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I am a reviewer of films and television at Spryfilm.com and I upload stories to thisissouthtaranaki.com.
  • DVD/Blu-ray review: “All the money in the World” (2017)

    DVD/Blu-ray review: “All the money in the World” (2017)

    “All the Money in the World” (2017)

    Drama

    images

    Written by: David Scarpa

    Directed by: Ridley Scott

    Featuring: Michelle Williams, Christopher Plummer, Mark Wahlberg, Romain Duris, Andrew Buchan, and Timothy Hutton

    John Paul Getty III: [voice over] “To be a Getty is an extraordinary thing. My grandfather wasn’t just the richest man in the world, he was the richest man in the history of the world. We look like you, but we’re not like you. It’s like we’re from another planet where the force of gravity is so strong it bends the light. It bends people too.”

    This is the second film to be released this year directed by Ridley Scott who for some time now has upped his output to the point where he can direct a huge studio movie like “Alien: Covenant” (2017), then produce a more personal thriller like “All the Money in the World” (2017) where the measure of success is not only measured at the box office but also in execution, as well as critical acclaim, with awards thrown in for good measure. This is a story that Scott has wanted to tell for some time, as it seems to hint at what it means to be human as well as the foibles that are unavoidable when making a life as well as decisions that collide with other peoples lives. In terms of that we through John Getty are witness to a man with  one goal in life that is subservient to nothing, not even his own family – Scott has succeeded in bringing to life a true villain that today would be worshipped as a head of industry or even a President.

    Of course one of the scandalous aspects of this movie was the fact that Kevin Spacey had been cast and filmed as J. Paul Getty one of two key characters in the film. With the sexual misconduct allegations made against him in the press director Ridley Scott made the unprecedented decision with four weeks until release to refilm Spacey’s part with a new actor, in this case Oscar winner Christopher Plummer. It would be incorrect to say that the new parts are flawless but they do fit in well, if you aren’t looking for the patched parts you will be fine, but they do exist. What is incontrovertible is that Scott has created a new movie that is a grade A thriller based on true events.

    “All the money in the World” concerns a young John Paul Getty III (Charlie Plummer) who is kidnapped by an organized crime ring, his mother, Gail (Michelle Williams), desperately attempts to convince his wealthy grandfather, oil tycoon J. Paul Getty (Christopher Plummer) to pay the ransom. When he refuses, Gail allies herself with Getty’s business manager and former CIA operative Fletcher Chase (Mark Wahlberg) to set her son free, or convince Getty to change his mind before it’s too late.

    This is a movie made for great performances by very different actors that need to sell you on the conceit of the movie, which by and large is fairly simple from the outset. The story of people kidnapping others is not new, there have been many fiction as well as non-fiction stories told across many mediums with outcomes that are all similar, that is where this story is different as the person who could pay the ransom refused to, on some grounds that are understandable (those public ones) as well some grounds that are not (his private motivations).

    The cast that has been assembled is great starting with the now infamous recasting of Christopher Plummer as the elder Getty who one can at moments sympathize with, but ultimately the reasons for his refusal is maddening as well as completely insane. Of course an actor of Plummer’s stature plays him without an element of archness so as to make him a human being, with faults and all. Getty was a human being so Plummer plays him as such with motivations that may be foreign to many of us, but he has the talent to make him relatable at least to many of his own brood. Rounding out the cast of main characters are Michelle Williams as Gail Harris, Mark Wahlberg as Fletcher Chase and Charlie Plummer as John Paul Getty III. Before all the notoriety the star of this film was the talented Michelle Williams who has been nominated multiple times for Oscars without winning, this film is her best chance in ages, with a starring role that has already garnered other award nominations. Williams here, plays a mother who has one overriding aim, to get her son back, so she is stuck between kidnappers who are desperate to receive a ransom, and an old man who is desperate not to pay it. The way in which Williams does not play to a type is revelatory in its simplicity. Then there is Mark Wahlberg as a kind of negotiator who runs a relationship between Getty Senior, the kidnappers and Williams’s character all to varying degrees of success. There is no doubt that Wahlberg is trying to take on challenging roles that test his ability as well as hopefully improving it. Here he does a passable job of creating some kind of character, but when his scene partners are Williams and Plummer he comes off second best, as well as under whelming. Finally there is relative newcomer Charlie Plummer as the kidnapped Getty who spends most of the time with his abductors, as well as in relative silence, he also has to do a tremendous amount of physical acting that he carries off extremely well – he is possibly the most underrated performer in this film, but comes through with flying colors.

    For directors Ridley Scott who is possibly the biggest star of this endeavor, it serves as his most under stated as well as muted movie since possibly “A Good Year” (2006) which in contrast was a drama so could rely on subtle performances by then newly minted Oscar winner Russell Crowe and future Oscar winner Marion Cotillard. With “All the Money in the World” Scott has to maintain a balance between a true story, embellishments that have been made, the three main characters as well as the genre elements, those being a taut thriller. To his credit this is all done extremely well, it is also the most muted looking movie Scott has ever made, for a change he is short on the visual and long on the plot. I think this is a very good movie for what it is, however there are some issues more based around the general plot than the actual narrative, after a while I just felt like I was watching super rich peoples problems which in and of itself is actually pretty boring. For me the attraction are the performances as well as the kind of person Wahlberg’s character of Chase is and becomes, with a stellar scene with Plummer towards the end of the movie, it would have been nice maybe to have had a better actor of characters than the movie star Wahlberg is – at some point making less big budget movies is something he may like to try for a few years, especially with how they are turning out, that is dreadful.

    For a true story that has been all but forgotten “All the Money in the World” has turned out extremely well, it also plays better having a legend like Christopher Plummer playing someone close to his own age with all the fears as well as fallibilities that come with that – I can see him bing recognized at some point for this performance. This is a movie that is always going to have the odor of Kevin Spacey around its neck, which is a shame to say the least. This is a very good film that tells an interesting story; technically it is very good with it probably being Scott’s best and most even movie since American Gangster (2007), coincidentally another true story. The same things I loved about that movie are true with this new one. There are few technically proficient directors working today, with this film Scott confirms it. This is a movie worth checking out at cinemas; it is a smart, mid-level budgeted adult thriller, something rare these days.

     

  • Film review: “Winchester” (2018)

    Film review: “Winchester” (2018)

    “Winchester” (2018)

    Horror

    3-stars

    Running Time: 99 minutes

    Written by: Tom Vaughan & The Spierig Brothers

    Directed by: The Spierig Brothers

    Featuring: Helen Mirren, Jason Clarke and Sarah Snook

    Arthur Gates: “It’s a gargantuan seven storied structure with no apparent rhyme or reason. Each maze of halls more confusing than the next. It’s under never ending construction. It’s built on the orders of a grieving widow. Sarah Winchester is the majority shareholder of the Winchester Repeating Arms Company.”

    Eric Price: “You want to take it away from her.”

    Arthur Gates: “We’re worried about her sanity, Dr. Price.”

    The new horror movie “Winchester” (2018) should have been a slam dunk, it had so much going for it, based on a real person, on a real location, featuring a very accomplished cast with Helen Mirren, Jason Clarke and Sarah Snook all in original roles as well as being based on real people that were in some way involved in actual events. However, unfortunately what we get is just another haunted house story that revolves around some interesting charters, but with a narrative that is fairly unimaginative, which is a shame as the plot, as well as the general conceit, is really rather good. Not only that but the themes on display are as timely as could be, the way in which they are incorporated is unique as well. It is a real missed opportunity, in terms of the direction as well as the use of horror tropes, (not good ones) why these could not have been sidestepped for more originality as well as real scares baffles me as there was a relatively large budget for a genre movie made in Australia.

    The talent behind “Winchester” is the Australian Spierig Brothers, who have been dabbling in horror for most of their career, with the interesting and surprisingly good “Daybreakers” (2009) that positioned vampires in a very different light as well as the excellent science fiction “Predestination” (2014) that played with the age old story of time travel. What both of these movies had in common was taking standard horror as well as science fiction and twisting it into what are thematically interesting stories. It seems though from there the Spierig’s have taken a wrong turn, with last years reboot/sequel of the ‘Saw’ franchise, the unimaginative and worst of all boring, “Jigsaw” (2017), as well as now with “Winchester” which as I have mentioned fails to have any real directorial drive as well as originality within the narrative.

    “Winchester”  revolves around Sarah Winchester who is the widow of famed gun manufacturer William Wirt Winchester. Her husband’s sudden death and the previous death of their child Annie have left her in grief. Having received more than $20-million dollars in inheritance, Winchester convinces herself she is cursed by the ghosts and ends up building an enormous, seemingly never-ending mansion. The house is under constant construction and Sarah’s relative Marion Marriott lives in the house with her son Henry.

    The Winchester company hires Doctor Eric Price to stay at the house and assess Sarah, believing she is mentally unfit to remain in charge of the company. Eric is grieving from the death of his wife Ruby and reliant on drugs. He arrives at the house and has a ghostly vision that he believes is a side effect of the drugs he has taken.

    The very worst thing a movie can be is indifferent, which is what “Winchester” ends up being as the lazy choices made by its directors really do make this a mundane uninspiring viewing, which for a movie in the horror genre is a real crime. I have to say that the story on which this movie is based was known to me through a podcast, once I realised this the movie really piqued my curiosity, it made me genuinly look forward to watching something not only inspired by real events but with enough of the ‘real’ to make this scary as well as chilling – as the house still exists to this very day, you can go and see the haunting location.

    Not only that, but for a horror movie to be able to cast Helen Mirren in the titular role is a very real coup for not only the genre but for the filmmakers as well. Mirren has made genre pieces before but this could have been a special role, she plays the part perfectly, all knowing ,as well as bringing a real character to life, that could have been played in a very arch way. Mirren also brings something else, that is directly to the production itself, quality, as it legitimises the movie before cameras even start rolling as she is an A list actor all the way. Mirren also challenges the rest of the cast thereby raising their own performances, so we have Jason Clarke and Sarah Snook in roles, performing as well as they ever have in other movie. Clarke in particular spars with Mirren for almost the entire running time, he is excellent as a Doctor with his own demons who has to not only be believable as a strong man, but also as someone who has definite chinks in his armour.

    The main theme beyond the horror of “Winchester” is of course quite obviously gun control, as well as the ultimate use of guns, that is shooting people either harming them or killing them. The mere fact that the main character of the movie has taken it on herself to act as the guilty party in gun deaths is something that may be unthinkable to certain segments of the population, but to others who are victims of this kind of violence I am sure that it is not only refreshing but something they would dearly like to witness in their lifetimes. The only time I can think where this has happened or at least as close as one could get is the recent decision of a large chain of stores in the US ceasing selling a certain type of firearm after the latest mass shooting there. The guilt as well as the decisions that Sarah Winchester makes in order to make changes to her company, such as attempting to mass produce roller skates, is admirable but in the end defeated. The reasoning is simple, these products will not make the money that producing and selling arms does, in the end there is no better profit maker than weapons, whether they be big or small. What I found refreshing was the personal responsibility that Sarah took on behalf of not only the victims but the perpetrators, much like J. Robert Oppenheimer did after realising he had helped develop the A-bomb. If more people did that then maybe the world would not only be a safer place but a happier one as well.

    As I have said this is not a bad movie, in fact it has moments of real promise, the plot is very well put together, there is enough character development in terms of back story, motivation as well as the predicament that all find themselves in that I was engaged from almost the beginning through to the end of the movie. For me the issues lie in the execution of the movie itself as well as the choices that have been made to drove the plot along, that is the formulaic as well as trope ridden narrative that exists. There is no doubt in my mind that the The Spierig Brothers are capable directors who are no doubt able to make interesting movies, and they have. However when they have a property as good as this they really need to match it with more originality than jump scares or tired old techniques such as flashbacks to reveal the reasons why events are unfolding the way they are. There needs to be some more inspired reasoning as well as actual frights that come from logic as well as underlying stresses related to the main themes. The issue for the directors is that in the past twelve months there have been some truly great and memorable genre pieces not restricted to horror, like “Get Out” (2017) and more recently “Black Panther” (2018) where the narratives are as original as the plots themselves.

    In saying all of that this is still a movie worth watching for the general story as well as the performances which are all excellent, it will open audiences up to a real story that transcends this movie. It will also hopefully open minds as to the damage that is the outcome of the proliferation of not only the production of guns but the violence that goes along with it. I only wish the talent behind the camera would have matched the talent onscreen as well as the quality of the story which would have made this movie something very special indeed.

    “Winchester” is out in cinemas.

  • Film review: “Pacific Rim: Uprising” (2018)

    Film review: “Pacific Rim: Uprising” (2018)

    “Pacfic Rim: Uprising” (2018)

    Action/Science Fiction

    2-star-rating

    Running Time: 111 minutes

    Written by: Emily Carmichael, Kira Snyder, Steven S. DeKnight & T.S. Nowlin

    Directed by: Steven S. DeKnight

    Featuring: John Boyega, Scott Eastwood, Cailee Spaeny, Jing Tian, Adria Arjona, Zhang Jin, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day, Burn Gorman

    Voice: “What is a Jaeger? A Jaeger is the pinnacle of human invention. When the monsters came we did now wait for heroes to fall from the sky and save us, we saved ourselves. Innovation is our superpower. What is a Jaeger? It’s you times a thousand. Tall as a mountain with a beating heart that burns as bright as the sun, enabling us all to become the most heroic versions of ourselves.”

