Sunday 28 July 2013

Before Midnight


Before Midnight is the third entry in a series of romantic tales, involving transatlantic couple, Jesse and Celine. Each movie in this trilogy has been made approximately nine years apart - and that real time has taken effect on-screen too. This new film and the first in the series took place over a full day and night, while the second was presented in real time - to emphasis the fleeting moments we all share, and the importance of grasping them.

For anyone who is not familiar with the Before series, Jesse and Celines' relationship has evolved thusly;
During a chance encounter on a train in Europe, the two meet. Jesse persuades Celine to leave the train to accompany the american on his last full day and night in Vienna. They fall in love and arrange to meet six months later.
Nine years later Jesse is touring his book, which recounts his and Celines' brief encounter. Celine meets him in Paris (her home town) during his tour - mush to Jesses' surprise! Jesse has two hours before he must depart Paris - giving the two a chance to catch up and reignite their romance. The second film ends on a cliffhanger of sorts, with the suggestion that Jesse is going to miss the departure of his plane by some margin!

Before Midnight sees the two in Greece, coming towards the end of a six-week vacation. They have twin girls and Jesse has a son (by his former wife). His son is returning home to America after enjoying the holidays with his dad and extended family. Jesse and Celine never married themselves, but are committed to one another and their children.

Before Midnight offers up a handful of secondary characters in the first half - a welcome addition to the formula. This could also be interpreted as growth - for both the couple and the series. As our own families grow and our relationships strengthen, shouldn't we be thinking outwardly and about others rather than ourselves?!
The first two films focused on the romanticism of the pair and their passion for one another, despite their brief encounter. This new entry discusses the maintenance of a love affair.
It's clear that Jesse made the move to Paris for Celine - at the expense of leaving his son behind. The movie begins with Celine considering a new job (in Paris still), while Jesse is emotionally unsettled at the prospect of saying goodbye to his son once again.
The pair have much to consider and their conversations are heated at times. No subject can jeopardize their relationship, but their inability to communicate could. Sexual politics is in the air, as the pair struggle to understand each others gender!
As anyone in a long-term relationship can attest, this is a frequent occurrence. This isn't to suggest that any such conversation needs to be malicious of course (they often are)!

Before Midnight is confronting as a result. Jesse and Celines' relationship has intentionally been presented as honest throughout this series - and this new entry is no exception.
Richard Linklater and his stars, Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy have crafted one of the greatest trilogies of all time here. The Before series is an intimate and candid portrait of two people from different backgrounds meeting, falling in love and choosing to make a life together. We've seen a lot of Europe with this series also - an appropriate backdrop to a mixture of cultures and attitudes!

It's hard to imagine any independent film, romantic or otherwise, spawning two sequels. This series proves that character and script are king. Rather than anticipate another entry, it's been rewarding and somewhat comforting to catch up with these characters intermittently - just like any good friend!
It's been a joy to watch these three at work. To follow this couple over twenty-plus years and to be party to their thought-provoking conversations on love and life. I wonder what the next nine years will bring?!

5/5


Poster image courtesy: www.ropeofsilicon.com

Thursday 25 July 2013

Pacific Rim


Pacific Rim is one of three movies on my must-see list for 2013 - along with Elysium and Gravity. These three properties are all original tales within the sci-fi/ fantasy genre (being released against a host of adaptations and sequels). They also have the distinction of being made by some of the finest film-makers working today.
Pacific Rim is first out the gate and boasts a fine pedigree in Guillermo del Toro. A native of Mexico, del Toro has moved back and forth from directing independent spanish language features to studio-backed english speaking fare. His movies include; The Devils Backbone, Blade 2 (arguably the best in the series), Pans Labyrinth and the Hellboy movies. Having firmly established himself in Hollywood, del Toro continues to pursue a career in directing - while championing a host of up-and-coming film-makers, as a producer.

When a dimensional portal opens on the pacific ocean floor, giant monsters (Kaijus) enter our world. Laying waste to whatever crosses their path, the monsters are more than just a menace - potentially threatening our very existence.
The world is unable to offer a deterrent until a plan is formulated to create giant mechanical monsters of our own (Jaegers) to combat the threat.
Each continent has a Jaeger and collectively they prove effective at keeping these inter-dimensional behemoths at bay!
As each new interloper comes through the portal however, the stronger they appear to be. Our scientists predict their numbers will increase exponentially - with each Kaiju gaining in strength and ferocity.

The audience are thrust in to the action after this comprehensive back-story. Several Jaegers have been destroyed in battle and the powers that be are now funnelling money in to a giant wall, which is being erected around the pacific coast.
The threat proves to powerful of course. What's left of the Yeager force pool their efforts (despite being cut off financially) and decide to put an end to the Kaijus once and for all.
Despite the originality of this particular venture, those familiar with japanese anime and pop culture will no doubt be familiar with human-piloted mechanoids and giant reptilian monsters - be they ocean dwelling or otherwise!

