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Selma – Movie Review

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There are three things that this movie absolutely gets right. Firstly you have the subject matter. This is a film about Dr Martin Luther King; powerful, complicated, legendary. A leader almost completely untouched by modern day film-making, yet a leader who deserves respect. Why? Because he chose non-violent resistance in the face of utter brutality; if there ever was a time for a film about his legacy, it is now. The marches from Selma to Montgomery that took place in Alabama in 1965 over the right to vote must rank as one of the most iconic moments in history. Make no mistake, sometimes it is difficult to watch this film; visceral but not gratuitous, anger inducing at times but not ever condoning. In many ways as a historical story it’s beyond criticism, especially when so much reflects the world we live in today.

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Selma marks the first big-budget film from black independent director Ava DuVernay; she pulls no punches by filming in the very places where these historic events took place. She keeps things brisk, crafting each scene like an elegant dish to be served; she doesn’t waste any time on screen. Everything from a telephone ringing to an intimate conversation has purpose. For a motion picture epic such as this it comes in at little over two hours yet you never get the feeling that anything of value has been lost in transition.

Which leads us to the second thing this movie gets right; the approach. Rather than going for the customary ‘from the cradle to the grave’ biopic approach, Selma wisely concentrates on the events in Alabama, occurring just over a few weeks in February and March. 10 years after King’s first major civil-rights action. By the time the film starts he has already risen in power, delivered the ‘I have a dream’ speech and received the Nobel Peace Prize. This gives the film real focus as the series of atrocities which caused Dr King to be present in Selma can be covered in real depth. When King scores a victory, no matter how small, it is a victory for everyone. By the time the film finishes you may be on such a high that you fail to realise that just three years later Dr King will be assassinated at the age of 39. Such is the emphasis on the moment to moment reality, and the inner conviction of him and his many followers.

Thirdly you have the casting. Many of these actors could hold down a movie in their own right and they seem to be in roles that they relish. Tim Roth as racist governor George Wallace, Tom Wilkinson as President Lyndon Johnson, Oprah Winfrey (may she never ever quit acting) in her portrayal of the indomitable Annie Lee Cooper and David Oyelowo, a British actor who just seems to go from strength to strength and steps into Dr King’s shoes with ease, easily outdoing Idris’ portrayal of Mandela in just sheer power and presence alone. The supporting cast are strong, too, with Carmen Ejogo lending warmth and courage to the key role of Coretta Scott King the continual strain on their marriage is a central theme, Stan Houston is assured as the embittered, trigger-happy sheriff Jim Clark, and Dylan Baker fleetingly creepy as J Edgar Hoover, whose FBI wire taps and intercepts provide some genuinely testing scenes. The actors really lend themselves to making this film a success. A huge thanks too should go to Brad Pitts Company Plan B in backing this film. It’s no wonder that its snubbing in the Oscar nominations (up for Best Picture but not for director or acting) has caused almost complete outrage.

I noted that some reviewers have criticised the film for being too grandiose in nature. I feel these comments are completely unfair; grandiose compared to what? Titanic, Gladiator, Les Miserables,  even Man of Steel had a sense of identity, something to live up to and all of these are works of fiction. Selma has an identity because it is embedded in history. It’s understandable and only right that the actors desired to do the film justice.

Selma is one of those films that need to be seen, it’s compelling viewing because it’s a quality film that was deserved to be made for a generation that needs to see it. In a time where true values are easily forgotten Martin Luther King’s dream endures. If his truth were ever to be realised then the future can only be brighter for us all.

 

 

Super Mario Bros, The Original Motion Picture – Movie Review

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Regarded by many to be an all-time cult iconic movie, Super Mario Bros receives its high definition Blu-ray and DVD release on Monday 3rd November thanks to Second Sight.

Originally released in 1993 Super Mario Bros was later nominated for two Saturn Awards (one for Best Costume, the other for Best Make-up). But there are other reasons why this movie has received cult status and why, no matter your age you should purchase this film. Firstly, Super Mario Bros remains the only live action adaptation of a Nintendo video game; a company which celebrated its 125th anniversary this year. Super Mario Bros the game is their iconic title; the very fact that it made it to the big screen demonstrates just how loved these character are. Secondly, it remains one of the last movies where you can see legendary actors such as the late Bob Hoskins alongside John Leguizamo and Dennis Hopper all in one film.