    How times change, after the release of “Pacific Rim” (2013) a Guillermo del Toro directed piece of science fiction that wanted to straddle the worlds of Wells and Lovecraft, that featured some of the hottest up and coming stars of that year in Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba as well as some fine characters actors in Ron Pearlman, Max Martini, Clifton Collins Jr., Burn Gorman and Charlie Day, it seemed the stories of Kaiju’s and Jaeger would never have another outing. With an outsized budget of US$200 million dollars and a really rather middling box office of US$411 million (most coming from International markets) there was little appetite for a sequel. Come 2018 with the more expensive actors as well as production people replaced by what really are B and C actors we now have a sequel in “Pacific Rim: Uprising” (2018), with a budget far less at US$150 million (even less when factoring in inflation) this has not been the hit that the studio (Legendary /Universal) or the producers had hoped for. With all the best intentions in the world, no matter how much story or plot that is attempted this potential franchise is still built around monsters fighting giant machines, which is of course its greatest strength, but also remains its greatest weakness, as does the unbelievable amount of collateral damage that is caused in every single action set piece of which there are more than a few, maybe too many as it transpires.

    This sequel co-written and directed by Steven S. DeKnight who is possibly best known as a genre television writer has never been at the helm of a movie either as writer or director – for most of “Pacific Rim: Uprising” he makes a decent enough fist of it, although I do question handing the reigns of such a large budget to someone with very little actual experience. Where the lack of ideas as well as originality does show is in the general story and action that appears onscreen as well as the plot reasons as to why there is even a need for this sequel, when the original itself was not only uninspiring but very middle of the road with no real genre flourishes or originality beyond the fact that there were giant machines fighting giant monsters. I have pointed out continuously that just because there is a great idea for a movie, and don’t get me wrong the general conceit behind both ‘Pacific Rim’ movies is very good, it is the small details that make that good idea into a great film. Unfortunately, there is just too much of a plot to fit comfortably into the modest running time and budget. What is amusing is that it is the exact opposite problem that the first movie had, not enough plot, too much confusing fighting and issues with the world building as well as clearly defining not only the antagonists but too little seen of them and their location.

    “Pacific Rim: Uprising” is set ten years after the Battle of the Breach, former Jaeger pilot Jake Pentecost – son of deceased Kaiju War hero Stacker Pentecost – makes a living by stealing and selling Jaeger parts on the black market. After he tracks part of a disabled Jaeger’s power core to the secret workshop of fifteen year old Jaeger enthusiast Amara Namani, both are arrested and are given a choice between the prison or return to PPDC as an instructor with Amara as his recruit.

    Upon arriving at a Shatterdome in China, Jake starts training Jaeger program cadets with his estranged former co-pilot Nate Lambert. Nate and Mako reveal to him that the Jaeger program is threatened by Shao Corporation’s drone program. Mako is due to deliver a final assessment to determine the authorization of the drones at a PPDC council meeting in Sydney, but is killed by rogue Jaeger Obsidian Fury before she can report. Her death prompts the PPDC council to authorize the drone program and order their immediate deployment. Upon destroying its reactor, they find that Obsidian Fury was controlled by a Kaiju’s secondary brain, which testing shows was grown on Earth.

    What is the stand out element for me, in fact for pretty much the entire movie is the casting (as well as co-producer) of John Boyega who proves he is going to be a big star of the future outside his ‘Star Wars’ appearances, which is no mean feat, as type casting is not just a thing of the past. Here Boyega has to live up to the memory of not only his characters father but the fact that his father was portrayed by the fantastic Idris Elba who maintains a presence in all the movies he has appeared in. Boyega in this movie is equally charming as well as being caddish, a boy growing into a man, even while he is teaching others far younger than himself. Therein lies one of the problems with the movie, which is the fact that this movie relies far too much on younger actors as well as the miscast Scott Eastwood who while he has pedigree (his father is Clint Eastwood) is not a great actor at all – the only saving grace is that his father matured with age as an actor so there is hope for him yet. The two actors that seem to know what movie they are in as well as stealing the show are the holdouts from the previous instalment in Charlie Day and Burn Gorman who are at opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of performance but complement each other exceptionally well. As for the rest of the cast they are mostly unknowns who serve a purpose but are really just filling to the massive CGI fights that take place for a majority of the running time.

    Of course the real stars of this movie are the Jaeger’s and to a lesser extent the rival Kaiju’s who are all CGI creations. Carrying on from the previous movie the world has already been built and it is obvious to see that the bulk of the budget has gone on rendering these giants of destruction. My only real criticism is that the actual world that these giants operate in is pretty drab, faceless and lifeless. It seems like the flaws of movies like “Man of Steel” (2013) and “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” (2016) have been ignored here, as we are witness to hundreds of buildings in multiple cities being destroyed with little time being spent on the human cost or even the social cost which is a major mistake on the filmmakers part – surely audiences are beyond this, perhaps this is a reason why the movie is bland as well as fairly unsuccessful at the box office.

    One of the aspects of the movie that is unforgiveable, something Marvel movies learnt after “Iron Man 2” (2010) is the setting up of sequels before the first or second movies are good enough or successful enough to earn these on their own. So we see in the closing moments of the movie a blatant attempt to set up another ‘Pacific Rim’ instalment which is ludicrous as this one was never going to be able to spawn one with these filmmakers attached. This, coupled with a rather too expansive plot means that this movie at times is a hard watch as it really does bite off more than it can chew in terms of establishing brand new characters as well as new versions of antagonists from the previous movie, again while dangling even more story for a sequel.

    The question in my mind is simply should this be viewed in cinemas and I would say that “Pacific Rim: Uprising” is worth a watch but maybe at home on Blu-ray or a streaming service. This is a movie that in the ‘old days’ would have been a direct to video release at best, which would have been a nice surprise especially with the edition of John Boyega. So wait and watch at home, you will enjoy much more.

    “Pacific Rim: Uprising” is out now in cinemas.

  • DVD review: “The Killing of a Sacred Deer” (2017)

    DVD review: “The Killing of a Sacred Deer” (2017)

    “The Killing of a Sacred Deer” (2017)

    Drama

    3-stars

    Running Time: 121 minutes

    Written by: Yorgos Lanthimos & Efthymis Filippou

    Directed by:  Yorgos Lanthimos

    Featuring: Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, Barry Keoghan, Raffey Cassidy, Sunny Suljic, Alicia Silverstone, and Bill Camp

    Martin: “I wanted to say one more thing, I’m really sorry about Bob.”

    Steven Murphy: “It’s nothing serious.”

    Martin: “No, it is. They will all get sick and die. Bob will die, Kim will die, your wife will die, understand?”

    Steven Murphy: “No, I don’t.”

    It is truly amazing how quickly the critical establishment can turn against a director who at one point had an Oscar favourite in the truly genre defying classic “The Lobster” (2016) then be put upon when his next film “The Killing of a Sacred Deer” (2017) is released, not meeting expectations, not in terms of quality but what it does with narrative, plot and subject, that is the critical response. Yorgos Lanthimos is definitely a unique director with a vision that is singular, at once accessible but aloof in caring what audiences think about the end product, that is true in the case of “The Killing of a Sacred Deer”. This new film is an oddity in the best possible way, it is a drama, with elements of horror, neo-noir narrative as well as some social realism. There are so many elements of this film that I really enjoyed that any parts of it that didn’t quite mesh with me had no real effect as the style and vison are so clear that you might be thinking it has been directed by someone with far more experience.

    If there has ever been a movie that could be compared to a Stanley Kubrick film from beginning to end it is “The Killing of a Sacred Deer”, a film that is filled with many of the same shots as well as musical cues that come directly from Kubrick’s own oeuvre. I do not think that Lanthimos has copied or ripped the great director off, at most it is a homage, but actually the technique used as well as the mise en scène fits the plot extremely well, I applaud him for his choices. Of course there are another aspects that are similar, in particular the way the plot shakes out, with the story starting out in one place but ending somewhere you would not see coming unless you had forewarned yourself before viewing. Before I go any further I would say this is a must watch, not only that but you should know as little as possible before going in, from the very first shot you will be shocked as well as curious to know what could come next, and how it will ultimately end.

    The film is based around Steven Murphy, a skilled cardiothoracic surgeon, who is having a relationship with a teenage boy named Martin. The precise nature of their relationship is unexplained. Steven revelas to his wife Anna that Martin’s father died in a car accident ten years earlier, and that he has taken an interest in the boy to help him grieve. Over the course of the story Martin’s demands on Steven’s time grow increasingly frequent and desperate, but Steven does not reply. One morning Bob, Stevens son, awakens and finds he cannot feel his legs—he has become paralyzed. Steven rushes him to the hospital, where a full neurological examination reveals that nothing is physically wrong.

    The next morning, Martin visits Bob in the hospital and demands that Steven speak to him in private. The two retreat to the cafeteria, where Martin reveals the truth: his father did not die immediately, as Steven told his wife, but during surgery that Steven himself performed after the crash. Steven failed to save Martin’s father, and the boy bluntly tells Steven that he blames the surgeon for the death. He further explains that, to “balance” the act of destroying a family, Steven must kill one of the members of his own. Martin goes on to explain that he has placed a curse upon the Murphys that will gradually kill them through a series of stages unless Steven makes his choice and murders one of them; the paralysis is the first of these four stages.

    Whilst this indeed is an interesting story with a great cast, the most powerful elements are the direction, cinematography and to a lesser extent the editing. I would almost go so far as to say it the best directed film of 2017, how Yorgos Lanthimos was nominated for an Oscar for best director and Thimios Bakatakis was not nominated for best cinematography is a mystery to me. The framing of every scene is a masterclass in timing as well as perfection with each part of each frame exuding meaning for the characters involved as well as the plot. The opening if the film with the shock that is expressed through the framing of the heart surgery in progress lets the viewer know that this is not going to be a story for the faint of heart, nor will it follow conventions, so you had better get on board now. When we initially Steven walking the halls of his hospital he is in a position of absolute power, treating his anaesthesiologist like a servant, he is the King of his world, a man with no rival, this is the last time we see him in this position – the trick is to see how his framing alters throughout the film from this point to the very end.

    Control also plays an important part of this film, not only with the main character or characters of Steven but of his rival Martin, as well as the secondary characters of Anna, Kim and Bob. The control that Steven has over Martin shifts throughout the film as does the control that Martin has with his family – witness the children attempting to control their parents when it comes to the choice of the film, as well as how Anna sees not only her husband for who he is, but how she treats or loves each of her children. In particular of course it is Steven who loses as well as gains the most when it comes to his life, his family’s life, his work and everyone who he comes into contact with. As with all stories about Kings there is always someone plotting or waiting to take control of the Kingdom once you are exiled or die. This is also a warped version of the heroes story who starts in equilibrium, then descends into an underworld and resurfaces to regain a form of equilibrium – as I said it is twisted.

    “The Killing of a Sacred Deer” is such a methodical as well as subtly evenly paced film that it requires actors who not only understand the material but the director as well, you could not do much better than the two primary actors in Colin Farrell and Nicole Kidman. Both of these marvellous actors bring very different abilities as well as experience to the table, Farrell has worked wonders with the director before, while Kidman has not only blossomed into a great onscreen talent, she has also worked with some of the more original visionary directors working in any time. The cast is rounded out with Barry Keoghan as the adversery who made such an impact in Christopher Nolan’s “Dunkirk” (2017), here he underplays his part to perfection, it will be interesting to see his career unfold in the coming years.

    The control that director Lanthimos exerts over the locations, sets and backdrops is second to none, in particular the locations of the hospital as well as the family’s home. The sterility that exists within the hospital, extends to the name of it, ‘Brain and Spine Centre’, which is as close to a generically sterile name as one could think of. As is the God like power that all the Doctor’s feel inside that domain, which quickly dissipates as the narrative moves along and the true realisation of what is at stake dawns on the entire family. We move from the hospital to the carefully manicured and designed home where once again the backdrops are perfect. One great example is when an area in a conservatory is turned into a mini ward, the drapes match the beds, which match the carpeting, even the Mothers outfits match the room, it is great work on part of the production team.

    In saying that this will not be a film for all, it is challenging as well as disarming, it asks questions without answering them, placing the responsibility on the viewer, not on the characters. What I love about this film is that it is an almost perfectly executed vision of what was obviously wanted, but coupled with perfect performances from hand-picked actors, this is a real treat with some warnings for an audience who are not prepared for this story.

    Not Your Usual Stag Film: Anna (Nicole Kidman) has a good reason to look pensive in The Killing of a Sacred Deer.</em

     

  • New Trailer: “Incredibles 2” (2018)

    New Trailer: “Incredibles 2” (2018)

    Disney•Pixar’s “Incredibles 2” (2018)
    In Cinemas June 28, 2018

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    In “Incredibles 2,” Helen (voice of Holly Hunter) is called on to lead a campaign to bring Supers back, while Bob (voice of Craig T. Nelson) navigates the day-to-day heroics of “normal” life at home with Violet (voice of Sarah Vowell), Dash (voice of Huck Milner) and baby Jack-Jack—whose superpowers are about to be discovered. Their mission is derailed, however, when a new villain emerges with a brilliant and dangerous plot that threatens everything. But the Parrs don’t shy away from a challenge, especially with Frozone (voice of Samuel L. Jackson) by their side. That’s what makes this family so Incredible. Written and directed by Brad Bird (“Iron Giant,” “The Incredibles,” “Ratatouille”) and produced by John Walker (“The Incredibles,” “Tomorrowland”) and Nicole Grindle (“Sanjay’s Super Team” short, “Toy Story 3” associate producer), Disney•Pixar’s “Incredibles 2” busts into NZ cinemas on June 28, 2018.

    incredibles 2 spry film review 1

  • New Trailer: “The Meg” (2018)

    New Trailer: “The Meg” (2018)

    “The Meg” (2018)

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    A deep-sea submersible—part of an international undersea observation program—has been attacked by a massive creature, previously thought to be extinct, and now lies disabled at the bottom of the deepest trench in the Pacific…with its crew trapped inside. With time running out, expert deep sea rescue diver Jonas Taylor is recruited by a visionary Chinese oceanographer, against the wishes of his daughter Suyin, to save the crew—and the ocean itself—from this unstoppable threat: a pre-historic 75-foot-long shark known as the Megalodon. What no one could have imagined is that, years before, Taylor had encountered this same terrifying creature. Now, teamed with Suyin, he must confront his fears and risk his own life to save everyone trapped below…bringing him face to face once more with the greatest and largest predator of all time.

