Excision

Excision is the debut feature from writer/director Richard Bates Jr. Adapted from his short film of the same name, Excision tells the story of Pauline - a troubled teenager with delusions of grandeur.

Pauline is the black sheep of her family and the outcast at school. During the day she smart-mouths her way through school and her home life, before her surgical aspirations are brought vividly to life as she sleeps!

AnnaLynne McCord is a revelation as Pauline! I was unfamiliar with McCord prior to Excision and new little of the transformation she made in preparation for the role. 

She may look typically nonchalant as the adolescent Pauline, but beneath her grimy exterior lies a degree of intellect and a biting sense of humour. Her main weapon against the masses is her dry wit - the only serviceable weapon to most misunderstood teenagers! 

McCord is surrounded by an eclectic supporting cast. Traci Lords excels as Paulines over-bearing mother, Phyllis. As mother and daughter, Lords and McCord spend much of the movie on screen together - often hissing at one another in disgust! Genre favourites Malcolm McDowell and Ray Wise appear as teacher and headmaster, respectively. Even John Waters shows up to give Pauline counselling, as the local priest!

For a horror movie, Excision is very funny! Much of the humour comes from any and all altercations this particular no-name town and it's people have to offer. 

As funny as the humour is, one can often find themselves quickly silenced by the horror on display! 

Excision is a triumph in this regard. Pauline is hard to like in some respects, but you can't help but root for her - particularly when she gets the upper hand. It's easy to forget how disturbed Pauline is however - and one finds themselves replacing warmth with worry for the character.

In a world of remakes and reboots, Excision is breathtakingly original. It successfully manipulates the audience in to believing they're watching a certain kind of film - Excision is something else entirely! Like any original tale, it stays with you long after the credits roll. You'll be hard-pressed to shake Pauline from your mind!

5/5

Poster image courtesy: http://www.imdb.com

Dredd

I had been looking forward to seeing Dredd for some time. Acclaimed screenwriter Alex Garland (The Beach/28 Days Later) had written the screenplay and the stills and trailers were showcasing an awesome-looking production, with an overall aesthetic closer to that of our own world.

I'm happy to report that Garland and director, Pete Travis have delivered a stunning film!
With the creator of Dredd (John Wagner) on board as creative consultant, Garland and his team have stayed true to the character and produced a visceral, yet respectful thrill-ride!
Undoubtedly inspired by District 9, the film was made in Johannesburg (doubling for Mega City 1). With the addition of giant-sized tower blocks in place, Jo-burg looks suitably sun-drenched and smog-filled - and completely over-populated. A perfect setting for chaos to ensue!

Much has been said of the plot and how it mirrors that of The Raid. This is an unfortunate coincidence. Despite their similarities, Dredd has much to offer - particularly to fans of the comic, who'll finally see their hero brought faithfully to life!
Karl Urban excels as Dredd (keeping the helmet on thankfully). He successfully channels Clint Eastwoods voice and gruff exterior for the character - and is physically imposing, despite the lack of gargantuan eagle atop his shoulder!
Olivia Thirlby is very good as Psi-Judge, Anderson. Introduced as a rookie, she is assigned to Dredd who puts her through her paces during one hell of a first day!

The plot sees Dredd and Anderson enter one of the aforementioned tower blocks in search of a drug dealer. Little do they know, gang leader Ma-Ma (Lena Headey) has been slowly taking over this particular tower block in an effort to gain a monopoly on new drug Slo-Mo.
Slo-Mo allows users to perceive time at one percent it's normal speed.

The sequences which emphasis the use of Slo-Mo are something to behold - particularly in 3D!
Dredd is one of the few 3D films I've enjoyed, since it's recent re-emergence. The film is quite violent and bloody and the 3D element goes some way to expand and even improve upon the action. Particularly with the slow-motion sequences, the use of 3D is a necessary addition.

Despite Dredds relatively low budget, it looks spectacular. It cements Dredd and Anderson as memorable characters within the sub-genre of comic-book adaptations - and hints at a larger world.
Bring on the sequel!

4/5

Poster image courtesy: http://www.mondoarchive.com/

This image is by artist, Jock - a famed comic-book artist and chief conceptual artist on Dredd!

Poster image courtesy: www.filmofilia.com

I believe this image was used to help promote the film by way of the comic-books. I'm curious to know who illustrated it - no further information was available at time of going to blog?!

Argo

Argo is the third film by writer/director Ben Affleck. 

Proving that his contribution to Good Will Hunting was no fluke, Affleck has gone on to make three very fine films within the space of six years - beginning with Gone Baby Gone (5/5) in 2007, followed by The Town (4/5) in 2010.

