In Review: The Hobbit, The Desolation of Smaug (2013)

The Hobbit - The Desolation of Smaug (2013) 


For three glorious winters a decade ago, a cheerful bearded fat man delivered a trio of specatular and gorgeous Christmas treats to cinemas around the world. Rich in detail, monumental in scope and universally acclaimed, Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings is a supreme achievement in modern cinema. It would take a brave man to even attempt to repeat the feat.

And yet, after years of fannying about in development hell, last year came An Unexpected Journey. The first of a whole new trilogy of Tolkeiny goodness, a chance to revisit Middle Earth and relive some of those precious memories.

Or that was the idea, anyway. Unfortunately for many, An Unexpected Journey never quite managed to take flight in the way that it's esteemed predecessors did. Dogged by pacing problems and sometimes lacking a certain magic that made the earlier trilogy so wonderful, it wasn't quite the immediate classic we'd hoped for. Of course, The Phantom Menace, this was not. Sure, it took a while to get going, but once it did it still had plenty going for it. Gollum, those wonderful middle earth vistas, hair raising action... Sir Ian in that big hat. It was all quite lovely, but it wasn't perfect.

So, one year on, where are we? What of Smaug?

Opening with a neat flashback in a familiar pub, Desolation breezes out of the gates and takes flight through a seeming infinity of action and plot towards a  roaring climax with onehelluva dragon.

As with every Jackson film, we're clocking in here at close to three hours, but it's three very fast hours. Indeed, as strange as it sounds, I find myself wanting more time with these characters once the film closes out. After years of watching extended editions on DVD, the original trilogy became more like a mini series that I'd watch in dribs and drabs. Voluminous as this film is, it's clear to see some of the cuts he made that will surely be slotted back in come the inevitable extended DVD.

That being said, we're not missing any great detail here, and of course, many purists will gripe about the inflation of a slender tome into a 9 hour uber-trilogy, but to be honest anyone who does is missing the point. As an adaptation of a book, a few liberties are taken and Jackson crams in extra details from Tolkeins own writings, but... as a film, a slice of cinematic entertainment, it works very well indeed.
In fact, one can't quite shake the feeling that the film is trying to shake off the sins of its forebear: it's notably short on the plot-lite standing around on the first film, and heavy on the zippy action and story development of the earlier trilogy.

In trimming out much of the expositional mud that tainted the first film, here we have a pace and lightness that characterises Jacksons best work. A multitude of action sequences, each as dazzling and entertaining as the last clatter along while a plethora of characters and beasties zip across the screen in breathless fashion.
Of course the film isn't short of flaws. While all are fun, some of the action seems a tad unnecessary, particularly elements of the final Smaug showdown which runs a tad long. But it's a small gripe when other elements are so rousing. The much touted barrel set piece in particular is, excuse me, barrels of fun (sorry). A particular moment involving rotund dwarf Bombur had me grinning very widely indeed.
Meanwhile, Gandalfs adventures into the appendices continue  to engage, although never quite take full flight despite the delightfully trippy introduction of big-bad Sauron.

The sprawling cast all seem to be having fun, and sink their teeth into the little screen time they're given. Of course, some of the dwarves inevitably become background fluff, but kudos must go to Lee Pace as nasty bastard Elf king Thranduil, who is a nice counterpoint to Elrond and Galadriel. Big up also to arian uber-hunk Orlando Bloom who almost steals the film as Legolas. His succession of ridiculously over the top but fun action beats is an obvious but pleasing nod to his famed over the top scenes in the original trilogy.
She-elf Tauriel is also decent addition, adding much needed femininity to an otherwise entirely blokey affair, although the hokey subplot about her and fit dwarf Kili is a bit lame, but it doesn't detract greatly from the rest of the film.

Stephen Fry is pleasingly unctuous as the self serving Master of Laketown, although a tad underused. It would be no surprise if many of his excised scenes end up in next years extended edition.

Elsewhere, we find Weta digital delivering awesome spectacle in the effects department, particularly with that titular dragon, who really is a sight to behold. Benedict Cumberbatch delivers a characteristically wicked performance, his voice echoing through the Dwarvish halls like a supersized Darth Vader. Much like the Gollum scene in the first film, his scenes with Bilbo are one of the highlights of the film.

