Adam Sandler is, at his core, a decent actor. Before you start laughing at this statement, allow me to explain. Granted, the movies that he appears in are more often than not terrible, but its undeniable that as a performer he does quirky outlandish humour very well and with the right direction and supporting cast around him he is more than capable of carrying a role and even a movie. The Meyerowitz Stories serves as a handy reminder of just what he can do.
The narrative of the story (or stories as the movie is split into three connected chapters) is a simple yet extremely effective one. Retired New York sculptor Harold Meyerowitz (Dustin Hoffman) is offered a chance to get 'back on the map' through an art retrospective by his daughter Jean (Elizabeth Marvel) and two sons, high flying Matthew (Ben Stiller) and low life Danny (Adam Sandler). The reunion of these differing personalities quickly leads to half-buried arguments come bubbling to the surface.
The performances of each and every member of this cast are amazing, especially Sandler. As a great father but a disappointment in the eyes of his own, he really makes this role his. He's funny, endearing and extremely relatable. The audience can sympathise with every knock-back, which Danny has seen his fair share of. Ben Stiller also really shines. Another actor who due to the low quality of most of his movies has a stigma associated with him, he portrays the polar opposite of Danny. He's rich, successful and obsessed over by his father (not that he would ever tell him). Both Stiller and Noah Baumbach (both writer and director) handle this character really well. Despite their obvious differences, Danny and Matthew are both striving for the same goal of their father's affection and respect, whilst approaching from the opposite ends of the spectrum. Of course, as this is their third appearance on screen together, Sandler and Stiller share great chemistry and watching them repair their damaged relationship is the real emotional crux of the movie. Similarly, Hoffman delivers a strong performance. He is by all accounts the villain of the piece, and if he wasn't so unintentionally hilarious he'd be near insufferable to the audience. Yet Hoffman brings a boyish charm to this dysfunctional old man. Elizabeth Marvel's Jean serves a good middle ground between her brothers and proves to be just as damaged as her siblings. Emma Thompson and Grace Van Patten both have a lot of fun in their roles and wrap up this mess of a family nicely.
Now being an Sandler/Stiller movie, there is an un-written requirement for a certain kind of comedy to be included. Strong language, dialogue that arrives at break-neck speeds and even an hilariously hapless Sandler on Stiller fist fight that will have all Happy Gilmore fans appeased. To the film's credit, its funny. Very funny. Yet under this veil of a light hearted comedy, there is an at times heart breaking tale off the adults who due to different forms of mental abuse from their father are all equally, as Jean puts it so eloquently, 'f*cked up'. All three have never truly been allowed to grow up, Matthew's success in business was all to gain his father's approval, Danny nearly breaks down when he hears the family house is being sold and Jean is haunted by incidents that I won't spoil. The realisation the three siblings undergo - that they will not resent their father's attempts at parenting as they want to be better than him - is truly compelling. Coupled with themes of betrayal, redemption, acceptance and Danny saying goodbye to his daughter as she leaves for college make this core of this movie profound and sincere, which is blended perfectly with the outrageous sense of humour.
Overall, I was massively impressed and surprised by The Meyerowitz Stories. Its a genuinely great movie. Adam Sandler and Ben Stiller offer the undoubted best performances of their careers and supported by an excellent cast they hold up narrative that is both hilarious and heartfelt in equal measure. And it's now available on Netflix from the comfort of your sofa. What could be better than that?
4/5 Stars
Saturday, 14 October 2017
Tuesday, 10 October 2017
Kingsman: The Golden Circle review
Matthew Vaughn has a real knack for bringing fun into each film he makes. Even before Kingsman: The Secret Service, he had created an epic fantasy in Stardust and in Kick Ass he managed to make superheroes fun again before Marvel Studios had the genre on strings. Yet Kingsman was something else. He managed to make the current run of James Bond movies, which were universally praised, look boring in comparison to his clever twist on the spy concept. It was ridiculous, hilarious and hugely over the top - but it absolutely worked and succeeded in its task to bring the irreverence back to the British Spy films that had been missing since the Moore era of Bond. I am pleased to report that the follow up Kingsman: The Golden Circle is much of the same. It's an action packed romp of a movie.
With their headquarters destroyed and the world held hostage by a psychotic Cartel leader, the Kingsman must seek the help of their American counterparts, Statesman in order to save the world again.
The returning members of cast all give great performances. It's very satisfying to see Taron Egerton's 'Eggsy' developed from a London youth without direction in life into the suave gentlemen spy we see in this movie. Whilst the return of Colin Firth does somewhat undermine Eggsy's character growth, he is a welcome inclusion and the two share some great on screen chemistry. Mark Strong's Merlin is also explored further in this film and its nice to see how he and Eggsy have changed and bonded even further in Harry's absence. Of the new cast members, I have some complaints. Of the big names that were added to the cast, many if not all of them are underused. Jeff Bridges and Halle Berry's roles are both fleeting and Channing Tatum is barely in the movie despite featuring heavily in the promotional material. Pedro Pascal has a decent go at Agent Whiskey, but some of the writing for his character is quite poor and he could easily be swapped out for another character. Julianne Moore's villainous Poppy is also considerably weaker than the first films big bad. Yet again the performance is fine, yet her character is a little underwhelming in comparison to Samuel L. Jackson's 'Valentine' and I didn't buy many of her motivations and character developments. There is also an Elton John cameo, which initially is very funny but is massively overused and steals screen time from some of the actual characters.
If you didn't like The Secret Service then this movie is not for you, as there are many returning elements that are undoubtably the strongest parts of this film. Fast paced, super violent yet stylised fight scenes, some gripping action set pieces and a whole host of new and exciting gadgets for the agents to employ. Unsurprisingly, the best elements of this movie are those that are taken from the first. Call backs to conversations, jokes and fight scenes are all present and offer rewarding chuckles to the audience. However, there are some bizarre creative choices in this film. The core concept and execution of many of the films themes and ideas is not as good. There's one particular moment that is intended to mock the incredibly sexist nature of Bond movies just as the outrageous anal joke did the first time round, but actually becomes very vulgar and uncomfortable to watch. I wonder if perhaps this is due to studio interference, who after seeing the success of the first movie were so eager for another that they didn't allow the necessary time for the writing and script to be as strong as they needed to be.
