Review Category: Movie

MOVIE REVIEW: DEEPSEA CHALLENGE 3D / CERT: TBA / DIRECTOR: JOHN BRUNO, RAY QUINT, ANDREW WIGHT / STARRING: JAMES CAMERON / RELEASE DATE: TBC

On March 26, 2012 James Cameron, director of Aliens, The Abyss, Titanic, Avatar, and famously self-proclaimed “King of the World” descended alone to the bottom of the deepest place on earth, the Challenger Deep in the Marianas Trench, crammed into a steel sphere one metre across, part of the larger submersible Deepsea Challenger.

Deepsea Challenge 3D charts the path of Cameron, from inquisitive child, to filmmaker and on to explorer alongside the journey of the Challenger and the team who built it, from pieces of tech scattered around a warehouse in Sydney, Australia to the only thing preventing Cameron from being “chummed into a meat cloud” at the heart of the Ocean. Along the way there are technical problems to surmount, disappointing sea trials, heavy weather, personal tragedy and eventual triumph in the face of adversity.

As a National Geographic film, Deepsea Challenge is primarily about inspiration. Cameron’s own love of the ocean having been inspired by the previous manned trip to the Challenger Deep by the bathyscaphe Trieste back in 1960, and through this film and his dive Cameron hopes to inspire future explorers in the same way, and not just undersea adventurers. Unfortunately, this approach can have some downsides.

Cameron is engaging as a talking head and the preparation of the submarine as shown in the film is intriguing but the film does gloss over certain aspects of the story: why was Cameron chosen to pilot the submersible ahead of anyone else? How did the project get off the ground in the first place? What factors drove the design of the sub and what innovations are included (it is already being assembled as the film begins). What was it that “popped” so alarmingly during one of the test dives and, most important of all, whatever happened to the mouse that young Jim used to “pilot” his first bathyscaphe as a child? These are skipped over in favour of documenting Cameron’s growing love of the ocean through his film and later submersible experiences, a slightly irrelevant-feeling diversion into how this trip could possibly benefit research into tsunamis in future and test dives of the sub.

It’s on these test dives that the 3D aspect of the film comes into its own. While flat and unnoticeable on land, 3D is the perfect medium to handles the multiple planes of drifting sea life underwater. This also leads to somewhat of an anti-climax as Cameron’s descent into the abyss (he zips past the maximum depth Ed Harris’ Bud Brigman descended to in that film) doesn’t quite live up to his own expectations of life at the extremes, his disappointment all too clear compared to the open joy at happening across octopi and jellyfish during his earlier, shallower test dives.

As Cameron says, he may have dived “deeper than the limits of life“, which is in itself a staggering achievement and one worth celebrating and watching but hopefully there will be more of a detailed examination of this staggering feat one day.

Expected Rating: 8 out of 10
Actual Rating:

MOVIE REVIEW: THE BOOK OF LIFE / CERT: U / DIRECTOR: JORGE R. GUTIERREZ / SCREENPLAY: JORGE R. GUTIERREZ, DOUGLAS LANGDALE / STARRING: DIEGO LUNA, ZOE SALDANA, CHANNING TATUM, RON PERLMAN, KATE DEL CASTILLO, ICE CUBE / RELEASE DATE: OCTOBER 24th

Looking to do for the Mexican Day of the Dead what THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS did for yule, THE BOOK OF LIFE chronicles the adventures of three childhood friends Manolo (Luna), Maria (Saldana) and Joaquin (Tatum) whose friendship is tested when their relationship becomes the subject of a bet between the rulers of the two lands of the dead; La Muerte (del Castillo), mistress of the colourful Land of the Remembered, and Xibalba (Perlman), the Lord of the dreary Land of the Forgotten.

Will Maria marry Xibalba’s choice, adventurous Joaquin, who will grow to be a great hero, or La Muerte’s choice the more soulful Manolo, destined to be bullfighter by his family despite his dreams of becoming a musician? Along the way the trio will need to deal with multiple familial obligations, temporary exile, banditos, cute pigs, magical artefacts, Xibalba’s meddling and premature trips to both lands of the dead (and dead relatives) before the bet can be settled.

