SPECIAL FILM FESTIVAL REVIEW FOR ‘BIUTIFUL’

I managed to see a special screening of the film which won actor Javier Bardem the Best Actor award at this years (63rd) Cannes Film Festival at this years Cine-City Film Festival in Brighton and what an experience it was. The movies I am referring to is Alejandro González Iñárritu’s ‘Biutiful’. The Mexican born director is already famous with English speaking countries with films such as ’21 Grams’ and ‘Babel’, however he is back on top form with one of this years best foreign film.

Uxbal (Javier Bardem) a single parent of Matoe (Guillermo Estrella) and Maramba (Hanaa Bouchaib) is a good man who is trying to do the best he can for everyone, unfortunately it doesn’t always work out how he anticipated. Whilst Uxbal runs a sweat shop for Chinese immigrants and gets African immigrants to sell the stuff on the streets, his main job is to talk to the recently diseased and help them move on to the next life. After suffering from stomach pains, Uxbal is quick to find out he only have a few months left to live which sets him off in a desperate attempt to get closer to his kids so that the do not forget about him whilst at the same time trying to patch things up with his ex-wife Marambra (Maricel Álvarez).

Whilst Uxbal’s uncanny job only appears a few times during the course of the plot the films main focus is on a man who is trying to make the most of his life before he dies. It is only until the end, that we understand the supernatural edge the movie carries, and carries well. Iñárritu has managed to cross different genres and the end result is a cross between a melodrama and a growing of age story with haunting scenes which will freak out experienced horror fans which films such as ‘Paranormal Activity 2’ can’t copy. But be warned this isn’t a supernatural movie, it is clear that the main focus is on the family.

The visuals are beautiful as the film opens on a snow covered hill top but soon moves onto the darker side of Barcelona. The excellent visuals stay through out the movie as Iñárritu shows different sides of the city which cinema hasn’t been before. And even though the film comes in at over the two hour mark it is a somewhat enjoyable viewing which isn’t down to the movie but the content it shows as we see Uxbal slowing dying.

The special effects, whilst only being brief are terrific as they blend into the surroundings rather then distract you from them. The nightmarish scenes as Uxbal makes peace with the spirits of the dead leave a distinct taste in the mouth of the audience well after you have left the cinema. It is easy to see why Guillermo Del Toro attached his name to the project.

The acting is fantastic as we see Uxbal at his best and worst but this detail to character arch is also seen with the characters such as Marambra. But even the children have to deal with some tough material as the parents a constantly bickering at each other. Javier Bardem has made the character of Uxbal a very like able one as we sympathise with what he does despite him hurting everyone he tries to help.

‘Biutiful’ is definitely one of the best films of the year and possibly the best foreign film. Iñárritu has blended a fantastic story about a man attempting to tie up all the strings of his somewhat messy and uncontrolled life before his inevitable fate with and equally good supernatural subplot which ties everything up in the end. If Bardem won an Academy Award for his psychotic killer in ‘No Country for Old Men’ then he definitely deservers to be nominated for Best Actor at next years award season.

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Review for 'Due Date'

Riding on the success of ‘The Hangover’ (2009) which made just under $500 million world-wide, writer-director Todd Philips was given the permission by Warner Bros to make any movie he wanted. The end result is something not too far from his last movie whilst at the same time audiences have flashes of déjà vu from movies such as ‘Planes Trains and Automobiles’ (1987).

Peter Highman (Robert Downey Jr.) is an uptight businessman who is on the road most of his life, whilst his pregnant wife Sarah is ready to go into labour. On the day he is meant to catch a plane to get home, Peter meets wanna-be actor Ethan Tremblay (Zach Galifianakis) who is about to change his life. After briefly meeting outside the airport, they meet on the flight and due to a misunderstanding with an air marshal both of them are put on the “no fly” list. Ethan soon finds Peter, and they set out on a road trip from Atlanta to Los Angeles just days before Peter’s baby will be born.

As expected the long trip is full of genuine laughs. And this is to be expected from the director of possibly one of the funniest films of last year. Whilst the story isn’t completely original, and the few pointless cameos are thrown in to fill the time, the film on a whole is worth a night out to the cinema. Unfortunately Galifianakis is the weakest link as he is no different from his character in ‘The Hangover’. As the flamboyant strange character of Ethan, Galifianakis is no different then the dim witted Alan. On the other hand, Peter is a schizophrenic businessman who jumps between hating Ethan and liking him. Together they make an odd funny couple just like Steve Martin and John Candy in ‘Planes Trains and Automobiles’.

