The Master (15)

This Academy Award-worthy unsettling character piece is still in cinemas.

This review was first published in The Methodist Recorder (www.methodistrecorder.co.uk).

The Master (15)

The Master is inspired by the work of L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology.  Freddie Quell, a disturbed veteran of the Second World War, riddled with all manner of psychological insecurities and sinful perversities, is taken under the wing of Lancaster Dodd, the founder of ‘The Cause’, a thinly veiled representation of Scientology.  Quell becomes his master’s muse, a seemingly incurable pit bull of a man on whom Dodd focuses The Cause’s efforts to help.

Writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson continues what he started with 2007’s There Will Be Blood, a penetrating inquiry into the dark and disquieting taboo corners of human nature.  Quell seems more wild beast than human being, with his indiscriminate sexual appetite and violent tendencies.  The depth of madness to which actor Joaquin Phoenix goes in portraying Quell is chillingly impressive.

Philip Seymour Hoffman gives an equally enthralling performance as Dodd, whose character is the polar opposite of Quell’s.  Dodd is a model of courtesy and care, an intellectual family man only given to rare outbursts of anger when defending The Cause from outsiders who won’t blindly accept his claims.  It’s a thoughtfully fleshed out and sympathetic performance; it would have been easy to mock or even demonise the character based on Hubbard.

The Cause isn’t shown in an entirely negative light, and the intentions behind it are revealed to be at least partly positive, even with hints of spiritual truth mixed in with the lies.  Dodd talks about restoring the human spirit to its original state of perfection, which has unmistakable echoes of the Garden of Eden and the fall.

The abstract and unsettling score by Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood amplifies the disturbing tension to near unbearable levels, whilst drawing you into the minds of the characters and setting of the story.  Anderson shows himself once again to be one of the best filmmaking talents working today, and 2013 could be his year to finally snag an Oscar.

The Master isn’t for everyone, and on top of being deeply troubling it makes extensive use of graphic nudity, which whilst being plot and character motivated (thereby not gratuitous), it’s best to be aware of before deciding whether to buy a ticket.

The film is a fascinating and creepy exploration of the human cost of cult, and is a stunning work by a director wrestling with spiritual inklings versus the seemingly unchangeable savage nature of man.

Short Circuit (PG)

This 80s classic was my favourite film when I was about 6, and it's out on Blu-ray and DVD today!

Short Circuit (PG) (This review on FilmJuice.com)

Eighties cult classic Short Circuit is pure daft fun.  Packed with goofy American humour and anchored by a warm hearted moral about the universality of morality, the movie is a childhood favourite for many and sure to become one for generations to come.

‘Number Five’ begins existence as a lifeless robot, built to do the army’s bidding and act as a cutting edge military deterrent.  Suddenly lightening strikes (literally), flooding consciousness through his circuits and gifting him with a squeaky voice and instantaneous lust for life.  The now living machine sets off on a hyper-curious exploration of the world, initially oblivious to the panicking armed forces hot on his tail.

Newton Crosby is Number Five’s charming genius inventor, modestly portrayed by a subdued Steve Guttenburg, and Ben Jebituya is his stereotypical nerdy assistant-cum-sidekick, who is to prone to making arguably excessively racy jokes for a PG rated film.

The onscreen oestrogen and obligatory love interest comes in the shape of Stephanie Speck, an animal loving, UFO believing pseudo-hippy.  Her heart is won by Number Five’s malice-free nature, and they enjoy a dance in front of director John Badham’s own Saturday Night Fever, playing on the television. Ally Sheedy fills Speck’s character with no small measure of irresistibility, delivering a spritely and memorable performance in a film where for the most part the best actor is the robot.

Though patchy in quality, the script is nothing if not upbeat and much mirth is to be had from Number Five’s zany and surreal one-liners (“Hey, laser-lips, your mama was a snowblower”)!  Director John Badham’s life affirming mid-career effort is heavily indebted to Steven Spielberg's far superior E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, released four years previously.  Upon discovering Number Five outside her house, Speck even thinks he is an alien, and is delighted as he swiftly picks up human ways.  The film does however carve it’s own unique spot in eighties movie history, with an impressive character design crowned with ingeniously emotive ‘eyebrows’.

Anyone with at least one working eyeball will notice the plain-as-day similarities between Number Five and WALL-E, with their caterpillar perambulators and binocular optics.  Pixar’s Andrew Stanton stated that he ‘may have been subconsciously influenced’ by Short Circuit, presumably using the subconscious as a metaphor for tracing paper.  The bottom line of the matter is of course that Short Circuit came first, but WALL-E is the better film.

It won’t move your soul, unless you’re under five, and it won’t teach you anything new, unless you know less than a dead piece of metal, but Short Circuit is mostly harmless escapism fit for all the family (bar a few blue gags).  It’s worth a look, and the kids will love it.

Blu-ray & DVD extras: Commentary by director John Badham and writers S.S. Wilson and Brent Maddock, Original theatrical trailer, ‘The Creation of Number 5’, Cast and crew interviews, Behind the scenes featurette

Room 237 (15)

This curious documentary about arguably the greatest horror film of all time is out in cinemas today!

