2 Guns - A surprising hit of the summer!

If you only saw the trailer, you may recognise '2 Guns' as an attempt at a buddy-cop style movie, light in tone, featuring an always-questionable Mark Wahlberg, likely to be carried by Denzel Washington, and from a director whose only known previous work is last year's 'Contraband', which bombed rather badly. Your conclusion might be that you will have seen this film before, and you'll have seen it done better, so despite your admiration for Washington, you'll opt out of this one. That was certainly my first impression. I am happy I did not go with my gut reaction, for whilst it is true that the director's last release was a failure, Wahlberg can be a letdown, and there is nothing here to really surprise us, it is NOT true that I have seen it done better....at least, not for a long time!

'2 Guns' is a by-the-numbers, nuts and bolts story of a DEA agent and a naval intelligence officer, who are both trying to infiltrate a drug cartel for their own reasons. Upon stealing drug money, they find themselves caught up in a conspiracy rooted in nastier, murkier territory than either of them expected, playing cat-and-mouse with some very dangerous people, bringing into play a wonderfully villainous Bill Paxton, looking like he's having more fun than he's had in a long time. They try to simultaneously bring justice and stay alive! The whole thing feels very familiar, as it should; if you have seen 'Tango and Cash' or 'Lethal Weapon', you already know the dynamic between the two leads and the general direction the story is headed, although there is a distinct difference in that, unlike Danny Glover's Murtaguh, neither man is particularly straight-laced. Part of what brings this film to life, though, is the fact that you cannot help but think of early Tarantino as you watch it. 'True Romance' serves as a particularly obvious touchstone for '2 Guns' in terms of dialogue, character and pace; there are in fact at least two scenes that seem to consciously mirror famous sequences in Tony Scott's movie. Perhaps most surprising to me is how well Washington and Wahlberg work as a screen partnership; with plenty of chemistry and Wahlberg responsible for a fair share of the success, it would be unfair to say he needs carrying.

Slick, stylishly shot, well-paced, with some vintage "Tarantino" moments and really snappily written, this feels like a trip back to the 90s in the best way! Okay, no big surprises, but director Kormakur knows exactly what type of film he is making here, and he hits a home run with it!

Not likely to stay in my top 10 of 2013, but good enough to make it on to the list in the first place, which in itself is a surprise!

4/5

See it if you like: Lethal Weapon, Tango and Cash, True Romance

THIS WEEK: Arbitrage/Frankenweenie

0 - No Redeeming Feature

1 - Poor

2 - Passable

3 - Good.  Rent it.

4 - Excellent!

5 - See it now!!

 

ARBITRAGE - (2013 - UK Certificate 15) 

 

This nuts-and-bolts thriller doubles as an interesting character study of a powerful patriarch who uses his position to cover up an awful error of judgement that ended a life.  Set in the top-end world of finance, it certainly displays an assured confidence that defies its director's inexperience; he draws his characters as more real and complex than a lesser writer may have, with a particularly keen eye for detail and empathy for its central character, the very flawed Robert Miller.

Whilst not doing anything that unique or original, it is lifted from your average fare to holding watch-ability by a surprisingly solid Richard Gere, and a fun performance from the forever reliable Tim Roth.  Also starring Susan Sarandon, Arbitrage makes for an intriguing, well shot thriller, and definitely very good debut for Nicholas Jarecki.

3.5 / 5

At cinemas
Catch it if you like:  Disclosure, Margin Call, Wall Street

FRANKENWEENIE - (2012 - UK Certificate PG)

A perfectly fine animation piece from the King of this style Tim Burton.  The heartwarming idea is of a young outcast who brings his pet dog back to life through techniques learned in his science class; the moral of the tale is clear from quite early, and the film makes some not-so-gentle allusions to preceding classics Frankenstein and Godzilla.  It is held back a bit by a general sense that we've been here and done this all before; in fact, in general the film has an overall feeling of being a little rushed, with a lack of character, which is surprising given his previous work in this area.  Basically, Burton's been better, but Frankenweenie is still worth a watch, and features some genuinely creepy elements.

 

3/5

On Blu Ray/DVD
Catch it if you like:  Corpse Bride, Nightmare Before Christmas

THIS WEEK: Antiviral / Beasts of the Southern Wild / The Flowers of War

0 - No Redeeming Feature

1 - Poor

2 - Passable

3 - Good.  Rent it.

4 - Excellent!

5 - Buy It!!