I had heard a lot of negative press about 'Kingsman: The Golden Circle' before I saw it and I have to say that I feel its very unjustified. Is it as good as the first? No. Is it a perfect movie? Far from it. But its funny, action heavy and a well executed continuation of the story. There are some missed opportunities and elements that don't need to be included, but its still an enjoyable movie that I would recommend seeing, especially if you love the first.
3/5 Stars
With their headquarters destroyed and the world held hostage by a psychotic Cartel leader, the Kingsman must seek the help of their American counterparts, Statesman in order to save the world again.
The returning members of cast all give great performances. It's very satisfying to see Taron Egerton's 'Eggsy' developed from a London youth without direction in life into the suave gentlemen spy we see in this movie. Whilst the return of Colin Firth does somewhat undermine Eggsy's character growth, he is a welcome inclusion and the two share some great on screen chemistry. Mark Strong's Merlin is also explored further in this film and its nice to see how he and Eggsy have changed and bonded even further in Harry's absence. Of the new cast members, I have some complaints. Of the big names that were added to the cast, many if not all of them are underused. Jeff Bridges and Halle Berry's roles are both fleeting and Channing Tatum is barely in the movie despite featuring heavily in the promotional material. Pedro Pascal has a decent go at Agent Whiskey, but some of the writing for his character is quite poor and he could easily be swapped out for another character. Julianne Moore's villainous Poppy is also considerably weaker than the first films big bad. Yet again the performance is fine, yet her character is a little underwhelming in comparison to Samuel L. Jackson's 'Valentine' and I didn't buy many of her motivations and character developments. There is also an Elton John cameo, which initially is very funny but is massively overused and steals screen time from some of the actual characters.
If you didn't like The Secret Service then this movie is not for you, as there are many returning elements that are undoubtably the strongest parts of this film. Fast paced, super violent yet stylised fight scenes, some gripping action set pieces and a whole host of new and exciting gadgets for the agents to employ. Unsurprisingly, the best elements of this movie are those that are taken from the first. Call backs to conversations, jokes and fight scenes are all present and offer rewarding chuckles to the audience. However, there are some bizarre creative choices in this film. The core concept and execution of many of the films themes and ideas is not as good. There's one particular moment that is intended to mock the incredibly sexist nature of Bond movies just as the outrageous anal joke did the first time round, but actually becomes very vulgar and uncomfortable to watch. I wonder if perhaps this is due to studio interference, who after seeing the success of the first movie were so eager for another that they didn't allow the necessary time for the writing and script to be as strong as they needed to be.
I had heard a lot of negative press about 'Kingsman: The Golden Circle' before I saw it and I have to say that I feel its very unjustified. Is it as good as the first? No. Is it a perfect movie? Far from it. But its funny, action heavy and a well executed continuation of the story. There are some missed opportunities and elements that don't need to be included, but its still an enjoyable movie that I would recommend seeing, especially if you love the first.
3/5 Stars
Tuesday, 8 August 2017
'War for the Planet of the Apes' spoiler free review
We are living in a reboot and remake culture. A modern blockbuster is now more likely to be based on a graphic novel, book or real life event than to be an original concept. Some projects are just rebranded and rereleased stories that have already been told in cinematic form in years gone by, in an attempt to prey on people's nostalgia and draw a larger audience. The issue with this is that it's incredibly difficult to make a satisfying reboot. Either the studio will try to change as little as possible to adhere to fans and the movie ends up offering nothing new or it diverts from the original so much that it loses that spark that drew people to the first incarnation. Either way a lot of modern reboots end up flopping, both critically and commercially. There are exceptions however, the current 'Planet of the Apes' series for example. The amalgamation of some astounding special effects and a fresh, exciting take on the narrative has made the first two entries extremely popular, which put pressure on this film to wrap up the trilogy in a satisfying way. I'm glad to say that it certainly does - 'War for the Planet of the Apes' is great.
There has been quite a significant time shift between this movie and the last. The evolution of both the apes and the Simian flu has allowed Caesar and and his apes to assert their dominance over humanity. However, the apes are locked in conflict with the few surviving humans, led by 'The Colonel' (Woody Harrelson). As the attacks on both sides become more intense and personal, the two opposing sides take one last stand against each other to claim the earth for themselves.
I didn't know that it was possible, but the visual effects have yet again increased in quality from the previous entries. The appearance of the apes is breathtaking. Caesar is of course exceptional but the quality spreads to each and every ape in the movie. Whether they are in the foreground or background, or a main character or an extra, each and every one of the apes looks real. The way sweat and rain runs down and dampens their fur, the ridges in their faces expanding and retracting with different expressions. Its a testament to how advanced the technology of cinema is these days - it is able to create character models that are at times more realistic than the actual creatures themselves.
The visual effects are incredible but it's the performances that really bring the Apes to life. It infuriates me that Hollywood will not reward Andy Serkis with an Oscar for his portrayal of Caesar, when in reality his skill-set has transcended the label of 'acting'. He has transformed himself into an ape - learning in excruciating detail about how they walk, yell, growl. Its this hard work and dedication to his role that allows him to give such a believable and genuine performance. In fact, all of the apes are believable, but Serkis for me deserves some serious credit and recognition for his excellent work. The other stand out performer in this movie is Woody Harrelson. Another aspect of these films that has improved with each instalment is the human characters and Harrelson's Colonel is the pinnacle. Menacing and cold, yet in some ways relatable to the audience as human beings. The perfect antithesis to Caesar.
The action scenes, as to be expected, are great. Apes riding around on horseback wielding two machine guns remains to be one of the most terrifying thoughts I can imagine. Yet the action also feels very believable. I would argue its about the most accurate interpretation of warfare that a movie about talking apes could be. The interactions between comrades and the effect the surroundings have on the battles are fascinating and provide a different element to war.
