Film’s of the Week

Selma (2014)

Director: Ava DuVernay

Martin Luther King’s attempt to secure equal voting rights by leading a march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama.

By no means is this film perfect, but an academic professor described it as “the shit”, so it intrigued me. The film’s dependency lies heavily on its power to move the audience, and when it does its really powerful stuff.

A problem that does plague biographical or historical films is coming to a coherent ending, which is what happened with Selma. But the reason it is a film of the week is because of how well it encapsulates the brutality of a 1960’s Alabama.

Although the movie isn’t perfect the cast is the closest thing to it, Oyelowo’s performance is a delightful surprise and deserved any award going. He anchors the entire emotional impact of the film and its genuinely worth watching to see an up and coming actor make his mark.

 

Top Five (2014)

Director: Chris Rock

A famous comedian, about to marry his reality TV star fiancee, is followed by a journalist for a day.

It’s genuinely a pleasure to see Chris Rock bring something to the screen that’s not just funny, but smart and surprisingly sophisticated. It never loses sight of its comedic tone but its excellent cast chemistry, especially between Dawson and Rock, makes it one of the better romances of 2014.

While a lot of the film has Rock throwing out a constant stream of jokes, the film focuses on much more. The best, in my opinion, is Rock’s fear of not believing in himself. After being sober for some time he fears that a sober mind will leave his comedy stale, and its not until an almost ‘vintage’ stand up session that he recaptures what it means to be funny.

This gives the film its biggest payoff and proves Rock to be above the Sandler-esque comedy. He gives his heart and soul to write a character that you have to love, and a film you have to love.

 

 

 

 

Film’s of the Week

My Summer of Love (2004)

Director: Pawel Pawlikowski

In the English countryside, a young and bored working class Mona (Natalie Press) meets the exotic and enigmatic Tamsin (Emily Blunt).

It’s Shane Meadows style behind the camera is already enough to capture the atmosphere and lifestyle of the working class Mona. but what My Summer of Love does so well, standing at one hour and twenty-five minutes, packs as much into it as it can without losing it’s story and characters. ‘Romance’ is the genre but it’s not just focused on adolescent love as it is loss, the two central characters have both experienced loss in their own ways building a stronger foundation for their relationship. When the film needs more bulk it throw’s in Mona’s born again brother Phil, played brilliantly by Paddy Considine, who is dealing with his own demon’s of held back aggression and anger whilst battling to save his sister in the same way God saved him.

While you have fun with the romance, you only know that Summer has to end, which is just as heartbreaking. Probably not ‘box of tissues’ kind of tears but certainly infuriating ones. But everyone involved puts all they have into their characters, Emily Blunt especially. and while on a smaller budget still manages to capture a countryside backdrop like no other.

 

Gods and Monsters (1998)

Director: Bill Condon

A look at the last few days of legendary horror director James Whale, and his relationship with his gardener Clayton Boone.

There is a reason the film won an academy award for its writing, it constantly reveres the work and artistic creativity of its main character by embodying both the horror and nostalgia factor of his back catalog of films. But it never loses sight of the story it’s telling.

The more surprising part of the film is Brendan Fraser, the spectrum of emotion he carries for Clayton Boone is overwhelming. Using his physique to bring across the ignorant masculinity to then change into a sheltered caring friend that rises, not only his performance, but McKellen’s as well. One of the best examples of acting and reacting you’ll see and at the films center lies a mixture of dignity and vulnerability which is embraced wholeheartedly from Ian McKellen’s commendable performance.

 

 

Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice Review -Too Dark for the Dark Knight

Now that all the hype has settled and people have experienced Snyder’s take on the Dark Knight match up with the Man of Steel, what do we think? Well the clue is in the title. 

Since Superhero films have emerged and become what is the most popular genre of this current decade, its the Marvel franchise that is the main vocal point. However DC are pushing their way into the running, first with Man of Steel, and now with their biggest film yet Batman vs. Superman.

Now don’t get me wrong, Snyder has a style that  has brought out some brilliant films, like 300 and Watchmen. But its when style comes before substance, that’s when there is a problem. With a running time of 2 and half hours and still having really nothing to show for it other than some gloomy set pieces and property damage beyond imagination you know there has to be something wrong. Where Marvel have managed a mature informality with their films this has unfortunately mistaken maturity for boredom. In fact the best action comes from Batman’s Mad Max wasteland-esque dream sequence, so please just think about that statement and ponder on the what it says about the rest of the film. Being hyped as one of the biggest action movies of the year and the best action is someone being asleep.

Admittedly its not just Snyder’s over compensating shadows that weaken this film, really this negativity I’m giving comes 3 tier. The next tier is the entire basis and reason for superheroes, unless you’re the quirky outsider sociopath who believes and roots for the villain everyone can agree that the point behind a ‘hero’ (not just a superhero) is that you root for them and you believe that you are accompanying them on their quest to reach their goal. But not once, from when Batman is hacking Lex Corp or when the heroes are combining their forces to take down the big guy at the end, do you really care for Batman or Superman. To be honest if their is a positive to take from the film its Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman, her powerful Amazonian entrance into the battle is really the most auspicious part to the film.

The films hype, the trailers and everything else really do lead you to believe you’re going to be watching ‘vs.’, the ultimate showdown that will explode fanboys’ brains. With that mind the disappointment stems, not just for the DC fans, from the hit and miss battle that’s shorter than a Mortal Kombat 3 round showdown. Affleck and Cavill’s back and forth quips at each other about world destruction and saving the human race are then ultimately decided because the two character’s mothers have the same name, and while Affleck and Cavill’s performances are relatively solid there isn’t much you can do with writing like that.

It’s riddled with mediocrity with the occasional pleasing aesthetic placement, but Snyder has done the unthinkable and made it too dark for the Dark Knight, and too gritty for the Man of Steel.

2/5.