James Franco, Kate Mara, Amber Tamblyn
Dir. Danny Boyle
Scr. Danny Boyle & Simon Beaufoy (based on “Between a Rock & a Hard Place” by Aron Ralston)
This movie is less a film about some guy who got trapped, and more an experience. And a gut-wrenching one at that. James Franco does a stellar job in carrying this film and Danny Boyle truly takes us on an emotional and often uncomfortable journey. This is daring film-making at its best.
127 Hours dramatises the true life story of Aron Ralston (Franco), a gung-ho adventurer who, while canyoneering in Utah, becomes trapped by a falling rock. Pinned by his right arm, Aron uses all his boy-scout powers to try and free himself, spending a total of 127 hours with very little water or food and unsure of whether he will survive. Through hallucinations, flash-backs and recordings Aron makes on his trusty camcorder, we get a picture of a man and his life and his regrets. In the end, he does what you might think impossible – breaks and cuts his own arm off in order to get free.
I cannot begin to imagine what Aron’s real life experience was actually like, but the real Ralston was heavily involved in this production and has said that the film was so factually accurate that it’s as close to a documentary as you can get and still be a drama. It’s reassuring that Boyle and co have not taken too many liberties. And testament to Ralston’s actual experience that this film keeps you riveted for the entire journey. Basically, after all, we’re watching a man stuck in a cave. And, for me, this is in no small part due to Franco’s performance, which is truly deserving of his Oscar nomination. Franco has always struck me as a bit of a lightweight, good at stoner dude roles. And because he is unassuming in this way, his performance really does take you by surprise. Which is just as well – without a strong lead, this film would have been simply unwatchable.
As it is, there were five minutes that, for me, were truly unwatchable. That particular five minutes (which in reality must have taken much longer), when Ralston breaks his arm, twice, and then basically saws through it with a very blunt and ineffective multi-tool blade, was truly gruesome. This has turned many cinema-goers off. Which is fair enough. But Boyle could not shy away from this scene. It signifies the lengths Ralston is prepared to go in order to live. And when Ralston finally pulls away from that rock, what we feel is not repulsion or shock or pity, it’s overwhelmingly a feeling of relief and joy.
Boyle’s direction is intimate and claustrophobic and expansive, all at once. It’s frantic and exuberant and poignant. He cleverly uses music and images of crowds of people to set us up for what is a lonely, silent tale. I’m thankful this film was in his hands – there are few that would handle it as well as he did. In fact, there are few that would take it on in the first place.
This is not a film for the faint-hearted. You know who you are – usually I am one of you! But, if you can, see this film. It’s about the triumph of the human spirit and, in these tough times (particularly in my part of the world), what better subject matter is there?
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Aron: Hey there, Aron! Is it true that you didn't tell anyone where you were going?
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Friday, February 18, 2011
Unknown
Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger, January Jones, Aidan Quinn, Bruno Ganz, Sebastian Koch
Dir. Jaume Collet-Serra
Scr. Oliver Butcher & Stephen Cornwall
It’s not the most thrilling thriller you’ll ever see, and you’ll probably latch on to the surprises before you’re supposed to, but Unknown is an enjoyable and sporadically interesting thriller with some strong performances by a fine cast. This, coupled with the excellent 2008 film Taken, are exactly the roles that suit the now greying Liam Neeson.
Unknown is about stolen identity and finding out who you really are, whether you like it or not. Dr Martin Harris (Neeson) travels to Berlin with his wife Liz (Jones) to speak at a biotechnology conference. After a taxi ride goes horribly wrong, Harris awakes from a coma with only pieces of his memory in tact. But he knows who he is, or does he? His wife doesn’t recognise him and another man (Quinn) appears to be the “real” Martin Harris. Harris enlists the help of his taxi driver Gina (Kruger) and an ex-Stasi policeman turned private detective Jurgen (Ganz) to discover the truth behind what quickly appears to be a dangerous cover-up. Things are not what they appear to be .... and that’s all I will say.
There are enough holes in Unknown’s plot to bug many, but when it’s good, it’s really quite good. The story revolves around biotechnology research, which adds a dimension of intrigue and keeps you guessing. There are enough fight scenes and satisfying explosions to keep the action movie lover happy. And there’s a car chase that is one of the best I have seen in quite some time. The twist in the tail of Unknown really is quite preposterous, but I didn’t care too much. It was the ride I enjoyed and it was a wild one.
