Film Review: Ma

Octavia Spencer is a riot in director Tate Taylor’s Ma. The thriller is a lot of fun, with a gloriously deranged final act.

A group of teenagers in a small town are looking for an adult to buy them alcohol. Sue Ann agrees to make their purchase, and later invites them to use her basement to party. Their host, however, isn’t quite what she seems…

Written by Scotty Landes and directed by Tate Taylor, Ma is a thriller with a healthy dose of humour. Focusing on an adult protagonist and a group of teenagers, the film leads viewers a merry dance. From her initial appearance, it is very obvious that there is something odd about Sue Ann. Yet her secrets remain a mystery until a good way into proceedings. 

There are elements of horror that are scattered throughout the film, but Ma fits squarely in the thriller category. The trope of the unhinged lady and the younger victims was recently seen in Greta. Yet here Taylor knows when to withhold, when to play for laughs, and when to accelerate. The tension sometimes builds to a laugh; the film is very effective at this. Yet the undercurrent of tension is always present. The barmy final act amps up the zaniness walking the tightrope between terror and silliness. It is a combination which is most enjoyable. 

The narrative is careful to not reveal too much about Sue Ann. Viewers are posited with new girl Maggie and her group of friends. There are a number of aspects to Sue Ann’s obsession and mania. These work well in a film of this type, but perhaps doesn’t bear close scrutiny. Nonetheless, the fallout from her actions are wild and a lot of fun.

Taylor aims for the dramatic with frequent use of jump scares. The score plays into this acutely. Octavia Spencer (who is also an Executive Producer) is great in Ma. It is wonderful to see her play a prominent role, and inhabit a character very different from what we have seen before. She seems to be having fun with this role, and this shines through to viewers. Diana Silvers is decent, and has good chemistry with Juliette Lewis. For viewers who have grown up with Lewis since the days of 1991’s Cape Fear, it is rather odd to see her inhabit the mother of a teen role. Yet she is most convincing.

Taylor and Landes know what the audience wants from a film such as this, and do not disappoint. Ma‘s spiral into mania is tremendous fun. Hopefully this will lead to more leading roles for Octavia Spencer.

Film Review: Due Date

Due Date has been heavily advertised as ‘from the director of The Hangover’, hoping to capitalise on the success of Todd Phillips 2009 film. Sadly, Due Date does not rise to the same plane as Phillips’ earlier film, although it desperately tries to.

After he is put on a no-fly list, Peter Highman is forced to hitch a ride with Ethan Tremblay, the guy responsible for his troubles, in order to get back to Los Angeles in time for the birth of his first child. Although the pair have days to get there, it is a tumultuous journey…

Due Date borrows heavily from the 1987 film Planes, Trains and Automobiles. Due Date takes the premise of John Hughes’ film (two mis-matched companions having to make a long journey in order to make it home for an event) and tweaks only minor elements. Anyone who has seen the 1987 film will recognise the similarities from the very off.

Originality aside, the crucial mistake made by the film is to try and inject too many emotional or more serious moments. The humour in Due Date is sometimes crude but ultimately funny. Yet the filmmakers decided to feature more poignant scenes that just do not gel with this type of comedy. The result is a film that is amusing for the most part, but one that is interrupted by a story that thinks it is necessary to give an emotional layer to its characters. The combination of drama and comedy can work together incredibly well, but Due Date‘s reluctance to play down the emotion may irritate some viewers.

Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis have great chemistry, and are well cast as the odd couple. Downey Jr. does highly strung very well, which is in complete contrast to Galifianakis’ relaxed but annoying Ethan. Juliette Lewis is fun as ever in a minor role.

Phillips direction is good, keeping an appropriate pace and capturing some amusing visual gags, a number of which feature Ethan’s dog. Influence from The Hangover is clear in the soundtrack and the pop culture references.

Due Date is entertaining enough, but its flaws are inescapable. Hopefully the sequel to The Hangover will see a return to form for Phillips.

Film Review: Conviction

Based on real events, Conviction could have played out like a made-for-television movie. Thanks to some superlative performances and good production values, however, Conviction is a worthy rendering of an incredible story.

After her brother Kenny is convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison, his sister Betty-Anne Waters vows to clear his name. She begins to study law, and along with pal Abra, Betty-Anne never gives up fighting for justice…

Conviction works well because it effectively conveys the emotional rationale behind Betty-Anne’s decisions. Director Tony Goldwyn interlaces the forward-moving narrative with flashbacks of different periods in the life of the siblings. It is the sequences of Betty-Anne and Kenny as children that do most to cement their bond. The strong relationship between the siblings offers the justification for Betty-Anne to dedicate her life to Kenny’s cause.

Betty-Anne Waters is an amazing character. Her dedication to fighting for her brother’s sibling is unwavering; she is an incredibly strong individual. On one level, most will be able to empathise with Betty in her desire to help her family and fight injustice. On another level, her selflessness in spending most of her life working to free Kenny is something that is difficult to contemplate.

