Here it is folks. The culmination of 10 years, 18 films and a childhood worth of memories. Avengers: Infinity War has to be one of the most hyped up movies in history, which of course made it all the more likely that it wouldn't live up to people's elevated expectations. Thankfully though, not only does it meet those expectations and even surpass them, it shatters any feeling of safety or comfort, resulting in a film that is both shocking and brilliant in equal measure.
The mad titan Thanos (Josh Brolin) strives to unite the six Infinity Stones and use them to wipe out half of the universe. Earth's mightiest heroes, with the help of some very familiar faces, must attempt to stop him.
Let's start with the big bad, Thanos. Ever since he leered his big old chin at the end of Avengers Assemble, we had been promised that he was the ultimate foe for our heroes to contend with. This claim was yet to come to fruition - until now. From the very first scene, we get a clear demonstration of just how powerful Thanos is, even without the aid of the Infinity Stones. Yet, as with all great villains, there is a clear reason behind his desire for destruction. The Russos said in a recent interview that this film was more of a Thanos story than it was an Avengers one, and there is certainly an air of truth to this. We spend a lot of time with him, growing to hate him more and more by the second, but we also get a real understanding of his motivations. You might even be lulled into agreeing with him for a fleeting moment of madness. His presence on screen is immense, and a testament to Brolin's performance. Marvel are often criticised for weak depictions of villains, but Thanos is tremendous.
Another frequent complaint of the MCU is the apparent 'lack of stakes'. Infinity War goes a long way to correct that. The fight scenes are, as you would expect, awesome. However, they are taken to new heights by the genuine fear you feel for the heroes. Even characters you felt were certain to survive feel at risk. No one is invincible. That sense of dread that anyone could be killed at any moment keeps you hooked throughout what will feel like the shortest 160 minutes of your life.
Of course, coupled with the intensity and the drama is genuine hilarity, most of which comes from the stellar exchanges between this insane cast. The Russo brothers have done a really excellent job of finding organic and interesting ways of bouncing some very different personalities off of each other and it is all executed perfectly. The balance of screen time between the actors is handled very well - everyone gets their moment, whether it's a joke, a great action beat or even just a cool entrance (there are a few of them). The Guardians bear the load of most of the humour, Drax being the particular highlight. Tony Stark is back at his quick-witted best, and his interplay with Doctor Strange and Spiderman is especially amusing. Thor is the standout for me, getting a solid mix of great jokes, emotional burdens and epic action sequences.
Whilst feeling like the end of this current chapter of the MCU, this film also extends the world and opens new narrative doors in a big way. We get a whole host of new magic courtesy of Doctor Strange, who has clearly been honing his skills. The Infinity Stones themselves are used in some extremely innovative ways. There is also a huge range of wacky and fresh cosmic destinations on show. In fact, this movie jumps around different locations and narrative threads a lot, but never to it's detriment. No scene feels like a waste of time, and wherever or whomever we cut to there is always something of interest going on.
If you somehow haven't gotten into the MCU yet then this is not a good starting off point. For the rest of us though, Infinity War is an event. It has everything you'd want from a Marvel movie - quippy one-liners and exhilarating action set pieces. But this film is nothing that you predicted it to be. It takes the narrative and this whole cinematic universe in unexpected directions and leaves you chomping at the bit for answers to the countless questions that arise. Marvel have changed the game. I laughed. I cried. I had goosebumps from the title card to the post credit sting. Nobody is ready for the events of this movie, but the end result 'does put a smile on my face.'
5/5 Stars
Friday 27 April 2018
Tuesday 24 April 2018
'The Shape of Water' Review
The core premise of The Shape of Water is an unsettlingly, verging on disturbing, one. It's takes an immense level of skill to get your audience to root for a lady to hook up with Abe Sapien's more ferocious cousin, without ever feeling weird about it. Guillermo del Toro is a man of such skill. He has both the finesse and the confidence to blend horror, fantasy and romance in a seemingly effortless fashion. The result of which is a truly beautiful film.
Set in the 1960's, a sketchy underground lab is running tests on a humanoid creature (Doug Jones). Led by repulsive government agent Strickland (Michael Shannon), they are trying to exploit this 'thing' to get an edge on the Russians. However, matters become complicated when mute cleaner Elisa (Sally Hawkins) begins to develop an intimate connection with the creature.
Sally Hawkins' performance is astonishing. She conveys the frustration of a lack of voice (a literal hinderance that is explored more metaphorically throughout the movie) perfectly and uses every muscle in her expressive face to ensure that the audience always understands exactly what she is feeling, so much so that her sign language doesn't need to be subtitled. Despite living in silence, her presence on screen is powerful.
The way that del Toro crafts the love story at the heart of this piece is very clever. It's established early on that Elisa craves a connection that her disability has prevented her from getting - her only two friends in the world are a closeted gay-man (Richard Jenkins) and an African American co-worker (brilliantly played by Octavia Spencer), both of whom also lack a voice in the bigotry infected culture they live in. Her relationship with the creature is forged of similar ideals. There is never any notion of him being a pet to her. Their communication through actions rather than words means they are both equals in conversation, which is something Elisa has never known before. It's a potent idea and is executed brilliantly.