Along their journey they survive through a lot of memorable moments such as attempting to cross the border into Mexico whilst stoned, crashing the car after falling asleep behind the wheel, and insulting a crippled war veteran and paying the price for it. Of course the events in ‘Due Date’ are outrageous and over the top, however the combined laughs of Robert Downey Jr. and Zack Galifanakis make it a trip worth riding in the back seat.

This movie appeals to practically all younger audiences whilst more mature audiences might not enjoy it as much. It’s definitely not as enjoyable as Todd Philips’ last flick but still worth a watch. Whilst ‘The Hangover’ is very re-watchable, ‘Due Date’ lacks the same freshness.

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Review for ‘Another Year’

Mike Leigh has built his career on improvising his movies with the various actors he work has worked with over the years. Taking a couple of months and only an initial idea and transforming it into a full movie with the help of the actors he employs. After riding the modest success of his last movie ‘Happy-Go-Lucky’ (2008) is ‘Another Year’ up to scratch on the edgy creativity Leigh’s known for?

Like everybody, Tom (Jim Broadbent) and Gerri (Jim Broadbent) are getting old. However whilst their happiness lies in each other it appears everyone around them is finding it much more difficult to find that special someone. As the spring turns to summer and so on, Tom and Gerri have various dinner dates with characters such as Mary (Lesley Manville) a dysfunctional co-worker of Gerri’s who likes to drink more then someone should, whilst on Tom’s side he battles to keep high spirits with his friend Ken (Peter Wight) who wants to find solace in Mary. The movie chronicles the year from Tom and Gerri’s point of view as characters as the year goes by and characters come and go in through their little world.

One of the main problems with the movie is that it runs on much longer then it should. Whilst characters such as Tom and Gerri are fun and interesting in their old age, most of the other characters just nag on and draw out the film. Characters such as Marry (who is very similar to Blanche from ‘A Street Car Names Desire’) keeps popping up uninvitingly as we begin to see her slipping from normality in such a way that when she is at the front door even audiences don’t want her around. Then there’s Ken, a pathetic booze guzzling chain-smoker who recalls when he was young before breaking down into tears. But their son Joe (Oliver Maltman) hasn’t got it any easier as he tries to find someone he wants to settle down with.

The movie ambles along each season with little point other then to draw the movie out into four separate sections as characters promises are lost through the different times. Leigh has definitely hit the same style Yasujiro Ozu in which the film centres around a character (or characters in Leigh’s case) and we see their friends and family around them as they effect the story however missing the historical importance which Ozu is know for. Whilst it appears that nothing is happening under neither it all you have love, loss, alcoholism, shattered dreams and bitter disappointment.

Whilst ‘Another Year’ won’t be to everyone’s taste, some may find a heart warming story about getting old. Others will see it as nothing more then old people talking about getting old. If you enjoy works by the elderly director then you will be pleasantly satisfied however apart from it having a lot of heart it ends up feeling somewhat boring and repetitive.

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Review for 'Saw 3D'

The Saw franchise has been gripping to life more then it’s once great serial killer Jigsaw, but now as we come to the final chapter of the series; ‘Saw 3D’ leaves a bitter taste in our mouths worse then any trap the producers could have thought up. The Saw franchise has become such an endurance test that it’s amazing they could string out such a ridicules story this far.

This final time round Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) is targeting survivor turned author Bobby Dagen (Sean Patrick Flanery) as he cashes in on his so called ‘experience’. Before long we realise that he has fabricated his test and is cashing in on it. So it is no surprise to him or the audience when he wakes up in some elaborate trap and has to rescue his team of liars as he attempts to also save his two dimensional wife. The story also pulls together loose ends especially with Dr Gordon’s character (Cary Elwes) who makes and appearance as well as the on going feud with Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) and Jigsaw’s widowed wife Jill (Betsy Russell) with a conclusion which tries to but fail to redeem the lost franchise.

This movie separate it’s self from the rest of the series, with not only 3D but how it is only gratuitous violence. Not to say that the other instalments where any less gratuitous however the producers used the extra dimension as an excuse to show appalling murders. There is nothing smart or sophisticated about this movie which the first few had along with their charm. It appears that director and creator of ‘Saw’, James Wong jumped off the sinking boat as the editor of the franchise Kevin Greutert returns to direct after working on equally bad Saw VI.

