Stuff To Look At

This week we have plenty of clips and trailers for next year’s releases, including Inherent Vice, Jupiter Ascending and A Little Chaos…

A Little Chaos

Period drama A Little Chaos is about the unlikely landscape architect of the Palace of Versailles. Directed, co-writtend and starring Alan Rickman, the film focuses on Kate Winslet’s Madame Sabine de Barra. A Little Chaos is out in cinemas on 17th April 2015.

Inherent Vice

Here is a brief clip from the upcoming Inherent Vice. Paul Thomas Anderson’s film stars Joaquin Phoenix, Josh Brolin, and Reese Witherspoon among others. Inherent Vice is released in UK cinemas on 30th January 2015.

Mad Max: Fury Road

This Mad Max: Fury Road trailer caused quite a storm when it was unleashed last week. From the trailer at least, the film is striking on a visual level. Starring Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron and Nicholas Hoult, Mad Max: Fury Road hits the big screen on 15th May 2015.

Hot Tub Time Machine 2

Craig Robinson, Rob Corddry and Clark Duke return for time-travelling comedy sequel Hot Tub Time Machine 2. After the success of the first film, the group venture into the future, as well as the distant past in this instalment. Hot Tub Time Machine 2 is released in UK cinemas on 10th April 2015.

Jupiter Ascending

Here is an extended V spot for upcoming science fiction blockbuster Jupiter Ascending. I can’t get over Channing Tatum’s ears. Also starring Mila Kunis and Eddie Redmayne, Jupiter Ascending hits UK screens on 6th February 2015.

The Last Five Years

Based on the theatre show, The Last Five Years is a musical which tells the story of a five-year relationship. Anna Kendrick once again shows off her vocal skills, following Pitch Perfect and the upcoming Into The Woods. The Last Five Years is scheduled for release in Spring 2015.

The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Sequel The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel sees the cast from the first film reunited, along with newcomer Richard Gere. This follow-up sees Dev Patel’s Sonny open a second hotel. The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is set for release on 26th February 2015.

Film Review: Movie 43

Movie 43 is a mess. Moreover, it is mess devoid of humour and entertainment.

In order to enact revenge, teenagers Calvin and J.J. ask Calvin’s brother Baxter, an eleven-year-old computer whizz, to find ‘Movie 43’, a supposedly banned film that they have made up. When Baxter starts searching, however, it appears that Movie 43 could be a real film…

The premise for Movie 43 is adequate enough. In the UK version, ‘The Pitch’ premise is replaced by ‘The Thread’, featuring the young boys searching online for the film. The original set-up seems like it would have made more sense for an anthology film such as Movie 43.

Regardless of this, Movie 43 is a poor movie. No matter how juvenile or crude the humour may have been, Movie 43 would be passably entertaining if it raised enough laughs. As it stands, the film fails to generate even one funny moment.

None of the film’s sketches are even mildly amusing. The segments go for the most base of laughs, but even this fails. The film aims for the most puerile of topics in its attempts at comedy; covering such areas as incest and scatology. Again, this would not be so hideous if some of the toilet humour was actually funny.

In spite of a high-profile cast and an array of writers and producers, no one comes out of Movie 43 looking good. The film is offensive at times, with its attempts to generate humour from very questionable race gags. Women in particular are scathed by Movie 43.

With this in mind, it is unclear why some of the film’s big names signed on for this mess. Even if the likes of Hugh Jackman, Kate Winslet and Richard Gere had no real knowledge of the other segments, they must have been aware that their own sketches were not amusing.

Movie 43 is one of the worst films in a long time. Everyone involved with this painfully unfunny mess should be ashamed of their participation.

Movie 43 is out on DVD and Blu-Ray from 24th June 2013.

Film Review: Days of Heaven

Terrence Malick’s Days of Heaven is a sumptuous picture that offers the director’s trademarks. Days of Heaven is exquisitely filmed, and absorbing throughout.

