Silent House **

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Posted: 04/05/2012

Elizabeth Olsen of Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011) fame is fast becoming the thriller poster girl, with her dreamy, unreadable persona that portrays a mixture of innocence and hidden danger. In Chris Kentis and Laura Lau’s new spooky thriller Silent House Olsen keeps us guessing as to her true personality once more, like in her confused character in the acclaimed 2011 film, and delivers another self-assured performance with the subject matter she is dealt. The flaws of the film are certainly not in her portrayal, rather in the confused plot that raises a disturbing issue but just doesn’t quite execute it satisfactorily.

Sarah (Olsen) is helping her Dad, John (Adam Trese), move their belongings out of their creaky, old family house that is without power. Her Uncle Peter (Eric Sheffer Stevens) is also lending a hand. While packing, Sarah gets a visit from an amorous old childhood friend called Sophia (Julia Taylor Ross) who she cannot remember. After Peter leaves, and Dad goes off to get the power back on, Sarah finds she is alone and starts to experience strange and frightening happenings, making her question her own sanity.

Olsen is the film’s momentum; we experience the odd goings-on through her steps and point-of-view angles. The reasons for why these things are happening cannot be revealed, as it would totally spoil the film for anyone planning to see it. And Kentis and Lau’s film has not got much else to offer, following the classic scare tactics of other horrors when things go bump in the night. The only hook is finding out the difference between reality and imagination, and just who’s fooling who. Through Olsen we are kept relatively intrigued – and for those with a soft spot for the actress, equally titillated by her horror-film prerequisite ‘clingy’ attire, should the scare tactics fail to work or are becoming a little bit of a drag.

Lau’s screenplay just doesn’t flesh out adequately to reveal the true horror lurking in the family’s midst. It ends in a brutal and short-lived fashion that doesn’t attempt to tease out more of the dark secret, but just slams the conclusion in your face with no further investment in those who live to tell the tale. The ending is also obvious as to who the victor will be – and there can only be one given the subject matter, and there are no real surprises, once the photos are revealed. In this sense, it’s another acting triumph and showpiece for Olsen but not much of a stimulating watch.

Based on Gustavo Hernández’s more chilling La casa munda, Silent House has a powerful enough context behind it, but with hindsight, it disappoints when you think what kind of film it could have been. Still, Olsen is a star worth following and has carved out an impressive niche in the psychological thriller genre; so let’s hope for another Martha Marcy May Marlene for her to really sink her capable teeth into, rather than this serviceable nightmare of déjà vu happenings.

2/5 stars

By @FilmGazer

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Safe ***

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Posted: 04/05/2012

British bulldog Jason Statham always manages to beguile you on screen with his seemingly boundless choreographed energy and corny one-line growls that have become his reliable trademarks. Without such qualities of seasoned action veterans like Schwarzenegger and Stallone in their heyday, the Statham flick would be dead in the water, like an action flick of a bygone era.

Paradoxically, there is also a very fresh and contemporary feel to a Statham film too, in its video-gaming context that combines style and a breakneck editing pace that often defies reality. Writer-director Boaz Yakin’s Safe is in this category, as The Transformer energy is unleashed on the Big Apple, it keeps you gunning for Statham from beginning to end, however farcical and far-fetched the bits are in between, and comical his ‘American’ accent gets.

Statham is Luke Wright a former cop with a dubious past and ex-cage fighter who upsets the Russian mob then witnesses his family’s massacre. Condemned to live a solitary life by the mob – who will kill anyone he gets close to, Luke stumbles across a fleeing young Chinese girl, Mei (Catherine Chan), who is being used to memorise numerical codes for the Triads. When the mob also discovers the value of the little girl, Luke steps in to rescue her, and the unlikely pair is pursued by the Triads, the mob and corrupt NYC cops and the mayor.

Statham does what he does best in Safe: frowning in annoyance then delivering a just desert, all the while showing a soft side when the moment calls for it. It’s classic Statham in every sense; but just be warned about the more adult language and delivery than in his other films. In a nice twist to the usual, weepy, dependent child, Mei is equally tenacious and guarded and very much wiser beyond her years, making for an intriguing dynamic between Statham and Chan of two very different survivours leaning on each other.