 

ANTIVIRAL (2013 - UK Certificate 15)

 

I don't know if Brandon Cronenberg minds living in the shadow of the respected master of body-shock, or whether he ultimately wants to make his own way, but two things can be said: His name undoubtedly helped him helm a film that drew more professional and critical attention than many debut efforts, even capturing the attention of cult favourite Malcolm Mcdowell (yes, him of A Clockwork Orange), and that not only does the apple not fall far from the tree, but this particular piece of nastiness is effectively on the same branch!  Antiviral, as an idea, could easily be part of his father's early canon; what sets it apart is the lack of experience, which does show a bit.  

Obsession with celebrity has gone far beyond Celebrity Big Brother and it is now the norm to consume meat derived from cell cultures of the famous, and you can buy colds and infections carried by your idol, if you can pay for it.  The story is of Syd, working for an agency whose business is the buying, selling and administering of these infections.  Through an act of carelessness Syd finds himself hunted for the disease he carries, and on the road to death because of it.  There are those who will talk about the extreme silliness of the idea, but if art is not free to push the boundaries of metaphor and ideas, what is?  In any case, this is not the first time we have seen a troubling idea taken to a disturbing extreme; aside from the aforementioned similarity to his own father's more fleshy, extreme work, you may easily see reflections of Darren Aronofsky's Pi here.

The film features a solid lead in Caleb Landry Jones (No Country for Old Men, X-Men: First Class, Contraband), who plays Syd with a coldness that fits right in with the starkness of the world Cronenberg creates.  It must also be said, he works the extremely ill look pretty much naturally; no offense to the guy but his grim, dour, pale and naturally malnourished appearance does make him a perfect fit.   Alongside him is Sarah Gadon, who has appeared in three Cronenberg films in as many years, with the last two being David's...it's all getting a bit incestuous, actually.

She is also perfect casting, and although given fairly little to do other than lie down a lot, I suspect there is thinking behind the idea that she is little more than a beautiful star for people to fawn after. In selling herself to The Lucas Clinic, the company for which Syd works, she represents the rather spiritless (talentless?) artist who has only to exist in order to be celebrated.

The film has its pacing issues, could have been trimmed, and even hits a hurdle in the middle, where it goes a bit 'conventional thriller' mode, but for a first timer Brandon Cronenberg puts together a solid, visually exciting, sufficiently unsettling body-shock drama to live up to his family name, although it could be said it never gets as extreme as some may want it to. Whilst it does not tie up as well as it could, Antiviral certainly makes for a strong debut, and suggests great, better-honed work in future. Well worth a look.

3.5 / 5 

To buy or rent
Catch it if you like:  Pi, David Cronenberg.

BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD (2012 - UK Certificate 12)

 

Benh Zeitlin's film about a six-year-old member of an ignored, poor, self-supporting community the wrong side of a sprawling levee, who survives an awful storm and learns early lessons in life and love, drew a lot of critical attention and even earned a couple of Academy nominations this year.  This is why I feel I've missed something, as I did not really like Beasts of the Southern Wild; I would go so far as to say that I found myself, at points, wondering when it was actually going to draw me in.

This is not to say it doesn't have its charms, such as the score, the central performance, and it is impressive that for a nothing budget it comes out so solid, clearly echoing and commenting on events in America's very recent history, but it ends up feeling like it has more to say than it actually does; for the most part it lacks engagement, which is frustrating given that the final ten minutes are rather poetic.  Had the rest of the film hit the same height, perhaps I would have been more impressed.  There is potential here, and clearly I am in a minority, but I just didn't get to grips with it; my recommended alternative to this is the gorgeous New Zealand film Whale Rider.

2/5

 

To buy or rent.

THE FLOWERS OF WAR (2012 - UK Certificate 15)

 

Yimou Zhang brings to the screen an astonishing, brutal beauty that looks at a situation where pure humanity and bravery stood against the evil that men do.  The less said about the synopsis here the better; it is enough to know it is set in 1937, the fall of Nanking at the hands of the Japanese, and that it is beautiful and terrible in equal measure.  It takes a mature look at the loss, or perhaps we should say theft of innocence, and the sacrifice and virtue of the brave.

A terrific, subtle performance from Christians Bale, which was hugely and unfairly overshadowed by his other films around the time of its release; this is the performance that should have won him the Oscar.  The women playing the prostitutes are good, but the young girls in the roles of the schoolgirls are incredible!  The photography is fantastic, but this is no surprise from the director of House of Flying Daggers and Curse of the Golden Flower, although it is understandably a generally darker pallet than his previous work.  Tough when it needs to be tough, and tender when it needs to be tender, this film does not fail to move you.