His new film tells the incredible true story of the extraction of six American diplomats from Iran, who took refuge at the Canadian Ambassadors home, after escaping a siege on their embassy by Iranian revolutionaries.

As a member of the CIA, Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) is tasked with devising a plan to rescue the six escapees. 

His plan is to create a fake movie, fly to Iran and leave with the six Americans in tow - all under the guise of a production crew, scouting for locations.

Despite the efforts of the American captives (52 in all) to shred and burn any and all sensitive materiels, the Iranians set about piecing (literally) the secrets of the embassy back together - in order to discover the names and faces of the people they hold captive.

Mendez and his team race to formulate their plan before the six Americans are discovered to be missing. 

By employing the help of movie producer Lester Siegel (Alan Arkin) and special effects expert John Chambers (John Goodman), Mendez successfully dupes Hollywood in to thinking science fiction extravaganza, Argo is headed for the screen - all he needs now is to convince the people of Iran!

Affleck gets more competent with each film he makes, both in front of and behind the camera. 

With Argo, Affleck has recreated the 80's to stunning effect. There are changes in film stock throughout - almost to simulate news coverage. Whether this is pre-existing footage I don't know, but it's edited together seamlessly. The retro Warner Bros. logo is a nice touch and the authenticity throughout is highlighted by some fascinating photos and sound-bites, as the end credits roll. 

He is supported by a terrific cast, from the aforementioned Arkin and Goodman (both hilarious) to Bryan Cranston, as Medez's trusted boss at the CIA. The American diplomats are all excellent too - fearful of their task at hand and doubtful, as to the success of Mendez's plan.

Having only recently been declassified (in 1997), the Argo mission proves once again that truth is stranger than fiction. Liberties have been taken here and there, in an effort to ratchet up the tension (almost to breaking point)! However as true-life thrillers go, one would be hard-pressed to imagine something more bizarre or more exciting!

Argo is a great film, cementing Afflecks status as a director to watch. It's a fantastic story which educates as well as thrills. There's also many a laugh to be had - which comes as welcome relief when Mendez and his team are surrounded by people who would just as soon see them strung up!

4/5

Poster image courtesy: http://www.empireonline.com.au

To Rome with Love

Since 1969 Woody Allen has made close to a movie a year. I've seen almost all of his films and can say with some certainty that I've enjoyed each one! A great many are classics and the rest I would happily recommend - especially to any film fan or lover of the written word.
Seeing a new Woody Allen film is not unlike seeing a new Bond. There is a familiarity to each one - from the typeface used for each credit sequence (Windsor Elongated/Light Condensed) to the similarly scored soundtracks (Jazz or Classical inspired). Like any good series of films, you know there'll be similarities, but you keep watching for the surprises!
Midnight in Paris (5/5) was a favourite of mine last year - and Allens new film continues with a European flavour, evident in much of his recent output.

To Rome with Love tells a multitude of stories, as foreigners and residents alike live out there day-to-day in the Italian capital.
We have two Italian newly-weds from the country, in town to meet the grooms parents. A love-sick American student, who's invited her own parents over to meet the man she's going to marry. Another American traveller revisits his old stamping ground. While a native every-man is suddenly and without reason, blessed with celebrity!
Woody Allen has told many a different tale throughout his career and rather than have the stories in this film cross-pollinate, they act instead as snapshots in to the lives of these alluring characters. Each adventure is different, yet the potential is there for each protagonist to experience the same fate.

Of the four stories, the only one that didn't really work for me was that of the American traveller (Alec Baldwin) returning to his old stamping ground. One assumes he's living vicariously through his younger self (Jesse Eisenberg), but this isn't clear. The three remaining stories are more engaging - providing many an amusing scenario. There is certainly no shortage of laughs in this film!
To Rome with Love has a great cast, with Allen himself on fine form and Roberto Benigni the stand out! Having worked with Allen before, Judy Davis and Penelope Cruz make things look effortless. Davis is great as Allens long suffering wife, while Cruz smoulders as a hooker with a heart!

The stories here are quite charming, but they do seem somewhat fleeting. The only real connection to each tale is that of the human condition - a main staple of Allens movies. This is a film for anyone who's ever thought about what all those thousands of people do each day - the ones you see on your way to and from work, or even abroad or on the TV. Despite one's curiosity there's a disconnect, because you don't know them intimately.
When it comes to film, it's hard to invest in a large ensemble - even harder when said cast is split between four stories. I think I would've preferred it if there was some connection between the stories in, To Rome with Love. Even if the exchanges were small, it would have created a larger world.

In the end this is a story about a city and the people that inhabit it - be they native or foreign, they're all just visiting!

3/5


Poster image courtesy: http://www.heyuguys.co.uk