Review Category: Movie

“This is never going to end, is it?” gasps the battle-weary Katia (Ware) after one of Hitman: Agent 47’s endlessly frenetic fight scenes/car chases. Despite a lean running time of not much more than ninety minutes, chances are you’ll be thinking something very similar at right about this point in the movie.

This reviewer is happy to admit he’s not much of a gamer – a recent potential Angry Birds addiction was nipped in the bud sharpish – and thus absolutely unqualified to comment on whether this latest Hitman movie (a reboot of a franchise kicked off in 2007) pays due reverence to the enduring stealth video game series. The film does, apparently, pay homage to the games here and there but, out of necessity, it has to do something rather different for a cinema-going audience. Unfortunately, all it’s really able to do is take bits of The Terminator (remorseless killing machine), The Matrix (stylish fight sequences) and James Bond (nice clothes and exotic locations) and hope they’ll be enough to paper over the cracks in a story which fatally fails to engage the audience’s interest and has to resort to extreme uber-violence and style-over-substance visuals.

Never trust a movie which info-dumps all over the opening credits; it’s a sure sign of a clumsy script content to take lazy short cuts. A bored voice-over tells of Dr Litvenko (Hinds) and his plans to create a breed of super-powered, super-intelligent assassins known as ‘Agents’ and the crisis of conscience which saw him abandon the project and run away, leaving behind his young daughter Katia. Years later ruthless rivals determined to replicate the technology are about to locate Litvenko but are intercepted by the implacable Agent 47 (Friend), who slaughters them all. Katia is befriended by the mysterious John Smith (Quinto) but it seems that his philanthropic nature isn’t quite what it seems and soon Katia finds herself on the run with Agent 47 and ending up in Singapore, chased by agents and soldiers of the Syndicate who will stop at nothing to get their hands on Litvenko and the secrets of the ‘Agent’ initiative.

As generic action movies go, Hitman isn’t bad but it’s utterly uninvolving and our interest is really only maintained by its tireless (and occasionally tiresome) action sequences. Gun battle follows fist fight follows car chase; the violence is graphic and bloody and so relentless it eventually becomes wearing. Friend (who replaced the late Paul Walker in the lead role) is tolerably bland as Agent 47 and Ware throws herself into the murky narrative with gusto. It looks brilliant, the action is beautifully-filmed (it really shows off its stunning locations) but by the end – despite a mid-credits sting which suggests/threatens a sequel – you’ll have had quite enough of the whole thing. It’s really more of a miss than a hit, man.

HITMAN: AGENT 47 / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: ALEKSANDER BACH / SCREENPLAY: SKIP WOODS, MICHAEL FINCH / STARRING: RUPERT FRIEND, HANNAH WARE, ZACHARY QUINTO, CIARÁN HINDS / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Expected Rating:  5 out of 10
Actual Rating:
 

If you’ve seen the trailer for Nima Nourizadeh’s American Ultra at a recent trip to your local fleapit/multiplex then you’ve actually already seen the best of it. This grungy, sweaty, messy, bloody subversive action movie – a Kingsman for stoners – has one clever concept embedded deep within its zoned-out heart but once it’s shot that particular bolt it runs itself into the ground and really hasn’t got anywhere to go other than where it’s already been.

Pothead Mike (Eisenberg) lives a rather mundane and potentially-idyllic life in Nowheresville, USA with his sweet squeeze Pheobe (Stewart), but he has dark secrets in his past that even he’s utterly unaware of. When he finds a couple of strangers tampering with his car in the parking lot of the downmarket grocery store where he ekes out a living, he suddenly explodes into action as a ruthless, agile killing machine and within seconds two men lay dead. Not unnaturally, Mike freaks out and calls on Phoebe for help and moral support. Mike, as it turns out, is a brainwashed CIA ‘sleeper’ agent, a super-soldier adept at extreme death-dealing and now the subject of a CIA termination order. His world is quickly turned upside down and inside out when an army of CIA agents, including the psychopathic Laughter (Goggins), turn up en masse with orders to wipe Mike out with extreme force. To compound Mike’s very bad day, it also seems that his beloved Phoebe isn’t quite who he thought she was either…

One of the main problems with American Ultra is that it really has just one ace up its sleeve and when it’s out in the open there’s not much left it can do to surprise its audience. We know that Mike is capable of extraordinary violence – and how – and it’s just a matter of seeing him come to terms with it and using his skills to outwit the CIA, led by the inept and over-ambitious Adrian Yates (Grace). The film’s uneven tone doesn’t really help either. It’s at its best before the madness kicks off and Eisenberg seems more at home as Mike the eager-to-please stoner than as Mike the kick-ass killer. The film’s humour is shunted aside in favour of bone-crunching violence and when these are run side-by-side both are compromised as they’re uneasy bedfellows which don’t sit well together. But lovers of buckets of blood and people getting shot in the head will find much to enjoy, Eisenberg is typically good value and Kristen Stewart, distanced now from the loathsome Twilight franchise, is really shaping up into a formidable screen talent.

