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I am a reviewer of films and television at Spryfilm.com and I upload stories to thisissouthtaranaki.com.
  • DVD review: “In Plain Sight” (2008 – 2012)

    DVD review: “In Plain Sight” (2008 – 2012)

    “In Plain Sight” (2008 – 2012)

    Television/Action/Thriller

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    61 Episodes

    Created by: David Maples

    Featuring: Mary McCormack, Fred Weller, Nichole Hiltz, Todd Williams, Lesley Ann Warren, Paul Ben-Victor, Cristián de la Fuente, Rachel Boston

    Mary Shannon: Since 1970, the Federal Witness Protection Program has relocated thousands of witnesses, some criminal, some not, to neighborhoods all across the country. Every one of those individuals shares a unique attribute, distinguishing them from the rest of the general population. And that is, somebody wants them dead. 

    There is no doubt that there are far too many scripted television series being produced than any one person can watch from week to week without making it a full time job. So it is great when something surfaces that did not get an airing here in New Zealand, then turns up on a secondary source such as what is considered an old fashioned medium, the good old DVD. I am pleased to say that is exactly what has happened with “In Plain Sight” (2008 – 2012), a vehicle for the excellent character actress Mary McCormack who came to fame as Howard Stern’s wife in “Private Parts” (1997), then going on to appear in a variety of projects. Here McCormack gets to not only play drama, but comedy as well as kicking ass as a US Marshall, a cleaner female counter-part to “Justified” (2010-2015) if you will.

    The series itself revolves around Mary Shannon (Mary McCormack), a Deputy United States Marshal attached to the Albuquerque, NM, office of the Federal Witness Security Program (WITSEC), more commonly known as the Federal Witness Protection Program. Shannon must find ways to balance her professional life of protecting witnesses, her professional relationship with her work partner as well as her problematic personal life.

    This is for all intents and purposes an episodic show with procedural elements that begin and end in the same episode (with few exceptions) much like many shows of its ilk. What “In Plain Sight” does extremely well is to balance the main characters personal life with her working situation in a way that leaves you wanting more – it really is less about being a US Marshall than it is about a daughter, sister, partner and lover, struggling with life as well as dealing with people who have been shunted out of their own lives many times because they have been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

    The very defining thing that I found to be different from other shows that revolve around either the police or crime or both are the characters that have been created as well as the magnificent casting that has occurred to bring these to life as well as inhabiting them with some honesty that can be lacking in other generic shows.

    Firstly, the main character Mary (Mary McCormack) is a completely capable officer, a nonconformist and uninterested in typical feminine wiles. Mary has trust and abandonment issues that lead her to have difficulties with relationships due to a difficult childhood resulting from her father’s abandonment and her mother’s alcoholism. Secondly there is Marshall (Fred Weller) who is a fifth-generation Deputy U.S. Marshal, Marshal Mann is Mary’s partner, as well as her best friend, and occasionally appeared to desire more than her friendship as the series progressed. He seems to know a little about everything, what Mary calls “useless information”, and is rarely ever speechless. The only time this has ever happened was in the season-three episode “Whistle Stop”, when he discovered Raphael and Mary had broken up, leading her to declare him “verbally impotent”. Friction between Marshall and Mary occurs at times, often due to Marshall’s cerebral approach and Mary’s gut instinct, though both are extremely protective of witnesses and each other. Lastly there is their boss Stan McQueen (Paul Ben-Victor), : As chief inspector for WITSEC’s Southwest region, Stan is Marshall and Mary’s boss who is flexible and a stand-up guy, quickly backing up both Marshall and Mary when they hit trouble. Stan likes to stick to official WITSEC doctrine as often as possible and is reluctant to bend the rules without authorization.

    That leads us to Mary’s relationships at home, these are lead by her mother Jinx (Lesley Ann Warren) who is an alcoholic as was abandoned by her bank-robbing husband to raise her two daughters alone. Finally there is Brandi (Nichole Hiltz) Mary’s younger sister who is very much her mother’s daughter and the baby of the family. She lives in the moment and was originally involved with a shady man named Chuck. Despite this, she looks up to Mary and, at times, sees her as an example. She also tends to be the more mature figure in her relationship with her mother. Brandi is loyal to a fault, but is slowly developing a conscience independent of others’ approval.

    My stand outs as well as scene stealers for the entire series are the well cast Nichole Hiltz and the amazing as well as legendary Lesley Ann Warren who not only are foils for Mary McCormack, keeping her on her toes not only in character but she cannot afford to fall asleep or coast with these two as scene partners because they are that good in their jobs. They both know their own characters inside out, they breathe them, with what could have been cut out archetypes, these two actresses from very different generations own them as well as feeling plugged in to what they need to do in each scene they appear in. This show is worth watching just for them.

    The series is very well directed, mostly by Dan Lerner, but eagle eyes will spot episodes directed by veterans, as well as film directors such as John Badham, Ernest Dickerson, Stephen Hopkins and various other great television directors – this leads to well rounded and inventive episodes. Not only that but they are also able to bring the best out in not only the cast but the crew who work behind the scenes. I am a big fan of many of these directors and after watching episodes that could be humdrum in others hand you will appreciate may of these, particularly if you binge this show, like I did.

    If you are looking for a new cop show that is just waiting to be discovered then I recommend this highly, it will keep you entertained with fairly simple storylines but it is the characters that will keep you coming back with all of them facing real growth through the four seasons that are available right now.

    “In Plain Sight” seasons 1 to 4 are available now in a box set on DVD now.

     

     

     

  • Official Trailer – “Ready Player One” (2018)

    Official Trailer – “Ready Player One” (2018)

    “Ready Player One” (2018)

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    From filmmaker Steven Spielberg comes the science fiction action adventure “Ready Player One,” based on Ernest Cline’s bestseller of the same name, which has become a worldwide phenomenon. The film is set in 2045, with the world on the brink of chaos and collapse. But the people have found salvation in the OASIS, an expansive virtual reality universe created by the brilliant and eccentric James Halliday. When Halliday dies, he leaves his immense fortune to the first person to find a digital Easter egg he has hidden somewhere in the OASIS, sparking a contest that grips the entire world. When an unlikely young hero named Wade Watts decides to join the contest, he is hurled into a breakneck, reality-bending treasure hunt through a fantastical universe of mystery, discovery and danger.

    READY PLAYER ONE is directed by Steven Spielberg and stars Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn and T.J. Miller, with Simon Pegg and Oscar winner Mark Rylance.

    READY PLAYER ONE releases in New Zealand cinemas on March 29, 2018.

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  • DVD & Blu-ray review: “American Made” (2017)

    DVD & Blu-ray review: “American Made” (2017)

    “American Made” (2017)

    Comedy/Action/Drama

    stars-2-5

    Running Time: minutes

    Written by: Gary Spinelli

    Directed by:  Doug Liman

    Featuring: Tom Cruise, Domhnall Gleeson, Sarah Wright, Jayma Mays, Jesse Plemons, Lola Kirke, Alejandro Edda

    Barry Seal: [voice over] “My name is Barry Seal. Some of this really happened. It really did.”

    Whenever I talk about a movie featuring Tom Cruise I feel I have to say that I am in fact a huge fan of his. From his early appearances all the way through to “American Made” (2017) I love watching him onscreen, I find him appealing as well as possibly at his level, one of the most fearless actors around – he will do anything to try and make a movie work, as well as fearing no genre – in fact you will find it difficult to find another person working in front of the camera today that has literally appeared in every major genre going, a rare feat indeed. Of course in saying that it does not mean that all of this work has been either a critical hit or a financial one – one need only look at this years “The Mummy” (2017) for an example of both. After a number years of action films comes what could generously be called a drama, but in fact is more an action/comedy than anything else, which is a shame as the story of pilot Barry Seal could have been to the 1980s political climate what the excellent “Three Kings” (1999) was to the Gulf War. Sadly that is not to be as the only thing that is lacking with this movie is a decent script that a strong talented director, in this case Doug Liman, and a strong star could get behind. Truly in this political climate it would have been a gift to show how little progress has been made in the US in terms of cover ups as well as double-dealing Presidents.

    “American Made” tells the story of Barry Seal (Tom Cruise), a TWA pilot, who was recruited by the CIA, to assist in countering the emerging communist threat that was perceived to be a serious threat in Central America. Seal’s role in this major CIA covert operation led in turn to his involvement with the Medellin cartel, which ultimately embarrassed the Reagan White House after the Iran-Contra scandal became public.

    While watching this film and reflecting on how the US has constantly interfered with foreign governments as well as setting up dictators and paying for those despots for the past twenty years, it is no wonder many people either don’t trust Americans or simply do not like them. The result of last years US election, the success of the candidate Donald Trump while the turmoil of the race relations within the US boils to the surface it is no wonder some narcissistic egomaniac like Barry Seal was able to play both sides of the coin while maintaining a relationship (although i seriously doubt it is accurately portrayed here) with his wife.

    Director Doug Liman has recruited Tom Cruise for the main part, from the outside one of the biggest egos out there to play someone that appears to be larger than life, while being able to straddle some kind of fantasy life that would make James Bond jealous. Cruise who has played plenty of characters that have outsized egos seems like the perfect fit for this role, his comic timing as well good looks make him seem like some kind of superhero in this movie, except for the fact that this is a film that at its core is about Presidential corruption, murder, illegal drugs, illegal arms sales as well as inherent corruption of not only the CIA but any number of government agencies – and we are supposed to be cheering for someone profiting out of this – I am at the age that this makes me feel uncomfortable, because there is probably any number of innocent people that have been at best wounded, at worst killed by these actions.

    So where “American Made” falls short in the biggest way is in its one note script, written by Gary Spinelli, someone who has had no experience in this kind of real life drama, that contains not only many levels of complexity but is also a period piece being set in the 1980s. Spinelli at best has written a reductive story about what it means to be a narcissus living in the US at the moment, where you are only concerned with the ‘me’ as well what it means to be able to make money at the cost of anyone or anything else, that is what Charlie Sheen called being a ‘winner’ all those years ago – it is a self indulgent story that a teenager may find great because it shows how you can get ahead at the expense of almost everyone else. This is what was wrong with Scorsese’s “The Wolf of Wall Street” (2014), which became a mad mess as well as puerile – it doesn’t hold a mirror up to these issues, it celebrates them for all the reasons that an audience should not only be repulsed by them, but also ask why these people are not held accountable.

