Maleficent

Distributor:         Walt Disney Studios

Year:                    2014

MPAA:                  PG

Content:               AC, V

Genres:                FAN/FAM/DRA

Technical:            2.40:1 (HD)

Runtime:              97 mins.

Country:               USA

Language:            English

Budget:                 $180M

 

CAST

Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Sharlto Copley, Lesley Manville, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple, Sam Riley, Brenton Thwaites, Kenneth Cranham & Hannah New

 

CREDITS

Director: Robert Stromberg; Screenwriter: Linda Woolverton; Producer: Joe Roth; Director Of Photography: Dean Semler; Production Designers: Gary Freeman & Dylan Cole; Editors: Chris Lebenzon & Richard Pearson; Costume Designer: Anna B. Sheppard; Music Composer: James Newton Howard

 

BRIEF SYNOPSIS

Maleficent is a young faerie who lives in the magical forest realm known as The Moors. She falls in love with human boy Stefan, but their respective kingdoms are at war. Years later, Maleficent (Jolie) defeats the forces of King Henry (Cranham)—to which he decrees that any man who can destroy Maleficent will earn his kingdom as prize. Ambitious and cunning, the grown Stefan (Copley) rendezvous with Maleficent under the pretense of courtship and drugs her. He steals her magical wings (without killing her) as proof of her death and eventually becomes King.

Enraged, Maleficent magically reworks the Moors into a kingdom of Darkness and converts a human man, Diaval (Riley), into a raven for nefarious purposes. The bird informs her that King Stefan has married Henry’s daughter Leila (New) and that they now have a daughter, Princess Aurora. At the christening, Maleficent appears and curses the child to everlasting sleep on her 16^th birthday by cutting herself on a spinning wheel. Only a kiss from Aurora’s true love will set her free. To protect his child, Stefan sends her into the woods with three pixies—pink Knotgrass (Stauntion), green Thistlewit (Temple) & blue Fittle (Mannville)—until the Princess turns 16.

Despite early distaste for the baby Aurora, Maleficent becomes quite fond of her as the years pass. Now almost 16, Aurora (Fanning) is a beautiful and vibrant young woman who thinks of Maleficent as her faerie godmother. She meets the strapping young Prince Phillip (Thwaites) and becomes smitten. Maleficent wants to revoke her curse—but cannot, as Destiny has a way of playing things out for the Princess, Maleficent and Stefan.

 

THE (mini) REVIEW

Directly based on the classic villainess of Disney’s Sleeping Beauty (1959), Maleficent is a big-budget, handsomely-produced endeavor that stumbles though a clunky narrative, some bad casting (Ms. Jolie aside) and dull direction courtesy of first time helmer and Oscar^®-winning VFX maven Robert Stromberg (back-to-back winner for James Cameron’s Avatar [2009] and Tim Buton’s Alice In Wonderland [2010]. I was expecting a spectacle of fantasy on par with the recent (and superior) Snow White & The Huntsman (2012)—directed with more panache by Rupert Sanders. Instead, we get what is essentially a rape drama cloaked in Disney brand melancholia. WTF? Did Lars von Trier kidnap the entire production?

Part of the blame lies in the ambivalent screenplay written by Disney veteran scribe Linda Woolverston (Beauty And The Beast, The Lion King, Alice In Wonderland)—which she adapted not only from the ’59 Disney classic, but also from Franco-Anglo “Sleeping Beauty” stories dating back to the 1600s. What is the point of building up Maleficent as a nasty character if you’re merely going to turn her character arc in a complete 180º turn towards syrupy benevolence? And the aforementioned rape drama (young Maleficent’s wings are clipped after she’s been roofied by her supposed love, Stefan) inserted into the story? Not very appropriate for a Disney family flick, wouldn’t you say?

The other part of the blame falls on director Robert Stromberg’s head. No offense, but VFX folks don’t always make good directors (though editors usually do)—and Maleficent is treated as one big VFX & marketing bonanza instead of a potentially terrifying and fulfilling fairy tale that seems to lurk just below the story’s surface. As I understand it, Stromberg received uncredited help from veteran director John Lee Hancock (2002’s The Rookie, 2004’s The Alamo, Saving Mr. Banks) and probably learned how to direct a big-budget movie in the process.

Regarding the cast, the lovely Angelina Jolie steals the movie as Maleficent—decked out in hot black leather and slinking her way through the role she was born to play. Yummy. The only thing missing was a black leather whip to complete the wicked ensemble…but then again, this is a Disney picture, right? The rest of the cast—with the exception of young Thwaites (vapid) and Copley (miscast)—turn in good performances, with Riley earning props as the half-man/half-raven lackey character with a conscious.

Production values for this $180 million (boxofficemojo.com) epic are top-shelf across the board—and really the movie’s saving grace. The entire production was shot at the famed Pinewood Studios near London, England—with exterior forest sequences lensed in the bucolic region of Buckinghamshire. Kudos must go to first-time production designers Gary Freeman (Art Director for Sunshine, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street, 47 Ronin) & Dylan Cole (Concept Artist for Alice In Wonderland, TRON: Legacy, Oz The Great And Powerful) for creating the gorgeous sets (40 in all) and bringing the faerie kingdom The Moors to life.

Veteran Aussie cinematographer Dean Semler (Oscar^®-winner for Dances With Wolves; also lensed The Road Warrior, Waterworld, Apocalypto, 2012) furnishes the movie with a handsome HD-widescreen palette of deep blacks, earthy greens and the occasional candlelight orange—courtesy of the ARRI^® Alexa Plus camera system fitted with PANAVISION^® Primo^® lenses (giving the imagery a robust look). However, given the accolades I’ve just heaped on the cinematography, I am still disappointed that Semler and his director opted for the HD package instead of the tried-and-true 35mm film option. By shooting Maleficent on film, they would have captured the surreal/otherworldly schema of fairy tale movies—such as Alex Thomson’s masterful lensing of Excalibur (1981; dir: John Boorman) and Legend (1985; dir: Ridley Scott). But, as it stands with the HD process, at least those Primo lenses spiff up the proceedings in this movie.

I though that master make-up artist Rick Baker’s design of Maleficent’s features are terrific—and it should be, considering he’s won 7 Oscars^® (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000711/awards?ref_=nm_awd) over the years. The make-up complements Maleficent’s aforementioned hot leather visage courtesy of veteran costume designer Anna B. Sheppard (Schindler’s List, Inglorious Basterds, Captain America: The First Avenger), along with the other visual tropes of medieval/fantasy costumery.

Smooth editing by veteran cutters Chris Lebenzon (Top Gun, Batman Returns, Alice In Wonderland, Dark Shadows) & Richard Pearson (Bowfinger, Men In Black II, The Bourne Supremacy, Quantum Of Solace) compliment a robust score by prolific composer James Newton Howard (Pretty Woman, Waterworld, I Am Legend, The Hunger Games Saga).

It is apparent that the technical aspects of Maleficent far outweigh its narrative virtues—which is a darn shame. This movie could have become a modern masterpiece of fairy tale storytelling—dark, decisive and encapsulated with its own intrinsic grandeur. Instead, we are given a dark story that Disney and the filmmakers water down for mass consumption. I’m pretty sure that Maleficent herself would whip me for saying so (bedazzled in that hot black leather ensemble, of course). Yep, I can only hope…

 

 

 

IMDB:                    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1587310/

Wikipedia:             http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maleficent_(film)

Official Site:          http://movies.disney.com/maleficent

Edge Of Tomorrow

Distributor:            Warner Bros.

