Review #1,043: 'Midnight Special' (2016)

Billed as writer/director Jeff Nichols' first venture into mainstream film-making and his first stab at a genre piece, Midnight Special still manages to keep things grounded and rugged despite its sci-fi credentials. Clearly a throw-back to the alien-among-us movies of the 1980's, such as E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (1982) and Starman (1984) - movies Nichols no doubt grew up watching - there are shady government officials, a suspicious cult, a sympathetic young investigator, a protective father, and a young boy with some astonishing, otherworldly abilities. Yet there's also the Southern setting, an unhurried pace and the presence of Michael Shannon, all key ingredients in the film-maker's oeuvre that help Midnight Special avoid being yet another homage to a bygone era.

The film begins rather frantically as two men, Roy (Shannon) and his old friend Lucas (Joel Edgerton), escape some unknown threat in the middle of the night with a young boy, adorned with UV-blocking goggles, in the back seat. Their intentions are shady, and we soon learn that the FBI are hunting the men in the hope of rescuing the child, Alton (Jaeden Lieberher), who is clearly special in some unique way. Alton is Roy's son, and it's revealed that his father took him away from a shady cult led by the enigmatic Calvin Meyer (Sam Shepard), whose nightly sermons would consist of seemingly random numbers that were once spoken by prophetic Alton. As the curious investigator Paul Sevier (Adam Driver) tries to unravel the mystery of the boy and the reasons for his abduction, Roy and Lucas must dodge state troopers and gun-wielding cult members to deliver Alton to his excommunicated mother Sarah (Kirsten Dunst) and prepare for the huge event that has been prophesied.

For what is essentially a chase movie, Midnight Special moves incredibly slow at times. While the bursts of action or sudden violence that pepper the film are all the more exciting because of the shuffling pace, it can be a bit of slog at times, especially when the movie keeps you in the dark about a lot of which is going on. It very much reminded me of Nichols's second film, Take Shelter (2011), in which Shannon's troubled father's possible descent into madness manifests itself in his obsession over building a bunker that would shield his family from whatever catastrophic event he foresees. While the mystery was one of the main aspects that helped make that movie incredibly memorable, it does somewhat take away some of the sense of wonder in Midnight Special, even though it would seem that Nichols chose to reveal little until the end to do just the opposite.

Despite its pacing flaws, the film is still incredibly absorbing. The Southern setting is one I find oddly romantic, and Nichols is a master at immersing you in the world, something he did astonishingly well in the land of swamps and charismatic outlaws in 2012's Matthew McConaughey-starring Mud. The world of fleapit motels, empty, neon-lit gas stations and tough, righteous men is the perfect fit for a story rooted in science-fiction. There's something timeless about the setting, and this helps Midnight Special achieve its hat-tipping to the works of Spielberg, Carpenter et al. Nichols also does wonders with the film's humble budget, creating a few standout set-pieces that work better than most CGI-overkill blockbusters. Yet at its heart, the film remains a family drama with the fatherly bond between Roy and Alton always front and centre, and Nichols has stated that it is very much his reaction to becoming a father. It may not be everyone's cup of tea - I'm sure mainstream audiences will be put of by its leisurely pace - but Midnight Special is a rewarding experience if you stick with it.


Directed by: Jeff Nichols
Starring: Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton, Kirsten Dunst, Jaeden Lieberher, Adam Driver, Bill Camp, Scott Haze, Sam Shepard, Paul Sparks
Country: USA/Greece

Rating: ****

Tom Gillespie

Review #978: 'Black Mass' (2015)

Over his impressively long career, Johnny Depp has adorned make-up and a variety of wigs, contact lenses and outlandish costumes to deliver a plethora of memorable (and not-so-memorable) characters, performed with a trademark flamboyance now simpatico with the actor. The success of these films, which are often seen through the gothic lens of Tim Burton, makes it easy to forget that there is a good-looking actor capable of a fantastic 'normal' performance in there somewhere. Black Mass shows a bit of both sides. He has once again donned a rather distracting appearance - a set of pale blue eyes, a receding hairline and bulbous nose - to portray James "Whitey" Bulger, but there is also a terrific and unseen intensity to Depp here, convincingly scaring the shit out of anyone he comes across.

Clearly channelling Scorsese visually, director Scott Cooper of Crazy Heart (2009) and Out of the Furnace (2013) fame skips his main character's rise to criminal overlord in favour of showing us just how much of a bastard Bulger was (and probably still is). His otherworldly appearance, with blotchy skin and a mouth full of wonky brown teeth, is not how the real man looked but instead serves to highlight his monstrous nature. Bulger's activities are recollected by his former gang members Stephen Flemmi (Rory Cochrane), Kevin Weeks (Jesse Plemons) and John Martorano (W. Earl Brown), who all have their own bone to pick with him by the end of their story. His willingness to murder and threaten whether it be for business, pleasure, or to simply stay out of jail led to Bulger becoming one of the most notorious criminals in Boston history.