    With all of that said this is the movie that the producers, who count Brian Grazer and Ron Howard amount them, wanted to make, they hired the writer as well as Doug Liman to direct, so they got what they asked for. My only real reaction is that this was made for US audience as well as people who want an action comedy to watch because there is no real depth to this at all – it is all surface with no real consequences or stakes, someone who is looking for something deeper to worry about should go elsewhere – this truly is all surface and what many ‘American Made’ films have come to represent.

    As I have said Tom Cruise can act and has shown this time and again, but not in recent memory – it appears there will not be a drama in his future, but I cannot help but think of the Tom Cruise who has garnered three Oscar nominations as well as someone who can show real empathy onscreen – my hope is that he will start turning in some mature performances sometime in the future – I would rather see him turn into a Paul Newman than a Charles Bronsan type. In terms of the supporting cast, Cruise attracts quality, so we see the always impressive Domhnall Gleeson, as well as budding character actor Jesse Plemons, with bubbly Sarah Wright as Seals long suffering wife. They are all great but it is Wright who is given the least to do, except look gorgeous against Cruises lead performance – Cruise would like to think he is eternally young but she looked too much his junior for this to be as believable as the film-makers would like you to think. As usual playing the wife Wright gets very little of her own arc, her character, if it called be called that, is not developed at all, leaving me wondering if she is only there to serve some eye candy for the predominantly male audience the producers are expecting. Such a shame but the film makers seem to have forgotten that while the film is most definitely set in the 1980s, it was not made in that same decade.

    I will be the first to admit that if not for the current political climate I may have loved this movie, it is full of action as well as humor and is most definitely all surface, something that may have been a fun Saturday night blast. It is like a cross between “Top Gun” (1986) and believe it or not “Valkyrie” (2008) in Tom Cruise parlance. But because we are living in this era of what has become fake news this becomes a reflection of these times – filmmakers have to understand that if they are making a movie that is ‘based on a true story’ unless you are one of the rare directors that can straddle a fence of drama/true story/action then you should back off otherwise you end up with a movie like “American Made”.

    Something to note is that “American Made” is a Universal Pictures project which at this stage of the year is interesting, if you look since January they have had some successes with “The Fate of the Furious” as well as “Despicable Me 3” but all of their films have been  literally rubbish, all completely forgettable as well as their giant franchises showing signs of serious wear. The only great movies that they have are not even been theirs, they are only distributed by them, those being “Get Out” and “Split” which are Blumhouse productions. Its a sad state of affairs going into the last quarter of the year when your hopes for any kind of serious filmmaking plaudits is “American Made”.

    With all that said as well as a low rating from me you will still have fun with this movie but if you look past the façade it may leave a bad taste in your mouth as well as a hollow feeling in your heart. I just wish Cruise would commit and lend himself to some real dramas with real teeth, as without some ‘real’ roles as well as age and a possible fading star he is running out of time to make a real mark with some great directors.

    “American Made” is out now on DVD & Blu-ray.

  • Film review: “Patti Cake$” (2017)

    Film review: “Patti Cake$” (2017)

    “Patti Cake$” (2017)

    Drama

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    Running Time: 108 minutes

    Written & Directed by: Geremy Jasper

    Featuring: Danielle Macdonald, Cathy Moriarty, Siddharth Dhananjay, McCaul Lombardi, Patrick Brana, Bridget Everett, Mamoudou Athie

    Patti: [to Barb] “Act your age.” 

    Barb: [to Patti] “Act your race.”

    Firstly, it has to be said upfront that this debut film by music video director Geremy Jasper is not original, that is to say the plot is not, however the success as well as enjoyment of this movie is not to be found there, look closer and you are witness to a movie that is about the truth of the characters that have been created they are original as well as heart felt with plenty of emotion to push through the plot. This is a film where the plot exists to solely illustrate some fine acting, original musical performances as well as the strong relationships that exist between family as well as friends. These relationships occur when people are not only color blind but love each other for reasons that only they can explain, where looks, economics and politics are able to transcend location in the world we all live in, acceptance is central to “Patti Cake$” (2017).

    Of course a movie about a budding white MC in a run down part of the US might sound familiar to many, in fact the fingerprints of the Curtis Hanson directed “8 Mile” (2002) is all over “Patti Cake$” (2017) on a superficial level. The bigotry that exists within “Patti Cake$” goes so deep that at times you wonder if there will be any redemption for the main character at all – but what kind of movie would this be if if ended on hopelessness, but in fact the ending is low key much like the entire low budget movie itself, there lies its originality as well as the emotion that is underpinned by the main character herself.

    The movie concerns Patricia “Dumbo” Dombrowski is an overweight white girl from Bergen County, New Jersey, who seeks fame and fortune as a rapper. She faces several obstacles including discouragement from some people close to her as well as encouragement from others. This of course is just an outline as anything other than this may spoil the surprises that are on offer in this movie so do yourself a favor and watch this now.

    This is definitely a movie about journeys; the main journey is of course Patti herself who moves through the story like a force, with the inherent ability to push her way through the prejudices of others as well as the innumerable obstacles that come up. But there are major secondary characters that evolve throughout the movie such as Barb, Patti’s long suffering mother who battles her own self worth, the rising star of her daughter, an alcohol problem as well as many other issues; Nana, Barb’s mother who has health issues but is right by Patti’s side even in the closing moments, finally there are Patti’s closest allies, Basterd and Jheri, two of the brightest lights in this movie, who do what you expect but like Patti have unfulfilled dreams that at least start to happen, in an original way.

    Of course this movie could not be the success it is without the incredible actors, which for the most part are all budding talents. The cast led by Danielle Macdonald who is a relative newcomer leads in a way that shows she has made choices for her character that are inherent to “Patti Cake$” success. There are a range of emotions that Macdonald not only has to go through, but bring to life believably onscreen so that we are on board with her on the journey. It would have been easy for the actor to fall back on her physicality alone, but she does not take the easy way out, this shows as she develops a fully realized three dimensional persona. The other actor that brings her A game is the similarly talented Bridget Everett who shows the ferocious actress she is capable of being, but it is her voice that brings the spark of hope, particularly in the musical ending that was touching in a non manipulative way. The cast is rounded out with Siddharth Dhananjay and Mamoudou Athie, newcomers who aid Macdonald without overpowering her performance at all, which means they know how to support her in all the right ways. Lastly of note is the great Cathy Moriarty who while not appearing for the entire film lends her star power and talent to hook the audience in the first act, reminding me of the fantastic Anne Ramsey (“Throw Momma from the Train”(1987)) in her limited time onscreen.

    As with many first time writer/directors Geremy Jasper has mined a story that he knows extremely well, as a prolific director of music videos he has been able to channel this knowledge into a movie that, while it sticks to some well worn tropes, is able to shine with its deviation into originality using original characters to make some subtle points about not only the music business but society in general. The fact that the protagonist is a young white girl who is overweight is so refreshing that it really does illustrate the shortcomings of not only men but the larger society in general. When people view Patti (those that do not know her) all they see is a fat white girl with no talent, but of course everyone in this movie is proved wrong in all of their short sightedness, most of all her Mother who is seemingly blind to Patti’s talents – this is because of age as well as her own societal prejudices. One of the strongest messages of “Patti Cake$” is that you should never judge a book by its cover, which is true of almost every single character in this movie – they all bely there looks with talents that surpass almost everyone else they come across. “Patti Cake$” is also a reflection of what society wants you to think, that is people who do not fit into boxes either do not matter or are not worth worrying about. This of course is a sentiment that exists in US politics at the moment, showing no signs of improving. What “Patti Cake$” does is to shine a light as well as physically show that we all matter, that what we do is to fight everyday for a reason to live – Patti is someone who never quits, no matter what happens – she is her own person no matter what pain she must go through to prove that – something we could all learn to do at least once in our lives.

    One of the major aspects of the movie is of course the music, which was written by writer/director Geremy Jasper and is as vital as anything else that appears within the movie. Not only does the music fit in with the characters that have been created but you can easily imagine them creating these songs, ‘Pbnj’ has to the crowning glory of the soundtrack with an appearance by Nana, just fantastic as well as being completely in tune with the movie. You just need to look at the song titles to see that Jasper has a sense of humor that actually goes along with hip-hop in a big way as well as suiting each scene that music appears in.

    This is a great movie to watch as an antidote to the usual big screen fare that graces the screens of multi screen cinemas, as well as being a very good debut from the writer/director/composer that is as entertaining as it is a commentary on being unique in a society that asks for homogeneity – it is also a watch for the family especially for those that feel out of step – it says it is ok to be unique as well as accepting of others.

    Song List:

    1. Patti $Ea$On
    2. Mylifesfuckinawesome
    3. Pbnj
    4. Godfather (O-Z)
    5. Thick N’ Thin
    6. Punch the Sky (Goon Squad)
    7. Wake Up Sheep! (Basterd)
    8. Hunger Gamez
    9. I’m Not Gonna Be Her
    10. Tuff Love (Barb Wire)
    11. Killa P!
    12. Ruler – Kirk Knight
    13. Trapped (feat. Emily Forsythe)
    14. Comma Sutra
    15. Tuff Love (Finale)
    16. Hail Zeazur (O-Z)
    17. Jersey D’evilz

     

  • “All the Money in the World” (2017) – Official Trailer

    “All the Money in the World” (2017) – Official Trailer

    “All the Money in the World” (2017) – Official Trailer

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    Rome, 1973. Masked men kidnap a teenage boy named Paul. His grandfather, J. Paul Getty, is the richest man in the world, a billionaire oil magnate, but he’s notoriously miserly. His favorite grandson’s abduction is not reason enough for him to part with any of his fortune. All the Money in the World follows Gail, Paul’s devoted, strong-willed mother, who unlike Getty, has consistently chosen her children over his fortune. Her son’s life in the balance with time running out, she attempts to sway Getty even as her son’s mob captors become increasingly more determined, volatile and brutal. When Getty sends his enigmatic security man Fletcher Chace to look after his interests, he and Gail become unlikely allies in this race against time that ultimately reveals the true and lasting value of love over money.