Yakin’s story may overdose in action and make you question just how much destruction one man and several villains can seriously get away with in an urban sprawl like the Big Apple. However, its momentum and engaging cinematography never let you think too long or too deeply about how plausible everything is, as you are flung from one set-piece to another, pausing only to catch one witty Statham retort after another.

There are so many holes in Luke’s backstory that they are almost rendered irrelevant as more holes are made in the baddies as the impressive body count tallies up. Anyway, it would take more energy to make sense of the protagonist than it would to keep up with the action and car and subway chases. Yakin ensures you hear every rip, splat and crunch in true and thrilling comic-book audible style, which seems to fit perfectly with the one-dimensionality of his characters. There are also some serviceable performances from James Hong as the Triad boss and Robert John Burke as the corrupt cop captain to enjoy as stereotypical, greedy bad guys in pursuit.

Since his Transporter days, Statham has resurrected the retro action hero favoured by the likes of Bruce Willis as a likeable avenging ‘ordinary guy next door’ who just gets the job done with some impressive martial arts moves flung in. Nothing much changes in Safe or is original, only the language has got more colourful, with Yakin delivering up Statham gold for fans once again.

3/5 stars

By @FilmGazer

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Piggy **

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Posted: 04/05/2012

London seems to be awash with potentially violent males lurking on every street corner, ready to explode with pent up rage given the right situation – if homegrown cinema is anything to go by. Debut writer-director Kieron Hawkes’ Piggy is another depressingly gritty tale of modern-day woe from the UK capital’s ‘mean’ streets that follows a vengeful angle to justify its brutal onslaught. Even the most hardened viewer will find this genuinely beautifully shot film tough to stomach, with little respite or acceptable explanation as to how its protagonist goes from loathing violence to cold-hearted and mindless thuggery.

Mild-mannered and solitary Joe (Martin Compston) is coasting through life in a mundane job and shut away from society until his older brother, John (Neil Maskell), comes back into his life and offers him a chance to reconnect, socially. But after being mugged, then witnessing trouble brewing at the local pub between John and a bunch of men, Joe decides to go home early that night only to be woken by John’s friend, Claire (Louise Dylan), and told that John has been brutally attacked and is on his death bed in hospital. Losing his brother and only real friend, Joe gets a knock one day from a mysterious stranger who claims to have been old school friends with John. Piggy (Paul Anderson) wants to help Joe get revenge for John’s death by ‘hunting’ down those responsible, outside of the law. But the price of revenge is a steep one that Joe realises all too late.

The context of revenge is a very tricky subject to depict in any film for danger of glorifying the violence and demeaning the complex reasons behind what drives it. In Hawkes’ case, the mindless death of a loved one is an excuse anyone can immediately relate to. What the script development fails to deliver is any real sense of how events play such huge psychological damage on Joe that he is driven to continue down the same path, long after retribution has been served. There is too big a piece of the puzzle missing from the character’s arc to be satisfying, although there is a nice twist to the expected ending.

Indeed, Hawkes favours The Horseman (2008) style of implied brutality, letting the imagination run riot and using a whole number of bone-crunching, gut-squelching effects to suggest the horrific bodily damage being inflicted on the hostages. All the while we are party to Anderson as Piggy’s disturbing if over-acted presence as he toys with his prey wearing a pig snout. In this sense, there are no added surprises as we expect each member of the pub gang to meet their fate.

That said ‘judge and executioner’ Piggy dishes out the punishment then intriguingly observes Joe’s reaction in return: It’s here that Hawkes’ film sadly reverts to visceral ‘gangster’ type as it misses the opportunity to explore the full psychological impact in more depth of what is effectively a look at capital punishment gone wrong, all coming too late to suitably round off the story. The result is a lot of the physical and very little mental energy spent. It’s an added shame because Anderson becomes more ‘bogeyman’ caricature than he should be opposite Compston’s reserved persona.

Piggy is a bold and striking start for Hawkes who shows off his impressive technical skills. However, the general topic is too titillating in execution to fully influence any worthy debate into the effects of isolating grief, leaving an altogether lacking investigation and no strong feelings either way for either character we are exposed to.