A surprising element of this movie was it's success at referencing and paying homage to classic films that have come before it. Hints to movies such as 'Apocalypse Now' and 'The Great Escape' are welcome inclusions as they incorporated into the story in a subtle enough way to not distract from the main plot, only to serve as nods to audience members who have seen those films.
Overall, 'War for the Planet of the Apes' is an immensely satisfying conclusion to this trilogy of films. It leaves potential for other stories to be told in the future but also finishes the current arc in a rewarding and heartfelt way. The action is amazing, the performances are great and the visual effects are some of the best ever put to the silver screen.
4/5 Stars
4/5 Stars
Sunday, 9 July 2017
'Spiderman Homecoming' spoiler free review
I'll be honest with you, as much as I love Spiderman, I was done with him in cinematic form. After 'Spiderman 3' caused Sam Raimi's trilogy to come crashing to a halt only for SONY to trot out a rebranded retelling of the exact same story just five years later, I was a little bit burned out on watching what felt like the same Spiderman movie for the 5th time. However, his amazing cameo appearance in 'Captain America:Civil War' completely won me round to the idea of his reappearance in cinema. Of course, even with the almost assured quality that comes with an MCU production, it's a difficult task to portray the most popular comic book character ever in a way that will please die hard fans yet also feel fresh and exciting. In my opinion though, Spiderman Homecoming has absolutely succeeded in that regard.
Following shortly after the events of 'Civil War', Peter Parker has had his life completely transformed through his experience with the Avengers. Under the watchful eye of his mentor Tony Stark, Parker desperately tries to prove his worth and become a fully fledged Avenger. He struggles though to balance the weight of being a hero with all the trials and tribulations that come along with being a teenager in high school. Peter's abilities and resolve are soon put to the test as he attempts to defeat the villainous Vulture who threatens everything that he holds dear.
I'll start with what I believe to be one of the strongest elements in this movie. Tom Holland. He absolutely crushes it. He is Spiderman. He seems almost as though he was built to play this role. Toby Maguire and Andrew Garfield both offered some positives in their portrayals, but there is no doubt in my mind that this is the best interpretation of Spiderman we've ever seen put to film. His balance of teenage awkwardness, sarcastic quips and a willingness to do the right thing are all spot on. He's funny, relatable and makes a very satisfying protagonist. His new suit is also great. A near perfect blend of elements from traditional Spiderman lore to please fans mixed with new and exciting upgrades from Tony Stark that are both comical and undeniably cool.
The other top performers are as to be expected. Robert Downey Jr is great as Iron Man as always. Many of the reviewers and podcasters I follow often voice their displeasure about Tony Stark being a terrible person, but to me his story arc throughout the MCU has been an immensely satisfying one. In this film, his personal debate over Spiderman is really great to watch. On the one hand he's eager for Peter to fulfil his potential as a hero but is also anxious that if anything were to happen to him it would be on his shoulders. His relationship with Parker as a mentor/father figure might be my favourite development of his character so far. Yet, despite what the trailers may suggest, he does not distract from Spiderman. His role is much more fleeting than you might anticipate and this is very much still a Spiderman movie. Michael Keaton's Vulture is a fantastic villain. He's a vast departure from his character in the comics, but to be honest I much prefer this interpretation. He's cold and intimidating and whilst he is a clear villain, he's also very relatable. Everything he does is for the sake of his family. You get the sense he doesn't enjoy doing such dastardly deeds, but he feels they are necessary to provide for those he cares for. One of the best villains the MCU has offered so far.
The rest of the cast are a mixed bag. Marisa Tomei is also very different to her comic equivalent, but she's great in her role of Aunt May. Jon Favreau and Gwyneth Paltrow have minor roles but go a long way in tying this film into the cinematic universe. Zendaya's 'Michele' is also good and actually has some of the funniest moments in this film. The B villains, 'The Tinkerer' and 'The Shocker' are both fine, but really aren't given enough to do to warrant any real praise. Peter's love interest Liz is a similar story - she's not bad but doesn't really offer a memorable performance either. Peter's best friend Ned is funny at times, but a lot of his jokes fall flat and you can tell he's clearly been instructed to deliver 'trailer lines' at certain points in the film. Flash is inoffensive, but is a departure from the comics that I personally didn't feel was handled very well.
Marvel Studios deserve some serious credit for the way they've made this film feel fresh and different to other Spiderman movies. For one, they've bypassed the origin story aspect, which I'm grateful for. We've seen his origin twice in the past decade, so for the studio to acknowledge that the audience already knows where he came from prior to 'Civil War' and dive right into immersing him into this current universe is really refreshing. Crucial elements of his backstory, for example the death of Uncle Ben, are hinted at but theres no need for us to see them again. Another element of this film that sets it apart from its competitors, is the portrayal of Peter Parker as a teenager, which I felt was lacking in previous films. Of course, it helps that Holland and his co-stars are actually teenagers playing high schoolers, but the whole atmosphere of this movie gets that point across really well. This film is in some ways a homage to classic John Hughes teen movies, even showing a clip from 'Feris Bueller' at one point. A surprisingly accurate representation of what life is like for kids at high school, contending with bullies, detention and crushes. In addition, the movie really hammers home to the audience that Peter is a kid. He doesn't have complete control of his powers yet and he doesn't have a full understanding of how the worlds works. Theres one scene in a particular where you forget that he's even a superhero as in that moment you only see a scared and broken child. This duality between being a teenager and being a hero bares the main emotional crux of the film and is shown off really cleverly, both thematically and visually.
The action is also pretty good in this film. Some great web swinging and wall climbing, rivalling 'The Amazing Spiderman 2' for the most realistic we've seen. However, all three of the major action set pieces can all be seen in the promotional material which does take some of the sting out of their impact, especially the ferry scene.
