LFF: Miral – 3*

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Posted: 05/12/2010

American artist-turned film-maker Julian Schnabel’s latest film, Miral, is on a far grander scale than the intimate The Diving Bell and the Butterfly about a stroke sufferer, dealing with the political hot bed of peace in the Middle East. Jewish American Schnabel takes the Palestinian stance on this, in an almost pious and worthy fashion that quietly simmers with American liberal indignation. But he can be supported by the fact his story is based on the real-life experiences of Palestinian author and screenwriter Rula Jebreal that may well echo many from the region, but are intriguingly adapted and retold.

The film-makers concentrate on individual stories, reducing the general political message to a very personal one through the eyes of four generations of women from the 1940s to 1990s. It’s undoubtedly a highly attractive and touching piece of cinema, even if the film is rather uneven at times, regardless of the non-linear timeline. Stories of strong women on screen are often well received and powerful enough to carry through to fruition at the best of times, but add a living historical situation, and Schnabel is sure to have a captive audience looking for something more substantial to watch at the box office.

Nevertheless Jerbeal cannot escape the fact that some of the lines seem a little staged, sadly, even if reality meant otherwise, and none more so than those of Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire star, Freida Pinto, as the grown-up Miral, the central character of the story. Miral is a girl with a troubled family past who gets sent to the enigmatic Hind Husseini’s (Hiam Abbass) groundbreaking orphanage to live out the rest of her childhood. Naturally, as an impressionable innocent, Miral falls prey to radical movements through romantic involvement and her experiences of some shocking injustices. Pinto pours her heart and soul into this role, desperate to do the subject matter and its socio-political message some justice, but guilty of cover-cooking her performance in parts, however captivating Eric Gautier’s cinematography is in framing her beauty.

There is still the niggling uncertainty of having such a prominent Asian actress as Pinto playing the role, when there must have been a wealth of local talent, particularly if Schnabel’s intention was to draw the crowds with his two A-lister names, Vanessa Redgrave and Willem Dafoe, who are only in the film for a fleeing moment. The true credit should go to renowned Palestinian actress Abbass for her exceptional performance as the orphanage owner ‘Mama Hind’, and you can’t help wondering what kind of film it could have been, had they merely concentrated on Husseini’s impact in the region. However, every penny counts at the box office, and there’s the obvious intention of keeping the hope of youth alive in placing the younger protagonist at the helm, whilst pricking the interest of the international audience with Pinto, especially after Boyle’s success with his own Academy-Award-winning socio-political affair.

That said Miral breaks very little new ground in educating its audience on Middle East affairs, even with real news footage and some shocking scenes added, as all right-minded folk know tolerance via education is the key. But it’s a bold offering from Schnabel who as an artist must be no stranger to provoking controversy, and as a Jewish male, makes for a fascinating collaboration. It’s also a consuming character piece from its originator, Jerbeal, especially for female viewers, that ought to be told because of its influential women who should be praised for their fighting spirit. For this reason alone, Miral is a satisfactory drama that makes for inspirational viewing.

3/5 stars

By L G-K

LFF: Of Gods And Men – 4*

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Posted: 05/12/2010

This sombre, humane and provocative drama from Xavier Beauvois (Don’t Forget You’re Going To Die) is based on a true story from the 1990s. Eight French monks live in harmony in a Cistercian monastery in North Africa, providing medical, practical and spiritual help to the local community. But fundamentalist violence threatens not only the country as a whole, but also their own existence, forcing them to decide whether to stay or return to France. It’s a compassionate plea from Beauvois for understanding between religions and cultures, without being too sensationalist or opinionated in its manner.

Beauvois has created a wonderfully sensitive and serene film that’s graced with humanity and understanding, through some remarkable and understated performances and cinematography. He shows great care to portray these religious men as humble leaders, whilst still making them approachable as average souls, detailing their everyday duties and thoughts (and spiritual doubts) with careful and subtle injections of humour. It’s an engaging character study to watch unfold – albeit at a slow pace at times – and discover why they live such a sheltered lifestyle, and how they unite to form their rather odd community. We are still unclear on the former.

The tranquillity that Beauvois creates is abruptly shattered by the unprovoked slaughter of Croatian workers by Islamic fundamentalists on a roadside. You know it’s only a matter of time before the monks are affected – quite literally – by the changing environment. At this pivotal point, the film retains its character study element, particularly at the monks’ meeting, but becomes one of a journey of survival and, ultimately, of salvation. Although prepared to meet their maker early, if needs be, Beauvois still portrays their inner terror and fragile morality; this is quite literally mesmerising to watch.