Writer Pamela Gray does not shy away from depicting more negative aspects of the protagonists. As well as Betty-Anne’s achievements, her concern over neglecting her sons is also displayed. While Kenny is portrayed as a lively character, he is also a bit of a loose cannon. Given his history, it is not a great surprise that he was initially spoken to about the murder.

One character who is not explored in much detail is Nancy Taylor, the officer responsible for putting Kenny behind bars. Conviction does not really examine why she persecutes Kenny; it would have been illuminating to delve into her character a little more. Nevertheless, the film focuses its concentration of Betty-Anne’s journey, so perhaps this would have been too much of a digression from the aim of Conviction.

Hilary Swank is excellent as Betty-Anne. She is entirely believable in the role; from the emotion she brings to her faultless accent. Sam Rockwell gives a great performance as Kenny, conveying both the energy and the frustration of the character. Minnie Driver brings some light relief as best friend Abra, while Juliette Lewis is a scene-stealer in her small but critical role.

Betty-Anne Waters’ story is unquestionably a remarkable one. However, it is a tale that could easily have been relegated to TV movie status. Thanks to the performances of the leads and the chemistry between Swank and Rockwell particularly, it is rightly elevated to big-screen calibre. Not the best film of the year, but certainly worth seeing.

Conviction is being screened at the British Film Institute’s London Film Festival in October 2010.

Film Review: The Switch

There has been much emphasis on The Switch being a ‘Jennifer Aniston movie’, but in reality this is not the case. It is interesting to consider if it would make any difference to box office results if this fact was more widespread. As it stands, The Switch is a movie that features Jennifer Aniston, but the focus is predominantly on Jason Bateman.

Wally Mars is skeptical when his best friend Cassie Larson tells him she wishes to have a baby by herself. After a drunken mishap, Wally is far more involved than originally planned, unbeknownst to Cassie…

Perhaps what is most interesting about The Switch is that it takes the unusual step of being a romantic comedy taken from the viewpoint of a male character. Although the romantic element is really between the two main characters, it is Wally’s inner turmoil that we see, rather than Cassie’s. Wally is undoubtedly the protagonist; he narrates the film and the focus is almost entirely on him. Inevitably, it is Wally we want to see have the obligatory happy ending.

The film was originally entitled ‘The Baster’. Filmmakers were wise to alter the title, as it moves the film away from the crass connotations of the original name. The film isn’t a crude comedy; there is plenty of more poignant moments along with some laughs. Furthermore, changing the title to The Switch reiterates the emphasis on the male rather than the female character.

The Switch offers a number of humorous incidents, but these are rarely of the laugh-out-loud calibre. The film is more effective when it concentrates on the drama. There are some cheesy moments, but these seem a prerequisite in the rom-com oeuvre. The more serious scenes, however, are at times touching.

Jason Bateman gives an excellent performance as Wally. He generates a sense of believability that really carries the film. Wally’s flaws (his neuroticism, lack of self-confidence and assertiveness) make him a relatable character, more so than the others featured in the movie. The Switch illustrates that Jennifer Aniston, Juliette Lewis and Jeff Goldblum each appear to play very similar characters in most of their performances. As Cassie, Jennifer Aniston gives us the type of character we have seen numerous times before from her. Lewis does her kooky friend schtick, whilst Goldblum does the obligatory laid-back guy who talks fast thing so associated with his persona. A stretch for none of them, then.

Although the plot is thin, Jason Bateman elevates The Switch to a much more watchable level. It is not a brilliant film, but neither is it a bad one.

Film Review: Whip It

Whip It is a funny and entertaining movie – a promising start to Drew Barrymore’s directing career. “Be Your Own Hero”, the publicity for the picture asserts; a message the director certainly seems to have taken to heart.

Whip It focuses on misfit teen Bliss and her attempt to escape small-town drudgery by joining a roller derby league. In the process, as well as finding something she excels at, Bliss formulates a new life for herself. Her new life, friends and boyfriend, however, come at the expense of some of the more positive elements of her previous conservative upbringing…

In some ways the film is what one would expect from Barrymore; an independently produced picture, with a hip soundtrack and quirky but apt casting. Ellen Page is convincing as young Bliss, perfecting the rebelling teen attitude. Whilst there are great performances from all involved, it is Juliette Lewis who steals the show as ultra-competitive rival Iron Maven.

There is no doubt that Whip It is a female-centric film. Rather than taking a preachy tone pushing a feminist agenda, Barrymore keeps in light, advocating instead the positives of female friendship and having confidence in oneself. It is heartening to see that along with the positive female portrayals, the men are also depicted in optimistic light. Too often strong female characters are balanced with negative male portrayals, but thankfully Barrymore eschews this archetype.

Barrymore’s directorial debut accomplishes the rare feat of being both lighthearted and inspirational. It is an enjoyable film to watch, but there is also a real optimism to the messages it sends. Along with the strong female depictions, Whip It reinforces the importance of finding your own identity and having the confidence to pursue your goals. With this in mind, it is Drew herself who is also rousing, going from child star to wild child, from much-loved actress to producer and now director. Thus, her transcendence is encompassing enough to be inspirational to males as well as females.