Overall, I'm finding it quite hard to compare 'Spiderman Homecoming' to other Spidey movies that have come before is because it is so different in so many ways. However, its certainly up there with my favourites. A heart felt narrative woven into the mould of an action movie, with a refreshing storyline with some excellent twists and the best interpretation of Spiderman we've ever seen on the big screen.
4/5 Stars
Following shortly after the events of 'Civil War', Peter Parker has had his life completely transformed through his experience with the Avengers. Under the watchful eye of his mentor Tony Stark, Parker desperately tries to prove his worth and become a fully fledged Avenger. He struggles though to balance the weight of being a hero with all the trials and tribulations that come along with being a teenager in high school. Peter's abilities and resolve are soon put to the test as he attempts to defeat the villainous Vulture who threatens everything that he holds dear.
I'll start with what I believe to be one of the strongest elements in this movie. Tom Holland. He absolutely crushes it. He is Spiderman. He seems almost as though he was built to play this role. Toby Maguire and Andrew Garfield both offered some positives in their portrayals, but there is no doubt in my mind that this is the best interpretation of Spiderman we've ever seen put to film. His balance of teenage awkwardness, sarcastic quips and a willingness to do the right thing are all spot on. He's funny, relatable and makes a very satisfying protagonist. His new suit is also great. A near perfect blend of elements from traditional Spiderman lore to please fans mixed with new and exciting upgrades from Tony Stark that are both comical and undeniably cool.
The other top performers are as to be expected. Robert Downey Jr is great as Iron Man as always. Many of the reviewers and podcasters I follow often voice their displeasure about Tony Stark being a terrible person, but to me his story arc throughout the MCU has been an immensely satisfying one. In this film, his personal debate over Spiderman is really great to watch. On the one hand he's eager for Peter to fulfil his potential as a hero but is also anxious that if anything were to happen to him it would be on his shoulders. His relationship with Parker as a mentor/father figure might be my favourite development of his character so far. Yet, despite what the trailers may suggest, he does not distract from Spiderman. His role is much more fleeting than you might anticipate and this is very much still a Spiderman movie. Michael Keaton's Vulture is a fantastic villain. He's a vast departure from his character in the comics, but to be honest I much prefer this interpretation. He's cold and intimidating and whilst he is a clear villain, he's also very relatable. Everything he does is for the sake of his family. You get the sense he doesn't enjoy doing such dastardly deeds, but he feels they are necessary to provide for those he cares for. One of the best villains the MCU has offered so far.
The rest of the cast are a mixed bag. Marisa Tomei is also very different to her comic equivalent, but she's great in her role of Aunt May. Jon Favreau and Gwyneth Paltrow have minor roles but go a long way in tying this film into the cinematic universe. Zendaya's 'Michele' is also good and actually has some of the funniest moments in this film. The B villains, 'The Tinkerer' and 'The Shocker' are both fine, but really aren't given enough to do to warrant any real praise. Peter's love interest Liz is a similar story - she's not bad but doesn't really offer a memorable performance either. Peter's best friend Ned is funny at times, but a lot of his jokes fall flat and you can tell he's clearly been instructed to deliver 'trailer lines' at certain points in the film. Flash is inoffensive, but is a departure from the comics that I personally didn't feel was handled very well.
Marvel Studios deserve some serious credit for the way they've made this film feel fresh and different to other Spiderman movies. For one, they've bypassed the origin story aspect, which I'm grateful for. We've seen his origin twice in the past decade, so for the studio to acknowledge that the audience already knows where he came from prior to 'Civil War' and dive right into immersing him into this current universe is really refreshing. Crucial elements of his backstory, for example the death of Uncle Ben, are hinted at but theres no need for us to see them again. Another element of this film that sets it apart from its competitors, is the portrayal of Peter Parker as a teenager, which I felt was lacking in previous films. Of course, it helps that Holland and his co-stars are actually teenagers playing high schoolers, but the whole atmosphere of this movie gets that point across really well. This film is in some ways a homage to classic John Hughes teen movies, even showing a clip from 'Feris Bueller' at one point. A surprisingly accurate representation of what life is like for kids at high school, contending with bullies, detention and crushes. In addition, the movie really hammers home to the audience that Peter is a kid. He doesn't have complete control of his powers yet and he doesn't have a full understanding of how the worlds works. Theres one scene in a particular where you forget that he's even a superhero as in that moment you only see a scared and broken child. This duality between being a teenager and being a hero bares the main emotional crux of the film and is shown off really cleverly, both thematically and visually.
The action is also pretty good in this film. Some great web swinging and wall climbing, rivalling 'The Amazing Spiderman 2' for the most realistic we've seen. However, all three of the major action set pieces can all be seen in the promotional material which does take some of the sting out of their impact, especially the ferry scene.
Overall, I'm finding it quite hard to compare 'Spiderman Homecoming' to other Spidey movies that have come before is because it is so different in so many ways. However, its certainly up there with my favourites. A heart felt narrative woven into the mould of an action movie, with a refreshing storyline with some excellent twists and the best interpretation of Spiderman we've ever seen on the big screen.
4/5 Stars
Sunday, 2 July 2017
'Baby Driver' leaves 'Fast & Furious' in its rear view mirror
I like Edgar Wright, but if I were to criticise him I would say that he's never made a great film. Don't get me wrong, all of his directorial efforts are remembered fondly (Hot Fuzz stands out to me as a personal highlight) and he's certainly never made a bad movie, but in my opinion his films have never transcended into greatness. Until now. His latest 'Baby Driver' is an exquisite blend of what we've come to expect from Wright's movies and brand new elements that make this film one of the most original and refreshing movies I've seen this year.
The story follows Baby (Ansel Elgort), a young boy who uses music to drown out the tinnitus he suffers from as a result of an accident he was in as a child, relying on his personal soundtrack to make him the very best getaway driver. When he meets Debora (Lily James), the woman of his dreams, he sees the chance to escape this shady life he's been coerced into. However, the crime lord Doc (Kevin Spacey) refuses to let him go so easily. Baby's 'final' job will threaten his life, love and freedom.
