Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging

My brief rant to Empire magazine:

After recently handing my girlfriend the August issue of Empire she was appalled to find such blatant misogyny in William Thomas’ review of her favourite childhood book; Angus, Thongs & Perfect Snogging. Several outrageous statements which in one instance referred to women as a separate ‘species’ demonstrated Thomas’ lack of insight and empathy towards the films aimed demographic. As a magazine you take great pride in being the best selling film publication in the UK. I feel this will be a title you will struggle to maintain when you purposefully alienate half the public. I expected better of such an established work. What is this? Nuts magazine or something?

WALL-E

Where's WALL-E?


DETAILS:
Released - 18 July 2008
Certificate - U
Running Time - 102min
Director - Andrew Stanton
Screenwriters -Andrew Stanton and Jim Reardon
Producers -John Lasseter, Jim Morris
Production Design - Ralph Eggleston
Editing - Stephen Schaffer
Music - Thomas Newman
Theatrical distributor - Buena Vista
Country - USA


SYNOPSIS:
The last robot of his kind, WALL-E, has been accidentally been left behind on earth for seven hundred years. All alone he is still doing what he was initially assigned to do; cleaning the planet of its rubbish which has polluted the atmosphere. Longing for companionship he is overwhelmed when a robot from space named EVE appears. Although before long they are both whisked away onto a spaceship where all the surviving humans have been living. Here they must convince everyone that their planet is now hospitable as well as coming to terms with their true feelings for each other.

REVIEW:
There are several reasons as to why Pixar continues to dominate the children’s film market. At times their biggest rivals Disney and Dreamworks Animation Studios come close with the odd success but neither really threaten Pixar’s dominance. It is not just the skill of Pixar’s animation which is the key to their success but it is the fact their films have a heart. They are not primarily concerned with cheap childish jokes as they are more concerned that their films are touching as well as amusing on a level that appeals to both adults and children. This was true of Disney but it has since lost its identity that it has desperately tried to recapture through old franchises. Exploiting its legacy with countless sequels Disney are a shadow of their former selves. When Pixar first started they required Disney’s funding to function but now the tables have turned as without Pixar, Disney would not have as many successes affiliated with its name. With a huge boost in the amount of CGI animation films being produced and subsequent flops, CGI itself is not a guaranteed success. As Pixar continue to prove, it is in the quality of the storytelling that goes with it.

In this sci-fi, romance, Macguffin, comedy; Wall-E is a prime example to demonstrate such a theory. To begin with no dialogue is for uttered for forty minutes. In a nod towards silent cinema Wall E’s feelings are conveyed through nothing other than simple movement. A masterclass in animation Pixar have brought filmmaking back to its essential roots. Despite Wall E’s relatively basic features they are capable of conveying a whole world of emotion that dialogue never could. Despite such breathtaking cinematography such as Wall-E traveling through Saturn’s rings this merely comes second to Wall-E’s animation. It appears Pixar know they can produce the best CGI effects and subtly prove this now and again, but they are more concerned with Wall-E’s character over the extent of their animation skills.

But the greatest achievement of this film is in its underlying message. Despite its light hearted feel there is a serious recurrent message that lies beneath. I guarantee once you have seen this film you will begin to appreciate the small things in life we take for granted. No “children’s” film has ever been so powerful or touching for children and adults alike. Its messages about the environment and basic human emotions put things in real perspective without ever getting preachy. In a scarily dystopian vision the human race has become overweight and lifeless. Despite their power of speech they have become transfixed in a world of technology and are ignorant slobs who took their world for granted. This is a slight dig at American society and technology itself, both factors which allow Pixar to make these films in the first place. Therefore is a big risk of Pixar but it has paid off. They have really gone out on a whim and taken severe risks where they are not guaranteed profit which is the sign of true art.

TO SUM UP:
Pixar themselves are the real star of the film. Every single member of staff has contributed to this work of art that rightly deserves a best picture nomination. There are no self indulgent egos here begging for awards, just what Pixar want to do best. Wall-E is without a doubt the most likeable and selfless character to grace our screens. In a journey from pure innocence to experience, with the only ability to move his hands and eyes and speak three words maximum, nobody has ever felt this much for an inhuman species since Spielberg’s E.T.

