Review: 12 Years a Slave (2013)

Posted on February 4, 2014 by Sam S-P

12 years

12 YEARS A SLAVE is a beautifully crafted film about an abhorrent subject. It’s quite an endurance test all-in-all, and I’m not sure whether I’ll ever be able to put myself through it again; not because of the quality of the film, which is excellent, but because of the deliberately oppressive atmosphere.

The true story follows Solomon Northup, a black freeman working as a craftsman and musician and living with his family in New York. After hearing a job proposal from two seemingly affable men, he is drugged and wakes up in chains, a captive with a new name, no papers and no rights. He undergoes unimaginable hardships over a decade as he is moved around plantations and slave labour-dependent businesses in Louisiana, but never surrenders in his quest to regain freedom.

Chiwetel Ejiofor, long overdue real attention, is mesmerising as Solomon Northup, giving a commanding lead performance, that says so very much with so little. The indignity and resilience in his eyes says it all. Director Steve McQueen’s muse Michael Fassbender is terrifying as Solomon’s second master, the obsessive psychopath Edwin Epps, Benedict Cumberbatch makes his mark in a small role as a kind-cruel slave owner and Lupita Nyong’o will surely be a talent to watch closely.

What we witness is obviously upsetting, more often than not extremely hard to watch, as any drama about these horrific events should be. McQueen smartly uses his background as a visual artist to create achingly beautiful vistas of sub-tropical Louisiana that are at odds with the atrocities taking place in them. The rays of intense sunlight poking through a veil of cypress trees wouldn’t look out of place in the films of another committed visualist, Terrence Malick.

I was surprised by the scenes that really got to me on an emotional level. Obviously, scenes of torture and abuse, captivity and brutality make a connection if you’ve got a working human heart, and they’re almost painfully hard-hitting, but the two moments that really got to me are much simpler and low-key.

The first is when the seemingly kind Ford (Cumberbatch) presents Solomon with a fiddle, as a reward for thinking up a way of using his slave labour force more efficiently in his logging business. Here, Ford is giving Solomon back a part of his life as a freeman, but in doing so, becoming the cruellest character in the film. Yes, Epps brutalises his captives, torments them physically and psychologically, but Ford is setting about on Solomon’s very soul by giving him a tool to give him pleasure in captivity that he’ll never escape. He’s giving him hope and tying him to eternal despair in equal measure.

The second involves Solomon getting increasingly frustrated and frantic at his attempts to fashion himself a pen to write a letter that might result in his freedom. Previously, we’ve seen him learn to play down his intelligence, to actively not stand out for his own safety. Here he wants to regain something from his civilised life, the ability to express himself though putting his thoughts down on paper, and the difficulty of regaining that simple freedom is rapidly sapping his will.

We witness much of what we might expect from a slavery drama, but it does have some more unexpected beats as well. I’d never considered before the importance of slaves not just as free labour, but as a valuable commodity. Under his first owner, Solomon provokes a vicious slave-driver John Tibeats (Paul Dano) who continually singles him out for ridicule. When Solomon sees his chance and fights back, he is brutally punished, but Tibeats’ superior warns him that he can hurt him, but he can’t kill him. The life of a slave was worth a lot to his master, and represented a massive economic loss if they died. We also have the unexpected sight of a white man doing manual labour amongst the black slaves. Armsby (Garret Dillahunt) is a former overseer who turned to drink and destroyed his life, and is working amongst the slaves as a penance. Armsby’s brief appearance adds colour, and some interesting character contrasts with Solomon and Epps.

It’s not a flawless film. Hans Zimmer’s score is perhaps a little too similar to his music in INCEPTION, sharing some of the same cues, and this can distract, and perhaps suggests a less showy musical accompaniment would be more appropriate for the treatment of the subject matter. Brad Pitt, with his power as the film’s producer accepting the role of the only nice white man in the film is also infuriating, almost as annoying as him still looking as per usual like a middle-aged wannabe rock star.

12 Years a Slave is an important film, one that needed to be made, and one we should all see once (though I’m absolutely not a believer in racial guilt). I detest the thought of someone describing a film like this offhand as “worthy” – that lazy label simply implies Steve McQueen just chose the most difficult subject matter for the sake of critical acclaim. That does McQueen a great disservice. He’s produced a piece of living, breathing and bleeding history that leaves a its mark on your very soul, and it’s thoroughly disserving of every award it gets.

I still want GRAVITY to win Best Picture at the Oscars though, if just because I’ll physically be able to watch it a few more times without crying myself to sleep. SSP

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“I cannot understand how being honest can be improper” (RIP Philip Seymour Hoffman)

Posted on February 2, 2014 by Sam S-P

The first major blow to the film industry in 2014 has been dealt. Philip Seymour Hoffman has died aged 46.

