary and time moving at half speed. The themes of the film, as I understood them, were much more pointed , dealing with loneliness, communication and dissatisfaction with ones life.
Sufficed to say, this is downbeat film. It's about one man's struggle to connect with others in a way that is satisfying to him without ever realising that it is he, and not others, who is causing the disconnect. That's not to say it's a self-serious bore – there are genuine moments of levity and a few good laughs to be had too (mostly in response to Michael's annoyance with nearly everything and everyone he encounters).
The musical score by Carter Burwell, best known for his work with the Coen brothers, does a great job of complimenting these themes – it's melancholic but charming with some subtle surrealistic flourishes thrown in to supplement the off-kilter nature of the film. The voice acting – by the cast of three – is incredible with Thewlis nailing Michael's general upset with the world, Leigh brilliantly portraying Lisa's vulnerability and Noonan gently playing up to his signature weird-but-not-threatening persona.
There are a number of truly stand-out scenes – one of which of course being the sex scene. I won't go into detail but apparently this was the scene that took them longest to make and it's easy to see why. It's an honest, awkward, amusing and stirring scene which felt very true to life. There is also an actual dream sequence towards the end of the film which goes full-blown Kaufman, playing with the form of animation and Michael's anxieties about others which was a definite highlight.
SPOILERS
So the last scene I wanted to talk about occurs just before the very end of the film. Michael and Lisa spend the night with one another and Michael is so enamoured with Lisa that he proposes they run away together. In the cold light of the morning at the breakfast table Michael can't help but notice some of Lisa's annoying habits and her voice slowly but surely morphs into everyone else's.
For me this was the moment when the film went from good to great as it perfectly demonstrates Michael's failings - he wants to find someone different but what different means to him is someone who is good enough for him. And of course, no one is. Thus Leigh's voice-over turns into Noonan's as Michael loses interest in her and falls once more into his depression.
The great irony of Michael is that he earns a living by teaching others to treat customers as people and how to connect with them but because of his inflated sense of worth and selfish attitude this is the one thing he's unable to do in his own life.
SPOILERS END
There were, however, a few things I disliked about Anomalisa. It definitely has a slow start as the first thirty minutes of the film, as Michael makes his way to the hotel and then settles into his room, definitely felt padded. This may be because the film-makers originally envisioned the film being a 40 minute 'short' film but went to feature length after securing additional funding.
Michael was also at times difficult to swallow. I like characters that test the audience, and the film does a good job of humanising him but Michael is simply horrible. He lies to his wife and cheats on her, he dislikes his child and can barely conceal the fact and he spends his free time using his status in the customer service industry to prey on vulnerable young women.
In fact Lisa herself is a little difficult to like at times but for different reasons – her shy, delicate and self-deprecating nature was sometimes actually quite annoying to watch. My final criticism is about the very ending to the film, which I won't spoil, don't worry – and involves a doll. You'll know what I mean if you've seen the film and this element felt wholly unnecessary to me and created complications to the narrative that didn't need to exist.
Despite these issues I really enjoyed Anomalisa and look forward to seeing it again. Whilst it won't be for everyone – it's slow, sad and introspective – I think it talks about some very interesting psychological issues in a visually inventive way. I'm going to give it 8/10 and I'd definitely recommend it to anyone that has enjoyed Kaufman's previous films.
Have you seen Anomalisa and if so what did you think of it? Let me know in the comments below and be sure to subscribe for more reviews coming soon.
Thursday 3 March 2016
Oscar Favourites 2016
Transcript:
The Oscars are coming up so today I'll be talking about my favourite pics from the nominees and some films I feel got missed out.
Now it's important to point out that I don't particularly like the Oscars. Whilst I recognise that they are important (both for the industry and wider society) I feel they're outmoded, non-inclusive (as the #oscarssowhite campaign rightly highlighted), shallow and just far too mainstream.
That said it's always interesting to see what gets nominated and there's usually some good stuff thrown in there so let's take a look!
BEST PICTURE
The Big Short, Bridge of Spies, Brooklyn, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Martian, The Revenant, Room and Spotlight.
This year's list of best picture nominees is good but it's been better. It's nice to see a more out-there and popular choice like Mad Max make the cut but why only nominate eight films when you can have ten? Brooklyn was a disappointment and I'm honestly quite boggled at the amount of praise this middling film has received.
The Martian was good fun but again, isn't good enough to be on this list. Spotlight was a great, important story but could have been a TV movie and The Revenant was an atmospheric, technical marvel but had little going for it story or character wise.
The nominated film I'd like to see win best picture would be the cinematically smart, absolutely devastating Room. In all honesty though I'd rather pick The Look of Silence – an incredible documentary about the 1960s Indonesian genocide – which is my highest rated eligible film of last year.
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Bryan Cranston for Trumbo, Matt Damon for The Martian, Leonardo DiCaprio for The Revenant, Michael Fassbender for Steve Jobs and Eddie Redmayne for The Danish Girl.
It's not a brilliant list in my opinion as no one on it really blew me away. Leonardo DiCaprio was fine in The Revenant but if he was ever going to win an Oscar it probably should have been for The Aviator or The Wolf of Wall Street.
I'd pick Cranston's role as Dalton Trumbo for my favourite from this list as I think he did a fantastic job of making the character lovable but flawed. If I had my way though Abraham Attah would be walking away with the award for his blisteringly complex and mature performance as Agu in Beasts of No Nation.
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Cate Blanchett for Carol, Brie Larson for Room, Jennifer Lawrence for Joy, Charlotte Rampling for 45 Years and Saoirse Ronan for Brooklyn.
Not a bad list here at all although it could have done with some love for Charlize Theron for Mad Max, Emily Blunt for Sicario and Bel Powley for Diary of a Teenage Girl. Blanchett, Ronon and Lawrence all did good work but for me it comes down to Larson or Rampling for the top spot with Larson getting my vote for her nuanced, traumatic performance as Ma in Room.
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Christian Bale for The Big Short, Tom Hardy for The Revenant, Mark Ruffalo for Spotlight, Mark Rylance for Bridge of Spies and Sylvester Stallone for Creed.
This is a decent list with Hardy and Stallone doing good work for both their respective roles in The Revenant and Creed. Rylance and Ruffalo are both nominated for brilliantly playing subtle, sensitive characters but personally I think Rylance has the edge. In an ideal world however this award would have gone straight to Idris Elba for his horrifying turn as the tyrannical Commandant in Beasts of No Nation.
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Jennifer Jason Leigh for The Hateful Eight, Rooney Mara for Carol, Rachel McAdams for Spotlight, Alicia Vikander for The Danish Girl and Kate Winslet for Steve Jobs.
No one here really stood out to me but Vikander does a commendable job of keeping the otherwise tepid The Danish Girl afloat with her moving performance.
ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
Anomalisa, Boy and the World, Inside Out, Shaun the Sheep Movie and When Marnie Was There.
When Marnie Was There was great and made my top 20 films of 2015 but I was really disappointed with Inside Out – it was good but it's depiction of the mind just didn't speak to me. In my opinion the award should go to Anomalisa – although it's not a perfect film it's yet another great probe into humanity's darker side by the legendary film-maker Charlie Kaufman.
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Carol, The Hateful Eight, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Revenant and Sicario.
Perhaps the strongest category this year as every single nominee deserves the win but I'm going to go with The Revenant for it's Dogma 95-like dedication to using only natural light and stunning vistas. If I had my way though Tangerine would have at least gotten a nomination for what it managed to achieve visually using only iPhones for cameras.
DIRECTING
The Big Short, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Revenant, Room and Spotlight.
Spotlight is a great film mainly for it's story, acting and characters but I found it's direction quite flat and generic so why it's included on this list is anyone's guess. For my choice it was a tough call between Miller or Iñárritu as both braved the elements to create technical wonders but, considering his age I'm going to go with Miller.
That said if I had my way Joshua Oppenheimer would have the honour for his brave, intelligent and important work on The Look of Silence.
DOCUMENTARY (FEATURE)
Amy, Cartel Land, The Look of Silence, What Happened, Miss Simone? And Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom.
I didn't see nearly enough documentaries last year, though I really enjoyed Amy and think Going Clear should have at least be nominated, but let's be honest I was always going to choose The Look of Silence. The Academy made a big mistake two years ago by not giving The Act of Killing the top spot so this year it's time for them to put it right and give this remarkable achievement what it deserves.