2/5 stars

By @FilmGazer

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The Lucky One ***

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Posted: 04/05/2012

Penned by the author who gave us the equally schmaltzy Dear John, The Last Song and The Notebook, The Lucky One is another pubescent girl’s wet dream, starring former Disney poster boy Zac Efron no doubt. It’s the kind of predictable romance-by-the-numbers that young girls can swoon over and mature females – who ought no better – can daydream about. It’s Mills and Boon, Louisiana style – with a softer ‘remember our fighting heroes’ message tagged on.

A super buffed Efron plays US Marine Logan who, after serving three tours in Iraq, goes on a journey back home to Louisiana to search for the unknown woman pictured in a photo he found in the rubble. He believes this woman was his good luck charm. Dog-loving Logan finds blonde ‘angel’ Beth (Taylor Schilling) running a dog sanctuary with her fun-loving gran, Ellie (Blythe Danner), but cannot bring himself to tell her why he is really there. After accepting a job, the initially reluctant Beth starts falling for Logan (and vice versa), who helps her young son overcome his performing shyness while protecting Beth from her abusive ex (Jay R. Ferguson as Keith). When tragedy strikes the family, Logan proves he’s a hero once more, but can he reveal his dark secret.

Put simply: Efron fans will be sent into overdrive. Here’s predicting Efron-mania. Who cares how dopey the film is; if you didn’t have the Efron bug before, the chances are you will appreciate his effect after this as he adopts the classic, contemporary ‘knight in shining armour’ role, complete with a body to chew on. Efron does little worthy ‘acting’ in this, short of spending the entire time walking with a stiff upper back, military style, and gazing dreamily with those baby blues at the prize. Even his ‘reveal’ is understated and rather irrelevant, as we all know what the outcome will be.

The only ‘surprise’ director Scott Hicks’ film offers is an introduction to little known US TV star Schilling who is tasked with carrying all the dramatic moments and reacting throughout the whole film. She gets some nice moments to bounce off Danner’s breezy charm too, but is the busy female protagonist that moulds the story and drives it forward.

The Lucky One is easy on the eye and the brain, a popcorn-munching romance for those tired of comic-book superheroes at the cinema, and those wanting a real man in a uniform to sweep them off their feet. Old-fashioned romance to the core, Hicks’ film will win no film-making accolades, but will do neither of its attractive leads any harm in the notoriety stakes either.

3/5 stars

By @FilmGazer

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American Pie: Reunion ***

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Posted: 04/05/2012

The boys are back in town, looking a little older (some sporting facial hair and others possible plastic surgery), but certainly none the wiser when it comes to women. Jim (Jason Biggs), Oz (Chris Klein), Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas) and Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas) are still a bunch of ‘little boys lost’, only to find that they’re far more mature than first thought when compared to The Stiffmeister, Stifler (Seann William Scott) who has never got away from the home town.

We have as much anticipation as the boys to experience a great reunion, and predictable beginning aside to remind us of Jim’s endless troubles in the bedroom department, it’s rather comforting to be back in their awkward presence, and wonder at what the weekend will bring out in them all. The key to this is seeing them revert to type, which they do – exactly as any school reunion should induce a sense of comforting nostalgia.

Directors Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg of Harold & Kumar fame have all the right credentials for injecting some much needed promise into this franchise and teasing out more of the bromance of this bunch of school pals. In terms of the latter, there is a greater sense of this group’s tightness in this as they grow ‘wiser’ and have each other’s backs more, which is vital for the gags to work and revel in the knowing glances at all they’ve experienced.

Thankfully, there is never a sense of weariness at what you’re watching, as the leads constantly poke fun at their ‘by-gone’ days and ‘over-the-hill’ antics: it’s almost like a built-in insurance policy if some parts feel a tad repetitious with some of the set-pieces. Expect the usual puerile bodily jokes from the class fool (Jim or Stifler), and the token ‘trousers down’ kitchen moment (albeit more graphic), followed by Jim and Jim’s Dad’s (Eugene Levy) embarrassing father-son talk. What is nice to see is how this role reversal pans out throughout the story, allowing Levy a few gem moments to devilishly shine for the first time in this series, as well as for Jim to eventually gain some much sought after credibility among his peers.

