film reviews
Stalingrad
Taking place in the Russian town of the same name, Stalingrad brings us right back to what is considered to be a major turning point of the Second World War. Director Fedor Bondarchuk presents to us a battle of epic proportions while telling us of the dramatic lives of five Russian soldiers and their female friend. As a film concerning war, Stalingrad opens with strong scenes of violence and we are immediately immersed in the brutality of this historic battle. Bondarchuk, with the assistance of 3D and other visual effects, modernises this story from 71 years ago, and perhaps even overdoes it. The first few minutes of the film are heavy with unnecessary special effects, reducing the familiar zooming bullet to an unrecognisably slow speed while a frustrating amount of fire threatens to burn the viewers. The high number of special effects is almost a perversion on this historical event and subsequently lessens the legitimacy of the film. The soundtrack is rather beautiful, but there is barely a moment without music, leaving no room for the audience to decide their take on the emotions and atmosphere of the situation. As the story progresses, the film takes a swift turn and is no longer a film concerning only war; it now becomes a film of true internal purpose. An attempt is made to develop the character profiles, but Bondarchuk fails to do so with any sort of conviction and thus evokes a feeling of general dissatisfaction.
The audience are, however, given a glimpse into the past lives of each of our five fighters, namely Captain Gromov (Fyodorov), and their young associate, Katya (Smolnikova) who at 18-years-old has lost everyone she cared about. Katya proves to be the main character in this drama as she elicits feelings of love in all forms from the men and, in turn, gives them a newfound sense of congeniality where they were once merely bickering brothers in arms. Alongside the accounts of both the present and past of our six Russian heroes, Bondarchuk introduces us to Nazi colonel Captain Kahn (Kretschmann). The psychology of Kahn proves to be one of the more interesting aspects of the entire movie, as he falls for Russian beauty, Masha (Studilina), risking both his reputation as an officer and his own devotion to his country and leader. Stalingrad reaches its climax in a sensually consuming manner and it becomes clear that there is a great deal more at stake than the clear cut definitions of victory and defeat.
Director Fedor Bondarchuk Starring Pyotr Fyodorov, Maria Smolnikova, Thomas Kretschmann, Yana Studilina Release Date February 21th
In a nutshell An ironically slow start to a film of speed and action, Stalingrad tells the story of the epic battle and the tales of hardship, honour and friendship that defined its participants. Anna McGlynn White
robocop
Director José Padilha Starring Joel Kinnaman, Abbie Cornish, Samuel L. Jackson, Gary Oldman, Michael K. Williams Release Date February 7th
10
It’s extremely difficult to watch RoboCop, the latest classic action film to get the remake treatment, without having preconceived notions of what it should and shouldn’t be, given how beloved and ingrained the seemingly intrinsic qualities of the original are. Generally speaking, a good remake needs to carve out its own identity by making the right changes so as to justify its existence while at the same time retaining the essential aspects that made the predecessor a success in the first place. RoboCop doesn’t succeed in either criteria. Yes, it has a half man half robot enforcer of the law seeking revenge and yes, there’s a morally grey mega corporation pulling the strings. Even the faux news broadcast segments are present. Despite an effort to explore the existential and cultural issues such subject matter naturally brings with it, and in a more direct and less nuanced manner, it’s still a very restrained and toned down affair, lacking in bite. It’s all a little hollow, resulting in a film that seems to have been made on autopilot. It certainly isn’t a trainwreck by any means. Attempts at satire are grounded in appropriately updated dressings, with America’s millennial occupation in the Middle East and unmanned warfare used as clever ways to give narrative impetus. Samuel L. Jackson sufficiently chews his Fox News inspired infographic surrounding in scenes that serve to provide the film’s humour and
commentary on modern living. On the whole though, they ring somewhat false, and are never quite as effective as their counterparts in Verhoven’s version. Joel Kinnaman, best known as the shining beacon of excellence in AMC’s otherwise woefully uneven The Killing, is a good match for the role, bringing to it his own style, with a subtle swagger and the potential for a depth of emotionality. It’s a shame then that Kinnaman and the rest of the generally solid cast don’t have more to work with. While the film does attempt to mix things up with a different implementation of Alex Murphy’s identity and family, it’s simply too generic in idea and execution to work well. Ultimately, RoboCop doesn’t strive for enough newness, which would be fine were it not for the fact that what it does aim for has been done so much better already. Its rethreads are derivative, dull, and forgettable; in stark contrast to the 1987 original. Consequently, it finds itself in something of a no man’s land, unable to make a satisfactory argument for its existence beyond reasons superficial. In a nutshell Competently average and lacking in soul, a remake of questionable necessity. Niall Gosker