I Am Love - 2010

I Am Love is another film which reinforces the notion that Italian cinema is experiencing something of a resugence at the moment. Following such wonderful films as Gommorah and Il Divo, I Am Love continues to push forward with a new breed of great Italian filmmakers. The film centres on the lives of wealthy aristocratic family the Recchis'. Opening on the birthday party of the father (Edoardo) of the family, who announces his retirement from the family business leaving it to his son (Tancredi) and his grandson (Edo), proclaiming it will take two men to follow in his footsteps, the film goes on to chart the individual lives of the family; focuses mainly on Emma, wife of Tancredi. Its a sign of Edoardo's and the Recchi's arrogance and grandiose self image that he believes it would take two men to carry on the business. This arrogance is echoed in the news that the Grandson Edo has finished 2nd in a race earlier in the day. Something unheard of in the Recchi family. The winner of that race; a chef Antonio; someone lacking the elegant grandeur of the family becomes the man who eventually penetrates the family and leads to the breaking down on the unit. Firstly, at the impetus of Edo, they embark on a plan to open a restaurant in a secluded country spot hours away from civilisation. During his burgeoning friendship with the Edo he comes more and more into contact with Edo's Mother Emma, who as the story unfolds is revealed to be a Russian,  and seems somewhat out of place in this world. Tilda Swinton's wonderfully understated performance of a woman tied to a family and its rituals, wanting to break free. The first sign of this arrives when she tries Antonio's food; an orgasmic release of emotion previously unseen in the film.
Gradually Emma embarks on a dangerous affair with Antonio which threatens to tear the family apart.
The film is shot in beautifully subdued tones, the film shot almost entirely using natural light. This gives the film a certain quality as though there is a darkness, a secretive nature to not just the characters but also the family. Later when Emma embarks on her affair, we get the golden hues on the countryside which feels refreshing and like a breakthrough from the dark, drab life she inhabits in the family home.
The main problem with the film is its inability to draw me in to the lives of those of the family. I felt very little emotional connection to any of the characters and the film became more a cerebral than emotional experience, but a very good one at that.

Centurion - 2010

Neil Marhsall is a filmmaker who as garnered my interest and I constantly look forward to his latest film. This opinion comes from both Dog Soldiers, an excellent British Werewolf horror with great wit and humour, and the The Descent, arguably the best horror film of the past decade, and an incredibly terrifying yet character driven film. His third film, which I've yet to see, Doomsday, wasn't well recieved and followed a similar model of putting a small band of characters in an inhospitable scenario and then slowly killing them off. Centurion, his latest effort follows the same tried and tested path.
The film begins with Michael Fassbinder's Quintus Dias, Roman Centurion and son of a Gladiator, as he flees from captitvity at the hands of the ruthless Picts. Following his escape he is teamed up with the Ninth Legion of Rome in Britain as ther make ready their invasion of the Pict territory in Scotland. What follows is the decimation of the Legion at the hands of the Picts and the attempt of the few remaining survivors to get back to Roman occupied land before a Pict search party can hunt them down and murder them all.
One of the principal problems I felt in this film was just how low budget it felt. Unlike say Gladiator, or any number of Roman set epics, this film felt small, and suffered for it. The initial battle between the Picts and the Roman's feels tiny in comparison to say the opening battle of Gladiator. The "Legion" representing nothing more than about 100 hundred men.
Thankfully though, the film really kicks into gear and the adrenalin got pumping when the band of survivors set out on their mission to first, rescue the General and then flee to the safety of Britain. It's here that Marshall, from the experience gained in his previous work, really begins to express himself as Fassbinder and a band of recognisable British faces (David Morrissey, Noel Clarke, Riz Ahmed and Liam Cunningham who seems to be in everything these days) and a few others. The film resembled Dog Soldiers on the run, but with less wry wit and poorer action sequences.
The main problem for me though was in the lack of a real theme. A minor subplot involving a witch (yes!) felt contrived and set up to provide an ending which was predictable, telegraphed and disappointing. The other problem was that the Roman's were made out to be the bad guys invading the Picts land and so I was never really sure who to root for. Add to that the Picts being depicted as a bunch of super human native killers which fell the wrong side of cliche and the film seemed to enjoy seeing the Roman's defeated by the Picts, whilst also asking us to root for the few surviving Romans.
Despite all the flaws when Marshall lets rip with fake blood and big weapons you'll find few complaints from me. It's just a shame the story and characters weren't as rich as those in Dog Soldiers or The Descent.

