LFF 2013: Kill Your Darlings ***

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Posted: 06/12/2013

kill your darlings

You don’t have to know anything about poet Allen Ginsberg to appreciate the rocky path to notoriety Kill Your Darlings portrays, and this is more ‘murder-he-wrote’ in a crime caper way, with the culprit already known. What is acknowledged is how Harry Potter’s Daniel Radcliffe is forever recreating himself from the child role he will be forever known for, playing the gifted and gullible Ginsberg. The poet lives by the pen in this, as we fully appreciate the creative young blood’s craving for uniqueness and full of student ideals. It’s another thrilling performance from Radcliffe, though controversial for some fans – think Equus.

After a murder in 1944 in New York, the great poets of the Beat generation, Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac (Jack Huston) and William Burroughs (Ben Foster), react to the fallout that concerns their complex but charismatic friend Lucien Carr (Dane DeHaan).

This has the same hungry adventure and free will running through it as, say, Dead Poets Society (1989) or the more recent The Social Network (2010), where young and privileged minds are engaged and active for experimentation, coming up against the usual engrained institutional practices. Radcliffe fully embodies young Ginsberg and his passion for writing and living in the moment. Foster is utterly exquisite as the eccentric Burroughs, mumbling away in a conceited manner. However, the enigma is Chronicle’s DeHaan who plays out Carr’s internal struggles with a tour de force in this, captivating the screen with his steely gaze, and making Carr a man of bewitching stature.

This cerebral script could be accused of being a trifle self-indulgent from co-writer and debut director John Krokidas, a sort of personal achievement and study of the indulgences and work of this key generation. His passion gets embroiled in the wordy dialogue, though his cast is fascinating to watch, as is the consequences of youth thinking they are invincible. There is always a healthy, looming doom present, however upbeat the circumstances with its boisterous college partying. It’s the impending hangover to the party of all parties, and that chilling momentum is what drives film.

Radcliffe plays a key role as Ginsberg, but is never placed on a waiting podium of awe by Krokidas – he keeps his characters crashing back to earth as much as possible. However, for some, even the chance of seeing the Harry Potter actor flex his acting muscles again could prove challenging, especially as the director is forever keen to bathe us in poetry and the razzmatazz of the scene.

3/5 stars

By @FilmGazer

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Powder Room ***

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Posted: 06/12/2013

powder-room

The term ‘ladette’ is out-modish but once upon a time would have been apt in describing the female characters in debut director M.J. Delaney’s new Brit chick flick, Powder Room. All-female comedy has come a long way since, without the need for a weepy romantic bit. This is a cack-handed confidence boost in the guise of an upfront, no-frills drama, set in (and out) of a girls’ nightclub loo.

Sam (Sheridan Smith) is invited out with an old college friend, Michelle (Kate Nash) and her friend, Jess (Oona Chaplin) to a local dive of a South London nightclub. Glamorous Michelle and Jess seem to have it all, living and working in Paris. Keen to improve her lot in the world, Sam pretends she’s more than she is, not wanting to appear that she’s not made much of her life since studying. All goes to plan until Sam’s night begins to unravel with hilarious and disastrous consequences, beginning with a red wine stain on the bottom of her jeans, to trying to avoid her uncouth friends, Chanel (Jamie Winstone), Paigne (Riann Steele) and Saskia (Sarah Hoare).

The film hangs together nicely, thanks to Smith’s solid central performance. Smith has a natural affable appeal that makes you trust her explicitly, even playing such a flawed character, which helps drive the narrative. That said there is some top talent for her to playfully bounce off, from the likes of Nash, Chaplin, Winstone, plus a great comic rapport between Steele and Hoare. Delaney’s respect for her actors’ abilities shows in their faith in and input into the material as they each try to make their character as genuine as possible, however ridiculous the situation. Hence, there is empathy and knowing nods at some of the bog rituals ladies get up to.

