Remember
First Kiss – that video with all the strangers kissing each other for the first
time? It had lustrous black and white photography, improbably attractive people
and also turned out to be a marketing stunt for clothing company Wren.
Well, a
few weeks on and the internet has served up its fair share of parodies. And now
it has something even better. The Slap.
Basically,
more rather attractive people turn up at a soundstage in Los Angeles and take
it in turns to whack each other in the face. And the results are way more
interesting than you could imagine. Also, slapping is always fun to watch.
There’s
a lot going on here – not least the fact that the project came from the brain
of Max Landis. He’s not only the son of American Werewolf director John Landis
but also wrote and sold the script for Chronicle when he was in his early 20’s.
He’s
got some clever ideas about the nature of the relationship between slapper and
slappee but also has no problem calling it exactly as it is! With some added Fight Club cred!
It’s got
1.6 million views already – can it beat the 85 million who clicked on First
Kiss?!
I fear I have an apology to make. For many moons I have been talking up Zack Snyder’s latest action effort Sucker Punch to anyone who will listen, pointing out the legacy built up 300 and Watchmen before it and the potential of the creative freedom his first original project allowed him. I was genuinely excited, waiting for the release with breathless anticipation as perfectly crafted trailers and supplementary material helped to draw audiences closer to the day of release. Well that day has come.
Sucker Punch is a disappointment, fundamentally and at every possible level. Perhaps it is precisely because I had built it up so much in my mind that it feels like such a chronic let down but even when I can fabricate a sense of objectivity, I’m finding it impossible to think of a single element which is worthy of recommendation, let alone praise.
It all starts with a proscenium arch – a clever enough touch which makes it clear that what we are about to see has no basis in reality – before launching into a distinctly operatic introduction that plays out silently under a cover of Sweet Dreams. Immaculately shot, these moments are the most effective (and comprehensible) you’ll find in the tangled mess of Sucker Punch – setting up the events which lead to the incarceration of Baby Doll (Browning) in Lennox House and her imminent lobotomy.
But it’s not long before confusion rears its ugly head as we’re quite suddenly transported to an alternative reality where the imprisoned girls are used in a fanciful brothel as playthings for wealthy clients. In this sub-reality, the inmates are forced to dance and when Baby Doll takes to the stage, everyone is mesmerised by her movements. Naturally, this is an opportunity for Snyder to dive inside her head, imagining symbolic action scenes to portray her escape from reality. But first, you’ll have to wade through awkward speeches from token wise man Scott Glenn – who always signs off his appearances with some utterly random comment, seemingly just for the heck of it.
Thus, we’re treated to a series of over the top action sequences, against the likes of towering samurai warriors, steam-powered Nazis and even Dragons, which uniformly end with a return to the Brothel world as Baby Doll stands perspiring lightly while her male viewers stand agog. Firstly, and I may just be speaking for myself, but I wouldn’t have minded seeing exactly what incredible dancing feats she performs to enrapture her audience so.
Secondly, and far more importantly, what the hell? Is this really a movie from the director of 300 and Watchmen which is about a scantily-dressed young woman dancing a bit while her equally draftily-clothed companions try to steal a random collection of items from the shell-shocked audience? The awkward plotting in the brothel sub-reality is bad enough, focussed on procuring said items in the most laborious way imaginable, but Sucker Punch even manages to miss the mark with its action sequences.
Given the set up of the film, Snyder could literally have done anything with his action moments and, theoretically at least, there’s nothing wrong with the situations he conjures up; pitching his female avatars into World War 1 trenches, high fantasy battles against orcs and dragons and into a bullet train speeding across an alien landscape. But why should we care? It’s clear from the first encounter that these moments present no danger to the girls, as Baby Doll is hoofed around like a football by gigantic samurai with no effect. Once she’s joined by Amber, Sweet Pea, Rocket and Blondie, the (mostly) stunning quintet rip enemies to shreds with ease – often aided by unfairly futuristic weapons, including going up against afore-mentioned reanimated Nazis with a heavily armed mech.
By the time we head aboard a high tech train replete with shiny mechanised enemies for a lengthy, one shot, CG heavy melee it’s already beyond tiresome. Further, there’s little artistry in what’s happening on screen – this shot in particular displaying nothing more than skilful CG work to link several sequences together and even at that it’s rarely convincing. By the time the film locates an ending within its own convolutions it’s likely you’ll either be bored, dumbfounded, or both. Sucker Punch is an overcomplicated mess, populated by spectre-thin characters thrown into a plot which manages to be underdeveloped and confusing at the same time. And even when it settles into the rhythm you expect, with fantasy sequences furthering the ‘real world’ plot, there’s no concrete sense of how the two connect.
