This Is The End (2013, Dirs. Evan Goldberg, Seth Rogen, USA) (Cert: 15/R) **

 

 

 

Starring: Jay Baruchel, Seth Rogen, James Franco

 

Comedian and actor Jay Baruchel arrives in Los Angeles to hang out with his friend and collaborator, Seth Rogen. Following an afternoon of playing video games and getting stoned, they go over to James Franco’s house for a wild star-studded party. The party comes to a premature end when a series of natural disasters occur, signalling the possible end of days. Holed up in James Franco’s well-structured mansion, a group of surviving comedians brave the end of days.

 

An apocalyptic comedy brought to you by the group who made Pineapple Express (2008) and Superbad (2007), This Is The End plays with meta-elements using modern actors in American comedy to do it (although the inclusion of Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel and Michael Cera, all Canadians, stretches the notion of ‘American comedy’) and it boasts a decent cast and an intriguing premise, but the laughs never really come. The comedic style is near-the-knuckle and is loaded with pop-culture references, but the film’s best moments are when it lampoons the style of comedy that it admittedly doesn’t take too seriously. For all that the film relies somewhat on star power to provoke the humour, the cameos feel often forced or unsatisfying (Emma Watson’s appearance really could’ve been expanded, especially since she is the film’s most significant female role, as brief as it is) but the film just manages to move at a pace that means you never fully lose patience with it. Fans of these comedians and their style will enjoy this, but if you’re not a fan, it just feels rather hollow and not very amusing.

Black Rock (2012, Dir. Katie Astleton, USA) (Cert: 15/R) ***

 

Starring: Katie Astleton, Lake Bell, Kate Bosworth

 

Lou (Bell) and Sarah (Bosworth) decide to go on a trip to an island off of the coast, joined by Abbie (Astleton) (a friend of Sarah’s but who turned against Lou for sleeping with her boyfriend). As the three start to bond, they come across three men (Will Bouvier/Jay Paulson/Anslem Richardson) hunting on the island. That night, a violent event turns the island into an isolated hell.

 

Directed by star Kate Astleton, Black Rock has a clear influence from John Boorman’s classic thriller, Deliverance (1972) in the idea of a group of friends going to an isolated location and being set upon in a violent manner. The film deals with violence fairly well, and at least when the initial conflict sets in, it’s surprisingly bleak and nasty. The film mostly encounters trouble with how to portray the three female protagonists, who, in the preamble to the main plot, seem shallow and lacking in sympathetic personas, which does cause trouble when wanting to care about their plight. The film is, fall of its subdued elements and short running time, well executed with some fine performances and is stronger than what an audience might anticipate, but it is definitely something of an acquired taste.  

Spike Island (2012, Dir. Mat Whitecross, UK) (Cert: 15/TBC) ***

 

 

Starring: Elliot Tittensor, Emilia Clarke, Nico Mirallegro

 

School friends Tits (Tittensor), Dodge (Mirallegro), Zippy (Jordan Murphy), Little Gaz (Adam Long) and Penfold (Oliver Heald) are members of local band Shadow Caster in Manchester, just as the local Madchester scene is exploding in 1990. Their heroes, The Stone Roses are headlining a concert at Spike Island in Cheshire, which is promising to be the defining band in the Stone Roses’ career and Shadow Caster try and find a way to get into the gig and pass on their demo tape.

 

Coming hot off of the heels of Shane Meadows’ Stone Roses documentary, The Stone Roses: Made Of Stone (2013), Spike Island is another love letter to the critically acclaimed Madchester band. Whilst the film does portray certain elements of the period and the music lovingly and beautifully captures the ambience of a young rock band rehearsing and writing away, the film’s sentimentality comes at the expense of characterisations. The main characters of Tits and Dodge only seem partially observed and you never get a true sense of them being fully rounded, whilst their band mates seem even more sketichily realised (though there are some promising scenes of Penfold, a dancer in the mould of Bez from Happy Mondays having a difficult relationship with his battle traumatised father). The film captures the spirit of youth brilliantly and is often fun and entertaining, but it just needs protagonists that are better developed and, as a result, more sympathetic.

Snitch (2013, Dir. Ric Roman Waugh, USA/UAE) (Cert: 12a/PG-13) ***

 

Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Jon Bernthal, Susan Sarandon

 

Jason Collins (Rafi Gavron) reluctantly agrees to accept a package from a friend (James Allen McCune) that contains drugs. Upon delivery, Jason is arrested and is facing a minimum mandatory sentence of ten years, unless he reveals the identity of other associates in the drugs trade, which could lower his sentence. However, Jason doesn’t know of any other dealers or distributors so his father, John Matthews (Johnson) decides to build connections in the underworld in order to help secure his son’s release.

 

A dramatic thriller about the drugs trade, Snitch does a few things righ, but is largely unremarkable. There are some problems in the film, evidenced by the rather stereotypical portrayal of criminals (virtually all African-American or Latino gangbangers) that hardly pulls the film in a positive direction, not to mention having Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson play a vulnerable protagonist is a bit of a stretch. However, Johnson does pull off a fairly good performance, which may surprise many people. The film’s best moments are when we get to deal with the family relationship that Johnson’s lead, John Matthews has, and how such an original dynamic plays on his character, though the action sequences are still capable of exciting. There are some rather sizable flaws (the premise even seems a little hard to swallow from a legal standpoint), but Snitch is enjoyable all the same.

