Reviews
Hunger
- Details
- Written by Matthew Toomey
| Directed by: | Steve McQueen |
| Written by: | Steve McQueen |
| Starring: | Michael Fassbender, Stuart Graham, Liam Cunningham, Brian Milligan, Liam McMahon |
| Released: | November 6, 2008 |
| Grade: | A |
I first saw Hunger at the Brisbane International Film Festival back in August and I’m very glad to see it getting a cinematic release across Australia. Put simply – it blew me away. It is one of the few films I’ve seen this year that left a real emotional impact.
The story is based around actual events. In 1981, Bobby Sands was an inmate at the Maze Prison in Northern Ireland. He was a member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) and several years earlier, he had been convicted of possessing firearms and sentenced to 14 years in jail. He wasn’t alone inside the prison’s walls. It was home to a large number of other “republican prisoners” who had been found guilty of various offences.
Those in the Maze Prison felt that they should be treated as political prisoners. They had been had been fighting for independence against the British rule of Northern Ireland. If they were granted such status, would not have to engage in prison work, would be provided additional servings of food and would be allowed additional visits from family. They were previously granted this political status in 1972 by the British Government but it was withdrawn in 1976.
Bobby Sands was a highly regarded member of the IRA and in March 1981, he commenced a hunger strike to help publicise their demands and the deteriorating conditions with the prison. More than 20 of his fellow inmates would do the same and the event garnered media attention around the world. Would the British Government, led by Margaret Thatcher, bow to their demands?
There are essentially three parts to this film. In the first, we see the prison through the eyes of one of the guards, Ray Lohan (Graham). It’s a very strong opening because of the fact that there is virtually no dialogue. Director Steve McQueen did this as he wanted the audience “to know what it felt like to be in the Maze at that time – to capture what is not written about in history books”. We do this not by listening to the characters but by watching them go about their daily routines. It’s a very effective introduction by McQueen and it will create an eerily quiet atmosphere if you see it in a packed movie theatre.
In the second part of the movie, Bobby Sands (Fassbender) shares a conversation in the visitor’s room of the prison with a priest by the name of Dominic Moran (Cunningham). They debate the merits of the hunger strike and the plight of the prisoners. This is the most powerful scene in the film. The conversation lasts for 22 minutes and of this, 17 minutes was shot in a single take (without editing). These two protagonists try to make the other understand their point of review. It’s riveting.
The final sequence follows the hunger strike itself. The actual shooting of the movie was halted for several months so that actor Michael Fassbender could lose the necessary weight. I’ll say it’s a brave performance but he looks sickly thin in the later stages. He lost 14 kilograms in total and his lowest weight was a mere 58kgs. It’s tough to watch at times but I think that’s the point the filmmakers are trying to emphasise.
It’s hard to believe this is the feature film debut of English-born director Steve McQueen. It won the prestigious Camera D’or prize at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival for best first feature. It may relate to a period of history but the points it has to make on political prisoners are just as relevant in today’s times with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Hunger will generate debate… but that’s a good thing.
Choke
- Details
- Written by Matthew Toomey
| Directed by: | Clark Gregg |
| Written by: | Clark Gregg |
| Starring: | Sam Rockwell, Anjelica Huston, Kelly Macdonald, Clark Gregg, Heather Burns, Joel Grey |
| Released: | October 30, 2008 |
| Grade: | C |
If you look at the poster for Choke, it has the following written in large font – “from the author of Fight Club”. Let me say that this is a marketing gimmick to try to get you to see this film. The only similarity between the two movies is that author Chuck Palahniuk’s name appears in the credits. They have been made by different people and there is no plot or message overlap whatsoever.
Choke centres on a middle-aged guy named Victor Mancini (Rockwell) who has an addiction to sex. He goes to a self-help group but Victor isn’t making a lot of progress. He doesn’t seem too keen and he’s made no effort to get started on the “fourth step” in his road to recovery.
Victor lives a peculiar life. He scams money off people by pretending to choke on food in restaurants. He works at a colonial theme park where is boss requires him to continually dress and speak like a low-class Irish servant. He visits his sick mother (Huston) in an aged care home and pretends to be someone else to get her to open up about his father’s identity.
I was never really sure where this film was going. I often like these quirky, off-beat comedies but this one was too strange for me. There wasn’t a lot to laugh about and a many scenes felt repetitive. The dialogue was also very stiff – as if the characters were reading it straight out of a book. No one in the film is very likeable either.
The film is rated R in Australia for it sex scenes and sexual references. I see it having very little appeal and my unenthusiastic review won’t help its chances either.
Burn After Reading
- Details
- Written by Matthew Toomey
| Directed by: | Ethan Coen, Joel Coen |
| Written by: | Ethan Coen, Joel Coen |
| Starring: | George Clooney, Frances McDormand, Brad Pitt, John Malkovich, Tilda Swinton, Richard Jenkins |
| Released: | October 16, 2008 |
| Grade: | A |
During the last two minutes of this film, I had a very wide smile on my face. Just like they had done in films such as Fargo, The Big Lebowski and Intolerable Cruelty, the Coen brothers had crafted a witty comedy laced with dark humour. I don’t know where they get their ideas from but this formidable team have perfected the art of storytelling and filmmaking.