Room 237 (15) (This review on FilmJuice.com)

Some films stay with you forever, and ever, and ever.  So reads the cleverly referential tagline for Room 237, a whistle stop tour of nine conspiracy theories surrounding Stanley Kubrick’s horror masterpiece, The Shining.  Many films have been pored over in search of hidden meanings, but apparently none more so than Kubrick’s ode to terror, with interpretations ranging from the bizarre (it’s really about the moon landings!) to the almost believable.

Documentary filmmaker and horror fanatic Rodney Ascher has assembled a film that essentially consists of audio interviews accompanied by visuals from Kubrick’s films.  There is also the occasional filler footage, which is largely unimaginative and borderline amateurish.  This is kept to a minimum however, and Kubrick’s peerless imagery is allowed to speak for itself, making Room 237, more than anything else, a reminder of how breathtaking Kubrick’s cinematography is.

The soundtrack is an array of tributes to 1970s horror music, which works for the film but isn’t quite on topic, as The Shining featured an innovative mix of contemporary classical music and Wendy Carlos’ dread inspiring electronic compositions.  Few of the interviewees are notable, all apparently experts in very obscure fields (hermetic and alchemical traditions for example!), the exception being ABC news correspondent Bill Blakemore, one of the few contributors with anything bordering on plausible to say.

The so called ‘hidden meanings’ are mostly absurd to the point of being comical.  Ascher presents his subject matter with tongue-in-cheek, pokerfaced gravity, helping make the film palatable to a wider audience as a humourous insight into the minds of conspiracy theorists.  One theory stands out as being true however, as The Shining is to an extent a metaphorical allegory of the genocide of the Native Americans.  Throwing a little truth into the mix of madness makes the audience sensitive to the possibility that there might be shreds of truth in the other explorations, helping to keep you engaged and open minded with the thought that Room 237 might not just be a kaleidoscope of rambling nutters.

Die Hard film buffs and Kubrick devotees will get the most out of the film, as it directly appeals to the obsessive mindset of the kind of cineaste who likes nothing more than to slip film quotes into conversation, or to tell you that in Casablanca nobody ever actually says “Play it again, Sam”.  The market for this film isn’t quite that limited however, as conspiracy theories are brain food for some and outlandish entertainment for others.  Ascher’s film cleverly taps both these points of view, making it an amusing curiosity for all.  Even if you can’t swallow the ideas presented there is still fun to be had.  Now why not read this review backwards and find out what it was really about.

Hitch & Welles

My timely article on two of the greatest directors of all time!

Hitch & Welles

Alfred Hitchcock.  Orson Welles.  Two names that instantly inspire admiration, mystery and fascination in the heart of any self-respecting cineaste.  How could they ever be compared?  Welles’ titanic achievement Citizen Kane suffered a rude awakening recently at the hands of Hitchcock’s psychological masterpiece Vertigo, when the latter was voted the greatest film of all time in Sight & Sound’s once a decade poll of directors and critics, ending Kane’s unprecedented fifty year reign.  What better occasion could there be to explore these two universally lauded filmmakers than that?

Hitch

Alfred Hitchcock, affectionately referred to as Hitch, is well known as ‘The Master of Suspense’ because he directed a wealth of tension filled thrillers.  He is quoted as saying “Always make the audience suffer as much as possible”, and from the agonising and eerie tension of his best films like The Birds and Rear Window, to the non-stop chases of his apparently ‘lesser’ films such as Saboteur and Torn Curtain, the man certainly knew how to put his punters through the mill.

He was raised Catholic in the then largely Protestant London, and there is a well known story of how at the age of five his father sent him to a police station with a note, which he handed to an officer, who promptly locked him in a cell for five to ten minutes saying, “This is what we do to naughty boys”.  Who knows what terrible act of mischief Hitch had committed to deserve such a harrowing punishment, but we can be almost certain that he never did it again!  From the outset he felt an outsider, afraid to do wrong and yet fascinated by those who commit evil.  This fed into his films, giving them a distinctly voyeuristic flavour as he often forced his audience into the perspective of an unseen outsider looking in, an innocent bystander bearing witness to all sorts of heinous doings.  His penchant for the macabre and a dark and sometimes perverse sense of humour stemmed from his formative years, leading Hitch to effectively psychoanalyse himself for more than five decades via his chosen form of expression.

Among his technical innovations is the now overused Hitchcock Zoom, also known as the Vertigo Effect, as it was pioneered specifically for that film, to exaggerate the perception of depth and to produce vertigo-like giddiness in the viewer.  And if you think that 3D is a recent invention then think again: Hitchcock was an early pioneer of the device, using it with striking restraint in Dial M for Murder.

His legacy is immeasurable.  From pioneering cinematic grammar and techniques to fighting for cinemas legitimacy as a worthy art form, and with countless major directors citing him as an influence there is no telling what cinema today would be like had that Bobby kept poor Hitch locked up forever.

A film about his time making Psycho is in the works, for which renowned actors the world over vied for the chance to play him.  The simply titled ‘Hitchcock’ is due out in 2013, with Anthony Hopkins landing the prize role.  Amazingly, despite all his success and influence Hitchcock never won an Oscar.  Perhaps Hopkins will win one on his behalf!