Despicable Me 2 (3D) (2013, Dirs. Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud, USA) (Cert: U/PG) ***

 

Starring: Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Benjamin Bratt

 

Now a devoted father, former super-villain Gru (Carell) is tracked down by a secret agency known as the Anti-Villain League when a UFO is spotted and Gru suspects a disappeared super-villain known as El Macho. Teaming up with Anti-Villain League agent, Lucy Wilde (Wiig), Gru tries to solve the mystery whilst also caring for his three little girls (Miranda Cosgrove, Elsie Fisher, Dana Geier) and his countless hoardes of mischievous minions get into all kinds of trouble.

 

When it was released in 2010, Despicable Me, the first feature film by Illumination Entertainment proved very popular. A feat that Illumination fell short of with subsequent films, Hop (2011) and The Lorax (2012). Now returning back to the Despicable Me franchise, it appears that whilst Illumination has trouble with some characters outside those from their debut film, at least as far as the Despicable Me series goes, they’re doing fine. As far as being a sequel goes, Despicable Me 2 isn’t really an improvement on the last film (a film which you really need to see to get a grasp of this film’s plot). The humour is on roughly the same level, but this film does lack some of the heart and sweetness of the first film, a flaw in the writing rather than the performances. Most of the familiar big names return to the series (Steve Carell, Miranda Cosgrove and Russell Brand, although with much less screentime in this film) and are now joined by some new big name talent (Benjamin Bratt, Steve Coogan, Kristen Wiig) and most of the performances are pitched at their most over-the-top, but not so far as to become an irritation, although often the film is stolen completely by the lovable minions. Despicable Me 2 suffers from the same pandering towards the 3D market that the first film did (things are often dangled at camera in a way to completely sell the 3D illusion) and it’s extremely predictable but whilst the film isn’t for the most part uproariously funny, it is at least entertaining and just generally good fun.

World War Z (2013, Dir. Marc Forster, USA/Malta) (Cert: 15/PG-13) ***

 

Starring: Brad Pitt, Miereille Enos, Daniella Kertesz

 

A quiet day with the family is disrupted for Gerry Lane (Pitt) when news breaks out about some sort of disaster, which involves diseased people feeding on victims and passing on a pathogen, resulting in an epidemic. Eventually finding shelter off the coast in an airplane carrier, Gerry learns that his family’s stay on board (and most likely their survival) is dependent on Gerry’s work in the United Nations, travelling the world to find a way to stop the epidemic.

 

An adaptation of the 2006 novel by Max Brooks (son of comedian Mel Brooks and actress Anne Bancroft), World War Z represents zombie horror at its most monumental scale. Many other zombie films before had dealt with the notion of a zombie epidemic, but given the low budgets that usually accompany zombie films (and horror films in general), a globe-trotting big-budget adventure such as this has been rare, if not unheard of. As with most modern zombie films, World War Z seems to be most heavily influenced by the work of George A. Romero (and his subgenre-defining, Living Dead series) as well as Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later (2002), although World War Z doesn’t match the cynicism or astute political  and social commentary of those films. Thankfully, Brad Pitt is a strong enough actor and screen presence to cope with, given that we’re stuck with him through the vast majority of the run-time and the story is captivating. The main problem simply is that it isn’t the innovation that might be expected given that it paints from a wider available canvas than the low-budget likes of Romero or Lucio Fulci and the film lacks any real subtext. It’s enthralling and, at times, exciting, but it’s not as deep or as expansive as it first appears.

Aguirre, Der Zorn Gottes (Aguirre, The Wrath Of God) (1972, Dir. Werner Herzog, West Germany) (Cert: PG/Unrated) ****

 

Starring: Klaus Kinski, Del Negro, Peter Berling.

 

In the late-16^th century Spanish conquistadors travelled across South America in order to claim the land for their empire. One such group ends up being divided and when a team rises up into mutiny against the Spanish crown, the man behind the mutiny, Don Lope de Aguirre (Kinski) leads them on towards the mythical El Dorado.

 

After having made a small name for himself producing avant-garde and documentary films, German filmmaker Werner Herzog scored his first of many international hits with this downbeat historical adventure epic. The film also marks the first of five collaborations with the difficult star, Klaus Kinski. Kinski had had a prolific career with a few notable film credits (namely Doctor Zhivago (1966) and A Few Dollars More (1965)) but this is a collaboration which would ensure Kinski’s notability and notoriety. Although a fictional historical film, Aguirre is almost documentary-like in its style. Narration provides diary dates and personal feelings, the rafts are rickety (and scenes of them tearing through, and almost being destroyed by, Amazonian rapids are 100% genuine) and the similarities between Kinski and his character Aguirre (both of them are borderline maniacal sociopaths, Kinski a genuine case) gives the film a realistic immediacy. A testament to the talents of Herzog and Kinski (as well as the film’s cinematographers and the music of Popol Vuh) Aguirre is one of those titles that everyone should see at least once.

A Haunted House (2012, Dir. Michael Tiddes,USA) (Cert: 15/R) *

 

 

Starring: Marlon Wayans, Essence Atkins, Nick Swardson

 

Malcolm (Wayans) and Kisha (Atkins) move into their new home and Malcolm starts having cameras installed around the property. At first, things seem fine but things sour when a ghost starts having fun.