The single, most affecting aspect of the film is how the monks change from a group divided as to whether to leave, to a group defiantly united to stay and face whatever destiny has in store for them. This transformation is dramatically depicted at an emotional ‘Last Supper’ style dinner scene, played out to Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake Theme. It’s a genuine goose-pimples moment. The cinematography is astoundingly powerful, as the camera pans from face to face, with no dialogue needed, just hearty expressions as the monks eat, drink and be merry. When the music comes to an end, stone-cold reality dawns, followed by tears – whether of acceptance (of God’s will) or sorrow, is what’s equally intriguing. It has to be one of the most defining and iconic images of the festival.

The harrowing ending is similar to watching lambs being led to the slaughter in the snow, but does exude an overwhelming feeling of calm, too, as though God’s comfort is projected through the screen. Of Gods and Men provides an intellectually rich and textured character journey of life and spirituality, without becoming obsessed with its provocative subject matter; nor does it cast any concluding aspersions either.

4/5 stars

By L G-K

Easier With Practice – 4*

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Posted: 05/12/2010

It’s great to come away from a film and feel genuinely challenged by what you’ve seen. It’s even more rewarding when that film is a debut offering that isn’t just trying to jump on the pretentious, holier-than-thou indie bandwagon and actually has a point to make in a non-confrontational manner. Low-budget dark horse Easier With Practice from exciting new writer/director Kyle Patrick Alvarez is such a gem that questions our emotions and makes you feel like you’ve been thrown an unexpected curve ball.

Inspired by a GQ magazine article, Easier With Practice starts out as a heartfelt road movie about a young writer on the road with his wayward brother to promote his unpublished novel, whilst having new experiences along the way. However, it subtly transforms into one of the most unique and gentle contemporary love stories to date that speaks to everyone, regardless of sexuality. For a first-time writer, Alvarez makes an instant connection with his audience with conventional and believable characters dealing with an unconventional and controversial subject matter.

Easier With Practice is all the more poignant because is tackles growing isolationism felt by many that’s part-fuelled by social media dominating everyday communication. What Alvarez’s film dares to say is affection and acceptance can come from the most unlikely sources, going so far as to imply that the controversial issue of phone sex in the story will break its social taboo, possibly, becoming what Internet dating has – the accepted norm. Its flawed lead character, Davy Mitchell, has the opportunity to connect with others in a traditional manner but chooses a virtual one. We empathise very early on with him, making the outcome and our ‘acceptance’ of his usual encounters all the more surprising, possibly because we feel pity for him.

Brian Geraghty from The Hurt Locker fame is quite extraordinary to watch, especially given the long, single-frame shots he must command, right from the start, and featuring in virtually every frame to ensure we fully empathise with his emotional development. His crushing vulnerability as Davy Mitchell seduces all, placing him firmly on the ‘one-to-watch’ list. Geraghty portrays Davy as an average Joe on a fraught journey of self-discovery, but leaves us to determine his possible fate. Alvarez uses his leading man to challenge our preconceptions of sexuality head-on in a courageous but totally non-judgemental fashion, delivering a wonderful twist at the end.

Easier With Practice is an indie tonic straight out of the blue, complete with a catchy indie rock soundtrack. It suggests we question contemporary relationships and the way we interact. This wonderful modern-day love story is totally sincere with an unforgettable performance from Geraghty that deserves wider recognition.

4/5 stars

By L G-K

Love Life – 3*

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Posted: 05/12/2010

If you can ‘stylise’ a film about cancer, director Reinout Oerlemans’ Love Life would be it. Interestingly, this Dutch film was originally called Stricken (2009), which doesn’t particularly seem to fit the sexy, hedonistic stance that the film portrays, and certainly wouldn’t have the majority of punters rushing to the cinema to see it.

It’s about two young professionals, Stijn and Carmen, played by two very attractive actors, Barry Atsma and Carice van Houten of Black Book fame, who work in the advertising industry and have the perfect life. They are young, successful and wealthy, living the Amsterdam dream, but move to Amstelveen when they have their first child. Then their whole world stops when Carmen is diagnosed with cancer, and the life they knew starts spiralling out of control. Well, it’s on a destructive course before that, as stylishly suited-and-booted Stijn just can’t keep it in his pants. He’s like a footballer gone wild, living it up across the globe in contempt of his family life – wannabe WAGS sigh.