In the beginning, Bulger is approached by FBI agent John Connolly (Joel Edgerton), a local boy, who offers him a free ticket to the top of the criminal underworld. It's not snitching, but a deal that benefits both sides as Connolly is served rival gang members on a plate, and Bulger gets to carry on with his illegal activities without the prying eyes of federal agents. Only Connolly seems to be enjoying peeking into the criminal high life a bit too much while Bulger gives him diddly squat. Bulger plays him like a fiddle, managing to silence a dinner table with murderous threats thinly disguised as jest in one stand-out scene. And Black Mass is at its best when the film moves into darker territory, cruelly teasing the inevitable brutality to come whenever a disposable minor character shuffles onto the scene.

Narratively, it's all over the place and tends to neglect detail in favour of more conventional biopic storytelling. In the few scenes he has, Benedict Cumberbatch oozes a subtle sliminess as Whitey's Massachusetts State Senate President brother Billy. The vastly different paths these two brothers took could have made for engaging drama and given the film more balance, but strangely Cooper chooses to almost ignore the relationship completely to concentrate on Bulger's dealing with the FBI, so Cumberbatch is criminally under-served. However, as silly as he looks, Depp is genuinely unsettling and, like the film as a whole, gets under your skin. Black Mass sounds like it should be a horror, and as the creepy real-life security footage plays out over the credits, its hard to deny that in many way it is.


Directed by: Scott Cooper
Starring: Johnny Depp, Joel Edgerton, Benedict Cumberbatch, Dakota Johnson, Rory Cochrane, Jesse Plemons, Kevin Bacon, Peter Sarsgaard, Julianne Nicholson
Country: USA/UK

Rating: ***

Tom Gillespie

Review #865: 'Exodus: Gods and Kings' (2014)

There is a moment during the climax of Ridley Scott's latest epic where your mind will drift to the image of a bearded Charlton Heston waving his giant staff and parting the Red Sea in Cecil B. DeMille's The Ten Commandments (1956). Exodus: Gods and Kings tells the story of Moses and Ramses, the familiar Old Testament tale about two former brothers-in-arms fighting on opposite sides of the battle; the former for the Hebrews, long enslaved by the ruling Egyptians, and the latter recently becoming the new Pharaoh in the wake of his father's death. It's the type of story that - even if the build-up lacks dramatics - is destined to be spectacular at the climax, as if there's on thing we do well in the modern age, it's spectacle.

Yet Exodus is an alarmingly bland and stuttering attempt to paint a revisionist's view of an age-old tale, resulting in a mixture of Ben-Hur (1959) and Gladiator (2000) without the scope or entertainment factor. Even Christian Bale, an actor usually of such ferocious intensity, fails to squeeze any dimensions out of Moses, and invites little sympathy during his darkest hours. Scott teases us with his own atheistic views, portraying Moses as a troubled man with possible schizophrenia, an idea which, if fully developed, would have justified this film's existence as a revisionist piece. His personality disorder manifests itself as a mediocre British child actor playing an angry God while Moses skulks on a mountain top, but outside of these moments he is little more than the archetypal command-blaring, sword-waving hero who delivers speeches and observes his men during training montages.

The only one appearing to be having any fun at all is Joel Edgerton, the Aussie actor playing the shaven-headed, bronzed-up Egyptian Pharaoh. Though he is kept at a disappointing distance, he at least manages to bring a little swagger to his performance, regardless of how utterly ridiculous he looks. The bulk of the rest of the cast are also played by Anglo's, all either frustratingly underused or comically miscast (or both). The likes of Sigourney Weaver, John Turturro, Ben Mendelsohn, and every director's favourite go-to ethnic actor Ben Kingsley come and go, making little impact and offering no explanation as to why such familiar faces are required to fill such a role. Aaron Paul no doubt gets the worst deal. His Joshua gets the most screen time outside of Moses and Ramses but does little more than watch in confusion or awe at his leader, depending on how the script wants you to feel at that moment.

As a cinematic spectacle, Scott does manage to occasionally enthral. The early battle scene, which has Moses and Ramses charging as comrades, plays like a check-list of war cliches, and you would find better sword-clanking on TV with Game of Thrones. The ten plagues set-piece is extremely CGI-heavy, but the sweeping shots of the city running red with blood and infested with locusts and disease proves to be a beautiful sight, with Scott determined to offer a rational explanation to the events rather than it being the work of a vengeful God (though the jury is still out with the first-born deaths). This idea wouldn't be such a hindrance if Scott didn't make the rest of the film such a formulaic blockbuster and took the time to go deep into the psyche of Moses and his struggles with his belief in a God he sees as barbaric. But Exodus is neither revisionist piece nor a straight-forward Biblical epic, which is why I found myself longing for the simplicity of DeMille's vision, for at least you know where you stand.


