I am very proud to say that I have never seen Titanic. I was 14 when it came out and everyone at school was obsessed, particularly with Leonardo DiCaprio. We went on a French exchange trip and the situation was even worse over there. Celine Dion echoed round the country and I vowed never to see the watery epic. I was therefore not particularly inclined to see another film by James Cameron, and helpfully he decided not to make any for ten years. But then I saw the trailer for Avatar, and knew I had to see the CGI in 3D even if it was put together by the bombastic self-proclaimed king of the world.
Avatar is set on a planet called Pandora, home to a tall, blue, humanoid species called the Na’vi that live in a lush forest at one with nature. Although the atmosphere is toxic to humans, we earthlings have travelled there to mine a valuable mineral called unobtanium (a groan-inducing name), putting us at war with the Na’vi over land. Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) is a paraplegic ex-marine brought in to work on a special project in place of his dead twin brother. Sully’s brain is connected up to an ‘avatar’, a half-Na’vi, half-human creature grown especially for the purpose so that he can safely go amongst the Na’vi and negotiate. As he learns the way of the Na’vi and falls for a beautiful Na'vi called Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), he realises that what the humans are doing is wrong.
Cameron has created a story full of high-concept conceits, but that is still paper thin. The environmental and historical allegories involved stick out more obviously than any of the 3D graphics, and the message behind it is as deep as a puddle. It’s just FernGully: The Last Rainforest in space.
The situation is not helped by the choice of leading man. Worthington is hunky, but lacks charisma. And when James Cameron has defined your character only as ‘not as bright as your dead twin brother’, and ‘quite a good marine’, you need all the charisma you can get. Sigourney Weaver brings sparkle to the screen as a scientist, Zoe Saldana is appealing as Neytiri, and it is nice to see Giovanni Ribisi in an atypical role, but generally there is little space in the dumb plot for you to get involved with any characters.
Now that I have established that Avatar is a mediocre film, I can now discuss the reason why everyone will still see it: the CGI. Using new techniques specially developed for the film, the 3D computer graphics are the finest ever made. A sequence where Sully’s avatar is shown the forest at night by Neytiri is breathtaking in a way perhaps only comparable to the first sight of the diplodoci in Jurassic Park (even if it looks suspiciously like the early levels of Rayman). The Na’vi characters are rendered very well, with realistic facial expressions. Cameron’s intention was to get rid of the creepiness of CGI humanoids, and though creepiness remains it is at a far lower level than usual. The 3D is integrated and realistic, not gimmicky with things flying at your face.
Most people will feel that it is worth sitting through the slow opening act and drawn-out final battle for the truly cinematic experience of this middle section. But few will be moved by this technological marvel, something which Titanic (however much I detest everything it stands for) managed to do to millions.
Saturday, 9 January 2010
Thursday, 17 December 2009
Review - Paranormal Activity
Most horror films are marketed as “the most terrifying movie ever made”, and Paranormal Activity is no exception. As is usually the case, this is a gross overestimation of the scariness level involved.
The film is another example of the The Blair Witch Project school of fake documentary, a technique most successfully used by Cloverfield. A young (and very annoying) couple are hearing bumps in the night, the same bumps that have been plaguing the girl (Katie Featherstone, a slightly dumpier and brunette version of Amy Adams) since childhood. The guy (Micah Sloat) decides to buy a video camera and start recording the goings on, even though a paranormal expert warns them not to antagonise the demon. The film is ostensibly the footage they shot.
Made extremely cheaply and with no effects you would class as “special”, the film is surprisingly effective for most of its running time. With the camera recording the couple as they sleep throughout the night, the audience must be very quiet to hear the paranormal activity, naturally producing tension and jumpiness. There are no big scares, though, and by the end your patience may have run out with both the demon and the couple.
The film is enjoyable if you are in the right mood. Otherwise you’ll realise you’re spending minutes of your finite life watching a bedsheet twitch.
