You Can Leave Your Mask On

And so My Own Private Leonardo Di Caprio season continues, this time with The Man in the Iron Mask (Randall Wallace, 1998). I think all I can say is hmmm...

For the first half I must confess I was mainly bored. There seemed to be a lot of talent on display here (Jeremy Irons, John Malkovich, Gabriel Byrne, erm, Gerard Depardieu), but not a lot of quality acting. Quite a lot of scraggly hair, hammy scripting and sets so wobbly they make 80s Dr Who look like HBO, but that's about it. Televisual production values aside, it did get better as it went on, my interest level was raised once the identity of the masked man is revealed. Plenty of intrigue and subterfuge made for much better viewing.

I will be awarding Di Caprio 2nd prize in my filmic Twin awards (the criteria being one actor playing two twin siblings simultaneously on screen, nothing to do with DeVito). He did a wonderful job of making the two of them completely disparate and identifiable, even in the same clothes, by the hard/soft-ness of his gaze alone - so nice work there. The winner of this illustrious honour is young Freddie Highmore in the excellent Spiderwick Chronicles (Mark Waters, 2008).

I'm really struggling to find anything else to say about this film, other than it's just not my cup of tea. No idea how this managed to pass me by, but I was not aware ante-view that this was a Musketeers-y film (yeah, I know, now I feel really thick), and had a I known that, I might have expected slightly less, and enjoyed it slightly more. I was also upset by how no effort whatsoever was made towards a sniff of accent continuity. I'm not saying that films where Hollywood actors bleat away in Eurotrash accents throughout are necessarily a good thing; but the complete non-approach here was significantly worse. Within only the opening scenes, your ears are assaulted by such a variety of regional accents, the effect is baffling! You have Depardieu with his fuzzy French-uncle drawl, the more dulcet tones of Irons, who to me will always sound like Scar from the Lion King, the unmistakably American (and anachronistically modern) voice of Di Caprio as the young King, then some bit-part plummy English from Hugh Laurie - it made my brain hurt.

So, all in all, a bit of a letdown. Unless you have a burning desire to see Gerard Depardieu's saggy bum for 5 or 6 seconds. In which case, knock yourself out.

Image (you can see what I mean about the hair) from epixhd.com - with thanks.

My Favourite Haunt

Not even slightly film related this one, gotta mix it up every now and again, or something.

Went to my favourite pub (The Easton) last night, had a delicious roast dinner and a lovely evening. So just wanted to spread the word about this one. If you're ever in the Clerkenwell / Farringdon area, check it out.

http://www.theeastonpub.co.uk/Easton/Welcome.html

Friendly staff, great atmosphere, good range of drinks and wonderful wonderful food.

Dancer in the Dark

Black Swan (Darren Aronofsky, 2011)

It goes without saying that I had to see this film on the opening night. Well, it being me, nothing goes "without saying", it's just a turn of phrase alright? 3 key reasons for my keen anticipation: Aronofsky is one of my favourite directors; I'm a little bit in love with Natalie Portman (especially since Garden State (Zach Braff, 2004)); and beautiful people descending into madness under pressure, well it's one of my very favourite sub-genres! So, all in all, set to be a winner for me. And my-oh-my, I was not disappointed.

Black Swan is dazzling, mesmirising and sublime, I haven't felt so captivated by a film in a long time. Don't get me wrong, it's not an entirely comfortable viewing experience, it's up-close, visceral, with genuine elements of body horror at (sometimes) unexpected moments. Definitely not one for the squeamish. Aronofsky has always favoured the tight frame, one of his notable auteur-isms (if you will). In every film since Pi (1998), his camera pushes uncomfortably into the spaces of his subjects, its gaze unswerving from every flitter of emotion that traverses their faces. And here, in Black Swan, the camera is as unflinching from physical pain and horror as well, both the natural (split nails, cracking joints), to the supernatural (fusing skin, sprouting feathers). During the ballet sequences the camerawork is dizzying, spinning around the dancers, mirroring their graceful moves.