Perhaps a key reason for the the success of this film is that the narrative is propped up by an all star cast. There's always a danger of overcrowding and an imbalance of screen time in large ensemble movies, as seen in 'Ocean's 11' and more recently in 'Suicide Squad'. This is not the case here though. The lead actors get enough time to establish themselves as protagonists and earn the audience's approval, and whilst the supporting cast's roles are also fully fleshed out, they never invade space. As you can expect from such an outstanding cast, the performances are all fantastic. Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx and Jon Hamm are all amazing. Yet Ansel Elgort deserves a special mention. Before this movie, all I'd ever seen him in was 'The Fault in our Stars', which had left me with a less than positive opinion of him, but this film has more than redeemed him in my eyes. He is charismatic and charming yet quirky enough to be relatable. He never once appears arrogant or cocky though - he's likeable throughout the movie as an underdog that the audience are rooting for. Lily James is also great, offering the perfect companion for Elgort and the two share some excellent chemistry on screen. Jon Bernthal and Eiza Gonzalez both have more fleeting roles but are also both great.
The action in this movie is exceptional. Personally, I had liked the last few 'Fast and Furious' movies, mostly because they are very aware of what they are - high budget, low concept blockbusters that require minimal thought allowing audiences to switch of their brains for 2 hours and just enjoy some great car chases. Yet the action in this movie runs circles around anything on offer in that franchise, which is incredible considering that Wright, to the best of my knowledge, has never done stunts on this scale before. Ever. That's insane considering how good some of the action set pieces in this film are. All the car chases are great, especially the opening scene and one chase on foot may even top them all.
However, there's an element in this movie that sets it apart from others in this genre. The music. This movie is in many ways a musical masquerading as an action film. Over 75 songs are used to some extent in the final cut, which means that there is rarely a moment in this film where there isn't music playing, which helps the film maintain a frantic pace as well as inexplicably playing fantastic songs again and again and again. And this isn't the case of a studio just throwing a bunch of money at a film and buying whatever pop songs are popular to feature in the trailers and entice more viewers. It feels as though every single song was carefully hand picked by Wright himself and is implemented into the storyline masterfully. I'm not exaggerating when I say this, but the use of music in this film is genius. Pure genius. The way that each song is layered perfectly over the images, every action beat in unison with that of the song. Guns blazing, gear sticks clunking - every single detail is sheer perfection. And the scene I mention earlier, a chase on foot through the streets set to 'Hocus Pocus' by Focus is exceptional.
In a modern Hollywood landscape that is dominated by studios turning out the same junk every two years as a blatant cash grab, (cough Transformers 5 cough Pirates of the Caribbean 5) it gives me great joy to see a film like this succeed. It's a hit both critically and commercially and it absolutely deserves to be. It has all the characteristics of a modern blockbuster - a cast practically overflowing with stars and amazing action set pieces and it has classic elements of Wright's repertoire, dark humour and visceral action. Yet, this film feels like so much more than your average thriller. It feels almost handmade, you can sense the time and effort that has gone into it, especially the soundtrack. This is, in many ways a passion project, which has been executed exceptionally. I urge you to rush and see this film - the outstanding cast, fantastic action and incredible usage of a phenomenal soundtrack make it one of the best movies to be released this year. A must see!
4/5 Stars
The story follows Baby (Ansel Elgort), a young boy who uses music to drown out the tinnitus he suffers from as a result of an accident he was in as a child, relying on his personal soundtrack to make him the very best getaway driver. When he meets Debora (Lily James), the woman of his dreams, he sees the chance to escape this shady life he's been coerced into. However, the crime lord Doc (Kevin Spacey) refuses to let him go so easily. Baby's 'final' job will threaten his life, love and freedom.
Perhaps a key reason for the the success of this film is that the narrative is propped up by an all star cast. There's always a danger of overcrowding and an imbalance of screen time in large ensemble movies, as seen in 'Ocean's 11' and more recently in 'Suicide Squad'. This is not the case here though. The lead actors get enough time to establish themselves as protagonists and earn the audience's approval, and whilst the supporting cast's roles are also fully fleshed out, they never invade space. As you can expect from such an outstanding cast, the performances are all fantastic. Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx and Jon Hamm are all amazing. Yet Ansel Elgort deserves a special mention. Before this movie, all I'd ever seen him in was 'The Fault in our Stars', which had left me with a less than positive opinion of him, but this film has more than redeemed him in my eyes. He is charismatic and charming yet quirky enough to be relatable. He never once appears arrogant or cocky though - he's likeable throughout the movie as an underdog that the audience are rooting for. Lily James is also great, offering the perfect companion for Elgort and the two share some excellent chemistry on screen. Jon Bernthal and Eiza Gonzalez both have more fleeting roles but are also both great.
The action in this movie is exceptional. Personally, I had liked the last few 'Fast and Furious' movies, mostly because they are very aware of what they are - high budget, low concept blockbusters that require minimal thought allowing audiences to switch of their brains for 2 hours and just enjoy some great car chases. Yet the action in this movie runs circles around anything on offer in that franchise, which is incredible considering that Wright, to the best of my knowledge, has never done stunts on this scale before. Ever. That's insane considering how good some of the action set pieces in this film are. All the car chases are great, especially the opening scene and one chase on foot may even top them all.
However, there's an element in this movie that sets it apart from others in this genre. The music. This movie is in many ways a musical masquerading as an action film. Over 75 songs are used to some extent in the final cut, which means that there is rarely a moment in this film where there isn't music playing, which helps the film maintain a frantic pace as well as inexplicably playing fantastic songs again and again and again. And this isn't the case of a studio just throwing a bunch of money at a film and buying whatever pop songs are popular to feature in the trailers and entice more viewers. It feels as though every single song was carefully hand picked by Wright himself and is implemented into the storyline masterfully. I'm not exaggerating when I say this, but the use of music in this film is genius. Pure genius. The way that each song is layered perfectly over the images, every action beat in unison with that of the song. Guns blazing, gear sticks clunking - every single detail is sheer perfection. And the scene I mention earlier, a chase on foot through the streets set to 'Hocus Pocus' by Focus is exceptional.