The only things holding it back are a few misjudged moments, and even with these the intentions are clear; they simply do not play as well as they could have done, which is strange given how well balanced and observed the movie is as a whole.  Nevertheless, simply by virtue of the fact nobody saw it, and that it is the dramatization of an important, overlooked, and even a denied part of history, this is a film you must watch.  The critics did not respond well while audiences were far more generous; in this case, the critics were so wrong, and the audience are so right!

One of my picks of 2012.

4/5

 

To rent or buy
Catch it if you like:  House of Flying Daggers, Letters to Iwo Jima

THIS WEEK: Pitch Perfect/Quartet/Even The Rain/The Prey (Le Proie)

0 - No Redeeming Feature
1 - Poor
2 - Passable
3 - Good.  Rent it.
4 - Full Price
5 - Must See!

The new year brings with it a host of promising films and here follows my take on one of the first releases of 2013, along with no less than three previously unwatched movies.  Yes, I did well this week.

PITCH PERFECT

Anna Kendrick is coming to prove her worth with her last few film choices; whether one likes the movies or not, she is undeniably a strong screen presence and an actress who, like Pattinson, appears to have the talent to get out from under the Twilight shadow in the long-run.  Here she plays Beca, a woman who joins Barden Universtiy with one goal, to become a DJ.  Upon arrival she is swiftly accosted in the shower by Aubrey, who hears her singing voice, and is almost ordered to join the all-girl singing group The Bellas.  The Bellas compete each year in the campus singing competition, and it is clear that this time they have more to overcome than just their male competition, The Treblemakers.

It featuring a lot of teens straight out of performing arts, musical set pieces, witty one-liners, and is directed by Jason Moore, responsible for episodes of Dawson's Creek and One Tree Hill, among others.  The Glee similarity is all too clear, and Moore's TV roots do show; given that, there is no denying the trepidation I felt walking in.  Much to my surprise, then, and I would by lying to say otherwise, I found myself entertained.  Yes, it is exactly what you would expect when you look at the poster, not much more or less, but it is raised above the average by the musical elements genuinely working well, the refreshing look at the girl group as human beings with different personalities, rather than as being simply 'mean girls', and a strong sense that Moore understands its intended audience.  This is perhaps best reflected by the choice to heavily reference The Breakfast Club in the story; many who watch Pitch Perfect may not have seen it, but could well be encouraged to go take a look, and understand the use of this coming-of-age classic as a reference point due to its influence.  It is not to say the two are at all in the same league, but it is to say the movie remains arguably the most iconic of the field Pitch Perfect is aiming to be included in.  The narrative and character development is fairly weak and there is no getting around the fact it is clearly at its best when being funny or breaking out the music action, but it is what it is and it does the job well.

Most people will recognise the standout element of the film, the thing most people will talk about, as Bridesmaids' Rebel Wilson as Fat Amy; she is intentionally given some of the best lines and she delivers superbly.  The film is worth watching for her!  Pitch Perfect will do exactly what we expect, be popular for a while, particularly with the crowd into this sort of movie, and then gradually be forgotten, but Wilson is a comedy gem of the future; she is here to stay!

At cinemas now.

3/5

 QUARTET

Dustin Hoffman directs what is otherwise a quintessentially British play-turned-film. A quartet of yesteryear's professional opera stars are asked to perform again at a gala, which will save the retirement home in which they now live. You might be forgiven for assuming this will end up being a stuffy piece, about a boring topic, which will hold only the interest of a select audience, but you would be wrong on all counts.

Quartet's winning stroke is the casting; I could not imagine a better line-up of four performances I would rather watch.  Not one of the principal cast drop the ball and I am hard pushed to choose any actor's performance over another; this is supported by the fact they are given such humorous, touching, and most importantly, real dialogue to deliver and honest emotion to play.  The situation that emerges and how it plays out all feels so natural, there is no avoiding being drawn in, entertained, and ultimately moved by it.

The film is no longer than it needs to be, rather dry with its humour, touching with its sentimentality, without over-egging it, and well observed in its detailing of the people you are watching.  You come to realise, fairly quickly, that what is important is not whether you enjoy the subject of the music, or whether you are of an age that you will naturally relate to the characters, but just that you understand the frame of reference through which the touching story of love and regrets plays out.  It is not a film to set the world on fire, and will likely be swiftly overshadowed, but it does what it does very well.  It is a touching, enjoyable movie for all, which will likely find its most loyal audience outside of the cinema, on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

At cinemas now

3.5 / 5

EVEN THE RAIN

An almost perfect drama, which beautifully balances the story of a film being made about exploitation of the New World with exploitation in the real world.  A film being made, about Columbus' discovery of the New World 500 years ago, enters turmoil as around the film makers the people of Bolivia enter into a volatile urban war over water.  In their efforts to complete what they consider an important movie no matter what, the question is whether the film makers are becoming a cog in the very machine their film decries?

It takes perhaps half an hour to settle into a groove, and with it being a foreign language movie, I might understand some people losing interest and switching off.  This is a shame, as Even The Rain actually rewards patience; it becomes an extremely engaging drama about politics AND people; it is provocative, exciting, very well put together, and is easily among my top ten of 2010.  Telling a tremendous story and featuring a great screen presence in Luis Tosar as pragmatic producer Costa, this is a superb movie all should see.

Get it on DVD/Blu-Ray now.

4.5 / 5

Catch it if you like:  Che, Fair Game, The Hurt Locker, Lebanon.

THE PREY (LE PROIE)

Released in 2012 and totally overlooked, I won't say much about this except it is another typically impressive slice of French thriller cinema, looking like Hitchcock directing a Tarantino screenplay, if you can imagine such a thing.  Primarily a cat-and-mouse chase, it is a bit let down by its odd score, which does feel a bit Pink Panther at times, but it also features some terrific actions sequences, a wonderful central performance from Albert Dupontel, who cinephiles will be likely to recognise, and it is all underpinned by an exciting idea that feels like a Harlen Coben novel.  Worth checking out.

On DVD/Blu-Ray

3.5 / 5

THIS WEEK: Argo

Okay, in a rather pathetic display for a film fan, I watched one movie this week that I actually want to talk about.  It is at the cinema right now, so check out my review.

ARGO

I've been a Ben Affleck fan for some time now, and anyone in the know understands why. With Gone Baby Gone he surprised all who saw it, with a keen eye and a passion for serious cinema that didn't make things easy; an emotional movie full of great performances, which drove everyone to consider their position on a serious subject.  With The Town, gone was Ben Affleck the joke actor we all remember; instead we saw a bright new talent, both in front of and behind the camera. Now we have Argo, the dramatisation of the CIA's rescue of six Americans, who escaped the US Embassy during the 1979 Iranian revolution and were sheltered by the brave Candian Ambassador.

They say truth is stranger than fiction, and here it certainly appears to be the case. Most recall the big event, but the smaller story of the rescue of the six was only de-classified in 1997, and it is this almost absurd tale that Affleck is interested in, though this is not to say the bigger picture is overlooked. Indeed, one of the numerous beauties of this film is the wonderful balance between the different parts.  The political unrest is not missed while focusing on the plight of the group, and you never feel you are spending too long or too little time back in America, where the crazy plan is gradually being set in motion; you care about all at once, and the shift between the different threads has the feel of a master at work. Not only this, but in a lesser director's hands the tone shifts could have been totally misjudged and all over the place. Again, Affleck shows he understands how to balance politics, personal drama, exciting thriller and, surprisingly, even humour, with a panache that feels wrong for somebody with his short time in the director's chair; this certainly does not feel like this director's third film. To be starring in it and not dropping the ball or stealing the limelight is also testament to his humility, and desire to focus on making the best film he can.

With the help of a careful, steady screenplay that includes a smart, brief history lesson at the front of the piece, allowing you to jump into the stunning opening scene fully informed, a terrific editor, a few surprise turns including those from John Goodman and Alan Arkin (who at times threatens to steal the movie, as always), Affleck has made another intelligent picture that boasts a great eye for detail, and which asserts him as certainly one to watch. Sure you can see certain liberties being taken to appeal to the popcorn crowd, but those liberties, particularly in the final section, do not feel naughty; they feel like a great way of bringing an important story to a gripping climax.

Barring the aforementioned big names, most performances go unnoticed, with the group of Americans being given little fleshing out, but this film is all about engaging with the story of the event rather than the characters, and given that from the opening moments I was hooked on the drama, could almost feel the fear and danger of the situation, could see a realistic, well paced cranking up of tension that is so masterfully paced we might call it Hitchcockian, and that I was on the edge of my seat for the last half hour, it is fair to say that to this end, 'Argo' is another success for the man.  Still not Gone Baby Gone, but a third solid piece that puts Affleck well on the way to being a classic film maker.

4/5

Catch it if you like:  Gone Baby Gone, The Town, Rendition, The Great Escape