January/February Films

I took a break from reviewing to get over some lovely illnesses over the past month, but before March begins, here are a few short reviews of films that have been released since the start of the year...

DARKEST HOUR

Director:

Joe Wright (Atonement, Hanna, Pride and Prejudice)

Starring:
Gary Oldman (Leon, The Dark Knight, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban)

Lily James (Baby Driver, Cinderella, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies)
Ben Mendelson (Rogue One, The Dark Knight Rises, The Place Beyond The Pines)

Plot:
During the early days of World War II, the newly-appointed Prime Minister Winston Churchill must face threats from opposing European forces as well as from within his own political party. 

With British forces stuck in Calais and Dunkirk, Churchill must decide whether to enter peace talks with Adolf Hitler or carry on fighting the good fight to the end.

Verdict:
There is no doubt in my mind that Gary Oldman will win Best Actor at this year's Academy Awards for his portrayal of Winston Churchill; he commands the screen whenever he appears, conducts great chemistry with whoever he shares the screen, and dammit he wore a fat-suit, how is he not going to get the Award?!

However apart from his tour-de-force performance, there is not much else to write home about.  A downside to Oldman's scenery-chewing is that everyone else begins to pale in comparison, even the ever-impressive Kristen Scott Thomas feels like wasted talent, and Lily James isn't given enough screen time to show her potential range.  Whilst the film revolves around the powerful man that was Winston Churchill, unfortunately the film is too in love with him to deliver a compelling and interesting narrative outside of passionate and patriotic speeches.

Rating:
5/10

COCO

Director:

Lee Unkrich (Toy Story 3, Finding Nemo, Monsters, Inc.)

Starring (voices):
Gael Garcia Bernal (Amores perros, The Motorcycle Diaires, A Little Bit Of Heaven)
Benjamin Bratt (Miss Congeniality, Demolition Man, Doctor Strange)
Alanna Ubach (Legally Blonde, Sister Act 2, Meet The Fockers)

Plot:
On the revered Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead), Miguel, the youngest of a shoe-making and music-hating family wants to perform at a local music talent show.  However after disrespecting the dead, Miguel is transported to an other-worldly plain where he is able to converse with his dead relatives.  He must now receive their blessing to return home before the sun rises, and potentially discover the reason why music is so forbidden within his family.

Verdict:
This film broke me.  A grown man.  Weeping.  In a packed cinema screen. 

But dammit I wasn't the only one!  A lot of men in that same screen seemingly had 'something in their eye' or 'decided to chop onions' at one certain scene towards the end of the film.

Pixar truly have a knack at replicating real life moments on screen, despite usually featuring fantastical characters and situations, making brilliant movie moments in the process.  One only needs to mention the first ten minutes of Up or Wall-E for examples of how talented they are at telling a story that truly hits home.

The team behind Coco truly took innovative steps with this in terms of the maturity of it's storyline and characters.  There is no Doomsday scenario, Miguel's life isn't in jeopardy and the Land of the Dead's very existence isn't being threatened.  It is a simple story of a man not wanting to be forgotten, and how music can bring a family together rather than tear it apart.

The amazingly detailed and vibrant Land of the Dead had me open-jawed and the story had me interested through-out, even if I did predict some of the plot twists a little early.  The music by Michael Giacchino is heart-warming and toe-tapping, and the artistry is definitely some of Pixar's best.  

After a few missteps, I believe this is Pixar back to their best and would definitely recommend.

Rating:
9/10

THE POST

Director:

Steven Spielberg (Jurassic Park, Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan)

Starring:
Meryl Streep (Mamma Mia!, The Devil Wears Prada, Sophie's Choice)
Tom Hanks (Forrest Gump, Big, Saving Private Ryan)
Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul, Breaking Bad, Fargo)

Plot:
Set in the early 1970s, and following America's defeat in the disastrous Vietnam War, The Washington Post's owner (Streep) and chief editor (Hanks) have to decide whether or not to publish The Pentagon Papers, leaked classified documents that paint the White House and America's involvement in the Vietnam War in a less-than-stellar light.

Verdict:
Streep.  Hanks.  Spielberg.

