There are a particular group of movies that evoke a strong sense of anticipation within an audience, and 2012 sees the release of a whole plethora of them in fact. It’s difficult to explain, but this aspect of universal yearning is becoming more apparent in today’s cinema. It’s not hyperbole to label The Dark Knight Rises as perhaps the biggest movie of the decade.
Category: Film
Film Review: The Hill
“They went up like men! They came down like animals!”
So ran the tagline to this 1965 drama set in a British military disciplinary camp located in the Libyan desert during World War Two. Why should you see it? Because not only is it one of Sean Connery’s finest performances, possibly even the finest, a performance void of the glamour, fanciful action and droll dialogue that his (up to then) three Bond movies had entertained us with and helped make him the global star that he was but it’s also packed with terrific performances from all the main players, it has splendid black and white cinematography and a script that crackles with grit and reality, racism and black humour in equal measure. Ray Rigby’s screenplay is brought to life by the masterful Sidney Lumet who once again manages to capture the claustrophobia of this confined space much as he did for those 12 Angry Men.
Chloe Moretz Lands the Job of Carrie in Adaptation
With Hollywood still insisting on remakes rather than search for original ideas, Stephen King’s Carrie is the latest in the firing line to be set for another shot at the box office and young Chloe Moretz is set to play the lead role with Kim Peirce taking the part of director.
The 1974 original was a big success, earning Sissy Spacek (Carrie) and Piper Laurie (her mother) Oscar nominations, and the cast included John Travolta, William Katt and Amy Irving. For those unfamiliar with the book or film, the story focuses on Carrie, a shy girl bullied at school and raised by an overbearing, detached-from-reality religious nut of a mother, and the film contained one of the most iconic and famous endings of all time.
Moretz, known for roles in 500 Days of Summer, Let Me In and Kick-Ass, was apparently sought after by the studio and is fast becoming one of the most popular young actresses around. Aside from previous successes, she has just completed Scorsese’s Hugo and stars alongside Johnny Depp in the upcoming Dark Shadows.
While Moretz herself isn’t really a cause for concern – she has proved herself to be a talented and versatile actress – the real issue on the minds of critics is whether a remake is necessary and whether it will be any good. Unlike many of Stephen King’s film adaptations, Carrie was an excellent film, with a script that kept true to the book (unlike The Shining) and stellar performances from all the cast. More importantly, for a film made in 1974 it has stood the test of time – indeed, of all of King’s story adaptations, many are crying out for a decent version, with It and the Tommyknockers among them. Despite its success and cult status, The Shining could also benefit from being redone and staying true to the original story. Carrie seemed of all the films to be among the ones that didn’t need a remake, but perhaps those in command suspected it would be the biggest hit. Maybe they’re right.
Film Review: “The Hunger Games”
The Hunger Games is not another Twilight Saga, not in any way, shape, or form. For one thing, the female lead is a strong, resilient character who doesn’t lust after the stoic aid of a glitterball ‘vampire’, nor do her adolescent affections drive the franchise forward.
Based on the first young-adult novel of Suzanne Collins’s 2008 best-selling trilogy, The Hunger Games isn’t particularly new in concept, but manages to create a wonderfully vibrant pastiche, featuring strong imagery and effective satire of a world obsessed with violence and the impact of reality TV.
For those that have read the novel, many will find the movie, directed by Gary Ross of Seabiscuit fame, to be remarkably faithful, capturing the beauty of the coveted ‘Capitol’ city, displaying a kaleidoscope of quirky designs, colourful arrangements, and grandiose, towering structures. On the other side of the spectrum, there is the unfaltering brutality of the war-torn nation, which annually watches as 24 children, or ‘tributes’ (aged 12-18), are flung into a computerised arena and forced to murder each other until just one stands victorious.
For those new to this post-apocalyptic dystopia that Collins has created, the plot revolves around 16 year old Katniss Everdeen (played by the sublime Jennifer Lawrence, channeling every aspect of her Oscar-nominated turn in Winter’s Bone), a resident in District 12 of the nation of Panem (a menacing futuristic vision of North America post-war). Each year, the ‘Reaping’ will take place and one boy and one girl from all 12 Districts will be chosen to compete in that year’s Hunger Games. After Katniss’s sister, Primrose, is reaped, our heroine takes centre stage, fiercely volunteering in the place of her younger sibling, and she and the male tribute, Peeta (played by Josh Hutcherson, a performance that hits back at his critics) are quickly whisked off to the Capitol to begin their training.
There is nothing bland about The Hunger Games, and each second of screentime is used to great effect, whether it be the scene meticulously depicting Katniss’s supreme hunting ability, or the pure, unadulterated joy and intent on the faces of those who reside in the Capitol, free from the terrifying apprehension of the Reaping. Exposition is never spoon-fed; Ross respects the intellect of the audience, efficiently allowing us to piece together his jigsaw by showing us, rather than telling us (for the most part).
The Hunger Games may be taken as a literal understanding that outside the gluttonous Capitol, each District is repressed by poverty and despair, an image certainly fitting to District 12, a place completely devoid of colour, and where food such as bread is a rare and wonderful treat. Though neither Collins nor Ross go into much detail about the Capitol in this outing, its self-degradation from consumerism and over-indulgence in a life of lavish luxuries are hinted at on occasions, painted in the inhabitants’ faces, prevalent in their need for mindless entertainment. In a world dominated by Big Brother, artificial thrills are generated from behind the scenes by head gamemaker, Seneca Crane (an ignorant, yet assured, Wes Bentley) and whilst teenagers slaughter each other, those outside the arena view it as nothing but a mere game on which they are able to bet on, invest in competitors, alter the Games to their liking, and care little about mundane topics such as ethics and morality. There is no line to cross here.
Though the novel sticks closely to Katniss (it’s written in first person), the film doesn’t waste its talented supporting cast, each of whom embrace their role wildly, bringing the words to life with zest, ambition, and strong individuality. Woody Harrelson as District 12 mentor Haymitch is particularly memorable, playing his character with slightly more warmth and humour than his literary counterpart, but his affection for Katniss when he recognises her ability and her gutsy intent is never downplayed. Elsewhere, Elizabeth Banks is blissfully unaware and bubbly as Capitol appointed District 12 representative, Effie Trinkett. Lenny Kravitz is the kind-hearted stylist, Cinna, whose goal is to help Katniss in making an ‘impression’, and Donald Sutherland shows hints of his ruthless leadership as the nation’s leader, President Snow, a role that, as the final scene suggests, will loom larger in the following films.
The Hunger Games is an intense affair, dominated by raw emotion and brutal action. The violence is toned down through quick-fire cuts and editing, perhaps to accommodate a larger audience, but the movie is resoundingly bloody, particularly the first scene inside the arena where blades, swords, knives and arrows are wielded, culminating in disturbing shots of lifeless children lying bloodied and battered whilst others rush around, no time to think about what’s right and what’s wrong. It caters to those going in fresh-minded and will satisfy those with high expectations. It’s a film unlike any other, and though it borrows heavily from other works, it’s a postmodern success, kept fresh by creatively minded architects, bright performances, and dazzling displays of refined popcorn-entertainment. A must see.
Film Review: So Long at the Fair
This period mystery made in 1950 and starring a very young and incredibly beautiful Jean Simmons really is a little known gem of British cinema and I highly recommend it to anyone who hasn’t seen it. Chances are, a good number of you haven’t even heard of it because it rarely crops up on anyone’s list of must-see movies. But do yourself a favour and don’t let that put you off – it’ll grip you from beginning to end!
Simmons plays Vicky Barton, who along with her brother Johnny (David Tomlinson – perhaps better known for his roles in Bedknobs and Broomsticks and Mary Poppins) is en route from Naples to the Paris Exposition of 1889. She is brimming with excitement at her first visit to the French capital and can’t wait to be one of the first people to climb the new Eiffel Tower. Johnny though is more reserved, one might even describe him as stuffy but he’s willing to endure the sightseeing to please his dear little sister. Vicky is keen to stay in Paris for at least a week but he’s only booked their hotel rooms for two nights and doubts whether they will be able to extend their booking on account of the crowds that have descended on the city for the Expo. He’s also tired and keen to get home to England.
On arrival at their hotel, Vicky and her brother are welcomed by owner and manager Madame Hervé (Cathleen Nesbitt), a chalk cliff-faced widower if ever there was one and she gives them the keys to their rooms, 17 and 19. Johnny is about to sign the hotel register when he is distracted by a missing item of luggage and while he pops outside to their coach to retrieve it, Vicky signs the register instead. After having settled into their rooms, Vicky drags poor tired Johnny out for a night on the town and following dinner they head to Moulin Rouge where she encounters George Hathaway (Dirk Bogarde), a charming young artist living in Paris. However, George is with friends and so their encounter is only brief.
Back at the hotel, Vicky leaves her brother in the lobby to enjoy a nightcap and she heads up to her room with the threat that she’ll drag him out of bed at 9 in the morning. As Johnny enjoys his drink, George appears with his friends who just so happen to be staying in the same hotel. He asks Johnny if he has change for a 100 franc note because he doesn’t have anything smaller to pay his cab fare but the best Johnny can do is lend him 50 francs, which he does. George promises to pay him back in the morning. And so nightcap imbibed, exhausted Johnny finally retires to his bed behind door number 19.
In the morning when Vicky trots down the corridor towards her brother’s room his door isn’t where she thought it was and on closer inspection, door number 19 opens to reveal a communal bathroom. Assuming she must have remembered his room number wrongly, she asks Madame Hervé which room her brother is in to which she is told – “Your brother? But surely you are here alone.’ Startled, she asks the hotel porter who confirms that she arrived on her own and the register backs up their story because only her name is in it. In fact, there’s no evidence of her brother at all, not even the room he was supposed to have taken. And so begins a wonderfully paced yarn full of Victorian etiquette and charm that will keep you guessing right up to the end.
I would be doing you a disservice if I revealed the rest of the plot so I won’t but I will say that Vicky seeks help from the dashing young George who is only too happy to come to this fair maiden’s aid. Simmons is just terrific as the confused and rather helpless innocent abroad and Bogarde plays his part of the raffish young hero as easily as he does in many of his movies. The sets and costumes are splendid as are the exterior shots; you’d never guess it was filmed entirely at Pinewood and to add to the film’s overall authenticity many of the British supporting cast (who are all excellent by the way), speak French like natives. The audience is not distracted by unnecessary subtitles either and it works because even if you don’t understand the language, you understand body language. Sometimes a shrug of the shoulders or a wave of a hand can relate as much as any line of dialogue.
Written by Hugh Mills and Anthony Thorne and directed by Terence Fisher and Antony Darnborough the film has parts that will make you giggle and others that will send a shiver down your spine. Imagine being a stranger in a strange land with no money and very little knowledge of your environment only to be told the person you arrived with (and more worryingly your guardian – the person who was looking after you) was but a figment of your imagination! A hard to imagine scenario, isn’t it but scary nonetheless. But did it really happen? Well, according to legend it did (with a slight variation on the characters) although there is no evidence to back up this claim (sounds like poor young Vicky).
So Long at the Fair is an intriguing British noir, a dark little tale set in the city of light. It’s worth a look for many reasons not least because there’s something frighteningly real about it. Has such a thing really happened before? And in today’s complicated and technologically advanced world could such a scenario happen at all? Surely not. But just suppose the day before the opening ceremony at London 2012…
George Clooney Arrested at Sudan Embassy During a Protest
Hollywood superstar George Clooney and his father were both arrested today during a protest that accused the president of Sudan, Omar al-Bashir, of blocking food and aid from entering the Nuba Mountains and initiating a humanitarian crisis. Also arrested were Democratic US Republican Jim Moran, of Virginia, Martin Luther King III and NAACP President Ben Jealous. The arrest was made after they received three warnings not to cross a police line set up outside the embassy, and followed Clooney’s meeting with President Obama, testimony in the Senate and attendance at a state dinner held for Prime Minister David Cameron.
Speaking before the arrest, 50-year-old Clooney explained to The Associated Press that he was impressed with Obama’s engagement on the Sudanese topic and was hoping to bring people’s attention to the crisis currently unfolding in Sudan. He also said that for international leaders to expose corruption, they need to “follow the money” that is reaching the leaders of Sudan. “This is a moment where we have a chance to do something because if we don’t, in the next three to four months, there’s going to be a real humanitarian disaster.”
He also acknowledged the uphill struggle facing all those protesting, saying that “Its such a silly thought to think you’re actually succeeding in any of this. But if it’s loud enough…at the very least people will know about it, and you can’t say we didn’t know. That’s the first step.”