Come the final cliffhanger ending (which may wind a few people up), it's hard to fault Jacksons effort. While still falling slightly short of his own very high bench mark, it's a definite improvement on part one. A succession of glorious New Zealand postcard views, wonderfully esoteric characters and spectacular action, Desolation of Smaug is tantalisingly close to being that new Middle Earth film we wanted. Good work, Sir.
Bring on part 3!

4/5

Thomas Shutt

**This review was originally written for York Vision

In Review: Gravity (2013)

Gravity (2013) 

Murphy's law states "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong", and so it is with Gravity. Over the course of a spry ninety minutes, writer/director Alfonso Cuarón deftly guides us through a maelstrom of nerve racking calamity in one of the most visceral and nail biting films of the last decade.

The story is simple: When a collision destroys their Space Shuttle, astronauts Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) and Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) must fight for their lives and attempt to return to Earth. Yet, contained within this linear, intimate narrative are some of the most universal and hefty themes in cinema: Death and rebirth; the heroes journey and the simple beauty of existence.

Throughout, Gravity is permeated by loneliness and fear, a constant sense of unease. What do you do when faced with the immensity of nothingness, isolated and drifting away from everyone you've ever known?  This is a film where the emotional journey and the sensorial experience are given an equal billing.

In a film where fully 90% of the imagery is created in a computer, the boundary between what's real and what is not is totally indistinguishable. Kudos most go to effects house, Framestore, their work here is cracking. The use of 3D, meanwhile adds subtle embellishment to the already sublime vistas, placing you in an infinite depth of field, or adding gentle texture. Much like last years similarly gorgeous Life of Pi, rather than the gaudy excesses of, say, Avatar.

Tension is heightened by Steven Price's simple, almost ambient score pulsating and ratcheting up the strain before ebbing away to provide a subtle counterpoint to some brief moment of serenity. It's unconventional, yet eerily beautiful.

Meanwhile, Cuarón's roving camera, constantly alternating between objective and subjective perspectives, blurs the line between what it is to watch a film and feel like you're an active participant. The use of long, unbroken shots is something of a Cuarón specialty (the ambush from Children of Men springs to mind), but here he takes it much further. A bravura 13 minute opening shot is, with only slight hyperbole, one of the most astounding sequences in cinema history and is worth the admission price alone. Indeed, the film is littered with moments of pure, lingering glory. Several images conjuring the work of such luminaries as Spielberg or Kubrick; a fetal Bullock in particular harking directly back the latters iconic Star Child.

But while this film does share some of the transcendental and meditative DNA of 2001, the short run time serves to make Gravity far more of its own beast; a taut and efficient fairground ride. Here is the overwhelming sense of some unstoppable force propelling us towards the conclusion, that this chain of events won't stop until we hit the ground. Gravity is apt a title as there could be.

And of course there's plenty of philosophy and theology to chew on;  multiple oblique  references to religious symbolism hinting that salvation may ultimately lay out of Stones hands entirely. The repetition of the key phrase "in the dark" almost becomes a mantra, not just to an absent mission control, but a lonely prayer to some other benign force out there who may or may not be listening.

Meanwhile umbilical chords literally connect characters together for much of the film, Cuarón exploring the topic of parental attachment and loss that has run through his work all the way back to A Little Princess. Doctor Stones psychological trauma over a recent tragedy unfolds in real time, as she inwardly and outwardly strains to propel herself from the perfect isolation back to the world of the living.

Of course, Gravity isn't perfect. The character of Matt Kowalski lacks depth, relying  on the sheer gravitas (ahem) of Clooney's star power. A source of witty patter and gentle humour throughout, he's cool as a cucumber and just slightly too unbelievable. However, it's a small complaint, and ultimately not important when considering the overall arc of redemption and renewal that is so subtly handled by Bullock in the lead roll.

It's a subdued and natural performance, and one that deserves recognition. Her Ryan Stone carries us all the way to the final sublime moment, quietly emphasising the intrinsic value of the life we take so often for granted. Gravity is an ode to survival, a film about moving forward, picking yourself up and carrying on in spite of it all.

It's a thrilling and gorgeous piece of work, an instant classic.