It had all the hallmarks of an instant classic.  But something just didn't work for me.  With this cast and director, I expected a much better film.  Not to say The Post is a poor film, as it is most certainly not.  However, it never really elevates itself over 'competent' and 'entertaining'.  And whilst that's seemingly enough for several Academy Award nominations, I certainly wasn't convinced.

Is the film focused on the female-empowerment of Meryl Streep's Katherine Graham? 
Or the underhanded tactics of Nixon's White House?
Or the Presidents who preceded him with their involvement in the Vietnam War? 
Or the importance of the Free Press in situations such as this true story? 
Or the dangerous similarities to the current situation in America?
Why not all of them at the same time? 

This unfortunately results in a narrative that becomes top-heavy in narrative importance and left me rather bored, which shouldn't be the case in a story that is so relevant and important.

Rating:
5/10

THE CLOVERFIELD PARADOX
Director:

Julius Onah

Starring:
Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Belle, Beauty and the Beast, Black Mirror)
David Oyelowo (Selma, The Butler, Rise of the Planet of the Apes)
Daniel Bruhl (Captain America: Civil War, Rush, Inglorious Basterds)

Plot:
In 2028, the Earth is suffering a massive energy crisis.  To combat this, a group of international scientists and engineers board the Cloverfield space station and attempt to discover a source of unlimited energy using a particle accelerator, similar to the Hadron Collider in Switzerland.  However, one of the experiments accidentally transports the station away from the Earth and they must find their way back.

Verdict:
It's a rarity that I speak about 'Straight-to-Netflix' films, but I am such a fan of the Cloverfield film series, I wanted to discuss the latest instalment.  And... it's a weird one.

Whilst I was a huge fan of the original found-footage Cloverfield and appreciated the change in tone and style for 10 Cloverfield Lane, I wasn't too won over by this space thriller.  Critics of Lane pointed to the film existing on it's own terms without any reference to Cloverfield before JJ Abrams suggested bringing it into their Shared Universe, but I didn't see that as a negative.  If anything, I felt as if it added to the tension and the mythos behind the original monster movie.  However, it's more evident here that the film could have been a fine sci-fi thriller without having to tie it to the first two films.

It results in an overly-confusing story, pointless horror moments and a wasted cast that is filled with talent that is under-utilised.

The Cloverfield Paradox manages to be a sci-fi film without grand ideas, a thriller with absurd attempts at tension and a horror without scares.

Must try harder, JJ.

Rating:
3/10

PHANTOM THREAD

Director:

Paul Thomas Anderson (There Will Be Blood, Magnolia, Boogie Nights)

Starring:
Daniel Day-Lewis (There Will Be Blood, Lincoln, Gangs of New York)
Vicky Krieps (A Most Wanted Man, Hanna, Anonymous)
Lesley Manville (Maleficent, Another Year, Vera Drake)

Plot:
In 1950s London, renowned fashion designer Reynolds Woodcock (Day-Lewis) creates dresses and garments for women in high society.  However his charisma and talent is matched with a ruthless and obsessive personality.  After debuting his latest outfit, Reynolds meets a waitress, Alma (Krieps), at a countryside restaurant who soon becomes his muse, but Alma finds it difficult to cope with Reynolds' lifestyle and erratic behaviour.

Verdict:
The duo of PTA and DDL working together again would make any film buff start drooling.  Their work on There Will Be Blood is phenomenal and one of my favourite films of the past ten years.  

And now DDL is back portraying a manipulative and obsessive genius! 
In his supposed final performance!  
By one of the great auteur directors! 

...So why isn't Phantom Thread better than it should be?

Similar to The Post, I'm not saying it's a poor film.  I don't think PTA or DDL know how to even spell 'poor film'.  But I was left wanting more.  The components on their own are spectacular.  The direction is brilliant, the acting sublime and the outfits are worthy of highest billing, since the film is all about a fashion designer and his amazing eye for well-made dresses.  But putting them all together just left me feeling slightly hollow.

Perhaps it was the central romance between DDL's Reynolds and Krieps' Alma.  I never truly felt or believed in their chemistry and passion for each other and the film centres itself on this main romance.  

Maybe my feeling is because I seem to appreciate the film as a piece of art more than a piece of cinema.  I feel like the film should be hung on a wall in an art gallery more than at the local cinemaplex.  And that's a compliment, right?

