10 Cloverfield Lane
A pseudo-sequel to JJ Abrams' found footage monster movie Cloverfield (2007), 10 Cloverfield Lane stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead as a woman who, following a car accident, finds herself enclosed in a bunker by a survivalist played by John Goodman; but is his report of an apocalyptic event legitimate or is she his prisoner?
Obviously the film owes a debt to Misery (1990), perhaps more so than Cloverfield (the original screenplay wasn't written as a sequel) and the stripped-down thriller aspect to the film provides some genuine tension and frights that push the film's 12a rating to the absolute limit. Always one to give a solid performance, John Goodman conveys an intriguing character even if the nuances feel a little under-explored, but a show-stopping finale is the film's true highlight.
The Boy
The Boy is an English-set American horror film and boy does it show. Lauren Cohan stars as an American who has come to England and given the job of taking care of a young boy named Brahms whilst his parents are away. The thing is, Brahms appears to be nothing more than a doll...at least until spooky things start happening.
The Boy is something of a hokey horror film. With its gothic mansion, very English characters and ghost story conventions, The Boy really seems to be pushing itself towards the classic works of Hammer but the film's attempts at reconciling this with the "jump scare" heavy ideas of more contemporary fare rob the film of a certain atmosphere amidst a slightly cheesy premise and some ham-fisted attempts at British idioms in the screenplay (has "off his pickle" EVER been used as a euphemism for being drunk?). A final act plot twist gives the film a certain sense of life, even if it's in a strange way, but The Boy is nothing particularly special or particularly good.
High Rise
J.G Ballard's science-fiction literary classic comes to the big screen, courtesy of director Ben Wheatley and actor Tom Hiddleston, who stars as Lainge; a new addition to a futuristic tower block with its own built-in social hierarchy. With the decadent wealthy on the building's upper-floors and the disenfranchised working class down below, dissent sets in and a complete breakdown in order soon follows.
Taking the book's 70's origins as a starting-point, High Rise tips its hat decidedly to Clockwork Orange (1971) even down to the film's poster; set against the period-specific backdrop (eagle-eyed viewers may even notice that the film's time period is explicitly spelt out), High Rise is a film that makes a point of off-setting glamour with grime whilst Hiddleston's mannered doctor provides a middle-class-styled equilibrium, especially against the cool reserve of Jeremy Irons as the high rise's architect and the raw macho energy of Luke Evans as a proletariat documentary filmmaker.
When all is said and done, High Rise feels like a genre film. Stylish and sharp with a simple premise and the occasional boot to the gut in between knowing chuckles. Wheatley's cardinal sin is to take film too seriously, making a film slightly too arch and slightly too long. However, the film still manages to work fairly well on its sharp technique and lumbering menace. Also in the cast are Sienna Miller, Elisabeth Moss, Keeley Hawes, James Purefoy, Dan Renton Skinner and Reece Shearsmith.
Marguerite
A French-language film based around the life of Florence Foster Jenkins, Catherine Frot plays the Margueritte of the title, an opera-loving French aristocrat convinced of her own prodigious talent for singing despite being completely incapable of it.
The tale of the loveable enthusiast with delusions of grandeur is a popular one in numerous disciplines, from the poet William McGonnagal to film director Ed Wood. Margueritte captures the endearing nature of the story beautifully, courtesy of Catherine Frot's compassionate performance. It's easy to laugh at the character, but her clear love for opera and her gentle nature make you root for her all the same and defend her against the rather callous taunting of the public. Taking the story of Jenkins, a figure in 30's New York and setting against post-Great War France does work rather well in presenting the story against a new historical backdrop (at one part of the film, Marguerite's performances are used in a Dadaist art piece) but the plot falters slightly in providing a younger female lead whose appearances seem rather perfunctory as Marguerite is a perfectly suitable main character.
The story if Florence Foster Jenkins is set to get another film release later this year in a more true-to-life depiction starring Meryl Streep. It will have some competition to beat this rather sweet comic-drama and considering we're talking about a film with Meryl Streep, that says something for how well this film works. (Pick Of The Week)
Zootropolis
Known as Zootopia in the United States, Zootropolis is the latest offering from Disney and stars Ginnifer Goodwin as Judy Hopps, a rabbit police officer in Zootropolis, a land populated entirely by anthropomorphic, talking animals. Idealistic and out to prove herself, Judy goes on the trail to find a missing otter and enlists the help of a law-breaking fox (voiced by Jason Bateman) to do it.
On its colourful surface, Zootropolis had advertised itself as a cutesy comedy with talking animals cracking wise (thus fulfilling Disney's back-and-forth between more "traditional" work and modern sci-fi-inflected films that has been going on since Tangled (2010)). The film itself is somewhat more daring, keeping most of Disney's wholesome reputation intact but not afraid to push the envelope a little, starting with faked bloodshed mere seconds into the film. The charming performances still make the film endearing, as do the constant stream of gags which are few on belly laughs, but still keep interest.
As a Disney film that pretty blatantly is about the wrongs of prejudice and assumptions, Zootropolis is worth commending, even if some of the humour resting on animal stereotypes offsets the central message. Like most of Disney's recent fare, you'd be hard-pressed to see a future classic in Zootropolis, but it's still a rather enjoyable effort all the same. With the voices of Idris Elba, Alan Tudyk, J.K. Simmons, Catherine O'Hara, Tommy Chong, Tommy "Tiny" Lister and Shakira.