    The film is inspired by historical events. Some scenes, characters and dialogue have been fictionalized for dramatic purposes.

    ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD was directed by Ridley Scott. The film stars Michelle Williams, Christopher Plummer, Mark Wahlberg, Romain Duris, Charlie Plummer. Based on the book by: John Pearson

    ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD releases in New Zealand cinemas on January 4, 2018.

     

  • Trailer: “Avengers: Infinity War” (2018)

    Following the events of “Captain America: Civil War,” the Avengers as we know it no longer exists. Lines were drawn; sides were chosen. The Avengers is nothing more than a team name without any team members. Can Earth’s Mightiest Heroes put aside their differences and unite once more? Do they even stand a chance against the Mad Titan who delights in their failure and desperation? Can they stop his thirst for power and chaos as he begins to collect the Infinity Stones?

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    See the culmination of the last decade of the Marvel Cinematic Universe when “Avengers: Infinity War” opens in NZ cinemas on April 25, 2018.

  • DVD & Blu-ray reviews: “The Hitman’ s Bodyguard” (2017)

    DVD & Blu-ray reviews: “The Hitman’ s Bodyguard” (2017)

    “The Hitman’ s Bodyguard” (2017)

    Comedy/Action

    3-stars

    Running Time: 118 minutes

    Written by: Tom O’Connor

    Directed by: Patrick Hughes

    Featuring: Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, Gary Oldman and Salma Hayek

    Michael Bryce: “I’m a triple A rated executive protection agent and you’re the most wanted hitman in the world. My job is to keep you out of harm’s way.”
    [Kincaid starts laughing, looking annoyed Bryce punches him in the face]

    Darius Kincaid: “Shit! What the fuck?!”

    Was anyone really waiting for this movie? It seems like an uninspiring idea at first glance, but in reality this is an action movie that harkens back to a simpler time that echoes action stars of the late 1980s and 1990s, before the Bourne’s and Wicks took control of the genre, when it was the force of personality that drove a movie through any plot issues, there was little time for nuance or even stories that made sense – with all that, ladies and gentlemen, I give you “The Hitman’s Bodyguard” (2017).

    This is a bloody R-rated mess of a movie featuring newly minted action king, Ryan Reynolds (thanks in no small part to “Deadpool” (2016)) and his wise cracking anarchy inducing co-star, the always-affable Samuel L. Jackson, with a wonderfully energetic Salma Hayek as well as fiendishly evil Gary Oldman (resurrecting his Russian accent from his role in Air Force One (1997)) in great supporting roles. Its a killer cast featuring a script from the highly rated blacklist that takes the best unproduced scripts floating around Hollywood at a given time.

    Bodyguard Michael Bryce (Ryan Reynolds) is hired to protect a Japanese arms dealer. All apparently goes well, but the dealer is shot in the head at the last minute. Two years later, Bryce has fallen into disgrace and ekes out a living protecting drug-addicted corporate executives. Meanwhile, Vladislav Dukhovich (Gary Oldman), the ruthless and bloodthirsty dictator of Belarus, is put on trial for crimes against humanity at the International Court of Justice. The prosecution is unable to make headway against him, as they cannot substantiate their allegations with physical evidence and Dukhovich assassinates any witnesses who could do so. The prosecution’s last hope is notorious hitman Darius Kincaid (Samuel L. Jackson), who agrees to testify against Dukhovich in exchange for the exoneration of his wife Sonia (Salma Hayek), who is currently incarcerated.

    From here the plot becomes a pretty much standard chase movie with not only the henchman of Dukhovich after the duo of Bryce and Kincaid, but Interpol after them as well. The pair who hate each other on first meeting become quick allies as well as fast friends, as you would expect they solve each others problems including Bryce’s issues with his love life – its all pretty standard and would make for a pretty trite movie, except it is the winning as well as quick mouthed dialogue of leads Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson that make the enduring two hours of run time even a little bearable. If you have seen any of Reynolds’s previous movies you have come to expect an extremely quick wit as well as a quicker mouth, he is able to string funny lines together like few leading men can, while not seeming to be a routine thing for him at all. However, it is with a sparring partner like Jackson that really helps sell this relationship and so to the movie itself.

    When you are producing an action movie that has no real inherent originality it is important to cast it extremely well as well employing actors that bring some sense of identity to their roles, not only in the leads but also in their supporting cast. While this movie has employed two expertly suited actors in the lead it is the supporting cast that helps sell what could have been a mediocre action movie. The stand out in “The Hitman’s Bodyguard” as well as someone who pretty much steals the entire movie is the fantastic Salma Hayek. As Kincaid’s (Jackson) wife Hayek actually spends pretty much the entire movie in a cell spitting rejoinders to whomever she comes across, except for a flashback scene that has to be seen to be believed – I think I can honestly say I have never seen her this animated both verbally as well as physically in any of her previous roles – she is extremely fun to behold.

    It might be reductive to simply say that this is yet another buddy comedy movie that smells like any other buddy action film since “48 Hours” (1982) with a black guy and a white guy proving that after some initial bad feelings they really are two peas in a pod – but that’s what it is, and really this cast deserves so much more than that, it certainly going into it feels like there should be more to this movie than what we are ultimately left with. “The Hitman’s Bodyguard” also owes a large debt to the Martin Brest directed “Midnight Run” (1988) , one of the greatest buddy comedy films of all time, which still influences action as well as comedy movies right up to this very day. Now of you are going to riff or pay homage to a timeless classic you had better do it well, unfortunately this movie lacks the reasons to do this and instead heavy handily just rips pieces straight from it, which is a shame.

    The director Patrick Hughes when looking at his past is not a director that cares for subtlety or even exploring any kind of themes within his own work, this could be down to the type of movies he has worked on or it could be a case of opportunity – one cannot really tell. In terms of the writer of this screenplay, Tom O’Connor, which is the latest in a long line of screenplays that have been produced that were atop the vaunted Hollywood blacklist. It turns out that it is not a precursor to success to be on top of that list because we have seen to many produced that have not been good at all, which again is a shame as it thrusts not only inexperienced directors but also writers into the public eye with little knowledge on what to do when their films turn out to be less than spectacular. Once again I find it a crime to have a cast that consists of Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, Gary Oldman and Salma Hayek who are all masters of playing comedy as well as action, but this is the movie we end up with, a real tragedy.

    It really is hard to recommend actualy going out to the movies to see this, as you will probably not be rewarded commensurate to what you will have to pay for to see “The Hitman’s Bodyguard”, so I would say wait for it to come to DVD/Blu-ray or on a streaming service.

    “The Hitman’ s Bodyguard” is out on DVD & Blu-ray on 29th November 2017.

     

  • DVD & Blu-ray: “Logan Lucky” (2017)

    DVD & Blu-ray: “Logan Lucky” (2017)

    “Logan Lucky” (2017)

    Action/Comedy

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    Running Time: 119 minutes

    Written by: Rebecca Blunt

    Directed by: Steven Soderbergh

    Featuring:  Adam Driver, Channing Tatum, Riley Keough, Daniel Craig, Seth MacFarlane, Katie Holmes, Hilary Swank, Katherine Waterston and Sebastian Stan

    Joe Bang: “I am in-car-ce-ra-ted.”

    Jimmy Logan: “Yeah, we got a plan to get you out.”

    Joe Bang: “You Logan’s must be as simple minded as people say.”

    Jimmy and Clyde: “Do people say that? Why?”

    Did anyone really believe that Steven Soderbergh was actually going to stay retired after his last film, the very good medical thriller “Side Effects” (2013), which was closely followed by the television movie “Behind the Candelabra” (2013), based in part on the life of the late entertainer Liberace? Of course between that retirement and now, he worked on the now ended television series “The Knick” (2014/15) featuring the Clive Owen. When I first heard that the Oscar winning director was making another film I was exceptionally pleased, after the huge success with his ‘Oceans’ movies it seemed fitting for him to revisit the heist genre to re-launch his film-directing career.

    This movie also marks the fifth time that Soderbergh has teamed with superstar Channing Tatum, who offers something quite unique for what has become Soderbergh’s way of not only directing, but also the way he shoots, edits and produces his movies. One of the amazing points about Soderbergh is the way in which he makes genre-defying films, that whether or not you can reduce them to a genre, they always break their own molds. “Logan Lucky” (2017) for example is not just a straight heist movie; it has elements of comedy, drama as well as the absurdity of a ridiculous idea, the redneck agenda that encompasses tropes of the Southern States. Not only that but this film is probably the closest that the director has come to brushing up against what the Coen Brothers do so well, amplifying character traits as well as their own myopic actions, much like the fact that “A Serious Man” (2009) was the closest the Coen’s came to creating a Soderbergh film.

    “Logan Lucky” concerns a family attempting to reverse a family curse, siblings Jimmy (Channing Tatum), Mellie (Riley Keough), and Clyde Logan (Adam Driver) set out to execute an elaborate robbery during the Coca-Cola 600 race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina during Memorial Day weekend.

    There are many moving parts to “Logan Lucky”, something it has in common with all the Soderbergh oeuvre; he can assemble killer casts, he shoots his own films (although this is controversial as the DGA do not allow their members to shoot and direct films), edits his own films (these last two under pseudonyms) and he has a view of the business that has always been unique. Also, after directing almost every genre, winning Oscars as well as making hit films and creating a franchise he has nothing to prove to anyone – he is a true auteur as well as one of the few mavericks still working within as well as without the Hollywood studio system. He takes the old adage of making one for ‘them’ and one for ‘you’ by just making great films.