Nevertheless, the script lets things down by being overly staged at times – being an adaptation of the play, When Women Wee, with some of the dialogue a tad forced (and not very realistic), almost hungry for laughs at times. However, Smith’s knack for comedy and her whole witty demeanour exactly capture the mood of the moment, making up for any shortcomings and setting the status quo back on track.

Delaney’s production style is snappy and energetic, giving the film a vibrant appeal, hiking up the tension and winding down the tempo accordingly – check out Paigne and Saskia’s claustrophobic MDMA-fuelled cubicle scene. The editing pace again compensates for some stop-and-starts, script-wise, when the chat feels less than unconvincing.

Powder Room harnesses some refreshing female comedic talent, all witnessed by the toilet attendant (newcomer Johnnie Fiori) who ends the night on a high, soulful note – much like any Saturday night sing-song in the loo when inhibitions crumble. Delaney’s directing now needs some equally fresh writing to really shine.

3/5 stars

By @FilmGazer

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LFF 2013: Jeune et Jolie ***

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Posted: 30/11/2013

jeune-et-jolie

French Screenwriter-director François Ozon returns to BFI LFF 2013 with another coming-of-age film, this time with subjective comedic value. Palme d’Or nominated Jeune et Jolie is one of sexual discovery of a young seventeen-year-old girl, Isabelle (Marine Vacth), who deals with her newfound womanhood in a rather extreme fashion. This is perhaps no surprise to diehard Ozon fans, but it does stretch the film’s credibility of events.

Isabelle willingly loses her virginity to an older boy while on holiday in the South of France with her family. This new awakening leads her to try prostitution on returning home to Paris, unbeknown to her family and college friends. She forms a close relationship with one of her clients, Georges (Johan Leysen), but things take a tragic turn after one hotel meeting, the results of which unravel her hidden secret.

What is perhaps most perplexing and not necessarily fully explained is why a young girl would go from an unsatisfying first sexual encounter – generally the norm for most – to high-class escort? Ozon’s link here is questionable, and there is no apparent catalyst for this to be the case. Added to which, stunning Isabelle’s home life seems happy and healthy, living a middle-class existence in an affluent part of Paris. Perhaps Ozon is suggesting not only a developing free will at this crucial age, but also questioning what true ‘fulfilment’ is, as those who have it all never seem satisfied? This is still tentative and pure speculation on this reviewer’s part.

Jeune et Jolie is the classic father-daughter relationship scenario French film-making is notoriously expert at. The younger female drawn to age and wisdom is the stuff of fantasy for mature males, and with Vacth’s beauty and mystique to admire, and Isabelle’s chosen profession that could make such a beautiful creature accessible to older men, Ozon panders to that illusion. It is nothing groundbreaking in this respect. Coupled with her rebellious nature, Isabelle is a figure of curious awe, the likes of which we try to fathom, hence further feeding the need to understand why she chooses the path she does. There is also an intriguing nod to the influences of modern mobile technology that allows for self-reinvention and living a double life.

Ozon gets some subtle and intelligent performances from his lead and the rest of his cast, with Frédéric Pierrot as Patrick, Isabelle’s step-father, in another LFF 2013 offering, again very similar to his The Returned TV character, Jérôme. Model Vacth is a vision, quietly confident in her first lead performance and keeping Isabelle an enigma, as she is an average, mischievous teen pushing boundaries. There is something openly experimental about the whole affair as Ozon toys with engrained morals and ‘the norm’. In fact, some might cynically say Isabelle is very entrepreneurial in times of austerity…

Jeune et Jolie is another Ozon challenge to societal norms, as with his other work. However, although intriguing, there is a lack of initial continuity to Isabelle’s behaviour, and the absence of more obvious satirical humour to this film leaves the status quo strangely hanging. Still, it is a solid performance from Vacth who could have been a serious Ana contender for the forthcoming Fifty Shades of Grey, in terms of looks and independent spirit. Nevertheless, Vacth makes an impressive lead entry into a blossoming film career, with Ozon’s pedigree and direction fully in her favour, allowing her to shine. Perhaps it’s time for old Ozon muse Romola Garai to step aside?