American Ultra isn’t really able to live up to the potential of its principal conceit and whilst it hasn’t found much favour at the Box Office we suspect it’ll develop into a bit of a cult favourite (stick around for the inspired animated end credits sequence, by the way) and find its true audience with the beer’n’-pizza stay-at-home crowd.

AMERICAN ULTRA / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: NIMA NOURIZADEH / SCREENPLAY: MAX LANDIS / STARRING: JESSE EISENBERG, KRISTEN STEWART, TOPHER GRACE, CONNIE BRITTON, WALTER GOGGINS, BILL PULLMAN, TONY HALE / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Expected Rating:  7 out of 10
Actual Rating:

 

Absolutely Anything is a script which has been knocking around in Terry Jones’ bottom drawer for a good twenty years; which accounts for why it feels so resolutely – and quite refreshingly – old-fashioned. Not only does the movie reunite the surviving Monty Python stars as the voices as bunch of God-like aliens it also has the feel of a throwaway Python sketch which wouldn’t have been at all out of place on one of their classic, ramshackle BBC comedy shows or even as a full-on Python-in-their-prime movie. But times and tastes have changed and the film finally surfaces as the latest vehicle for Simon Pegg as he continues his struggle to establish himself as leading man material.

Absolutely Anything is absolutely fine – but nothing more. Pegg plays eager-to-please teacher Neil Clarke who, entirely randomly, is gifted the power to do… well, absolutely anything by aliens keen to see if humanity deserves continued existence or utter annihilation. Will Neil choose to end world hunger, homelessness and war (points the film does address, recognising that ending world ills just creates worse problems – mass obesity, overcrowding and wars starting for no reason at all) or just make his dog talk and his sexy neighbour Catherine (Beckinsale) fall in love with him? Well, what do you think?

This is entirely disposable and yet completely inoffensive slapstick fun and many critics have pilloried it for not adequately addressing the potential of one person possessing unlimited power, missing the point that Neil is completely the wrong person to be given such an enormous responsibility (and, indeed, that giving any one person such power might not be a great idea), which doesn’t necessarily mean that humanity is hopelessly beyond redemption. Neil throws his abilities around with reckless abandon and with consequences which might not exactly be hilarious but are certainly worth a wry chuckle or two. Pegg is on surer ground here than he has been in some of his shakier standalone efforts in the last few years, Beckinsale displays a comic timing we might not have suspected from her turns as the leather-clad Seline in the dreary Underworld franchise and it’s genuinely heart-warming to hear the remaining Pythons voicing the rather rubbish aliens as they ponder the worth of the human race from their upended conical spaceship.

Absolutely Anything is big broad British farce and nothing more or less. It’s cheeky rather than vulgar and it displays the odd flash of inventive wit which could only really come from the once razor-sharp mind of one of the Monty Python team. Throwaway fun – absolutely inessential but absolutely harmless.

ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING / CERT: 12A / DIRECTOR: TERRY JONES / SCREENPLAY: GAVIN SCOTT / STARRING: SIMON PEGG, KATE BECKINSALE, SANJEEV BHASKAR, ROBIN WILLIAMS, ROB RIGGLE, EDDIE IZZARD, MEERA SYAL / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Expected Rating: 6 out of 10
Actual Rating:

In this version of the legend our bard-in-waiting has tried everything from contemporary dance to playing the lute in a local “rock” band. Thus far, nothing has proven to be his calling. Now, with dreams of becoming a writer, young William heads off to “that there London” to find his fortune but instead becomes embroiled in a plot by King Philip II of Spain to blow up Queen Elizabeth I. Obvious really.

