Review: Wild

Released: 16^th January 2015

Certificate: 15

Director: Jean-Marc Valée

Screenwriter: Nick Hornby, Cheryl Strayed

Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern, Thomas Sadowski, Keene McRae, Gaby Hoffman

In early 1995, Cheryl Strayed set off alone on a 1,100 mile hike along the Pacific Crest Trail, which winds its way through California, Oregon and Washington. Adapted from Strayed’s own account of her journey, Wild sees Strayed (Reese Witherspoon) navigating not just the truculent terrain of the PCT, but the messy trail of her recent past, which unravelled after the death of her mother (Laura Dern).

The way that these twin journeys (one of the mind and one of the body) intersect and intertwine forms a strong thread throughout Wild. Each challenge in the formidable American wilderness has its looking-glass twin in Strayed’s reminisces, and her attitudes to the events on the trail are given context by the gradual reveal of the events in her life. Witherspoon delivers an assured performance in an unusually physical and complex role. She perfectly captures Strayed’s anger, vulnerability and growing resolve, and is unflinching under Valée’s frank camerawork. Strayed’s disintegrating pre-trail life is a downward spiral of promiscuous infidelity and drug abuse as she seeks to punish herself sufficiently for failing to live up to the example set by her mother, however despite the explicit content of certain scenes, they never feel gratuitous or voyeuristic, and are clearly intended to illustrate, rather than titillate. This is laudable and ensures the focus remains squarely on Strayed’s emotional journey. Nick Hornby’s script, despite falling into the inspirational story trap of being a little heavy on cod philosophy, generally works well. The conversations between Strayed and her mother in flashback are particularly poignant, and the walking to redemption theme is surprisingly moving. The esoteric touches of the mysterious fox and of Strayed’s mother appearing, spectre-like, at the scenes of her recalled misdeeds, are also effective. Although the film is played perhaps a little too conventionally to be truly extraordinary, there is nevertheless much to admire about it, and indeed much to enjoy.

Verdict: 3/5

Image credit: foxsearchlight.com/wild

American Sniper Review

American Beauty 

Released : January 16th 2015

Certificate : 15

Director : Clint Eastwood

Cast : Bradley Cooper, Max Charles, Sienna Miller

Plot : The true life story of Chris Kyle (Cooper), a sniper who severed in Iraq with the US forces, and who became the most lethal sniper in U.S. military history with 160 confirmed kills.

Clint Eastwood’d directional legacy continues with American Sniper being his third war film to date, and for this instalment there is a slight air of hurt locker in the story. Except unlike that acclaimed war triumph, this is a true story, based on the auto-biography of the main character Chris Kyle, who is played by Bradley Cooper. This is not Coopers first experience as lead actor, but this perhaps is oneof his most professional roles to date. As when it is a true bio-pic directed by Eastwood, with little supported cast, and furthermore a war film, a lot of the film was resting on Coopers shoulders. The whole film revolved around his performance, so if audiences weren’t impressed, he would be the first target for criticism.

The tale doesn’t lack in interest, as Chris Kyles life is a truly extraordinary one, being the mostlethal sniper in the history of the US army. The film touches briefly on his child hood and follows his enrolment and training, and his four tours of Iraq in which he killed 160 men. As well as the warfare, as is to be expected of a professionally made film such as this, it follows tracks Kyles marriage to tough talking Texan Taya (Miller) and how the weight of 160 souls rest upon a marriage, as well as Kyles ego. The supporting cast of Kyles fellow soldiers was limited and the story kept in those main points, making for a true in depth character study of this true life hero. As a result the film revolved around three performers, Eastwood, Cooper and Miller as all the attention was one them constantly throughout the film. The film as a story is a tribute to a unbelievable man, but as a art of motion picture a opportunity for the main figures to give there best performances.