Hoffman was a prolific and incredibly versatile actor, and he did of course have an undeniable raw talent. As comfortable adding vitality to otherwise dull blockbusters (MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE III), in colourful comedy-drama supporting roles (THE BIG LEBOWSKI, ALMOST FAMOUS) or wowing serious critics (CAPOTE, THE MASTER), he tried his hand in multiple genres and filmmaking trends, even turning his hand to directing (JACK GOES BOATING), and demonstrated a massive performance range.

He’ll be best remembered by many for his regular collaborations with Paul Thomas Anderson, but for me personally, he’ll always be Max Jerry Horowitz, the Asperger’s Syndrome sufferer (or proud “Aspy” as he’d prefer) in a warm pen-relationship with a lonely Australian girl in Adam Elliot’s sublime black comic animation MARY AND MAX. Not many could bring such effortless warmth and relatability to a character who, by his very nature, could have been so alienating and elusive.

Hoffman reportedly died from a drug overdose, tragically cutting a memorable career far too short. SSP

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Luthorland

Posted on January 31, 2014 by Sam S-P

After months of speculation, and pretty much nothing 100% confirmed about DC/Warner Bros’ mind-blowingly ambitious comic book extravaganza (that still may or may not be called BATMAN VS. SUPERMAN) we now know who’ll be playing Lex Luthor. That man is Jesse Eisenberg. Yes, the inhumanly fast-talking curly smartass from THE SOCIAL NETWORK, ZOMBIELAND and NOW YOU SEE ME.

It’s certainly a brave choice. I must admit, I’m really pleased they went with a more youthful incarnation of Superman’s arch-nemesis. It’s pretty neat that Eisenberg is the same age as current Superman Henry Cavill, which puts them both in pleasing contrast with a more weathered and experienced (in both real and Hollywood life) figure in the form of Ben Affleck’s Batman.

I can also see Eisenberg strutting around with that slightly nervous energy of his, and defeating the opposition with his mental rather than physical prowess, which has always been one of Lex Luthor’s key character traits. I wonder if he’ll be echoing Mark Zuckerberg’s path to a fortune, through guile and brutality, or whether a fat inheritance is involved.

It’s the first time on screen that we’ve had a young Lex. Most famously in three of the four 70s/80s films he was of course portrayed by a hammy Gene Hackman, who was over 20 years older than the Superman standing in his way, Christopher Reeve. Then less than a decade ago in SUPERMAN RETURNS we had Kevin Spacey doing a Gene Hackman impression, again 20 years older than Brandon Routh playing Superman. In previous films, Luthor has always been a vain middle-aged egomaniac obsessed with bettering a living god who doesn’t even have to try to be extraordinary. This time round, a far younger Luthor seems to be up against a glimpse of what he’ll likely become in a middle-aged (and probably bitter and tired) billionaire Bruce Wayne, and what he wants to become (or use for his own ends) in a naïve demi-god who hasn’t quite decided which way to aim his considerable powers.

It’s going to be a film of interesting thematic contrasts at least, and I’m intrigued by what Jesse Eisenberg can do with the role. I just hope the brief of “young Luthor” doesn’t simply lead to carbon-copying Michael Rosenbaum’s take in SMALLVILLE. I don’t think it will – Eisenberg is too smart a performer for that.

The big question is, will he fully commit to bald-baddieness and shave his bonce like Spacey and Rosenbaum, or bottle it and wear wigs and skull-caps like Hackman? OK, it’s not really a big question, I just want to see a de-curled Jesse Eisenberg.

In other news, Jeremy Irons is Alfred. I’m just off to smile myself to sleep at that thought, even if I’m undecided at this point about the Lex casting. SSP

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Review: Warm Bodies (2013)

Posted on January 25, 2014 by Sam S-P
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Warm Bodies (2013): Summit Entertainment/Make Movies/Mandeville Films

WARM BODIES is the sweetest zombie movie ever made. Not the funniest (that’s SHAUN OF THE DEAD), not the most visually striking (28 DAYS LATER) or the most affecting (COLIN), but certainly the sweetest. When I say sweet, I don’t mean in the forced saccharine bad Richard Curtis movie way, but in the sense that the central relationship really works, and the film’s message is heartfelt and innocent. It’s not really about zombies, but has an interesting and creative take on the conventions of that horror sub-genre.

We follow “R” (Nicholas Hoult) who’s a zombie. He’s not particularly content with his state of being, but he’s grudgingly come to accept it because he doesn’t have another option. That all changes with a chance encounter with a beautiful, alive young lady Julie (Teresa Palmer) who begins to rewarm his heart and reawaken his long-lost humanity. And so, the zombified reworking of ROMEO AND JULIET begins.

