filmgaze.com - Part 21

Into The Storm **

Posted: 25/08/2014

The novelty of ‘found footage’ films is starting to wear thin. Not only does it always have certain shots that couldn’t possibly have been captured by any of the characters – hence rendering the status quo questionable, but also it expects us to arrogantly take it a little more seriously, which in this case is laughable. Into The Storm is such film.

It’s only like Twister only in subject matter – and tries to go one better in the twister CG stakes. As for the characters, there’s nowhere near as much investment as in the former, rendering them mere pawns in the effects game.

Set over one day, a bunch of storm chasers making a documentary and townsfolk of Silverton – in the path of the storm – document what happens when a series of tornadoes touch down in their town.

Final Destination 5 director Steven Quale is no stranger to suspense, and Into The Storm sets a chilling, moody scene for things to come, showing us several groups of people who will be affected, including a daft pair of YouTube hero wannabes that supposedly supply the light relief. Like Twister, there are relationship issues to resolve in the eye of the storm and clashes of personality, but the former often results in overly schmaltzy pieces to camera, filmed as ‘final farewells’. What would have made things more interesting is a little surprise as to who meets their maker, as Quale’s cast seems blandly expendable.

That said Richard Armitage (The Hobbit) and Sarah Wayne Callies (The Walking Dead) make a commendable pair of heroes but are never fully realised, though they try their hardest with a script designed to make the storm as the star. Indeed, there are some incredibly absurd lines they must deliver that you also feel sorry for them as they battle the elements too.

This film is all about the twisters and is best watched on the largest screen with the biggest sound system in operation. In cinematic times that are 3D-obesssed, it’s very surprising that Quale and the studio didn’t opt for this to really drag us into the action – but then it couldn’t claim the ‘found footage’ mantra (and budget was probably tight).

Into The Storm has ample, loud thrills – including a fantastic fiery moment – for tornado fans but characters that you don’t have to care much about to enjoy the ride. It’s a shame about the overly lengthy emotional bits to camera that upset the momentum and the excruciating patriotic end shots that try to inject some comical human element into the proceedings. Take this film as the title suggests and you will ride knowingly into to get the most out.

2/5 stars

By @FilmGazer

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LFF 2013: The Congress ***

by lgileskeddie

Posted: 16/08/2014

Waltz With Bashir animator Ari Folman takes on the advancing techno nature of the Hollywood film industry in his hybrid (live action/animation), political sci-fi The Congress. It’s hard to distinguish whether the film itself or the myriad of ideas it boldly flags deserve the true credit. Debate aside, Folman uses animation to illustrate the ‘death of the physical actor’, ironically using retro 2D drawings like an old Disney cartoon, perhaps as a personal protest of the more advanced 3D animation coming out of the studios now.

Robin Wright (playing herself), now fortysomething and struggling to find work, was once a celebrated Hollywood actor going places and the darling of the big studio who has financed her career, ‘Miramount’, especially in her heyday in The Princess Bride (1987). Her agent Al (Harvey Keitel) comes to tell her of a one-off deal proposed by studio boss Jeff (Danny Huston) to keep her in the spotlight forever – allowing the studio to create an avatar of Robin Wright to use as it wishes in future productions. This does come at a price: no negotiation on the kind of film featured in, a one-off payment and a promise never to act again. However, the consequences of Wright’s agreement come at a far bigger price than she could never imagine, as the animated and live worlds collide.

There are a whole number of juicy topics addressed in this near-future-set film, including the supposed advancement of technology for the better good, ageism, sexism, loss of identity, intellectual property to corporate terrorism to name a few. It often feels like a smattering of ideas fired out of a barrel, like following a live animated debate at times. The only settling factor is watching Wright as herself and as her 2D avatar, both with a weary sadness to her features as the business of the film business takes its toil.

The first half of the film depicts the grace and elegant of Wright in the flesh with the camera still adoring her. The troubling element is being asked to believe Keitel as the fictitious casting agent. It appears mixing live-action and animation works but mixing real-life and fiction gets a tad muddled when one actor is playing herself with dignity, and the other incorporates a fictional character.

