Elephante Blanco (White Elephant) (2012, Dir. Pablo Trapero, Argentina/Spain/France) (Cert: 15/Not Rated) ***

 

Starring: Jérémie Renier, Ricardo Darín,  Martina Gusman

 

After escaping gunmen in the jungle who are looking for him (and seeing an entire village slaughtered because of him), Belgian priest Nicolás (Renier) finds work in Elephante Blanco (The White Elephant) an incomplete Argentine hospital complex, now home to a slum where drug abuse, violence and police suppression are everyday occurrences.

 

Set against the backdrop of an Argentinian slum (a landscape so bleak and bloodied that its remarkable the Argentinian government even allowed this side of their nation to be filmed), White Elephant is despite its large scope, really a study of two priests; the young immigrant, Nicolás (played by Jérémie Renier) and the slightly jaded, just over middle-aged Julián (played by Ricardo Darín from the acclaimed Secrets In Their Eyes (2009)). Both dealing with questions surrounding their faith in differing ways. Nonetheless, the violence is often jarringly realistic and cold; although the lack of time given to most of the other characters means that when they meet their ends, it isn’t quite as powerful as needed. The film does have some extraordinary sequences thrown in, mostly when the action slows down and augmented by a surprising but appropriate brassy orchestra but the film lacks a little of that same gravitas on a consistent level. If you like your drama gritty and uncompromising, have at it, but don’t expect anything life-changing.

Bernie (2011, Dir. Richard Linklater, USA) (Cert: 12a) *****

Starring: Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine, Matthew McConaughey

 

Having moved from Louisiana, Bernie Tiede (Black) settled into the small town of Carthadge, Texas and started work as funeral director and pastor, quickly becoming popular for his professionalism and ‘nice guy’ persona. His likability even extends to the wealthy, mean-spirited widow, Marjorie Nugent (MacLaine) and she and Bernie become unlikely but very close companions. However, when Marjorie’s character flaws and possessiveness start to build on poor Bernie, he begins to reach a crisis point.

 

Having been released in the US two years before its 2013 release date, Bernie (based on a true story) was something of a minor financial success. Reuniting director Richard Linklater with Jack Black (School Of Rock (2003)) and Matthew McConaughey (Dazed And Confused (1993)), Bernie may not have been successful in monetary terms, but as a film it is immensely rewarding. Stylistically, this film is very reminiscent of the Coen Brothers; both in its mixture of use of black comedy as well as the parochialism of the setting. The Texas backdrop calls to mind No Country For Old Men (2007) whilst the nice, foible-filled and, at times, just odd local characters recalls Fargo (1996). Whilst the character of Bernie Tiede may not be the kind one would typically associate with Jack Black necessarily, he does manage to make the role his own, even having ample opportunity to showcase his singing talents in hymns and showtunes meanwhile Shirley MacLaine (who had made her big-screen debut in Hitchcock’s black comedy, The Trouble With Harry (1955)) goes against the kooky pixie-faced ingénues that made her famous in a very sour role.  Funny and surprisingly charming given the subject matter, this film really deserves more love.     

FILM OF THE WEEK (28/04/2013): Frankenstein (1931, Dir. James Whale, USA) (Cert: PG) *****

Starring: Colin Clive, Boris Karloff, Mae Clark.

Henry Frankenstein (Clive) has an idea for a new experiment. With the help of his assistant Fritz (Dwight Frye), Frankenstein digs up a corpse and with the aid of a brain (from a criminal, following the damage of the ‘normal’ brain) and electricity, Dr Frankenstein creates his own monster (Karloff).  

 

Masterful lighting and set-design distinguish this early horror classic from English director James Whale based on the classic novel by writer Mary Shelley, fellow Brit Boris Karloff also shines with brilliance as a towering yet unavoidably sympathetic monster in a film so enduring elements of its sets were used for the affectionate parody, Young Frankenstein, almost forty-five years later.

The Look Of Love (2013, Dir. Michael Winterbottom, UK/USA) (Cert: 18/TBC) ***

 

Starring: Steve Coogan, Imogen Poots, Tamsin Egerton

 

In 1958, Paul Raymond (Coogan) courted controversy and immense popularity from his revue bar in Soho with the attraction of young naked women. Starting from his fortune made through erotica, Raymond later branched into the property market and in 1992 was declared the richest man in the UK. However, the road there was beset by infidelity, drugs and heartbreak.