    THE MEG is directed by Jon Turteltaub and stars Jason Statham, Li Bingbing, Rainn Wilson, Ruby Rose, Winston Chao, Page Kennedy, Jessica McNamee, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Robert Taylor, Sophia Shuya Cai, Masi Oka and Cliff Curtis.

    THE MEG releases in New Zealand cinemas on August 30, 2018.

  • New Trailer: “Solo: A Star Wars Story” (2018)

    New Trailer: “Solo: A Star Wars Story” (2018)

    “Solo: A Star Wars Story” (2018)
    In cinemas May 24, 2018

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    Board the Millennium Falcon and journey to a galaxy far, far away in “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” an all-new adventure with the most beloved scoundrel in the galaxy. Through a series of daring escapades deep within a dark and dangerous criminal underworld, Han Solo befriends his mighty future copilot Chewbacca and meets the notorious gambler Lando Calrissian, in a journey that will set the course of one of the Star Wars saga’s most unlikely heroes.

    The film stars Alden Ehrenreich, Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, Donald Glover, Thandie Newton, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Joonas Suotamo, and Paul Bettany.

    Ron Howard directs “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” and Kathleen Kennedy, Allison Shearmur and Simon Emanuel are the producers. Lawrence Kasdan, Jason McGatlin, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller serve as executive producers. Jonathan Kasdan & Lawrence Kasdan wrote the screenplay.

  • New Trailer: “Ocean’s 8” (2018)

    New Trailer: “Ocean’s 8” (2018)

    About OCEAN’S 8:
    Five years, eight months, 12 days…and counting. That’s how long Debbie Ocean has been devising the biggest heist of her life. She knows what it’s going to take—a team of the best in their field, starting with her partner-in-crime Lou Miller. Together, they recruit a crew of specialists: jeweller Amita; street con Constance; expert fence Tammy; hacker Nine Ball; and fashion designer Rose. The target is a cool $150 million dollars in diamonds—diamonds that will be around the neck of world-famous actress Daphne Kluger, who will be centre-stage at the event of the year, the Met Gala. The plan is rock solid, but everything will need to be flawless if the team is going to get in and get away with the ice. All in plain sight.

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    OCEAN’s 8 is directed by Gary Ross and stars Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, Awkwafina, Rihanna, Helena Bonham Carter, James Corden and Richard Armitage.

    OCEAN’S 8 releases in New Zealand cinemas on June 7, 2018.

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  • Streaming review: “Pyewacket” (2018)

    Streaming review: “Pyewacket” (2018)

    “Pyewacket” (2018)

    Horror

    3-stars

    Running Time: 87 minutes

    Written & directed by: Adam MacDonald

    Featuring:  Laurie Holden, Nicole Muñoz,Chloe Rose and Eric Osborne

    Author:“Just be careful in what you believe.”

     

    As strange as it may sound Canada has a long tradition in the horror genre, so “Pyewacket” (2018) is just the latest in a long line within the genre. As has been the case for the past few years the horror genre has gone from strength to strength, in particular the low budget versions of the genre. So when a new movie is released it does mean that they had either have a great idea behind them, be interestingly narratively or contain some kind of authenticity. It is unfortunate that many genre movies are just similar riffs on many of the same movies that have come before, this is not difficult, in fact it is an easy trap to fall into, as there are many subgenres, such as action horror, comedy horror, body horror, disaster horror, holiday horror, horror drama, psychological horror, science fiction horror, slasher horror, supernatural horror, gothic horror, natural horror, zombie horror, first-person horror and teen horror. However, the kinds of original movies that we have seen are the excellent (in some cases Oscar winning) “Get Out” (2017), “Spit” (2017), “The Ritual” (2016), The Devil’s Candy” (2015), “Baskin” (2015) as well as a host of others. The good news is that “Pyewacket” has taken the personal situations of a mother and daughter, amplifying the emotions and then giving a supernatural twist to bring the horror out – it is not a bad movie at all, in fact there are many reasons why this is a very good and compelling viewing experience.

    This new movie written and directed by Adam MacDonald who has primarily been known as an actor, here delivers a movie that while it is very unsubtle as well as extremely blunt does have atmospheric moments as well as feelings that many people will recognise either in themselves or others. Primarily it is a movie about loss, that takes the form of such things as a lost parent, partner, friends and possibly most importantly the loss of control over oneself, life and situation. There were parts of “Pyewacket” that I found not only compelling but original in the way they were being shown as well as acted – so I applaud MacDonald for that as the budget on this movie must have been considerably tight which would have offered their own challenges.

    “Pyewacket”  is an unsettling occult nightmare, teenage Leah (Nicole Muñoz) finds solace from the recent death of her father—and from her strained relationship with her mother (Laurie Holden)—by dabbling in the dark arts. It all seems like harmless fun at first, until a blow-out argument leads Leah to do the unthinkable: put a death curse on her mother. No sooner has the girl performed the ritual than she regrets it. But it may be too late, as an evil presence known as Pyewacket begins to make itself known—and threatens to destroy both mother and daughter.

    The main theme for me as I have said is loss, of which “Pyewacket” is full of, the main characters Leah, has lost her father, slowly losing her mother for most of the first third of the movie. Leah’s mother has lost her husband, seemingly losing her mind, in so doing is losing her daughter. In fact the only anchor that Leah has are her books, her goth friends as well as the occult which all welcome her with open arms, and are not judgemental at all, coupled with that is the possibility of young love. Then on the verge of things happening for her she sees that being taken away by her mother who moves them away – although it feels like the end of her world to Leah, it is only an hour’s drive to her old friends. What I love about this is that the onus is put on Leah’s shoulders, she will either make no decision or fly off the handle to make one she will regret. Without hesitation, feeling the only way a teenager can feel she makes a decision that will haunt her for the rest of her life. The reality is that as an adolescent you feel everything at a heightened degree, more so than any other time of your life, everything is new, not only that but hormones (both for boys and girls) are racing around with every feeling heighted to the nth degree. This is illustrated so well for at least the first half of the movie that other faults can be overlooked.

    As I have said MacDonald is a novice director so he has cast the two leads as you would expect an actor to cast them, with two actresses that are not only experienced, but have very real and deep genre experience, they know who and what they are playing as well as hopefully the restrictions that exist on the budget. So as the mother we have Laurie Holden, who many people will recognise as a Frank Darabont favourite as well as a great actress who plays this part very well, maybe too well as she does overdo it slightly, but then she is playing dual roles for a time. Her daughter is perfectly cast with very experienced actress Nicole Muñoz as Leah who has to go from playing one extreme emotion to another, she seems to know exactly what to do and how to do it. These are both very physical roles for both actresses who for the most part have to play off each other for a majority of the movie. They both also have to act like they are at the end of their relative tether so that all of the emotions and decisions are as believable as possible.

    The choice of direction is as you might expect, there are lots of close ups as well as tilts and hand held shots that sometimes seem a little random, but again the budget lends itself to that. In saying that this is not a found footage movie, and there are only four main locations, that being the house at the beginning, the school, the new house in the woods and the woods themselves. I would have liked to have seen some more steady shots as well as more set ones as well, these too can lend to the atmosphere of the movie, but that requires time as well as lighting – this all costs money so I don’t hold this against the director at all. One element of the movie that is great is the running time, now this may seem strange but this is a movie that is a straight line which for genre movies is a great thing to see as there is absolutely no time to second guess or to look beyond motivations which can be a bit of a leap in some situations.

    Lastly, the entity known as Pyewacket is interesting, as it is based on some element of truth, as it was one of the familiar spirits of a witch detected by the “witch finder  general” Matthew Hopkins in March 1644 in the town of Manningtree, Essex, England. It is always a positive when the filmmakers have carried out some for form of due diligence in which they have here so it seems ‘real’.

    I would recommend this movie if you like the genre as well as low budgets that have some interesting elements as well as some good scares, it is a competent movie from someone who should be looked out for in the future as it definitely shows some stylistic flourishes with originality thrown in.

    “Pyewacket” is streaming now on IFC.

  • Film review: “Insidious: The Last Key” (2018)

    Film review: “Insidious: The Last Key” (2018)

    “Insidious: The Last Key” (2018)

    Horror

    stars-2-5

    Running Time: 103 minutes

    Written by: Leigh Whannell

    Directed by: Adam Robitel

    Featuring:  Lin Shaye, Angus Sampson, Leigh Whannell, Spencer Locke, Caitlin Gerard, and Bruce Davison

    Elise Rainier: “I’m going to get the attention of all the spirits in this house. I need things that were important to Garza. Specs, go upstairs. There is a bible he held very dear to him. It was a red, King James version; I need you to find it. Take Imogen with you.”

    You can’t blame Blumhouse studios for flogging a dead horse even when it looks like a horror franchise may be dead or has run out of steam, there is always a way to bring it back to life. With their now infamous stringent low budgets there is very little risk of producing any movie, if it fails it is not a big loss so as the saying goes nothing ventured nothing gained. After a stupendous 2017 with two massive international hits in “Get Out” (2017) and “Split” (2017) it may have seemed that success could not get much better or bigger. But with their first release this year, the fourth entry into the ‘Insidious’ franchise, the aptly named “Insidious: The Last Key” (2018) Blumhouse has once again hit gold with a global take of US$166 million on a US$10 million budget, they must be laughing all the way to the bank. Of course box office receipts does not always translate to a good movie, here we have what is critically the case of ever decreasing returns, on a franchise that story wise probably ran out of puff after the second instalment. When watching this new movie it is obvious that building a franchise around an interesting character from the first two movies, that being Lin Shaye, is a mistake as is retrofitting an origin story around her that seems tacked on at best, as well as destroying any mystery from the first two instalments.

    Of course the real person behind these movies creatively is screenwriter come actor Leigh Whannell who has over the course of this century launched this franchise as well as the “Saw” (2003-2017) franchise – both of these being a blessing and a curse. When “Saw”(2003) burst onto the screens it was a somewhat breath of fresh air with the post 9/11 malaise that existed as well as something that was welcomed after the breakout horror of “The Blair Witch Project”(1999). It was all visceral and blood with some great B list actors thrown in for fun. It ushered in the way for torture porn and gave birth to Eli Roth and his non subtle version “Hostel“ (2005). For the next few years he was in horror hell until reteaming with James Wan (who it has to be said has now transcended horror) to bring “Insidious” (2010) to the screen (along with super horror producer Jason Blum) – now with the fourth film and Wan off to do better things Whannell is the sole driving force – for much worse. As you would expect with the first two movies being essentially Parts 1 & 2, as well as being directed by Wan, they are the best and most compelling. However Whannell himself directed the third which is was a major let-down, now for this latest edition they have enlisted relative newcomer Adam Robitel – whose only previous credit is the semi-interesting low-budget “The Taking of Deborah Logan” (2014), it shows as this new movie is in a similar vein as that with no new creative ground – except maybe a bigger budget.

    This new movie begins before the events of the first three movies as Elise (Lin Shaye) works as a paranormal investigator with her two colleagues, Specs and Tucker, taking clients via phone calls. One day, Elise receives a phone call seeking for help. The client, Ted Garza, claims that he has been experiencing paranormal activity since moving into his house. While on the phone, he reveals that he is living in Elise’s childhood home. Hesitant at first, she explains to her colleagues what happened to her during her childhood, then deciding to accept the job in order to make things right.

    Firstly as a budding filmmaker I give all respect to Blumhouse for what they have been able to do, not only as a business model but also to make the horror genre as successful as well as accessible in multiplexes not only in North America but globally, it is a feat of epic proportions. The production budgets on all these ‘Insidious’ movies has been less than US$40 million dollars, globally they have grossed more than US$500 million, in anyone’s books that is a win – game over, thanks for playing, I now look forward to “Insidious 17: Welcome to the Attic” (2033) – thank you audiences!

    However there is another side to this success, that is, are these movies good, watchable or even worth going to see at the movies as opposed to say Netflix where Blumhouse has a deal where you could see baby-Blumhouse productions like the very good (and micro-budgeted) “Creep” (2014) and its sequel “Creep 2” (2017). My answer is pretty simple, that is I would not go to the movies to see any of the sequels to the excellent “Insidious” (2011), which like many firsts was stacked with great talent as well as an up and coming director with a story that was pure horror invention – ‘the further’. A place that can spawn any number of horrors, the only limit is imagination.

    “Insidious: The Last Key” (2018) attempts to cast well, but when the lead of your movie is Lin Shaye whose entire career is predicted on nepotism it is hard to see her performance as anything but strictly routine as well as one note – which in fact all of her performances are – looking back she really does play one note characters. So here she just plays the person from the first movie without a real hint of difference, the only saving grace is that if any more movies are to come her character might not be around as they have quasi replaced her here with a younger version – although still not a great actress. The issue here is contrast – in the first movie the cast was Rose Byrne, Patrick Wilson and Barbara Hershey who all did the heavy lifting for Shaye who just had to show up and be herself for a small amount of the running time – here she appears in a major proportion of the movie which makes it significantly worse – the same can be said of her sidekicks Tucker (Angus Sampson) and Specs (Leigh Whannell). Wisley though character actors Bruce Davison, Kirk Acevedo and the always surprising Josh Stewart are along for the ride illustrating perfectly the how horror characters should be portrayed realising immediately what kind of movie they are in as well as adjusting performance when needed – for me it is seeing these three that makes the movie even watchable.

    Sure I get it this is a prequel made to explore Elise’s story as well as her sidekicks, it also serves as a ham fisted way to directly link to the first film, which it does. However the execution as well as the horror tropes that are evident are unsurprising and ham-fisted which is a weakness of the horror genre which is why when making one, and for it to be considered good it is vital that themes are explored and it is somehow different, no matter how small that difference is – none of that is evident here. This is a standard haunted house story with a mean father, put upon mother, resentful siblings and a niece who is clueless, until the end of course where there are revelations galore. This is a missed opportunity to recast Elise in her 20s or 30s or even 40s giving us some real insight into her as well as bringing some original scares to the series, also with a way to easily greenlight cheap sequels – Shaye herself could bookend these thereby still having her appear and anchoring the series.

