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The Iron Lady Film Review: Margaret Thatcher As You Have Never Seen Her Before

Yellow Magpie — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 07:41:57 +0000

Director: Phyllida Lloyd.
Cast: Meryl Streep, Jim Broadbent and Alexander Roach.

The Iron Lady is a soft focus look at the life of Margaret Thatcher. If the director Phyllida Lloyd set out to make Thatcher likeable then she certainly went a long way towards succeeding.

The film is comprised of a series of flashbacks as Margaret Thatcher, now an elderly woman suffering with dementia and played outstandingly by Meryl Streep, looks back on her first foray into politics as a young woman and onto when she was elected the first and, so-far, only female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in 1979.

A large chunk of the movie deals with Thatcher as she is today. We see her having conversations with her dead husband Denis whom she seems to believes is alive. We see a fragile and vulnerable side to someone who is regarded as being very far from one of the Britain’s most popular leaders. Devoid of the pomp and authority derived from being a country’s leader her human side comes to the fore.

How true to life this is, is questionable and the film has been criticised by those who know Margaret Thatcher as inaccurate. In fact her former personal assistance, Cynthia Crawford has said that some scenes are totally untrue. Meanwhile her children Carol and Mark are reported to have said it ‘It sounds like some left-wing fantasy.’

Ultimately, though the question one has to ask is whether or not the inaccuracies matter? In any dramatisation of a story there has to be some fiction. Dramatisations use a form of poetic license to create a sense of either what a person or a situation is like. It is inevitable that there is a trade-off. Since we can never tell what people are thinking assumption and subjectivity must enter the equation to create anything meaningful.

‘Stubborn, unbending and unyielding are choice words that could be used to describe her character’

Margaret Thatcher was christened the Iron Lady by Captain Yuri Gavrilov in the the Soviet Newspaper The Red Star for her steadfast opposition to Communism. It was a highly apt choice of words by Gavrilov. Stubborn, unbending and unyielding are choice words that could be used to describe her character. She often bulldozed through people and once she set her mind on something it would never be changed, no matter what the consequences.

One particular area that the film disappoints is on Thatcher’s political rise to power. Her determination, controversial policies and her commanding ways in a man’s world are covered but lack depth. We also never truly understand her motives for pursuing a career in politics. Although it is suggested that Margaret Thatcher’s father may have had a lot to play in developing notions of specialness in her and this may be amongst the reasons why she choose that path.

Her waning popularity in her first years in office, amidst high unemployment and recession, her subsequent recovery due to her political resurrection and the Falkland’s War and her re-election for a third term before her resignation are not delved into leaving the viewer with a sense of frustration and dissatisfaction.

‘Has there ever been such an actress as Streep? ‘

Minor gripes aside, there are some terrific performances none more so than from the mercurially transforming Meryl Streep.

Steep is astonishing in the role, she has captured the look the speech and the nuances perfectly right down to the pulling in of the bottom lip which Thatcher did regularly. Has there ever been such an actress as Streep? She has the ability to immerse herself in every role and in this part she has surpassed herself.

No doubt we are living in an era where we are witnessing one of the greatest actors constantly producing dazzling performance after dazzling performance.

Absolutely riveting, Streep owns the screen and it is hard to see how she could ever reach such perfection again, but no doubt she will continue to surprise and delight with more amazing roles in the future.

Jim Broadbent, as Denis Thatcher, is also wonderful in the role. Lovable and charming, Broadbent provides a wonderful foil to the robust Thatcher especially in her younger days. His character frequently injects mischief and intrigue providing a unique insight into Margaret Thatcher’s mind.

He portrays Denis Thatcher as a relaxed, good humoured, irreverent but solid presence in the life of his ambitious wife. Their scenes together, especially as she grapples with senility, are superb and touching.

The young Thatcher is aptly played by Alexandra Roach. Roach is a relatively new talent to the big screen. She has a strong lively presence with real potential. She certainly held her own against a highly experienced cast.

‘With a twinkle in his eye and warm empathic nature it is easy to see why Thatcher and Neave become good friends.’

Harry Lloyd plays the young Denis Thatcher. Lacking the experience of Jim Broadbent, he doesn’t quite make as strong impression as Roach but is well-suited in the part.

Airey Neave, the Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, is played by Nicholas Farrell who is both competent and understated in the role. With a twinkle in his eye and warm empathic nature it is easy to see why Thatcher and Neave become good friends. It also provides a personal reason as to why Thatcher vehemently hated the IRA.

Apart from the rather gentle look at the life of Thatcher, The Iron Lady is eminently watchable. Viewers should go, if for no other reason than to watch Meryl Streep ply her craft like no one else can.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDiCFY2zsfc

Pearl Jam Twenty Film Review: One For The Fans

Yellow Magpie — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 04:26:23 +0000

Director: Cameron Crowe.
Cast: Eddie Vedder, Stone Gossard, Mike McCready and Jeff Ament.

Pearl Jam Twenty is a interesting documentary into the famous rock band, Pearl Jam. Luckily for director, Cameron Crowe, he happens to have been on the scene since the band’s formation in the early 1990’s.

Pearl Jam turned out to be an enormously popular group that commanded the respect of tens of millions of loyal fans throughout the world. It is a band that has a deep connection between its fans and its members.

In the age in which many music acts have become corporate franchises it is unsual that Pearl Jam seem to have remained steadfastly, and arguably stubbornly, true to their early ideals.

‘If many were to mention one name associated with Pearl Jam it would be Eddie Vedder, their front man. ‘

When Pearl Jam were unhappy with the huge profits Ticketmaster were making their fans pay to go to concerts, the band boycotted the company. Such action against a hugely powerful corporation was not without its cost and the band paid a heavy price. Nevertheless, they took a stand and stuck behind their principles where others would not have taken such a stance. This sets them apart.

If many were to mention one name associated with Pearl Jam it would be Eddie Vedder, their front man. Terribly uncomfortable giving interviews and painfully shy he is not the most effective at expressing himself in conversation. Thankfully, the other members of the band have no such inhibitions.

On the surface Vedder appears to be the polar opposite of the confident, charismatic Mother Love Bone, singer Andrew Wood. Wood’s group would form the genesis of what would become Pearl Jam after the singer tragically died from drug abuse.

The dynamics between Vedder and the rest of the band is interesting. He is the unspoken leader but yet he doesn’t appear to conform to any of the stereotypical aspects of someone in command. He seems to be more unassuming and withdrawn than anything. Yet underneath there is a man with a fiery determination and a willingness to be uncompromising with his principles.

‘This further strengthens the notion that Vedder can be extremely uncompromising.’

The documentary retells an interesting anecdote of a group divided with the sole figure of Vedder doing his own thing, driving himself across the countryside to gigs while the others travel by plane. This further strengthens the notion that Vedder can be extremely uncompromising.

Aside from such idiosyncrasies there is also a darkness that permeates Vedder. We see footage of him perilously climbing stages and hanging out of the rafters high above the crowd. Members of the band look up, concern and worry etched onto their foreheads as they simply watch on. Yet Vedder, living in his own world with codified rules that are difficult for outsiders to understand, ignores their apprehension and continues on regardless.

One of the most fascinating insights Pearl Jam Twenty offers is a glimpse into the motivations behind why an uber-successful band such as Pearl Jam does what it does. Those such as Stone and Vedder speak of a connection between the band and its audience as all groups do. However, Vedder seems obsessed to the point of delusion during one of the early interviews when they play in front of a large crowd.

Unfortunately, this obsession is never focused on and sadly remains a missed opportunity. It would have been great to look at what a psychologist would have made of the euphoric experience Vedder seems to be having.

‘The chief reason for this lies with the myopia of the documentary. ‘

The problems with the documentary start to become apparent once you start to look at the wider context. This film is really only made for fans who like and are familiar with the band already. Therein lays the problem.

For people who are only vaguely aware of the group, or perhaps have never heard of them, this film may not pique their interest. The chief reason for this lies with the myopia of the documentary. It fails to properly establish a wider context. It never sets out Pearl Jam’s position in the greater pantheon of music or culture in general.

Apart from some brief, scattered television footage, the film never dwells on the culture that existed in the 1990’s. During that era a self-questioning disenfranchised youth emerged. These people were dissatisfied with the ethos that suggested they should be happy with the status quo. Although there is nothing new about this as questioning the world we inhabit dates back to the time of the ancient Greeks, it caused quite a stir amongst the gate-keeping establishment.