All of the above is presented in a charming art style with each of the characters modelled as wooden marionettes, with hinges and joints clearly visible on their arms and legs. This look is justified by the framing device of a museum tour guide (who may be more than she seems) relating the story to a group of modern day “detention kids” using wooden dolls. Other art styles pop up for the modern day sections along with a flat 2D style animation used for filling in background stories, with all three working well together. The larger world(s) are also presented beautifully with clever little details here and there, such as the town of San Angel being shaped like a guitar from above, its towers seemingly defying physics from a distance, a beautiful parade in the land of the remembered and the many odd supporting and background characters including a soapy chicken and some frankly bizarre-looking soldiers.

Accompanying the exaggerated visuals, THE BOOK OF LIFE packs in versions of well-known songs alongside original compositions, appropriately arranged to match the Mexican theme, most of which are very catchy but also quite short, each sticking around just long enough to lodge in the brain and get its point across before moving on. And the film does move on quickly, covering a lot of ground. It only ventures to the land of the dead after almost an hour, spending more time than expected chronicling the characters’ adventures in the living world. Happily, it’s another film that doesn’t feel the need to spell out its entire plot in the trailer.

All of the work on the visuals and music would be for naught if the film wasn’t entertaining, thankfully THE BOOK OF LIFE is an enjoyable, funny romp, managing to entertain both children and adults and doing so without dumbing down the story. While one of the rivals for Maria’s hand could have easily been portrayed as the villain of the piece instead he remains sympathetic throughout, and Maria herself is no damsel in distress and is well capable of handling the two men.

Despite dealing so prominently with death and the Land of the Dead the colourful film presents no cause for concern for children, THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS is probably scarier for the very young. The frequent comedy and the central message of celebrating the dead rather than mourning them, dissipates any real darkness.

According to the museum guide, THE BOOK OF LIFE contains many stories; this is just one of the most important. Hopefully more quirky tales will be forthcoming from this team in future.

Expected Rating: 7 out of 10

Actual Rating:

MOVIE REVIEW: KUNG FU JUNGLE / CERT: TBC / DIRECTOR: TEDDY CHAN / SCREENPLAY: TEDDY CHAN, HO LEUNG LAU, TIN SHU MAK / STARRING: DONNIE YEN, BAOQIANG WANG, CHARLIE YEUNG / RELEASE DATE: TBC

Rocking up to a police station covered in blood and announcing, ‘I killed someone’ should be an arresting way to open a movie. However, Kung Fu Jungle falls at the first hurdle; director Teddy Chen’s far more comfortable with fight scenes than wringing any dramatic tension out of dialogue or performance.

A bloodied martial arts instructor, Hahou Mo (Yen), admits to murder in the first scene and then Kung Fu Jungle picks up with him three years later as he is serving his prison sentence for letting his fists get the better of him. When Hahou learns of the murder of a fellow kung fu master, he insists on seeing the detective in charge of the investigation. Offering his help and some inside information on who the killer is and who will be the next target, Hahou is released from prison to help catch the murderer. Fung has a score to settle with and is picking off martial arts exponents one by one, killing them in methods that each victim is renowned for their skill in. The first’s beaten to death with fists, the next kicked to death, and another’s killed by weapons. Hahou’s dubious alliance with the detective is made even more tenuous as when he goes missing after his first encounter with the handicapped but determined killer Fung.

As a piece of Hong Kong action cinema, Kung Fu Jungle is an enjoyable romp. Furious fists fly around, bones crunch and blood spatters. It’s got plenty for martial arts fans to enjoy. Donnie Yen is one of the best at what he does and he is more than matched by the spectacular Wang Baoqiang who excels as the lethal villain, giving a wonderfully OTT performance. His wild facial expressions perfectly complement his impressive fighting skills and when Kung Fu Jungle finally gets to the promised face-off between the pair, it certainly delivers.

Director Chen definitely knows his way around a fight scene, even if on occasion you wish there could be less of the choppy editing and more moments where the martial arts is allowed to breathe in long, uninterrupted takes. Kung Fu Jungle could also do with a bit more splatter, its villain being memorably determined to fight every opponent to the death but the really nasty stuff often being shied away from. Chen has years of experience in Hong Kong action cinema but he could still have taken some tips from the brutality of The Raid.

