Film review of the futuristic action/adventure/fantasy, starring Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson.
Director: Gary Ross. Lionsgate/Color Force. (12a).
ACTION/ADVENTURE/FANTASY
The Hunger Games (2012)
Black Sea (2014)
Film review of the action thriller Black Sea, starring Jude Law and Scoot McNairy.
Director: Kevin Macdonald. Film4/Cowboy Films/Etalon Film
Action/Adventure/Fantasy
Cast & credits
Producer: Kevin Macdonald, Charles Steel.
Writer: Dennis Kelly.
Camera: Christopher Ross.
Music: Ilan Eshkeri.
Sets: Nick Palmer.
Jude Law, Scoot McNairy, Tobias Menzies, Grigoriy Dobrygin, Ben Mendelsohn, Jodie Whittaker, David Threlfall, Michael Smiley, Karl Davies.
Synopsis
In order to make good with his former employers, a submarine captain (Law) takes a job with a shadowy backer to search the depths of the Black Sea for a Nazi submarine rumored to be loaded with gold.
Review
This review feels more like a premiere for me, being my first chance to sample MK’s Cineworld after several weeks on ‘the other side’. Despite the on-going refurbishment work previously reported by Total MK and some minor gremlins in the works (a few recalcitrant lights in the auditorium I sat in having to be persuaded into submission), this was a refreshingly palatial experience, sat amongst the distinctive, sumptuous blood reds of Cineworld in massively comfortable seats with plenty of a leg-room for a nearly-6 footer.
It was also briskly busy for a 6pm Friday screening, about 80 people for a film that has not been heavily promoted – have I been frequenting the wrong type of multiplex? Next up is their Super Screen, to be unveiled in a week’s time, but until then on with the actual review.
This is a beefy, solid if slightly half-hearted action film, manly, sweaty and gruff. Rather like the now muscled star Law, here leading as the renegade captain of the submarine, a team player willing to put his team’s lives on the line to secure riches on the sea bed, in order to stick one to ‘the man’. He’s wearing the years surprisingly well and his performance bristles with the kind of intense but sensitive conviction we have come to expect from him, persuasive and controlled but also increasingly unfocused, he rolls around on sailors barrel legs with slightly menacing eyes.
This manned-up turn benefits from a commendable sounding Scottish accent, unfortunately let down by what seems an over-enunciating mouth and painful jaw jutting as he barks his orders out. He looks like he’s just chomped down on an out of date haggis found at the back of the sub’s kitchen cupboards.
The cast that make up his crew look like appropriately moth-eaten Argonauts to his modern-day Jason, providing salty and seasoned supporting acts. Of especial note is Threlfall (from TV’s Shameless) as an old-timer riddled with emphysema but still able to spit out the one-liners. When one character, on seeing the rusty submarine they will use to find the bullion, states “This wreck’s gonna sink”, Threlfall replies “It’s a fucking useless sub if it don’t”. It’s a minor role, the same type of sea dog you’ve seen in a million boat/sub/navy films, but the work Threlfall has expended makes meeting him a worthy experience. This is the type of guy you could meet down the pub and enjoy a few jars with.
But for every line of great dialogue in a more or less solidly crafted movie such as this, there are also corny, ‘manly’ platitudes and head-scratching plot holes that litter carelessly constructed action film scripts.
I’ll choose to forget the gratingly poor line from Law about big business choosing to “flush shit like us away, but now the shit is fighting back” and focus instead on what seems like far-fetched engineering principles (why does this rusty submarine even leave land without any preparatory work, that takes place at sea? Would it really survive such a gruelling journey?), clunky additions to the story (would a submarine captain as experienced as Law really pick a young and completely inexperienced man such as Tobin [Bobby Schofield] to join his crew on such a dangerous mission?) and the fact that the script is nothing more than a water-bound update of Greed (1925) and Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948).
Director Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland, 2006) shows himself capable of creating stomach tightening, tense moments, particularly the seabed walk toward the sunken Nazi sub that had me squirming in my seat. The paralysing, lonely dark of being underwater already creates a sense of unease and he capitalises on this to the max.