To the film’s credit it does explore this to some extent. Nonetheless, it is not direct and is treated more as a footnote. Pearl Jam, together with Nirvana, were two bands that captured and recorded this disenfranchised, disillusioned sentiment and explored these ideas through songs.

As it is, Pearl Jam Twenty is a film that fans will love the most. For those indifferent to Pearl Jam, this documentary will make little or no impact. Its failure to look at the bigger picture and put the band in a cultural context as well as ask more probing questions of its lead singer detracts from its lasting impression.

It could have been a remarkable film but as it is it’s simply just another music documentary about an atypical band.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qFlacHufUw

Recommended Viewing

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The Way Back Film Review: The Journey Of Several Lifetimes

Yellow Magpie — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 01:00:14 +0000

Director: Peter Weir.
Cast: Ed Harris, Colin Farrell, Jim Sturges and Saoirse Ronan.

The Way Back documents the gruelling hardships endured by those held captive by Stalin’s communist prison camps as they escape their entrapment. The group swaps one form of tyranny for another as they are subjected to the devastating effects of an indifferent planet and undertake a colossal journey across Asia.

Colin Farrell is excellent as the murdering sociopath, Valka. Completely unstable, he can (and does) kill people for the most trivial of reasons without flinching or displaying even the merest hint of remorse. However, it would be impossible to stomach such a character for long durations without giving him some redeeming characteristics.

Farrell, a highly accomplished and talented actor, is in his element here neatly juxtaposing the apparently incompatible and creating a likeable murderer of the innocent. His Valka draws the full gamut of human emotions from the audience. He inspires repulsion, disgust, hatred, empathy and shared admiration for his ruthlessly cold pragmatic approach.

‘Devoid of the nauseating precociousness that blights a plethora of films’

Farrell is well-adept to deliver such difficult requirements. What’s more he makes it look ridiculously easy when it certainly is not and in places his inherent charm is apparent for all and sundry to see.

Saoirse Ronan also delivers a highly accomplished performance as the, enigmatic Irena. She deserves great praise for not resorting to the cynically tired, ham-fisted acting of many of her difficult to watch young contemporaries. Devoid of the nauseating precociousness that blights a plethora of films and television series when ever there are young actors on screen, Irene is delightful fresh and exuberant.

Ronan demonstrates a fundamental understanding of what it is to perform and once on-screen is really an adult actor trapped in the body of a teenager.

The true star of the The Way Back is without question Ed Harris as Mr. Smith. Smith displays a tremendous strength and determination. A character not to be messed with, he is a natural leader among the group and despite the script’s positioning Janusz as the leader it is Harris’s Mr. Smith that is the real chief.

‘We never understand why Valka is so child-like in some respects and why he regards human life with such frivolity.’

One of the most interesting facets of The Way Back is the multitude of enigmatic characters that feature heavily in the film. Mystery plays a large part in the make-up of these people. We never understand why Valka is so child-like in some respects and why he regards human life with such frivolity. Perhaps there is no why but we never get the satisfaction of knowing if there is a reason or not.

Likewise Irena, similar to the others, remains somewhat of an unknown. Her early attempts at deflecting the truth about her past hint at a troubled upbringing. Irena, Mr. Smith and Valka also refuse to impart their life stories. Instead what we get are titbits, recalled hand-picked vignettes that are supposed to sum up entire lives. As you can imagine these snippets are less than satisfactory.

‘it leaves a lasting impression of just how diverse the giant orb we briefly sojourn on truly is.’

Despite some terrific acting and fine performances from the cast the dominate character in the film is not human. It is the harshness and indifference of the planet and the sweeping landscapes that the group encounter that is the main protagonist and it is captured wonderfully by the camera.

The cinematography of The Way Back is simply stunning. A visual gourmet meal of exquisite beauty, of unending horizons and myriad terrains – it leaves a lasting impression of just how diverse the giant orb we briefly sojourn on truly is.

The second impression that the rolling scenery displays is the vagaries of climate and weather. From arid deserts to the enormous Himalayas, from the freezing tundra to the carpet of snow-covered forests, each setting provides enormous hardship to the group as they try to return to their homes while doing their best to stay alive.

‘He simply gets dwarfed by the trio of Ronan, Harris and Farrell.’

The performance of Jim Sturgess as the main character, Janusz, is somewhat disappointing. He simply gets dwarfed by the trio of Ronan, Harris and Farrell. The most damning indictment of an actor’s work is that it is forgettable and unfortunately on this occasion Sturgess simply leaves no lasting impression.

The other more peripheral personalities are even less distinguishing.

The Way Back is a beguiling story. Undertaking such a tremendous, almost unfathomably difficult journey is something few of us can imagine. When the film is excelling it is focused on the immense landscape that forms the colossal expanses of Russia and Asia. Dwelling on the lead characters is also riveting.

However, where it is at its weakest is when those outside the aforementioned triumvirate, the more peripheral characters, are on screen. Not half as interesting they just fail to inspire and grasp our attention to the same degree. Another let down is the fact that there is not a greater exploration of the backgrounds of the people who have decided to undertake the journey to end all journeys.

Despite these flaws The Way Back is well worth watching and its good points completely overpower the negatives.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87kezJTpyMI

Recommended Viewing

You can obtain The Way Back here from Amazon.

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For people living in Ireland or the United Kingdom, you can access: The Way Back from here.

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When Eight Bells Toll Film Review: A Real James Bond

Yellow Magpie — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 19:32:15 +0000

Director: Etienne Périer.
Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Robert Mortley and Natalie Delon.

When Eight Bells Toll is an exceptionally well-made film that is almost flawless in its gritty portrayal of British Intelligence operative, Philip Calvert.

If James Bond was a real person he would be Philip Calvert. One would have to wonder about the circumstances that lead to a witless, anaemic James Bond franchise becoming successful. If Bond offered ludicrously impossible stories, hammy acting and out of touch fantasy then When Eight Bells Toll presents the brutal reality of what it was really like to work as an intelligence operative.

‘At just 33 years of age and with just four years experience in the film industry Hopkins gives the perfect performance.’

It is a minor tragedy that Philip Calvert did not become a franchise.

Anthony Hopkins is mesmeric as the intelligent, anti-authority and unstable Calvert. If ever anyone needed to back up the argument that actors are born not made, Hopkins in When Eight Bells Toll is the paragon of this. At just 33 years of age and with just four years experience in the film industry Hopkins gives the perfect performance. His highly intelligent character is semi-permanently unhinged, extremely violent and cares little about other people.

Natalie Delon delivers a complicated performance as the femme fatale, Charlotte. Using the tropes and clichés of the blonde bombshell, she creates a confusing and beguiling character that breaks the mould of convention.

Charming, seductive, intelligent and possessing a cultured vulnerability, Charlotte is a character that constantly and self-consciously switches between the genuine and the created.

‘Insensitive, snobbish and quick-witted he commands our attention’

Robert Mortley is excellent as the aesthete, Uncle Arthur. With a penchant for good biscuits and tea he is a part parody of the elite that reside atop of bureaucracy. Insensitive, snobbish and quick-witted he commands our attention from the moment he enters the screen. Nonetheless, it is important to draw attention to the fact that Arthur is quite a likeable individual despite his many flaws. What originally appears as a two-dimensional character reveals himself to be much more rounded and complicated as the film progresses.

The plot of the When Eight Bells Toll is incredibly well thought-out. Murderous thieves hijack ships carrying precious cargo, in the latest case, gold bullion. Both thieves and the hijacked ship simply disappear without trace, puzzling the authorities. Without revealing the mystery it is very easy to accept this story.

‘keeping in touch with people, particularly in Scotland’s remote and rugged inhabited islands, was difficult.’

This also highlights the difference between the modern world and the 1970’s era that we have left behind. In the 1970’s the world was cut-off. Modern communications was in its infancy and satellites were just starting to populate geostationary orbit. In such a time keeping in touch with people, particularly in Scotland’s remote and rugged inhabited islands, was difficult.

Nowadays, everyone is connected via mobiles and broadband Internet. Hundreds of satellites fly over the world continuously recording what is happening on the Earth’s surface. Even the oceans are wired up with hydrophones to document incidents that occur on the planet’s waters.

In short, the plot of When Eight Bells Toll could not occur today but it certainly was more than plausible back then.