Long-suffering but ballsy Michelle (Alyson Hannigan) also returns as Jim’s band camp wife, complete with trumpet moment, as do the other childhood sweethearts that trigger old emotions and feelings. It’s classic textbook stuff as we watch the aging characters find solace in the old to make up for the disappointments of life’s current situations. One disappointment is there is not more of Finch in the story, and his mystery reveal is not as punchy as anticipated either. As expected, there are plenty of life morals to be learned – and a surprising new career move for Stifler to delight at. However, the best gag of the lot is another Stifler triumph, a play on the ‘Stifler’s Mum’ joke that will brings a little hand punch cheer for fans.

The jokes are old and the guys are older, but it’s big-hearted entertainment that does need some previous character investment to catch all the nods – like being in the presence of any longstanding group of friends. There are still some decent big laughs at the whole farce of trying to stay young and hip – something we can all relate to. Hopefully, Reunion will mark a commendable end to the series and another is not dragged out, after all, seeing Jim trying to get some pleasure in an old folks’ home would be seriously overstepping the mark!

3/5 stars

By @FilmGazer

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Damsels In Distress ***

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Posted: 28/04/2012

Whit Stillman returns more with of a pop than a bang, after a 14-year absence with another take on neurotic, privileged, preppy middle-class existence with Damsels in Distress. It delivers a shining new star in Greta Gerwig as the film’s no-nonsense, self-appointed philanthropist, Violet, who tragically believes her college life mission is to better those social groups in need, uncannily masking her own troubles. This feels like a version of Heathers or Mean Girls, but with Stillman’s acute, dry wit in the continual chatter and the oddly outdated innocence to it, it is without the contemporary social ills of other teen stories, and has a genuinely caring and affectionate stance for its strange bunch of flawed characters.

Violet leads a trio of girls who set out to change the fraternity-centric, male-dominated environment of an East Coast college campus, Seven Oaks – with the help of new recruit Lily (Analeigh Tipton), as well as rescue their fellow students from depression, grunge and low standards of every kind. At the same time, Violet’s mission becomes a gradual self-awaking to her warped view of humility, only saved by a bar of soap and a new dance craze called Sambola.

Through the acerbic comments from Violet and co, with Lily acting as their inquisitor and mirror, there is still a sense of absurd sweetness and good will in all that the girls do, regardless of how twisted their words and actions first appear. It is as though reality truly bites when it’s laid bare, and as outrageous as the therapy of doughnuts and tap dancing for the depressed college minority seems, nothing is done without due attention and consideration. Whitman illustrates this with Violet’s matter-of-fact, if superior retorts at any number of Lily’s probing questions, as well as bathes his anti-heroine in a halo of sunlight like a guardian angel, walking off to her next crusade.

Gerwig outshines the rest of her female (and male cast) in this, possibly because Tipton is a tad too insipid to match her understated power performance, and the other girls in the group – Rose (Megalyn Echikunwoke) and Heather (Carrie MacLemore) – are merely beautiful (if dopey) caricatures seen in many college films: Rose’s running joke about being British and every boy being ‘an operator’ wears a little thin after time, as does Heather’s dippy prom queen persona.

With the whole stage focused on Gerwig, the actress sensitively plays out a ‘little girl lost’, tragic, soulful quality to Violet that makes us want to see her succeed in her endeavours, however astounding her comments are. Whenever we condemn her reactions, Stillman’s satire soon reminds us of how needy some of her ‘subjects’ are, showing a range of frat boys with dubious intellect and limited life skills, such as one who breaks Violet’s heart, and another who was never taught names of colours as his rich parents had him skip kindergarten. Whatever her faults, Violet always comes across as the most genuine in the end, grounded by The OC’s Adam Brody’s character, Charlie’s curiosity and investment in her – mirroring our own sentiments.

Damsels in Distress is an intriguingly endearing kooky fest of witty dialogue that has no clear plan of where is wants to end up, short of a musical number to smooth over all grievances and differences. However, Gerwig is a revelation in this and a suitable pioneer of Stillman’s often socially skewed work for the uninitiated, and the necessary rudder for this particular offering.