In a modern Hollywood landscape that is dominated by studios turning out the same junk every two years as a blatant cash grab, (cough Transformers 5 cough Pirates of the Caribbean 5) it gives me great joy to see a film like this succeed. It's a hit both critically and commercially and it absolutely deserves to be. It has all the characteristics of a modern blockbuster - a cast practically overflowing with stars and amazing action set pieces and it has classic elements of Wright's repertoire, dark humour and visceral action. Yet, this film feels like so much more than your average thriller. It feels almost handmade, you can sense the time and effort that has gone into it, especially the soundtrack. This is, in many ways a passion project, which has been executed exceptionally. I urge you to rush and see this film - the outstanding cast, fantastic action and incredible usage of a phenomenal soundtrack make it one of the best movies to be released this year. A must see!
4/5 Stars
Saturday, 3 June 2017
'Wonder Woman' spoiler free review
In terms of female led comic book movies, Wonder Woman is an important film. We've seen examples of great female super heroes in film, but in terms of movies with female leads the efforts have been pretty lacklustre. They have either been completely forgotten, or are still remembered for all the wrong reasons. Looking at you Catwoman. So it was pretty important that Wonder Woman was good. If not, directors might misconstrue that people don't want to watch movies about female super heroes. Coupled with the fact that both fans and critics alike were vastly running out of patience with the DCEU, there was an enormous amount of pressure of this film to succeed. And it many ways, it does - Wonder Woman is pretty good.
After filling the audience in on how Diana Prince became Wonder Woman, the film tells the story of Steve Trevor (Chris Pine), a British Intelligence spy fleeing from Nazi Germany in the climax of WW1. When he discovers the ancient island of Themyscira, he tells the Amazons of a new weapon being devised by Doctor Posion, with the capability to kill thousands of innocent people. Diana realises her sacred duty to protect mankind and goes with Trevor to fight. She holds the weapon that can slay Ares, the God of War, who she deems responsible for the destruction. Yet in her quest to save the world, she discovers truths about mankind and about herself that change who she is for ever.
The casting in the film is solid. Personally, I wasn't 100% sold on Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman after her brief appearance in Batman vs Superman, but this movie has got me completely on board. Physically, she fits the part brilliantly. She feels strong, so much so that you can almost believe she's smashing the tiles and floors that she's hurled against. Appearance wise as well - spot on. Its a 'slight' deviation from Lynda Carter's day and does pose the age old question "why would you fight in an outfit the exposes so muck skin?", but Gadot is the perfect mix of beautiful and badass. She also succeeds at making the character likeable. Her courage and conviction is blended well with her naivety and innocence as she's exposed to the world. There are moments where her naivety borders upon stupidity which gets slightly annoying at times and a few of her lines don't quite fit, but overall she makes a fantastic Wonder Woman and I can't wait to see her in future DC movies. Chris Pine absolutely nails his role. Again, he's just as likeable as he needs to be and offers Diana an example of why all hope for mankind is not yet lost. The dynamic between Pine and Gadot is fantastic - one of the strongest elements of this film. All three villains are good. I loved the reveal of Ares in particular. All other cast members have seeming fleeting roles, but they're all fine. Lucy Davis is a welcome inclusion, offering numerous moments of levity.
I feel as though a lot of credit for the strength of the characters in this film should be directed at Patty Jenkins. It is refreshing to see a female director in a movie genre that has seriously lacked diversity in the past and in my opinion the reason that so much of the dialogue and character interactions feel so authentic is that she's a female writing parts for female actors. Many times in the past, male directors have written dialogue for women that feels cliched and forced, purely due to a lack of understanding of how women really think and feel. Yet Jenkins has managed to write engaging and realistic lines for all female roles in this movie, especially Wonder Woman herself.
The film looks great too. Wonder Woman's outfit is colourful enough to remind audiences of previous designs, whilst still looking realistic enough to fit in with the real world setting. The locations on display are amazing. Themyscira, home of the Amazons, is simply beautiful. So vibrant and rich in colour. Other DC movies have been criticised for being too dark and grim but this is certainly and improvement. And yet, this fanatical fictional environment is contrasted well with the dirty streets of 20th century London and a surprisingly realistic interpretation of the warfront in France.
The action scenes are great, with only a few exceptions. There are a few examples of CGI jumps and flips that feel a little bit off, but its mostly great. The battle between the Amazons and the Nazis and all of the Wonder Woman fight scenes are spectacular, in particular her march against the opposing trench in 'no man's land'. Punches and kicks feel real and gritty, yet theres also examples of ridiculous flips and tricks that make the whole affair more comic like and undoubtably very cool. The final battle does feel a little bit 'samey'. Another example of a flashing light in the sky to end a comic book movie. In fact, the battle between Wonder Woman and Ares feels very similar to the Superman vs Zod fight in 'Man of Steel'. However, this version is infinitely better, as over the course of the film I came to care about the characters and the consequences of their fight, which has been absent in other DC projects.
That is arguably what sets this film apart from other DCEU movies. 'BvS' for example had 'cool' action scenes, but their impact was undercut by a stupid plot and poor character representation. Wonder Woman on the other hand is full of great action that is interwoven into a simplistic but great narrative with engaging likeable characters.
It's also exceedingly obvious that this film took a lot of inspiration from 'Captain America:The First Avenger'. Even if you ignore the wartime narrative, there are some very clear parallels. However, this is by no means a bad thing. 'The First Avenger' is great and Wonder Woman is in many ways DC's equivalent to Captain America. Courageous, selfless and offering hope to those who cannot fight for them selves. To me, its not quite as good as 'The First Avenger', but I can say that I enjoyed this movie more than some of the weaker entries in the MCU.