The intro of American Sniper, was over flowing with very american symbolic features. The short intro to the film showing Kyles early family life, was almost of a stereotypical nature. The way that god, family, country is systematically frilled into the young Kyle, as well as other american style ethics, was surprising, almost clichéd. This continued through the way he was represented as a Texan cowboy, making the start of the film make Kyle look like an extremely ‘american’ sniper, making for what felt like a familiar tune, but luckily this didn’t last very long, and we were soon into the swing of Kyles training with a montage of Full Metal Jacket training and he’s meeting with Taya. The film doesn’t give the audience long to adapt to the war environment, by launching straight into one of the most thrilling scenes of the film, with a moral decision for Kyle. From the moment we are in the battle filed we are able to see Cooper and Eastwood connect on screen, brining shocking reality and trills to the battle scenes together. There work compliments each other in such a way that sustains the riveting sequences of warfare through out the film with impressive effect, making for truly potent and well orchestrated war scenes. These sequences are broken up with he’s relationship with Taya and there family. In the early stages of the film, these scenes were not short of strong acting but failed to hold relevance as the inevitably of Kyles re-entry into Iraq made the drama seem one sided and almost pointless. As the family structure develops with the film, the weight of Kyles job becomes a more key effect on his life at home. At this stage not only does Cooper get a chance to develop his character, but the scenes on american soil become more heartfelt, as the Kyle struggles to cope. At which point in the film, the quality of the drama levels out with sniper battles.

Eastwood as a director is not new to the battle ground, so new how to present it clearly to the audience. With American Sniper, he had to make just Cooper looking down the barrel fresh and intense, a job of a true action director. But for a director such as Eastwood, who has a diverse legacy in the directing department, this was a breeze, he seamlessly blends together a variety eccentric shots making for dazzling view and keeping the audience firmly frightened. As far as Eastwoods war films are concerned, this is his masterpieces for directing, none of his conflict films before come close to this as far as the venom that he has managed to create in Iraq, and none are more horrific.

So Eastwood was on top form, but it would have all been for nothing unless the lead actor was able to effectively present the true life hero. Well Cooper certainly was not fazed by this roles, as he’s brief carer in comedy is becoming a distant memory as he moves onto ever increasing complex and challenging roles, ignoring his loveable voice in Guardians of the Galaxy. This thou was the first time he was so alone of the screen, lacking in high profile supporting actors, he was the big name on the screen. Well he didn’t crack under the pressure and he hasn’t disappointed, delivering quite simply the best performances of his career to date, deservingly earning him a nomination at this years academy awards. He tackled Kyles character so well, managing to juggle the different emotions, Kyles ego, guilt and values. The only reason that he is likely to lose credit in comparison to the other contenders for this years best actor, is due to originality of the character, the damaged solider is one that has been played out many a time, and might not be valued as highly as some of the other great performances of the year, not due to Coopers talent. Even if Cooper misses out on academy appreciation, this is still a great milestone in Coopers impressive career.

If we are to look back over the short time that has been this decade, American Sniper is the best war film out of the short list that have been made. Not the best ever, as its a slightly recycled storyline with a hurt locker feel, and familiar obstacles for a main character of a war film. But despite this, when a war film is done to such a high quality its hard not to appreciate it, even if it is a story that has been told time and time again on the big screen. Both Eastwood and Cooper are on top form, many will come out being more impressed by Copper than Eastwood, as this is a defining role in his career, and also simply because he did the better job. His uncompromising patriotic values are emotional to watch, right up to the breaking point. Enthralling award bait with top performances, almost a template of the one man war film.

Verdict : Cooper has secured himself as one of the most promising new comers of recent years, and is presented to us poetically by Eastwood. Some might find the large focus on nationalism slightly worn out or recycled, well the film is called ‘american’ sniper after all. But even so it doesn’t take much aware from the brilliant product of two powerhouse talents.

Verdict : 4/5

Quote : “I’m willing to meet my creator, and ask for every shot that I took”

Review: Foxcatcher

Released: 9^th January 2015

Certificate: 15

Director: Bennett Miller

Screenwriter: E. Max Frye, Dan Futterman

Cast: Channing Tatum, Steve Carell, Mark Ruffalo, Vanessa Redgrave, Sienna Miller

Taking its inspiration from an astounding and strange true story, Foxcatcher tells the tale of champion wrestlers Mark and Dave Schultz (Tatum and Ruffalo), and the tragic results of their patronage by billionaire John DuPont (Steve Carell) in the late 1980s.