Each Yeager is piloted by a team of two. Both pilots need to be of a compatible nature, as piloting a Yeager requires the two to meld minds ("drift").
This is where the human drama comes in to play. As testosterone bounces off the walls of the Shatterdome (Jaeger HQ), there is much camaraderie and competition to be mined. The dialogue and interplay between characters is somewhat uneven and cheesy however - a comparison to Top Gun would not be unjustified! As laughable as that film was, it also delivered thrills-a-plenty!
I'm happy to report Pacific Rim does just the same - and then some! It's certainly a film to be seen (and heard) at the cinema. Even some of the bigger LCD screens will struggle to do the film justice when it's released on DVD.

The action is plentiful and is absolutely stunning to look at! Not only has it been shot wonderfully, it's incredibly well lit (despite many a night-time scene). More importantly, one can see what's going on! The immense detail (throughout the film) is not lost through ADD editing or man-on-the-ground-cam! Long-time collaborator Guillermo Navarro is to be commended for his cinematography here - as is del Toro and his team of artisans!

Despite the slightly dubious human element, this movie really delivers - and comes highly recommended! In a funny kind of way it goes some way to emphasising what I already feared - giant robots will likely be better off without us!

4/5


Poster image courtesy: www.collider.com

Friday 19 July 2013

Man of Steel


Super-spoilers!

Man of Steel is brought to us by director, Zack Snyder (300, Watchmen) and co-writer/producer, Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight trilogy) - a formidable pairing if ever there was one. Joining these two is chief ideas-man (and writer of Man of Steel), David S. Goyer (Batman Begins). Collectively they have chosen to ground Superman in reality, just as they did with Batman - no easy task when you consider his alien origins and super powers. Despite the trappings of the character, each fantastic element has been reworked to fit the modern age and our ever fearful society. Inventive alternatives to the likes of the Fortress of Solitude, now form essential cogs in propelling the machinations of the character.

The film starts incredibly well! Beginning on a superbly conceived Krypton, we are firstly introduced to Jor-El (Russell Crowe, on great form). The planet is dying. Its resources have been depleted and the powers that be are ignorant to the fact that they've pillaged and poisoned their home. There are obvious comparisons to be made with our own planet here. It's a nice touch to comment on such a pertinent issue. Whether the comparisons have been made before or not is unclear - it certainly doesn't go unheard!
Just as he did with Master and Commander, Crowe exudes confidence in the role of Jor-El - an intelligent natural leader, making difficult decisions in the face of adversity. Jor-El's instincts tell him that the end is closer than the politicians and military (led by Michael Shannons Zod) would care to admit.
With time a factor, Jor-El readies his new-born - the only natural birth on Krypton, amongst the genetically engineered majority. Having convinced his wife that Kryptons time is at an end, they prepare a ship for their sons ongoing journey. Jor-El comes up against Zod of course - who plainly disagrees with his plans. Particularly as Jor-El has placed the Codex within his sons ship (an artefact which contains the Kryptonian genetic make-up).

The rest of the film takes place presently, with Clark/Kal-El (Henry Cavill) a grown man. His youth is told in flashback, as he considers the man he's become through the lessons he's learnt. Clark has yet to discover where he originally came from and is doing his very best to lead a good life - helping others whenever possible. Clarks adopted father, Jonathan (Kevin Costner - superb) was adamant that the world would fear and ostracise his son if they new of his powers. Like any sensible guardian, Jonathan has endeavoured to instil in his son a sense of responsibility - and it's clear that Clark has lived by his fathers caveat for some time. Exposing himself only when there's no alternative, Clarks super-human abilities have become folk lore to some - nothing more than an urban legend.
Of course where there's smoke, investigative reporter Lois Lane (Amy Adams - the best Lois yet) is never far away. The two meet through Clarks tales of heroism, as Lois follows his trail across America. They meet in the Antarctic, where both are investigating an anomaly reported to be buried in the ice (a Kryptonian scout-ship that arrived on Earth over 2000 years ago).
This is all great stuff - and what's more, it all makes sense. The cast are really terrific - Crowe and Costner the stand-outs.