Year:                       2014

MPAA:                     PG-13

Content:                  AC, AL, V

Genres:                   SCI / THR / FAN

Technical:               2.40:1 (35mm)

Runtime:                113 mins.

Country:                 USA

Language:              English

Budget:                  $178M

 

 

CAST

Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Brendan Gleeson, Bill Paxton, Jonas Armstrong, Tony Way, Kick Gurry, Franz Drameh, Dragomir Mrsic, Charlotte Riley, Masayoshi Haneda, Terence Maynard & Noah Taylor

 

CREDITS

Director: Doug Liman; Screenwriters: Christopher McQuarrie & Jez Butterworth; Producers: Erwin Stoff, Tom Lassally, Jeffrey Silver, Gregory Jacobs & Jason Hoffs; Director Of Photography: Dion Beebe; Production Designer: Oliver Scholl; Editor: James Herbert; Costume Designer: Kate Hawley; Music Composer: Christophe Beck

 

BRIEF SYNOPSIS

In the Future, an alien race called Mimics attack the Earth and has taken over Europe. Brash PR-officer Major William Cage (Cruise) is sent to London where he is instructed by United Defense Forces General Brigham (Gleeson) to cover the upcoming Operation Downfall battle—where UDF forces storm the beaches of France to repel the Mimics. Cage makes the fatal error of trying to blackmail Brigham out of sending him. He is arrested, demoted and plopped onto the front lines under the command of tough Master Sergeant Farell (Paxton) and his J-Squad team. Inexperienced at warfare and weaponry, Cage manages to kill an Alpha-Mimic before dying (courtesy of doused Mimic blood) in a losing battle.

Instead of staying dead, Cage wakes up the same previous day and repeats it—stuck in a temporal time-loop thanks to the dousing of Mimic blood. Despite countless repeats and warnings to Farell & J-Squad, Cage continues to die on that beach. He meets Special Forces war hero Sgt. Rita Vrataski (Blunt) and convinces her of his dilemma as she too was doused with Mimic blood. She trains him for battle each “reboot” as they both plan a way to stop the loop—as well as defeat the Mimics in the process.

 

THE (mini) REVIEW

Starship Troopers (1997) meets Groundhog Day (1993) may best describe EDGE OF TOMORROW, a fantastic and deft motion picture that delivers its promise of star power (Cruise), genre thrills, cyberpunk aesthetics and top-shelf VFX—mixed with a strong, visual storytelling conceit courtesy of director Doug Liman (Go, The Bourne Identity, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Jumper, Fair Game) who is abetted by a smart screenplay written by credited screenwriters Christopher McQuarrie (Oscar^®-winner for The Usual Suspects; also wrote The Way Of The Gun, Valkyrie, Jack Reacher) and scribe-brother team Jez (Birthday Girl, The Last Legion, Fair Game, Get On Up) & John-Henry (Fair Game, Get On Up) Butterworth, with some script-doctoring by genre veteran Simon Kinberg (Mr. & Mrs. Smith, X-Men: The Last Stand, X-Men: First Class, X-Men: Days Of Future Past).

Based on the Japanese graphic novel All You Need Is Kill (2004) by author Hirsoshi Sakurazaka, the finished screenplay turns out to be smart, exciting and energetic. What could have been a frustrating exercise in trite repetitiveness instead amounts to a growth of knowledge on the characters’ part (à la the very brilliant and aforementioned Groundhog Day). My only complaint (actually the complaint that most critics have) is the movie’s Third Act denouement. Without going into great detail (after all, see the friggin’ movie yourself!), we get a Hollywood ending that feels rather forced—a sort-of left turn from what has come before. A classic deus ex machina, if you will.

Yet (and overall), EDGE OF TOMORROW works, thanks to a director Doug Liman’s visual acumen and dexterity. Famously known for maverick filmmaking ethos, Liman nonetheless outputs a big studio picture with a guerilla-style techniques and full confidence of his cast and crew. He is abetted greatly by propulsive and intuitive cutting by editor James Herbert (Revolver, Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows, Gangster Squad)—who manages to invigorate the loop montages with energy and a total lack of déjà vu. This is intelligent editing at its best.

Speaking of a confident cast—here is eternal youth Tom Cruise—now past 50 and still kicking ass! The late Baby Boomer/early Generation-X actor again brings it to his role of a snarky yes man who goes through a very delineated character arc (kudos script) and emerges a hero. To say that EDGE OF TOMORROW is Cruise’s best leading man work in years is just stating the obvious.

Also worthy of praise is his co-star Emily Blunt—exhibiting strength and femininity in what is dubbed (per the screenplay) the “Full Metal Bitch” role. Blunt’s Rita Vrataski imbues the Cameron-esque tough chick ethos (Linda Hamilton’s Sarah Connor or Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley) with Roger Corman’s sex appeal heroine (pick a movie of his as your own comparison). Hey, this woman can fight alongside me any day! The rest of the cast is fine—especially the great Bill Paxton as the rough Sarge. Extrapolatively-speaking, had his wise-ass Pvt. Hudson character from Aliens (1986) survived and matured into a battle-hardened warrior—it would be as Master Sgt. Farrell. Go figure!

Production values for this $178 million (boxofficemojo.com) epic are top-shelf across the board. EDGE OF TOMORROW was filmed entirely in England at the famous Leavesden Studios (home of the Harry Potter movies and now owned by Warner Bros.) and at the famed Trafalgar Square in London. Per the production notes, this production marks the first time ever that non-government or non-military helicopters were allowed to land there. Damned impressive.

First up in technical accolades is the robust 35mm PANAVISION^®/anamorphic lensing courtesy of veteran Aussie cinematographer Dion Beebe (Oscar^®-winner for Memoirs Of A Geisha; also shot Chicago, Miami Vice, Collateral, Gangster Squad). EDGE OF TOMORROW was shot on good-old fashioned celluloid utilizing the workhorse Panavision Panaflex Millennium XL2 and smaller Arriflex 235 camera systems. The result? A handsome combination of Cameron-esque industrial photography mixed with a realistic synergy of VFX/SFX (credited to 11 houses—the alien Mimics certainly evoke the Starship Troopers bugs) and visual texture.

Another shout-out goes to veteran German production designer Oliver Scholl (director Roland Emmerich’s Moon 44, Independence Day & Godzilla; also designed Liman’s Jumper)—delivering an appropriately futuristic/cyberpunk/ military design ethos again inspired (perhaps intentionally or unintentionally) by James Cameron’s Aliens. He too is abetted by the aforementioned military ethos by costume designer Kate Hawley (Pacific Rim, additional design work on The Hobbit series)—who worked with School in designing and creating the war exoskeletons used by the cast during the battle sequences. Veteran Québécois Composer Christophe Beck (The Hangover I-III, Runner Runner, R.I.P.D., Frozen) earns merit with an appropriately bombastic martial score

All told, EDGE OF TOMORROW is a cut above other recent science-fiction movies—and a great notch in Tom Cruise’s filmography belt. The only downside is a weak, forced ending that limits my rating to a mere 4-stars. I’m sure that Tom’s crying all the way to the bank…

 

IMDB:                   http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1631867/

Wikipedia:             http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edge_of_Tomorrow_(film)

Official Site:          http://www.edgeoftomorrowmovie.com

Captain Phillips

MPAA/Content PG-13 [AC, AL, SV]

Distributor Columbia Pictures

Technical 16mm 35mm 2.40:1

Genres THR ADV HIS

Runtime 134 mins.

