Tag Archives: drama

Cinema, Raindance, Reviews

Film Review: TO LESLIE (2022)

2 Comments

Film Review: TO LESLIE (2022)

Directed by: Michael Morris

Written by: Ryan Binaco

Produced by: Claude Dal Farra, Brian Keady, Kelsey Law, Philip Waley, Jason Shuman, Eduardo Cisneros, etc.

Cast: Andrea Riseborough, Andre Royo, Owen Teague, Stephen Root, James Landry Hebert, Marc Maron, Allison Janney, etc.

Cinematography Larkin Seiple


*** MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS ***

Cinema and booze have always been two of my favourite things to distract me before I stagger off to the great pub in the sky! And there have been some of the great drunken characters and performances over the years on the box or at the cinema. The drunk is an often-used archetype employed for tragic, humorous and, on occasions, heroically redemptive narrative purposes.

Getting drunk actually is certainly easier than acting drunk on screen. Al Pacino in Scarface (1983) was a monstrous example of venal intoxication, Richard E. Grant in Withnail and I (1987) gave us one of the most hilarious drunkards, while Dean Martin’s, Dude in Rio Bravo (1959) and Kilmer’s Doc Holliday in Tombstone (1994) were fine Western inebriates. Romantic dramas Leaving Las Vegas (1996) and Days of Wine and Roses (1962) fiercely show the power alcohol has as it systematically shakes you like a rabid dog until one’s soul is hollowed out.

Ray Milland won an Oscar in The Lost Weekend (1949) as the epitome of liquid self-destruction. While my favourite “drunk actor” of all time is the imperious soak, Willie Ross.  His lagging-pisshead renditions are the best I have ever seen on screen!  His character in Rita, Sue and Bob Too (1987) is a racist, sexist, unemployable, drunken bully who when stood up to would simply cower amidst his own weakness.  Club comedian, Willie Ross would repeat the feat in classic British TV drama Our Friends in The North (1996) as Daniel Craig’s vicious alcoholic father.

So, how does Andrea Riseborough compare as a screen drunk in, To Leslie (2022), to the luminaries mentioned above. Well, along with director Michael Morris and writer Ryan Binaco, Riseborough is at the top of her game in this painfully accurate indie character study. They bravely make no attempt to make Leslie sympathetic or charismatic. She is an absolute car crash of a human being. The film opens with a flashback via television news report announcing Leslie as a major lottery winner. Back in the present day she is hammered, broke and getting chucked out of her dingy motel room. Does she attempt to recover and change? No, she tracks down her estranged son, James (Owen Teague), and immediately begins to leech from him and his friends. Teague is really impressive as a naïve and kindly soul trying his best not to get dragged down by his mother’s self-destructive impulses.

As the narrative progresses, Leslie defiantly refuses to adhere to any structure of sobriety, but gets lucky when Marc Maron’s hotel owner takes pity, providing her with a cleaning job and free board. Maron is on fine form here too, playing softer than some of his previously more alpha-male roles. Even after his help the addictive power of booze threatens to destroy what little Leslie has. Addiction is an illness and fatal flaw, strangling Leslie’s body and soulful quintessence.

Riseborough’s Leslie is an infuriating character to watch and experience. I have to admit that at times I even hated her. But that’s the point. Her drunk is a lost soul scrabbling to find the will to survive. Redemption is a town Leslie cannot locate. Later in the film there comes hope for Leslie, but I felt that the filmmakers arguably spent too much time on the pathetic and paralytic Leslie, rather than the silver-lined one. Her road to recovery was somewhat skimmed over in the final act. Nonetheless, Riseborough is magnetic, certainly deserving the Oscar nomination she received. However, I would not want to spend any further time with Leslie Rowland again. Drunk or sober.

Mark: 8 out of 11

Films That Got Away, Great Ensemble Film Casts, Reviews

FILMS THAT GOT AWAY #15: SHORT TERM 12 (2013)

4 Comments

FILMS THAT GOT AWAY #15: SHORT TERM 12 (2013)

Written and Directed by: Destin Daniel Cretton

Produced by: Maren Olson, Asher Goldstein, Joshua Astrachan, Ron Najor

Cast: Brie Larson, John Gallagher, Jr., Kaitlyn Dever, Rami Malek, Lakeith Stanfield, Kevin Hernandez, Melora Walters, Stephanie Beatriz, etc.

Cinematography: Brett Pawlak

Bloody Marvel!

I refer to both this film, Short Term 12 (2013), and the Disney-owned behemoth studio which, while releasing some incredible film works over the years, currently pumps out generic product of variant quality. I say “Bloody Marvel” because the studio continue to poach some amazingly talented filmmakers with indie roots to front their entertaining cookie-cutter templates. I, of course, include Short Term 12 (2013), writer-director, Destin Daniel Cretton who, having adapted his own short film for a reported $400,000, has subsequently been directing stupidly expensive super-hero films for the studio giant.

