FLICKTALKERS

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REVIEW: TED

Directed by: Seth MacFarlane

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Seth MacFarlane

I need to be honest for a moment. This isn’t my finest hour and it’s not something I’m proud of but knowing who the creator of Ted was and having seen the trailer, I sat down to watch this movie wanting to hate it. I wanted it to be abysmal, I wanted to tear it limb from limb. I wanted the world to know that Seth MacFarlane is a fraud, someone who takes wholesale from greater movies and TV shows, recycles them into something awful and puts it out there for the world to endure. I hated the trailer device for Ted, which appeared to mimic the rom-com twist The Muppets had done the year before. I hated how similar it looked to the TV show Wilfred and I hated that it was filled with the lowest common denominator of comedy. I hated Mark Wahlberg’s face and his stupid over-sized nostrils. I sat down knowing I’d despise the film and I wanted to tear it apart. I’ve never done this before, and honestly, I felt ashamed that it was the case, but that is the affect MacFarlane and his work has on me.

But I can’t. I can’t sit here and type out what I thought I would be typing, that MacFarlane had further proved that he is a pox on comedy and that Wahlberg needs to get away from cinema screens for a long, long time. That Ted is just a thin attempt at re-telling other people’s superior jokes. That it is Dane Cook to its influences Louis CK.

But I can’t…

Because I don’t think I’ve laughed so hard at a film in a long, long time.

Wahlberg is John Bennett, a grown man who must deal with the cherished teddy bear who came to life as the result of a childhood wish and has refused to leave his side. Oh, and that bear happens to be a completely loveable arsehole.

Ted is a disgraceful movie in the best possible way; it is offensive, brash and lewd yet underneath the gross out moments and wide variety of cussing is a sentimental heart that never overwhelms, forcing the movie into saccharine territory yet rears its head whenever the movie begins to feel like its becoming a series of one-liners and a lot of credit has to go to MacFarlane. He is the creative drive behind the film as star, writer and director and he absolutely nails it. The over-arching story, magic bear aside, will be familiar to film fans, a lot of the rom-com and bromance tropes are present and correct, but the magical twist breathes new life into what has become a tired sub-genre.

I think my one criticism would be that the film could have done without the Giovanni Ribisi sub-plot, which adds an additional twenty minutes that isn’t completely necessary, but even this contains two absolutely mammoth laughs.

A lot of credit has to go to the cast, whilst MacFarlane is usually the source of the belly laughs, Wahlberg and Kunis provide the sweet, Apatow-esque comedic moments and without these, the film would have gotten old very quickly. The supporting cast as well provide some great moments, with Community’s Joel McHale and Veep’s Matt Walsh particular highlights, as well as a stream of guests that I won’t reveal, their moments providing some of the greatest moments in the film.

2012 has seen several of the films that I’ve been waiting for with baited breath, fail to deliver. That the film I saw begrudgingly, with a huge chip on my shoulder and malicious thoughts in my mind would turn out to be one of my favourite films of the year so far has left me a little dumbfounded but a very happy man. Whatever your thoughts are on MacFarlane and his body of work, give Ted a go, maybe you’ll be humbled like this cantankerous fool.

ASH

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MOVIE MARATHON: MARK STRONG

Mark Strong has become one of the finest character actors working in the film industry and has an impressive filmography to his name. Below is a short list of four of his finest roles in his finest films that would constitute one hell of film marathon session.

FEVER PITCH (1997)

The film adaptation of Nick Hornby’s novel of the same name graced screens 15 years ago and whilst helping to propel Colin Firth into the lime light as one of Britain’s best leading men, it also offered a glimpse at one of Britain’s best character actors. Strong plays ‘Steve’ the more optimistic Arsenal fan opposite the negative Paul (Firth) in a delightfully whimsical performance displaying an early talent for comedic roles as opposed to the darker characters he would become known for.

SHERLOCK HOLMES (2009)

After nearly torching his career with stinkers such as Swept Away and Revolver, it was a huge surprise to hear Guy Ritchie’s name attached to the blockbuster adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle’s revered detective Sherlock Holmes. It was even more of a surprise that the film actually came together and was pretty good entertainment. This in part was due to Mark Strong’s excellent villain ‘Lord Blackwood’, portraying a sinister and creepy antagonist that unsettled and engrossed his audience in equal measures.

THE GUARD (2011)

One of the most overlooked and hidden gems of recent years came in the form of this Irish black comedy written and direct by John Michael McDonagh. Focusing on the unorthodox and temporary partnership between an Irish policeman (Brendan Gleeson) and an FBI agent (Don Cheadle) trying to track down an international drug smuggling gang. Strong plays Clive, a key member of the drug smugglers in a role that combines his ability for dead pan humour and hardnosed grit.

TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY (2011)

Last year’s adaptation of John La Carre’s classic spy thriller was, for many, the best film of the year. Confirming the brilliance of director Tomas Alfredson who had shot to prominence in 2008 with the beautiful Let the Right One In. Strong plays British Intelligence agent ‘Jim Prideaux’ in a role that like the film itself is a master class in understatement, suspense and suggestion. Performing so comfortably and gloriously in a cast that includes the likes of Gary Oldman and Toby Jones only goes to proves what a top class actor Mark Strong has become.

TOM

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COOL STUFF: BATMAN STUFF!

Two videos made their way on to the wondrous internet over the last week and both are related to a certain superhero currently delighting/disappointing audiences all over the world.

The first video addresses the problems of Bane's speech and the challenge that his audio was in fact edited in post following the negative feedback from fans who saw the IMAX preview. Check out this before and after of that scene:

And our second video, my personal favourite, reveals the potential inspiration for Heath Ledger's iconic performance as The Joker.