3/5 stars

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LFF 2013: Saving Mr Banks *****

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Posted: 30/11/2013

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Mary Poppins is a seasonal classic, and The Blindside director John Lee Hancock’s ode to her creator, Saving Mr Banks, the closing film of BFI LFF 2013, is likely to evoke the same euphoric highs. It hits all the right notes in an utterly charming, funny and well-meaning manner; part in thanks to the great pairing of Emma Thompson and Tom Hanks.

Mary Poppins author, the proud P.L. Travers (Thompson) is invited to Disneyland to meet Walt Disney (Hanks) to discuss turning her beloved character into a film. However, Travers and Disney regularly clash, with the author loathed to compromise. As events begin to thaw, and progress is made, Travers unwittingly starts reflecting on her difficult childhood – seen in flashbacks, the basis for the origins of Poppins.

There is an effortless flow from Kelly Marcel and Sue Smith’s script that translates beautifully on screen, coupled with some immensely enjoyable performances from Thompson and Hanks. Travers’ prickly and pompous nature is full of subtle tones, fully brought to life by Thompson who portrays a complex woman trying to gain control of her past, present and future. The witty self-discovery this takes is at the heart of the film, and we never tire of Thompson expertly crafting Travers’ transformation.

Hanks as Disney provides the catalyst to this pleasing, if predictable end result. He is both jovial and sentimental when needed, making Disney incredibly likeable – hardly surprising, given the studio behind the film. Disney’s persuasive speech for Travers at the end is a magical moment that resonates loudly, where both characters – and watching fans – realise they have the same passion for and responsibility to Poppins. This connection seals our love affair with the journey we have been invited to follow. Both actors are at the top of their game for providing accessible characters full of charisma.

Collin Farrell portrays Travers’ colourful dad, Robert Goff Travers, an emotional whirlwind of a part that is both uplifting and tragic, adding just sufficient back-story to form a true opinion of the difficult author. This provides the film’s melancholy angle, which further heightens an instinctive, protective nature towards Poppins as a national treasure, if you are a fan.

Saving Mr Banks is a Disney film for adults, bursting with a whole spectrum of emotions. As well as one woman’s quest and some highly memorable performances, there is a great delight in recognising and hence singing the iconic songs, which is an extra treat for Poppins fans.

5/5 stars

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LFF 2013: Parkland ***

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Posted: 25/11/2013

parkland

Writer-director Peter Landesman’s Parkland gives another relatively new angle on tragic events following the death of US President John F Kennedy on 22nd November 1963 in Dallas, Texas, offering the hospital portrayal at Dallas’ Parkland Hospital. It’s a solid piece of drama set to provoke the same disbelief from those who remember on the day and those too young to.

There are some equally solid performances from the likes of Paul Giamatti as Abraham Zapruder, the businessman who unwittingly took film camera footage of the fateful moment the bullet hit, allowing Giamatti ample leeway to expertly express Zapruder’s emotional arc, and James Badge Dale as Oswald’s stoic older brother, Robert, who faces the firing line. That said there is little actual fact to add to the whole historical account, just intriguing suggested reaction from the Oswald family to the news.

One such account is a possible police station confrontation between the Oswald brothers (Lee Harvey played by Jeremy Strong), which makes for a compelling story balance of opinion, also laying bare the writer-director’s thoughts on the alleged mystery surrounding who really shot JFK. This is very telling in Landesman’s ending, which is devoted to the Oswald family’s grief of being put in a compromising position and inviting empathetic after-thought on subsequent future repercussions on them.

Landesman skillfully concentrates on and depicts mounting chaos at Parkland, from the moment the President is brought in, and the confusion and disbelief of all staff involved, to the time of death and ludicrous legal and administrative obstacles that follow. Landesman’s peaks and troughs (being the characters’ reflections) drive the plot forward, keeping the energy flowing. The camera mimics, with vigorous momentum that sweeps you up in proceedings then pauses for the cold-hearted and clinical truth to seep in. The harrowing scene of the former President’s body being roughly loaded onto Airforce One by shocked staff is one prime example.