FILM EDITING
The Big Short, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Revenant, Spotlight and Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
There's no competition here – Mad Max was amazingly edited and all props go to Margaret Sixel for making the screen come alive and the action going at breakneck speed whilst keeping it coherent from start to finish.
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Mustang, Son Of Saul, Theeb, A War and Embrace The Serpent.
From this list only A War has actually been released in the UK so unfortunately I can't comment on what is usually the most interesting category at the Oscars although I will most likely be reviewing all of them later this year. There are also some notable films missing here such as The Assassin and Taxi Tehran which I think at least deserved a nomination.
MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)
Bridge of Spies, Carol, The Hateful Eight, Sicario and Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
A tough category to pick from as all of the films listed had great original soundtracks but I'd have to go for Sicario (sorry Morricone) as Johann Johannsson's score was incredibly tense and creepy; adding so much to the oppressive atmosphere of the film. I would have also like to have seen nominations given to Matt Johnson for Hyena and Cat's Eyes for The Duke of Burgundy.
WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)
The Big Short, Brooklyn, Carol, The Martian and Room.
Whilst Drew Goddard and Phyllis Nagy both did great work bringing The Martian and Carol to the screen this award has to go to Emma Donoghue for taking on the risky task of translating her own book into the fantastic screenplay for Room. I'd also liked to have seen a shout out for Marielle Heller's wonderful adaptation of Phoebe Gloeckner's graphic novel Diary of a Teenage Girl.
WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)
Bridge of Spies, Ex Machina, Inside Out, Spotlight and Straight Outta Compton.
The writing for Spotlight was great but my choice is definitely Matt Charman and the Coen brothers for their humorous but smart screenplay for Bridge of Spies.
And that's yer lot!
Obviously I've missed out a few categories because, let's face it, that would just make this article way too long but those are my thoughts on the majority of this year's Oscar nominees.
What are your thoughts on the films nominated this year and what did you think of my pics?
Let me know in the comments below and as always be sure to subscribe for more videos and reviews coming soon!
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Bryan Cranston for Trumbo, Matt Damon for The Martian, Leonardo DiCaprio for The Revenant, Michael Fassbender for Steve Jobs and Eddie Redmayne for The Danish Girl.
It's not a brilliant list in my opinion as no one on it really blew me away. Leonardo DiCaprio was fine in The Revenant but if he was ever going to win an Oscar it probably should have been for The Aviator or The Wolf of Wall Street.
I'd pick Cranston's role as Dalton Trumbo for my favourite from this list as I think he did a fantastic job of making the character lovable but flawed. If I had my way though Abraham Attah would be walking away with the award for his blisteringly complex and mature performance as Agu in Beasts of No Nation.
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Cate Blanchett for Carol, Brie Larson for Room, Jennifer Lawrence for Joy, Charlotte Rampling for 45 Years and Saoirse Ronan for Brooklyn.
Not a bad list here at all although it could have done with some love for Charlize Theron for Mad Max, Emily Blunt for Sicario and Bel Powley for Diary of a Teenage Girl. Blanchett, Ronon and Lawrence all did good work but for me it comes down to Larson or Rampling for the top spot with Larson getting my vote for her nuanced, traumatic performance as Ma in Room.
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Christian Bale for The Big Short, Tom Hardy for The Revenant, Mark Ruffalo for Spotlight, Mark Rylance for Bridge of Spies and Sylvester Stallone for Creed.
This is a decent list with Hardy and Stallone doing good work for both their respective roles in The Revenant and Creed. Rylance and Ruffalo are both nominated for brilliantly playing subtle, sensitive characters but personally I think Rylance has the edge. In an ideal world however this award would have gone straight to Idris Elba for his horrifying turn as the tyrannical Commandant in Beasts of No Nation.
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Jennifer Jason Leigh for The Hateful Eight, Rooney Mara for Carol, Rachel McAdams for Spotlight, Alicia Vikander for The Danish Girl and Kate Winslet for Steve Jobs.
No one here really stood out to me but Vikander does a commendable job of keeping the otherwise tepid The Danish Girl afloat with her moving performance.
ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
Anomalisa, Boy and the World, Inside Out, Shaun the Sheep Movie and When Marnie Was There.
When Marnie Was There was great and made my top 20 films of 2015 but I was really disappointed with Inside Out – it was good but it's depiction of the mind just didn't speak to me. In my opinion the award should go to Anomalisa – although it's not a perfect film it's yet another great probe into humanity's darker side by the legendary film-maker Charlie Kaufman.
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Carol, The Hateful Eight, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Revenant and Sicario.
Perhaps the strongest category this year as every single nominee deserves the win but I'm going to go with The Revenant for it's Dogma 95-like dedication to using only natural light and stunning vistas. If I had my way though Tangerine would have at least gotten a nomination for what it managed to achieve visually using only iPhones for cameras.
DIRECTING
The Big Short, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Revenant, Room and Spotlight.
Spotlight is a great film mainly for it's story, acting and characters but I found it's direction quite flat and generic so why it's included on this list is anyone's guess. For my choice it was a tough call between Miller or Iñárritu as both braved the elements to create technical wonders but, considering his age I'm going to go with Miller.
That said if I had my way Joshua Oppenheimer would have the honour for his brave, intelligent and important work on The Look of Silence.
DOCUMENTARY (FEATURE)
Amy, Cartel Land, The Look of Silence, What Happened, Miss Simone? And Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom.
I didn't see nearly enough documentaries last year, though I really enjoyed Amy and think Going Clear should have at least be nominated, but let's be honest I was always going to choose The Look of Silence. The Academy made a big mistake two years ago by not giving The Act of Killing the top spot so this year it's time for them to put it right and give this remarkable achievement what it deserves.
FILM EDITING
The Big Short, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Revenant, Spotlight and Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
There's no competition here – Mad Max was amazingly edited and all props go to Margaret Sixel for making the screen come alive and the action going at breakneck speed whilst keeping it coherent from start to finish.
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Mustang, Son Of Saul, Theeb, A War and Embrace The Serpent.
From this list only A War has actually been released in the UK so unfortunately I can't comment on what is usually the most interesting category at the Oscars although I will most likely be reviewing all of them later this year. There are also some notable films missing here such as The Assassin and Taxi Tehran which I think at least deserved a nomination.
MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)
Bridge of Spies, Carol, The Hateful Eight, Sicario and Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
A tough category to pick from as all of the films listed had great original soundtracks but I'd have to go for Sicario (sorry Morricone) as Johann Johannsson's score was incredibly tense and creepy; adding so much to the oppressive atmosphere of the film. I would have also like to have seen nominations given to Matt Johnson for Hyena and Cat's Eyes for The Duke of Burgundy.
WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)
The Big Short, Brooklyn, Carol, The Martian and Room.
Whilst Drew Goddard and Phyllis Nagy both did great work bringing The Martian and Carol to the screen this award has to go to Emma Donoghue for taking on the risky task of translating her own book into the fantastic screenplay for Room. I'd also liked to have seen a shout out for Marielle Heller's wonderful adaptation of Phoebe Gloeckner's graphic novel Diary of a Teenage Girl.
WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)
Bridge of Spies, Ex Machina, Inside Out, Spotlight and Straight Outta Compton.
The writing for Spotlight was great but my choice is definitely Matt Charman and the Coen brothers for their humorous but smart screenplay for Bridge of Spies.
And that's yer lot!
Obviously I've missed out a few categories because, let's face it, that would just make this article way too long but those are my thoughts on the majority of this year's Oscar nominees.
What are your thoughts on the films nominated this year and what did you think of my pics?
Let me know in the comments below and as always be sure to subscribe for more videos and reviews coming soon!
Wednesday 2 March 2016
Top 20 Films of 2015
Transcript:
First of all; a clarification. The list will be of films released in the UK in 2015, not the US or elsewhere. This means that it won't include 2016 releases such as The Hateful Eight, The Revenant, Room, The Assassin, Spotlight, Anomalisa or Son of Saul. It also means that some films which might be classified as 2014, but weren't actually released in the UK until this year, will be included.
I watched roughly a hundred new films this year but I want to quickly give a shout out to a few which I really wanted to see but missed. They are Listen Up Philip, 45 Years, The Dance of Reality, The Second Mother, Shaun The Sheep, The Forbidden Room, Jauja, Love and Mercy, Mommy and Steve Jobs.