Country USA

Budget $55M

 

CAST

Tom Hanks, Barkhad Abdi, Barkhad Abdirahman, Faysal Ahmed, Mahat M. Ali, Michael Chernus, Corey Johnson, Max Martini, Chris Mulkey, Yul Vazquez & David Warshofsky

 

CREDITS 

Director: Paul Greengrass; Screenwriter: Billy Ray; Producers: Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti & Michael De Luca; Director Of Photography: Barry Ackroyd; Production Designer: Paul Kirby; Editor: Christopher Rouse; Costume Designer: Mark Bridges; Music Composer: Henry Jackman

 

THE SYNOPSIS

The Gulf of Aden, Oman, 2009.  Captain Richard Phillips (Hanks) takes command of Merchant Vessel Maersk Alabama, an unarmed cargo/container ship on a routine mission south to Kenya.  A highly competent seaman and martinet, Phillips engages his men in safety and security drills, knowing that pirates roam the waters in this part of the world.

The vessel is indeed attacked by skiffs piloted by young Somali pirates—desperate young men…some of whom serve their greedy warlords; others who must commit these crimes to feed their families.  The pirates are temporarily deterred by the Alabama’s anti-pirate countermeasures; but the determined young Somali Abduwali Muse (Abdi) returns the next day with another skiff and three able (and heavily armed) young men: Najee (Ahmed), Assad (Ali) & Bilal (Abdirahman) and successfully board the ship.

Muse warns Phillips that he is now the captain.  His goal (like that of all pirates) is to hold the ship and crew for a hefty ransom.  The plan goes awry when a crewmember cuts the power off to the entire ship.  After being overpowered, Muse is convinced to take Phillips as a hostage and leave the Alabama on a lifeboat with his men.

During this time, the USS Bainbridge arrives on the scene to delegate, although its master, Commander Frank Castellano (Vazquez) is under strict orders to not engage.  Other US ships arrive with the same orders.  A harrowing game of cat-an-mouse is underway as Phillips attempts to escape from the enclosed lifeboat more than once—testing the patience and limits of Muse, his men and himself.

The terror comes to an end when a sniper team of Navy SEALs arrives and takes out Najee, Assad & Bilal.  Muse, sent to the Bainbridge under the assumption that his tribal warlords will be there to negotiate Phillips’ release, is taken into custody and charged with piracy.  Captain Phillips, now safe on the same ship, finally breaks down in tears of shock and gratitude as he realizes that he is safe…and the ordeal over.

 

THE CRITIQUE

Based on the best-selling book A Captain’s Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, andDangerous Days at Sea by Richard Phillips with Stephan Talty, the film version CAPTAIN PHILLIPS is an instant masterpiece.  The screenplay, written with verve by veteran scribe Billy Ray (Shattered Glass, Breach, The Hunger Games), plays it straight—and perhaps more importantly…instigates parity in the moral dilemma regarding the pirates’ motives for the actions they are about to commit.

These men are hungry, frustrated, uneducated and trying to navigate the warlord fiefdom ecosystem imposed on them by their fragmented society.  Not that piracy is the answer—and not that every Somali pirate is merely trying to “pay the bills”, but at least this plight is presented to us in Ray’s screenplay before the action commences.  The end result (at least for me) is that someone—anyone—with human empathy can at least understand the motives.

Filmed over 60 days in open water, CAPTAIN PHILLIPS is directed with bravado by veteran British director Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Supremacy, United 93, The Bourne Ultimatum, Green Zone)—who once again proves that he is a master of the “shaky camera” action genre.  Rumor has it that Ron Howard was supposed to direct the movie, but switched up with Greengrass—who was to direct the equally-terrific Formula One flick Rush instead.  Sounds like the right call!

One thing is for certain: Greengrass gets a lot of nautical miles out of his cast.  What more can I say about Tom Hanks that hasn’t already been said?  He is our generation’s Jimmy Stewart; a fine actor and a sweet guy.  Playing Richard Phillips with a degree of old sea dog common sense and a martinet sense of duty to his crew and vessel, I would want no one (besides Harrison Ford, of course) being my captain!

Although he was (surprisingly) not nominated for an Oscar^®, Hanks owns the role.  After playing Capt. Richard Phillips and Walt Disney (in Saving Mr. Banks), Hanks should maybe next consider playing Capt. Chesley B. “Sully” Sullenberger (the heroic pilot of US Airways Flight 1549) or even St. Francis of Assisi.  The actor’s on a roll, so why stop now!

As great as Tom Hanks is in the movie, the real breakout is newbie Somali-American actor Barkhad Abdi, who hails from Minnesota by way of Mogadishu.  This dude nails IT…desperation, cunning, bravado, violence; even a hint of humanity, in the portrait of the real life Abduwali Muse—who is currently alive and well in a US Federal Penitentiary.  The rest of the Somali actors (also newbies from Minnesota) are solid too.  The remaining cast members do what they need to.

Production values of the modestly-budgeted $55 million (boxofficemojo.com) film are top shelf across the board.

Credit CAPTAIN PHILLIPS ‘ handsome widescreen-lensing to veteran British cinematographer Barry Ackroyd (United 93, The Hurt Locker, Green Zone, Contraband)—who does a fantastic job combining different formats to create a realistic mise-en-scène.  Per his interview in American Cinematographer (November 2013), Ackroyd had stated that he and Greengrass decided to shoot the movie on film (hallelujah!) in this fashion: Super 16mm (using the workhorse Aaton XTR Prod) for the Somali and skiffs sequences; Super 35mm (using the Aaton Penelope & ARRICAM cameras Lite, 235 & 435) for the main shoot; and HD digital cameras such as the compact-but-versatile GoPro for the SEAL skydiving sequences.

Besides being able to conform all of the footage into a cohesive film, I admire the taut cutting schema of veteran American editor/Greengrass collaborator Christopher Rouse (Oscar^®-winner for The Bourne Ultimatum; also edited The Bourne Supremacy, United 93, Green Zone).  Taking this yarn and ratcheting up the tension is what great editing is about.

Having been given the Maersk Alabama’s sister ship Maersk Alexandria to utilize in the shoot, production designer Paul Kirby (The Devil’s Double) brings to the mise-en-scène the veritas needed to make it all believable.  Appropriate costuming by veteran American designer Mark Bridges (Oscar^®-winner for The Artist; also clothed Boogie Nights, There Will Be Blood, The Master) and a strong score by British composer Henry Jackman (Kick-Ass, X-Men: First Class, Kick-Ass 2, Captain America: The Winter Soldier) round out the talent behind the camera.

The movie was filmed in Malta, Morocco (standing in for Somalia), Massachusetts & Virginia (USA) and England (for certain interiors).  Much of the lifeboat sequences were actually filmed in the famous water tank at Malta, while the denouement rescue mission was filmed in the Atlantic Ocean near Norfolk, VA.  And yes, the US Navy and Maersk offered their full support in the making of CAPTAIN PHILLIPS.

Man, what a flick!  I enjoyed it as much as it terrified me.  Are there some issues with the film?  Sure.  There are historical inaccuracies abundant in the yarn—but in the spirit of dramatic conflict and good freakin’ Cinema, I shall forgive the filmmakers.  To read more about the reel-vs.-real conundrum, check out the History Vs. Hollywood article here.  But highjack yourself and see the movie anyway!