The film is another example of the The Blair Witch Project school of fake documentary, a technique most successfully used by Cloverfield. A young (and very annoying) couple are hearing bumps in the night, the same bumps that have been plaguing the girl (Katie Featherstone, a slightly dumpier and brunette version of Amy Adams) since childhood. The guy (Micah Sloat) decides to buy a video camera and start recording the goings on, even though a paranormal expert warns them not to antagonise the demon. The film is ostensibly the footage they shot.
Made extremely cheaply and with no effects you would class as “special”, the film is surprisingly effective for most of its running time. With the camera recording the couple as they sleep throughout the night, the audience must be very quiet to hear the paranormal activity, naturally producing tension and jumpiness. There are no big scares, though, and by the end your patience may have run out with both the demon and the couple.
The film is enjoyable if you are in the right mood. Otherwise you’ll realise you’re spending minutes of your finite life watching a bedsheet twitch.
Review - Das weisse Band – Eine deutsche Kindergeschichte (The White Ribbon)
Evil comes in many forms, and mindless cruelty seems to be Michael Haneke’s favourite. This engrossing and Palme d’Or-winning film examines the tensions that can simmer just below the surface of a seemingly ordered society. While certainly not a horror film or even a thriller, it will leave you feeling unsettled for days.
The setting is a German village in 1913 plagued by random acts of nastiness. Who is the culprit? Why are they doing it? We follow many different people as they try to go about their normal lives, from the local Baron to the lowly farmer. People are born, fall in love and die, and yet the mysterious happenings continue.
Filmed in digital black and white, everything about this film is exquisitely just-so. The pace is measured and the framing of each shot is somehow still and quiet, but never boring. The White Ribbon feels like the sort of film they haven’t made since the 70s: of a decidedly modern sensibility but with a respect for the audience that has been otherwise lost in the years since.
The full German title should give you a clue that there are some children involved in the story. Child acting is often pretty iffy, so that fact could raise alarm bells. Never fear, though, because Haneke has chosen wisely and all give wonderful performances. Two adorable little boys and a mildly terrifying older girl called Klara (Maria-Victoria Dragus) are particularly noteworthy. Amongst the adults, the sweetest scenes feature a geeky school teacher (Christian Friedel) and his burgeoning relationship with the Baron’s nanny (Leonie Benesch). Their innocence and goodness contrasts sharply with some of the other residents of the village.
The shadow of history hangs heavy here. But while the German setting is far from accidental, the film shouldn’t purely be seen as an allegory of Nazism. There is something more universal about the themes involved. Some will find the ending frustrating, but others will realise that it is more realistic than any neat solution would be. And when the journey to reach it is so fascinating, a little frustration may be worthwhile.
Monday, 14 December 2009
Review - Up
It seems that Pixar is now well into its second phase of its development as a studio. In the first phase, you can imagine the origin of all the films starting with someone saying: “Let’s make a film about...” There was: “Let’s make a film about toys.” Then: “Let’s make a film about insects.” Followed by: “Let’s make a film about monsters/fish/superheroes/cars.” That’s not to say that the resulting movies weren’t all individually wonderful and bursting with ideas, it’s just that the basic set-ups didn’t need a huge amount of explanation to be understood by both adults and children before they saw them.
The second phase of Pixar has seen much stranger stories come to life on the big screen, ones that can’t be explained in one short phrase. These films feel like they are each the vision of one individual with the freedom to make the film they want to (even though we know that animation is the most collaborative medium). Ratatouille wasn’t just a film about rats, it was about a rat who becomes the best chef in the world through pulling the hair of a human. Wall-E wasn’t just about robots, it was about a robot left alone on Earth to clean up after humanity had left the planet. And now comes Up, a film about an old man who attaches thousands of balloons to the top of his house so that he can fly to South America to fulfil a promise, and about the boy scout who tags along for the ride.