It’s the dramatic scenes where Kung Fu Jungle really loses the plot. Chen shoots it all like a glossy episode of CSI but the average performances are not helped at all by the annoyingly intrusive score. Apart from the odd stunning time lapse of Hong Kong and the mostly brilliantly choreographed fight scenes, it often feels sloppily edited, overly lit and over egged. Nevertheless, if you go into Kung Fu Jungle for the fights, you’ll agree with villain when half way through the climactic duel he states simply, ‘this is fun’. Also, Hong Kong cinema and martial arts fans will get a real kick out of the bountiful number of legendary cameos.

Expected Rating: 6 out of 10

Actual Rating:

MOVIE REVIEW: A GIRL WALKS HOME ALONE AT NIGHT / CERT: TBC / DIRECTOR: ANA LILY AMIRPOUR / SCREENPLAY: ANA LILY AMIRPOUR / STARRING: SHEILA VAND, ARASH MARANDI, MARSHALL MANESH / RELEASE DATE: TBC

Of all the preconceptions and expectations that you may have about Iranian cinema, you are unlikely to expect an Iranian film to be indescribably cool. A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night is an achingly hip take on the vampire movie; forged from Western influences, but strikingly original and a million times more romantic, horrific and even youthful than Twilight.

Completely rejecting the idea that a girl walking home alone at night is in some kind of danger, Ana Lily Amirpour’s debut feature has its James Dean-modelled hero Arash roaming the streets and looking just as vulnerable as any of the female characters. Making ends meet by gardening at a luxury mansion, Arash has saved up for a car but is forced to give up his precious vehicle when his father’s drug dealer Saeed comes looking for the money he is owed. Meanwhile, a mysterious sexy hijab-clad vampire prowls the streets looking for prey; skateboarding her way to iconic status like a cross between a femme fatale and Batman.

A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night knows exactly how cool it is, appearing to effortlessly sink its teeth into pop culture and cinematic influences. From its attractive young cast, to its sparse dialogue, gorgeous monochrome photography and fantastic soundtrack, it has all the boxes ticked for cult status. This is revolutionary Iranian cinema; not concerned with social realism, but far more interested in creating an unsettling, at times comical, mood. Often it feels as though you are watching a super-cool music video, its characters meandering aimlessly, but looking damn fine doing it. The story may wander, but the moody tone is ruthlessly controlled.

The vampire is the most alluring aspect of the film, with the male characters all emerging as frightened, needy men. She is a sinister but alluring creature and the film’s sudden turn into horror is arresting, unexpected and crowd pleasing. Sheila Vand strikes a perfect balance between vulnerable, vain, potential victim and poised snake, ready to pounce, fangs unleashed. The effects are subtle and the violence restrained, but it all adds to the surreal atmosphere.

The parallels between Jim Jarmusch’s recent Only Lovers Left Alive are hard to ignore, but A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night is clearly its own beast. The eerie sound design and imposing industrial landscapes recall David Lynch’s Eraserhead, though there is nothing as weird as hamster-faced women hiding behind radiators here. Amirpour shows an astounding command of audio and visuals, with the edgy indie vibe never over egged, and every frame meticulously maintaining the at times oppressive and menacing and at other times liberating, vibrant mood.

From Arash’s costume to other Americana references, this is a film breaking free of its Iranian roots. A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night features a wonderful cultural mishmash of music, arthouse and genre elements. It certainly marks Amirpour as a deliciously talented director to watch out for. Just hope that her take on the vampire lives on far longer than those (un)bloody Twilight movies.

Expected Rating: 6 out of 10
Actual Rating:

MOVIE REVIEW: WHITE GOD / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: KORNÉL MUNDRUCZÓ / SCREENPLAY: KORNÉL MUNDRUCZÓ, VIKTÓRIA PETRÁNYI, KATA WÉBER / STARRING: ZSÓFIA PSOTTA, SÁNDOR ZSÓTÉR / RELEASE DATE: FEBRUARY 27TH

It’s the dawn of the planet of the dogs in this exceptional Hungarian film from director Kornél Mundruczó. Featuring a cast of hundreds of canines and some striking imagery of the beasts unleashed and taking to the city streets, it effortlessly blends powerful and emotional social realism with an ultimately hilarious dog apocalypse.