 

The Look Of Love may be one of the few times (if not the only time) where a biopic has been made by the same director and with the same star but playing a different subject. Having previously played Factory Records and Haҫienda club impresario Tony Wilson in Winterbottom’s 24 Hour Party People (2002), Steve Coogan returns as erotica magnate Paul Raymond in a film that is big on style and has the occasional dramatic flare to match but also the occasional lull. The film presents Paul Raymond’s story as the view that money doesn’t buy happiness. This is hardly an original sentiment in film and in fact one of the most famous films. Citizen Kane (1941) already delivered that message rather thoroughly (there has been speculation that Citizen Kane was about media tycoon William Randolph Hearst, but there’s never been any clear confirmation) and as a result the film falls down the usual rabbit holes, but there seems to be real promise in elements that are left out (the start of the Revue Bar is pretty much glossed over as is most of the elements of the controversy Raymond caused; both of which would be fascinating ideas) but in the film’s favour there are some strong performances from the leads (even if Coogan in Raymond’s more awkward moments stumbles a little too close to his comedy creation, Alan Partridge) and whilst the film has many a cameo to spot for anyone even vaguely familiar to modern British media (on a side note: in his very short appearance I’m convinced Matt Lucas should star in a film about drag/cult film icon, Divine) they aren’t extremely gratuitous. Like the material that Paul Raymond made his name with, this will satisfy and entertain many, but are easily forgotten.

Iron Man 3 (3D) (2013, Dir. Shane Black, USA/China) (Cert: 12a/PG-13) ***

Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Guy Pearce, Gwyneth Paltrow

At long last recognised as a hero both for his deeds on his own and as a part of a league of similar individuals known as The Avengers Initiative, Tony Stark (Downey Jr.) spends his free time developing the technology he uses to fight the force of evil, whilst also helping to develop similar technology for the government. However, Stark’s adventures are starting to catch up with him and when a mysterious terrorist simply known as ‘The Mandarin’ (Sir Ben Kingsley) shows up, weaponising a new form of experimental technology, Stark must struggle to overcome his personal demons.

 

As arguably the most popular facet of Marvel’s successful and far-reaching Avengers series of superheroes in film, Iron Man 3 has some rather steep expectations to live up to. Whilst the first Iron Man film released in 2008 was a great superhero film in its own right, its 2010 follow up, Iron Man 2 was, whilst not terrible, fairly unmemorable but the 2012 film, The Avengers (known as Avengers Assemble in the UK) redeemed the good qualities of Iron Man. As for this film, there are some definite flaws in the material with much of the plot being fairly predictable (especially a sub-plot involving an old flame of Stark’s) and the characters not feeling as original as they used to. Most notably Tony Stark, whose enjoyably dry humour has become a little diluted (a side-effect of him changing from cheeky anti-hero to a completely noble hero), whilst his artificial intelligence assistant, Jarvis (voiced by Paul Bettany) has become a largely C-3PO-esque creation whilst Andy Samberg makes an almost pointless early appearance in the film. However, the real bright spot in characters is The Mandarin who exudes an exoticism owing to the casting of Indian-British actor Sir Ben Kingsley (who has played roles ranging from Parsi-Indian Mahatma Gandhi in Gandhi (1981) to the Jewish-Polish Itzahk Stern in Schindler’s List (1993)). Though initially flat, a mid-story revelation about his character is a stroke of genius and makes him far more entertaining. The action sequences also thrill with some interesting ideas, even if they’re overdone in the film’s stretched finale and the visuals are equally impressive, whilst fortunately not pandering too much to the 3D presentation. Overall, this is no classic but has some moments of entertainment.  

Io e te (Me And You) (2012, Dir. Bernardo Bertolucci, Italy (Cert: 15/TBC) ***

 

Starring: Jacopo Olmo Antinori, Tea Falco, Sonia Bergamasco

 

Fourteen-year-old Lorenzo (Antinori) tells his mother (Bergamasco) that he’s going on a skiing holiday with his class. Although the class is going skiing, Lorenzo is using the trip as a ruse as he instead moves into the basement of his apartment building for a few days. However, it’s not long after he’s settled in that he has to share the space with his seldom seen elder half-sister (Falco) who is going ‘cold turkey’ from her heroin addiction.

 

A film from Bernardo Bertolucci, one of Italy’s most renowned living film-makers (best known for the controversial Last Tango In Paris (1972)) Me And You is a distinctly minimalistic film about the relationship between siblings. Jacopo Olmo Antinori plays Lorenzo; his rebellious streak, adolescent complexion and blazing blue eyes calling to mind a young Malcolm McDowall whilst Tea Falco drives a more extreme performance as Lorenzo’s half-sister Olivia, at times screaming and sweating out her addiction demons. There’s a slightly incestuous element to the plot, with Lorenzo and Olivia sometimes seeming a little close for comfort (and a theme driven home early on by a discussion between Lorenzo and his mother, where Lorenzo hypothesises about a post-apocalyptic future where he may have to reproduce with her); an element that frankly isn’t needed, but in the less intense elements there are some genuinely sweet and heart-felt moments between the two characters, aided by the performances of the leads. Artsy, eccentric and often at times just pretentious, the film has a few solid moments but isn’t worth catching for those who aren’t followers of Bertolucci’s.