Up is a beautiful film in more ways than one. The animation, as you would expect from Pixar, is stunning; the characters are designed in a charming ‘cartoony’ style, with no attempt to make them look creepy and realistic, and the palate is lively and colourful. I saw the film in 3D, and while it was nice, I wouldn’t say it was necessary at all (nothing flies at your face in a thrilling way or anything). It is the writing that is most beautiful, however. The story is extremely poignant, and will leave many 3D glasses stained with tears. It’s not all doom and gloom, though, as there are some very funny bits and silly animals that will keep the children happy.
The voice acting is excellent. The relationship between the old man and the little boy is really at the heart of the film, and they are portrayed brilliantly by Edward Asner and Jordan Nagai respectively. Christopher Plummer seems to be everywhere at the moment, and he is good here as a demented baddie. The score by Michael Giacchino has a lovely retro feel that adds a lot to the film as well.
It may be a slightly complex and unusual story for what is ostensibly a children’s film, but that is what makes Up such a wonderful piece of work for people of all ages. If this is the second phase of Pixar, I can’t wait to see what the third phase will bring.
The second phase of Pixar has seen much stranger stories come to life on the big screen, ones that can’t be explained in one short phrase. These films feel like they are each the vision of one individual with the freedom to make the film they want to (even though we know that animation is the most collaborative medium). Ratatouille wasn’t just a film about rats, it was about a rat who becomes the best chef in the world through pulling the hair of a human. Wall-E wasn’t just about robots, it was about a robot left alone on Earth to clean up after humanity had left the planet. And now comes Up, a film about an old man who attaches thousands of balloons to the top of his house so that he can fly to South America to fulfil a promise, and about the boy scout who tags along for the ride.
Up is a beautiful film in more ways than one. The animation, as you would expect from Pixar, is stunning; the characters are designed in a charming ‘cartoony’ style, with no attempt to make them look creepy and realistic, and the palate is lively and colourful. I saw the film in 3D, and while it was nice, I wouldn’t say it was necessary at all (nothing flies at your face in a thrilling way or anything). It is the writing that is most beautiful, however. The story is extremely poignant, and will leave many 3D glasses stained with tears. It’s not all doom and gloom, though, as there are some very funny bits and silly animals that will keep the children happy.
The voice acting is excellent. The relationship between the old man and the little boy is really at the heart of the film, and they are portrayed brilliantly by Edward Asner and Jordan Nagai respectively. Christopher Plummer seems to be everywhere at the moment, and he is good here as a demented baddie. The score by Michael Giacchino has a lovely retro feel that adds a lot to the film as well.
It may be a slightly complex and unusual story for what is ostensibly a children’s film, but that is what makes Up such a wonderful piece of work for people of all ages. If this is the second phase of Pixar, I can’t wait to see what the third phase will bring.
Thursday, 26 November 2009
Review - The Twilight Saga: New Moon
When you’re young, you do like some almighty guff. Saved by the Bell: Hawaiian Style springs to mind as something that seemed very good at the time, but was in retrospect not exactly high art. The rise of the High School Musical franchise has shown that tween girls are a commercial force to be reckoned with. However, there is a limit to the crap they will take, and based on the audience reaction at the showing of New Moon I attended, the filmmakers are close to that limit. Many scenes were so cheesy that this very young audience just burst out laughing.
It doesn’t matter that New Moon has a terrible script, seriously iffy acting, and that the pacing is shot to hell, though; people will still watch it for two reasons. Firstly, it’s based on a tremendously popular series of books, like Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings, so people will be happy no matter how long and boring the films is, eager to see each beloved scene spring forth from their brain and onto the screen. Having a hit in this situation is fool proof, unless you cast Nicole Kidman, of course, in which case people will run away screaming (cf. The Golden Compass).
But they didn’t cast Nicole Kidman, they cast Robert Pattinson, the second reason it will be so popular. All he has to do (in fact, all he does do) is stand in the background and look moody, and the audience laps it up. That is until he takes off his top to reveal a pale torso and strange chest hair, when a collective ‘Ewwwww!’ was expressed from the crowd of 12-year-olds. Not the reaction I expected. Luckily New Moon has the added tween-girl-catnip of Taylor Lautner, a 17-year old who must have been stuffed full of protein shakes like a foie gras goose to produce his new rippled physique. His shirt is always off and the audience approved of his torso.