The Scottish islands and the Atlantic Ocean are shown to be a bleak, harsh environment, a place far removed from the fanciful exotic locations that normally populate espionage films. The ocean is a dominant character in When Eight Bells Toll. It is powerful, unforgiving and its dark hue adds to the movie’s gritty nature.

‘dwell sexual comfort from naked pictures.’

Another thing that is often whitewashed or avoided altogether in many spy films is the misogynistic, overt objectification of women by men. This is reified in the scenes showing the splattering of nude pictures of women decorating a sailing boat.

There is honesty to the world that When Eight Bells Toll portrays. This is the real world, a world in which groups of men who spend long periods of time away from women dwell sexual comfort from naked pictures.

When Eight Bells Toll stubbornly refuses to present its universe as either simplified or consoling. Philip Calvert is a complicated figure far removed from the sanitised nicety of James Bond. He posses many of the traits of Bond, he is charming, seductive and engaging.

However, where he differs is in be truly egotistic, murderous and anti-authority. There is no easy black and white morality, no clear-cut ‘good guys’ versus ‘bad guys’ because in reality these concepts just simply do not exist. For these reasons When Eight Bells Toll is a near masterpiece and we can only sadly lament at the franchise that could have been.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7G9iKhoL9I

Recommended Viewing

You can obtain When Eight Bells Toll here from Amazon.

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The Blind Side Film Review: Sentimentality On Overdrive

Yellow Magpie — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 00:30:17 +0000

Director: John Lee Hancock.
Cast: Sandra Bullock, Quinton Aaron, Jae Head and Tim McGraw.

Based on a true story, The Blind Side tells the account of a god-fearing, tough-talking, peroxide-blonde mother who decides to take a black, high school boy under her wing. The boy becomes part of the family and shares in their daily life. Through his connection with his new kin he flourishes and grows in confidence.

Simultaneously, as this growth is occurring the family discovers that he also has a penchant for American Football.

The film is a heart-warming, adapted biopic of the Tuohy family who take future NFL player, Michael Oher, into their care.

The Blind Side, though not without its flaws, is a enjoyable picture dealing with prejudices, the importance of family and the similarity of all human beings, no matter where they came from or their family circumstances.

‘Unable to cry in public and very far removed from a supine trophy wife,’

Sandra Bullock’s portrayal of Leigh Anne Tuohy is exemplary and well-deserving of her Oscar. Leigh Anne is a driving, arresting force of nature who doesn’t conform to the usual expectations of femininity. Unable to cry in public and very far removed from a supine trophy wife, she is a hard grafter who gets things done. Even if it means going against the advice of her friends.

Bullock brings her sharp wit and intellect to the role and plays to her strengths. The greatest danger with portraying strong-willed woman is that they are often dislikeable on-screen. Bullock ensures that this does not happen to her Leigh Anne. What results is the perfect blend of a determined woman and thoughtful, caring mother.

‘This ambiguity feeds nicely into the film and provides sustained tension,’

Quinton Aaron’s Michael Oher is a curious mixture that refuses to be easily read. The viewer is never quite sure of either his intelligence or his intent. Is he pretending to be less smart than he actually is? Is he truly that nice? This ambiguity feeds nicely into the film and provides sustained tension, drawing the viewer into its world with seemingly little effort.

Tim McGraw’s portrayal of Sean Tuohy, husband of Leigh Anne, is completely overshadowed by his co-star. Tuohy exudes warmth and kindness and it is all-too-easy to dismiss the importance of his role in the story. For those paying attention, Tuohy is a pillar of strength for Leigh Anne. Like his wife, Tuohy is a rare breed – a husband who is comfortable allowing his spouse to be what ever she wants to be without interfering or trying to control her.

Michael Oher forms a close relationship with the cerebral member of the Tuohy clan, S.J. S.J., played by Jae Head, is an instantly likeable child with a strong curiosity and a precocious ability to read football plays.

There are plenty of memorable sub-plots in the film. One of the most fascinating is Leigh Anne’s self-questioning moral dilemma. Here she ponders her motivations as to whether or not she is doing the right thing by taking in Oher.

‘with actors rather than famous names as their ‘acting’ is terribly wooden.’

Another interesting contrast is the idea of a southern, well-to-do family completely departing from the stereotype of the uncaring and distant rich.

As already said above, The Blind Side is far from perfect. One scene where real-life American Football coaches proposition Oher may have been better executed with actors rather than famous names as their ‘acting’ is terribly wooden. This becomes an unwelcome intrusion and a reminder that we are watching a film and breaks from the story. Employing seasoned actors for these roles would have worked out much better.

Nonetheless, undoubtedly the film’s great weakness is it pandering to sentimentality and what results verges at times on being mawkish. Instead of remaining true to its roots and letting the story simply tell itself, it becomes self-knowingly maudlin.

‘The Blind Side causes you to cringe so much that you have to close your eyes.’

If it could have avoiding pandering to these pitfalls the film could have been truly terrific. However, it didn’t and the consequences of this is that at times The Blind Side causes you to cringe so much that you have to close your eyes.

When The Blind Side is at its best it is focused on Leigh Anne. A sassy and determined woman, with a strong moral compass, who possesses an extraordinary ability to get difficult tasks accomplished.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJ3kwMq18-8

Highly Recommended Get The Film Through Amazon

You can obtain The Blind Side here from Amazon.

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For people living in Ireland or the United Kingdom you can access The Blind Side here.

Amazon.ca

For those living in Canada you can obtain The Blind Side from here.

Amazon.de

For Germany: The Blind Side.

Amazon.fr

For France: The Blind Side.

The Ides Of March Film Review: A Fresh Take On Politics

Yellow Magpie — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 16:17:58 +0000

Director: George Clooney.
Cast: Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Paul Giamati.

The Ides Of March provides a revealing insight into the world of politics. It unearths the sordid nature of the political class, the journalists and campaign mangers that reside on the periphery, and shatters the illusion that individuals can be saintly figures of greatness.

Stephen Meyers is a brilliant, young campaign strategist tasked with the challenge of helping Governor Mike Morris to become President of the United States. Morris has everything an ideal president would require. Instantly likeable, intelligent, thoughtful and charismatic, he is by far the best Democrat in the presidential race.

Meyer’s boss, Paul Zara, is a heavily experienced and tactful campaigner. Dripping in ennui, he has seen most things in political life. His jaded appearance betrays a life-time of stress and the strain of constantly paying attention to every word and act that is uttered by those he is representing.

As the outside worlds of the media and the general public start to exert there influence, those involved in Morris’s campaign start to feel the pressure as they battle for votes. This stress is further strengthened as Meyers starts to reveals his weaknesses and simultaneously has an affair with the young intern, Molly.

‘Yet as Meyers discovers unpalatable truths about his favourite candidate a strange transformation occurs before our very eyes.’

The film expertly deals with politics in an interesting and arresting manner. For Meyers this is his first foray into politics with a candidate that he fully stands behind. A character that he believes is whiter than snow or at least this is what he publicly states to anyone that listens. Yet as Meyers discovers unpalatable truths about his favourite candidate a strange transformation occurs before our very eyes. His brightness and friendliness makes way for cold intelligence and a firm addiction to power.

As this metamorphosis occurs you are left wondering are we seeing the stressful environment of politics moulding Meyers or is it just simply his true character, which he has earlier hidden, beginning to show through the mask. Of course we will never know for certain.

‘This is ironic for someone who prides himself on honesty and character.’

Morris, someone already well-versed in how politicking works, is a mysterious, impenetrable entity. Even when something less than desirable comes to light – his inner character remains frustratingly aloof. With his abundant charisma and powerful rhetoric, coupled with his potent insight into human relations, it is easy for the public to fall for his seductive personality without him having to ever reveal himself. This is ironic for someone who prides himself on honesty and character.

Like with all politicians, image and appearance are the two most important things to Morris. Under the eagle eye of modern media scrutiny, one slip of the tongue, the utterance of one ill-chosen word or associating with the wrong person could mean the governor’s fledgling career at the top of the American political food chain is over.

Another aspect of The Ides Of March pays particular attention to is the corruption within American politics. In what is truly a bizarre, head-scratching system, votes are exchanged for prominent positions. ‘You give me this and in return you will get x, y and z.’ Nevertheless, it isn’t the only profession that is tarred. Journalism is also revealed to be self-serving as opposed to principled.