Short Term 12 (2013) is one of those films I missed seeing on release. I then, for some unknown series of reasons, did not see it on video until earlier this month. It is a brilliant drama, full of fascinating characters, amazing dialogue, poignant moments of humanity and some really funny scenes also. Moreover, it has almost the perfect low-budget film screenplay, so it is no surprise to find out Destin Daniel Cretton’s script won a Nicholls Fellowship Screenwriting Award. The casting director also deserves a mention too. I am not sure what kind of crystal ball they had because the ensemble is a who’s-who of “before they were famous” castings including: Brie Larson, Lakeith Stanfield, Rami Malek, John Gallagher, Kaitlyn Dever and Stephanie Beatriz.

Set in a group care home, Short Term 12 (2013), centres around the staff and teenage children and their daily ups and downs. At the heart of the story is Grace (Brie Larson) and her work/romance partner, Mason (John Gallagher). As well as working to resolve the often harrowing issues of teenagers such as Marcus (Lakeith Stanfield) and Jayden (Kaitlyn Dever), Grace strives to overcome the post-traumatic scars her childhood has caused her. Aside from a slight tragedy overload in the final act, Short Term 12 (2013), is one of the best films I have seen in a long time. The emotional gravity I felt for many of these characters was so powerful. It is very rare that a film can make me laugh and cry in equal measures. And it was all shot, acted and directed in just twenty days. Destin Daniel Cretton’s sophomore feature film is a true indie marvel!

Mark: 10 out of 11

Cinema, Netflix, Reviews

NETFLIX SPRING FILM REVIEWS – PART TWO! Including Pinocchio (2022), The Wonder (2022), White Noise (2022) and more. . .

3 Comments

So, here’s PART TWO of my Netflix spring film reviews. PART ONE is HERE if you are interested.

Happy Holidays everyone!

THE PALE BLUE EYE (2022)

Scott Cooper and Christian Bale combined to brutal and intense impact with the dark Western, Hostiles (2017). Their follow-up is an equally bleak, but not so riveting character study, based on the detective novel by Louis Bayard. Bale portrays a world-weary detective, during the 1830s, tasked with solving the suspicious deaths of cadets at military school, West Point. Moody, murky, and dour in performance, production design and plotting, The Pale Blue Eye (2022), is a draining experience. Further, Bale’s Augustus Landor is not the most charismatic of protagonists and only Harry Melling’s eccentric rendition of a young Edgar Allen Poe, occasionally raises the gloom. There’s some terrific cinematography in this cold thriller and a great story in there. I especially enjoyed the Edgar Allen Poe elements too. But, the film is suffocated by the slow pacing and lack of empathy for the victims or lead characters.

Mark: 7 out of 11

PINOCCHIO (2022)

I have to be honest, but I have never really had a big emotional connection with the story of Pinocchio. It’s great to have goals in life, but the desire to ascend to a higher plain of humanity and be “real”, whether you are made of wood or machine (see Artificial Intelligence (2001)) is a desire I cannot align too. Maybe I am too dumb or privileged? However, I think that is probably the point of the writer Carlo Colludi’s classic tale. Because it is all about finding peace within yourself whatever you are made of. Indeed, it is a fantastic rites-of-passage, journey of discovery narrative and deserving of classic status. Let’s not forget that Disney, Kubrick, Spielberg, Garrone, Zemeckis, and now Guillermo Del Toro have produced versions of Pinocchio (2022). But how many more do we need? Del Toro, Mark Gustafson and their genius production team’s stop-motion version is a stunning rendition though. Setting it during World War II darkens the flavour and colour, with Del Toro breathing fresh life into this overfamiliar fairy story.

Mark: 8.5 out of 11

THE TRIP (2021)

Norwegian genre movie director, Tommy Wirkola, unofficially remakes Haneke’s Funny Games (1997), with this bloody hilarious live-action cartoon comedy. Noomi Rapace and Aksel Hannie are Lars and Lisa, a couple whose marriage is crumbling. Both decide that divorce is not the best way to end their relationship. A trip away is not an attempt for the couple to reconcile, but to destroy each other. Before you can say War of the Roses (1989), the film takes a violent twist as their unromantic getaway descends further into destruction with the introduction of a surprising criminal element. I won’t give it away, but I was thoroughly entertained by the gory and bone-shredding silliness of it all. Noomi Rapace is always brilliant too!

Mark: 8 out of 11

WHITE NOISE (2022)

Kubrick is quoted as saying, “If it can be written, or thought, it can be filmed.” But does that necessarily mean it should be filmed? So, when you read a literary classic is apparently unfilmable, and then discover that it is being filmed, you wonder how they have filmed it. Well, in the case of Noah Baumbach’s adaptation of postmodern classic, Dom DeLillo’s White Noise (2022), I genuinely wonder why they bothered. Perhaps, the apparent $100 million spent will allow Noel Baumbach and Greta Gerwig to develop more interesting projects in the future, but this really is an over-expensive 1980s set cinematic folly. Having said that Gerwig and Adam Driver light up the screen and Baumbach’s witty script had some genuinely delightful dialogue exchanges between the energetic and intellectual ensemble. However, overall the film was too self-consciously eccentric and over-long. I’m glad the filmmaking team got a grand payday, but arguably the book should have remained unfilmed and on the page. Sticking it out to the bitter end is well worth it though. It has a fantastic final credits sequence.