The next wave of action comes after Oswald’s shooting and the fascinating reaction from the same surgical team tasked with saving the President. The medical ensemble is where top-billed Zac Efron fits in as resident Dr Charles ‘Jim’ Carrico. Although commendable, the star billing is misleading as he shares as much screen time as Colin Hanks playing Carrico’s superior who deserves just as much acclaim. Landesman has drawn on a fine pool of acting talent that means all involved should take some credit.

In short, neatly produced Parkland has some compelling and fine performances and gives more exposure to the Oswald Family, but adds nothing groundbreaking in terms of investigative fact. It would be at home on the small screen too, though rightfully takes its place alongside other notable films on the topic that bolster the overall screen offering on one of the USA’s most charismatic leaders.

3/5 stars

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The Family ***

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Posted: 25/11/2013

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The ‘most Hollywood of French directors’ Luc Besson has some fun with his new black comedy, The Family, toying with an impressive A-list cast, and placing lead actor Robert De Niro straight back into his Mafioso comfort zone – even spoofing it at the end. The film may seem a tad odd tonally, but it has a certain European quirkiness and double the trademark Besson ‘tough cookie’ character in both Michelle Pfeiffer and Dianna Agron’s roles. The issue some might have is the marrying of slapstick comedy moments and sporadic brutality that feels unsettling, rather than gleefully deviant.

The Blakes, Fred (De Niro), Maggie (Pfeiffer), Belle (Agron) and Warren (John D’Leo, is an American family living in the heart of rural France, but there’s something different about them: They are part of the notorious mafia clan, The Manzonis from New York, under witness protection and the watchful eye of weary Agent Robert Stansfield (Tommy Lee Jones) who has to pick up the pieces. The trouble is, once a mobster, always a mobster and each family member can’t help using their skills to get their own way with the locals. However, Fred or Giovanni Manzoni is being hunted by the men working for a big boss who has been disrespected and has sent out a hit squad. The Blakes are trying to move on but their past just keeps catching up with them, even when Fred decides to turn writer and pen his will past.

The buzz you get from watching this film is seeing the interplay between De Niro and his belligerent family cast members who individually make their sinister mark in a dramatic fashion on certain members of the local community. There is a reaction to the usual Yank tourist gibe that gets wonderfully explosive. It just all gets too cartoonish at the very end when the Blakes are found out, even though there is a nice comeback action scene involving the younger Blakes, with Argon doing a Nikita impression.

The cast is a fabulous collection of talent, especially Pfeiffer who takes the sinister matriarch role in her stride, and exudes both icy chills and friendly demeanour in equal, delightful measure. De Niro almost takes a passive aggressive stance, leaving the stage to his relations, and there is a standout performance from D’Leo who holds his own in the confidence stakes. The actors do their best with Besson’s material, but it could be argued that it could have been darker or funnier but never quite reaches either mark.

That said as a piece of comedic light entertainment, The Family gives a decadent account of Mafioso hiding out in a foreign country, and the cast is a tonic to watch in action.

3/5 stars

By @FilmGazer

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LKFF 2013: Flu ***

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Posted: 25/11/2013

flu

It’s the perfect time of year for a scary movie about killer flu wiping out a population. Simply named Flu, this is a typical disaster movie, South Korean style, from The Warrior writer-director Sung-su Kim. However, it contains the drama within the boundaries of the district of Bundang, the suburb of Seoul – supposedly one of South Korea’s wealthiest and highest developed areas – so it has a unique identity as a piece of film-making from the region, even though it may follow the same plotlines of larger epics. It also presents an interesting insight into social and political attitudes of the region.