Spoiler alert: It's someone awesome:

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REVIEW: DETENTION

Directed by: Joseph Kahn

Starring: Josh Hutcherson, Shanley Caswell, Dane Cook

As completely awesome as the opening ceremony was, the Olympics has a lot to answer for. This week saw The Lorax attain the title of the only film released nationwide, with a few independents scattered into art-houses across London, none of which I could get to. But I didn't want to give you a review-less Monday, which is why my post this weekend was a welcome surprise. Often, you hear of these great little movies that are given limited releases in the States, but never find a distributor in the UK. If the word of mouth is strong enough, or it looks like an interesting flick, I'll import it in from the USA and two of these landed on my doorstep on Saturday. One of these was Detention.

I'd heard a lot about this flick, it received high praise on the /filmcast who deemed it (and I paraphrase) the "Scott Pilgrim" of horror movies, whilst popular critic Scott Weinberg outright hated it, resulting in a war of words with its director. Coupled with the good response it received at last years FrightFest, I thought it would be a gamble worth taking.

I was kind of wrong.

Detention follows the local students of Grizzly Lake, who must survive their final year of high school, but standing in their way is Cinderhella, a slasher-movie killer who has seemingly come to life and is preying on the school's student body. As the clock ticks and the bodies pile up, the likely suspects are embroiled in a race against time to stop Cinderhella and ultimately save the world.

Whilst the comparisons to Scott Pilgrim aren't invalid, I found myself making a connection to Yoshihiro Nakamura's Fish Story. Both films rely on multiple plot strands that eventually fall onto the same path and both films are absolutely insane. But there is a key difference between the two. What I loved so much about Fish Story was that at any point during the writing and filming process, if one mis-step was made, the whole film would have fallen apart. It constantly straddled the line between genius and nonsensical and it is to Nakamura's credit that Fish Story never moved from the genius path. Unfortunately, the same can't be said of Detention, which felt like a cross between Nakamura's movie and Juno, with Kahn demonstrating superb visual style and awareness but a complete lack of narrative cohesion.

I found myself laughing on occasions at some of the wittier elements of the film and I have to applaud Kahn for having the ambition to make something completely out of the box. It's just a shame that for every smart moment, there are three completely obnoxious and irritating ones that follow. I can see exactly what the intent of the film was, to mind-melt several genres whilst making a commentary on the slasher genre in a way that didn't feel like Scream. In that sense, Kahn's film worked, because it felt more like Scary Movie.

Detention is a brave attempt at subverting a genre and director Joseph Kahn has a great eye for the visual and the absurd, but the self-confessed hipster tone that runs throughout ultimately spoilt the film for me, too often veering into irritation as opposed to subversion.

If you're looking for a horror film that is familiar but new at the same time, stick with Cabin in the Woods.

ASH

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DVD PICKS - 30/07/2012

Welcome to DVD picks, a regular column on Flicktalkers where Ash brings you the pick of the weeks DVD and Blu-Ray releases.

Guys, I'm really sorry. I analysed the new releases top to bottom this week and there wasn't a god damn thing that I could pick out as something worth your time. If you think Mirror, Mirror or The Raven or even the immensely over-rated Barbarella are worth a watch, go for it.The column will be back next week where the quality level ascends gracefully from this awful week.

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THE WEEKEND STREAMING PICKS

With the Olympics taking centre-stage, The Batman casting a shadow over cinema and studios chickening out on putting anything up against it, I've resorted to a theme completely unrelated to this weeks releases. Instead, I'm keeping it simple and looking at some new flicks that have hit Netflix this week that I myself am yet to see. Check them out:

3:10 to Yuma (Dir. Ola Simonsson) - NETFLIX US

Police officer Amadeus Warnebring was born into a musical family with a long history of famous musicians. Ironically, he hates music. His life is thrown into chaos when a band of crazy musicians decides to perform a musical apocalypse using the city as their orchestra... Reluctantly, Warnebring embarks on his first musical investigation...

Sound of Noise is one of those movies you hear discussed time and time again, yet seems so on the fringe of things, you pretty much give up any hope of seeing it. The premise alone had me chomping at the bit and combined with some great reviews, I'm delighted that its come to streaming so soon. I can't wait to check this one out, it could be this years Fish Story.

TABLOID (Dir. Errol Morris) - NETFLIX UK

Thirty years before the antics of Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears were regular gossip fodder, Miss Wyoming Joyce McKinney made her mark as a tabloid staple ne plus ultra. Morris follows the salacious adventures of this beauty queen with an IQ of 168 whose single-minded devotion to the man of her dreams leads her across the globe, into jail, and onto the front page. Joyce's labyrinthine crusade for love takes her through a surreal world of kidnapping, manacled Mormons, risqué photography, magic underwear, and celestial sex-until her dream is finally realized in a cloning laboratory in Seoul, South Korea. By turns funny, strange, and disturbing, Tabloid is a vivid portrayal of a phenomenally driven woman whose romantic obsessions and delusions catapult her over the edge into scandal sheet notoriety and an unimaginable life.

Errol Morris, like Louis Theroux, has this incredible knack of accessing fascinating real-life stories and Tabloid sounds no different. Some time last year, the slashfilmcast did a feature episode around the movie and were universal in their praise, prompting me to seek out, once again, to no avail. I can see this being a disturbing yet entertaining look at celebrity and if Morris is involved, it will be interesting at the least.