The film is visually stunning, littered with striking and profound imagery. Extended sequences set underwater in unexpected locations are mesmerising. There are musical dream-sequences that pay fitting lip service to 40's and 50's musicals. Fantastical elements are plentiful but this is not a straight up fairytale, as behind the wonder there realistic bluntness to the world. The biting moral and political undertones of the story are not so subtle - it's easy to draw comparisons to certain modern day political figures. Elisa herself is a very practical women, evidenced by certain precautions she takes throughout her everyday life. Of course, del Toro indulges in his horror roots, the grimness of which is embodied by Agent Strickland. Shannon adds yet another detestable villain to his repertoire. He is all of societies faults folded into one monster that makes a fish-man look cute in comparison.
Whilst the concept sounds foul, the result is truly magical. Guillermo del Toro has a gift for weaving a tapestry of genres that have no right to mesh together, whilst making sure you feel safe among the chaos. The Shape of Water is a powerful and moving story, elevated by an outstanding performance from Hawkins, which lives up to the fantastic in it's fantastical idea.
5/5 Stars
Set in the 1960's, a sketchy underground lab is running tests on a humanoid creature (Doug Jones). Led by repulsive government agent Strickland (Michael Shannon), they are trying to exploit this 'thing' to get an edge on the Russians. However, matters become complicated when mute cleaner Elisa (Sally Hawkins) begins to develop an intimate connection with the creature.
Sally Hawkins' performance is astonishing. She conveys the frustration of a lack of voice (a literal hinderance that is explored more metaphorically throughout the movie) perfectly and uses every muscle in her expressive face to ensure that the audience always understands exactly what she is feeling, so much so that her sign language doesn't need to be subtitled. Despite living in silence, her presence on screen is powerful.
The way that del Toro crafts the love story at the heart of this piece is very clever. It's established early on that Elisa craves a connection that her disability has prevented her from getting - her only two friends in the world are a closeted gay-man (Richard Jenkins) and an African American co-worker (brilliantly played by Octavia Spencer), both of whom also lack a voice in the bigotry infected culture they live in. Her relationship with the creature is forged of similar ideals. There is never any notion of him being a pet to her. Their communication through actions rather than words means they are both equals in conversation, which is something Elisa has never known before. It's a potent idea and is executed brilliantly.
The film is visually stunning, littered with striking and profound imagery. Extended sequences set underwater in unexpected locations are mesmerising. There are musical dream-sequences that pay fitting lip service to 40's and 50's musicals. Fantastical elements are plentiful but this is not a straight up fairytale, as behind the wonder there realistic bluntness to the world. The biting moral and political undertones of the story are not so subtle - it's easy to draw comparisons to certain modern day political figures. Elisa herself is a very practical women, evidenced by certain precautions she takes throughout her everyday life. Of course, del Toro indulges in his horror roots, the grimness of which is embodied by Agent Strickland. Shannon adds yet another detestable villain to his repertoire. He is all of societies faults folded into one monster that makes a fish-man look cute in comparison.
Whilst the concept sounds foul, the result is truly magical. Guillermo del Toro has a gift for weaving a tapestry of genres that have no right to mesh together, whilst making sure you feel safe among the chaos. The Shape of Water is a powerful and moving story, elevated by an outstanding performance from Hawkins, which lives up to the fantastic in it's fantastical idea.
5/5 Stars
Friday 13 April 2018
'A Quiet Place' Review
Full disclosure: I am not a horror movie guy. Then again, neither was John Krasinski until very recently. Not that you'd be able to tell this from his latest directorial effort. A Quiet Place is a quite incredible achievement, given that it's only his third film and his first foray into horror. It's so accomplished that you'd be forgiven for assuming that this was the work of a seasoned director. It's an incredibly effective and immensely scary monster movie.
It's 2020. An otherworldly attack has annihilated the majority of the world's population. The few survivors are forced to live in near silence to avoid detection from creatures (some grotesque amalgamation of a Xenomorph, Venom and a demogorgon) who hunt through sound. The tagline "If they hear you, they hunt you" is incredibly apt. We follow the lives of the Abbott family, as parents Lee (Krasinksi) and Evelyn (Blunt) are prepared to risk everything to protect their children.
One of the strongest elements of this film is the fear that is established early on is maintained throughout out the blissfully short 90 minute runtime. A brief prologue appears to be setting up the rules of this world is a subtle and sombre way. Then massive tragedy befalls the family before the title card is even shown, solidifying the notion of just how ruthless this movie is willing to be. From that moment onwards you are constantly on the edge of your seat, as you have been categorically shown that awful things can happen a literally any moment. That intensity is never dropped throughout a series of increasingly more terrifying set pieces.