The Dark Knight

Nolan's Caped Crusader Returns

DETAILS:

Released - 24 July 2008

Certificate - 12A

Running Time -152min

Director - Christopher Nolan

Screenwriters - Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan

Producers - Christopher Nolan, Charles Roven, Emma Thomas

Cinematography - Wally Pfister

Editing - Lee Smith

Music - James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmer Theatrical Distributor - Warner Brothers

Country - USA

SYNOPSIS:

A year has passed since the vigilante named Batman (Christian Bale) first emerged on the dark streets of Gotham to strike fear into its criminals and maintain order. With the public in full support, and some dressing in bat suits of their own, the people’s faith is questioned when the Joker (Heath Ledger) comes to town. Uninterested in money his plan is to reaffirm the mob’s power and force Batman into publicly revealing his true identity thus plunging Gotham into sheer chaos. Batman’s allies; attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), lawyer Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal) and Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) team up to put the leading criminals behind bars and end the Joker’s reign of terror. However the Joker’s master plan is far superior than initially thought as all involved are individually targeted putting their relationships under great strain which just proves too much for some.

REVIEW:

Batman is a cultural icon. Ever since Bob Kane wrote his first Batman story in 1939 as part of the Detective comics his figure has been kept alive through various other comic books, cartoons, television shows and films. It was Tim Burton in 1989 who realised the darker potential of a cinematic adaptation and made a couple of landmark films. Sadly this was subsequently ruined when Joel Schumacher was given the role of continuing the series and thus brought it to an immediate standstill.

Years of development hell later including the idea of a Batman vs. Superman being thrown around the Warner Brothers studios Christopher Nolan brought the franchise back to its roots. What made Batman Begins so fantastic was the fresh look into Bruce Wayne’s origins, what actually compelled him to become the Batman? Nolan gave us an explanation that so many other works have glossed over. Bruce Wayne’s transformation was at the heart of Nolan’s film. It was groundbreaking in the sense that it proved comic book adaptations should not be judged by the amount and size of action sequences that can be crammed in. Thus a franchise was saved and a sequel was inevitable.

Usually a blockbuster or comic book adaptation is driven by its action finale. More often than not the entire film is a big build up waiting for a tet a tet between the protagonist and antagonist. This is not the case with The Dark Knight. It is the individuals themselves along with the people of Gotham who are central to the plot. Instead of an all guns blazing action finale the very minimal action set pieces only occur every now and then. This must be the closest you can get to having as little action sequences as possible in a blockbuster which still manages to grip you for 152 minutes.

The main difference between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight is that Batman now has met his match; someone with an ego far bigger than his own. The joker completes Batman. He may be the opposite but he is there to compliment his attributes and emphasise his inevitable flaws. His colourful antics are there to counterbalance and feed off the grim darkness and seriousness that encompasses Batman.

When Heath Ledger was initially confirmed to play this role I was a tad sceptical to say the least. Typecast as romantic heart throbs how could he possibly rival Nicholson’s take on the character? Well he has silenced all scepticism with this monumental performance. Twinned with the work of the films make-up team ledger’s joker is the most effective evil character in cinema since Darth Vader and of all time. His performance is just so layered and when he leaves the screen we miss him. He is an unnerving, on the edge, amusing, troubled, brutal, sadistic, but believable character. We feel for him but at the same time we cower in fear at his presence. He has countless scenes which will go down in film history; in one particular case he dresses as a nurse which is so memorable in its disturbing but strangely hilarious feel. As good as Nicholson’s daft, camp and humorous comic Joker was, we soon realise that he has in fact been surpassed. Where Ledger brings the term ‘freak’ to a whole new inconceivable level, Nicholson was in fact really playing an emphasised version of himself.

Although with such attention on Ledger it is worth mentioning Oldman’s often overlooked performance. With a far more extensive part than in Batman Begins we see more of his talents. He adds a certain gentle humanism in amongst the colourful characters. He keeps the film firmly rooted to the grounds of reality. With his subtly emotionally charged performance he is definitely the character we feel for the most. With so much attention grabbing joking around it is just too easy to miss.

With so many main characters to focus on the film is essentially an ensemble piece. In order to explain each main character and maintain your interest each scene moves at such fast pace it is difficult to keep up. There is certainly an awful lot to take in before the film quickly cuts to the next scene or character. It does not breathe for a minute, you will have no chance to sit back and take things in. At first it feels a bit rushed but around half an hour in you become used to this unique form of blockbuster cinema. You just have no idea how events will develop as the plot flits between people. For a fairly long 2 ½ hours running time you never feel restless or bored. The time flies by and is just about right to fit everything in. There is just so much more substance and ideas to this epic than ever seen in any comic book adaptation before. The script itself is full of memorable and iconic lines offering questions open to audience interpretation. As soon as you have left the screen you will want to turn right round and go back into pick up on the things that you will definitely have missed.

With such a vast amount of ideas floating around there is not necessarily as much emotional engagement between the characters and the audience as the Nolan brothers would have liked. There was a real connection with Batman in the original but here with so many other characters I feel a bit has been sacrificed to fit them all in. There is just an ever so slight sense of detachment from everyone involved. I felt more admiration for the skilled filmmaking than perhaps real engagement with it.

