Hostiles

Director:
Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart, Out of the Furnace, Black Mass)

Starring:

Christian Bale (The Dark Knight, American Psycho, The Prestige)

Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl, The World's End, A United Kingdom)

Wes Studi (Dances With Wolves, The Last of the Mohicans, Heat)

Plot: 

In 1892, a Native American-hating U.S. cavalry officer (Bale) must lead an escort party protecting a Native American family back to their home in Montana. 
En route, they discover the sole survivor of a Comanche attack (Pike) who joins their party.

Verdict:

When I was in high school, I was assigned a project that I put my heart and soul into; to create a clock.  Not that difficult, right?

For weeks, I obsessed over ideas for how to make my clock stand out against others in my class.  

Maybe the clock face could be slanted? 
Maybe the numbers could be Roman numerals?  
Maybe the arms could go *gasp* counter-clockwise?!

Little did I know, it didn't matter what clock I made, because three years earlier my sister had created a clock that was being used as the epitome of what a student could create.  It was spoken about in hushed tones and sat proudly on the fireplace in my house.  
If they gave awards for Clock Projects, she'd win them all.

My efforts were earnest but ultimately outshone.

So, what is the point of this story, you might think?

Scott Cooper is me.

Hostiles is my clock project.

My sister's clock project is The Revenant.

And damn, Hostiles would be impressive if The Revenant wasn't released three years ago.

Perhaps I'm slightly biased when it comes to Westerns since, like boxing films, I haven't found many that actually entertain me.  They usually plod on a bit of a slow pace, with ultimately the cowboys triumphing over the Native Americans, or the man in the white hat beating his darker suited rival.  Ho-hum.

But The Revenant really shook things up for me and my expectations of the genre back in 2015.  Gritty realism, gory injuries and, finally, an Oscar-winning performance from Leo.  
For the first time, I was made to sit up in my seat.  Not just from the action on-screen and trying to figure out just what Tom Hardy was mumbling, but the beautifully-shot landscapes of rural America made me gasp and stare at the screen slack-jawed at the natural wonder of the American West.

And all that still can be found in Hostiles, but simply to a lesser extent.  Breath-taking vistas are underplayed by foreboding and ominous tones, but the setting never feels like a character in itself.  Shoot outs are still tense, but they lack a sense of fear and dread.

Similarly to Three Billboards... earlier this year, Hostiles focuses on the pointlessness of rage and hatred against our enemy when ultimately, we are all the same underneath.  Characters on opposite sides find themselves fighting alongside each other before the whole thing is over, but in a film like this, you can tell that is where the film is heading.

Again, I'm not saying Hostiles is without heartfelt emotion, as Rosamund Pike acts the hell out of her role.  Seeing true tragedy befall her early on in the film leaves Pike a shell of her former self and she seems genuinely struck with PTSD for a large portion of this film (I've been so impressed with Pike's work since Gone Girl and I really hope she is recognised for her talents in the coming years).  

The same goes for Christian Bale's stoic performance as the 'Indian'-hating cavalry officer.  He gives a subtle and believable turn as Joseph Blocker, learning ways of the Native American people as he continues to spend time with them over their journey across their 'shared' home, resulting in a logical conclusion that succeeds where many 'Gone Native' films have failed in the past.  Plus his moustache is just glorious, I mean, look at that pushbroom!

Hostiles is not a bad film at all; it's an entertaining and thought-provoking amount of minutes.  However the same can be said about my clock project; that work-of-art told people the time whenever they wanted.  But damn, it was nothing on my sister's.

Rating
6/10

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Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Director:
Martin McDonagh

Starring:

Frances McDormand (Fargo, Burn After Reading, Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day)

Sam Rockwell (The Green Mile, Iron Man 2, Moon)

Woody Harrelson (Zombieland, The Hunger Games, War for the Planet of the Apes)

Plot: 

After the death of her daughter seven months earlier, Mildred Hayes (McDormand) decides to rent three abandoned billboards near her home to advertise the local police's failure to find her daughter's killer to the community.  The police create havoc for Mildred to try and intimidate her to take the billboards down.

Verdict:

Seemingly, you need three things to be a Martin McDonagh film;

• a talented cast,
• strong and sudden acts of violence, and
• underlying layer of pitch-black comedy throughout. 

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is no exception.


Frances McDormand has been an incredible talent since her debut in Blood Simple and starring in nearly all of the Coen Brothers' films has given her ample time to display her incredible range.  Mildred Hayes is a more dour and sombre character than usual for McDormand, but she stills brings a deep-seated rage and vindication to the role that makes Mildred a renegade, 'nothing-left-to-lose' character that becomes hard not to root for.