Opportunities to bring symbolic meaning to the action escapades are openly ignored and there’s no consequences outside of these moments – until a late on sideswipe which takes the title of the film too literally. There’s almost no point talking about the acting as the dialogue and characterisations are so abysmal there’s nothing for a performer to hold on to. Browning looks well and delivers her few lines with determination while the young cast appear to throw themselves into the action moments, though only the Nazi face-off allows for any takes long enough to see the results of all their training. Scott Glenn is pointless and annoying, Gugino’s accent caused me physical pain, and listen out for an utterly random moment of paddy-whackery from Gerard Plunkett.
This was an important movie for Snyder, marking his move away from R-rated adaptations with his first original script. And this, along with the messy plotting of last year’s Legend of the Guardians does not bode well for his free-wheeling future. There’s no doubt that he’s a talented filmmaker, possessed of a visual verve virtually unmatched in his contemporaries and with careful management his movies can reflect that. But, by the evidence of Sucker Punch, Snyder unchained is nothing less than a liability and the result is almost staggeringly inept.
With so many movies churned out on a weekly basis, it can be a serious challenge finding something even halfway decent to watch of an evening. A surefire solution then would be to seek out the help of the internet in finding worthy film entertainment and where better to start than with IMDB’s (by no means) definitive Top 250 movies that people bothered to vote for.
Under the spotlight this time North by Northwest.
I’m obliquely aware of Alfred Hitchcock, skirting the edges of his creative output in fits and starts and often loving every minute of it. There’s something overwhelmingly playful about his movies, about the ways he toyed with his audience just as much as his protagonist and the faultless, often dazzling visual style he brought to bear without seeming to dip into the gimmicky. His purpose was entertainment and his process without peer so it’s only natural that many of his films work just as well today as when they were originally released.
And so it is with 1959’s North by Northwest, a fairly standard tale of mistaken identity that enfolds the viewer in layers of spygame hokum, led by a ferociously charming performance from Cary Grant. Here, he effortlessly embodies everything which George Clooney has been striving for for over a decade, the multisexual appeal, the understated physicality and a wit both self effacing and sharply smug at the same time. Eva Marie Saint’s advances may have seemed progressive on paper but onscreen there’s no question that it’s Grant in charge and, sexual politics aside, would you really want it any other way?
It may be over 50 years old but North by Northwest simply rockets along from the shockingly contemporary titles by Saul Bass to the finale conveniently located at a national monument (Mt. Rushmore), there’s a formula here which is still followed by the genre to this day. James Mason’s clipped tone (and equally well tailored suits) make a perfect evil foil and then 31 year old Martin Landau makes an great impression as a slightly effeminate henchmen in only his second big screen role. The gags are still funny (especially Grant playing drunk), the dialogue is punchy without feeling forced and even the action scenes feel far from geriatric – particularly the famous cropduster face-off which ends with a pyrotechnic bang that’s no less effective than a modern day blockbuster. A classic slice of Hollywood entertainment that feels just as fresh today as it did 5 decades ago.
173/250
A couple of options from here – either dive into my first Ingmar Bergman (I know, shameful) with Persona or The Seventh Seal or check out The Lives of Others...
Being mildly addicted to Facebook I recently took the test to see how many of IMDB's Top 250 movies I had seen. The result - 171 out of 250. Respectable enough for the layman but I'm supposed to be a movie reviewer so it simply won't do. The only possible solution (short of completely disregarding the list as an arbitrary series of votes by the mostly American userbase of a website) was to start at the beginning and work my way down, checking out every movie I could along to the way.
First up Rosemary's Baby.
Coming from a pre-lawsuit Roman Polanski in 1968, Rosemary's Baby stars Mia Farrow as a young, pregnant mother to be who wanders around her apartment block in downtown New York, gets hassled by the neighbours, casually mistreated by her actor husband (John Cassavetes) and slowly begins to suspect that something nefarious is afoot. Its attractively shot, menacingly directed and Farrow is certainly fetching (though a little shrill and emaciated) in the lead role. But its didn't work for me in the end because of one fatal flaw - it completely gives the game away in the first 15 minutes. The supposedly shocking finale isn't just subtly hinted it, its boldly drawn onscreen in the opening scenes with a vividly realised demonic rape. The entire focus of the film could have been completely shifted if that scene was moved to the final act and hinted at instead of shown.