We're almost there! Next up though, some runners-up that almost made the top twenty.
Crimson Peak – beautiful, beautiful set design, costumes and colours combined with a creepy story almost pushed this onto the list but a lacklustre third act lets it down.
The D Train – an under-seen, and in my opinion misunderstood, drama (not comedy) about self-esteem issues, bisexuality and what it means to be an adult.
Amy – a stark look at the life of Amy Winehouse, the people closest to her and the headline-hungry media is as devastating as it is damning.
Selma – a searing but ultimately uplifting depiction of the Selma to Montgomery civil rights marches which perfectly cast David O yelowo as it's lead Martin Luther King Jr.
Star Wars – The Force Awakens – now this one. This one was so close to making the top twenty. Although I had some issues with it I had an absolute blast watching it at the cinema but I feel there's not been enough distance from the hype for me to be properly objective about it yet.
Alright that's enough faffing about – here's my top 20 best films of 2015:
20. Mad Max Fury Road – an insane, practical effects driven chase sequence of a film with a welcomed focus on female characters which has grown on me as the year's gone by.
19. Macbeth – this beautifully realised, action-tinged and downright grim interpretation of the classic Shakespeare play was not only incredibly well acted but also beautiful to look at.
18. Song of the Sea – a unique, alternative piece of animation comes from Ireland in this folk-lore heavy film with amazing attention to detail and lush art design.
17. Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief – an insightful, angry and ultimately sad documentary told from the perspective of ex-believers which makes great use of stock footage to elevate it's format.
16. When Marnie Was There – what could quite possibly be Studio Ghibli's final film is not some Spirited Away-type epic but a subtle, intimate and moving story with a haunting setting almost as memorable as it's characters.
15. Taxi Tehran – a docufiction film from banned Iranian film-maker Jafar Panahi that discusses complicated, difficult topics surrounding contemporary Iran with a lightness of touch and genuine warmth.
14. Timbuktu – another film which I've appreciated more since first viewing it, if only because it became more and more relevant as the year wore on, treats the topic of religious fundamentalism with rare subtlety, intelligence and grace.
13. Force Majeure – a darkly comic, difficult to watch but essential take-down of presumed gender identities, the lies we tell ourselves everyday and how one snap decision in the face of danger can unravel everything we take for granted.
12. Foxcatcher – a cold, detached, downright weird Oscar contender with two brilliant leads in Steve Carell and Channing Tatum which explores masculinity, unconventional family units and emotional manipulation of the vulnerable.
11. Beasts of No Nation – speaking of unconventional family units and emotional manipulation of the vulnerable is this uncompromisingly brutal film about child soldiers in a war-torn African nation. Difficult as it may be to watch it's worth it for the cinematography and astounding performance by first-timer Abraham Attah alone.
10. Bridge of Spies – now this one was a surprise. I fully expected a well-made, somewhat probing look into the Cold War from Spielberg but I didn't expect it to be anywhere near as emotionally and politically intelligent – not to mention as funny – as it ended up being.
9. The Lobster – a dystopian bizarre set up and purposely stilted deadpan performances come together to hilarious, and thoughtful, effect. An offbeat, weirdo Colin Farrell and the wonderfully framed landscapes didn't hurt either.
8. Hyena – harsh and horrible it may be but the effect this bent coppers story had on me was extremely transporting. Aided by strong lighting, a propulsive score and great use of slow motion it was oddly beautiful too.
7. Birdman – this all-in-a-single-shot wonder is no one trick pony – it was richly photographed, full of wonderful magic realism, had universally fantastic performances, a brilliant percussive score and had great insight into art, critical thought and acting.
6. Sicario – unbearably tense and scarily oblique in equal measure this was a film that did a brilliant job of putting the audience in our heroes shoes. Full of show-stopping scenes and aided by the always-great Roger Deakins behind the lens this was one cinematic experience which was hard to shake off.
5. Hard to be a God – space explorers land of a planet very similar to our own – only it's people are stuck in a pre-renaissance rut of barbarity and ignorance. A three hour long, black and white, Russian language film filled with mud, piss, shit and blood and little in the way of narrative structure may be a hard sell but if you let it this film will quite literally take you to another world.
4. The Diary of a Teenage Girl – a coming-of-age story with a difference as this film aims to tell a controversial (though alarmingly quite common) story of young love with maturity and respect for all involved. Characters are drawn painfully realistic, the period details are perfect and the animation overlays and segments compliment the emotional narrative with aplomb.
3. Love is Strange – what at first glance might appear to a sleight, nice little indie drama about an ageing gay couple utterly transforms itself into a powerhouse of emotion and societal exploration due to a subtle but confident command of visual style, editing, narrative development and first-class acting.
2. The Look of Silence – Joshua Oppenheimer follows up his game changing The Act of Killing with another, perhaps less sensational but no less affecting, look at the aftermath of the 1960s Indonesian genocide. This time he chooses to focus largely on the victims' perspective and with his usual respect and compassion (not to mention cinematic flair) shines a illuminating, awful light on a forgotten tragedy.
1. Whiplash – this was almost the perfect movie for me. It's focus on themes of obsession, societal exclusion and abusive relationships are extremely well portrayed and the acting, especially from J K Simmons, sells the hell out of it. The stylistic choices sky-rocket what would have already been a great story into the realms of master-class psychological film-making from it's rich, dark cinematography to it's astounding camera work and editing.
The soundtrack alone is incredible and the unbearable sense of tension and suspense all comes to a head in that gloriously ambiguous and powerful last scene. I'm almost afraid to see what director Damien Chazelle has in store for us next.
So, that's it for another year! What did you think of my choices and what were your top films of 2015?
Let me know in the comments below and here's to more reviews, and great films, coming in 2016!
Timbuktu Film Review
Transcript:
Timbuktu is a Malian drama which was co-written and directed by Abderrahmane Sissako and stars an ensemble cast of actors depicting the occupation of the titular city by a jihadist group called Ansar Dine.
In first writing the film Sissako, he himself a Mali native, was influenced by two real-life stories occurring in the city but also by his visit there where he spent a lot of time talking to local people to get a better idea of the situation from the ground level.
The film doesn't quite have a central narrative – the most screen-time being devoted to a cattle-herder and his family who live on the outskirts of the city – and instead spends a little bit of time with many people different people on various sides of the conflict.
There are also numerous languages, ethnicities and nationalities intermingled throughout. All of these factors, although a little daunting to the initiated, create a living, breathing world that feels utterly real and deservedly so. Sissako has also made a very interesting choice when directing this film – instead of the sensationalised or drama-heavy take on the subject that you might expect - what he's actually done is take a more measured, slice-of-life film-making mode and apply it to this violent situation.
This was a refreshing take and one that allows for more sensitivity and thoughtfulness than is usually applied to such situations. He gives himself, and his actors, the time and space to fully flesh out these characters and as a result reductive paradigms such as good and evil or victim and fighter are washed away. What we are left with is a cast of true human beings – multidimensional and contradictory depictions of real people - not savages in a blind rage nor weak, ignorant peasants.
This type of story, and story-telling, is unfortunately seldom seen and it makes for a timely, honest film which is in many ways essential viewing. Speaking of which this is actually a very funny film a lot of time. The hypocrisy of the extremists' views and demands is highlighted in several scenes and they show that this is not a conflict of beliefs or lifestyle – because the occupiers love football and smoking just as much as anyone else – but it is actually about idiotic bullies wrestling for power or lost souls searching for meaning in their lives.
This is not to say that the film shies away from the effects of this folly – there are scenes of people being stoned to death, public floggings and the spectre of sexual assault hovers over many. There are many scenes which do an incredible job of showing, not telling and which use metaphor and symbolism to terrific effect.
The two opening scenes – the jihadists chasing and shooting at a gazelle through the desert – not to kill it, but to exhaust it – followed by a scene of target practise using tribal statues and masks as cannon fodder create a fantastic visual poetry. Later on, in what it is perhaps the most beautiful scene of the film, a group of young men, knowing that football is banned, mime along to a game instead, running, kicking and dancing around an invisible ball.