It’s a shame therefore that he doesn’t make a bit more of the claustrophobic interior of Law’s vessel where the horror of human avarice starts with a bang but peters out with a soggy whisper.
New UK movies released: Friday 5 December
StandardA list of all new films being released in UK cinemas, as of Friday 5 December. To get details of screenings near to you, use the Find Any Film website and search by title and location.
Action Jackson
Bollywood action film starring the decidedly buff Ajay Devgn. For more, see the official Facebook page.
Black Sea
Taut sounding action thriller with Jude Law being directed by The Last King Of Scotland’s (2006). He is a rogue submarine captain heading to the bottom of the Black Sea to hunt for treasure aboard a sunken ship. David Threlfall co-stars. More details are on the official website and it will be playing just about everywhere.
Bonobo
A marriage is put to the test when the wife is offered lucrative work as an escort. The money is great and they are desperate, but how will their otherwise idyllic family life cope emotionally and sexually? Pretty looking drama starring James Norton and Josie Lawrence, find out more on the official website. Showing at key cities only.
Eastern Boys
Crazy sounding French gay film in which a man propositions an Eastern European rent boy and ends up with a whole gang of them partying in his flat the next day. Billed as a love story and a taut thriller, this is an odd looking pick-up. The official Peccadillo Pictures webpage includes screening locations.
Get Santa
British, festive comedy with Jim Broadbent and Warwick Davis. A father and son team up to save Christmas once they discover Santa Claus sleeping in their garage after crashing his sleigh and finding himself on the run from the police. It will be showing at most UK cinemas.
The Grandmaster
Martial arts action film charting the back-story of the man who trained film legend Bruce Lee. Starring Tony Leung and Ziyi Zhang and with choreography from the team behind Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), there are scenes in the trailer that look beyond ravishing with eye-boggling fight scenes. The official website will impart a bit more; showing at key cities only.
Hello Carter
It doesn’t auger well for a movie in this era of social media-driven marketing when its Facebook page has only 15 likes (as of 30 November). Shame as this is a cute looking comedy starring Charlie Cox and Jodie Whittaker. Down-on-his-luck Carter has been dumped, lost his job and his home. On a mission to win back his ex-girlfriend, he agrees to help her psychotic brother, which starts a chain reaction of adventures. The official Facebook page is here and it will be showing at key cities only.
My, Myself and Mum
French comedy about a young man embracing his inner heterosexual after being brought up in a manner in which everyone assumes he is gay. Originally released in France more than a year ago, the official website will give you photos and the trailer. Showing at key cities only.
Mea Culpa
French thriller about good cops Franck and Simon. Their lives take a tailspin when Simon causes a tragic car wreck after drink driving. A few years later and out of the police, he is forced to take matters into his own hands when his family is in danger. It will be on a limited run only so use Find Any Film for cinemas near to you or keep your peepers out for your local art house cinemas listings.
Men, Women & Children
Drama about a group of high school teenagers and their parents as they attempt to navigate the many ways the internet has changed their relationships, their communication, their self-image, and their love lives. Starring Jennifer Garner and Adam Sandler, you can catch it at almost any cinema. Get more details from the official website.
Open Bethlehem
Documentary from director Leila Sansour as she returns to Bethlehem to make a film about her home town, soon to be encircled by a wall. She intends her film to be a tribute to her late father, founder of Bethlehem University, and a man regarded as a hero by his town’s folk. As Bethlehem approaches ruin her decision to flee this sleepy town, taken much to her father’s regret, comes to haunt her. Find out more on the official website, it will be screened at locations across the UK, but check out your local cinema listings.
The Pyramid
Grim and scary-looking Indiana Jones meets The Blair Witch Project (2009) horror from the producer of The Hills Have Eyes (2006). The official website has more details and it will be showing across most UK cinemas.
School of Babel
Documentary following a group of teenagers from as far afield as China and Brazil after they arrive in a French High School and are enrolled in the same class. The New Wave Films webpage has the lowdown including the key cities it will be playing in.