The greatest saving grace for this film is its cast. Neeson is mildly wooden but a wonderful hard man when he warms up to it. We saw this in Taken and he continues in this punchy vein. Jones is a tad annoying in her role as Mrs Dr Harris, but not distractingly so. Quinn is quite two-dimensional, as usual. The real stars here are those from the Continent. Kruger is brilliant as the illegal alien taxi driver who is thrown into the mess and drama against her will but for her own survival. Tough and sexy, it’s hard to take your eyes off her. Ganz, known to most of us from his phenomenal portrayal of Hitler in Downfall, is an absolute treat to watch as an ageing old school hard man with dignity in spades. Koch, as the brilliant and altruistic Professor Bressler, is a welcome addition to this cast in his small but vital role. The other cast member is the city of Berlin itself which, of course, is both murky and stunning.
While Unknown is not going to win any awards or test the brain cells too much, it is a perfect Friday night flick for those of us who like a bit of thrilling action in our cinematic diet. Utterly watchable.
---------------------------------
Dr Martin Harris: Do you know what it feels like to become insane? It’s a war between being told who you are and knowing who you are. Which do you think wins?
Dir. Jaume Collet-Serra
Scr. Oliver Butcher & Stephen Cornwall
It’s not the most thrilling thriller you’ll ever see, and you’ll probably latch on to the surprises before you’re supposed to, but Unknown is an enjoyable and sporadically interesting thriller with some strong performances by a fine cast. This, coupled with the excellent 2008 film Taken, are exactly the roles that suit the now greying Liam Neeson.
Unknown is about stolen identity and finding out who you really are, whether you like it or not. Dr Martin Harris (Neeson) travels to Berlin with his wife Liz (Jones) to speak at a biotechnology conference. After a taxi ride goes horribly wrong, Harris awakes from a coma with only pieces of his memory in tact. But he knows who he is, or does he? His wife doesn’t recognise him and another man (Quinn) appears to be the “real” Martin Harris. Harris enlists the help of his taxi driver Gina (Kruger) and an ex-Stasi policeman turned private detective Jurgen (Ganz) to discover the truth behind what quickly appears to be a dangerous cover-up. Things are not what they appear to be .... and that’s all I will say.
There are enough holes in Unknown’s plot to bug many, but when it’s good, it’s really quite good. The story revolves around biotechnology research, which adds a dimension of intrigue and keeps you guessing. There are enough fight scenes and satisfying explosions to keep the action movie lover happy. And there’s a car chase that is one of the best I have seen in quite some time. The twist in the tail of Unknown really is quite preposterous, but I didn’t care too much. It was the ride I enjoyed and it was a wild one.
The greatest saving grace for this film is its cast. Neeson is mildly wooden but a wonderful hard man when he warms up to it. We saw this in Taken and he continues in this punchy vein. Jones is a tad annoying in her role as Mrs Dr Harris, but not distractingly so. Quinn is quite two-dimensional, as usual. The real stars here are those from the Continent. Kruger is brilliant as the illegal alien taxi driver who is thrown into the mess and drama against her will but for her own survival. Tough and sexy, it’s hard to take your eyes off her. Ganz, known to most of us from his phenomenal portrayal of Hitler in Downfall, is an absolute treat to watch as an ageing old school hard man with dignity in spades. Koch, as the brilliant and altruistic Professor Bressler, is a welcome addition to this cast in his small but vital role. The other cast member is the city of Berlin itself which, of course, is both murky and stunning.
While Unknown is not going to win any awards or test the brain cells too much, it is a perfect Friday night flick for those of us who like a bit of thrilling action in our cinematic diet. Utterly watchable.
---------------------------------
Dr Martin Harris: Do you know what it feels like to become insane? It’s a war between being told who you are and knowing who you are. Which do you think wins?
Sunday, February 6, 2011
True Grit
Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Hailee Steinfeld, Barry Pepper, Josh Brolin
Dir. Ethan & Joel Coen
Scr. Ethan & Joel Coen (based on the novel by Charles Portis)
I must start with a disclaimer: I have not yet met a Coen Brothers’ movie I have not liked. And more than a couple would appear in my all-time favourite movies list. So I am aware that reviewing a movie by Joel and Ethan is like trying to find flaws in a beloved puppy. Or somesuch analogy. It will be no surprise then that I loved True Grit. This is a wonderfully acted, character-driven, chuckle-inducing film which I would heartily recommend. Is it their greatest work? No, I don’t believe so. Does it deserve a spot among the ten films nominated for the ultimate Oscar prize? Most definitely.
