FILM OF THE WEEK (31/03/2013): (Monty Python’s) The Meaning Of Life (1983, Dirs. Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, UK) (Cert: 15) ****

Starring: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Michael Palin

When one of their friends is being eaten at the restaurant they call home, a tank of fish start to philosophise on “The Meaning Of Life”. From there, we witness the trials and tribulations of birth, childhood, school, war, middle-age, later life, death and salmon mousse in a series of comedy sketches.

In what is essentially the last hurrah of British comedy troupe Monty Python, The Meaning Of Life seeks to end the trilogy of Monty Python And The Holy Grail (1974) and Life Of Brian (1979) (their first foray into motion pictures was 1971’s And Now For Something Completely Different, but since that was basically Python re-shooting sketches from their TV show, Monty Python’s Flying Circus, it fits outside the traditional Python film family), Meaning Of Life is a good, and largely underrated, film that just manages to fall short of the quality of Grail or Brian. Of the three films, Meaning Of Life is also the one that keeps more to a sketch comedy format, although Life Of Brian is the only film with a traditional narrative. Some of these segments are well known, such as their satirical song on the Catholic Church, “Every Sperm Is Sacred”, and the rather nauseating character of Mr. Creosote but lesser known parts of the film, especially a parody of Zulu (1963) and a sequence featuring the Grim Reaper are arguably even stronger (in fact, the Reaper sketch is up there with pretty much anything Python have ever done). It isn’t as consistently hilarious as what came before, and it was probably good the series stopped here, but it’s far from the regrettable step too far some might have you believe.

Bonus Review: The Crimson Permanent Assurance (1983, Dir. Terry Gilliam, UK) (Cert: PG) ****

Starring: Sydney Arnold, Guy Bertrand, Andrew Bicknall

In the dark days of 1983, the proud bank of The Crimson Permanent Assurance was re-captured by its aging shipmates from the grasp of multi-national finance. Taking their bank/vessel as their own, the fierce, elderly crew of The Crimson Permanent Assurance set sail to take on the bloated villainy of the major finance centres.

If anyone could make a short film about bankers in a classic style of a pirate swashbuckler, it would have to have been the fanciful Terry Gilliam. Produced as a short film to precede Monty Python And The Meaning Of Life, Gilliam’s ambitions nearly crippled the project financially and through its brief fifteen-minutes the audience is treated to some truly stunning imagery and a John Du Prez score that nods towards Korngold as well as Gilbert & Sullivan. As befitting most short films, there’s not really a story that could’ve been put towards feature-length and the banking/pirating metaphor is mined for all its worth, but coming in the midst of Gilliam’s prime as a film-maker (halfway between 1981’s Time Bandits and 1985’s Brazil) this does just manage to sit alongside those films in terms of quality.

Identity Thief (2013, Dir. Seth Gordon, USA) (Cert: 15) **

Identity Thief (2013, Dir. Seth Gordon, USA) (Cert: 15) **

Starring: Jason Bateman, Melissa McCarthy, Robert Patrick

 

Sandy Patterson of Denver, Colorado (Bateman) becomes the victim of identity theft when a woman (McCarthy) living in Florida steals some of his personal details, running up massive financial debts. When her activities cause the authorities to get involved, Sandy assures his boss (John Cho) and the detective assigned to the case (Morris Chestnut) that he will go to Florida and apprehend the woman himself. When travelling back by plane proves impossible, thanks to matching identification, Sandy and the identity thief must travel from Florida to Denver by car.

 

I admit to having a personal soft spot for road movies. There’s something about the form the narrative takes and the scenic locations that I find entertaining. Identity Thief however, really doesn’t live up to such a promise. The premise, in of itself, isn’t a bad one, but it is poorly executed with our protagonist taking far too long to catch on to his identity being stolen and after that, the film walks a morally dubious tight-rope to the finish. Melissa McCarthy is at least, at times, likable but mostly when the bravado stops and the actual dramatic weight of the character takes over. Other than that, it isn’t a particularly amusing film and could’ve been trimmed by a good thirty minutes.