The acting is possibly some of the worst I have seen as it looks like a low budget American TV drama. None of the characters have any depth as their characters bios couldn’t last more then one line sentence. Part of the theory of horror cinema is that you need to establish likable characters which engage with the audience in a way that when they are in threat the audience feels the same dread, which is why the final girl archetype works as a good template to horror movies. This theory is completely lost in ‘Saw 3D’ as all the characters are selfish and boring cardboard cut outs.

This movie might entertain people who are fans of the series but if you are stuck thinking what to watch at the cinema you should definitely skim past this one. The 3D is barely there and used in a pathetic way to grab what little money the producers think they need. The only saving grace is possibly the last five minutes as they string together the last threads of a once entertaining series. Fans of the series will be let down, and those who aren’t will be left sickened by the over the top violence as bit of humans come ‘flying’ out of the screen.

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Review for 'The Kids Are All Right'

On the outside a film like ‘The Kids are All Right’ (2010) might look like a little indie flick which should live in an Arthouse cinema, however once you delve in you realise that there is something more interesting and entertaining then a bunch of teenager sitting around talking ala Mumblecore or a Kevin Smith movie. Not that works by the Duplass Brothers or Andrew Bujalski are teenage trash, it is just they have hardly pushed the indie boundaries like Lisa Cholodenko’s ‘The Kids are All Right’. Once again I am forced to pull out the Oscar nods card however this is the general consensus from a lot of critics, but there isn’t smoke without fire.

Nic (Annette Bening) and Jules (Julianne Moore) are a seemingly happy lesbian couple with children Joni (Mia Wasikowska) and Laser (Josh Hutcherson) however when Joni turns eighteen she is bugged by her younger brother Laser to call their biological dad Paul (Mark Ruffalo) and set up a meeting. Whilst not telling their loving mothers, Joni and Laser head out to meet Paul, a cool, relaxed man who appears to have it all. As Nic and Jules are quick to find out about Paul the family begins to see that everything isn’t what the believed it was. Head of the house Nic has a drinking issue which is reminiscing of Miles from Alexander Payne’s ‘Sideways’ (2004), Jules becomes confused with her life choices, Jodi is about to go off to college but has feelings for her long term friend Jai (Kunal Sharma) and Laser is friends with bad influence Clay (Eddie Hassell). On the outside each character appears confident and assure of their lives however after Paul joins the mix everyone’s self esteem breaks down and we see their less then perfect world.

Penned by Lisa Cholodenko and Stuart Blumberg this smart, intellectual movie about parenthood, responsibility and growing up deals with some heavy issues. It’s obvious to note that it is an off beat comedy which some people are not going to get but that is the crowd who enjoy the works of Michael Bay. This is edgy stuff, especially with the lesbian couple which doesn’t bog down any of the story plot but it is really the family who works as a unit but breaks down if separated.

As I mentioned before the film can be associated with the likes of films such as ‘Sideways’, in that it prizes it’s self on dry humour especially with Mark Ruffalo’s character Paul. All the main actors especially Annette Bening and Mark Ruffalo’s characters are very well acted and believable whilst being let down by minor characters especially with Kunal Sharma and Eddie Hassell however that doesn’t shy from the movie on a whole.

Whilst ‘The Kids are All Right’ has very few minor weak leaks on a whole the movie is very enjoyable. The characters are interesting and likable and the jokes aren’t the adolescent humour you come to expect in an Apatow movie. If you enjoy movies with some edgy intellectual characters this is right for you.

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What’s Got You Spooked This Halloween?

Halloween has once again come around just days before the Mexican Day of the Dead (2nd Nov) however once again us horror hounds are disappointed by the lack of films in the cinema. Where are our saviours: John Carpenter or Sam Raimi (to name a few) to haunt us with chilling tales? Instead we are left with ‘Paranormal Activity 2’, ‘Let Me In’ and the film which just won’t ironically die ‘Saw 3D’. And whilst a few of them aren’t necessarily bad they lack that spark that will keep people talking about then for years to come. This year has been a fairly terrible year for horror movies whilst last year we where satisfied with interesting and fun horrors such as Christopher Smith’s ‘Triangle’, Charles Guard’s ‘The Uninvited’ and Sam Raimi’s return to horror ‘Drag Me To Hell’. So whilst this year we have been “treated” with re-makes (or re-imaginings as the studios say), re-boots and sequel, I say save money from the cinema and go out and buy a stack of horror flick. What should I buy? I hear you ask, well here’s my list of some classic movies to keep you up.