 

A Haunted House seems to occupy another dimension. A strange dimension where the standards of what is funny are much different to the norm. Fart jokes? So funny they must be used a lot. Violence against women? Funny. Rape (male and female)? Funny. Having a gay character being a hideously stereotypical lisping molester? Apparently, the funniest thing ever. The found footage sub-genre, and its spoofs, are growing so tiresome and unoriginal, they need to be put to bed and the execution of the plot here is very lazy. My one good comment on A Haunted House? The film-makers take no prisoners about what demographics to mock, but how much of a recommendation can that really be?

The Gatekeepers (2012, Dir. Dror Moreh, Israel/France/Germany/Belgium) (Cert: 15/PG-13) ****

 

Starring: Ami Ayalom, Avi Dichter, Yuval Diskin

 

The Shin Bet, Israel’s secret service, is an extremely secretive organisation within the Israeli government. So secret that only its highest officials are known to the general public and there is some secrecy about their activities. Dror Moreh directs a series of interviews with various heads of the Shin Bet and the roles they played in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Gaza and the West Bank.

 

An issue which has been raging for decades, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has proven a very complicated and divisive topic. Within The Gatekeepers however, there’s really only one perspective. That of various people connected with Israel’s secret service, the Shin Bet. However, what may seem like a rather one-sided take on the conflict is actually much more nuanced and balanced than might be expected. This isn’t a film to take sides, and it should be commended for that. Instead, it presents a reasoned account with balanced opinion. The flaw with The Gatekeepers is that despite the fact that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has raged so fiercely and for so long, it is often overlooked outside of the affected area, and the film could’ve worked towards possibly clarifying certain historical elements. The film also goes for some moments of over-indulgent CGI sequences. However, the film is an effective and informative look at a contentious subject.

Much Ado About Nothing (2012, Dir. Joss Whedon, USA) (Cert: 12a/PG-13) ****

 

Starring: Alexis Denisof, Amy Acker, Fran Kranz

 

Don Pedro (Reed Diamond) returns from war and visits his old friend, Leonato. In tow, Don Pedro brings Benedick (Denisof) and Claudio (Kranz). Claudio falls for Leonardo, innocent daughter, Hero (Jillian Morghese) and in no time, they are engaged to be wed. Meanwhile, Benedick constantly argues with Hero’s sister, Beatrice (Acker) and despite the animosity between Benedick and Beatrice, they find themselves conspired against to try and fall in love with each other, whilst the arrival of the recently freed and villainous Don John (Sean Maher) puts the impending wedding in jeopardy.

 

With Much Ado About Nothing, Joss Whedon attempts to display his eclecticism as a film-maker. Fresh off of the success of The Avengers (Avengers Assemble, also 2012), a rip-roaring mega-budget superheroes and explosions affair, we get this shoe-string budgeted monochromatic and eccentric adaptation of one of William Shakespeare’s comedic plays. If not for the credits, you’d have a hard time believing it was by the same director, although there are some tell-tale signs of Whedon’s work such the cast of intelligent and capable women as well as a snappy and witty approach to dialogue. These elements were present in the Bard’s original work, and the film shows what little has changed in approach between modern romantic-comedies and Shakespearean comedies (Kiss Me Kate, an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Taming Of The Shrew, is the best known example). The stand-out from amongst the cast is Alexis Denisof, who initially seems hammy and contrived to the extreme, but it is that facet that eventually makes him entertaining and endearing, capering around in moments of high physicality. This will be an acquired taste, as is any interpretation of Shakespeare, given that there are both camps that stubbornly dislike Shakespeare’s work and those who despise modern interpretations as if killing some scared cow, but the universality of Shakespeare’s work shines through and whilst it seems that at times we are being given a personal tour of Joss Whedon’s house (take note of the police station ‘set’ for example), Much Ado About Nothing does the source material justice.

SNEAK PREVIEW: Now You See Me (2013, Dir. Louis Leterrier, France/USA) (Cert: 12a/PG-13) ***

 

Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Mélanie Laurent, Jesse Eisenberg

 

Four great magicians; J. Daniel Atlas (Eisenberg), Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson), Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher) and Jack Wilder (Dave Franco) join forces to form an act known as The Four Horsemen and perform a lavish act in Las Vegas. One night as a finale, the group perform a trick seemingly teleporting an audience member (José Garcia) into a Parisian bank and then teleporting the large sum of money back. Naturally, the FBI are intrigued and as The Four Horsemen continue to perform similar tricks, agents Dylan Rhodes (Ruffalo) and Alma Dray (Laurent) try to solve the mysteries behind the group’s illusions.

 

Now You See Me is a film that is in some ways much like a magic trick. There’s a lot of flash and extravagance, but it’s just eye candy for what is essentially something bare-bones underneath. There’s something ambitious about Now You See Me. The entire presentation style is slick and stylised, whilst the film also boasts an all-star cast (including Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine) and the film also spins a complex story, the film completely overpowers everything with its hyper-visual and often wholly illogical imagery (such as lighting displays projected onto buildings that give a sense of 3D depth). It’s all light and noise and underneath the characters aren’t very well explored. Mark Ruffalo makes a fine performance and Woody Harrelson is pretty much a dead cert for a good performance in anything, but Harrelson is pushed into the background and Dave Franco despite being part of the central group of four magicians almost might as well not be in the film his character is so often over-shadowed. The film might be worth a second viewing because the nature of its plot lends itself to dissection and deconstruction, but Now You See Me  is more style than substance.