Despite winning a gold medal in freestyle wrestling at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, Mark Schultz spends his days shuffling from cramped apartment to run-down training facility, struggling to make ends meet without government support. Although much has been made of Carell’s transformative performance as DuPont (more on that later), for my money Tatum is the real surprise here. Despite his immense physical stature and outward gruff stoicism, Tatum makes Mark’s inner vulnerability painfully clear. These layers of emotional tenderness bleed through in a masterful physical performance which goes beyond the sparse conversational range of the taciturn Mark. This idea of the language of the physical runs through Foxcatcher. An early scene where Mark and Dave spar is all but devoid of spoken dialogue, but the nature of the physical contact between them- flowing in and out of long-established training positions, controlled offense and one notable moment of uncontrolled aggression- fully establishes the nature of their relationship, and foreshadows the turns it will take throughout the narrative.

Despite Mark and Dave’s unspoken but unmistakeably strong bond, the appearance of John Du Pont threatens to drive a wedge between them. Du Pont, played by Carell as an almost childish figure despite his great wealth, offers his patronage to Mark, giving him a new home on his estate and a space in which he and the other world-class American wrestlers can train. Regarding the world over a beak-like prosthetic nose, Carell’s performance paints Du Pont as a man stuck between the desire to belong and the desire to control. While at times a ridiculous figure, the audience is never allowed to forget the power that Du Pont wields over Schultz by virtue of his great wealth. The effect of that wealth and that influence on Mark is well played out by Carell and Tatum, and the film hums with a sense of brooding menace, supported by Rob Simonsen’s unobtrusive score. If a criticism can be made it is that for all the simmering tension, Foxcatcher can at times be an oddly sterile affair, perhaps easier to admire than to enjoy. Although making sense of the events which took place on the Foxcatcher estate is an impossible task, the denouement here feels somewhat rushed. Although this may have been Miller’s intention in order to bring to light the fundamental senselessness of what happened, it proves an oddly unsatisfactory conclusion to a riveting tale.

Verdict: 4/5

Image credit: sonyclassics.com

Review: Mr Turner

Released: 31^st October

Certificate: 12A

Director: Mike Leigh

Screenwriter: Mike Leigh and cast

Cast: Timothy Spall, Dorothy Atkinson, Paul Jesson, Marion Bailey

Mike Leigh’s latest film follows the later life of 19^th century painter JMW Turner (Timothy Spall), lauded as one of Britain’s greatest artists. Fittingly, it is no understatement to describe the film as a visual feast. This is not only in terms the works of art on show from Turner and his contemporaries, but also the sumptuous costumes and magnificent sets and locations. However to say the film is purely an aesthetic experience would be damning with faint praise; it is a lot more besides. Mr Turner wonderfully showcases Mike Leigh’s skill as a constructor of naturalistic and engaging social drama. The frequent tableau scenes between Turner and his many acquaintances are a delight to watch, whether they are as comedic as teatime in the parlour of the fatuous Ruskins or as fraught as the clash of artistic egos at the Royal Academy exhibition. At the centre of the film lies Timothy Spall’s performance, which is accomplished and compelling. He is able to encapsulate and indeed evoke the gamut of emotions from a laugh to a painful tug on the heartstrings merely by varying the cadence of his many ‘harrumphs’. His Turner is mercurial, mysterious, and utterly believable. The rest of the cast are also fantastic, particularly Dorothy Atkinson as Hannah Danby, Turner’s underappreciated housekeeper and occasional lover, and Paul Jesson as his put upon but uncomplaining father.

Leigh’s direction manages to be both cinematic and intimate depending on the demands of the scene. During a discussion in which the owner of a guest house reveals his regret over having been a builder of slave ships as a younger man the camera cleaves close to the actors’ faces, while elsewhere the camera is positioned behind Turner, as if all the world is merely a canvas he- and the audience- are looking out upon. Unfortunately, the spellbinding nature of the individual scenes is somewhat undermined by a lack of a clear overarching narrative, particularly in the third act. Leigh’s films are often loosely structured, and one can see why he wanted to avoid what can be the all too story driven nature of the traditional biopic, however the piece would have benefitted from a little more pace. Furthermore, although Leigh appears to be hinting at a connection between the complications and bereavements in Turner’s later life and the increasingly abstract nature of his paintings, this is not fully explored. Although we see a great number of Turner’s actions and emotions, his motivations remain frustratingly obscure.

Peppered with rich dialogue, wonderful settings and elevated by an extraordinary central performance, Mr Turner is a beautiful, albeit slow moving, film of wit, imagination and spirit.

Verdict: 4/5

Image credit: http://www.facebook.com/MrTurnerFilm