Film
ISSUE 08/ 12th NOVEMBER 2012 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
15
Preview
End Of Watch
A Year In Film: 1939
Director: David Ayer • Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Pena, Anna Kendrick To define End Of Watch as a stereotypical cop blockbuster with a famous actor in the lead role would be doing the film an injustice. I admit, Jake Gyllenhaal’s name (and face) instantly grabbed my attention. His previous critically acclaimed roles have marked him as an incredibly successful film actor, bringing to the media’s attention the indie thriller Donnie Darko and the challengingly controversial Brokeback Mountain. Costarring Michael Peña and America Ferrera, the End Of Watch cast is full of recognisable faces (Anna Kendrick also stars as Jake Gyllenhaal’s girlfriend – lucky thing!) yet the diverse mix of unknown actors interweaved throughout allows us to appreciate the film as a believable story instead of a distracting who’s-who-andhow-do-I-know-them. Shot by handheld camera work, the audience is sure to be blasted by an immediate sense of intimacy, involving us in the relaxed and comical banter of Gyllenhaal and Peña’s police partnership and consequently the danger they become involved in. Taylor (Gyllenhaal) and Zavala (Peña) are typical cop-buddies, patrolling the streets as a darkly comic duo on the south central
Los Angeles police force. They have a seemingly easy job, enjoying the recognition and perks with little hard work, yet are very likeable characters. The relaxed atmosphere does not last however, as the two policemen are soon threatened and targeted by a dangerous Mexican gang. Subsequently high-octane shoot outs, swinging camera action and night vision create a severe contrast to the blissful personal lives they lead in the meantime. Rotten Tomatoes have awarded End Of Watch 86%. Clearly this cop saga is successful at differentiating itself from the usual buddy cop genre, or the good cop/bad cop motif. In many opinions
the use of handheld cameras is somewhat clichéd especially after Cloverfield, but don’t let this put you off. It can be the perfect technique to create the sudden visceral changes in tempo that End of Watch claims to be full of, highlighting the vast contrasts between ordinary car patrols, smooth arrests and tense night-time searches. End Of Watch is an intriguing mix of the stereotypical genre. I am certainly fascinated to see whether the gamble is as successful as the reviews say. End of Watch will be released on 23rd November 2012.
Ally Mitchell
1939 represents one of the studio system’s finest hours. Drawing near to the end of this Golden decade as the war in Europe was declared, 1939 saw the age of femaledomination in motion pictures on a scale never seen before. Dames now stood with a greater role on the screen as America’s sweetheart, Dorothy graced the yellow brick road in vivid Technicolor in The Wizard of Oz, leaving an imprint on popular culture with that song about a rainbow. You know the one. 1939 also saw the age of great adaptations, bringing novels to life with sharp screenplays. The year brought us some of the most romantic stories including The Hunchback of Notre Dame and British literary classic Wuthering Heights. In addition, the career of John Wayne was launched and John Ford did not disappoint, presenting us with his first feature with sound: Stagecoach. Amidst the epic setting of Monument Valley, Stagecoach took the ‘western’ to a new level. But 1939 didn’t just tailor for the Hollywood epic. The screen also connected more personally with tales about ordinary people. A more
sentimental tone was added to the screen with the releases of Mr. Smith goes to Washington, starring James Stewart, and the classic tearjerker Goodbye, Mr Chips. And, how could we forget Gone With The Wind? Not only did this civil war epic leave one of the most recognised quotes in film history, it took in more at the box office than any epics of the 1950’s such as Ben Hur (1959) or any of the Disney films. In fact, it sold more ticket receipts than any other movie in history. If there was a film that embodied everything 1939 had to offer,
from a great adaptation to female dominance, this is it, as it swept the board picking up eight Oscars including Best Picture. With film becoming a more dominant art form, it’s no wonder that 1939 proved one of the most popular years with audiences. From lions, tigers and bears to Miss Scarlett O’Hara. It is safe to say that 1939 has indeed left its mark on the silver screen and I have no doubt that it will do for a very long time. Faye Broadbent
The ‘Argo’-naut
Sophie James celebrates the many talents of writer, actor and director Ben Affleck as the ultimate comeback kid