On the other side of the conflict, Woody Harrelson and Sam Rockwell portray Ebbing's police chief and deputy respectively, and both live up to their reputations; Harrelson stoic and methodical, and Rockwell chaotic and foolish.  With Mildred's baiting billboards, you'd imagine a rage-fuelled performance from Harrelson similar to his seething portrayal of the General in last year's War For The Planet of the Apes, but instead he takes a backseat to Rockwell who manifests himself as Righteous Justice.

Rockwell embodies the stereotype of a racist, idiotic hick but since he has a police badge and lawful use of a firearm, understandably this results in more than one extreme use of police force.  Rockwell's Officer Dixon is often the butt of the film's jokes, but it's not just Dixon's stupidity to blame for the injustice in Ebbing, Missouri. 

The film instead focuses on the poisonous impact of hatred and it's pointlessness when trying to grieve or find justice in today's world.  Harrelson's Police Chief Willoughby tries to explain this to Dixon throughout the film, with Dixon only becoming what he truly wants to be once he gives up his anger and negative behaviour.

A bit different from two Irish hitmen hiding in a Flemish city.  But Three Billboards is equally heavy in moments and tone.

Thankfully though, similar to McDonagh's previous films, In Bruges and Seven Psychopaths, there is more than enough humour sprinkled throughout the film to keep the tone balanced from the darker moments.  Most of the laughs come from supporting players, such as Peter Dinklage's love-struck neighbour and Samara Weaving's air-head love rival, who both provide subtle and effective performances.


Overall, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri serves well as an effective emotional catharsis. Regardless of who you are angry at, they get their comeuppance in this film.


Police are treated as ineffective. 
Racists are treated as idiots. 
Smug people get thrown through windows. 


It's truly a heartwarming ride.  If you'd like to see a realistic portrayal of grief and how people coming together can at least try to overcome it, I'd highly recommend this film.


Rating


8/10

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All The Money In The World

Director:

Ridley Scott

Starring:
Michelle Williams (My Week With Marilyn, Brokeback Mountain, Shutter Island)
Mark Wahlberg (The Departed, Transformers: The Last Knight, The Happening)
Christopher Plummer (Beginners, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (2011), The Sound of Music)

Plot:
J.P. Getty (Plummer) is the richest man in the history of the world.  His vast fortunes come from investment in oil and real estate, but he has never truly invested in his family.  When his grandson is kidnapped whilst living in Italy, the kidnappers deliver a ransom of $17 million, but Getty refuses to pay.  Getty's daughter-in-law (Williams) tries to persuade him to change his mind, but instead he hires an ex-CIA agent (Wahlberg) to get his grandson back without having to spend a penny of his money.


Verdict
It's not often that a film's reputation precedes it.

In recent memory, I remember waiting for The Dark Knight to start, unfortunately knowing the untimely demise of Heath Ledger, which only amplified his performance and made the film feel special.

Similarly with Justice League last year, I had heard about the film's troubled production and how much money went into digitally removing Henry Cavill's moustache during re-shoots, which again added to my experience when first watching the film.

Unfortunately ATMITW's notoriety didn't come from re-shoots and dodgy moustaches, but the actions of one of my former favourite actors, Kevin Spacey.  There's no doubt that you know of the reason why Spacey has been in the news over the past few months, but understandably he was removed from this production and replaced within a month of the film's release by beloved character actor, Christopher Plummer (who had actually met Getty during the 1960s!).

Unfortunately, nothing in the film comes closer to the controversy surrounding it.  Whilst Michelle Williams gives a decent performance as the distraught mother looking for a way to bring her child back and Mark Wahlberg shows up and effectively smolders, the two stand-out performances are from Plummer (shocker) and Romain Duris as one of the kidnappers who starts empathising with the grandson, and almost starts wishing for the kid to escape.

*NB: I wrote this review before the Williams/Wahlberg salary news was made public, but comparing the two performances, Williams outperforms Wahlberg in every scene and this should have been represented in their pay, but unfortunately this was not the case*

Thankfully, it is in the performances of Plummer and Duris that the film asks its main question: "What does family mean to me?"

Whilst Getty sees family as some sort of leech on his own personal fortune, the kidnapper Cinquata is bound by his family to see this grisly duty through to the end, despite his moral objections. 

