I’ve never been a fan of Steven Soderbergh’s OCEAN’S ELEVEN: I find it insufferably smug, over-stylised and that it thinks it’s far cleverer than it actually is. Thankfully LOGAN LUCKY doesn’t share such pretensions, nailing on what it is from the start and putting colourful characters in entertaining situations above flashy plotting or spectacle. The story does throw in a few sharp turns, but it’s more slick misdirection than bending over backwards for the sake of a twist. Channing Tatum and his surprisingly convincing onscreen brother Adam Driver both turn in among their best work and Daniel Craig seems to relish not being Bond. There’s no reason for a Seth Macfarlane to be in this at all, even less with his atrocious English accent (Soderbergh has form for hiring actors to butcher dialects) but luckily he’s only in it briefly and doesn’t ruin the flow of this serviceable caper. SSP
Review in Brief: Logan Lucky (2017)
Review: The Death of Stalin (2017)
Unlike the rug, he doesn’t really tie the room together: Main Journey/Free Range Films
If there’s a darker comedy out there than THE DEATH OF STALIN, I’m not sure I want to see it. This is the blackest of black humour, a seemingly impossible situation to derive laughter from, but Armando Iannucci somehow manages it.
When Joseph Stalin (Adrian McLoughlin) collapsed suddenly in March 1953, the prospect of his imminent death created the Mother Russia of all power vacuums. Even before Stalin’s body is cold (or he is confirmed as definitely dead) the most powerful comrades in the USSR begin in-fighting and back-stabbing, making deals and writing lists. Who will be the last man standing?
Iannucci and co have assembled one of the greatest comedy ensembles in years, made up of thespians, British TV talent and Hollywood big names. Jeffrey Tambor’s Malenkov is a buffoon who can’t remember who’s dead and who isn’t, but is still presumed Stalin’s heir apparent. Simon Russell Beale’s Beria is the monster amongst monsters, utterly terrifying (not to mention completely different to Beale’s usual luvvy persona) and prepared to do anything to advance his position. Michael Palin’s Molotov is a doddery old back-stabber, quick to change allegiances to save his skin. Steve Buscemi as Kruschev is the most disliked man in every room – the canny man who survives everything. No cod-Russian accents here: everyone uses their own cadence accept for Jason Isaacs who, for some reason plays his alpha Marshall Zhukov through the prism of Sean Bean.
The opening scene set at a concert hall is a mini-masterpiece in itself, with Paddy Considine’s musical arranger working his way steadily towards a nervous breakdown re-staging a performance that has just completed since Comrade Stalin “wouldn’t mind” a recording of. The more farcical elements of the film get pretty Pythonesque, and might be considered a bit “too silly” (someone gets stressed about their new suit getting ruined when moving Stalin’s body, everyone pushes and shoves to get the best position around their leader’s coffin as he lies in state) if most of it hadn’t actually happened. Of course appropriate that Michael Palin is hovering at the edge of many shots. If it wasn’t for all the mass murder and torture dungeons, this could be a petty schoolyard squabble; there’s enough two-faced bitchiness and shoving going on.
The overarching feeling you get from The Death of Stalin is one of tonal whiplash. It’s more successful than not, but bouncing from entire families being led out into the streets to be shot to name-calling around conference tables takes some getting used to. I found the score alternating between simple, playful motifs for the sitcom stuff and grandstanding orchestration for the larger story of the USSR in crisis more distracting than supportive of the story.
It’s as creatively sweary as you’ve come to expect from one of the creators of THE THICK OF IT and IN THE LOOP, and the dialogue has a wonderful rapid-fire rhythm. Ianucci’s other satirical work at least can be shrugged off as, “Well, that’s democracy for you” but here it’s hard to outpace the horror of an autocratic regime, even if you’re going for universal human silliness as your well of comedy rather than something more biting.