 

THE BOTTOM LINE

Steering this movie in the right direction, CAPTAIN PHILLIPS earns its stripes as a terrific, action-packed thriller.  That it’s based on a verifiable true story gives the movie an august sheen of respectability.  Although we know how the story ends, it does not take away from the thrill of watching it.  Now, that’s filmmaking at its best!

 

 

 

IMDB:                     http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1535109/

Wikipedia:             http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_Phillips_(film)

Official Site:          http://www.captainphillipsmovie.com/site/

Gravity

MPAA/Content PG-13 [AC, AL, V]

Distributor Warner Bros.

Technical HD 65mm 2.40:1

Genres SCI THR ADV

Runtime 91 mins.

Country USA UK

Budget $100M

 

CAST

Sandra Bullock, George Clooney; voices of: Ed Harris, Orto Ignatiussen & Phaldut Sharma

 

CREDITS

Director: Alfonso Cuarón; Screenwriters: Alfonso Cuarón / Jonás Cuarón; Producers: Alfonso Cuarón / David Heyman; Director Of Photography: Emmanuel Lubezki; VFX Supervisor: Tim Webber; Production Designer: Andy Nicholson; Editors: Alfonso Cuarón / Mark Sanger; Costume Designer: Jany Temime; Music Composer: Steven Price

 

THE SYNOPSIS

Miles above the Earth floats Space Shuttle Explorer (Mission STS-157), where medical engineer Dr. Ryan Stone (Bullock) and veteran astronaut Commander Matt Kowalski (Clooney) are in the midst of a spacewalk on the Hubble Space Telescope.  They are warned by Houston Command (voiced by Harris) that debris from a defunct satellite fired upon by a Russian missile is heading their way.

Minutes later, the projectiles smash into the Explorer, vaporizing it and the rest of the crew onboard—causing Stone and Kowalski to float away from the telescope.  Using their thrusters, they aim for the International Space Station a mere 900 miles away.  The goal is to reach the ISS before the debris slingshots around the Earth on its deadly orbit.

Along the way, Matt urges Ryan to tell him about herself (to keep her calm and focused so as not run out of oxygen).  Turns out that Ryan lost her daughter a short time ago and carries that pain with her.  They reach the ISS, but so does the debris projectiles—causing another explosion.  Ryan and Matt are about to be sucked into the darkness of space—but Kowalski saves her by detaching himself and drifting off into space towards certain death.  Before he disappears, Matt calmly relays to Ryan the details of what she must do next to survive.

She climbs into the ISS and into a Soyuz capsule—launching it before the whole station explodes.  Per Matt’s pre-death advise, she is to navigate the Soyuz capsule to a Chinese space station, Tiangong, a mere 100 miles away.  Reaching her limit, Ryan decides to power down the Soyuz and die peacefully.  Suddenly, Matt climbs into the capsule with her and scolds her for giving up.  The hallucinatory pep talk works, as Ryan gets her second wind.

Unable to dock the Soyuz with the Tiangong, Ryan suits up and uses a fire extinguisher to propel her over to the station.  Once inside, she launches the last escape module and heads towards Earth, though more debris compromises her trajectory.  Miraculously, Ryan makes it back to terra firma and crash lands in a lake.  She fights her way out of the ship and swims to safety.

 

THE CRITIQUE

Whenever you think you’re having a bad day, do yourself a favor and take a look at GRAVITY.  What Sandra Bullock goes through will make you appreciate the (most likely) un-severity of your own situation!  But seriously…this movie is exciting, intense, frightening, hopeful—I could go on to Infinity…AND BEYOND!!  But I shan’t.

Written by director Alfonso Cuarón and his son Jonás (himself a budding multi-hyphenate filmmaker), the screenplay and its structure are deceptively simple in the Classical Literature sense: (Wo)Man vs. Nature, (Wo)Man vs. Fate, (Wo)Man vs. (her)himself.  However, its themes are far more complex than that.

Maternity plays a big part of the structure: Dr. Stone is a mother who lost her child; she performs her maternal duties by repairing damages and coaxing her fellow astronauts to focus on the mission (like any mother would…clean up the boo-boos and have their child focus on the daily tasks); Stone plies her trade in the shadow of Gaia (Mother Earth), at first attached to the ship (like an umbilical cord)—but yearning to return home to Mama Earth… get it?  Man, I’m good!

Other themes surface as the movie progresses: the balance of light and dark (hope and desperation) prevalent in outer space; survival of the fittest vs. survival of the most resourceful vs. survival of the most faithful; rebirth through the crucible of death; and ultimately… the grand theme of Life itself.  Yes: breathing fresh air is good!

Directed with flair, poise and cojones the size of Skylab by Mexican auteur Alfonso Cuarón (Y Tu Mamá También, Harry Potter And The Prisoner of Azkaban, Children Of Men), GRAVITY works more as science fiction that science fact.  No matter.  Cuarón plays up the human element as much as the fantastical celestial element with equal parts.  Even more so, he gets terrific performances out of his main actors.

Sandra Bullock buoys the entire movie on her lovely shoulders and she sells it with class, empathy and determination.  What can I say about George Clooney’s extended cameo?  The guy makes it all look too easy.  For such a limited role (originally to be cast with Robert Downey Jr.), Clooney imbues Matt Kowalski with levity, calm and (unfortunately) brevity—when he shuffles off into the darkness of outer space…my only complaint in this otherwise excellent movie—but I will elaborate further down the review.  Nevertheless, bravo to Clooney for taking a throwaway role (no-pun intended) and giving it the main character’s impetus for survival.  Oh, and it was great hearing Ed Harris representing Houston Control yet again (after doing so in Ron Howard’s Apollo 13 [1995]).  If the shit ever hits the fan, you’ll surely want Ed Harris on the other end of the line to help!

Production values for this $100 million (boxofficemojo.com) US/UK co-production are upper stratum all the way.  Now get ready for the kudos, folks—because I’ve got plenty in my rocket pocket!

First and foremost, my hats off to the talented Mexican cinematographer Emmanuel “Chivo” Lubezki (Y Tu Mamá También, Sleepy Hollow, The New World, Children Of Men)—who has created a clean, super-realistic visual palette in his striking, HD-widescreen lensing.  95% of the production utilized the ARRI AlexaM high definition camera system for the celestial and capsule sequences while the remaining 5% (the final sequence on Earth) was actually shot at Arizona’s Lake Powell on 65mm film utilizing the workhorse ARRIFLEX 765 camera. 

Per American Cinematographer (November 2013 issue), veteran Kiwi cinematographer Michael Seresin (Midnight Express, Harry Potter And The Prisoner of Azkaban, Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes) stepped into the role when Lubezki had to leave.  The end result is seamless and flawless.  For the record, GRAVITY was conceived in 2D and later converted to 3D for exhibition.  As I understand it, the 3D version is very well-rendered.  Aiding the cinematographers in creating the celestial effects is veteran VFX Supervisor Tim Webber (Children Of Men, The Dark Knight, Avatar)—whom I mention in this review as one of the pillars of the GRAVITY production because of the praise heaped on him and his crew by both Cuarón and Lubezki.  From working on realistic wiring rigs to facilitating zero gravity replication to the CGI rendering of costume minutiae and the illusion of outer space, Webber gets a kudo too.

Edited with restraint by Cuarón and British cutter Mark Sanger (assistant editor on Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough & The Mummy), the movie clocks in at a brisk 91 minutes.  Utilizing long takes—the first shot alone is 13 minutes long (!)—the editors manage to use the infinite expanse of outer space to ratchet up the tension, which never lets up until the very end.  GRAVITY is rumored to contain something like 150 shots in its entire runtime.  Wow!