The whole affair is a little unsettling at times, with the film being a perplexing cross between a weepy drama, a dance video, and a TV commercial with lots of beautiful people cavorting around in it. Indeed we get the idea that the protagonists ‘love life’ so much they feel the need to show us in full throttle, partying and bonking the night (and day) away. The trouble is this rather garish comparison between frivolous and serious matters doesn’t quite mesh at times, with the more sobering note being watered down. It’s like watching two different films. Love Life then moves onto controversial territory, highlighting the subject of euthanasia, whilst still showing Stijn sewing his wild oats in desperation that death might rub off on him. It’s a head-scratching mix of events.

The element that manages to hold the plot together and add some resemblance of purpose to events is the moving performance by van Houten as Carmen, coping with living with cancer, then having to face her mortality and the biggest decision of her life. Van Houten gives a delicate but inner strength to her character that sways our opinion on Carmen throughout the film, swinging from unsympathetic to sympathetic from one minute to the next. Like Stijn, who is portrayed as the villain of the piece, Carmen is also flawed, and this keeps her character grounded and non-melodramatic – a welcome relief to the posturing and compulsive clotheshorse, Stijn, who seems a little far-fetched at times, even if his torment is evident. Still, Atsma is very aesthetically pleasing to watch and provides the film’s sex appeal, but van Houten, even in the last throws of life, still radiates a tragic beauty that is compelling to watch.

Love Life is very much like a contemporary Love Story with bundles of style and an erratic pace, complete with action sequences and a controversial topic as add-ons. Its underlying sentiment is in danger of being all-consumed by its desperate need to look sharp, slick and ‘full of life’ that Oerlemans seems to remember its serious tone at the end, and over-emphasise it, but still makes events look like the setting for a home improvement ad. Thankfully, van Houten supplies the emotion that is needed to tug on the heartstrings, and in conjunction with her screen presence, Atsma’s character shows his anguish. However, we still aren’t given enough reason to like Stijn – only in the superficial looks sense, so Oerlemans’ final father-daughter scene does not have the full impact that it should. This is a film for fans of the talent involved, but is also a nice little contemporary offering on complex relationships and how they are affected by life and death decisions.

3/5 stars

By L G-K

London Boulevard – 2*

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Posted: 26/11/2010

Oscar-winning The Departed writer William Monahan’s directorial debut, London Boulevard, is one of those films that prompts the immediate reaction of ‘hmmm’: You really don’t know how to process what you’ve just seen – unless you’re an avid Colin Farrell fan, so can be rest assured that his sexy charm is in full flow in this.

Farrell is the linchpin in what first appears to be yet-another-London gangster story, complete with overblown cocky accents that even co-stars Ray Winstone and Eddie Marsan are guilty of partaking in. However, Monahan delivers such a bewildering version of the genre that flits from one plot idea to another that it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what London Boulevard is trying to achieve. Even though Winstone’s in it and it has shocking moments of brutal violence, it isn’t as straightforward as a Guy Ritchie flick. It does seem to swing from one extreme to another, from larger-than-life gangster parody, to serious social affairs drama, to touching English class love story the next. In this sense, and forever shifting its goalposts, London Boulevard can claim to be different from the run-of-the-mill gangster offerings.

In accent terms, Farrell misses the mark with his Irish lit still fighting to escape. But all can be forgiven, as his ex-con character called Mitchell is a remarkably refreshing change to his usual cheeky rogue ones. Think of Farrell in Minority Report, meaning business, slightly sinister and suave, and you’ve got the picture. In fact Mitchell is like a Carter in Get Carter, deadly serious about his intentions, but deeply frustrated at the obstacles put in his path as he tries to go straight after a stint in Pentonville Prison for GBH, but gets prevented from doing so by ruthless and unpredictable crime boss Gant (Winstone). It has to be one of Farrell’s most intriguing parts to date, allowing him to really stretch his talents, playing vulnerable one moment to shockingly violent the next, whilst still finding time to get the girl in a stylish, Clooney-esque fashion.

