Review: The Last Five Years

Released: 17^th April

Certificate: 12A

Director: Richard LaGravanese

Screenwriters: Richard LaGravanese & Jason Robert Brown

Cast: Anna Kendrick, Jeremy Jordan

Charting the five-year trajectory of the relationship between young writer Jamie (Jeremy Jordan) and struggling actor Cathy (Anna Kendrick), Richard LaGravanese’s adaptation of Jason Robert Brown’s stage musical The Last Five Years offers episodic glimpses into the triumphs and struggles of an ultimately doomed romance.

That isn’t a spoiler; as its title might suggest, TLFY begins at the end, with a tearful Cathy removing her wedding ring in an empty apartment. However, the musical’s unusual narrative device, in which Cathy’s timeline unfolds in reverse while Jamie’s occurs chronologically, means that the next thing we know they are leaping into bed with joyful abandon as Jamie sings about his infatuation on their first date. This juxtaposition lends a poignant and bittersweet edge to the story throughout, and the fact that- except for one number when the timelines meet in the middle- all of the songs are solos enhances the idea that even in their most intimate moments there was still a disconnect between them.

Adapting plays and musicals to the screen is always tricky, and LeGravanese here shrewdly aims for naturalism rather than spectacle. The use of close ups and occasional shaky-cam build to an ad-hoc feel which complements the rawness of the emotions at play and the intimate nature of the songs, and lends the piece an immediacy which allows the audience to invest in the story despite the fact that the ending is no secret. Each of the toe-tapping and poppy songs has its own feel directorially, however due to the almost total absence of spoken dialogue the overall effect is more of a visual concept album than a story, which somewhat undermines the otherwise effective communication of the weighty issues at play.

The leads cope well with the dual demands of acting and singing, although the trickier vocal parts have less impact when they are the best of however many studio takes rather than being produced live onstage. However, the cinematic format does allow the actors to utilise more subtle facial expressions and gestures rather than having to play to the gallery. Kendrick’s remarkable knack for bringing verisimilitude and depth to her characters lends vulnerability and charm to the initially rather unlikeable Cathy. Jordan is also a solid screen presence, and while not as effortless as Kendrick brings a suitably volatile energy to Jamie which is particularly evident when he’s injecting necessary pace into the odd (but in his hands entertaining) tale of Schmuel, the tailor.

Somewhat light and episodic, The Last Five Years is nonetheless lifted by impressive performances and enjoyable musical numbers.

Verdict: 3/5

Image credit: facebook.com/TheLast5YearsMovie

Review: Into the Woods

Released: 9^th January 2015

Certificate: PG

Director: Rob Marshall

Screenwriter: James Lapine & Stephen Sondheim

Cast: Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, James Corden, Anna Kendrick, Daniel Huttlestone, Lilla Crawford

In a storybook kingdom, some familiar tales are brewing. There’s a girl with a red hooded cape, a boy with a cow, a young woman cleaning up after her stepsisters and a young couple wishing for a child. Their respective desires will lead them into a dark and forbidding wood where their paths will intertwine, and singing will ensue.

Adapting theatre to the big screen is always a tricky prospect. On the plus side, the director can direct the audience’s attention precisely where they want, and the myriad of camera angles, special effects, and often (increased) star power can add up to a truly unique experience. However, it also brings challenges: how to make a film of a play truly cinematic, and what to do without the peculiar alchemy that comes courtesy of having something enfold, live, before the eyes of the audience. Adapting musicals is doubly difficult as there’s the need to make the audience believe that a collection of people would spontaneously decide to sing their feelings. The canon of Hollywood adaptations of stage musicals seems to be firing blanks at least as often as it scores direct hits. Weirdly enough, Into the Woods falls somewhere in between.

Part of the problem is that Into the Woods is more of a light opera than a musical, and struggles to overcome the challenges of a less toe-tapping libretto. Some of the longer songs drag a little despite the cast being generally more than equal to the demands of the score. Although the film proves that an all-star line-up doesn’t necessarily equal a five-star movie, there are some fantastic performances here. Emily Blunt is perfectly cast as the resourceful baker’s wife, and is able to play up the comedic and melodramatic elements while still delivering a subtle and cinematic performance. James Corden is also charming and the scenes with both of them are some of the film’s best. Meryl Streep valiantly shoulders plenty of heavy lifting narrative- and music-wise, and the younger cast (Daniel Huttlestone as Jack and Lilla Crawford as Red) both seem perfectly at home amongst the Hollywood heavy-hitters. The only real non-sequitur is Jonny Depp as the Wolf, which smacks of stunt casting and is rather overplayed.

Rob Marshall, who proved his musical mettle with 2002’s slick Chicago, delivers inconsistently here. The faster-paced songs like Act 1 Prologue and Your Fault are skilfully done, with winding camera angles injecting pace and showcasing the actors’ talents. However, the Princes’ duet Agony feels stodgy and stagey, and the sequence involving Red’s rescue from the Wolf just bizarre. Although the fairytale elements benefit from cinematic VFX (the Witch’s entrances and exits are suitably spectacular), the giants- surely a major selling point as they’re so hard to render onstage-are weirdly brushed over.

Although perhaps this is fitting as, in true fairytale style, it’s not about the giants. It’s about rules (and breaking them), longings, misconceptions, the shadow of the past and the shimmering mirage of the future, and being careful what you wish for. The scariest things in the woods aren’t the monsters, they’re the choices we’ve made and the choices that are still ahead of us. Despite the missteps, Marshall and co. understand this and the overarching theme of the piece is able to shine through, buoyed by solid (at times exceptional) performances and enough directorial verve to keep everything moving.

Verdict: 3/5

Image credit: movies.disney.com