The rest is basic paranoia and dread, ratcheting up the tension for no real payoff and almost no scares. Farrow is never in danger, in fact if anything she can rely on the other residents to keep her as safe as possible to preserve the child she is carrying. The ending is reasonably haunting but even then was far less shocking than I was expecting. A disappointment.
Whatever happened to John Landis? The director of The Blues Brothers and comedy/horror classic An American Werewolf in London has disappeared off the theatrical release radar since the horrendous PG-13 Blues Brothers 2000 back in 1998. Well the 60 year old is still alive and kicking, which is more than can be said for much of the cast of his latest effort.
The film follows the story of real-life Irish born graverobbers and murderers William Burke and William Hare, who profited from a lack of corpses for medical study in 19th Century Edinburgh by killing people so they could sell the bodies to a local medical college. It’s a macabre and honestly horrifying story of just how mercenary people can be in order to make money and the depths they are willing to sink to – the accomplices even started to bump off their own family before the end. Perfect fodder for a comedy so.
In movie land, the villains are played by Simon Pegg (Burke) and Andy Serkis (Hare) so you already know from the start that they are going to be likeable rogues. The film goes out of its way to paint them as human beings, layering on Hare’s browbeating wife (Jessica Hynes) and a love interest for Pegg in the form of the delectable Isla Fisher while pointedly ignoring the genuinely horrific nature of their crimes.
There was room here for a truly black comedy with lashings of over the top gore (courtesy of the many dissections) but the film keeps things far too light, trying to make us feel sorry for the characters – particularly Burke. Sadly, the dramatic attempts are flawed and the laughs few and far between, more often courtesy of the nearly endless cameos from the likes of Ronnie Corbet and Stephen Merchant. Thriller was scarier. Funnier too.
Last night, Disney hosted a special screening of 23 minutes of footage from their upcoming 3D blockbuster Tron: Legacy in Dublin. We went along to check out the movie that will be hoping to recreate the massive success of last year’s Avatar when it hits theatres in December.
Tron: Legacy is the sequel to the 1982 original, focussed on Sam Flynn (Garret Hedlund), the son of Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) – the hero of the first film. 20 years ago, Flynn kissed his son goodnight and vanished without a trace. Now in his mid 20’s, Sam suddenly gets word that his father may still be alive and returns to the old, boarded up arcade and into a world he never dreamed possible. The footage began with a message from director Joseph Kosinski, letting the audience know that the scenes are relatively spoiler free and that the sound mix wasn’t complete – while also assuring us that even though the opening moments are in 2D, it’s recommended you watch them through the 3D glasses for the best effect.
The first scene was set in the real world, as Alan Bradley (a returning Bruce Boxleitner) tells the young Flynn off for a stunt he pulled which landed him in jail, and not for the first time. He tells Sam that he received a page from Kevin Flynn’s old office, from a number that’s been out of service for decades. Sam makes his way to the arcade, vintage machines wreathed in dust coats which come alive at the touch of a circuit breaker. Behind the original Tron console lies a hidden office and extremely fancy (for 1989) touch screen computer complete with menacing laser pointed directly at Young Flynn’s head...
Suddenly, we’re on The Grid and the image comes alive. Dark colours are accented by the startling neon detailing of a towering Recogniser, which scoops Flynn up and transports him along with a group of programs to the city. He is selected for the games, with one program choosing to kill himself rather than participate – our first glimpse of the movie’s new, particulate and body shattering de-rezzing effect.
Flynn is undressed and suited up for battle by a team of Sirens led by Beau Garret who has only one word of advice – survive. Then we get the first glimpse of a disk battle, with multiple fights taking place at once in isolated pods. Flynn faces off against a character he recognises from the Tron toys his father gave him (you can catch a peek of one in the second theatrical trailer, see below) but fumbles with his own disk when he’s suddenly attacked. The game becomes even more deadly they he realises that the walls and floor are fragile and a fall means instant death.
Next, we get a brief glimpse of the light cycles as Flynn speeds along in a two man bike, a mysterious helmeted figure at his side. They destroy a wall and go off grid, somewhere their enemies cannot follow, and his companion reveals herself as Quorra – played by a buoyant Olive Wilde. The final scene occurred far from The Grid in an isolated safehouse, where Sam gets reunited with his long lost father and the elder Flynn gazes out across the world, wondering what will happen next.
The preview ended with a sizzle reel, starting with a cameo from Daft Punk as master of ceremonies Michael Sheen asks them to ‘change the mood’ before the music and images launched into overdrive. As neon fireworks explode in time to the music we got tiny glimpses of light jets dogfighting, light cycle battles in a massive arena and Jeff Bridges’ CG-enhanced alter-ego CLU sitting atop his throne.