Iron Man 2 - 2010

For me the first Iron Man film felt a tad lightweight and a little underwhelming but was held together and utterly enjoyable thanks to the strong cast (mainly Robert Downey Jr, but also the effortlessly captivating Gwyneth Paltrow). In many ways it reminded me of the first X-Men film. A film which had made the most of its budget, whilst never really being able to hide it. Add to this that Irom Man was an origin story which invariably suffers from a lack of forward momentum and big set pieces (the original Superman being the exception.) and Iron Man was good, but nothing more.
So I came to Iron Man 2 expecting Favreau and his team to have ironed (pardon the pun) out most of the weaknesses which beset the first film. What I found was a film equally enjoyable but equally frustrating. The film had only two main action sequences, and only one which actually featured Iron Man. Although both were excellent, I never felt the exhilarating heart thumping I expect from Summer blockbusters, and even more so from comic book films.
Favreau and screenwriter Justin Theroux focus the story on Tony Stark and its a clever and entertaining addition that the power source which is keeping him alive is slowly (or not so slowly) killing him. This added an antagonist in the absence of a direct antagonist for most of the films running time. Which is really the main problem with the film and Iron Man/Tony Stark as a character. Sam Rockwell joins the cast as competitor weapons developer Justin Hammer looking to exploit Stark's knowledge and gain access to an Iron Man suit, but despite another good performance from Rockwell, Hammer is just not a threat to either Stark and his empire or Iron Man. Similarly, Mickey Rourke's Ivan Vanko, who is the central bad guy of the film is missing for much of the 2nd act, and only comes to the fore towards the end.
But Iron Man is still very watchable; Paltrow, Cheadle (replacing Terence Howard as James Rhodes), Johannson and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury make the film an enjoyable ride, even if the film never reaches the amazing heights one comes to expect from an comic book film. One of the subplots should get fanboys ready as Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. comes more the the fore ready for The Avengers in 2012.
That film focuses more on Stark than Iron Man is another commendable decision, and with Downey Jr being possibly the most watchable actor working today it makes sense for the film to foreground Stark over Iron Man, but the scales tip too much in favour of Stark for me - even to the detriment of most of the supporting cast. With Cheadle in your film you would expect a little more, and his emergence as War Machine could have been heightened. Add to that the rather pointless inclusion of Scarlett Johansson, who despite a rather cool action scene adds very little to the story.

Overall then Iron Man 2 is no better but no worse than Iron Man, and should be commended for not falling into the trap of overloading the story with big villains and massive set pieces, but could have at least done with one more good action scene. But what it lacks in acion it makes up with charm and comic moments.

The Ghost Writer - 2010

Roman Polanski's new film, The Ghost Writer, based on the book by Robert Harris, is a strong, entertaining and enjoyable thriller. With a less than subtle subtext about Tony Blair, his war with Iraq, being America's whipping boy and the Western worlds policy on torture, and our Government's complicity in such acts.

The basic story revolves around Ewan McGregor, newly appointed ghost writer for Pierce Brosnan's former British Prime Minister Adam Lang's Memoirs. He is hired after the original ghost writer, a loyal long time aide who has apparently died either by suicide or accident. The mystery surrounding his death throws a shroud of intrigue and mystery not only over the ghost writers job but also over Adam Lang, who quickly becomes under investigation for war crimes by the Hague. As the ghost writer tries to shape the secretive memoirs into something more engaging and interesting, he begins to uncover a mystery, the truth of which may be hidden in the draft of the memoirs.