When 13-year-old Lili is forced by her father to get rid of her best friend and beloved mutt Hagen, it begins a story of horror and heartbreak for both the girl and her dog. Intercutting between the increasingly brutal treatment Hagen finds himself at the hands of, and Lili’s descent into teen rebellion as a response to the loss of her dog, White God is a harsh Homeward Bound where the doggy star will never be the same again by the end of the story.

As Lili searches the streets for Hagen, the poor dog is at the mercy of some savage characters, and both Lili and Hagen find themselves exploited and desperate to escape their circumstances. White God then swerves violently into a wildly anarchic final act that is brutal, satisfying and absolutely hysterical in its level of horror.

The real star of White Dog is, of course, Hagen (played by two incredible acting canines), who turns from gorgeous innocent pet into a transformed mad monster. It’s heart-breaking and terrifying to witness the level of cruelty some men are capable of and Hagen goes through hell in the film. The animal performance is astounding from the desperation in his eyes to the wild fury and savagery he demonstrates in later scenes. Through all the chasing, taunting, fights and beatings that Hagen endures, it is clear that the dog actor was never really in harmed in any way. Even if it might be obvious to the keen observer that in the dog fighting scenes, no actual harm is being done, it never distracts from the horror of events as they take place. Rest assured dog lovers, you will be cringing and sobbing at the plight Hagen finds himself in.

The human drama is less involving but Zsófia Psotta is excellent as Lili, a reasonable girl caught between her civilised desire to play trumpet in the school band and the cruelty of the ways adults around her treat animals. Also solid is her father, played by Sándor Zsótér, a man who has his daughter’s best interests at heart, but a devastating lack of respect for her canine best friend.

More importantly, White God comes loaded with subtext. From the holocaust inspired imagery of smoking chimneys, train tracks and concentration camps to the treatment of the mixed breeds by the government, White God works as effectively as a social commentary as it does as entertainment.

Despite how involving events are in the majority of White God though, it is the final act that is the stand-out sequence and the reason this film is elevated into something truly special. Hinted at in the flash forward opening scene, a slow motion sequence of hundreds of dogs chasing Lili through the city, it flips the film on its head and is at once horrifying, deeply satisfying and laugh out loud funny. Man’s best friend becomes man’s worst nightmare in this brilliant but barking mad set piece. With some spot on homage to The Birds, Jurassic Park and more, dog lovers will be howling in their seats at the catharsis provided by the final scenes.

Furiously entertaining with a perfect ending, White God is like 280 Dogs Later; an underdog story with some serious bite.

Expected Rating: 8 out of 10

Actual Rating:

MOVIE REVIEW: ’71 / CERT: 15 / YANN DEMANGE / SCREENPLAY: GREGORY BURKE / STARRING: JACK O’CONNELL, SAM REID, PAUL ANDERSON, SAM HARRIS, SAM HAZELDINE / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

After taking a small role in 300: Rise of an Empire surely just to pay the bills, Jack O’Connell gets back to what he does best with this small scale British thriller. After starting the year with searing prison drama Starred Up, ’71 sees O’Connell as young, fresh faced British soldier Gary Hook, shipped off to Belfast in 1971 and separated from his regiment after a nerve shredding street riot. Barely having time to find his feet on the streets of the divided city, Hook goes after a child who has stolen a wounded soldier’s gun, only to find his unit have made a sudden retreat back to the barracks. Narrowly avoiding being executed by IRA paramilitaries, Hook is immediately on the run and must find a way to survive the night, trapped between warring factions.

Screenwriter Gregory Burke and first time director Yann Demange have crafted a deceptively complex thriller that has shades of John Carpenter (particularly with its throbbing score) but an endless well of moral murkiness to draw from. It might seem like a simple chase thriller in the vein of Apocalypto or The Warriors but the characters that surround Jack O’Connell’s near-silent squaddie are generally far from the disposable cardboard cut-outs of films like Assault on Precinct 13. Hook is caught up in a hellhole of backstabbing, betrayal and brutality. Allegiance means nothing in this vision of war, as undercover British officers and the IRA are constantly hampered by infighting and a cutthroat mentality.

