2011. Dir: Oren Moverman. Starring: Woody Harrelson, Ned Beatty, Ben Foster, Sigourney Weaver and Robin Wright. ●●●●○
It's been a surprisingly long time since I last saw a film that was visually as stunning and arresting as Oren Moverman's Rampart. There are many positive elements to this movie, many aspects of sublime filmmaking that will stick in the memory for a long time, but above all there is the cinematography. Moverman has collaborated again with his The Messenger
DoP Bobby Bukowski and together they have thrown away the rule book, and made a piece of visual art for the screen.
In essence the story can be boiled down to the slow disintegration of corrupt cop Dave Brown, Woody Harrelson giving a career best performance, a violent racist bigot in a LA Rampart division uniform, the scandal (a widely reported culture of cops acting like vigilante gangs and committing violent and profit orientated acts) distilled into one individual. Not that Brown can be remotely described as an archetype, he's barely holding himself together at the beginning, father of two girls who mothers happen to be sisters living next door to each other, he functions purely on alcohol and cigarettes, routinely bullying his female partner and picking up one night stands in seedy bars. Known as "Date-Rape Dave", a moniker based on the alleged murder of a serial rapist Brown has avoided being charged for for years, an example of the vicious animal lurking within.
Yet even this thin veneer of normality is torn apart when he brutally retaliates against a motorist who crashes into the side of his patrol car. It is a cold and hard beating, captured on film by a passer-by, instantly going viral. Brown is taken off front line duty, temporarily, in the whirlwind of appalling press and daily campaigning the department, headed by Sigourney Weaver, attempt to oust him. It's when he decides to fight, when he faces the mounting defence bills that events spiral out of control.
Harrelson is perfect in roles like this, even as his most dislikeable there's a shimmer of magnetic insouciance, like the string of sexual conquests (former wives Anne Heche and Cynthia Nixon, lovers Audra McDonald and Robin Wright) we find ourselves drawn to Dave. We want to be part of his world. It's testament to Harrelson's performance that even during the depths of depravity he can still draw us in, the cracks of mental defeat, the threats and pleading with his family and friends are never far behind his crumpling facade.
The rest of the performances are also high class. Robin Wright gives a brittle and wounded performance as a lawyer flickering around Brown, like a moth round a flame, a flame that will ultimately burn her. Ned Beatty also reminds us of his electric presence, as a retired cop still in tune with everything going on in the department, Machivellian and reptilian he toys with Brown, playing him off against the department.
The screenplay by Moverman and novelist James Ellroy contains the later's trademark staccato dialogue in a way that no adaptation of his work has managed, indeed the downbeat sprawling open feel towards the end is more Ellroy that anyone could have imagined.
But all this is a sideshow to Bukowski's work behind the camera. He uses Brown's breakdown as an opportunity to showcase new ideas with design, from a dizzying dance of pans during a tribunal to the nightmarish vision of a swingers club each scene dazzles with invention. We get conversations filmed from behind people's heads, repeated uses of reflected light, even the city skyline looks ominous and unusual in Bokowski's lens.
I must recommend Rampart to everyone who gets the opportunity to see it, a fantastic powerhouse of a film that beguiles and overcomes the audience. A must see.
Thursday, 1 March 2012
Rampart
Wednesday, 16 March 2011
Rango
2011. Dir: Gore Verbinski. Starring: Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Timothy Olyphant, Ned Beatty and Bill Nighy. ●●●●○
Chinatown, Pale Rider, Cat Ballou, Apocalypse Now, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Off the top of my head there are just a tiny number of the films that Rango either knocks off or pays homage to (depending on your point of view). I could probably go on to name at least five or six more. It's such a cine-literate film it's unbelieveable. That in itself would be a good enough reason to watch this animated movie. The good news is that as well as fusing all these elements it also happens to be laugh out loud funny, combining a touch of the surreal to the animated format. Just don't bother bringing the kids.