Los Amantes Pasajeros (I’m So Excited!) (2013, Dir. Pedro Almodóvar, Spain) (Cert: 15/R) ***

Starring: Javier Cámara, Cecilia Roth, Lola Dueñas

A commercial passenger plane has taken off from Spain on its way to Mexico. An hour-and-a-half into the flight, the passengers slowly become aware that’s something is not right and the crew inform them that there’s been a mechanical failure that has left them still in Spain, circling in the air until they can make an emergency landing on a free runway. With nervous and eccentric passengers aboard it doesn’t take long for alcohol, sex, drugs and musical numbers to all become factors on this strange flight.

... A cross between Airplane! (1980) and The Adventures Of Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert (1994), I’m So Excited! marks the return of Pedro Almodóvar, Spain’s most acclaimed modern film-maker to the comedies of his early work. Being given a wide release, little of the film is lost in translation largely owing to the universal themes of crime, sex, drugs etc. However, despite these usually heavy forms of subject matter the film is almost entirely without consequence. It’s fun, and often very daring (there’s no nudity in the film, but it still manages to be very sexually graphic through implicit imagery and dialogue.) The film has some real stand-out showstopping sequences (mostly the performance of the Pointer Sisters song that gives the film its English title, lip-synched start-to-finish by three of the plane’s stewards) but the film gets a little too heady and sex-obsessed for its own good, lurching at times towards overly-broad humour. People going to see the film may also be disappointed by the lack of Antonio Banderas and Penélope Cruz, Almodóvar’s two most internationally-famous recurring players; here, just turning in two film-opening cameos. Still, it’s fun, bouncy and very wild.

ON UK GENERAL RELEASE: MAY 3rdSee More

Chimpanzee (2012, Dirs. Alistair Fothergill, Mark Linfield, Tanzania/USA) (Cert: U/G) ***

 

Starring: Tim Allen, Oscar, Freddie

 

In the rain forests of Africa, a story is unfolding. A baby chimpanzee named Oscar is being cared for by its mother and is learning how to be like the older chimps in the group. However, Oscar will eventually come to learn that the jungle isn’t the most forgiving place.

 

Disney has trodden into the territory of wildlife documentaries before with African Cats (2011) and the media empire even has a whole division dedicated to such films that in typical Disney fashion tailor the approach to wildlife towards young children. That isn’t to say Chimpanzee is a disingenuous film; the events seem to be, essentially, without contrivance and there’s even some rather uncomfortable truths that are faced. However, some of the efforts to make a story for the youngsters presents troubles, mostly in the depiction of an ‘enemy’ group of chimps since the animal kingdom doesn’t really run on ideas of good-and-evil (also, unless it’s the case of the main ‘bad’ chimp being named Scar by those observing the animals before Disney turned up, you can’t blame people for instantly thinking of the villain in Dinsey’s own Lion King (1994)). Tim Allen also has a few too many one-liners and gags (even with the noticeable reference to his sitcom, Home Improvement) but the film looks stunning and kids should love it; there’s just not much there for anyone else.   

Den Skaldede Frisør (Love Is All You Need) (2012, Dir. Susanne Bier, Denmark/Sweden/Italy/France/Germany) (Cert: 15/R) ****

Starring: Trine Dyrholm, Pierce Brosnan, Molly Blixt Egelind

 

Ida (Dyrholm), a cancer sufferer is busy making plans to go to the wedding of her daughter (Egelind) in Italy when she discovers her husband (Kim Bodnia) having sex with one of his employees (Christiane Schaumberg-Müller). In her distress, she crashes her car at the airport into another car coincidentally belonging to Philip (Brosnan); the widowed father of the soon-to-be groom (Sebastian Jessen). Although their relationship is prickly at first, they grow closer as the wedding day approaches.

 

It’s very apparent that Den Skaldede Frisør is instantly comparable to Mamma Mia (2008) with the Mediterranean setting, the approach of a wedding and, of course, the appearance of Pierce Brosnan. Be warned. This is not a fluffy, inoffensive rom-com to while away the hours. It is still a romance and it is still a comedy (although that element does play second fiddle to the drama).  This is a film that also depicts cancer in a rather forthright way (including some shots of a breast, post-masterectomy), has rather mature approach to family dysfunction and features a truly monstrous (as in wishing her perfectly healthy daughter had an eating disorder) creation in Paprika Steen’s Benedickte. Trine Dyrholm carries the film with an earnest and mildly bubbly optimism. Brosnan also delivers a good performance despite a strange accent (Supposedly English, but with a strange but definitely deliberate inflection made even more blatant by the accent given by Danish actor Sebastian Jessen as Brosnan’s son). The film flits between English and Danish so I wouldn’t recommend it to people who have problems with subtitles, and whilst the film has a good story beautiful scenery and great music by Johan Söderqvist it doesn’t start or end very satisfactorily. However, what is in-between goes above what’s expected of standard romantic-comedy fare.

