Review: Captain America: the Winter Soldier

Released: 28^th March

Certificate: 12A

Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo

Cast: Chris Evans, Anthony Mackie, Scarlett Johannson, Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Redford

For a movie that starts with a full-scale assault of a military vessel and has (unsurprisingly) a building-crushing, airborne, explosion-laden fistfight in its third act, the second instalment of Steve Rogers’ adventures proves surprisingly thoughtful. Rogers, played by the impossibly wholesome-looking Chris Evans, is still adapting to military life in the 21^st century, which seems somewhat less straightforward than in the forties. His relationship with SHIELD director Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) is somewhat tense as the Cap instinctively recoils from SHIELD’s increasingly ‘shoot first, ask questions later’ approach, despite Fury’s reassurances.

These themes are tackled dealt with as the larger narrative arc unfolds, and a highly pertinent question is explored: how far should civil liberties be compromised for protection, and when they are, who suffers? But if political philosophy isn’t your thing, there are also plenty of explosions, gadgets and punch-ups. The fight scenes are wonderfully balletic while at the same time retaining a sense of grit, and the action sequences involving machines are also well thought out. Scarlett Johansson makes a welcome return as the Black Widow, and serves as both friend and comedic foil for Rogers as they navigate the twists and turns of a suddenly enemy-infiltrated SHIELD. Further support is provided by Falcon (Anthony Mackie), an ex-serviceman who can sympathise with Rogers’ ambivalence towards current military aims. Mackie does well with a somewhat underwritten role, and it’s refreshing to have a black superhero join the Marvel line up, albeit in a supporting capacity.

Despite the interesting premise, the film struggles slightly to balance the spectacle of an action blockbuster with the political questions and character development, and as a result the pace feels a little uneven and certain plot holes emerge. However, it should be lauded for being as ambitious as it is, and it does manage to nicely tie up some loose ends from the first Captain America film.

Verdict: 3.5/5

Review: The Grand Budapest Hotel

Released: 7^th March

Certificate: 15

Director: Wes Anderson

Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Tony Revolori, F. Murray Abraham, Saoirse Ronan

Anderson’s latest is a gloriously farcical murder mystery set in and around the eponymous hotel, which sits nestled in the mountains of a fictional central European nation called Zubrowka. The story unfolds within itself as in the early 1980s a writer relates how a meeting with the hotel’s owner (F. Murray Abraham) in the late 1960s inspired him to write an account of the hotel owner (newcomer Tony Revolori)’s adventures in 1932. Needless to say, things get a little convoluted.

But it is in the minutiae and endless threads of a story that Anderson does his best work. His trademark patois renders even the lowliest prison inmates eloquent, and elevates the conversational acrobatics of Ralph Fiennes’ M. Gustave to practically poetic status.  The cinematography, too, bristles with pleasing quirks, as the camera suddenly jerks round to reveal events occurring just out of shot, often to great comic effect. Anderson’s love of daft humour and gentle melancholy is here also punctuated with thrilling chases and moments of genuinely startling violence.

Fiennes gracefully leads a stunning cast, with many Anderson stalwarts cropping up alongside other recognisable (and not so recogniseable in the case of Tilda Swinton’s Madame D.) faces. Special mention must go to Fiennes, who devotes Shakespearian commitment to Gustave, making him endlessly endearing even as we realise he’s somewhat of a rogue and a windbag. Tony Revolori provides a good foil for Fiennes in a Michael Cera-esque turn as the young Zero, who starts as a lobby boy when Gustave is concierge in the glory days of the Grand Budapest.

However, for all its intricacy, the absence of the deeper themes which characterise Anderson’s more serious works means at times the pace can slip a little, rendering the whole thing as frivolous as the confections Agatha (Ronan) prepares at Mendl’s bakery. The screenplay is also more expletive-laden than Anderson’s usual fare, and while insults and curses are usually used with great precision, some exchanges come off a little gauche.

Despite the occasional tasteless joke and drop in pace, Anderson’s most recent work is a glorious confection of an adventure story, packed with warmth and humour.

Verdict: 4/5

Mini review: Never Let Me Go (2010)

Certificate: 12

Director: Mark Romanek

Cast: Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield, Kiera Knightley, Sally Hawkins

  An up and coming British cast provide enchanting performances in this low key adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s 2005 novel. The film follows friends Kathy (Carey Mulligan), Tommy (Andrew Garfield) and Ruth (Kiera Knightly) from their upbringing in the mysterious Hailsham school through to their late twenties. While technically a sci-fi tale (text at the beginning informs us that in 1952 a scientific breakthrough has pushed lifespans beyond 100 years), this is very much a reflection on friendship, identity and the acceptance of extraordinary circumstances. Although weakened by making what in the novel is a slow reveal apparent from the start, the interactions between the characters help maintain dramatic tension throughout, resulting in a heartfelt and engaging piece.

Verdict: 4/5

Review: Her

Released: 14^th February

Certificate: 15

Director: Spike Jonze

Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson, Amy Adams, Rooney Mara

In the not too distant future, middle class Los Angeles has become a hipster’s paradise in which everyone interacts with their voice controlled, cigarette case-sized personal computer via a single earplug. The improbably named Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix) writes other people’s love letters for them while trying to get over the end of his marriage to Catherine (Rooney Mara). When the first artificially intelligent operating system is released, lonely Theodore purchases it and activates Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson), who quickly becomes a more complex entity than even her creators could have foreseen.

By exploring a relationship that exists outside of the physical realm, Her provides a fascinating meditation into the nature of romance, and is tantalisingly reluctant to provide any hard and fast answers. Is Theodore escaping the responsibilities and confrontations that come with a relationship with a ‘real’ person? What are the criteria for ‘real’ anyway, when a supposedly artificial intelligence displays emergent properties that blow the Turing Test out of the water?

It is in these philosophical curiosities that Her makes its impact, providing a poignant allegory for anyone struggling to make a relationship work in the face of physical, cultural or geographical differences. It’s just unfortunate that the exploration of these questions doesn’t provide a more riveting cinema experience. Phoenix’s Theodore is interesting and sympathetic, but not quite enchanting enough to carry the film, and despite Johansson’s excellent voice acting, not seeing the two actors interact onscreen definitely feels like there’s something missing. This is felt particularly starkly in comparison to the scenes where the increasingly impressive Amy Adams shines as Theodore’s friend, Amy.

The cinematography is effective in anchoring the film in the fantastical, with soft, dreamlike edges emphasising the feeling of a possible (but by no means definite) future. Subtle shifts in focus go some way to injecting a more dynamic feel into Theodore’s interactions with the invisible Samantha. However, the ubiquitous pastel primary colours and recurring flashback montages sometimes invoke the spectre of Apple and HTC advertisements a little too blithely, making the whole thing feel at times oddly corporate and clinical.

Verdict: 3.5/5