Ben Affleck is a case of the child star made good. Starting his working life on PBS’ children’s series The Voyage of Mimi his career since has been filled with ups and downs but has seen him become one of the few to conquer within the three main disciplines of film-making: screenplay, acting and directing. Having acted in various TV shows, as well as directing his first short, the curiously named I Killed My Lesbian Wife, Hung Her on a Meat Hook, and Now I Have a Three-Picture Deal at Disney (1993), it wasn’t until 1997 that Affleck
LISTINGS
was plunged into the critical spotlight with his stunning screenplay debut: Good Will Hunting. Not only did this receive great critical acclaim and public attention, but also consolidated his life long friendship with Matt Damon (his 10th cousin once removed, if you’re to believe everything Wikipedia tells you!). The screenplay was amazing and the few scenes featuring Affleck were said to be the best of the film – Ben Affleck was becoming a household name in Hollywood. As an actor he’s done some good things – Shakespeare In Love, Daredevil and the cultclassic Dazed and Confused to name a few – but he’s also had disasters, plumbing the depths with Pearl Harbor. Despite being a box office hit, the critics were famously unimpressed, banishing Affleck into acting oblivion. How was he to come back after that? Very easily. It seems that such blunders only caused Affleck to regroup and regenerate – coming back as director and writer of Gone Baby Gone in 2007. An adaptation of the novel by Dennis Lehane, Gone Baby Gone may not have been a box office success, but won him much industry acclaim with the award for Best Directorial Debut from the National Board of Review. From then on the only way has been up for Affleck. The Town (2010), which not
only starred, but was written and directed by Affleck, was this time praised both by critics and box office. Grossing $150 million worldwide, The Town was nominated for nearly every film award under the sun. But with all of these achievements, the best and most appealing thing that Ben Affleck has proved is that, he’s only human. No matter what your opinion is, there haven’t been many who have been able to successfully venture into, and maintain, a career in acting, directing and screen-writing simultaneously, so a few mistakes can be forgiven. To keep going even after having been frequently named “the worst actor ever” and having endured a relationship with, and then a highly-publicized break up from, Jennifer Lopez, shows some skill! With his most recent film Argo (out on November 7th 2012) already receiving rave reviews and being tipped for multiple Oscar nominations, could it be that in the future Ben Affleck’s name will be said in the same breath as Quentin Tarantino or Woody Allen as a multi-talented actor-director-screenwriter? Who knows, but it certainly looks like Affleck is doing all he can to beat back the critics and prove us all wrong time and time again. Sophie James
The Master Come the end of this autumn, one film will scream out to be revisited during the long winter evenings – Paul Thomas Anderson’s, The Master. Having been exclusively screened at London’s West End Odeon in 70mm projection before its national release (16th November), the anticipation is mounting with a Cornerhouse experience sure to quench every film-lover’s thirst. Anderson (There will be Blood, Boogie Nights) rallies together an allstar cast, collaborating with the likes of Phillip Seymour Hoffman (Moneyball) - for the third occasion, Joaquin Phoenix (Walk the Line) and Amy Adams (The Fighter). The Master tells a compelling story that will stimulate your every sense and have you covered in goose bumps. Captured masterfully by Anderson, the narrative hones in on troubled Naval veteran Freddie Quell (Phoenix) as he struggles to reach any level of normality upon his arrival back home from service in WW2. Drifting through life and suffering a series of post-traumaticstress driven breakdowns, Quell crosses paths with charismatic intellect Lancaster Dodd (Hoffman), forming a bond that ignites the film into life. Having already swooped to win three awards at the Venice and Hollywood Film Awards, this unique vision is sure to attract further praise and adulation in the coming months. Anderson excels after five years out of the limelight and provides the platform that allows Phoenix and Hoffman to deliver their best performances to date. A masterpiece is born. Sam Parr
SKYFALL (12A)
PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (15)
THE SAPPHIRES (PG) DIRECTOR: WAYNE BLAIR
DIRECTOR: SAM MENDES
DIRECTOR: HENRY JOOST
STARRING: CHRIS O’DOWD, DEBORAH MAILMAN
STARRING: DANIEL CRAIG, JAVIER BARDEM, JUDI DENCH
RUNNING TIME: 103 MIN
RUNNING TIME: 142 MIN
SHOWING: 12:15 15:00 17:50 20:40
SHOWING: 17:15 17:30 18:00 18:15 18:30 19:00 19:15 19:30 20:00 21:00 21:30 21:45 22:00
ARGO (15)
MADAGASCAR 3 (PG)
DIRECTOR: BEN AFFLECK
DIRECTOR: ERIC DARNELL
STARRING: BEN AFFLECK, BRYAN CRANSTON
STARRING: BEN STILLER, CHRIS ROCK, DAVID SCHWIMMER
RUNNING TIME: 120 MIN
RUNNING TIME: 93 MIN
STARRING: KATIE FEATHERSTON, KATHRYN NEWTON
SHOWING: 12:45 15:35 18:20 21:15
SHOWING: 12:20 14:50 17:20
RUNNING TIME: 88 MIN SHOWING: 13:50 16:10 18:30 20:45