    If you are looking for entertainment in the way of horror then you could worse than “Insidious: The Last Key” but I would wait until the release of “The Quiet Place” (2018).

    “Insidious: The Last Key” is out now.

     

     

  • Television/Streaming review: “The Terror” (2018) – Episodes Four & Five

    Television/Streaming review: “The Terror” (2018) – Episodes Four & Five

    “The Terror” (2018) Episodes Four & Five

    Fantasy/Horror

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    10 Episodes

    Developed by: David Kajganich

    Featuring: Jared Harris, Tobias Menzies, Paul Ready, Adam Nagaitis, Ian Hart, Nive Nielsen, Ciarán Hinds

    “The Terror” is a fictionalized account of Captain Sir John Franklin’s lost expedition of HMS Erebus and HMS Terror to the Arctic, in 1845–1848, to locate the Northwest Passage. Franklin and his crew are plagued by starvation and illness, and forced to contend with mutiny and cannibalism, they are stalked across the bleak Arctic landscape by a monster.

    Most of the characters featured in The Terror are actual members of Franklin’s crew, whose unexplained disappearance has warranted a great deal of speculation. The main characters in the novel include Sir John Franklin, commander of the expedition and captain of Erebus; Francis Crozier, captain of Terror; Dr Harry D. S. Goodsir; and Captain James Fitzjames.

    Episode Four: “Punished, as a boy”

    Cinematographer: Florian Hoffmeister/ Directed by: Edward Berger

    A series of cunning attacks on the ships proves to the men they are not battling an ordinary bear.

    The battle for the survival of the crews of both ships is surely afoot but as we begin the next episode “Punished, as a boy” we see the survival of the crews being waged by the wife and daughter of Sir John Franklin five months after the ships went missing, all being done in London – the way in which Lady Franklin (Greta Scacchi) fights ‘the powers that be’ to send some help or at least look for the ships is admirable but of course as was the want in those days as a woman she is looked down on as well as dismissed outright. The only satisfaction she has is that she is advised that the British Navy will wait two years before sending assistance. Once again, this excellent show illustrates with ease the difference from the world we live in today to the one that existed in the mid 1800s. The attitudes towards not only women, but indigenous people as well the technology of the time.

    As ‘the terror’ of the piece starts to encroach on the ships we see the body count start to climb as well as the attacks becoming more brazen. As the fourth episode moves on the reality of the situation starts to move into the fantastical, the decision making by the officers is questionable at best. As many lovers of the horror genre will be able to recognize there are bad choices on bad choices, it would appear that at least one of the officers played by Tobias Menzies starts to hint at the supernatural possibilities in the air. The relationship to “The Thing” (1982) is no more direct than in this as well as the following episode, it is not a ripoff but a descendant of one of the greatest movies ever made.

    It is interesting that in the first three episodes that the character of Francis Crozier(Jared Harris) is seen as a possible hero especially when he is at opposition to his Captain, the ill-fated John Franklin. However, when it is him that is the person with all the responsibility it becomes obvious pretty quickly that he is out of his depth. In fact, it is a flashback that indicates he may never have been appointed as a Captain of any ship, he is chasing glory to secure his future, even though at his age it was possibly never going to happen for him.

    Once again, the use of the juxtaposition of the interior as well as the exterior in the Artic is interesting to view especially with the addition and upping of the deaths and gore, especially in episode four. Early on Francis Crozier ventures onto the ice to recover a taken crew-member, we witness some long lenses with the aurora borealis in the background, there is some action where we see the remains of a man, basically a red smudge on the ice – it is at once terrifying but also a point where Crozier realises there is definitely something else going on, that he has no comprehension of.

    As we move on in the plot, there is a definite feeling that Crozier is losing the respect of the crew until we come to the reason of the naming of the episode. Being ‘punished, as a boy’ is a particularly harsh punishment where an offending crew member is lashed by a whip directly on his posterior – something that proves no matter what outside forces do to this crew, it is man himself that is the cruelest animal of all.

    This is one of the larger differences to the traditional isolationist horror movies, in that the standard fair would be to have some external force pick of the characters until one or two remain. The separation here is that we are also seeing the interplay between ranks of hundreds of ship’s crew above as well as below decks – the cruelty and superstition that we witness is an added man made horror. Because this is based around a true story as well as real people there is the added benefit of being able to make this show feel authentic – as well as trying to guess what the real decisions would have been so the cruelty and back biting we see throughout is very realistic.

    As per the usual human condition when we are faced with experiences that are negative and outside our wheelhouse we will always blame something, that something is normally the ‘other’ – in this case that ‘other’ is the indigenous population – the character is the Inuit girl from the previous episodes. Interestingly while she of course is not to blame, however the truth of the matter may be a lot closer than anyone realizes at this early stage.

     Episode Five: “First shot a winner, Lads”

    Cinematographer: Kolja Brandt/ Directed by: Sergio Mimica-Gezzan

    A strange illness begins to show itself while another more familiar one jeopardizes the expedition’s most valuable resource – its captain’s judgment.

    At times of great stress, the character as well as the nature of man will always shine through, no matter how someone thinks they will behave or act under pressure, until that time comes no person can truly say who they are. In “The Terror” we are seeing at this stage some of the real men start to reveal themselves, it all starts at the top. The new Captain, Crozier is an alcoholic who is starting to increase his intake of whiskey, while those stores are running low – this will be a point of contention for him as he will not function sober. In saying that, the Inuit woman is starting a conversation with one of the only truly educated men on the ship, Harry Goodsir who is the only person really trying to understand what is going on, as well as acting as an interpreter which I am sure will come in handy in the episodes to come.

    Whilst this episode is relatively creature free (until much later on) we are witnessing the effects the hostile surrounding has on the human body – we witness crew members losing body parts to the cold so that frost bite is halted in its tracks. At one point the cold stops a man’s heart as he moves from one ship to another – the loss of life to the natural conditions is staggering. From the outside it may look cold but the real situation is far more grim as well witness the cold that has taken over the ship, touching any outside surface without gloves will remove the flesh from hands, any open wound will cause infections and much worse.

    If there is one major element that is becoming more apparent it is that that Crozier feels time is running out, so he forces a confrontation or interrogation with the Inuit woman. Not only that but secrets are the name of the game, as not only Crozier’s alcohol consumption is to remain unknown to others but also the fact that the creature is known is to remain a secret. The mystery of the creature, the Tunnbaq, starts to become real to the officers but without a key to the knowledge Crozier decides to use a crowbar. Of course this is an animal let loose that was bound to a man, who is now dead – the question is am I referring to Crozier or the Tunnbaq.

    As with many horrors similar to this, “Alien” (1979) or “The Thing” (1982) the motivations of the victims become important, so much so that they betray their fellow crewmembers or friends. This of course begins to happen in “The Terror” from the very beginning, even before they leave on their journey, there are betrayals going on in England. The Lovecraftian horror that has been unleashed on these people is unknowable as is witnessed in the grand action part of this episode. The creature of course resembles a Polar Bear, but like many monsters in the Lovecraft mold it only resembles that. The truth is starting to become apparent to the crew as is the danger they are in from Crozier himself when he confesses his addiction. Much of the dangers are under surfaces, not only of the ice of the ships but people as well.

    As with all the episodes the acting in this show is excellent with Jared Harris being the standout in the lead role. Harris has to play many parts, the cocky anti-hero, the man with many flaws as well as someone who thinks he is owed, not only a command but respect because of that command. As time moves on we are seeing chicks in his armor, not only that but we are witnessing a man truly coming apart against something he has no comprehension of. I am looking forward to the last five episodes.

    If you want to start watching an excellent genre show then I recommend “The Terror” now streaming on AMC.

    Ciarán Hinds as John Franklin, Trystan Gravelle as Henry Collins  – The Terror _ Season 1, Episode 1 – Photo Credit: Aidan Monaghan/AMC
  • Television/Streaming review: “The Terror” (2018) – Episode Three

    Television/Streaming review: “The Terror” (2018) – Episode Three

    “The Terror” (2018 – ) Episode Three

    Fantasy/Horror

    images

    10 Episodes

    Developed by: David Kajganich

    Featuring: Jared Harris, Tobias Menzies, Paul Ready, Adam Nagaitis, Ian Hart, Nive Nielsen, Ciarán Hinds

    “The Terror” is a fictionalized account of Captain Sir John Franklin’s lost expedition of HMS Erebus and HMS Terror to the Arctic, in 1845–1848, to locate the Northwest Passage. Franklin and his crew are plagued by starvation and illness, and forced to contend with mutiny and cannibalism, they are stalked across the bleak Arctic landscape by a monster.

    Most of the characters featured in The Terror are actual members of Franklin’s crew, whose unexplained disappearance has warranted a great deal of speculation. The main characters in the novel include Sir John Franklin, commander of the expedition and captain of Erebus; Francis Crozier, captain of Terror; Dr Harry D. S. Goodsir; and Captain James Fitzjames.

    Episode Three: “The Ladder”

    Cinematographer: Florian Hoffmeister/ Directed by: Edward Berger

    With something stalking the ships, the expedition’s commanders debate their dwindling options.

    This episode takes place a few days after Episode Two where the crew of both ships are on a knifes edge following a suspected bear attack, as well as waiting for the bear to come and find the rest of the men on their ships – paranoia runs high. As with many colonists even those in the Artic, fear about the indigenous people runs high as does the very real threat of retaliation for perceived slights. We see in flashbacks Franklin being warned about the venture, his past deeds being made to haunt him even before he set out on his doomed expidetion. These are all foreshadowing the predicament he finds himself in with nowhere to turn but his own subconscious mind as well the guilt he feels for past failures in his governorship of Australia.

    This show as is proven by this episode is becoming more claustrophobic than even the first two episodes. In particular Captain Franklin is being assailed on all sides by his memories as well as Captain Crozier who believes help should be sent for, which is declined as Franklin believes wholly in himself, never listening to anyone but himself which is a fatal flaw of not only men but Empires.

    This is the first episode where a different director and cinematographer have taken over duties with Kolja Brandt serving as lens man and Sergio Mimica-Gezzan as the man in charge. Both have extensive experience in film as well as televison, it shows onscreen with the excellent use of not only mid shots but the use of long lenses as well. They both have brought to the screen some excellent shots sticking close to the way in which the first two episodes succeeded. They give scope to a situation where there must have been a temptation to shoot in close up to artificially give the scenes more isolation in the camera than it should. In fact, the only isolation besides the geographic one is in the mind, as there are plenty of crew members that one person never feels physically alone. The use of natural light on the ships is an interesting choice, candlelight is what is used below decks, making it harder to see what is occurring which again adds to the atmosphere of the unknown and dread that surely must come.

    We are being exposed to the technology of the time, where the limitations of the time become apparent, the camera used, for example, with the long exposure where standing still and doing nothing so that an image may be captured is exactly what is happening to the men in their almost catastrophic situation. This is a show called “The Terror” so it is no surprise that there are visceral moments of horror that Ridley Scott would be proud of as the unsighted ‘thing’ moves around the crew taking what it wants with impunity. Surely there can be no better metaphor for a failing Empire than to be attacked without understanding as the situation grows dire as time moves on, with little understanding of how to regain a sense of composure or control.

    The almost bookended scenes of the dark pit that ends up being a grave for two characters is masterful, as is the so-called ambush that takes place in the last third of the episode. There are long moments of introspection in this episode with officers making moves to guard not only their own situations but that of their crew – it becomes apparent that the situation is hopeless, rescue is needed but in the coming episodes I imagine that this rescue will not arrive. Of course, the ladder of the title has many meanings, there is the prayer said at the funeral, the ladder to Heaven, there is also climbing the ladder of command from rank to rank and perhaps a ladder from peril to safety, from ice sheet to ship – you would be a fool to think that in the end this will keep anyone safe.

    Star Jared Harris is starting to make his mark as the hero, if in fact there is one, his decisions over the coming weeks will be vital although as we know they will be for nothing – it is interesting to think and to keep in the back of an audiences mind that this is a story being told in flashback – the end is indeed known to us, but to the vanquished.

    “The Terror” has to be the most exciting new show this year, after only three episodes the tension is high, the characters have real depth, motivations are as complex as they could be in any drama, the horror and supernatural elements have really only just begun and the motivations of the ‘thing’ are starting to make some sense especially in terms of its purpose as well as what it will mean for the colonists.

    If you want to start watching an excellent genre show then I recommend “The Terror” now streaming on AMC.

  • Television review: “Save me” (2018)

    Television review: “Save me” (2018)

    “Save Me – Series One” (2018)

    Drama/Mystery

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    6 Episodes

    Developed by: Lennie James

    Directed by: Nick Murphy

    Featuring: Lennie James,Suranne Jones, Stephen Graham, Jason Flemyng, Susan Lynch, Kerry Godliman, Nadine Marshall, Barry Ward, Jimmy Walker

    “Save Me” (2018) revolves around Nelson “Nelly” Rowe, a down-and-out whose life is turned upside down when Jody, the estranged daughter he fathered thirteen years ago, mysteriously disappears. The main plot is about the journey he and others go through in attempting to find Jody and punish the perpetrators.

    I am always staggered by the ability of the English to produce high quality television dramas of all types no matter what genre they might occupy, sci-fi, procedural, horror, thrillers or even comedies – yes, I said comedies, some of the best English comedies contain more dramatic tension than many other countries actual dramas. I recently sat down to watch the (mini?) series “Save Me” (2018) a television show based around one of the hot button topics that is troubling the UK at the moment, that is child abductions as well as the ongoing crimes related to human trafficking. These meta-issue are not overtly talked about but they will be at the forefront of people living in the UK while watching this. What I loved about this show is that, as you would expect, it is full of memorable characters as well as the now tried and true red herrings (thank you Scandi-noir), it sticks close to its narrative, not so much a whodunit but an exploration of a man who did not know how lost he was until he becomes a suspect in his own biological daughter’s possible abduction.