After a container containing illegal immigrants is found with just one survivor in Bundang, the residents quickly start to become ill and infected with a strange and deadly, flu-like virus that spreads as an airborne disease. The city with half a million people is sealed off, its fate in the hands of its clashing leaders and some international advisers who fear it will spread globally if not contained. It’s down to infectious disease specialist In-hye (Soo Ae) and rescue worker Ji-goo (Hyuk Jang) to save the suburb by finding the antidote that is closer to home than they think.

Flu has an attractive male and female protagonist who saves the day in equal measure, making it instantly appealing to any audience. Both Soo Ae and Hyuk Jang are commendable in their roles and have a reasonable rapport.

There is a lot of humour to be found in such a serious subject matter, with hero Ji-goo reminiscent of a jokey McClane at the very start. What feels odd is the over-theatrical nature of certain scenarios followed by something graphically gruesome that neither translates well in the lighter moments nor the more sober ones. Hence, tonally, the film feels a little uneven at times, possibly lost in translation in itself?

Sung-su Kim does make commendable use of a far smaller budget than a Hollywood production in recreating the scale of destruction of life, such as his body pit. It’s an impressive use of special effects and one that displays things with a genuinely chilling reality, rather than the zombie frenzy of video-gaming proportions of World War Z.

What tests our believability, but what is also vital for the film’s heart, is the key role of In-hye’s young daughter who needs to survive to provide the story’s hope – and steals the show, naturally. And survive she does, far longer than anyone else it seems in the same predicament. Still, the cute factor cannot be wiped out. This is not a sinister tale of fiction because of the jovial side. It also bangs the drum in a proud, nationalistic manner that Hollywood is often accused of, but it’s actually quite charismatic here rather than cringeworthy, or perhaps we are more forgiving?

Flu offers the same tropes as any other apocalyptic disaster movie, from introducing our heroes and their own romantic story arc to tracking the origins and outcome of the epidemic. Although it has its distinct national identity that fuels intrigue, simultaneously, it could be accused of being too willing to fit into the Hollywood disaster mould by not being more localised in its storytelling. Flu is a perfectly entertaining watch nevertheless.

3/5 stars

By @FilmGazer

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The Hunger Games: Catching Fire ***

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Posted: 18/11/2013

hunger-games2

Part 2 brings the next cinematic chapter of The Hunger Games saga to waiting fans – and it does just that and no more, filling in the next part of the story before the inevitable revolution breaks out. The film hangs on the natural appeal of its lead, Jennifer Lawrence as the stoic and fearless Katniss Everdeen who must partake in another bloody Games to satisfy the bloodlust of the wealthy folk of Panem. Lawrence does a tidy job again, even if, like the Twilight saga, portraying the novel on the big screen means rolling out some so-so, samey scenes and taking some artistic licence with some of the characters too.

A year after the Games, and controversial winner Katniss, who broke the Games rules by saving her killing partner Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), is living with her family in a kind of ‘luxurious’ no-mans-land dwelling provided by Panem’s Government. She is back in the arms and affections of childhood sweetheart Gale (Liam Hemsworth), even though she must perform for the cameras with Peeta when duty calls.

To quell a growing rising in the poverty-stricken Districts, part fuelled by Katniss’s earlier defiance, President Snow (Donald Sutherland) orders her and Peeta to go on a promotional tour, under the watchful eye of mentor Haymitch (Woody Harrelson) and fusspot presenter Effie Trinket (a delightfully theatrical Elizabeth Banks). However, this does little to stop growing protest, and Games Maker Plutarch (Philip Seymour Hoffman) suggests another interim Games to celebrate the anniversary that pits the winners of previous Games against each other. Katniss must survive the virtual jungle arena again with new traps designed to maim and kill.

The second film has all the lurking foreboding and stark lessons in socio-economic imbalance of the first that resonate loudly in current austerity times. This brewing sentiment is the only real emotion to draw on, as Katniss seems more tactical and pragmatic in nature in this, especially in the undergrowth fighting for her life. This is as much a factor of the character’s present predicament in the overall story arc as it is a plot driver to the end act of defiance that sets up the next chapter and film three.

