Many people will be excited at the prospect of seeing Al Pacino and Robert De Niro back on screen together. One would expect this dream combination, previously glimpsed only briefly in the over-rated Heat, to only come about when an outstanding project comes along that demands the two hard nuts reunite. It is hard to see how Righteous Kill appeared to be that outstanding project. Al and Bobby must have been paid some serious green to appear in this rather average thriller.
Detectives Turk (De Niro) and Rooster (Pacino) have been partners for a long time (if this was real life, they would surely have retired by now) working the mean streets of New York. While investigating a serial killer that targets scumbags who have escaped jail, suspicion begins to fall on Turk as the bodies pile up.
De Niro and Pacino are, of course, very good, but that doesn’t mean they’re trying particularly hard. An appearance from 50 Cent is passable, but it is perhaps only Carla Gugino as Turk’s experimental love interest who shines,
The film is very claustrophobic, with lots of close ups and tight shots on the characters. I suspect that’s to hide the meagre production values (which look about the same as a mid-level Law & Order episode) rather than for any artistic reason. The script has few memorable lines and the plot will not keep your interest up to the end. This is one to see on DVD rather than in the cinema.
Wednesday, 22 October 2008
Monday, 20 October 2008
Review - Then She Found Me
Bette Midler is the Queen of the depressing chick flick (Beaches has left many women quivering wrecks, me included), and her latest role sticks to familiar territory. However, Then She Found Me is not some glossy melodrama, but a sensitive and quiet portrayal of relationships with a rough, low-budget edge that makes it feel very real indeed.
Helen Hunt’s directorial debut follows April Epner (played by Hunt herself), a religious, newlywed teacher in her late thirties. In a few short weeks her marriage falls apart, her adoptive mother dies, her birth mother (Midler) finds her, and she meets the delectable-but-troubled Frank (Colin Firth). This gives April and the audience a lot to deal with, but the slow pace allows for many heartbreakingly intimate moments to be played out on screen, allowing the film time to breathe.
The most striking thing about Then She Found Me is the character of April. She is not glamorous, she is not even particularly interesting on the surface, but she has inner strength and doesn’t require continuous approval from others. Everyone knows women like her, but they rarely appear in films. Her character is lovingly captured in details like her cloth shoulder bag and dodgy sandals, small things that build into a real person. Hunt plays her with a great deal of humility and grace.
Bette Midler is wonderful as her feisty and tricksy new mother, who finds her daughter not as welcoming as she’d hoped. Colin Firth is lovely as usual playing a single father who has been terribly hurt in the past, although his character is one of those who is adorable on screen but would be infuriating in real life (like Ally McBeal or Ross Geller).
Then She Found Me is a mature and thoughtful drama that deals with love, loss and family and it has a perfect little ending. It may not be likely to attract a large male following, but Helen Hunt has pulled off the rarest of feats: an intelligent chick flick.
Helen Hunt’s directorial debut follows April Epner (played by Hunt herself), a religious, newlywed teacher in her late thirties. In a few short weeks her marriage falls apart, her adoptive mother dies, her birth mother (Midler) finds her, and she meets the delectable-but-troubled Frank (Colin Firth). This gives April and the audience a lot to deal with, but the slow pace allows for many heartbreakingly intimate moments to be played out on screen, allowing the film time to breathe.
The most striking thing about Then She Found Me is the character of April. She is not glamorous, she is not even particularly interesting on the surface, but she has inner strength and doesn’t require continuous approval from others. Everyone knows women like her, but they rarely appear in films. Her character is lovingly captured in details like her cloth shoulder bag and dodgy sandals, small things that build into a real person. Hunt plays her with a great deal of humility and grace.
Bette Midler is wonderful as her feisty and tricksy new mother, who finds her daughter not as welcoming as she’d hoped. Colin Firth is lovely as usual playing a single father who has been terribly hurt in the past, although his character is one of those who is adorable on screen but would be infuriating in real life (like Ally McBeal or Ross Geller).
Then She Found Me is a mature and thoughtful drama that deals with love, loss and family and it has a perfect little ending. It may not be likely to attract a large male following, but Helen Hunt has pulled off the rarest of feats: an intelligent chick flick.
Review - Tropic Thunder
I am pretty obsessed by the Vietnam War, and particularly the films it spawned. I admit that they are not chuckle-fests, though. The Deer Hunter is not known for its one-liners. There is precious little slapstick in Platoon (although in my opinion, it could only have improved things) and Apocalypse Now is more ‘funny strange’ than ‘funny ha-ha’. Ben Stiller has used the innate seriousness of this genre to create the most hilarious film I’ve seen since Superbad.
The story follows a group of egotistical actors trying to make a movie based on the memoirs of a Vietnam vet (the wonderful Nick Nolte). Unfortunately, they end up struggling to survive in the jungle for real, surrounded by a new ‘Charlie’ trying to take them out with real bullets.