 

Now You See Me goes on wide release in the UK on the 3rd of July.

Summer In February (2013, Dir. Christopher Menault, UK) (Cert: 15/TBC) ***

 

Starring: Emily Browning, Dominic Cooper, Dan Stevens

 

Florence Carter-Wood (Browning) is an aspiring artist in the early years of the twentieth century who, in the course of her studies, travels to Cornwall to live with her brother (Max Deacon) amongst a group of bohemian artists. One of these is the dramatic A.J Munnings (Cooper) who starts using Florence as his muse amidst a growing romance.

 

Jonathan Smith adapts his 1995 novel (based on real events) into a screenplay in this lavish and very British historical melodrama. Given the artistic sensibilities of the story, it’s clear here that artfulness is key in Summer In February. Everything seems somewhat picturesque and almost gothic in its depiction, with a well-cast and willowy Emily Browning in the lead. However, despite the striking imagery and an astounding by Benjamin Wallfisch, the film somehow seems to lack passion. Whilst not entirely clinical and with fine performances, the film never truly engages largely because emotional twists aren’t the result of being slowly worn into the viewer but rather pivot on sharp turns, losing some character depth. The film looks great, but beyond that surface is a film that doesn’t put anything in to add depth.

FILM OF THE WEEK (06/16/2013): Drive (2011, Dir. Nicolas Winding Refn, USA) (Cert: 18/R) ****

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston

 

 A daring driver of various heists (Gosling) works in the criminal underground along with his ‘legitimate’ job of being a Hollywood stunt driver. Whilst his neighbour (Mulligan) has a husband (Oscar Isaac) in jail, he develops a deep bond with her, whilst the pressures of his underground activities begin to mount.

 

Perhaps the most surprising breakthrough of 2011 in film was this independent, yet glossy, film that merged personal drama with the trappings of an action-thriller. Although the film has antecedents, its look and feel are its own; managing to lie somewhere between a contemporary environment but taking a synth-heavy soundtrack and pieces of set-dressing more akin to something out of the video game, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (imagine if Tarantino fell back on an 80’s aesthetic rather than a 70’s one). The film jostles uneasily between action and drama at points and the superb action sequences are a little underused whilst the drama lapses dangerously towards pretension. However, it’s an engaging and intriguing film with some great characters, especially from a distinctly cast-against-type Albert Brooks.

Stuck In Love (2012, Dir. Josh Boone, USA) (Cert: 15/R) ***

 

Starring: Greg Kinnear, Lily Collins, Nat Wolff

 

A successful writer, William Borgens (Kinnear) has struggled with writing after being estranged from his wife (Jennifer Connelly) and encourages his children to write as well. His daughter, Samantha (Collins) is just about to have her first novel published, whilst son Rusty (Wolff) is trying to become a published writer whilst pining for a classmate (Liana Liberato). As William tries to get on with his life, though clearly not ready to move on, the cynical Samantha starts seeing an idealistic musician/writer (Logan Lerman) and Rusty decides to gain some life experience to help his writing.

 

Stuck In Love is a very earnest film, that often feels the need to say something profound about love and life as well showing a clear affection for the written word. There are some great elements in the film, with great performances and casting (Lily Collins looks the spitting image of a young Jennifer Connelly, making the mother/daughter relation believable) but the film never coalesces to anything beyond satisfactory. An element of this is to do with how the written word is expressed thematically in film, a visual medium. The characters are full of snappy and witty remarks, but their believability as vulnerable human beings is often questionable (though not completely discarded). On a technical level, the film also has some issues, at least initially, with having a consistent sound quality, switching between dialogue being muffled one moment and clear the next. The film has something of a passion and has a heart, but it fails to tug a little at heartstrings and whilst, essentially, enjoyable, it’s not memorable.

Admission (2013, Dir. Paul Weitz, USA) (Cert: 12a/PG-13) ***

 

Starring: Tina Fey, Paul Rudd, Nat Wolff

 

Portia (Fey) is an admissions officer for Princeton University and has a job of travelling to different schools to speak to the students about enrolling at Princeton. With her marriage falling apart and in the running to replace her retiring boss (Wallace Shawn), Portia receives a call to visit an obscure, newly-founded and progressive school in the middle-of-nowhere, ran by John Pressman (Rudd). Whilst visiting the school, she meets Jeremiah (Wolff/Zachary Unger), a prodigiously intelligent young man who may be the focal point of a life-changing revelation for Portia.

 

Admission is a romantic-comedy and it has many of the same trappings of countless generic and bland, romantic-comedies, but within the film are some noticeable strengths. At the forefront is impressive cast headed by Tina Fey and Paul Rudd; two stars that both lend the familiar attractiveness to fluffy rom-coms, but are also likably realistic and flawed. Tina Fey is in particularly fine form here, providing both comedic and dramatic elements in impressively balanced fashion. The film also boasts some great supporting players such as Wallace Shawn, Michael Sheen and Lily Tomlin. The film also juggles some rather ambitious themes, often putting the romantic elements of the plot into the background, but handles them well. On the other hand, the film really should be funnier than it is. Whilst the film is often amusing, it’s never hilarious and occasionally the film stoops to low-brow humour that it really doesn’t need to descend to and whilst Fey and Rudd avoid being perfect characters living perfect lives, sometimes the screenplay makes them too flawed, pushing them into firmly disapproving territory. Charming, sweet and at times rather moving, Admission is not a perfect comedy, or really a great one, but it knows where its strengths are and largely plays to them.