BULLHEAD (Dir. Michael R. Roskam) - NETFLIX US

Domineering cattle farmer Jacky Vanmarsenille, constantly pumped on steroids and hormones, initiates a shady deal with a notorious mafioso meat trader. When an investigating federal agent is assassinated and a woman from his traumatic past resurfaces, Jacky must confront his demons and face the far-reaching consequences of his decisions.

This is the one. The movie I can't wait to sink my teeth into. Released by the awesome Drafthouse Pictures, nominated for an Oscar, resounding praise and a subject that packs a punch, Bullhead is the movie I'm tipping to be the movie to watch of these three.

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Will you be checking out Sound of Noise, Bullhead or Tabloid? Have you seen them already? Let us know what you think!

[flicktalkers-blog]

QUEUE AND A - A Kicking the Seat Production

This opinion piece was drastically different two weeks ago. In my first draft, I turned a rant about movie theatre patrons into a coming-out party for my latent racial prejudice. With understandable concern, the fine folks at Flicktalkers asked me to take another stab and make sure I was clearly putting out what I'd intended to say.

Then, last Friday happened. For those of you who are really smart and stay away from all media (except for this Web site, of course), let me fill you in:

A twenty-four-year-old neuroscience student named James Holmes shot up the midnight premiere of The Dark Knight Rises in Aurora, Colorado. Aided by a Kevlar vest, gas mask, and a small arsenal of assault weapons, he killed twelve people and injured seventy. Upon arrest him, the police discovered that Holmes had dyed his hair bright red and referred to himself as "The Joker".*

The tragedy ignited global debates about everything from gun control to prayer in school. It also forced me to re-think what I thought I knew about who to watch out for in movie theatres. I'd originally written about my inherent fear of disruptive minority youths who talk, text, and kick seats in cineplexes--a fear fueled by negative media stereotypes and urban legends about parking lot stabbings following simple shushing. I admitted to having no problem telling a group of white punk teenagers to be quiet, but getting skittish whenever the troublemakers have the look of black or Latino gang-bangers. Silly me: Holmes is a white guy.

I hate having these feelings, which tend to only pop up in theatres or when taking evening walks. Darkness is key. Daylight makes it easier to read someone; their expressions and mannerisms can help to tell if getting in their face is a good idea--or likely a free ticket to the emergency room. But even that can get tricky: a black man in a sideways baseball cap who's shaking the block with rap music blaring from his crappy car's speakers could be an off-the-clock insurance salesman; just as a pale, wiry dude in a polo shirt could have the makings of another human centipede bound and gagged in the back of his new SUV. Stereotypes are dangerous, and we should do everything we can to not let them get the best of us.

But they're so pervasive. Entertainment, politics, and marketing conspire daily to instill in us a series of shorthand memes that often have nothing to do with objective reality. Through carefully crafted messaging and repetition, a person like Holmes or Timothy McVeigh can be branded as "seriously disturbed young men"--whereas if their skin had been a few shades darker, and their names a tad more exotic, the news coverage would have likely been of the hysterical "Al-Qaeda Invades the Homeland" variety.

And isn't it ironic that most of America's mass-murdering nut-jobs turn out to be pissed-off white guys? With the saturation of negative stereotypes we're bathed in on a daily basis, few could blame you for assuming the opposite to be true. 

Let me sidestep a moment to clarify something: I'm not suggesting that only minorities misbehave in movie theatres. Public obnoxiousness spans a rainbow of races and offenses that come closer and closer to permanently driving me from the multiplex. I'm talking about my reaction to those offenses. What is it in me that confidently shoots harsh looks at the Caucasian idiots behind me who can't keep still during Brave, yet wilts at the sight of three buff-looking black guys providing a loud running commentary during Savages?

I don't know.

It's not racism, right? Sure, I'm pasty, middle-class, and one pair of Doc Martens away from being mistaken for a skinhead, but half my ancestors came to America on slave ships--and they weren't at the helm, if you catch my drift. This apprehension comes from someplace deeper, I think, someplace inexplicable.

Or maybe not. When someone spends most of their waking hours absorbing media (half by choice, half by simply leaving the house), perhaps it's inevitable that they become affected by media messaging--at least subconsciously. We're not through the looking glass of a They Live scenario yet. I can still see a Pepsi billboard without make a bee-line for the nearest vending machine. But how often have you or I casually used the term "black guy" or "white guy" to describe someone? And what percentage of those references are pertinent to the conversation? If you really want to blow out this pseudo thought experiment, ask yourself how often you've described someone's sex in an anecdote, regardless of their gender's importance to the story.

The answer to my conundrum could be that there is no answer. I should just be thankful that these weird thoughts don't affect the way I treat people.** When it comes to movie theatre morons, maybe the best solution is to quietly get up and ask a manager for a removal and a refund. In light of recent events, I doubt I'll be staring anyone down or snapping whispers in the dark anymore. The whole world's gone crazy, and I don't want to get shot in the face before finishing whatever piece of escapist fantasy has momentarily let me forget that sad, sad fact.

*Which is doubly dumb, since we all know the Joker has green hair. Idiot.

**I like having friends.

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Check out more of Ian's work over at Kicking the Seat to keep up with the latest from across the pond.

[flicktalkers-blog]

THE LATE PASS: MY NEIGHBOUR TOTORO

Directed by: Hayao Miyazaki

Starring: Hitoshi Takagi, Noriko Hadaka, Toshiyuki Amagasa

I'm not exactly proud to admit that I have seen very little that has been released from the beloved Studio Ghibli. My experience has been limited to two really great ones (Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke) and two quite terrible ones (Ponyo, Arrietty) but my missus bloody loves what she's seen and she's seen a lot more than I. "Watch My Neighbour Totoro" she says, "You'll love it, it's wonderful" she says. "Okay already!" I say. "You've left your pants on the floor again" she says. "Stop talking to me like you're my mum, for fucks sake" I say.