Welles

Consistently voted the greatest director of all time, both by fellow director’s and his adoring critics, in his day Orson Welles was one of the most obviously talented but famously frustrated filmmakers in Hollywood.  Terry Gilliam excepted, no director is better known for having his artistic visions thwarted at every turn (post-Kane of course), usually due to studio re-edits or lack of funding.  From his butchered masterpiece The Magnificent Ambersons, to perhaps his most famous unfinished project, Don Quixote (making more comparisons to Gilliam inevitable, see Lost in La Mancha) Welles’ filmography contains far more films than are actually available to view in a finished form.  Were there such a thing as a no strings attached limitless budget, who knows what other influential masterworks the man could have unleashed on the world.

Though born into an affluent family, Welles learnt self-reliance and to work hard from an early age.  His parents separated when he was four, and at the age of ten he ran away from home with his half-sister Marjorie, only to be found a week later busking with song and dance.  Welles’ creativity and passion for performance flourished as he later staged his own plays during his early teen years at school, and he soon found work as a theatre actor, with a particular flair for Shakespeare.  By the mere age of twenty he was also working as a radio actor, during which time he met many of the collaborators with whom he would soon begin his film career.

For his debut - and best - feature film in 1941, Welles was granted for the first and only time the holy grail of every film director: total artistic control.  That film was Citizen Kane, the legendary picture that as of 2012 is supposedly inferior only to Vertigo!  It is an embellished exposé of the life of William Randolph Hearst, a powerful newspaper baron and sometime politician.  The twenty five year old Welles’ first feature length film was in many ways decades ahead of it’s time, making it’s mark forever on the way films are made.  Welles’ ingenious innovations spanned every department, from the way depth of field is used in cinematography to lighting techniques that allowed sets to have ceilings.

Welles may have changed cinema forever, but he was still never able to make as big a splash as he had the potential to.  Sometimes it was his own fearless impulsivity that left his work open to tinkering (the studio reworked the ending of The Magnificent Ambersons while he was AWOL in South America).  His brilliance spilled over into everything he turned his hand to, and he died the envy of everyone and anyone with an admiration for the art of moving pictures.

Alfred Hitchcock.  Orson Welles.  Rather than attempt the impossible and compare the two, we can be glad they were both blessed with the opportunity to make such good movies, and us with the chance to see them.  It’s meaningless to call the one ‘better’ than the other, and at the end of the day such polls are there to renew awareness of these must-see classics.  To borrow from Citizen Kane’s audacious tagline, ‘they’re terrific!’

(This article was originally written for FilmJuice.com and can be found here).

Les Enfants du Paradis (PG)

Timeless classic of French cinema, available on Blu-ray and DVD from Monday 17th September.

Les Enfants du Paradis (PG) (This review on FilmJuice.com)

Voted ‘The best French film ever made’ by the French Film Academy, this stunningly restored edition of Les Enfants du Paradis (1945) is a sumptuous cinematic treat.  Garance, a courtesan and actress iconically played by Arletty, one of the great beauties of the twentieth century, is pursued by four very different yet equally amorous gents.

Principal among them and the only one for whom Garance has any reciprocal feeling, is the unappreciated but brilliant mime-artist Baptiste.  At their first meeting, the mime uses his performance skills to demonstrate Garance’s innocence when she is falsely accused of pickpocketing.  Their paths diverge however when Baptiste hesitates in wooing her, and they each settle for loveless relationships whilst longing that their paths might cross again.

Jean-Louis Barrault plays Baptiste, a character modelled on real life nineteenth century mime-artist Jean-Gaspard Deburau, whom Barrault had been fascinated by ever since hearing how he had beaten a street-boy to death for taunting him in front of his family.  The other male characters are largely also based on real people, such as intellectual criminal Pierre-François Lacenaire, who stakes his own claim to Garance’s heart.  The romance is a catalyst allowing these disparate characters to be explored in one story.

Director Marcel Carné is known for his affinity with the working classes, and though Les Enfants du Paradis is about the theatre, it is also about the paying masses on who’s dreams and fantasies actors and writers live.  The cheap-ticket holding common folk are even affectionately referred to as ‘the gods’, as their laughs and gasps at whatever drama unfolds on stage is acknowledged as the theatre’s true lifeblood.  The balconies where these ‘gods’ are seated were referred to colloquially as ‘paradis’, hence the actors are their dependent offspring.

The Oscar nominated script by Jacques Prévert is a soul-searching, despairing treasure-trove of wit and humour, with dazzling dialogue full of memory-branding lines.  The soft, abstract-shadow filled cinematography is an interesting contrast to the razor-sharp imagery that is in fashion today, and Maurice Thiriet’s fabulously restored score is a frenzy of orchestral emotion.

Many will likely be daunted at the prospect of an old black and white French film that runs over three hours and takes place largely in the confines of a theatre setting, but anyone who gives it a half a chance is sure to have their hearts won over.  It is unashamedly melodramatic but uproariously entertaining, not to mention technically dazzling and even something of a miracle, given that it was shot during the years of France’s Nazi occupation.

The anguish filled finale is every bit as much a sledgehammer to the heart as those of better known dark classics like The Third Man and Brazil.  At one point a character muses “Audiences want something new... novelty, what does that mean?”  Les Enfants du Paradis could be that something for present day audiences, a rediscovered relic of cinema from another time and place.

Blu-ray & DVD extras: Theatre, Love and War: Making Les Enfants du Paradis, Once Upon a Time... Les Enfants du Paradis, The Restoration, The Restoration - Before and After, Trailer

Dexter Fletcher's Directing Tips - Part II

Here are actor/director Dexter Fletcher's concluding top five tips from his exclusive workshop on how to direct a movie!  (Picture: Dexter Fletcher as Bytes' Boy in The Elephant Man [1980]).