Man Of Steel (2013, Dir. Zack Snyder, USA/Canada/UK) (Cert: 12a/PG-13) ***

 

 

 

 

 

Starring: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon

 

As their home world of Krypton is being torn apart, Jor-El (Russell Crowe) and Lara Lor-Van (Ayelet Zura) dispatch their infant son, Kal-El (Cavill/Dylan Spayberry/Cooper Timberline) away from the planet and to Earth, where he grows up in Kansas under the name Clarke Kent. As an adult, Clarke moves from town to town, occasionally involving himself in incidents that reveal his incredible powers that go far beyond any human’s. This causes him to attract the interest of journalist, Lois Lane (Adams) and later, his lineage causes him to confront General Zod (Shannon), a fellow Krytponian banished by Jor-El.

 

Man Of Steel is effectively a reboot of the Superman film franchise, based off of the iconic comic series by DC Comics. The line of films that precede Man Of Steel goes back to the 1978 film, simply known as Superman, by Richard Donner. Whilst Donner’s work has often had a comic book stylisation to it that lends itself to a Superman adaptation such as The Goonies (1985) or Ladyhawke (also 1985) (although an element distinctly lacking in one of Donner’s most famous films, The Omen (1976)), Snyder has a different edge to his work, that still suits the comic book aesthetic Superman, but opts for a deeper, less cartoonish portrayal of Superman. Whilst this worked wonders for Christopher Nolan (Man Of Steel’s producer and co-writer with David S. Goyer) and his directorial work re-establishing Batman in the Dark Knight Trilogy (2005 – 12), Superman is of a different stylistic ilk. Not so much grit, moral ambiguity and shadows, more idealistic, moralistic and straight-forward. It’s when the film tries to give shape to Superman that the pacing falls apart, slowing the film to a crawl. The film feels more comfortable when dealing with the action, blazing along at a far brisker pace and with the occasionally impressive set-piece. Snyder, a director associated with popcorn-munching action blockbuster fare, shows his stylistic trademarks here, even with an early shot being somewhat reminiscent of 300 (2006) (you almost expect star Henry Cavill to scream, “This! Is! KRYPTON!!!”...okay, it’s not on Krypton, but I couldn’t resist.). Cavill does a good job, both being a distinctive face as well as mirroring past portrayals of the man of steel (especially Christopher Reeve) and his American accent is wholly convincing, meanwhile Amy Adams makes for an unexpected, but satisfying, casting choice in Lois Lane. The film is incredibly flashy, often to its detriment and it isn’t very original, but if you like Zack Snyder’s work (and I confess, I’m not a fan) and want to see his take on Superman, this really is the expected culmination of Snyder and Superman.     

Thérèse Desqueroux (2012, Dir. Claude Miller, France) (Cert: 12a/TBC) ***

Starring: Audrey Tatou, Gilles Lellouche, Anaïs Demoustier

 

Thérèse (Alba Gaïa Kragheld Bellugi/Tatou) is part of a wealthy family, who own a large number of acres in a pine forest. When she grows up, Thérèse marries Bernard Desqueroux (Lellouche) the older brother of Thérèse’s best friend Anne (Demoustier/Marty Matilda-Giraut), whose family also own a large area of pine trees. Whilst the marriage brings her wealth, she quickly begins to resent Bernard and feels trapped in a loveless marriage.

 

The last film from the late director Claude Miller, Thérèse Desqueroux is the latest screen adaptation of the 1927 Franҫois Mauriac novel of the same name. A bright and beautiful jewel for the eyes, every scene of the film has a gorgeous painterly look that seems meticulously accomplished. However, the film falls into a trap of trying to get a fairly complex story into a 111 minute film. Elements of the plot and characterisation can be hard to follow as a result and making the role of who should be sympathetic character (if anyone) rather unclear. It may take a few viewings to fully appreciate Thérèse Desqueroux, but at least it stands as a strong visual effort.

The Iceman (2012, Dir. Ariel Vroman, USA) (Cert: 15/R) ***

 

Starring: Michael Shannon, Winona Ryder, Ray Liotta

 

On the surface, Richie Kuklinski (Shannon) is a fairly ordinary guy. Living a life in suburbia with his wife (Ryder) and two children (McKaley Miller, Megan Sherrill) but unbeknownst to them, Richie works for the mob as a vicious contract killer; however, when he decides to work with new partner (Chris Evans), Richie’s double lives begin to converge.

 

During his lifetime, it’s estimated that Richie Kuklinski killed around 100 people. So understandably, this film about his life is a little on the violent side. It’s pretty clear where The Iceman got its influences from as the film shares a similar tone and, in some aspects, setup as GoodFellas (1990) (a comparison aided by the supporting role of GoodFellas lead, Ray Liotta) but is by no means an equal to the Scorsese classic. With Michael Shannon in the lead, you get a physical presence of sheer brutal violence, but trying to project a character onto that, and one that the audience has to spend the runtime of the film with as a protagonist is a steep challenge and one that doesn’t exactly succeed. However, the film looks great and is engaging and well-handled with an interesting cast (including a rather unexpected turn by David Schwimmer). The film wants to make an impact, and does, but it won’t leave a mark.