Lawrence is still captivating though, both in looks and reactions, firing arrows with poise and purpose. As in the first film, it’s totally a one-girl show, even though there is some nice supporting roles from big hitters like Sutherland, Harrelson and Seymour Hoffman, but also introducing the feisty and rebellious Johanna Mason, played by Jena Malone. Those familiar with the books will see the film studio getting their money’s worth out of Seymour Hoffman, giving Plutarch more significance in the film, but this also sets up events to come.

The action is much the same as in the first film as the killers run for their lives, dodging all number of dangers, but there is less one-to-one combat in this film. The threats come more from nature. The film ends on a triumphant note, a breakthrough, and also one of chilling realisation that makes you long for Part 3 (or Part 3a), so you are naturally hooked in, guaranteeing advanced ticket sales for 2014’s Mockingjay – Part 1. It’s the Twilight saga all over.

Director Francis Lawrence and team have secured a transgender fascination in this book-to-film franchise, producing a solid second film, and with the tactical gaming manoeuvres like something out of video game, it further cements the saga’s all-round appeal. Lawrence as Katniss is the cherry on the top, an actress so versatile and watchable that this second saga is set for box office success, regardless of any criticism, which pales into insignificance as Catching Fire acts as the all-important stepping stone to justice being served. And we want to see it.

3/5 stars

By @FilmGazer

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The Counsellor ***

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Posted: 14/11/2013

It’s hard to fathom the big picture of the anticipated Ridley Scott-Cormac McCarthy collaboration, The Counsellor, apart from the obvious that greed is bad news, as is being embroiled in the drugs trade at any level. As a thriller, it’s stuffed with well-intentioned but wordy statements uttered by a crowd-pulling cast looking rather grand, including Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt, Javier Bardem, Cameron Diaz and Penélope Cruz, in rather flash places (on the whole). However, the character ambiguity is utterly frustrating. Still, The Counsellor will be remembered for one car fetish scene, in particular.

The Counsellor (Fassbender), soon to be married to Laura (Cruz), gets more and more involved in the dangerous world of drug trafficking, even though he is warned about the fatal consequences by other key players.

This brief synopsis again highlights the ambiguity of the whole affair: None of the characters are what they seem, even the greedy Counsellor. We have no idea what makes the lawyer tick, except his woman and his money, and no gauge as to where our protagonist has come from to be in the mess he’s in now. This is both brilliantly realised and the film’s Achilles heel. Fassbender does the best he can as a broke man listening to one piece of advice – or muttering – after another. The fact remains that all the characters feel closed off, with no amount of monologues helping proceedings to unlock their personalities. The only one vaguely ‘open’ to interpretation is Bardem’s flamboyant drugs courier and businessman Reiner, with the Spaniard a tonic to watch.

Diaz as the mirror-taloned Malkina – note a new fashion craze after this – starts off rather promising and alluringly dangerous in a refreshing femme fatale role for the bubbly actress. However, as baffling as Malkina’s true identity actually is, this character begins playing to type by the end and we are still none-the-wiser. Diaz is nevertheless memorable as the Grace Jones-lookalike and THAT car scene will forever associate Diaz’s lady parts to a catfish, further cementing this as a milestone role for the actress.

That said the rest of the film is heavy on style with a strong odour of sexuality, perforated by moments of evil bloody-mindedness and gruesomeness. In all fairness, once you’ve been overstuffed on these superficialities, The Counsellor probably needs a second viewing to grab anything of significance to what is said in novelist McCarthy’s rather clunky script – if you have the patience (and the funds). The Coen Brothers’ scriptwriting expertise is sadly missed here after adapting McCarthy’s No Country For Old Men.

And that’s the problem; in trying to be too worthy and mysterious, in painting a menacing, faceless picture of the drugs trade and its collaborators, The Counsellor grabs then loses our attention. Maybe that’s best, in that there is detail to be mulled over but it’s mainly a smokescreen for what seems to be a rather lacking plot, however much you want it to be more.

3/5 stars

By @FilmGazer

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