Once Wright drives into the animated zone of Abrahama, the new studioland that takes over reality at the security crossing (straight out of Roger Rabbit territory), she becomes lost, like a ghost of her former self within a colourful canvas of eccentric characters. There is some fun to be had spotting other stars who have ‘gone avatar’ too. It’s here where plot gets skewed a little and a psychedelic smorgasbord of events peppers the scenery. Thankfully, there is one plot driver to grasp onto – Wright trying to find her son.

The Congress is advanced in its own technology and thinking, raising many social concerns we all have about the future of the digital revolution that could retire the very beings that have created it. If nothing else, The Congress plays to our fears, perhaps ironically, with hindsight affecting our view of it as a piece of social commentary too?

3/5 stars

By @FilmGazer

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God’s Pocket ***

by lgileskeddie

Posted: 10/08/2014

If you think you’ve got/had it rough you haven’t experienced God’s Pocket. Mind you, don’t let any of the locals hear you snigger because only they are qualified the kick their crumby situation and location. This is a story directed by Mad Men’s John Slattery, based on a novel by Peter Dexter about a working-class dive of South Philadelphia, USA and its sorry inhabitants. It’s also one of the last films to feature the brilliant Philip Seymour Hoffman alongside an impressive cast of Mad Men’s Christina Hendricks, John Turturro, Eddie Marsan and Richard Jenkins. It’s a slice of rundown despair covered with a large topping of jet-black humour that feels oddly paced at times.

Mickey (Seymour Hoffman) is married to local girl Jeanie (Hendricks) who loses her cocky adult son, Leon (Caleb Landry Jones) at work one day in a supposed ‘accident’ – unbeknown to them, the fallout from a racist attack. Jeanie is convinced there has been foul play, and wants Mickey to find out more through his shady ‘associates’ that include friend and fellow screw-up Bird (Turturro).

But like a lot of things in Mickey’s life, nothing is ever simple. Meanwhile, following a misprint in the local newspaper about the death of her son, sleazy, booze-addled columnist – and local ‘hero’ – Richard Shellburn (Jenkins) reluctantly agrees to set things straight and interviews the family. On meeting Jeanie, he falls for her voluptuous charms and supposed vulnerability, trying to woo her. News spreads and things get ugly, while broke Mickey can’t afford to pay for his stepson Leon’s funeral, much to the annoyance of slippery undertaker Smilin’ Jack Moran (Marsan).

This character drama is probably one of the bleakest fictional ones on screen in a while, with its dark humour lifting it out of the very pits of despair and Hendricks providing a flicker of loveliness in the rut. The performances are unanimously intriguing, with a cast that fits like a glove – it’s just a shame it will be known more as ‘the last Seymour Hoffman film’ rather than Slattery’s directorial debut. That said there are some rather memorable and exacerbating characters to ‘feel superior to’ and appalled at alongside some stereotypical Italian/Irish-American ones thrown in for good, safety measure (hence some clichéd aspects). All of them revolve around a hovel of a bar, like every good soap opera or latter-day western.

But Cheers it’s not, more like an American Eastenders in the gloom stakes – but with farcical humour injected. In fact the latter goes oddly slapstick in moments, pulling you out of the mire that’s been so effortlessly developed in Slattery’s setting and into an altogether different stride. It seems to be down to Seymour Hoffman’s character’s ‘shit happens’, blasé attitude to bring you back into the haze and pace of God’s Pocket – in a sense, re-emphasising once you’re there you never leave.

There is also a pocket of ‘bad taste’ involving Jenkins’ Shellburn character that feels vexing in how it wants one character to be ultimately perceived and is less satisfactorily resolved. These and the peculiar ending make it tricky to decipher the film’s overall impression it wants to make with its audience, even with the help of a little narrative. It’s a mixed bag of affairs that you could argue makes it all the more curious. If you like your drama way down on its luck with a black heart, God’s Pocket is totally watchable in this respect, but be prepared to be jolted out of the doldrums by absurd comedy that upsets the chagrin.