The characters are introduced in a series of fake trailers that are worth the price of admission alone: this is scalpel-sharp satire on the contemporary film business and gloriously silly to boot. Stiller is a Bruce Willis-lite action hero trying to be taken seriously, Robert Downey Jr. is a carbon-copy Russell Crowe, totally committed to his role, and Jack Black is a cross-between himself and Eddie Murphy.
Stiller and his writing partner Justin Theroux have left no cliché unturned in the quest for laughs, and they have delivered in spades. Silly situations, characters that ring true and wonderful performances make this one of the comedies of the year. It is a testament to how good it is that the appearance of Tom Cruise in a fat suit (with the fat mostly concentrated on his lower arms) is one of the least funny elements.
The story follows a group of egotistical actors trying to make a movie based on the memoirs of a Vietnam vet (the wonderful Nick Nolte). Unfortunately, they end up struggling to survive in the jungle for real, surrounded by a new ‘Charlie’ trying to take them out with real bullets.
The characters are introduced in a series of fake trailers that are worth the price of admission alone: this is scalpel-sharp satire on the contemporary film business and gloriously silly to boot. Stiller is a Bruce Willis-lite action hero trying to be taken seriously, Robert Downey Jr. is a carbon-copy Russell Crowe, totally committed to his role, and Jack Black is a cross-between himself and Eddie Murphy.
Stiller and his writing partner Justin Theroux have left no cliché unturned in the quest for laughs, and they have delivered in spades. Silly situations, characters that ring true and wonderful performances make this one of the comedies of the year. It is a testament to how good it is that the appearance of Tom Cruise in a fat suit (with the fat mostly concentrated on his lower arms) is one of the least funny elements.
Thursday, 28 August 2008
Review - Hellboy II: The Golden Army
The first Hellboy film premiered in 2004, and made little impression on the mainstream audience. For an ostensible superhero movie, it had a strange central character, and it was helmed by a Mexican director best known for Blade 2. However, it became a favourite amongst aficionados of the genre, valued for its sense of fun and respect for its source material (a comic by Mike Mignola). Since then, its director Guillermo del Toro has achieved widespread acclaim for his Spanish-language films Pan’s Labyrinth and The Orphanage. His Hellboy sequel is therefore garnering a lot more attention than the original, and expectations are high. Those now following del Toro’s career will not be disappointed, as it delivers his trademarked mix of creepy monsters and loss in a fun package.
Hellboy (Ron Perlman) is a demon who fights supernatural forces for the US government with his girlfriend Liz (Selma Blair), who can control fire, and Abe Sapien (Doug Jones), a psychic and very polite fish man. In this film they must take on Prince Nuada, the rebellious son of the elf king who wants to restore his people’s kingdom on Earth using the Golden Army, a mechanical fighting force buried under Ireland.
This bonkers plot allows plenty of space for del Toro’s favourite creations: pale and clammy creatures with eyes in surprising places. The various elves, goblins and fairies that feature can be genuinely frightening or strangely beautiful (sometimes both at once). A stunning animated sequence at the start of the film places these strange beings in the fairytales of our childhood, showing how deeply they are engrained on our collective psyche. There are still plenty of laughs, though, as the relationships between the bizarre cast of characters play out like a domestic sitcom. The use of a Barry Manilow song is a particular highlight.
Ron Perlman’s decades spent as a character actor getting bit parts have finally paid off, with the lead role of Hellboy perfectly suited to his strangely shaped head. He really captures the character’s mixture of strength and softness. The biggest casting surprise was Luke Goss, wielding a sword and working a blond wig with graceful malevolence as Prince Nuada. After this and Charlie, perhaps it is time we stopped thinking of him as “that one out of Bros”.
It is Doug Jones who gives the most impressive performance, however. He is totally adorable as his character falls in love for the first time – the emotions shining through the layers of makeup. After playing Silver Surfer in the Fantastic Four sequel and the Faun and the Pale Man in Pan’s Labyrinth with similar skill, perhaps it is time for him to be seen on screen without latex.
Hellboy II is certainly more fun and full of ideas than the doom-laden Dark Knight, and deserves to get as big an audience. It is clear this is a product of a director totally in love with his characters and the story. Hints dropped suggest more serious challenges ahead for Hellboy and his friends in the next instalment, but for now we can sit back and enjoy this twisted romp through fairyland.
Hellboy (Ron Perlman) is a demon who fights supernatural forces for the US government with his girlfriend Liz (Selma Blair), who can control fire, and Abe Sapien (Doug Jones), a psychic and very polite fish man. In this film they must take on Prince Nuada, the rebellious son of the elf king who wants to restore his people’s kingdom on Earth using the Golden Army, a mechanical fighting force buried under Ireland.