5/5

Originally written for York Vision

Good Year / Bad Year - Benedict and Jaden

This is a short filler piece originally written for York Vision


Good Year : Benedict Cumberbatch 

Cult TV to global megahunk in barely a year? Not a bad effort at all.
After several years gathering an army of Cumberbitches from his TV work, Benny C (Yes, Benny C) hit BIG this year, receiving universal praise for his role as Kaaaaaaahn in the latest Star Trek film, showing off his intense brooding monologue skills as well as considerable action chops, he acted Chris Pines face clean off.

Meanwhile, a recent supporting role in the critically acclaimed Oscar bait "12 Years A Slave" (out here in a month or so) has also served to raise his profile somewhat.
And, ok, so he was also in the admittedly naff The Fifth Estate, which garnered, should we say, an apathetic response from the critical community. But his performance as golden haired super-creep Julian Assange was still well received and certainly hasn't harmed his upward trajectory.

That's not the end of it, either. The return of Sherlock next year is so highly anticipated there's rumors the BBC want to project it onto the moon, and murmurs of a starring role in the new Star Wars trilogy will surely help keep him on the radar for a while.

He also has an upcoming role as Enigma hero Alan Turing and (whisper it) he's also playing Smaug the Dragon in a little film called The Hobbit next month... so that might get a bit of attention as well.


Bad Year :  Jaden and Will Smith. And everybody who made After Earth. 

First up is the winner of the "Annoying Little Shit of the Year" Award, Jaden Smith for his role in the abomination that is After Earth.
Killed off by a complete lack of anything even resembling charisma and compelling narrative, the film was treated with what you might call an all-pervasive apathy by most cinemagoers and made about 50p at the box office.

Director M.Night Shyamalan who, let's be fair, has been having a bit of a shocker recently, probably wasn't the best choice to make the film, but it's still no excuse for the totally boring phoned in performances of all involved. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian summed it up thusly: "Much like his dad, Jaden Smith shows no fear. Or any emotion. Or any acting talent of any sort." Ouch.

Meanwhile, An over saturation of un-earned smug whilst doing the promotional rounds surely can't have helped, nor can the faint whiff of Tom Cruise-esque weird Scientology nonsense spouted at an alarming frequency by his usually fairly reliable dad. Even wheeling out The Fresh Princes' Carlton to do the funny dance didn't help matters.

The pursuit of Happiness this was not.

Top Five Classic Halloween horrors

Top Five Classic Halloween horrors 


1. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) 
Visceral, tense and terrifying in a way that modern murder porn like The Human Centipede, Hostel or Saw could never muster, Tobe Hoopers micro budget classic relies on masterful suggestion rather than gratuitous gore. Atmospheric and unnerving from the start, the set up is textbook: innocent kids stumble upon creepy farm, get chased, then attacked by guy in mask. It's the probably the most uncomplicated, yet horrifying horror movie ever made.

2. Alien (1979) 
It's not what you see, It's what you THINK you see. Working on the simple idea that the frightened human mind can invent more horrifying imagery that anything he can put on screen, Ridley Scott crafts a tense and menacing atmosphere around a plot where very little actually happens. Aboard the commercial spaceship Nostromo, the crew answers a distress signal from a nearby planet, pick up an accidental guest, everyone dies.
Of course, John Hurt thrashing about during the ‘chestburster’ is a genuinely frightening piece of cinema even now, but the nerve janglingly tense opening and the half glances of HR Gigers terrifying star-beast make for one hell of a ride.

3. The Thing (1982) 
Jaw-dropping visual effects aside, John Carpenter (who also made the classic "Halloween", which just missed out on this list) wins so epically here due to a finely tuned use of character and location. While the premise may sound simple (12 men stuck in an Arctic station while a shape shifting alien picks them off one by one), it's the paranoia and suspicion that shreds the nerves , with the characters having no idea if they're truly who (or what) they say they are. The fear of complete isolation permeates the film, and a wonderful slimy effects are so realistic, they'll be in your nightmares for weeks.

4. Psycho (1960) 
Achingly innovative, Psycho is the proto slasher. Without Psycho, there'd be no "Halloween", no "Friday the thirteenth" and no "Scream". It's that simple. While the shower scene is legendary (and rightly so), such brutal bloodshed was ground breaking at the time, packing 87 cuts into a frenzied 45 seconds, Hitchcock created perhaps the most iconic and perfectly timed shock in cinema history.
Not to mention a flawless and unnerving central performance from Antony Perkins as Norman Bates and a twist ending that genuinely startles, and you have a timeless classic.
Just best laying off the "your mum" jokes.

5. The Shining - (1980)
Much as he did  for sci-fi almost two decades earlier with "2001", Stanley Kubrick re-defines the horror genre with The Shining. Starring Jack Nicholson in career best form as a writer working as a caretaker at the isolated Overlook Hotel in the Colorado mountains over winter. As his sanity unravels, shit begins to get weird...
Famously hated by original author Stephen King (and nobody else), he resented Kubrick for removing the ghosts from his story, but failed to see that it's not the supernatural that terrifies the most, but the aching  sense of insanity and claustrophobia that dominates the film.
"Come and play with us. Come and play with us, Danny. Forever... and ever... and ever"

Honorable mention: 
The Exorcist (1973) 
It's tough to believe that mainstream Hollywood could get away with depicting the possession of a young girl in such graphic detail, and yet that's exactly what the Exorcist does. Much like Alien, it's a slow builder from the start that fascinates and nestles in your mind before the brutal and shockingly graphic sequences of Linda Blairs demon possession.
Cold and brutal.

Piece originally written for York Vision

In review: Filth (2013)

Filth (2013) 

James McAvoy is Bruce Robertson, an amoral, racist, sexist, sociopathic policeman in line for promotion and enlisted to solve a brutal murder. As he journeys through the seedy Edinburgh underworld can he keep his sanity in check long enough to get the promotion he desires, or will the filth get the better of him?
From the get go, Filth was always going to suffer from comparisons with Trainspotting, the definitive Irvine Welsh screen adaptation, and credit to writer-director Jon S Baird he's delivered a delightfully weird and hallucinogenic film that comes fairly close to living up to hopes. Possessed with more than its share of visual invention and dark humour, Filth revels in its seedy subject matter, painting a picture of group of flawed, broken people.

However, it suffers from being  tonally uneven and in its more somber elements it fails to deliver the proper emotion where it counts. The mismatch of out and out zany humour with the darker threads ends up robbing the latter much of its impact. A barely hinted at subplot regarding McAvoys absent family isn’t given the attention it deserves, robbing a late plot twist of its true emotional value, while references to A Clockwork Orange and even Psycho seem obvious.

Which isn’t to say the film is a failure. Far from it in fact. The film shines in its more out and out bonkers elements, taking darkly comic delight in the transgressions and ineptitude of its central troop. A good script gives the strong the cast plenty to chew on, with Eddie Marson standing out as the abused best mate.
MCavoy, however, is the linchpin of the whole affair. He invests Bruce, a bit of a wanker, with plenty of charm and likeability. Razor sharp yet increasingly unable to distinguish between fiction and reality, Bruce swims in a sea of alcohol and coke abuse, deviant sex and mental illness. It's a tough role, and it's all the more impressive that McAvoy manages to humanise him.

Not quite an era defining classic then, but thanks to a career best performance from McAvoy, it's no write off either.

 4/5


Originally written for York Vision

In Review - Blue Jasmine (2013)

In Review - Blue Jasmine (2013)

Some people slow down as they approach eighty but, not Woody Allen. Admittedly, some of his recent efforts have been patchy at best, bogged down by muddled plots and generally lack of the magic that characterised his greatest films, but a recent foray to Europe has proved rather fruitful, delivering as it has the acclaimed and rather delightful "Midnight in Paris" and  "Vicky, Christina, Barcelona". 

 

Which bring us to possibly the finest of this late renaissance, a reimagining of "A Streetcar Named Desire", Blue Jasmine is a masterpiece of precision and beauty, a tightly scripted, efficiently shot and perfectly acted gem of a film. Telling the story of Manhattan socialite Jasmine who falls head first into poverty and mental illness after her banker husband is caught up in a scandal, it's a bleak but gently funny look at owning up to the past and moving forward with dignity. 

 

Allen writes and directs with precision, weaving character and plot through a time hopping narrative that shifts from dark comedy to tragedy within a beat.  

Blanchett is nothing short of astonishing in the lead, investing Jasmine, an intrinsically unlikable on paper, with genuine pathos and no little humor. Jasmine is a broken woman, shorn of her grand lifestyle, reliant on alcohol, in a city she doesn't know and surrounded by people she could never relate to , and yet she manages to sustain some level of dignity and humanity throughout. It's a walk along a knife edge that shines from the first breath to final shot and an Oscar is surely on the cards. 

Kudos too must go to Sally Hawkins who more than holds her own as Ginger, Jasmines sister and foil for much of the film. Likewise, Alec Baldwin is at the top of his game as a slimy wall street player who destroys the lives of people around him with nary a grimace. Elsewhere, Allen wisely casts strong character actors and comedians in supporting rolls, letting them work magic with minimal screen time. 

Of course Allen has never shied away from putting his characters through the wringer, but this time he really goes for it. Although there is humor here it is dotted sparsely, and fans of his more light and upbeat output may be put off by its bleak outlook. For everyone else, it's a sharp and convincing portrait of a life falling apart. 

5/5 

Into the Wild Blue Yonder - Fairwell to Breaking Bad

*Warning* For the few people left who have yet to watch the Breaking Bad finale , spoilers lay ahead.

Endings are always tough, but here it must surely have been infinitely more so given the overwhelming weight of anticipation. And so it was with no little fanfare that the world was greeted with the finale of Breaking Bad last Sunday. A global phenomenon, the fate of Walt, Jesse and co was on the lips of millions around the world.

"I'm sure it'll make a hell of a story", says Walt early on knowingly. Rising from cult cable classic to outright global phenomenon in 5 short years thanks to tight ingenious writing, cinematic direction and some truly amazing performances across the board, it never once dropped the ball. So how does the finale hold up?

Well, once again kudos has to be given to Brian Cranston and his towering central performance. In a show full of great acting, his is the crowning glory. One of the best aspects of the show has been in showing the rise and fall of Walter White, almost Shakespearian in its aims and execution. From pitiful bit-player in his own life, to megalomaniac custodian of an empire, to a lonely isolated shell with nothing left but his cancer eating away at him. It's a hell of a role, and it's a hell of a performance.

It is inevitable that Walt would have to die. But the main question, and the thing that kept people watching, was how much of his humanity, how much of the original Walt would remain intact? And what would his ultimate fate be? Who would he drag down with him?

Season five as a whole has shone in its depiction of this fall, his descent into isolated wreck, empire crumbled. All the chess pieces are positioned, the clock counted down. All that's left is the demise.

So it's perhaps a pleasant surprise that he gets out with some sliver of humanity remaining. Redemption is a strong word to use after all his terrible behavior, the murders, destroying his family piece by piece. No, redemption was never on the cards, but he does get something close. A touching final moment with Skylar was loaded with all their intense history, his admittance that all of the Meth, all of the scheming, was done, not for the family, but for him bristled and burned. Likewise his final moment with Walt Jr, wordless and seen from a distance evoked sympathy, despite the knowledge of his crimes.

It's interesting to note that, after all his misdemeanors, he does achieve his one ultimate goal from way back in the beginning. Setting up his family up with enough money after he dies, giving them a good chance without him. It's just a shame he had to destroy them all in the process. The most poignant part of it all is that they despise him, some are dead. Everything he loved is broken, and his money is worthless to them now.

Of course the show isn't entirely perfect. A small lapses in narrative logic creeps in late in the game with the execution of the final scene with Uncle Jack and his neo Nazi posse leaning heavily on the old narrative crux that these men are proud and don't take kindly to having their motives questioned. Surely just shooting Walt there and then would be far simpler than parading poor Jesse in front of Walt. But then again, it's the only way to do it. It's a rare instance of overly transparent writing, Gilligan gamely positioning his chess pieces for the final time with so little time to spare.

It's a minor blip, though and come the final ten minute stretch, there's no denying the power of what's on screen. The culmination of 60+ hours of television, churning its way to its inevitable and satisfying conclusion, the emotion is almost palpable.

Almost a guest star in the latter half of this series, it's good to see Jesse get a an emotional and redemptive pay off. His final moment with Walt, turning the screw on the balance of power and showing that there is goodness in these men. It's a poignant moment. I just wish he had a bit more to do that stand there looking sad.

But, obviously it was Walt's final moments on screen that touched the most. Duties fulfilled, money delivered, Walt stumbles into the Meth Lab, his one real love, the place he was happiest, the place where he was king. As ever with Breaking bad, the execution is exquisite, going out with a knowing wink and a swagger.

"I never will forget the special love I had for you, my baby blue"

5/5