The Tron: Legacy preview was certainly impressive but if you are choosing select scenes to demo your blockbuster you’re hardly going to create something underwhelming. The most surprising thing about what was shown is that it managed to avoid any overtly spectacular scenes, with almost half of that was shown either taking place in the real world or focussing more on drama than action. It’s clear that Disney isn’t just out to wow us with CG and 3D hi-jinks, instead they are keen to showcase the quality of the entire production. It’s a brave move but one which seems to have worked, there’s a real sense that they might have something special on their hands rather than just another SFX-filled show.
The effects are stunning though, CG and real sets/costumes blending perfectly. This is no doubt helped by the high contrast nature of the world and the generally plastic nature of the surfaces, an effect which CG can handle much easier than the textures of reality. Speaking of textures, the filmmakers have chosen to add a very specific effect to the scenes taking place inside the computer world, a thickness to the air reminiscent of the lines and whorls of an LCD screen. It’s subtle, like the green tinge of The Matrix world, but it makes the image remarkably distinct, and really helps give a sense of depth to the proceedings, which is essential for a compelling 3D experience.
The 3D is also mostly subtle, few moments extending beyond the screen. Colours pop brilliantly, aided by an extremely dark shooting style which looks a million miles away from regular Disney films. If anything, the images might be a little too dark but again that lends the film a unique look which will help it stand out from competitors. The tone might be a bit more problematic – everything seems starkly serious apart from Quorra’s oddly chirpy attitude, as a warrior character I was expecting a much more muted and brooding performance from Wilde.
Lead Hedlund (who played Brad Pitt’s cousin in Troy) looks well in the suit and has a hint of a younger Bridges in his voice but it remains to be seen if he can carry a film. It’s great to see Bridges reprising the role and working on the performance capture for CLU is a massive technological feat – even if it still looks incredibly creepy at times, the framerate of CG simply can’t match the smoothness of a real human being. Perhaps they can explain that away within the world of the film.
Leaving the best til last – the visuals and the music are simply amazing. As a massive Recogniser heads out across the digital landscape, Daft Punks synth score reverberates around in a cacophony of musical bits and bytes. It’s the perfect marriage of artist and movie and the design work takes the template created for Tron back in 1982 and runs with it – imagining a world which has been allowed to grow and change exponentially over millions of cycles to create something truly out of this world.
The world of Tron was always ripe to be revisited, particularly in light of advancements in technology and the public understanding of the digital realm. With this self assured early preview and almost two months left for tinkering and polishing the effects, Legacy could well be the game we’ve all been waiting for.
You may never have heard of Black Dynamite but there's a chance it could be the best comedy of the year.
A sometimes spoof of 70s Blaxploitation flicks, Black Dynamite sees the titular character out for revenge after his brother is killed. What follows is a pitch-perfect send up of the genre which mixes straight comedy, self aware spoof and fun action to dazzling effect. The film should be a mess of conflicting styles but everything, from the archive footage which supplements action scenes to continuity errors and some purposefully forced acting, comes together almost perfectly.
Much of this is down to screenwriter and star Michael Jai White, who brings gravitas to a role that could have been ridiculous while also acquitting himself well in the action scenes and creating some bizarre asides which comment on his own awesomeness. It's the perfect marriage of material and performance and the rest all support the carefully balanced tone, which makes Salli Richardson-Whitfield role all the more important as the only straight character in the bunch.
There are moments when the self-aware style begins to wear a little thin and we're not sure we needed an animated Zodiac themed sex scene but Black Dynamite is still the best comedy we've seen this year and worth the price of entry alone for the scene in which the team finally discover the truth behind the villains scheme.
5/5
Black Dynamite is showing exclusively at the Screen Cinema Dublin from the 3rd of September. Go see it!
It's been hard to avoid the negative critical reaction to Jonah Hex since its US release in June, with the film garnering some of the lowest scores in recent memories. Now we finally get a chance to see this box office bomb in Irish cinemas.
It's immediately apparent from the first frames that Jonah Hex's journey to the big screen was a tortured one. The opening animated exposition has the instantly recognisable odour of a desperate attempt by a studio to make sense of a damaged project, making the bizarre decision to skip Hex's origin story and suggest that his main enemy (John Malkovich) is already dead. The animation is shoddy, the voice over vague and it leaves the audience more unsure than they would have been without.