The premise sounds pretty soppy, but it’s all delivered with a degree of wit and self-awareness. Director Jonathan Levine and writer of the adapted novel Isaac Marion both to an extent embrace the silliness of the central premise, and use it to tell an involving love story, in addition to a serviceable zombie horror. Since verbal communication isn’t a strongpoint of R’s, he  narrates his day-to-day life (or lack of) with deadpan bitterness. This is where Hoult’s talent and versatility as an actor really shines through – it’s a physically demanding role with all the undead movement and mannerisms, but he also has to communicate to the viewer his character’s thoughts and newly rediscovered emotions in a meaningful way, mostly through his eyes and slight alterations in his facial expression. Teresa Palmer is strong in support as Julie, and because of R’s naturally passive nature, she has to actively move the plot along and do most of the emotional heavy lifting. The story’s about R rediscovering his humanity, but it’s also about Julie looking beyond the surface to discover the sweet deceased creature he is.

I like that Warm Bodies posits that being turned into a zombie isn’t a one-way trip, that all hope is not lost. The zombie movie genre tends to be a bit of a miserable, doom-and-gloom affair, and Warm Bodies stands out by not conforming to this. Yes, there’s darkness in the plot, but it’s incredibly well-balanced with humour and heart. The best scenes are between R and his zombie best buddy M (the ever-hilarious Rob Corddry), who manages to evoke an incredible variety  of retorts with a limited arsenal of grunts, moans, and the odd short word.

I only have a couple of real issues with the film. One is John Malkovich, who seems to be there to just have a big-name veteran in the cast (and his name on the poster) and brings nothing extra to his role as the leader of the human survivors. The other is the film’s limited budget, which sadly removes a certain amount of menace from the real threat of the film, the “bonies” – emaciated, feral and fast zombies that will viciously attack anything they come into contact with. I understand the film needed another kind of creature to serve as the main antagonist as regular zombies are basically shown to be misunderstood in this world, but because the budget was so modest they end up looking more like something that has just walked out of THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS than anything really scary. There’s also one process the filmmakers have R undergo to give him a window on the human condition which, while stylistically striking and original, doesn’t really work when you stop to think about it, and comes across as just too silly.

I really enjoyed Warm Bodies as a refreshing take on both zombie apocalypse films and the classic “boy-meets-girl”. By combining the usually disparate horror and rom-com genres (admittedly already done by Edgar Wright in Shaun) the tried-and-tested formula of both is given new life and energy. Hoult, Palmer and Corddry can frankly effortlessly carry an underwhelming, lazy Malkovich, and the few ideas that don’t quite work are outshone by everything else being done really well, particularly the unconventional awkward/cute relationship at the film’s centre. It’s a real treat of a genre hybrid. SSP

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A Few Passing Thoughts More…

Posted on January 21, 2014 by Sam S-P

Another really busy week of movie news that I thought I’d comment briefly on. Annoyingly, AMERICAN HUSTLE is still being showered with critical praise (just give Jennifer Lawrence an award and leave it at that!). More inspiringly, GRAVITY is keeping pace with David O Russell’s uninvolving 70s slog, and even breathing down the neck of the Best Picture Oscar favourite 12 YEARS A SLAVE (it shared the PGA’s top prize). Sadly, we also lost Roger Lloyd-Pack, British TV favourite and occasional supporting player on film. What follows are my thoughts on the three most noteworthy stories of the past seven days.

Batman vs. Superman vs. Father Time

Well this was a unexpected, though not entirely surprising. Warner Bros/DC’s most ambitious superhero film project to date, still tentatively titled BATMAN VS. SUPERMAN, and involving the enticing prospect of the Last Son of Krypton (Henry Cavill) meeting, for the very first time in live-action film, The Caped Crusader (Ben Affleck) has been delayed for another year. It pulls it out of the already infamous blockbuster “Summer of Death”, meaning it no longer has to compete with Marvel’s THE AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON and ANT-MAN, JURASSIC WORLD, TERMINATOR: GENESIS and FAST & FURIOUS 7. What does this delay mean? Officially, Warners say it’s to give director Zack Snyder more time to make the best film possible, echoing Disney’s similar justification for delaying STAR WARS EPISODE VII until Christmas 2015. But does this have greater implications? Has Zack Snyder bitten off more than he can chew, does Warner Bros not have faith in their films’ chances against its competitors, or are we going straight into a grander, more ambitious JUSTICE LEAGUE movie after all?

Information about the film, its main cast (beyond Affleck and those returning from MAN OF STEEL) and the progress (or lack of) that it’s making in production is so far dispiritingly spotty.

A long time ago on a hard drive far, far away…

Speaking of dispiritingly spotty, the script for STAR WARS EPISODE VII is, according to J.J. Abrams, finally finished. Being the kind of relentless hype-mongerer he is, don’t expect much information about the story until the film’s release is imminent, but it does mean we might get some concrete casting news soon, which is a relief, because everyone in Hollywood and beyond (latest: Judi Dench) has been linked with this, the hottest ticket in town.

Ant-Man Senior

Michael Douglas has been cast as Ant-Man. Well, the first Ant-Man, the inventor of the all-important shrinking technology Hank Pym. So Paul Rudd is playing the second Ant-Man Scott Lang, who takes on the insectoid mantle years later after turning his back on a life of crime. This could allow Edgar Wright to set up an interesting relationship between the two Ant-Men, contrasting two brilliant individuals and the different driving forces that caused them to become heroes (duty vs. necessity). I can just see Douglas lecturing Rudd about right and wrong (“with great power”) and I’ll be interested to see how much of the story is given up to each character – is Pym just a supporting player facilitating Lang gaining his powers or will we get to see a younger Pym in action? I’ll be watching developments with interest. SSP

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Review: American Hustle (2013)

Posted on January 16, 2014 by Sam S-P

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AMERICAN HUSTLE has glimmers of brilliance, but as a whole it’s an underwhelming experience, and director David O Russell’s least complete feeling film to date.

The story takes place in the late 1970s, and is loosely based on the real “Abscam” of that period and its aftermath. Veteran con-artist Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale) and his mistress and scamming convert Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams) conceive an elaborate plan to make easy money using a fake loans company. Their plan goes awry when they’re rumbled by fanatical undercover FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper) who blackmails the pair into helping him bring down corrupt officials by doing what they do best, eventually recruiting Irving’s unstable young wife Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence) to their motley crew. The lies and the hustling escalate to involve the mob and high-up politicians, and before long no-one remembers who they once were, or what is driving them.

The actors all turn in interesting performances, and their obscene cleavage and hideous 70s hair play a major part in their characterisations (and that’s just Christian Bale). The film opens with Bale’s Irving meticulously constructing his comb-over, before Cooper’s Richie ruins it with a quick flick of his hand. Apart from the body transformation, Bale could do this kind of role in his sleep, and Amy Adams’ fake British accent she puts on as part of her deception is (hopefully) deliberately wobbly, which is fine because it’s meant to be a fake voice, but not fine that no-one who isn’t in on the act seems to notice. Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence are much more impressive, both building their critically loved dramatic turns in David O Russell’s previous Oscar-winner SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK. Cooper relishes playing a bullying live-wire, and is actually rather terrifying when he really loses it, and Lawrence further cements her position as the most talented and versatile young American actress working today with a raw performance perfectly situated between comic relief and pathos. Jeremy Renner’s Elvis-quiffed mayor Carmine Polito is arguably the nicest character in the film, and though Renner is solid and charismatic in the role, Polito is just too dull and idealistic to leave much of an impact.

I’ve got issues with the film. The extended, philosophising narration by Bale and Adams is irritating, and the near-constant presence of a compilation soundtrack (good as the songs are) is incredibly distracting, and often detracts from the drama. The plot also feels quite disjointed, scenes feel disconnected from one another and you rarely get a sense of why characters are doing what they’re doing.

There are a grand total of three memorable scenes in the film. The first, a tense and moody dialogue involves an unpublicised (though not particularly surprising) cameo when the troupe of  hustlers meet a powerful mob boss. The second is a (improvised) heated argument between Irvin and Rosalyn that brings out the very best in Bale and Lawrence’s respective talents. The best, most entertaining sequence in the film though, by quite a way, simply involves Rosalyn angrily cleaning her house and singing along to “Live and Let Die” – it’s one of the rare occasions in the film where you really feel for a character and their inner turmoil. All three scenes are in the film’s middle act, leaving the rest of the runtime rather disappointing in comparison.

Like another flashy caper, OCEAN’S ELEVEN, there’s a lot of pizzazz to Hustle, but not a lot going on below the surface. The characters are beyond empty, and that seems to be the point. It’s a film about putting on an elaborate act every day of your life, but you never get a real sense of what’s driving these people to do what they do, at least beyond their own petty insecurities. Even the supposedly hard-hitting social/relationship drama scenes are difficult to emotionally invest yourself in when you don’t care in the least about these horrible people trying to rip off more horrible people. Not every film has to have likable characters, but surely you should be able to understand them rather than just watch with a sense of horrid fascination? You can feel pity for them to an extent, but that’s not quite the same as empathising with them.

American Hustle is pretty funny, it’s diverting as entertainment, and it does provide plenty of space for its actors to experiment. The plot takes too long to warm up, and once it does it plays pretty fast and loose, and sometimes feels a little slight in terms of emotional depth, unlike most of Russell’s previous work. It’s also as subtle as Bale’s comb-over, Adams’ plunging neckline or Cooper’s tight perm. In short it’s a brazen film representing a brazen decade, but a film without a conscience such as this should surely allow you to have more fun. I’m sure David O Russell and his cast of regulars had a ball making it, and sometimes that reaches the viewer, but as a film it too often feels devoid of human interest, and a little too pleased about that. SSP

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A Few Passing Thoughts…

Posted on January 13, 2014 by Sam S-P

It’s been a pretty big week for the world of film. From further vague STAR WARS rumours (both for EPISODE VII and the long-mooted spin-offs) to a more concrete indication of Quentin Tarantino’s next film being another Western. SHERLOCK wrapped up its third season too with a superlative and surprise-filled finale, and already the craving for another trilogy of sort-of-TV-movies with Benedict Cumberbatch’s sociopathic sleuth has kicked in. Three stories that broke this week in particular stood out for me, and I’d like to present my take on them as follows:

The Beef’s “Retirement”

Shia LaBeouf has maybe-possibly-officially “retired from public life” following him acting like a bit of a plagiaristic tool and the world turning against him. The straight-faced, self-obsessed way he announced that he might not act again (via Twitter) doesn’t give his public image any favours. I can’t say I’ll miss the star of TRANSFORMERS and INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL. He turned in one decent performance in his career in LAWLESS, perhaps with another interesting one to come in NYMPHOMANIAC. He’s just not a screen presence I ever particularly enjoyed seeing. Farewell to The Beef, well at least until he has no-no-no-no-no-no money left!

BBFC Shake-Up

The BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) has reviewed the criteria by which they classify films for release in the UK. While they are still (quite rightly) strict with such subject matter as sexual violence, they are taking into consideration more the context of strong language and even considering whether disturbing horror (though not necessarily bloody or explicit) imagery disserves more attention. Largely prompted by the release of THE WOMAN IN BLACK and the number of young-ish HARRY POTTER fans who flocked to see it and left disturbed. It wasn’t gory or violent, but it was really disturbing for many. What is and isn’t scary is a very subjective thing, so how can this ever be classified? We shall see…

The Road to the Oscars

The Golden Globes were handed out at the weekend, and they were an interesting mix. AMERICAN HUSTLE was the multi-award winner (though in my opinion shouldn’t have been) getting two awards for performance (Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence) and what is essentially the big runner-up prize of Best Film, Comedy or Musical. Predictably, as the year’s biggest drama, 12 YEARS A SLAVE got Best Film, Drama, but otherwise went home empty-handed. It was good to see Alfonso Cuarón getting Best Director, though personally I’d have gone for THE HUNT as Best Foreign Language Film as it is one of the most resonant, memorable and important films produced anywhere in the last decade. It annoyed me that Daniel Brϋhl was nominated in the Supporting Actor category because he’s the main focus of RUSH, not Thor. Beyond that, it was business as usual, and we’ve been given a decent idea what might be top of the Academy’s list. The brave and the bold were rewarded, unless you’re Michael Douglas and you want an Oscar this year, because you can’t have one! SSP

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Review: The Lone Ranger (2013)

Posted on January 12, 2014 by Sam S-P
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The Lone Ranger (2013): Disney/Jerry Bruckheimer Films/Blind Wink Productions

It’s rare thing that a film so completely divides critics in the USA from the rest of the world. Star Armie Hammer claimed that “If you go back and read the negative reviews, most of them aren’t about the content of the movie, but more what’s behind it…While we were making it we knew people were gunning for it”. Now, clearly it’s wrong for any critic to make decide to dislike a film before release as it’s impossible for them to make a fully informed judgement without viewing the film in question from start to finish. However, you can often see evidence of troubled production processes in the final product, and THE LONE RANGER’s production was nothing if not troubled – Disney even shut the film down at one point!

In a reinterpretation of the classic tale, we listen to an ancient Comanche named Tonto (Johnny Depp) recounting his early adventures with the legendary individual known as the Lone Ranger (Armie Hammer). Tonto was an unstable outcast from his tribe seeking revenge for an atrocity committed long ago, and reluctantly allied with a lawyer-turned-Texas Ranger depute John Reid who was murdered along with his squad by brutal outlaw Butch Cavendish (William Fichtner). Tonto supernaturally revives John and convinces him to don a mask to better deal out anonymous justice, and the pair plunge into a world of crime, corruption and the birth of the American railroad.

The film certainly isn’t a disaster. The money Disney spent is certainly up on screen, there are some big ideas and there are a few decent gags. It’s diverting as a whole, but not particularly memorable.

I do have issues with the film. Firstly, the villains make me uncomfortable. Not in the sense that they’re creepy and stick in your mind, but because Butch’s gang is made up of the deformed, ethnic minorities and a transvestite. Surely we should be past using these traits as a short-hand for evil? Disney especially are guilty of perpetuating this screenwriting laziness in their back-catalogue, and it doesn’t look like this is going to change any time soon.

Johnny Depp does all that Johnny Depp ever does these days – his performance is quirky and physically flamboyant, but he really shouldn’t have been cast as any version of Tonto (he might be descended from the right ethnic group, but he’s white enough to be vaguely offensive). Armie Hammer is much better as the titular Ranger, and proves he has the charisma and self-deprecating good humour to be a solid Hollywood leading man, and it’s just a shame he can’t be focus with screen-hog Depp standing next to him. William Fichtner and Tom Wilkinson look like they’re having a lot of fun in their respective roles, as does Helena Bonham Carter (complete with an ivory version of the leg gun from PLANET TERROR) it’s just a shame she isn’t given more to do.

It’s a pretty film, but it should be at such monumental expense, and you’d have to be a moron not to derive something beautiful out of those imposing, iconic American landscapes. I’m not entirely convinced Gore Verbinski can handle large-scale action yet, like with the third PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN, it tends to get a bit muddled and disorientating when he throws a massive amount of money at a sequence.

One of the main problems I had with the film as a whole is something I actually admire Verbinksi for. He produces some fine homage scenes to great Westerns and Hollywood movies of the 70s, but in the process he reminds you how far short his film falls from the likes of LITTLE BIG MAN and CHINATOWN, which the Lone Ranger shares its thematic, narrative and aesthetic DNA. It’s another tall tale taking a sideways look at the Western genre, and involves an elaborate resource-based conspiracy, but it lacks the wit and sense of rebellion of New Hollywood, instead relying on goofiness and spectacle.

The tone of the film is also all over the place. If you want to be a silly Old West romp, fine. But why is there so much blood, disregard for human life and even a bit of cannibalism? Why in a Disney film? There’s an awful scene transition that goes immediately from Native Americans being slaughtered to Tonto and the Ranger having a chuckle about his weird horse – that’s just plain tasteless!

The final set piece is admittedly, unavoidably, fantastic. It’s a joyous, unapologetically silly train/horse chase/shootout that masterfully appropriates Rossini’s WILLIAM TELL OVERTURE. I’ll probably never watch the film in its entirety again, but I might just skip to this elaborate and hugely enjoyable finale.

The Lone Ranger probably doesn’t deserve the critical derision it received at the hands of American critics. It’s not a good film though, it’s just too backwards-looking, inconsistent and half-baked to be anything remarkable, and Johnny Depp and Gore Verbinski are approaching parodying themselves post-Pirates. It’s by no means devoid of entertainment value, and Armie Hammer should, by all rights, have hit the big-time by now, but maybe one day soon… SSP

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Top 3: Song Kang-ho

Posted on January 4, 2014 by Sam S-P

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This article was originally published on Subtitled Online November 2012.

A favourite of Park Chan-wook, having appeared in four of his films, and of Bong Joon-ho, having starred in two of his films – with one more (Bong’s English-language debut) in production – Song Kang-ho is, quite rightly, a highly sought-after character actor.

Born in South Korea in 1967, Song never trained professionally as an actor, but was bitten by the bug after joining amateur, then professional theatre groups after leaving school. While he has impressed in a variety of serious dramatic roles, including Park Chan-wook’s JSA: JOINT SECURITY AREA, SYMPATHY FOR MR. VENGEANCE and THIRST, it is when he incorporates comedy in his performances that he makes the most impact. His characters are often oddballs, falling short of their true potential and simply blundering through life. But his performances are always earnest, his characters relatable and compelling. What follows are Song Kang-ho’s top three performances of his career so far.

MEMORIES OF MURDER (South Korea, 2003)

MEMORIES OF MURDER is Song Kang-ho’s first collaboration with Bong Joon-ho, and is probably his finest performance to date. Playing Detective Park, one of a trio of inept cops trying to apprehend a serial killer in rural South Korea, Song strikes just the right balance between humour and darkness, as he resorts to increasingly bizarre and desperate means to bring a killer to justice. He is a completely inept and ineffectual example of law-enforcement, making one wrong accusation after another, and utterly convinced of his ability to “see through” suspects. Although in the end, even he has to admit that he has failed, while looking into the final suspect’s eyes he proclaims: “I don’t know”.

It’s this final admission of failure that cements Detective Park’s character in your mind, as this sincere, but idiotic, goofball is elevated to the level of tragic hero. Memories Of Murder gets characterisation just right, and these memorable, blundering characters and their development over the course of the film is what really invests you in this pitch-black, comic murder mystery.

THE HOST (South Korea, 2006)

In his second collaboration with Bong Joon-ho, Song plays one of the all-time great caring but useless fathers, Park Gang-du. Gang-du spends his days dozing off at the food stand run by his father, whom he continually disappoints, and sets a less-than-desirable example for his young daughter Hyun-seo (Ko Ah-sung). When Hyun-seo is taken by a river monster (that old chestnut), the squabbling Park family must work together to find and save her, dodging encounters with the creature and corrupt government officials on the way, and Gang-du must prove himself a real hero and a worthy father, son and brother to his despairing family.

On his own he wouldn’t be particularly memorable, but as part of the hugely dysfunctional Park family unit, Gang-du is not only hilarious, but makes a real emotional connection with the viewer as he becomes increasingly distraught at his inability to save his only child. Once again Song’s character is humorous on the surface – a useless slob and an annoyance to his whole family (not exactly classic hero-on-a-quest material), but he’s masking a real vulnerability and desire to get this one thing right – he needs to save Hyun-seo and have a second stab at being a good dad to become whole again.

 THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE WEIRD (South Korea, 2008)

Kim Jee-woon’s slick “Eastern-Western” film is a part-parody, part-remake, part-reimagining of Sergio Leone’s iconic THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY. Apart from being a fine film in its own right, it really showcases what a great physical actor Song is – his exaggerated “Weird” character is like something out of a Charlie Chaplin film. An opportunistic coward, he is forever fighting dirty, throwing himself off rooftops and running for his life. He makes the ideal contrast to the cool, dignified and brave “Good” character (Jung Woo-sung), whom he teams up with to hunt down and kill the clinically malicious “Bad” outlaw (Lee Byung-hun). Though he’s essentially a clown, and the comic relief of the film, the final scene (a perfectly-pitched homage to the end of Leone’s film) turns everything on its head. A shocking twist (which I won’t ruin here) sheds a whole new light on Song’s character, and shatters his image as a simple fool.

Song Kang-ho has many great performances under his belt, and has worked with the cream of Korean filmmaking talent. His star is rapidly on the rise, and hopefully he will excel in the West as much as he has in the East, starring (along with Chris Evans, Tilda Swinton and John Hurt) in Bong Joon-ho’s English-language debut, the sci-fi graphic novel adaptation SNOWPIERCER whenever it’s released on these shores. If he brings even a fraction of the talent he has demonstrated in his native South Korea to English-speaking roles, then he is sure to wow audiences worldwide. SSP

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The Obligatory End of the Year Top 10 (2013)

Posted on January 1, 2014 by Sam S-P

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2013 has been a bit of a downbeat year for the film world, as we’ve lost a depressing number of talented individuals before their time – Roger Ebert, Richard Griffiths, James Gandolfini, Karen Black, Paul Walker. Peter O’Toole and Ray Harryhausen passed too, but the blow was softened somewhat by the fact that they both lived into their 80s. RIP to them all.

But another year in film, another “Best of” list. Obviously, I’ve only included the films I’ve managed to see, and unfortunately I haven’t seen anywhere near as much as I’d have liked to due to other commitments. I imagine my perspective may well change when I’ve watched more of this year’s releases. Even so, here’s how I rank the year just gone at this moment in time.

Note: I live in the UK, so some of this year’s awards buzz films haven’t yet been released, and some from last year didn’t arrive until early this year, hence their presence on this list.

I haven’t seen enough new releases that I actually hated to do a separate “Worst of 2013” list (yet!), but before we get to the best of the year, here are a few films of note that didn’t work (in part or in their entirety) for one reason or another:

Most disappointing of 2013: THE WORLD’S END

The near-flawless Cornetto Trilogy went out with an underwhelming splat. It’s got a few good gags and a very creative bar brawl, but beyond that it just makes you miss when Edgar Wright and company were younger, rawer and more fun. Wright has toned his distinctive aesthetic right down, and while Simon Pegg turns in one of the best performances of his career, the script he co-wrote with Wright seems awfully pleased with itself.

Weirdest of 2013: A FIELD IN ENGLAND

I couldn’t quite bring myself to put Ben Wheatley’s experiment with film form and marketing in my top 10, because I’m still not convinced I actually enjoyed it. It’s unlike anything else I’ve seen this year, but maybe it would look less out of place playing in an art gallery than on Film 4. At least Wheatley is committed to doing interesting things with the medium, and Reece Shearsmith shows potential as an unconventional leading man.

Near-Miss of 2013: TRANCE

Danny Boyle’s post-Olympics return to filmmaking is a fascinating, though hugely frustrating and flawed film. Boyle seems to be aiming for Christopher Nolan’s INCEPTION, but ends up mid-quality David Lynch, though he makes the famously elusive latter writer-director look quite coherent here. There’s some interesting ideas, and it’s strangely hypnotic, but does it make sense? Not in the least.

Worst of 2013: WORLD WAR Z

Representing everything wrong with Hollywood actor-producers with too much power, it was poorly executed, dull and disinterested in its audience. Between them, somehow Brad Pitt and Marc Forster actually managed to make zombies boring and unscary. Forster still can’t direct action, or squeeze tension out of any situation that isn’t by its very nature tense (zombies on a cramped aeroplane) and Pitt seems to think turning up with his midlife crisis haircut and stupid scarf is enough.

And now onto the main event…

Best of 2013:

10. STOKER

Whoever thought Park Chan-wook’s move to American filmmaking might soften him were sorely mistaken. STOKER is dark as dark can be, depraved and disturbing, so it’s business as usual for Mr Park. It’s a really creepy psycho-horror with standout performances from Mia Wasikowska and Matthew Goode, and the film’s visual beauty is an interesting contrast to the depravity of its content. It does lose you a bit when it goes particularly off-the-wall, but not to the detriment of the film as a whole.

9. BEHIND THE CANDELABRA

A film almost entirely hinging on two performances, and what performances they are. It’s a crime that this wasn’t released cinematically in the USA – Michael Douglas and Matt Damon should be eligible for Oscars, but they tragically will not, all because American studios didn’t see potential for profit. It’s witty, funny and deliciously dark, with Douglas’ high-camp turn as Liberace perfectly balanced by Damon’s downplayed victim of the showman’s charm. Both characters have a tragedy to them, and as their relationship spirals out of control, it delivers a real gut-punch. Respect should also be paid to supporting players in the form of a terrifyingly doll-like Rob Lowe and an unrecognisable sinister Dan Aykroyd.

8. CLOUD ATLAS

A dense, weaving, ambitious and enlightening fantasy driven not so much by plot, or explicitly by character, but by theme. That’s something you don’t see every day, and the Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer make a valiant attempt at pulling the whole enterprise off. I haven’t read David Mitchell’s book, so can’t comment on how closely the film keeps to the events on the page, but I honestly can’t imagine a better end product dealing with these themes spanning time and space on visual and performance terms.

7. RUSH

A sport biopic done the right way, and dominated by a nuanced, tragic turn from Daniel Brϋhl as Niki Lauda. Some of the real-life story details are tweaked for the sake of ease of telling a story, but it evokes the feel and attitudes of the period, with expertly directed race scenes and fascinating exploration of just what made two remarkable men tick. It also convinced me that Ron Howard and Peter Morgan should work together on every movie they do.

6. ONLY GOD FORGIVES

A completely different animal to Nicolas Winding Refn’s previous collaboration with Ryan Gosling, whereas DRIVE was an engrossing, emotional and human experience, ONLY GOD FORGIVES is depraved, uncomfortable, and yet strangely beautiful. Awash with the vivid colours of sin, and with two of the year’s most terrifying characters in Kristin Scott Thomas’ manipulative, Barbie-doll gangster-mom and Vithaya Pansringarm’s limb-hacking psycho with a moral code, it might not be enjoyable, but it’s certainly memorable.

5. IRON MAN 3

Even after the colossus that was THE AVENGERS, Marvel evidently still has its mojo. Tony Stark’s third outing is more than another comic book extravaganza; it’s a bold, risk-taking platter of tone shifts, action-comedy and genre subversion. It’s a gleeful middle finger to conventional and mediocre summer blockbusters, and proof that Marvel/Disney attracts the kind of creative individuals that Warner Bros/DC can only dream of working with. Shane Black and Drew Pearce make a winning and playful creative partnership, and get the very best out of the cast, notably Robert Downey Jr., Guy Pearce and Ben Kingsley.

4. THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG

A fantasy thrill-ride for the ages, the second chapter of Peter Jackson’s second Tolkien trilogy puts its predecessor to shame, and often comes close to the quality of his imposing LORD OF THE RINGS films. It makes for delirious entertainment, but also develops character motivations in a meaningful way, and makes clever connections to the events of LOTR. Jackson, his cast and crew manage to balance performance, entertainment and visual splendour, resulting in a very satisfying all-round fantasy blockbuster.

3. LINCOLN

Spielberg’s best film since MINORITY REPORT doesn’t cast America’s most famous president as a saint as you might expect, but as a razor-sharp pragmatist and political tactician prepared to play dirty to achieve his aims for the benefit of America as a whole. Daniel Day-Lewis is Lincoln, and it’s rightly his show, but David Strathairn and James Spader ably provide dramatic and comic heft respectively. It’s a handsomely appointed, meticulously scripted political procedural that maintains Abraham Lincoln’s iconic image whilst wisely deciding not to gloss over his unsavoury, though completely necessary, actions.

2. THE WAY WAY BACK

A lovely, human coming-of-age comedy-drama that profoundly affected me on an emotional level. Perhaps it’s because I see a lot of myself in the awkward teen Duncan(Liam James), but it’s also due to how well co-writers/directors Jim Rash and Nat Faxon manage to alternate between well-judged sentimentality and unflinching honesty. We’ve all had one of those awful summer holidays, but occasionally something life-changing happens on one. Ultimately it’s a film about hope, hope that things will eventually get better, and that message managed to bypass my more cynical sensibilities and leave me feeling rather warm.

1. GRAVITY

I’m almost embarrassed to put this at the top, as the majority of critics have done, but it Alfonso Cuarón’s space-horror (I don’t really see it as sci-fi) really is that good. Move over, James Cameron, there’s a new king of special effects in town. GRAVITY is technically groundbreaking, visually awe-inspiring, alternating between quiet beauty and abject terror, and with Sandra Bullock holding the whole thing up with one of the best performances of the year. Yes, Ryan Stone might be a bit of a clumsy character for precision zero-gravity satellite repairs, but damn it Jim! She’s an earth-woman, not an astronaut! SSP

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