Mark: 7 out of 11

THE WONDER (2022)

Is there a better actor around than Florence Pugh? I am not so sure. She is formidably brilliant in every role I have seen her in. I think that Pugh is so clever, emotional and magnetic in her screen performances, none more so than in this intense period drama directed by Sebastian Lelio. The Wonder (2022), an adaptation of a novel by Emma Donoghue, is set during 1862 in rural Ireland shortly after the Great Famine. Pugh’s English nurse, Elizabeth Wright, is summoned to attend a young girl who apparently has not eaten for months. Is it a religious miracle or are there supernatural forces at play? Such themes are intelligently explored in this atmospheric and brooding drama which had me gripped throughout. The subtext of religious control, Catholic guilt and the English stranglehold over Ireland also exist between the dramatic lines in an intimate epic, anchored by Pugh’s dominant force-of-human-nature performance.

Mark: 9 out of 11

Netflix, Reviews

NETFLIX SPRING FILM REVIEWS – PART ONE! Including: All Quiet on the Western Front (2022), Glass Onion (2022), Passing (2021) and more . . .

6 Comments

Having not been too impressed by Netflix’s summer 2022 blockbuster releases – see my reviews here – I questioned the amount of money spent on big budget productions which had very average scripts and indifferent storytelling. Well, Netflix have certainly redeemed themselves of late, because the majority of the films I have seen on the platform recently have been excellent.

Indeed, I have watched so many Netflix films since the turn of 2023, I have decided to split the reviews into two parts. I have been so busy at work that I just don’t have time to review them all separately. Many of these films are so impressive they do deserve longer critical pieces, but there you go. I have even passed over reviewing John Wick 4 (2023) and Scream 6 (2023). While they are decent genre films, they offer nothing new to The Cinema Fix reviewing realm.

Ultimately, I hope you enjoyed these films as much as did. All power to Netflix – keep up the amazing work!

ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT (2022)

The German war film adaptation of the classic novel by Erich Maria Remarque has been made twice before. This big budget version is directed by Edward Berger and certainly has a powerful and spectacular visual style, allied to some formidable filmmaking expertise. I fear the television screen was not the right medium to witness the muddy majesty on show as it can barely contain the crunching metallic and bloody horrors of the first World War. The film has unsurprisingly been nominated for and won many awards, and benefits from a brilliant debutant screen performance from Felix Kammerer. Personally, I still feel that the original 1930 film adaptation has more human emotion to it, as the characters in this version aren’t as well set-up from the start in comparison. A phenomenal achievement in sound and vision though nonetheless. The cinematography and soundtrack are as good as gets.

Mark: 8.5 out 11

ATHENA (2022)

Imagine taking the anger and social commentary within La Haine (1996), and adding vivid colour, pyrotechnics, kinetic cameras, long takes, and turning it all the way up to eleven? If so, then you have an idea of what Roman Gavras’ socio-political-action-thriller, Athena (2022) delivers. The death of a youth at the hands of police brutality kicks off rioting from the underclasses on a French council estate. What follows is a stunning group of frantic and explosive action set-pieces as fraternal loyalties are tested between the main protagonists with police, youth and gangsters at each other’s throats. Arguably though, the fast pace and fireworks dampen the sociological message in an otherwise breath-taking directorial and cinematographic achievement.

Mark: 8.5 out of 11

GLASS ONION: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY (2022)

I really enjoyed the first Knives Out (2019) reviewed here. It was one of my films of the year. I also absolutely love Agatha Christie’s model of ensemble characters being investigated by a brilliant detective, with complex plotting and surprise twists and dark secrets being uncovered as a “whodunnit” is solved. Rian Johnson’s brilliant screenwriting abilities also breathed fresh air into a well-worn subgenre. He attempts to capture lightning in a bottle again with Glass Onion (2022), and while the famous cast, notably Dave Bautista, Janelle Monae, and Kathryn Hahn stand out among the over-actors, the devilish plot concerning rich people trying to out-do each other just did not connect and make me care. Also, am I the only one who still thinks Daniel Craig is miscast in this role? Even though I really enjoyed the cleverness of the script, his appalling “Foghorn Leghorn” accent still grates me.

Mark: 7.5 out of 11

THE HOUSE (2022)

From the leading voices in independent stop motion animation – Emma de Swaef & Marc Roels, Niki Lindroth von Bahr and Paloma Baeza – The House (2022) is a triumph of eccentric imagination, artistic talent and surreal vision. But the three bizarre tales contained within this anthology, while kind of enjoyable, were just TOO weird for me to thoroughly enjoy in a conventional sense. File under impressive avant-garde and experimental genius, rather than safe popcorn entertainment, and that is probably what the filmmakers were aiming for.

Mark: 7 out of 11

PASSING (2021)

I wish I’d seen this amazingly powerful film on release as it would certainly have been in my top ten films of the year. It’s a low budget, intimate and yet emotionally resonant adaptation of Nella Larson’s novel. Set in 1920s New York, the heartfelt drama juxtaposes the lives of two black women, portrayed by Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga, with the latter passing herself as white within the racially charged era of the time. As their friendship develops their respective life choices are explored with subtlety and intensity by the impressive cast and director, Rebecca Hall. The choice to employ black-and-white cinematography, while often an over-used artistic indie-film trope, is absolutely the right choice. Lastly, Tessa Thompson is wonderful, but Ruth Negga is quite sublime in a complex, pathos-laden and unforgettable tragic screen personification.