Things do improve marginally when Brolin takes to the screen in his extremely uncomfortable looking make-up and the opening action scene is watchable (wasting no time in whipping out those horse-mounted chain guns) but viewers should note that Hex seems incapable of leaving a building or location without it burning to the ground behind him. You half suspect him to leave an explosive behind when he visits an outhouse. From there, Malkovich's Turnbull resurfaces with a doomsday plot to destroy the United States and Hex shuffles along in his wake, shooting stuff and grimacing while paying occasional visits to unnecessary side-kick Megan Fox. Who actually looks decent with a gun, take note casting directors.
It's all pointlessly convoluted, mixing Wild West action with a never explained supernatural side-story that ramps up to a symbolic fight between Turnbull and Hex in the desert, intercut with a distinctly uninteresting boat-based finale. Only Michael Fassbender makes an impression on the acting front, while an impressively mis-cast Will Arnett struggles to be taken seriously and Aiden Quinn looks positively embarrassed. Brolin seems oddly committed to the role, amid rumours that he fiddled extensively with the crass and ultraviolent script by Crank creators Neveldine and Taylor - which would have been preferable to this limp pseudo Western. Jonah Hex is far from being the worst film ever made but instead wastes a fun concept with shoddy action, terrible dialogue and a backstory that robs the film of most of its drama.
We had high hopes for The Sorcerer's Apprentice and, after an overly complicated historical introduction, it starts well - with young Dave's incursion into a fantastical magic shop recalling 80s greats like The Neverending Story.
Then we flash-forward to Jay Barucehel in modern day New York and things start to get a little ropey. It's not just Nicolas Cage's increasingly unlikely wigs, Baruchel's improbably high pitched voice (seriously, was he chosen because he actually sounds like Mickey Mouse?) nor the pointlessly scientific approach to magic but a combination of all these things and the film serious deficit of fun. It's all the more disappointing because two supporting players, Alfred Molina and Toby Kebbell, perfectly capture the quirky tone we know director Turteltaub is capable of sustaining - their moments together as master and apprentice are the highlight of the film.
Still, some of the magic is impressive and its slightly less limp than much of the child friendly dross we've seen in 2010.
Based on the successful (and by all accounts decent) Nickelodeon cartoon series, the film tells the story of the mythical Avatar who could unite the warring elemental nations of fire, water, earth and air by being awesome. And bald. And a kid who beats baddies up with air.
It's never a good sign when a children's film has to start with a screenful of text to get young 'uns up to speed and throughout Shyamalan takes extended time outs for laboured exposition and backstories. His writing and direction lack any kind of pace or vigour, relying on masses of close-ups and POV conversations which are simply out of place in a blockbuster adventure. The action when it comes is lazy, there's rarely any correlation between the frantic martial arts moves of the combatants and the flurries of elemental powers, while a few slow-motion 300-esque moments seem tacked on. In short; an attractive and utterly boring mess, with shoddy 3D and no sense of fun. Avoid.
As Seattle is plagued by a series of violent murders, Bella and Edward have been reunited, with Jacob pushed to the sidelines once again. But when an army of young vampires descends on Forks, the vamps and werewolves have to work together to keep Bella safe.
Eclipse is easily the most male friendly entry in the series to date with some nice dark visuals and meaty action, particularly in a last act face-off that seems to prove that vampires are made out tin-foil. This all comes courtesy of director David Slade, who knows his vampire action from the not-quite-brilliant 30 Days of Night. The new focus on action means less slushy stuff from the leads and the cutaways to Seatlle are dripping with atmosphere, as are several flashbacks which recount the early lives on the vampire brood - in brief story snatches more compelling than anything conjured up in the movies. Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson finally look halfway comfortable in their roles, though the romance is still to heavy handed and the clear anti-sex message overwhelming - not only will Edward not be with Bella until they are married but he makes it very clear that the consummation might well kill her. Elsewhere, Taylor Lautner tries some humour and doesn't quite pull it off while only Billy Burke seems intent to point out the ridiculousness of it all. This entry spends minimal time with supporting characters, particularly Bella's school friends which is a big loss as Anna Kendrick was one of the more bearable things about New Moon.
The main problem with Eclipse is a near total lack of story, a negative point inherited by the ponderous book which seemed like nothing more than an excuse to have some vampire on vampire action. It's a shame, because the stylish visuals, strong action and improved effects could have made this the best in the series, but without any character development the finale lacks punch. Still, guys won't be bored and the target demographic will lap up the restrained shirtlessness and some slightly steamier scenes with the personality-free leads.
I have to admit when news filtered through the interweb that 20th Century Fox were re-animating the much abused corpse of the Predator franchise it filled me with dread. Having not only suffered the indignity of a limp 1990 sequel starring Lispy McLisps-a-lot (aka Danny Glover), the character has been further brutalised by two AvP films which surgically removed everything even slightly memorable. But against all odds, Robert Rodriguez and director Nimród Antal have served up a sci-fi action dish in Predators which is almost the equal of the 1987 classic.