3/5 stars

By @FilmGazer

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Step Up 5: All In ***

by lgileskeddie

Posted: 03/08/2014

It’s compulsive viewing, like America’s Got Talent, not because anything groundbreaking is going to happen in the latest Step Up instalment, but because we’re secretly fascinated by how the choreographers will up their game in version 5, All In. There’s also that respect and awe we hold for such nubile young things without an ounce of unwanted abdominal flesh on show, demonstrating double-jointed moves that the rest of us can only marvel at. Dancing aside – ironic, considering that’s why people pay to watch this seemingly never-ending saga, the rest of the ‘loosely termed’ plot is mind-numbingly super cheesy that you do one or both: groan loudly or laugh incredulously. Either way, once the moves hot up, it’s like ‘street dance panto’ that can’t fail to entertain in some way.

The Mob leader Sean (a ripped Ryan Guzman) and his Miami crew return, this time ‘surviving’ in LA on the last of the proceeds of a Nike advert. Yet another disastrous audition leaves Sean and co weighing up their options, with dancing as a paid career looking more and more unlikely. They also cross the path of a swaggering Jasper (Stephen Stevo Jones) and his Grim Knights crew – who you just know they’ll encounter and triumph over later. Meanwhile, The Mob ventures home to Miami, defeated, while a headstrong Sean remains, determined to succeed. He comes across his old pal Moose (Adam G. Sevani) whose eccentric family give him a place to crash (a dance studio store cupboard) in return for fixing their loos. Moose has since ‘grown up’, got a steady engineering job, an apartment and a lovely, understanding partner Camille (Alyson Stoner).

However, after Sean (too) conveniently discovers a Las Vegas dance competition online called The Vortex, presented by the flamboyant Alex (Izabella Miko), with a first prize of a three-year dance contract – and a bit of security that Sean craves, Moose helps pull together a new crew. This includes equally strong-willed Andie (Briana Evigan from Step Up 2). As new moves come together, sparks fly in the romantic arena. What’s stopping them go all the way?

Acting doesn’t really come into the equation; it’s all about the 3D dancing – when debut feature-film director Trish Sie remembers to use this feature. Still, there’s a lot of humour resounding from a script to die (from laughter) for, plus intentional gags supplied mostly by the supporting characters that all get their minute to shine. The choreographers excel themselves once more at least, especially with the final dance off – resembling the 2012 Olympics’ Opening Ceremony in industrial theme. Thankfully, there are more routines than tiresome flash mob moves this time too, making things more creative and interesting for 3D viewing.

Guzman and Evigan as moody Sean and frustrated Andie keep us guessing as to when the first steamy clinch will happen. Meanwhile, they make a pair of believable leaders of the pack. There’s quite a wait though for love to blossom, but a great fairground routine to enjoy in the interim set to Bobby Brown’s ‘Every Little Step’ – like some latter day Rogers and Astaire. To be perfectly honest, as soon as any flesh comes on display, this acts as a convenient distraction from the lame acting until the next dance routine kicks in and saves the moment. Sie doesn’t veer too far from the original Step Up brief. Fans would be disappointed if she did.

Step Up 5 is another vehicle for showcasing the latest, creative street dance moves. Be ‘All In’ with this and resign yourself to the mawkishness to get the most out of it. It’s the only way.

3/5 stars

By @FilmGazer

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Mood Indigo ***

by lgileskeddie

Posted: 03/08/2014

If incredibly imagination alone were the key to a successful film, then writer-director Michel Gondry’s L’écume des jours or Mood Indigo would be a guaranteed box-office smash. It’s like an animated delicacy that ignites the creative juices with every scene, beautifully crafted to help tell a delicate story of loss. However, as much as fans of Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, La science des rêves) will revel in his trademark surrealism and visual effects once more, the storyline is a little lacking in substance and doesn’t appear to translate as well from Boris Vian’s heart-felt 1947 novel about losing a great love (translated as Froth on the Daydream and Foam of the Daze).

Wealthy, inventive bachelor Colin (Romain Duris) has everything he has ever asked for and is financially comfortable. What he doesn’t have is someone to share it with – until he meets Chloé (Audrey Tautou) at a friend’s party and they fall in love. Everything is peachy until the couple marry and go away on honeymoon. The first night Chloé contracts an unusual illness overnight – caused by a flower growing in her lungs. Their idyll is rudely broken as Colin endeavours to find a cure before it’s too late while trying to avoid financial ruin.