The rest of the technical credits are also top-shelf.  The realistic (and NASA-consulted) sets & costumes are courtesy of former architect-turned-production designer Andy Nicholson (The Host, Divergent) and veteran costume designer Jany Temime (Harry Potter And The Prisoner of Azkaban, Children Of Men, Skyfall), respectively.  The percussive and intensifying score is courtesy of British composer Steve Price (Attack The Block, The World’s End). 

You can obviously tell that I am a huge fan of GRAVITY.  If I had one gripe (besides some of the scientific inaccuracies evident in the movie; for a list that someone actually complied, please see them here), it has to be the way Clooney shuffles of his mortal coil.  In my opinion, he lets go way too easy. But then again, I’m sure that his Kowalski character isn’t from Jersey like I am!  No oxygen?  No problem.  You ever try to breathe the air in Jersey?  Fuhgeddaboudit…

All told, this should be the movie to beat at this year’s Academy Awards^® ceremony (with 10 nominations to boot).  Oh—and by the way: all of the production artisans listed in this review were nominated for an Oscar^®.  Whatever happens, GRAVITY still gets my vote as the best movie of 2013.

 

THE BOTTOM LINE

GRAVITY sucks you in for frame one and doesn’t let go until the end credits.  Impressive for a movie that contains only two actors (albeit mega A-listers) and plenty of open space (no pun intended).  Technological aspects are groundbreaking and will become a harbinger of great filmmaking VFX to come.  The best film of 2013…I’d say hand down—but you may need those hands to prevent you from floating away into the æther!

 

 

IMDB:                    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1454468/

Wikipedia:             http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravity_(film)

Official Site:          http://gravitymovie.warnerbros.com/#/home

Rush (2013)

MPAA/Content R [AC, AL, V]

Distributor Universal Pictures

Technical HD 2.40:1

Genres DRA SPO HIS

Runtime 122 mins.

Country USA UK

Budget $38M

 

CAST

Chris Hemsworth, Daniel Brühl, Olivia Wilde, Alexandra Maria Lara & Pierfrancesco Favino

 

CREDITS

Director: Ron Howard;  Screenwriter: Peter Morgan;  Producers: Andrew Eaton, Eric Fellner, Brian Oliver, Peter Morgan, Brian Grazer & Ron Howard;  Director Of Photography: Anthony Dod Mantle;  Production Designer: Mark Digby;  Editors: Dan Hanley & Mike Hill;  Costume Designer: Julian Day;  Music Composer: Hans Zimmer

 

THE SYNOPSIS

England, 1970.  A fierce rivalry is born between Formula Three racers James Hunt (Hemsworth) and Niki Lauda (Brühl) when the flamboyant English racer beats out the focused, calculating Austrian.  By the start of the 1976 Formula One season, the rivalry has reached epic proportions—on the course as well as off.

Hunt has married supermodel Suzy Miller (Wilde)—although divorce is now imminent, thanks to Hunt’s wandering eye and excesses—and her dalliances with actor Richard Burton.  Lauda, the 1975 Grand Champion, has married socialite Marlene Knaus (Lara)—and maintains stability in his professional life, winning races (like the Spanish Grand Prix) as well losing them to Hunt.

Near-tragedy occurs during the German Grand Prix when, during a torrential downpour of rain, a suspension arm in Lauda’s car breaks—causing a severe crash and burn.  Lauda is pulled out of the wreckage alive, but burned.  The only thing he focuses on his healing so that he may re-enter the races.  Hunt wins most of them—further enraging Lauda into competing in the Italian Grand Prix.  Both men fail to win that one.

Throughout the remaining races (16 in all)—and culminating in the Japanese Grand Prix—Lauda and Hunt form a grudging respect for one another.  Hunt has the balls and Lauda has the brains.  The rainy day in Japan proves that Hunt is a winner (top racer of 1976) and Lauda is wise enough to retire from racing—realizing that he already is a champion.

POSTSCRIPT: James Hunt—who retired in 1979 and became a race broadcaster—unexpectedly died of a heart attack in 1993.  It is said that Niki Lauda—who himself became a successful entrepreneur on the racecourse as well as outside of it—was saddened by Hunt’s death, as he considered the Englishman a real friend.

 

THE CRITIQUE

Following in the footsteps of great racecar movie of yore (e.g. 1966’s Grand Prix, 1969’s Winning, 1971’s Le Mans, 1990’s Days Of Thunder), RUSH breathes new life into the sports sub-genre by powering its way into a great finish thanks to top-notch talent in front of—and behind—the wheel and camera!

Based on true events and people—and using the exciting & tumultuous 1976 Formula One Season as its literary impetus (a time when sex was safe and racing was dangerous)—the movie was written by prolific British screenwriter Peter Morgan (The Last King Of Scotland, The Queen, Frost/Nixon)—who infuses RUSH with an intelligent structure and an equal sense of dichotomy (Hunt vs. Lauda… masters of their domain).  The exploits of these drivers were exciting enough in real life—and here is no exception, as Morgan’s story flows in naturalistic fashion toward its checkered flag denouement.  For more on the real story, check out this great article at the HISTORY VS. HOLLYWOOD website.

Directed with balls and visual acumen by the great Ron Howard (Oscar^®-winner for A Beautiful Mind; also helmed The Da Vinci Code, Apollo 13, Splash), the movie is a clinic in how to make a sports themed motion picture that kicks ass.  Growing up and watching Howard as he went from a decent actor (1973’s American Graffiti, TV’s Happy Days) to a budding director (the aforementioned films) of various genres has been a treat.  Speeding through Oliver Stone territory, Howard’s handling of RUSH further impresses on me that ol’ Ronnie can do anything.  It doesn’t hurt that he (and Morgan) consulted the real Niki Lauda on the finer points of the sport, the rivalry and the 1976 F1 season.  Hence, the naturalism of the movie’s flow of energy.  Which brings me to the next lap…acting.

The actors bring the right amount of charisma, knowledge, brains, balls and photogenics—all of which make this movie an easy watch.  Portraying the tall, blonde English racer/playboy James Hunt is the tall, blonde Australian hunk Chris Hemsworth—better known by his other signature role, Thor (“hunk” being the adjective that both my girlfriend & sister refer to him as, by the way).  As in the feted Marvel Universe, Hemsworth shines brightly as the late, flamboyant racer—although as I understand it, the real Hunt’s persona was even more amplified that Hemsworth portrays him as.  Still, it is a great role for a young actor who will continue to progress through roles in the future—hammer or no hammer!

On the flipside is talented German/Spaniard Daniel Brühl—embodying the intelligent, driven Niki Lauda, so much so that the real Lauda has publicly stated his appreciation in the portrayal.  If Hemsworth is the sexy, robust spirit of the RUSHverse, than Brühl is its brains and moral compass.  To make Lauda a cold, rather unlikable character who eventually earns not just Hunt’s respect—but ours as well, is saying something about Brühl’s performance.  Between this role and his other one in the solid The Fifth Estate, young Daniel is another developing talent to watch for.

In smaller, but pivotal roles are the women of RUSH—embodied by the lovely actress Olivia Wilde as the brief Mrs. Hunt, real-life model Suzy Miller—who divorced Hunt to marry the great Richard Burton (to be portrayed in cameo by Russell Crowe, but that never materialized) and Romanian-German actress Alexandra Maria Lara as the future Mrs. Lauda, socialite/model Marlene Knaus.  Both actresses bring needed estrogen to the testosterone party—with Lara coming off more sympathetic as Lauda’s “stand-by-my-man” paramour than the shallow, carnal relationship the Hunts may have had.  Still, I just like looking at Olivia Wilde—so it’s all good!

Production values for the modestly-budgeted $38 million movie (boxofficemojo.com) are top-shelf across the board.  It was shot in England and Germany—standing in for those venues, as well as Spain

Kudos are in order for veteran British cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle (Oscar^®-winner for Slumdog Millionaire; also lensed 28 Days Later, Dredd & Trance) for his superlative widescreen HD-lensing schema (using the ARRI Alexa Plus camera system)—mixing ‘70s-style photography (courtesy of trusty old Cooke lenses) with edgy, faded palettes for the various race sequences.  While I am impressed with the lensing schema, it does bother me that film was not used in this production—as it would have perfectly encapsulated the time period.  All told, however, 9 different camera systems were used for the production.  For a complete list, check out the IMDB Technical Specifications page here.

Also due for some kudos are Ron Howard’s long-time editing team of Daniel P. Hanley & Mike Hill (both Oscar^®-winners for Apollo 13; also cut Howard’s movies since 1982!)—whose kinetic cutting underscores the intensity of the F1 races while juxtapositioning smoother editing in non-race sequences.  The editing truly does amplify the racing in conjunction with the sound editing & mixing elements.  A nice job indeed.

Per the production notes, Production Designer Mark Digby (Slumdog Millionaire, The American, Dredd) worked with limited resources in creating the various racing tracks in the different nation venues.  Basically, he (and the production) had use of one or two tracks that were dressed accordingly.  Using classic photos and video/film footage of the actual races, Digby (and crew) were able to create individual venues that each had its own character.

The appropriate period costuming rings true—courtesy of designer Julian Day (Salmon Fishing In Yemen, Diana)—while veteran composer Hans Zimmer’s (Oscar^®-winner for The Lion King; also scored Howard’s The Da Vinci Code, Angels & Demons & Frost/Nixon) bombastic score pumps up the energy splayed on screen.

As aforementioned, RUSH is an exciting motion picture.  My words resonate for one reason: I am totally not a fan of car racing!  The event bores me—hey, here’s a thought: why not put land mines in the track to spice up things ala Death Race 2000 (1975)…but that’s just my twisted Jersey humor.  Seriously, the Formula races definitely possess a sexy, Continental factor that NASCAR cannot replicate—and this movie shows us why.

 

THE BOTTOM LINE

As far as racing movies go, RUSH ranks as one of the best.  Strong direction, terrific cinematography, kinetic editing, energetic race choreography and good acting elevates this sports movie way above the mundane.  The checkered flag comes down proudly on this winner!

 

IMDB:                    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1979320/

Wikipedia:             http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rush_(2013_film)

Official Site:          N/A

Riddick

MPAA/Content R [AC, AL, SV]

Distributor Universal Pictures

Technical HD 2.40:1

Genres SCI ADV THR

Runtime 119 mins.

Country USA

Budget $38M

 

CAST

Vin Diesel, Jordi Mollà, Matt Nable, Katee Sackhoff, Dave Bautista, Bokeem Woodbine, Raoul Trujillo, Nolan Gerard Funk, Conrad Pla, Noah Danby, Neil Napier, Danny Blanco Hall & Karl Urban

 

CREDITS

Director/Screenwriter: David Twohy; Producers: Vin Diesel & Ted Field; Director Of Photography: David Eggby; Production Designer: Joseph Nemec III; Editor: Tracy Adams; Costume Designer: Simonetta Mariano; Music Composer: Graeme Revell

 

THE SYNOPSIS

Years after becoming Lord Marshal of the Necromonger fleet, galactic convict Richard P. Riddick (Diesel) has grown restless and yearns to find his home planet of Furya.  Striking a deal with heir apparent Lord Vaako (Urban), Riddick travels with Vaako’s men—but is instead marooned on a hostile, deserted planet after killing his would-be assassins.

Nursing a fractured leg, Riddick wanders the hostile environ and settles into a savannah cave, where he encounters carnivorous jackals and slimy water creatures called “mud demons.”  He adopts a jackal pup and begins his healing & training curriculum…which includes the continuous injection into his body of the mud demons’ venom to build an immunity.

Sometime later, Riddick vanquishes a pool of mud demons and sets off into the desert, pet jackal in tow.  Seeing violent storm formations in the atmosphere and realizing that those mud demons (who require constant hydration) will be out in full deadly force, Riddick activates the emergency beacon in an empty mercenary station and awaits the mercs who will come to capture him.  Sure enough, two ships arrive a short time later.

Ship One carries a group of unkempt mercs led by the sadistic Santana (Mollà) and including the massive Diaz (Bautista), pious newbie Luna (Funk) and trigger-happy Nunez (Danby), Rubio (Napier) & Falco (Hall).  Ship Two carries professional warriors: leader Boss Johns (Nable), beautiful-but-lethal sniper Dahl (Sackhoff), bounty hunter/tracker Lockspur (Trujillo) and mechanic Moss (Woodbine).  Riddick makes it clear via a message that all he wants is a ship to leave in: no one needs to die.  Fat chance.

Santana wants Riddick’s head to claim the huge bounty while Johns has ulterior motives in capturing Riddick.  With a dangerous storm approaching, and mercs dropping like flies, everyone must band together to take on the multiplying mud demons outside—while tensions run high inside.  Riddick must fight battles on all sides if he is to survive—as well as discover Johns’ motives for tracking him down in the first place…

 

THE CRITIQUE

Owing more in style & budget to its terrific progenitor Pitch Black (2000) than its big-budgeted/spectacle-based sequel The Chronicles Of Riddick (2004), the latest RIDDICK outing goes back to the basics and delivers a muscular yarn with some panache and a good helping of ass-whoopin’!

Written & directed with familiarity by Riddick series veteran David Twohy (Pitch Black, The Chronicles Of Riddick, Below), the movie plays out like an alien Jeremiah Johnson (1972)-meets-Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None.  Yes, a weird combination for an action-based Vin Diesel vehicle—but follow along here.  There is some criticism by other reviewers (and movie-goers alike) that the first Act drags the movie down.  I disagree.

These First Act sequences are purposely measured and establishes Riddick’s survival skills as well as his intelligence and resilience quotients.  This is a testament to writer/director Twohy’s understanding of the character he created as well as Diesel’s mastery of the role.  Combine my theorem with the muscular action that follows and I posit that RIDDICK is well-structured and directed genre movie.

As aforementioned, Diesel carries the movie as the taciturn anti-hero Riddick.  While he’ll probably never win an Oscar^® for his acting style, the man does manage to convey various nuances in his stoic portrayal.  The rest of the cast acquits itself, with former rugby star Matt Nable’s turn as a military man with a paternal agenda and Spain’s Jorge Mollà as a despicable villain as the standouts.  Katie Sackhoff exudes testosterone in the token female role—but since she’s rather nice to look at—I have few complaints about the ass-kicking she doles out in regular intervals.

Production values for the mid-budgeted $38 million movie (boxofficemojo.com)—filmed on soundstages in Montreal, Canada —are top-shelf across the board.

