With 11 new releases this is a slightly quieter week than we've been having recently but still more than enough films to peruse and make a valid choice of what to watch, saying that nothing is really a must see (for me anyway) so the week as a whole is easily in the second tier of opening weekends. Whilst Julie Delphy has been doing a really good job of getting me interested in her film that last couple of weeks it should come a little surprise to anyone that one of the best reviewed action flicks of the last 10 years has found it's way to my recommendation. 2 hours of non-stop martial arts glory the Runs Like a Gay film of the week has to be The Raid.
Last week I was wrong to shocking levels, foolishly supposing Tim and Johnny could displace Avengers Assemble from the top of the UK box office charts. Needless to say not only did the poorly received TV adaptation (I'm even struggling to write my review) fail to do that it only managed third place behind American Reunion. This week only Sacha Baron Cohen has any chance of beating the superhero squad, and I'm inclined to ehink his British fans - this is his stomping ground after all - and the fact that Iron Man et al are on the fourth week of release will lead to The Dictator sneaking to the top. I won't be at all surprised if it fails to do so though.
The Raid
The critics have gone crazy over Gareth Evans (yes, he's Welsh) breakout feature starring martial arts star Iko Uwais leading a squad of highly trained elite swat team sent to take down a notorious drug lord in his commandeered tower block. Only hundreds of goons are awaiting them. Cue 2 hours of non-stop balletic action.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●○○○○○
Read on for two very different tourists in New York, feminist Arabic cinema and the answer to what's on the dark side of the moon.
I don't think the entire movie has much more dialogue than we see here in the trailer, but rest assured the fight choreography will blow your mind.
2 Days in New York
Yes, that is an exceptionally short trailer, but what I've really liked about teh advertising campaign for Julie Delphy's follow-up to her 2 Days in Paris is the mini-trailers which accentuate a single joke that play between other trailers here in the UK. Her and Chris Rock have been everywhere promoting the film, and they are both hilarious and vibrant interviewees, so this could do quite well in limited release.
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The Dictator
Sacha Baron Cohen, known for his absurd comic creations Borat and Bruno is now attempting to fit one directly into a narrative with General Aladeen a satirical reflection of recently toppled despots Gaddafi and Sadam Hussein, going to New York and then getting lost in the big streets. Ben Kingsley and John C. Reilly shamelessly mug for the additional cash.
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She Monkeys
Part sports drama (about dressage so far as I can ascertain) part coming of age story and part Lesbian thriller this tale of two teenage girls initiating a relationship whilst one gets drunk on the intoxicating feeling of control is bound to turn a few heads.
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The Source
For every sci-fi dud Luc Besson produces there's also a odd comedy/drama that deserves attention, such as this one, set in an un-named Arabic community where the Women go on a strike, withholding sexual favours, until their husbands pipe water into the village. From this distance it looks both touching and amusing so could well be worth seeking out.
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Department
Amitabn Bachchan, who we forget in the West is the most famous film star in the World, is back as a shady underworld boss in this violent looking Bollywood actioner. The Department of the title is a additional, secretive wing of the police dedicated to crushing organised crime using any method.
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Even the Rain
Gael Garcia Bernal is in Bolivia making a film about Christopher Columbus and how he exploited the natives, whilst barely paying the extras at all. A documentary crew are following the film and get caught up in investigating how the Government are in turn exploiting the locals by privatising water supplies. Parallels can be drawn all over the place in this heavy handed but well-meaning piece.
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If I want to Whistle, I Whistle
Romanian co-production that should probably be getting more coverage than it is about a teenager in a youth offending unit who's fours years of good behaviour unravel in the last 10 days of his sentence. New inmates, family pressures and a sexy new intern all contribute to the escalating sense of a lack of control.
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Iron Sky
Nazi's have been hiding on the dark side of the moon since the close of the second World War in this Finish exploitation flick that started life as a bonkers teaser trailer premièred in Cannes five years ago. It probably isn't as good as the premise sounds, in spite of Udo Kier's presence, oddly it gets only a single day release (next Wednesday) here in the UK.
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Mayamohini
I'm not sure, but I think this is a cross-dressing Malayalam comedy. Either that or it's an ugly female lead. Please don't hate me for that comment.
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DeadTime
Gory Birmingham based horror with a cast of unknowns and the odd celebrity cameo - hello Terry Christian - with a rock band out to make a ground-breaking pop video in an abandoned warehouse being terrorised by a dead star and Satan himself.
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Saturday, 19 May 2012
Kicking Ass Jakarta Style (Out this week - 18/05/12)
Monday, 17 January 2011
20 for 2011: 12 - Hugo Cabret
A surprising choice from Martin Scorsese jumps out of the screen at Number 12: Hugo Cabret.