FILM OF THE WEEK (21/04/2013): Barton Fink (1991, Dirs. Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, USA/UK) (Cert: 15/R) ****

 

Starring: John Turturro, John Goodman, Michael Lerner

 

After scoring a big hit with his latest play, bookish writer Barton Fink (Turturro) is offered work for a movie studio and is commissioned to write a “wrestling picture”. Fink doesn’t know anything about the subject and experiences writer’s block. Not even the advice of an alcoholic veteran writer (John Mahoney) or Barton’s genial salesman neighbour (Goodman) can seem to pull him from this slump.

 

When 1990’s Miller’s Crossing bombed at the box office (only to be rediscovered as a classic), you couldn’t blame studios for being a little gun-shy when it came to the Coen brothers. Perhaps the duo themselves had lost confidence in their work (similar themes appear in this film) and whilst it never gave the Coens a financial break, Barton Fink was at least a critical improvement  (until the aforementioned rediscovery of Miller’s Crossing) for the Coen brothers and stands as a solid film in its own right. Stylistically, Barton Fink seems to be a strange combination of a Woody Allen comedy, strange surrealism and film noir, but lead John Turturro (who had a supporting role in Miller’s Crossing) playing up Barton as a world-class, slightly pretentious and very unlucky schmuck who’s given enough life and personality thanks to the writing and acting to at least still make him believable. All the supporting players do well in their roles but John Goodman, after turning in a decent but unremarkable performance at first, really comes through in the second half. 

Promised Land (2012, Dir. Gus Van Sant, USA/UAE) (Cert: 15/R) ***

 

Starring: Matt Damon, John Krasinski, Frances McDormand

 

Steve Butler (Damon) and Sue Thomason (McDormand) work for a large industrial company that specialises in drilling underground for natural gas. Their work takes them to a small rural down with a dying tradition of agriculture but with large deposits of natural gas that the company could use and inject large amounts of money into the town’s economy. At first, the town seems largely onboard with the idea; however, a local science teacher (Hal Holbrook), the town mayor (Ken Strunk) and a visiting environmentalist (Krasinski) all have concerns of their own.

 

Adapted from a story by Dave Eggers into a screenplay by John Kasinski and Matt Damon (Damon notably co-wrote the screenplay of Good Will Hunting (1997) with his co-star in that film, Ben Affleck whilst both films were also directed by Gus Van Sant), Promised Land is competently handled and has a feel for naturalistic dialogue and performances, wrapped around a fairly unoriginal story; that of the big-city big-shot coming to a small town with a condescending attitude and being influenced by these surroundings. Matt Damon’s an actor who comes across as instantly sympathetic, perhaps always destined to play the ‘good guy’; here, he’s a complex character. On the one hand, cynical and all-for-profit and on the other, he has small-town roots and does have a definite conscience. This is nicely balanced by Frances McDormand playing the role of a single mother away from her family; still a professional (moreso than Damon in fact) but more likable and sympathetic. Where the characterisations fall down is Damon’s interactions with John Krasinski. Krasinski performs perfectly fine and manages to be good rival but the problem is, even as he’s supposed seen as the more agreeable character, he comes across as obnoxious, though this is justified by the subsequent events in the plot. It’s also jarring that in a film that seems to present itself as anti-corporate there is a lot of un-ironic displays of brands (Bud Light, Chevrolet, Microsoft…) Promised Land isn’t a remarkable film and doesn’t present you with anything new, but it’s a perfectly decent film.

Evil Dead (2013, Dir. Fede Alvarez, USA) (Cert: 18/R) ****

 

 

 

Starring: Jane Levy, Shiloh Fernandez, Lou Taylor Pucci

 

Suffering from a drug addiction, Mya (Levy) is taken by her friends and her brother David (Fernandez) to her family’s cabin in the woods in order to go cold turkey. One of the friends, Eric (Pucci) discovers in the cabin a skin-bound book, wrapped in black plastic and barbed wire and that contains strange blood-stained messages of warning. Eric finds a hidden chant in the book and when he recites it, he seems to conjure up something in the woods that takes hold of Mya, even though the others simply think she’s experiencing withdrawal symptoms.

 

Remaking horror films is a tricky business. The rule of thumb is that generally horror remakes are wholly inferior (with some notable exceptions such as The Thing (1982) and The Fly (1986)) and a cheap excuse to make money; an act that large numbers of horror fans find tiresome and annoying. Evil Dead remained up until this point one of the few major American horror franchises from the 1980s left untouched in the world of remakes and boasts one of the most loyal (if rather eccentric, even by horror fan standards) fan communities in the horror genre. With the Evil Dead trilogy’s director (Sam Raimi), star (Bruce Campbell) and producer (Robert Tapert) to hand, this film seems to have been given the seal of approval.