True Grit, based on the novel of the same name published in the 1960s, follows 14-year-old Mattie Ross’s (Steinfeld) quest to find her father’s killer, Tom Chaney (Brolin), and bring him to justice. She enlists the help of US Marshall Reuben “Rooster” Cogburn (Bridges), a man she is told has “true grit”. Along for the ride is Texas Ranger LaBoeuf (Damon) who has been tracking Chaney and has substantial financial gains to be made by bringing him to justice for killing a senator in Texas. This incredibly unlikely, and at times unlikeable, trio discover an array of characters and challenges along the way as each confronts and tests their own “grit”.
True Grit is one of the Coen Brothers’ most accessible films and will delight many more cinema-goers than the likes of Fargo or No Country for Old Men. Like No Country, True Grit creeps up on you and entices you in with colourful turns of phrase, beautiful scenery and actors who clearly relish their roles. The sense of impending doom and menace is not as pronounced and palpable as No Country, but it’s certainly there. We know that this isn’t going to end well for everyone and we hope that the bad guys get their comeuppance and the good guys survive. But this is no Disney western. The line between good and bad is murky. We first see Cogburn on the witness stand defending his actions as a lawman. Cogburn drinks too much, sleeps too long and is a true rogue. LaBoeuf is no angel either, far too pleased with himself and his abilities. But, in true Coen Brothers’ movie fashion, we know without a doubt that these are the men we should be rooting for. It is the character of Mattie though that really binds this story. Stubborn and pious, Mattie is nonetheless a realist. When the sheriff gives up on ensuring her fathers’ killer is caught and punished, she sees in these men the means to avenge her father. She is the true hero of this film.
I cannot heap enough praise on the stellar performances in this film and, for me, the combined brilliance of Bridges, Damon & Steinfeld is absolutely the best thing about True Grit. Bridges is at a time in his career where these sort of grizzly, weathered roles are perfect. He drawls his way through his performance with aplomb and seeing him in full flight on his horse up against four outlaws is an absolute sight to behold. It’s no secret I simply love Bridges and this film has only strengthened that adoration. Damon is a wonderful surprise in this film. His performances as Jason Bourne have cemented him as a real go-to action star. But Damon shows here, as he did in The Informant, that he has real range and a natural flair for humour. Much of the humour comes from the Ranger’s interaction with Cogburn and a standout scene has to be Mattie & LaBoeuf’s first encounter: “You give out very little sugar with your pronouncements. While I sat there watchin' I gave some thought to stealin' a kiss... though you are very young, and sick... and unattractive to boot. But now I have a mind to give you five or six good licks with my belt.” Wonderful stuff. There are also great contributions from Brolin and an almost unrecognisable Pepper. But among all these gritty, dirty, largely unpleasant male characters is Steinfeld, an absolute revelation as Mattie Ross. She is a true scene stealer which, in this company, is no mean feat. At turns naïve and cunning, childlike and world-wise, fearful and full of grit, Steinfeld’s performance is utterly worthy of the brilliant company she finds herself in in the supporting actress stakes at the Oscars.
True Grit may lack the quirkiness you might have come to expect from Joel and Ethan Coen. There is a story-telling and visual clumsiness at the beginning and near the end that grated a little. And while you may wish to take your 14-year-old to this film, you probably shouldn’t. But these are minor quibbles. True Grit is a great yarn, told with the most wonderfully colourful language you will come across at the cinema this year.
------------------------------
Mattie Ross: You must pay for everything in this world, one way and another. There is nothing free except the grace of God.
Dir. Ethan & Joel Coen
Scr. Ethan & Joel Coen (based on the novel by Charles Portis)
I must start with a disclaimer: I have not yet met a Coen Brothers’ movie I have not liked. And more than a couple would appear in my all-time favourite movies list. So I am aware that reviewing a movie by Joel and Ethan is like trying to find flaws in a beloved puppy. Or somesuch analogy. It will be no surprise then that I loved True Grit. This is a wonderfully acted, character-driven, chuckle-inducing film which I would heartily recommend. Is it their greatest work? No, I don’t believe so. Does it deserve a spot among the ten films nominated for the ultimate Oscar prize? Most definitely.