    This new series features what has to be one of the best line ups of UK character actors around, as well as an actress that has to be the most popular in demand television actress around, Suranne Jones in the lead alongside Lennie James who created and wrote the entire series. The series also boasts Stephen Graham, who for me is the most valuable player, as a possible pedophile who after episode two really comes into his own and threatens to steal the entire series from the two leads – I have to say I find Graham endlessly fascinating as an actor who knows just how to play against not only his co-stars but the camera as well. Graham for me has to be the consummate character actor who is so good that he becomes the character he portrays – and he can do comedy as well – he seems to have enviable skills that only come along once in a lifetime. You can look for examples in the recent “Little Boy Blue” (2017), “Taboo” (2017) and “Decline and Fall” (2017) all in one year – it does not seem fair. The rest of the cast is rounded out by Jason Flemyng, Susan Lynch, Kerry Godliman, Nadine Marshall, Barry Wardand Jimmy Walker who all play very different roles that all maintain the narrative with very different motivations but all have the same end in sight.

    The story of Save Me is as all great television shows should be, simple, a child is taken after which everyone is trying to recover her or find out what happened. The secret to this series is the way in which the story unfolds, as well as the narrative that is employed to help explore themes as well as characters, all the while unpacking the mystery that surrounds that narrative. The main theme is the exploration of one character, Nelly (Lennie James) who is in his mid-50s and is a lost man, he has no home and is basically a fun guy who everybody likes to be around but nobody really knows, he has had at least one child and signed his rights away to the mother, Claire (Suranne Jones) and her husband, Barry (Barry Ward). Nelly comes to the realization that he has little in life and possibly the best thing he ever did, he has ignored and now will lose it – he is a man in crisis that this event brings to the fore. Through the story we see a man driven with no “Taken” (2009) like skills to fall back on, just his own personal promise to bring his daughter home, by any means necessary, what we see is someone who pits himself and his friends in danger to find himself as well as his daughter. Nelly’s own journey is at once sad, exhilarating, full of promise but of course you know no matter what happens there is no redemption for this character.

    “Save Me” is a show that provides an example of an issue that is haunting the UK at the moment and that is the endemic issue of kidnapped children which has reached record highs. A report from the charity ‘Missing People’ claims 140,000 children – that’s 383 a day – go missing across the country every year – although many return within 24 hours some are never seen again. Action Against Abduction claims that most of these cases are sexually motivated, yet many attempted abductions are still not reported to police. However, offences by strangers are still quite rare – with the NSPCC pointing out that more than 90% of child sexual abuse is perpetrated by someone known to the child. This television show and many like it should be a call to change or to highlight the fact that children are the most vulnerable group that are exploited today, many of course by pedophiles not with murder but other heinous acts, of course in ‘Save Me’ the first thought is murder but when a body fails to materialize thoughts turn to more diabolical thoughts.

    The show directed by Nick Murphy who has had a busy but unspectacular career so far, here excels in what is definitely the best series he has ever been involved with, this is the kind of series that comes along only rarely for a director to stamp themselves on and he has done with all of his talent. The use of not only the tenements but the surrounding area of Lewisham in London is striking as well as the color palette used throughout gives off a look of coolness that accentuates the emotional stability of the main characters. We see Nelly walking (and running) throughout much of the show either by himself or with one other character which again highlights his isolation from not only other people by his daughter as well. Another striking aspect is the use of flashbacks to an earlier time with Jody, which are never explained as being real or are they from an unreliable narrator? We also at times see older people dancing for no real obvious reason, they are seen by Nelly at different times, as is a tattooed man that always says ‘Hi’. These may seem random, and I am sure they are supposed to, but I wonder their narrative reason for appearing. This is the kind of drama that is highly stylised with many bright colors appearing throughout, take the early decision of Nelly to wear a bright yellow puffer jacket which stands out, not only the color but the size and shape as well – the yellow color even makes an appearance in the last episode but it is a chilling one. The color yellow can mean many things, it is a duplicitous color, as it can mean wisdom, knowledge, relaxation, joy, happiness, optimism, idealism, imagination, hope, sunshine, summer, dishonesty, cowardice, betrayal, jealousy, covetousness, deceit, illness and hazard – many of these relate to Nelly directly, as I said his is lost for most of the series. Of course, the rest of the characters have motivating factors as well but they are all definitely secondary to Nelly’s who is the prime move in this show, although whether that remains in the just announced second season remains to be seen.

    Interestingly even the name Nelly has some meaning to the character as well as the show, the word/name ‘Nelly’ can mean stubborn and often pessimistic. More of a leader then follower. Often not one of the most popular around but does have a group of friends. Nelly’s often switch back and forth from the dark and light side. They will get evil if pushed to it, but will be an angel if treated right. And often act before thinking.These descriptions often fit the Nelly in “Save me”, which illustrates that nothing is what it seems or an accident. Which brings me back nicely to the older people dancing throughout the show, something that remains a mystery, which is nice to have.

    If you have a chance to watch this series you should grab it with both hands as once you begin I believe you will see it through to the end, it is a great piece of television where everyone shines, the outcome is not guaranteed and it hints at a real dark underbelly where none should exist.

    Episode One: Nelson “Nelly” Rowe, a self-styled womaniser, has his life is turned upside down when the police suddenly burst into his flat and arrest him on suspicion of kidnapping. Nelly discovers that his supposed victim is his estranged thirteen-year-old daughter Jody, whom he has not seen in ten years. After attempting to convince the police of his innocence, Nelly decides to take matters into his own hands and track Jody down himself. Later that night, Nelly is attacked after his girlfriend’s son discovers he has been cheating on her with a number of other women.

    Episode Two: Tam helps Nelly get back on his feet. Barry makes a surprising reward offer at a press conference, leading Claire to suspect his motives. When Melon disappears after being arrested, Nelly suspects he may be involved in Jody’s disappearance and with the help of Goz, decides to track him down. Nelly also approaches Jody’s best friend, Dylan, whom he suspects may know more about what happened on the night she disappeared.

    Episode Three: Nelly confronts Melon and questions him over Jody’s disappearance. Thorpe and O’Halloran reveal to Claire and Barry that the police received a distress call from Jody over two weeks ago, the day after she went missing. Claire helps out with a press drive organised by Stace.

    Episode Four: After the police reveal a possible location from where the distress call was made, Nelly decides to go door-to-door in an attempt to find the house where Jody is being held, and finds an abandoned house which is partially boarded up. Later that night, he and Claire decide to investigate. They break into the house, only to find Jody’s bloodstained jumper. Meanwhile, Zita discloses a possible lead in the form of a local brothel, run by a paedophile kingpin. With Melon’s help, Nelly trawls the darkweb and finds a videoclip of another girl being abused in the room where Jody was being held.

    Episode Five: Nelly begs Melon to help him get close to brothel owner Richard, in the hope that he will lead him to Jody. Melon learns that a young girl answering Jody’s description is to be sold through an auction at the brothel in just five days time. Nelly begs Claire to stump up £15,000 to allow him access to the auction. Meanwhile, Goz discovers a semi-naked picture of Jody in Gavin’s room, and just hours later, Gavin takes his own life. Nelly suspects Gavin of being involved in Jody’s disappearance, until Luke slips up and reveals a vital clue which points towards him being involved.

    Episode Six: Nelly stages a lock-in and confronts Luke over his involvement in Jody’s disappearance. Claire manages to find £12,000 which Nelly takes along to the auction, but he soon realises that he is out of his depth. Claire resorts to drastic measures in an attempt to get Luke to talk.

    Missing girl reconstruction Photographer: Des Willie

     

  • Film review: “Peter Rabbit” (2018)

    Film review: “Peter Rabbit” (2018)

    “Peter Rabbit” (2018)

    Comedy

    images

    Running Time: 95 minutes

    Written by: Rob Lieber & Will Gluck

    Directed by: Will Gluck

    Featuring:  Domhnall Gleeson, Rose Byrne, and Sam Neill, with the voices of James Corden, Daisy Ridley, Margot Robbie, and Elizabeth Debicki

    Thomas McGregor: I’m allergic to blackberries.

    Peter Rabbit: [From above]*Allergic* to *blackberries*?

    Peter Rabbit: Is that even a thing? Is that where we’ve gone to? I mean, suddenly *everyone* is allergic to *everything*!

    Peter Rabbit: [yelling at Thomas] Stop using it as a crutch!

    Benjamin Bunny: You know, some people do have legitimate medical conditions.

    Peter Rabbit: Of course, of course, it’s a real struggle, my heart goes out to them, it’s very tough, very sad, I don’t want to get any letters [looks at camera]

    In my mind there is almost no better reason to see a move than when people want to boycott it, so I was very pleased to go along to my multiplex (with many other families) and enjoy this new version of “Peter Rabbit” (2018), when the above quote was issued forth (the reason for said boycott) it got a healthy knowing laugh from young and old – just priceless, Mr Gluck and Lieber deserved all the praise for not only that line but much of the enjoyment of Beatrix Potter’s timeless creations brought to life in a very unique way. The very fact that in 2018 it is possible to make a movie about Peter and his friends as well as being a truly touching as well as emotionally satisfying narrative speaks not only to Gluck and Co. but to Potter as well, not forgetting the incredible cast that has been lined up for this new adaptation. Of course being set in a post-modern world it is not a straight adaption but one that channels the feelings behind the characters as well as being a meta-narrative, with not only actual winks to the audience but bringing in a spirt of an origin story for the actual paintings of Peter as well as the writing of the books, albeit in a post millennium world.

    This is a truly unique movie from the creative mind of Will Gluck who has had a nice career so far, he remade “Annie” (2014) which was actually pretty good considering the classic status of the original, turned Emma Stone into a star with one of the better comedies of the past ten years in “Easy A” (2010) which if you have not seen, stop reading, go and watch, I will wait. Gluck here has harnessed the best parts of both movies and combined it with a classic children’s character to deliver one of the better  films of its genre in recent memory – it has themes that are timeless and should not be shied away from, in particular the loss of parents, the reality of growing up, accepting people for who they are and a myriad of others that are touched on in unsentimental ways which for a movie like this is welcome relief. The movie uses real locations as well as a deft mix of CGI and real people to make you believe in what occurs onscreen. What I thought was wonderful was the motivations for all animals and humans are extremely simple and unconvoluted, there are no hidden meanings or grand third act reveals, just that learning and growing are parts of life and sometimes honesty is the best policy.

    The movie is set in England’s Lake District Peter Rabbit, his cousin Benjamin, and his triplet sisters Flopsy, Mopsy and Cottontail, spend most of their days picking on Mr. McGregor and stealing vegetables from his garden. They are friends with a local woman named Bea who spends her time painting pictures of the rabbits as well as the surrounding nature. Bea takes on a mother-like relationship with the rabbits due to the death of their mother and father. One day Peter accidentally leaves his jacket in McGregor’s garden and goes back to retrieve it. McGregor spots and catches him, but suddenly dies of a heart attack. Enthralled, Peter invites all of the woodland critters, and then takes over McGregor’s old house.

    Meanwhile in London, McGregor’s nephew Thomas works at Harrods department store where he waits for a promotion. He coldly accepts the news about his uncle’s death, but is infuriated over not getting the promotion and is fired. When he learns that his uncle’s house is valuable, he decides to refurbish it so he can sell it and start his own toy store to rival Harrods. He kicks out Peter and his friends and begins to secretly wall up the garden, despite Bea’s objections.

    The cast of “Peter Rabbit” led by comedian James Corden who over the years has proven himself to be an able singer, dancer and actor, here he has to inhabit a role that is a bit of everything in terms of voice acting and he does it as well as anyone could or has before. The live cast is led by Rose Byrne and Domhnall Gleeson who play love interests of a sort, but are at opposite ends when it comes to the treatment of animals and where they belong in society. They are both accomplished comedians and have real chemistry as well as being able to act with CGI co-stars – not the easiest skill in the world. The voice cast is rounded out by Daisy Ridley, Margot Robbie, and Elizabeth Debickias as Flopsy, Mopsy and Cottontail also acting as the real comic relief as well as Peters younger sisters. These actresses all play very different roles with their obvious comic timing and understanding of the characters is key. All three almost steal the movie from Peter but it is his movie, and their own subplot is well written as to not overshadow the main plot.

    The movie really is non-stop from the humorous beginning to the wonderful ending that lends itself to a possible sequel set in an entirely new location – maybe. What is unique is the way it treats it audience of (knowingly) young people who may be or know others that are going through changes that Peter and his siblings have and are going through. The biggie is of course the loss of a parent or parents, how that takes an emotional toll on those left behind as well the sense of unfinished business – how that thrusts children into a very different role to the one that they dreamed they would be in. It also illustrates the role of animals in our society as well as their complex relationships with each other and to humans – the encroaching human environment on the natural world, reminding us who was here first, and how that interaction is not black and white, cut and dry but complex and getting more so as human populations increase. Another part I loved was the interaction between Peter and Thomas who are at odds for most of the movie, treating each other with disdain and contempt, but what is interesting is how this relationship not only changes but reverses so that you feel sorry for Thomas and possibly see Peter in a new light. This is not a simple movie, it has humour that will appeal to a variety of ages as well as a variety of audiences of different levels of understanding as to what they are seeing.

    One important aspect of this movie is the music used which is all imported from popular artists, it is used for the most part quite well, you will find it hard not to smile as music matches the story or the actions that are occurring onscreen. The fantastic thing is that the music is not only popular music, but original and classical which again is not common for a children’s movie in this day and age. Director/writer Gluck has experience and history in the music fraternity and it shows here, listen out for Sia as one of the voices, as well as singing. The music combined with the fast that Bea is a painter which is used to bring in the original Beatrix Potter’s artwork is a touch that while was not needed is welcome as it also opens the door to Peter’s parents as well as illustrating the monumental loss that he feels when he (and his family) look at the pictures – this is one of the strengths of the movie and will stay with long after you leave the cinema.