Gondry sets the scene and the appetite for some zany antics perfectly, with the animation quenching the senses and thrilling all who take it in. His cast of Duris and the ever-delightful ‘dolly-like’ Tautou are made for his films, both never failing to deliver here. In fact, the show-stealing character is Omar Sy as Colin’s right-hand-man, Nicolas, who pulls the whole narrative together when it veers off on an indulgent Gondry tangent.

In terms of wackiness that always goes hand in hand with a touching sensitivity to the characters’ mood moment, one of the most memorable scenes is Colin taking Chloé on a ‘cloud capsule ride’ over an apparent building site on their first date. It’s sheer brilliance of quirky imagination as they take in their surroundings (and each other).

However, as the ‘illness’ of the growing flower progresses – that appears to be a metaphor for lung cancer, the story seems to subside, as if getting lost in the enveloping darkness that the production takes. Whether there is not enough relationship development to begin with to really get a sense of how deep Colin and Chloé’s love for each other is, or the written word just gets lost in translation as the creativity takes over, who knows, but we feel the depressed pet mouse’s gloom at what should be a momentous time.

Still, there is always the hilariously funny dance move that involves bandy legs and arms to enjoy and the introduction of the ‘pianocktail’ that would make a grand central party piece, though whether there is enough to entice anyone who is not a Gondry fan to pay to see Mood Indigo on the big screen is debatable, however creative he gets and charming Duris and Tautou are.

3/5 stars

By @FilmGazer

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LFF 2013: Blackwood ***

by lgileskeddie

Posted: 03/08/2014

Families moving into creepy haunted houses then things going bump in the night are the backbone of horror. It’s finding that slight tweak to the usual tropes that keeps things fresh. Debut filmmakers, director Adam Wimpenny and writer J.S. Hill have attempted that with British horror Blackwood, combining a traditional haunting with a psychological crime drama, and it’s executed very well.

College professor Ben Marshall (Ed Stoppard) wants a fresh start for his family, wife Rachel (Sophia Myles) and young son (Isaac Andrews), and moves them to a country house recently vacated by an old lady. As the Marshalls begin settling in, Ben begins witnessing presences, first thinking it’s his son playing around. When he then starts seeing ghosts, he goes looking for answers, investigating in particular, the history of former grounds man and ex-forces man Jack (Russell Tovey) while suspecting local vicar Father Patrick (Paul Kaye) of a cover up. However, things have a twist closer to home.

The first half of the film feels like any other British haunting, with ghostly figures making their presence known, the imagination running riot, and the ticking grandfather clock that stops at a key hour. The filmmakers seem to be exercising their love of the genre in portraying all the usual expectations and going for shock value as the camera becomes the first person (our viewpoint) roaming through the corridors. The film is also shot in a muted palette to add atmosphere and a sense of impending gloom.

It is necessary to pay attention though, as there are clues as to the source of the supernatural infestation from the word go. What unravels over time is not just the fragile mental state of our lead protagonist, Ben, that we discover very early on is on medication for some kind of stress-related illness, but the family unit. Ben’s condition throws doubt on the apparitions – even from our perspective, which is clever, and divides the family, allowing for other outside influences to manifest.

There are other possibilities that the filmmakers add in to throw us off the scent too. What is skilful is the final backtrack, as all the factors are linked. It’s like playing Cluedo with ghosts and inanimate objects, and for debut filmmaking, is very well achieved. The trouble is, to get to that point needs a lot of investment from the viewer to stick with what is essentially an average ghostly plot.

There are some very respectable performances from the likes of Stoppard, Myles, Tovey and Greg Wise as Ben’s fun-loving best friend Dominic the lothario. Kaye offers a surprise performance to his usual comedic turn too. The film also introduces young actor Andrews who manages to deliver the goods in his key starring moment. In this respect, the filmmakers have cast well.

All that said, it is a stretch to stay keen and faithful to the subject matter, as the genre naturally feels samey and tired, however intriguing the latest haunting might seem. It is with hindsight that you appreciate the work put into the story and the neat summing up of visual pointers. Blackwood is therefore a solid, sinister affair worth getting immersed in.