True Grit, based on the novel of the same name published in the 1960s, follows 14-year-old Mattie Ross’s (Steinfeld) quest to find her father’s killer, Tom Chaney (Brolin), and bring him to justice. She enlists the help of US Marshall Reuben “Rooster” Cogburn (Bridges), a man she is told has “true grit”. Along for the ride is Texas Ranger LaBoeuf (Damon) who has been tracking Chaney and has substantial financial gains to be made by bringing him to justice for killing a senator in Texas. This incredibly unlikely, and at times unlikeable, trio discover an array of characters and challenges along the way as each confronts and tests their own “grit”.
True Grit is one of the Coen Brothers’ most accessible films and will delight many more cinema-goers than the likes of Fargo or No Country for Old Men. Like No Country, True Grit creeps up on you and entices you in with colourful turns of phrase, beautiful scenery and actors who clearly relish their roles. The sense of impending doom and menace is not as pronounced and palpable as No Country, but it’s certainly there. We know that this isn’t going to end well for everyone and we hope that the bad guys get their comeuppance and the good guys survive. But this is no Disney western. The line between good and bad is murky. We first see Cogburn on the witness stand defending his actions as a lawman. Cogburn drinks too much, sleeps too long and is a true rogue. LaBoeuf is no angel either, far too pleased with himself and his abilities. But, in true Coen Brothers’ movie fashion, we know without a doubt that these are the men we should be rooting for. It is the character of Mattie though that really binds this story. Stubborn and pious, Mattie is nonetheless a realist. When the sheriff gives up on ensuring her fathers’ killer is caught and punished, she sees in these men the means to avenge her father. She is the true hero of this film.
I cannot heap enough praise on the stellar performances in this film and, for me, the combined brilliance of Bridges, Damon & Steinfeld is absolutely the best thing about True Grit. Bridges is at a time in his career where these sort of grizzly, weathered roles are perfect. He drawls his way through his performance with aplomb and seeing him in full flight on his horse up against four outlaws is an absolute sight to behold. It’s no secret I simply love Bridges and this film has only strengthened that adoration. Damon is a wonderful surprise in this film. His performances as Jason Bourne have cemented him as a real go-to action star. But Damon shows here, as he did in The Informant, that he has real range and a natural flair for humour. Much of the humour comes from the Ranger’s interaction with Cogburn and a standout scene has to be Mattie & LaBoeuf’s first encounter: “You give out very little sugar with your pronouncements. While I sat there watchin' I gave some thought to stealin' a kiss... though you are very young, and sick... and unattractive to boot. But now I have a mind to give you five or six good licks with my belt.” Wonderful stuff. There are also great contributions from Brolin and an almost unrecognisable Pepper. But among all these gritty, dirty, largely unpleasant male characters is Steinfeld, an absolute revelation as Mattie Ross. She is a true scene stealer which, in this company, is no mean feat. At turns naïve and cunning, childlike and world-wise, fearful and full of grit, Steinfeld’s performance is utterly worthy of the brilliant company she finds herself in in the supporting actress stakes at the Oscars.
True Grit may lack the quirkiness you might have come to expect from Joel and Ethan Coen. There is a story-telling and visual clumsiness at the beginning and near the end that grated a little. And while you may wish to take your 14-year-old to this film, you probably shouldn’t. But these are minor quibbles. True Grit is a great yarn, told with the most wonderfully colourful language you will come across at the cinema this year.
------------------------------
Mattie Ross: You must pay for everything in this world, one way and another. There is nothing free except the grace of God.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Inside Job
Matt Damon (narrator)
Dir. Charles Ferguson
Wr. Charles Ferguson, Chad Beck & Adam Bolt
I needed to see this film. I’m not saying it’s the definitive truth behind the global financial crisis of 2008 – I think all documentaries come with a bias. But I really understand very little about the jargon-filled economic world. Charles Ferguson in this compelling doco has done a service to the likes of me and I thank him for it. If you want to better understand what actually happened to the US in 2008, see this film. If you already know, well, good on you smarty-pants.
In this film Ferguson examines the reasons why the recession of 2008, which has cost the world an estimated $20 trillion, happened, who was accountable and whether it will happen again. Explaining the financial sector with the use of diagrams and Matt Damon’s lilting tones, Ferguson speaks to us as laymans without making us feel stupid. It’s a fine line and, personally, I think he walks it well.