The concept of this movie - effectively don't make a sound or you're dead - is what initially drew me to this film. Horror, for me, tends to be most effective when there's a thought provoking idea in the middle of all the blood and jumps. In this case, the central idea is incorporated into the narrative masterfully. The movie can't be classed as 'silent', despite most of the dialogue being delivered throughout sign language, but it does demand the silence of the audience as the quiet is such an integral part of the scares. Typically in horror, you can tell when a jump-scare is coming when the score stops. Here, there is no music, minimal noise at all in fact, so the scares almost seem to come out of nowhere. Even more effective are the scenes where we are taken into the perspective of deaf daughter Regan. Watching monsters that she cannot hear advancing towards her is truly horrifying. There are a few examples of frights that border on the line of cliché, but for the most part they are handled with poise and originality.
Yet arguably what makes this such a great film is the family dynamic at it's core. Krasinski cleverly avoids the trope of apocalypse survivors gradually turning on each other - this is a story about a family who love each other and whose love is only strengthened by the adversities they now face. As you might expect from a real life husband and wife, the chemistry between Krasinski and Blunt is amazing and they are the figureheads of some extremely emotional scenes. Whilst the intensity is never compromised, the film isn't afraid to pull back from the visceral action and allow for some impossibly tender moments between the family. Krasinski proves himself as an actor as well as director - not once do you think "Hey, that's Jim from The Office". Emily Blunt is sensational. Many of the film's most captivating and chilling scenes are centred around her and she absolutely nails it (too soon?). Noah Jupe and Millicent Simmonds are also both terrific.
A Quiet Place is not only an exceptional horror flick, but is just generally a great movie. A heartbreaking tale of family validates the nerve-shredding scares, which never let up.
5/5 Stars
It's 2020. An otherworldly attack has annihilated the majority of the world's population. The few survivors are forced to live in near silence to avoid detection from creatures (some grotesque amalgamation of a Xenomorph, Venom and a demogorgon) who hunt through sound. The tagline "If they hear you, they hunt you" is incredibly apt. We follow the lives of the Abbott family, as parents Lee (Krasinksi) and Evelyn (Blunt) are prepared to risk everything to protect their children.
One of the strongest elements of this film is the fear that is established early on is maintained throughout out the blissfully short 90 minute runtime. A brief prologue appears to be setting up the rules of this world is a subtle and sombre way. Then massive tragedy befalls the family before the title card is even shown, solidifying the notion of just how ruthless this movie is willing to be. From that moment onwards you are constantly on the edge of your seat, as you have been categorically shown that awful things can happen a literally any moment. That intensity is never dropped throughout a series of increasingly more terrifying set pieces.
The concept of this movie - effectively don't make a sound or you're dead - is what initially drew me to this film. Horror, for me, tends to be most effective when there's a thought provoking idea in the middle of all the blood and jumps. In this case, the central idea is incorporated into the narrative masterfully. The movie can't be classed as 'silent', despite most of the dialogue being delivered throughout sign language, but it does demand the silence of the audience as the quiet is such an integral part of the scares. Typically in horror, you can tell when a jump-scare is coming when the score stops. Here, there is no music, minimal noise at all in fact, so the scares almost seem to come out of nowhere. Even more effective are the scenes where we are taken into the perspective of deaf daughter Regan. Watching monsters that she cannot hear advancing towards her is truly horrifying. There are a few examples of frights that border on the line of cliché, but for the most part they are handled with poise and originality.
Yet arguably what makes this such a great film is the family dynamic at it's core. Krasinski cleverly avoids the trope of apocalypse survivors gradually turning on each other - this is a story about a family who love each other and whose love is only strengthened by the adversities they now face. As you might expect from a real life husband and wife, the chemistry between Krasinski and Blunt is amazing and they are the figureheads of some extremely emotional scenes. Whilst the intensity is never compromised, the film isn't afraid to pull back from the visceral action and allow for some impossibly tender moments between the family. Krasinski proves himself as an actor as well as director - not once do you think "Hey, that's Jim from The Office". Emily Blunt is sensational. Many of the film's most captivating and chilling scenes are centred around her and she absolutely nails it (too soon?). Noah Jupe and Millicent Simmonds are also both terrific.
A Quiet Place is not only an exceptional horror flick, but is just generally a great movie. A heartbreaking tale of family validates the nerve-shredding scares, which never let up.
5/5 Stars
Tuesday 10 April 2018
'Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri' Review
Three Billoards outside Ebbing, Missouri is the third feature film to be both written and directed by poet Martin McDonagh. It has central themes of tragedy, grief and revenge. However, it is by no means a conventional story of loss. It's much more than a tale of a mother trying to cope with the pain of losing a child. It's a biting satire at the expense of the American justice system, it covers some delightfully dark themes in an intentionally humerous manner and the natural progression of the characters at the core of the narrative encourages the belief that maybe, just maybe, all hope is not yet lost.