Rating:
7/10

THE SHAPE OF WATER

Director:
Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth, Hellboy, Crimson Peak)

Starring:
Sally Hawkins (Happy-Go-Lucky, Paddington, Godzilla)
Michael Shannon (Man of Steel, Nocturnal Animals, Revolutionary Road)
Doug Jones (Pan's Labyrinth, Hellboy, Crimson Peak)

Plot:
Eliza (Hawkins) is a mute, isolated woman who works as a cleaning lady in a hidden, high-security government laboratory in 1962 Baltimore.  Her life is changed forever when she discovers the laboratory's most classified secret; an mysterious, scaled creature from South America that lives in a water tank.

Verdict:
It's a real stupid mistake of mine to constantly forget Guillermo del Toro every time I try and list my favourite directors.  I always think of Fincher, Nolan, and Scorsese but del Toro deserves to be included in that shortlist.  The man just doesn't know how to make a bad film.

Famously, del Toro recounts how, as a child, he was never scared of monsters; he instead wanted to be friends with the monsters, and he has shown that in nearly every film he has made.  He often features other-worldly creatures in his films, and always makes their worlds so inviting and magical that I can't help but want to live there too, especially compared to our grey, boring, non-magical world.  The Shape of Water is no exception.

Del Toro's love for the fantastical is projected onto this film in nearly every aspect of The Shape of Water, as well for the time period (1950's Cold War-America).  The set design, music, costumes... everything is done with such love, care and attention, I can't help but believe that this will win Best Picture at this year's Academy Awards.

The direction seems effortless, the soundtrack is equally romantic and nostalgic, and the acting throughout is sublime.  Sally Hawkins manages to engage and charm the audience without uttering a word.  Michael Shannon does his 'Michael Shannon thing' of being tall and imposing, but in just such an understated and menacing way.  And Richard Jenkins steals the show as the closeted and balding neighbour and I truly hope he gets recognised for a subtle but powerful performance.

I probably sound like I'm rambling over this film but I truly believe it is one of del Toro's best and absolutely worth a watch.

Just remember that fish-men need love too.

Rating:

9/10

Until next time, thanks for reading!

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The Imitation Game

#9 - The Imitation Game

It's been a busy few months for Benedict Cumberbatch.

He's been attending London premières for The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, it's been announced that he will star as the Marvel superhero Doctor Strange next year, and he has graced Time magazine on their annual "genius" issue.  Not bad for a man often compared to otter pictures.

However it has been his portrayal as Alan Turing in The Imitation Game that was the reason behind his Time magazine cover.  Not only that, but he has been gaining Cumber-batches of rave reviews and whispers of Oscar nominations, and rightfully so.

The Imitation Game tells the true story of English mathematician Alan Turing, and his attempts to crack the unsolvable German Enigma code during the Second World War, alongside a team of code-breakers at Bletchley Park.   The film interweaves Turing's childhood at a private boarding school where he first discovers his passion for puzzle-solving, with his most important years at Bletchley Park, as well as the tragedy of his post-war decline surrounding his sexuality.

All the support behind Cumberbatch is incredibly deserved.  His performance as Turing is so chameleonic and passionate throughout, Cumberbatch thoroughly inhabits the role and accentuates all the man's flaws and weaknesses, but also his admirable strengths.  The closest I could compare his portrayal to would be The Big Bang Theory's Sheldon Cooper, played by Jim Parsons.  Both characters have genius-level intellects but their closest friends suffer and endure their Asperger-like personalities, in order to help further the greater good of potentially helping mankind.

The true story told in The Imitation Game is one that is sorely needed in today's society.  Despite Turing's social flaws there was a brilliant mathematician that needed to grow and test his theories without restrictions.  He was a man who harboured secrets about his lifestyle, and because of laws at the time, he was treated as a criminal instead of a true life-saving hero.  It should definitely speak to our current generation about the differences in our culture today and how unfairly Turing was treated in the post-war decades.

However, Turing found support in fellow code-breakers such as Hugh Alexander (Matthew Goode) and Joan Clarke (Keira Knightley), who tolerated Turing's unique methods and soon became his closest companions.  Both Goode and Knightley are utilised well as the (pardon the pun) 'straight man' to Turing's eccentricities and absurdities, with Goode especially showing the kind of calm demeanour that thoroughly impressed me in my favourite film of last year, Stoker.