The most revealing and interesting aspect of this film are the extensive interviews Ferguson conducts with a range of financial insiders, academics, journalists and politicians. Unlike his fellow documentary filmmaker Michael Moore, Ferguson does not insert himself into the equation, never appearing on screen, which is highly effective and somewhat refreshing. Many people declined to be interviewed for this film (mostly those still inside the machine of the financial sector), but Ferguson has a fascinating array of interviewees, including the Finance Minister of France and the Prime Minister of Singapore, the former especially shedding an important non-American perspective on what ultimately affected the globe.
One of the most fascinating aspects of Ferguson’s analysis is his look at the role and responsibility of academia who are clearly not used to be asked to “please explain”. I have never seen an esteemed academic on film turn so quickly into an evil villain. A great cinematic moment in any genre.
Although frustrating, disheartening and frightening, Inside Job is a great film that will make you smarter. It will also make you want to hide all your money under your mattress.
---------------------------------
Christine Lagarde (French Finance Minister): Holy cow!
Dir. Charles Ferguson
Wr. Charles Ferguson, Chad Beck & Adam Bolt
I needed to see this film. I’m not saying it’s the definitive truth behind the global financial crisis of 2008 – I think all documentaries come with a bias. But I really understand very little about the jargon-filled economic world. Charles Ferguson in this compelling doco has done a service to the likes of me and I thank him for it. If you want to better understand what actually happened to the US in 2008, see this film. If you already know, well, good on you smarty-pants.
In this film Ferguson examines the reasons why the recession of 2008, which has cost the world an estimated $20 trillion, happened, who was accountable and whether it will happen again. Explaining the financial sector with the use of diagrams and Matt Damon’s lilting tones, Ferguson speaks to us as laymans without making us feel stupid. It’s a fine line and, personally, I think he walks it well.
The most revealing and interesting aspect of this film are the extensive interviews Ferguson conducts with a range of financial insiders, academics, journalists and politicians. Unlike his fellow documentary filmmaker Michael Moore, Ferguson does not insert himself into the equation, never appearing on screen, which is highly effective and somewhat refreshing. Many people declined to be interviewed for this film (mostly those still inside the machine of the financial sector), but Ferguson has a fascinating array of interviewees, including the Finance Minister of France and the Prime Minister of Singapore, the former especially shedding an important non-American perspective on what ultimately affected the globe.
One of the most fascinating aspects of Ferguson’s analysis is his look at the role and responsibility of academia who are clearly not used to be asked to “please explain”. I have never seen an esteemed academic on film turn so quickly into an evil villain. A great cinematic moment in any genre.
Although frustrating, disheartening and frightening, Inside Job is a great film that will make you smarter. It will also make you want to hide all your money under your mattress.
---------------------------------
Christine Lagarde (French Finance Minister): Holy cow!
Sunday, January 30, 2011
The Kids Are All Right
Annette Bening, Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Mia Wasikowska, Josh Hutcherson
Dir. Lisa Cholodenko
Scr. Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg
(shrugs) Meh.*
*In other words: I really can’t be bothered to write a review of this forgettable, smug, tv-movie-of-the-week film. It evoked little emotion, good or bad, simply ambivalence. So, yeah, sorry about that.
Dir. Lisa Cholodenko
Scr. Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg
*In other words: I really can’t be bothered to write a review of this forgettable, smug, tv-movie-of-the-week film. It evoked little emotion, good or bad, simply ambivalence. So, yeah, sorry about that.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Black Swan
Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel, Barbara Hershey, Winona Ryder
Dir. Darren Aronofsky
Scr. Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz & John McLaughlin
I didn’t want to see this film – it just didn’t look terribly good. Then so many good reviews and so many awards and so many nominations (including Oscar for Best Picture), and it was like the universe was telling me to see it. And now, well, I wish I’d gone with my first instinct and thumbed my nose at the universe! I am flying in the face of an 88% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, I know, but this is an overlong, clichéd, uncomfortable, melodramatic (not in a good way) film with a lead character I absolutely didn’t care about. Disappointing and, more than that, just plain frustrating.
Black Swan tells the story of Nina (Portman), a talented young ballerina, desperate to shine and land the part of the Swan Queen in a modern interpretation of Swan Lake. Nina lives and breathes ballet, punishing her body and her life in the hope of being the perfect ballerina. But although Nina is talented, she is all “white swan” – fragile, pure – and not at all “black swan” – sensual, manipulative, dark. Despite this, she lands the part and it’s all downhill from there. A suffocating mother (Hershey), a punishing ballet director (Cassel), a young challenger (Kunis), an older vision of what she might become (Ryder), her own expectations of perfection – all these factors combine to send Nina down the rabbit hole and, as you might expect, tragedy ensues.