Forget that last bit. Long story short, I sat down last night with an ice cold beer, a packet of poppets and volume 9 of the Studio Ghibli collection.

Tatsuo Kusakabe and his two daughters, Mei and Satsuki, have moved to the country to be near their ailing mother who resides at a local hospital. As the girls explore their surroundings, the younger sibling, Mei, believes that the forest is inhabited by magical creatures, much to the amusement of her father and sister. However, one day Mei gets lost in the forest and discovers a group of Totoros - protectors of the forest. Eventually Mei convinces Satsuki to come with her and the three have a series of wonderful adventures together, as their mother begins to recuperate.

So, they're protectors of the forest, right?

They don't actually appear to do much protecting. They DO wait around at bus stops for trippy, fever dream, cat buses to turn up and they DO like growling, but they don't do much else, let alone have wonderful adventures.

That sums up the movie pretty well, it's a film about...well...not much at all. I don't want to come across Grinch-esque when I write about this movie, it's clear that Miyazaki's heart was in the right place, but there is a distinct lack of urgency or excitement contained within, it appears to rest on some admittedly fantastic creature design, completely forgoing any sense of danger. The Totoro's are billed as these protectors of the forest, but as I said before, they don't have anything to protect it from. It's like making a film about the storming of Normandy, only there isn't a war going on, everyone gets along and ill family members pop in and out of the story to break up the monotony without actually adding anything else themselves.

The closest comparison I can use to My Neighbour Totoro is Terrence Malick's Tree of Life, a film that is gorgeous to look at, but after 45 minutes, you just want something to happen. Anything. Seriously, ANYTHING. Cat bus could bring out a sax and start wailing for 20 minutes, just...something!

Yet take one look at the movies IMDB position and my girlfriends unbridled enthusiasm, you'll see I'm very much in the minority on this one.

There was enough in the movie not to damage my impressions of the Studio Ghibli output, despite My Neighbour Totoro pushing the score to 2-3 in the favour of bad, but I can't see myself rushing back anytime soon, and that's a shame as I wanted to be as enthusiastic as the company's fans are but right now, I'm not even close.

ASH

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COOL STUFF: EVERY 3D MOVIE IS THE SAME

Sure, it's an easy target. Audience and critical hellfire has been flung at the technology for the last few years, but this is honestly the first time I've noticed what the always reliable Funny or Die have pointed out. It's funny enough to justify including Battleship, which wasn't actually in 3D. Enjoy!

[flicktalkers-blog]

REVIEW: THE DARK KNIGHT RISES - 2ND OPINION

Directed by: Christopher Nolan

Starring: Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway

The wait for many has been unbearable, like that adorable little chap in the John Lewis Christmas advert, fans of Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy have been marking off the days on their calendars and staring at clocks, willing away the time in the hope that the release of The Dark Knight Rises comes more quickly. Expectation and anticipation can be a poisoned chalice sometimes when so much is being demanded by the masses. When you have wanted something for so long, imagined and speculated what it will be like when you finally get it, how can something ever really satisfy your desires?

It has been 7 years since Batman Begins (2005) hit our screens and Christopher Nolan re-branded the DC Comics legendary vigilante, taking the superhero blockbuster formula and pouring it through an art house cinema filter. 3 years later The Dark Knight (2008) blasted the franchise into the stratosphere taking over a $1 billion at the box office. Now 4 years later after a little detour to Inception, Nolan completes the trilogy with The Dark Knight Rises, surely one of the most anticipated movie releases of all time and despite the awful events in Colorado, USA, more box office records are destined to tumble.

I think the first thing to say about TDKR is that despite some clear flaws and shortcomings that cannot be overlooked, it is the conclusion that so many fans will have been hoping for. Die hard followers of the previous films and the wider Batman universe in general will hugely appreciate the film and will not be left disappointed by where Nolan takes the trilogy for its final resting place. Like so much of his previous work the ending will be open to interpretation and what you get out of it will depend very much on what you as the viewer bring to it.

From a visual perspective it looks stunning and it cannot be taken for granted how much care and devotion has been put into the design of everything you see on screen. As cinematographer and creative partner to Nolan, Wally Pfister continues to dazzle and amaze on every project he works on. Whatever you think of the story, the characters or even if you are not a super hero film kind of person, there can be no denying that TDKR is never anything less than a pleasure to look at. A constant theme of the Batman films has always been light and dark, good and evil, yin and yang and the blurring of the dividing lines of these polar opposites is always remarkably well represented in every visual detail you see.

The performances are generally very good, particularly Christian Bale, who I felt in The Dark Knight wasn’t always on the firmest footing and became somewhat overshadowed by Heath Ledger. Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman turn up and offer their usual best, the former of the two giving the film the majority of its heart and sentimental value. I think the new faces will perhaps divide opinion, Anne Hathaway won’t convince everyone as Catwoman but for me she added a touch of class and panache to a film that could brood itself into oblivion and collapse under the ton of testosterone upon its shoulders. I don’t think however that people will be divided over Joseph Gordon Levitt’s performance as John Blake who is fantastic throughout and creates formidable chemistry with Gary Oldman’s Commissioner Gordon.

Hans Zimmer’s score is a delight as well, filled with his staple honks and blasts of industrial racket that keep the audience up right in their seats at all times and never allowing lulls of boredom. This for me was crucial as even though the film is extremely strong across several categories there are things that don’t work.

TDKR takes a long time to get going, and even though the final third is a frantic and genuinely epic affair, some audiences will be under whelmed by its beginnings. There are long periods of the film when it is understandable to question its direction. Whilst Nolan’s films are always driven by ideas, the first two thirds of the film do get convoluted and overcrowded with its intentions and it can at times feel like a lecture rather than narrative.  Whilst I accept this, I think this is actually commendable to the filmmakers as it can be very easy to abandon the exiled super hero plot quickly and have them jump back into the suit ten minutes after the film starts. Here though we explore the real reasons and moral dilemmas that face Bruce Wayne in deciding to return to Gotham’s aid and even though it does add an extra half an hour to the duration it’s an investment that pays off. 

For me though in the end what prevents TDKR from ever becoming a genuinely brilliant film and bettering its predecessors comes down to two things. Firstly, like a lot of Nolan’s work, it is ultimately a cold viewing experience. Whilst the themes and ideas are put together well, such as the representations of the financial crisis and then the class system that the financial systems produce, I never really emotionally invested in the film. It is a rewarding undertaking nonetheless but I cannot say that I really cared what happened to the characters or was moved by their predicaments. This is why I can say that I have never seen a Christopher Nolan film that I haven’t really liked but I can also say that I have never seen a Christopher Nolan film that I have loved.

Secondly I do think that TDKR suffers from the absence of a consummately good villain. As Bane, Tom Hardy does his very best to disturb and unsettle us but is restricted by a character who is void of passion and intensity. Much has been said about the audio issues that has made his dialogue hard to understand, this does have an effect but I also think that when you are listening to people talk it is easy to forget how much you rely on watching someone’s lips move.  As Bane’s mouth is covered you have to listen much more intently to compensate. The character of Bane is a very physical, brooding entity and this adds to the tone of the film and makes it a very heavy watch. There isn’t the eccentricity or zeal that Heath Ledger had when he portrayed The Joker and in the end that hole isn’t quite filled.

It’s important to say though that I didn’t think the ball was dropped at any point and The Dark Knight trilogy is one of the finest movie trilogies of all time. TDKR provides a great conclusion to confirm this and even though I think Batman Begins is the most complete out of the three and the triumphs of The Dark Knight are the trilogies high points, this is not a weak end that recalls The Godfather or The Matrix.  It’s incredible to think that when Nolan started out on this project that he had the ambition in his audience to spend so much of Warner Bros’ money whilst never playing to the lowest common denominator or dumbing down.  Whilst things in TDKR will work for some and not for others lets never take for granted that we do have filmmakers that assume you are as clever as they are, even though that’s obviously not the case. 

TOM

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REVIEW: THE DARK KNIGHT RISES

Directed by: Christopher Nolan

Starring: Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway

It's safe to say that the work Christopher Nolan has done on reinvigorating the cinematic adventures of Batman, is nothing short of extraordinary. At the end of 1997, we were left with nipples on a bat-suit, a pun-spewing Mr. Freeze and the death of the Caped Crusader in the eyes of fans everywhere. So when Nolan came along in with Batman Begins in 2005, bringing the Bat back to the big-screen through a gritty, reality-bound action movie, fans of The Dark Knight could begin rejoicing again. That's because Batman and by proxy Bruce Wayne, is the most interesting superhero ever created. That mix of vigilante justice and sorrow results in heartbreaking moments and vitriolic joy, to see him translated to the big-screen in such a way and with such quality is exactly why, seven years later, fans find themselves chomping at the bit for the final piece of Nolan's trilogy.

I count myself amongst those that, despite their flaws, are big fans of what has come before The Dark Knight Rises. That is exactly why I left the cinema shrouded in sadness, because this movie disappointed more than I could possibly have imagined it could.

What I have always loved about Christopher Nolan is his dedication to being as ambitious as he can, whether that's a small movie told in reverse or a super-hero saving the city. He takes these stories and makes them as big as they can and for me, it's always worked because Christopher Nolan has a history of nailing pace in his movies. The Dark Knight Rises is all over the place, a colossal mess of a film that is to be admired for its ambition but opens itself up for criticism as a result of the horrible pacing and, rare for Nolan, the absolutely baffling amounts of nonsensical decisions made by its characters. Every problem I have with this movie, is as a result of the story and script, and that's a big shame.

Every actor here brings their a-game. Bale has never been better as Wayne, he is sorrow personified and really embraces the rising theme of the movie, the same can be said for Tom Hardy as Bane, who has the restriction of his face being covered for the entire movie, yet still manages to chew the scenery up and in one key scene, elicits such emotion from his eyes that I was almost touched but couldn't be because I was given no real reason to be. Hathaway is another who is excellent in her role but left me questioning her purpose in the film other than to set up one scene at the end of the first act. Of these performers, it was only Joseph Gordon-Levitt's performance as do-gooder cop John Blake that was given the arc the performance deserved and even that was nearly ruined by one of his final scenes.

For a film that is intent on realism, The Dark Knight Rises requires more "leaps of faith" than I've seen in most films released this year. The story decisions made by the Nolans and Goyer are at best implausible, at worst, completely tore me out of the film. But I honestly could have forgiven these moments, I absolutely would have, if I was given any reason to care what was happening on the screen. The Nolans and Goyer have made the decision to shove in as much as they can and put it all up on screen, that I was never given enough time to engage in any moment so by the time the intended emotion was supposed to hit, I was completely cold.