‘But if history has taught us anything it is that these characters are figments of a willing imagination.’

The Ides Of March is a lesson for those not familiar with politics but more importantly it is a lesson in humanity. The idea of people greater than us, those that encapsulate the very best of us without the drawbacks, the negative sides of what makes us human is very appealing to us. Perhaps someone, somewhere, out on the periphery of society is actually a saintly, messiah-like character. But if history has taught us anything it is that these characters are figments of a willing imagination. They simply do not exist and if they do, they are certainly not drawn to politics or the limelight.

However, perhaps the worst indictment of this political system and virtually every other political structure is the fact that integrity and honour have no place. Rarely do highly principled and commendable candidates ever reach the top echelon. Perhaps ultimately this is because like everything, political life is a numbers game and rarely do such people put themselves forward for these types of careers.

Ryan Gosling delivers a fine performance as the bright, upwardly mobile, Stephen Meyers. Placed under tremendous pressure and out-thought by his rival, his transmutation is startling and his presence on-screen magnetic. Exuding a seductive charisma, Meyers exercises absolute control over others and this becomes more and more obvious as the campaign progresses.

‘For creating such a paradoxical and ultimately human figure, Clooney deserves great praise.’

The political foray by his father, Nick, has strongly shaped George Clooney’s desire to make this film. His Mike Morris is all about light and shadows. Morris controls all aspects of his image. He steps into the light when he wishes certain aspects to be seen yet his darker side is blurred, obscured. It resides only in the shadows and his commanding intellect and keen acumen when it comes to reading people means it stays there unrevealing. For creating such a paradoxical and ultimately human figure, Clooney deserves great praise.

Evan Rachel Wood’s Molly Stearns is a vamp-like personality. Keenly smart, strong yet vulnerable, like Morris, she is difficult to read. We are never sure of her motives and she is full of odd behaviour. Wood’s performance is very strong and in a sea of established actors, all the more impressive.

Paul Zara, portrayed by Philip Seymour Hoffman, is a wonderful mix of jaded experience and reassuring calm in a maelstrom of uncertainty. Hoffman’s ability to imbibe his characters with seemingly effortlessness is a joy to watch. Likewise, his canny knack of blending in without ever having to leave subtlety behind plays perfectly on-screen.

Finally, Paul Giamatti’s Tom Duffy is compelling viewing. Full of shrewdness and a determination to succeed at all costs. His tactical nous and stoical, somewhat philosophical, nature means he is a worthy opponent for the Morris group.

The Ides Of March is an unmissable film. Filled with talented, on-song, actors and a sharp, somewhat unusual script, the film manages to breathe fresh life into the all-too common world of politics.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McCt-_yYLpo

Contagion Film Review: A Few Characters Too Many

Yellow Magpie — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 18:18:13 +0000

Director: Steven Soderbergh
Cast: Matt Damion, Kate Winslet, Marion Cotillard, Jude Law and Laurence Fishburne.

Contagion is set in a world in which a seemingly unstoppable mutated virus with a high mortality rate is sweeping all across the Earth. With deaths accruing everywhere, panic runs amok causing normal everyday society to stop functioning as survival mode kicks in.

Beth Emhoff returns back to the United States from a business trip in Hong Kong. She contracts what appears to be the flu and begins to suffer badly. Her condition worsens and she is taken by ambulance to hospital after she loses consciousness. Despite the best efforts of the medical staff, Beth dies. What’s worse, her son picks up the same symptoms and also tragically succumbs to the disease.

‘quell the fears of a paranoid and unreasonable public who are been rabble-roused by the manipulating efforts of sinister characters. ‘

Beth’s husband, Mitch is left with the difficult task of keeping his remaining daughter safe while coping with stricken grief. All throughout the world similar scenes are taking place with people losing their loved ones to a virus that nobody knows anything about.

Tasked with the unenviable challenge of fighting this deadly killer is a team of medical scientists and virologists. Dr. Ellis Cheever leads all contact with the media and has the extremely onerous responsibility of trying to quell the fears of a paranoid and unreasonable public who are been rabble-roused by the manipulating efforts of sinister characters.

Interfacing between the medical scientists and the public is Dr. Erin Mears. It is up to her to try and isolate the victims away from the general population. However, the scale of the worldwide pandemic soon overwhelms her efforts.

Amongst all this chaos is Alan Krumwiede. A devious, manipulative character with little qualms about exploiting people’s vulnerabilities and fears including promoting a homoeopathic remedy for the virus that clearly doesn’t work. Krumwiede is proof that even in the worst of times unscrupulous people will always try to make profits out of other’s misery.

‘Stories unfold to grasp your interest yet they are never properly investigated. ‘

If the above five paragraphs seems like a lot to take in that is because it is. And this points to the greatest flaw of the film. There are too many characters to the detriment of characterisation. Also the plot is too convoluted. Stories unfold to grasp your interest yet they are never properly investigated. Characters take certain actions and then walk out of the film. This is highly frustrating and one wonders what is going on.

There is an overriding suspicion that the film was originally much longer than the final version and may have been subsequently gutted leaving what is an incoherent mess. However, even if this is true, blame must still reside with Steven Soderbergh. Contagion is simply trying to do too much at once.

‘This removes the human side of the film which is the heart of any movie. ‘

There are far too many characters and too many subplots packed into one film. All of this means that there is no time to have empathy with the characters and the viewer doesn’t really care about the fates of these people. This removes the human side of the film which is the heart of any movie.

Contagion also hints at a new fad in cinema that is the latest tendency to cram films with as many well-known actors as possible. In this film we have Gwyneth Palthrow, Matt Damon, Laurence Fishburne, Kate Winslet and Marion Cotillard which by its self would normally not be a problem if all these parts were well-fleshed out but they are not. Besides there is nearly three times this amount of characters in the film that have significant contributions to the story.

Laurence Fishburne gives a convincing, warm and empathetic performance as Dr. Ellis Cheever. Placed in a highly difficult position, his character demonstrates steadfast resolve and strong morals in a time where many people are resorting to their baser sides.

Kate Winslet’s portrayal of Dr. Erin Mears is far too short to allow her to create any relationship with the audience. Lacking the onscreen time to make her character likeable, Winslet’s Mears is intelligent, efficient but alas forgettable.

Matt Damon is very good in the role of the grieving husband and parent, Mitch Emhoff. Having to be a pillar of strength for his daughter, Damon’s character is a surrogate for the everyman. Like the vast majority of people he is an imperfect, honest, decent human being trying his best.

Of all the characters in the film, Marion Cotillard’s Dr. Leonora Orantes suffers the most from time constraints and a lack of development. We don’t really get any sense of her as a person or an individual. Her last contribution in the film is to make an odd decision that really should have been fleshed out much better than it is.

Jude Law’s Alan Krumwiede turns out to be one of the stars of the film. Instantly dislikeable and borderline sociopathic, if he was in a less cluttered film he would be one of the most memorable villainous characters. His ruthless exploitation of people at their most vulnerable is harrowing and sickening.

Aside from his immoral nature, Krumwiede hints at something that is having a detrimental impact upon society. Mainly the paranoid conspiratorial nature that is gripping large swathes of the population. Contagion does explore this to its credit. People, gripped by a state of paranoid fear, make poor decisions and these decisions can be witnessed in the film where ordinarily decent people attack one another and mass rioting ensues.

‘you cannot get away from the problem that keeps cropping up no matter how it is dressed.’

There are many aspects of Contagion that makes it highly watchable. The possibility of a potent viral pandemic is certainly more than plausible and it seems almost inevitable that something like it will strike at some point in the future. The cast is also very strong and the film is nicely shot.

Nonetheless, you cannot get away from the problem that keeps cropping up no matter how it is dressed. There are simply too many characters and storylines that remain underdeveloped. A bit less and we would have got a whole lot more.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sYSyuuLk5g

Midnight In Paris Film Review: A Half-Baked Tourist Guide To Paris

Yellow Magpie — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 20:02:40 +0000

Director: Woody Allen
Cast: Owen Wilson, Naomi Watts and Marion Cottillard.

Midnight In Paris is a film that seems to offer a lot but ultimately fails to follow its initial trajectory.

Gil is a highly successful Hollywood script-writer who is in love with Paris, a sentiment not shared by his fiancée, Inez. Gil, who strangely likes walking in the rain, decides to take a midnight stroll through the streets of the French capital with startling results.