Okay, before I launch into what made me really dislike this film, let me praise it a little. Like Aronofsky’s previous film, The Wrestler, the viewer is immersed into a very specialised world, in this case, the crazy world of ballet. Stripped back from the glamour, most of the action takes place in the cold, bare practise rooms (not dissimilar from the gym setting of The Wrestler). It’s effective film making. Also effective is the way the ballet scenes are filmed. Instead of having an audience’s view, we are taken up close and hear every pant and intake of breath, every creak and crack of joints – it’s simultaneously compelling and uncomfortable, something Aronofsky has quite the talent for. In terms of acting, I would single out Kunis (as the young upstart Lily), who really does shine. I also have to acknowledge the amount of work Portman obviously put into this role – you could mistake her for a career ballerina who has decided to act, rather than the other way around.
That’s about it. My real criticism of this film is three-fold. First up, it was very difficult to watch. And I’m not an inexperienced film-goer, no sir. By way of comparison, I thought Precious was an amazing, compelling, startling film. Would I want to see it again? No way. Probably the most uncomfortable I’ve been in a theatre. In Black Swan, there seems to be no real reward for such discomfort and the shock value of some scenes were just that – shock. Secondly, what a cliché! Backstabbing ballerinas who would sleep with anyone to get the part. Overbearing mother who lives vicariously through her daughter. Self harm, lesbianism, drugs, madness. It all just seemed so tired. Which is pretty fatal for a film about a subject matter that there aren’t many films about. Tired before its own time. And talk about flogging a concept or motif. Yes, I understand the white/black swan dichotomy – just shut up about it already! Yes yes, I understand the importance of the mirror to the whole gist of the film – does there have to be one in every single blooming scene? It caused me to scoff a little too often. Lastly, and I think most importantly but also where I’m going to have to disagree with most critics, is a lead character/performance that I just didn’t care about at all. She was descending into madness and I had to stifle a yawn. What really makes a film tick is when the audience relates to, cares about or at least has hope for the lead character. And this can be tenuous, for sure. In There Will Be Blood, the lead is hugely unlikeable and unrelatable. But what makes that film truly great is that the audience clings to the hope that he can redeem himself. He doesn’t, but this is largely irrelevant – we are already hooked. In Black Swan, I just felt nothing. At the beginning, she was mostly annoying. And by the end, ridiculously melodramatic. And it’s not just the lead I didn’t like. Hershey and Ryder in particular were extremely one-dimensional and, at times, ridiculous. Cassel had a bit more to work with, but in the end became a repetitive and boring plot device.
I guess I’m a little surprised at the praise heaped upon this film. Which perhaps makes me like it even less than it deserves. But I stand by my evaluation – although Black Swan might present itself rather well, there is no heart and soul in this clichéd film. It tries too hard and falls at most every hurdle.
------------------------------
Thomas: That was me seducing you. It needs to be the other way around.
Dir. Darren Aronofsky
Scr. Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz & John McLaughlin
I didn’t want to see this film – it just didn’t look terribly good. Then so many good reviews and so many awards and so many nominations (including Oscar for Best Picture), and it was like the universe was telling me to see it. And now, well, I wish I’d gone with my first instinct and thumbed my nose at the universe! I am flying in the face of an 88% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, I know, but this is an overlong, clichéd, uncomfortable, melodramatic (not in a good way) film with a lead character I absolutely didn’t care about. Disappointing and, more than that, just plain frustrating.
Black Swan tells the story of Nina (Portman), a talented young ballerina, desperate to shine and land the part of the Swan Queen in a modern interpretation of Swan Lake. Nina lives and breathes ballet, punishing her body and her life in the hope of being the perfect ballerina. But although Nina is talented, she is all “white swan” – fragile, pure – and not at all “black swan” – sensual, manipulative, dark. Despite this, she lands the part and it’s all downhill from there. A suffocating mother (Hershey), a punishing ballet director (Cassel), a young challenger (Kunis), an older vision of what she might become (Ryder), her own expectations of perfection – all these factors combine to send Nina down the rabbit hole and, as you might expect, tragedy ensues.