There are a number of players in this ensemble movie. Osbourne Cox (Malkovich) has quit his job at the CIA after being offered a demotion. His superiors weren’t happy with his recent efforts and the fact that he has a drinking problem. Osbourne plans on getting them back by writing a “tell all” book about his life inside the CIA.
Osbourne’s wife, Katie (Swinton), isn’t sympathetic. She thinks her husband is a loser and the fact that’s now unemployed is the final straw. Katie wants to instigate divorce proceedings against Osbourne so that she can protect herself financially and maintain her well-to-do lifestyle. It will also allow her to settle down with Harry Pfarrer (Clooney), the man with whom she’s been having a long-running affair.
Harry doesn’t share that same plan. He’s not too keen on leaving his wife… or the other women that he’s been sleeping around with. In fact, I don’t think Harry has any idea what he’s doing at all. He’s neurotic. His latest fling is with an older woman named Linda Litzke (McDormand) who he met on an internet dating site. There’s a hilariously shocking scene where he takes her down to the basement and shows her an invention that he’s been working on.
They’re a good match because Linda is nuts herself. She may work at a gymnasium but Linda hates the way she looks. She desperately wants plastic surgery. Unfortunately, it’s not covered by her medical insurance and she doesn’t have the money to pay for it. Linda pleads with her boss (Jenkins) to give her an advance on her salary but he just can’t do it.
You might be asking, is there an actual story here? Yes, there is. Linda and her co-worker, Chad (Pitt), find a CD which has been left in the ladies locker room at the gymnasium. On the disc are the memoirs of agent Osbourne Cox. This dim-witted duo believe that when they return the CD to Osbourne, he will give them a sizeable financial reward. When he refuses, it sets in motion a bizarre series of events with equally bizarre consequences.
I appreciated this film because it is so ridiculously “off the wall”. It goes against everything you’d expect from a conventional movie. It all revolves around a bunch of both fortunate and unfortunate coincidences. Some people are in the right place at the right time. Some people are in the wrong place at the wrong time. You’ll have to watch it for yourself to learn the fate of these unlikeable yet amusing characters.
In their last film, the Academy Award winning No Country For Old Men, I praised the Coen brothers for their great casting. They know just how to find the right actor for each role – even the smaller ones. The same can be said here. Each actor is a little “over the top” with their performance but it’s perfectly in sync with the preposterous screenplay. I hate to single anyone out but I have to say it’s the best performance I’ve ever seen from Brad Pitt.
There’s one similarity that this film shares with other Coen brothers movies. That is… that you’ll either love it or hate it. If you’re in touch with their warped sense of humour, you’ll instantly fall in love with Burn After Reading. I can’t wait to see it again!
RocknRolla
- Details
- Written by Matthew Toomey
| Directed by: | Guy Ritchie |
| Written by: | Guy Ritchie |
| Starring: | Gerard Butler, Thandie Newton, Ludacris, Jeremy Piven, Tom Wilkinson, Mark Strong, Karel Roden, Tom Hardy, Toby Kebbell |
| Released: | October 30, 2008 |
| Grade: | C+ |
The film Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels was released 10 years ago but many people will remember it if you asked them. It started a wave of similar movies which I can best describe as “English gangster comedies”. Director Guy Ritchie followed up his Lock, Stock success with Snatch in 2000. I didn’t think it was as good but it was still worth a look.
Now, in 2008, Guy Ritchie is re-entering this genre for the third time. The film is called RocknRolla. I’ll be upfront and say that I was disappointed. The storyline is confusing and there is an abundance of boring characters. It just wasn’t good enough.
As I just mentioned, there are a lot of people in this film so let me do my best to provide my usual plot overview. Lenny Cole (Wilkinson) rules London’s criminal underworld. If you need something done, Lenny is your man. He has been approached by a Russian (Roden) for his assistance in fast-tracking a major property redevelopment. Lenny’s fee is 7 million euros and once he’s finished bribing the city’s councillors, there’ll be plenty of money left for him.
It won’t be that easy however. Uri’s accountant, Stella (Newton), is one of the few people aware of this illegal deal. She knows where and when the money will be exchanged and that security will be minimal. Not content with her salary, she decides that she wants the money for herself. She organises a robbery with the help of some hired goons.
As all this goes on, a “lucky” painting is stolen from Lenny’s office. His right-hand man, Archie (Strong), is charged with the responsibility of finding out who took it. All the evidence points to Lenny’s son, Johnny Quid (Kebbell), a drug-addicted musician who likes to fake his own death. Yes, he is a strange one.
If you need proof that there are too many people in this flick, I’ll use actors Jeremy Piven (Entourage) and Ludacris (Crash) as an example. These are the only high-profile Americans in the film and I have a strong inkling that they’ve been brought in to help the film’s marketability in the United States. They play Johnny Quid’s music managers but I have to ask the question, what is the point? They only appear in a handful of scenes and they contribute very little to the overall plot.