London Boulevard has an amazing cast, which is undoubtedly due to Monahan’s reputation, and the girl in question is not from Mitchell’s rough South London manor, but a reclusive British actress called Charlotte who’s being hounded by the paps in her own Holland Park home grounds, desperate to provoke a reaction to her crumbling marriage and estranged hubby. Mitchell comes to protect Charlotte, played by Keira Knightley, who needs him as much as he needs her to make a life change. Knightley gives a decent and fragile performance that must surely (and painfully) draw on real-life experiences with the media, but she doesn’t make quite the impact you’d expect, given the trailer and poster campaign, and it’s still not clear exactly why?

Indeed Monahan may well have adapted Ken Bruen’s noir crime novel of the same name, and done a pastiche of the classic Hollywood film Sunset Boulevard – hence the film’s title and inject of Hollywood glamour in Mitchell’s new suited-and-booted appearance, but in his excitement, he’s forgotten to piece together more of how Mitchell and Charlotte come to be. There are a lot of unexplained circumstances that just ‘are’ that add to the head-scratching at the end, including the confusing period in which the story’s meant to be set, not helped by the 60s’ soundtrack, or Marsan’s 70s’ TV cop throwback that makes him look like an extra from Life On Mars.

Monahan may well capture the essence and farce of London’s underground dealings and colourful participants, which Winstone agrees with – breezing through another gangster role and picking up an easy pay check, but we’re left with a bunch of rather odd characters that only resemble some sort of purpose when Mitchell is on the scene with them. The only character that seems to fit the setting and is credible is Ben Chaplin’s Billy, Mitchell’s low-life friend who gets him into more trouble every time. Some overly snappy cutting between scenes and situations further perpetuates the plot’s disjoined feeling, never fully allowing you to absorb that’s going on and being said, and possibly, resulting in you missing some important character quips.

That said it’s co-stars David Thewlis and Anna Friel who deserve the most credit for the film’s quirky entertainment value and real wit. Friel plays Mitchell’s wayward lush and gold-digger of a sister, Briony, but with such an erratic aplomb that it keeps you on your toes, and comic Sanjeev Bhaskar’s surprising performance as her love interest, Dr Sanji Raju, nicely compliments this. However, it’s Thewlis as Charlotte’s rather eccentric, dope-smoking and reclusive house manager/failed actor/failed producer Jordan who gets reawakened by Mitchell’s presence who delivers one of the best performances, as well as a series of classic one-liners, demonstrating Monahan’s talent. Without Thewlis or Farrell, this film would have died a death alongside its victims near the start. But Jordan is another example of an unexplained character presence at Charlotte’s house, just someone that the viewer must ‘except’ as being, like an enigma.

London Boulevard is certainly sexy, stylish and brutal, and Farrell makes an impressive serious leading man. But in his efforts to make Bruen’s story more of his own, Monahan seems to have missed a key ingredient in introducing some characters and situations: a sense of purpose to the narrative. In being slightly unconventional with the genre, and maybe having too many characters involved, the film is difficult to follow in parts, whilst pandering to the genre’s stereotypes in others. Monahan may have bitten off more than he could chew as a first film project, even if his odd assortment of cast will save his first effort at the box office, as it will ignite interest.

2/5 stars

By L G-K

Unstoppable – 4*

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Posted: 26/11/2010

Forget the troublesome Pelham of 2009: Action guru Tony Scott and his muse Denzel Washington are firmly on the right tracks with this year’s adrenaline-fuelled thriller, Unstoppable, that really hits the mark, despite triggering an initial groan of yet another potential train-wreck of a movie on the cards.

After suppressing giggles from hearing that there’s an ‘unstoppable coaster’ charging down the tracks, with images of a cork mat having come loose from it’s coffee cup base springing to mind, the ‘coaster’ in question is another name for an unmanned runaway train, complete with 39 cars full of hazardous material to add to the thrills and spills. It’s up to Washington as veteran train engineer Frank Barnes and Chris Pine as rookie conductor Will Colson – on his first day on the job – to save part of Pennsylvania from certain disaster.

Unstoppable is a tour de force all of its own, allowed to gather speed within a simple and highly effective, no-frills plot. It’s also a truly believable one, helped in part by the story being based on actual events. What’s more electrifying is Scott has turned a hunk of metal into a living, breathing demon, with a terrifying life force of its own, gathering momentum and fury as it approaches the end of the track.