Oddly, exactly at midnight a 1920′s chauffeur-driven car pulls up with the occupants, dressed in 20′s garb, beckoning Gil to come with them. The introspective script writer who desperately wants to be a novelist gets to live his fantasy as he is taken via a time-slip back to the 1920′s to the era of Earnest Hemingway, Salvador Dali, Picasso and F. Scott Fitzgerald.

‘Owen Wilson, playing the same character that gets him numerous parts, brings his usual likeability’

Gil soon learns that by going to the same location at midnight every night he can travel back in time with regularity. During one of his sojourns he meets the extremely attractive but naive, Adriana. Things come to a head as Gil is forced into making decisions.

Owen Wilson, playing the same character that gets him numerous parts, brings his usual likeability to the role. Keeping well within his compass, he creates a warm empathy in what is essentially an introverted, self-obsessed fantasist.

Rachel McAdams is excellent as the selfish, bullying wife-to-be. Exuding a tired, fed-up demeanour she subtly undercuts Gil at ever opportunity putting him down while building up her friend Paul.

On the 1920′s side, Marion Cotillard is good as the somewhat empty vessel of Adriana. Like Gil, she believes that a better world existed in the past. There is a underlying naivete and inescapable blankness in her soul that she tries to fill by being the mistress of artists. Unfortunately, like many aspects of Midnight In Paris, the reasons why she is like this are never developed.

‘Sheen is a pleasure to watch and captures the personality of Paul perfectly.’

The character of the film is Michael Sheen’s Paul. A pompous, vain, self-obsessed pedagogue, Paul’s conversations exist solely to appease his all-too-large ego. Sheen is a pleasure to watch and captures the personality of Paul perfectly. The posturing capricious swagger, the confident gait and the strong body language are supremely executed and create a nice contrast with Gil’s diffident personality.

Inez’s parents, Paul and Helen, with their Francophobic mindsets also provide sumptuous tension when interacting with the French-loving Gil. Both actors, Kurt Fuller and Mimi Kennedy, are excellent in their respective roles. The, albeit far too-short, encounters between Paul and Gill are particular noteworthy. As is the scene where Helen, Inez and Gil go antique shopping for an expensive chair.

‘she lacks the necessary impact.’

Nonetheless, these episodes are far too rare and remain underdeveloped. This could have been a mine of comic hilarity if well-executed.

Lea Seydoux playing the part of Gabrielle, an antique seller of knick-knacks, is the only actor that seems lost. She just is inconsequential and you would have to question why she was selected for the part in the first place as she lacks the necessary impact.

Carla Bruni making her film debut plays a museum guide. Bruni is understated and does quite well in the role.

Earnest Hemingway, portrayed by Corey Stoll, is a wonderful character in the film. He remarkably renders completely ridiculous observations believable with his earnest and forthright passion as he powers through any objections that Gil has to his ideas.

Despite the fine performances from the cast they are still secondary to the main character of the film, the city of Paris.The Parisians will be delighted with how stunning their city looks and Midnight In Paris is guaranteed to bring even more tourists to a city already overflowing with visitors.

Gil’s late night meanderings through Paris are enjoyable but from the point where he hops into a car at the behest of a group of party goers and ends up back in the 1920′s the film begins to go awry.

‘These are unsatisfactory meetings and not developed to their full potential.’

Many viewers will find themselves wanting to return to present day Paris, the sumptuous scenery and his bitchy fiancée. Instead the focus of the film is his midnight encounters with famous writers and artists of the past. These are unsatisfactory meetings and not developed to their full potential. Meanwhile Gil’s dialogues and scenes with his fiancée are promisingly fun and edgy.

Midnight in Paris remains a frustrating watch. They are so many good points but the film is under developed. After catching our attention it ultimately lets us down. Pity.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atLg2wQQxvU

Withnail And I Film Review: The Tragicomic Masterpiece

Yellow Magpie — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 20:42:21 +0000

Director: Bruce Robinson.
Cast: Richard E. Grant, Paul McGann and Richard Griffiths.

For a movie to register near the top of many people’s list of favourite films it has to have justifiably received its fair share of plaudits. The 1987 film Withnail and I definitely falls into this category.

The film hinges on the lives of two down-and-out actors struggling to survive on social welfare. With no money, no heating and no food, Withnail and Marwood have become desperate. In a fit of inspiration, they decide that Withnail’s uncle, Monty has what they need. Having obtained the uncle’s permission, the unlikely duo head off to Monty’s cottage in the countryside. Things go awry with comic consequences as they arrive to discover a place that is less than desirable.

‘Narcissistic, manipulative and self-indulgent are just some of his traits but above all he is simply riveting.’

One of the now ubiquitous stables defined as tragicomedy, Withnail and I is that mix of poignant sadness and joy so tightly interwoven it is at times very difficult to discern either.

The film centres on the extraordinary creation that is Withnail. Narcissistic, manipulative and self-indulgent are just some of his traits but above all he is simply riveting. Over two decades have passed since Withnail’s initial foray into Cinema and still Richard E. Grant is haunted by his part-creation.

Withnail possesses charm in abundance and has an almost supernatural ability to view himself as a victim despite his wrongdoing.

Marwood is the viewer’s surrogate. He is the one half-sane man in the exotically weird land that Withnail inhabits. Marwood allows the madness of Withnail to be balanced with a semblance of perspective.

‘Every act, every comment is regarded with deep meaningful seriousness’

The golden comic moments of the film centre on small, short vignettes peppered with sumptuous language and masterful performances by the actors involved. The rich, textured warmth of the poetry of the characters is espoused with frequent interjections.

The result of this magnificent marriage is a script that brings the viewers on an engrossing journey into the minds of the solipsistically afflicted with hilarious consequences.

Every act, every comment is regarded with deep meaningful seriousness the type of which can only result from the possession of an enormous ego and a drug-addled brain. Fortunately, for the viewer both Withnail and, to a somewhat lesser extent, Marwood have this egomaniacal trait in abundance.

Richard E. Grant gives the performance of his career as the despotic but likeable, Withnail. Grant’s character displays the appearance of the entire gamut of human emotions. From fear to mock concern and manic happiness, Withnail’s mood changes faster than the English summer weather.

‘In essence Withnail is a vampire.’

The real measure of Grant’s performance though comes from his ability to simultaneously show Withnail’s insincerity and duplicitous nature while hiding his real intentions and beliefs through a believable veneer. In essence Withnail is a vampire. He sucks the life out of Marwood, selfishly and almost imperceptibly using him at every opportunity.

Paul McGann plays a very convincing foil to Withnail. Second to the larger-than-life ego of his friend, Marwood’s lack of inner belief and willingness to go along with the follies of Withnail underscores the weakness in his character. These weakness make Marwood very easily to relate and empathise with.

McGann, it must be noted, has a difficult role to perform. It would be very easy for his character to be completely overshadowed by the performing Withnail. Instead the actor manages to draw some of the viewer’s attention on what is really occurring.

Marwood is someone who is not living up to his potential and is allowing his friend to limit him. Symbolically he stands for our unrealised potential. He let’s his friend hog the limelight and make the decisions when it is clear he should be the one to take responsibility.

‘his clumsy attempts at understanding Marwood are both mesmerising and truly laugh-in-the-stomach funny.’

Richard Griffiths puts in a stellar performance as Uncle Monty. His pursuance of Marwood contributes to some of the funniest scenes in the film. Griffiths’ Monty has great difficulty with reading people and his clumsy attempts at understanding Marwood are both mesmerising and truly laugh-in-the-stomach funny.

Special praise must go Bruce Robinson whose writing and direction are equally sharp. His characters and poetic language have combined for one of cinema’s great efforts. Withnail and I will live long into the memory. A masterpiece of film.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xT5qhPoRS9g

Highly Recommended

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Oranges And Sunshine Film Review: A Troubled Truth Comes To Light

Yellow Magpie — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 18:40:39 +0000

Director: Jim Loach.
Cast: Emily Watson, David Wenham and Hugo Weaving.

Oranges and Sunshine deals with a horrific theme the deportation of British children from the care of the state to Australia. This is a difficult subject matter to watch and even more difficult to portray on screen. The great danger with such issues is the temptation to resort to mawkish sentimentality. Thankfully, Oranges And Sunshine commits no such errors of judgement.