Mildred Hayes (McDormand) is seeking justice for her dead daughter and is sick of waiting around on the Ebbing police force who seem to be getting nowhere with her case. She decides to take matters into her own hands by erecting three billboards, pressuring Chief Bill Willoughby (Harrelson) and his left-hand officer Dixon (Rockwell) into action. Her act isolates her from the rest of the town but allows for some of the secrets kept to finally come to light.
You wouldn't expect a film centered around the death of a teenage girl to be funny. Yet, from the first to the last beat of the movie, every character is cracking wise and making light of the vulgar situation that faces them. This has to be a result of the profoundness of McDonagh's script. Everyline feels real - you've no doubt heard people speak to each other in real life the way they do in this film. As well as adding to the realism, this gives the dialogue a genuine feel, which makes it all the more hilarious. Some minor characters are included purely to offer levity but it never feels forced and is blended expertly with the plentiful moments of intensity and drama.
The performances throughout are outstanding. The town of Ebbing is made up of a purposefully diverse bunch. We get a smart-ass advertiser, a 'friendly midget' and a pretty girl so dumb she doesn't know the difference between polo and polio. The crowning jewels are the award winning turns from McDormand and Rockwell. Mildred is a cold-hearted rock of a women with edges sharp enough to cut through anything (even, let's say, a finger nail). She is warrior esque, donning her bandana and prison-yard overalls, and relentless on her mission to achieve vengence for her daughter, no matter how brutal her methods get. She's eager, desperate even, to pass the guilt on to anyone else - she blames the cops, her ex husband, even her local priest gets an especially colourful tongue-lashing. In fact, she's a stubborn and unpleasant person, with only the slightest glimpses of her true vulnerability and pain ever surfacing. However, the combination of McDormand's delivery and McDonagh's dialogue demands empathy for her even though it often seems none is warranted.
But this is not just Mildred's story. The character arc of Sam Rockwell's Officer Dixon is an immensly satisfying one. Rockwell cements his status as a terrific character actor. Just like Mildred, he'd be insufferable if not for the hilarity of his demeanour. He's exceedingly aggressive, openly racist though blissfully unaware of it, and in fact serves as an amalgamation of all the flaws present in the American police. However, through his relationship with Harrelson's Chief Willoughby (who is also great) he grows as both a cop and as a man, learning the lesson that lies at the heart of this film - love and hope will always be more powerful than hate.
Exhilerated by an incredbilely raw screenplay by McDonagh and two barnstorming central performances, Three Billboards is hilarious, brutal and simply beautfiul. More than worthy of all of it's Oscars.
5/5 Stars
Mildred Hayes (McDormand) is seeking justice for her dead daughter and is sick of waiting around on the Ebbing police force who seem to be getting nowhere with her case. She decides to take matters into her own hands by erecting three billboards, pressuring Chief Bill Willoughby (Harrelson) and his left-hand officer Dixon (Rockwell) into action. Her act isolates her from the rest of the town but allows for some of the secrets kept to finally come to light.
You wouldn't expect a film centered around the death of a teenage girl to be funny. Yet, from the first to the last beat of the movie, every character is cracking wise and making light of the vulgar situation that faces them. This has to be a result of the profoundness of McDonagh's script. Everyline feels real - you've no doubt heard people speak to each other in real life the way they do in this film. As well as adding to the realism, this gives the dialogue a genuine feel, which makes it all the more hilarious. Some minor characters are included purely to offer levity but it never feels forced and is blended expertly with the plentiful moments of intensity and drama.
The performances throughout are outstanding. The town of Ebbing is made up of a purposefully diverse bunch. We get a smart-ass advertiser, a 'friendly midget' and a pretty girl so dumb she doesn't know the difference between polo and polio. The crowning jewels are the award winning turns from McDormand and Rockwell. Mildred is a cold-hearted rock of a women with edges sharp enough to cut through anything (even, let's say, a finger nail). She is warrior esque, donning her bandana and prison-yard overalls, and relentless on her mission to achieve vengence for her daughter, no matter how brutal her methods get. She's eager, desperate even, to pass the guilt on to anyone else - she blames the cops, her ex husband, even her local priest gets an especially colourful tongue-lashing. In fact, she's a stubborn and unpleasant person, with only the slightest glimpses of her true vulnerability and pain ever surfacing. However, the combination of McDormand's delivery and McDonagh's dialogue demands empathy for her even though it often seems none is warranted.
But this is not just Mildred's story. The character arc of Sam Rockwell's Officer Dixon is an immensly satisfying one. Rockwell cements his status as a terrific character actor. Just like Mildred, he'd be insufferable if not for the hilarity of his demeanour. He's exceedingly aggressive, openly racist though blissfully unaware of it, and in fact serves as an amalgamation of all the flaws present in the American police. However, through his relationship with Harrelson's Chief Willoughby (who is also great) he grows as both a cop and as a man, learning the lesson that lies at the heart of this film - love and hope will always be more powerful than hate.