Although Unstoppable is effectively all about the action, Scott still allows time and space for us to really get to know our two heroes, whilst they chase the mechanical brute. Barnes and Colson from different generations learn to compromise like a father and son, revealing their differences and personal issues then resolving them, whilst simultaneously building a rocky friendship that will last a lifetime. It’s a real testosterone-fuelled buddy movie that sees Washington perfectly cast (or rather, the part moulded to him) as the weary old-timer, stubborn in practice, but happy to share his knowledge and wisdom, in contrast with Pine as the impatient ‘youngster’ who thinks he knows best.

In fact Pine is surprisingly appealing as an all-action hero in this as it marks an exciting new tangent in his career that could have been dominated by Captain Kirk in Star Trek, especially after a shocking dabble in romcom with the dreadful Blind Dating last year. Pine has the looks, the bulk and the intelligence to go far in this type of role, so here’s hoping he does more. And like art imitating life, imitating art, he has the perfect partner to learn from in Washington who literally hands over the controls to him in this film, giving him and the character he plays most of the glory.

The action is on the money, with just the right amount of terror, tragedy and pace to keep things moving along nicely, like a ticking time bomb, but without too much pomp and circumstance that leads to overkill in some action films from the emergency services. Still, Scott just can’t resist putting in a couple of car chases and screeching-tyre moments for good measure.

Unstoppable also manages to just about stay away from the ‘final farewells’ clichés, and even thought you stop to think ‘why didn’t they do that before’, events are actually remarkably realistic, as any developing situation would warrant a change of tactics, if the former didn’t work. What is a bit unbelievable is Barnes’ superhero leaps over carriages as he tries a manual way of slowing the Beast down. But this is Washington who can do no wrong – Pelham aside, so we want to absorb the absurd and go with the flow.

Rosario Dawson is excellent, too, as troubled train controller Connie Hooper, the voice of reason over the radio, battling trying to stop this thing, whilst juggling the idiotic moves made by the corporate suits in the boardroom in this male-dominated world. Naturally, she throws caution to the wind and sticks two fingers up at management to get the job done; it’s a real brains-verses-brawn, war of minds, the type of thing played out in many corporations worldwide, where blue collar verses white collar, so it strikes home for any audience who will relate to either role situation.

Unlike The Taking of Pelham 123, Unstoppable is money well spent, so buy your ticket for a rollercoaster ride with confidence, as this is a Scott film worth paying to see on the biggest screen possible for full effect.

4/5 stars

By L G-K

LFF: The American – 3*

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Posted: 26/11/2010

Don’t be fooled by the action sequences they squeeze out of the film for the trailer to try marketing this as an action-based crime thriller: it’s no Bourne. It is a part-foreign-language drama set in foreign lands – making it perfect London Film Festival fodder – that cleverly manages to straddle both art-house and mainstream categories because it has a touch of action and a Hollywood A Lister in it. To the cynically minded, The American feels like a video travel log, in some respect, as there’s very little plot, just some beautiful settings and George Clooney running around, like he’s doing a car advert, in addition to his Nespresso coffee ads.

And just to emphasise the point further, The American is a beautiful offering with beautiful people, looking beautiful in beautiful and idyllic settings. Therefore, who better to lead the beautiful brigade in such an exquisite-looking film than top smoulderer Clooney who plays a mysterious American hit man called Jack who’s hiding out in Italy, until he’s called to do one last job for an equally mysterious client.

What’s obvious is The American is the creation of a photographer-cum-debut-feature-director, Anton Corbijn, with a great eye for detail, as each frame is crafted to capture the best of its subject matter. It’s like the perfect vehicle for Clooney to brood in and melt a thousand hearts, whilst encouraging a surge in bookings to the romantic destinations it’s filmed in.

In cultivating the settings, where very little actually happens, Corbijn – perhaps intentionally, we don’t know – misses out some important character development from Martin Booth’s novel that would go to explain certain circumstances in the film. One such example is Jack’s obsession with butterflies. In the book he’s an artist who paints butterflies, rather than a landscape photographer, hence his passion for the delicate little creatures and reference to Madame Butterfly operatic music. That said with this detail still included in screenwriter Rowan Joffe’s adaptation, it makes for a powerfully striking and iconic ending that’s the most memorable point in the film.

There’s also a little Pretty Woman thing going on, Italian style, with Jack falling for the (naturally) stunning village prostitute, Clara, played by sexy Italian actress/singer/songwriter Violante Placido who spends a lot of the time missing her clothing, even when she’s not on her back working. Add another deadly beauty in the shapely form of Dutch actress Thekla Reute as his unlikely predator, and you have yet more visually attractive elements in the mix, whilst guaranteeing Corbijn’s European audience. There are some great performances from Paolo Bonacelli as a wise old priest with an unexplained but obviously colourful past, and the enigmatic Johan Leysen as Jack’s sinister minder who is beautifully lit in many of his scenes.