6. Keep your crew happy - everyone is important

“Most people on a film set do it because they are genuinely passionate about film, and on the long days you’ve got to help them remember that.”

Fletcher kept his crew happy by being inclusive, acknowledging their contributions and respecting their passion.  “Even the lowly runner does a job and it’s an important one,” he said, “it’s about remembering that.”

Don’t take anyone for granted, a happy crew is a hardworking crew.  It also helps to feed them well and keep the coffee flowing!  Coffee is the oil that keeps the human machinery of many a crew running efficiently.

7. Take risks - just do it!

If you’re not taking risks, then you probably won’t get anywhere as a filmmaker.  In many ways, choosing to be a filmmaker in the first place is a risk!  “Of course take risks,” said Fletcher, “but calculated ones.”

So how can a director use this philosophy of risk taking to get the most out of their cast and crew?  “It’s about pushing other people to take risks.  Ask [your actors and director of photography] to do stuff that they feel out on a limb on, but ultimately gaining their trust and making them take a risk that you’re in control of.  That’s the calculated risk, you’re pushing people to raise their game in a way that they’ve maybe not expected to, but when they do it they go ‘wow’ and they deliver, because it’s about your faith in what other people can do.”

8. Collaborate - be open to suggestions

One of the key features of being an effective director is knowing how to put the talent at hand to maximum use.  It’s all too easy to be precious and thereby stunt productivity, so remember that ‘collaborate’ is a word used by filmmakers again and again to explain what makes a truly creative team.

Dexter Fletcher is no exception, and spoke plenty on the topic of collaborating, “Heads of department are there because they’ve achieved a lot and understand a lot about what it is that they do, and so it’s okay to defer to other people.  It’s part of the collaborative nature of it.  You can say ‘no’, but it’s okay to ask the question and find out what other people think.”

9. Be prepared - know your project inside out

There’s no excuse for a director, especially writer-directors not to know their story better than anybody else.  On set, you always need to know the context of the scene you’re shooting at a given moment.  As Fletcher put it, “You’ve got to be aware of what it is that you’re shooting, what went before it, what’s going to come after it.”

But how can you achieve such a level of preparation and intimacy with the material?  “The preparation is a natural part of it, I don’t think I was really even aware of it [directing Wild Bill], I was just involved with absolutely everything all the way along the line.”

Full immersion in the script and hands on involvement with every department are core elements of the director’s job and preparation.

10. Let things go - edit brutally!

Once you’ve made your film and the stress (and thrill!) of the shoot is over, then it’s time to sit down and piece it together in the edit suite.  Have you ever wondered why DVD and Blu-rays so often include ‘deleted scenes’ as a bonus feature?  It doesn’t matter how much time you sweated getting the perfect light for that scene you’re in love with... if it doesn’t move the story forward then it has got to go.  Said Fletcher: “You’ve got to be brutal, you’ve got to be able to [ask] is it furthering the story?”

This can be painful, and it’s usually helpful if the director and editor and not the same person, because then the editor is able to look at the film objectively and suggest cuts to the director, persuading them to wave even choice material goodbye.  Fletcher is all too familiar with this, “There’s whole sections of Wild Bill that I just cut out because it wasn’t moving the story along.  It doesn’t matter how you feel personally about something, you’ve got to try and be as impersonal about it as you can when it comes to the edit.  It feels brutal at the time, but it’s about being practical and making the best film that you can.”

Of course it’s up to you what stays in the film and what gets left on the cutting room floor, but it might be wise to bear Fletcher’s final thoughts in mind when you’re splicing and dicing your first film: “Nobody cares what you love.  What [the audience] care about is whether they go to the cinema, watch the film and are entertained.”

Ask yourself, ‘am I making this film for myself, or for the audience?’  If you’re Steven Spielberg and answered the latter, then well done!  You’ve got a bright future.  And if you’re Quentin Tarantino and answered the former, then well done to you too!  Some director’s styles are more commercial than others, and these are just tips after all... food for thought for filmmakers.

Now go make your movie!  And don’t forget the ‘kick in the nuts’ shot...

Wild Bill is out now on Blu-ray and DVD, check out the trailer!

(This article was originally written for FilmJuice and can be found here).

Dexter Fletcher's Directing Tips - Part I

Earlier this month I had the privilege of interviewing veteran British actor Dexter Fletcher at the prestigious St. Ermin's Hotel in London.  He began his career as a child actor in classics such as Bugsy Malone and The Elephant Man, before progressing to adult roles in the likes of Band of Brothers and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.  He recently made his impressive directorial debut with the critically acclaimed low budget gangster drama Wild Bill, after the success of which he claims to have caught ‘the directing bug’ and is already hard at work helming his next project.  As a filmmaker I was keen to learn from his experience, and here I'll share the first half of his top ten directing tips.  Check back soon for the rest!  Wild Bill was released on Blu-ray and DVD on the 23rd July.  (Picture: Dexter Fletcher as SSgt. John Martin in Band of Brothers).

1. Settle on a project - what story do you want to tell and why?

“Filmmaking is storytelling” said Fletcher, and it is a fact that most budding filmmakers have a million and one ideas floating around their heads, but lack the decisiveness to settle on one and put the time and work into making it happen.  Fletcher had some helpful thoughts on how to overcome this common problem, “Choosing projects is about whether there’s a story in there that [you] can connect to and want to tell, because then you’re telling a story that means something to you.”

Filmmaking is far too much hard work to bother with if you don’t care about the story you’re telling!  Find material you connect with and go for it.

2. Be aware you’re making a product - how can you sell it?

Many fresh faced filmmakers want their work to be 100% Krzysztof Kieślowski and 0% James Cameron, and then wonder why they can’t find an audience, let alone make a living!  Depending on the balance of art and commercial viability in your personal dreams as a moviemaker, you might want to rethink that balance depending on where you see yourself in ten years: still working at Blockbuster and sharing your weekend passion projects with friends and family, or wining and dining with Brad and Angelina on the set of Mr. & Mrs. Smith 4!  There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be auteur, but even the best know they need to make a buck.

Some words of wisdom from Fletcher, “The art takes care of itself to a large extent, it’s the commerciality that you need to keep half an eye on.  You’re not just here to be an auteur and make an artistic piece of film that no one’s going to want to see... what’s the point of doing that?  Think about what’s going to be good in the trailer!  There’s a guy getting kicked in the balls in my film, it wasn’t my first choice but I was talking to an editor of trailers once and he’s like, ‘always the shot they want is someone getting kicked in the nuts.’  It’s a great trailer shot because everyone goes ‘ooh!’  It gets a response.  It seems kind of mercenary and calculated but there’s nothing wrong with it, you are making a product.”

3. Cast big names - what have you got to lose?

“Start with Brad Pitt and work your way down!” joked Fletcher, but he was serious too.  Apparently the first thing most investors asked about Wild Bill was ‘who’s in it?’  Make no mistake, star power counts.  Case in point, Gemma Arterton was originally cast in Wild Bill but couldn’t make it at the last minute.  Would the film have done bigger business at the box office had she made it?  You’d better believe it.  But how can directors yet to make their debut hope to cast known stars in their shoestring budget labours of love?  “The great thing about our industry is that the people who are involved in it genuinely love film...” said Fletcher, “if you’ve got a good script and a good story that you believe in, and a great opportunity for an actor to do something different, then you’ve got nothing to lose by asking them.  What I tried to do was offer great actors the chance to do something different.  If they love it and respond they’ll turn up for a sandwich and a good scene.”

There are plenty of examples of big name actors lending their talents to low budget productions for purely art’s sake, (see John Hurt in the 2011 short film Sailcloth).  So pick up the phone and make the call, because if you’ve got a top script the talent’s not as hard to tap as you think.

4. Get lucky - live in hope!

So many things have to go exactly right for a film to be made that it’s a miracle every time one is finished.  With that in mind, anyone who has made a film deserves respect for seeing the project through to the end (yes, even Uwe Boll), but one thing that never hurts is a little luck.  “Any moment you can get lucky!” said Fletcher.

Be it luck or divine providence, unplanned moments of brilliance can give your film a unique edge, and they do happen!  One such moment occurred on the set of Wild Bill, resulting in a shot of which Fletcher is especially proud: a paper aeroplane is thrown from high up a block of flats... the camera follows it perfectly as it soars through the air for twenty seconds plus.  It is a sensational shot.  However, such events cannot be bargained on, and Fletcher reminds us to be realistic, “Where there’s no luck, then adaptability is going to be the next option.”

5. Work hard and be flexible - roll with the punches

“Obviously there’re no guarantees for [luck] so you also have to work hard” said Fletcher.  A large part of walking the walk as a filmmaker is having the passion and commitment to put in the blood, sweat and long hours it takes to see a project through to completion.  Make no mistake, there can be just as much pressure on set as fun and then some, and it is true that when the going gets tough the tough get going.  “Save the stress for when you get home” continued Fletcher, acknowledging the pressure that he sometimes felt on the set of Wild Bill.  “You’re going to hit bumps and roadblocks all the way and it’s about making sure you can keep things moving.”

Don’t give up then, even when there are fraying tempers.  Just remember that if you keep your head, and aren’t afraid to improvise solutions, then everyone will be friends again by the end of the day.  Prime example, unexpected snow in London prevented Fletcher from shooting a crucial scene as planned.  Did he panic?  Far from it!  He improvised a swift relocation and shot the scene in a cafe instead.  It might sound like a compromise, but sometimes a spanner in the works can lead to an even more effective outcome than originally planned.  Let it happen, roll with it!  Just make sure that as much of the heart of your script makes it to the screen as possible.  The rest is peripheral.

To be concluded!  Meanwhile why not check out the trailer for Wild Bill.

(This article was originally written for FilmJuice and can be found here).

Dark Horse (15)

Polarising director Todd Solondz's latest 'sad comedy' hits UK cinemas this Friday 29th June.

Dark Horse (15) (This review on FilmJuice.com)

Dark Horse, Todd Solondz’s latest philosophical romp is both a step in a new direction and a throwback to his glory days when he was renowned for his playfully (and painfully) harsh comedies Happiness and Storytelling.  Abe is a thirty-something man-child whose belated attempts at growing up manifest as well-intentioned mistakes and a naively fast-tracked romance.

Before Solondz reveals his trademark ‘awkward couple’ opening scene, he boldly declares this film will be different from his previous work by starting with a sarcastically over-the-top dance set-piece at a wedding.  It’s here that Abe meets the perpetually tranquilised Miranda (an on-form Selma Blair, effectively reprising her role as Vi from Storytelling).  Abe’s chat-up line?  “I don’t dance.  It’s just not my thing.”  Miranda’s response?  “...Uh huh.”  Cue fairy tale romance!

The central part of Abe is a talent showcase for the formidable Jordan Gelber, best known previously for his work on Boardwalk Empire.  Gelber successfully performs the unenviable task of making an unlikable character relatable and is deadpan enough to convince that Abe is truly oblivious to the achingly obvious errors that he makes.  Christopher Walken turns in an unusually quiet performance as Abe’s disappointed dad who has long given up hope that his son might be a late bloomer.

For fans looking for a dose of the cruel, puppy-strangling cynicism served with vitriolic panache that Solondz has become known for, it might come as something of a letdown that Dark Horse is a more mellow effort from the auteur.  If the film was a person, it would still have acid for blood, but it would be pumped by a warm heart.  For example, after going on a misanthropic rant, like letting pus bleed out from his angry, wounded soul (“we’re all horrible people!”) Abe is brought down to Earth by his well adjusted mother reminding him that she cares about him, even if no one else does.  It’s a scene where Solondz perhaps admits that his negative worldview might seem true on a generalised scale but not on an intimate one.

However, movie-goers unversed in Solondz’s often shocking writing best stay away if hoping for anything resembling a ‘feel good factor.’  Don’t be deceived by the marketing calling the film a comedy, a ploy so often used to lure the unsuspecting to see films more likely to leave them in tears than in stitches (Synecdoche, New York is a prime example).  There is humour but it’s wrapped so tightly in tragedy that you’ll be chuckling through clenched teeth.  There’s palpable awkwardness at every turn and, though some find that kind of thing delicious, others find it nauseating.  Solondz knows this of course and both reactions are probably intended!

The director has put together another memorable soundtrack, the highlight being the recurring theme song that is Michael Kisur’s excellent ‘Who You Wanna Be’, used to ironic effect.  The film is infused with a more surreal edge than Solondz has toyed with before, the narrative draining away as the plughole of Abe’s subconscious is released, so that by the time the credits roll you’ll be wondering what really happened and what didn’t.

Dark Horse is a simultaneously tender and abrasive wake up call to those who have delayed starting their adult lives for the sake of clinging to some comforting remnant of childhood security.  Solondz latest ‘sad comedy’ provides plenty of pathos and is sure to divide audiences.  It wouldn’t be Solondz if it didn’t!

A Bronx Tale (15)

Brilliant mob film from Robert De Niro, out on Blu-ray Monday 18th!

A Bronx Tale (15) (This review on FilmJuice.com)

It’s a tragic truth that Robert De Niro’s rich and enthralling directorial debut A Bronx Tale is one of the lesser seen gangster pictures.  Upon release in 1993 it sorely under-performed at the box office (having Jurassic Park to compete with), and has since fallen behind such titans as Goodfellas and The Godfather as far as must-see mafia movies go.  This month’s welcome Blu-ray re-release is a chance to right this wrong, and put this mighty work back where it belongs with the best of the best.

We meet Bronx-dwelling Italian American Calogero at the age of nine.  He’s a typical school kid, memorising baseball trivia and testing his parents’ boundaries.  He develops a curiosity for local mob boss Sonny, who hangs out on the corner of his street, and he tries to sneak peaks at him at the bar next door, which his parents have deemed strictly out of bounds.  De Niro plays Calogero’s father Lorenzo, a hardworking and honest ‘stand up guy’, to use the vernacular.  When his son’s fascination with the gangster develops into a father-son-like relationship, Lorenzo becomes all the more protective, which in turn drives Calogero further away from him.  Sonny even gives the boy a new name, ‘C’, and soon C finds himself earning more than his father by running seemingly harmless errands for his new mentor.

As a director De Niro simultaneously pays homage to Martin Scorsese, from who he clearly learnt so much, and sets himself apart as something new and different.  He takes Scorsese’s energetic and wild style but gives it a twist, removing the darkness and injecting a child-like playfulness, perfectly suited to a story told from a child’s point of view.  As well as playing Sonny, Chazz Palminteri adapted the script from his own play, which premiered in 1990 to critical acclaim.  The story offers an unusual and refreshing perspective on the often over-glamourised world of mobster life, with C struggling to figure out whether Sonny is the tough guy and his father the sucker, or vice versa.

The soundtrack gives A Bronx Tale extra heart and soul; a dizzying selection of Doo-wop and rock n’ roll making the film every bit as operatic and exhilarating as any of Scorsese’s.  The cinematography is authentic and beautiful, and with a couple of small exceptions the performances are more than worthy.  The conclusion, featuring an apt cameo played to wise-guy perfection, is just the cherry on top of a really scrumptious celluloid cake.

If you’re a gangster flicks junky, or fancy a game of ‘spot the Sopranos actor’, then you can’t miss this film.  The script is elegant in structure, sparkling in dialogue and heartfelt in message, leaving very little to criticise amongst the riches to recommend.  Now if that’s not an offer you can’t refuse I don’t know what is.

Blu-ray extras: Making of, Trailer

Brassed Off (15)

Classic British film from 1996 just re-released on Blu-ray and DVD!

Brassed Off (15) (This review on FilmJuice.com)

Brassed Off is one of the best British films of the nineties, perhaps second only to Trainspotting in terms of homespun cinematic genius.  Set in the fictional South Yorkshire village of Grimley (obviously intended as the real life Grimethorpe, where much of the film was shot, and which at the time was the poorest village in the UK) the film follows a local miners’ brass band as they face financial hardships, and struggle for motivation when it comes to work, family and even the will to live, let alone keeping up their music.

Pete Postlethwaite’s star has hardly shone brighter than it does here.  He plays bandleader Danny, whose coal-filled lungs are only one of a number of problems threatening the existence of the band, the primary one being the imminent closure of the village pit, should its workers vote for redundancy over a financial viability review.  All the musicians are agreed: should the pit close and they lose their jobs, then they will disband forever. Music is first and foremost in Danny’s heart however, and he spurs the jaded men on to compete in the National Brass Band Championships, eyeing the final at the Royal Albert Hall with anticipated pride.

Director Mark Herman (The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas) expertly guides his audience on a journey of emotional highs and lows, making it impossible not to be cheering the band on as they fight to stay together and compete in the nationals.  The political message is mostly of the non-preachy kind, making it easy to sympathise with the trials of these men who face losing their jobs in the pits, with the script being loosely based on recent historical fact.

The weakest subplot is the romance between Andy and Gloria, played by Ewan McGregor and Tara Fitzgerald.  Thankfully this thread of the story is not overplayed, and more time is given to the gut wrenchingly emotional subplot that follows Danny’s son, Phil, who is locked in a downward spiral as he loses everything near and dear to him.  Even his dignity is left in tatters, as he has to resort to performing as a clown for children’s parties to keep the wolf from the door (barely).  Stephen Tompkinson fills the role with such intensity that you can’t but watch his scenes with gritted teeth.  Seeing him fume in full costume, red nose, baggy trousers and all is a sight to behold, and almost as painfully funny as it is moving.  The script takes this character to dark places indeed, only perhaps going too far during a climactic rampage in a Church.

The drama is woven between montages scored with sublime brass music, all performed by the actual Grimethorpe Brass Band.  This lends the film a warmth and gives it great character, but the montages get a little repetitive after the fourth or fifth one.

With hearty music that gets the blood going, irresistible English humour, tiptop performances and a powerful message, Brassed Off is a magnificent film and well worth a revisit.

Blu-ray extras: Theatrical trailer, Interviews, Subplots, Biographies, Photo Library

Black Hangar Studios

And now for something completely different!  Well, a little bit different.  I had the pleasure of visiting a new film studio outside London a few weeks back, and this piece of writing was the result:

Black Hangar Studios
(This article on FilmJuice.com)

Black Hangar Studios offers a beacon of hope to all those jaded by the apparent, and often misleading news proclaiming the waning of the British film industry.  From the closure of the UK Film Council to the only recently reversed doom of Twickenham Studios, the morale of British filmmakers has of late taken hit after hit.  But fear not!  Raise your weary heads and take a look at the new hope thundering its way onto the scene: the bold and exciting Black Hangar Studios is open for business.

Further dark tidings on the British celluloid shores included the government’s disappointing decision to block the planned expansion of Pinewood Studios back in January, which would have created almost one thousand jobs.  Black Hangar aims to fly right in the face of such grim events; even before its official opening on the 3rd of May, business was booming (this year’s Salmon Fishing in the Yemen was one of the first productions on site), so much so that completion of the Basingstoke based studios’ brand new facilities had to be postponed, as filmmakers couldn’t resist the services on offer.

The project was conceived and funded by a group of private investors, who saw an opportunity in the UK to offer a top quality studio to rival even the long-established major studios.  Value for money is one of the facility’s primary objectives, as the investors realised that the host of talented filmmakers resident in the British Isles needed a reason to perk up, and keep making movies in good old Blighty.  Underlining the infectiously positive vibe of this new venture, Black Hangar’s CEO Carole Siller said, “I don’t think there is a threat to the industry here, the UK has great film technicians.”

The main studio, as one would expect, is a former aircraft hangar (yes, it is black).  With 32,000 square feet of studio space, and a 5,000 square foot outdoor water tank, the studios can cater for a wide range of needs.  ‘Flexibility’ was one of the watchwords when the studios were designed (by filmmakers, reassuringly) with the site also featuring a complex of offices, kitchens, screening rooms and multifunction spaces, enabling clients to use the facilities however best suits their needs.

The impressive water tank has two shooting platforms for filming either under or above water, and the main studio is more than large enough to accommodate multiple sets, enabling a full feature film or television series production to be wrapped on site.

Situated at Lasham Airfield, a mere forty minutes from Central London, clients can, with permission, access aircraft landing facilities to bring in the stars.  Additionally, the range of local World War Two era buildings could save legwork for a client’s location department.

The real icing on the cake though, and a real bonus for productions, is the on-site team of renowned filmmaking professionals.  From legendary special effects supervisor Digby Milner (Star Wars, Harry Potter) to award-winning art director Simon Lamont (Casino Royale, The Dark Knight) any customer of Black Hangar Studios will be able to draw upon decades of experience and expertise to ensure their productions are completed to an impeccable standard.

The studios offer a refreshingly positive outlook on what some have cynically called a dying UK film industry.  With business certain to take off before you can say “Digby’s your uncle”, plans to expand and a business model designed to keep costs down and professionals employed, Black Hangar looks set to earn a place in filmmakers’ hearts and film history in no time.


http://www.blackhangarstudios.com/

The Monk (15)

Out in UK cinemas tomorrow is French horror/drama The Monk (originally 'Le Moine').

The Monk (15) (This review on FilmJuice.com)

The Monk is the latest big screen adaptation of the classic gothic novel by Matthew Lewis. After being abandoned as a baby on the steps of a monastery in the 17th century, Ambrosio (Vincent Cassel) is raised as a monk and soon becomes renowned for his godly sermons and piety. As with all serious men of God, the Devil makes a beeline for him, relentlessly searching for a weakness.

Because Ambrosio was never exposed to the outside world, he has no experience of the perils and pleasures that those in his congregation must daily face and feel. This sets him up for a monstrous onslaught of temptations, thanks to the all too real influence of the Prince of Darkness himself. His troubles begin as a strange new face enters his life, in the form of Valerio, a soul who has suffered much and wants to withdraw from the world to be with God.

Cassel bottles up his usual angry energy, giving a brooding performance as the distant but intense Ambrosio. The supporting actors aren’t as strong, especially compared with this typically gripping turn by Cassel, but their efforts are plenty adequate to not be distracting.

Marking director Dominik Moll’s most ambitious project to date, The Monk offers a dark and oppressive vision of 17th century France. Fans of the book might be sorry to see that some of the more visceral thrills found in its pages have been replaced by a more subtle style of horror, one that creeps under the skin and leaves you feeling uneasy. Moll brings out the elements of the subject matter that provoke thoughts of real life horrors, things impossible to portray on screen; unseen terrors which we all must face. That isn’t to say that the film doesn’t provide thrills for the horror movie fan, it’s just that the focus is more on the impact that Ambrosio’s testing has on his character.

Alberto Iglesias scores The Monk with a bombastic and almost over the top soundtrack, full of ominous choral cues and Church-like echoes amping the eeriness. Patrick Blossier’s cinematography makes striking use of contrast, giving most of the film a dim and slightly sepia look, only turning the colour and brightness to eleven for a series of dream sequences. These could have done with a more creative effort from Moll as one would think that Ambrosio’s subconscious would be the perfect canvas on which to further highlight how far removed his impression of reality is from that of others.

The Monk is a haunting portrait of a tragically flawed character; a well-intentioned man who finds out the hard way that his faith wasn’t so strong after all. The film never pretends that evil isn’t a genuine power, a refreshing concept these days and one that disturbs with great precision. Go into this expecting to have your mind toyed with, as well as your emotions.

La Grande Illusion (U)

This influential French classic is out on DVD and Blu-ray next week, and currently on re-release in cinemas.

La Grande Illusion (U) (This review on FilmJuice.com)

La Grande Illusion, the undisputed masterpiece by pioneering French filmmaker Jean Renoir, looks better now than it ever has thanks to a breathtaking restoration. Famously an inspiration to future directing giants including Orson Welles and Martin Scorsese, in 75 years La Grande Illusion has lost none of its ability to move and surprise.

Based on true accounts of the First World War, including Renoir’s personal recollections, the story sees Captain de Boeldieu (Pierre Fresnay), Lieutenant Marechal (Jean Gabin) and Jewish banker Rosenthal (Marcel Dalio) captured behind enemy lines by the aristocratic Captain von Rauffenstein (Erich von Stroheim). They are put in a POW camp, and after an escape attempt are remanded at a maximum security fortress, under Rauffenstein’s command.

The colourful and contrasting characters that populate the story help make every scene gripping and entertaining. The great von Stroheim’s authoritative presence is as palpable as ever, and Fresnay brings an air of pure courage to the memorable Boeldieu. Little Early Peters who played the adorable Lotte towards the end of the film, sadly never saw the finished product, having died tragically from flu only weeks before the premiere.

Upon release in 1937 the film was considered a controversial and subversive indictment of war, prompting Joseph Goebbels to refer to Renoir as ‘Cinematic Public Enemy Number One’. Although eventually banned in Italy, La Grande Illusion was so well received at the Venice Film Festival that a new award called the Grand Jury Prize was devised and bestowed upon it, to avoid giving it the Mussolini Prize!

What sets the film apart from most war films is the way in which soldiers from both sides are presented with equal sympathy. French and Germans alike are portrayed as dutiful patriots, all too aware of the absurdity and human cost of the great conflict in which they find themselves. The gentlemanly friendship between the well-mannered but fearless Boeldieu and the weary Rauffenstein, painfully highlights the tragedy of would-be comrades cruelly pitted against each other by a seemingly endless war.

From his brilliantly choreographed camerawork to his intricate building of tension and character, Renoir’s cinematic influence has echoed throughout the 20th Century. When even the genius behind Citizen Kane calls a film the greatest ever made, there’s no taking it lightly! To this day La Grande Illusion is an innovative and essential classic, making the opportunity to revisit or discover it for the first time, unmissable.

Blu-ray extras: La Petite Marchande d’Allumettes from Jean Renoir (short film), Trailers: 1937 & 1958 (introduced by Jean Renoir), Francoise Giroud remembers shooting the film, Introduction by Ginette Vincendeau, Success and controversy, John Truby talks about La Grande Illusion, Restoring La Grande Illusion, The story of the original negative.