Exhilerated by an incredbilely raw screenplay by McDonagh and two barnstorming central performances, Three Billboards is hilarious, brutal and simply beautfiul. More than worthy of all of it's Oscars.
5/5 Stars
Friday 6 April 2018
'Ready Player One' Review
Steven Spielburg is undoubtedly one of the greatest directors to ever live. However, the quality of his movies is steadily declining. In fact, I would argue he hasn't made a universally adored film in over a decade. Unfortunately, Ready Player One is more of the same. There are fleeting moments that feel reminiscent of the classics from his earlier career. Yet, they are only brief glimpses that get lost amongst the unbridled chaos that plagues this film.
In the year 2045, people choose to escape the hellish conditions of the real world in the OASIS, an fully immersive artificial reality in which you can 'go anywhere, be anyone and do anything'. The creator James Halliday (Rylance) has left his immense fortune and ownership of the OASIS to the winner of three challenges designed to find a worthy heir. Unlikely hero Wade Watts (Sheridan) teams up with his gang of friends to win the contest and prevent the villainous IOI, led by Nolan Sorrento (Mendelsohn), from privatising their playground.
I should mention that I've never read Ernest Cline's novel of the same name that this movie is based on. I tried. The one chapter I managed to get through was just the protagonist reeling off a long and arduous list of all the pop culture references he knows. Regrettably, this has bled over into the movie. There are numerous moments where the already bare-thin plot grinds to a halt so that Wade can prove to us all that he knows more about Battlestar Galactica than you do. To his credit, Spielberg goes all in with the references. It's essentially a moving version of 'Where's Wally?'. There must be millions of references throughout to all forms of media: movies, books, games, music - if you can picture it it's probably in this film in some capacity. Admittedly, it's quite fun to search through seemingly endless waves of avatars to find your favourite characters. At least, at first. However, the movie very quickly crosses the line into 'over the top'. I'm confident that no matter how many times you watched this film you would never be able to catch them all, which in this instance is detrimental to the movie. In the end there are simply too many references, meaning that it's impossible to ever focus on any one individual, which draws you right out of the narrative and massively lowers any of the stakes.
When the film does narrow it's focus on specific elements, it works so much better. The best set piece in the film, for example, is a drawn out tribute to Kubrick's The Shinning. Exploring a impressively accurate recreation of The Overlook Hotel with a few twists and turns thrown in along the way is very engaging (may even cross over into full horror at one point) and I only wish there were more scenes like it. The opening challenge is also really entertaining. Watching the DeLorean, the A-Team' van and the Akira bike race, whilst trying to avoid King Kong and a T-Rex is undeniably cool. But by the end, so much has been crammed into the climatic final battle that it becomes a huge disappointment. So much is going on on screen at once that any sense of realism quickly vanishes and you're left with a bunch of indistinguishable cartoons crashing into each other.
The performances are on the most part pretty solid. Ben Mendelsohn is expectedly strong, but it's shame to see him being typecast as a one-note villain - you could copy and paste his character from Rogue One into this a probably not notice the difference. Tye Sheridan and Olivia Cooke are both fine, but for whatever reason I never found myself relating or even caring about what happened to them, or any of the heroes for that matter. Mark Rylance is great and he shares quirky and genuine chemistry with Simon Pegg. The shift in their relationship is one of the most intriguing developments in the movie, but sadly it's cast aside for less interesting protagonists.
To me, Ready Player One is certainly not Spielberg's 'return to form' as some have labeled it. There are some redeeming moments, glimpses of a better movie within this one. Yet, on the whole it's a huge disappointment. What was intended to be a celebration of pop culture gradually devolves into an incoherent mess. It's less of a movie than it is a cultural recycling bin that's way too full.
2/5 Stars
In the year 2045, people choose to escape the hellish conditions of the real world in the OASIS, an fully immersive artificial reality in which you can 'go anywhere, be anyone and do anything'. The creator James Halliday (Rylance) has left his immense fortune and ownership of the OASIS to the winner of three challenges designed to find a worthy heir. Unlikely hero Wade Watts (Sheridan) teams up with his gang of friends to win the contest and prevent the villainous IOI, led by Nolan Sorrento (Mendelsohn), from privatising their playground.
I should mention that I've never read Ernest Cline's novel of the same name that this movie is based on. I tried. The one chapter I managed to get through was just the protagonist reeling off a long and arduous list of all the pop culture references he knows. Regrettably, this has bled over into the movie. There are numerous moments where the already bare-thin plot grinds to a halt so that Wade can prove to us all that he knows more about Battlestar Galactica than you do. To his credit, Spielberg goes all in with the references. It's essentially a moving version of 'Where's Wally?'. There must be millions of references throughout to all forms of media: movies, books, games, music - if you can picture it it's probably in this film in some capacity. Admittedly, it's quite fun to search through seemingly endless waves of avatars to find your favourite characters. At least, at first. However, the movie very quickly crosses the line into 'over the top'. I'm confident that no matter how many times you watched this film you would never be able to catch them all, which in this instance is detrimental to the movie. In the end there are simply too many references, meaning that it's impossible to ever focus on any one individual, which draws you right out of the narrative and massively lowers any of the stakes.