Zod and his militant crew show up in the second half to claim back what's theirs - this includes Kal-El and the Codex. Clark is flying now - wearing the red and blue of his 2000 year old, pre-tailored suit! When Zod makes his demands, Clark must reveal himself to the world and the authorities - the American military, who are naturally running the show!
Shannon is suitably power-hungry as Zod - and makes for a terrific foil to Cavills, Kal-El. Everyone expects the two to face-off against one another - an opportunity for some truly super-powered action!
When the time comes however the fighting gets tired real soon. The special effects are good but the choreography is uninspired. In order to pin-point small figures within the action, the camera frequently zooms in. I don't know why this technique is employed, because the action is clear. All this effect does is cheapen the scope of the movie (reminding us all of Attack of the Clones once again)!

I have two distinctive problems with this movie which I believe could both have been solved by acknowledging the comics and Supermans hero mythos a little more.
Firstly is the destruction of Metropolis (at least a good portion of it). The ensuing carnage would've caused untold death and injury - something Superman is clearly against. Surely a fight in outer-space or a throw-down at the Grand Canyon would've been in keeping with Supermans moralistic codes.
Secondly is the death of Jonathan Kent. This is an intentional turning point in the movie, but completely unnecessary in my view. The Kents know their son is super and so does he. Why he didn't volunteer to save their dog from a tornadoes destructive path is beyond me. Instinctively, he would've just done it and to hell with the consequences. How was this any different to saving his friends on the bus or saving the men on the oil rig? Any onlooker would've been none the wiser - chalking the experience up to a miracle/act of god.
Just as Martin Sheen fully inhabited the role of uncle Ben in The Amazing Spider-man, Costner perfectly embodies the role of Jonathan Kent. I don't quite understand the notion of rebooting characters only to use them less efficiently than before - especially when you've got a top-class actor on board?
I have no doubt that a larger game is at play with this first entry. Perhaps we'll be rewarded for some of the lesser moments with fleshed-out explanations next time.

The first half of this movie really delivers - and is bookended by some nice moments and a great one-liner at the end! Superman is 75 years old this year. I'm all for giving a character a facelift now and again, but lets not forget what made this particular character the American icon he's become!

3/5


Poster image courtesy: http://www.mondoarchive.com/
Artwork by Martin Ansin who was also responsible for the Looper poster I chose. Check it out again here: http://alexsmith365.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/looper.html

Thursday 11 July 2013

World War Z


World War Z is based on the book of the same name, by Max Brooks. The book detailed the Zombie Apocalypse some ten years after its initial outbreak. In an unusual move, the reader learnt about the outbreak and the hard years that followed through a series of vignettes. A UN agent assigned to the Postwar Commission interviews a vast majority of different survivors from around the world, in an effort to better understand what caused the outbreak - and the effect to which it's had on the global community.

When news of the movies production hit, fans undoubtedly imagined a documentary-like pastiche of jaw-dropping set-pieces - brought together by a journalists quest for truth.
The production of World War Z has been long and "troubled". Four very talented writers (J. Michael Straczynski, Matthew Michael Carnahan, Damon Lindelof and Drew Goddard) were assigned at different stages of production to distil this opus. A good portion of the film was re-shot as a consequence - with test screenings and the like pushing the film in a more action-orientated direction.

It continues to surprise me when movies share little to no content with the property from which they're adapted. From a business perspective it makes sense to build upon a salivating and still-hungry audience. But surely if you change something to the point where it's no longer recognisable, your sizeable built-in audience will turn their backs on you?
What's most unfathomable is to learn that this one-note apocalyptic tale has done well enough in box office receipts to warrant a sequel? It would appear all people really want is more and more bang for their buck!

As you might imagine I went in to World War Z with pretty low expectations. Rather than it being ten years later, the audience is propelled in to the Zombie outbreak as it happens - through the eyes of our protagonist/journalist, Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt).
The Zombies in World War Z run rather than shuffle - echoing the "infected" of 28 Days Later rather than the traditional "undead". As a result the movies pace is tremendous. The action doesn't let up and the movie flies by at an alarming rate.

With his family in tow, Gerry witnesses first hand his home town fall to infection. A respite from the action sees Gerry and his family given sanctuary by a former colleague. As guests aboard the American Naval Fleet, Gerry and his family are safe. As a condition however, Gerry must enlist in the effort to save mankind. This requires him to travel the globe (accompanied by military personal) to find a solution to the life-threatening outbreak.
A couple of nice moments had me invested beyond mere atrophy, but come the half-way point there were few surprises. Having to suspend my already waning disbelief towards the end of the picture, not even the gratuitous Pepsi tie-in drew a smile!

Despite my grievances, World War Z offers up some striking visuals - and the shear pace of the movie is sure to appeal to the attention-deficit generation! It's difficult to know whether you've been entertained or not when the film-makers give little to no time for you to think (perhaps that's their trick)?
I was certain we were getting away from movies that lived or died on spectacle alone. The success of this movie has left me to believe otherwise.

2/5


Poster image courtesy: www.badassdigest.com