The Courier
reviewsfilm.25
Monday 3 November 2014
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“I fart in your general direction. Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries” - Monty Python & The Holy Grail (1975)
Fury (15)
The good, the bad and the ugly: Stellan 6NDUVJDUG
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he sheer brutality of war can never be underestimated. It’s us versus them. Metal on metal. Will it be your life, or mine? The best thing about David Ayer’s tank thriller is its terrifying ability to firmly plant you in the character’s muddy shoes. What would you do if Brad Pitt’s imperious ‘Wardaddy’ was screaming for you to shoot a German prisoner? How would you, as Logan Lerman’s rookie tank-driver, cope with wiping your predecessor’s splattered remains off of your new home? It’s these kind of incomprehensible decisions that make war films a frightening genre, and Fury’s sheer humane brutality makes for a harrowing watch. Soldiers don’t create wars; yet they must fight to an end and then keep on fighting. The desperate reality of war is mercilessly thrown your way as director David Ayer, a former Navy sailor, mercilessly drags burning bodies, crushed corpses, and crumpled towns into the lives of five U.S. tank operators. These are the closing moments of the European theatre of war - the bedraggled crew have quite literally been through the mire; their assistant gunner’s remains adorn the walls of their tank and newcomer Norman (Lerman) must adapt to life on the front. The developing relationship between Norm and Staff Sgt. Don ‘Wardaddy’ Collier is central to Fury’s humanistic journey through the trials
of war. The camaraderie and conflict between the five main characters is one of Fury’s highlights; they fight, laugh, shoot and reload in a painfully human struggle portrayed with effortless vivacity by Pitt, Lerman and a supporting cast that includes a powerfully down-to-earth Jon Bernthal. It’s impossible not to adore Pitt as a patriarchal, dominant maniac that refuses to let his men give anything less than necessary. In true Aldo Raine style, ‘Wardaddy’ is a furious SS-hating commander that leads his crew to scorched earth and back a thousand times over - there are no easy ways out in war. Whilst Fury may give a vivid lesson in the depth of human emotion, it fails to reach the grippingly grounded levels a la Saving Private Ryan. The in-
sane and excessive action provides a glorious spectacle that regrettably has too many ‘I’ll just stand here leisurely with my bazooka until I get shot’ moments. Fury features a nation on the edge of defeat: rockets, bullets, and human limbs seem to fly out from all angles with a miserable level of success that is epitomised by a ridiculously blockbuster climax leaving Fury a few doses of realism away from being a great film. A tank-load of guns, rockets, and exploding humans mixes with a harrowing yet preposterous depiction of war, death, and painful glory. Not one for those looking for an enchanting first date. More like this: A Bridge Too Far (1977) David Naylor
The Judge (15)
The Boxtrolls (PG)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (12A)
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he newest children’s franchise for Michael Bay to have gotten his hands on is none other than TMNT. But, as usual, the film ha nothing in common with the original series. The story follows April O’Neal (Megan Fox), a journalism graduate and an aspiring investigative reporter who tries to look into the mysterious Foot Clan – a clear excuse for the protagonist to do the most senseless things, such as following criminals without a camera or getting herself into trouble. For the first fifteen minutes of the film there is no sign of any turtle. By this time, the audience gets the impression that this film is partly about Megan Fox trying to prove that she can act. Also the audience might notice the plot is full of conveniences: April being the daughter of a long-deceased scientist who had been experimenting on (surprise!) turtles and a rat. Even more handily, as a future journalist, little April shot a lot of films in her dad’s laboratory meaning that years later she can quickly unravel the story of the city’s “secret vigilantes”. The first half of the film is boring. The second mostly contains fast-moving action that somehow manages to be more dull and mind-numbing than the first half. The film has way too many funny jokes and puns that, quite simply, fall flat. There are a couple of serious, more moralizing lines with a ‘meaningful message’ that seems both forced and out of place. To top it off, Bay’s versions of the Turtles and Splinter are simply creepy. TMNT’s only redeeming quality is that it’s quite well made. If you stop following the plot and stop caring about the actors it’s all right to watch, but it does fail miserably at measuring up to the old franchise. If you’re a fan of animated Teenage Ninja Mutant Turtles, I’d advise you don’t watch it. Don’t expect anything more than the most mindless and unimpressive form of entertainment. More like this: Transformers (2007) Anna Jastrzembska
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or those who are fans of Iron Man, here’s another chance to watch your favourite actor, this time as the lawyer, Hank Palmer. Robert Downey Jr. once again plays the role of the genius as Hank Palmer; a man talented at nearly everything with an eccentric personality that resembles Sherlock Holmes. Whilst I do not doubt that Downey is a man of talent (who would doubt a man paid £25–40m per movie?) the clever, narcissistic, hot-tempered Holmes-esque role is becoming something of a bore. Aside from Downey, it is worth paying attention to Robert Duvall, famous for his portrayal of Tom Hagen in The Godfather. Despite his advancing years, age has done nothing to detract from his acting talents – he’s still on good form. The story follows the ambitious lawyer returning to his hometown on account of the loss of his mother and has to remain when he discovers his father, a respected and experienced judge, has been charged with murder. Harsh, proud and stubborn, his father becomes Hank’s most difficult and uncontrollable client. The Judge might be clichéd as a courtroom drama but it still raises powerful, eternal subjects like father-son relationships. Director David Dobkin creates a the heart-rending story about family values, with the message that it’s never too late to reunite with those who love you or to change for the sake of your family. In his interview Downey said that The Judge is “a 21stcentury version of classic film-making”. This film might be interesting to an older audience, for those who love courtroom dramas and of course, Downey fans. Unfortunately I am not any of these things and, as a result, two and half hours was just too long.