When the film does narrow it's focus on specific elements, it works so much better. The best set piece in the film, for example, is a drawn out tribute to Kubrick's The Shinning. Exploring a impressively accurate recreation of The Overlook Hotel with a few twists and turns thrown in along the way is very engaging (may even cross over into full horror at one point) and I only wish there were more scenes like it. The opening challenge is also really entertaining. Watching the DeLorean, the A-Team' van and the Akira bike race, whilst trying to avoid King Kong and a T-Rex is undeniably cool. But by the end, so much has been crammed into the climatic final battle that it becomes a huge disappointment. So much is going on on screen at once that any sense of realism quickly vanishes and you're left with a bunch of indistinguishable cartoons crashing into each other.
The performances are on the most part pretty solid. Ben Mendelsohn is expectedly strong, but it's shame to see him being typecast as a one-note villain - you could copy and paste his character from Rogue One into this a probably not notice the difference. Tye Sheridan and Olivia Cooke are both fine, but for whatever reason I never found myself relating or even caring about what happened to them, or any of the heroes for that matter. Mark Rylance is great and he shares quirky and genuine chemistry with Simon Pegg. The shift in their relationship is one of the most intriguing developments in the movie, but sadly it's cast aside for less interesting protagonists.
To me, Ready Player One is certainly not Spielberg's 'return to form' as some have labeled it. There are some redeeming moments, glimpses of a better movie within this one. Yet, on the whole it's a huge disappointment. What was intended to be a celebration of pop culture gradually devolves into an incoherent mess. It's less of a movie than it is a cultural recycling bin that's way too full.
2/5 Stars
Sunday 1 April 2018
My top 10 favourite films of all time
When I set out to write this list, I thought it would be a brisk and enjoyable process. I was wrong. I'd forgotten a crucial factor - that I love film. In my humble opinion, it's the purest and yet most complex art form and it's that complexity that makes clarifying the 'best' movie such a difficult task. There's an endless amount of amazing movies out there and they are all brilliant in very different ways. Because of this, my list of 'favourite' films changes on the hour depending on my mood. If you asked me this question tomorrow, I'd probably give you a completely different answer. But then again, that's part of the fun. So, as of right now anyway, these are my top 10 favourite films of all time. (feel free to leave some of your own in the comments below)
10. The LEGO Movie (2014)
Intelligent, hilarious and so much more than the shameless cash-grab is was initially perceived to be. The comedic talents of an all star cast are showcased under the improv heavy environment Phil Lord and Chris Miller create in their projects. The attention to detail in visual gags and the design choices of the animation is staggering, the humour is well balanced and irreverent and there's a surprisingly heartfelt emotional payoff. The best endorsement for LEGO that the brand could have ever hoped for. The LEGO Movie will have your inner 10 year old jumping for joy.
9. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
Probably the movie I've seen more times than another. Everybody has those comedies that are integral in crafting a person's sense of humour, and in my case Ron Burgundy is the moustached linchpin of what I understand to be comedy. The humour is somehow both crass yet tasteful at the same time, and there are so many jokes throughout that you could watch Anchorman 100 times and still find something new to laugh at. Arguably Will Ferrel's best work and his chemistry with Carell, Rudd and Koechner is incredible. Up there with the most quotable movies ever made. 60% of the time, you'll love it every time.
8. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
I don't love Jim Carrey, but his performance in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is essential to the immense impact of the narrative. Taking the universal experience of going through a traumatic breakup and presenting it in a way that feels both authentic and totally unexpected hits the emotional sweet spot expertly. Some of the scenes crafted are genuinely breathtaking - Joel's sprint through his childhood is dizzying to watch. A movie that opened my eyes to exactly what film as an art form is capable of. If you haven't seen it, you must.
7. Whiplash (2014)
As Charlie Parker once said, "They teach you there's a boundary line to music. But, man, there's no boundary line to art". The umbrella theme may be drumming, but in reality Whiplash is about sacrifice, revenge and how the line between dedication and obsession can easily be blurred. There is literally nothing wrong with it. Not a frame is wasted in a rather lean 107 minute runtime - every single scene offers something significant. The music throughout is incredible, much of which is played by Miles Teller himself, who is fantastic. The crowning jewel is J.K. Simmons. I'd equate his character to Dr Cox from Scrubs on steroids. Emotionally and physically abusive at almost every chance he gets, he is almost otherworldly in his villainy. Yet, at the time, his character's relationship with Teller is so brutally relatable. His Oscar winning performance is to me one of the greatest supporting turns in the history of cinema.