    This is a comedy primarily, even though yes, it is a children’s movie, but the humour works one hundred percent of the time, so much so that this is the key into the movie as well as what makes the poignant parts so emotionally driven, which again is something that is great as it means the narrative is not being driven by sentimentality.

    “Peter Rabbit” is one of my movies of the year, it has the right amount of everything, yes the CGI can be a little ropey but by the time you may notice that you will be too deep and invested to care. This is a movie for the entire family as well as a great jumping off point for conversations that may be driven by this film – go and see now, you will laugh and cry, I know I did.

    “Peter Rabbit” is in cinemas now.

    Soundtrack Listing:

    1. Small As Your Dreams – Katharine Hoye, Jessica Freedman, Chad C. Reisser and Fletcher Sheridan
    2. We No Speak Americano – Yolanda Be Cool & DCUP
    3. M79 – Vampire Weekend
    4. Steal My Sunshine – Len
    5. Steal My Sunshine (Peter Rabbit 2018 Film Version) – Len
    6. Roll Up – Fitz And The Tantrums
    7. Feel It Still – Portugal. The Man
    8. Flashdance… What A Feeling – David Das
    9. Time Bomb – Rancid
    10. Schwanengesang, D.957: No. 4. Ständchen – Franz Schubert
    11. Do Your Thing – Basement Jaxx
    12. In A Big Country – Big Country
    13. Crash Into Me – Dave Matthews Band
    14. Anvil Chorus” from “Il Trovatore – Hungarian State Opera Orchestra and Budapest Festival Chorus
    15. The Kids Don’t Stand A Chance – Vampire Weekend
    16. Love Love Love – Avalanche City
    17. Rock-A-Bye Baby (Traditional)

     

  • Streaming review: “The Titan” (2018)

    Streaming review: “The Titan” (2018)

    “The Titan” (2018)

    Sci-Fi

    2-star-rating

    Running Time: 99 minutes

    Written by: Max Hurwitz

    Directed by: Lennart Ruff

    Featuring: Sam Worthington, Taylor Schilling, Tom Wilkinson,Agyness Deyn, Nathalie Emmanuel, Corey Johnson, Aleksandar Jovanovic

    Another week and another Netflix original movie, this time a genre piece called “The Titan” (2018) something of a Sci-Fi experiment, obviously shot on the cheap with inexperienced director as well as screenwriter littered with B list actor’s hoping to make something that is at once different but attempts to speak to some of the issues in today’s world. On most fronts they have not been successful, in fact this is not even a fun Sci-Fi piece, taking itself far too seriously. The very idea that this film was greenlit or even contemplated is astonishing, it is a victim of the need for Netflix to create as well as keep their own properties. This is one of the reasons that there is such a vast difference in quality from one release to another with seemingly no pattern or regularity, that is except for the sheer volume of movies and television that shows up each week in their App.

    This is a movie that represents the work of an untested screenwriter who really has only worked on some middling television shows, as well as a director that has only ever been at the helm of short films. So to hand over a genre movie with such high ideals as well as themes that would be gold in the hands of more experienced people is a crime. Whilst genre movies are the bread and butter, as well as proving grounds of new writers and directors they normally would reduce risk by employing small casts, low budgets, interesting narratives, impressive visual flair, an understanding of the genre as well as compact locations. One of the best examples is James Cameron’s “The Terminator” (1984) which met all of these salient points (breaking a few rules on the way) as well as actually being extremely complex, “The Titan” is a failure on all counts, which is unfortunate as the premise it was based around was interesting, to a point. That is the issue, this is an idea but not a thought out planned narrative feature – something that is learned through education or experiance.

    The movie is centred around US Air Force pilot Rick Janssen who is chosen for a military experiment (actually volunteered) that will create a human being capable of surviving the harsh environments of Saturn’s moon, Titan. The experiment is successful, turning Rick into a super-human, but it also creates deadly side-effects, which threaten the life of Rick, his wife and family, and possibly humanity itself.

    There are so many issues with this film it is difficult to know where to start but at the top has to be the vague themes that are employed to service the clumsy as well as nonsensical plot that forms the backbone of this movie. The movie makes a point that the Earth is facing some serious crises both from the effects of runaway population growth (although there is some solution with other issues facing us), as well as global warming, the pollution that is an offshoot of that, war (of course) and many other salient issues. The filmmakers solution is to reengineer humans and send them off to another planet, the eponymous Titan of the movie. To say that this is a novel solution is to play into some of the many flaws in this movie. Not only that, this also plays into another aspect of the movie that is fairly weak, that is the scope and budget of the movie which is extremely limited in both its effect as well as keeping an audience interested. There are some vague explanations of the science, but none of it really sticks, not only that but the testing if it could be called that comes right out the “Deadpool” (2016) technique of creating mutants – which even there was a little bit of a stretch but it did get the audience to the good parts of that movie. In “The Titan” the entire plot is so telegraphed that by the time it gets there, it feels so overbaked you will be wishing for the end to come.

    Another aspect of the movie that could have been its saving grace would have been to cast actors that could pull of the ridiculousness of the tired plot. Unfortunately the lead of the movie is Sam Worthington, an Australian actor who has tripped his way to fame through appearing in James Cameron’s “Avatar” (2009) and being thrust on to the international stage. What has become apparent in all his movies post “Avatar” is that he is not a particularly believable or good actor. To continually be in genre films as an actor there needs to be an element of ‘buy in’ from the cast which is severely lacking here, all the principles seem to all be under the impression they are in very different movies. Then there is the casting of Taylor Schilling as Worthington’s spouse who coincidentally understands from  a scientific point what is going on. Schilling who rose to fame in the Netflix show “Orange is the new black” (2013-present) is a passable actress but here is out of her depth in what has to have been a favour to someone. The movie is rounded out with “Game of Thrones” (2011-present) supporting stress Nathalie Emmanuel who here proves she is a definite one note actress, Tom Wilkinson who is slumming it here and finally rising actress Agyness Deynwho really offers nothing original as a scientist who changes tone like some people change socks.

    The way “The Titan” has turned out is for me directly down to a weak lazy script as well as a lacklustre technique in terms of the direction of not only the actors but the action as well. When writing a screenplay that is genre based it is important to keep the plot as well as the characters moving forward in some way, that does not mean to say that there is non-stop action, but motivations as well as an anchor to a real world must stay in play or the entire movie is flawed as well as predictable and boring. Think about “The Terminator” for a moment, all of the sequences, plot points and motivations not only move forward (even though the entire movie is set in a past for two of the main characters) but the movie is entertaining and does not have a traditional ending. With “The Titan” much of the movie is spent with characters either talking about what is happening or explaining problems, this is very little visual flair. Also as I have stated if you think about the plot it makes very little clear sense, in genre pieces abandonment is never a successful solution to anything, not only that it is psychologically harmful, which leads to the ending of the movie which again does not hold up.

    The failure of this first time director is to me absolute, I have seen over the years many debut directors fall on their faces because of their ambition outweighing resources or talent, but it is rare to see a director given some, what is commercially, some very good talent, as well as some scenery in Spain which many would kill for, and be unable to salvage a script to present something that was at least good to look at but would also engage an audience. This is a truly uninspired movie that really does fail on most parts and would be hard pressed these days to be part of an anthology series or even fit into a genre television show.

    As you can tell I am not recommending this at all, in fact I wrote this review as a way of warning viewers to stay back, if you want to watch a great Sci-Fi movie directed by a relative novice then check out Alex Garlands Annihilation (2018) also on Netflix.

    “The Titan” is streaming now on Netflix.

  • DVD review: “Delicious – Series One & Two”

    DVD review: “Delicious – Series One & Two”

    “Delicious – Series One & Two”

    TV Series/Drama/Comedy

    3-stars

    Episodes: Eight

    Created by: Dan Sefton

    Featuring: Dawn French, Emilia Fox, Iain Glen, Sheila Hancock

    Dawn French: “This is Cornwall – there are no secrets.”

    Series One:

    Episode One: Leo Vincent is a successful chef, who has stolen most of his recipes from ex-wife Gina Benelli, whom he cuckolded for years with second spouse Sam. Now Sam is convinced he is having an affair and he is – with Gina. Gina has another problem with rebellious daughter Teresa, who is allergic to water, but things come to a head at a party for Sam and Leo’s son Michael’s eighteenth birthday party, when Sam learns the truth and reacts angrily.

    Episode Two: As friends and family gather for the funeral, emotions run high and one or two relationships take a new turn. The will also reveals a few surprises.

    Episode Three: Gina returns to the Penrose and reminisces about her relationship with Leo. Later, Gina has a run-in with Rosa and throws her wedding plans into turmoil.

    Episdoe Four: A suspicious Sam gets Michael to confess his affair with Teresa, whom she blames and attacks in the street. Teresa is saved by the intervention of James Harley, Teresa’s less than welcome visitor, who publicly admits that he is Teresa’s father, leading to her attempting suicide. Whilst unconscious she dreams about meeting Leo in the after life – which seems to give her the strength to recover.

    Series Two:

    Episode One: The Penrose is thriving with new staff member Adam Hesketh joining Gina and Sam but at a personal level things are not running so smoothly. Teresa is in therapy when she starts to become aware of her father’s shade and Sam embarks on n unfortunate relationship with a prospective bridegroom whose wedding will be held at the Penrose. Gina meanwhile gets as unannounced visit from her estranged father Joe and is not pleased to see him.

    Episode Two: To Gina’s annoyance Sam, after an argument, allows Joe to stay and moves into a cottage in the hotel grounds with Mimi, who is very much cheered by Joe’s presence. Michael returns from Europe and, hearing from Teresa that her therapist tried to kiss her, takes action. Teresa is still seeing Leo’s ghost and, despite Gina’s best efforts to keep them apart, meets Joe, At Sam’s fortieth birthday party Gina explains to her why she dislikes Joe so much and the women reconcile. Sam also meets her first love Marc and Gina gets a marriage proposal from old flame James.

    Episode Three: The anniversary of Leo’s death approaches and tensions are frayed all around the hotel. Police are putting on the pressure in their bid to take down Gina and Sam, and a familiar face makes a startling announcement which changes the family dynamic forever.

    Episode Four: Gina introduces Adam as Leo’s son, provoking hostility from Michael and Sam whilst James marries Gina at a lavish feast, suggesting he buy out Sam’s share of the hotel when she leaves. However Gina’s memories of Leo make her doubt her future with him and she casts him off. Teresa and Michael go off together but Sam decides to stay and run the Penrose with Gina. They are both unaware that the rest of the hidden money has been found by the authorities.

    These days cooking and comedy go together so well that it’s easy to forget when shows about cooking were relegated to Saturday and Sunday afternoons with Julia Childs and Hudson and Hall. Of course now they are an industry unto themselves, so it stands to reason that combining a good story, great actresses as well a touch of cookery would be an obvious thing to do. Introducing the dramedy “Delicious” (2017) featuring Dawn French, Emilia Fox and Iain Glen. “Delicious” follows in the footsteps of other similar shows going back to “Shelly” (1979-1992) where there was a dramatic edge with a comedy heart. Of course “Delicious” skews to the more dramatic elements but with a central talent like Dawn French and support from Sheila Hancock this show was always going to have humour,  it doesn’t seem to want to take itself to seriously.

    Sure there are elements of the soap opera genre that are present right from the outset but for me that’s what made it fun, not to be taken too seriously at all – it also had elements from the HBO show “Six Feet Under” (2001 – 2005) but transferred to the location of a high class restaurant instead of an undertakers business. Interestingly the talents behind the scenes, creator Dan Sefton as well as Directors John Hardwick and Clare Kilner, have all had a breadth of television experience in the UK which is a breeding ground for this kind of show – that can be a positive as well as a negative as it can limit the impact of the show as well as being confined to a formula of a sort. This is not a perfect show but it is very good, and is extremely entertaining.

    The series is set in Cornwall, England, where celebrity chef Leo is married to the beautiful Sam and has a successful hotel business. However, he is having an affair with his first wife Gina, a talented cook from whom he stole many of his recipes and cheated on for years. After his death things hot up for all the lives he touched.

    For me the real strength of this show is the talent that has been assembled onscreen, with Dawn French and Amelia Fox as the duel antagonists/protagonists, with the awesome Sheila Hancock and Iain Glen in meaty supporting roles that show off talents not seen before in other roles. There is no doubt that Dawn French is the star of the show, having really taken a backseat to writing and producing partner Jennifer Saunders for years, it is great to see French in a role she can sink her teeth into over four episodes – something she has never really done dramatically so this is refreshing for an audience. I do admit I was waiting for the other shoe to drop in terms of her performance, that is move into some kind of character shtick, but this never happens. On the other hand Emilia Fox, best know for her work on “Silent Witness” (1996 – present) is a real revelation as she shows her comic timing, matching French scene for scene, line for line. Then there is the always-reliable Iain Glen who is on another level thanks to his role as Jorah Mormont in “Game of Thrones” (2011 – present). What is nice to see is that he has range, which he has shown before but it is here with other experienced actors that he excels, you can see the glint in his eye – he doesn’t have to hold back or be reserved, he can just let loose, a sight to see for sure. Glen has always been that character actor who could be relied upon to show up and do his job, but for all intents and purposes he is the catalyst for this story, which endures after he is long gone.

    As with many television shows produced about ‘real’ people the geographic area they inhabit, work and live in becomes vital and important, but instead of representing isolation “Delicious” uses its locations in very different ways. Set and shot in Cornwall it is a holiday destination for families and has a warm climate which is a great setting for a restaurant as well as fine food which a large aspect of this show relies on.