If you haven’t seen the film, the story revolves around Brooklyn plumbers Mario and Luigi and how they discover a parallel world populated by the intelligent descendants of dinosaurs. It seems they weren’t destroyed by a meteor millions of years ago, but hurled in to a new dimension and now under leadership of the evil King Koopa have plans to take over the world. These two unlikely yet plucky heroes must battle ‘Goomba’ guards, free the beautiful Princess Daisy and save mankind in what has to be said was an all-out adventure of its time.

Just like the dinosaurs it also has to be said that Super Mario Bros represents a time that land soon forgot. Before the advances of green screen and endless CGI effects (of which this film still has loads) the emphasis was on characterisation, story telling, costly sets and building unique fan bases. Computer Games especially those which involve plumbers, dinosaurs and pipes do not fit into motion picture territory easily. I take my hat off to the script writers who had to juggle the complex nature of the game and weave it into something convincing and understandable for its audience. It’s no wonder that the film differentiates so much from the game and why many of the actors would talk about the endless challenges involved as well as just how much time they had to dedicate to making this film.

The end result though is something that shows its merit and is worth watching both for the nostalgia value but also because it is great fun, there are moments of excitement, there are loveable characters, and frequent nods to the game and the company that inspired it.

Being brought up to date means both discs are filled with loads of bonus features including:

  • ‘This Ain’t No Video Game’ – Brand new 60 minute documentary featuring new interviews with: Co-directors Rocky Morton and Annabel Jankel, Producer Roland Joffe, Actors John Leguizamo and Richard Edson, Writer Parker Bennett, Production Designer David Snyder, Art Director Walter Martishius, FX Artists Paul Elliot, Vincent Guastini and Rob Burman, Visual FX Designer Chris Woods, Editor Mark Goldblatt and Creature Designer Patrick Tatopoulos. Archive interviews with Bob Hoskins and Producer Jake Eberts
  • Making Of
  • Original Electronic Press Kit
  • Behind-the-scenes/Storyboard Galleries
  • And of course English subtitles for hard of hearing

Super Mario Bros receives its high definition Blu-ray and DVD release on Monday 3rd November from most retail stockists, pre-order your copy now and check out the trailer below.

 

 

Dracula Untold – Movie Review

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draculauntold_3059911bIf history is anything to go by there are many different ways of telling the legend that is Dracula and even more when it comes to covering the subject of Vampires of which Dracula is seen as the King or at least the one who started it all.

King of the Dracula movies so far has been Ford Coppola’s 1992 version, but here akin to the recent films such as ‘I Frankenstein’ what we have here is a dramatic retelling of the origin story, complete with armies in the style of 300, stop motion capture in the style of The Matrix and battles in the style and glory of Game of Thrones and more bats than Batman Begins. If Francis Ford Coppola had access to CGI effects like these who knows what he would have created. Instead it is down to director Gary Shore to capably show us his vista of the hows and whys of Vlad ‘the Impaler’ Tepes earning his supernatural powers and becoming a creature of the night.

Set in Transylvania during the 15th century, Transylvanian prince Vlad is enjoying a long period of peace. He served the Turks well and his brutal style of combat has earned him the name of “The Impaler”.  When Sultan Mehmed (Dominic Cooper); heir to the Turks throne demands 1,000 boys including Vlad’s own son to participate in his army with the ultimatum of not doing so being war and mass slaughter of his people. Vlad chooses to make a stand and seeks out an old mythical mountain and a nightmare creature (Charles Dance) in order to save his family and kingdom.

Striking up a bargain, Vlad is allowed to experience what it’s like to be a vampire for a short period of three days, giving him the strength of 100 men, the speed of a falling star and enough power to destroy his enemies. However, the catch is that he will also have an insatiable thirst for blood. If Vlad succumbs to this thirst he will forever be damned as a vampire and the evil that was contained within the mountain will be released. The story cracks along at a fairly fast pace; a solid film debut for Gary Shore who has directed from a script written by Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless. The dialogue is fantastic, very much the piece and the direction wise enough to have just enough scares without it crossing the boundary into actual horror territory. This film takes the honourable sympathetic approach to Dracula’s virtues – a man who is willing to risk all, including his humanity and sanity to save his son, his family, his kin and his kingdom.