FILM OF THE WEEK (09/06/2013): Psycho (1960, Dir. Sir Alfred Hitchcock, USA) (Cert: 15/R) ****

 

Starring: Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, John Gavin.

 

A young woman (Janet Leigh) embezzles $40,000 from a wealthy client (Frank Albertson) at the bank where she works and takes off for California to live with her still-married boyfriend (Gavin). During her long travels, she stops off at the obscure Bates Motel, run by the brow-beaten and oddly mild-mannered Norman Bates (Perkins). Is Norman all that he seems?

 

Already having established himself as a film legend and a personality all unto himself (Hitchcock by this stage presented his own TV show and also appeared in trailers to promote his films, Psycho being no exception) Psycho showed audiences he was still able to shock. This included shocking by the use of George Tomasini’s editing and Bernard Hermann’s music, subverting what those expected at the time from a “Hitchcock film” and indeed rather edgy subject matter for the time. Now one of Hitchcock’s most famous films, its revelations have been dulled by pop-culture familiarity, but it’s still a technically accomplished piece and Anthony Perkins’ performance is one of the best the screen has to offer.

Behind The Candelabra (2013, Dir. Steven Soderbergh, USA) (Cert: 15/TV-MA) ****

 

Starring: Matt Damon, Michael Douglas, Scott Bakula

 

It’s 1977 and movie animal trainer Scott Thorson (Damon) goes along with his friend, Bob (Bakula) to a performance by flamboyant pianist and entertainer, Liberace (Douglas). Bob, being a friend of Liberace’s, introduces him to Scott and the two form a friendship, which quickly accelerates towards a strange love affair amidst Liberace’s tremendous extravagance and tumultuous personal life.

 

Whilst Behind The Candelabra is destined to be behind a TV screen in the United States, in the UK, this film about the personal life of Liberace has been given a theatrical release and, ultimately, that’s where the film belongs. Like the iconic entertainer that serves as the plot’s focus, Behind The Candelabra is flashy, flamboyant, slightly gaudy but also entertaining. Unsurprisingly Douglas steals the show as Liberace, convincingly playing a man hiding behind as many masks as his long, flowing gowns, whilst Matt Damon’s performance helps ground the picture; two performances bolstered by the appearances of several notable supporting cast members (Dan Akyroyd, Scott Bakula, Rob Lowe, Debbie Reynolds). The film does play a little long, but Soderbergh gives the film a sense of bravado, playing strongly towards comedy, but also casting some unflinching stares (the brief scenes of cosmetic surgery are probably enough to turn most people away from procedures). Would Liberace himself have approved of this film? Probably not as he was infamously guarded about his sexuality (this is a man who once issued a well-publicised lawsuit to a newspaper that had the slightest suggestion that he was homosexual, not to mention his portrayal is hardly flattering) but it does at least have his way with decadence.

After Earth (2013, Dir. M. Night Shyamalan, USA) (Cert: 12a/PG-13) **

 

Starring: Jaden Smith, Will Smith, Zoë Kravitz

Kitai (J. Smith) is the son of a general (W. Smith) who he aspires to follow into the military. However, Kitai’s emotions hold him back, especially when it comes to the special skill of “Ghosting”; the practice of not allowing yourself to feel fear, useful for fighting dangerous predators that sense their prey through fear-based pheromones. When Kitai fails to become a ranger, he goes with his father on a trip. However, trouble in an asteroid field forces the ship to crash-land, leaving Kitai and his father, Cipher, to fend for themselves on a now hostile and volatile Earth, which they left generations ago.

 

After Earth does away with the twist conceit, such a trademark in M. Night Shyamalan’s work, and instead focuses on a sci-fi tale of survival. Alas, there are still problems.  The film looks very impressive, with Shyamalan boasting a flair for visuals, bolstered by him using the great cinematographer Peter Schuschitzky (whose credits include The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) and The Empire Strikes Back (1980)) and the film also handles action sequences strongly as well. However, when the film slows down, it slows to a near crawl. The relationship between real-life father/son duo Will and Jaden Smith forms a big part of the story, but the distance between them (both physical and metaphorical) is a major stumbling block in helping to give much emotional weight to the characters. One of the other central themes of the film, that of fear, is also misused. Bravery is treated solely as being the inability to be afraid, whereas in reality, bravery often means doing something DESPITE being afraid (not to mention foolishness is also often a reason for lack of fear). There genuinely is an acorn of promise buried in After Earth. If the film focused solely in Jaden Smith venturing through wilderness in complete isolation and learns total self-reliance, this could’ve been something really special. It’s just a shame that what problems the film does have, tend to be rather sizable.   

The Stone Roses: Made Of Stone (2013, Dir. Shane Meadows, UK) (Cert: 15/TBC) ***

 

Starring: Ian Brown, Shane Meadows, Alan “Reni” Wren

 

Formed in Manchester in 1983, The Stone Roses spent several years as a cult act around their hometown before hitting it big with their now classic 1989 eponymous debut album. Following the release of a second album, Second Coming, the band split amidst business and personal problems. When the band announce a reunion tour leading to a performance at Heaton Park in 2012, Shane Meadows (the director of This Is England (2006) and Dead Man’s Shoes (2004)) an ardent fan of the band, follows them on their road back to the stage.

 

Within the story of The Stone Roses is a form that almost seems like a film about a rock band. Childhood friends from a financially destitute area form a band, go from cult favourites to international superstars, breakup and then reunite to adoring fans. In fact, there’s a certain element of This Is Spinal Tap (1984) about the whole thing, with Shane Meadows serving as a figure akin to Rob Reiner’s Marti DiBergi in Spinal Tap (although DiBergi was almost certainly based on Martin Scorsese). However, Made Of Stone thankfully averts showing the world a band falling apart amidst ridiculous egos artistic incompatibility and instead gives a warmer and far more affectionate portrayal of a band that Meadows is clearly enamoured by. However, the film does slip a little in regards as to how the story is presented. Some elements of the story that show interest are tucked away (the band’s real origins are left semi-explored and we actually see little of the gig that serves as the film’s climax) whilst some are over-explored such as a spur-of-the-moment performance the band give in Wolverhampton that takes up way too much of the running time. However, it’s in that sequence where we see the film’s crowning achievement; a group of fans (much smaller than those we see later) cheering with passion, energy and volume that you find hard to believe coming from that sort of audience. When the film hits that note of extreme love a fanbase has for a band, you’ve touched something really special. It’s just a shame that the film doesn’t touch anything else that monumentally brilliant.

The Purge (2013, Dir. James DeMonaco, USA/France) (Cert: 15/R) ***

 

Starring: Ethan Hawke, Lena Headey, Max Burkholder

 

With violent crime and poverty on the rise in America, a new government was assembled who created an annual event known as “The Purge”, where once a year between the hours of 19:00pm and 07:00am, virtually all crime, including murder, is legal. The purpose is to satisfy the population’s innate bloodlust and aggression. In 2022, the Sandin family settle in for another Purge when youngest child, Charlie (Burkholder) lets in a man (Edwin Hodge) fleeing a group of killers who, naturally, turn up at the Sandin residence.

 

Produced by Michael Bay, The Purge is an intense and violent thriller that, whilst far from a brilliant movie, is more effective than the Bay name may lead you to believe. The Purge’s strength lies in in its use of sound and tension as opposed to its explicit violence (although this is a violent film). The performances are decent, though none really stand out as remarkable and the plot asks numerous questions that are never answered. The concept of the Purge itself requires some suspension of disbelief and the controversy surrounding the event is virtually never addressed. Still, the film is very effective when it comes to shocking and disturbing its audience, taking something of a cue from the works of George A. Romero (there’s even a shot that seems deliberately reminiscent of an iconic shot from Night Of The Living Dead (1968)). A short, sharp shock of a film, The Purge isn’t an enduring classic, but it does, essentially, work.

Populaire (2012, Dir. Régis Roinsard, France) (Cert: 12a/R) ***

 

Starring: Déborah Franҫois, Romain Duris, Shaun Benson

 

Moving from her small hometown to the city, Rose Pamphyle (Franҫois) applies for a job as a secretary. She’s hopelessly inept at almost all of the tasks put in front of her, except for one. She’s is remarkably gifted as a typist; typing with both speed and accuracy. Her employer, Louis Échard (Duris) sees potential in her talent and enters her into competitions for speed-typing, eventually making her a celebrity.

 

The obvious comparative point with Populaire is Pygmalion (and its slightly better known musical adaptation, My Fair Lady, notably made for the screen in 1964). A pompous, but ultimately lovable, well-to-do man, takes on a cute but ditzy young woman on a journey of changes (in both Populaire and Pygmalion, these journeys are spurred on by a bet made with the male protagonist’s friend) and end up starting a romance. As you might imagine from the premise, Populaire is frothy and fluffy but also rather self-aware. The film tips its hat a great deal to 1950s Hollywood romantic comedies. Romain Duris brings to mind Cary Grant and Déborah Franҫois, at times, looks (fittingly) like a blonde Audrey Hepburn; two people who seem unrealistically glamorous and attractive for such an officious setting, but it fits the whimsical tone. The film’s visual style and techniques also keep a strong Gallic sensibility and there are even strange parallels with other films (how many films can there be out there where a typing sequence is edited and shot like a fight scene from Raging Bull (1980)?). Whilst some of these stylistic shifts work (a rather frank and explicit sex scene is worked in without too much incongruity) others don’t and the film is often very predictable. You’ll probably guess roughly how the film ends just as it starts. However, the film knows the audience’s familiarity with such pretentions and however else it might fail or succeed, it’s unquestionably very charming.

FILM OF THE WEEK: Blade Runner: The Final Cut (1982/2007, Dir. Ridley Scott, USA/Hong Kong/UK) (Cert: 15/R) *****

Starring: Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young

 

Los Angeles. November 2019. In this future, Replicants (creations that are a combination of robots and genetic engineering) are used in human colonies away from the decaying, polluted and over-populated Earth. When four Replicants (Johanna Cassidy, Daryl Hannah, Hauer, Brion James) escape from a colony and land on Earth, Rick Deckard (Ford), a man known as a “Blade Runner” (a cop specialising and destroying, or “retiring”, Replicants) is put on the case.