3/5 stars

By @FilmGazer

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The Purge 2: Anarchy ***

by lgileskeddie

Posted: 03/08/2014

The thing that kept the tension wound tight in The Purge (2013) was everything being contained within a comfortable four walls, feeding on our deepest fears of being under siege in a safe environment; our home. Returning writer-director James DeMonaco now taps into the other fear that the first film triggers: What would happen if you were outside during the Purge? It’s the same idea of fighting for survival but a lot more scope is available to the film-maker this time.

It’s a few hours until lockdown and the annual Purge begins. Those who don’t want to partake in a free-for-all ‘cleansing’ of the streets should bolt down the hatches. Those who do should get ready to go out on the hunt. The Purge finally arrives. However, Eva (Carmen Ejogo) and her teenage daughter Cali (Zoë Soul) find their night of refuge at home is violently interrupted when a ‘hit squad’ storm their building looking for Purge prey for a mysterious wealthy client. On escaping, they run into an armed man with a grudge (Frank Grillo) who agrees to protect them if they get him transport. Meanwhile, young couple Shane (Zach Gilford) and Liz (Kiele Sanchez) breakdown on the edge of the city. On the run from a masked gang, they run into Eva and co. United, they all try to stay alive until the siren sounds the end next morning.

The Purge: Anarchy title suggests a terrifying, lawless utopia for 24 hours before the sun rises, where anything is game and nightmares lurk around every shadowy corner. DeMonaco has every opportunity to really feed the primal fear that legalised criminality would breed in a civilised society. However, it all feels a little too restricted in the menace department – there could have been a far greater and darker onslaught.

That said the exploitation of power is still very much the vile catalyst and main vein pulsing throughout to both wonder at and deplore. This time, in addition to armed masked people, there are sinister hit squads verses an underground rebellion. It feels similar in ideology to other futuristic thrillers like Total Recall in that some class-war, survival game is at play, so there’s a healthy a sense of heightened anticipation to be had.

DeMonaco thankfully doesn’t use such recognisable names this time, as he did in the first, far slicker-styled film starring Ethan Hawke and Lena Heady, making these characters’ experiences seem more gritty and accessible in a ‘near future’. There are some commendable performances too, from The Grey’s Grillo merging as a yet untapped and intriguing leading talent in such an anti-hero/protector role. Ejogo makes a convincing wing woman in this, a combination of vulnerability and inner stamina.

As for the actual purge, there’s playful carnage and squelching sound effects to be thrilled by, climaxing in a gaming arena finale of ‘haves and have-nots’ that will stir any revolutionary tendencies within. As with all such films, it has to end on some sort of restoration of order for sanity’s sake, but just for 103 minutes you get a real sense of disarray – uncanny, given today’s uncertain world events. Altogether, The Purge; Anarchy is effective in this sense but could have been a whole lot more frightening.

3/5 stars

By @FilmGazer

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Earth To Echo ***

by lgileskeddie

Posted: 03/08/2014

Each generation needs its own ‘E.T.’ to believe in, to feed little dreams of friendly alien life out there. Cameraman-come-debut-feature-director Dave Green’s PG-friendly flick introduces us to Echo, a more mechanical but still very organic being that also channels today’s youngsters’ gadget obsession.

A neighbourhood is being phased out to make way for a highway, and the residents are getting ready to leave. However, after receiving a bizarre series of encrypted messages, a group of kids embark on an adventure with an alien who needs their help to return home.

The thing about Earth to Echo – however pleasing to watch – is there are too many parallels to J.J. Abrams’ successful Super 8 (2011) in tech terms and not enough alien character building like WALL.E (2008) to really develop a connection with tiny Echo, or even to care enough whether he gets home. True, he has the cute robotic doe eyes to get you smitten. However, those expecting proper E.T. days of alien bonding might be slightly disappointed that the headlining star gets limited screen time.

This film is all about kids’ early adoption of gadgets – in particular, mobile phones (like some 91-minute 3D advert for such in fact). If parents wonder what kids get up to using their handsets, this film enlightens you as to how tech-savvy our youngsters really are. There’s always a gleeful moment to be had with such films when the kids outsmart the oldies in finding the clues and solving the mystery – that’s a given here, and Earth to Echo is like some great latter-day treasure hunt that’s really engrossing: You can’t help but be impressed by the young characters’ knowledge. There are trappings of WALL.E morality to be had in that we humans need to be less wasteful and more recycling conscience, which the kids will lap up but adults will inwardly groan at the virtual finger wagging about the state of the planet being left for our kids.