After losing his job in Chicago, Bill travels with his young sister Linda and his partner Abby (who poses as his sister) in search of work. The group manage to find work on a farm in Texas, which is owned by a wealthy gentleman. When Bill finds out that the farmer is ill, he convinces Abby to marry him so that they can benefit from his fortune…

Set at the turn of the twentieth century, Days of Heaven submerges the viewer fully into the period. The film appears utterly authentic in its setting. There is a curious mix of picturesque scenery and a grubbiness of reality. This is particularly true of the beginning of the film, as Bill works on an industrial site. The scene is grim with its dirt, yet it is still beautifully shot, testament to Malick’s attention to detail.

Days of Heaven features a story that has been told before, and since. Notwithstanding, the film stands out amongst its peers thanks to Malick’s superb execution. For example, the narration works well, owing in part to the choice of narrator. The decision to opt for a objective character to narrate gives the film a sense of balance. Although some of the characters have more questionable morals than others, but the filmmaker does not make strong judgements regarding this. Furthermore, there is an innocence to Linda’s narration that is endearing.

Days of Heaven has a timeless quality. This is in part due to the period setting. More critical than this, however, is the fact that nothing really ties the film to the late 1970s period it was produced in. The only thing that indicates the background of the 1978 film is the age of star Richard Gere. And in spite of the early twentieth-century setting, the themes are universal. This is particularly true of the observations on the rich and poor.

The film’s visuals are faultless. Malick engulfs his viewers in natural surroundings. Nature is so key to the film, which is depicted in part through the amazing microscopic shots. The imagery overall is fantastic, with the photography, lighting and art direction combining well. The beauty of the fields is contrasted effectively with later night scenes, which are striking in their use of colour and light.

Performances in Days of Heaven are also great. Sam Shepard stands out as the farmer, giving a suitably restrained performance. Richard Gere and Brooke Adams give solid performances as Bill and Abby, while Linda Manz also shines.

Days of Heaven is being screened at the British Film Institute from 2nd September 2011 as part of the Terrence Malick season, as well as selected venues across the UK. 

Film Review: Brooklyn’s Finest

In one of the opening scenes of the film, Richard Gere practices committing suicide with an unloaded gun.  No, all those gerbil rumours haven’t gotten too much for him. Rather, this scene is emblematic of the themes and tone of Brooklyn’s Finest.

Antoine Fuqua’s film follows the stories of three cops, all in different stages of their career. Although, for the most part, their stories are unconnected, they work on the same dangerous and jaded streets…

Brooklyn’s Finest works well as an absorbing crime drama, although the outlook is decidedly bleak. The streets of the precinct are devoid of hope, and each cop appears jaded in their own particular way.

In one respect, the film highlights the dangerous realities of being a cop in a place such as Brooklyn. Sal and his friends lament that they are worth more to their families dead rather than alive, due to the $100,000 payout their relatives would receive. On the other hand, however, the film is satiated with graphic violence. Thus the realities of the situation are off-set with the sometimes gratuitous violence. It does not seem a coincidence that characters are frequently shown playing video games, as the action of the film appears to resemble one, at times.

Richard Gere, Don Cheadle and Ethan Hawke all give solid performances. It is perhaps Hawke who excels most, as his frustration at not being able to provide for his family garners the most sympathy. Elsewhere, Wesley Snipes delivers a star turn as Caz, a recently released convict; a role that seems to have been written for Snipes. In this testosterone-filled film, women with significant roles are hard to come by; most cast are either prostitutes or dancers. Ellen Barkin is convincingly unlikable in the only powerful female role.

Overall, Brooklyn’s Finest is a film that delivers, but is also one that offers no real surprises from the director of Training Day. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as Brooklyn’s Finest is a well-crafted drama. But for all its hints of early Scorsese (the themes of crime, the city and Catholicism), the film lacks the magic that would elevate it to ‘classic’ status.