Returning to the Riddickverse is veteran British cinematographer David Eggby (Pitch Black, Daylight, Dragonheart), whose textured, HD-widescreen lensing employs different lighting schemas throughout the movie.  The lensing of the interiors reminds me of late British cinematographer Derek Vanlint’s excellent widescreen-photography in Ridley Scott’s Alien (1979).  While I am not a fan of HD filmmaking for fiction features, I will tip my hat to any photography that is done with appropriate style (in this case, the ARRI^® Alexa system was utilized).  Kudos, Mr. Eggby…kudos.

Veteran cutter Tracy Adams (The Chronicles Of Riddick, Limitless, APerfect Getaway) also gets a nod for NOT hyper-editing the action-packed Acts II & III.  The economy of shots in Act I is a perfect antithesis for what follows.  Adding to the mise-en-scène is veteran production designer Joseph Nemec III (Terminator 2: Judgement Day, Patriot Games, APerfect Getaway)—who earns a shout-out for devising physical sets for the spaceships and the merc station.  He and the director employed real props and structures to convey the texture of the tale… and I for one am happy for the limited use of green screen technology.  Conversely, the realistic VFX are well-crafted and add—not take away—from the movie.

RIDDICK may not have been box-office burner—but it is a genre movie that has its fans (like me) and will possess a long shelf life on home video and TV.  It is Riddick’s anti-establishment disposition that will hit home with viewers who love a rebel.  He is a character as rebellious as Giles Corey in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible or Peter Fonda’s Captain America in Dennis Hopper’s Easy Rider (1969)—though big muscles, fiery eyes and a perfectly shaved head are more suited for extraterrestrial adventures than Puritanism and Free Love will ever be!

 

THE BOTTOM LINE

The third time’s a wicked charm as RIDDICK returns the namesake main character to its stripped-down origins in this muscular sci-fi/thriller variation of an Agatha Christie novel.  Terrific mise-en-scène, realistic VFX and Vin Diesel’s perfectly-shaved head make this one a winner.

 

IMDB:                    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1411250/

Wikipedia:             http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riddick_(film)

Official Site:          http://www.riddick-movie.com/

Closed Circuit

MPAA/Content R [AC, AL, V]

Distributor Focus Features

Technical 35mm 2.40:1

Genres CRI THR

Runtime 96 mins.

Country UK USA

Budget $30M

CAST

Eric Bana, Rebecca Hall, Ciårán Hinds, Riz Ahmed, Anne-Marie Duff, Kenneth Cranham, Denis Moschitto, Julia Stiles & Jim Broadbent

CREDITS

Director: John Crowley;  Screenwriter: Steve Knight;  Producers: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner & Chris Clark;  Director Of Photography: Adriano Goldman;  Production Designer: Jim Clay; Editor: Lucia Zucchetti; Costume Designer: Natalie Ward; Music Composer: Joby Talbot

THE SYNOPSIS

London.  A terrorist bomb detonates in a crowded outdoor market, killing many people.  MI5 (the UK‘s version of the CIA) nabs suspected terrorist ringleader Farroukh Erdogan (Moschitto) as his co-conspirators are killed while attempting to flee.

Britain’s Attorney General (Broadbent) will use classified evidence to prosecute Erdogan…so classified, that the neither the defendant nor his lawyers will be able to see it.  Thus, a Special Advocate is appointed—defense lawyer Claudia Simmons-Howe (Hall)—to oversee the defense proceedings during the closed session.

The open session was to have been defended by another lawyer—who dies suddenly the day before Erdogan’s case is to be tried.  The Attorney General brings in the brilliant, driven Martin Rose (Bana)—a former lover of Claudia’s and a tenacious competitor to boot.  The two lawyers make a secret pact to work together in bringing the truth to light.

Even with the help of Martin’s amiable colleague Devlin (Hinds)—things become rather cloak & dagger very quickly as they discover that Erdogan may have been working for MI5—a fact not denied by sinister National Security Agent Nazrul Sharma (Ahmed)—who is not above harassing Erdogan’s family nor the defense lawyers themselves.  To prove a point, American journalist Joanna Reece (Stiles)—who has been collaborating with Martin—is found dead via mysterious circumstances.  Oh, the intrigue!

Erdogan’s son is bought in to testify during closed session and he too becomes a target…as those sinister forces try to stifle the whole affair—now stepping up to the attempted assassination of Claudia herself.  Getting Erdogan’s son to safety Martin, Martin and Claudia realize that no one can be trusted with the truth…

THE CRITIQUE

Terrorism.  Political intrigue.  Governments who cannot be trusted.  Idiosyncratic criminal justice systems.  Attractive British lawyers.  Most of these facets presented in the mediocre CLOSED CIRCUIT are as timely as they are hot-button in our post 9/11 world.  Too bad a broad screenplay and brief 96-minute running time give this one short drift.

What happened?  The movie was written by prolific British scribe Steven Knight (Eastern Promises, Dirty Pretty Things, Redemption)—who, with this screenplay, (and to which I paraphrase per the production notes), tried to bring to light the problems with the current British judicial system.  Good idea—but outside of the United Kingdom…who really cares?

Wait, let me retract that last statement—as the British are responsible for a grand litany of important items: a popular language, the Magna Carta, the concept of Common Law, William Shakespeare, Sir Winston Churchill, Hammer Films, 007, The Beatles, Benny Hill, Monty Python and Kate Beckinsale…so thanks, mates!  Especially for Kate.

But to be fair, Knight crafts a timely script and posits scenarios reminiscent of the superior All The President’s Men (1976) and the inferior State Of Play (Kevin MacDonald’s 2009 movie remade from David Yates’ 2003 British TV mini-series).  However, what appears on screen is a very broad story arc containing partial characterizations (performed by good actors, natch) and a brief runtime that actually left me wanting more movie.  Go figure…

Helmed with arid competency by Irish director John Crowley (Intermission, Boy A, Is Anybody There)—himself a theater guy—CLOSED CIRCUIT has the bones of a theatrical production, based on the blocking of both the camera and the actors within the frame.  Droll, stately, elegant, zzzzzz…

I wanted more kinesis from director Crowley—but at least he is abetted by both his veteran British cutter Lucia Zucchetti (Intermission, Boy A, The Queen)…bringing some kinesis to the proceedings via a taut editing schema that combines 35mm film sequences with surveillance video footage; and solid industrial/sterile widescreen-lensing by ace Brazilian cinematographer Adriano Goldman (City Of Men, Jane Eyre, The Company You Keep, August: Osage County).

The all-star cast is perfectly competent within the anemic screenplay structure though American actress Julia Stiles is quite underutilized.  Besides the intense Bana (terrific in the superior Spielberg-helmed Munich), earnest work by the intelligent and attractive Hall, supporting cameos by the talented but underutilized Hinds & Broadbent—the standout here is British-Pakistani hip-hop artist-via-Oxford graduate Riz Ahmed…bringing real menace to his sinister role as an MI5 operative.  This kid has a future on-camera.

Production values for this $30 million (boxoffice.com) UK-USA production are pro across the board.  In the end, however, I wish this movie had more to offer than just technical largesse.  At least I’m still grateful for Kate Beckinsale.

THE BOTTOM LINE

A paranoid thriller for the new Millennium, CLOSED CIRCUIT posits timely questions and scenarios yet leaves us rather indifferent about their outcomes.  A good cast, solid technical facets and the lure of political intrigue saves this one from being a complete dud—but this road has been travelled before by better films and filmmakers.

 

 

IMDB:                 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2218003/

Wikipedia:          http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Closed_Circuit_(2013_film)

Official Site:       http://www.focusfeatures.com/closed_circuit

Elysium

MPAA/Content R [AC, AL, SV]

Distributor TriStar Pictures

Technical HD 2.40:1

Genre(s) SCI THR

Runtime 109 mins.