St. Vincent
Bill Murray vehicle about Maggie (Melissa McCarthy) and her adopted 12-year-old son, Oliver (Jaeden Lieberher), who move next door to war veteran Vincent (Murray). When Oliver gets locked out after school one day, Vincent allows him to stay at his house until his mom gets home. Because he has bills up to the ceiling and is desperate for cash, he tells Maggie he’ll babysit Oliver every day after school. Vincent then introduces Oliver to his lifestyle, including gambling, drinking, and his relationship with a Russian prostitute (Naomi Watts). Check out the official website for some extra titbits, it will be playing just about every place.
And on Monday 8 December…
The Polar Express
Not the greatest, but possibly the most fun, Christmas film ever made. Robert Zemeckis’ enduring fantasy is about a little boy taken on a magical night-time journey to the North Pole to see how Christmas is wrapped up by Santa, courtesy of the titular, always on-time train (clearly this is not set in the UK). A one day special screening via Cineworld, check out the Park Circus website for details.
And on Thursday 11 December…
Montana
East End action thriller starring Mads Mikkelsen about a former Serbian Commando who bonds with a young boy whose father has been killed by a criminal gang lord. Showing at key, Showcase Cinemas only, the official webpage is here.
Withnail and I (1987)
Film review of the Beatcheck screening, in Stony Stratford, of the cult classic comedy starring Richard E. Grant and Paul McGann.
COMEDY
Cast & credits
Producer: Paul M. Heller.
Writer: Bruce Robinson.
Camera: Peter Hannan.
Music: David Dundas, Rick Wentworth.
Sets: Michael Pickwoad.
Richard E. Grant, Paul McGann, Richard Griffiths, Ralph Brown, Michael Elphick.
Synopsis
Two out of work and alcoholic actors (Grant, McGann) live in a squalid North London flat and dodge crazy drug dealers (Brown) and the attentions of Grant’s homosexual uncle (Griffiths) as they wait for the phone to ring from their agents with that elusive job. Deciding to escape the depression of their lives, they embark on a holiday to Griffith’s isolated cottage near Penrith ostensibly to recuperate. But events take a comical and very drunken turn.
Review
The archetypal British cult classic, director Robinson’s unapologetically part-autobiographical comedy about two archetypal struggling actors, boozed and pilled up, flailing in their own fetid flat and delusions of success.
I saw the film many years ago and had only dim recollections of it as I approached this screening at The Crown pub in Stony Stratford, the historic Buckinghamshire market town that doubled for Penrith in the movie. The pub, that the lead characters nip into for a quick few jars, is still open and serving “the finest wines known to humanity”.
This was an interesting and highly entertaining experience, watching a film about people getting pissed with people who were also getting pissed, a sort of ‘Intoxicated Immersion Cinema’.
Beatcheck screenings are refreshingly free easy compared with your usual film society. We were issued with ‘Fight Club’ style rules namely watch the film, go to the toilet whenever you want, get drinks from the bar whenever you want (open throughout the movie) and quote as freely as you like. Excellent tips that served the patron sat next to me well, who discreetly whispered lines of dialogue at key moments.
A merry, inebriated audience participation flowed, a few pre-empting shouts at the screen, a few glasses knocked over as people picked their way over legs and chairs in the darkness, but much fun was had by all.
And so onto the film itself. A million words of fanatical appreciation have already been scribbled about Withnail and I will duly follow suit. I love this film. It’s bonkers and right out there in the so-grossly-exaggerated stratosphere that a large proportion of it has to be true (check out this fan appreciation site for what absolutely happened in real life).
The irreplaceably funny moments include Withnail (Grant) smearing himself in Deep Heat to keep warm and then downing lighter fluid (an incident attributed to the late actor Vivian MacKerrell, a former flat-mate of Robinson’s), Withnail cunningly avoiding being beaten by a burly Irishman, the duo attempting to feed themselves by fishing in a river using only a shotgun, Brown’s uniquely placable accent and profoundly nonsensical whitterings as drug dealer Danny and Uncle Monty’s (Griffith) failed seduction of I/Marwood.
The dialogue is precious and places the film perfectly on its own two legs. It’s unimaginable for such splenetic, foul-mouthed words to sound so clever and beguiling. Griffith’s ridiculously covert, gay innuendo in which he replaces male sexual organs with a variety of root vegetables will induce a chuckle in the most repressed of cinema-goers, but he is also given to vivid prose (as dusk approaches, he says ‘the sky is bruising’, a brilliant description).
We are not given much information about the back story of the characters, except that they are all failures to some degree, looking either wistfully or with angry regret on their pasts. Uncle Monty never had the confidence to pursue acting and will “never play the Dane”, Withnail scorns the producers and directors who haven’t utilised his talent, other male actors having probably prostituted themselves to get ahead. I/Marwood is prone to sub-Byronic poeticism to surmise his current, fetid predicament.
Promise is unfulfilled in Withnail, as evidenced in his final scene as he delivers a perfect soliloquy from Hamlet to artistically ignorant zoo animals, he’s stuck in a never-changing present of disappointing phone calls to his agent, depressive ramblings and constant thirst for booze. I/Marwood is hopeful and looks ahead, manages to avoid the bottle and lands a plum leading role, much to his surprise.
Grant was never better than this performance, the one that launched his careers (though the film earned only a pittance when first released), revelling in the fevered ramblings, shouting at schoolgirls, the landscape or anyone who will listen to him. Grant is teetotal in real life, requiring some skilful manipulation by director Robinson to coax out this classic, piss-head turn.
McGann’s almost angelic, curly haired good looks are presented in complete opposition to Grant’s sweaty, deathly pallor, but his anxiety ridden and slightly naive ‘I’ is just as impressive. Griffiths and Brown round off a remarkably funny quartet of performances with inimitable, irreplaceable performances.
The Drop (2014)
Film review by Jason Day of crime drama The Drop starring Tom Hardy and Noomi Rapace.
Director: Michael R. Roskam. Chernin Entertainment/Fox Searchlight. (15).
CRIME
Cast & credits
Producers: Peter Chernin, Dylan Clark, Mike Larocca.
Writer: Dennis Lehane.
Camera: Nicolas Karakatsanis.
Music: Marco Beltrami, Raf Keunen
Sets: Thérèse DePrez.
Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace, James Gandolfini, Matthias Schoenaerts, John Ortiz, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Michael Aronov, Morgan Spector, Michael Esper.
Synopsis
Bar tender Bob (Hardy) keeps his head down and keeps the drinks flowing during shifts at his cousin Marv’s (Gandolfini) bar in Brooklyn. Marv’s is a ‘drop’ bar, namely an unofficial place where the proceeds of criminal activities by local gangs (ringleader: Aronov) can be safely dropped and stored during an evening, for collection when the bar has closed. But Marv has other plans for the small fortunes that he stores and is working behind the scenes with local low-lives such as Schoenaerts to rob the criminals, unbeknownst to the kindly and unquestioning Bob. Bob meanwhile develops a romantic attachment to the brittle and abused Nadia (Rapace) when he picks up a stray dog that has been left in her rubbish bin. A dog that was dumped by her violent ex Schoenaerts.
The Imitation Game (2014). Film review of the Alan Turing code breaking WWII drama
Film review by Jason Day of The Imitation Game, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley about the code-breaking work of Alan Turing.
Drama
UK films out this Friday (w/e 14 November 2014)
StandardA list of new film’s to be screened in UK cinemas as of Friday 14 November 2014.
UK films out this Friday (Friday 7 November 2014)
StandardA list of the new movies that will hit UK screens as of Friday 7 November 2014
UK films out this Friday (31 October 2014)
StandardA list of new films being released in UK cinemas from Friday 31 October 2014.
A Separation / Jodaeiye Nader az Simin (2011)
CineSocialUK 