The film opens with Johnny Depp's unnamed Chameleon performing a virtual one-lizard show (his co-stars are plastic toys and dead bugs) of derring-do in his safe, comfortable glass cage. Not for long, as his owners lose him off the parcel shelf as they cross the Mojave desert. Pretty soon he's invented the persona of Rango and cleaning up the town of Dirt from it's least pleasant inabitants whilst falling for ranch owner Beans (Isla Fisher).
The comparisons to Chinatown are most striking. Once the story gets going the central mystery about water being dumped in the desert, as well as lines and even characters seem to be lifted directly from Roman Polanski's 1974 Noir masterpiece. With that in mind the identity of the bad guy comes as no surprise as it's the character most similar to Noah Cross - thanks to Ned Beatty for his delightful voice impersonation.
The action sequences are paced well both in terms of individually and where they fit in the film running. The initial crash sequence is slow enough to get a sense of what's happening, building tension, before it catches up into real time with a jolt and the central chase sequence involving a wagon, bats and The Ride of the Valkyries is both hilarious and edge of the seat stuff. Only the final showdown with Rattlesnake Jake (Bill Nighy) seems a slight let down - but then most Westerns disappoint with the fianl battle, even when they're basing the plan on Carry on Cowboy.
Slower moments are provided with the two dream sequences. The first goes in Dali surrealism territory, whilst the second has a mad Clint Eastwood (as voiced by Timothy Olyphant) cameo. There's also a scene by the fireside which speaks to the moral of the movie and is the closest we'll come to tears as audience members.
The design of the film is fantastic, from the always engaging characters (even the background figures are unique and funny and suitably disgusting) to the dryness of the vistas and at times star trails and mirages are so close to being real you doubt whether it's an animation at all. It was also a clever move to keep this in 2D. Any conversion of sterescope would have meant a serious reduction in the light somewhat destroying the illusion of desert heat.
The performances are all great, with Depp and Beatty in particular shining, from a cast outside of Depp who are not so famous it seems like stunt casting.
I would question though whether this is a film for kids at all. Some of the humour is either too bawdy - "Our Mother had an active social life" - or too over the heads of small children - prostate examinations? Most of it is also derived from the references which most kids won't understand. That's not to say they will be bored - there's ample belching and action to keep them entertained but be under no illusions this is a film for the parents even more than it is for their children that force them to go.
Friday, 23 July 2010
You're - still - a toy! (Out this week - 23/07/2010)
Pixar do it again, the annual tradition of opening a movie to critical acclaim and box-office domination continues for another year. You have to wonder what they put on their cornflakes. It's quite a good week for counter-programming too with three other films that could have sneaked a film of the week mention if it wasn't so competitive. Nevertheless the crown inevitably goes to Toy Story 3.