It's not just the visuals the deserve praise of course, Aronofsky's use of sound is exquisite, as it always is (Requiem for a Dream (2000) would be my top tip for best sound-engineered film of all time - what a geek). And here in Black Swan, his sound is just as masterful... the thrumming flutter of powerful wings, the stiff rustles of dresses and feathers. Alongside the sound, Aronofsky uses every trick in the book to blur the line between reality and fantasy. We, the audience, are as clueless as Nina herself when it comes to what is real here and what is not. I left the auditorium feeling shaky and confused (I mean that as praise of course!).

Portman here is a revelation, there has been much talk of her transformation as an actress following that of Nina's; from innocence to a darker side of herself. Of course, I've not seen every film she's ever made, so can't say she's never gone to such places before, but it certainly feels that way. Her performance was impeccably disturbing, overwhelmingly good. The fact that she also performed most of the dancing herself, well, that's just bloody amazing. The rest of the cast is also excellent... All the women balletic, swanlike and graceful, but also somehow spiteful; dangerous with dewy-eyed malevolence. Vincent Cassel is also great (if a little one-note) as the sleazy, but brilliant director (dictator) of the ballet, the catalyst for Nina's descent into insanity.

I'm at risk of waxing lyrical about this film for the rest of the day, so will draw to a close here. In summation, I will say that if you are one of the anti-Aronofsky (apparently they do exist), this may not change your mind, and if you're looking for a heartwarming bit of escapism, for God's sake, go and see The King's Speech instead. For all other eventualities, please please please go and see this film, you will not be disappointed. Bit jittery, maybe, but not disappointed.


Image from beyondhollywood.com - thanks.

The Truman Show

No, not that one. This one...

Capote (Bennett Miller, 2005)

This film opens beautifully. A series of slow, lingering establishing shots, situating us in the bleak Kansas countryside, almost like the outback it's so sparse. The cinematography rarely paces up throughout the film, holding back, in long shot after long shot, allowing the action to play out within the frame in an almost theatrical way. Technically, I thought it was great. Still, enough camera chat...

The bare bones of this story are historical; American author Truman Capote is researching and writing his legendary novel, In Cold Blood, based on a real-life 1959 murder case in the afore-mentioned Kansas. An entire family murdered in a quiet town, seemingly for no reason. Capote decides to write a fictionalised account of the aftermath of this tragic event, and in doing so develops a close, and complex relationship with one of the killers, Perry Smith. The film meanders through the entire period, from the tragic event itself, through various interviews, the writing of the book, as well as quite a lot of not-writing of the book, to the eventual completion of the novel and the execution of the offenders. This epic span represents a number of years and one sees how wholly the events and the writing take over Capote’s life.

The film raises challenging questions about the processes of justice and the place of authorship, and the fuzzy grey line where fact meets fiction. Another point of interest is the film’s ambiguous attitude to the killers and to them being ‘used’ by Mr. Capote. One is left in a fair old moral quandary, after all Capote treated Smith appallingly - he (Capote) fluctuates between seemingly genuine concern and interest for the young man in his incarceration, (even finding the pair a lawyer, who lands them an appeal), and latterly closing himself off entirely, losing interest once he has what he needs. And yet, in the course of the story, it becomes clear that they did indeed commit this cold-blooded and heinous crime, and so the buggers deserve everything they get, right?! Tricky tricky. I hope I never get called up for jury service.