My initial reactions on leaving the theater was that the film was a total mess, a weekend of thinking about it, I stand by that initial impression. There are rumours abound that Nolan's original cut was close to four hours, having sat through the movie and felt every minute of its 165mins running time, I'm both intrigued to find out if that's where the problems with pacing and rushed story lines lie, or if there are even more subplots contained in that cut hour.

With it being the final piece of the trilogy and with so much unfolding over the running time, its impossible to go into detail on my problems with the story without giving away plot points and reveals. But as mentioned above, none of the twists and turns of the story worked because I was so completely unengaged with what was unfolding on screen.

I know I'm going to be in the minority on this one, I know that people out there are going to fall head over heels for this movie and I no doubt will be accused of hating for the sake of hating. I do not hate The Dark Knight Rises, but I hate the way I feel about The Dark Knight Rises.

Cold. Disappointed. Let down. Saddened.

ASH

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DVD PICKS 23/07/2012

Welcome to DVD picks, a regular column on Flicktalkers where Ash brings you the pick of the weeks DVD and Blu-Ray releases. Unfortunately, this week defines the term "lean" but as Flicktalkers, we shall persevere. Without further delay, let us have a look at what Monday 23rd July 2012 has in store for us...

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WILD BILL (Dir. Dexter Fletcher)

One of my big regrets of 2012 was missing Dexter Fletcher's directorial debut when it was on the big-screen. Dan was relatively mixed on it but admittedly due to his problems with the genre, if he can find good in it, there must be something worth checking out.

I AM BRUCE LEE (Dir. Pete McCormack)

This was given such a limited release that I, with direct access to the majority of cinemas in London, still couldn't find it to see it. As a big fan of the martial arts master, this will be a first day purchase, a decision backed up by some fantastic reviews for it.

STREET DANCE 2 (Dir. Max Giwa & Dania Pasquini)

Look, I explicitly said that this was a lean week...

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Next week sees the release of...The Raven and...oh...Mirror, Mirror. Jesus. I'm sorry guys.

[flicktalkers-blog]

FIVE FOR 2013

With the Summer Blockbuster season ending today (in my eyes at least), we cast our eye to next year and the explosions it brings. This Summer appeared to be the year when all of the set-up was paid off with their movies. We'd spent three years looking towards The Avengers, 7 years with Batman and well, not really long enough for Spider-Man. But all of these properties came with foundations for the majority of their stars, next Summer, we may see a whole new bunch of male stars being born.

Or doing a Kitsch.

Hopefully they don't do a Kitsch.

Check out my top 5 tips for stardom in 2013:

5. JAI COURTNEY

Courtney isn't exactly a household name, but by the end of Summer 2013, he may well be. With a small role in Jack Reacher (out this year) and having been cast as son of John McClane in the upcoming Die Hard 5, it could be the year of Jai Courtney. Known mostly for his work as Varro in Spartacus: Blood and Sand, Die Hard 5 represents the first big role for the Australian actor and if all goes to plan, by the time I, Frankenstein is released, he could be on his way to achieving the success shared by fellow countryman Chris Hemsworth.

4. NICHOLAS HOULT

Already known to UK readers for his role in the hot TV show Skins, Nicholas has already begun to make a mark with his performance as Hank McCoy in last years X-Men: First Class. 2013, however, sees him thrown into two of the biggest movies of the year and potentially one of the biggest sleeper hits too. First up is the lead role in Bryan Singer's oft-delayed Jack the Giant Killer and it's not the only big blockbuster, because later in the year comes Mad Max: Fury Road alongside the white-hot Tom Hardy. But it is a small zombie romance movie from 50/50 director Jonathan Levine that could be his unlikely ticket. Warm Bodies (from the novel of the same name) throws Hoult back into the lead role as R, a zombie who becomes involved with the girlfriend of one of his victims, their romance setting in motion a sequence of events that might transform the entire lifeless world. 2013 is the year that could see Hoult catapulted to permanent lead status or back to the bargain bin, with projects as varied as these, it's impossible to call. That's what makes it so exciting.

3. JOEL KINNAMAN

Kinnaman is already somewhat of a star. As Stephen Holder in TV's The Killing, the Swede enthralled America for an entire season...before show runners ran it into the ground and people stopped caring. But that's not it for Kinnaman. Cast in the controversial remake of Paul Verhoeven's Robocop, Kinnaman will have the unenviable task of reviving Alex Murphy, a role made famous by Peter Weller, but with Jose (Elite Squad) Padilha directing him, there is the potential for not only a huge success of a movie, but the springboard for Kinnaman to become a worldwide star. With Robocop his only movie of 2013 at the time of writing, there's a lot riding on this mans shoulders, let's hope he lives up to the promise.

2. LIAM HEMSWORTH

Sure, he has a ton on his plate in 2013, what with roles in *deep breath* Empire State with Dwayne Johnson, Paranoia with Harrison Ford and Timeless with...Kelsey Brown...*tumbleweed*. But those are asides, because 2013 also sees the release of the second Hunger Games movie, Catching Fire, a movie that sees him, not only reprise his role as Gale Hawthorne, but sees that role expand to a key part of Katniss Everdeen's story. Mirroring the emergence of Taylor Lautner in the Twilight Series, only with talent, and not looking like a llama, Hemsworth could see his Christmas family dinner with brother Chris become a "who's box-office is bigger" contest.