3/5 stars

By @FilmGazer

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Strippers Vs Werewolves ***

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Posted: 28/04/2012

Director Jonathan Glendening of 13Hrs werewolf notoriety doesn’t move that far away from his furry feral fiends in his latest grizzly flick, Strippers Vs Werewolves. This exceptionally daft, tongue-in-cheek pastiche of the erotic slasher B-movie also taps into the comic-book filmmaking fascination of recent years with deviant glee, but all with the sole purpose of entertaining in the most blood spewing and badly acted way. And for those who never tire of Robert ‘Freddy’ Englund cameos, there’s a treat for fans too.

After werewolf Mickey (Martin Kemp) is accidentally killed in strip club Vixens, the girls who work there have until the next full moon to work out how to respond and defend themselves, before his bloodthirsty wolf pack, led by Jack Ferris (Billy Murray), work out who is responsible and seek murderous retribution.

It’s not the pulpy title or necessarily the opening title sequence to Duran Duran’s ‘Hungry Like A Wolf’ that pricks the interest, but the first doggy disposal that sets the stage for an indulgent retro farce, complete with a bit of healthy Essex ribbing, top 80s hits and some camp star turns. This film then takes its namesake by the balls and drags it forward, so much so, that there is little time for any real character evaluation, even though there is a vague attempt at introductions for such a low-budget film that’s primarily set on featuring carnage.

The impressive cast – that also includes turns from Steven Berkoff and Sarah Douglas – does the best of a B-movie situation, poking fun at the stereotypical roles they’ve been cast in, which increases the viewing pleasure. In fact, the dodgiest acting is the girls’ bad pole dancing on display, rather than Englund’s eternally corny bad guy snarl. Murray can always comfortably sneer for England, having played his fair share of bad guys too, so pulling it off as a deranged werewolf is no tall feat for the seasoned actor, matching Englund in their scenes.

However, the unexpected ‘star’ of the bloodbath is actually Simon ‘Jack’ Phillips in Pegg ‘Shaun of Dead‘ deadpan mode. As the token comic-book geek, he provides the biggest laughs of the lot while battling his own demons while on a phone, and saves the film’s ending from the doggy mire.

Strippers Vs Werewolves is out to get outrageous cheap thrills – as silly as they are and propped up by great one-liners rather than a good scriptwriting at the irony of the idiotic situations. This enjoyable film makes no concessions for its lack of polish but is aided by a great cast who simply fit snugly into roles we’ve seen them in before, but shape shift for our pleasure. Plus the promise of eventually seeing these two groups battling it out in a strip joint is as titillating and ridiculous as it sounds, however over-edited the killing spree is.

3/5 stars

By @FilmGazer

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Avengers Assemble (3D) ****

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Posted: 28/04/2012

The wait is over, and it’s been well worth it to see the likes of Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) join forces with Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) in a superb superhero finale to save the planet. And opposite every hero should be a worthy component to do battle with – in this case, Thor’s ego-bruised stepbrother, Loki (Tom Hiddleston). Director Joss Whedon’s offering allows each Marvel member a chance to shine and retain their mighty personality, hence, going to satisfy fans of each character in the first of the big three comic-book films of this year.

Picking up from where each superhero let off, and merging the loose ends of the individual action films, Mick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Samuel L. Jackson) is spurred into action to form a team of super humans called The Avengers to help save our planet from Loki. Thor’s adopted brother and arch nemesis has stolen the mysterious energy cube source previously located by Rogers – aka Captain America – called the Tesseract to use it to open the gates to his Underworld army of destruction. In a human world lacking any real fighting power, it is up to old-fashioned superhero tactics to get the job done.

Whedon’s story not only reconnects us with each character but also finds the time to flesh out their strengths and weaknesses, with some wonderful paranoid moments of self-doubt that any average human feels among their peers when the pressure to perform is nigh. The co-writer/director – as with his Buffy the Vampire Slayer character – takes Russian spy Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow) out of the shadows of Iron Man 2, and transforms her into her own rounded character while injecting the feminine glam.

However, the stage is ever dominated by the charismatic, cheeky banter of Downey Jr. as arrogant but brilliant entrepreneur Tony Stark who playfully provokes each superhero colleague, usually for some greater purpose, while delivering the rapid-fire gags. His wrangling with Rogers is a childish schoolboy delight, but it’s opposite Ruffalo as Bruce Banner attempting to control is larger, greener side that Stark’s personality is fully tested. Some fans may take issue with the more communicative ball of green rage at the end of the urban battle, but it pays a certain respect to the great scientific mind within it.