Special effects alone cannot carry a movie and there are some great performances, Dominic Cooper and Charles Dance all carry their roles capably but it has to be said it is the charismatic presence of Welsh actor Luke Evans (Fast and Furious 6) which really anchors this film. It is incredible how he shines in this role, able to bring real emotions and real anguish to a character not yet previously seen. Thanks to him, you believe in Vlad’s cause, compromise with his predicament and feel empathy with his character when he seeks to exact revenge.

There is no doubt that Dracula Untold is a competent film, for many either they will either like it or hate it. There is just enough vampirism and love enough to soothe Twilight fans and more than enough action to suit the man cubs out there.

The slight let down is the ending which blatantly sets things up for a sequel. Hopefully if the film does well things could be very interesting indeed.

The Verdict

If you are into modern day imaginings, was a fan of the Twilight series and like Game of Thrones or Gladiator this film is your thing

8/10

The Giver – Movie Review

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appleIs it better to give than receive?

The Giver’ is the latest in the long line of film adaptations aimed at the angst driven young adult market; the very same genre that belonged to Twilight, Hunger Games, the latest iteration of Spiderman and most recently Diversion.

The movie Divergent is an interesting comparison to make because to be honest, even though Lois Lowry’s novel The Giver was released almost 15 years before Divergent in 1993 to what some would say was more critical acclaim once you have seen Divergent you just can’t watch this film without thinking this is just another version of the same film. To excuse the pun; this film just doesn’t diverge enough.

To be fair it boasts a decorated cast led by Jeff Bridges and Meryl Streep and a capable director in Patriot Games’s Phillip Noyce;  these key ingredients come together to create an incredible cocktail with what they have. But Meryl Streep in her bad girl role comes across like Kate Winslet’s evil step sister but with a whole lot less ‘aggy’, Jeff Bridges on the other hand is as enigmatic as ever but unable to really breathe given the limitations of his role.

Like many of the aforementioned films The Giver is set years after a cataclysmic event that prompted society to adopt a scheme whereby emotions are stripped and families are assembled based on character traits. When a young person leaves childhood, they are handed pre-determined roles within society. Those that don’t ‘fit’ become outcasts or ‘forgotten’; people can’t lie, the society is fashioned on order and obedience and with power comes control. Now, I don’t know about you but I’ve seen enough film adaptations to know that it is just ripe for someone who thinks differently to challenge the corruption and change the upheld views.

This task falls to none other than Jonas (Brenton Thwaites); chosen to take over the role of receiver of memory from The Giver.  He will learn everything about the world before the ‘new world order and utopia’ in order that he has the wisdom to advise the Elders in times of crisis. How will he learn you ask? Is it by reading books, in these types of utopia aren’t books banned? Of course they’re banned, No he learns through ‘mind-melds’ with The Giver, because he needs to ‘experience’ the past. Oooooh I hear you say. That’s exciting. Yes, and it is through these experiences that Jonas learns his new role comes at a cost, you see there is no such thing as love in this life, and no such thing as joy. As such he begins to experience an emotional awakening. Noyce cleverly visualizes Jonas’s epiphany by bleeding colour into black and white images, this happens in such a gradual deliberate way that it almost makes you take a double take, for example he sees the vivid red of an apple, or his love interest’s bright eyes before later seeing the sky full-on blossom into Technicolor.It’s a really nice touch.

This is one of the film’s greatest strengths, by experiencing Jonas relieving the memories of our own history the audience themselves are taken on a journey of the highs and the lows of life. It is there that the connection comes within the film as when he returns each day back to the society the blandness is almost all consuming and it is there you recognise with his plight to change things.

There are some other good supporting roles too. Katie Holmes and Alexander Skarsgård have great turns as Jonas’s parents, whilst Taylor Swift appears in hologram form as a former protégé of The Giver. Unfortunately, none of them are on screen long enough to create much of an impact.

Whilst obviously on a tighter budget than Hunger Games and Divergent, The Giver does well with its production values and costume design. Indeed if Steve Jobs is in charge of architecture up in heaven most would agree it would look like this.