Mark: 9.5 out of 11

Cinema, New Releases, Reviews

CINEMA REVIEW: KNOCK AT THE CABIN (2023)

1 Comment

CINEMA REVIEW: KNOCK AT THE CABIN (2023)

Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan

Screenplay by: M. Night Shyamalan, Steve Desmond and Michael Sherman

Based on The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul G. Tremblay

Produced by: M. Night Shyamalan, Marc Bienstock, Ashwin Rajan

Main cast: Dave Bautista, Jonathan Groff, Ben Aldridge, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Kristen Cui, Abby Quinn, Rupert Grint etc.

Cinematography: Jarin Blaschke, Lowell A. Meyer

*** MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS ***

M. Night Shyamalan is arguably one of the most critically divisive directors working today. Not because his films are particularly controversial, but mainly because he is a risk-taker that tests the boundaries of genre expectations. He has so many different ideas and concepts that quite often his movies have back-fired spectacularly, however, when he gets it right his genre films are highly entertaining and compelling. Superior genre films such as: The Sixth Sense (1999), Unbreakable (2000), Signs (2002), and The Village (2004), were full of invention, suspense and wicked twists. Many people felt The Village stretched the limits of suspending disbelief, but it was a masterpiece compared to his filmic failures like: The Lady in the Water (2006), The Happening (2008) and The Last Airbender (2010).

I missed seeing the apparent disaster that was After Earth (2013), yet it was opined that Shyamalan returned to some essence of form with the horror film The Visit (2015). However, I still felt there were some dodgy creative decisions in that, such as the story-filler-white-middle-class-rapping kid in amidst a creepy thriller. Yet, with Split (2016), Shyamalan was back to his best, weaving an exploitational B-movie kidnap-plot with a searing psycho-performance from James McAvoy. The ending, which found Anya Taylor-Joy’s ultra resilient Casey fighting back against McAvoy’s twenty-plus split-personality maniac, then brilliantly linked the film to Shyamalan’s Unbreakable (2000). Glass (2019), was a solid finale to the unlikely trilogy and his adaptation of the novel, Sandcastle, titled Old (2021), received mixed reviews. However, despite the over-cooked ending, I thought it was a brilliant Twilight Zone infused ensemble suspense twister.

Shyamalan’s latest cinema offering, Knock at the Cabin (2023) is another literary adaptation and contains a simple yet compelling premise. As same-sex couple, Eric and Andrew, plus their adopted daughter, Wen, are enjoying a relaxing getaway in a peaceful and bucolic wood, four strangers carrying home made medieval-type weapons arrive and give them a horrific choice. If they do not sacrifice and kill one of their family, the end of the world will begin. This apocalyptic game of “would you rather” immediately raises the drama and stakes to a critical point, after which events become darker and tense. I was immediately drawn in as I really enjoy narratives where the characters have unenviable choices to make. What would I do in that situation?

As the family are tied up and threatened, the four strangers introduce themselves and how they came to the cabin. The tension increases as the world events seem to back up what the seemingly crazy people are saying. Interspersed with the scenes in the cabin are some moving flashbacks which establish the humanity and relationships of the victims. This creates empathy and texture to the middle-class every-couple family unit. They are not action stars or superheroes, but are us, the audience, facing a hard-to-stomach decision. Of course, a certain amount of suspension of disbelief is asked by Knock at the Cabin (2023). However, I was certainly gripped by the narrative throughout.

M. Night Shyamalan’s films often contain social commentary or reference to larger external forces impacting the characters. Here my interpretation was that, the book it is adapted from and the script, are dealing with themes relating to environmental allegory. If we, as a species, are all prepared to make a sacrifice we can ultimately save the world from disaster. Yet, Shyamalan succeeds here where The Happening (2008) failed because the message is more subtle, without bludgeoning us over the head with a massive weapon. Talking of which Dave Bautista gives a revelatory performance as the gentle giant, Leonard, a man cursed to carry out the portentous visions which haunt him and his group of deadly seers. His performance, some fascinating frame and shot choices, and Shyamalan’s ability to create psychological tension without resorting to shock tactics are all great reasons to answer the door to this apocalyptic thriller.

Mark: 8 out of 11

Star Trek, Television

TO BOLDLY REVIEW #14 – STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE (1993 -1999) – SEASONS 1 – 7

4 Comments

TO BOLDLY REVIEW #14 – DEEP SPACE NINE (1993 -1999)

Created by: Rick Berman, Michael Piller

Based on Star Trek: by Gene Roddenberry

Showrunners: Michael Piller (1993–1995) and Ira Steven Behr (1995–1999)

Main Cast: Avery Brooks, René Auberjonois, Terry Farrell, Cirroc Lofton, Colm Meaney, Armin Shimerman, Alexander Siddig, Nana Visitor, Michael Dorn, Nicole de Boer, etc.