Directed by: Ridley Scott
Starring: Christian Bale, Joel Edgerton, Aaron Paul, John Turturro, Ben Mendelsohn, Ben Kingsley, Sigourney Weaver
Country: UK/USA/Spain

Rating: **

Tom Gillespie

Review #627: 'Zero Dark Thirty' (2012)

The title Zero Dark Thirty, referring in military-speak to the 12:30 am time in which American forces broke into a compound in Abbottabad and killed Osama bin Laden, is suitably apt for a film that puts procedural above all else. It's the lack of emotion and absence of any real identifiable character development that makes Kathryn Bigelow's thriller all the more absorbing, rushing from shouty suits in offices to dusty interrogation rooms, refusing to skip any details that led to the death of America's greatest ever enemy. Unless you've been locked in a basement for the past two or so years, you will be well aware of what happens at the climax, but it's what led to the news story that is so interesting, given that the events have been relatively hidden or unknown to the public.

Young, green CIA officer Maya (Jessica Chastain) arrives in Pakistan, assigned to work with fellow officer Dan (Jason Clarke), who is in the middle of an interrogation with Ammar al-Baluchi, a suspect in the 9/11 attacks. After days (possibly weeks) of waterboarding and humiliation, al-Baluchi gives up the name of Abu Ahmed, who he identifies as bin Laden's personal courier. When Dan is reassigned and with the practise of torture becoming political taboo, Maya finds herself working on hunches and scraps trying to track down the mysterious Abu Ahmed, who many claim to be dead. But after a fellow analyst finds new information, Maya is led to a large compound in Pakistan, and prepares for a Navy SEAL-led infiltration.

For such a cold film, there is always the danger of losing the audience in the sheer frankness of it all. The saving grace is undoubtedly Chastain, Oscar-nominated for her steely portrayal of a woman whose obsession borders on dangerous. She shows relatively little emotion, even when exposed to Dan's brutal torture routines, and the film rarely shows her out of her work-place. There is no man in her life, thankfully, and will gladly step over someone if she thought it would bring her closer to her target. But, like Jeremy Renner's William James in The Hurt Locker (2009), she is the perfect tool for the job. Not necessarily likeable, but fit for her purpose. She is a modern action hero, using words and persistence over machine guns and body paint.

Like the work of Paul Greengrass, Bigelow manages to make an action thriller routed in reality, making as much out of a phone call as a gun fight. And it's the interactions of the hierarchy and the political manoeuvring that keep the film moving, highlighting the possible repercussions, politically, socially and ethically, of every minute decision. But when the real action does come, it doesn't disappoint, as a team of grunts (amongst them Joel Edgerton and Chris Pratt) storm bin Laden's compound in almost permanent night-vision mode. It's captured in all it's confusion, as unsuspecting heads pop out of doors and bullets are fired at unseen targets. The film could have been a sickening exercise in puffy-chested patriotism, but in Bigelow's - and screenwriter Mark Boal's - hands, it is thorough and intelligent, harking back to the 1970's when topical film-making was still important.


Directed by: Kathryn Bigelow
Starring: Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler, Jennifer Ehle, Mark Strong, Joel Edgerton, James Gandolfini
Country: USA

Rating: ****

Tom Gillespie

Review #293: 'Warrior' (2011)

Former U.S. Marine Tommy Riordan (Tom Hardy) returns to the home of his estranged father Paddy (Nick Nolte), to find him sober and a Christian. Tommy left home with his now late mother after suffering years of abuse from the alcoholic Paddy, and now Tommy wants to fight in the upcoming mix-martial arts tournament called Sparta, and enlists his father to train him. Meanwhile, Tommy's brother Brendan (Joel Edgerton) is a physics teacher who faces losing his family home to the bank. He also fights mixed martial arts, and when the school board finds out he has been fighting in some small back-alley tournaments, the school suspend him without pay. Brendan must convince his wife to let him fight in Sparta, and must face meeting his brother who hasn't talked to him in years, and his father, who he despises.

Warrior is another successful entry into the recent revisionist sports dramas such as The Wrestler (2008) and The Fighter (2010), that take David-and-Goliath themes and spin them with an almost docu-drama approach, while sticking to the traditions (some could say clichés) of the genre. Here, director Gavin O'Connor (who made the pretty crappy Pride and Glory (2008)) uses a hand-held camera and a muted blue colour palette to also explore family themes such as unconditional love, forgiveness and redemption. Familiar themes, I agree, but thanks to some confident directing and stellar acting from the three leads, Warrior is one of those rare sports films where you truly grow to root for the characters and get caught up in their plight. It also contains some great fight scenes that are surprisingly brutal given its 12A certificate.

Naturally, if either of the brothers want to win, they must face the prospect of fighting each other (and if you've seen the trailer, you'll know if that happens or not). Whereas the likes of Rocky (1976) had one clear hero to cheer on, here there's two, and I found myself caring equally about both. As Tommy, Hardy gives a performance of ferocious intensity. He becomes an unwitting national hero when one of his earlier fights goes viral on Youtube, and finds he has the backing of the Marine Corps. Tommy is angry, and this is reflecting in his fighting style. He storms into the ring, smashes his opponents with a few punches, and storms back out. It's no surprise Christopher Nolan wanted him to play Bane in the upcoming The Dark Knight Rises. Brendan is calmer, and his trainer adopts a patient and tactical fighting style to suit Brendan's age. He even enters the ring to the sound of Beethoven. The two performances are equally good, but they are both overshadowed by Nolte, a man so consumed with regret and sadness that is drives him back to drink in one especially powerful scene. Nolte is great here, and I'm sure he'll be up for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar come March.

For those wanting action, there's plenty of it. When the Sparta tournament comes around, there's barely a moment spent outside the ring. They come thick and fast, and are impressively captured by O'Connor's camera. This may be the film's biggest problem, as the emotional core of the film's relies on the conflict between the three leads, especially between Tommy and Paddy. There is some sort of closure in one very good scene, but it is never shown again after that so the story fizzles out while we are consumed by the fighting. But what fighting it is, and when the action is this good, it's hard to be too concerned by the slight neglect of it's main theme. It under-performance at the box office, but I'm sure it will pick up the dedicated fan base that it deserves in the years to come.


Directed by: Gavin O'Connor
Starring: Joel Edgerton, Tom Hardy, Nick Nolte, Jennifer Morrison
Country: USA

Rating: ****

Tom Gillespie

Review #190: 'Animal Kingdom' (2010)

When 17-year old J's (James Frecheville) mother dies from an overdose of heroin, he contacts his grandmother Janine 'Smurf' Cody (Jacki Weaver) who he's rarely seen and moves in with her. She lives there with her three violent sons, Craig (Sullivan Stapleton), Darren (Luke Ford), and Pope (Ben Mendelsohn), who are part of a large Melbourne crime family. When Pope's best friend is shot dead by police at point blank range, the three brothers decide to take revenge and murder a couple of police officers. Things soon spiral out of control, and J is unwittingly dragged into a war between the brothers and the police.

If there was one word to describe this film, it would be brutal. Not in the overly-violent, exploitative way, but in the way that the film can deliver a sudden burst of violence that is both realistic and unpleasant. This is a seriously tough drama. Where most films become more exciting when action starts, Animal Kingdom just gets darker and more tense. And that is where its power lies. The film draws you in and leaves you waiting at the end of your nerve while you wait to see what happens to these basically nasty characters next. Yet even when you're half-expecting something to happen, it still manages to hit you with a shotgun blast that comes out of nowhere.

The main strength of the film is the stellar acting. Jacki Weaver received an Academy Award nomination for her portrayal of a woman that is as powerful using her mouth and brain as her sons are with their guns and intimidation, and she is brilliant in the role. Relative newcomer Frecheville brilliantly underplays his role as a quiet teenager suddenly drawn into a world of violence and danger, and really comes into his own two-thirds into the film. But the obvious stand-out is Ben Mendelsohn as the terrifying Pope. At first glance, he appears to be a non-threatening, slightly weird looking middle aged man. But those eyes are filled with evil and mental instability. This is a 'bad guy' who is genuinely psychopathic, and is more threatening when he's being nice to you. He is reckless, evil and conniving. In most scenes, you don't know if he's genuinely being nice or waiting to strangle a character. His performance is simply stunning.

I'm very disappointed that this film hasn't been raved about more. Sure, it's critically-acclaimed, but it should be seen by more people. I've never felt a film has been so criminally underrated since 2005's outstanding The Proposition (coincidentally also an Australian film starring Guy Pearce). This film stayed with me for long after the credits rolled. Even though this world of drug-dealing and casual violence seemed alien to me, the story of isolation and fear can be felt by everyone. Highly recommended.


Directed by: David Michôd
Starring: James Frecheville, Ben Mendelsohn, Joel Edgerton, Guy Pearce, Jacki Weaver
Country: Australia

Rating: *****

Tom Gillespie