 

To call this Evil Dead a copy-and-paste take on the original 1981 film would be misguided. This newer version is a more classically horrific approach that features none of the first film’s humour (the initial Evil Dead sequels are better remembered for the comedy, but the first Evil Dead still is, at times, a little tongue-in-cheek). In this sense the film is less unique when compared to its antecedent but it delivers a still vicious and thrilling story with involving characters. There’s a real love for the original material here with a series of homages that run from obvious to subtle. The film lacks a lead as charismatic as the original trilogy’s Bruce Campbell (although, to be fair, Campbell only really shone in the subsequent Evil Dead films). Inevitably, some fans will be disappointed. It’s not the same as what came before and the pre-existing prejudice towards remakes will hang on this a little (though not as much as most other examples in this category) but what the new Evil Dead does is preach to the Evil Dead-worshipping choir with a new hymnbook and speaking as a proud member of the congregation myself, the sermon still holds up a little.

Olympus Has Fallen (2013, Dir. Antoine Fuqua, USA) (Cert: 15/R) **

 

Starring: Gerard Butler, Rick Yune, Morgan Freeman

 

Eighteen months after being removed from personal security for the President (Aaron Eckhart) due to the failure to save the life of the First Lady (Ashley Judd) White House security officer Mike Banning (Butler) goes on a mission to rescue the President when a North Korean terrorist organisation takes control of the White House.

 

When Air Force One was released in 1997, many people dubbed it “Die Hard On A Plane”. It was far from the first film to be heavily influenced by the 1988 Bruce Willis movie (in fact, Die Hard has probably been the most influential action movie of the last 25 years). Well, now with Olympus Has Fallen we have Die Hard In The White House; borrowing the concept of using a lone-man action movie within a Presidential setting. Given that the film stars the undoubtedly manly Gerard Butler in a role suited to an action-heavy environment, Olympus Has Fallen should be superior given that Air Force One was an aging Harrison Ford playing a distinctly middle-aged President in combat-mode.

 The fight sequences in Olympus Has Fallen are impressive, especially the close-quarters fights and the film is snappily-edited but on a moralistic front, the film is in contentious territory. For the gung-ho patriotic and conservative audience of the US, Olympus Has Fallen has a fair amount to recommend it story-wise. A decisively post-9/11 film (the top of the Washington Monument is cleaved off with a plane wing and looks eerily like one of the World Trade Centre towers in the 2001 terror attacks) but for those with a more progressive slant, there may be issues with a lack of moral complexity even in circumstances that do seem shady (Butler’s ruthless actions would cross certain ethical boundaries for a lot of people) and portrayals of North Koreans that border if not completely fall into offensive territory (there is, to my memory, all but one East Asian in the entire film who isn’t an antagonist. One in a large cast. The use of suicide bombings is hardly sensitive either). Regardless of your political views, the film is at its best when it covers the events in the back-rooms with Morgan Freeman in an almost docu-drama style as the action is too flamboyant and unrealistic. If they’d focused on the quieter stuff this would’ve been a much more interesting film. As it is, it’s too dark and too disturbing to be really worth recommending.

FILM OF THE WEEK (14/04/2013): Jaws (1975, Dir. Steven Spielberg, USA) (Cert: 12/PG) *****

Starring: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss

Whilst preparing for the Independence Day flood of tourists, the tranquil calm of the coastal town of Amity is shattered by the presence of a large shark stalking the coastline, claiming victims in a series of vicious attacks. Local police officer Martin Brody (Scheider) takes out a boat with a shark specialist (Dreyfuss) and an experienced sailor (Shaw) to kill the shark.

Adapted from a novel by Peter Benchley, Jaws made an impact nearly unparalleled in motion pictures. The film started a wave (no pun intended) of animal-based horror films (most notably the Jaws cash-in Piranha (1978)) pioneered the notion of the summer blockbuster and provided the breakthrough success of Steven Spielberg. A film that combines elements of Alfred Hitchcock and Moby Dick, Jaws is much rougher than the relatively tame certificate and the, rather unjust, cuddly reputation of Spielberg would suggest. Tense and violent, the film pulls few punches on the violence front (this is one of the few, at least mainstream, horror films in which a child is not only injured, but killed and in rather gory fashion) and provides three great lead performances, especially Englishman Robert Shaw as salty sea dog Quint, near unrecognisable next to Shaw’s previous role as big blonde psychopath Red Grant in the James Bond film, From Russia With Love (1963). All of this brought to the fore by an unforgettable John Williams score. Duh…DUM!

Papadopoulos And Sons (2013, Dir. Marcus Markou, UK) (Cert: 15/Uncertified) ***

Starring: Stephen Dillane, Georges Corraface, Cosima Shaw

 

Harry Papadopoulos (Dillane) is a wealthy and successful Greek-born British businessman, heading the Papadopoulos And Sons business, specialising in Greek food and, more recently, property. When an economic downturn results in the business going bust, Harry and his family move in with Harry’s elder brother, Spiros (Corraface) who has dreams of reopening the chip shop where the brothers had first made their name.

 

To start with, Papadopoulos And Sons isn’t a particularly entertaining film. The setting and characters come off as either bland or unoriginal and the film never goes beyond faintly amusing. The film becomes noticeably better when Georges Corraface turns up; his performance as Spiros, the lovable rogue, lifts the film’s momentum and does start to endear you to the main characters in turn. The plot is a little disorganised (one plot thread seems almost dropped entirely without much of a resolution) and the film probably would’ve been served better as a TV miniseries, but there’s nothing here that’s hugely problematic; it’s just a little flat. 

The Place Beyond The Pines (2012, Dir. Derek Cianfrance, USA) (Cert: 15/R) ****

 

Starring: Bradley Cooper, Ryan Gosling, Dane DeHaan

 

After quitting his job as a stunt motorcyclist, Luke “Heartthrob” Glanton discovers that he’s a father. Wanting to provide, Luke uses his skills as a motorcyclist to become a bank robber; a career that he discovers to be quite skilled in. However, when a bank robbery goes wrong, his encounter with a cop (Cooper) has far-reaching consequences.

 

The Place Beyond The Pines has accomplished something very difficult. The film has taken what is essentially a bi-generational saga and distilled it into a two hour long story. Conventional wisdom says that that shouldn’t work, however it is pulled off rather commendably. A tale of crime, corruption and the relationship between fathers and sons, the performances are strong, aiding an engrossing story. The mid-story twist is perhaps a little much to swallow, but other than that this film comes highly recommended.

Oblivion (2013, Dir. Joseph Kosinski, USA) (Cert: 12a) ***

Starring: Tom Cruise, Olga Kurylenko, Andrea Riseborough

 

In the year 2017, aliens fleeing their dying home planet landed on the Moon and began a war between them and Earth. The destruction to the Moon caused earthquakes and floods and the resulting nuclear war finished off most of the Earth’s atmosphere. Sixty years on, Jack (Cruise) and Victoria (Riseborough) are two surviving humans living above Earth’s atmosphere, surveying the planet and ridding it of remaining aliens, known as “Scavs”. When Jack discovers and rescues a sixty-year-old escape pod containing a woman (Kurylenko) he recognises from his dreams, a whole new reality starts to dawn on Jack.

 

Directed by Joseph Kosinski (and based off of his own graphic novel), Oblivion treads a fine line between mainstream-friendly pop-science fiction and more cerebral and esoteric material, lurching further towards the latter as the film goes on. It’s a film that wears its influences on its sleeve, with a story that meshes elements from Aliens (1986) and 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). It twists and it turns but doesn’t take a very interesting shape until the movie is well underway, just enough to stop you losing interest completely. However, the film does have a great sound and set design and the final moments of the film are a real tour-de-force.  

A Late Quartet (2012, Dir. Yaron Zilberman, USA) (Cert: 15) ****

 

 

Starring: Christopher Walken, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Catherine Keener

 

The New York-based Fugue String Quartet, consisting of cellist Peter Mitchell (Walken), first violin Daniel Lerner (Mark Ivanir), second violin Robert Gelbart (Hoffman) and his wife, Juliette (Keener) on viola, are preparing for an upcoming season of concerts when Peter discovers he’s having difficulty playing; a difficulty which transpires to be caused by the early stages of Parkinsons Disease. As a result, he decides to retire and makes the first concert of the tour his last performance before being replaced. However, before the performance can even take place, matters of dissatisfaction and infidelity threaten the continuation of the quartet.

 

Released in the UK the same year as Dustin Hoffman’s similarly-named, Quartet (2012) but released earlier in the US, A Late Quartet does bare some comparisons; both films are about musicians (more specifically classical musicians), marriage and aging, although whilst Quartet dealt with late life, three of the four characters in this film’s group are middle-aged. A Late Quartet is also less comedic in its approach, appealing more to a dramatic sensibility and, like Quartet, boasts a fine cast. As expected, the music is a thing of exquisite beauty but the film is also tasteful on a visual level. The over-riding problem to this, is the story. Whilst it gives decent concession to characters and allows the actors great opportunity to rise to the occasion, virtually all of the central plot points are dealt too soon and too quickly in the film, without allowing the chemistry or character development to come through much beforehand. Still, that aside, A Late Quartet is still a strong film that just manages to edge out its more comic, British counterpart.