Misgivings aside, there are a few scenes which will get some laughs from the audience. There’s a humorous subplot involving two of the men that Stella has hired for the robbery – One Two (Butler) and Handsome Bob (Hardy). Unfortunately, these highlights are limited. RocknRolla is a lacklustre affair that will never be remembered as fondly as Lock, Stock… or a great number of other films for that matter.
Man On Wire
- Details
- Written by Matthew Toomey
| Directed by: | James Marsh |
| Released: | October 16, 2008 |
| Grade: | A- |
This story is amazing. I can’t believe that I haven’t heard it before. On 7 August 1974, Frenchman Philippe Petit and his crew rigged a wire between the two World Trade Centre towers in New York City. Philippe then walked back and forth across the wire for 45 minutes… with no safety harness whatsoever.
Let’s pause and think about this for a moment. How is this humanly possible? How can someone have the courage to walk on a tightrope which is 450m above the ground whilst knowing the obvious risks? It’s crazy. What’s equally fascinating is the lead up to the stunt itself. It took months of preparation and a lot of illegal activity. It wasn’t an easy task to sneak into the two towers will all of their equipment.
Man On Wire, directed by Englishman James Marsh, brings this mind-blowing story to the big screen in a documentary-style format. You’ll see interviews with Philippe and those who were part of his team. The visuals include a mix of actual footage and re-enacted scenes.
The film is structured to be suspenseful. It starts out by looking at Philippe’s background and how he first became fascinated by the World Trade Centre towers. It then follows two of his earlier conquests where he walked across wires on the Cathedral of Notre-Dame and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Those alone make for good viewing.
It all leads up to “the” moment which you know is coming. I sat there in the cinema and was shaking my head. I even felt nauseous when I saw the view looking down. The only downside to this film is that I wanted to know more about what happened afterwards.
It’s touched upon briefly but his impossible feat had everyone talking in New York City. It was interesting time in America because the very next day, Richard Nixon resigned as President in the wake of the Watergate scandal. It must have been interesting dinner conversation in many homes that night… talking about a crazy Frenchman and a corrupt leader.
Man On Wire picked up both the jury and audience award in the documentary category at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. It is slowly being released around the globe and now that it’s arrived here in Australia, it’s a film you won’t want to miss.
Brideshead Revisited
- Details
- Written by Matthew Toomey
| Directed by: | Julian Jarrold |
| Written by: | Andrew Davies, Jeremy Brock |
| Starring: | Matthew Goode, Ben Whishaw, Hayley Atwell, Emma Thompson, Michael Gambon |
| Released: | October 23, 2008 |
| Grade: | B |
Brideshead Revisited is based on the novel written by Evelyn Waugh. This isn’t the first time that it has been adapted. In 1981, an 11 part television mini-series was produced by Granada Television. It starred Jeremy Irons, Diana Quick and Roger Milner. I never saw it myself but it must have been pretty good. It won a Golden Globe Award and a BAFTA Award for best television movie.
I guess you could call this new movie the “abbreviated version” of Waugh’s lengthy book. It has been condensed into 133 minutes by screenwriters Andrew Davies (Bridget Jones’ Diary) and Jeremy Brock (The Last King Of Scotland). Again, I haven’t read the novel, but I was fairly impressed with what I saw on screen. There was ample time for both plot and character development. I’d be curious to know what was left on the cutting room floor.
The central character is Charles Ryder (Goode) and the story is set in England in the years leading up to World War II. Charles’s mother died when he was young and he now lives with his father in a small flat in Paddington. Their relationship is rather peculiar and they share few words. Despite his low-class background, Charles has set himself some high ambitions and is about to leave home for the first time. He’s off to Oxford University to study history. His real love, however, is for art.
At Oxford, Charles is befriended by Sebastian Flyte (Whishaw), a flamboyant individual who loves to drink. Sebastian comes from a very wealthy upbringing. He lives with his sister and mother in an enormous castle known as Brideshead. From the moment he lays eyes on it, Sebastian is entranced by its beauty.
Sebastian doesn’t like to talk about his family and Charles will soon learn why. The Lady Marchmain (Thompson) is a devout Catholic who rules the household with an iron fist. I’m not really sure how to describe her. You could say that she’s a manipulator and that she uses religious as a weapon to control her children’s lives. On the other hand, you could say she’s just a passionate believer in God and the Catholic Church.
This leads into what I liked about the movie and that is the “texture” of these characters. None of them seem to say what they really think and as a result, this left me thinking. What are these people really after and what is driving them? Their true colours will be revealed when Charles’s friendship with Sebastian’s sister, Julia (Atwell), develops into something deeper. It threatens to tear the family apart.
Whilst I enjoyed most of the film, my attention did wain during the closing stages. The ending felt drawn out and there wasn’t much of an emotional impact (at least for me). I was still impressed though by the great costumes and set decoration. Fans of the book will definitely be interested but I’m not sure how much appeal it will have with other audiences.