Jack O’Connell has far less of his usual swagger here; more of a limp actually. It’s arguably his best performance, turning that usual confidence into a cowering, wounded and terrified boy out of his depth. Gone is the hard lad, replaced with something more sincere and though the camera is often pinned to his face, he rarely speaks and gives little away. In fact, by the end of ‘71, we still know little of Hook, but only enough to care that he gets home. His contact with other characters is all that’s needed and Burke’s screenplay surrounds him with children; boys even younger than him or no older. ‘71 is a film about children caught up in war; from the tykes who throw piss bombs at the arriving British soldiers to the near mute Sean whose ties to the IRA have yet to dehumanise him.

From the opening sounds of punches in the boxing ring (that could easily be mistaken for the sound of bullets hitting flesh) to the visceral scenes of violence in the streets to the unbearably tense final standoff, the violence in ‘71 is messy, relentless and unstoppable. Round and round it goes and no one wins. Demange has little time for heroes and villains or political grandstanding. Though this is an edge-of-your-seat thriller, it never loses sight of the many victims of inhumane acts of war.

‘71 puts you right in the world of 1971 Belfast, even though it was shot in various locations in contemporary England. It’s an immersive, visceral and vital film that assures O’Connell’s place as an essential presence in British cinema.

Expected Rating: 7 out of 10

Actual Rating:

MOVIE REVIEW: JAMIE MARKS IS DEAD / CERT: TBC / DIRECTOR: CARTER SMITH / SCREENPLAY: CARTER SMITH / STARRING: LIV TYLER, JUDY GREER, CAMERON MONAGHAN, MORGAN SAYLOR / RELEASE DATE: TBC

When bullied outcast Jamie Marks is discovered naked and lifeless next to a local river, high school jock Adam finds himself strangely drawn to the circumstances surrounding the tragedy. Adam begins a relationship with Gracie, a loner girl who collects rocks and who discovered the body of social pariah Jamie. Boding over their sudden shared connection to Jamie, Adam and Gracie’s wintry small town gets even more chilly as they start seeing the spectre of the dead boy. At first he is outside a window, but soon Adam is conversing the with the ghost in his wardrobe and finding out how he can help the deceased teen in order to give him some peace.

Jamie Marks is the kind of kid who no one wanted to speak to at school, and even after his death, no one wants to speak about him. Ignored or bullied, he appears to Adam and Gracie as a near nude Harry Potter lookalike, reaching out from the afterlife in a desperate bid to be noticed.

Adapted from the novel One for Sorrow, director Carter Smith’s follow up to grisly Mexican set horror The Ruins is part coming of age tale and part ghost story. With its sombre score and eerie atmosphere, Jamie Marks is Dead straddles genres, sitting often uncomfortably between teen drama and something more unconventional. Like its confused protagonist, the film is torn between two worlds; Adam between the worlds of the living and the dead and the film itself between dealing with down to earth issues and exploring the afterlife.

As Adam is drawn further and further into Jamie’s world, he becomes more distanced from Gracie, his peers and his family. With Gracie coming on strong in her icy blue bedroom, Adam retreats (literally) into the closet with Jamie, exploring the isolation and identities of those like Jamie, whose lives ended in tragedy. Jamie Marks is Dead then becomes an occasionally chilling and inevitably touching tale of friendship, loneliness and love.

With its wintry landscapes, morbid, moody teens and run down locales, the supernatural never overwhelms the elegiac mood. Fans of TV’s Homeland may find Morgan Saylor a highly unwelcome presence as she still hasn’t quite managed to reign in her tendency to overdo her emoting. The subplot involving Liv Tyler as Adam’s recently paralysed mother is stagnant from the start while Jamie Marks the ghost is too communicative, and far too present to be either spooky or particularly gripping.

Jamie Marks is Dead is a work of melancholy originality; resorting to some familiar horror beats but ultimately exploring identity, isolation and loss in a hauntingly downbeat and mostly understated way.

Expected Rating: 6 out of 10

Actual Rating: