It's Space Opera, Jim - not Aida!

Ignore the sniping campaign that beset John Carter from before it was even released and watch this movie through the lens of some important facts. Edgar Rice Burroughs' first story was serialised in 1912, and he invented much of the language of modern SF stories, arguably doing more than anyone to create the Space Opera form that long after spawned Star Trek, Star Wars and all that followed them. To say that we have seen before most of what Andrew Stanton puts on screen is a narrow view, and to say that it is confusing implies a conscious unwillingness to put some thought into following the story (that's you, Dr. Kermode). It's sad to think that we will probably not see any of the other books now, all because of the deliberately constructed scuttlebutt designed to sabotage the film. Mark Strong and James Purefoy have both alluded to this in interview and how completely disproportionate that opprobrium was. Those of us who are fans can only hope that John Carter becomes the long term success that it deserves to be, it's a cracking adventure movie, Lynn Collins is every inch the feisty Martian princess and definitely could take Princess Leia in a fight (no blasters allowed). The cast is filled out with a mighty throng of British thesps, including the aforementioned plus Samantha Morton, Ciaran Hinds and Dominic West, and the mighty Bryan Cranston and Thomas Haden Church are also present. But what about Taylor Kitsch? Well he does just fine, the role is not taxing and he's got the muscles for it, I mean come on, it's space opera, not Aida.

If You Go Down To The Woods Today...

Set expectations to 'stun' (not stunning) for this not particuarly scary, but interesting effort from director Drew Goddard, written with Joss Whedon. I'm not a big horror fan, so I'm not sure if this is post-Scream or post-post-Scream post-found-footage, but it's an entertaining enough film with a twist at the start that runs through it. The proceedings are unremarkable, although there are decent turns from the leads. Chris Hemsworth is convicing as the ubiquitous jock, and Kristen Connolly is engaging as the heroine in peril, but it's the underlying premise and the presence of Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford that will prevent you from turning off after the first fifteen minutes. And for me the story does offer something in addition to the usual tired horror cliches, even if the payoff is disappointing, not least down to the introduction of the CGI equivalent of claymation and polystyrene. You should be entertained, somewhat, if you are willing to go along for the ride.

Doctor Rock

Everything that a rockumentary should be, the story of the highly colourful life and career of a man who has more right than most to claim the title of Rock God, a piece that has been put together with obvious reverence, extensive background research and attention to detail. But this is more than just a parade of talking heads, although that important element is there, the film offers a snap-shot of the great man's life, delivering vignettes that nicely convey Lemmy's influence on many of those who followed in his footsteps. The film offers much to entertain those who are not Motorhead fans and for those not aware of Lemmy's legacy. It is an excellent companion piece to his autobiography White Line Fever, which is to be recommended for those wanting more detail on the subject, but that is not to say that 'Lemmy' does not manage to pack in a good amount of detail itself in tracing the man's origins, nicely cut together with scenes that illustrate his ongoing contribution and relevance to the world of rock music at the age of 67. Much credit to directors Greg Olliver and Wes Orshoski.

Death Becomes Him

 

Rather grim and joyless tale from writer / director Andrew Dominik, starring Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck. There are powerful performances from the leads and a talented cast of players, but the real star is Roger Deakins' cinematography, and it is just as well that the film looks and sounds beautiful, because there is little to admire in any of the characters, despite what are clearly skilled performances. No doubt, this can be considered a suitably accurate portrayal, but does it make for rewarding viewing and a positive audience reaction? Setting aside the ability of Hollywood to repeatedly cast gangsters as colourful rogues, or at best, misunderstood or conflicted, rather than the killers and thieves that they are, there is still no-one here to root for, so when this or that character meets his end from time to time, don't be surprised to feel little but an abstract curiosity about the mechanics.

As the film rolls on into another hour, even Mr. Deakins' beautiful pictures lose their ability to redeem the unrelieved uniformity of the pacing, and when there is an injection of tension at the promised conclusion, the discovery that this was not the end, but only an end was, for me, a disappointment. It is easy to admire style, but for true enjoyment, there must be substance, conflict, emotion. Where these are attempted by this story, it usually misses the target, and the surfeit of moodiness and brooding disquiet becomes wearing after a while.

The script is unremarkable, and few of the cast are given much to do beyond spitting out some western stereotypes in a studied drawl. In the end, it seems reasonable that we take from the piece that the old west was a cruel and dangerous place, with more than its fare share of cruel, dangerous and greedy individuals, unwilling to make their way in the world through honest toil, and unwilling to respect the lives and property of others, but watching them kill each other for 160 minutes, no matter how beautifully filmed, is not an edifying experience.

The Sweet Smell of Success

There's a whiff of quixotic alchemy about Tom Tykwer's 'Perfume: The Story of a Murderer' that is personified in an excellent central performance by Ben Wishaw, and it's a theme that runs through this innovative and captivating story from the novel by Patrick Süskind, as we are introduced to a wonderfully drawn cast of characters, but it is the protagonist's deranged genius that holds the film together, bringing the viewer, quite literally, an original sense of perspective.

Arrayed around our anti-hero is a series of excellent turns from the likes of Dustin Hoffman as the mentoring perfumier; Alan Rickman as a concerned father; and David Calder as the Bishop of Grasse. Apart from Hoffman's role, and the comforting tones of John Hurt as the narrator, most of the supporting parts are brief, little more than vignettes in most cases, but they are always full of character and opportunity for expression which is seized by the players, and the accomplished script conveys so much through its looks and touches and expressions that the viewer forgets that the focus of the piece is a sense that is not available for them to experience.

Despite the eroticism evident in many scenes, and the presence of a bevy of beautiful young women who fall victim to the protagonist’s ministrations, the film never lapses into salaciousness, anchored in the Grenouille’s profound belief that he serves a higher purpose, portrayed with such depth by the stand-out Wishaw. Such are Grenouille’s powers of seduction, that those portraying his victims are, by and large, given more to do than simply cowering and screaming, and Rachel Hurd-Wood in particular is both intriguing and enchanting as Laura.

At every turn ‘Perfume...’ is surprising and rewarding, the perfect antidote to the usual dumb-and-dumber multiplex fodder, and it should be affirming to everyone’s love of cinema that gems like this are still possible in the face of rampant commercialism. It should not be forgotten that the film has a ‘15’ certificate, and BBFC Insight tells us that the film ‘Contains sexualised nudity and disturbing image.’ but as long as this is remembered, ‘Perfume’ is a must-see.

Head and Shoulders

This is what I'm talking about. 'Headhunters' is a rippingly good skandi crime thriller directed by Morten Tyldum from a novel by Jo Nesbo. Aksel Hennie is the protagonist who gets in over his head when an art theft goes wrong, 'Game of Thrones's Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Synnøve Macody Lund and Eivind Sander provide the support in what is a highly enjoyable euro-thriller. Even though the cast is small, they are well used and the story rattles along at a pace that keeps the viewer involved at every turn. There are some satisfying developments that don't really qualify as twists, and there is nothing radical here, but it is done with style and panache, and Hennie's lead performance is so engaging that you will be happy to get dragged along for the ride. Another excellent example of why Scandinavian dramas are deservedly riding high.

Here Comes The Summer

'Summer Wars' is another excellent exponent of the Japanese anime genre, directed by Mamoru Hosoda, whose modest (so far) directorial cannon includes 'The Girl Who Leapt Through Time' (not to be mistaken for one of the Stieg Larsson trilogy!), which is also highly enjoyable. This film is a lively and colourful affair, nicely evoking the optimism and energy of the season, and its large cast of characters is well drawn in both senses, each one sketched with enough care and detail to be believable and interesting, and to make their own distinct contribution to the story, despite there being some twenty family members or so to deal with, no mean feat.