As expected, given the region, the scenery shots are beautiful and Sissako shows a keen eye for shot composition throughout. There's not much of a musical score in the film but the music played in-world is beautiful and made all the more so by it's sparsity and cultural specificity – not to mention the danger such acts carry.
The role of women in the film is also incredibly well-rounded – many resist and are featured just as much, if not more, than the men and each show their different approach to surviving in such a world.
One trouble I had with the film is that it drops you right into the world with little background explanation – but why shouldn't it? It's not a fictional world like in Bladerunner or Game of Thrones and you wouldn't expect to have New York - as a cultural, political landscape - explained to you before watching something like Annie Hall.
That I struggled to understand the world of the film is not Sissako's fault but it is a film which would benefit from pre-existing knowledge of the region or some background reading on (or even a visit to!) the area and a re-watch.
I also found the bite-sized, anti-dramatic tone of the film difficult but is this a problem with the film or merely a reflection of the culture from which it was borne? It's not a question I can answer, and one I've encountered also with say, the melodramatic tenancies of South Korean cinema, but it was a little too slow for my taste. There were also a few moments which showed the film's limited budget, feeling a bit rough around the edges which was a shame, but not a deal breaker.
Overall Timbuktu is a very important, intelligent film that I found easier to respect than to love and I'm going to give it a 7/10.
I am sadly not an expert in films of any African origin but would recommend it to anyone that likes social-realist films along the lines of Rome, Open City, Bloody Sunday, Grave of the Fireflies or The Pianist.
Have you seen the film? What did you think of it? As always, let me know in the comments below and make sure to subscribe for more reviews coming soon!
As expected, given the region, the scenery shots are beautiful and Sissako shows a keen eye for shot composition throughout. There's not much of a musical score in the film but the music played in-world is beautiful and made all the more so by it's sparsity and cultural specificity – not to mention the danger such acts carry.
The role of women in the film is also incredibly well-rounded – many resist and are featured just as much, if not more, than the men and each show their different approach to surviving in such a world.
One trouble I had with the film is that it drops you right into the world with little background explanation – but why shouldn't it? It's not a fictional world like in Bladerunner or Game of Thrones and you wouldn't expect to have New York - as a cultural, political landscape - explained to you before watching something like Annie Hall.
That I struggled to understand the world of the film is not Sissako's fault but it is a film which would benefit from pre-existing knowledge of the region or some background reading on (or even a visit to!) the area and a re-watch.
I also found the bite-sized, anti-dramatic tone of the film difficult but is this a problem with the film or merely a reflection of the culture from which it was borne? It's not a question I can answer, and one I've encountered also with say, the melodramatic tenancies of South Korean cinema, but it was a little too slow for my taste. There were also a few moments which showed the film's limited budget, feeling a bit rough around the edges which was a shame, but not a deal breaker.
Overall Timbuktu is a very important, intelligent film that I found easier to respect than to love and I'm going to give it a 7/10.
I am sadly not an expert in films of any African origin but would recommend it to anyone that likes social-realist films along the lines of Rome, Open City, Bloody Sunday, Grave of the Fireflies or The Pianist.
Have you seen the film? What did you think of it? As always, let me know in the comments below and make sure to subscribe for more reviews coming soon!
The Duke of Burgundy Film Review
Transcript:
The Duke of Burgundy is a psychological drama which was written and directed by Peter Stickland and co-stars Sidse Babett Knudsen and Chiara D'Anna. The film's story revolves around a couple, their highly disciplined sex life and the strain the latter places on the former.
I really enjoyed Strickland's previous film, Berberian Sound Studio and I'm a big fan of psychological dramas in general so The Duke of Burgundy was amongst my most anticipated releases for 2015. I finally got around to watching it last night and, sadly, was left a bit disappointed.
In many ways it's a fantastic film and nowhere is this more true than in it's technical aspects. Strickland has always been a lover of strong sound design – to my mind something something that film-makers don't tend to play with enough and as such I was very glad to see that aspect return for Burgundy.
The overall tone is very quiet but the sonic emphasis given to certain simple sounds from nature such as water trickling down a stream enhance the atmosphere no end. He also plays with noise to startling effect in several key scenes and these moments are harsh but hypnotising and in their own way, incredibly beautiful. The music, provided by English indie act Cat's Eyes, is also a treat for the ears – helping to create a dreamy and surreal but comforting and warm tone for the film.
It's also a beautiful looking film with the mise-en-scene being full of tangible textures, shapes and colours which range from close ups of rainbow imbued washing up bubbles to dirt-ridden larvae writhing about the woodland. At the other end of the scale is the attention to detail given to the set design and costuming where controlled decadence is the order of the day – ornate interior decoration, elaborate lingerie and rows of perfected mounted butterflies are all lovingly showcased throughout.
That's not to say that the film is just a piece of installation art – there is a unique story here with both the lead actresses brilliantly, subtly expressing their characters' wants, fears, desires and insecurities. Rather than being a piece of exploitation full with endless scenes of titillating lesbian bondage it is actually a more universal story of power struggles in relationships.
Who is the dominant one, who gets to choose where money or time is spent, who's desired are treated as secondary? The answers to these questions are constantly shifting and neither woman acts as the 'bad or good one'. It is a film concerned with the grey areas in emotion and relationships and it's core theme is relatable to anyone – gay or straight, woman or man - who has been in a long-term relationship.
Another thing the film does brilliantly is show the more day-to-day realities of their sexual activity which is sometimes shown to be embarrassing, banal or simply a chore with the film mining these moments for a surprising amount of laughs. The film plays with audience expectations in a number of other ways, the best example of which is the first ten to twenty minutes of the film.
We first watch a scenario from one person's perspective and then the same actions are shown through the other character's eyes and our understanding of the situation is completely thrown on it's head and I thought was a really smart move. So what didn't work for me?
My issue with the film largely falls on the storytelling. The film has a truly glacial pace, which helps create the dreamy atmosphere yes, but also kept me from being fully engrossed in the story. I like slow and subdued but this film went too far for my liking. Again the stoic tone works in the sense that it conveys how these women live their lives and adds to the surrealism of events but it also served to keep me at arms length from fully engaging with the characters.
The characters and plot here, as already mentioned, are really interesting but there wasn't enough of them or it to keep me involved all the way through. Likewise the imagery of the film is beautiful but never fully meshes with the themes of the film and in later stages a strong horror influenced element comes into play which felt at odds with the rest of the movie.
There are also several instances, such as the title sequence, where Strickland obtrusively references sex-ploitation films of 1970s Spanish cinema which detracted from the experience for me.
The Duke of Burgundy is a visually and sonically striking film with some great inter-personal drama which is obscured by a less-than-captivating mode of storytelling. Parts I loved but overall I was left feeling a bit cold so I'm going to have to give it a 6/10. I'd recommend it to fans of Berberian Sound Studio, Under the Skin, Sleeping Beauty or Upstream Colour.
The overall tone is very quiet but the sonic emphasis given to certain simple sounds from nature such as water trickling down a stream enhance the atmosphere no end. He also plays with noise to startling effect in several key scenes and these moments are harsh but hypnotising and in their own way, incredibly beautiful. The music, provided by English indie act Cat's Eyes, is also a treat for the ears – helping to create a dreamy and surreal but comforting and warm tone for the film.
It's also a beautiful looking film with the mise-en-scene being full of tangible textures, shapes and colours which range from close ups of rainbow imbued washing up bubbles to dirt-ridden larvae writhing about the woodland. At the other end of the scale is the attention to detail given to the set design and costuming where controlled decadence is the order of the day – ornate interior decoration, elaborate lingerie and rows of perfected mounted butterflies are all lovingly showcased throughout.
That's not to say that the film is just a piece of installation art – there is a unique story here with both the lead actresses brilliantly, subtly expressing their characters' wants, fears, desires and insecurities. Rather than being a piece of exploitation full with endless scenes of titillating lesbian bondage it is actually a more universal story of power struggles in relationships.
Who is the dominant one, who gets to choose where money or time is spent, who's desired are treated as secondary? The answers to these questions are constantly shifting and neither woman acts as the 'bad or good one'. It is a film concerned with the grey areas in emotion and relationships and it's core theme is relatable to anyone – gay or straight, woman or man - who has been in a long-term relationship.
Another thing the film does brilliantly is show the more day-to-day realities of their sexual activity which is sometimes shown to be embarrassing, banal or simply a chore with the film mining these moments for a surprising amount of laughs. The film plays with audience expectations in a number of other ways, the best example of which is the first ten to twenty minutes of the film.
We first watch a scenario from one person's perspective and then the same actions are shown through the other character's eyes and our understanding of the situation is completely thrown on it's head and I thought was a really smart move. So what didn't work for me?
My issue with the film largely falls on the storytelling. The film has a truly glacial pace, which helps create the dreamy atmosphere yes, but also kept me from being fully engrossed in the story. I like slow and subdued but this film went too far for my liking. Again the stoic tone works in the sense that it conveys how these women live their lives and adds to the surrealism of events but it also served to keep me at arms length from fully engaging with the characters.
The characters and plot here, as already mentioned, are really interesting but there wasn't enough of them or it to keep me involved all the way through. Likewise the imagery of the film is beautiful but never fully meshes with the themes of the film and in later stages a strong horror influenced element comes into play which felt at odds with the rest of the movie.
There are also several instances, such as the title sequence, where Strickland obtrusively references sex-ploitation films of 1970s Spanish cinema which detracted from the experience for me.
The Duke of Burgundy is a visually and sonically striking film with some great inter-personal drama which is obscured by a less-than-captivating mode of storytelling. Parts I loved but overall I was left feeling a bit cold so I'm going to have to give it a 6/10. I'd recommend it to fans of Berberian Sound Studio, Under the Skin, Sleeping Beauty or Upstream Colour.
Have you seen The Duke of Burgundy? If so let me know what you thought it in the comments below and make sure to subscribe for more reviews coming soon.
Mad Max: Fury Road Film Review
Transcript:
Mad Max: Fury Road is a post-apocalyptic action film directed by veteran director George Miller and stars Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron. Hardy plays the titular Max – a disturbed nomad of few words but many punches - and Theron is Furiosa – a battle hardened woman with a plan – both of whom are looking to escape the greasy clutches of presiding tyrant Immortan Joe.
Fury Road is the forth in a series of films, all made by director George Miller, which started way back in 1979 and made Mel Gibson as a household name. This entry acts as a sort of re-imagining and finds Hardy taking over the role Gibson made famous. I'll hold my hands up now and admit that I haven't seen the previous three films all the way through – I know, I know, I really should have by now, but I haven't.
I've got an understanding of the main themes and iconography of the franchise and the good news here and is that you don't really much more than that in order to understand and appreciate this film. The film's title tells you everything you need to know: a) this film is mental and b) it essentially boils down to one giant, adrenaline fuelled car chase.
If that sounds like something you'd be interested in, and I can understand a lot of people won't be, then you're definitely going to like this film. If a film is going to almost entirely consist of a chase then the action needs to be good, damn good. And in this regard it does not disappoint. The chase scenes, fist fights and shoot-outs (sometimes all occurring at once) are fantastic – fast but compensable, visceral but fun.
These scenes are made all the better by the decision to use practical effects as much as possible – grounding the action and making you feel every crash, explosion and stunt. The film exists in a dystopian future ravaged by nuclear war and it's harsh, unforgiving depiction of the violent world such an event would surely create was much appreciated. But unlike, say, The Road or The Walking Dead, which both provide similarly grim worlds, Fury Road feels vibrant, deranged with an almost steam-punk vibe.
These scenes are made all the better by the decision to use practical effects as much as possible – grounding the action and making you feel every crash, explosion and stunt. The film exists in a dystopian future ravaged by nuclear war and it's harsh, unforgiving depiction of the violent world such an event would surely create was much appreciated. But unlike, say, The Road or The Walking Dead, which both provide similarly grim worlds, Fury Road feels vibrant, deranged with an almost steam-punk vibe.
This unique tone was refreshing, especially given that it's being billed as, and has the budget of, a summer tent-pole film. Fury Road also looks amazing. Glorious wide angle shots of the wasteland, jaw dropping imagery (that sand storm – wow), downright grimy costume and make-up and lush cinematography all create a world that feels desperate and dark whilst also being beautiful to look at.
Despite clocking in at two hours, and as mentioned is basically just one long extended action scene, it doesn't feel it at all – the pacing is as furious as the road and it kept be engaged from start to finish. This fast pace is aided immensely by a pounding war cry of a score which is often diagetically provided by characters in the film itself.
Despite clocking in at two hours, and as mentioned is basically just one long extended action scene, it doesn't feel it at all – the pacing is as furious as the road and it kept be engaged from start to finish. This fast pace is aided immensely by a pounding war cry of a score which is often diagetically provided by characters in the film itself.
All of these elements combine to overwhelm the senses – in a good way. The film kicks and screams at you until it finally lets you go, wobbling away from the cinema in utter shell-shock.
An aspect that came as a pleasant surprise was the treatment of female characters in the film. First and foremost is Furiosa – a complete and utter bad-ass yes, but also a complicated character who serves as the film's emotional core. And it is here that Theron steals the show, displaying her usual versatility and range as an actor to devastating effect.
An aspect that came as a pleasant surprise was the treatment of female characters in the film. First and foremost is Furiosa – a complete and utter bad-ass yes, but also a complicated character who serves as the film's emotional core. And it is here that Theron steals the show, displaying her usual versatility and range as an actor to devastating effect.
The film is also at pains to show the exploitation that women would likely face in this world – with Miller even recruiting Eve Ensler, writer of The Vagina Monologues, as a consultant on the matter. The director goes a step further still with the introduction of an ecologically-minded, feminist biker gang who, after joining Max and Furiosa's fight, made the film, for me at least, about a million times more exciting.
Along with Miller's strong emphasis on sexual politics there are also other interesting sub-texts at play concerning class struggle, ecology and religion. The last thing I'll say in praise of the film is that it's amazing it's turned out so well considering the circumstances surrounding it.
- It's a reboot of a thirty year old franchise which feels both faithful and modern.
- It's an alternative, violent piece of cinema which has been created within the Hollywood industrial complex.
- It lost it's synonymous lead actor but Tom Hardy has mostly been met with open arms.
- And there were various, widely reported on problems on set which protracted the length of the shoot.
On top of it all Miller is pushing seventy and has still made an action film so slick, so alive, that it puts most other directors half his age to shame. The odds were stacking incredibly high against this film and the fact that it turned out as well as it did is nothing short of a miracle.
Having said all of that I still didn't quite fall head-over-heels in love with it. Other than the fury road of the title the main setting is The Citadel – a city borne from the ashes of the world and ruled over by the dictatorship of Immortan Joe. The imagery surrounding this location is fantastic but the world building and logic is far less so. Given that the film tries hard to make it's action feel so real it's a shame it couldn't do the same for it's wider universe.
Although overall I really liked the action scenes but the intermittent use of a higher frame rate felt out of place, cheap and unnecessary. I'd also liked to have seen and felt the violence a bit more – some of the more horrific moments only lasted a few frames or when hidden off-screen. There was a high body count but it mostly consisted of henchmen being thrown like puppets to the wind - there wasn't enough crunch for me.
My other main issue was with the characters. This film didn't need Max, simple as that. Furiosa was the heart of the film and Max, although being really cool, already felt secondary. Cut Max, focus more on Furiosa, keep it in the same world and simply call it Fury Road.
Having said all of that I still didn't quite fall head-over-heels in love with it. Other than the fury road of the title the main setting is The Citadel – a city borne from the ashes of the world and ruled over by the dictatorship of Immortan Joe. The imagery surrounding this location is fantastic but the world building and logic is far less so. Given that the film tries hard to make it's action feel so real it's a shame it couldn't do the same for it's wider universe.
Although overall I really liked the action scenes but the intermittent use of a higher frame rate felt out of place, cheap and unnecessary. I'd also liked to have seen and felt the violence a bit more – some of the more horrific moments only lasted a few frames or when hidden off-screen. There was a high body count but it mostly consisted of henchmen being thrown like puppets to the wind - there wasn't enough crunch for me.
My other main issue was with the characters. This film didn't need Max, simple as that. Furiosa was the heart of the film and Max, although being really cool, already felt secondary. Cut Max, focus more on Furiosa, keep it in the same world and simply call it Fury Road.
On that note – Hardy was decent as Max, especially physically, but whenever he spoke he did the same weird, slightly-off vocal performance that he did for Bane where he tries to inject eccentricity into a character that doesn't need it.
Next up, Nux. I could see what they were trying to do with this supporting character but it didn't work for me. I'm not sure if it was Nicholas Hoult's delivery or just simply how the character was written but I found him more annoying than interesting and his love story sub-plot was incredibly groan-worthy.
Which leads me onto the characters of the wives. They were decently done but some things didn't quite match up. Their dialogue also skewed more towards annoying teenager than traumatised, sheltered sex slave and I ended up disliking most of them.
Which leads me onto the characters of the wives. They were decently done but some things didn't quite match up. Their dialogue also skewed more towards annoying teenager than traumatised, sheltered sex slave and I ended up disliking most of them.
My final issue with the film is heavily subjective in that in many ways it just wasn't to my taste. I love crazy and alternative but not this type of crazy and alternative. Sometimes the madness of it felt too wacky and silly for me personally.
It's draws very heavily from the genre of the western, a genre I've always struggled with, is very motor-centric, again something I'm really not interested in, and focuses slightly too much on action at the expense of emotional character development for my taste.
I was so ready to love Mad Max and I really liked a lot of things about it but ultimately, besides some genuine issues, it was a case of an acquired taste that I simply don't have and I'm going to give it a 7/10.
It's draws very heavily from the genre of the western, a genre I've always struggled with, is very motor-centric, again something I'm really not interested in, and focuses slightly too much on action at the expense of emotional character development for my taste.
I was so ready to love Mad Max and I really liked a lot of things about it but ultimately, besides some genuine issues, it was a case of an acquired taste that I simply don't have and I'm going to give it a 7/10.
It Follows Film Review
Transcript:
It Follows is an indie horror film which was directed by David Robert Michel and stars Maika Monroe. Monroe plays Jay, a teenage girl who is followed (haha!) by a mysterious, creepy supernatural thing after a specific sexual encounter.
I'm a big fan of horror films but usually prefer slow, atmospheric, tension building, character based type stuff. It Follows has been hailed as a great new example of this type of horror film and I'd been highly anticipating it's release. And it certainly fits the bill in many regards.
It has a measured, patient pace, thick dreamy atmosphere, shows little in the way of overt bodily horror and has some interesting thematic concerns. The central characters, a bunch of misfit teens, are a likeable lot for the most part and the actors, especially Monroe, play them convincingly. This is important because, as is far too often the case, if we dislike the characters – or don't believe in them - we don't care if they live or die.
The film is also beautiful to look at. It's carefully framed widescreen shots and lush cinematography create images of the type that could easily serve as exhibition photographs in their own right. The sound design has also clearly been given a lot of thought – ambient or industrial noises are peaked to breaking point and the more subtle moments in the score really add to this feeling of unease.
These stylistic flourishes, combined with some great use of negative space and deliberate steadycam shots, are great at building tension which often gives way to some well deserved horrific moments and images. The visual and sonic influences of 1970s slasher movies, especially John Carpenter's Halloween, are very much appreciated but more-so are the films attempts to subvert some of the sub-genres conventions, especially when dealing with female sexuality and bodily objectification.
The film is refreshingly open to interpretation but there are clear themes about loss of innocence, fear of adulthood and old age, sexual irresponsibility and socio-economic divides subtly hinted at throughout.
Unfortunately it doesn't quite live up to the hype in a number of ways. The characters, though likeable and well played, are almost threadbare. We're not given any time with them before shit hits the fan and we never learn much about who they are as people beyond a few surface level personality traits. I didn't feel particularly interested by, or invested in, the characters and one or two could have easily been cut entirely.
There are also a lot of good ideas and concepts present which don't quite work. The main conceit of the film – you catch the curse if you sleep with someone and can only rid yourself of it by sleeping with someone else – is a great set up but it's internal logic falls apart the longer the film goes on.
These stylistic flourishes, combined with some great use of negative space and deliberate steadycam shots, are great at building tension which often gives way to some well deserved horrific moments and images. The visual and sonic influences of 1970s slasher movies, especially John Carpenter's Halloween, are very much appreciated but more-so are the films attempts to subvert some of the sub-genres conventions, especially when dealing with female sexuality and bodily objectification.
The film is refreshingly open to interpretation but there are clear themes about loss of innocence, fear of adulthood and old age, sexual irresponsibility and socio-economic divides subtly hinted at throughout.
Unfortunately it doesn't quite live up to the hype in a number of ways. The characters, though likeable and well played, are almost threadbare. We're not given any time with them before shit hits the fan and we never learn much about who they are as people beyond a few surface level personality traits. I didn't feel particularly interested by, or invested in, the characters and one or two could have easily been cut entirely.
There are also a lot of good ideas and concepts present which don't quite work. The main conceit of the film – you catch the curse if you sleep with someone and can only rid yourself of it by sleeping with someone else – is a great set up but it's internal logic falls apart the longer the film goes on.
Likewise the film's tense, slow pace really works...until it doesn't. Many scenes build to little or nothing and all tension disperses. As a horror film is was unnerving and creepy, but a little too repetitive and rarely scary. Another of the film's ideas is that the person who is cursed can see the creature, but other's cannot. This perspective isn't often shown but when it is the sight of an invisible creature picking things up and throwing people around just looks, and I hate to say this but...stupid.
I've praised the technical aspects of the film a lot but there were some elements which took me out of the film. The main, synth-led score for the film was a nice tribute to 1970s cinema but ended up feeling out of place and distracting. The same goes for the unique, but ultimately annoying, circular steadycam shots which pop up now and again drawing my attention away from the action.
The film is set in a sort of non-era specific time zone which is cool but doesn't entirely work – what was up with that clam shell e-reader and why is everyone only ever watching 1950s B-movies? There are also a lot of things that don't make sense – why is this character doing that? Why does the film abruptly cut at this point? Why does this action work now when it didn't before? A few lapses in clarity don't bother be but there were far too many present here.
I've also praised the films subverting of 1970s horror movie tropes but one problem certainly isn't addressed – proportional representation. There's only one scene where a non-white person gets a speaking role – I mean come on, it's Detroit for god's sake!
Despite a few issues present David Robert Michel has delivered a worthwhile, subversive horror film and I'm going to give It Follows a 6/10. I'd recommend it to anyone that likes horror films like The House of the Devil, Oculus, The Babadook or of course, Halloween.
If you've seen the film what did you think of it? Any viewing suggestions? And make sure to subscribe for more reviews coming soon.
I've praised the technical aspects of the film a lot but there were some elements which took me out of the film. The main, synth-led score for the film was a nice tribute to 1970s cinema but ended up feeling out of place and distracting. The same goes for the unique, but ultimately annoying, circular steadycam shots which pop up now and again drawing my attention away from the action.
The film is set in a sort of non-era specific time zone which is cool but doesn't entirely work – what was up with that clam shell e-reader and why is everyone only ever watching 1950s B-movies? There are also a lot of things that don't make sense – why is this character doing that? Why does the film abruptly cut at this point? Why does this action work now when it didn't before? A few lapses in clarity don't bother be but there were far too many present here.
I've also praised the films subverting of 1970s horror movie tropes but one problem certainly isn't addressed – proportional representation. There's only one scene where a non-white person gets a speaking role – I mean come on, it's Detroit for god's sake!
Despite a few issues present David Robert Michel has delivered a worthwhile, subversive horror film and I'm going to give It Follows a 6/10. I'd recommend it to anyone that likes horror films like The House of the Devil, Oculus, The Babadook or of course, Halloween.
If you've seen the film what did you think of it? Any viewing suggestions? And make sure to subscribe for more reviews coming soon.
Hyena Film Review
Transcript:
Hyena is a British crime thriller written and directed by Gerard Johnson and stars Peter Ferdinando as Michael – a corrupt police officer in West London trying to play both sides of the law against each other and come out on top. Like Johnson's impressive first film, Tony, this is a dark, gritty affair.
It's jet black, downright nasty film-making which leaves you feeling like you need to take a shower afterwards. Understandably this type of cinematic experience will not be to everyone's tastes. If you like happy endings and generally like to leave the cinema with a smile on your face this film is definitely not for you. Me? I love it.
The film seems to exist in a world devoid of morality as we know it, focusing on a group of foul policemen, whose racism and sexism is bluntly portrayed from the off, incredibly violent machete wielding gangs and victims of human trafficking forced into prostitution. There is almost no one to root for and no one can be trusted.