It starts badly, following a dumbfounded Adrien Brody as he freefalls towards an endless jungle. The effects are ropy and the opening character introductions a little too broad. But as more chutes plunge into the canopy and the eight strangers slowly band together there’s a sense of logic to the proceedings – of highly trained individuals pooling their resources to survive, or at least biding their time til they get the lay of the land. And as the minutes tick by in wafer thin, but adequate, character development, you suddenly realise that nothing supernatural has happened. Predators spends serious time in the jungle as a survival thriller before ever broaching the possibility of being trapped on an alien planet. The film feels no need for an upfront teaser to reassure the fans that they are seeing a Predator film – quietly confident that it works without the need for overpowering effects and gore.
And it does; eight characters means there’s always a new source of drama and the film avoids reeling out obvious gags to create a forced sense of camaraderie – these people aren’t friends, they are just trying to survive. This slower paced introduction doles out exposition in generous helpings, almost always from Brody, who appears to be the only one with any functioning senses – at one point Braga’s Isabelle points out that there is no magnetic north, while Brody calmly observes that the sun seems to be fixed in the sky. The spoonfed explanations get a little trying, but the dumber members of the group are clearly standing in for those equally sloth-minded audience members, an unfortunate must in blockbuster cinema.
Predators also knows exactly how to play to fans of the original – drawing expertly on our nostalgia in similar ways to Superman Returns. It’s most obvious in the music – Alan Silvestri’s awesome score is referenced subtly in the beat of eerie drums or a brief trill of the theme – but even the structure of the film is carefully planned, creating parallels in the placement of similar scenes, such as the discovery of a skinned carcass. Antal and Rodriguez have created a smarter film here than they will be given credit for.
When the pace picks up, the film is smart enough to reference the real hunting practises which made the original so memorable, introducing new creatures and inverting the formula just enough to remain fresh. In many ways, it’s a more ambitious story, told with a minimum of CG enhancements and some restrained but effective gore.
Naturally, it’s not perfect – Lawrence Fishburne’s character is a little problematic and the final act finds itself with too many bodies left to dispose of, killing off characters in quick succession before an ending that threatens to go off the rails. To the filmmakers credit, it doesn’t and there’s certainly material here for a spate of spin-offs and sequels. Against all odds, Brody is great in the central role of Royce – adding a guttural bark to his normal nasal tone and getting in tremendous shape. The cast in general is surprisingly solid, especially the ineffably cool Alice Braga and a memorable Walton Goggins, who earns most of the films laughs with some off-colour humour. Topher Grace and Fishburne are the weak links but neither is distracting enough to spoil the film.
Predators is easily the best movie in the series since the original. The action is strong, the characters are adequate and, above all else, it doesn’t defecate from orbit on our one of the best sci-fi actioners of the 80s. Watch it.
When in Rome almost lost me with its staid romantic/comedy intro, complete with Beth’s three demographic-grabbing friends (one fat, one cute, one gay) and a laboured social faux pas. But once the plot finally kicked into gear, things improved dramatically.
This is chiefly because of the leads – even hamstrung by weak dialogue and plotting, Bell is never less than engaging and I was surprised by Duhamel, having only previously encountered him as a prop in Transformers and its travesty of a sequel. The duo have decent chemistry and comic timing, and are introduced in a pair of enjoyable set pieces that actually manage to draw a laugh from tired slapstick. Once back in New York, the lazy genre requirements have to be trundled out, though at least we have the magically infatuated suitors for a bit of distraction. These cameos are easily the most disappointing thing about the film – throwing up names like Danny DeVito, Jon Heder and Will Arnett but giving them absolutely nothing to do.
The character bloat spoils the final act, as the overcomplicated supernatural goings-on have to be resolved, including an utterly dull and seemingly endless scene of exposition to some couch-bound former funny men. There’s some last minute drama and indecision but it wouldn’t take a genius to figure out the ending.
When in Rome is sporadically charming and hopefully will lead to bigger things for the talented Bell. Director Johnson (who made Daredevil - which isn't as bad as you remember - honest!) keeps things going at a good pace and feels most comfortable with the set pieces – like a crazy action scene in a miniature car towards the end. But the comedy cameos are wasted, the supporting characters dull or annoying (apart from the always fantastic Kristen Schaal and some terrible CG effects threaten to spoil the goodwill of the audience. Oh, and there’s a dance sequence over the credits for no discernible reason.