The Death of Stalin won’t be for everyone, but it’s a bold effort to find humour and human fallibility in the darkest of situations. You’re bound to laugh at some point, even if you feel like you really shouldn’t be, and seeing these actors sharing screentime convincingly playing historical monsters has intrinsic entertainment value. At the very least it’s a slightly jarring curiosity, but if you’re on board for Iannucci’s salty satirical gaze turned on a regime in the rear-view mirror, this will be a real treat. SSP
Review in Brief: The Dark Tower (2017)
The most disappointing thing about THE DARK TOWER is what might have been. Of course you can’t judge a hypothetical movie, only what was actually released, and what was released has been considerably cut down. A fascinating premise, dense mythology and references to Stephen King’s worlds aplenty are skimmed over and rarely leave an impression. Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey are both good shouts for their respective roles, but rarely get the chance to show off. It still just about works on a basic level, with a decent action finale and glimmers of visual invention, but with so little time for anything to register (as the maddeningly fleeting references to the prolific writer’s works attest to) this ends up being the tamest and among the least satisfying of all King adaptations. You’re likely not going to remember much and you certainly won’t be seeing a sequel. SSP
Review in Brief: Most Beautiful Island (2017)
MOST BEAUTIFUL ISLAND is a creepy and tuned-in allegorical suspense thriller. From profound observations of the economic migrant experience, from being “tired of the possibilities”, when you are unlucky to be good-looking in case New York “eats you”. We follow Luciana (the stupidly talented Ana Asensio, who also writes and directs) on the worst working day of her life. She goes straight from dressing as a chicken to hand out flyers to babysitting a pair spoilt brats from hell to finally accepting an invitation to be a “pretty girl” at a seedy party in Chinatown (the kind of party accessible by goods cellar). Her journey throws up more and more warning signs, but Luciana continues for the promise of an easy $2000. The film’s final sequence is far stranger, and in a way less horrific than you might expect, but as a metaphor for what so many women like Luciana must go through when they arrive in the USA, it’s pretty powerful. SSP
Looking Back and Looking Forward: 2017, Part 2
Before we press on with Part 2 of my Review of 2017 (Part 1 here), just a few honourable mentions that didn’t quite make the Top 10, but are worthy of recognition for one reason or another. It’s been a difficult year behind the movies, but a lot of good has come out of the turmoil and there are signs of real change on the horizon.
Honourable Mentions:
Wondrous: Warner Bros
WONDER WOMAN / LOGAN I’ve put these two together because they prove the same two points. 1. There are still ways to keep superhero movies fresh; you just need a strong vision and compelling characters. 2. Hollywood’s favourite genre can still prove studio execs wrong (nobody wants goes to female-lead blockbusters they said; nobody wants to see a comic book adaptation that’s more indie family road trip than city-leveling fisticuffs). Full reviews here and here.
Skewering: Universal
GET OUT While for me this wasn’t quite up there with the best films of 2017, it is perhaps the year’s most important. It skewered hidden, unconscious middle-class prejudice but also worked on its own terms as a beguilingly weird genre movie. Give Jordan Peele whatever project he wants next and let him have a voice, loud and proud. Full review here.
Best of 2017:
Slipping: Passage Pictures
5. MARJORIE PRIME Who needs fancy special effects, or even more than a handful of locations when you have such a compelling quartet bringing a story of near-future loss and regret to life? Bound to strike a chord with anyone who has experienced a family member slowly, painfully, slipping away; Lois Smith is sensational. Full review here.
Distance: Wellington Films
4. THE LEVELLING The best British film of 2017 is one of the most confident feature debuts in years and full to the brim with pain and unexpected beauty. From horrific beginnings to unflinching dissection of what guilt can do to an already distant and unhealthy father-daughter relationship, it’s powerful stuff. Full review here.
Dazzling: Columbia
3. BLADE RUNNER 2049 Who would have put money on the sequel to Ridley Scott’s masterpiece matching, even sometimes surpassing it? In Denis Villeneuve you should trust, his follow-up bringing dazzling visuals, affecting and thought-provoking sci-fi ideas and perhaps the greatest performances from both Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford. Full review here.
Poetic: Sailor Bear
2. A GHOST STORY Film can be poetry as well, but this manages to avoid art gallery pretensions by remaining emotionally connected and telling the most intimate of tales. It sweeps you up and takes you away, leaving you exhausted but strangely uplifted and still up for a lively debate about what the story actually is. Full review here.
Grin-inducing: TriStar
1. BABY DRIVER What a feeling it is when a film can make me (and my mum) grin ear-to-ear for its entire runtime. Edgar Wright produces his most original and dynamic extravaganza yet, a musical romantic thriller with a sturdy moral core. I usually hate this term, but there really is no other way to describe Wright’s achievement: it’s a tour de force. Full review here.
Worst of 2017:
Cack-handed: Netflix
5. BRIGHT I thought (and hoped) that SUICIDE SQUAD was a blip on David Ayer’s CV. Sadly it doesn’t look like it was, being another over-cooked, cack-handed and muddled effort that downplays real-world issues and wastes pretty much all the talent involved. Review in brief here.
Deafening: Paramount
4. TRANSFORMERS: THE LAST KNIGHT Stop. Making. These. They always get bigger and cram more unnecessary stuff in, but they never improve in quality. It’s yet another deafening, obnoxious and unpleasant offense from Michael Bay’s blockbuster war machine. Review in brief here.
Tortuous: Disney
3. PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: SALAZAR’S REVENGE Stop. Making. These. Too. Like pretty much everybody, I’m tired of Johnny Depp, and if Jack Sparrow was starting to grate when he was putting effort him, now spending another 2 hours of nonsense with him amounts to torture. Review in brief here.
Insensitive: Blumhouse
2. SPLIT I really don’t get the mostly positive reviews of this: why endorse M Night Shyamalan’s worst habits as a filmmaker? You’re looking out for the twist from the beginning, and to get there you’ve got to wade through a whole lot of insensitive, exploitative, over-written drivel. James McAvoy’s performance(s) aren’t nuanced, they’re live-action Looney Tunes. Review in brief here.
Squirm-inducing: Paramount
1. GHOST IN THE SHELL How can every element making up a tentpole genre movie be this miscalculated? To be fair to them, this isn’t a direct remake of the anime cyberpunk masterpiece, but they trip over themselves to reference it and to squirm around the white elephant in the room, somehow making matters worse in the process. Full review here.
Overall 2017 was a pretty good year at the movies, but there’s a lot of exciting releases to come over the next few months, from the fireworks of Marvel’s BLACK PANTHER and AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR to long-awaited second features from bold auteurs Clio Barnard and Alex Garland. Happy New Year, and happier sights and thoughts on film. SSP
Review in Brief: Batman vs Two-Face (2017)
Along with the live-action movie and RETURN OF THE CAPED CRUSADERS, this makes for a nice nice little trilogy, not to mention a fitting tribute to Adam West. BATMAN VS TWO-FACE has all the sorts of gags you’ve come to expect from West’s tenure as the Caped Crusader. You see an “Abandoned Sign Factory” sign over the sight of a fight scene and Two-Face (William Shatner) recovers from surgery at the Sisters of Perpetual Irony Hospital. At one point Batman asks Robin (Burt Ward), “This isn’t an appropriate way to blow off steam – you should have joined a male basketball league!”. Shatner of course gets his courtroom scene, but doesn’t quite go full-on Denny Crane (shame). It even references that slapping meme along the way. They do miss out on a potentially more interesting twist than the one they actually go for, but the animation and vocal performances are superb throughout. SSP
Review: Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)
Wait, didn’t Jurassic Park film in this same valley?: Matt Tolmach Productions/Radar Pictures/Sony
JUMANJ was one of those 90s films. At the risk of being pilloried, I’m going to say it: it wasn’t great. It hasn’t aged well either, but there was definitely something about it, something that means a lot of people in their 20s have a lot of affection for it. WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE is the latest nostalgic revival that aims to pay lip-service to what has come before and provide a reason to return to this world, pleasing old fans and new. It’s actually pretty successful.
When four reluctant high school companions find a magic video game in detention, they get flung into the jungle world of Jumanji, trapped there until their in-game quest is complete. Their virtual avatars (Dwayne Johnson, Karen Gillan, Kevin Hart and Jack Black) may be very different from their real-world selves, but they must overcome their shortcomings and fears to survive.
Welcome to the Jungle may be frequently stupid, but I can’t deny I quite liked it. It’s a charismatic cast playing entertaining archetypes, running away from rampaging imaginary animals and poking fun at well-known video game conventions. Rhys Darby shows up as an Non Player Character and speaks entirely in looped dialogue responses, characters die horribly then pop back into existence as they “respawn” moments later, everyone has a designated special skill and weakness that comes to the fore at a key moment.
I never realised how much I wanted to see Jack Black playing a teenage girl. Karen Gillan proves herself a gifted physical comedian, perfectly embodying someone awkward inhabiting a much rangier body than she’s used to. Martha/Ruby’s disastrous attempt to distract a pair of goons is a standout comic skit. The actors match really well and tellingly are credited as Spencer/Young Spencer, Martha/Young Martha rather than real-person/video-game character. By the way, Smoulder Bravestone is the best ridiculous character name since EXPENDABLES villain Conrad Stonebanks. I do miss the campy colonialist bastard Van Pelt as gleefully played by Jonathan Hyde in the original. Here, the chief villain reimagined as a warlord and played with not very much gusto by Bobby Cannavale with a milky eye and creepy crawlies coming out of his coat.
The Sony product placement is painfully blatant, but it always is in Sony movies. It’s not quite as egregious an ad for Sony tech as THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2, but the loving, lingering shots on their products at the most random of moments are pretty bad. There are occasions where the film forgets what it is and becomes generic greenscreen action durge as well (not to mention forgetting what era of video games it is supposed to be parodying) and I could have done with just a few less dick jokes. These are minor criticisms in the grand scheme of things, and shouldn’t ruin the ride.
The basic plot and relationships of Jumanji 2 a lot like 2017 POWER RANGERS, which in turn nicked a lot from THE BREAKFAST CLUB. The main difference between this Jumanji and that Power Rangers aside from the wildlife not being made of chrome is that I actually cared about this gang of misfits because they have chemistry and consistent personalities. The unlikely group get lumped together in detention and gets launched on an even less likely adventure whereupon they have to come to terms with themselves. The film is peppy, funny and surprisingly emotionally satisfying; not bad for a sequel that could have been unbridled cinematic junk food. Alright, it is a bit junky, but at least it comes from a better class of fast food joint, one with nice sauces. SSP
Review in Brief: The Love Witch (2017)
I can almost guarantee somewhere down the line THE LOVE WITCH is going to be studied. It’s going to be that really weird one you watch on your film course in order to write an equally weird essay neither you nor your lecturer will fully understand. From the perfectly-pitched melodramatic performances, enhanced colours, sumtous costumes and pristine photography, it absolutely knows what it is. It won’t be for everyone though; you really have to lean into the schlocky tone as much as the film itself does (think Hammer Horror by way of late 60s B-Movies). The performances played in this style are good, especially from lead Samantha Robinson. Writer-director Anna Biller also impresses with her sure vision in this, only her second feature as director. It’ll be fascinating to see what Biller does next, hopefully continuing to plow her own very unique furrow. SSP
Review in Brief: Bright (2017)
“Only a Bright can control the power of the wand”. That’s really how BRIGHT opens. Then we see “Curse the police” on a wall. Whatever its intention, Bright comes across as a massive piss-take of Black Lives Matter. Just in case the film was being too subtle, Will Smith says “Fairy lives don’t matter today” before beating it to death “LAPD style”. Then there’s “Are you a cop first or an orc first?” followed by the former beating the latter to a pulp curbside. 2017 was not the year to poke fun at institutional racism. This insults campaigners, victims and Police doing a difficult job in one fell swoop. Having a quietly racist black cop and references to diversity hires and diversification is about as deep as this gets, and that’s really surface-skimming stuff. Joel Edgerton does his best under inflexible prosthetics but Smith drifts and everyone else is buried under a pile of overacting, half-baked mythology and badly bungled social commentary. The hunt for Netflix’s big break in blockbuster filmmaking continues. SSP
Review in Brief: Bloody Milk (2017)
It really has been the year for depressing farming dramas hasn’t it? First-time UK filmmakers gave us THE LEVELLING and GOD’S OWN COUNTRY, now comes France’s offering, BLOODY MILK. Director Hubert Charuel must have drawn on some of his own experiences growing up on a dairy farm, though you have to hope his family never had to go through the soul-crushing experiences depicted here, his camera capturing every emotional beat and jolt of pain in both man and cow. Pierre (Swann Arlaud) makes bad judgement after bad judgement to save his herd and livelihood when disease starts to spread, but only ends up digging a deeper hole for himself, his friends and his family. He’s not a particularly likeable protagonist, but you can understand the terrible choices he makes even as you wince on his behalf. Bloody Milk has got a smattering of nominations from film festivals this year, but it really deserves to be widely seen for its unfussy presentation and heartbreaking central performance. SSP
SSP Thinks Film 