Following on from where Twilight left off, the film opens with Bella (Kristen Stewart) still madly in love with her vampire boyfriend Edward (Pattinson). But she is very worried because Edward is eternally young and she is ageing. Then Edward leaves her for a reason that is never explained, and she goes into a deep depression. Only her friend Jacob (Lautner) and his amazing abs can cheer up Bella, and he turns out to be a werewolf.
In a film with many problems, the main one is Bella. She is a whiny, characterless girl who when not moping is either bumping into things or putting herself in mortal danger. She has friends but doesn’t like them, no hobbies or interests and nothing to say for herself. Following her progress is like walking along a dark tunnel for a few hours with only a small light at the end of it, which turns out to be a rushed and very strange finale in Italy that wasn’t worth the trip.
The glimpses of Robert Pattinson’s eyes and Taylor Lautner’s fascinating new body are all the film has to recommend it. The Saved by the Bell summer special was really genius in comparison and about ten times more fun.
It doesn’t matter that New Moon has a terrible script, seriously iffy acting, and that the pacing is shot to hell, though; people will still watch it for two reasons. Firstly, it’s based on a tremendously popular series of books, like Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings, so people will be happy no matter how long and boring the films is, eager to see each beloved scene spring forth from their brain and onto the screen. Having a hit in this situation is fool proof, unless you cast Nicole Kidman, of course, in which case people will run away screaming (cf. The Golden Compass).
But they didn’t cast Nicole Kidman, they cast Robert Pattinson, the second reason it will be so popular. All he has to do (in fact, all he does do) is stand in the background and look moody, and the audience laps it up. That is until he takes off his top to reveal a pale torso and strange chest hair, when a collective ‘Ewwwww!’ was expressed from the crowd of 12-year-olds. Not the reaction I expected. Luckily New Moon has the added tween-girl-catnip of Taylor Lautner, a 17-year old who must have been stuffed full of protein shakes like a foie gras goose to produce his new rippled physique. His shirt is always off and the audience approved of his torso.
Following on from where Twilight left off, the film opens with Bella (Kristen Stewart) still madly in love with her vampire boyfriend Edward (Pattinson). But she is very worried because Edward is eternally young and she is ageing. Then Edward leaves her for a reason that is never explained, and she goes into a deep depression. Only her friend Jacob (Lautner) and his amazing abs can cheer up Bella, and he turns out to be a werewolf.
In a film with many problems, the main one is Bella. She is a whiny, characterless girl who when not moping is either bumping into things or putting herself in mortal danger. She has friends but doesn’t like them, no hobbies or interests and nothing to say for herself. Following her progress is like walking along a dark tunnel for a few hours with only a small light at the end of it, which turns out to be a rushed and very strange finale in Italy that wasn’t worth the trip.
The glimpses of Robert Pattinson’s eyes and Taylor Lautner’s fascinating new body are all the film has to recommend it. The Saved by the Bell summer special was really genius in comparison and about ten times more fun.
Tuesday, 17 November 2009
Sunday, 15 November 2009
Review - The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
This film has been very eagerly awaited, both because it includes the final performance by Heath Ledger, and because it was rumoured to be a return to form by Terry Gilliam. The positive buzz pre-release was that Lily Cole’s mesmerising and sensitive performance would launch a new star. In reality, the film is a confusing and heartless mess, a fantasy for fantasy’s sake with any deeper intended meaning lost in a sea of swirling CGI.
Doctor Parnassus (Christopher Plummer), a mystic of uncertain and ancient origin, travels through London in a decaying carriage cum sideshow stage with his band of misfits, including his beautiful daughter Valentina (Cole). They put on a show in which people go through a magic mirror to be confronted by a phantasmagorical landscape of their own minds (I think; the film is not very clear on this point). Unfortunately, it turns out that Parnassus is an inveterate gambler, and long ago he promised the soul of his daughter to the mysterious Mr Nick (Tom Waits), who we can only assume is the devil.