    As already mentioned Channing Tatum leads this cast which as you would expect from a Soderbergh film is extremely deep, even two time Oscar winner Hillary Swank only makes a brief experience. What is great to see however, is one of the stars of last years amazing “American Honey” (2016) Riley Keough in a key role alongside Tatum, Adam Driver and Daniel Craig, she is easily holding her own in the scenes they have together, something not easy to do, as they are all playing hyper stylized characters. You are witnessing character flourishes not normally seen from them, particularly from Driver. Someone who I love to see in movies, as well as someone many people actively dislike is Seth MacFarlane almost unrecognizable under make up shows why he is such a comic genius playing a true character, something he should embrace as like in this movie they are the actors that really help sell a film like this, with many quirks.

    As you would expect from Soderbergh this is expertly directed, one thing he has proven over the years is that he can direct almost anything, doing so as well as anyone, ably drawing out performances that most would kill for – his talent is never in question. What is interesting is that this film is written by a newcomer, Rebecca Blunt, who believe it or not does not exist – at all; the name is a pseudonym, but nobody knows who for, although there are some suspects, it could be Soderbergh himself, his wife, Jules Asner or even a third party John Henson – both of these last two work on the E! Channel. Whoever wrote it they need not worry, as it is one of the smartest scripts in recent memory, it is up there with Jordan Peele’s “Get Out” (2017). This is almost an anti-Oceans movie, where this one juxtaposes with that trilogy in that everything is clockwork perfect, all the moves are made in advance of every possible decision – its like a visual Rube Goldberg machine, nothing is left to chance. With “Logan Lucky” however everything that could go wrong does, but the lads seem to make it through with some kind of lucky rabbits foot getting them out of trouble – it is hilarious carried off with a great script, even better direction with actors that you have no trouble laughing with as well forgiving their crimes.

    What is great about this film is that it is a treat to see in cinemas, the same way Soderbergh’s previous project “The Knick” could only have been made and seen on television. Soderbergh knows exactly what he is doing and what medium works best for whatever project he is working on. This is perhaps why he has returned to film but has not yet ruled out once again returning to the small screen. He has few real contemporaries (maybe Richard Linklater) that can boast a filmography like his, even when he has had a perceived failure time is on his side such as the brilliant “King of the Hill” (1993) or the misunderstood “Kafka” (1991) – but it seems that for the past twenty years we have all gained from having Soderbergh creating his independent as well as studio fare. What I loved about “Logan Lucky” was that I didn’t know going into it what to expect but I knew leaving the cinema how lucky I was to see a master return to the art form he so deservedly should be working in.

    I cannot recommend this movie highly enough it has enough of a plot combined with drama, action as well as a heap of all different types of comedy to keep you interested, once you see it i am sure you will agree this is one of the best films of the year so far, it is also great to see it being released in the Summer movie season as it deserves the widest possible audience.

    “Logan Lucky” is out now on DVD & Blu-ray.

    LOGAN LUCKY | Official HD Trailer (screen grab) CR: Bleecker Street
  • DVD & Blu-ray review: “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets” (2017)

    DVD & Blu-ray review: “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets” (2017)

    “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets ” (2017)

    Science Fiction/Fantasy

    3-stars

    Running Time: 137 minutes

    Written & Directed by: Luc Besson

    Featuring: Dane DeHaan, Cara Delevingne, Clive Owen, Rihanna, Ethan Hawke, Herbie Hancock, Kris Wu, and Rutger Hauer

    Doghan-Dagui: “We know how humans work. They are all so predictable.” 

    Sergeant Laureline: “Clearly, you have never met a woman.”

    There are very few directors at work today making films the way Luc Besson does, he works outside of major American studios creating what can only be called concept movies that challenge what it means to be a film-maker not only in this century but last century as well. Besson has made some of the most memorable as well as intriguing characters in film, all while working mostly in a second language, something many people forget. Whilst his earliest creations were French, such as his second film “Subway” (1985) followed by the brilliant “The Big Blue” (1988), they translated so well internationally that it was not long before he made his first genre film with the stunning as well as unforgettable “La Femme Nikita” (1990), a film that broke Jean Reno, leading to his starring role in the international hit “Leon, The Professional” (1994), which featured a young Natalie Portman.

    While Besson’s narrative style is unique, so to is his visual flair, which can be seen in all of his early movies, but it was not until his Science Fiction masterpiece “The Fifth Element” (1997) that all of his sensibilities came together with cutting edge special effects so that he could complete a vision of the future, with a touch of comedy, drama as well as what could only be described as grandiosity. Of course there is a strong link between “The Fifth Element” and this months new mega budgeted film “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets” (2017), that being Jean-Claude Mézières who co-created the comic Valerian is based on (Valérian and Laureline) as well as being the production designer on “The Fifth Element”, this is also evident while watching both movies – they share the same DNA. One based directly on a French comic the other highly influenced by comics as well as pop culture.

    “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets” is set in the 28th century, the former International Space Station has become Alpha, a city where millions of creatures from different planets live peacefully and exchange their knowledge and cultures. The humans form a special police division to preserve the peace within Alpha, including officers Valerian, a major, and his partner Laureline, a sergeant.

    While on-route to receive a new mission, Valerian dreams of a planet where a low-tech humanoid race lives peacefully. They fish for energy-containing pearls and use certain animals, referred to as “converters”, to duplicate them. As the planet is destroyed by massive debris crashing onto the planet, the natives flee to shelter, but a single female is trapped outside and manages to send a telepathic signal before dying.

    To say this movie has a sprawling storyline is an understatement but as I really do not want to spoil anything I will just say the plot is, actually fairly straight forward, as well as pretty easy to see where the characters are going to end up. The fun for me in the film was the narrative that moves around the place like balls on a pool table, you may think there is absolutely no logic but as you weave your way through the story with the myriad characters you start to see a pattern forming. I for one enjoyed the seeming randomness of where the main characters end up after a protracted journey, meeting unique as well as pretty lovable characters, the best I thought was Rhianna as a shape changing blue being called Bubble – taking advantage of all Rihanna’s talents.

    The casting in this film is interesting to say the least; it has the oddest leads in a Besson movie yet, with relative newcomer and unknown Dane DeHaan in the titular role as well as an inexperienced Cara Delavigne as his sidekick/love interest Laureline. For Besson to place the film in these two actors hands was brave as it could have been a disaster, not that they are terrible actors but to act in front of the amount of special effects could have been overwhelmingly, for the most part they both pull it off, in my mind Delavigne seems more suited as well as a spark against the out of place DeHann. The rest of the cast is highlighted by Clive Owen as Commander Arun Filitt who has never been in a movie like this, but as the archetypal villain he is well suited, it would be great to see him in more films like this, lending some well earned gravitas from his previous work.

    As you can see in the trailers to this movie, the special effects as well as the makeup of all the alien characters are extremely well realized. Not only that, but the mise en scène is incredibly dense, every frame of almost every scene has depths that are eerily similar to Besson’s “The Fifth Element”, so much so that I swear I spotted similar aliens in both. The way in which the origin of the ‘City of a thousand planets’ is not only shown as well as told is unique for a science fiction film, all done in the opening credits over the David Bowie song “Space Oddity” which, while not completely original is a great way to not only play homage to Bowie but instantly assists the audience identify with the movie – very smart move. With movies like this there can be a temptation to fill it with CGI thereby destroying some of the inherit reality that a filmmaker is trying to go for. Within this movie there are long periods of just CGI as well as computer generated characters which because of their setting, whether on an alien plant, Mül, or in Alpha, the CGI is top notch as well as quite believebale, its as good as anything in the Star Wars series, maybe even better because this is more original as well as more thought out in terms of the depth of the field of vision.

    My only real issue with this film is the odd relationship between the two leads Valerian and Laureline, where within the first few moments he has asked her to marry him, she will not of course because he is some kind of futuristic lothario who has a playlist that is full of female conquests. For the entire rest of the film his only real aim other than the maguffin of the movie is to get Laureline to marry him, I found that really strange. I mean the only relationship they have is the commander/subordinate role, but for some unknown reason he suddenly wants to make her his wife. This detracts from the entire rest of the movie, every time there is some momentum within the main narrative, it comes to a screeching halt as there is too much time put into the marriage angle. Now, I can understand if there was a subplot involving a budding romance, but to go straight to marriage is just plain strange.

    I have to say that I really enjoyed my time with this film, sure it’s a little long but that is aptly mitigated by the special effects as well as the surprise that is Cara Delevingne as Laureline who more than makes up for aspects of the story as well as the possible miscasting of Dane DeHann as Valerian. It appears that if Delevingne plays her cards right as well as chooses some roles that she can fit within, learn from some experienced co-stars she might have a nice career ahead of her, I would recommend staying away from starring roles and stay as a flashy character’s actor for now. This is a family rated movie with no real content that will offend, but it will catch and keep the eye busy for most of its run – go and take the family now.

    “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets ” is out now on DVD & Blu-ray.

  • Film review: “Wonder” (2017)

    Film 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.

    “Wonder”is released on the 30th November in cinemas only.

     

  • DVD review: “A Ghost Story”(2017)

    DVD review: “A Ghost Story”(2017)

    “A Ghost Story” (2017)

    Drama

    5stars_small

    Written and Directed by: David Lowery

    Featuring: Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara

    Houseguest: “We build our legacy piece by piece and maybe the whole world will remember you or maybe just a couple of people, but you do what you can to make sure you’re still around after you’re gone.”

    It can be revelatory when filmmakers have a limited budget, limited time or even limited time with talent and crew what they are able to produce. It is one of the reasons why some filmmakers produce their best work at the beginning of their careers, when they are ‘struggling’ with resources. With that said it is fairly rare for a director to release two movies within twelve months of each other that could be considered to be so far apart in the type of film produced. So we have writer/director David Lowry who this week has the excellent independent US$100,,000 budgeted “A Ghost Story” (2017) released less than a year after his US$65 million remake “Pete’s Dragon” (2016), what a contrast.