Finding Nemo (3D) (2003/2012, Dirs. Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich, Australia/USA) (Cert: U) ****

 

 Starring: Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, Alexander Gould

After his wife (Elizabeth Perkins) and virtually all of his spawn are killed, Marlin (Brooks) raises the lone surviving spawn, Nemo (Gould) by himself, teaching Nemo to be afraid of the dangers of the outside world. When he rebels against his father, Nemo ends up being captured and abducted by divers and now Marlin, with the help of an extremely forgetful fish named Dory (DeGeneres), must travel the ocean to find Nemo.

Pixar’s tale of fear and parenting set below the waves is one of their best films, which is quite an accomplishment given their reputation. Although Nemo is the titular character and does have a significant amount of screen time, the crux of the plot lies with Marlin, in an expectantly strong turn from Albert Brooks and Dory, played by Ellen DeGeneres in the film’s strongest performance. The film boasts some extremely impressive scenery and probably the best music score in a Pixar film as well. The film however does have a tendency to feel rather episodic and there are a few too many twists leading up to a conclusion. The 3D retro-fit also adds very little, even given the inevitable depth of field that comes with making a film mostly set in the ocean. Still, it doesn’t take away from the fact that it’s a very strong film.


Bonus mini-review: Party-Saurus Rex: In a Toy Story-related short, Rex decides to do something out of character and party with the bath toys only for things to get out of hand. Fun and with some interesting ideas, but could've used the other familiar characters more.

The Host (2013, Dir. Andrew Niccol, USA) (Cert: 12a) *

Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Diane Kruger, William Hurt

 

An alien race has reached Earth and has started to inhabit the physical bodies of almost all human lifeforms on the planet. There’s no war, hunger or corruption but there is also no sense of identity. Melanie (Ronan) is captured by a group people known as “Seekers” (who look for people who have not yet become hosts to the alien forms) but is able to make a bid for freedom with both her old and new identity intact.

 

Based on a book by Stephenie Mayer of Twilight fame, The Host is one of a line of science-fiction films which deal with the loss of self through an invading force. The obvious parallel to draw is to Don Siegel’s Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1956), alas the film really does nothing to be comparable in terms of depth or intrigue to the 50’s classic, partly because it is such well-trodden territory but also for several other reasons. Being adapted from a book, The Host doesn’t take advantage of one of cinema’s strongest assets; the notion of “show, don’t tell”. Saoirse Ronan plays two lead parts fairly well, but everything is told through dialogue with both an internal voice (her old self) and an external (her new self) leading to some confusing exchanges that are also often unnecessary and could’ve been conveyed through body-language, tone of voice and gesture. The film also takes some definite leaps with science that seem to render even basic knowledge of certain subject irrelevant (apparently, an alien species that has travelled the universe considers Earth a big planet and apparently all you need to nourish wheat is a thin layer of dirt. I know that sounds strange in this context, but such a logical hole does become pretty clear). Aside of all the nobbish sniffing at Stefenie Meyer’s controversial literary career, this really is a poor effort.

Trance (2013, Dir. Danny Boyle, UK) (Cert: 15) ****

 

Starring: James McAvoy, Rosario Dawson, Vincent Cassell

 

Simon (McAvoy) has the important job of protecting pieces of art being stolen at an auction house. When attempting stop the theft of a painting, Simon is knocked unconscious, only for the gang stealing the piece to end up with just the frame and not the Goya painting they were intending to steal. Upon Simon’s recovery, the gang discover that Simon has no memory of where he put the picture, so a hypnotherapist (Dawson) attempts to unlock Simon’s memory and, unknowingly, the location of the missing art.