Martin Scorsese has dipped his toe in different genre's before, he done period, musical and "women's" pictures (The Age of Innocence, New York, New York and Alice doesn't live here Anymore respectively); and yet we were all surprised when he annouced this project a children's film to be made in 3D. Should we have been shocked?
Whilst it may be a departure there are plenty of signs that Scorsese would want to make a film like this. Primarily the film is set in Paris in the 1930's, a world in which Society was changing rapidly with the old class structures disappearing. There will alo be plenty of opportunity to ape the styles of his heroes Powell and Pressburger with garish and striking colour palettes, and using stories within stories in the structure. Finally the mysteries in the book revolve around the cinema legend Georges Melieres, pioneer of early animation techniques, and we all know how much Scorsese likes to preserve old films. In many ways this is a culmination of all his hobbies.
With the recent re-release of Peeping Tom Thelma Schoonmacher has been making the rounds and in interviews she has often brought up the sheer mass of detail Scorsese is working on, you can guarantee he's taking the 3D filming process seriously. You add to that a cast led by Ben Kingsley, Jude Law and Asa Butterfield (The Boy in the Striped Pajamas) as Hugo then this is virtually unmissable.
Friday, 31 December 2010
Ben Kingsley
Happy Birthday to
Ben Kingsley
67 today
If we have learnt just one thing in 2010 it's that you shouldn't completely trust Ben Kingsley. He's either lying barefaced (as in Prince of Persia) or just evading the truth (like Shutter Island) and I doubt he bucked the trend in the Bollywood con movie Teen Patti. Next year though he's set to play Geogre Meliere in Scorsese's Hugo Cabret and I con imagine he's a heroic and honest figure in that so maybe he's on the turn.
Wednesday, 26 May 2010
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
2010. Dir: Mike Newell. Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton, Ben Kingsley, Alfred Molina and Steve Toussaint. ●●●●○
Last week I went to see a film that I was really looking forward to and ended up being really disappointed, largely because in spite of it's historical pagentry it ended up throwing away all the fun in the concept. This week my low expectations of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time were unjustified as it went the other way (not a care in the world about historical context and) filling the film with layer after layer of fun. I really liked it for that.
It's also a film where describing the plot seems a litle superfluous, not only because it's just a load of macguffin in order to push the action along, but also because Gemma Arterton's Tamina spends the best part of the movie explaining it to us. Essentially Jake Gyllenhaal and his brothers are busy sacking cities in the Middle East searching for smuggled weapons (can't think what that reminds me of) when Jake stumbles across a magical dagger with sand in it's hilt.
Jake's (adoptive) dad is promptly killed, suspicion falls on him, he runs off with Arterton and many twisty turny adventures happen as our leads identify the real killer and try to prevent the bad guys taking the throne.
It really is that simple, and in spite of the plot's collection of minor double crosses we can pretty much guess who's on which side and who's going to be toast before the end credits. Although the last five minutes were a bit of a surprise to me, especially as they seemed to contradict with large tracts of Gemma's expositionary dialogue.
Jake does a grand job in the lead role, wearing a British accent like a glove to avoid seeming odd when compared to the rest of the English cast. He also looks incredibly hot with the new found muscles (a few more gratuitous shirtless scenes would have been appreciated) and there were a couple of sly Brokeback references I picked up - our first sight of Jake involves some man on man wrestling and his first kiss with Gemma almost takes place in a tent... Gemma does her best in a thankless role and Ben Kingsley goes on autopilot as the devoted uncle of Gyllenhaals Prince Dastan - I'll let you guess how devoted he is.
Alfred Molina is probably the stand out cast member though, leering his way through the film as Sheik Amar, part Hugh Griffith in Ben Hur, part John Rhys-Davies in Raiders of the Lost Ark, part Oliver Reed in Gladiator and all Ostrich fancier.
The production design and costume elements are fantastically detailed, and whils I doubt they are even remotely accurate to the period they create a visually interesting movie with a very clear homage to the films computer game heritage. As are the action sequences which make appropriate use of running, jumping and going up and down levels. It sounds silly, but as the genesis of the film is a platform game it's good to see that exhibited in the finished product.
One of the minor points that let the film down was the CGI, with all the money that must have been spent on the movie it was disappointing that when the sands of time things actually happens a Scorpion King quality picture of Jake's face is attached to a bunch of lit blobs until the effects over - was that really the best they could do?
Overall though I would say this is about as good as summer tentpoles get with fun characters, palpable chemistry and a sense of real excitement.
Wednesday, 28 April 2010
Shutter Island
2010. Dir: Martin Scorsese. Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingley, Max von Sydow and Michelle Williams. ●●●●○
I'm not much of a reader. Sure, like anyone I can devour an airport paperback in a couple of sittings, but these are few and far between. I spend much more time between books, with dogeared classics drifting around my desk waiting for the first chapter to be tried agian. Occasionally though I make a bit of effort. It could be because I love the author's style (Michael Chabon, J.G Ballard) or because I've heard great things (The Time Traveler's Wife, Curious incident of the dog in the night-time) OR because I hear there's going to be a movie made form it. Which how I came to read Dennis Lehane's Shutter Island.