The end result is a watchable, if vacuously sumptuous and stylish portrait that puts Clooney firmly in the frame, but is unlikely to win him any Academy accolades as it lacks any real substance and thrills that you’d expect from a ‘thriller’. That said its beauty is undoubtedly captivating, as is its stars, even with very little for Clooney to actually do. The American acts as a prime example of stellar cinematography for any budding film-maker to study, and will be lapped up by Clooney fans who just can’t get enough of his broodingly handsome good looks in big-screen definition. It is the ultimate Clooney fest.

3/5 stars

By L G-K

The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets’ Nest – 3*

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Posted: 26/11/2010

Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy finally comes to a cinematic end, and the only thing worth knowing is whether Daniel Alfredson’s finale, The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets’ Nest, does justice to the spellbinding novel in tying up the loose ends. It does, to a certain extent, providing a relatively engaging and much-needed justice server at the end, but mostly due to the powerhouse talent of Noomi Rapace as the ultimate survivor, Lisbeth Salander.

Screenwriter Ulf Ryberg doesn’t have an easy task as there is so much going on in the book that fitting it into 147 minutes was always going to be challenging. That said the film does take time to pick up pace, and this could be a factor of the amount of information that needs translating off the page. Ryberg appears to have got a little out of his depth in doing this, adding subplot after subplot that often doesn’t lead to anything substantial, in the vague hope that he is capturing the many elements of the brilliant book.

The story picks up where our fallen heroine Salander was found, severely wounded by a gunshot to the head, after tracking down her evil father and discovering a Neanderthal half-brother who is a brute of a killer machine who feels no pain and could give any Bond villain a run for his money. As ever, her guardian angel and ex-lover, journalist Mikael Blomkvist, played by the poker-faced Michael Nyqvist, comes to the rescue in time. He then makes it his personal mission to reveal the real facts and clear Salander’s name in an explosive expose in his Millennium magazine. This film actually provides Nyqvist with the opportunity to get a little more daring, self-absorbed and crazed as character Blomkvist, but he still rests within the realms of that certain Swedish restraint, even though it places the newshound in an exciting restaurant shootout. Still, Nyqvist does do reliable, solid and protective rather well, enough for the ladies to continue swooning at his untraditional leading-man sex appeal.

One of the main reasons for Hornets’ Nest’s tardy start is the lack of Salander action. Admittedly, this is a little tricky as she is bedridden in hospital, only able to communicate to the outside world via a mobile hidden in her chocolate box. Our heroine’s current state hardly adds any excitement to the proceedings, and it’s up to the often dull and egotistical Blomkvist to keep our interest through wordy, TV-cop-show-like puzzles and reveals with the help of his editorial team. That said this is where one such subplot begins to develop, after his team starts resenting his story obsession over their safety, and there’s a mini mutiny on Blomkvist’s hands, but this fizzles out before it even starts.

Sadly, the film’s main selling point, Salander, doesn’t come into action until quite some time into the story, and as much as we’re rooting for her, which keeps our interest in the interim on the whole, there are points where it wanes, particularly the whole Dr Teleborian focus in trying to mount electronic evidence against him and the evil authorities he’s in league with. It’s only at the end when Salander comes to trial and faces her nemesis, cutting him down to size in the ultimate show of girl power (helped by Blomkvist’s cutthroat lawyer sister representing her), that things get truly thrilling. But this ending is merely what we’d come to expect from Rapace who finally gets her voice.

The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets’ Nest is a necessary ending to a marvellous and meaty thriller that must give full credit for its best points to its lead, Noomi Rapace. Nyqvist as Blomkvist began life in the first film as an intriguing character, but has turned into a predictable, almost stereotypical one in the latter, even though there was scope to venture into some of his torment and daredevil spirit in getting the scoop out. Nevertheless, the subject matter is immense, and fans will appreciate how the crux of the tale has been sufficiently dealt with, even though it feels like a desperate attempt at combining a TV mini series into over two hours of cinema experience. It will be interesting to see how US director David Fincher and team treat the story, even though Rapace will be a tough act to follow, but Daniel Craig might just inject more life into Blomkvist.