When considered as a huge leap forward for female led comic book movies, Wonder Woman is a huge success. Hopefully this is the catalyst for a new wave of female super heroes coming to the big screen. She-Hulk, Spider Gwen ... the possibilities are endless. On a more basic level, Wonder Woman is good. Maybe even great at times. Its nothing groundbreaking, but its a solid comic book movie and is by far and away the best film that the DCEU has offered so far. Fingers crossed that 'Justice League' is of a similar standard.
4/5 Stars
After filling the audience in on how Diana Prince became Wonder Woman, the film tells the story of Steve Trevor (Chris Pine), a British Intelligence spy fleeing from Nazi Germany in the climax of WW1. When he discovers the ancient island of Themyscira, he tells the Amazons of a new weapon being devised by Doctor Posion, with the capability to kill thousands of innocent people. Diana realises her sacred duty to protect mankind and goes with Trevor to fight. She holds the weapon that can slay Ares, the God of War, who she deems responsible for the destruction. Yet in her quest to save the world, she discovers truths about mankind and about herself that change who she is for ever.
The casting in the film is solid. Personally, I wasn't 100% sold on Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman after her brief appearance in Batman vs Superman, but this movie has got me completely on board. Physically, she fits the part brilliantly. She feels strong, so much so that you can almost believe she's smashing the tiles and floors that she's hurled against. Appearance wise as well - spot on. Its a 'slight' deviation from Lynda Carter's day and does pose the age old question "why would you fight in an outfit the exposes so muck skin?", but Gadot is the perfect mix of beautiful and badass. She also succeeds at making the character likeable. Her courage and conviction is blended well with her naivety and innocence as she's exposed to the world. There are moments where her naivety borders upon stupidity which gets slightly annoying at times and a few of her lines don't quite fit, but overall she makes a fantastic Wonder Woman and I can't wait to see her in future DC movies. Chris Pine absolutely nails his role. Again, he's just as likeable as he needs to be and offers Diana an example of why all hope for mankind is not yet lost. The dynamic between Pine and Gadot is fantastic - one of the strongest elements of this film. All three villains are good. I loved the reveal of Ares in particular. All other cast members have seeming fleeting roles, but they're all fine. Lucy Davis is a welcome inclusion, offering numerous moments of levity.
I feel as though a lot of credit for the strength of the characters in this film should be directed at Patty Jenkins. It is refreshing to see a female director in a movie genre that has seriously lacked diversity in the past and in my opinion the reason that so much of the dialogue and character interactions feel so authentic is that she's a female writing parts for female actors. Many times in the past, male directors have written dialogue for women that feels cliched and forced, purely due to a lack of understanding of how women really think and feel. Yet Jenkins has managed to write engaging and realistic lines for all female roles in this movie, especially Wonder Woman herself.
The film looks great too. Wonder Woman's outfit is colourful enough to remind audiences of previous designs, whilst still looking realistic enough to fit in with the real world setting. The locations on display are amazing. Themyscira, home of the Amazons, is simply beautiful. So vibrant and rich in colour. Other DC movies have been criticised for being too dark and grim but this is certainly and improvement. And yet, this fanatical fictional environment is contrasted well with the dirty streets of 20th century London and a surprisingly realistic interpretation of the warfront in France.
The action scenes are great, with only a few exceptions. There are a few examples of CGI jumps and flips that feel a little bit off, but its mostly great. The battle between the Amazons and the Nazis and all of the Wonder Woman fight scenes are spectacular, in particular her march against the opposing trench in 'no man's land'. Punches and kicks feel real and gritty, yet theres also examples of ridiculous flips and tricks that make the whole affair more comic like and undoubtably very cool. The final battle does feel a little bit 'samey'. Another example of a flashing light in the sky to end a comic book movie. In fact, the battle between Wonder Woman and Ares feels very similar to the Superman vs Zod fight in 'Man of Steel'. However, this version is infinitely better, as over the course of the film I came to care about the characters and the consequences of their fight, which has been absent in other DC projects.
That is arguably what sets this film apart from other DCEU movies. 'BvS' for example had 'cool' action scenes, but their impact was undercut by a stupid plot and poor character representation. Wonder Woman on the other hand is full of great action that is interwoven into a simplistic but great narrative with engaging likeable characters.
It's also exceedingly obvious that this film took a lot of inspiration from 'Captain America:The First Avenger'. Even if you ignore the wartime narrative, there are some very clear parallels. However, this is by no means a bad thing. 'The First Avenger' is great and Wonder Woman is in many ways DC's equivalent to Captain America. Courageous, selfless and offering hope to those who cannot fight for them selves. To me, its not quite as good as 'The First Avenger', but I can say that I enjoyed this movie more than some of the weaker entries in the MCU.
When considered as a huge leap forward for female led comic book movies, Wonder Woman is a huge success. Hopefully this is the catalyst for a new wave of female super heroes coming to the big screen. She-Hulk, Spider Gwen ... the possibilities are endless. On a more basic level, Wonder Woman is good. Maybe even great at times. Its nothing groundbreaking, but its a solid comic book movie and is by far and away the best film that the DCEU has offered so far. Fingers crossed that 'Justice League' is of a similar standard.
4/5 Stars
Sunday, 28 May 2017
'La La Land' is just as great as everyone says it is
In the modern world, cinema is often dominated by big budget blockbusters with a focus on action set pieces, often at the expense of the plot or narrative. 'La La Land', however, is a refreshing change from that formula. Obviously after seeing it make a near clean sweep at the 'Oscars' (excluding the Best Picture debacle), I was expecting big things and I'm glad to say my expectations were met and even exceeded, as 'La La Land' is a beautiful film.
The plot is initially that of a classic romantic story. Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) is a jazz pianist playing in dingy gigs and house parties trying to collect enough money to achieve his dream of opening his own jazz club. Mia (Emma Stone) is an aspiring actress who's stuck serving coffee to movie stars and auditioning for tv advertisements. The two meet and connect over their admiration for each other's desires and passions and inevitably fall in love. Yet, the film is so much more than a love story. It features devotion, sacrifice, betrayal. Can they ever hope to achieve their dreams or will their affection for one another prevent them ever fulfilling their ambitions. It's certainly more complex than your average rom-com, in particular the bitter-sweet ending that is contrasted brilliantly to the up-beat and lively tone of the song and dance that comes before it.