I hated it.
But that negative experience meant that I could, when the film came out, watch it with a understanding of where the plot was going and pre-warned about the style. Lehane, who specialises in adult crime thrillers (Mystic River and Gone, Baby, Gone have both been sucessfully adapted to the big screen), set out to write a genre piece, a gothic mystery with a dramatic twist. As a novel I felt it didn't work as the ending was too neat, too cliched to be true. Of course it's a film cliche, anyway, so naturally it works better in that medium.
As the film starts we see a ferry coming out of the mist on it's way to the titular island and its maximum security institute for the criminally insane. Before we've had a chance to fully register the characters Marshalls Teddy Daniels (DiCaprio) and Chuck Aule (geddit???!!! - Mark Ruffalo) are being thundered away from the dock in an open top jeep to a soundtrack of intense classics.
The plots own macguffin is escaped prisoner Rachel Solando who's miraculously squeezed through her bars and disappered into the inhospital island, and the Marshalls have been called to help track her down. Not that that's the only thing on DiCaprio's mind. Whilst he's there he must find out the truth about the secret mind drugs that sinister phychiatrist's Ben Kingsley and Max von Sydow are dishing out and avenge the murder of his fragile wife Dolores Chanal (Michelle Williams) by the arsonist Andrew Laeddis who may also be, unregistered, in the island. Meanwhile he's suffering from violent headaches, dreaming about his wife's murder, suffering from flashbacks to World War 2. And, to top it all off, there's a big storm coming.
If all of this combined makes it seem like there's an awful lot going on, you're right. But remember most of these events are red herrings. The film is packing in incident and characters to confuse you, to obscure the truth from your vision. Like the fog in the opening, we aren't meant to understand the full implications of the search until that thrid act reveal. Although you could read those last two paragraphs and in effect solve the entire mystery.
Marty knows what he's doing with the story, in what must be his most satisfying film since Goodfellas. The sensibility of the novel and the genre is a ball that Scorsese is more than happy to pick up and run with. Every underlined clue, every musical cue, every jumpy edit seems to be perfectly judged to reinforce the storys central conceit. It is both a pastiche and a modern response to the melodrams of the 40's and 50's where the heroine (usually) begins to doubt her own security and sanity The Spiral Staircase, Gaslight and Sorry, Wrong Number all come to mind.
To that end we also completely forget it's a Scorsese picture, wih it's use of a classical soundtrack and heavy handed symbolism it's about as far away from his past masterpieces as you can imagine. Only the concentration camp shoot out with it's relentless tracking shot is a clue to who you're working with.
In the lead role DiCaprio continues to grow as an actor, able to convey much with a look or a throwaway line. Even the more outre choices - like the completely gonzo scribbling - seem to fit with the characters arc. The way he plays the final scene by the doors of the asylum is incredible, a massive awareness of his situation combined with a confidence about the path he must follow.
I expect in 10 years time we'll look back at this period in DiCaprio's career (with this Inception and Clint Eastwood J. Edgar Hoover biopic) when he truly matured into the greatest actor of his generation
Ben Kingsley also givs a rare performance as the doctor in charge, slipping from playfulness through exasperation to dismissive sometimes within a single speech.
As you would expect in a Scorsese picture the design is solid, with Dante Ferretti's (Casino, Interview with the Vampire) production design inside Robert Richardson's (Inglorious Basterds, Powder Keg) lens meaning every frame is a piece of art.
Overall this is a wonderful throwback to the films of yore, only let down by it's lack of ambition, with no commentary about the world outside of the film.
Saturday, 27 February 2010
Out This week (26/02/10)
You will struggle to find a good film out this week - odd after the glut of high profile releases just seven days ago. Personally I sahll be seeing Amy Adams going all blarney, but I certainly don't think I can recommend that. So I suppose the film of the week will have to be the latest embarassement in Robert De Niro's CV: Everybody's Fine.
The Crazies
Remake of George Romero horror classic sees Timothy Olyphant and his heavily pregnant wife avoiding a horde of psychotic townsfolk and a military plot to kill everyone in the town to contain the virulent cause. Hokum, which has probably lost all trace of it's paranoia roots but the trailer looks fun.
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Everybody's Fine
Robert De Niro tries hard to copy Jack Nicholson's recent successes by playing a recent widower reconnecting with his children who never felt able to communicate with the old man. This ain't About Schmidt by a long stretch but with Sam Rockwell, Kate Beckinsale and Drew Barrymore as his kids there are some pretty things to look at.