Into this messy situation drops Tony (Ledger), a man in a white suit who has lost his memory. It is very unfortunate that this had to be Heath’s last role, as any acting is completely drowned out by a terrible accent. Jude Law, Johnny Depp and Colin Farrell (who fill in the Tony-gaps left by Ledger’s death) are all so much better at doing an English accent (unsurprisingly in the case of Law) that it is slightly embarrassing to watch. Tony’s character and motivation are very unclear, but by the time the final big fantasy sequence arrives you really don’t care why everything is happening or how it concludes.
Cole is also very disappointing. Undeniably unusual looking and definitely intelligent, still at times her performance is very amateurish, with clunky phrasing and a faraway look in her eyes. Costumes do most of the work for her. On a positive side, Plummer is gruff and lovely as Parnassus, Verne Troyer gets a speaking part and is quite funny, and Andrew Garfield is exceptional as Tony’s rival for Valentina’s heart. I’ve only seen him in the dreadful Red Riding thing on telly, so it was nice to get a second chance to like him in this Puck-like role.
The best way to survive the film is to not think and just swim around in Gilliam’s mind for a bit. If you stop to consider what’s going on, you’ve had it, because there is not enough magic to sustain an inquiring interest. The use of CGI is the main culprit. Gilliam always had a rather DIY aesthetic, which made his work seem like that of a troubled Victorian. The lavish costumes and sets mostly convey this, but when people go through the magic mirror, they end up inside a level of Katamari Damacy and the charm disappears. Less computer involvement, a clearer story and real emotion (something which his masterpieces The Fisher King, Twelve Monkeys and Brazil included) would have made all the difference.
Doctor Parnassus (Christopher Plummer), a mystic of uncertain and ancient origin, travels through London in a decaying carriage cum sideshow stage with his band of misfits, including his beautiful daughter Valentina (Cole). They put on a show in which people go through a magic mirror to be confronted by a phantasmagorical landscape of their own minds (I think; the film is not very clear on this point). Unfortunately, it turns out that Parnassus is an inveterate gambler, and long ago he promised the soul of his daughter to the mysterious Mr Nick (Tom Waits), who we can only assume is the devil.
Into this messy situation drops Tony (Ledger), a man in a white suit who has lost his memory. It is very unfortunate that this had to be Heath’s last role, as any acting is completely drowned out by a terrible accent. Jude Law, Johnny Depp and Colin Farrell (who fill in the Tony-gaps left by Ledger’s death) are all so much better at doing an English accent (unsurprisingly in the case of Law) that it is slightly embarrassing to watch. Tony’s character and motivation are very unclear, but by the time the final big fantasy sequence arrives you really don’t care why everything is happening or how it concludes.
Cole is also very disappointing. Undeniably unusual looking and definitely intelligent, still at times her performance is very amateurish, with clunky phrasing and a faraway look in her eyes. Costumes do most of the work for her. On a positive side, Plummer is gruff and lovely as Parnassus, Verne Troyer gets a speaking part and is quite funny, and Andrew Garfield is exceptional as Tony’s rival for Valentina’s heart. I’ve only seen him in the dreadful Red Riding thing on telly, so it was nice to get a second chance to like him in this Puck-like role.
The best way to survive the film is to not think and just swim around in Gilliam’s mind for a bit. If you stop to consider what’s going on, you’ve had it, because there is not enough magic to sustain an inquiring interest. The use of CGI is the main culprit. Gilliam always had a rather DIY aesthetic, which made his work seem like that of a troubled Victorian. The lavish costumes and sets mostly convey this, but when people go through the magic mirror, they end up inside a level of Katamari Damacy and the charm disappears. Less computer involvement, a clearer story and real emotion (something which his masterpieces The Fisher King, Twelve Monkeys and Brazil included) would have made all the difference.
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