Baaria
Golden Globe nominated Italian film following generations of a Sicilian family through births, marriages and deaths, through the rise and fall of Fascism the mob and the communist party, and all via the eyes of a Shepherd's Son.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
City Island
Andy Garcia wants to be an actor - it's a little late for that I hear you say - but no jokes his character wants to leave the nine to five and tread the boards in this New York serio-comedy. Also starring Julianna Margulies as his suspicious wife and Alan Arkin as his acting coach.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Ivul
Bizarre looking French fable about a boy who exiles himself following a brush with incest. Avant-garde touches make this inaccessible to most of the cinema-going crowd.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Jaspar, Penguin Explorer
Pleasant untesting animation aimed at the very young. Originally in German the trailer makes Pingu look like Bertrand Russell. See it if you dare.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Khatta Meetha
Bollywood expose uncovering the corruption and brutality in the road building industry (no, really). The ubiquitous Akshay Kumar stars.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Rebound
Catherine Zeta-Jones happily pigeonholes herself as a cougar (no doubt proving her acting worth) by going for a much younger man in Nanny Justin Bartha. They make a cute couple in the trailer.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Splice
Vincenzo Natali latest sci-fi offering melds creature feature prosphetics with modern ethical dilemmas as married biologists Adrian Brody and Sarah Polley make a 'baby'.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●○○○○○
Thillalangadi
The trailer has it all, comic sidekicks, easy to copy dance routines and kick-ass car chases. Nothing that could pass for a plot though.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Toy Story 3
The Toy Story movies are now receiving accolades as the best film trilogy of all time now that the third feature has kept the ball in the air. Expect Tom Hanks and Tim Allen as Woody and Buzz to remain centre stage but with hilarious new characters voiced by Michael Keaton, Ned Beatty and Timothy Dalton to stealing some scenes. Female toys include Joan Cusack and Whoopi Goldberg.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●●○○○
Friday, 4 June 2010
Out this week (04/06/10)
Unbelievably, out of nowhere, this is a really exciting week. Honestly the overall standard of releases is really quite good, and I didn't see it coming. If you ignore the first film (so I list alphabetically, who can blame me) and read the rest of the post you'll find thrillers, comedies and dramas. I've been trying to second guess which film will be the box office champ and frankly I'm stumped - feel free to guess in the comments but the film of the week, and there must be a choice for film of the week, goes to The Brothers Bloom. 
Bear
As the trailer starts we're told that Grizzly bears, the largest land mammal in North America, will attack when it's territory is being invaded. Then four annoying looking late 20's start screaming and panicking. I don't think the bear just wants a cuddle.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Brothers Bloom
Rian Johnson's follow-up to the amazing neo-noir Brick is a far less sober affair, with con-artist brothers Adrien Brody and Mark Ruffalo trying to pull the wool over Rachel Weisz's eyes, only to find the set-up is a little too close to believable. Also starring Rinku Kikuchi and Maximillian Schell.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●●○○○
Death at a Funeral
You might ask what the point of remaking the middling Frank Oz comedy from just 3 years ago is? Could it be because you can take the exact same story with a cast of African-American stars and make it more profitable? The US box office receipts may not totally agree with that but I sniggered during the trailer so that's something.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
4.3.2.1
Noel Clarke has made a couple of very successful, very respected struggling British youth movies, where the mostly male characters are surrounded by escalating violence and sink estates. Here he's trying to appeal to the ladies with four leading female protagonists, with the underwear fetishes and obligatory lesbianism in the trailer I suspect it'll be the lads that go for it in a big way.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Girl on the Train
Respected French drama about a girl who reports a fictitious anti-Semitic attack on a train and how her life is transformed. Catherine Deneuve plays her torn mother who know the truth.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Kicks
As a Liverpool football star is about to leave for Real Madrid two obsessive female fans bump into him one night and invite him home to say goodbye. There are pluses and minuses to their way of saying it. Odd timing as Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez leaves the city today - unlikely the same will happen to him.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
The Killer inside Me
Michael Winterbottom's latest movie may be generating headlines for the alleged misogyny and uncomfortable violence it's fair to say there are few directors who could craft such a beautiful looking movie from it's pulpy source. Casey Affleck is perfectly cast as the serial killing deputy with Kate Hudson and Jessica Alba as two of his victims.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●○○○○○
Rajneeti
Bollywood epic surrounding a major political election (oddly I'd jump at this if it were English language) with a selection of unlikely candidates fighting for public support. Inspired by the Mahabharata, one of the major sanskrit epics of Ancient India.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
She's out of my League
Jay Baruchel, who you probably don't remember being in a bunch of films, gurns his way through this film with the tag line: How does a guy, who's a 5, keep a girl, who's a 10? How will this sell any tickets.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Shrink
Kevin Spacey, oh how we've missed you from serious films, play a celebrity psychiatrist on the verge of an emotional and physical breakdown. The trailer is stuffed with cliches, but it looks smart and pacey enough to get away with it. Celebrity cameos include Robin Williams, Robert Loggia and Saffron Burrows.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●○○○○