Indeed, Whedon borrows his battle-torn city vista and flying, serpent-like alien fighting machines straight out of a Transformers film with a touch of Ghostbusters to it, with many moments feeling like déjà vu ones. However, with less visual clutter and more appealing action heroes to root for, and with some hilarious one-liners in the midst of total bedlam, there is far more to relish and savour, especially when The Hulk kicks into full swing.

Hiddleston stands his ground as vengeful Loki in the campest horned attire as one of the best and more multi-dimensional film super villains of recent comic-adapted flicks, so much so, that his part in this purely goes to re-emphasise just how disappointing Thor and his film’s namesake was once more. Hemsworth may pack a hammer punch in his defence but he does little to rouse any more attention – upstaged by Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg), a likeable Marvel geek who merely replicates the fan boy/girl wanting to meet his hero (Captain America).

As Whedon shows due care and attention to all his players in this, there is another additional treat in the end credits that points to darker things to come and sparks whoops of joy from those in the know. Still, this film is more than enough and gives us a damn good comic-book fight as its superheroes battle their inner demons, making them as accessible and real as ever.

4/5 stars

By @FilmGazer

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Delicacy ***

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Posted: 14/04/2012

Audrey Tautou has come a long way since her touching, doe-eyed international debut in Amelie. The actress is typecast in such feisty, cutesy roles that it’s hard to determine whether she’s good or just a natural charmer – a bit of both perhaps. In debut directors David Foenkinos and Stéphane Foenkinos’ new romance, Delicacy, we find a more determined Tautou at play – who still commands the screen in a delightfully challenging role about life, love and death.

Nathalie (Tautou) is a beautiful, happy and successful Parisian business executive who finds herself suddenly widowed after a three-year marriage to her soul mate. Struggling to cope with her loss, she buries herself and her emotions in her work to the dismay of her friends, family and co-workers.

After being pursued by her boss (Bruno Todeschini), Nathalie finds love and a rekindled zest for life in an unlikely source, her seemingly unexceptional, gauche, and average looking office subordinate, sensitive Swede Markus (comic star François Damiens). They face obstacles to their growing affections but also self-doubts.

Delicacy has an oddly melancholic feel to it throughout, but is sprinkled with hope, and coupled with tender awkwardness that sets the scene for the bizarre pairing of Nathalie and Markus to develop. There is a wonderful defiance to this that is beautifully nuanced, but still resorts to the classic ‘beauty and the beast’ scenario of opposites attracting, set in a detached office environment for some sort of quirky effect.

Admittedly, we are so captivated by Tautou – and her ever shrinking frame and chic style – that it’s easy to overlook how incredulous their union actually is, all stemming from a compromising office kiss. In fact, these moments of apparent fairy tale have you guessing initially as to what is imagined and what is real, adding a further touch of Tautou magic that is irresistible. There is even an enigma as to Markus’s being; is he a figment of grieving Nathalie’s imagination to help her cope, like a defence mechanism that is a somewhat intriguing mystery to decipher.

In addition, Tautou has such a spirited, old school screen femininity that swings between austere and verging on judgemental one minute to enchantingly naïve the next as the situation presents itself. Damiens compliments this nicely, like some gentle giant and protector beside her, reflecting the awe that we all feel when exposed to her beguiling presence. As an unlikely pair from the start, the plot is all in favour of keeping them and their activities as believable as possible that it’s hard not to champion their cause.

Delicacy is another Tautou charm offensive for fans that sees the star in a testier role of emotions and reactions. And the alluring French stubbornness is predictable but always a sure hit. Whether the subject matter is kept too light and kookily frothy by the filmmakers is another thing, with its whimsical daydream sequences that have you longing for hazy, continental summer evenings ahead. Perhaps the film could have been bolder and more challenging with the subjects of a deep love lost and survival mechanisms kicking in. Still, with Tautou at the helm, there is never likely to be too many morose scenarios to endure as her perceptive and impish disposition always finds a way to shine through.

3/5 stars

By @FilmGazer

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