What makes this film so entertaining is that it sees a return to form for Ewan McGregor, in one of his most engaging and likeable roles in years. Brosnan also gives a wonderful supporting role as the beleagured former Prime Minister, and rather than try and resemble Blair, he offers his own take on a role, so close to Blair. His Adam Lang is both strong, powerful and direct, as well as being vulnerable, weak and angry. The two central roles are supported by Olivia Williams in a stunning turn as the Prime Minister's wife, a woman who represents both the power behind the thrown, and a scorned lover, who loathes the life she now leads. Kim Cattrall looks stunningly beautiful, playing her age, unlike her role in Sex and the City, as Lang's most loyal of PAs and the cast is reinforced by Tom Wilkinson in a cameo.

Overall The Ghost Writer can be considered a return to form and in my opinion is probably his best work since the late 70s. Despite this, the film never reaches the heights of his masterpiece Chinatown or some of his earlier work such as Cul-De-Sac or Rosemary's Baby. The script written by Polanski and Harris is strong for the most part, even though it wavers a little in the middle of the 2nd act, and struggles on occasion to justify the arc of the Ghost. However, come the climax the film had me gripped, as I wondered how this compelling, excellent drama might resolve itself. Which is a testament to the writing and directing, as I never saw the ending coming.

Clash of the Titans 3D

Most of the criticism hurled at Clash of the Titans has been aimed squarely at its conversion from 2D to 3D and although it never reaches the dazzling 3D heights of James Cameron's Avatar (did anyone really expect it would) the 3D isn't all that bad, bar some ropey moments and certain scenes which look 3D absent.
The story however is something else. Taken lightly from the ancient myth of Perseus, demi-god son of Zeus, who must save Argos from the wrath of Zeus and Hades. The film seems to take liberally from other myths, and does little to stick to the original story, but then would you really expect it.
Similarly, anyone expecting stellar acting from a strong cast will equally be disappointed as Ralph Fiennes reminds you Voldermort with his whispering tones as Hades, Liam Neeson does everything he can to maintain dignity as a giant glowing Zeus in his silver body armour. Sam Worthington places the reluctant hero Perseus, and once again failed to convince me that he is the next big thing. That's three films Worthington has starred in (Terminator Salvation, Avatar and Clash of the Titans) where he essentially plays the same character with a similar arc, but here is poor performance is more to do with a limited script and poor directing.
The only reason to see Clash of the Titans is the action. Fights with giant scorpions (quite good), Medusa (a little dissapointing and not nearly scary enough) and finally the Kraken (again a bit of a disappointment). But despite this, the film flows along nicely, conjures up memories of the early Mummy films, Pirates of the Caribbean and Lord of the Rings without ever really scaling the heights those films conjured (although it does occasionally surpass some of their low points).
In the end then Clash of the Titans is really only a disappointment if you foolishly expected it to be any good. It's not a terrible film, but won't live on as either a classic summer blockbuster or even a cult movie. Instead it will be very quickly forgotten as it offers nothing new or original to the fantasy genre, nor computer generated effects and will do nothing for the careers of anyone involved.
What it is, if you're willing to leave you brain at the door is good fun with some fun action scenes and some excellent myths.
Overall then Clash of the Titans won't rock any boats or even turn you to stone with boredom, but was in my opinion a good, fun film to watch about men in short skirts fighting giant monsters, which can only ever really hope to be good fun.