6. The Dark Knight (2008)
I love Christopher Nolan. I also love Batman. It was inevitable that I was going to love Nolan's gritty superhero trilogy. The Dark Knight, however completely transcends the genre of a superhero movie. It's outstanding in every aspect. Incredible action set pieces that are a perfect blend of practical and digital effects. Gripping and gritty throughout with no dull moments in between. Amazing performances from the entire cast. In my mind, Heath Ledger's Joker is the best cinematic villain of all time, and one of the greatest performances ever given. His posthumously awarded Oscar is one of the most deserved in the Academy Awards history.
5. Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)
Taika Watiti is quickly becoming one of my favourite directors and Hunt for the Wilderpeople is the film that introduced me to his immense talent. The balance of cheeky and dark humour is spot on, as you'd expect from Watiti, but it's intertwined with a narrative filled with genuine heart. Julian Dennison's breakout performance is hilarious and his presence on screen even rivals that of veteran Sam Neil, who of course smashes this role. Seeing their relationship flourish over the course of the film is hugely satisfying and leads to a tear-jerking conclusion. It's heart warming, tragic and like all great comedies gets funnier every time you watch it.
4. LA LA Land (2016)
As well as reminding the world of how great musicals are, LA LA Land pays fitting homage to the classics whilst offering a fresh and original take on the genre. Every part of the film is gorgeous, especially the bold and inventive uses of colour. Damien Chazelle is a master of framework and this allows for the stunning choreography to be appreciated to the full. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone both give fantastic performances. The music is impossibly catchy and upbeat. Yet, underneath the feel good tone is a powerful sentiment of choosing what's really important to you and a twist on a typical love story. There's a reason that it nearly won 'Best Picture'.
3. Captain America: Civil War (2016)
As soppy as it may sound, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is one of the main reasons that I love movies. A culmination of everything that has come before it, Civil War serves a wish fulfilment to comic-book and superhero fans everywhere. Almost as entertaining as watching the Avengers Assemble is watching them beat the crap out of each other. Tense and enthralling action set pieces are rife throughout, including not one but two of the best scenes from any comic-book movie. However, whilst the digital effects and action beats are flawless, the conflict is so entertaining is you completely buy the reasoning and motivations behind it. Robert Downey Jr and Chris Evans draw from years of experience as their respective characters and as a result offer two outstanding performances. It might well be eclipsed by Infinity War, but for now it stands the best Marvel movie and one of my all-time favourites.
2. Fantastic Mr Fox (2009)
I loved Roald Dahl as a child, in particular Fantastic Mr Fox, but Wes Anderson's adaptation somehow manages to improve a near perfect story. It's a very Anderson movie in all the best ways. The stop-motion animation is simply brilliant, with ridiculous amounts of effort going into making the puppets feel alive. The framing and the look of each shot is perfect, with smooth lateral and vertical movements that always keep the frame centred on exactly what you want to be looking at. The pragmatic delivery of the lines from an amazing cast blends some darker subjects with unconventionally hilarious comedy. If you don't like Anderson's movies, then it's definately not for you. If you do, this is one of his best. A truly enjoyable movie.
Before I reveal my number one, here are some honourable mentions (Shut up - it's hard to narrow it down to 10!) The following are all unlucky not to make my list:
Kingsman: The Secret Service
10. The LEGO Movie (2014)
Intelligent, hilarious and so much more than the shameless cash-grab is was initially perceived to be. The comedic talents of an all star cast are showcased under the improv heavy environment Phil Lord and Chris Miller create in their projects. The attention to detail in visual gags and the design choices of the animation is staggering, the humour is well balanced and irreverent and there's a surprisingly heartfelt emotional payoff. The best endorsement for LEGO that the brand could have ever hoped for. The LEGO Movie will have your inner 10 year old jumping for joy.
9. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
Probably the movie I've seen more times than another. Everybody has those comedies that are integral in crafting a person's sense of humour, and in my case Ron Burgundy is the moustached linchpin of what I understand to be comedy. The humour is somehow both crass yet tasteful at the same time, and there are so many jokes throughout that you could watch Anchorman 100 times and still find something new to laugh at. Arguably Will Ferrel's best work and his chemistry with Carell, Rudd and Koechner is incredible. Up there with the most quotable movies ever made. 60% of the time, you'll love it every time.
8. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
I don't love Jim Carrey, but his performance in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is essential to the immense impact of the narrative. Taking the universal experience of going through a traumatic breakup and presenting it in a way that feels both authentic and totally unexpected hits the emotional sweet spot expertly. Some of the scenes crafted are genuinely breathtaking - Joel's sprint through his childhood is dizzying to watch. A movie that opened my eyes to exactly what film as an art form is capable of. If you haven't seen it, you must.
