Film Review - Tyrannosaur

Having missed this in its initial run, I managed to catch it recently, during its BAFTA tour re-release. It's received a lot of acclaim, including a BAFTA for its debut director, actor Paddy Considine (a man coincidentally born on the same day as me).
But it's the performances, in particular, Olivia Colman, that have received the most attention. And she deserves all the praise in the world- tender, caring, downtrodden, and yet forceful when required. She is absolutely heart-breaking.
Peter Mullan is just as fantastic (as usual), playing a terrifying brutal streak with a horrifying believability, whilst keeping the character relatively sympathetic and relatable. Imagine Victor Meldrew with a violent streak.
A worthy mention also to Eddie Marsan, a now-familiar welcome presence in any movie, and whilst his character is as brutal and tender as Mullan's, it's in a completely different, yet no less believable way.
As for the plot, it's one of those where you think you know where it's going, but doesn't really get there. You suspect it's heading somewhere bad, but there are opportunities for redemption- reminding me of This Is England '86. Unfortunately, once the film reveals its final, most shocking secret, it quite possibly should have ended there. Instead, it continues, rather ambiguously, only hinting at what came next regarding the leads' relationship. Nothing wrong with that per se, but I felt it was unsatisfying as and end to the rather brilliant, if harrowing journey on which we'd been taken.

Film Review - Safe House

After the temporary blip that was the rather marvellous Unstoppable two years ago, Denzel Washington is back on tediously disappointing form with this run-of-the-mill actioner.
Throw in some grainy stock footage, far-too-close-to-see-what-the-hell-is-going-on action scenes, highly expected twists and overly long scenes of waffly exposition and you get the picture.
That said, the performances are surprisingly good. I hated Training Day and thought Denzel's Oscar win for that was an absolute travesty, and this is the far more convincing hard-man performance he should have given in that film. Similarly, Ryan Reynolds gives a tear-filled, emotionally-charged performance that is, frankly, far too good for this film.
Some of the action is pretty good, what you can see of it, anyway. There are quite a few extended chases, car chases, shoot-outs and punch-ups, not to mention quite a few jump-out-of-your-seat moments. Unfortunately the film seems a bit preoccupied with its delusion of its own depth, and drags itself down in the process.

Film Review - Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

This has potentially become the Best Picture Oscar nominee with the worst reviews EVER. Does it deserve them? In a word, no. It's not even the worst film of the nominees.

Yes, it has its flaws, but given that this will be one of the few positive reviews of this film on the web, I'd like to explain why.

Of the Oscar-nominated films about a kid whose late father left behind a key, this is the one that's worth watching. For me, Hugo just didn't work, nor emotionally connect. This film did both, and in 2D.

Yes, it's flawed and manipulative, but a lot of its criticisms are unfounded. Setting a film around the events of "9/11" is a risky thing to do, as it can be (and, in this case, has been) accused of using the events to create an emotional bond that the characters/story should have managed on their own. As far as I'm concerned, the film has succeeded.

The emotional weight in the story comes from the emotional connect/disconnect between father and son, mother and son, husband and wife, grandson and grandparent, but, most overwhelmingly, the emotional bond that can be achieved between complete strangers.

The inclusion of the 9/11 events are important, however. This is the tale of a child wandering the boroughs of New York, on a mission to extract personal details from complete strangers. The fact that his father died in 9/11 serves to make these strangers more open to his quest, rather than some cheap attempt to emotionally manipulate the audience into more sympathy. This accusation has been levied- unfairly- by many a sniffy critic, but it's certainly no cheaper nor emotionally manipulative than War Horse, even if the latter was more successful.

The performances are strong, and not just from Supporting Actor nominee Max Von Sydow. Hanks and Bullock are given very little to do, but their brief appearances do still manage an emotional weight. Bullock's late revelation does generate a little scepticism, even if it does go some way to justify why someone would allow their young son to walk the streets of New York alone. Sydow's character, whilst adding a quirky charm that lights up the screen, ultimately adds nothing to the story, especially his "so what?" twist regarding his potential connection to the boy (which is never confirmed anyway).

Oskar, the boy, is something of an acquired taste. He has some form of social disconnection- Autism? Aspergers?- and his rapid-fire delivery (not to mention that damn tambourine) can irritate more than charm. But Thomas Horn does a phenomenal job, given the complexity of his role, even if you ignore his age and the fact that this is his first acting role. Director Stephen Daldry, of course, discovered a young Jamie Bell, and appears to have found another potential star. He's the man that directed both Nicole Kidman and Kate Winslet toward their elusive Oscars, and, again, his direction is very assured. Once more he has made a worthier contender for Best Picture than a few of its rivals.

Film Review - Chico & Rita

A couple put more time and energy into arguing about each others' infidelities than they do into their relationship, both professional and personal. 47 years later they decide they should be a couple. I assume we're supposed to care.

Film Review - Albert Nobbs

An intriguing premise, but the story goes nowhere. There are a few predictable-but-dramatic directions that the story could have taken, but ultimately it isn't even interesting enough to explore them. Close and McTeer give brave performances, but neither truly convince as men.

Film Review - A Better Life

A quite moving account of an honourable man trying desperately to provide for his son, whilst encouraging him to remain on the straight and narrow, despite himself being an illegal immigrant living on the outskirts of the law. Bashir's Oscar-nominated performance is indeed strong, but certainly not the only reason to see this.

Film Review - Man on a Ledge

Snakes on a Plane had snakes on a plane. Similarly, Man on a Ledge has a man on a ledge. However, whereas the snakes were the most interesting part of the former, it's not the case with the latter.
In one of his previously high-profile roles, Sam Worthington was the actor who had more charisma in his animated Avatar form than in his human counterpart. Conversely, Jamie Bell proved with TinTin that he's more charismatic when seen, rather than heard. So when the two are paired on-screen as brothers, it's no surprise that it's Jamie's show, and fortunately he's given all the hard work, while Sam does little more than literally stand on a ledge. But at least he's not as embarrassing as Ed Harris's baddie, who may as well have been given a moustache to twirl in his fingertips.
Elizabeth Banks, hilarious in the likes of 30 Rock, The 40 Year-Old Virgin and Zack & Miri Make A Porno, follows up The Next Three Days with another serious role. I'm still not quite convinced that she can pull it off, but it may be simply because I worry her finely-tuned comedic instincts are wasted on dramatic roles.
The film ultimately reveals itself to be a pretty perfunctory heist movie. Cue crawling through vents, still images placed over security cameras, dangling from wires in elevator shafts... you get the gist. You may see the ending coming long before the lead characters do, although I was hoping that at the very least its execution would have been a bit more creative.
You wouldn't exactly be wasting your time and money going to see this, but I can pretty much guarantee there's little here you won't have seen before.

Film Review - The Woman in Black

Before we begin, I must confess I have neither read the book nor seen the play, so this is coming from the perspective of someone arriving at this story fresh. I had seen the trailer, and admittedly a lot of the big jump scares are in there- but there is so much more to this film than making you jump (and, chances are, it will).
For me, as someone who isn't especially squeamish, any horror/ thriller works better the less you see. Some of the scariest moments in cinema history are simply seen through someone's reaction, a sound off-camera/ in darkness, or being aware of some knowledge that the on-screen protagonist doesn't have. This film relies on all of the above and more, managing to keep the scares coming, each as creative as the next.
The most effective part is the overwhelming sense of dread, that this is a series of events that is out of anybody's control. The more Arthur (a grown-up, post-Hogwarts Daniel Radcliffe) investigates strange noises, the more you're willing him to ignore them, get on with his job and leave. But the more he wants to help, the more trouble he is perceived to be causing.
There are times when suspense is stretched almost to snapping point, and yet is never overdone to the extent where it starts to get boring. In one scene, Arthur crosses a landing to investigate a creaking noise. This seems to take him several minutes, and the suspense only increases with every delaying second. Pretty much every moment of suspense has its own reward, so you never feel unduly cheated.
Most importantly, there is an emotional core to this film that comes to a conclusion, and one that I found very satisfying, at least from a storytelling perspective.
So we come to the elephant in the room. How is Daniel Radcliffe as a leading man, without the support of his friends or his magic wand? Well the truth is that there's nothing here we didn't see in his Harry Potter. This includes a certain amount of jaw-clenching stiffness, but he had made large strides of improvement over the last half of the series, and I was more than willing to believe him as this character in this period of history. He still has some way to go, but worry not, he can carry a film. He knows how to react better than to act, so this role is something of a perfect fit.
This is one of those films that seems better the more you think about it, even afterwards. I'm certainly intending to see it again. And to those concerned about seeing an edited version (the BBFC ordered a few minor cuts for the 12A certificate), don't be. The film does not feel in any way neutered or dumbed-down for a younger audience, quite the opposite. I can't imagine this film would work anywhere near as well outside of a cinema, no matter how decent your home system is, so if you wait for the unrated DVD you will probably end up missing out.
Screenwriter Jane Goldman's love for Asian horror has paid off successfully here, and she is becoming a force to be reckoned with. She also co-penned two other recent favourites of mine, Stardust and X-Men First Class. I'll be surprised if this doesn't join them by making my annual top 10 of the year.

Film Review - Chronicle

Film Review - The Vow

You can imagine the pitch. "Here's an idea for a chick flick. Take a true story about love and amnesia, starring her from The Notebook. We clearly won't get Ryan Gosling anymore, so how about that hunky bloke from Dear John instead?" Well, it worked. The film's out and has become a rather sizeable hit in the process. Needless to say, critics aren't getting it. And, whilst it's no The Notebook, fortunately it's no Dear John either.
Despite being happily single, I am a bloke who's rather find of chick flicks. Romcoms, romantic ensembles, melodramas... When they're done right, they can transport you away on an emotional journey, and when they're done wrong they can be alienating and sickening. The Vow falls somewhere between the two. It's not overly saccharine, but it didn't get me welling up, either.
The fact that it's based on a true story helps, adding a gravitas the film might not otherwise deserve. Amnesia is a Hollywood plot staple, so at least they have a legitimate excuse for its use here.
Both leads' perspectives are played evenly, and both Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams give their all. McAdams is frequently good, and here she gives her most convincing performance in a few years, but Tatum in particular manages to squeeze a bit of charm and believability through, rather than his usual impression of a wooden lunk.
The two leads have each so far eluded the household name status they've been chasing for the last decade. As decent as they are here, this film is unlikely to change matters.

Film Review - The Muppets (2011)

They're back! Due to popular demand! Or, to be more accurate, due to popular indifference.
For me, this was another Hugo. A film made with love, for all the right reasons, with good intentions and for the sheer fun of it. But it just didn't work.
The musical numbers would have worked brilliantly in Flight of the Conchords, but just didn't translate to a family audience. Even the usually superb Amy Adams is unrecognisably mediocre, especially after being so magnificent in Enchanted.
Jason Segal, often guilty of overacting for comedic effect, downplays things nicely straight. He is respectful enough to allow the Muppets themselves to hog the spotlight. But this is where the film ultimately falls down.
The multitude of Muppet characters are introduced, each has a moment in the spotlight, but none use the opportunity to really shine. Much is made of Miss Piggy's essential role, yet when she finally turns up she doesn't do much.
The big finale where they get to show us all what we've been missing all these years only proves to show us why they've disappeared.
I loved its energy and enthusiasm, but ultimately I felt that all the goodwill was coming from me, not the film.

Film Review - Journey 2 The Mysterious Island (in 3D)

Journey to the Centre of the Earth was a fun, throwaway piece of cinema that exploited its 3D gimmick (back in the days when there was no extra charge) and was only interested in keeping you entertained whilst upping the spectacle. For me, it succeeded, but it seemed to disappear from the memories of the rest of the world. So the appearance of a sequel so many years later was, to say the least, unexpected, but certainly welcome.
Only Josh Hutcherson remains from the original film, but fortunately he's one of the few child actors that is successfully keeping his career alive whilst transitioning into an adult, balancing the fine line between stroppy and likeable with a consummate ease that's made him one to keep an eye on.
Unfortunately, the same can't be said for High School Musical graduate Vanessa Hudgens, who simply redefines awful. Her father, played by the usually reliable Luiz Guzman, is no better.
As much as it pains me to say it, I've always found Dwayne Johnson (formerly known as The Rock) a charismatic screen presence. Here he takes over from Brendan Fraser and gives a suitably charming, self-effacing performance, particularly in his banter with Michael Caine. Yes, I did say Michael Caine, who is, obviously, phoning it in.
But it's all about the spectacle, and this film delivers. Giant bees and butterflies, beautiful foliage, tiny elephants... Okay, a lot of the CGI is sub-par, but it's all played with such a pleasant sense of adventurous whimsy, I'll forgive it a lot. There's plenty to enjoy here. You just have to allow yourself to do so.

Film Review - Young Adult

As a big fan of Juno, the prospect of its writer and director reuniting for another movie was rather exciting. And I can't say I was disappointed.
Charlize Theron is pitch-perfect as the selfish high school bitch that never grew up, making her as fun to watch as she is deplorable.
Writer Diablo Cody has toned down the too-cool-for-school dialogue to something a bit more realistic, and added an extra edge of bitterness that exactly suited the FTW mood I was in at the time.

Film Review - Martha Marcy May Marlene

One of the darlings of last year's festival season, this was expected to be in for a lot of Oscar attention. It wasn't to be. Elizabeth Olsen (sister to the famous twins) certainly gives a phenomenal performance, and was robbed of an actress nomination. However, it ultimately the film itself that has let her down.
The film is a partial success as a horror/thriller, as it features one or two genuinely uncomfortable moments, and an overwhelming sense of a bleak paranoia. Unfortunately its randomly sporadic storytelling seems to serve no purpose. We see Martha being found, we see her, traumatised, attempting to get back to a normal life, and we see her controlled life as part of an isolated group. But no context is given. We get no revelations, no history, no idea how or why she ended up in this situation, or even who or what this group are. To call them a cult is to be more generous than the film-makers were.
The biggest slap in the face of all comes at the end, as the story is simply abandoned, Coen-brothers-style, and the credits roll. No conclusion, no third act, no closure, no cliffhanger. You could pretty much walk out at any point and have the same cinematic experience. It didn't give me something to think about, other than being cheated.

Film Review - Carnage

I'm not averse to uncomfortable comedy. Ricky Gervais, Fawlty Towers, Curb Your Enthusiasm and Borat all have me chuckling whilst cringing with embarrassment. This just made me cringe. And not just for the characters, but for everyone involved. Think Jodie Foster's a great actress? Think again.

The premise of the film is four adults meet to discuss the action of their children- then behave far more childishly then any children. I get it. Unfortunately, it's not funny. At all. AT ALL. Yes, a lot of it rings true as horribly familiar, and many a true word is spoken in jest, but there needs to be more to jest than loud voices and rude behaviour.

It does make you switch sympathies from time to time, I'll admit. But all it's actually doing is making one character acknowledge someone else's unreasonable behaviour- and then you realise it's coming from an equally unreasonable character. Ultimately nobody's in the right. I know that's the point, but it's just embarrassing to watch. 

Carnage indeed.

Film Review - Haywire

Kick-ass fight scene!

Blah blah blah...

Kick-ass chase scene!

Blah blah blah...

Kick-ass car chase scene!

Blah blah blah...

Blah blah blah...

Blah blah blah...

Not-quite-so-exciting fight scene.

Blah blah blah...

Blah blah blah...

(*checks watch*)

Blah blah blah...

Humongously disappointing climactic fight scene...

Blah... Set up for second climactic fight scene...

The end.

Oh.

If you're going to cram so much exposition and dialogue into an action film, then make it either

a) important

b) interesting

c) emotionally involving

d) revelation(s) of unseen twists

e) at the very least, written well enough to be worth listening to.

f) ANY of the above.

This film opts for none of the above, and, as a result, actually hurts a pretty decent action film by weighing it down with tedium. It'll probably work better on DVD, what with the "chapter skip" option.

Film Review - Like Crazy

It's been a long time since I've seen so many people walk out of a movie. I can't quite say the film deserved that, but can't say they really missed much. I'd basically say the morals are thus; Don't break the rules of a US Visa, and don't marry someone unless you can spend the early, lovey-dovey passionate years together.
The performances were strong, but I can't say I found the characters' plight very sympathetic, especially given their poor decision-making abilities.

Film Review - Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace (in 3D)

One of the most derided films of all-time, to me is a hugely enjoyable spectacle. Yes it has its problems, but the good far outweighs the bad. The 3D was mostly pointless, but I welcome any excuse to revisit this on the big screen.