Theme music composer: Dennis McCarthy

*** MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS ***

It’s been over a year since I reviewed the Star Trek feature films here. Thus, much of 2022 was spent watching the seven series of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. The fact that I got through all seven seasons of the show illustrates two things:

  1. I am determined to finish this viewing project of watching every Star Trek produced film and television show released from the original series to now!
  2. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was a really excellent show that made me want to watch it the end.

While containing lots of genre and narrative similarities to the previous Trek television productions, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (DS9), expanded further the characters, worlds and vision established brilliantly by The Next Generation. Crossing over and surpassing the TNG timeline, DS9‘s narratives centralized around the space station positioned close to the planet of Bajor.

The Bajorans occupy the Alpha Quadrant and had one of the oldest and richest cultures in Star Trek lore. Driven by a spirituality similar to Buddhism, they are a proud people who suffered greatly during the invasion by the Cardassians, who built Deep Space 9 to control the Bajorans and the Alpha Quadrant. After the defeat of the Cardassians, Starfleet were assigned to manage DS9 and the series starts with Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) taking his place as commander of the station. To his surprise, Sisko becomes “Emissary” to the Bajoran prophets. A holy position which drives many storylines throughout the series and conflicts with the logical aspects of his role as Captain.

Deep Space Nine has many fine standalone episodes, however, what makes it differ greatly from the previous franchise series is the complex narrative and character arcs which dominated the latter seasons. These were directly linked by the brutal war which developed between Starfleet, their allies and the Dominion and the Cardassians. Personally, I could have done without many of the romantic “pairings-off” we got between the characters, however, they did raise the emotional stakes for them and brought greater narrative resonance. Lastly, the expansion of the Star Trek universe through use of the wormhole, allowed many other alien species to be introduced to the ever-growing Star Trek universe.

While sci-fi shows can live and die on their scientific concepts and themes, great characters are always at the heart of Star Trek. Sisko is a commanding presence throughout, yet Odo (René Auberjonois), a shapeshifter, was arguably the most complex of all characters, especially when a massive narrative reveal is dropped during Season 3. The familiar face of Worf (Michael Dorn) joined in Season 4 and he provided seriousness when compared to the more energetic characters of Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell) and the scheming, but humorous Ferengi, Quark (Armin Shimerman). The Bajorans on the station were represented by Nana Visitor’s formidable, Kira Nerys, while Doctor Julian Bashir (Alexander Siddig) and Miles O’Brien (Colm Meaney) had a fine bromance. Finally, Deep Space Nine also had some fantastic guest actors, notably Louise Fletcher, Frank Langella, Iggy Pop, Tony Todd, James Darren and Andrew Robinson as Garak. The latter two actors became virtual regulars and Garak, the mysterious and exiled Cardassian, was probably my favourite character in the whole show.

To end this short review I’d like to pick seven of my favourite episodes – one from each season. They represent some of the best examples of, Deep Space Nine, an often brilliantly written, powerfully acted, funny and moving science fiction series.

DEEP SPACE NINE – SEVEN GREAT EPISODES

1. EMISSARY – EPISODE 1

A fine introduction to the characters, setting and themes which will dominate the next seven seasons.

2. THE JEM HADAR – EPISODE 26

A brilliant episode which introduced the fearsome Dominion soldiers, The Jem Hadar.

3. IMPROBABLE CAUSE / THE DIE IS CAST – EPISODES 20 & 21

Odo investigates a murder attempt on Garak on the space station. Their complex relationship thickens within a superbly scripted espionage thriller, full of twists and revelations.

4. THE VISITOR – EPISODE 3

An amazingly involving narrative which finds Sisko lost in a temporal void, with his son, Jake, prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice to save his father.

5. TRIALS AND TRIBBLE-ATIONS – EPISODE 6

An incredible episode full of amazing production values as it merges both present and past characters from Star Trek. The DS9 crew are sent back in time where they encounter their Enterprise predecessors and those damned pesky Tribbles.

6. FAR BEYOND THE STARS – EPISODE 13

Developed like a BBC Play for Today drama, this episode is thematically meta-rich, exploring science-fiction writing and racism in 1950’s America. How Avery Brook’s dual identities of Benny Russell and Captain Sisko connect across the universe is enigmatic, poetic and utterly compelling.

7. WHAT YOU LEAVE BEHIND (Parts 1 and 2) – EPISODEs 25/26

Despite replacing Jadzia with an inferior (Ezri) Dax, and containing a few unnecessary filler episodes with that character, the final season ultimately brought the war with the Dominion to an astounding dramatic conclusion. Sisko’s journey as the Emissary also reached a spiritually emotional and intelligent denouement. One of the best final television seasons of all time, perhaps?

Cinema, New Releases, Reviews

Cinema Review: Tár (2022)

2 Comments

Cinema Review: Tár (2022)

Written and directed by Todd Field

Produced by: Todd Field, Alexandra Milchan and Scott Lambert

Cast: Cate Blanchett, Noémie Merlant, Nina Hoss, Sophie Kauer, Julian Glover, Allan Corduner, Mark Strong etc.