The plot is bedded in the technology of future, an almost ubiquitous theme for the genre, but the story’s posit of a worldwide virtual network to which every financial institution, emergency service and government agency links, and indeed some cedes control of its systems, is hardly Science Fiction! Events take a turn for the worst of course, but despite the action being centred on a bright and colourful online world, and a plethora of cuddly personal avatars, Hosoda invests the conflict with a dark malevolence that is convincing, and delivers a real sense of threat.

‘Summer Wars’ may look at first glance like a kid’s film, but don’t dismiss it as ‘some kind of Pokémon’, the film delivers some emotional passages and a sweet central relationship that you will root for. All in all very satisfying for fans of the genre, and has something to offer those who are not. For me, the final note strays from the tone of the piece, but that is a minor quibble. Treat yourself to a dose of optimism.

Grim Down South

‘Beasts of the Southern Wild’, an undeniably lyrical and poetic work from Benh Zeitlin, written with Lucy Alibar and based on her stage play, has many passages of joyous originality, and the film ably captures the child’s perspective in Hush Puppy’s mostly intelligible narration, but remains stuck there for the duration. This becomes tiresome after a while, but there is still much to admire in the performance of Quvenzhané Wallis, and that of Dwight Henry as her father. There are many visually captivating scenes, and a beautiful, if grungy, quality throughout, but the substance was a source of irritation for me. Perhaps the child’s perspective is the excuse that allows the reality of the situation in the Bathtub to be overlooked, but questions arise such as where does the fuel for the boats come from, the electricity in the light bulbs, the gas for cooking and the ubiquitous alcohol?

I feel that these questions should have been answered, and the biggest problem with the film in my view is that the interaction of the characters with the outside world seems to be something that was swept under the carpet for the most part. The denizens of the Bathtub enjoy benefits (no doubt literally, as no-one seems to produce anything other than perhaps to feed themselves, and there is no indication of anyone working per se), but do not seem to accept the existence of the wider world, or certainly any responsibility towards it.

In the end, it is difficult to know what to take from the film. It is certainly uplifting in some of its philosophical sound bites, and Hush Puppy makes an emotional journey that is affecting, but there are too many events without consequence or explanation, and these feel like holes. Beautifully filmed, with engaging performances and an excellent and often uplifting soundtrack by Dan Romer and Benh Zeitlin, and if nothing else entirely justified in its dire warnings of the potential for global disaster, but ultimately it left me wanting something more.

Push The Other One

'Push' is clunky from the get-go, weighed down by expositional dialog that sounds distinctly Matrix-y (in a bad way) in its tangential obscurity. The subject matter is hardly new, or even handled in a particularly innovative way, and although some of the effects are nicely done, it is not enough to redeem the whole. The plot is pedestrian to the point of boredom, disappointingly linear for a film that tries to be edgy and cutting edge. Everything happens the way it needs to in pursuit of the story, and the few character conflicts beyond the tired pursuit trope are unconvincing. The film suffers badly from the absence of real jeopardy, and none of the opposition carries any kind of real menace. Sure, there is plenty of chatter about the fact that they’re ‘all going to die’, but there is nothing to suggest any prospect of it actually coming close, and the constant references to this supposed danger render it meaningless.

This is yet another example of the current trend for style over substance. Witness the closing of a bathroom door when two people are inside even though there is no-one else in the apartment, it can be for no other reason than an attempt at stylish flourish, but the effect is to shut out the viewer, breaking the 4th wall and bringing the audience out of the moment. And yet where there are opportunities to make an impact (for example a fleeting touch on the subject of underage drinking), the film shies away from these, eschewing any real edge, no doubt in pursuit of its ‘12A’ certificate. Chris Evans and Dakota Fanning have both done much better work, and there a sense of lack of belief in the material, and not just in front of the lens. No-one seems to be breaking sweat here.

The sparseness of the soundtrack is effective in places, but horribly shattered by the clumsy introduction of ‘mood music’ in a music video style, instructing the viewer how to feel, just another example of the employment of these crude techniques to reel in the younger audience, which has been pummelled with such ham-fisted lifestyle marketing from before it exited the womb.

For me the only significant credit here goes to the location scout. China appears as a bright and colourful place, the locations unfamiliar and exciting, and it is really only when these exotic urban exteriors are in frame that there is any sense of dynamism. Moral? Rent a DVD from the China National Tourist Office instead.

Howling For Joy

‘Howl’s Moving Castle is an outstanding animation from Hayao Miyazaki, a captivating story with interesting characters, despite the presence of some familiar fairytale tropes (transformation, inanimate objects that move and talk, magicians and witches, etc.) there is a freshness and invention to the whole thing that makes it enthralling. I don’t think it is an exaggeration to say that Miyazaki has picked up the baton that Disney dropped many years ago when merchandising seemed to become as important for them as the film itself. Witness their need to buy Pixar to obtain anything approaching a relevant and interesting line in animation. Mizazaki’s movies will hopefully become as well loved as Disney’s early work. There’s far less of the dripping sentimentality of some works from the House of Mouse. Howl’s Moving Castle deserves to become a modern classic, highly recommended for children of all ages.

We’re Not In Slough Any More...

'The Boss Of It All' is a wonderfully judged dry-as-a-bone comedy from Lars Von Trier, a likeably eccentric bunch of desk jockeys are led by an excellent central performance from Jens Albinus (Dancer in the Dark, The Idiots), with strong support from Peter Gantzler (Smilla’s Feeling For Snow); Iben Hjejle (High Fidelity) and Sofie Gråbøl (The Killing).

The story is nicely complex and suitably farcical, and there are touches of simple genius throughout, from nicely timed chapter headings in the form of Von Trier’s periodic sardonic narration, to the ‘careless’ editing that keeps the film grounded in ‘reality’. Albinus has a lovely comic touch, but LVT is the star, more comedy please, Herr Von Trier!

The Chilling

Unremittingly depressing Icelandic crime story, everything about it is miserable, the palette of colours, the settings, the scenery, the people, the food – definitely not sponsored by the Iceland Tourist Board. Jar City makes ‘Wallander’ (the Swedish version) look like Miami Vice – not a Faroe Island jumper in sight. The plot follows Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson’s hard-bitten cop Erlendur on a murder investigation that leads into the past. There are good performances here and solid direction by Baltasar Kormákur, who has just completed ‘Contraband’ (as of late 2011), directing Mark Wahlberg, Giovanni Ribisi and Kate Beckinsale.

There are some mechanical difficulties, like certain sections of flashback which are hard to pick up because there is no visual distinction between with the main action, and the subtitles are too fast in places with no obvious reason. But if you like your cops gritty, your stories grimy and your locations grey and inhospitable then you will probably enjoy this. Ultimately it is in the same territory as the likes of ‘Spiral’ and ‘The Killing’, and the story perhaps suffers a bit from not having the same amount of time as these for the viewer to become immersed in the detail, but Jar City is a good film and well worth the rental if you are looking for a gloomy thriller.

Pitt / Slater

Before there was True Blood; before there was Twilight; before Buffy, Angel and Vampire Diaries (pah!), there was 'Interview with the Vampire'. An excellent adaptation of Anne Rice’s first novel, Tom Cruise’s 'Lestat' leaps off the page in all his pomp and swagger. Pitt’s 'Louis' is the ideal foil, righteous and idealistic, their partnership melded by Kirsten Dunst’s 'Claudia' – a terrific performance at the age of twelve.

Neil Jordan has a good cast and employs them all well, brilliantly capturing the scope of the story and the essence of its characters. The soundtrack also deserves star billing, a spellbinding collection by Elliot Goldenthal that captures not only the action, but the locations and the era.