    David Lowry made a splash with his high profile film “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints” (2013) featuring Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara in lead roles, it was a slow burning drama with hints of thriller elements as well as a touch of film noir. It was primarily based around three characters, their relationship that transcended time as well as geography and the pull that people can have with each other in extreme situations. With his new film “A Ghost Story”, Lowry reteams with Affleck and Mara in a tale that has a fairly straight forward plot but comes alive in its narrative discourse as well as its meta-physical leanings that are its real strength. Like the best films it really does defy an easy description, will be enjoyed by people looking for some deeper meaning, not needing any concrete answers and wanting something that will stay with them long after the credits roll at the conclusion of this well crafted ode to love, death, loss and ultimately hope.

    C (Casey Affleck) is a musician living with his wife M (Rooney Mara) in a small suburban house in the Southern US. One night, they hear a heavy bang on their piano, but are unable to find the cause for the noise. Some time later, C is killed in a car accident outside his home. At the morgue, he awakens as a ghost covered in a white sheet with two black holes for eyes. As he wanders aimlessly through the hospital, while no one else is able to see him, he comes to the end of a hallway and sees a doorway of bright flashing light open in front of him. After staring at it, the doorway eventually closes and he walks away. C’s ghost leaves the hospital and returns to his house, watching his wife grieve over her loss.

    This really is a different kind of film for those brought up on the love story featuring a ghost, “Ghost” (1990), which traded on the idea of an afterlife that was all righteous and full of comedy with a hint of religious affirmations thrown in for good measure. In fact “A Ghost Story” offers the idea of being linked to a place that is so strong that time becomes meaningless, as do the people you may leave when you die. The very notion of being bound to someone is something many people have in common; the idea that you may somehow stick around watching your loved ones is not an uncommon thought. At the outset of the movie ‘M’ says that she leaves a note behind in every house she has lived in so that there is always something of her within that building – a budding memory or a seed that only she would know about. So it is interesting that within this story when ‘C’ eventually dies he is that thing that is left within the building that no-one knows about, a haunting memory that becomes part of the structure around him, he stays the same, while everything else alters throughout time.

    This is beautifully crafted and directed by Lowry who lingers on characters in very long takes that are in and by themselves mundane, but put together show the passage of time in precise segments. These long takes are extremely important for a variety of reasons; they give the actors freedom to really go for it within the frame, with no sense of urgency – reflecting real life. This is no more so than when after a friend leaves a pie for ‘M’ to eat, she returns home, obviously feeling low, proceeds to attempt to eat the entire pie – almost all done in real time. This highlights something that I feel strongly about, that is that grief makes you do the strangest things and there can be little rhyme or reason for them – just feeling something else anything else other than grief can be ones aim.

    It may be difficult to believe but it is indeed Casey Affleck under a sheet for a majority of this film, and as daft as that may sound I thought it actually worked incredibly well, it’s a good way to deal with having a ghost in a room. A sheet with a person underneath is one of the early ways you describe someone as a ghost, it is a primal thing to see on screen, particularly for an extended period of time. The leads of Affleck and Mara have definite chemistry onscreen and I thought they were totally believable in their roles. I found that even though we do not spend an inordinate amount of time with them as a couple, I was heartbroken when he died; the scene when ‘M’ is at the morgue, it is just a sad moment in her life, once again a long take sharing her grief in real time.

    I don’t want to give away too much with this review, because as the actual plot shifts from being relevant to not being important to being relevant again, it is the narrative that takes over, where as a viewer we will live for a large amount of the running time. I will say that every aspect of this film is important; we will stay with ‘C’ for the entire film, as he stays with ‘M’ wanting to look after her, to hold her but of course is unable to. The way his story unfolds is unique as he (and us) wonders what the point of existence is, why he is hanging around, until he (and us) slowly seem to be working out his purpose, albeit in an extremely surreal way.

    I have to say that if you want to watch just a really great film that is not afraid to tackle some serious and scary subjects then you will be richly rewarded with “A Ghost Story”. I would recommend taking someone close to you to view, as you can have a good chat about it afterwards. So far this year there have been too many mediocre films that are afraid to really go for it. This is a film by a gifted director who has had the opportunity to make a film with two excellent film actors’ that know their place in the story and are able to accommodate the directors vision. I for one hope the three of them make more films together.

    “A Ghost Story” is released on DVD only on 23rd November 2017.

  • Official Trailer: “Rampage” (2018)

    Official Trailer: “Rampage” (2018)

    Official Trailer: “Rampage” (2018)

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    Primatologist Davis Okoye, a man who keeps people at a distance, shares an unshakable bond with George, the extraordinarily intelligent, silverback gorilla who has been in his care since birth. But a rogue genetic experiment gone awry mutates this gentle ape into a raging creature of enormous size. To make matters worse, it’s soon discovered there are other similarly altered animals. As these newly created alpha predators tear across North America, destroying everything in their path, Okoye teams with a discredited genetic engineer to secure an antidote, fighting his way through an ever-changing battlefield, not only to halt a global catastrophe but to save the fearsome creature that was once his friend.

    RAMPAGE is directed by Brad Peyton and stars Dwayne Johnson, Naomie Harris, Malin Akerman, Jake Lacy, Joe Manganiello, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, P.J. Byrne, Marley Shelton, Breanne Hill, Jack Quaid, Matt Gerald.

    RAMPAGE releases in NZ cinemas on April 12, 2018.

  • FIRST LOOK – “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” (2018)

    FIRST LOOK – “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” (2018)

    “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” (2018)

    Warner Br os. Pictures announces “ FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD ” as the title of the second of five all new adventures in J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World™. Opening November 1 5 , 2018, the film features an ensemble cast led by Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, with Jude Law and Johnny Depp.

     

    At the end of the first film, the powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Depp) was captured by MACUSA (Magical Congress of the United States of America) , with the help of Newt Scamander (Redmayne). But, making good on his threat, Grindel wald escaped custody and has set about gathering followers, most unsuspecting of his true agenda: to raise pure – blood wizards up to rule over all non – magical beings.

     

    In an effort to thwart Grindelwald’s plans, Albus Dumbledore (Law) enlists his former st udent Newt Scamander, who agrees to help, unaware of the dangers that lie ahead. Lines are drawn as love and loyalty are tested, even among the truest friends and family, in an increasingly divided wizarding world.

     

    “ FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRIND ELWALD ” is being directed by David Yates, from a screenplay by J.K. Rowling, and produced by David Heyman, J.K. Rowling, Steve Kloves and Lionel Wigram.

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    (Left to right) JUDE LAW plays a young ALBUS DUMBLEDORE, taking on the mantle of one of J.K. Rowling’s most beloved characters ; EZRA MILLER makes a return as the enigmatic CREDENCE, whose fate was unknown at the end of the first film; CLAUDIA KIM appears as a Maledictus, the carrier of a blood curse that destine s her ultimately to transform into a beast; ZOË KRAVITZ plays LETA LESTRANGE, who had once been close to Newt Scamander but is now engaged to his brother ; CALLUM TURNER joins the cast as Newt’s older brother, THESEUS SCAMANDER, a celebrated war hero and the Head of the Auror Office at the Br itish Ministry of Magic; KATHERINE WATERS T ON returns as TINA GOLDSTEIN, who has been reinstated as an Auror for MACUSA ; EDDIE REDMAYNE stars again as wizarding world Magizoologist NEWT SCAMANDER, who has now gained fame in the wizarding world as the author of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them ; DAN FOGLER reprises the role of the only No – Maj in the group, JACOB KOWALSKI; ALISON SUDOL reprises the part of Tina’s free – spirited sister, QUEENIE GOLDSTEIN, a Legilimens who can read minds; and JOHNNY DEPP returns as the powerful Dark wizard GELLERT GRINDELWALD.

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  • DVD review: “LA 92” (2017)

    DVD review: “LA 92” (2017)

    “LA 92” (2017)

    Documentary

    images

    Running Time: 114 minutes

    Directed by: Daniel Lindsay and T. J. Martin

    Featuring: George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Pete Wilson, Daryl Gates, Joyce Karlin, Rodney King, Stacey Koon and Laurence Powell

    Congresswoman Maxine Waters: “This is what you get with video of a killing.”

    This is actually the first of at least two high profile documentaries about the LA riots of 1992 that are or have been released this year.

    It may be hard to believe but this year is the twenty fifth anniversary of the LA riots that took place after the acquittal of a number of policemen that savagely beat Rodney King, even though he offered no resistance or fought back during the savage beating. It may seem like common place now with many acts of violence  captured on camera as well as police assaulting African Americans but in 1992 this was unique. The element of this that was unforgivable was the evidence of the the videotape was ignored by the white jury in the trial. It opened wounds that had never healed or gone way that dealt with cultural as well as race issues, which have infested the US for over four hundred years.

    This documentary seeks to, in a short span of time, deal with some of the social elements as well as actions of many people involved with the riots as well as the Rodney King trial, all within archive footage of which there must be hundreds of hours. The directors Daniel Lindsay and T. J. Martin, have made the bold choice not to interview people that may have been key to the events that unfolded or even normal people. Instead they have marshaled news footage from the time, including behind the scenes footage as well as other non broadcast footage to paint a picture of the days after the Rodney King beating when the riots occurred. This makes “LA 92″(2017) a thrilling, touching as well as ultimaltely sad document about those few days in 1992, reflecting deep seated issues that still exist tpday.

    “LA 92” features interviews with historians, journalists, and key figures involved in the events, the documentary chronicles the 1992 Los Angeles riots after 25 years have passed. The film includes footage from the Rodney King videotape and the subsequent riots and violence that erupted after the acquittal of the officers involved in King’s beating. The riots lasted six days, while the documentary traces the decades-long aftermath and legacy.

    The archival footage includes interviews with U.S. Presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton, California governor Pete Wilson, chief of the Los Angeles Police Department Daryl Gates, judge Joyce Karlin, victim Rodney King, and acquitted police officers Stacey Koon and Laurence Powell.

    It cannot be underestimated how important the footage of the Rodney King beating was not only to civil rights, but to the exposure of the corrupt LA Police as well as the media in general, which led directly to how newsgathering would be shaped for the next twenty five years. One need only look at social media as well as the publication of videos that initially complemented the fouth estate but have quickly gone on to replace it. This has led to a democratization of the news media as well as showing that anyone with a camera can not only report on events but can shape the conversation on important topics – much like that cameraman did when he recorded the brutal beating given to King by the LA policeman.

    One of the interesting aspects of this documentary is that it does attempt to take a side, although it is obvious to me that like many people then as well as now the acquittal of the police officers was a travesty that led directly to the riots. We see the narrative unfold through not only news reports but also interviews of people of the time as well as footage of people reacting to the rioting and looting, we see it played out from multiple points of view and perspectives.

    In terms of the look of the documentary it feels like a document of the time, as there is no footage-filmed post 1992. In other words the visual motif makes you feel like you are watching it in the time it was filmed, it is a real experience not seeing footage in high definition but on video tape, film is not even used, it is a wise decision as it also lends some legitimacy to the documentary – not that it needs it as the footage speaks for itself.

    The documentary also focuses on the racial divide in LA not only between black and white but also the growing Asian-American population that was starting to increase as immigration was on the increase, and African Americans were seeing their foothold in communities starting to slip. Of course this meant that economically and politically there was a power shift in communities. That led to a powder keg where all that was needed was a spark which was the Rodney King beating which meant that everything that was bubbling below the surface exploded. What is incredible is that news organizations of the time captured all of this so it was waiting for two directors to put it all together add a narrative and show what had happened on the ground.

    I recommend this documentary highly, it is a must watch for anyone that has a thirst for knowledge as well as civil rights – if you have not seen this you should go and find it now.

    “LA 92” is out now on DVD.

     

  • Film review: “Justice League”(2017)

    Film review: “Justice League”(2017)

    “Justice League” (2017)

    Action/Fantasy

    stars-2-5

    Running Time: 120 minutes

    Written by:  Chris Terrio and Joss Whedon

    Directed by:  Zack Snyder

    Featuring: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, Jason Momoa, Ray Fisher, Jeremy Irons, Diane Lane, Connie Nielsen, J. K. Simmons and Ciarán Hinds

    Diana Prince: “People said the Age of Heroes would never come again.“

    Bruce Wayne: “It has to. We don’t have any more time!“

    Has there ever been any more problems in modern movie history than the struggles that Warner Brothers has had with the DCEU attempting to get a comic book universe off the ground that will rival the mighty marvel comic book universe? It really isn’t a faor comparison, Marvel are into their seventeenth movie with this years “Thor: Ragnarok”(2017), while this weeks “Justice League”(2017) is just the fifth – with at least four of the previous being major disappointments – of course their only real bright spot is that they have continued to make money. But audiences as well as critics have not held back with their own opinions on how dreadful they really are.

    Now comes the second team movie to be under the DCEU banner after the horrible “Suicide Squad”(2016) that seeks to unite at least three of the biggest superheroes ever, along with three definite B characters to form the titular ‘Justice League’. This was kind of teased in the derided “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”(2016). Of course even before “Justice League “is released it has had its share of issues, massive amounts of reshoots, changing directors for at least a quarter of the movie, mandated running time of less than two hours as well as heightening the humor, decreasing the darkness, finally not forgetting to increase the amount of Wonder Woman in the movie. This really does not bode well, especially as many of these issues and changes faced “Suicide Squad”, however “Justice League “has turned out much better – for the most part. There is a large  caveat, that is this is still not a coherent movie, not only that I had pretty much forgotten about it as soon as I left the theatre.

    The bare bones plot takes place months after the events of “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”, inspired by Superman’s sacrifice for humanity, Bruce Wayne and Diana Prince unite a team consisting of Barry Allen, Arthur Curry, and Victor Stone to face the catastrophic threat of Steppenwolf and his army of Para demons, who are on the hunt for three Mother Boxes on Earth, while the world reflects on Superman’s death.

    The good news is that this movie for the most part holds together, (that is being kind)  serving as a kind of origin movie as well as a look to the future as to what to expect in the coming years. It also serves to introduce Cyborg, Flash and Aquaman to an audience so as to show what those individuals offer. This is accomplished through the recruitment that Batman as well as Wonder Woman attempt to accomplish so as to give the audience someone they do know making the introductions for us. This works quite well overall, but I could not help feel that out of all this that Aquaman is the one best served (although not the deepest character) which could have something to do with his own movie arriving next year – while Flash and Cyborg are given the scraps off the table, as it were.

    Other than the bringing together of the team, there is what feels like a necessary call back to “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” in the fact that the main villain here is Steppenwolf and his army of Parademons who made appearances in that movie (actually Steppenwolf only appears in the directors cut which to me is odd to say the least) – does this work? For me the answer is no, but antagonists in all comic book movies do seem to be an issue – there are a few exceptions but it does not necessarily mean that this makes for a negative experience – origin movies tend to be forgiven more, which this for all intents and purposes is.

    The trailers for this movie have been out for months so we have all known what to expect casting wise, there is Gal Gadot and Ben Affleck as Wonder Woman and Batman who have appeared in their own features so we know what to expect from them. In this movie Affleck has taken a step forward, Gadot a step back. However this is the first time we are spending an extended amount of time with Jason Momoa (Aquaman), Ezra Miller (Flash) and Ray Fisher (Cyborg). While Momoa and Miller are known genre actors and know how to play to the cameras in big films, it was Fisher for me who is an unknown element, he acquits himself well with the role as Cyborg, but the issue for me is that this just seems like an Iron Man rip-off with the exception that his amour is bonded to his skin, which for me makes a hollow hero – maybe in time I will grow to like this character, but for now he seems a little redundant. The supporting cast is rounded out with highly experienced character actors that we have seen in previous movies, the likes of Connie Neilsen as Queen Hippolyta, Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Diane Lane as MAARRTTHHAAA Kent (no jokes please), Jeremy Irons as Alfred, Jesse Eisenberg as Lex, who all do their jobs well, although they seem to be there as identifiers of earlier movies. There is now the arrival of new supporting characters (assuming we are supposed to see more of them in the next standalone movies) such as Amber Heard as Mera, Billy Crudup as Henry Allen, J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Gordon and Joe Morton as Dr. Silas Stone. Now while these actors are all great I cannot help think that they were appearing as some kind of preview to possible standalone movies, whether they eventuate or not – Marvel got bashed for this. See “Iron Man 2”(2010) for the reaction to their version of this.

    Famously the original director, Zack Snyder left the movie late in the game so screenwriter Joss Whedon was given the job of completing the shooting as well as being solely in charge of reshoots. For many movies this might be an issue, however because the story is so simple it meant that it was relatively easy to marry the two directors work making a story that is what the creatives wanted – to me it seemed fairly standard with little in the way of surprise or real stakes. As with most DCEU movies they seem to be overcooked with too many chefs as well as creators who seem to lack any vision for what they are doing. Snyder has proved again and again an overreliance on tropes as well as storylines that existed in the 1980s with the inability to be able to movie forward modernizing these wonderful characters. With Snyder gone (apparently never to return thank goodness) Whedon has picked up the mantle adding his signature dialogue and humor as well as a shorter tighter movie that is brisk with its narrative – no pondering heroes here or heavy handed dialogue, just a lot more fun in general – thank goodness because really the plot makes little sense or bears no relation to any real situations you can think of. The other screenwriter who is credited is Chris Terrio who believe it or not received an Oscar for “Argo” (2012) but revealed the kind of messy uneditable writer he actually is with “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”. Of course when you have someone like Whedon who has always been about a plot with character moments you can see his fingerprints here – Terrio like his friend Affleck to have been cut out of any production decisions since their first disaster was released.

    As you would expect the movie looks like a Snyder movie, mostly, although there are cracks in the seams with some fairly ordinary CGI, again an over reliance on these which makes for a rather blurry action movie. This is a shame but comes from late reshoots as well as a general feeling that the people behind the scenes were all making different movies – something it seems all the DCEU movies have in common. What we end up watching is an OK movie that rates probably third (maybe) behind this years “Wonder Woman” and “Man of Steel”(2009) – although they had plenty of issues as well – it is also a small reset which is welcome, showing a way forward. I have to admit that after this movie I am hoping that next years “Aquaman” (2018) will improve and should be a treat in particular because it will not involve Terrio, Snyder but will involve Geoff Johns.

    The big question to ask is – should you see “Justice League “in cinemas? The answer is I guess, especially if you have made the trip for previous movies. “Justice League” is a sign that even though Warner Brothers will have you believe that they make these movies in a vacuum, they most certainly in reality do not. They have looking at feedback as well as reviews and are making course corrections on the fly – which can be good as in “Wonder Woman” or can be disastrous as in “Suicide Squad”. In the case of this movie it has worked out somewhere in between but it is a sign of things to come, so take the chance and enjoy a rare thing, a pretty good Joss Whedon inspired super hero movie.

    “Justice League” (2017) is out now only in cinemas.

  • DVD & Blu-ray review: “Atomic Blonde” (2017)

    DVD & Blu-ray review: “Atomic Blonde” (2017)

    “Atomic Blonde” (2017)

    Action

    stars-2-5

    Running Time: 115 minutes

    Written by: Kurt Johnstad

    Directed by: David Leitch

    Featuring: Charlize Theron, James McAvoy, John Goodman, Til Schweiger, Eddie Marsan, Sofia Boutella and Toby Jones

    Gray: “Lorraine Broughton, an expert in escape and evasion. Proficient in intelligence collection and hand to hand combat. That’s an impressive set of skills.”

    Lorraine Broughton: “Talents can be overrated.”

    Reducing this weeks new action film to just a “John Wick” (2015) clone with a gender switch would be dismissing this film unfairly. Of course there is the link in that David Leitch, director of “Atomic Blonde” (2017) was the co-director of Wick. The origins of each movie are different, “John Wick” was an original concept with a world and mythology built around the central character brought ably to life by star Keanu Reeves. However “Atomic Blonde” is based on an existing property, the 2012 graphic novel ‘The Coldest City’, which is less about the world building than it is about a plot. Unfortunately that might be where these two movies are so different, whereas Wick was concerned with continuously moving forward using action as a narrative, Blonde tries extremely hard to bring a cohesive plot to bear; that is its biggest mistake – it lets the movie down to a point that this does feel like a bit of a pale imitator.

    The narrative is told in flashback that feels tacked on to give more exposition as well as to explain to the audience what is going on at any given time, even though this plot should not be hard to follow – which it is, as well as being extremely toped filled which makes this also feel dull. No amount of steamy looks, a fairly unexciting been there done that soundtrack does little to invigorate what should have been a home run of  film.

    After “john Wick” I can see the appeal to striking out on your own, David Leitch has not only directed this but is currently shooting the sequel to “Deadpool” (2015), I see that as more in his wheelhouse, although he is an unproven director of humor, which is partly what made “Deadpool” such a huge success. What Leitch does bring is the ability to direct action as well as highly choreographed fight scenes, with the vessel being a highly charged and motivated Charlize Theron. This is another missed opportunity with the action being too spread out over the almost two hour running time – at least half an hour too long in my mind – i found myself clock watching at one point, hoping I could take a nap.

    The film is set in 1989, on the eve of the collapse of the Berlin Wall, MI6 agent James Gasciogne is shot and killed by KGB agent Yuri Bakhtin, who steals ‘The List’, ( a tired plot point from almost any spy film) a piece of microfilm concealed in a wristwatch that contains the names of every active field agent in the Soviet Union. The day after Gasciogne’s death, Lorraine is dispatched to Berlin to recover the List and assassinate Satchel, a double agent who has sold intelligence to the Soviets for years and who betrayed Gasciogne.

    As with many modern high concept movies, “Atomic Blonde” has casted superbly, and really who would not want to make a movie with Theron after her incredible performance in “Mad Max: Fury Road” (2015) where she combined a great performance that dove tailed with plot as well as huge action set pieces. Not only that after what “John Wick” did for Keanu Reeves profile David Leitch would have to be a draw for other possible cast members as well – including Theron herself. The biggest difference being that it was Reeves name above the title in his film, but Theron has to share this billing with James McAvoy – this seems a bit disparate as the title of the movie refers directly to Theron’s character as well as look, not only that the entire marketing campaign is built around her image, seems a little unfair, no?

    So we have some of the greatest character actors that are working today, with the likes of John Goodman, Eddie Marsan and Toby Jones all lending their talents and elevating the material well above its surface quality. However it is James McAvoy who like most films he appears, in whether as a supporting or lead actor, is able to throw himself into his role. Much like the excellent “Split” (2017) from earlier this year he is playing against type by really acting as a main support to a female lead. One of the keys to McAvoy’s performances in almost all of his roles is that he seems not to mind the size of the part, but instead recognizes that he can contribute in some unique way with his own talents – he is actually a wonderful actor to watch, much like his X-Men co-star Michael Fassbender. In this instance I would not say McAvoy steals this movie by any stretch, in fact if anything his performance is uneven – it would not surprise me if his storyline changed during shooting as well as in the edit.

    As mentioned, as if you did not realize, Theron is a superstar, after receiving her Oscar she propelled her career into high gear avoiding the curse that often befalls people who win the major award. She has gone from strength to strength with her chosen roles, leading her own action movie seemed to be the next tick in the box. It is too bad that she as well as her cast are the best thing about this mess of a film, it bounces around like a dropped Ping-Pong ball, struggling to find a home. Theron has covered almost every genre in her oeuvre, except maybe a musical, but that is a set of skills not everyone has. After the success of her Imperator Furiosa I can see the appeal of playing action in another period film, while maintaining the lead of the movie, but it is the talent behind the camera that lets her down here. I do think there will be enough of an audience to make this film some kind of success, the question is will more be made, or will it be one and done?

    The real failure of this movie has to be down to screenwriter Kurt Johnstad whose career has been choppy to say the least, on the surface of it he is better with films that require little plot as well as narrative competence. The films Johnstad has ‘written’ are the plot less messes of “300” (2006), “Act of Valor” (2012) and “300: Rise of an Empire” (2014) which all have issues concerning theme, plot as well as being heavy on action, that has been interpreted by heavy handed directors. You can hide many issues if you are willing to spend the money as well as paste action over almost every scene. It is unfortunate then, that “Atomic Blonde” has such a modest budget, otherwise the same thing may have happened here. It is no easy thing to create a film that is so unfairly compared to “John Wick” (its unfair on Wick as it is the far superior film) but that movie had a concerted effort to streamline both plot as well as introduce a new type of action, much like Reeves was a part of with his ‘Matrix Trilogy’.

    This is a period piece as it is set in the Cold War of 1980s Germany, there is an inherit tension between East and West – recently personified in the excellent “Bridge of Spies” (2015) – here we have the opportunity to create a truly signature look for the film, while cinematographer Jonathan Sela attempts to bring a ‘cool’ look, his inexperience shows through, he is a shooter of many music videos, but his only success has only been, yes you guessed it, “John Wick” – there seems to be a common thread here. There is little difference in the look of the movie from “John Wick”, it seems that this movie owes a greater debt to that movie than first thought. I did think that the experience from the success of “John Wick” might be a stepping-stone to a new movie with the added twist of a new setting both in geography and time, as well as that excellent cast – that is not the case, this is a poor cousin indeed. In fact director Leitch seems more interested in trying to impress with camera tricks, as well as some tired gunplay, as well introducing twists you can see a mile away.

    The bottom line with this movie is should it be seen in cinemas or be watched at home later in the year. Whilst I would not recommend this movie as a must watch, it is entertaining even with the convoluted plot. The cast is excellent so if you enjoy watching any of them onscreen you will be entertained. The setting of the movie in the 1980s as well as in Germany is inspired as it immediately lends itself to a certain tone as well as (attempted) political intrigue. As well as all of this it is being released in a season where fatigue of superhero films as well as reboots and sequels could drive you to seek something new out, after all this is a relatively new property which is actually a big plus. However if I was to actually recommend a movie to see this weekend I would say go and see “The Big Sick” (2017), it is a truly unique movie as well as the easily the funniest comedy released this year.

    “Atomic Blonde” is out now on DVD & Blu-ray.

    Atomic Blonde (2017) Charlize Theron
  • Trailer: “The Disaster Artist”(2017)

    Trailer: “The Disaster Artist”(2017)

    Trailer: “The Disaster Artist”(2017)

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    The film depicts the meeting and early friendship of Greg Sestero and Tommy Wiseau, the actors behind the 2003 cult film The Room, a film often hailed as the Citizen Kane of bad movies, the troubled making of it, and their respective careers after the surprising success of the film.

    Produced and directed by James Franco.

    The film stars James and Dave Franco as Wiseau and Sestero respectively, alongside a supporting cast featuring Seth Rogen, Alison Brie, Ari Graynor, Josh Hutcherson and Jacki Weaver

    .

  • DVD & Blu-ray review: “The Circle” (2017)

    DVD & Blu-ray review: “The Circle” (2017)

    “The Circle” (2017)

    Drama/Thriller

    2,0

    Running Time: 141 minutes

    Written by:  Dave Eggers and James Ponsoldt

    Directed by: James Ponsoldt

    Featuring: Emma Watson, Tom Hanks, John Boyega, Karen Gillan, Ellar Coltrane, Patton Oswalt, Glenne Headly, and Bill Paxton

    Eamon Bailey: “Knowing is good, but knowing everything is better.”

    This should have been an excellent movie, it had so much going for it, a very good source novel in Dave Eggert’s work, as well as a director who has made some pretty decent low budget movies that involved relationships over action and thrills. In front of the camera to, there has been an absolute belter of a cast brought together led by the always charismatic Emma Watson, supported by superstar Tom Hanks, as well the late Bill Paxton and Glenne Headley – both in their final theatrical performances. But alas, in this case what we end up with is a well trodden story that plays like an updated version of Sydney Pollack’s version of the John Grisham thriller “The Firm” (1993), that featured Tom Cruise, once again with a massive star studded cast. “The Circle” is no where near as good, original or captivating as “The Firm”, which was a highlight of Grisham’s catalogue at the time, and remains so.

    “The Circle” concerns Mae Holland (Emma Watson) who is an ordinary and unaccomplished young woman with an ill father. Through an influential college friend, she gets a customer relations job at powerful internet corporation The Circle, co-founded by Eamon Bailey and Tom Stenton. Mae quickly rises through company’s ranks, and is selected for an assignment with the Circle’s newest technology which she eagerly takes on. Soon she finds herself in a perilous situation concerning privacy, surveillance, and freedom. Mae comes to learn that her decisions and actions will determine the future of humanity.

    This story deals with technology as well as social media may have been a better fit if the Charlie Brooker created “Black Mirror” (2011 – present) had not beaten this film to the punch, not only that, the television series used more originality as well as wit to illustrate what this film does, but in an extremely hap hazard as well as uninspiring way. This movie really attempts saying something about society in terms of social media, interconnectivity as well as technology in general – while that is something to applaud it is the generic plot as well as the vapid characters that let this movie down, and really make it a little embarrassing as well as completely unbelievable. Modern audiences need more to hang a plot on, as well as that there is no feel of consequence for anyone in this movie, not Mae and not the corporation nor their founder or employees who skate by with no real answers or jeopardy to really care.

    There is no doubt that technology moves faster and faster with each new app, hardware device or social media plug in but to wrap all of these up into one maguffin, as well as portraying a company without an actual board of directors with a CEO and founder making all the plans by manipulating a customer services person into suggesting these plans for them to follow – is, well not only hard to follow, but also ignores the way companies actually work. This film defies the way actual technology works, as well as how these new products are actually introduced to consumers. This is a movie that sets itself as cutting edge but only really serves to see how much Hollywood is out of the loop as well as being entirely clueless to how this technology would work – it is no wonder they are facing losing consumers at the box office – this is certainly proof of a large segment of the creative population who are ‘out of the loop’.

    The cast that has been assembled is excellent, I can only think they must have all thought they were getting involved in a completely different movie – certainly the plot must have gone somewhere more believable as I cannot think why someone like Tom Hanks or even Emma Watson would want to be involved with this mish mash of a movie – maybe they wanted to work together – but really they hardly even spend much time in the same room together.

    On the other hand I can see the motivations behind some of the other actors being involved, especially if Hanks and Watson had already signed on to this project. The main supporting cast of Karen Gillan and John Boyega are canny choices not only from the production side but also from the actor’s point of view as well. Boyega and Gillan fresh of their sci-fi fantasy epics “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” (2015), “Guardians of the Galaxy “ (2014) respectively, probably felt the need to solidify their cinematic experience in roles that meant they could shine in support as well as gaining more Hollywood experience in a route drama/thriller with an A list cast. Unfortunately for everyone in the cast there is not enough actual believable human emotion or motivation to make any of these characters authentic or, for there to be anything for the audience to actually care about. There is some plot manipulation by having Mae’s father portrayed by Bill Paxton as having multiple sclerosis, this is meant to make us somehow identify with Mae but all I did was feel sorry for her parents by having such a shallow daughter. There are also points at which for no reasons characters appear, and then disappear for the rest of the film. The worst case of this is Karen Gillan’s character actually disappearing then towards the end of the movie we find out via a web chat she went back to Scotland – huh?

    This movie is all about surface, there is nothing deeper than what you see as well as what is explained and explained again and again with exposition dumps from almost every character – in fact it is the only reason those characters exist in the first place, once they have their say they disappear with no real reason for them existing in the first place. Not only that but the person we are supposed to follow as well as identify with is shallow as well as being fairly unlikeable – are we really supposed to feel for her when she is doing work most young people are doing in the first place – she doesn’t like her job – boo hoo – welcome to life Mae.

    This film really is all flash, there is not really much to recommend unless you enjoy sub par techno thrillers that would be an embarrassment if they had been made twenty years ago. If you want a techno thriller there are better ones to watch with more believable stakes, try “War Games” (1984), or even “Hackers” (1991) they are much better and while the technology and special effects are out of date, the stories are far superior and much more original.

    In any case give this a miss.

    Unfortunately “The Circle” is out now on DVD & Blu-ray.

     

  • Film review: “Victoria & Abdul” (2017)

    Film review: “Victoria & Abdul” (2017)

    “Victoria & Abdul” (2017)

    Drama

    images

    Running Time: 112 minutes

    Written by: Lee Hall

    Directed by: Stephen Frears

    Featuring:  Judi Dench, Ali Fazal, Michael Gambon, Eddie Izzard, Tim Pigott-Smith and Adeel Akhtar

    Queen Victoria: “Everyone I love has died and I just go on and on. What is the point?”

    Abdul Karim: “Service, Your Majesty. We are here for a greater purpose.”

    Twenty years after Judi Dench received her very first Oscar nomination for playing Queen Victoria in “Mrs. Brown” (1998) comes a spiritual sequel in the Stephen Frears directed “Victoria & Abdul” (2017). As you would expect this film is built around the powerhouse performance of Judi Dench who shows no signs of slowing down, even rumors of another Oscar nomination for this role seem to be reliable. Although this film has at its core Dench, the supporting cast is nothing short of excellent, starting with relative newcomer Ali Fazal, a Bollywood star who announces his arrival as the Queen’s confidant, the titular Abdul. As you would expect Fazal’s character is marginalised by almost everyone he comes across, in fact he is ultimately a tragic figure.

    There are many reasons that this is a film to search out, it illustrates not only the archaic way in which the upper class treated perceived lower classes, how England treated not only India but also their colonies, the waning power of the England itself, the treatment of foreigners, possibly the origins of Brexit, how a Queen in her 90s could be more forward thinking than any of her underlings as well as power , and how true power can be isolating as well as being a prison that few people can understand or relate to. This is actually a true story that was unknown until relatively recently but it is a welcome one that assists in the understanding of issues we still face today.

    The film is centred around Abdul Karim, a young prison clerk from Agra, India, is instructed to travel to England for Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee in 1887 (four years after the death of John Brown in Mrs Brown) to present her with a mohur, which has been minted as a token of appreciation from British-ruled India.

    The Queen, who is lonely and tired of her fawning courtiers, develops an interest in and later a friendship with Abdul. She spends time with him alone, and promotes him to become her Munshi as his guardian. She asks him to teach her Urdu and the Qur’an. When Victoria discovers that he is married, she invites his wife and mother-in-law to join him to England.

    While Victoria treats Abdul as a son, his preferment is resented by her household and inner circle, including her son Bertie and the Prime Minister. The household plots to undermine their relationship, hoping that Abdul will be sent home. When Victoria embarrasses herself by recounting to the court the one-sided account of the Indian Mutiny that Abdul had told her, Victoria’s faith and trust in him are shaken and she decides he must go home. But the following day she changes her mind and asks him to stay.

    Needless to say that from here the animosity between the rest of the staff and Abdul inflates to new heights, not only that but Bertie the Queens eldest son (as well as future King) seems to be terrified of the relationship between the Queen and Abdul to such an extent that is frankly frightening. This animosity from someone who is at the height of power in the late 1800s illustrates the way one person can have a detrimental effect on those around him. I will not spoil the film but it is amazing the lengths that some of the characters are willing to go to rid themselves of Abdul, as well as revealing their own inadequacies and prejudices.

    As I have said with many of the high quality British movies released each year the casting is nothing short of absolutely superb, starting with Judi Dench as Queen Victoria, reprising a role she was so successful in twenty years ago. There is nothing new to say about Dench as it has already been said so well by others for the majority of her distinguished career. Dench is as prolific an actor as there has ever been, she is in high demand, you can see why in her faultless performance in “Victoria & Abdul”, not only that but you can see she makes others better around her by letting them have their tine in the sun. The supporting cast led by Ali Fazal as Abdul is nothing short of incredible, as a character you must side with him from the off, thanks to his innate charm and personality that is not a problem. It is no mean feat then that Bertie played by Eddie Izzard, is a great antagonist (as he was in the this years underrated “Whiskey Galore” (2017)) who shines throughout, but it is in the closing minutes of the film that you see his real hatred of not only Abdul but the lower classes as well. The rest of the cast including the always-fantastic Adeel Akhtar (already scene stealing in “The Big Sick” (2017), but always memorable from “Four Lions” (2010)), the glorious Tim Pigott-Smith and Paul Higgins are all admirable supporting players. The only other actors to really highlight are Olivia Williams and Fenella Woolgar as Queen Victoria’s ladies in waiting who steal scenes they are in, particularly a portion of the film where they re-enact (along with Abdul) a period of India’s history in front of an audience – just hilarious.

    It is no coincidence that this is the fifth film that Dench has made with veteran director Stephen Frears who is a master of his domain. Frears who has made a career out of making stories that reflect some inner truth that exists within people or situations here is at his best. He has revelaed some of the worst as well as best parts of humanity in both his television work as well as his much-lauded film work as well. Not only that, but Frears has done something few directors of his age has done, that is to remain a vital as well as relevant director that is also extremely prolific. You can see in recent years his output from 2000 when he had the triple of “Fail Safe”, “Liam” and the now classic “High Fidelity” to now with “Victoria & Abdul” he has directed fifteen movies – many of them real classics. What Frears has accomplished with this new movie is to further demystify Royalty as well as the Crown itself, which is something that has been happening not only in film (with Frears own excellent “The Queen” (2005)) but also on television with the likes of “The Crown” (2016 – ) as well as “Victoria” (2016 – ). Of course the director as well as writer, Lee Hall, are also concerned with the decline of the English Empire in the face of growing resistance from their colonies (in this case the growing independence of India) as well as the growing independence of England’s own politics becoming more independent of the Crown. The resistance to all of this is of course Queen Victoria’s own son Bertie, who is fighting wars on multiple fronts, slowly losing which is one reason he was only King for a short amount of time – stress as well as living in the past will do that to a person.

    “Victoria & Abdul” is simply an excellent film that embodies some of the greatest as well as worst traits of English society of the time. I thought it was excellent to see an elderly Queen admitting to many foibles but still willing to reach out to someone she did not know. as well as embracing an entirely foreign culture, not to appropriate it or minimize it but to attempt to understand it. This is something that many world leaders could learn from today as well as try to emulate – far too many times people try and dominate or win at culture wars. One of the many lessons in this film is that it is possible to have actual relations with foreigners as well as have mutual beneficial agreements, and tolerance for differences.

    If it were up to the people that hated the idea of a relationship that exists in this movie then it would not exist, in fact it is only since 2010 that this story was even known by the general public which is a sad indictment of the times that it occurred in. It is with that knowledge that I recommend this movie highly, and would not be surprised if like Frears others films it features in next years Oscar race.

    “Victoria & Abdul” is out now in cinemas.

     

     

     

  • “Game Night” (2018) – Official Trailer

    “Game Night” (2018) – Official Trailer

    “Game Night” (2018)

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    Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams star as Max and Annie, whose weekly couples game night gets kicked up a notch when Max’s charismatic brother, Brooks (Kyle Chandler), arranges a murder mystery party, complete with fake thugs and faux federal agents. So when Brooks gets kidnapped, it’s all part of the game…right? But as the six uber-competitive gamers set out to solve the case and win, they begin to discover that neither this “game”— nor Brooks—are what they seem to be. Over the course of one chaotic night, the friends find themselves increasingly in over their heads as each twist leads to another unexpected turn. With no rules, no points, and no idea who all the players are, this could turn out to be the most fun they’ve ever had…or game over.

    “GAME NIGHT” is directed by John Francis Daley & Jonathan Goldstein and stars Jason Bateman, Rachel McAdams, Sharon Horgan, Lamorne Morris, Kylie Bunbury, Jesse Plemons, Chelsea Pereti, Danny Huston, Michael C. Hall, and Kyle Chandler

    “GAME NIGHT” releases in NZ cinemas on March 1, 2018

    Game Night spry film 2