Also with lots of new and more interesting characters than the Batman he is no longer the centre of our attention. The film might as well have been called ‘the rise and fall of two face courtesy of the joker’. The dark knight himself is overshadowed as he is just not exciting enough in comparison. Now we have seen enough development of him in the first film it is time to focus on his enemies. But it still all works though, it is all 'part of the plan’. With as many characters as Spiderman 3 this is certainly not as all over the place and remains focused on the vision, development and direction it is taking.

TO SUM UP:

This is certainly the best a blockbuster can get. Nolan has continued to save a franchise which was considered long since dead. However I wouldn’t mind seeing the brothers doing a more artistic production to let their talents go wild without the constrictions or limitations of mainstream cinema. Having said that they have certainly raised the bar and continue to change the super hero genre leaving marvel with a sold-out Sam Raimi and no Bryan Singer to slowly try and keep up. With the sheer amount of films they have planned I doubt any will fair against such an epic.

A Review of June

Please click here for my summary of the cinematic month gone by. Courtesy of Studentbeans.com

The Incredible Hulk

Ed Norton is out to prove he is more than Ang Lee

DETAILS:
Released - 13 June 2008
Certificate - 12A
Running Time - 112min
Director -Louis Leterrier
Screenwriter - Zak Penn
Producers -Avi Arad, Kevin Feige, Gale Anne Hurd, Stan Lee
Cinematography - Peter Menzies Jr.
Editing - Rick Shaine and John Wright
Music - Craig Armstrong
Theatrical distributor - Universal
Country - USA

SYNOPSIS:
After a military scientific experiment goes wrong, Dr. Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) is infected with gamma radiation and is classified a fugitive of the American government by order of General Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross (William Hurt). After years of living secluded in trying to come to terms with his disease it is time for Bruce to come back into the open to find a cure for his Hulk symptoms. Whilst trying to meet with a scientist samaritan under the pseudonym Mr. Blue, Bruce has to deal with the pursuing armed forces, his love for the general’s daughter Betty Ross (Liv Tyler) whilst not forgetting the biggest threat of all; evil rogue marine Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth), a megalomaniac who is determined to hunt him down.

REVIEW:
The story of the Hulk is a problematic narrative to translate to the big screen. It is extremely difficult to find a coherent balance between emotionally engaging characters and testosterone filled carnage. This problem does not concern the comic books as the narration of Bruce’s inner thoughts lets the emotion flow easily through both sides of Jekyll and Hyde to maintain one fluent plot. But without these soliloquies the darker side of Bruce cannot be as effectively portrayed in a more visual medium. The Hulk just becomes a big green piece of CGI, an angry Shrek or jolly green giant with a frown which is not as threatening. Such difficulties Ang Lee tried to avoid with an art house approach are just as present here. Once again the CGI takes the spotlight over the actual story. In an attempt to find a balance between a plot and bashing things a vague love interest makes us mildly care but ultimately the only way to end things is to introduce a bigger and meaner creature for Hulk to bash to bits.

Despite this, Louis Leterrier’s Hulk is a vast improvement on Ang Lee’s depiction which proved that art house cinema and blockbusters do not mix. In simple terms Hulk fans are into action and uninterested in art house whereas Ang Lee fans are generally not into blockbuster cinema. After marvel’s hiccup this time around the action film the fans wanted originally has arrived. A plot which puts Bruce Banner on the run adds more urgency and intensity to proceedings. The main problem with the original was that we were waiting too long for Bruce to realise that he was the Hulk and begin to turn into it. The initial wait is not as long this time around as Bruce’s transformation is summed up in an extremely brief opening montage that lasts the best part of a minute. This is all that was needed in the first place. Similarly an action director is integral to the film and who is better for the challenge than the Transporter 2’s Leterrier. What he has proved in places is that Bruce Banner does not necessarily have to be green for the action to take place. The first chase scene where Bruce runs from Marines over favela rooftops is derivative of Paul Greengrass’ Bourne franchise and almost as heart pounding. Plot tools include a pulse monitoring watch which enhances the tension. Also a humorous reference to where his purple stretchy pants came from shows how Leterrier has the fans best interests at heart.

Ed Norton is the perfect casting for the role. He has proved in the past that he can play a calm collective and likeable character with the ability to switch on a convincing rage driven monster particularly in his Oscar nominated role as murderer Aaron Stampler in Primal Fear. Although here there is not much for him to do except run and look scared. He has done what he has been told perfectly but he is unable to explore his vast talent. Also Roth just has to look mean, but he is the right person to play a psycho.