Country USA

Budget $115M

 

CAST

Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley, Alice Braga, Diego Luna, Wagner Moura, William Fichtner, Emma Tremblay & Faran Tahir

 

CREDITS

Director/Screenwriter: Neill Blomkamp;  Producers: Bill Block, Neill Blomkamp & Simon Kinberg;  Director Of Photography: Trent Opaloch;  Production Designer: Philip Ivey;  Editors: Julian Clarke & Lee Smith;  Costume Designer: April Ferry;  Music Composer: Ryan Amon

 

THE SYNOPSIS

In the year 2154, the planet Earth has become a crime-ridden, overpopulated wasteland.  The prevalent class are the 99%-ers who toil in factories or commit crimes to survive.  Hundreds of miles above lies Elysium—a space station paradise that caters to the other class: those very wealthy (and completely oblivious) 1%-ers who enjoy their privileges in style, pomp and comfort.

Elysium enjoys this life of Reilly thanks to the elegantly-austere Defense Secretary Delacourt (Foster)—a cold, efficient politician who’ll think nothing of having immigrant Earth shuttles shot down before they can crash-land on her domain.  On Earth is her diametric opposite, a worker bee named Max (Damon)—who’s always looked to the skies above and dreamed of one day living on Elysium.

One fateful day, Max is irradiated while on the job and given only days to live by his superiors.  Risking everything…even a relationship with his former childhood sweetheart Frey (Braga), he and his criminal buddy Julio (Luna) visit the local warlord Spider (Moura), another former associate—who hatches a plan to get Max to Elysium—as well as devise a way to crack its code so that everyone can go to the celestial paradise and get in on the good life.

Retrofitting the dying Max with a bionic exoskeleton that invigorates him, the small band of rebels kidnap the cruel CEO of Max’s former company, John Carlyle (Fichtner) to force Delacourt to play ball—with deadly consequences (the two were in cahoots).  She lets loose her cyborg henchman Kruger (Copley)—who lays waste to most of the rebels, including Julio.

Miraculously, Max makes it Elysium—only to discover that the calculating Kruger and his mercenaries have kidnapped Frey and her ailing young daughter Matilda (Tremblay) and brought them there as bait.  A violent battle of wits commences as double-crosses and sacrifices are made on Elysium as Max meets his destiny.

 

THE CRITIQUE

Deriving its name from the Ancient Greek term for paradise or heaven, ELYSIUM is the sophomore directorial effort of rising South African filmmaker Neill Blomkamp—who made a splash with his Hollywood feature debut District 9 (2009)—also starring Sharlto Copley (his long-time friend & collaborator).

It is a science fiction film drenched in real-life current affairs and makes no secret of it, thanks to writer/director Blomkamp —who infuses grim futurism with modern social issues ala Fritz Lang’s Metropolis (1927) and Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner (1982)…albeit with a more subtler approach than the Socialistic slant of the Expressionistic masterpiece and decidedly less Depression/Bauhaus-style gloss of the cyberpunk forbearer.  The screenplay brings up many unanswered questions –which are addressed in an excellent article written by those folks over at Film School Rejects.  Check it out.

Blomkamp brings visual flair to the proceedings and directs a game cast with the proper modicum of respect for their talents.  Star Matt Damon (Oscar^®-winning co-screenwriter of Good Will Hunting [1997]) brings to his role as the put-upon everyman a blue-collar sensibility and moral compass—which is par for the course in terms of Damon’s career trajectory of late.  Shaving his head and pumping up his body—however—this is a far cry from the usual roles, too.  Rumor has it that Blomkamp originally offered the starring role to Marshall “Eminem” Mathers—that’s right, Slim Shady himself!  He turned it down because the filmmakers would not shoot in his hometown of Detroit—which, by the way, already looks like the grim future of 2154.  Go figure…

Supporting cast holds up well—with Brazilian actor Wagner Moura’s anti-hero warlord revealing empathetic goals to good effect.  Fellow Brazilian Alice Braga (daughter of famed actress Sonia Braga) brings necessary pathos to an underwritten part while great character actor William Fichtner (always a joy to hiss at) is robbed of a bigger (and meatier) role in the plot.  His smarmy CEO gets a comeuppance that most people (in a post-Enron world) would probably like to see happen in real life!  I’m just sayin’…

Surprisingly, the always-reliable Jodie Foster (Oscar^®-winner for The Accused [1988] & Silence of The Lambs [1990]) has a rather two-dimensional part as one of the antagonists.  Her icy politician has the right motivations (as cruel & elitist as they are)—but lacks the depth of character true villains like Star Wars’ Darth Vader (portrayed by David Prowse & voiced by James Earl Jones), Star Trek’s Khan Noonien Singh (the late, great Ricardo Montalban) or SS Lt. Amon Goethe (Ralph Fiennes) in Schindler’s List [1993] all possess.  A damned shame…

On the other hand—and playing a character diametrically opposite of his milquetoast Afrikaner bureaucrat in the oft-mentioned District 9—Copley lets loose in the Michael Ironside-esque role of the sociopathic super-soldier/ henchman Kruger.  Really, he does channel the scary Ironside in Paul Verhoeven’s dystopic Total Recall (1990).  My only problem with the character is the psychotic about-face this supposed professional assassin does in the film’s third act (ultimately an issue with the writing, not the acting).

Tech credits and VFX are top-shelf across the board for this $115 million production.

Kudos to District 9 cinematographer Trent Opaloch for creating an appropriately-monochromatic, HD-widescreen palette of Earth’s grim future.  While I am not enamored with the use of HD cinematography (call me a celluloid junkie), in this case—it is prudent.  It’s photographic antithesis for the sequences on Elysium itself works as well as the HD process intensifies the sterile environment to great effect.  By the way: the filmmakers used the prolific RED Camera system that I have become an HD fan of in recent times.

Kudos also to District 9 production designer Phillip Ivey for creating the opposite-spectrum worlds of Los Angeles (shot on location in Mexico City) and Elysium (shot in a Vancouver studio).  Rooted in the mise-en-scène is an uncomfortable, Third World geo/socio/political landscape combined with Elysium’s sterile, Apple Store visual schema—the latter courtesy of famed futurist Syd Mead (Blade Runner, Tron, Aliens)—who, per ELYSIUM’s production notes—was brought in during pre-production to help visualize the celestial station.  My guess is that he went into Apple’s retail store and picked up an iPad or something and became inspired…or something!

Sharp cutting by veteran editors Julian Clarke (District 9, The Thing [2011], The Whistleblower) & Lee Smith (The Dark Knight, Inception, X-Men: First Class), cyberpunk costuming by veteran designer April Ferry (Donnie Darko, Maverick, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines) and top-notch VFX provided by Peter Jackson’s WETA Digital all elevate Elysium to a better level—regardless of its writing issues.

 

THE BOTTOM LINE

ELYSIUM is a noble attempt at extrapolating the grim future of the world’s 99%-ers.  While obvious plot holes and weak story structure numb the message down, it is not a total loss.  Awesome technical facets, solid direction, lead Matt Damon’s earnest performance and cool VFX make this one a good attempt.  It may not be the heaven of yore, but at least ELYSIUM earns its trip to the very front of those pearly gates.

 

IMDB:               http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1535108/

Wikipedia:       http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elysium_(film)

Official Site:     http://www.elysium2013-movie.com/