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Extraordinary Measures
Is Extraordinary measures, with it's medical research storyline give a reasoned arguement against a profit based medical system where orphan diseases get no funding? Or does it say that if you have the money you can cure your terminal children? Who cares when the trailer was a dull as this one?
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Freestyle
British girl has to choose between completing her studies or following her dreams to become a professional baseketball player. At the risk of being incredibly insensitive I wasn't aware women played basketball.
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From Paris With love
Pierre Morel's Taken was a surprise hit in 2008 thanks to Liam Neeson's committed performance, some chewy dialogue and quality action choreography. The follow-up has camply bearded John Travolta and bored looking Jonathan Rhys-Meyers.
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Karthik calling Karthik
It's an evil doppleganger movie from Bollywood. Starring Farhan Akhtar. (Sorry I don't know anything more about this.)
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Leap Year
Absolutely rubbish looking rom-com with Amy Adams falling for Matthew Goode during an unnecessary dash across Hollywood's version of Ireland. Both Adams and Goode are riding high on other projects at the moment, and it looks like the sales weren't so bad this will destroy their careers so naturally this is the film I intend to watch this week.
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Micmacs
Jean-Pierre Jeunet is one of the few international directors with a clear auterial style, and with his latest, which looks at illegal gun trading and a community based around recycling rubbish (no, not the Wombles) has many of his usual visual tics - such as a brown palette and Dominic Pinon. Well worth braving the subtitles.
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She, A Chinese
Depressing looking view of a Chinese woman who exchanges an unhappy life in China for an even more unhappy woman as a mail order Bride in Britain. See this if you think your life has too much fun in it.
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Teen Patti
Hindi movie directed by Leena Yadav about a mathematical formula concerning probability and randomness that profoundly impacts the life of the mathematician who discovers it. In a casting coup Ben Kingsley plays another statistician who aims to helps publicise the formula.
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Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa
Boring looking love story from Sri Lanka, noted lack of conflict in the trailer. I really can't imagine why anyone would want to see it.
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Tuesday, 9 September 2008
Gandhi
1982. Dir: Richard Attenborough. Starring: Ben Kingsley, Candice Bergen, Edward Fox, John Giegud and Trevor Howard. ●●●●○
Gandhi was the first of my two biopics this weekend. By curious coincidence just this week Richard Attenborough has been admitting that he robbed ET for the 1982 Best picture Oscar. Whilst it's refreshing to hear this view from the victor it must be remembered that Gandhi is a superb picture, even if it was overpraised at the time.
The film is bookended by the assassination and funeral for Gandhi, so for those people watching the film with little knowledge of the Mahatma that sight of tens of thousands of extras lining the streets for the funeral gives some idea of the popularity of the man.
We then flashback to Gandhi in South Africa, a fresh faced Cambridge scholared lawyer seemingly seeing institutionalised racism for the first time in his life. Seemingly from this incident Gandhi launches a campign to bring equal rights to Indian migrants.
Then following sucesses in South Africa (and not without adversity) Gandhi returns to India where he gives moral authority and significant influence to the Congress Parties campaign for home rule. His policy of passive resistance (by not complying with unjust laws however by not resorting to violence) as well as his scholarly attitude makes him enemies with the authorities as well as within the Congress party itself.
It is clear that Attenborough has a profound respect for Gandhi. Every scene confirms the qualities the Mahatma had, his profound beliefs in equality, his humility and his unqenchable thrist for peace. The film comes across as a beautiful portrait of this great man.
We must seperate the film from the subject, though. I think we can all agree that the Mahatma changed the world and showed us a new, better way to struggle against oppression, what we cannot agree on is that this sort of hero worship makes good entertainment.
Ben Kingsley does a fine job of protraying Gandhi, but there is little conflict within the character - he has little to do other than become more and more saintly. Indeed it's only in the first third of the movie, in South Africa, that Ben's performance is worthwhile. As he progresses from a shy public speaker to a man capable of starting a revolution you can see changes in every scene.
Rohini Hattangadi gives a far more measured performance as Kasturba Gandhi, showing the pride, devotion and frustration that she feels for her husband.
Most of the rest of the cast simply drift in and out of the action with one note performances, including a veritable who's who of British talent, although Roshan Seth is superb as Nehru. The low point of this parade is Alyque Padamsee as Jinnah; I don't know whether to blame him of Attenborough but the founder of Pakistan comes across like a silent movie villain - stiff and unbending in both his manner and his dealing with other characters. I kept expecting him to twirl the corner of his moustache and let out a pantomime laugh.
The technical side of this production is faultless. There isn't a still in the 3 hour running time that is less than perfectly composed, thanks to wardrobe and et teams. The cinematography by Ronnie Taylor and Billy Williams is suitably epic in a manner that befits the subject.
Overall this is a brave attempt to portray one of the greatest men who ever lived, but it's obvious respect for it's subject neuters the final product.