However cynically you might approach Bill, it generates so much goodwill that it becomes impossible not to be drawn in by the film’s inherent enthusiasm and joyful Christmas cracker-esque punchlines. It is nonsense, but very humorous nonsense in a parental guidance, pre-watershed Monty Python kind of way. The majority of the cast take on multiple roles, and the variations in preposterous wigs and facial hair attachments means they get away with it. Credit must also be given for the abundance of background sight gags, clever repetitions and witty exchanges which are reminiscent of some of Aardman’s best work. Bill also cleverly avoids the pitfall of becoming too episodic, like a series of sketches clumsily bolted together. The narrative flows along smoothly and with pace, never allowing individual scenes to outstay their welcome.

This is clearly a family orientated film and one that will demand repeat viewing from younger audiences, but like Python it will always draw a chuckle from any casual viewer, however reluctant that might be on the umpteenth viewing. Think of Bill as a pantomime that you will actually enjoy. There is a cast that, with one or two acceptable exceptions, remain just the right side of hammy, there is a script that is hard not to like, and a message about pursuing your dreams that, well, is there if you really want to see it.

Simply put, Bill is good fun. It won’t win any awards, but there are more than enough laughs, the acting is credible (although one or two of the Spanish accents waiver a tad from time to time), and as with all the best Shakespearean comedies, there is even a little crossdressing. You’d have to be pretty grumpy not to enjoy it.

BILL / CERT: PG / DIRECTOR: RICHARD BRACEWELL / SCREENPLAY: LAWRENCE RICKARD, BEN WILLBOND / STARRING: MATTHEW BAYNTON, SIMON FARNABY, MARTHA HOWE-DOUGLAS, JIM HOWICK / RELEASE DATE: SEPTEMBER 18TH

Expected Rating: 6 out of 10

 

In contemporary cinema, the concept of cults has become an enticing trend, especially in recent years thanks to films like Martha Marcy May Marlene and Sound of My Voice, which all examined the disturbing concept of brainwashing and how some people let themselves be used and dominated with apparent ease by mesmerising leaders who promises them salvation, only to fuel their own personal benefit. In the case of Faults, Riley Stearns presents us a unique perspective by distancing away from the traditional concepts and details of the cult and instead takes us through the regenerative process of lost identity and reconstructing one’s own personality into something else. It’s through this we get in-depth character studies with both the apparent victim and the analyst each gradually revealing their own particular psychologies, their personal inner demons and the internal struggle of reclaiming one’s own freewill. The roles of victim and redeemer get turned in on its head, and Fearns’ screenplay and direction makes Faults stand out with its complexity and precision.

The film also boasts solid performances, starting with Leland Orser who brilliantly blurs the line of likeable and slimy. He brilliantly captures the portrait of a “pathetic loser” stuck in limbo and is seeking redemption, and hopefully Orser gets to be the lead in many more films in the future. However, this film really belongs to Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who completely shines as the victim/manipulator. Having impressed with films like Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and Smashed, Winstead delivers her best performance yet, masterfully switching simultaneously from fragile, conflicted, manipulative and seductive in the blink of an eye, putting the casual viewer through a tidalwave of emotions. Through her captivating presence and the enigmatic darkness lurking behind her eyes, she hooks you in and it’s impossible to look away from her. There’s one particular scene where Claire is attempting to seduce Ansel, which is creepy as ever. Claire is a unique and complex character, and Winstead deserves recognition for her towering portrayal.

Psychologically thrilling, yet oddly and darkly comic at times, Faults is an intense character study that gets under your skin and sends chills up your spine. Arguably, Martha Marcy May Marlene (which famously launched the career of Elizabeth Olsen) is the superior film in terms of originality and execution, but with its seedy and dirty undercurrent, Faults slithers along in fine form and perfectly raises questions to which no one really knows the answer to, and it’s with this that we can expect great things for Riley Stearns.

FAULTS / CERT: TBC / DIRECTOR & SCREENPLAY: RILEY STEARNS / STARRING: LELAND ORSER, MARY ELIZABETH WINSTEAD, CHRIS ELLIS, JON GRIES / RELEASE DATE: TBC

Expected Rating: 8 out of 10

Hollywood has been spewing out multi-million dollar blockbusters again this summer – generally, it has to be said, with agreeable results – and yet here’s a presumably super low-budget British effort wandering in unheralded out of nowhere to blow many of them right out of the water. Containment is another of those glorious unexpected triumphs that the British film industry is still able to pull out of its hat every now and again. Vaguely reminiscent of previous tower block thrillers such as….um…Tower Block and Comedown this debut feature from Neil Mcenery-West is practically a textbook example of how to create a tense, claustrophobic, edgy trust-no-one modern urban thriller.

Survivalist films are nothing new, of course, and on paper the whole premise of Containment has an undeniable whiff of seen-all-this-before. But Mcenery-West’s deft handling of the bleak, drab location (much of the film is set in the block itself with some atmospheric outside filming in the last act) and his small cast of core characters, powered by Lemon’s lean no-nonsense script, puts a brave new spin on an initially familiar and derivative story. Mark is quickly joined by a small and disparate group of neighbours and together – and sometimes not together – they struggle to make sense of their situation  and try to work together to find a way to stay alive.

The ‘reveal‘ of exactly what’s going on might not be a huge surprise yet the film’s pace never slackens and even when it drifts perilously close to zombie movie territory at points – the rampaging, enraged neighbours escaped from the adjacent block determined to get their hands on the Hazmat guard Mark and his group have captured – it still manages to feel fresh, vibrant and original. Characterisation is sharp despite (or more probably because of) the film’s taut 75-minute running time and the cast – Lee Ross (EastEnders, Catherine Tate Show) and Sheila Reid (Benidorm, Doctor Who) being the best-known names – are utterly convincing in their portrayal of terrified, bewildered and yet doggedly-determined ordinary folk who find themselves in an extraordinary and desperate situation.

It’s hard to find significant fault with Containment so we won’t even try. Stark, brittle, disquieting and with an ending to rival The Mist for bleakness, Containment is British genre cinema to champion and one to shout about from the nearest rooftop. Just maybe not a tower block…

CONTAINMENT / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: NEIL MCENERY-WEST / SCREENPLAY: DAVID LEMON / STARRING: LEE ROSS, SHEILA REED, GABRIEL SENIOR, ANDREW LEUNG / RELEASE DATE: SEPTEMBER 11TH (LIMITED CINEMA RELEASE), OCTOBER 5TH (DVD)

One thing FrightFest has been known to deliver on in the past is a good, old fashioned scary film and Demonic is no exception. The Will Cannon-directed movie is a whodunit come haunted house caper come satanic stormer and despite these being familiar themes, the actors and editing ensure that it’s a scream.

The film follows the forensic investigation one Detective Mark Lewis (Frank Grillo, Captain America: The Winter Soldier), the typical cop married to the job, much to the annoyance of his date, psychologist Elizabeth Kline (Maria Bello, A History of Violence). Both have been called to the Livingston house, which has a reputation for being haunted and in which there is a chance that further strange or possibly murderous happenings may have taken place. This is, probably expectedly, down to the meddling group of pesky kids who have decided to give the place a rattle to see if anything comes out to play.

Demonic combines Scooby-Doo style mystery solving with some rather well-timed jump scares and tension leaps. This is primarily a result of good editing which ensures focus is kept on key parts of the sequence to help with the murder mystery narrative. In addition, the set dressing is interesting, with sections of the house laid out in a suitably cheesy style while other rooms are functionally decorated, giving a sense of modern mundanity.

What really helps, however, is the acting from the young lead, Dustin Milligan (as John). He may not be as nuanced or known as Bello, but he retains a presence throughout that grounds the story in a sense of reality that is vital to the overall arc. He is ably abetted by Scott Mechlowiczas as the dastardly Bryan (the ex-boyfriend from Hell), and both actually have rather difficult jobs in terms of the roles they must play when scenes switch back and forth between the haunted house and the recognisable, neon lit world. This changes over the course of the film, because intentionally or not, the drama becomes more important as the overt scares increase. Indeed, while the frisson remains, more clichéd horror effects are gradually introduced and have the effect of making it less nerve-wracking to actually watch the screen. It becomes vital for the visual clues that are gradually given away and it can be fun to go through and play spot the pop occult imagery. The only thing that disturbs this slightly is the character of Jules (Megan Park), who comes across as a little too airheaded to be believable as someone who would know ritual magick rather than play with a bit of palm reading. It’s a small point, but it does undermine the supposed authenticity. 

Demonic is a frightening haunted house film that has as many twists and turns as malevolent music box. Because it is also slightly campy fun at times, it just about gets away with its less realistic excesses. That said, the devil’s in the detail and a little less might have been more.

DEMONIC / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: WILL CANON / SCREENPLAY: WILL CANON, DOUG SIMON, MAX LA BELLA / STARRING: MARIA BELLO, FRANK GRILLO, CODY HORN, DUSTIN MILLIGAN / RELEASE DATE: SEPTEMBER 7TH (DVD)