Crazy Heart - 2010

Crazy Heart is one of those films which feels fresh and familiar at the same time. Watching the film I couldn't help but feel as though I had seen this film, or this type of film; about an aging musician (artist) struggling with some form of addiction whilst trying to get his career back on track. In this way Crazy Heart is something of a dissapointment. It never attempts to offer a new slant, or element of originality into an overly familiar sub genre. What it does, and does well, is use a great cast and some great performances to create a film which is uplifting and entertaining, but mainly because you are watching Jeff Bridges, and not just the actor, but elements of the characters he has played over his career. This is like a 2 hour love letter to the fans of Jeff Bridges, of which I am one. Throw in Colin Farrell and Robert Duvall and you can't help but enjoy the experience, even if Farrell and Duvall feel criminally underused. Add to this the always watchable and usually magnificent Maggie Gyllenhaal and Crazy Heart becomes one of the easiest films to watch in recent years. This however is as much a credit as a criticism. The film is pitched at the middle of the road, never commiting to addressing the issues ot alcoholism and how damaging it is. In fact for all of the plaudits Bridges has received he is never required to do anything you knew he could do already. The same is true of Gyllenhaal who never feels stretched. It's a film which had it not been for the cast, would probably have fallen into obscurity and not received the critical attention it deserves.

Having said that, there are many commendable elements to the film beyond the cast. Scott Cooper, in a directorial debut gives the film a beautiful look and draws out some strong performances from those all around, and having written the script as well, also does a fairly good job but the real quality lies in the music, composed by T-Bone Burnett, who worked on O Brother Where Art Thou.

Ultimately this film feels like a vehicle for Jeff Bridges and its thanks to him that the film is so enjoyable even if there is never any sense that he will be in serious trouble and his career will be permanently derailed. It's also no surprise to learn that before Fox Searchlight picked it up it was due to be released as a straight to video.

Precious: Based on the novel Push by Sapphire - 2010

Precious is a film which fails as much as it succeeds. The film has a annoyingly high level of self awareness. Every character that encounters Precious, seems to well up and look as if they are about to cry, sometimes even before she has revealed anything about her plight - as if the filmmakers felt compelled to leave cues to the audiences as to when they should begin to weep. That the film failed to conjure any overwhelming emotional reaction within me might have been a direct result of this attempt to imbue the film with a heightened empathy. Yet the film rarely depicts anything completely shocking, and you feel, as bad a life as Precious has, there are children out there in much similar and even worse scenarios - so what makes Precious so different.

Raped twice by her father, with one child called Mongo - after Mongoloid; the child has down's syndrome, and another on the way, Precious find herself being kicked out of school, and having to attend an alternative school, reserved for a group of cliche-ridden poorly developed characters who predictably grow to become close friends. At home, her mother is a lazy bitch. There is literally no better way to describe her, and she also physically and verbally abuses her daughter, in much the same way everytime. There are at least three scenes which feel as if the dialogue has been lifted and replayed, and so we never really get a deep understanding of the relationship between mother and daughter.

The style of the film is also a bit jarring. The film tries to feel fresh and original, stylish but gritty and ultimately feels like a mishmash of both. The acting is ok, Gabourey Sidibe is very good as Precious as is Mo'nique as her mother, especially in the films denouement, but the rest of the cast, including a supporting role from Mariah Carey spend far too much time playing cutout cliches or looking as though they are a beat away from the sniffles. As a result many of the scenes scupper any real emotional weight, and the performances feel as though they have been misdirected.

Having said that Precious's heart is in the right place, and its contains a character who is difficult not to like, or develop empathy for her. When the films climax arrives, although it may be tinged with a sappy undertone, you do still feel the catharsis of a young girl who has strived to make her life better and might just achieve it.

Overall then, Precious feels too similar and cliched to change your life, but has at its core a uniquely endearing character and enough poignant moments and humour to carry what feels like an exploitation of your emotions when it didn't need to be.

A Prophet - 2010

A Prophet is the latest film from director Jacques Audiard and tells the story of 19 year Malik, who after commiting an assault on a police officer is setenced to 6 years in prison. The prison in many ways, intended or not, is a microcosm for French ethnicity within society. Split between the Corsican's and the Arabs, and those in between, Malik holds a special place as he speaks both French and Arab, although neither the Corsicans or Arabs welcome him with open arms. To the Corsican's, led by mobster Cesar Luciano (Niels Arestrup) Malik is the perfect fit for a hit on a Arab who will soon testify against Corsican mobsters in court. Before long Malik is given a choice. Murder the Arab inmate or be killed himself. Almost instantly the film grips you in a vice-like hold, and for the next two and half hours refuses to let you.