Almost everything about this movie is beautiful. It's beautifully acted, sang and shot. Gosling and Stone are fantastic in their roles. Gosling is this extremely likeable underdog who's hell bent on achieving his dream no matter who tells him he can't, and Stone is in many ways the perfect partner for him - just as ambitious, but also more conscious of the obstacles in her way. This makes it all the more satisfying to see her learn from Seb, to believe in herself and disregard everyone else, which then again pays off as she teaches him the same lesson that he taught her when she notices his dream is slipping away for her sake. The two have a great dynamic and their performances are pretty much faultless. I wasn't 100% sold on Gosling's singing throughout - not that he was in any way bad, it just felt more obvious that his voice had be altered in editing, at least in comparison to Stone who sounded much more natural. However, 'City of Stars' which is primarily sung by Gosling is gorgeous and from what I can tell all of his piano scenes were actually played by himself which more than excuses his vocals.
In fact all of the music throughout is fantastic. A quality soundtrack with a seamless blend of original songs and classic jazz (which like Mia I'm not the biggest fan of) but its beautifully sung and played throughout so I can't complain. John Legend's cameo is welcome, and he puts in a decent acting performance as well as showcasing his musical talents. And the music in woven into the script perfectly. From the very first scene you can tell that the musical set pieces are going to be near spotless, particularly the dances between the leads. Again, from what I saw, their routines are all either one take or have been edited so well that its impossible to tell if they aren't, which either way is very impressive. The choreography is stunning too.
As well as having excellent vocals and dancing, the film looks stunning. Amazing locations and backdrops to the routines. Also, this movie is extremely vibrant and colourful. The opening scene looks as though the performers were involved in an explosion at a paint factory. Such an array of rich blues, reds and yellows that still some how feels grounded and realistic - you feel like you might see someone wearing those colours in LA. In addition, the colours, songs and dances are a perfect homage to the classic romantic musicals of old. 'Casablanca' is mentioned by name, and whilst this film gets nowhere near the heights of that masterpiece, its a great tribute to a seemingly forgotten genre of film, whilst still being a fantastic movie in its own right.
Despite being fully aware that admitting it will lose me a serious amount of 'man-points', I love musicals and 'La La Land' is a brilliant example of that. If you're not a fan of musicals, or romance in general then this film definitely isn't for you. Yet, regardless of the genre, I feel anyone should be able to appreciate the skill and artistic vision that went into this film. Great performances, choreography and music throughout. In my opinion, 'La La Land' is more than worthy of all the awards that in won. A truly beautiful film.
5/5 Stars
The plot is initially that of a classic romantic story. Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) is a jazz pianist playing in dingy gigs and house parties trying to collect enough money to achieve his dream of opening his own jazz club. Mia (Emma Stone) is an aspiring actress who's stuck serving coffee to movie stars and auditioning for tv advertisements. The two meet and connect over their admiration for each other's desires and passions and inevitably fall in love. Yet, the film is so much more than a love story. It features devotion, sacrifice, betrayal. Can they ever hope to achieve their dreams or will their affection for one another prevent them ever fulfilling their ambitions. It's certainly more complex than your average rom-com, in particular the bitter-sweet ending that is contrasted brilliantly to the up-beat and lively tone of the song and dance that comes before it.
Almost everything about this movie is beautiful. It's beautifully acted, sang and shot. Gosling and Stone are fantastic in their roles. Gosling is this extremely likeable underdog who's hell bent on achieving his dream no matter who tells him he can't, and Stone is in many ways the perfect partner for him - just as ambitious, but also more conscious of the obstacles in her way. This makes it all the more satisfying to see her learn from Seb, to believe in herself and disregard everyone else, which then again pays off as she teaches him the same lesson that he taught her when she notices his dream is slipping away for her sake. The two have a great dynamic and their performances are pretty much faultless. I wasn't 100% sold on Gosling's singing throughout - not that he was in any way bad, it just felt more obvious that his voice had be altered in editing, at least in comparison to Stone who sounded much more natural. However, 'City of Stars' which is primarily sung by Gosling is gorgeous and from what I can tell all of his piano scenes were actually played by himself which more than excuses his vocals.
In fact all of the music throughout is fantastic. A quality soundtrack with a seamless blend of original songs and classic jazz (which like Mia I'm not the biggest fan of) but its beautifully sung and played throughout so I can't complain. John Legend's cameo is welcome, and he puts in a decent acting performance as well as showcasing his musical talents. And the music in woven into the script perfectly. From the very first scene you can tell that the musical set pieces are going to be near spotless, particularly the dances between the leads. Again, from what I saw, their routines are all either one take or have been edited so well that its impossible to tell if they aren't, which either way is very impressive. The choreography is stunning too.
As well as having excellent vocals and dancing, the film looks stunning. Amazing locations and backdrops to the routines. Also, this movie is extremely vibrant and colourful. The opening scene looks as though the performers were involved in an explosion at a paint factory. Such an array of rich blues, reds and yellows that still some how feels grounded and realistic - you feel like you might see someone wearing those colours in LA. In addition, the colours, songs and dances are a perfect homage to the classic romantic musicals of old. 'Casablanca' is mentioned by name, and whilst this film gets nowhere near the heights of that masterpiece, its a great tribute to a seemingly forgotten genre of film, whilst still being a fantastic movie in its own right.
Despite being fully aware that admitting it will lose me a serious amount of 'man-points', I love musicals and 'La La Land' is a brilliant example of that. If you're not a fan of musicals, or romance in general then this film definitely isn't for you. Yet, regardless of the genre, I feel anyone should be able to appreciate the skill and artistic vision that went into this film. Great performances, choreography and music throughout. In my opinion, 'La La Land' is more than worthy of all the awards that in won. A truly beautiful film.
5/5 Stars
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