Cinematography Florian Hoffmeister

*** MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS ***

Tar (definition): a dark, thick flammable liquid distilled from wood or coal, consisting of a mixture of hydrocarbons, resins, alcohols, and other compounds. It is used in road-making and for coating and preserving timber.

Todd Field’s classical film masterpiece, Tár (2022), was hailed by critics when released late last year in the U.S.A and made many top ten film of the year lists. I saw it in the first week of 2023 and while I don’t always concur with the gushing hyperbole of professional film critics, I have to say if I see a better cinema release all year I will be amazed. Let’s hope I do.

Tár (2022) is a film which works on many genre and narrative layers. It is a psychological drama, an absorbing character study, a backstage musical, a complex morality play, with suggestions of hallucinatory horror during the final act of the film. It is a triumph of filmic brilliance expertly delivered by Todd Field. It is incredible to think this is only the third film he has directed. Certainly a case of high quality over quantity. But Field confirms himself an auteur, exerting absolute control over the material. Such is his, and the production team’s, meticulous research, writing, planning, design and execution that if I hadn’t seen the credits, I would have said the maestro Stanley Kubrick had made this film.

Tár (2022) opens with haunting singing over the imaginatively presented credits that slowly fill a black screen. Field demonstrates control from the start before we are introduced to Lydia Tár (Cate Blanchett). Now, I thought the film may have been a story about a female conductor attempting to break into a traditionally male dominated world. However, Lydia Tár is at the top of her game as a conductor and composer, heralded for her genius interpretations of the music of Mahler and own oeuvre. Plus, having won numerous awards for her cinema, theatre and television compositions. Lydia Tár is soaring and about to release a book Tár on Tár and conduct a live recording of Mahler’s Fifth Symphony for the Berlin Philharmonic. So, where’s the drama? What could go wrong?

Field structures the linear narrative around Tár’s day-to-day working and family life and the process of rehearsing Mahler’s Fifth. Methodically we are then introduced to actions from Tár’s recent past which threaten to haunt her. As a character who is so revered and in control of her world, Tár’s talent and confidence is magnetic and admirable. However, having no doubt been a force of nature to make it this competitive world, her arrogance and lack of awareness of a changing culture threatens to cancel her prodigiously built dominion. I won’t say anymore but Todd Field brilliantly explores resonating themes of the zeitgeist with razor-sharp intelligence. There are no easy answers either.

I could not take my eyes or mind off the screen during Tár (2022). It is cerebrally, aesthetically and psychologically all-encompassing. The stark cinematography, exhilarating classically-driven soundtrack, imposing Berlin architecture and claustrophobic feel of the Philharmonic offices and rehearsal spaces collude to create further emotional tension. Further, the film not only works impressively as absorbing drama, but also as interpretive ambiguity with subtle and mysterious suspense. Lastly, if Cate Blanchett does not win a best acting Oscar for her performance in Tár (2022) I will be stunned. Never less than metronomically astounding, Blanchett has taken Field’s precise writing and breathed physical, mental and spiritual vivacity into a challenging personality. Thus, take many-a-bow maestros, Blanchett and Field. Encore! Encore! Encore!

Mark: 10 out of 11

Cinema, Netflix

FILM REVIEW: RRR (2022)

3 Comments

FILM REVIEW: RRR (2022)

Directed by S. S. Rajamouli

Screenplay by S. S. Rajamouli and Story by V. Vijayendra Prasad

Produced by D. V. V. Danayya

Cast: N. T. Rama Rao Jr., Ram Charan, Ajay Devgn, Alia Bhatt, Shriya Saran, Samuthirakani, Ray Stevenson, Alison Doody, Olivia Morris, etc.

Cinematography: K. K. Senthil Kumar

Music by M. M. Keeravani

I have a couple of confessions to make before reviewing the exhilarating action-period-musical-drama-martial-arts-hybrid extravaganza that is RRR (2022). Firstly, I did not see it at the cinema. It was only a recommendation from a work colleague that there was an amazing and spectacular three-hour Indian-produced epic film on Netflix I should watch! I am so glad I did as it is a tremendous work of genre entertainment.

My second confession is, that while I call myself a film fanatic, I have not watched many films that could be classed as part of the Bollywood oeuvre. This is a massive admission of guilt because initial research reveals that Bollywood, the informal name for the vast Hindi-language cinema, is one of the world’s largest film producers. Yet, it is important to state that RRR (2022), the most expensively budgeted Indian film of all time, is not technically Bollywood, but rather ‘Tollywood’, being an Indian Telugu-language film.

Further research reveals the traditional Bollywood-style film will most certainly be a musical, full of scenes with joyous singing and dancing. Moreover, standard narratives involve family dramas, unrequited love, rich-girl-poor-boy romances, dividing settings between urban and rural landscapes. Conversely, RRR (2022) certainly has stunning song and dance set-pieces, but it is so much more than that. It is stupendously energetic and inventive, with so much amazing action I was left breathless. Arguably the songs get in the way of the high-octane brilliance, although one spectacular dance sequence at an English garden party left me with a massive cheesy grin.