1. CHARLIE HUNNAM

It's been a long time coming for the Brit actor. A long time which involved a rim-job, an awful cockney accent and a cancelled Apatow show with an alumni made up of now-stars. But Hunnam has persevered, putting in low-key performances in Cold Mountain, Children of Men and The Ledge. But it is his role as Jax on the outstanding TV show Sons of Anarchy that really got people to sit up and take notice, and with Pacific Rim, Hunnam is going to make those same folk stand up and get slapped by giant robots and monsters. 2013 is the year of Pacific Rim, a blockbuster of huge scale from director Guillermo Del Toro that on paper should be a sure-fire success for everyone involved but could well end up being an expensive disaster. But if this movie makes bank...well, Hunnam is well positioned to ride that wave to the top. If not, well, there's always SAMCRO.

ASH

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Agree? Disagree? Have I missed any?

Let us know in the comments below!

[flicktalkers-blog]

THE WEEKEND STREAMING PICKS

Some superhero movie comes out today, it sounds like kind of a big deal and it's got all these awesome performers in it. You might want to check out their previous work, they're pretty good.

3:10 to Yuma (Dir. James Mangold) - NETFLIX UK

2007 was a damn fine year for the western, a year that saw both this movie and The Assassination of Jesse James released...and ignored. This is a damn fine movie, one with a Bruce Wayne-esque performance from Bale, an anti-hero in Crowe and a damn scary turn from the always reliable Ben Foster. Audiences didn't exactly flock to cinemas to see this but you'd be doing yourself a favour in settling down with it, its a really great movie.

BRONSON (Dir. Nicolas Winding Refn) - NETFLIX US

To this day, Bronson remains Tom Hardy's most fearless and most impressive performance. Dan liked it back when he saw it as a Late Pass, so what's to stop you from giving it a go? You won't see many movies like it.

THE LOOKOUT (Dir. Scott Frank) - NETFLIX UK

The general theme here appears to be under-rated and little seen movies and they don't come more under-rated or under-seen than The Lookout. This is a fucking great movie that was never given the time of day by distributors, featuring a fantastic lead performance from a post-Brick Joseph Gordon-Levitt and a story that twists and turns to an immensely satisfying conclusion. It didn't get the props it deserved back then, I think it's about time we all started to get behind it now.

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Did any of these make your film-buds rise? Let us know!

[flicktalkers-blog]

THE LATE PASS: PLUNKETT AND MACLEANE (1999)

Directed by: Jake Scott

Starring: Robert Carlyle, Jonny Lee Miller, Liv Tyler

The summer of 1999 was supposed to belong to George Lucas and The Phantom Menace, unfortunately for him, the Wachowski's came along with The Matrix and well, 13 years on, only one of those is remembered fondly. But there was another film being touted as one of the big things to be released that year. Plunkett and Macleane was touted as a rock and roll trip back in time to the days when highwaymen ruled the...erm...highways, and with Jake Scott, son of Ridley, behind the camera, the British press were talking it up to be a sleeper-hit like no other.

It didn't do very well, despite the overwhelming support in the lead up to the release, critics didn't take too kindly to masters Plunkett and Macleane, and me being a mere 16-year-old at the time, my limited cash flow rightfully went to Jedi's and The One's. Time continued and to the back of my mind went the highwaymen tale, until I stumbled upon it on Netflix. With a quiet evening and the house to myself, the timing was perfect.

In many ways, Plunkett and Macleane reminded me of Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes movies. Both put a modern spin on a classic tale whilst retaining a period setting, but whilst I'm not a fan of the Sherlock Holmes films, they at least have an element of fun to them. Plunkett and Macleane is a film that is tipped as a rock and roll tale yet is as po-faced as a Joe Wright lit-adaptation. It's also devoid of any spectacle and feels simultaneously rushed yet incredibly slow moving.

Another big problem is that everyone, with the exception of the brilliant Michael Gambon, feels horrendously miscast. The leads in particular showing a distinct lack of personality or charm, let alone chemistry. I won't even get started on Liv Tyler's performance. Well, I think it was a performance, it might have been an attempt to hold her breath for the longest possible time.

Having made Plunkett and Macleane, Jake Scott didn't return to the directors chair until 2010's Welcome to the Rileys, and it's not hard to understand why. This is the offspring of one of the most revered directors still working, a son from a family known for its visual flair, yet with his debut it's not so much that the apple has fallen far from the tree, more the yam sprouted on the other side of the world from the tree. Plunkett and Macleane is as drab as they come, both from a visual perspective as well as choices with shots and editing. It feels completely pedestrian, again prompting the question "where is the rock and roll?".

Plunkett and Macleane is not a lost gem, it's not an under-rated flick buried under the immense popularity that was the Sci-Fi Summer of '99, nor is it an interesting misfire. It's simply an exercise in mediocrity that I couldn't possibly encourage anyone to seek out.

ASH

[flicktalkers-blog]

CHRISTOPHER AND WALLY: MODERN CINEMA'S BATMAN AND ROBIN

When The Dark Knight Rises gets its world wide release on 20th July there will a collective global joygasm that will be so powerful it will probably be visible from space. So much has the anticipation been for the final instalment of Christopher Nolan’s brilliant Batman trilogy that, barring The Avengers, all other major summer blockbusters will have been glossed over in comparison. Having predictably obtained standing ovations from early fan screenings, the inevitable elation and reverence that will meet The Dark Knight Rises will also be tinged with an air of sadness as the film marks the probable last collaboration between Nolan and his ever present, genius cinematographer Wally Pfister. Pfister is now moving into directing and although it is likely they will work together again, it will likely be with Nolan serving as a producer. However it is has been Pfister’s cinematic eye and vision that has become such a hallmark of Nolan’s films.