The only thing I thought let the Giver down was its ending; it just lacks that visceral punch of its contemporaries. However, some would argue that it isn’t necessary; this is a touching film about love and identity; about power and responsibility not a movie actioner. It’s a nice film but I can’t help but feel it’s a shame; if this film had come out five or even ten years earlier it would probably be one of those memorable films of a lifetime. However with Hunger Games and Divergent sequels on the horizon my only fear is that this title will soon be forgotten.

7 / 10

Thor: The Dark World {Film Review}

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With Iron Man 3 and The Wolverine out of the way, it is now the God of Thunder’s turn to shine from Marvel. Set straight after the events from The Avengers, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) is a prisoner of Asgard and Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is busy keeping order to the Nine Realms. Though this all comes after a (rather obligatory and unneeded) opening with Anthony Hopkins’ Odin providing a voice-over. We’re introduced to Malekith (Christopher Eccleston), leader of the dark elves who has been searching a dark force called the Aether. Though defeated by Odin’s father, he and his army have escape and wait while in hibernated suspension till the Aether has been recovered.

 

Thor isn’t an easy character to be taken seriously, he is also the least relatable character out of The Avengers (he is a God after all). Kenneth Branagh succeeded on bringing Thor to life in 2011 but also handling the character with such sophistication (having adapted William Shakespeare’s plays helps). Director Alan Taylor now takes rein of the sequel and it’s not surprising with his previous credits (The Sopranos, Game of Thrones etc.) that he was a fitting choice. Though the big question was where do you take the story after Thor and The Avengers? Quite simply, you amp up the scale!

Thor - The Dark World

 

Chris Hemsworth returns as Thor and he delivers such charismatic charm. As said before, he may not be relatable but being likeable makes a huge difference if we’re going to be rooting for him. He continues to grow valiant and noble, even taking huge risks that not only will cost lives but their loyalty to his father and to Asgard. Sif (Jaimie Alexander) and the Warriors Three (Fandral (Zachary Levi), Hogun (Tadanobu Asano) and Volstagg (Ray Stevenson)) all return to bring their support (even if they’re given little to do). Anthony Hopkins makes a commanding presence as Odin, though he also can’t help but camp it up at times. Frigga finally has more to do and say this time round, making up for her lack of presence in the first movie. Though the character of Jane Foster is the most frustrating, mainly because she’s such an uninteresting character and is, ultimately, a damsel-in-distress. As Darcy (Kat Dennings) mentions that she’s been constantly looking for Thor but also eating her feelings away with ice cream in her pyjamas. I understand you were swooned by a God and see him in New York battling aliens but she’s such a pathetic character to even remotely worry for her when she’s in peril (no wonder Natalie Portman doesn’t talk about her much because there’s not much to talk about). Stellan Skarsgård as Erik Selvig and Kat Dennings’ Darcy are the supplemental comedy reliefs, though their scenes does come across being desperate comedy.

 

Christopher Eccleston’s Malekith brings menace but he’s unfortunately another weak Marvel villain (along with Mandarin in Iron Man 3). His motive is simply to bring darkness to the universe, yet it isn’t as threatening as it should be and comes out being one-dimensional. At least with General Zod in Man of Steel, you understand the reason for his motives despite the extremes he will take to achieve them. Though the highlight is Tom Hiddleston as Loki, he absolutely takes this opportunity to go all out and have fun. The scene between Thor and Loki are very funny, exchanging witty comebacks and sarcastic remarks on each other. Though underneath this comedic bantering, there’s an emotional core and you become attached to these two. There are a few cameos that many will enjoy, though one in particular will have scratching their heads on who he is and what relevance has he to do with Marvel’s Cinematic Universe. Oh and Stan Lee makes his appearance of course.

 

This movie has certainly been given a huge make-over since the first movie. Marvel was keeping it safe by having the budget moderately low in the first movie, they now give Taylor an arsenal to expand the Thor universe. The majority of this movie takes place in Asgard or Svartalfheim and really brings the sci-fi/fantasy settings to great use. It does contain some beautiful imagery (Asgard looks alive and robust, even aerial shots of Malekith’s ship floating in space). With the mix of fantasy and sci-fi, the movie does give the audience a task to just roll with it but manages to pull it off. The final climactic battle between Thor and Malekith is short but not excessive enough to keep it from being exciting and creative (something Zack Snyder should have done with Man of Steel).

Overall: Thor’s second entry is great fun and Taylor has continued to bring sophistication but also confidence to the character. Doesn’t exceed to greatness but it does whet movie-goers appetites for Marvel’s next outing with Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Guardians of the Galaxy next year.

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R.I.P.D Film Review

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Concept films either work or they don’t. Luckily R.I.P.D takes a fresh and original idea and runs with it. The film is funny and Ryan Reynolds is a great comedic actor with excellent comic timing, delivering his lines with aplomb. Jeff Bridges is a legendary comic actor. If you don’t believe me then just watch the Big Lebowski. He plays his comedy straighter in R.I.P.D, playing a lawman who died in the 1800s and was eaten by coyotes. (You’ll get it when you see the film)

Laugh out loud funny, the film has a clever plot and great characters. I found it hugely entertaining.

Spoiler Alert

Ryan Reynolds stars as a recently murdered cop who joins a team of undead police officers working for the Rest in Peace Department. This supernatural comedy film directed by Robert Schwentke is based on the comic book Rest in Peace Department by Peter M. Lenkov.

The fact that Reynolds and Bridges appear to the outside living world as an ‘old Chinese man’ and a beautiful blonde woman brings more comedy. Reynolds is still grieving his life. He misses his wife and he had an attack of conscious after taking and burying the gold he took with his crooked partner, after telling his partner, played by Kevin Bacon, that he is going to turn it in, his partner shoots and kills him. Unable to let go, he goes to his own funeral and tries to make contact with his wife.

The gold has significance and it is left to Reynolds and Bridges to save the world. Will they do it? Well, you’ll have fun finding out.

Four out of five stars.

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I Am Breathing Film Review

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i-am-breathing film reviewThe thin space between life and death becomes an unlikely source of optimism and hope in the face of grueling adversity, in this powerful yet restrained documentary. It follows the last months in the life of Neil Platt, a Yorkshire based architect who contracted Motor Neurone Disease in his early thirties and was left paralysed from the neck down and dependent on breathing apparatus. Under no illusions to the outcome of his diagnosis, Neil welcomes the filmmakers (one of whom he befriended at art school in Edinburgh)  into his home and family life and communicates, via interviews and an online blog he sets up, his struggle with the disease, his reflections on his life to date and the legacy he wishes to leave behind for his infant son Oscar.

 

From its opening scenes, any sense that we the audience are in for a thoroughly maudlin and downbeat experience are quickly and quietly dispelled by Platt’s engaging and immensely likeable presence. The most courageous acts can be the most subtle and the calm and dignity that he approaches his situation with is incredibly moving. Directing duo Emma Davie and Morag McKinnon keep interviews and observations stripped down and low key, settling for tight close ups for interviews and a handheld roaming camera to follow Platt’s interaction with family and friends and his daily tasks. There’s a genuine ‘fly on the wall’ feel to the proceedings and lengthy sequences that follow the minute details and tasks that suddenly seem to require a Herculean effort. There’s a sharp juxtaposition between a recognisable suburban home setting and the cold, sterile heaps of medical equipment that clutter the family home.  However far from settling for a miserabilist tone there’s a gentle and inspiring sense of humour in Platt’s observations of this new take on home life and his struggles with faulty assistance equipment. In one great scene, he recounts how his phone company can’t quite grasp that he won’t be alive in order to renew his phone contract (‘We can offer you three months for free?’)

 

When the directors do decide to break away from the low key formalism, they thankfully do it in tasteful and reserved manner. We are treated to animated depictions of Platt’s blog posts on Plattitude (every bit as droll and upbeat as interviews), diagrams of his work in architecture  home albums and video of early life and university where he met his wife Louise, who is never far from his side and appears as  rocksteady support for her husband. Platt recounts his eventful life prior to his diagnosis, his passion for motorcycling and the close knit unit of family and friends he has met over the years. The depictions of an active and healthy lifestyle underline the tragic nature of the illness without oversentimizing the issue.  As well as creating an itemised catalogue of personal items that he plans to leave to his son for later years, Platt intends the film itself to be a testament not just to his struggle with the disease but as a human being. In this regards I Am Breathing takes on an astonishingly personal and thought-provoking edge. How do you begin to sum up your life when you when you know it is being robbed from you in such a cruel manner? What do you plan to say and leave behind for your son who will have only vague memories of you? The honesty and straightforwardness of these reflections is quietly devastating.

