Film Review: About Time

Richard Curtis’ About Time is a comedy drama which is both entertaining and affecting.

At the age of 21, Tim discovers from his father that all the men in his family have the ability to time travel. Tim can use this gift to travel back into his own life history. Tim decides to use the ability to help him find a girlfriend…

About Time is fairly typical of Richard Curtis’ output in terms of themes and style. The film works because the narrative and characters are strong enough to engage viewers.

The narrative utilises the time travel device, relying on it for comic effect for the most part. The characters are developed well enough to appear authentic and to persuade viewers to care about their outcomes. Similarly, the various relationships in the film have an air of authenticity to them; the family dynamics in particular are conveyed in a believable manner.

The themes that About Time revolves around are love, family and life choices. Curtis uses the science-fiction dynamic to convey the important aspects of life and the consequences of choices. The film is certainly a romantic comedy drama first and foremost; the sci-fi aspect is an add on to this.

Although About Time is successful for the most part, the montage at the very end is completely unnecessary. A motif of Richard Curtis, the very ending is cloying to the point of being unpalatable. Curtis makes his point effectively without the need for the device, which cheapens the overall film.

Performances in About Time are good overall. Bill Nighy is perfectly cast as the knowledgeable father. Domhnall Gleeson and Rachel McAdams have great chemistry, although it is difficult to believe that the characters have aged as much as they should have over the timespan the film covers.

A well-crafted narrative and three-dimensional characters make About Time an enjoyable watch. A tad too sentimental at times, the film is successful in its aims nevertheless.

Stuff To Look At

Plenty of movie stuffs this week, including the latest Man of Steel TV spot, Disney’s Big Hero 6, the Coen Brothers’ latest and a Herzog re-release…

Man of Steel

Here is the new Man of Steel TV spot. Although the film looks exciting, the TV spot fails to answer the question everyone is asking; is Gus Gorman in this latest Superman film? Really, that’s what we want to know. Man of Steel, with or without Gus Gorman, is released in UK cinemas on 14th June 2013.

Big Hero 6

Here is the first look at Disney Animation’s Big Hero 6. I want to live in San Fransokyo, it looks amazing! The film is about a robotics prodigy who finds himself in the grips of  criminal plot that threatens the city. Big Hero 6 is due for release in the US on 7th November 2014.

Inside Llewyn Davis

Ethan and Joel Coen’s Inside Llewyn Davis is about a young folk singer in 1960s New York. The film stars Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan and Justin Timberlake. But who knows, the breakout star may be the cat in the first seen in this trailer. Inside Llewyn Davis is due for release in UK cinemas on 24th January 2014.

The World’s End

Edgar Wright’s latest offering is The World’s End, starring past collaborators Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. The film seems like exactly what one would expect from the trio; comedy and some very strange shenanigans. The World’s End hits UK screens on 19th July 2013.

The Internship

The Internship reunites Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn. The comedy is about two advertising salesmen who start an internship at Google. The trailer reminds me of that episode of Friends where Chandler starts an internship at an ad agency and he’s so much older than the rest of the interns. The Internship is out in UK cinemas on 4th July 2013.

About Time

Here is the first trailer for Richard Curtis’ latest film, About Time. The comedy stars Bill Nighy, Rachel McAdams and Domhall Gleeson. I’m getting Groundhog Day vibes from the trailer, although I think the film is going to weigh heavy on the whole consequences theme. About Time is released in UK cinemas on 6th September 2013.

Aguirre, Wrath of God

I wish Werner Herzog was narrating this trailer. Werner Herzog should narrate everything. Anyway, the director’s 1972 film Aguirre, Wrath of God gets a re-release as part of the BFI’s retrospective of Herzog in June. Aguirre, Wrath of God will be screened at the BFI and selected UK venues from 7th June 2013.

Film Review: New Year’s Eve

If you find life too placid and want to be thoroughly annoyed by something trivial, go and see New Year’s Eve. Its working title may just have been So What if I’ve Won an Oscar? I Need a Pay Cheque.