Between 1947 and 1967 roughly ten thousand British children were exported to Australia at the behest of the UK government, various charities and religious institutions. Many of these children were separated from their siblings, some were abused by religious orders such as the Christian Brothers and forced to pay for their upkeep while they worked as little more than child slaves. Oranges And Sunshine is the true story of one woman’s quest to help these victims of awful abuse tell their story.

The script is well-written, the storyline compelling and the acting solid. Oranges And Sunshine sucks the viewer into its world and brings us on a journey more bizarre and disturbing than any piece of fiction.

Emily Watson is superb is as Margaret Humphreys. She exudes a quiet magnetism that attracts the viewer. Taciturn, perhaps emotionally arrested, Margaret is enigmatic throughout the film. We never know why she is so deeply motivated to help people she barely knows. It is this sense of mystery that adds to the character but frustrates the viewer.

David Wenham delivers a sterling performance as Len, the at times contrary and arrogant business man. Wenham excels at managing to simultaneously show both the superficial mask of confidence his character uses to protect himself and the vulnerable hurt child underneath.

‘Merv’s character remains underdeveloped’

Richard Dillane, who plays Merv, the husband of Margaret Humphreys, does as best he can with the role. Merv’s character remains underdeveloped and the viewer could have benefited more with his character providing better insight into his wife Margaret who remains elusively unknown.

Hugo Weaving rounds off an excellent cast as the somewhat broken, Jack. A tortured and tormented soul, Jack is in constant turmoil trying to deal with the cavernous hole of missing parents and in particular a mother whom he was wrongly led to believe was dead. Deprived of a loving parent and the truth about his family, this man lives his life in purgatory.

‘it is worth bearing in mind that in many western countries religious orders and religious institutions were very powerful.’

The bravery of those involved in bringing to light these horrific events must be lauded and it is worth bearing in mind that in many western countries religious orders and religious institutions were very powerful. Untold physical and psychological damage was inflicted on tens of thousands of innocent children. All of whom had no say in the fate that befell them.

The power of religious groups in the 1980’s is not something to be underestimated. In countries such as Ireland, the Catholic Church and its orders ruled with an iron fist. It is only in recent years that people have begun to question a culture which permits such serious abuse.

‘Sadly this story is still repeating itself in the developing world’

Oranges and Sunshine is a lesson in what happens when you outsource morality to other, unchecked, parties. Sadly this story is still repeating itself in the developing world with some religious institutions abusing children in places such as Africa. It seems that some lessons are harder to learn than others.

No reason is given in the film as to what sort of thought processes were occurring in the minds of those in charge of the deportations. Undoubtedly, no rationale could ever justify such actions.

Ken Loach’s movie is a fitting tribute to the people that were affected. It gives a lasting voice to a people that were once voiceless.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zA0LrxAtLeo

Super 8 Film Review: The New And Improved ET

Yellow Magpie — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 21:27:16 +0000

Director: JJ Abrams.
Cast: Joel Courtney, Ellie Fanning, Riley Griffiths and Ron Livingston.

With Super 8 comes the 21st century version of ET but this is a vastly different film in execution and aesthetics. Although for many people the 1980′s film will reign supreme, Super 8 is superior in nearly all facets excepting the wonderful score by John Williams. As each new generation improves on the efforts of the last, the bar is being continually raised higher and higher. This is especially true of the film industry which is seeing an unprecedented emergence between human talent and technological innovation.

Super 8 sees a group of friends and would-be friends engage in filming a zombie/detective movie for a student film competition. Whilst in the middle of filming a horrific, perplexing train derailment occurs. It some emerges that the train is carrying an extra-terrestrial life-form. Strange things start occurring in the local town as dogs, pieces of technology and people start to go missing. Meanwhile the authoritative and manipulative military take command.

At the centre of the film is Joe Lamb. The son of the local deputy, Joe is a quiet, empathetic child who continually chooses to placate those around him in the hope of avoiding conflict. Like a bee to honey, Joe is highly attracted to the mildly deviant Alice Dainard. The daughter of the local drunkard, Alice is poorly understood by everyone except young Lamb. The filmmaking prodigy, spearheading the production is Joe’s best friend Charles. Charles is a forceful character, used to getting his way, he is dogged in his determination to see his film completed even after witnessing the extremely upsetting tragedy that occurred while shooting.

The acting from the entire cast is completely without any obvious weaknesses. Joel Courtney as Joe Lamb brings understated likeability into the role. Plagued by an earlier accident that claimed the life of his mother, he is the perfect conductor, full of fortitude, he allows the audience to see through his eyes as he undergoes a transformation from led to leader.

Ellie Fanning is highly watcheable in the role off Alice. She excellently conveys the tortured figure with subtlety. But much more than this is the internal conflict that is occurring. On one side Alice wants desperately to integrate with her new friends but the mental scarring from her troubled upbringing means that she greatly fears making herself vulnerable. Much of this coming from Fanning’s performance as she portrays this conflict without ever making it too explicit

‘the plaudits must go to Riley Griffiths’

Despite the many fine portrayals that are littered throughout the film, the plaudits must go to Riley Griffiths, who is excellent as Charles. Griffiths’ strong-willed, impatient character is one of the dynamic forces of Super 8 and will live long in the memory.

Ron Livingston also delivers as the strongly determined, Jackson Lamb. The glue that the town depends upon, Jackson’s steely nature is mirrored by his son, Joe.

‘keeps the audience frustrated and unnerved’

J.J. Abrams borrows heavily from the Steven Spielberg-school-of-filmmaking. All of the themes of an interrupted childhood, marital tumult and familial conflict are all present. Abrams’ excellent use of dramatic irony, like Spielberg, keeps the audience frustrated and unnerved. By feeding the viewers just a little bit more information than what the characters are aware of, the director causes the audience to become more involved with the story. Their emotional investment becomes greater.

The choice of the title is interesting to say the least. Most of all because ‘Super 8′ is almost irrelevant to the theme of the film. This is an ode to filmmaking and to the work of a previous generation and for that reason the title is apt. In a sense, Abrams is carrying the baton for the next generation.

‘Super 8 is in a way a throwback.’

Super 8 is in a way a throwback. It is set in a world that no longer seems credible. The notion of the military force unilaterally doing what they wish is no longer accepted. The old view that there were rogue bodies that acted without the U.S. government has been discarded. Super 8 though clings rigidly towards that old model and because of this it jars with our modern era.

That is not to say that Super 8 is flawless. It isn’t. There are certain leaps over logic that must be made to ensure the film plays fluidly. For instance, the train crash makes little sense on many levels, neither does the conspiratorial army. Those minor gripes aside Super 8 is a most welcome addition to the pantheon of good to great films. Unfortunately, for this movie and unlike in the 1980′s, there is a crowded field full of high calibre films.

We are beginning to undergo a transition into what is sure to become the true Golden Era of Hollywood. Still this isn’t something viewers should be complaining about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCRQQCKS7go

Senna Film Review: A Life Lived On The Edge

Yellow Magpie — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 22:24:29 +0000

Director: Asif Kapadia.
Cast: Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, and Ron Dennis.

Senna manages to raise the standards of the sports documentary and trumps the other sporting film of the year, TT3D: Closer To The Edge, in doing so.

Full of interesting characters with large egos, the film provides unprecedented access to the intoxicating world of Formula One where the drivers are feted and where cars exceed their physical limitations.

Formula One remains the most popular and most lucrative motor sport on the planet. Of all the drivers who have ridden the F One circuits, Aryton Senna is undoubtedly the most famous of them all.

‘Senna was a potent combination that merged to form a magnetic personality’

An enigmatic character, extremely confident, honest, and driven, Senna was a potent combination that merged to form a magnetic personality who effortlessly drew many fans throughout the world.

Every film needs a villain and it is provided with abundance by two characters, Alain Prost and his side – kick, the former FIA President, Jean-Marie Balestre. A wily operator, Prost knew how to gain advantage from the system and was at least partly responsible for many of the controversial decisions that afflicted Senna during his tussles with Prost.

Initially teammates, Prost and Senna’s personal relationship, while perhaps always tetchy to begin with, gradually got worse as it became clear that Senna was never going to play the loyal understudy. Near the end it became an all out war between the two, a war in which Prost was never afraid to use his influence with Balestre and get his underhanded way through injustice and subterfuge.