    This is an excellent example of using resources and talent to create really good show that could have been mundane in different hands or with different onscreen talent. There is a B story involving the children of the two main characters, which is nice. There are also ‘soap’ and drama tropes that have been overused in the past few years, and are on hand here, i can only hope these might be dispensed with on the second season. I think that this is a real new millennium family drama about people who want to fit in but have issues because of one person’s vanity and bad choices. It is a real affirmation that the women in this show are the real heroes that have to not only come to terms with a real loss but also need to start to forge a future for their respective families. This show is definitely worth owning, it can be rewatch and that is down to the narrative as well as the cast which is top notch.

    Delicious – Series 02 Episode 01 Emilia Fox as Sam and Dawn French as Gina.
    Dawn French as Gina & Iain Glen as leo

     

  • DVD/Blu-ray review: “Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi” (2017)

    DVD/Blu-ray review: “Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi” (2017)

    “Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi” (2016)

    Science Fiction

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    Running Time: 152 minutes

    Written and Directed by: Rian Johnson

    Featuring:  Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Gwendoline Christie, Kelly Marie Tran, Laura Dern, and Benicio del Toro

    Luke Skywalker: “Breathe. Just breathe. Now reach out. What do you see?”

    Rey: “Light. Darkness. A balance.”

    Luke Skywalker: “It’s so much bigger.”

    Is it my imagination but now that production has been ramped up by Disney, and we can now expect to see a new “Star Wars” movie in some shape or from each year, has the anticipation been somewhat muted? I can remember not only when there were three years between productions but the long gaps between each trilogy as well, it is not surprising that each new beginning of a trilogy broke records in each decade it was released. It will be interesting to see how this new movie is greeted by cinemagoers as well as how successful it will be with critics. Although judging by additional screenings that are being organized this is tipped to break all time records.

    This new installment already has a lot going for it to bait audiences, with the critical darling in Rian Johnson, who was hot off his own sci-fi excursion, the extremely well received “Looper” (2012), the final appearance of Carrie Fisher, the returning ingénue in Daisy Ridley, supported by the impressive John Boyega, Adam Driver and Oscar Isaac, the answering of questions asked or at least hinted at in the previous movie, Mark Hamill appearing as well as acting his tail off, as well as all the other elements that make a new “Star Wars” a must for fans to head to cinemas in droves. The good news is that this movie moves into some actual uncharted territory thanks to a script by Johnson that is not just a retread that we received with J.J. Abrams, which was fresh but in the end a remake –  with “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” (2015) – as well as yet another prequel in the interesting “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” (2016). “The Last Jedi” (2016) was always going to be the movie that either moved things in a forward direction or just ended up being an uninspired rip-off, I am happy to report it is the former.

    This movie sees Rey developing her newly discovered abilities with the guidance of Luke Skywalker, who is unsettled by the strength of her powers. Meanwhile, the Resistance prepares to do battle with the First Order. I am not going to say anymore about the story as it is fantastic so go and see it!

    I don’t think it’s a secret but the production of the next two “Star Wars” movies, the Han Solo movie as well as Episode IX have had major problems, in particular with the directors that were hired to bring these two behemoths to the big screen. There is no doubt that when a director is brought on to one of these movies their vision is important but it must be in service to the overall vision of not only the producers but also the studio who is footing the bill  – usually in excess of US$200 million dollars. The gatekeeper of these movies was George Lucas who was also footing the bill, but now it is producer Kathleen Kennedy (one time protégée of Steven Spielberg) who is the public face as well as boss of the Star Wars Universe – she has no problem in getting her way, both publicly as well as professionally. Thats way it is great to see someone like Rian Johnson who is a writer/director, coming from independent movies and producing a movie that is as good as “The Last Jedi”. Johnson, has been able to expertly sail the waters that exist between the ports of the audience, the producers, his actors, the crew as well as his own lofty expectations, delivering a movie that is not only a worthy successor to the previous entry, but in its own way measures up to the greatest in franchise history, “Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back” (1980). This may seem like a lofty comparison, especially so soon after “The Last Jedi’s” theatrical release but there is no doubt that this is a great movie, one that not only looks back but has an eye on a future where this story must eventually conclude.

    This movie must take into account a sprawling plot with many characters, possibly the most in any Star Wars movie, giving them all their own time in the sun as well as motivations that make them at least believable, if not they just become excuses for moving the story along to the inevitable conclusion. After “The Force Awakens” introduced a new generation of heroes and villains such as Kylo Ren, Poe Dameron, Rey, Finn, Hux and Snoke, we not only catch up with them directly after the last film but we are let in on their own stories, to an extent that is surprising for such a large canvassed movie. Johnson has expertly balanced not only the loss of a main character (the untimely death of Carrie Fisher), but deals with immense action, special effects as well as not taking his eye off the ball in terms of the very personal stories of Rey and Luke. Whilst not all questions are answered, we are definitely being moved along in terms of the story as well as the destiny of these people we have only been introduced to – Johnson has proven himself to be indispensible to this franchise as writer and director.

    With these giant and outsized movies comes the expectation of large and outsized actors to complete the picture of how this story will unfold, after all these movies have to primarily be about people. As well as the established actors, there are a few new characters that have been added, there is Laura Dern as Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo, Benicio Del Toro as DJ and Kelly Marie Tran as Rose Tico. There is also a variety of special celebrity appearances that follow the last movies Daniel Craig as a stormtrooper appearance, except Johnson has dialed them up to eleven. Normally I would find these distracting but the quality of this movie is so high that they are welcoming, but not something I would recommend other filmmakers follow. Now while each of these new characters does not take up a huge amount of running time or add a major amount of plot, they are all unique as well as delivering some great dialogue.

    As you would expect the special effects are just great, there is a mix of both practical as well as CGI – there are also some extremely original sets, mixed with new creatures that will leave you breathless, they are all vivid, mixing natural creatures with their environments, the crystal foxes were my personal favourites. There are also homages to previous movies, in particular the already mention Empire, as well as some new space faring ships, in particular from The First Order. This is a well thought out movie with many resources given over to grand mise en scène as well as the most epic and personal space battles I have ever seen. Some of the explosions are gorgeous, one towards the end is epic in its silence and light.

    Now I don’t want to let any spoilers slip but special mention must be paid to Mark Hamill who at 66 finally not only gets the movie he deserves, but lets loose a performance that is career defining – make no mistake this is his movie, he has saved one of his best performances of his career for this version of a jaded Luke, that could have easily been phoned in, but he delivers, showing an actor who has so much more to give to cinema. If you think you know the character of Luke Skywalker think again, this is the character we have been promised, Hamill delivers with what seems like ease, but then thats the trick, isn’t it?

    Finally for this review, I have to mention cinematographer Steve Yedlin who has been working with Johnson since “Brick”(2005), which this shows, in particular the last quarter of the movie looks nothing like any Star Wars film that has gone before. Looking at the way in which characters, as well as action, is framed you would be forgiven for thinking you were watching a Western, or a movie from Asia, the wide angle lenses, as well as the colors are just breathtaking. This move will be nominated for technical Oscars at least – look for some other categories as well I hope, it deserves it.

    I recommend this movie as a must see, in fact the bigger the screen the better, a Star Wars movie has never looked this good, or the story been so effective in pushing a story forward, going back to “The Empire Strikes Back”. There are so many moments where you might think you know what’s going to happen or even what’s happening in a scene, but then Johnson pulls that rug – it is also shows what the force is as well as how powerful it can be – something Lucas and Abrams never really did. Also whilst Poe Dameron is a hero, being set up as a leader, just count how many times he is right about something – he is just hilarious. Have fun with this movie they don’t come this good very often at all.

  • Television/Streaming review: “The Terror” (2018) – Episodes One & Two

    Television/Streaming review: “The Terror” (2018) – Episodes One & Two

    “The Terror” (2018 – ) Episode One & Two

    Fantasy/Horror

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    10 Episodes

    Developed by: David Kajganich

    Featuring: Jared Harris, Tobias Menzies, Paul Ready, Adam Nagaitis, Ian Hart, Nive Nielsen, Ciarán Hinds

    “The Terror” is a fictionalized account of Captain Sir John Franklin’s lost expedition of HMS Erebus and HMS Terror to the Arctic, in 1845–1848, to locate the Northwest Passage. Franklin and his crew are plagued by starvation and illness, and forced to contend with mutiny and cannibalism, they are stalked across the bleak Arctic landscape by a monster.

    Most of the characters featured in The Terror are actual members of Franklin’s crew, whose unexplained disappearance has warranted a great deal of speculation. The main characters in the novel include Sir John Franklin, commander of the expedition and captain of Erebus; Francis Crozier, captain of Terror; Dr Harry D. S. Goodsir; and Captain James Fitzjames.

    Episode One: “Go for broke”

    Cinematographer: Florian Hoffmeister/ Directed by: Edward Berger

    In 1845, the Royal Navy set sail on the HMS Erebus and the HMS Terror to complete a crossing of the Northwest Passage, trying to make it through a blanket of ice in the Arctic. However, misfortunes at sea, including a sailor falling gravely ill and an accident on deck, cripple the expedition 200 miles away, and the captains have to make a risky decision in order to continue their voyage.

    Episode Two: “Gore”

    Cinematographer: Florian Hoffmeister/ Directed by: Edward Berger

    Eight months after Captain Franklin first steered the Erebus and the Terror into thick ice, the ships are still stuck. When summer comes, he sends out lead parties to figure out which direction the ice has melted. The men who trekked east find nothing, while the men to the west travel into dangerous territory and accidentally shoot an Inuit man, thinking he was a bear, but something killed one of their own.

    There is a long tradition of framing fictionalized events around real people or events that really happened, here author Dan Simmons has framed a gothic horror story in one of the most deadly and desolate places on the planet. Simmons who has been writing books for decades should be a familiar name to any of those people that either love or read genre novels. It is inspired that this should be his first novel to be turned into a television show, we can only hope it will not be his last.

    After the successful adaption of the ‘Walking Dead’ series of comics AMC found the ‘The Terror’ deciding there was enough of a bite to at least create a ten-episode series with an option of following on from there. This is a series with a great pedigree with original author Simmons on as a producer as well as being shepherded by Ridley Scott who is no stranger to isolated horror stories. Scott (and his late brother) have been champions of all kinds of television projects over the past twenty years, “The Terror” is another in a long line of amazing success.

    Wisely the television series has cast some excellent character actors of different ages as well as experience from both film, stage and television. Starting with one of the best actors of any generation is the Irishman Ciarán Hinds as Captain John Franklin of the Erebus who is a staunch brave realist knowing that the lives of his men and compatriots rely on his decision making alone. Although he suffers from the notion that he is at the center of the Universe being both English as well as a man – he suffers no-one lightly making all the major decisions himself. Jared Harris plays Francis Crozier the Captain of the ship The Terror, the namesake of this show who is the hero of the piece, a plain-spoken man who is a rival to Franklin. The cast is rounded out by the excellent Tobias Menzies surely a star in the making a number of other character actors who are below stairs always beholden to their ‘betters’.

    “The Terror” itself is set over a number of time periods with the entire show being told in a flashback – as well two separate time periods so far, one when the ships are trapped in the ice and the other before the crews left to go on their journeys. We see in the Artic that there are alliances as well as rivalries, and when we flashback we see the origins of both. What is made clear from the outset is that this will be a journey where no matter the decisions made, as well as who is listened to their will be no happy ending. The journey is of course tinged with death, but as we move through the story the idea of some supernatural force is going to come to the fore as more and more of the crew meet grisly ends.

    The very idea of isolation in horror is not new, in fact it is a trope that is used over and over again, the closest thing this show resembles is the timeless John Carpenter directed “The Thing” (1982) where we have a similar situation except in this new show we will have ten episodes to slowly get to a point where, as the audience we will have an inkling as to what is actually going on (or maybe not). These first two episodes are all set-up and atmosphere as we are plunged into the darkest of situations, two ships trapped by the encroaching ice sheets, the possibility of food running out as well as a hint of contagion amongst the crew, as well as an ‘other’ always lurking in the shadows.

    As we will see the class split between the crew and the officers is as stark as any classic examples seen before, with the officers eating and drinking the finest foods off the most expensive plates, with silver and china while the crew eats the barest of food – the crew of course have to risk their lives on an almost hourly basis whilst the officers are the ones ordering them into certain death. The best example is when Franklin orders one of the men to don a diving suit and submerge himself beneath the ice cold ocean to investigate damage, when the sailor reappears Franklin states he only wishes he could have taken his place – I am sure!

    “The Terror” is going to be a very interesting, tense and scary show to keep up with from week to week, the tension as well as the loss of life will grow as will the mystery, the superstation versus what is real and what is imagined as it will be easy to blame some monster instead of bad decision making by mortal man. Don’t get me wrong there is going to be some old-fashioned horror from the thing that is stalking the ships as well the all of the men, although very natural dangers do exist in the form of hunger, the freezing temperatures, the hostility from the animal life as well as many other dangers that will befall these explorers.

    The first two episodes have given a good example of how genre television should be executed, take an extremely strong story, cast very good actors, have some inspired production values, keep the story simple but throw in some narrative flourishes and involve a cinematographer and a director with not only great taste but an eye for what makes a good genre project look inspired.

    Smartly the producers have chosen German born cinematographer Florian Hoffmeister and director Edward Berger to helm the first two episodes, both are experienced in both genre shows as well as series with very different themes and multi-leveled thematic stories. Here both excel with some great shots and decision making in terms of story. I can only hope the directors that follow make unique choices as do their respective cinematographers.

    If you want to start watching an excellent genre show then I recommend “The Terror” now streaming on AMC.