 

As the inevitable draws closer and Neil’s methods of communication begin to fall away, the filmmakers keep their respective distance but stay with him to record his final blog entry and goodbyes at a hospice. It’s these scenes that are the most gruelling and challenging to get through. Some may argue they toe the line of taste yet  it is utterly to the filmmakers credit that they tackle such a painful, intimate moment with such reservation. Rather than trite sentiment they end on an image of seeming mundanity yet heartbreaking pogiance. As harrowing as the themes approached in I Am Breathing can be, the tone of the direction and the inspiring nature of the man at the heart of it create a warm, rich and incredibly moving portrait of not just a fight against illness but the rhythm of life itself. Along with a premiere screen at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, I Am Breathing is set to have its wide release in the UK and international community screenings  on 21st June, Motor Neurone Global Awareness Day. The Scottish Documentary Institute (SDI) and Motor Neurone Disease Association (MND Association) are collaborating to promote screenings of the film and awareness of the disease in general. A fitting tribute to both the film and the man at its centre.

 

Entity Film Review

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entity film reviewA group of documentary filmmakers travel into the heart of rural Siberia and come across all manners of unpleasantness in this low-budget, stripped down horror thriller written and directed by Steve Stone. It utilizes a low budget (approximately £100,000) to go over what is admittedly familiar material in the horror genre, but is executed in a stark and efficient manner that grabbed it the Best Horror Film at the London Independent Film Festival earlier this year.

 

A British documentary crew led by Kate Hansen (Charlotte Riley) for ‘Darkest Secrets’  travels to a remote Siberian woodland to report on a grisly find decades earlier; dozens of unidentified bodies shot dead and buried in shallow graves. Joining the established film crew are renowned psychic Ruth Peacock (Dervla Kirwan)  and local guide Yuri (Branko Tomovic), who escorts them to the location and narrates the backstory to their cameras. Hopes are that Ruth can give a unique insight into the the identity of the victims and why they were killed.  However they soon stumble across a vast, dilapidated research facility that harbours far more sinister secrets…

 

At first glance Entity would appear to heading down the well worn path of the found footage horror film that broke through into the mainstream with The Last Broadcast and The Blair Witch Project, and has been diluted down over the years with titles such as the Paranormal Activity quartet. The opening scenes play out via skipping and distorted CCTV footage and the cameras point of view is brought up and referenced several times throughout the film. Thankfully Stone resists succumbing to a ‘flavour of the month’ approach and settles for a more traditional narrative style and supernatural feel. The tone here favours atmosphere and chills over graphic carnage and the film touches on themes of regret, loss and memory that thankfully suggest the filmmakers agenda was above just splattering claret across the walls. The abandoned military facility is a horror subplot that has been done to death with recent incarnations such as The Bunker and Outpost. It’s credit to Stone and his collaborators that they manage with limited resources to craft such omnipresent dread from such a familiar setting. A large part of that is down to the impressive location scouted for the film; an abandoned, almost monolithic industrial estate that seems to smother the  characters and the very screen with its presence. The cinematography serves well in in transforming it into an embodiment of menace and transfers from graceful tracking shots to a frantic, hand held pursuit in night vision as the narrative develops. Proceedings are made more memorable by a strong cast doing good work with what do seem initially liked cliched roles. Particularly worthy of note is Kirwan who embodies her role with an ethereal calm in the face of fear, that always seems not too far from some form of breakdown as the story unfolds.  Branko Tomovic also does solid work in a role that is admittedly not very difficult to guess its trajectory but he invests it with a surprising mix of menace and care.

 

I had the fortune of seeing Entity at a director’s Q&A at the London Independent Film Festival. Just from Stone’s passion and enthusiastic response to questions it was easy to see the time and energy he had put into the project and how much it meant to him on a personal level . Entity is not without its rough edges but it gets the job done with effective determination.