Film Reviews (Everest/Irrational Man/Legend)

Everest – An all-star cast features in this real-life drama about an expedition to reach the higest peak in the world in 1996. Released in IMAX 3D, Everest is an intense and atmospheric journey through arduous terrain and tense drama, even if the constant obsession with the scenery and it’s beauty make you feel like you’re about to wander into a Werner Herzog documentary. Still, for all of the film’s technical merit, it’s the drama that wins out. Whilst not exactly a great film that will last in the memory, it’s still worth experiencing at least once. The high-calibre cast includes Jason Clarke, Josh Brolin, Jake Gyllenhaal, Keria Knightley and Emily Watson. **** (film of the week)

An Irrational Man – Woody Allen’s latest feature stars Joaquin Phoenix as a burned-out and depressive philosophy professor. His boredom in teaching and life is soon relieved by a budding relationship with a bright young student played by Emma Stone and the possibility of perhaps committing the perfect crime. Woody Allen’s been on something of a roll for the last couple of years with the prolific director’s Blue Jasmine (2013) getting some well-deserved recognition and the charming and rather underrated Magic In The Moonlight last year. This effort, sadly, feels a little lazier and pedestrian. It does enough to keep interest and is one of Allen’s more flippant and irreverent films, clearly not meant to be anything more than just ingested and enjoyed, it’s just a bit of a shame that he’s clearly done better than this as of late. ***

Legend – Tom Hardy stars as London gangster twins Reginald and Ronald Kray in Tom Hildebrand’s 60’s-set crime drama. A very clear influence of Martin Scorsese runs through this picture, but ultimately hinders the production rather than helps it. Throughout there is rather ham-fisted narration (possibly put in for an international audience less aware of the Krays or London’s crime history) and the film takes another Scorsese-influenced route in providing a non-moralistic portrait of the twins. Unfortunately, making them come across mostly as charming and lovable rascals rather than the rather hard thugs that the film also tries to address. Hardy’s lead performance is still a winner however as both the charming and suave Reg and the completely demented Ronnie, but this glossed-up tale of East-End violence feels somewhat inappropriate and struggles to reconcile the Kray twins’ sadistic actions and the rather odd (and difficult to tap into) affection felt towards them. Take with a (significant) grain of salt. Also features Emily Browning, Chris Ecclestone, Taron Egerton, Chazz Palminteri, Paul Bettany and John Sessions. ***