First movie I’m going to mention is a film I personally hold dear and that’s John Carpenter’s ‘The Thing’ (1982). Set in Alaska in a remote research centre in the middle of no where the team is happy and safe until a helicopter chasing a cute dog comes along will all guns blazing. After handling the situation, our hero R.J. McReady (Kurt Russle) heads to the facility to which the helicopter came from only to find some bazaar corpses and locations of a crashed alien space ship. Before long the team discovers that the alien has infiltrated the research centre with the ability to replicate any organ mass leaving the rest of the men paranoid and frightened. Not for the faint heart this classic is sure to send disgusted shivers down anyone’s backs. Especially go see it because a prequel is coming next year to spoil all the fun.

Next film I’m going to recommend is a Canadian horror click which came out late last year named ‘Pontypool’ (Bruce McDonald, 2009). Now bear with me whilst I explain as little as possible; the film opens with radio presenter Grant Mazzy (Stephen McHattie) on his way to work when a babbling woman stops him before disappearing into the snow, nothing to strange some may thing however when Mazzy gets to work in the basement of a church on a hill strange reports of cannibalism begins to flood the news team. Whilst hosting a radio station, Mazzy begins to decipher whether the reports are factual or a hoax. What makes this movie stand out is it’s take on zombie movies where by the infection is spread by a viral infection, ‘Pontypool’ plays with an infection which is spread verbally. This twist on the zombie genre is based on Tony Burgess’ chilling book ‘Pontypool Changes Everything’ this adaption will become a cult classic which is also going to spawn a trilogy.

With a terrible re-make coming from Satan himself Michael Bay, ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’s credibility has gone down slightly, however seeing the iconic scene with Johnny Depp being pulled into his bed, we really remember what this film was all about. No one can take Robert England’s place as the burnt slasher killer as he moves from dream to dream, killing off the inhabitants of Elm Street. Possibly Wes Craven’s greatest achievement this film belongs in an true horror fans collection.

The last film to spook you this Halloween comes from director Stanley Kubrick whilst spawning from the disturbing mind of writer Stephen King. Of course I’m talking about ‘The Shining’ in possibly one of Jack Nicholson’s greatest performances as the troubled writer, who is forced together with his lovely wife Wendy (Shelley Duvall) and disturbing son Danny (Danny Loyd) in a claustrophobic haunted hotel miles from civilisation. The empty halls, creep corridors and haunting bathrooms all contribute to a great viewing experience which would keep you up all night.

The Thing * * * *

Pontypool * * *

Nightmare on Elm Street * * *

The Shining * * * *

Review for 'Paranormal Activity 2'

The story of ‘Paranormal Activity’ is one of an independent horror film’s shoot to fame and popularity, ‘Paranormal Activity 2’ on the other hand is very different. It’s like the first was a geek who had to work to get a girl, whilst the sequel is like the pretty boy who never had to try.

To explain the story of ‘Paranormal Activity 2’ is to say too much, once again it relies on the audience to believe that this is ‘found footage’ ala ‘Cannibal Apocalypse’, ‘Blair Witch Project’ and ‘[REC]’. On the arrival of new born baby Hunter, recently wed parents Dan and Kristi (whose acting credit is hidden whilst the film tries to keep the ‘found footage’ mentality) appear to be living a perfect life only until strange things begin to happen in and around the huge house. After returning home one night, the family find their picturesque house completely in ruin; they decide to set up security cameras around the house whilst mixing in footage from a hand held camera which individual characters hold at certain time. The end effect works really well as the audience sees the action from afar, but then are sucked into a sort of point of view angle as the characters scream and run.

What was so impressive about the first film is lost on the sequel. When the first (finally) came out audiences where left shaking and dreading the following night, however with this instalment it has all been watered down to the point when you are mainly surprised rather then shocked. For some audience members ‘Paranormal Activity 2’ will scare the life out of them but for any horror fanatics it’s not much.

The main problem with this movie is that it feels very ‘been there done that’. A lot of the spooky ‘activities’ pop up a second time from the first movie, however with a high budget gloss. Rather then playing on your nerves, it is just filled with cheap scares. Having said that the comedy makes a nice counter balance to the poor scares; horror and comedy are closely linked in cinema and it is a nice change from the quick scares which are too far apart.

The story takes too long to actually pick up and when it finally does it lingers for too short a time before its finale, resembling found footage Spanish zombie flick ‘[REC]’ and leaves the audience disappointed. It seems director Tod Williams didn’t know pacing very well, and the movie looses a lot of its subtleness which was what writer director Oren Peli got right with the first.

Although ‘Paranormal Activity 2’ lacks originality and subtleness, it ends up still being a fun trip to the movie which will haunt some audience members later that night.

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