It is perhaps indicative of the quality of this biopic that it is bookended by the most banal of President George W. Bush’s crises: the pretzel in the throat incident. When I heard that the notorious lefty Oliver Stone was going to film the story of the most hated President in living memory, I (like everyone else) expected a savage indictment of the man. In the end this film, like the partial choking, is mildly amusing but ultimately harmless.
The most puzzling thing about this movie is that it completely bypasses the interesting aspects of W.’s life and presidency: the draft dodging, the drinking, the religious epiphany, the wrangling of the 2000 election, September 11th. Instead, Stone and screenwriter Stanley Weiser have chosen to show a few snatches of Yale frat life, a bit of the ‘lost years’ doing various jobs, and then the decision making process leading to the invasion of Iraq. Stone was presumably trying to avoid the ‘controversial’ tag as much as possible by pulling his punches, using the pretence of concentrating on the inner workings of George. Of course, he doesn’t seem to have very interesting inner workings. All we learn is that he has a very good memory, a bad case of sibling rivalry and a rich Daddy who is disappointed in him.
That’s not to say that Stone has portrayed his subject positively. Infamous ‘Bushisms’ are awkwardly shoe-horned into the script to make him look ridiculous. He comes across as an idiot and a rich kid trying to be a good ole boy, but he also seems quite innocent. His advisors, particularly the shadowy figure of Karl Rove, are the ones manipulating his hot head to their advantage.
Josh Brolin plays the current President of the United States with an authentically inauthentic Texan drawl and just the right level of down-home, smirking confidence, and he does well with the material given to him. The rest of the Bush clan are also nicely played. Elizabeth Banks comes across as a very sweet Laura Bush, and James Cromwell is suitably domineering as the elder George. The real let down comes with W.’s inner circle, particularly Thandie Newton as Condoleezza Rice. These parts are just bad caricatures; the scenes in the Oval Office would resemble an SNL skit if the script was at all witty.
All in all, this is a slow, boring, incomprehensible film. I really do not know what Stone was trying to achieve by rushing out this film in time for the election. Perhaps it would have been understandable in 2004, but as there is no danger of W. getting another term, it doesn’t seem necessary to inflict this upon us. The subject of George W. Bush would be better explored by an out and out comedy or by a serious look at his life and motivations. He probably deserves both. As it is, this is a half-baked take on a few scenes from his life. Like the pretzel, it could have done some real damage, but instead is easily wiped from the memory.
Friday, 31 October 2008
Wednesday, 22 October 2008
London Film Festival review - Frost/Nixon
Being young as I am, David Frost is the man I used to watch on a Sunday morning before I had Sky and had the power to flick to something interesting. Sitting there seriously in a suit interviewing the Shadow Transport Secretary, to my generation he is pretty indistinguishable from a David or Jonathan Dimbleby. There was Through the Keyhole, or course, which hinted at hidden depths (or should that be hidden shallows?), but he was just another journalist to us.
However, 30 or 40 years ago, Frost was a very big deal. The British satirical sketch show That Was the Week That Was he fronted actually transferred to America, something that nowadays would still be a bit of a coup, and he had chat shows in Britain, America and Australia. Then there are the Nixon interviews. The friend I took to see Frost/Nixon at the London Film Festival had never even heard of them, and I knew very little; Watergate is not the historic touchstone for us that it is to people glued to their television screens at the time. Nevertheless, we found this account of the meetings between Frost and the disgraced ex-President to be absolutely riveting.
Beginning with Nixon’s resignation in 1974, the films follows Frost (Michael Sheen) as he tries to arrange the interview everyone wants but no-one can get. Nixon (Frank Langella) has retired to his California beach house, making ends meet with low-end speaking engagements. He agrees to Frost’s request for an interview because he thinks he’ll be in for an easy ride. With the American television networks not interested, David must raise Nixon’s considerable fee himself. Finally, in 1977, they sit down to talk in front of the cameras.
The tension built up to this point is palpable. The director Ron Howard has managed to make the film as nerve-wracking as Apollo 13, one of his previous efforts. The years of preparation and study on both sides come down to a few hours of filming. This is a battle of wits, and only one person can emerge victorious.
Sheen and Langella are wonderful in their roles, both hitting the right balance between impersonation and characterisation. David Frost comes off as a bit of a berk, really. A man with ambitions bigger than his talents, he seems desperate for success but willing to work to achieve it. Richard Nixon appears to be very complex. Slippery as an eel and sharp as a pin, he also seems very lonely. Of course, his problems are self-inflicted, and the film doesn’t paint him as a victim.
The supporting cast is also excellent. Frost’s team of Oliver Platt, Matthew MacFadyen and Sam Rockwell are funny and charming. Kevin Bacon is quite terrifying as Nixon’s right hand man and Rebecca Hall is adorable in the role of Frost’s girlfriend.
The script they have to work with, based on the successful play, is hilarious, insightful and very, very clever. Everything, in fact, about the production screams 'quality'. This is a classy film about a fascinating subject that will leave you desperate to get home and look at those interviews again on YouTube. David Frost certainly wasn’t this exciting sitting on that sofa every Sunday morning on BBC1.
However, 30 or 40 years ago, Frost was a very big deal. The British satirical sketch show That Was the Week That Was he fronted actually transferred to America, something that nowadays would still be a bit of a coup, and he had chat shows in Britain, America and Australia. Then there are the Nixon interviews. The friend I took to see Frost/Nixon at the London Film Festival had never even heard of them, and I knew very little; Watergate is not the historic touchstone for us that it is to people glued to their television screens at the time. Nevertheless, we found this account of the meetings between Frost and the disgraced ex-President to be absolutely riveting.
Beginning with Nixon’s resignation in 1974, the films follows Frost (Michael Sheen) as he tries to arrange the interview everyone wants but no-one can get. Nixon (Frank Langella) has retired to his California beach house, making ends meet with low-end speaking engagements. He agrees to Frost’s request for an interview because he thinks he’ll be in for an easy ride. With the American television networks not interested, David must raise Nixon’s considerable fee himself. Finally, in 1977, they sit down to talk in front of the cameras.
The tension built up to this point is palpable. The director Ron Howard has managed to make the film as nerve-wracking as Apollo 13, one of his previous efforts. The years of preparation and study on both sides come down to a few hours of filming. This is a battle of wits, and only one person can emerge victorious.
Sheen and Langella are wonderful in their roles, both hitting the right balance between impersonation and characterisation. David Frost comes off as a bit of a berk, really. A man with ambitions bigger than his talents, he seems desperate for success but willing to work to achieve it. Richard Nixon appears to be very complex. Slippery as an eel and sharp as a pin, he also seems very lonely. Of course, his problems are self-inflicted, and the film doesn’t paint him as a victim.
The supporting cast is also excellent. Frost’s team of Oliver Platt, Matthew MacFadyen and Sam Rockwell are funny and charming. Kevin Bacon is quite terrifying as Nixon’s right hand man and Rebecca Hall is adorable in the role of Frost’s girlfriend.
The script they have to work with, based on the successful play, is hilarious, insightful and very, very clever. Everything, in fact, about the production screams 'quality'. This is a classy film about a fascinating subject that will leave you desperate to get home and look at those interviews again on YouTube. David Frost certainly wasn’t this exciting sitting on that sofa every Sunday morning on BBC1.
Review - Righteous Kill
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.
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.
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.
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