This narrative focus would likely be too much to stomach without Johnson's brilliant command of cinematic form, his dedication to realism and the emotionally complex performances given by the majority of the cast. As Michael Ferninando delivers an impressively nuanced anti-hero (if you can even call him that) who displays just enough humanity to keep you rooting for his character.
His troubles are evident from the very beginning, brilliantly portrayed both physically and verbally, and watching his mental state deteriorate as the film goes on is hard but rewarding. Stephen Graham and Neil Maskell, who are by now both veterans at injecting emotional depth into the typical hard geezer stereotype, also shine.
The themes at play here – absolute male dominance via violence, fractured emotional psyches and the compromising of one's moral values – although not being particularly original are very well communicated, offer a damning portrait of certain sections of society and are issues I personally find very interesting.
The look and feel of the film is also very well realised. Johnson has filled his film with neon reds and blues, slick tracking shots and some beautiful use of slow motion all of which is heavily influenced by directors such as Michael Mann and Nicolas Winding Renf. This dream, or rather nightmare, feel to the film is aided by a fantastic score by the seminal UK act The The which pulses and creeps along with the action.
Contrasting with this hyper-stylisation is a heavy use of handheld camera, lingering shots, underplayed dialogue exchanges and accurate cultural dialect which all serve to give the film an incredible amount of realism and tension.
Still, there are some weaker points present. The story, characters and topics here are nothing we haven't seen before and despite feeling true to life most of the time it does strain credibility the closer it gets to it's dramatic conclusion. Provided it has a good reason to be there I have a high tolerance for violence in this type of film but there was one scene, we'll call it the bathroom scene, which went slightly too far for me and felt unnecessary.
Whilst I don't need every film to contain a raft of complex female characters there only two speaking parts for women in this film and they were almost only portrayed as victims and bargaining tools for men. Although this is of course part of what the film is trying to say, and there is some time given to female perspectives, I think that a little more depth to these characters, or one or two more female parts in general, wouldn't have hurt.
His troubles are evident from the very beginning, brilliantly portrayed both physically and verbally, and watching his mental state deteriorate as the film goes on is hard but rewarding. Stephen Graham and Neil Maskell, who are by now both veterans at injecting emotional depth into the typical hard geezer stereotype, also shine.
The themes at play here – absolute male dominance via violence, fractured emotional psyches and the compromising of one's moral values – although not being particularly original are very well communicated, offer a damning portrait of certain sections of society and are issues I personally find very interesting.
The look and feel of the film is also very well realised. Johnson has filled his film with neon reds and blues, slick tracking shots and some beautiful use of slow motion all of which is heavily influenced by directors such as Michael Mann and Nicolas Winding Renf. This dream, or rather nightmare, feel to the film is aided by a fantastic score by the seminal UK act The The which pulses and creeps along with the action.
Contrasting with this hyper-stylisation is a heavy use of handheld camera, lingering shots, underplayed dialogue exchanges and accurate cultural dialect which all serve to give the film an incredible amount of realism and tension.
Still, there are some weaker points present. The story, characters and topics here are nothing we haven't seen before and despite feeling true to life most of the time it does strain credibility the closer it gets to it's dramatic conclusion. Provided it has a good reason to be there I have a high tolerance for violence in this type of film but there was one scene, we'll call it the bathroom scene, which went slightly too far for me and felt unnecessary.
Whilst I don't need every film to contain a raft of complex female characters there only two speaking parts for women in this film and they were almost only portrayed as victims and bargaining tools for men. Although this is of course part of what the film is trying to say, and there is some time given to female perspectives, I think that a little more depth to these characters, or one or two more female parts in general, wouldn't have hurt.
The film is not oblivious to the issues facing women in these circumstances but doesn't quite succeed in portraying them well enough.
SPOILERS
SPOILERS
Alright, let's talk about the ending. It's a cliffhanger and has left a lot of people frustrated. Personally I loved it. It takes place just before Michael is about to try and storm into a house, save his lover and kill the bad guys. We watch as Michael, at the end of his wits, tries to prepare himself for almost certain death in the seat on his car – all shot in a static close up. The shot lingers and then cuts to black.
I thought it was brave and smart – we already know what's going to happen, we've seen it a million times before, and the focus on his psychological breakdown, rather than the impending violence, was a breath of fresh air.
SPOILERS END
Hyena, although not for everyone, is an intoxicating film which will stay with you for days and I'm gonna give it an 8/10. I'd recommend it to anyone that liked Johnson's previous film Tony or films like Pusher, Rampart or Bad Lieutenant.
If you've seen the film please let me know what you thought of it in the comments below and subscribe for more reviews coming soon.
I thought it was brave and smart – we already know what's going to happen, we've seen it a million times before, and the focus on his psychological breakdown, rather than the impending violence, was a breath of fresh air.
SPOILERS END
Hyena, although not for everyone, is an intoxicating film which will stay with you for days and I'm gonna give it an 8/10. I'd recommend it to anyone that liked Johnson's previous film Tony or films like Pusher, Rampart or Bad Lieutenant.
If you've seen the film please let me know what you thought of it in the comments below and subscribe for more reviews coming soon.
Avengers: Age of Ultron Film Review
Transcript:
I used to read a lot of superhero comics as a kid but kinda grew tired of them in my teens. Since their renaissance in the early 2000s I've loved superhero films, and have really enjoyed a lot of the MCU films including the first Avengers movie, which I'd give an 8/10.
In Age of Ultron Tony Stark and Bruce Banner attempt to create a peacekeeping AI called Ultron which they hope will enable them to quit their day jobs. Ultron, rather obviously, doesn't quite work as expected and decides the best way to ensure peace on earth is to actually destroy humanity itself at which point it's up to the Avengers to stop him.
The film delivers pretty much everything you would want from it. The characters trade witty banter, the action is plentiful and well staged, the actors are as charismatic as always and the CGI and special effects are incredible. So what makes Age of Ultron stand out? We get two new interesting characters (no, not those two).
In Age of Ultron Tony Stark and Bruce Banner attempt to create a peacekeeping AI called Ultron which they hope will enable them to quit their day jobs. Ultron, rather obviously, doesn't quite work as expected and decides the best way to ensure peace on earth is to actually destroy humanity itself at which point it's up to the Avengers to stop him.
The film delivers pretty much everything you would want from it. The characters trade witty banter, the action is plentiful and well staged, the actors are as charismatic as always and the CGI and special effects are incredible. So what makes Age of Ultron stand out? We get two new interesting characters (no, not those two).
The titular Ultron (played by James Spader) and The Vision (Paul Bettany). Ultron is a complicated villain who is amusing, hurt, scary and understandable all at once. The Vision, on the other hand, brings some interesting weight and mystery to the series, almost serving as the MCU's Dr. Manhattan.
The film is also shot and set in a much wider world than last time. We visit England, South Korea and the fictional countries of Sovakia in Eastern Europe and Wakanda in Africa which serve to give the film a much more varied, global feel. Visually the film feels like a step-up also. The cinematography better blends the visual contradiction of war with the colourful neon of the superhero and there are some show-stopping, splash-page-que shots interspersed throughout.
As with the films preceding it there an attempt to inject some dramatic depth to the characters and here both Hawkeye and Black Widow are decently fleshed out. And there are real world musing to be had at the expense of themes such as pre-emptive military technologies and humanity's self-destructive behaviour in general. If I had one major complaint about the first Avengers film it would be that it slumped in the middle and dragged the pacing down.
The film is also shot and set in a much wider world than last time. We visit England, South Korea and the fictional countries of Sovakia in Eastern Europe and Wakanda in Africa which serve to give the film a much more varied, global feel. Visually the film feels like a step-up also. The cinematography better blends the visual contradiction of war with the colourful neon of the superhero and there are some show-stopping, splash-page-que shots interspersed throughout.
As with the films preceding it there an attempt to inject some dramatic depth to the characters and here both Hawkeye and Black Widow are decently fleshed out. And there are real world musing to be had at the expense of themes such as pre-emptive military technologies and humanity's self-destructive behaviour in general. If I had one major complaint about the first Avengers film it would be that it slumped in the middle and dragged the pacing down.