There are also some confident performances from the leads Teo Halm, Astro, and in particular the ‘resident dweeb’ and overweight kid, Reese Hartwig as Munch. And no pre-tween/early-teen film would be complete without a hint of romance in the air – all PG approved, as the leads deal with changes in every department. Enter Ella Wahlestedt as the girl-next-door everyone wants to ‘slow dance with’, that combination of tough, smart and leggy-blonde that all boys dream of. With all the standard elements in play, it’s a carbon-copy of many other sci-fi kids films at play – and in 3D that works well with flying objects at times but is irrelevant most others.

Earth to Echo is a solid dip into kiddie sci-fi for Green and one that will be all too familiar to make its mark. Its overriding impression is ‘just what would we all do without technology’? Sit around and talk to one another perhaps? Welcome, parents, to the multi-tasking generation of little sleuths! Earth to Echo is very enlightening in this respect if nothing else.

3/5 stars

By @FilmGazer

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Boyhood *****

by lgileskeddie

Posted: 12/07/2014

Gone is the usual 24-hour period that most of his films are set in, as filmmaker Richard Linklater achieves his finest work yet with Boyhood, a deeply affecting chronicle of one boy’s life, filmed over a decade using the same actor. It will naturally resonate most with parents who are changing nappies one minute to waving goodbye to their college offspring the next – where does the time go, you might ask? That said anyone will appreciate the passing of time too quickly when it matters most – indeed, we’ve all been guilty of sounding like mum/dad at times, addressing the younger generation, saying “gosh, I can’t believe how big you are now!” Boyhood encapsulates this poignant observation over two hours and 44 minutes, but does so, so gradually and with such a natural flare that it’s hard to imagine you are watching fiction while witnessing the actors grow up on screen at the same time.

Mason is a Texan boy, aged 5, played by Ellar Coltrane – watch out for this actor. We follow his rather unremarkable (it’s so remarkable to watch) life story until he reaches the age of 18. He has an older sister, Samantha (played by Linklater’s own daughter, Lorelei Linklater, who nearly pulled out of the project mid-way through). Their single mother (Patricia Arquette) who makes very bad partner choices in men and is a perpetual student at heart raises them both, and times are often tough. Dad (Ethan Hawke) is on the scene, seeing them weekends and trying to engage with his kids as much as possible. We witness (like a fly on the wall) Mason’s ups and downs of growing up in an ever-changing environment.

There’s a sort of ‘Big Brother’ aspect to this film in that nothing of any dramatic consequence happens but it’s mesmerising to watch – perhaps we need to connect with any fragment of experience of this boy and his family have to subconsciously commit. At the same time, there are emotional moments, like a car crash waiting to happen that don’t abruptly punctuate the plot but happen as a matter of course – we are just proven right, sometimes tragically. It’s this natural progression that Linklater has developed and nailed that is the film’s seminal triumph.

Acting-wise, Coltrane is fascinating to watch, laid back and genuinely easy-going but expertly brewing some pockets of anger at times as Mason. We feel a natural affinity towards him and crave a good ending for him as we feel we have been privy to his upbringing – both actor and character. It will be interesting to see Coltrane outside of this project, in terms of acting ability. Linklater’s daughter as Samantha adds the feisty angle, our challenger in the situation (our voice, in some respects), following an intriguing character arc into a grounded adult. However, Arquette and Hawke add the backbone and gravitas that allow the younger actors to thrive, both giving equally splendid performances without becoming too clichéd, as is always the concern with such a tale.

Boyhood allows you to go with the tide, to relish events before you while being judgemental at the same time (to be proven right or wrong). Its characters are flawed and very real, a credit to Linklater’s painstaking film-making in keeping a fluidity and authenticity throughout the 12-year period, while asking us to be patient in the outcome. It’s quite masterful movie-making and a must-see – parent or no parent, you can’t help but be moved and impressed.

5/5 stars

By @FilmGazer

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