3/5 stars

By L G-K

Machete – 2*

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Posted: 26/11/2010

There’s been an eager wait by fans for this film’s release, since it’s ‘fake’ trailer featured in Quentin Tarantino & Robert Rodriguez’s Grindhouse that starred its charismatic and craggy-faced lead, Danny Trejo, back in 2007. Now Machete in full form has finally arrived, having been conceived years before the former, and Rodriguez and co-director Ethan Maniquis’ latest Latino laud certainly does what the directors say; gives us a true Mexican hero (or three).

But there’s also an overwhelming sense of déjà vu as the same old format from the likes of Desperado is peddled out yet again, accumulating in the ultimate claret wipeout at the end. Even Trejo stays true to his previous character’s style, wearing his blade-carrying leather waistcoat over his muscular, tanned and tattooed skin as Machete, a legendary ex-Federale who’s framed and out for revenge for his brotherhood. It’s also hard to say if Rodriguez and Maniquis meant their film to be a pastiche as it pokes fun at times then takes itself too seriously at others.

That said Machete is like witnessing a hormonal juggernaut of seething resentment aimed at the usual suspect: the big bad USA – and we have to say, the whole border issue is getting a tad tired in such films when there are bigger socio-political, drug-related issues now affecting the region that could have made a better plot.

But this is not Traffic, and in the directors’ defence, what they deliver is the revolutionary, comic-book-style fantasy of putting wrongs to rights: It’s what Rodriguez’s films are all about; guns, gadgets, fire power, beautiful Latinas, religious symbolism and the token drug lord. So, if this is your bag, you’ll certainly not be disappointed with this latest bloodbath set on the Mexican border with Texas. And any excused to bash the evil workings of the US of A seems to get the audience on side in a heartbeat. These factors are the key draw of Rodriguez’s films, along with passionate-cum-deadly panto characters to love or hate.

What’s also in Machete’s favour is a highly impressive cast to help its box office case in Robert De Niro as ruthless and slippery Senator John McLaughlin, Jessica Alba as stunning immigrations officer Sartana Rivera, Steven Seagal as Mexican drug kingpin Torrez, Michelle Rodriguez as (yet another) hard-nut revolutionary called Luz, Jeff Fahey as ruthless businessman Booth, Cheech Marin as gun-wielding Padre Cortez, and Don Johnson as twisted border vigilante Von Jackson. Oh, and Lindsay Lohan plays Booth’s floozy daughter, turned vengeful nun – a thrilling addition to the line-up. Each character brings their own tour de force to the film, with some stylish framing in parts. However, this is also Machete’s dilemma, as it feels unevenly paced and bitty at times, as though the directors have got a bit carried away in trying to impress us with the characters, to the detriment of any intriguing plot.

Trejo needs no coaching in how to play bad effortlessly, having spent some of his life in jail for violence. What’s good to see this time is genuine warmth to his latest character that Trejo expertly projects in few words. Machete the anti-hero is the ultimate dichotomy, both trustworthy and untrustworthy, gentle and violent etc. Trejo has the ominous screen presence to pull it off; complete with a fascinating face you could spend hours navigating.

Fahey is surprisingly good as the villain of the piece, even upstaging the likes of De Niro and Seagal (the latter making little impact, to be honest). Johnson makes an astonishing transformation as the bigoted Von Jackson, possibly finding a new ‘bad guy’ niche in his career? Indeed this film is all about praising the B-movie Edam in large gooey dollops, and nothing should be taken too literally. What is controversial is some of the violence against women, like the shooting of a pregnant woman on the border, or Booth’s unhealthy interest in his daughter that some may take umbrage to, regressing the progress made in female film portrayal. Nevertheless, the fighting women in the film (Sartana and Luz) give as good as they get, so there is some sort of off-set at least.

Machete is a distinctive Rodriguez’s trademark, albeit not as imaginative as first expected, but entertaining all the same, with a cast worth watching. It does suffer from two-dimensionality and stereotypical clangers that could have been avoided with a little more thought, but it definitely bangs the controversial gong with its glorified violence and one scene with a hospital escape via human intestines. There are also some lines crimes against film-making that depending on your mood, will have you viewing co-writer Rodriguez as a jest genius or a parody pariah. Should Machete have stayed as an iconic Grindhouse trailer? Only Rodriguez fans can really judge, or really care. The rest of the audience will enjoy the big-name stars hamming it up in style.

2/5 stars

By L G-K