Both Nolan and Pfister had an urge for filmmaking from an early age, raised in London and New York respectively but both spending parts of their childhood in Chicago, they began shooting home movies on Super 8 Cameras. Pfister was inspired by witnessing a film crew shooting scenes near his house for the Burt Reynolds movie, Shamus, saying “I watched them setting up lights and cameras. I was just completely in awe”. Nolan went onto to study English literature at UCL but engrossed himself in the film making societies and facilities, much of which he would use as resources for his first feature film Following. 

Having worked a series of bit part jobs in television news and documentary filmmaking, Pfister got his first couple of breaks when working in Washington D.C. Robert Altman gave him a job as a cameraman for his HBO miniseries Tanner 88. Whilst doing this he was also accepted to the Amercian Film Institute where he stayed for two years, learning his trade and making career connections. After his time at the AFI, Pfister did what so many great filmmakers do. He began to work on low budget exploitation films, mostly in the erotic genre however also dipping into splatter horror. Working on these types of pictures can really educate young filmmakers on how to make great work, as the conditions, budget and schedule can be so restrictive that it provokes talent and ability to shine through. Pfister even had experience on the movies sets of B movie legend Roger Corman, who mentored the likes of Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese and Ron Howard. A list of directors who despite working on big budget projects have always maintained the story telling techniques learnt from Corman.

After gradually taking steps up the ladder and making more and more contacts, Pfister eventually got the job of cinematographer for the movie The Hi-Line. The project would end up being one of the most pivotal of his career and in his words, ‘was really the picture where I was able to re-invent my career as a cinematographer’. The Hi-line, shot in 1999 and directed by Ron Judkins, was not a massive success and few people will have seen it, however the film was selected to be shown at that year’s Sundance Film Festival. Doing the rounds that year at the various festivals was also a film called Following, the directorial debut of Christopher Nolan. It was at Sundance that the two met for the first time, hitting it off straight away and seeing real talent and value in each other’s work. They decided to work together on Nolan’s next film, the neo-noir classic Memento.

After Pulp Fiction and The Usual Suspects were released in the mid 90’s a fashion for intricate, timeline jumping thrillers was created. Along with the likes of Donnie Darko and Mullholland Drive, Memento is rightly considered to be one of the best in the era that ensued. Through Nolan’s brilliantly written screenplay and their budding visual partnership, Memento is a gloriously unsettling and enthralling drama. A movie told backwards, with the primary intention to put the viewer in the shoes of the main protagonist, who experiences every minute of his existence with confusion and uncertainty. By the time the film ends, it is the audience who have to choose which information to believe and which path they would follow. Memento was a relative commercial success and won critical acclaim; it also gave Nolan an early Oscar nomination for his screenplay and thus opened up doors galore for future opportunities.

In the years that have followed the pair have continued to work together on every film that Nolan has directed, with each film gaining significant recognition and box office success. Insomnia was released in 2002 getting great performances from Robin Williams and a sadly declining Al Pacino, but it was in 2005 that they began what many will feel will be the defining work of their respective careers. Batman Begins is for me one of, if not the most influential film of recent years. In the late 90’s and early 00’s Hollywood began to revive the super hero and comic book genre but despite initial success with the X Men and Spiderman franchise by 2005 the interest was beginning to subside as the output became predictable and formulaic. Films such as Hulk, Daredevil and let’s not forget the bloody awful Catwoman, were more than disappointing to fans, critics and studios alike. It would take a stroke of genius and innovation to go back to the real dark roots of what comic books are born out of and go in a vital different direction.

The success of Batman Begins breathed new life into a genre that was dying on its then current path and helped to regenerate mainstream interest. Since then the super hero film has gone from strength to strength and has also helped to boost popularity in other mediums such as television and literature. After The Prestige in 2006, Nolan and Pfister had astronomical success with the second instalment of the batman trilogy The Dark Knight and of course Inception. Both films exhibit what for me are both the brilliance and at times the weakness in their work together. Whilst I am not in any way suggesting that either movie is not remarkable, I do feel with some of Nolan’s films that there is an air of coldness.

Together, they basically make huge budget, blockbuster films that look like art house cinema. They are beautifully crafted and you get a real sense that there has been a huge amount of passion and care put into how each scene is shot. Coupled with Nolan’s demand in his screenplays for the audience to pay attention and keep up with the ideas that are driving the narrative forward, this can prevent the viewer from investing emotionally in the film. The films can become such hard work to watch (but yet rewarding nevertheless) that when the film ends you’re left a little numb to what the characters have been through and where the story has gone.

I feel though that I’m probably over analyzing and I should probably just be thankful that in a world where Michael Bay can spew out Transformers poo over and over again that there are film makers out there who are ambitious with their audience. What’s for sure though is that they both have the world at their feet and can pretty much do whatever they want with the rest of their careers. Nolan will be acting as a producer and writer for the forth coming Superman reboot Man of Steel and I’m sure will be involved in some capacity for Pfister’s directorial debut which is currently untitled.  Hopefully The Dark Knight Rises won’t be the last time they work together creatively together on a film set but even if that is the case their body of work will stand the test time to rival that of, Burks and Hitchcock, and, Alcott and Kubrick.

TOM

[flicktalkers-blog]

SDCC 2012: DIRTY LAUNDRY - A PUNISHER SHORT

I always felt that Thomas Jane did a good job as Frank Castle, even if the 2004 movie wasn't up to the standard of his performance. I felt it was a shame when he didn't return in War Zone (having seen the final product, bullet dodged), so when Jane turned up at SDCC with a Punisher short, I was excited. When it was then made available online, I was super excited. Then when you actually sit down and watch it, it's the Punisher movie that should have been made in the first place.

Check out Dirty Laundry: