Film Review: The Raid

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Ultraviolent The Raid is one of the best action movies of recent years. Gareth Evans’ film  is exceptionally well executed; The Raid is a tour de force ride.

Police are aware of an apartment building in Jakarta that is run by a notorious gangster and filled with criminals. The police are unwilling to enter the area, apart from a SWAT team tasked with infiltrating the building and arresting gangster Tama. When things don’t go according to plan, the officers are left in a perilous situation…

The Raid offers a fairly simple plot; it does not take very long for the action to commence. The characters are developed sufficiently for the audience to root for the protagonist. Nevertheless, little time is wasted trying to fill in the background of the main characters or adding any superfluous detail. The Raid seems almost like a video game, in the best possible way. The floors function as levels which the hero must pass. Moreover, the action sequences are so superlative that they seem almost unreal.

The pull of The Raid lies in these action sequences. They are fantastically produced. Pacing in the film is good, with little let up between set pieces. The action sequences themselves are choreographed tremendously well. They are frenetic and always engaging.

Evans’ film certainly is not for the faint hearted. The violence is graphic; The Raid does not shy away from depicting some gory moments. Some of the scenes excel in conjuring tension. Others push the limits of plausibility, creating much-needed humour to break up the serious action.

Ray Sahetapy is suitably caricature as villain Tama. Iko Uwais makes a good protagonist, bringing the physicality needed for a character such as Rama. Uwais also choreographed the excellent fights, along with Yayan Ruhian. Gareth Evans edits the film successfully, as well as writing and directing. The camera work is most successful in utilising the space and capturing the frenzied action.

The Raid is highly recommended viewing for action film fans. Those of a nervous disposition may want to avoid this one.

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Trailer Round-Up

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This week is all about the The Expendables 2. Well, not really but the trailer was released this week. Gangster Squad, Brave and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter also feature in this round-up.

The Expendables 2

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This film looks amazing. I was one of the people who quite liked the The Expendables, so I am looking forward to this sequel. The Expendables 2 features more of Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger, as well as Chris Hemsworth, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Chuck Norris. Let’s hope the film matches this stellar action cast. The Expedendables 2 is out on 17th August 2012.

Gangster Squad

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Gangster Squad is the new film from director Ruben Fleischer. Starring Sean Penn, Josh Brolin and Ryan Gosling, the film tells the story of the LAPD’s battle with gangsters in the late 1949. The film is being distributed by Warner Bros, who were famed for the gangster movies in the 1930s. Hopefully Gangster Squad will bring back some of that magic. The film is released on 9th November 2012 in the UK.

Brave

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Here is an amusing little video to promote Disney’s Brave. The Scottish theme is really being played up in the film’s publicity. Brave will be out in the UK on 17th August 2012, although cinemagoers in Scotland will be able to see the film two weeks before this. Brave will premiere at the Edinburgh Film Festival in June, so expect to hear more about the film around that time.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

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Above is a short featurette about Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. The film’s UK release date has been brought forward; the film will now open on 20th June 2012, bringing it in line with the US release. Given the premise of the film, it should be a lot of fun to watch Lincoln fight vampires in 3D.

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Film Review: Dark Shadows

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Dark Shadows is likely to divide audiences. Those who get on board will find amusement in Tim Burton’s homage to the past.

Barnabus Collins moved to America as a young child with his wealthy family. Barnabus is turned into a vampire by a witch, who buries him in a coffin. When he is set free two-hundred years later, Barnabus sets out to find the Collins family in the alien world of 1972…

Based on the television series which ran from 1966 to 1971, Dark Shadows is a curious mixture of moods. It is not quite a dark comedy, although there is plenty of humour in the first half of the film. This humour is more camp than macabre, as the film slides from a kitsch 1970s lightness to some gothic interludes that border on horror.

There is a perceptible shift in mood from the first half of the film to the second. The second half lacks the humour that makes the first half so enjoyable. That is not to say that Dark Shadows fails to entertain after the half-way mark, but simply that there is a more serious atmosphere. The ending of the film feels a bit drawn out; a snappier climax with more humour would have been welcome.

Dark Shadows is a homage to the television series it is based on, as well to 1970s music and popular culture. The film seems to feature the things that interest director Burton and star and co-producer Johnny Depp, with the inclusion of Alice Cooper, gothic lore and camp humour. Dark Shadows also features many tropes of the traditional soap opera. The film is segmented, giving it the almost episodic feel of a soap. There is also the sudden departure of characters, and those that go missing for a significant portion of the duration, not unlike a television series.

Tim Burton’s film is visually appealing. Colleen Atwood has done a fantastic job with the costumes, while the surroundings appear authentic for the period. The make up and special effects used on Angelique in the finale are fantastic.

Johnny Depp is responsible for much of the film’s humour. Eva Green makes a great vamp as Angelique. Michelle Pfeiffer brings presence as Elizabeth, while Gulliver McGrath shows promise as young David. Bella Heathcote is a welcome addition, looking every inch the Burtonian love interest.

Dark Shadows has several virtues. The only disappointment is that it had the potential to be a lot better.

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Film Review: All in Good Time

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All in Good Time is a comedy drama with few redeeming features. It is a film best avoided.

Atul and Vina celebrate their wedding with family and friends. The couple look forward to their honeymoon, and spending the rest of the lives together. Before they can get to this stage, Atul underestimates the interference of his father, as well as the issues that arise from living with his family…

Written by Ayub Khan-Din, based on his play, All in Good Time is haphazard at best. The narrative and pacing are all over the place. The film cannot seem to decide what it is actually about. It veers between the marriage of Atul and Vina, the relationship between Atul and his father Eeshwar, and the relationship of Eeshwar and his wife Lopa. Owing to the shift in emphasis from one strand to another, none of them feel fully developed or satisfactorily concluded. To complicate matters, tangents are thrown in well after the half way mark.

The main problem with All in Good Time is that it is poorly written. Khan-Din could have done something interesting with Atul’s problem. After all, several possible explanations are alluded to. Instead, the film opts for a half-backed reason with no real explanation, and an ill-conceived ending. Moreover, the lack of coherence effects the pacing, making the film feel a lot longer than it actually is.

There is nothing really engaging about Atul and Vina. Elsewhere, stereotypes abound, with parents Eeshwar and Lopa fulfilling tired archetypes of Asian characters in British movies. Supporting roles are populated by characters meant to amuse viewers. These offer nothing original. There are a few moments of humour, but jokes often fall flat. The dialogue can be trying at times.

Performances are fine overall. Amara Karan delivers a decent performance as Vina. Reece Ritchie is suitably cast as Atul, while the one-dimensional characterisation hinders the performances of Meera Syal and Harish Patel.

It seems to be too much to ask for a British Asian film to be at least well written. The last few movies in this category have been uninspiring, and All in Good Time does nothing to buck this trend.

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Trailer Round-Up

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New trailers for The Dark Knight Rises and Prometheus were released earlier this week. With the latest trailer for The Amazing Spider-Man being released last night, this has been a bumper week for blockbuster trailers. All we need now is something from new James Bond movie Skyfall…

Moonrise Kingdom

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Moonrise Kingdom is the eagerly anticipated new film from Wes Anderson. The film boasts a stellar cast that includes Bill Murray, Ed Norton, Bruce Willis and Tilda Swinton. Moonrise Kingdom is about two children who fall in love during the summer of 1965. The film is released on 25th May 2012.

The Amazing Spider-Man

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The third trailer for The Amazing Spider-Man was released last night. The trailer reveals more of an emphasis on Peter Parker’s parents than the previous run of Spiderman films. Although the trailer looks good, The Amazing Spider-Man has been sandwiched between two superhero behemoths; Avengers Assemble has already done record-breaking business while The Dark Knight Rises is due for release two weeks after Spider-Man. Notwithstanding, given the popularity of this character, The Amazing Spider-Man is sure to bring in the crowds when it opens on 4th July 2012.

Magic Mike

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I am not sure what Magic Mike is supposed to be, other than based on Channing Tatum’s former career as a stripper. Steven Soderbergh’s film could have been a male version of Showgirls, but instead seems to have a strong romantic string to the story. Channing Tatum showed off his comedy chops in 21 Jump Street, so hopefully these will shine through in Magic Mike. Also starring Alex Pettyfer and Matthew McConughey, Magic Mike is out in cinemas on 13th July 2012.

Joyful Noise

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The only thing you need to know about this film is that Dolly Parton in it. But if you want to know more, the film is about church choir group who enter a competition with new director Vi Rose (Queen Latifah) at the helm. The arrival of Randy (Jeremy Jordan), the grandson of G.G. Sparrow (Dolly Parton) shakes things up. Joyful Noise is released on 29th June 2012.

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Films on Television

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Today sees the launch of the Sony Movie Channel in the UK. It got me thinking about the possibility of every major distributor having their own film channel. It would call into question the dominance of packages like Sky Movies. Currently, there are only a few film channels available without the Sky Movies package, most notably Film4 and TCM. Disney offer a host of channels, although their Disney CineMagic requires a subscription. If other major distributors follow Sony’s lead, it would change how people view films on television. There would still be a need for ‘premier’ channels, as it would be unlikely that a distributor channel would show its own films on television that soon after theatrical release.

Futhermore, the main television channels would also still show films and feature terrestrial television premiers of new movies. Nevertheless, more non-subscription film channels would offer the television viewer more choice. And given the proliferation of streaming and online viewing services, new film channels would surely increase the viewership of films on television.

If every major distributor follows Sony’s example, what can we expect these new channels to show? I pondered what delights may be on offer…

Sony Pictures

Sony Movie Channel launches on 3rd May 2012. The very first film screened will be Woody Allen’s fantastic Manhattan Murder Mystery. The channel will be screening films from the last three decades, so not quite the full back catalogue of Sony Pictures. If they choose to extend this remit, the channel could screen some fantastic films. At their best Sony have distributed classics such as It Happened One Night and Ghostbusters. They are also responsible for Jack and Jill.

20th Century Fox

The television side of the Fox corporation is alive and kicking, particularly in America. If Twentieth Century Fox had their own movie channel, audiences could expect such delights as Star Wars and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Also on offer would be Big Momma’s House and its sequels.

Paramount Pictures

One of the major film companies of the Golden Age of Hollywood, Paramount have a rich back catalogue. A Paramount movie channel could offer some of the finest films ever made, including Double Indemnity and Rear Window. The channel could also screen No Strings Attached.

Universal Pictures

Celebrating their 100th anniversary this week, Universal also have a tremendous array of films to populate a hypothetical movie channel with. Viewers could look forward to tuning in to Bride of Frankenstein and E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial. 2004′s Wimbledon may not attract quite the same viewing figures.

Warner Bros

Famed for their crime films in the 1930s and 1940s, and their box office-dominating recent franchises, a Warner Bros move channel could feature a cornucopia of classic films. Films as diverse as The Maltese Falcon and The Dark Knight could be aired,  but so could 2011′s New Year’s Eve.

Sony Movie Channel launches on Thursday 3rd May 2012 in the UK, on Sky channel 323.

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5 Criticisms That Won’t Be Made of The Dark Knight Rises

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The third trailer for The Dark Knight Rises was released earlier today. It made me think of the criticisms levelled at predecessor The Dark Knight, and Christopher Nolan’s last film Inception. Undoubtedly there will be one or two people who will level these barbs at TDKR just to go against the grain. Nevertheless, looking into my crystal ball, I predict that none of these will be valid criticisms of The Dark Knight Rises…

1. There Are Too Few Main Characters

A common criticism of The Dark Knight was that there were too many important characters vying for the spotlight. Bane and Selina Kyle are Batman’s adversaries in The Dark Knight Rises, plus there are new characters played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Marion Cotillard. So it is doubtful that TDKR will be accused of having too few main characters.

2. The Plot Is Too Straightforward And Simple

An extension of the first point; given the number of characters that feature, it is unlikely that viewers will complain that the plot is too elementary. Inception and The Dark Knight were considered as being complex or convoluted by some, so it is probable that The Dark Knight Rises will follow suit.

3. The Production Values Are Poor

From the three trailers that have been released, as well as the first scene screening, it is difficult to accuse The Dark Knight Rises of  being a poorly produced affair. The effects in the football stadium sequence look amazing from the trailer. Other criticisms may be well-founded, but it will be difficult to argue that TDKR does not look like a superlative blockbuster.

 4. The Score Lacks Grandeur

After his bombastic Inception score, composer Hans Zimmer returns for The Dark Knight Rises. Given the grandiose nature of his previous scores, it would be surprising if TDKR does not follow suit. The trailers at least indicates the score will rival that of its predecessor.

5. Gotham City Looks Like Croydon

The Dark Knight Rises was filmed in Croydon, as well as a number of over locations across the globe. So whilst some of the footage will actually have been filmed in Croydon, it is highly unlikely that Gotham will look like London’s, ahem, finest borough. New York with hints of Chicago, it is doubtful that Gotham will bear any relation to Croydon.

The Dark Knight Rises is released on 20th July 2012.

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Film Review: Beauty and the Beast 3D

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Twenty-one years after it first graced cinema screens, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast gets a 3D re-release. Despite the lapse of two decades, the film is still as beguiling as ever.

Living in a provencial French town, Belle longs for a more exciting life. Journeying to the fair to show his new invention, Belle’s father Maurice gets lost. He happens upon a castle, whose owner is less than accommodating. Belle’s desire for adventure is about to be fulfilled in a way she never would have imagined…

Beauty and the Beast is perhaps the pinnacle of Disney’s animated output. The film is difficult to fault; it is a fantastic example of what ‘Team Disney’ got right. Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise’s film is in many ways the quintessential animated fairy tale.

Like other Disney films, Beauty and the Beast adapts his source material to fit in with Disney tropes. The story is appealing because of the well-rounded characters that populate the film. Belle and the Beast are engaging and endearing, whilst supporting characters provide a good deal of humour. Belle appears to a be a blueprint for many of the subsequent Disney Princesses, although her independent qualities also feature in The Little Mermaid‘s Ariel.

All the elements combine perfectly in Beauty and the Beast. The story is interspersed with some truly classic songs. There is a lightness and warmth to the film, even in moments of peril. The humour effectively balances the more dramatic moments, there is never a prolonged period without some laughs. Moreover, Beauty and the Beast should appeal to adults as much as it does to children.

The 3D is noticeable form the very beginning of the film. Given that the film was never intended to be exhibited in 3D, it actually works rather well in this form. The animation holds up well, despite advances made in this medium in the intervening years. The ballroom sequence is still as enchanting as seeing it for the very first time.

Disney aficionados and fans of high quality animation should aim to catch Beauty and the Beast on its limited 3D re-release. It is a rare delight for fans of the film to see it on the big screen.

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Film Review: Silent House

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Silent House boasts some excellent moments of tension. Nevertheless, the film falls into the same trap as so many other horrors by having a weak and incredulous final act.

Sarah is keeping her dad and her uncle company as they fix up their old holiday home. Having not been at the property since she was a young girl, Sarah has few memories of her time there. When she becomes trapped inside the house, Sarah worries there is another presence with her…

A remake of Uruguayan La Casa Muda, Silent House shares many of the same tropes with other haunted house films. Silent House features the regular set up of normality becoming quickly subverted and descending into a nightmarish situation. The film also elevates the level of threat in a way that will be familiar to most viewers.

Chris Kentis and Laura Lau’s film leaves little real mystery, despite the necessity of this to sustain the story. The narrative is lacking unfortunately. Indicators of what is to come appear early on in Silent House. These are like clangers, rather than sly hints however. A bit more ambivalence and a more coherent plot would have worked wonders, as tension is effective throughout the film.

Silent House is filmed in one continuous take. This appears partially to have been done for gimmick effect. On the one hand, the filmmakers should be applauded for generating some very tense moments despite the limitations of this filming style. Nevertheless, other aspects of the film, particularly in the final third, would have benefited from editing to make the composition look more polished and less haphazard. The location is perfect for the film, and lighting works well to generate atmosphere.

Elizabeth Olsen delivers a strong performance that really carries the film. Silent House would not have worked at all without Olsen. Elsewhere the film features some interesting casting, but perhaps it is the characters rather than the actors that are less believable.

Silent House is ultimately disappointing. It is only partially successful as a horror film.

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Film Review: Le Quai des Brumes

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Marcel Carné’s Le Quai des Brumes is a brooding affair. The 1938 film is well executed, creating a rather haunting atmosphere despite the presence of some humour.

Having left the army, Jean hitchhikes to Le Harve, a French port city. Still in his army uniform and without money, Jean lucks upon a place to stay. Looking for a route out of the country, Jean may have just found an escape. However, he also finds Nelly, a beautiful young girl…

Le Quai des Brumes compiles elements of drama with an undercurrent of crime and humour. The result is a film that gradually sneaks up on viewers, drawing them in casually but effectively. Le Quai des Brumes depicts helplessness well; there is an overarching feeling that the protagonists is not really in control of his destiny, in spite of any action he may take.

The ambiguity over the background of Jean remains throughout the film. Although it is insinuated that he is a deserter, little else is established about his background. This does not hinder the audiences’ enjoyment of the film, or the ability to empathise with the character. His actions during the course of the film, as well as his emotions, are enough to engage viewers.

Le Quai des Brumes also features some interesting supporting characters. Some of these provide much of the film’s humour. The film’s antagonist, however, is suitably creepy. The villain of the film remains a mystery until the final act, although hints are dropped beforehand.

Carné makes use of shadows to create a brooding atmosphere. It helps that the film takes place mostly at night. Some moments of action show their age, but the film holds up well otherwise. There are some frank depictions for the time; it is understandable why the film was edited originally. Jean Gabin plays Jean with the necessary tension imbued in the character. Michèle Morgan is good as Nelly, portraying the character’s passion and independence effectively.

Le Quai des Brumes is an engaging film, which exhibits Carné’s flair for cinema.

Le Quai des Brumes is being screened at the British Film Institute as past of their Jean Gabin season, as well as at selected cinemas.

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