The film is brutal, brilliant and utterly shocking at moments. There are a number of scenes which have you gripping the arm rests, and others which make you want to pull your eyes from the screen, but you know you never will, for fear of missing another perfectly crafted sequence.

Jacques Audiard is fast becoming one of cinema's brightest talents. His earlier films, such as The Beat That My Heart Skipped, received great critical attention, but A Prophet seems to have elevated him to a new level. The film has a assured confidence one finds only in the most accomplished directors. No scene feels less important than the last, Audiard commanding your attention, and creating a world which feels rich, fresh and original - despite falling into a genre which often creates bland, uninspiring mis-en-scene and characters ripped from the pages of cliche. The greatest accomplishment Audiard achieves is in making, what on the surface looks cliched and predictable, but is not only brilliant, but equally epic. By the films closing moments, is a fantastically simple yet carthartic moment; you feel the passage of time, the growth and character and almost as if you too have served the sentence sentence with Malik
.

A Prophet doesn't really look or feel like a typical gangster film and yet it is, the rise to power of an unsuspecting hero, a man who somehow, through luck, ingenuity and foresight, manages to find the freedom in prison he failed to find in the real world. In this way A Prophet is a damning indictment of the prison system and the potential for rehabilitation. Prison life may not be glorified or presented in a flattering light, but it does show, that with some brains, now how and the right people you can become a much more successful and dangerous criminal than you ever were before you went it.

A Prophet is held together by the two central performances, both astonishingly well rounded, notably from first timer Tahir Rahim (as Malik) and Niels Arestrup and a director in complete control off every frame. The film also works as a stunning assessment and commentary of French culture, as potent and insightful as Laurent Cantet's The Class.

Films of this quality and achievement are rare, and should be savoured. Audiard's A Prophet deserves all the plaudits it has recieved, and more. One of the most engrossing films in recent times... just don't show me a spoon anytime soon.

Up in the Air - 2010

The worst thing I can say about Up in the Air, Jason Reitman's lastest comedy, is that it ends. I can't remember the last time a film finished and I didn't want it to. The film is also irrefutable proof that George Clooney is a modern day Cary Grant. Subtle, charming but without his usual need for cool, Clooney expresses a range of acting that is rarely seen in modern romantic comedies. But then, this isn't like modern romantic comedies. It never feels cliched, instead it is fresh, original, with two characters who have masses of on screen chemistry, yet also feel like real believable people; not just idealised versions of what romantic leads should be. Up in the Air is also a film which reminds me of the classic Wilder comedies of the 50's or the Cary Grant comedies with its zinging, pithy dialogue.

The sotry centres of Ryan Bingham, who works for a corporate downsizing company, spending all his time in planes, airports or hotels flitting between cities to lay off the staff for companies unwilling to do so themselves. With the current financial climate this film feels more relevant, and at times you wonder if the light hearted comedy will jar against the depressing nature of the story, yet in the hands of Clooney and Reitman, the film manages to be funny and moving in equal measure. What makes Clooney even more endearing is that his goal is a simple one. To accumulate 10million airmiles. That's it. Nothing more, just to join an elite club. This provides not only a measure of the comedy, but also sheds light on to the type of character Clooney is playing.

On his journey Bingham meets Alex (Vera Farmiga - sexy, effortlessly charming, and the equal of Clooney in every way) who is essentially the female version of him. Together they embark on a love affair across states, catching an evening here and there whenever their hectic schedules send to the same place. It's here, in the witty exchanges, like comparing the size of their airmiles, as if it was the most intimate of secrets, that the film achieves its greatest heights. Not for a long time as a romantic couple on screen been so seductive.

Bingham though has other problems. Loving his life, spending 250 odd days a year on the road, and somehow finding time to give motivational speeches about losing all the baggage we carry round, Bingham is paired with young colleague Natalie (Anna Kendrick), who is attempting to revolutionise Bingham's industry without even understanding it. She threatens his existence by devising a plan for the company to fire people not face to face, but using a webcam. This subplot, which in lesser hands would derail the entire film actually ends up giving the film its heart. Kendrick more than holds her own, where a lesser actor would have faded or competed against the chemistry of Clooney and Farmiga. This film highlights Kendrick as an actress to keep an eye on.

What makes this film stand out against the usual, run of the mill romantic comedies is that it is a bitttersweet journey, and one which has a unlikely protagonist. Bingham is isolated, prefers to be alone, and doesn't believe in marriage or children. In many ways he is unlikeable, but when he is laying people off, you seen his humane side. He understands human nature, how devestating losing your job is, and so he provides an unlikely and unexpected comfort to these people. The film also benefits from using actual people who have been laid off over the past years, allowing them to draw on their own experiences.

The film also refuses to deliver the typical rom-com ending, and this final resolution provides a fitting end to a film which never veers anywhere near convention. A film which is pertinent to the current climate, has a heart and charm unlike any comedy for years, delivering a breath of fresh air so far from the recycled air of an airplane that when the credits begin to roll, you feel alive, and a great appreciation of life. Its in the final images that Reitman interweaves the two central plots most effectively, allowing the theme to come to fore - of those who have lost their careers and the pursuit of love.

Reitman hits the big time, with a effortlessly charming romantic comedy, with a potentially career best performance from Clooney, and a message which nevers feel trite. This is what Hollywood used to do best, and Reitman may well be the unlikely director to rekindle the past, especially if his next film can equal the beauty and simplicity of this gem.

Daybreakers - 2010

Yet another Vampire film clogs up an already hectic genre, with variations on variations. Over the past few years the genre has come back from the dead, just like Dracula, and already it seems as if the life has been sucked out of the genre. For every Thirst, or Let The Right One In, there is a Twilight of Daybreakers.

Conceptually, the film isn't actually too bad. Set in 2019, vampirism has all but rid the world of humans, and as such the vampires are now in danger. With the human race dwindling, blood supplies are running low and no alternative or substitute has been found or created. Ethan Hawke plays Edward Dalton, a scientist with human sympathies, whose job it is the find a suitable substitute to blood. He is joined by Willem Dafoe, a former vampire, who somehow, reverted back to being human, and now leads the resistance. The other recognisable face is Sam Neill, as the bad guy and Ethan Hawke's boss.

Daybreakers explores some interesting themes, and through some of its subplots we glimpse the potential for a quality science fiction, but unfortunately writer/directors The Spierig Brothers seem more interested in poorly concieved action sequences and excessive amounts of blood letting, so the dilemma Neill feels for his human daughter not wanting to be a vampire, or the relationship between Hawke and his brother, who turned him because he didn't want his brother to stay human, or the human survivors hiding from detection who are brutally and mercilessly hunted by the vampires, or the concept about a vampire class system are never fully explored and developed to make this film feel fresh or original enough to merit much interest. It also feels as though this film is trying to become the first part in a potential franchise, and therefore doesn't focus on telling a story which is fully contained and comprehensible.

Once Hawke's character stumbles upon a potential cure for vampirism and realises the best way the replace the need for blood, is to take away the need itself the film veers off into a pointless, senseless action. This ideais equally as interesting as the other ideas, especially, what happens to vampires who are blood deprived, raising questions about the nature of why a vampire drinks blood; ostensibly it gives them the one thing they need to maintain their human side.

The third act descends in a violent, blood letting, and the Spierig brothers seem obsessed with decapitated heads; I eventually lost count. The preposterous performances don't help, and their is no sense of emotional cartharsis, unless you find cartharsis is stupidly balletic violence.

So a film which shows some potential, but is never commited to any of the great ideas swashing around vying for attention in a film more concerned with coming across as cool as opposed to intelligent.