In Age of Ultron, however, the opposite happens; this film feels rushed. Like, really rushed. The story outline I gave at the beginning of this video only scratches the surface of the multitude of subplots and wider franchise concerns at play here and it makes the film feel way overstuffed. As a result the editing takes a beating and is far too tight and fast - meaning that some things don't seem to make sense and emotional moments don't quite hit you as hard as they should.
Likewise the two new additions to the team; Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver are decent but the film doesn't really seem to have time for them. The film also suffers from the same problems that plague most other MCU films. Representation of anyone other than straight white muscly dudes is poor and the value of human life is low although this entry does show some progression in this area.
Likewise the two new additions to the team; Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver are decent but the film doesn't really seem to have time for them. The film also suffers from the same problems that plague most other MCU films. Representation of anyone other than straight white muscly dudes is poor and the value of human life is low although this entry does show some progression in this area.
There is a lack of credible threat to our heroes; the stakes always feel low because you know that main characters cannot be killed. If they were the studio couldn't make more films, and thus money, out of them further down the line. The now widely remarked upon token ending (sky battle over city) is also present and although the action scenes are enjoyable and have some really fun moments they can also be uninventive and overbearing.
There is the issue of bubble bursting at play here too. When the Avengers was released it felt incredible – years of cinematic ground work had been laid leading up to this unprecedented moment; a superhero team-up movie. Not only did it happen but it worked, brilliantly. and Age of Ultron can't help but feel like a slight step down after that.
In the face of all these issues I still couldn't help but really enjoy Age of Ultron. I'm going give it a 7/10 and I'm sure if you've enjoyed other MCU films you're gonna like this one too.
If you've seen the film please comment and let me know what you thought of it and feel free to subscribe for more reviews coming soon.
There is the issue of bubble bursting at play here too. When the Avengers was released it felt incredible – years of cinematic ground work had been laid leading up to this unprecedented moment; a superhero team-up movie. Not only did it happen but it worked, brilliantly. and Age of Ultron can't help but feel like a slight step down after that.
In the face of all these issues I still couldn't help but really enjoy Age of Ultron. I'm going give it a 7/10 and I'm sure if you've enjoyed other MCU films you're gonna like this one too.
If you've seen the film please comment and let me know what you thought of it and feel free to subscribe for more reviews coming soon.
Appropriate Behavior Film Review
Transcript:
Appropriate Behavior is a drama-comedy which was written and directed by, and stars, Desiree Akhavan. In the film Akhavan plays Shirin; a young woman who is trying, and failing, to simultaneously become the ideal Persian daughter, a politically correct bisexual and a hip young Brooklynite.
Now if you've watched much indie cinema or television about twenty-something's in the last ten years then you know what you're in for. Awkward outcast who is more confident than they should be making awful life decisions set to the hip backdrop of New York.
That said it's great to see this story told from the bottom up by a woman about a woman who also happens to be a bi-sexual Persian/American. It lends the story a unique perspective and provides representation to certain sections of society that are too often ignored in cinema which is something to praise in of itself.
Akhavan and the rest of the cast do a very good job of selling this premise and there's a good amount of laughs to be had at the expense of the characters they play. Formally the film isn't anything to shout home about but has very nice warm, shadowy cinematography and the editing – which switches between the past and the present – is nicely handled.
There are certain moments that stand out as being particularly emotionally insightful, such as when Shirin has a threesome with two strangers, and these give the film some nice dramatic gravity. That said the focus of the film is very much of the 'first world problem' set and I can see this turning a lot of viewers off.
It also suffers, as already mentioned, in comparison to a lot of the stuff going on in the indie scene at the moment and overall doesn't do enough to set itself apart and say something new or different. Likewise the thematic topics at hand here are very interesting - struggling with an alternative sexuality, cultural ignorance and and the resulting familial friction in the face of both these issues - but the film doesn't dig far enough into them to make an impact.
Even though it was a little bit too familiar I liked Appropriate Behavior and I'm going to give it a 6/10. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes, and has room for more, stuff like Girls, Broad City, Frances Ha or Annie Hall.
If you've seen the film please let me know what you thought of it and feel free to subscribe for more reviews coming soon.
Even though it was a little bit too familiar I liked Appropriate Behavior and I'm going to give it a 6/10. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes, and has room for more, stuff like Girls, Broad City, Frances Ha or Annie Hall.
If you've seen the film please let me know what you thought of it and feel free to subscribe for more reviews coming soon.
Wetlands Film Review
Transcript:
Wetlands, AKA Feuchtgebiete, is a German film based on the best-selling, but highly controversial, book by Charlotte Roche. It was released in Germany in 2013 (it has yet to secure a UK release), is directed by David Wnendt and stars Swiss actor Carla Juri.
The story follows the The adventures of an eccentric girl named Helen who has very different attitudes towards hygiene and sexuality and longs for the reunion of her divorced parents. I watched this film a couple of nights ago and – whilst I've seen many movies of this nature before – was pretty stunned at the audaciousness of it all.
You watch Helen rub her vagina on dirty toilet seats with glee, savour smeg left on her hands long after she's finished tossing someone off and is eternally rubbing her vaginal juices all over her body to attract men. There's also a large amount of self-inflicted anal violence too.
Now you're probably thinking shit, that doesn't sound like something I wanna watch but it's all done in such a punk, joyously cartoon-y way you can't help but laugh and cheer her on. The visual style of the film helps a lot here. Right from the Fight Club echoing title sequence we get a playful, inventive visual style that pops from start to finish, blurring reality and fiction.
There are fantasy sequences, stylistic inter-titles and POV shots aplenty which all serve to match Helen's free-wheeling and carefree lifestyle. This narrative focus also probably wouldn't work without Carla Juri in the lead role – she absolutely sells the shit out of this character. In someone else's hands she could very easily become a hateful, disgusting and annoying character but Juri goes for broke with her incredibly brave performance and injects just enough vulnerability and pathos to the role.
Also worth noting are both Meret Becker and Axel Milberg – the former hilariously (and scarily) embodying Helen's neurotic mother and the latter giving a more low key performance as her absent father.
The story covers quite a bit of ground with a fair few characters coming in and out but mostly follows Helen around on her misadventures until she is hospitalised. At which point her attempts to reunite her divorced parents takes on more importance. Once this occurs the film does lose some narrative urgency but subtly swaps the kinetic tone of the first act for a deeper probe into the substantial drama at play.
SPOILERS
During the course of the film we are fed little segments of a flashback, being shown more and more as the film goes on. We finally come to know that Helen suffered a huge family trauma as a child and, although it is a powerful revelation, the film seems to suggest that this in some way explains her outlandish behaviour and that this behaviour is a negative symptom of it.
For me this undercut the counter-culture message and tone of the film somewhat and felt a little too neat and shallow of a dramatic conclusion to be introduced this late in the game.
SPOILERS END
SPOILERS
During the course of the film we are fed little segments of a flashback, being shown more and more as the film goes on. We finally come to know that Helen suffered a huge family trauma as a child and, although it is a powerful revelation, the film seems to suggest that this in some way explains her outlandish behaviour and that this behaviour is a negative symptom of it.
For me this undercut the counter-culture message and tone of the film somewhat and felt a little too neat and shallow of a dramatic conclusion to be introduced this late in the game.
SPOILERS END
So yeah, overall I liked Wetlands. It was funny, visually appealing, had some good dramatic depth, a refreshingly anarchic tone and a great soundtrack. It's transgressive with a good message about the fact that bodies and sex are gross and people should just get over that and mostly progressive with its attitude towards femininity in terms of what it shows and who it focuses on.
That said the pacing could have been a little tighter, the constant blurring of flashbacks, dreams, fantasy and reality became difficult to keep track of. I also thought the ending seemed a little at odds with the rest of the film and felt like, although it's myriad of influences were appreciated, the direction style could have been a little more disciplined.
I'm going to give Wetlands a 7/10 and would recommend it to fans of films like Kids, Trainspotting and Pink Flamingos.
Check back soon for more reviews!
That said the pacing could have been a little tighter, the constant blurring of flashbacks, dreams, fantasy and reality became difficult to keep track of. I also thought the ending seemed a little at odds with the rest of the film and felt like, although it's myriad of influences were appreciated, the direction style could have been a little more disciplined.
I'm going to give Wetlands a 7/10 and would recommend it to fans of films like Kids, Trainspotting and Pink Flamingos.
Check back soon for more reviews!
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