Charming leads and a few laughs mean romantic/comedy fans could do much worse.
MacGruber started life as a Saturday Night Live parody of the 80s TV show ‘MacGyver’, who made complex and non-violent gadgets out of seemingly innocuous household items. In the short sketches MacGruber, along with his assistant and the celebrity guest of the week, would find himself confronted by a ticking bomb with only seconds to live. Inevitably, the segments ended with the bomb exploding due to his ineptitude; cue polite laughter.
Now, despite these sketches being only mildly amusing at best, the SNL powers that be have decided that MacGruber is the perfect character to reignite their flagging success at the box office in a 90 minute action blockbuster.
The film starts well, playing it straight with a bloodthirsty intro before the (forgiveable)puerile title sequence and the following decent parody of the monastery scene from Rambo III, complete with a gravelly voiced Powers Boothe. It’s in these moments that MacGruber is most effective, when the action movie homage is to the fore and the supporting cast are playing it straight – leaving mulleted Will Forte to ham it up as the title character.
It’s a shame then that much of the rest of the film meanders off in search of laughs, more often earning guilty sniggers from recurring gags like Kilmer’s character name – Dieter Von Cunth. Yes really. A few moments could have been hilarious with better pacing and editing, such as an accidental explosion or an inappropriate human shield but both are over-edited and spoiled mercilessly by the trailers.
Forte is certainly committed to the role, even when sporting a celery suppository there’s never the slightest hint of self-consciousness. But the character lacks a single redeeming quality to make the audience root for him. The talented Kristen Wiig reprises her supporting role from the sketches but her solid comic timing is all but wasted, apart from a nearly titter worthy cafe scene, and you have to wonder how far down the list previously-famous Ryan Philippe was. Kilmer is just amorphous filler with nothing to do, despite proving utterly hilarious with the right material and only schlock-veteran Boothe emerges relatively unscathed.
MacGruber at least tries to flesh out its meagre premise by taking a parodic stab at the action genre with some nods to the ‘MacGyver’ series (there’s a court case pending on the legalities) but the budget is too limited for any decent action and to say that the humour is aimed at the gutter would probably be a compliment. The laughs are few and far between – unless you think defecating on a corpse is comedy gold.
Remember when SNL movies were funny? No, neither do I.
Ben Stiller goes all indie and dramatic with The Squid and the Whale director at the helm.
Stiller's Greenberg is a man in his 40s recovering from a recent mental breakdown who decides to 'do nothing for a while' and housesit for this successful brother. There, he starts an awkward romance with his brothers assistant (Greta Gerwig) and restrained quirkiness ensues.
Director Noah Baumbach keeps his latest effort relatively grounded, creating a character study of a person who is almost impossible to like. Greenberg is clearly damaged but his endless self-absorption makes it's hard to root for him to get better. Likewise, Gerwig's Florence is so weak-willed and insipid, submitting to sexual advances because it's easier than saying no, that it seems like neither character has any positive forward momentum. You dread the idea of them ending up together as surely she would be utterly subsumed by his egocentric world view.
It's a considerable achievement then that Greenberg remains watchable, even if the plot is limited and the characters insufferable. Stiller has never been better and there's able support from the likes of a wonderfully restrained Rhys Ifans and Jennifer Jason Leigh.
Director Antoine Fuqua tries to recapture some of the Oscar-winning glory of 2001's Training Day with this gritty ensemble drama and is at least partly successful.
The interweaving tale of three unrelated New York City cops takes us into some very dark territory - particularly in the case of Ethan Hawke's character, a good man worn down by the demands of a large and ailing family. He gives a powerhouse performance, easily overshadowing a mis-cast Richard Gere and the inconsistent Don Cheadle and its good to see ever charismatic Wesley Snipes back in a theatrically-released film.
The visuals are strong and the violence overtly grim but ultimately it's the glut of clichés which spoils Brooklyn's Finest - first time feature writer Michael C. Martin peoples his script with overly familiar types right through to the dramatic but utterly predictable finale. Watchable but flawed.
HBO fans of the world unite - did you like 'Rome'? How about the superlative 'Deadwood' or the potential splendour of 'Carnivale'?
Well do you know what you can have instead of a satisfying, plot resolving resolution to any of those fine series' - you can listen to an octogenarian harridan screaming 'Lawrence of my labia' while squirming in vomit-inducing pleasure. You can also marvel at the scene where it's difficult to tell the difference between a group of camels and the increasingly leather-skinned ladies or the frankly insulting fiddly-jig which plays every time a braless Irish nanny takes to the screen.