    Ciarán Hinds as John Franklin, Trystan Gravelle as Henry Collins  – The Terror _ Season 1, Episode 1 – Photo Credit: Aidan Monaghan/AMC
  • Film review: “Ready Player One” (2018)

    Film review: “Ready Player One” (2018)

    “Ready Player One” (2018)

    Sci-Fi

    3-stars

    Running Time: 140 minutes

    Written by: Zak Penn & Ernest Cline

    Directed by: Steven Spielberg

    Featuring:  Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Lena Waithe, Letitia Wright, T.J. Miller, Simon Pegg, and Mark Rylance

    James Halliday: “Hello, if you’re watching this, I’m dead. I created a hidden object, an Easter egg. The first person to find the egg will inherit half a trillion dollars and total control of The Oasis itself.”

    I have to admit to being guilty of building this new Steven Spielberg film up in my mind particularly after the first trailer, with it nod to popular culture of the 1980s as well as its gamer sensibility, of course not forgetting its name which many young men first witnessed in that same time period. “Ready Player One” (2018) seems genuinely designed for those people that thought rebooting “Ghostbusters” (1986) as an all-female group was a bad idea, those middle class white morons who think that liking genre material is just for them, and if you are any different then look out – have a look at the hatred that was laid on Leslie Jones a few years ago. In fact, with Spielberg doing the rounds at the moment and his references to new media you might be forgiven for thinking that he might be one of those people. This is a movie full of white people (with some token minority sidekicks) with problems that will be foreign to most, it is set in the future built around some of those same characters Spielberg made famous and made him one of the richest and most successful filmmakers ever. This film is a love letter to that audience that think their childhoods are sacrosanct and should remain how they remember them – so this isn’t really that original, not only that it is homogenized. Also, it is following one of the most successful films ever in the genre breaking culture smashing “Black Panther” (2018) – to me “Ready Player One” does not just look out of place but even with all the special effects and IP just looks white and tired.

    There is no doubt that this film is being sold on one word, that is ‘sentimentality’, while that in itself is not a bad thing, it can be when that it is used as a way to misremember the past or brush over the negative aspects of it – which of course there are, we do not live in a perfect world, we certainly don’t love in a fictionalized one. There is no doubt that this movie is a lot of fun, it has big screen action that only someone like Spielberg can deliver, it is based on a best-selling novel that seems to have been created with this movie in mind, it offers so much that after a while it becomes a little tedious – I get it, large corporations are bad, individuality is good – but really is this something that I haven’t heard before, I mean I studied it in school with “1984”, and even then it wasn’t an original thought. Ultimately while a lot of fun I could not help but think that the film is far less than the sum of its varied and colorful parts. Problems occur when there is such a broad story told without the real close up on individuals and their motivations for their own actions.

    The film is set in 2045, much of Earth’s population centers have become slum-like cities due to overpopulation, pollution, corruption, and climate change. To escape their desolation, people engage in the virtual reality world of the OASIS (Ontologically Anthropocentric Sensory Immersive Simulation), where they can engage in numerous activities for work, education, and entertainment. Users have discovered hidden with OASIS “Anorak’s Quest”, a game created by the late James Halliday (Rylance), the creator of OASIS. The first to find the Easter Eggs with Anorak’s Quest is promised full ownership of OASIS among other gifts. This has attracted a number of Gunters (“egg hunters”) to play the game. Innovative Online Industries (IOI), the manufacturer of most virtual reality equipment, also seeks ownership of OASIS, and its CEO, Nolan Sorrento (Mendelsohn) has amassed an army of indentured players, known as Sixers (due to their six-digit identification), to seek the prize. However, to date, no one has been able to complete the first quest, finishing a vehicle race across an ever-shifting dangerous cityscape. From here sides are drawn and we are witness to the race for the golden ticket.

    There is no doubt that the stars of this movie are the genre pieces that have been brought together under one roof as well as the involvement of super producer/director Steven Spielberg whose own oeuvre is noticeably absent – there are no Gremlins, velociraptors, evil trucks, ‘War of the World’ style aliens or even a Dr. Jones anywhere to be seen, in fact there are lots of Warner Brothers properties (although no DCEU or LOTR) and a bunch of Universal properties as well (although no Fast and Furious, Classic Monsters). It’s an odd thing to think of the world in thirty years with some major properties absent as well as no ‘Star Wars’, MCU or Pixar characters which seems like an obvious flaw – Disney for good reason didn’t want to lend out their IP.

    For my mind I was struck by how reductive as well as fairly ho hum this film ends up being, I am actually at a loss as to why Spielberg even wanted to be part of it. His films lately have fallen flat to say the least, following on what should have been a slam dunk with “The BFG” (2016) disappointed not only at the box office but critics shunned it as well. Last year there was the project that should have been at least an Oscar contender, “The Post” (2017) was shunned in favor of newer more relevant films, now we have a big budget genre piece that while a younger Spielberg may have taken chances, the director now 72 seems to be showing his age, perhaps questioning relevance as well as seemingly second guessing himself with choices of projects. Even his next two movies, a remake of “West Side Story” (1964) and another Indiana Jones movie – in 2018 do we really deserve these two movies? While it’s true that there are few directors in Spielberg’s class, certainly there are few of any age that could get any movie they wanted greenlit. In saying that when Clint Eastwood was 72 he directed Oscar Winner and box office hit “Mystic River” (2003) and was about to direct Oscar Winner and box office hit “Million Dollar Baby” (2004), even now Eastwood at age 88 he is making more interesting choices as well as original movies than Spielberg has since the 1990s. A person closer to Spielberg’s age is Martin Scorsese whose own oeuvre is littered with odd choices although continues to make a huge impact in other ways, such as his excellent documentaries, and could you ever imagine Spielberg making a movie like the thematically rich period piece “Silence” (2016)?

    It feels to me that having been so successful Mr. Spielberg seems lost in what he wants to make as well as the kind of films that he has left in him. His record is envious both as director and producer but his output recently has been not only questionable but his lack of not only his own self, but the changing culture he is living through leaves much to be desired. “Ready Player One” looks like a movie that itself is lost, it covers broad themes in ways a more juvenile director might push them, it has at its heart a white savior surrounded by sidekicks that smack of Short Round from one of his more mistake ridden and narratively flawed movies “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” (1984). As I mentioned the idea that white people can solve the world’s problems is an idea from a much older generation, one that we see reflected in positions of power whether it be Trump, Weinstein or any right wing government going – I would have thought with Spielberg’s own background he would have known better – but this is a person that was a little cerebral than his other classmates, such as Coppola who while more maverick tackled issues far more complex than Spielberg ever has – he paid a price for his bravery, maybe it’s time for Spielberg to pay a price for his pop culture ideas.

    The film itself takes far too long to get to its point as well as endlessly explain itself in at the beginning to set up the entire world as well as an ending that is narrated to a point that there can be no guessing as to what we are witnessing. In fact, the entire movie is filled with exposition, so much so that I almost though old Basil may turn up to give a half time lecture. The old adage is that cinemas is a visual medium, it may have been a better idea all round if this has been embraced.

    The cast is young and has to carry much of the film, one of the only adult characters that is given any real time is Australian Ben Mendelsohn who seems to be asleep through most of the running time, he comes off like many of the adults as one note and paper thin. In fact the entire narrative is taken from Road Dahl’s ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’, which has been made twice into movies, that contain more surprises and depth of character than this one. The explanation behind that is easy, the film is co-written by hack in the making Zak Penn who has never met a script he couldn’t dumb down and reduce to its basic elements, as well as being a franchise killer – we can thank him for “X-Men: The Last Stand” (2006).

    This may have come off like bashing a movie but actually “Ready Player One” is an enjoyable romp if you don’t look too deep – the interplay between the characters is as you would expect very well executed. The world of the OASIS is rendered perfectly and the characters from different genres and times mix well together. The highlight of the film for was the section where the gang enter the world of Kubrick’s “The Shining” (1982) where things go wrong for all involved, as well as revealing one of the secrets that the gang are searching for. There are many moments like this, with throwbacks galore, like the high-tech world that most of the world lives in, which is juxtaposed by the fact that when searching for films videocassette covers are used – then they enter the relevant world through a cinema. Of course, as we are learning less and less people actually go the movies and video cassettes left us as a viable medium twenty years ago. One wonders if Kubrick would have appreciated the use of his movie in this way, lucky he never found out.

    There is enough pop culture touchstones to keep anyone amused for the runtime of “Ready Player One”, even at almost two and half hours, I did find myself clockwatching a little, but it does crack along so there are few down times. This will not be your first run in with many of the properties in this movie and they are for the most part used well, my favorite was seeing the Iron Giant again, part Terminator and part Pinocchio he was a welcome return to cinemas, one I have been waiting for some time. It may have been more appropriate for an up and coming director to really bring some originality as well as zest to this, maybe Spielberg at this stage of his career should be reaching for the stars and not looking at tropes that have been around for some time and executed better, if you want to see how it should be done go and watch “The Matrix” (1999).

    “Ready Player One” is out now only in cinemas.

    Ready Player One
  • DVD review: “Wonder” (2017)

    DVD review: “Wonder” (2017)

    “Wonder” (2017)

    Drama

    3-stars

    Running Time: 113 minutes

    Written by:  Steve Conrad, based on the novel of the same name by R.J. Palacio

    Directed by: Stephen Chbosky

    Featuring: Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson, and Jacob Tremblay

    Auggie Pullman: [voice over] “I know I’m not an ordinary kind of a kid, I’ve had twenty-seven surgeries. They help me to breathe, to see, to hear without a hearing aid, but none of them have me look ordinary.”

    I have to say that I did enjoy this movie about a boy who is born with a genetic disorder that means over the first part of his life he has to undergo constant facial surgeries to allow him to live a normal life. These surgeries leave him with extreme facial scarring that has the side effect of ostracizing him from society. This is the story of how he has to brave the outside world, face his fears as well as others misunderstanding of his condition as well as attempt to make friends with children who can be cruel – something we are reminded of constantly throughout this movie.

    As you would expect from a movie like this the main character of the story is the child, Auggie, who through many interactions does find acceptance as well as becoming the hero of his own story, something that is sign posted from the very beginning. This is no knock on the movie as I expect that the end product is exactly what everyone involved was working towards. This was based on a work of fiction that was driven out of a real event, as well as incorporating many other ideas which all seem to work well, teaching tolerance as well as the acceptance of others no matter how they look on the surface – however this is all told from the point of view of white rich New York elites that for me simplifies issues of race, economics as well as level of education.

    “Wonder”(2017) revolves mainly around August “Auggie” Pullman (Jacob Tremblay) is a young boy born with a facial deformity who has been in and out of hospitals for years. With the help of his mother, Isabel (Julia Roberts), and his father, Nate (Owen Wilson), he tries to fit in at a new school, Beecher Prep, and to show everyone he is just an ordinary kid and that beauty is not just on the outside.

    This movie is a slick piece of work with a plot that is certainly not original but does attempt to broaden its horizons as well as make a comment on the way children are raised, the sacrifices that are made in the process of raising children, what can go wrong in terms of health issues, roles parent play and many other pertinent aspects of raising children. These are all noble points, but the one thing that is missed or ignored, which can be an issue for many movies is that the families as well as all their friends are wealthy which means many problems are solved by just waiving money at them. At no time whatsoever does Auggie or his family have to worry about money for rent, food, tuition, toys, computers or anything. In fact the family live in a Brownstone in New York that go for at least US$2.5 million, Auggie’s room by itself is larger than many apartments, he has his own computer, television, huge mural and many other ‘toys’ most children would kill for.

    The roles of the parents are unclear, they are obviously liberals, sending their son to a liberal school, where the curriculum that is taught is again enriched by money as well as of course pointing out how left thinking they are with a female science teacher as well as an African American teacher, peppering the class with other cultures – although there is the point made that the ‘baddies’ are nebbish white new money conservatives. These are almost all tropes that have been transported from any number of genres and other family movies. Back to the parents, the mother played by A-lister Julia Roberts is just as you would expect, the perfect mother who can put up with her husband, is able to give her son the best home school education, he is of course smarter than all the other children he goes to school with, makes perfect food – looking extremely healthy – and is able to not blink an eye when her daughter brings home someone non-white. The father, played with charm by Owen Wilson, is the funniest guy in the room, has a job that goes unexplained but rakes in the money to afford their lavish lifestyle. The only real chink in the armor of the family is the daughter, Via, played by Izabela Vidovic, who feels like she has been sidelined by Auggie’s issues, as well being ignored by a childhood friend – of course her issues are completely resolved by the end of the movie, much like everyone else’s – the typical Hollywood movie as well as a complete fantasy based on a fictional story.

    The novel that this movie is based on is completely fiction, it was written by a woman that saw a child with a facial deformity in an ice cream shop with her own child. In thinking that her child would be upset and cause a scene she attempted to remove herself from that situation, in doing so she caused a huge scene. This is not necessarily a negative aspect but it does lead into the movie itself as it concentrates on one aspect of a story but really white washes any other issues the typical family might face – which this one really does not.

    In saying all of this about “Wonder” and it may seem I am being overly negative but there is still a lot to like about the movie. For one it is a family movie that should appeal to almost any age, be they five or above. This movie speaks to so much about what it is like starting anything new, there is fear, trepidation about the unknown, and that is before taking into account the feeling that you are different to everyone else – this movie deals with that along with the knowledge that this will never change. It teaches us that acceptance is important as well as the idea that there will always be people that accept you for who you are, as well as those who never will. These are all positive messages that cannot be underestimated by viewers of this very well executed movie.

    Stephen Chbosky who also directed “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” (2012) here has almost everything a director could want, a compelling story, an excellent cast as well as a great location. He puts them all together to create a unique story centered around breakout star Jacob Tremblay who so impressed with “Room”(2015), here he almost carries the entire movie with what looks like ease. Of course there is a lot of work he must do which is easy to see once you compare his performance to some of the other child actors. The rest of the cast including superstar Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson do exactly what you expect which is to show their supercharged talents to bring more urgency as well as emotion that helps to highlight the issues that their son faces.

    I can recommend this as a movie to see in cinemas as a family, it teaches without being too preachy as well as giving children the agency to make decisions that have a direct effect on not only their lives but others as well.