The story is set in India, 1920, during the British Raj. This, if you were not aware, was part of the Empire, with the Crown ruling in India from 1858 to 1947. Safe to say that the British, aside from one main sympathiser, encapsulated within monstrous characters portrayed by Ray Stevenson and Alison Doody are the big baddies. Because, this is a film about overcoming oppression through the heroic and revolutionary acts of two larger-than-life characters named Komaram Bheem (N. T. Rama Rao Jr.) and Alluri Sitarama Raju (Ram Charan). The inventive, if at times predictably structured screenplay, is inspired to incorporate the lives of these two real-life Indian rebels, who never met, but challenged the Raj and the Nizam of Hyderabad, respectively.

RRR (2022) is not an accurate historical epic. Who cares! This three-hour behemoth is a thrill-ride that successfully establishes not one, but two, kick-ass heroes. Bheem, who takes the name Akhtar, is introduced fighting a tiger in the jungle, while Ragu, an Officer in the British Army — for reasons which are revealed in a tremendously moving flashback later in the film — is launched into the story fighting a baying crowd of insurgents. The two action men are initially on opposing sides as we get plot strands which echo Infernal Affairs (2002) / The Departed (2006). As the two form a bromantic friendship we know that the script is building to a big face-off between them. It is certainly worth waiting for as S. S. Rajamouli and his production team deliver a gob-smacking action centrepiece midpoint that involves Akhtar and Ragu battling amidst wild animals, vehicles, British soldiers, explosions and bullets aplenty!

RRR (2022) is not without issues. The boo-hiss stereotypical British colonialists simplify the complex politics of the era. Having said that, the British did asset strip India of valuable resources, essentially enslaving and murdering the Indigenous population during its rule. So, any negative emotions against the British are deserved. The female characters, aside from one, were a tad one-dimensional. Moreover, the film is way too long with one or two songs too many. Finally, the CGI, while actually impressive in its own way, did not always gel perfectly with the live action. However, the scale and ambition of the film is to be totally admired, as is the vibrant direction by S. S. Rajamouli. N. T. Rama Rao Jr. and Ram Charan, as the lead revolutionaries, are bona fide film stars. Their energy, physicality and charisma on screen really grabbed me and never let go with fight scenes reminding me of the heart-stopping acrobatics of Tony Jaa . Amidst the kinetics there is an emotional heart within RRR (2022), but where the British once ruled India, now it’s the spectacular that reigns.

Mark: 9 out of 11

Cinema, MUBI, Reviews

CINEMA REVIEW: DECISION TO LEAVE (2022)

Leave a comment

CINEMA REVIEW: DECISION TO LEAVE (2022)

Directed by: Park Chan-wook

Written by: Jeong Seo-kyeong, Park Chan-wook

Produced by: Park Chan-wook

Main cast: Tang Wei, Park Hae-il, Lee Jung-hyun, Go Kyung-pyo, etc.

Cinematography Kim Ji-yong

Edited by Kim Sang-bum

*** MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS ***

Park Chan-wook is a proper filmmaker. Like Quentin Tarantino and Martin Scorsese, he embraces the artifice of the visual and aural medium crafting intelligent, thematically surprising and stylistically dazzling works of cinema. While watching his work one can see the clockwork precision of his filmic mind devising every frame, sound, camera move, cut, character action, acting nuance, being thought out expertly. In short: Park Chan-wook’s films are always an event for me and demand attention.

Chan-wook’s only Hollywood directed film was an under-rated gem of a noir thriller called Stoker (2013), after which he returned home to direct erotically charged period thriller, The Handmaiden (2016). This was a bigger-budgeted and thematically richer affair, taking a complex con-artist-twisting-plot and interweaving an explicit feminist love story. Of course, lest we forget Chan-wook’s classic early work, notably the gonzo revenger, Old Boy (2003). I re-watched it recently at the Raindance Film Festival and the furiously inventive exploitation film retains its beautifully transgressive power.

Like The Handmaiden (2016), Decision to Leave (2022) is a romance story set within a complex genre plot. While the former was a period crime film, Decision to Leave (2022) is a contemporary set police procedural with a central premise highly reminiscent of Basic Instinct (1992). Tang Wei as Song Seo-rae is suspected of killing her husband and as investigating cop, Park Hae-il as Det. Jang Hae-jun, delves deeper he finds himself more and more attracted to her. Where The Handmaiden (2016) and Basic Instinct (1992) used nudity and sexual imagery liberally, Decision to Leave (2022) is far more subtle and cerebral. The compelling romance is built on two fine lead performances, the cunning twists in the crime plot and Chan-wook’s masterful visuals with mountain, coastal and city landscapes being employed to powerful impact.

Now I must admit after watching Decision to Leave (2022) I was left slightly underwhelmed at the end from an emotional perspective. The visuals and storytelling were phenomenal, with Chan-wook and his writing partner crafting a devious series of inventive cat-and-mouse set-pieces. The suspense and doubt instilled as to whether Song Seo-rae is a murderer, despite her cast-iron alibi, is palpable. Simultaneously, the arc of the married mid-life crisis-detective, drawn to the suspect, flirting with disaster through flawed choices, creates much tension also. However, I didn’t immediately warm to the detective’s persona and wasn’t sure if I really cared. But I suspect, due to the complexity of the passion on show, a further watch will cement Chan-wook’s specific and symbolic vision.