 

Ridley Scott’s third feature film and second science-fiction film (having been preceded by Scott’s heavily-influential second film, Alien (1979)), Blade Runner is an adaptation of the science-fiction story, Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick. Densely layered with subtext and philosophical musings, Blade Runner hit it off to a rough start upon its initial 1982 run, but the world has warmed to Scott’s futuristic film noir vision. Not to mention that this revised cut of the film (the most recent of many) addresses some of the major faults with previous versions (notably the departure of Deckard’s monotonous inner-monologue) what’s left is a film of rich beauty, intense action and a brilliantly engaging story. Though there are several strong acting performances, the film ultimately belongs to Rutger Hauer, who gives his character Roy Batty distinctive humanity (all the more brilliant given the actual character of Roy). With some of the most astounding set design and cinematography ever put on a screen, Blade Runner is one of the best films of all time, regardless of genre.

Byzantium (2012, Dir. Neil Jordan, UK/Ireland/USA) (Cert: 15/R) ***

Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Gemma Arterton, Caleb Landry Jones

 

Clara (Arterton) and her daughter Eleanor (Ronan) are vampires, physically ageless since taking on their immortal state (thus making them more like sisters than mother and daughter). Having lived for over two-hundred-years travelling from town to town, Clara works as a lap dancer and prostitute. When Clara commits murder to protect her and her daughter’s identity, they move away to a former hotel on the coast known as “Byzantium” owned by Clara’s new lover (Daniel Mays). Clara turns the hotel into a brothel, whilst Eleanor begins a romance with a teenage boy (Jones) with leukaemia. Will Eleanor’s relationship with the boy grow without her letting slip the secrets of her life?

 

Having made his name with Interview With A Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994), Neil Jordan returns to old territory with Byzantium (an adaptation of A Vampire Story, a play by Moira Buffini), but giving the genre conventions of vampire films a new twist. Byzantium, despite its trappings, isn’t really a horror film (despite the occasional strong bloodletting) but a drama. The use of drama at the expense of horror is nothing new to vampires. Before Stephenie Mayer’s Twilight series of books, there was The Lost Boys (1986), Werner Herzog’s atmospheric 1979 Nosferatu remake and George A. Romero’s overlooked gem, Martin (1977)to name a few that all served this idea. Byzantium also has strong stylistic links with Daughters Of Darkness (1971) and the tradition of Hammer horror films (there’s even a brief scene that uses footage of Dracula: Prince Of Darkness (1965)) fortunately, the film is spared the obvious danger of going to exploitative levels (which is at least partly what’s expected when you hear the combination of Gemma Arterton, brothels and, given their historical representation in cinema, female vampires).

 However, when the film does make a point of going in its own distinct direction, it fails to adequately set up its own rules and ideas. Unique ideas in this film (nails replacing fangs for bloodletting, the pseudo-initiation into vampirism) seem to be put in for their own sake rather than for any justification in the story. The two stories across generations (contemporary and period) juxtapose nicely, but the tendency in the period pieces to lapse towards drama does rob the film of the realism that is seen in the contemporary sequences. However, the film’s period detail is often gorgeous and is, generally, where the strongest parts of the film reside. Saoirse Ronan puts in an expectantly strong performance and most of the major roles work well, helping a project that could’ve been disastrous stand on its own. All in all, when Byzantium is bad, it borders on the ridiculous, but when it’s good, it really shines.  

Hotaru No Haka (Grave Of The Fireflies) (1988, Dir. Isao Takahata, Japan) (Cert 12a/Unrated) ****

Starring: Tsutomu Tatsumi, Ayano Shiraishi, Akemi Yamaguchi

As he dies shortly after the Second World War, a young man named Seita (Tatsumi) tells his story about him and his younger sister, Setsuko (Shiraishi) fending for themselves when an air raid destroys their home and possessions.

Though Iseo Takahata has made a proven name for himself in the world of anime, his accomplishments are often overshadowed in the west by his Studio Ghibli colleague, Hayao Miyazaki and perhaps this is owing to their differing tastes in genre. Miyazaki has traditionally favoured fantasy and imagination, whilst Takahata's approach is anchored more in reality, which is more out of step with a wide western perception of anime. Whilst Miyazaki's films such as My Neighbour Totoro (1988), Princess Mononoke (1997) and Spirited Away (2001) are all well known in the west, Grave Of The Fireflies is perhaps Takahata's best known singular film in the mainstream.

Grave Of The Fireflies draws less comparison from Miyazaki however then it does from British animated film When The Wind Blows (1988) in portraying war wii a sense of tragic innocence and the loss of that innocence (although Fireflies is about the innocence of youth, When The Wind Blows covers a form of innocence in old age. Grave Of The Fireflies is animated with a sense of often sublime beauty and fantasy amidst the occasional scene of carnage and with earnest performances from leads Tsutomo Tatsumi and Ayano . the film does have a slight tendency to push the tragedy to really punishing levels (though, no doubt, that has basis in reality) but for those who can stomach the darker stuff, Grave Of The Fireflies is a rewarding film that shows the strengh of anime even if kept in the confines of relatively realistic live-action. Fittingly the film was remade in live-action in 2005 and 2008.