Okay, before I launch into what made me really dislike this film, let me praise it a little. Like Aronofsky’s previous film, The Wrestler, the viewer is immersed into a very specialised world, in this case, the crazy world of ballet. Stripped back from the glamour, most of the action takes place in the cold, bare practise rooms (not dissimilar from the gym setting of The Wrestler). It’s effective film making. Also effective is the way the ballet scenes are filmed. Instead of having an audience’s view, we are taken up close and hear every pant and intake of breath, every creak and crack of joints – it’s simultaneously compelling and uncomfortable, something Aronofsky has quite the talent for. In terms of acting, I would single out Kunis (as the young upstart Lily), who really does shine. I also have to acknowledge the amount of work Portman obviously put into this role – you could mistake her for a career ballerina who has decided to act, rather than the other way around.
That’s about it. My real criticism of this film is three-fold. First up, it was very difficult to watch. And I’m not an inexperienced film-goer, no sir. By way of comparison, I thought Precious was an amazing, compelling, startling film. Would I want to see it again? No way. Probably the most uncomfortable I’ve been in a theatre. In Black Swan, there seems to be no real reward for such discomfort and the shock value of some scenes were just that – shock. Secondly, what a cliché! Backstabbing ballerinas who would sleep with anyone to get the part. Overbearing mother who lives vicariously through her daughter. Self harm, lesbianism, drugs, madness. It all just seemed so tired. Which is pretty fatal for a film about a subject matter that there aren’t many films about. Tired before its own time. And talk about flogging a concept or motif. Yes, I understand the white/black swan dichotomy – just shut up about it already! Yes yes, I understand the importance of the mirror to the whole gist of the film – does there have to be one in every single blooming scene? It caused me to scoff a little too often. Lastly, and I think most importantly but also where I’m going to have to disagree with most critics, is a lead character/performance that I just didn’t care about at all. She was descending into madness and I had to stifle a yawn. What really makes a film tick is when the audience relates to, cares about or at least has hope for the lead character. And this can be tenuous, for sure. In There Will Be Blood, the lead is hugely unlikeable and unrelatable. But what makes that film truly great is that the audience clings to the hope that he can redeem himself. He doesn’t, but this is largely irrelevant – we are already hooked. In Black Swan, I just felt nothing. At the beginning, she was mostly annoying. And by the end, ridiculously melodramatic. And it’s not just the lead I didn’t like. Hershey and Ryder in particular were extremely one-dimensional and, at times, ridiculous. Cassel had a bit more to work with, but in the end became a repetitive and boring plot device.
I guess I’m a little surprised at the praise heaped upon this film. Which perhaps makes me like it even less than it deserves. But I stand by my evaluation – although Black Swan might present itself rather well, there is no heart and soul in this clichéd film. It tries too hard and falls at most every hurdle.
------------------------------
Thomas: That was me seducing you. It needs to be the other way around.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
The Fighter
Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Melissa Leo, Jack McGee
Dir. David O Russell
Scr. Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson
This film tells the story of a fighter you’ve probably never heard of – I certainly hadn’t. But don’t let that deter you. This is a great movie about family, redemption, self-belief and, yes, a bit of boxing. With one of the finest performances you’ll see on the silver screen all year.
The Fighter is about the early years of “Irish” Micky Ward, who was to become the welterweight champion of the world and, by all accounts, a hell of a tenacious fighter. Micky lives in the shadow of his older, half-brother Dicky Eklund who had once knocked out Sugar Ray Leonard and is now a crack addict. Destructive and unreliable, Dicky is Micky’s mentor and sparring partner. Managed by his mother, also destructive in her own way, Micky’s career goes nowhere, loss after loss giving his self-confidence a battering. After hooking up with waitress Charlene and seeing his brother back in jail, Micky gives the big time one more try ...
At its guts, this film is about family. And Micky’s is quite a bunch. While he prospers without them and tries to shake off the shadow of his brother, in the end family is family. What is refreshing is that everyone in The Fighter makes a sort of personal journey, coming out a better person at the other end. It’s a heart-warming tale, amongst the boxing and drugs and bad 80s hair.
The Fighter certainty has an air of authenticity about it and when you discover the lengths the filmmakers went to to do justice to Ward’s story, it’s easy to understand why. Filmed on location in Lowell, Massachusetts – Ward’s hometown – many of the training scenes were filmed at the real-life facility Ward used in the 1980s. Fights were choreographed with care, using footage of Ward’s bouts. Director Russell used the cameras of the age to film the fights, giving them a very realistic and not overly stylised look. It makes for very good cinema indeed.