Beneath the melding of romance, crime, mystery and action genres, I also considered the potential subtext in the screenplay. I wondered if Decision to Leave (2022) sought to explore the socio-political relationship between the nations of South Korea and China via the characters? Song Seo-rae is a Chinese migrant who came to Korea and via marriage was able to remain. An enigmatic soul she uses her wiles to survive, serenely attracting a series of men. But death follows her as closely as the male. Detective Hae-jun is drawn to her both professionally and romantically, no doubt thrilled by the danger. Yet, Chan-wook denies displaying physical consummation, and this makes the film more erotic than endless sex scenes do.

Lastly, Decision to Leave’s (2022) examination of language, both bodily and verbal, is deftly presented as a theme within the romance. The central crime of murder creates suspicion between the Korean and Chinese characters, but there’s a mutual and irresistible pull that cannot be denied. Song Seo-rae’s use of her phone translation application during her exchanges with the Detective create both a barrier and paradoxical intimacy. It’s just one of the fascinating bits of business, as well as the chainmail gauntlet used by the Detective, which elevate an already impressive script. But did Decision to Leave (2022) need to be so evasively complex and full of radiant ambiguity? The ending especially is both poetically exquisite and frustratingly cryptic. With a Park Chan-wook film, would I have it any other way?

Mark: 8.5 out of 11

Articles

CINEMA REVIEW: THE MENU (2022)

6 Comments

CINEMA REVIEW: THE MENU (2022)

Directed by Mark Mylod

Written by: Seth Reiss, Will Tracy

Produced by: Adam McKay, Betsy Koch, Will Ferrell

Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Hoult, Hong Chau, Janet McTeer, Reed Birney, Judith Light, John Leguizamo, etc.

Cinematography Peter Deming

*** MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS ***

I love cinema and films like The Menu (2022), as much as I love food and drink. Wow, some of the food shown on screen looked absolutely delicious, while some of it was that weird cuisine so gorged on by the pompous moneyed folk of this world. I must admit that I have had an unhealthy relationship with food. I have been an overeater and also overweight. I am a food addict, notably sugar and alcohol. I have attempted to control it with various dietary ventures. Low calorie, low carbohydrate, low sugar, running, gym, fasting, temperance and other (un)successful attempts at moderation have ensued. Presently, I am pretty fit from a cardio perspective, and twenty kilos lighter than I was ten years ago. But I could do much better.

I’ve always strived to eat healthily, but fine dining was never really for me. It was only when I met my wife eight years ago that I was introduced to gourmet dining and the dreaded tasting menu. Aside from the over-priced food, I just find those posh restaurants too pretentious for a working-class boy from Battersea. Yet, I would go out with my wife for a treat and eat at some wonderful restaurants in Edinburgh, Copenhagen, Cornwall, London and many more. Some were amazing and some I found were not really value for money. The personality cult of the celebrity chef continues to thrive also. Aside from enjoying Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares they’ve never really interested me. Yet, I was onboard while imbibing the skewered satire of The Menu (2022). Because it’s a sharply scripted horror film which comes to the boil slowly before delivering a killer set of courses throughout.

It’s best to experience The Menu (2022) without knowing too much. The surprises in the inventive script are a constant joy. The setting is an exclusive and expensive restaurant on a remote island called Hawthorne. The host, menu architect and epicurean is celebrity chef, Julian Slowik. Chef is portrayed with intense control and focus by Ralph Fiennes. Slowik finds himself worshipped by his kitchen acolytes, who adhere to his every demand. He is brilliant and to be feared, like many a charismatic cult leader before him. Eat your heart out, Gordon Ramsay.

Arriving by boat to the blighted isle are twelve restaurant-goers such as a team of rich finance guys, a once famous Hollywood actor (John Leguizamo) and his PA, a wealthy middle-aged couple, a food critic (Janet McTeer) and her yes-man assistant, plus the mis-matched couple, Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy) and Tyler (Nicholas Hoult). Tyler is a sycophantic fanboy of Slowik’s food and career, something that later comes to horrifying catharsis. Indeed, as well as the mysterious menu, many of the guests are harbouring a secret that this hell’s kitchen is more than prepared to burn.

Structured, unsurprisingly, around the courses of a tasting menu with titles separating each dish, the food delivered is both imaginative and beautifully presented. Margot’s character pushes back on what she considers to be both ostentatious and insubstantial food, much to Tyler’s annoyance. Their conflict intersperses the rising suspense that derives from Julian’s menu, which raises the stakes gradually, before events truly reach boiling point. In Slowik’s restaurant the customer is definitely NEVER right. Similar to Ready or Not (2019), The Menu (2022) is a fantastically twisted and funny genre film. Fiennes, Taylor-Joy, Hoult and Hong Chau are on terrific acting form. Further, the production design and cinematography make the visuals succulent and palatable. Ultimately, for those who love food, fear and vengeance, this film is certainly best served hot!

Mark: 8.5 out of 11