‘the most obvious was why the Williams team wiped all of the data from the black box recorder’

There are several omissions in Senna that could have done with being included. One of the most obvious was why the Williams team returned the black box recorder on Senna’s car after the fatal crash with absolutely no data on it despite it not being damaged and why there was no serious sanction for such unscrupulous actions.

The film also never explored the reason why Prost quit Williams after just one season immediately after winning the World Championship. Nor did it mention the rumour as to the ‘real’ reason behind this decision.

When the film concludes the viewer naturally sides towards Senna to the detriment of Prost. Ordinarily, if this was just a film, or a biopic, its neutrality would cause serious concerns. It isn’t though, it is a documentary and the conduct of the drivers and their attitude is there for all to see. They are what they are and they said what they said.

Perhaps the overlasting triumphs of Senna and that generation of Formula One drivers and officials is candour. It is an epoch that was untouched by public relations, media savvy political correctness and the calculated banal conversation that is the commonplace utterances of today’s drivers.

The fact that Senna is devoid of some of the conveniences of modern film adds to its appeal. The most noticeable in the film is its grainy texture as opposed to the silky smooth, ultra crisp, picture of today.

‘Prost comes across as a highly calculating, manipulative force, always with a hidden agenda beneath the seemingly earnest conversation.’

Perhaps the best insights offered by the contributors come from Ron Dennis who seems to possess a unique understanding of Senna. Quick to expose the gaping chasm between what was spoken and what was really meant in the scenes involving Senna and Prost, Dennis provides a subjective narration that adds wonderfully to the film.

Prost comes across as a highly calculating, manipulative force, always with a hidden agenda beneath the seemingly earnest conversation. One of the most interesting things he utters quite early in the film is that Senna was never content to just beat Prost, he had to humiliate him. As the film progresses, the viewer begins to realise that Senna only raced for one person, himself. It seems far more likely that Prost never really entered the equation much – the only person that Senna was trying to better was Senna.

It is this compulsive, self-competition that underpins Senna and is the reason why he chose to race on his ultimate, fateful final race, despite all the warnings.

Often the greatest stories, the greatest plays, the greatest truths are heavily steeped in contrast. The great contrast in Senna rests on the divide between rich and poor. Despite coming from a privileged background Senna became adored by the people, much of them the poor of Brazil. There is also a second irony in the fact that when Brazil was thrown into crisis and severe poverty by bad government, the sport that the public followed was one firmly endowed in elitism and riches.

‘We never really see the consequences of Senna’s insatiable sexual appetite on his girlfriends, nor on his former wife.’

There is a danger in a film biopic or documentary that the hero figure can become sentimentalised and sanitised. This does occur in Senna to a degree. We never really see the consequences of Senna’s insatiable sexual appetite on his girlfriends, nor on his former wife. These women are not given a voice in the movie. Senna’s sometimes extremely rude behaviour, a glimpse of which is shown in the film, is also not mentioned.

In the end, Senna’s seriously flawed Williams car was the reason why he died. Formula One cars had become too powerful. Year on year, the improvements were dramatic as they sped around the circuits, faster and faster. Removing every electronic driving aid made the vehicles extremely dangerous and Senna, along with Roland Ratzenberger, paid the ultimate price.

Senna is a powerful film that will draw you in, irrespective of whether you like motor sport or not. One not to be missed and certainly a movie that will not be forgotten.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrbJPsPtTyU

Bridesmaids Film Review: A Movie That Justifies Its Hype

Yellow Magpie — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 21:29:14 +0000

Director: Paul Feig.
Cast: Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Chris O’Dowd and Melissa McCarthy.

Bridesmaids is a highly entertaining film that is peppered with comical incidents, providing a very enjoyable cinematic experience.

The movie centres on Annie, a thirty-something year old former cake shop owner, who is undergoing a difficult period in her life. Her best friend, Lillian, is now getting married while she is seeing a particularly unsavoury character. In addition, she can barely afford to pay the rent while working at a job that she clearly loathes.

Not at her confident best, Annie’s insecurities come to the surface when a rather false acquaintance of Lillian appears to threaten her relationship with her best-friend.

‘Megan is a powerhouse of energy and likeable rudeness.’

Kristen Wiig as Annie, is irrefutably the star of the film. As the co-writer she knows Annie inside-out and this shows. Annie’s paranoia and insecurities propel the film as she undergoes the mental transition from an overgrown adolescent to a mature adult.

Melissa McCarthy’s portrayal of Megan is rich in comedy and humour. Megan is a powerhouse of energy and likeable rudeness. Always saying what is on her mind, Megan seems to exist in a different Universe to our own.

Nevertheless, McCarthy’s performance is not quite in the same league as Wiig’s. Her character is also not as prevalent as the film’s trailer would have you believe either. Some scenes from the trailer are quite misleading and don’t appear in the film. Although it must be conceded that the final scenes that make the cut are a much better choice.

‘Lillian acts as the viewer’s surrogate of normality in a world full of zany characters.’

Two other characters, who provide a rich contrast to one another are the ultra-cynical Rita, played by Wendi McLendon-Covey, and the extremely naive and innocent, Becca, portrayed by Ellie Kemper. Both of these characters contribute handsomely to some highly memorable scenes.

The voice of sanity and reason throughout the film comes from Annie’s best friend and the bride of the film, Lillian. Much wiser and pragmatic than Annie as well as emotionally stronger, Lillian acts as the viewer’s surrogate of normality in a world full of zany characters. Maya Rudolph, as Lillian, does an excellent job of grounding Bridesmaids.

‘Two characters which jar with the film are Annie’s two extremely weird housemates’

Annie’s mother, played by the late Jill Clayburgh, provides both comedy and insight into Annie. Slightly dysfunctional and somewhat naive, she is often forceful towards Annie which is not always in the best interest of her daughter.

Two characters which jar with the film are Annie’s two extremely weird housemates, Gil (Matt Lucus) and Brynn (Rebel Wilson). Brother and sister, the duo are just too odd and stupid to be real people. If there was not the already zany mother and Megan present in the film then Gil and Brynn would work perfectly well. Nevertheless, as the film stands they are just two-too many and this upsets the balance.

Another of the standout performers is Rose Byrne as the false, smarmy wedding planner who tries to ingratiate herself with Lillian. Excelling at playing the painful fake, Helen, provides a worthy adversary to Annie and much of the film’s comedy is derived from tension between the two.

If Bridesmaids makes an indelible impression on the viewer it will be due to some remarkably funny scenes and a varied palette of differing humours. From gross-out comedy, to cringe-humour and one-man, or in this case, one-woman up-man-ship, Bridesmaids delivers on many different fronts.

Some scenes will be permanently etched into memory. The choice picks amongst these are Annie musically challenging the wedding planner, Helen, to who is the better friend and the superb encounter between the over-medicated and drunk, Annie, and the passengers on a plane.

‘Women have reclaimed the comedy genre and now the bar is raised higher, a lot higher.’

However, Wiig and the director have made sure to avoid relying on the comedic scenes to the detriment of the story. Bridesmaids has a strong and well-thought-out plot underpinning the entire film. At its core, it is about three things, friendship, adulthood and happiness.

These are themes that we are all too-familiar with it, without the humour, Bridesmaids would be a pretty uneventful film, but the same could be true of the opposite. The movie’s ultimate achievement is how it blends the two together creating something that is both entertaining and clothed in substance. Women have reclaimed the comedy genre and now the bar is raised higher, a lot higher.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrRd2QSsGc4

Tree Of Life Film Review: Easier To Destroy Than Create

Yellow Magpie — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 20:18:35 +0000

Director: Terrence Mallick.
Cast: Brad Pitt, Hunter McCracken, Sean Penn and Jessica Chastain.

Tree Of Life is an engrossing film, with a good story at its heart, but is pockmarked by being bookended by pretentious self-indulgence on the director’s behalf.

Wherever there is life there is also death. We may relegate thoughts of death to the back of consciousness but its presence is always there. The narration of Tree of Life claims that people do not think about death but try their best to ignore it. This is unlikely, because from a very young age people come into contact with death, we see it on TV, in books and our relatives die. This familiarity with death and the dying process serves us well throughout our lives.

Keeping knowledge of mortality in the background serves two functions. It prevents us from becoming nihilistic and it allows us to progress our lives knowing that we only have a short amount of time on Earth.

‘He causes chaos as he tries his best to destroy those that care about him.’

The Tree Of Life is a highly unusual film that is punctuated by staccato and interruptions. It follows the story of the O’Brien family from two points of view, those of the family growing up and one tormented adult member, Jack who is haunted by the random nature of life and why his brother died young.

When the extraneous packaging is removed from Tree Of Life, a well-told, highly engrossing film emerges. At its centre lies a dysfunctional familial unit spearheaded by a dangerous patriarch, Mr. O’Brien, a bullying manipulative individual whose insecurities are vehemently released on members of his family. He causes chaos as he tries his best to destroy those that care about him.

‘O’Brien is a defective,controlling father who takes out his frustration with life on those around him.’

Tree of Life is almost a study in how people’s personalities are destroyed by manipulative antisocial narcissists and how the damage inflicted reverberates from one generation to the next as it infects. O’Brien is a defective,controlling father who takes out his frustration with life on those around him. His servile, co-dependant wife, and his young children are forced to deal with his loathsome character.

His passive wife, little more than a doormat, is completely unable to protect her children from her devious husband and retreats to a world of fantasy in which she constantly tries to wash herself from the foul odour afflicting her sons. Two of Mr. O’Brien’s sons bare the brunt of his abuse, young Jack and R.L. His unpredictable and inconsistent ‘rules’ have a serious effect on the two boys in different ways.

Whereas, R.L. becomes withdrawn and non-talkative, Jack starts to become more and more like his father. Inflicting cruelty to animals and to his brother, it becomes very clear to the audience just how bad the damage abusive parenting can cause to individuals and society in general.

The film, at two hours and 20 minutes, is roughly 40 minutes too long. This could have been easily corrected with better editing and large needless long sections showing nebulae and galaxies removed. It is questionable if we really need to be shown that the Earth will eventually be swallowed up by the Sun, or that galaxies are born or die.

‘some of the images of Outer Space are intensely beautiful and moving’

One other strange scene consists of one raptor-like dinosaur letting its prey go for some unknowable reason, perhaps some illustration of the random nature of life. Its inclusion, like the Space scenes jars with the main story. Although it most be said that while some of the images of Outer Space are intensely beautiful and moving, their duration are just far too long.

Brad Pitt is excellent in his portrayal of the tyrannical, Mr. O’Brien. Switching malevolently between praising his sons and fiercely rebuking them for imagined wrongs, Pitt infuses O’Brien with a magnetic presence and hints at a lost humanity beneath the furious exterior.

‘One moment Jack is emitting love and empathy, the next his sadistic personality is inflicting the utmost cruelty to his brother’

The star of the show is undoubtedly, young Jack, brilliantly played by Hunter McCracken. It is a very tall order to hang the success of a film on the shoulders of someone so young. But McCracken succeeds, not only does he deliver deep pathos to the role as he morphs into another version of his father, he strides successfully between all the demanding moods of a deeply troubled character. One moment Jack is emitting love and empathy, the next his sadistic personality is inflicting the utmost cruelty to his brother, someone he cares deeply about.

Jessica Chastain is quite good in the role of Mrs. O’Brien, a woman who struggles with her abusive husband. Laramie Eppler also delivers a noteworthy performance as R.L., the young boy who is tortured and betrayed by both his father and his brother. However, the oddest inclusion is Sean Penn as the older Jack. Penn’s performance is unquestionably good but it is a rather strange role to accept and his character is in the periphery.

Tree Of Life is thought-provoking film that will both disturb and enlighten that is worth seeing. Forty minutes less and we would have a much better production.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXRYA1dxP_0

The Guard Film Review: An Enjoyable But Mistake-Strewn Movie

Yellow Magpie — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 21:43:31 +0000

Director: John Michael McDonagh.
Cast: Brendan Gleeson, Don Cheadle and Liam Cunningham.
The Guard finds an FBI agent and local Garda Sergeant teaming up to stop a trio of drug dealers from bringing in a half a billion dollar drugs haul into Ireland. Along the way, the duo encounter multiple murders, an idiosyncratic public and a dysfunctional police force.

‘What redeems an otherwise repugnant character is his sense of duty and an unknowable something that transcends his crudeness.’

The Guard is an enjoyable and often funny romp. Brimming over with clichés, the humour is obvious rather than sharp although at times it does surprise. When the film is flowing, its dialogue is funny and the acting is crisp and engrossing. At its worst, the plot is nonsensical and plagued with credibility issues.

So where does The Guard reside, fortunately it tends to be quite entertaining and many of its problems can be overlooked due its sheer enjoyable nature. If the kinks were worked out and the clichés removed, with better writing we would be looking at a masterpiece.

Sergeant Jerry Boyle is rambunctious, cynical and, on ocassion, malevolent. He enjoys irritating, offending and unbalancing people. What redeems an otherwise repugnant character is his sense of duty and an unknowable something that transcends his crudeness.

The performance of Brendan Gleeson dominates the film, both in terms of his character and stature. Coarse and boorish with a penchant for prostitutes, Gleeson plays the part with an ease and sense of style that is unique. His racist remarks are funny as he goads the black American agent with a pathological glee.

Don Cheadle, as the frustrated FBI agent, Wendell Everett, provides strong support to Gleeson. The antithesis of Boyle, his character is slick, efficient and polished. The relationship Everett has with Boyle is one in which he constantly switches from confusion to frustration, back to confusion again.

Liam Cunningam’s portrayal of the gang leader, Francis Sheehy, is excellent. Undoubtedly, the brains of the operation, Sheehy leaves the menacing aspects to others in his employ. His sociopath/psychopath underling, Liam O’Leary is both funny and psychotic. O’Leary, played by the highly competent David Wilmot, provides some of the most dramatic scenes in the film.

‘She just cannot act and her inclusion rockets the film into amateur status whenever she is on screen.’

Less satisfying is the performance from Fionnuala Flanagan, who plays the mother of Sergeant Boyle. She borders too heavily on the tropes of the unconventional mother figure. What we get is a stock performance that we have seen many times before. Gary Lyndon’s portrayal of Garda Inspector Gerry Staunton is especially inadequate. Incredibly stupid, it is just too big a step to ask the audience to believe that Staunton could have ever risen to his position of prominence. What’s more, Staunton’s character is thinner than a cardboard cut-out.

However, the worst performance comes from Katarina Cas who plays the wife of Garda McBride. She just cannot act and her inclusion rockets the film into amateur status whenever she is on screen.

Better balance and redemption comes from the acting performances of Mark Strong, as the unyielding, unflinching criminal, Clive Cornell, and Rory Keenan as the enigmatic Garda McBride.

‘McDonagh’s obsession with American culture continually interrupts the film and removes it from its reality.’

The problems with The Guard are numerous and it would be disingenuous and wrong to ignore them. McDonagh’s obsession with American culture continually interrupts the film and removes it from its reality. Virtually, all of the characters share McDonagh’s viewpoint and we are constantly subjected to either American phrases or comments about American phrases. These tics invade the film like an unwanted parasite and force us into unnecessary postmodernism. A more secure writer would simply have concentrated on letting the story tell itself without trying to control its connotations.

In the everyday, strange events occur, unlikely situations transpire and nothing is predictable. If we have learnt anything as we have evolved it is that life is never simple. Using this as a guide, you could say the same about the strange quirks of The Guard. In isolation, this is true but when you have so many illogical set-pieces the story starts to look rather shoddy.

In The Guard we have the villains constantly meeting in the strangest of places, a popular diving spot, an aquarium, and a windswept hill in the middle of nowhere all the while they self-knowingly chat about their predicament and question the meaning of their lives. We have the people of Connemara – who more closely resemble the taciturn types out of a western – unwilling to talk to or help Everett with a murder inquiry.

‘He also happens to be in the right spot at the right time, irrespective of how early or late it is.’

We have Everrett, a highly dedicated and intelligent FBI agent who would have access to a mine of information about Ireland, not realising that there are Irish-speaking areas in Ireland. There is the odd, incongruent deus ex machina of the improbably wise little boy who seems to spend all of his time riding an old, girl’s bike. He also happens to be in the right spot at the right time, irrespective of how early or late it is.

All told, The Guard is a highly entertaining and funny film. With someone to assist John Michael McDonagh with the writing and a better casting of some of the minor characters, the movie could have been truly special. As it is, it must be considered as one to watch but not unmissable.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKU_9PlNomk