This film is packed with great acting performances. But while The Fighter is about Micky, it is the portrayal of Dicky by the ever-excellent Christian Bale that really stands out. Although both Matt Damon and Brad Pitt were, at one time, signed on to play Dicky, I simply cannot imagine anyone but Bale in the role. Showing his commitment to his art, Bale sheds the pounds (although not as many as for The Machinist) to capture Dicky’s harrowed, crack-addicted, scrawny physique. It is clear from the brief look we get at the real-life Dicky during the film’s end credits, that Bale has studied his subject. Bale is deserving of every award for a truly masterly performance. Wahlberg, in a much more subtle role, is also excellent. I’m not a big fan, finding him more often wooden than not. But it is clear that he has much invested in this role, creatively and emotionally. Amy Adams, as Micky’s feisty girlfriend Charlene, and Melissa Leo, as Micky and Dicky’s mother, are both superb – immensely likeable and unlikeable respectively.
This is an absorbing, tumultuous, gut-wrenching movie. Sure, it’s a boxing movie and with that comes the usual clichés and predictable ending flourish. But, much like the other major awards contender The King’s Speech, there will be few dry eyes by the time the credits roll and you will be pleased you were there.
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Micky Ward: I'm the one who's fighting. Not you, not you, and not you.
Dir. David O Russell
Scr. Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson
This film tells the story of a fighter you’ve probably never heard of – I certainly hadn’t. But don’t let that deter you. This is a great movie about family, redemption, self-belief and, yes, a bit of boxing. With one of the finest performances you’ll see on the silver screen all year.
The Fighter is about the early years of “Irish” Micky Ward, who was to become the welterweight champion of the world and, by all accounts, a hell of a tenacious fighter. Micky lives in the shadow of his older, half-brother Dicky Eklund who had once knocked out Sugar Ray Leonard and is now a crack addict. Destructive and unreliable, Dicky is Micky’s mentor and sparring partner. Managed by his mother, also destructive in her own way, Micky’s career goes nowhere, loss after loss giving his self-confidence a battering. After hooking up with waitress Charlene and seeing his brother back in jail, Micky gives the big time one more try ...
At its guts, this film is about family. And Micky’s is quite a bunch. While he prospers without them and tries to shake off the shadow of his brother, in the end family is family. What is refreshing is that everyone in The Fighter makes a sort of personal journey, coming out a better person at the other end. It’s a heart-warming tale, amongst the boxing and drugs and bad 80s hair.
The Fighter certainty has an air of authenticity about it and when you discover the lengths the filmmakers went to to do justice to Ward’s story, it’s easy to understand why. Filmed on location in Lowell, Massachusetts – Ward’s hometown – many of the training scenes were filmed at the real-life facility Ward used in the 1980s. Fights were choreographed with care, using footage of Ward’s bouts. Director Russell used the cameras of the age to film the fights, giving them a very realistic and not overly stylised look. It makes for very good cinema indeed.
This film is packed with great acting performances. But while The Fighter is about Micky, it is the portrayal of Dicky by the ever-excellent Christian Bale that really stands out. Although both Matt Damon and Brad Pitt were, at one time, signed on to play Dicky, I simply cannot imagine anyone but Bale in the role. Showing his commitment to his art, Bale sheds the pounds (although not as many as for The Machinist) to capture Dicky’s harrowed, crack-addicted, scrawny physique. It is clear from the brief look we get at the real-life Dicky during the film’s end credits, that Bale has studied his subject. Bale is deserving of every award for a truly masterly performance. Wahlberg, in a much more subtle role, is also excellent. I’m not a big fan, finding him more often wooden than not. But it is clear that he has much invested in this role, creatively and emotionally. Amy Adams, as Micky’s feisty girlfriend Charlene, and Melissa Leo, as Micky and Dicky’s mother, are both superb – immensely likeable and unlikeable respectively.
This is an absorbing, tumultuous, gut-wrenching movie. Sure, it’s a boxing movie and with that comes the usual clichés and predictable ending flourish. But, much like the other major awards contender The King’s Speech, there will be few dry eyes by the time the credits roll and you will be pleased you were there.
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Micky Ward: I'm the one who's fighting. Not you, not you, and not you.
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