 

Trance may, initially, be something of a heist thriller with a slight sense of humour, but that quickly goes out of the window in favour of a deep, dark and convoluted psychological thriller. With such an intensive and complex story, it’s strange that the film really strikes more on a visual level. Practically every frame of the film is extraordinarily vibrant and engrossing with a colourful look. Rounding this off are strong performances from James McAvoy as our hapless lead and Vincent Cassell delivering a performance as a French master criminal, even if that’s often been Cassel’s raison-detre in his career. Rosario Dawson surprisingly dominates the picture mostly through the strength of her character, the film’s strongest. Ultimately, the film does get lost in its labyrinthine ideas and has a couple intricacies too many, which can prove frustrating. It could be better, but it’s a fascinating film all the same.

Safe Haven (2013, Dir. Lasse Hallström, USA) (Cert: 12a) ***

 Starring: Julianne Hough, Josh Duhamel, David Lyons

Fleeing on a bus, Katie (Hough) eventually arrives in a small town on the North Carolina coast, befriending a local store owner (Duhamel) and his two young children (Mimi Kirkland, Noah Lomax). As she tries to settle into her new life, a police officer (Lyons) is pursuing her on a charge of murder.

From Nicholas Sparks, who wrote The Notebook (which became a film in 2004) and acclaimed Swedish director, Lasse Hallström (ABBA music video director and also director of Chocolat (2000)) Safe Haven is what happens when female-targeted romance meets the thriller genre and the result is something of a mixed bag. Hallström’s trademark view of the beauty of rustic locales is perhaps the film’s strongest asset and as much as the romance and thriller combination seems like an ill fit, it works fairly well, thanks to some deft structuring. Safe Haven is not completely alone in this style and certain comparisons can be lent to Peter Weir’s film, Witness (1985), which also fused rustic romance starring a city-mouse protagonist with a cop thriller, and in fact there’s a romance sequence in Safe Haven which is very comparable to a similar sequence in Witness. However, the dialogue and characterisation lets this film down substantially. There is one good twist (not to mention a closing twist that is less impressive) but the characters are slightly one-dimensional, especially the villain, whilst the young boy character is a textbook example of a child character having dialogue that would seem more natural coming from someone a lot older. Towards the end, the always slightly flimsy plot does start to unravel quite quickly, but the film could’ve been a great deal worse than it was.See More

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013, Dir. Don Scardino, USA) (Cert: 15) **

 

 

Starring: Steve Carrell, Olivia Wilde, Steve Buscemi

 

Burt Wonderstone (Carrell, Mason Cook) and his friend in magic, Anton Marvelton (Buscemi, Luke Vanek) have been performing magic tricks on the Vegas strip for the last ten years. Their large-scale traditional magic show is quickly falling out of fashion in favour of the edgier work of a new generation of magicians, embodied in Steve Grey (Jim Carrey). When Burt and Anton go their separate ways, Burt has to find a way back to the top.

 

The film that comes to mind when watching The Incredible Burt Wonderstone is the 2007 comedy, The Magicians. Although both have differing stories, both are comedies based on showbiz magicians and both boast a decent leading cast (in Magicians’ case, David Mitchell and Robert Webb against Wonderstone’s two Steves, Buscemi and Carrell) and both are, given that, a bit of a let-down. In Wonderstone’s case, it’s just the feeling that it’s all been done before and with magic being a gimmick hiding the clichéd and predictable story. The plot’s twists and turns are always clear and many of the gags have obvious, and rather cheap, pay-offs. The film’s brightest spark is definitely the great performance of Alan Arkin as Burt Wonderstone’s idol. But, as mentioned, aside from a few chuckles and a cast that are often extremely good at comic performances as well a promising set-up of the old school of magic versus the new school, the film never truly becomes anything more than faintly amusing.

The Croods (3D) (2012, Dirs. Kirk De Micco, Chris Sanders, USA) (Cert: U) ***

Starring: Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds, Nicolas Cage

 

The Croods are a family of cave people, headed by the dad of the family, Grug (Cage). Cautious and tentative from years of seeing his neighbours die thanks to the perils of nature, Grug has taught his family to fear the outdoors and anything new; a lesson that doesn’t sit too well with his adventurous daughter, Eep (Stone), especially when she meets outsider, Guy (Reynolds). When the Croods’ cave is destroyed, they have no choice but to travel with Guy into the great unknown.