As the film progresses, it becomes clear that Capote’s contribution to the cause of the convicts’ freedom was only ever to buy himself time, and that his motivations were only ever selfish. Indeed, Capote’s persistent, blatant and fairly despicable self-absorption is my most lingering memory of this film… his false friendship with Smith, his constant "woe is me"-ing, his complete lack of support for his exasperated friends (most notably the excellent Catherine Keener as Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mocking Bird). In fact, if the film’s portrayal of him is even slightly accurate, and I’d been there at the time, I'd have probably punched him in the face. Regular party scenes intercut the more serious drama, and in each of these scenes we find Capote… leant back, louche and leonine in a crowd of sycophantic admirers; he holds court, spouting one witty anecdote after another and chuckling in his ridiculous camp-Cartman voice - what a d*ckhead. Oh, I'm not denying he was a talented and fascinating chap, changing the face of American literature etc., but seriously, shut up mate.

Aside from my personal gripes with our eponymous hero, this film was very well made. Performances uniformly excellent, tone tense and slow to unwind, I still found myself captivated throughout – more so than I thought in fact, when our DVD player packed up around chapter 20, we thought nothing of 4 of us (and a large cat) all crowding round a laptop for the remaining hour, so keen were we to reach the conclusion!

Image from filmadelphia.org - with thanks.

Sock it to Me...

OMG!! I can't wait wait WAIT for this!! Looks so good! And Emily Browning all grown up. Wow.

Put 1st April in your diary. I'll see you at Cineworld.

Image from empireonline - thanks.

Drugs Are Bad M'Kay...?

The Basketball Diaries (Scott Kalvert, 1995)

Another evening in, another astoundingly good performance from young Leo di C. I might be getting a bit obsessed with that boy. Basketball Diaries is the ultimate cautionary tale on the dangers of drug abuse. And, man, it was dark! Not quite so dark as Requiem for a Dream (Darren Aronofsky, 2000) of course... Now that really is THE ultimate cautionary tale... if it was, I wouldn’t be writing this blog; I’d be hiding under the bed.

Based on a true story, this is the tragedy of young Jim Carroll, a promising basketball champ at an oppressive Catholic School in NY. The opening half-hour features a slightly-predictable smorgasbord of run-o’-the-mill priestly/PE teacherly abuses, boys running amok like they own the place, but meaning no real harm, and one too many slo-mo dunks, just so you know HOW good at basketball our young hero is.

Naturally, things then begin to darken, beginning with some mild experimentation with pills, sex and snorting something out of tissues (my drug knowledge is not so hot!)... it follows a familiar trajectory as he disappears down the rabbit hole and heroin gradually rips his life apart. Before he hits rock bottom, Jim manages to be fired from the basketball team, quit school, be chucked out of home by his poor mother, to then turn to a life of crime and prostitution to fund his habit. Oh, and then he goes to prison.

Although rather harrowing and perhaps a little cliched, this is an excellent film, that really packs a punch, delivering it’s message without ever resorting to condescension, nor without losing sight of the fact you’re meant to be at least slightly entertained. The central pillar supporting the quality here is the sheer wealth of skilled performances on show. Not just from di Caprio, who is mind-blowingly, horribly convincing here… it’s a veritable who’s-who of young acting talent… Juliette Lewis as a local prostitute, Marky Mark Whalburg as the fellow spiraller, but without the heart of gold (he doesn’t just mug old ladies, he kicks them while they’re down too, the bastard). Best of all, it features a cold-turkey intervention courtesy of Reggie - played by the fourth Ghostbuster himself (Ernie Hudson, of course).

As one might expect (and hope), in the end, Carroll gets clean and devotes the last scene (and an unfortunate ‘curtain’ hair-cut) to some inspirational theatre/public speaking, cataloging the dangers of his 'dope-head' lifestlye, just in case the warning wasn’t hammered home hard enough.

In short, a Good (capital G), worthy and challenging film, but not exactly a Friday-nighter.

Image from IGN.com - with thanks

Best News of the Year so Far...

Oh yes! Rumour (being the Empire website) has it that the wonderful Elijah Wood will be reprising his role of Frodo Baggins in Jackson's forthcoming Hobbit films.

Obviously, as a fan of Tolkien's original works, I'll interested to see exactly where dear Frodo will feature in this story that played out in Middle Earth before he was born! The most sensible suggestion I've read online is that his appearance will act as a sort of framing device, with Frodo narrating from Bilbo's account of "There and Back Again" which as we all remember features as a handwritten tome, completed by Frodo and passed on to Sam, in Return of the King (2003).

However it's done, I have every faith that Jackson et. al. won't be in such Bad Taste (get it?!) as to shoehorn him into the actual tale of the Hobbit, where he most certainly does not belong.

Production is due to start this year, release in 2012. I might actually wet myself with excitement. Apologies.
Image from meltedreelonline.com - thanks

Thoughts on (most of) our Cinematic 2010

When I say most of, I mean 'since I last bothered to post anything on here in March'. Here goes:

Top 3 Films of the Year:
- Shutter Island (Martin Scorsese, 2010) - as amazing as I hoped - intense, brooding, beautifully shot, brilliantly soundtracked, I loved it. I was on the edge of my seat throughout. I've been in love with Leo since I was a 14 year old girl (Titanic of course), but now I can respect him as an actor as well! What fun!

- The Brothers Bloom (Rian Johnson, 2010) - I am literally in love with this film. And everyone in it. Rachel Weisz and Adrien Brody on screen at the same time? - Be still my beating heart! A very-blackly funny conman caper, smart, witty and gorgeously bittersweet. Brothers Bloom was everything I love in a film. Bang on quirky indie. This is the stuff that makes life worth living. And no I would not like to rein that it at all : )


- Inception (Christoper Nolan, 2010) - Oh, what to say that hasn't been said?! This is one of the best films I have EVER seen. I was astounded at just how good it was. The performances are faultless, the cinematography mind-blowing, it swallows you whole and you can't escape even once the credits roll. Both the audience and the characters have no final sense of what is real, what is possible, I love films that end with that sort of argue-about-it-in-the-pub ambiguity. And you actually have to concentrate, not a patronising bit of exposition in sight. In short, like the Matrix of it's time, but with everything the Matrix was missing - e.g. character, competent scripting, non-boring use of slow-mo etc...


Worst 3 Films of the Year:
- Clash of the Titans (Louis Leterrier, 2010) - walking... walking... walking... overdone set-piece... walking... walking... walking... giant scorpions... walking... you get the idea. Gemma Arterton is very pretty though.

- Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (Mike Newell, 2010) - too much sand, a few giant cliches, a bit of hamming. Not a lot else. Gemma Arterton is very pretty though.

- RED (Robert Schwentke, 2010) - This film stars Bruce Willis, John Malkovich, Morgan Freeman and Helen Mirren. And it's sh*t. How is that even possible?! What horrible alternate reality are we living in?! Most offensive is the film-school-101 cinematography in the opening scene - it has to be seen to be believed. Has anyone sniper-d Schwentke yet? If not, I'll get on it.


Films I've watched but were so unamazing I have no recollection of what happened in them:
Angels and Demons (Ron Howard, 2009)
The International (Tom Tykwer, 2009)
Night at the Museum 2 (Shawn Levy, 2009)
New Moon (Chris Weitz, 2009)


Other Films I Hated:
- The Mist (Frank Darabont, 2007) - honestly, this guy directed Shawshank?!
- Fermat's Room (Luis Piedrahita, Rodrigo Sopena, 2007) - Disappointing Maths Horror. Now there's a sentence.



Other Films I have Seen and Liked/Loved:
- Fantastic Mr Fox (Wes Anderson, 2009) - see it now if you haven't coz it's bloody brilliant! I saw this on a flight to Dubai, then bought the DVD and have watched it about 6 times this year, it really is that good and benefits repeat viewing. If you're not an Anderson fan, it just might turn you. If you are, why the cuss haven't you seen it already?! Get on it!


- Kick Ass (Matthew Vaughn, 2010) - obviously, this kicked ass. Excellent fun, ace scripting (Jane Goldman gets cooler every year), and bless Chloe Moretz, she's a little legend. I must question though what it takes for a film to be an 18 cert these days? Kick Ass was a 15 and I saw someone get tasered, I saw sex in a alley, I saw a man on fire (for ages), I saw a little girl get kicked in the face, said little girl even dropped the C-bomb and STILL a 15?! I mean really! What will Daily Mail readers think the world is coming to?!

- The Frighteners (Peter Jackson, 1996) - this has been a favourite of mine for about 10 years, but still deserves a mentions because it is so AMAZING! And my boyfriend thought it was crap - he is WRONG. This film rocks!

- Role Models (David Wain, 2008) - SO much better than it looks, towards the top of the 'Bromance' pile.

- Atonement (Joe Wright, 2007) - I previously avoided this film on the expectation that it would just make me cry and cry. Well I was right, I cried and cried, but it was totally worth it. Beautiful.

- Drag Me to Hell (Sam Raimi, 2009) - ignore Spiderman, Raimi's still got the touch. Too much chin sucking though, the mad old cow.

- What's Eating Gilbert Grape (Lasse Hallstrom, 1993) - turns out I could have been respecting Leo as an actor all along! This is one of those wonderful 'small' films that concerns itself with one family, one town, one way of life, and in that says so much about the human condition, our universal joys and sorrows. I thought this was grand.

- In the Loop (Armando Iannucci, 2009) - fast paced, sparky, crackling with wit and finally, finally... someone in the word that swears more than me. It had to happen eventually.

- Cinema Paradiso (Giuseppe Tornatore, 1988) - a true classic, and a crime I've not seen it before. This is a gorgeous film - cinema for cinephiles.

- In Bruges (Martin McDonagh, 2008) - so so so much better than it looked. With the most unique joy of hearing Voldemort saying "Is he having a poo or a wee?" - comedy gold.

- Monsters (Gareth Edwards, 2010) - deserves the hype. Really nicely done. A monster-movie that's about anything but, a real slow-burner this, but it will have you before the (slightly abrupt) end.

- Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (Jalmari Helander, 2010) - delightfully mad Finnish kids-horror about the original and evil Santa Claus. With naked old dudes. Yes, you heard correctly. Haven't giggled this much in ages - go see. It's bonkers and brilliant.


Best Unusual Cinematic Experience of the Year Award:
Runner up - Guillermo del Toro all-nighter at the IMAX - 3 films back-to-back starting at 11pm - great night, lots of free tea. Films shown - Cronos, Pan's Labyrinth and Hell Boy 2. Intended to be hosted by the man himself, but he had to cancel at the last minute. Had he been there for real, this would have been the winner.
And the Oscar goes to - One-night screening of Night of the Living Dead at a 'pop-up' cinema, Cineroleum, in a disused petrol station in Clerkenwell - excellent fun! Complete with bar, penny sweets, dry ice and zombie staff - original entertainment - there's a novelty!
Random thoughts for the year:
- Is anyone else so OVER 3D?! I hate it! PG rating - that's Pointless Gimic.

- The time might have finally come for me to get over my no-TV-snobbery and admit that films aren't automatically better just because they're films, and in conjunction, that not all TV is mindless bilge. I've still yet to foray into watching any actual TV yet though. Except Masterchef, but that so doesn't count.

- HP7 part one was a monster letdown. I reckon part two is gonna storm it though.

If you're still reading. Well done. It's over. Go and have a cake or something.


Images half-inched from:
screencrave.com
allmoviephoto.com
bloodygoodhorror.com

With thanks.

Resolutions

Howdy folks.

So, a new year is upon us and in addition to the traditional year-in-year-out Resolutions (these of course being - spend less, eat better, exercise more, be nicer), I am also resolving to get back on this blog. I don't anticipate this will last more than a couple of months, I have a profoundly short 'interest' span, but I shall do my best.

Review of our cinematic 2010 to follow, watch this space and all that.

Image from dailymail.com (i feel dirty)