This bonkers plot allows plenty of space for del Toro’s favourite creations: pale and clammy creatures with eyes in surprising places. The various elves, goblins and fairies that feature can be genuinely frightening or strangely beautiful (sometimes both at once). A stunning animated sequence at the start of the film places these strange beings in the fairytales of our childhood, showing how deeply they are engrained on our collective psyche. There are still plenty of laughs, though, as the relationships between the bizarre cast of characters play out like a domestic sitcom. The use of a Barry Manilow song is a particular highlight.
Ron Perlman’s decades spent as a character actor getting bit parts have finally paid off, with the lead role of Hellboy perfectly suited to his strangely shaped head. He really captures the character’s mixture of strength and softness. The biggest casting surprise was Luke Goss, wielding a sword and working a blond wig with graceful malevolence as Prince Nuada. After this and Charlie, perhaps it is time we stopped thinking of him as “that one out of Bros”.
It is Doug Jones who gives the most impressive performance, however. He is totally adorable as his character falls in love for the first time – the emotions shining through the layers of makeup. After playing Silver Surfer in the Fantastic Four sequel and the Faun and the Pale Man in Pan’s Labyrinth with similar skill, perhaps it is time for him to be seen on screen without latex.
Hellboy II is certainly more fun and full of ideas than the doom-laden Dark Knight, and deserves to get as big an audience. It is clear this is a product of a director totally in love with his characters and the story. Hints dropped suggest more serious challenges ahead for Hellboy and his friends in the next instalment, but for now we can sit back and enjoy this twisted romp through fairyland.
Review - Mamma Mia!
Since premiering in 1999, the Mamma Mia! stage show has broken box office records around the world. Unfortunately, it also started the trend for back catalogue musicals, spawning Ben Elton’s We Will Rock You and the grotesque gold Freddy Mercury, the Colossus of Tottenham Court Road, that accompanies it. The concept no one thought would work proved to be a huge (and repeatable) success, showing that when it comes to musical scores, familiarity breeds moolah. A screen adaptation of this Abba musical was inevitable, and the result is one of the silliest and most fun films of the year.
The plot concerns Donna Sheridan (Meryl Streep), an aging hippie who runs a guesthouse on a Greek island with her daughter Sophie (Amanda Seyfried). Despite their idyllic life, Sophie has never felt whole because she doesn’t know who her father is. On the eve of her wedding, she secretly invites the three men who could potentially be her daddy, played by Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Stellan Skarsgård. Much inevitable hilarity ensues, as the past is uncovered and relationships blossom under the Mediterranean sun.
A person’s reaction to this film is likely to be dependent on their feelings towards Abba, so central is their music to proceedings. The plot seems little more than a frame to hang the hits on at times, with songs somewhat shoehorned in. Working in Fernando, the sad lament to defeat in a civil war in Central America, thankfully proved a step too far for Catherine Johnson (the writer of the original play and this script) and it is left out.
Casting non-singers in a musical is always a risk, and here the results are mixed. Amanda Seyfried’s clear voice is the best of the bunch, and her adorable performance marks her as a star in the making. Brosnan, Firth and Skarsgård, on the other hand, are peculiarly awful. Still, their attempts at carrying tunes are amusing, and show that this is not a film meant to be taken seriously. The only other time I can recall seeing Meryl Streep burst into song is at the end of the Deer Hunter, and I am always crying so much that I have failed to register whether or not she can actually sing. It turns out she can; and whilst she may not be technically perfect, she more than makes up for it with her sincerity and conviction in the role.
Mamma Mia! is a ridiculous sun-drenched confection made enjoyable because of the exuberance of the performances and the pop brilliance of the songs. Whatever cruel things critics say about inane lyrics and sequined platform boots, Benny and Björn’s soaring melodies have become the soundtrack to people’s lives. This film gives us an opportunity to experience these songs again, making it a sure-fire hit. Now brace yourself We Will Rock You: The Movie.
Wednesday, 11 June 2008
Review - Iron Man
One of the lesser-known Marvel superheroes, Iron Man has potentially one of the hardest origin stories to translate into the present day. In most of the other recent film adaptations, “genetic engineering” has been used in place of ‘radiation’ (the science buzzword of the 1960s when these characters were created) as the catch-all cause of superpowers. Iron Man, on the other hand, came into being trying to stop a warlord in Vietnam, and is definitely a product of Cold War concerns.
Under these circumstances, the writing team and director Jon Favreau have done a great job of translating the story to the modern day, although thanks must also go to the Bush administration for giving him another unwinnable guerrilla conflict to substitute for Southeast Asia.
Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) is an uber-wealthy international playboy and genius-level engineer who runs his family weapons company. While demonstrating his latest product to the army in Afghanistan, he is captured by rebels and ordered to make them one of his efficient killing machines. Tony instead builds a robotic suit of armour and escapes the rebels’ clutches, vowing to stop making guns and to start helping people by using his new creation.