A fantastic war film, focussing on the behind-the-scenes fighting that happened during the Second World War, and showing not all the important actions took place on the battlefield.  Cumberbatch is a certainty for a Best Actor nomination at this years Academy Awards and rightfully so.

Please try and see this before it disappears from your local cinema.

I couldn't resist posting at least one...

Until next time folks, thanks for reading!

If you enjoyed what you read and you'd like to be kept more up to date with my posts, I can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mike-Dunn-Reviews and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MikeDunnReviews - if you want to help the site grow, give them a 'Like' or a 'Share'!

Chinese Whispers - The Monuments Men

The Mediocre Men

Earlier this year, I was able to visit the Etihad Stadium to watch my beloved Manchester City take on Crystal Palace to hopefully gain three points to help fight for the Premier League title. They had strung an impressive record of home victories before them so confidence was high when facing Palace who were at the bottom of the table.  All these famous stars and power players in the City squad, forming such an impressive arsenal, but that day, they could only muster a measly 1-0 victory. It was disappointing to say the least.

The Monuments Men tells the story of a group of American art experts and appreciators who travelled to war-torn Europe during WWII to salvage priceless works of art that were being destroyed in the bombings of several European cities.  George Clooney directs and stars in this story based on real events, along with Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman, Jean Dujardin and Cate Blanchett.

(Firstly, before I speak about the film, may I just describe the cinema in which I watched it?

As you may or may not know, I am currently travelling around Southeast Asia and I managed to see The Monuments Men with my girlfriend in a shopping mall's cinema in Patong, Thailand.  The two tickets I bought, along with a bottle of water and a HUGE cup of Coca-Cola cost me the equivalent of just under £5; an unexpected but very welcome total.

As we were ushered to our screen, we took our seats in the centre of a beautiful auditorium.  The standard confectionary adverts and schlocky horror-movie trailers were played for approximately ten minutes, before a presentation of adoration for the King of Thailand started. It was completely surreal. 

The opening music and placard was subtitled with the caption 'Please stand to honour our King'. We looked around, and all other cinemagoers, Thai and foreign, were standing, so we did similar too. A minute or so later, the tribute finished, we sat down and the film started. Surreal experience over.)

Back to the film.  There is no doubt that when you organise this amount of talent in a film, you're going to see some amazing acting, but the talent is wasted if it isn't arranged into an ensemble. Here is where we find The Monuments Men.  Individual performances are impressive, such as Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey) and Jean Dujardin (The Artist) holding their own alongside veteran Hollywood performers, but the story is separated into several strands.

Bill Murray flies off to Belgium, John Goodman is sent to Northern France and Matt Damon tries to free the potentially helpful Cate Blanchett, arrested as part of the French Resistance in Paris. With the narrative so wide instead of being kept together, unfortunately the attention to each thread is not spread evenly.  The film is sold as a bit of a wartime comedy-caper or WWII Ocean's Eleven, but this is hardly the case.  Romantic subplots are hardly given basis, antagonism turns to friendship in the blink of an eye and most characters hardly experience any kind of character arc.

The film tries to show how we are all affected by war, even if your intention is to protect, rather than destroy.  Clooney tries to demonstrate this by highlighting certain deaths that occurred over the salvation of art pieces, but they end up not being that devastating, as the audience haven't got to know the characters that well to care.

Of course since the film is based on real events, poetic licence can only go so far and Clooney couldn't have changed the script to fit conventional film plot stereotypes but the resulting storyline fails to gather any momentum. The only exciting section comes towards the end, after the main mission finishes and nothing apart from a few minor altercations raise pulses throughout the film.

The Monuments Men is a 'nice' film and I hate using that word, but it is the only word I can think to describe it.  It's not awful, not by a long shot, but with such a cast and story, it fails to live up to the potential that lied before it.  In terms of George Clooney-directed films, it falls way behind Syriana or Good Night, and Good Luck.  

The Monuments Men fails to push any buttons or take any chances, in storyline or direction, but still manages to get the job done.  A tepid 1-0 victory, despite the odds being greatly in their favour.

Rating - 4/10

Until next time folks, thanks for reading!

If you enjoyed what you read and you'd like to be kept more up to date with my posts, I can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mike-Dunn-Reviews and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MikeDunnReviews - if you want to help the site grow, give them a 'Like' or a 'Share'!