 

The Croods is a decent film, but it certainly isn’t an original one, with a plot that can basically be summarised as The Flintstones meet Finding Nemo (2003) and, as per usual, Dreamworks makes a fine effort but doesn’t quite topple its rival, Pixar, with the lack of originality being the central problem. However, the quality of people involved in this production is somewhat more impressive. Based on a story partly devised by John Cleese (yes, he of Monty Python and Fawlty Towers fame), the film has a good central cast with Emma Stone making an energetic lead and Nicolas Cage also delivering a strong performance (with trademark goofy freakout included) and a performace by the should-be-treasured, Cloris Leachman. The film also boasts some sumptuous visuals, let down a little by the cluttered 3D effects. Meanwhile, even though some the script has some problems with logic and other problems (a running gag where Grug wishes for his mother-in-law to die is played a little too harshly) but Alan Silvestri’s score is full of fun. The Croods isn’t original, but it’s entertaining and ultimately, in my book at least, that matters more. 

FILM OF THE WEEK (24/04/2013): Back To The Future (1985, Dir. Robert Zemeckis, USA) (Cert: PG) *****

Starring: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson

 

The year is 1985 and seventeen-year-old Marty McFly is looking for his friend, the older eccentric scientist, Emmett “Doc” Brown (Lloyd). Doc’s been working on a project to travel through time using a time machine made out of a DeLorean car. On the test run, Marty accidentally ends up travelling back to the year 1955 and has to get his parents (Thompson, Crispin Glover) together so he can be born.

 

The film that made the 80’s throwback car, the DeLorean, a cool car to have today, Back To The Future stands alongside the Star Wars films and ET: The Extra Terrestrial (1982) as the absolute peak of the family-friendly sci-fi action blockbuster (although parents be warned, there’s a fair bit of cursing). The film works based on the clever screenplay (though the film leans perhaps a little too much on over-idealistic nostalgia much like Zemeckis’ later film Forrest Gump (1994)) and charismatic acting as well as the cutting-edge CGI. Exciting and endearing in equal measures, Back To The Future is one of the few films that everyone must see, and probably has seen, at least once. 

Jack The Giant Slayer (2013, Dir. Bryan Singer, USA) (Cert: 12a) ***

Starring: Nicholas Hoult, Eleanor Tomlinson, Ewan McGregor

 

Absent-minded orphan Jack (Hoult, Michael Self), sells a horse belonging to his uncle (Christopher Fairbank) to a monk (Simon Lowe) in exchange for some beans. When a storm causes rain water to fall on one of the beans, a beanstalk grows, taking with it a princess (Sydney Rawson, Tomlinson). Jack, with the help of a group of knights and the princess’ suitor (Stanley Tucci) scale the beanstalk, only to discover that the giants from their legends and stories may, in fact, be completely real.

 

X-Men director Bryan Singer throws his hat in the ring to direct one in a long line of darker fairy tale adaptations, this time of Jack And The Beanstalk, or at least the initial premise of the fairy tale. The film does take a rather extreme departure from the original story, wherein you will find a princess, many giants and no golden goose. However, just because its different, doesn’t make it better. The giants are really the biggest problem (no pun intended). The designs aren’t particularly interesting and the giants are extremely one-dimensional with no real moral complexity or much of an explanation for their actions. Princess Isabelle is a brave adventurer who eventually is clad in armour and yet she does nothing more than play the damsel in distress. Elsewhere there’s some standard to good performances, especially from Stanley Tucci in a role reminiscent of Chris Sarandon’s Prince Humperdink in The Princess Bride (1987), Ewan McGregor adopts an English accent and a beard looking rather Eddie Izzard-esque and there’s a brief but enjoyable cameo from everyone’s favourite Ewok, Warwick Davies. However, there’s nothing that really helps this film to stand out.

The Paperboy (2012, Dir. Lee Daniels, USA) (Cert: 15) ***

Starring: Zac Efron, Nicole Kidman, Matthew McConaughey

 

Miami Times journalist, Ward Jansen (McConaughey) returns to his small hometown with his writing partner, Yardley Acheman (Daniel Oyelowo) to write in favour of the release of Hillary Van Wetter (John Cusack), currently on death row for murder. The assignment leads them to Van Wetter’s prison pen pal sweetheart (Kidman), who becomes the object of desire for Ward’s younger brother, Jack (Efron).

 

Set against the balmy back-drop of late-1960’s Florida, The Paperboy is a unique but not entirely satisfying effort. The casting is pretty much dead-on in this film, with particular praise going to Nicole Kidman who seamlessly slips into a Southern accent and despite being the central love interest, there’s something…not quite right about her. For a film rated 15, The Paperboy pushes the certification to the limit. The film has numerous scenes of bloodletting, Kidman’s first on-screen appearance with Cusack in the film is also a little odd and well, the mixture of Nicole Kidman, Zac Efron covered in jellyfish stings is not one with a particularly pleasing conclusion, unless you’re a distinctly kinky disposition. The problem is that whilst the film looks great, it adds up to less than the sum of its parts. What should be a steamy, sexy mystery set against the Everglades just trundles along, occasionally shocking, sometimes intriguing, but never quite getting the lift it needs.

Welcome To The Punch (2013, Dir. Eran Creevy, UK/USA) (Cert: 15) ***

Starring: James McAvoy, Mark Strong, David Morrissey

 

Critically injured from a shooting incident the night before, Ruan Sternwood (Elyes Gabel) collapses on an airport runway after rushing off a plane about to take off. The incident results in Ruan’s father, Jacob (Strong) to come out of hiding in Iceland to return to the UK. There, police officer Max Lewinsky (McAvoy) looks to apprehend Jacob Sternwood for a robbery in which Max was shot in the leg.

 

If there’s one thing Welcome To The Punch has, its style. The film noticeably takes its stylistic cue from LA crime thrillers, Drive (2011) and Heat (1995) (especially the latter, as in both films the central city, in Punch’s case, London, is bathed in a cool blue light.) Welcome To The Punch is not in same league as Drive and definitely not in the same league as Heat. The film does have a good handle on tension and action and, at its best, it is very thrilling stuff. But the set-up, and the central conceit behind it, which is revealed towards the end are too over-laden and over-complicated. However, when this film delivers the action goods, it really delivers.

FILM OF THE WEEK (17/03/2013): Iron Man (2008, Dir. Jon Favreau, USA) (Cert: 12a) ****

Tony Stark (Downey) is the wealthy, charismatic and hedonistic inheritor of a business specialising in weapons manufacturing. Whilst in the Middle East, demonstrating a new weapon, he is ambushed and captured by terrorists; the shrapnel from his fire-fight capture, lodging near his heart. A scientist (Shaun Toub), working against the terrorists from the inside, fits Stark with an electro-magnet, holding the shrapnel in place. It also allows Stark to design, create and use a mechanical suit of armour which effectively gives him superpowers.

 

The film that essentially sounded the bugle call for the Avengers Marvel film franchise, Iron Man in no small part, rests on the performance of Robert Downey Jr. Not the most popular or best known of superheroes, the concept of Iron Man makes him interesting and unique (the nearest parallel to my mind is Batman; and even then, they still don’t have much in common). Downey is charming and entertaining to watch, being convincing both as a likable good guy and as a selfish playboy whilst still keeping the same character. Elsewhere, Gwyneth Paltrow makes an equally agreeable (sort of) love interest with the distinctly Stan Lee-styled name of Pepper Potts and Terrence Howard fits in with his role as Stark’s US military contact. Fitting within this is Jeff Bridges, playing nicely against type, even if it is, at times, a little too much of an alien territory for him (and never quite lives up to the promise of a character who is, in reality, a cross between Jeff ‘The Dude’ Lebowski and Lex Luthor) This isn’t deep, thought-provoking cinema. It’s all-out smash-bang-wallop blockbuster fare; and in that, it succeeds quite admirably.

Robot & Frank (2013, Dir. Jake Schrier, USA) (Cert: 12a) ***

Starring: Frank Langella, Peter Sarsgaard, Susan Sarandon

 

Frank (Langella) lives alone and is losing his memory in his old age. As a result, his son, Hunter (James Marsden) provides his father with a robot (voiced by Sarsgaard) to help Frank remain healthy. Although at first Frank resents the robot, he eventually learns to accept him, especially when he finds the robot can be useful in helping Frank revive his activities as a cat burgler.

 

A dignified performance by Frank Langella and a strong (though not wholly original) concept help Robot & Frank be an entertaining picture, but it’s not much more than that. Although a science-fiction film in a fashion, Robot & Frank emphasises the human drama but, other than Langella, the performances are either okay or slightly disappointing, whilst the story has larger problems, especially towards the end. A closing act revelation is made blatantly obvious since literally the opening seconds of the film and in at least one instance, a montage of supposedly happy moments was underpinned with sterile white sets and costumes with choral classical music that put me in mind of the rather dark dystopia of THX-1138 (1971). Also, it’s hard to really feel much affection for the robot. His cool monotone is reminiscent of the sinister computer, HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and isn’t the most lovable of machines; not to mention, a key plot point is that he has no real understanding of law, which is odd considering that would seem like knowledge of laws would be fairly programmable. However, the film is charming and ambles along at a nice enough pace if you don’t let the multiple minor flaws get to you.

Oz: The Great And The Powerful (3D) (2013, Dir. Sam Raimi, USA) (Cert: PG) ****

Starring: James Franco, Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams

An ambitious magician (Franco) from Kansas is forced to flee the circus in a hot air balloon after angering the Strongman (Tim Holmes). When the balloon is caught in a tornado, the magician crashes in a strange colourful land known as Oz where the people believe he is a wizard prophesised to be their ruler.

A prequel to Frank L. Baum’s children story, The Wizard Of Oz, Oz: The Great And Powerful is directed by Sam Raimi of the Spiderman and Evil Dead trilogies and although, for legal reasons, the film distances itself from 1939 film adaptation of The Wizard Of Oz (by far the best known incarnation of the story) Raimi succeeds in creating and comparable world that also fits his own stylistic bent as a film-maker, most evident with its occasional use of dark humour, reminiscent of the Evil Dead franchise. The film is well cast, with James Franco making a charismatic lead that, if the film were made some fifteen years ago, probably would’ve gone to Raimi-fave Bruce Campbell (who is here, content with a cameo appearance). There are however problems with this film, namely that it’s too long, especially in the finale. Although the film is aimed at a more general-ages demographic than the 1939 Wizard Of Oz, the snaps, bangs and whistles do tire after a while. However, the film is engaging and emotive with some above-average 3D effects (even if they’re, as usual, gratuitous).

FILM OF THE WEEK (10/03/2013): Livide (Livid) (2011, Dirs. Alexandre Bustillo, Julien Maury, France) (Cert: 18) ***

Starring: Chloé Coulloud, Félix Moati, Jérémy Kapone

Taking up work assisting a domestic carer (Adéle Fousse, Catherine Jacob), Lucie (Coulloud) learns the story of a wealthy former ballerina (Marie-Claude Pietragalla), who has been in a coma since the death of her deaf daughter (Chloé Marcq). With the help of her boyfriend, Will (Moati) and their friend, Ben (Kapone), Lucie returns to the ballerina’s luxurious home later that night to swipe her necklace. Getting in is easy, but getting out proves to be more difficult.

It’s hard to know where to begin with Livid. A French horror film, it takes quite a while to really know where the film is going. Stylishly shot and focusing on the troubled lives of suburban youth, this often feels more like a French drama than a horror film, although the occasional shots of violence and the well-handled mood and atmosphere put you off-kilter somewhat early on. For a film that’s barely over 90 minutes however, the film doesn’t really get going until just under an hour in. By this point, the set-up feels dragged around (especially since it isn’t that original). However, once the true horror story kicks in, the weirdness levels rise very highly and very quickly, even to the point of being ridiculous at times. Visually, this film has a lot to work with and there are some interesting ideas and a lot of creepiness sprinkled throughout. It’s certainly no masterpiece, but for those, like me, or who like their horror films a little weird and surreal, it may be worth checking out.

Broken City (2013, Dir. Allen Hughes, USA) (Cert: 15) ***

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Russell Crowe, Catherine Zeta-Jones

 

Seven years after being acquitted on a murder charge, former cop turned private eye and loan collector, Billy Taggart (Wahlberg) is contacted the incumbent mayor of New York, Nicholas Hottstettler (Crowe) to investigate his wife (Zeta-Jones) who he believes to be having an affair. The reality is much different and has much more severe consequences.

 

A modern neo-Noir set against the grime and crime of the New York streets, Broken City is an affective, if by-the-numbers, thriller. Mark Wahlberg and Russell Crowe make decent leads with strong performances, although Wahlberg seems a little miscast. The supporting players also make a good show with both Catherine Zeta-Jones and Jeffrey Wright looking like they fit in such a Film Noir-influenced universe, with Zeta-Jones playing a role similar to that of Faye Dunaway in Chinatown (1974). Where the film falls down is it’s a little slick for its own good and it, as a whole, feels inconsequential. I hardly think this film will be in the wider public consciousness after a few years. The twists are also unremarkable (a big no-no in Noir) but it’s entertaining enough and worth a look if you enjoy a good thriller.

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (3D) (2013, Dir. Tommy Wirkola, Germany/USA) (Cert: 15) **

Starring: Gemma Arterton, Jeremy Renner, Famke Jannsen

Left in the woods as children, Hansel (Cedric Eich, Renner) and Gretel (Arterton, Alea Sophia Boudodimos) happen upon a house made of candy and the witch (Monique Ganderton) who lives therein captures the two children. However, Hansel and Gretel break free and kill the witch. Years later the now grown brother and sister travel Europe dispatching witches as soldiers of fortune. Stopping off in one town, they find out about a witch (Jannsen) who has kidnapped several of the town’s children.

 

Recently, there’s been a trend with darker takes on fairy tales with last year’s Snow White & The Huntsman and the yet to be released Jack The Giant Slayer. Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters continues in that vein and for every good idea that it has (Hansel’s weakness, a disease that comes from him eating too much candy whilst being a child captive, is an interesting allusion to diabetes) there’s about five dumb ones. The film is set in some theme-park all-purpose central Europe where everyone’s a homogenous blend of European and American, except for the two very Americanised leads. Odd, considering the German production and the fact that the cast is in no small part, composed of European actors; the British Gemma Arterton, the Dutch Famke Jannsen, the Swedish Peter Stormare and many others. The film is painfully off-kilter with its depictions of history, especially in terms of weapons and language. This was probably a tongue-in-cheek self-aware element of the script, but it’s so overblown and all-encompassing, it also feels somewhat genuinely sincere. If would’ve been interesting to see the film play a little more towards the humour and perhaps take a few lessons from Army Of Darkness (1992), which the film seems to have been a little influenced by, especially in the witch designs. Alas, it goes for the lowest common denominator with flashy 3D gimmicks and far less brains than it should have; but unless you like a film where two vigilante siblings blow up witches and featuring two Bond girls in prominent  roles (okay, I admit that sounds a little cool) go see it. Just don’t expect anything particularly good.

FILM OF THE WEEK (03/03/2013): Labyrinth (1986, Dir. Jim Henson, USA/UK) (Cert: U) ****

Sara (Connelly) is an adolescent girl obsessed with fairy tales. One evening, she is babysitting her baby step-brother, Toby (Toby Froud) and in a fit of frustration accidentally gets a wish granted for the child to be taken away by goblins. Will Sara get her brother back before he is turned into a goblin by the goblin prince Jareth (Bowie)?

 

The last film directed by Muppet creator Jim Henson before his sudden and untimely death of pneumonia in 1990, the film also pools the considerable talents of Star Wars/Indiana Jones creator George Lucas (executive producer) Monty Python member Terry Jones (one of the film’s screenwriters and the only one to receive credit in the film) and rock star/actor David Bowie for a film which whilst lacking slightly in technical perfection more than makes up in charm. Like the best fairy tales, Labyrinth is entertaining to children but has an occasional dark side, whilst the script is well-written with subtle plot developments (it might take the viewer several viewings to realise that certain phrases are repeated and with a consistent consequence). Labyrinth was one of several family fantasy movies to be released in the mid-80’s and got lost in the flow, under-performing at the box office. Now it has been rightfully regarded as a great cult classic by the twenty-somethings who grew up with this film on television.

Stoker (2013, Dir. Chan-Wook Park, USA/UK) (Cert: 18) ****

Starring: Mia Wasikowska, Matthew Goode, Nicole Kidman

On her eighteenth birthday, India Stoker (Wasikowska) suffers the death of her father (Dermot Mulroney). At the wake of the funeral, India meets her estranged uncle, Charlie (Goode) who goes on to stay with India and her mother (Kidman). Amidst the strange sexual tension that takes hold in the house, Charlie’s arrival also coincides with the start of a string of brutal murders.

... Having already made a name for himself in his native South Korea off of the back of Oldboy (2003) and Thirst (2009), Chan-Wook Park makes his English-language debut in this charged and provocative thriller. Park’s fondness for Hitchcock shines through with a plot heavily reminiscent of Shadow Of A Doubt (1943) and several visual nods towards Psycho (1960). This is a more explicit depiction of the subjects of sex and violence than those two films and isn’t for the faint of heart. Wasikowska is an inspired casting choice, portraying both girlish innocence and womanly cunning whilst playing a character that seems to have stepped straight out of a Tim Burton film (although not Alice In Wonderland (2009), before you ask). The dialogue isn’t great with some major plot holes and Matthew Goode’s Charlie is perhaps played a little to maniacally and over-the-top but does suit the film’s dark undertones. Stylish and bold, Stoker may shock more than a few who dare to see it.

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Arbitrage (2012, Dir. Nicholas Jarecki, USA) (Cert: 15) ***

Robert Miller (Gere) is a billionaire businessman, beloved by many. However, he leads a double life. Through his business, he’s committing fraud that, if discovered, could land him in prison for many years. On his sixtieth birthday, Miller decides to run away with his mistress (Laeticia Casta) and live upstate. On the journey there, Robert falls asleep at the wheel and crashes the car, injuring himself and killing his lover. Desperate not to be found out, both for the murder and the fraud that may be uncovered as a result, Robert concocts a web of lies.

... There are fundamental problems with Arbitrage and perhaps the biggest falls down to the main character. Richard Gere delivers a satisfactory performance as a man whose life falls to hell, but the main issue is that he’s the villain, not the hero. That, of course, isn’t to say that a main character should always be the hero. Al Pacino (who, coincidentally, Gere replaced in this role) provided perhaps the best example as Michael Corleone in the Godfather trilogy (1972 – 90), but this film is , obviously, not on a par with The Godfather in neither writing nor performance. But given the story, and the climate that it’s been made in, it’s unsure whether we should sympathise with Gere, with or find him repugnant. Elsewhere, the supporting cast does a good job. Susan Sarandon is completely believable as Gere’s patient and more sympathetic wife, but Tim Roth, a fine actor, delivers a pretty bad “Noo Yawk” accent as the detective assigned to the case of the car crash. Strange, considering his near flawless American accent in Reservoir Dogs, twenty years before. The best element in the story is Roth and his dealings with a young man played by Nate Parker who helps Gere. With more emphaisis on that, this film could’ve been improved a fair amount.

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