7. Whiplash (2014)
As Charlie Parker once said, "They teach you there's a boundary line to music. But, man, there's no boundary line to art". The umbrella theme may be drumming, but in reality Whiplash is about sacrifice, revenge and how the line between dedication and obsession can easily be blurred. There is literally nothing wrong with it. Not a frame is wasted in a rather lean 107 minute runtime - every single scene offers something significant. The music throughout is incredible, much of which is played by Miles Teller himself, who is fantastic. The crowning jewel is J.K. Simmons. I'd equate his character to Dr Cox from Scrubs on steroids. Emotionally and physically abusive at almost every chance he gets, he is almost otherworldly in his villainy. Yet, at the time, his character's relationship with Teller is so brutally relatable. His Oscar winning performance is to me one of the greatest supporting turns in the history of cinema.
6. The Dark Knight (2008)
I love Christopher Nolan. I also love Batman. It was inevitable that I was going to love Nolan's gritty superhero trilogy. The Dark Knight, however completely transcends the genre of a superhero movie. It's outstanding in every aspect. Incredible action set pieces that are a perfect blend of practical and digital effects. Gripping and gritty throughout with no dull moments in between. Amazing performances from the entire cast. In my mind, Heath Ledger's Joker is the best cinematic villain of all time, and one of the greatest performances ever given. His posthumously awarded Oscar is one of the most deserved in the Academy Awards history.
5. Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)
Taika Watiti is quickly becoming one of my favourite directors and Hunt for the Wilderpeople is the film that introduced me to his immense talent. The balance of cheeky and dark humour is spot on, as you'd expect from Watiti, but it's intertwined with a narrative filled with genuine heart. Julian Dennison's breakout performance is hilarious and his presence on screen even rivals that of veteran Sam Neil, who of course smashes this role. Seeing their relationship flourish over the course of the film is hugely satisfying and leads to a tear-jerking conclusion. It's heart warming, tragic and like all great comedies gets funnier every time you watch it.
4. LA LA Land (2016)
As well as reminding the world of how great musicals are, LA LA Land pays fitting homage to the classics whilst offering a fresh and original take on the genre. Every part of the film is gorgeous, especially the bold and inventive uses of colour. Damien Chazelle is a master of framework and this allows for the stunning choreography to be appreciated to the full. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone both give fantastic performances. The music is impossibly catchy and upbeat. Yet, underneath the feel good tone is a powerful sentiment of choosing what's really important to you and a twist on a typical love story. There's a reason that it nearly won 'Best Picture'.
3. Captain America: Civil War (2016)
As soppy as it may sound, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is one of the main reasons that I love movies. A culmination of everything that has come before it, Civil War serves a wish fulfilment to comic-book and superhero fans everywhere. Almost as entertaining as watching the Avengers Assemble is watching them beat the crap out of each other. Tense and enthralling action set pieces are rife throughout, including not one but two of the best scenes from any comic-book movie. However, whilst the digital effects and action beats are flawless, the conflict is so entertaining is you completely buy the reasoning and motivations behind it. Robert Downey Jr and Chris Evans draw from years of experience as their respective characters and as a result offer two outstanding performances. It might well be eclipsed by Infinity War, but for now it stands the best Marvel movie and one of my all-time favourites.
2. Fantastic Mr Fox (2009)
I loved Roald Dahl as a child, in particular Fantastic Mr Fox, but Wes Anderson's adaptation somehow manages to improve a near perfect story. It's a very Anderson movie in all the best ways. The stop-motion animation is simply brilliant, with ridiculous amounts of effort going into making the puppets feel alive. The framing and the look of each shot is perfect, with smooth lateral and vertical movements that always keep the frame centred on exactly what you want to be looking at. The pragmatic delivery of the lines from an amazing cast blends some darker subjects with unconventionally hilarious comedy. If you don't like Anderson's movies, then it's definately not for you. If you do, this is one of his best. A truly enjoyable movie.
Before I reveal my number one, here are some honourable mentions (Shut up - it's hard to narrow it down to 10!) The following are all unlucky not to make my list:
Kingsman: The Secret Service
Toy Story
Jurassic Park
Get Out
Baby Driver
1.The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
I redrafted the rankings for this list several times but my number one slot never changed. The Shawshank Redemption is a perfect movie.The score by Thomas Newman is phenomenal. The characters are an eclectic bunch played brilliantly by the cast.The writing and the dialogue is so profound and yet feels completely real. Despite the story continually turning from triumph to tragedy, as a viewer you never give up the unrelenting hope for Andy Dufresne and witnessing his gradual redemption is incredibly moving. It's a beautiful film that is filled to the brim with charm. It is, in my humble opinion, the best movie ever made.
Get Out
Baby Driver
1.The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
I redrafted the rankings for this list several times but my number one slot never changed. The Shawshank Redemption is a perfect movie.The score by Thomas Newman is phenomenal. The characters are an eclectic bunch played brilliantly by the cast.The writing and the dialogue is so profound and yet feels completely real. Despite the story continually turning from triumph to tragedy, as a viewer you never give up the unrelenting hope for Andy Dufresne and witnessing his gradual redemption is incredibly moving. It's a beautiful film that is filled to the brim with charm. It is, in my humble opinion, the best movie ever made.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)