Unusually for this genre, the tidy storyline makes complete sense (barring, of course, the technology involved), and allows plenty of time for the performances from Downey and Gwyneth Paltrow to shine through. He is charisma personified and brings warmth and pathos to the role. Paltrow’s Pepper Potts (Stark’s Miss Moneypenny) is upright, organised, strawberry blond and everything you’d want in a secretary.
The effects are excellent, with the Iron Man suit always looking real and never like it’s been stuck on in Photoshop. Action sequences here may not be as exciting as those in Spider-Man, but this is a function of Iron Man’s power being slightly less cool, rather than anything the film-makers have done wrong; fights between robots easily become swirling chunks of metal and can be confusing to follow, as previously seen in Transformers. The rest of the film more than makes up for this, however, satisfying with genuinely charming characters and loads of funny moments.
Under these circumstances, the writing team and director Jon Favreau have done a great job of translating the story to the modern day, although thanks must also go to the Bush administration for giving him another unwinnable guerrilla conflict to substitute for Southeast Asia.
Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) is an uber-wealthy international playboy and genius-level engineer who runs his family weapons company. While demonstrating his latest product to the army in Afghanistan, he is captured by rebels and ordered to make them one of his efficient killing machines. Tony instead builds a robotic suit of armour and escapes the rebels’ clutches, vowing to stop making guns and to start helping people by using his new creation.
Unusually for this genre, the tidy storyline makes complete sense (barring, of course, the technology involved), and allows plenty of time for the performances from Downey and Gwyneth Paltrow to shine through. He is charisma personified and brings warmth and pathos to the role. Paltrow’s Pepper Potts (Stark’s Miss Moneypenny) is upright, organised, strawberry blond and everything you’d want in a secretary.
The effects are excellent, with the Iron Man suit always looking real and never like it’s been stuck on in Photoshop. Action sequences here may not be as exciting as those in Spider-Man, but this is a function of Iron Man’s power being slightly less cool, rather than anything the film-makers have done wrong; fights between robots easily become swirling chunks of metal and can be confusing to follow, as previously seen in Transformers. The rest of the film more than makes up for this, however, satisfying with genuinely charming characters and loads of funny moments.
Thursday, 3 April 2008
Review - The Cottage
British film comedy at the moment owes a lot to Shaun of the Dead, which whisked away the cobwebs of soppy Richard Curtis rom-coms and allowed us to show the world that we too are part of the slacker generation and can be geeky and funny at once. The Cottage may not be quite as good as Shaun, but it is certainly up there with its successor Hot Fuzz when it comes to silly spoofery.
The simple plot follows two inept brothers who have kidnapped a rich girl and are holding her to ransom in the middle of nowhere. Andy Serkis (Gollum from Lord of the Rings, here without the motion capture suit) plays David, the hardened criminal mastermind of the pair who unfortunately puts his trust in Peter (Reece Shearsmith, the normal-looking one from the League of Gentleman, but confusingly the one with the least normal name), a snivelling, cowardly family man. After their plan goes wrong, things get very much worse very rapidly, as there is someone else out there in the woods.
Lots of gruesome fun ensues as the characters realise they have stepped straight into a Sussex Chainsaw Massacre. This film has obviously been made on a small budget, but they’ve kept cast and sets to a minimum and concentrated where it matters, on blood and guts. Serkis and Shearsmith make a good double act (although their accents make believing they are brothers difficult), and Jennifer Ellison is wonderful as Tracey, the crotch-kicking, mouthy Scouser who isn’t easy to hold captive. A nice little send up of the horror genre, The Cottage has enough sick belly laughs to leave you smiling on the way out of the cinema.
The simple plot follows two inept brothers who have kidnapped a rich girl and are holding her to ransom in the middle of nowhere. Andy Serkis (Gollum from Lord of the Rings, here without the motion capture suit) plays David, the hardened criminal mastermind of the pair who unfortunately puts his trust in Peter (Reece Shearsmith, the normal-looking one from the League of Gentleman, but confusingly the one with the least normal name), a snivelling, cowardly family man. After their plan goes wrong, things get very much worse very rapidly, as there is someone else out there in the woods.
Lots of gruesome fun ensues as the characters realise they have stepped straight into a Sussex Chainsaw Massacre. This film has obviously been made on a small budget, but they’ve kept cast and sets to a minimum and concentrated where it matters, on blood and guts. Serkis and Shearsmith make a good double act (although their accents make believing they are brothers difficult), and Jennifer Ellison is wonderful as Tracey, the crotch-kicking, mouthy Scouser who isn’t easy to hold captive. A nice little send up of the horror genre, The Cottage has enough sick belly laughs to leave you smiling on the way out of the cinema.
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