More like this: Big Fish (2003) Valentina Egorova
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tellan Skarsgard: the father of the beautiful Scandinavian giant Alexander Skarsgard (for those of you who don’t recognise the name, he’s Eric from True Blood). Perhaps a somewhat lesser known name, Skarsgard boasts acting credits in both independent films such as those by Lars Von Trier as well as blockbusters like The Avengers.
The good I was apprehensive before I watched Lars Von Trier’s controversial double-volume Nymphomaniac, but the risk paid off. The film follows the life of Joe (Charlotte Gainsbourg) and her sex addiction, or as she prefers to phrase it, nymphomania. Cleverly arranged into a metanarrative as Joe relates her experiences to Seligman (Skarsgard), an apparently reclusive intellectual who comes across Joe battered and bruised in an alleyway. He constantly finds parallels between Joe’s experiences and increasingly miscellaneous subjects, such as musical compositions, fly fishing and numerous seemingly unrelated topics. Granted, it sounds like a bit of an odd concept for a film and I expected it to be packed full of graphic sex scenes, which I suppose it is. Despite this the narrative takes precedence over these and provides a powerful representation of someone living her life outside society’s expectations. If you’re looking for something a bit outthere, this is without a doubt one of Skarsgard’s finest performances.
The bad
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or the young at heart, Boxtrolls is a refreshing alternative to flawless Disney-esque animation, if you can watch stop-motion films without getting nightmares about Coraline. Having also produced the likes of Corpse Bride and Paranorman, Laika Entertainment’s Boxtrolls takes an uncanny spin on beloved children’s novel Here Be Monsters!. The film follows the story of Eggs (Isaac Hampstead), a boy ‘stolen’ from his father and raised by a group of adorable box-clad trolls living under the town of Cheesebridge. A fantastical montage of bug eating, music playing and junk stealing, shows that Eggs’ life seems like every young boy’s dream. However, growing up underground isn’t all fun and games, and the evil Archibald Snatcher (Ben Kingsley) is quickly recruited to rid the city of the boxtrolls and their numbers begin to dwindle. When Eggs’ parental figure Fish is captured, he teams up with Winnie (Maleficent’s Elle Fanning) to solve the mystery of the missing boxtrolls and to overthrow Snatcher’s plot. Boxtrolls, like many children’s films, takes place in a world where the ignorance of adults is celebrated by all but the protagonists, which unfortunately does begin to wear a bit thin. Whilst having a prestigious member of society fall for a cross-dressing villain can often be nothing short of hilarious; its inclusion Boxtrolls is almost as unnecessary The film tries its best to gain the amusement of the audience in the most farcical way possible whilst attempting to slap on a ‘moral of the story’ at the end like a bad shade of lipstick. However those who enjoy that kind of humour and don’t mind the flaws will enjoy every minute. For anyone else the incredible animation is a huge redeeming factor. If you’re looking for original animation but not an engaging plot with three dimensional characters, this is probably the film for you. More like this: ParaNorman (2012) Lois Hall
I’m not quite sure what possessed Skarsgard to take part in the sequel to the equally dire – if not worse – The Da Vinci Code. Given this assertion, Skarsgard isn’t particularly bad in this film - it’s just not good. Having read the books I may be somewhat biased, but Ron Howard’s film version just doesn’t quite hook you in from the beginning like the novel. Book aside though, it’s slow, flawed and full of plot holes and entirely unfeasible situations. Overall it’s average at best.
The ugly It was tough to decide whether Nymphomaniac or The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo was the ugliest, but I think that in terms of character, David Fincher’s adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s bestselling novel edged it. Rooney Mara’s portrayal of the goth detective (grittier than the Noel Fielding/Russell Brand type) Lisbeth Salander elevates this film from typical psychological thriller to provocative masterpiece. Skarsgard plays Martin Vanger, the mysterious brother of the missing Harriet, undoubtedly delivering the finest performance of the supporting cast. Rhian Hunter