FILM OF THE WEEK (07/04/2013): Shadow Of A Doubt (1943, Dir. Alfred Hitchcock, USA) (Cert: PG) ****

 

Starring: Teresa Wright, Joseph Cotton, Macdonald Carey

 

After years away from home, Charlie (Cotton) returns to the sleepy town of Santa Rosa to his cosy family. But is he quite the man that he seems?

This intriguing early American Hitchcock film finds the auteur deep in familiar territory. The small town idyll, the humorous side characters to relieve the tension (here played by two precociously intelligent kids and a literary critic obsessed with murder-mysteries) and the mental analysis of the darker instincts of man whilst also adding some unique flairs, such as a brunette female lead in Teresa Wright (Hitchcock notoriously favoured blondes) and a sweeping and beautiful score by Dmitri Tiomkin to contrast with the more brooding scores of Bernard Hermann who worked more prolifically with Hitchcock. It hasn’t aged as well as some of Hitchcock’s films, but Joseph Cotton plays Charlie marvellously in a performance that owes comparisons with Anthony Perkins’ performance in Hitchcock’s iconic, Psycho (1960).

The Odd Life Of Timothy Green (2012, Dir. Peter Hedges, USA) (Cert: U) **

 

Starring: Jennifer Garner, Joel Edgerton, CJ Adams

 

Despite trying every biological method available, Cindy (Garner) and Jim (Edgerton) Green are unable to have a child. Devastated by this, the couple compile a written series of notes of the qualities they would want their child to have and bury it in a box outside. When a freak rainstorm hits that night, the two discover a young boy named Timothy (Adams) who claims to be their child.

 

The Odd Life Of Timothy Green is indeed odd; as you would expect of a film where its titular character has leaves sprouting off of his ankles. Aside from the eccentricities however, the film is rather mawkish and very poorly written. Jennifer Garner in particular seems to be trying really hard to put in a great performance, but you can only do so much with material that lurches into one-dimensional characters and weird holes in terms of logic. The female, sort of, love interest for Timothy is initially regarded as troublesome, though there’s no real reason for it, and various other characters are just mean-spirited adversaries with no motivation or cause for such hostility. On a technical level, there’s nothing really poor about the film but with a soppish and badly constructed story around a not very engrossing cast (the brilliant M. Emmett Walsh has way too little screentime) make this one to miss.

Spring Breakers (2012, Dir. Harmony Korine, USA) (Cert: 18) ****

Starring: James Franco, Vanessa Hudgens, Selena Gomez

 

College students Faith (Gomez), Candy (Hudgens), Brit (Ashley Benson) and Cotty (Rachel Korine) go down to Saint Petersburg, Florida to party at spring break, aided by money stolen in a robbery. During their wild time of partying, the girls are arrested on drugs charges but bailed by local rapper and narcotic kingpin, Alien (Franco). Intrigued by the four attractive young women, he takes them under his wing in a life of crime and violence.

 

A heady cocktail that mixes up Nicholas Winding Refn’s film, Drive (2011) with a Girls Gone Wild video, Spring Breakers is one of those films that tries to bridge the gap between arthouse and exploitation to mixed, but mostly positive, results. The film files at you with vivid colours, and a barrage of nudity, coarse language and drug abuse but James Franco’s performance as Alien lies as the film’s centrepiece; able to make such a larger-than-life creation (in the mould of the similarly over-the-top but less believable performance of Gary Oldman in True Romance (1994)) and actually make him seem completely plausible. Selena Gomez, here breaking out into more adult territory also puts an impressive performance. The intense fashion that the film hits you with does leave you rather perplexed as a viewer for quite a while until the main plot kicks in and, with the exception of Selena Gomez’s Faith, a devout Christian, the female leads don’t seem to have that much in terms of individual personas (Hudgens’ Candy is a little edgier, but only marginally) but the film is memorable, if a little strong; but that’s to be expected.

Good Vibrations (2012, Dirs. Lisa Barros D’sa, Glenn Leyburn, UK/Ireland) (Cert: 15) ***

 

Starring: Richard Dormer, Jodie Whittaker, Mark Ryder

 

In 1970’s Belfast, sectarian politics and social issues between Catholic and Irish Republican movements and opposing forces from Protestant and British Loyalist groups has made the Northern Irish capital effectively a no-go area for musicians. Eccentric music-lover, Terri Hooley (Dormer) takes it upon himself to open a record store named “Good Vibrations”, which leads to Hooley creating a record label and making Belfast a major location for the burgeoning punk movement.

 

Based on the true story of Terri Hooley, Good Vibrations does somewhat traditionally hit the mould of a lot of modern British movies about rock music, lending some stylistic comparisons with The Boat That Rocked (2009) on a visual level, if a little more under-stated. Given the reality of the story however, and the contentious period that is its backdrop, it isn’t afraid of going after drama, even if the actual devastation of The Troubles isn’t exactly laid bare (except for one very graphic montage of news footage). Like a lot of these films, there’s also a genuine love for the material with the music being underscored by Northern Irish punks bands such as Rudi, The Outcasts and The Undertones; especially their most famous number, “Teenage Kicks”, which provides a major plot point. Good Vibrations doesn’t really live up to its potential or really make a mark for itself, but the love and spirit of the subject matter are still very much there.  

Dark Skies (2013, Dir. Scott Stewart, USA) (Cert: 15) ***

The Barrett’s live a quiet, suburban life. Lacy (Russell) is trying to sell an old house that’s been on the market for a long time whilst Daniel (Hamilton) is struggling with the bills and his hopes for a big promotion are slim. After hearing horror stories about “The Sandman”, youngest child Sam (Rockett) seems to be the main target for some strange goings on around the house when some weird paranormal signs start to appear.

 

In the late 1970’s, director Steven Spielberg envisioned a project known as  Night Skies. Intended as a pseudo-sequel to Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (1977), Night Skies would follow on the idea of alien contact but on a more nefarious and horror-centric note. Ultimately, the project came to nothing and instead the idea flowed into two separate films; the Spielberg-directed, E.T: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) and the Spielberg-produced, Poltergeist (1982). Although Dark Skies doesn’t seem to have any real connection with Spielberg, it’s hard not to look at that title and see the setting of quiet all-American suburbia and think that this film essentially is trying to answer the question of what if Spielberg had in fact made his Close Encounters sequel.

 

Night Skies does tip its hat towards those films; especially Close Encounters and Poltergeist as well as also showing strong influences from The Birds (1963), The Shining (1980) and The Exorcist (1973). Night Skies is not in the same league in terms of quality as those films, but they are all genre classics. The film takes from so many horror films in influence that it doesn’t really make itself stand out, but there’s nothing that’s that troublesome about the film on a technical level. It looks good and has a fairly engaging story with some pretty clear, if intended, subtext (the film is set on the 4^th of July weekend. It’s hard not to see a film set in suburban America where someone’s fending off aliens with America The Beautiful playing in the background without seeing some sort of political slant). Overall, enjoyable but nothing special.

Dans La Maison (In The House) (2012, Dir. François Ozon, France) (Cert: 15) ***

Starring: Fabrice Luchini, Ernst Umhauer, Kristin Scott Thomas

 

Despondent over the poor quality of his students’ work, Mssr. Germain (Luchini) sets an assignment for them to write about their weekends. All of them returned poorly written pieces, usually no more than a couple of sentences long. One student however, Claude (Umhaur) writes in detail about tutoring a fellow student (Bastien Ughetto) in maths whilst also exploring the boy’s more affluent home and family. Initially alarmed by the personal and faintly offensive tone, Germain soon comes to admire and nurture Claude’s writing talent, egging on his pieces of writing about his experiences, even as they wade into darker territory.

 

Entertaining and engaging, Dans La Maison is well-structured but does have a major problem in defining itself within a genre. Films, obviously, shouldn’t be definitively pidgeon-holed, but the film does stumble awkwardly between thriller and comedy, though the former genre does eventually take hold. Elsewhere, the film is strong; kept alive partly through the powerful and disturbing presence of Ernst Umhauer who, as a protagonist, is borderline, if not outright, sociopathic, meanwhile Fabrice Luchini’s Germain remains likable and sympathetic despite not having much to redeem him as a character either; a testament to Luchini’s acting. Doubtlessly an acquired taste but a rich one.

Side Effects (2013, Dir. Steven Soderbergh, USA) (Cert: 15) ***

 

Starring: Jude Law, Rooney Mara, Catherine Zeta-Jones

 

A long-time sufferer of depression, Emily Taylor (Mara) is referred onto psychiatrist, Dr. Jonathan Banks (Law) following what appears to be a potential suicide attempt, shortly after Emily’s boyfriend (Channing Tatum) has been freed from prison. At the advice of Emily’s former psychiatrist (Zeta-Jones), Dr. Banks prescribes Emily to a new anti-depressant, Ablixa; however, Emily starts to display strange symptoms owing to the the medication. Not only sleep-walking, but some far more serious.

 

Intended as the final feature film for veteran film-maker Steven Soderbergh (best known for Sex, Lies And Videotape (1989) and Ocean’s 11 (2001)), Side Effects is not really enough of a masterpiece to serve as a grand finale, but it is a competent, provocative and intriguing thriller. Like a lot of thrillers of this nature, the story does become rather too convoluted and in its attempts to weave an interesting, complex story there are a couple of minor holes in the plot in terms of realism. However, the film is well-handled with an interesting character in Rooney Mara’s Emily Taylor and some interesting yet under-stated imagery.