To me the cleverest layer in Rice’s story, from which she adapted the screenplay herself, is the commentary on the inability of some vampires to change with the times, ably highlighted in the closing scenes and the final moment on the Golden Gate Bridge, one of my favourite uses of popular music in film, and so very, very right for that wonderful closing line reprise. There is beauty and ugliness in equal measure, and a grand sweep of storyline that beautifully captures the span of time and the weight of years, the excitement and the enui.

Interview... is a great watch, a thrilling journey full of anguish and melancholy, glamour and guts – showing that vampires are by no means the ‘youthful’, glossy, beautiful creatures that the networks and studios now want you to believe for the purposes of primetime. So many 80’s movies do not stand the test of time, but this is one that will never grow old – a must for your list if you have never seen it.

The Girl with the Older, More Intelligent (Swedish) Sister

To start with I have to eat some words. I said in another review that I wouldn't see this film because I didn't want to tarnish my memory the superlative Swedish original and as a (very) minor protest against the crassness of Hollywood in remaking it, but I did see it after all.

It’s an excellent cast, even if there are only two Scandinavians (the superb Stellan Skarsgard, and Yorick van Wageningen as Bjurman) among the main players. Daniel Craig is, thankfully, not all action, which would have been inappropriate. Christopher Plummer is faultless as Henrik Vanger, and Steven Berkoff delightfully mysterious as his lawyer Frode. Skarsgard’s portrayal of Martin Vanger is also superb, although the character’s more subtle traits have been lost between book and script.

The inevitable question is how does it compare to the original film? The answer, pluses and minuses. Rooney Mara’s performance is excellent, but I found her portrayal of Lisbeth Salander a bit too repressed, almost dispassionate in places, compared to Noomi Rapace’s definitive original, and I was not entirely convinced by Yorick van Wageningen’s take on Bjurman, although it must be an exceedingly difficult role to play. Craig’s Blomkvsit has much to recommend it, but I think he is too dynamic compared to Michael Nykvist’s original. As a whole I think Fincher’s version is a bit too slick, diluting the sense of dogged investigation that serves the source material better.

Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’s soundtrack for Fincher’s last, ‘The Social Network’ is note perfect, here I found it invasive to begin with, and although the musical interludes settle down, the soundtrack is close to dominating in places where the drama should have centre stage.

All in all I am glad I saw it, it’s a great film, but more a remake of Niels Arden Oplev’s 2009 screen version than a new adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s book, nonetheless well worth seeing if you can handle some violent scenes – but do wait 2 or 3 months then see the original Swedish films too (if you haven't), they are superb.

Moonrise Serenade

At first Moonrise Kingdom seems to try too hard to be eccentric and often has a very stagy quality, perhaps deliberately. Those aspects mark it unmistakably as the work of Wes Anderson and no worse for that. There are a couple of moments in the third act that stretch the audience's willing credulity, being on the point of clumsiness I think, but it would be a heartless viewer indeed who was not willing to forgive these facets, which give the film a fairy-tale quality reminiscent of Edward Scissorhands or The Truman Show, and are consistent with the Am-Dram sensibility of the piece.

MK's heart is pure gold, a delightful melding of the innocence and earnest enthusiasm of Arthur Ransom's 'Swallows and Amazons' with the sassy grit and knowing irreverence of Quentin Tarantino's 'True Romance'. The central relationship is delightful, his and her quirks and affectations of adulthood not in the least annoying (which is an achievement). Edward Norton is excellent (we expect no less) and Bruce Willis' turn is nicely understated. Tilda Swinton is also a standout and thankfully used sparingly otherwise her character would have overpowered the gentler souls around her.

At only 94 minutes it's tempting to think that the film would feel lightweight, but the arc of the story is well served by MK's compactness, and by the time it reaches the end there is nothing left unsaid. MK deserves to be considered among Wes Anderson's finest work. There are characters here to root for unlike those populating The Royal Tenenbaums and Steve Zissou: The Life Aquatic.

Hooray for Uncle Wes! Sandwiches and ginger beer all round!