It is New Year’s Eve and a young courier makes an unlikely deal with a middle-aged assistant. His flatmate meanwhile hates New Year’s Eve and wants to avoid all celebration of it. A teenager hopes to enjoy her first kiss, but is stopped from going out by her protective mother. A terminally ill patient hopes to see the ball drop one last time…

Love Actually has a lot to answer for. Granted, it was not the first film to feature a multi-strand narrative that ties together at the end, but it is responsible for the recent spate of films which employ this format. Whilst Richard Curtis‘ film did have some redeeming features, sadly the same cannot be said for Garry Marshall’s latest effort.

It is not simply the clichéd plots and stock stereotypes that grate. For a romantic comedy, New Year’s Eve is almost devoid of laughs. It is not entertaining, not even in a trashy or cheesy way. The predictable chain of events would not be a big problem if the film at least provided some amusing situations or jokes.

Worse than the lack of humour, however, are the vomit-inducing attempts at emotion. The mawkish voice overs and speech by Hilary Swank’s character are imbued with the worst kind of synthetic sentimentality. Rather than evoke emotion, these are more likely to irritate beyond belief.

If the assault on viewers’ minds was not enough, New Year’s Eve goes one further by including eyesore-inducing product placement. While characters discover the importance of love, forgiveness and new beginnings, logos for Nivea, Phillips and Toshiba parade around the screen like wanton hussies. If this wasn’t bad enough, audiences cannot escape the New York landmarks being thrust in their every direction. Perhaps this was a condition of filming in the city, but it was not a price worth paying. Warner Bros even sneak in an advert for their upcoming feature Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. At this point, however, viewers must just nod and utter “well played”.

New Year’s Eve boasts a lot of acting talent. Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer and Hilary Swank (among others) should be ashamed of themselves for agreeing to appear. Despite the varied cast, New Year’s Eve is unequivocal in its stance. Same race, heterosexual couples are the only ones featured here, with the onus on the fact that it is females who desire a kiss from an attractive male.

New Year’s Eve is one big cynical money-making extravaganza that fails to entertain. Hopefully it will kill the multi-strand, ensemble cast, holiday-themed romantic comedy trend dead.

Film Review: London Boulevard

If Richard Curtis made gangster movies, they would probably be a bit like London Boulevard. The film reeks of artificiality, and the main characters are less than engaging.

Just released from prison, Mitchell intends to go straight after receiving a job offer from a reclusive but beautiful female celebrity. His friends have other things in mind, however. Mitchell is reluctantly dragged into the London underworld by a powerful gangster, but at the same time is getting to know Charlotte better…

Directed and written by William Monahan, based on Ken Bruen’s novel, London Boulevard strives to be a great British gangster film. While the story of a reformed criminal struggling to juggle his past and future is adequate (although it offers little in originality), the film lacks compelling characters. There are some amusing characters, but Mitchell is not engrossing enough to carry the film.

Ray Winstone’s Gant is a caricature East-End gangster; at times it feels like he is parodying some of his previous roles. Charlotte’s self-obsession does not make her the most appealing love interest, while there is a lack of intrigue to Mitchell. Some of the minor characters are entertaining, nonetheless. Mitchell’s friend Billy is the source of amusement, while Jordan is deliciously over the top, thanks to a great performance from David Thewlis.

London Boulevard thinks it’s cooler than it actually is, an aspect that grates increasingly as the film goes on. Despite the contemporary setting, there is very much a ‘London in the swinging sixties’ feel, generated by the music and the dated archetypes. With its gratuitous swearing and violence, it seems that Monahan aimed to make a classic gangster film, but the result appears artificial. London Boulevard is clearly a film about London from a non-Londoner. It’s romanticised depiction of the city is visually faithful, yet the atmosphere rings hollow.

Colin Farrell gives a decent performance, but his London accent is distractingly patchy. Kiera Knightly does a good job of playing herself – not much of a stretch. Ben Chaplin injects some lightheartedness as Billy, while Anna Friel is excellent as Mitchell’s chaotic sister, Briony.

Towards the end of London Boulevard, numerous plot holes appear. Certain aspects are never explained or concluded, and the climax is disorderly in its descent. Although most of the camera work is adequate, there are a few jarring episodes, such as the shaky handheld shots of Mitchell and Gant’s confrontation in the car park.

London Boulevard seems to be an attempt for Monahan to replicate his success in screenwriting The Departed. London Boulevard, however, lacks a proficient storyline as well as convincing and absorbing characters. Give it a miss.