This dilemma manages to flip the perception of who truly is the villain, as Getty's constant refusal to pay for the release of his grandson, even whilst the ransom lowers to $10 million and then $4 million paints Getty as a heartless and selfish monster, yet Plummer stays resolute and stoic in his performance. 

Apparently Spacey played up this monstrous side of Getty, almost becoming a caricature, which is another reason I'm grateful for the recasting.

Plummer added a warmth to the character, with certain earlier scenes between the younger grandson and his kindly grandfather contrasting even more so when Getty reveals himself to be so cold-hearted towards his own blood relative.

Moving onto the direction, this is a welcome change for Ridley Scott to focus on a tense thriller mixed with a family drama, rather than an action-filled set-piece set in space, or some boring and pretentious swords-and-sandals film. 

However, the pace of the film slows to a dull plod after the initial kidnapping and doesn't really kick off again until the last third of the film when escapes attempts are made and the grandson gets closer to freedom.  Unfortunately by that point, most of the interest has died away and you're just wanting the film to be over.

Overall, an interesting and subverted premise is wasted by a lack of pace and some sub-par direction, and ultimately a large feeling that just something isn't right. 

Removing Spacey was obviously the correct decision and Plummer is an inspired replacement, however in keeping with current times, the removal of a powerful and rich white man had a resounding impact.

Rating

5/10

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Molly's Game

Director:
Aaron Sorkin

Starring:
Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty, The Martian, Interstellar)
Idris Elba (The Dark Tower, Prometheus, Thor: Ragnarok)
Michael Cera (Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Superbad, Youth In Revolt)

Plot:
Based on the true story of Molly Bloom (Chastain), a former Olympic-level freestyle skiier who became the host of the most exclusive poker games in Los Angeles and New York, which often comprised of famous celebrities, movie stars and even mobsters.  Two years out of the game, Molly gets arrested for involvement with the Russian mafia and requires a lawyer (Elba) to represent her.

Verdict:
As an amateur screenwriter, I have a certain affinity for Aaron Sorkin's screenplays.  Whether it be his work in films (A Few Good Men, The Social Network, Steve Jobs) or television (The West Wing, Studio 60, The Newsroom), I am always enthralled by his characters' sharp wit, their rapid-fire dialogue and and often their extended monologues where they intend on fixing the broken state of the United States.  It might make everyone in his films seem like sarcastic, over-privileged pricks but for some reason, I relate with these people instantly...

There is not much different with the titular Molly Bloom, a woman determined to make something of herself by creating the most lucrative and exclusive poker game in a city full of rich, stupid people who are out of their element.

You could instantly dislike Molly due to her arrogant attitude, but Jessica Chastain's performance keeps you on her side throughout Molly's struggles.  An over-bearing father, over-shadowing siblings and over-grown tree branches all culminate in Molly finding herself at the end of a destroyed career path and in need of something new in her life, and her rise to the top isn't handed to her.  She earns everything she gets and you are more than along with her on this ride to the top.

The high times are appropriately depicted in with slick cinematography and a fantastic pace-setting soundtrack, all making the locations pop with eye-catching visuals that make you want to be in Molly's world.  Apparently David Fincher provided some tips to his friend Aaron Sorkin, and it definitely shows, with some scenes feeling at home in their previous collaboration, The Social Network.

However, similar to the structure of The Social Network, Molly's rise to fame is twinned with her fall from grace as she seeks out Idris Elba's lawyer Charlie Jaffey to defend her in a lawsuit as she is accused of having connections with the Russian mob.  This is where Sorkin's patented dialogue and banter can be properly utilised as a definite chemistry unfolds between the two leads, Chastain and Elba.

Molly's character often gets brought into question throughout, with her flitting between attention-seeking, media-obsessed snob, and earnest woman trying to make a living in a male-centric world and the film doesn't seem to know which one to paint Molly as.  Just when Molly has the audience on her side, she manages to do away with all the well-earned respect.  But nobody's perfect.  Just like the script.

Sorkin manages to shoehorn in some tacked-on father issues on top of everything going on in Molly's life and it unnecessarily makes the film feel a bit bloated, especially when it gets resolved in record time.  However Sorkin feels that if he draws attention to the rush-job by having characters mock it, it will forgive the sloppiness.  No dice, Mr Sorkin.

However this is a minor flaw in an overall fantastic script.  I'd highly recommend seeing this, whether it be cinema or at home.  An entertaining and dazzling ride through the ups and downs of high-chance poker games, with some brilliant side-performances from the likes of Michael Cera and Chris O'Dowd, but overall it is Chastain's show.  Or should I say Molly's game?

Rating

8/10

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