As Marvel enters its second phase of dominating the comic book cinematic market more critically established actors are taking on the Superhero limelight which is beginning to add a certain integrity to this genre. But is this also a step backwards that means in order to get noticed more such actors are turning down better less blockbuster type roles? Ultimately superhero movie characters are caricatures and nothing more. At the end of the incredible hulk another reference is made to the Avengers project as Tony Stark cameos at the end. Here we are reminded how Marvel are going mental in the future with a vast amount of further releases. Hopefully the quality will not slip through their fingers as they become overloaded with too many projects to handle. In the Avengers will too many chefs spoil the broth? Only time will tell.

TO SUM UP:
Overall the Hulk is a far better film than Ang Lee’s initial attempt. Having said that it suffers from the same problems, the intense action and emotional side story do not seem to gel well together proving that the Hulk is best left in the comics.

Gone Baby Gone

are our memories of Ben Affleck's dire reputation

DETAILS:

Released - 9 May 2008

Certificate - 15

Running Time - 109min

Director -Ben Affleck

Screenwriter - Ben Affleck and Aaron Stockard based on Dennis Lehane's novel

Producers -Sean Bailey, Alan Ladd Jr., Danton Rissner and Aaron Stockard
Cinematography - John Toll

Editing - William Goldenberg

Music - Harry Gregson-Williams
Theatrical distributor - Buena Vista

Country - USA

SYNOPSIS:

Patrick Kenzie (Casey Affleck) is a streetwise freelance private investigator who lives with his wife Angie Gennaro (Michelle Monaghan) in a less affluent area of Boston USA. One day Bea McCready (Amy Madigan) grandmother of a missing child asks for his services in the high profile case, which has been swept up by the media, due to his connections with the criminal underworld. Before long Kenzie unwittingly finds out who has captured the young four year old girl but an accident occurs during an exchange for money which leaves her dead. Months later when taking it upon himself to redeem himself with a similar case certain inaccuracies from his aide Det. Remy Bressant (Ed Harris) come to light which begin to unearth corruption possibly involving Capt. Jack Doyle (Morgan Freeman) of the police department.

REVIEW:

Utter the name Ben Affleck and you are more inclined to remember endless wooden performances and a high profile relationship with Jennifer Lopez. With this in mind it is easy to forget that he is in fact an Oscar winning writer for his co-written script with Matt Damon for Good Will Hunting. Whilst Damon’s career has soared he is often regarded as the more untalented half of the relationship. With Good Will Hunting seen as his fluke big-break into Hollywood Affleck has now finally bounced back and proved his talent behind the camera. His directional debut has a real sense of atmosphere and identity. The location of Boston is a part of the film. Boston itself is a character. His camera ignores the more famous landmarks and captures the graffiti which tells its own story. Affleck has captured the essence of his old stomping ground. His camera shots accentuate a way of life for him growing up, particularly in the opening few minutes. This is far more interesting than another high profile director per say, directing the same story but missing out on Boston’s integrity to the film. Aside from his identity Affleck also shows his talent for creating a sense of a haunting atmosphere. With such delicate subject matter, Affleck’s darkness has a subtlety that is not too gruesome. His contrast between light and dark especially in one scene where Casey runs out into the daylight after a robbery in a dark smoky bar is very iconic. Also his contrast between music and silence shows his ability to flit between scenes of panic and scenes of solitude.

His decision to cast his brother in the lead role rather than himself is admirable. Casey has a certain quality and subtlety which lacks in Ben’s overacting. Casey feels more down to earth, his broken voice portrays a character with human qualities such as imperfection and vulnerability. His heartfelt voice over during shots over Boston in the films opening minutes certainly catch your attention. He also carries a sense of mystery around his characters. All this makes his parts likeable opposed to his smug brother. His face makes him look a lot younger than thirty-one which gives him a feeling of innocence, but he is able to switch on intensity and threatening qualities. By the end of the film his face looks more troubled, aged and experienced than the fresh faced tracksuit wearing character that started the film. His streetwise adolescent maturity into a hardened cop is certainly believable. His Boston accent is also a lot more natural than the cast of the Departed. His supporting cast also do what they do best. Ed Harris once again is an old and intense hardened cop. Freeman’s stern upright police chief is a part he has been cast for more than just his dramatic voice, especially when he gets angry.

As the film develops into unknown territory it seems to remember that it is primarily a crime thriller and conforms back to certain plot conventions. However Gone Baby Gone manages to stay clear of the simplistic story of good detective capturing evil kiddy capturer with a few tricks along the way. Casey’s decision at the end makes us question our own morals and the overall conclusion is rather open ended. Gone baby Gone has more to it than Alex Cross’ adventures as far as a standard missing persons crime thriller goes.

TO SUM UP:

Ben has the skill to direct Scorsese-esque identity and David Fincher type darkness but due to demands of conforming to the genre and Dennis Lehane’s novel he is unable to ultimately branch out into something different. However, there is definitely a future career for him in directing and his masterpiece will come, eventually.

A Review of May

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