On the small screen, 'SATC' was acerbically sharp, envelope-pushing and BLISSFULLY SHORT! After two and a half hours of adventures in international ignorance and sexual encounters that threaten the gag reflex, you'll be hard pushed to remember what made these girls so fantastic the first time round.
Brick director Rian Johnson delivers up his sophomore effort with The Brothers Bloom – a slick and classy con artist pic with some great performances but too many quirks to be a classic of the genre.
Orphaned brothers Stephen (Mark Ruffalo) and Bloom (Adrien Brody) bounced from one foster home to the next as children – a lifestyle spurred on my intricately-planned cons like that which starts the film. 25 years later, the dramatics have reached fever pitch but the same problems remain – Stephen loves the thrill of the con while Bloom is terrified that he has never had a genuine moment in a life of deceit. Together with their mostly mute explosives expert Bang Bang (Rinko Kikuchi), the brothers take on one last job which Stephen promises will finally give Bloom what he really wants. The target – Rachel Weisz’s Penelope; a rich shut-in with a hundred expert hobbies and no sense of reality.
The Brothers Bloom lays on the charm from the outset – building the symbiotic relationship between the leads through scenes of expertly narrated visual poetry. The first adult con is gloriously unveiled and luring in Weisz heiress is done stylishly and with good humour, as the audience is slowly embroiled in a convoluted plan which sees her join the gang of 'art smugglers' as they set off on a picturesque criminal world tour - taking in Montenegro, Prague and Romania. Inevitable romantic complications and devilish twists arise as we wend our way towards the dramatic finale.
It’s clear that Johnson has a love of genre films – Brick was his ode to film noir and The Brother Bloom seems just as enamoured with the con movie. The problem is that the best con artist films are as complex as the criminal plans themselves and while the film is technically impressive and all the genre elements are in their proper place there’s one important part missing. The best con films are just as concerned with fooling the audience as the mark, but we never feel that The Brothers Bloom is really getting under our skin.
Thankfully, the cast are excellent - particularly Weisz who captures Penelope's unusual mix of naiveté and experienced hobbyist while looking absolutely stunning and pulling off skateboard and card tricks with aplomb. Kikuchi's near silent performance should be laughable but she brings a huge amount of personality to a mute pyromaniac and Ruffalo seems to be having a lot of fun as the scheming Stephen. Only Brody is a tad disappointing - he's a world class brooder and the intense scenes are note perfect but has some trouble with the films many lighter moments.
The Brothers Bloom is a fun caper flick with some gorgeous images and a memorable performance from Rachel Weisz. But its not as clever as you would like it to be and the endlessly quirky tone ultimately distracts from the potentially dramatic twists of the finale. There's no doubt Johnson is a talented filmmaker but maybe this project was a little too ambitious for an inexperienced director.
Sequel to the 2007 shocker, this second film picks up minutes later, as an armed SWAT team is sent in with a medical officer to find out what exactly is going on in the quarantined apartment building.
Rec was a brilliant exercise in first person terror, playing with the limits of a single perspective to create an unnerving action/horror with a genuinely unsettling finale. The sequel ramps up the pace from the very beginning and changes the rules by sending in our heroes armed to the teeth and forewarned about some of the dangers inside. It's a welcome change, ensuring that Rec 2 isn't a typical horror sequel with the same scares in a different location.
But it also robs the film of some of its tension, forcing the directors to fabricate reasons to make the response team vulnerable. Some work, like a moment when one squad member is isolated in a duct and pursued by a shadowy form, but several other contrivances just make this elite team of killers seem like imbeciles. And don't get me started on the idiotic trio of kids who improbably sneak into the building in a parallel story clearly introduced to pad out the running time. The creeping dread is also lessened by endless scenes of exposition made necessary by the new supernatural, pseudo-religious explanation for the horrors taking place. These elements did make an appearance in the first film but when Rec 2 briefly decides to turn into The Exorcist, it threatens to lose its audience.
Happily, there's still a ferocious energy to the proceedings, and directing team Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza clearly had a much bigger budget to play with this time. Squibs explode everywhere, deaths are impressively gory (particularly some underage headshots) and there are several impressively staged first-person moments, courtesy of the SWAT teams helmet cams. But they also overstretch their abilities, particularly as the film draws to a close and nightvision becomes essential to driving the story forward. It's a great concept but, layered on top of so much extraneous narrative and technical feats, it overcomplicates what should be an exercise in pure terror.
Watchable and technically impressive, Rec 2 is so busy trying to impress its audience that it forgets it's supposed to scare them too.
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