Review #1,460: 'Captain Marvel' (2019)

It says a lot about the mammoth universe built by Kevin Feige and the folks at Marvel over the past 11 years that merely the glimpse of a modified pager displaying the colours of their costume is enough to generate a huge amount of buzz around the arrival of a new superhero. Captain Marvel's introduction was teased during the traditional post-credits stinger of last year's Avengers: Infinity War, and now, just under a year later, Brie Larson's Carol Danvers finally makes her bow. Black Panther became a cultural phenomenon, and Infinity War delivered and then some on its promise to bring this breathtaking (first) saga closer to an end, so the small-scale and light-hearted Ant-Man and the Wasp was a welcome, if underwhelming palette cleanser. Captain Marvel is the studio's first female-led superhero film, so there's a weight of expectation behind Marvel once again.

There has been a wave of ugliness online in protest against the idea of female empowerment and Brie Larson's pro-feminist comments before the film even premiered, but an opening weekend of north of $500 million has silenced the haters and, with any hope, brought us closer to a future when a hero's gender or sexuality is irrelevant to a film's success. Captain Marvel is far from perfect. In fact, it relies heavily on Marvel's tried-and-tested origin story formula we saw a lot of when this universe was still in its first phase, although directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck toy around with the structure enough to keep things slightly less familiar. Anyone who was keen to write Captain Marvel off as an example of forced diversity should take the time to actually watch it. Don't get me wrong, the film takes a strong pro-feminist stance and tackles issues plaguing our modern world, but it does so with subtlety. Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel is strong, confident, even arrogant at times, but just like Tony Stark or Dr. Strange, she is also flawed, troubled and - despite the mystery surrounding her ancestry - recognisably human.

The warrior known as Vers (Larson) is a member of Starforce, an elite band of soldiers operating within the Kree Empire tasked with infiltrating the Skrulls, a race of shape-shifting aliens they have been at war with since before they can remember. Vers is troubled by dreams that feel like memories she does not remember, but her commander Yon-Rogg (Jude Law) trains her to put aside her emotion to focus on the enemy. During a mission to rescue one Starforce's own, Vera is captured by Skrull leader Talos (Ben Mendelsohn), who proceeds to dissect her memories before they all crash down on a strange, primitive planet. That planet is Earth, and the year is 1995. It isn't long before an eager, two-eyed agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. called Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) is drawn to this mysterious stranger and is caught up in her desire to uncover the secrets of her past, along with learning of an intergalactic war that may one day threaten his home. With the help of old friend Maria Rambeau (Lashana Lynch) and a cat named Goose, Vers discovers that she was born Carol Danvers, and that everything she has been taught about who she is and what she's fighting for may actually be a lie.

Although Marvel have done period before with Captain America: The First Avenger back in 2011, Boden and Fleck were clearly having fun revelling in some 90's nostalgia. Although some of the music choices are a little on-the-nose, the appearance of a Blockbuster store and the sound of a dial-up internet connection will delight those, like me, who grew up in the decade. The big joke is that while Carol embarks on galaxy-hopping adventures with the Kree, down here on Earth everything takes an age to load. Captain Marvel switches seamlessly between these two extremes with good humour, and for a character that is destined to become the franchise's next cosmic powerhouse, the low-key approach to her origin actually works in the film's favour. It also allows time for Larson to develop the character, whether it be bouncing off Jackson's one-liners or discovering her old self with her best friend. Larson is great: strong but not over-powered, cocky but endearing. Despite Mendelsohn's scene-stealing, Larson ensures that it'll be Captain Marvel's appearance you'll be eagerly awaiting in the upcoming Avengers: Endgame. Formulaic? Certainly, but Marvel knows how to entertain, and they can't exactly re-define the genre with every film.


Directed by: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
Starring: Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Jude Law, Annette Bening, Lashana Lynch, Clark Gregg, Gemma Chan, Rune Temte, Djimon Hounsou
Country: USA

Rating: ****

Tom Gillespie

Review #1,362: 'Ready Player One' (2018)

When I was kid and the Super Nintendo was most people's console of choice, I played Street Fighter II a hell of a lot, often venting my frustration whenever I lost a fight (my blood boils at the very mention of Sagat). My grandmother took the controller to a computer shop in order to buy a replacement and, seeing my teeth marks etched into the control pad, the guy behind the counter asked if we had a dog. It was at this point I realised that I didn't quite have the temperament for gaming, and pretty much stayed away ever since. For this reason, I went into Steven Spielberg's Ready Player One thinking that I wasn't the target audience, but I enjoyed Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, so approached the film with an open mind. It struck me early on that this in fact isn't a movie for gamers, but for fans of pop culture. Barely thirty seconds go by without a recognisable character, vehicle or weapon gracing the screen. You could watch Ready Player One a hundred times and still miss something.

It's 2044 and many of the planet's great cities have turned into slums, with much of the population crammed into small apartments stacked on top of one another. To relieve themselves of this miserable reality, most regularly escape into a virtual reality world called OASIS - created by genius and innovator James Halliday (Mark Rylance) - which allows the player to do pretty much whatever they want, be it climb a mountain with Batman or participate in huge battles without the fear of being hurt or killed. The recent death of Halliday was followed by the announcement that three hidden keys have been hidden somewhere in the game that will lead to an 'Easter Egg'. The one to find it will be handed full ownership of OASIS, and with it unimaginable power and wealth. One participant is Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan), an orphaned 17 year-old who lives with his aunt and her bully of a boyfriend in a slum known as The Stacks. Every day he escapes the real world to take part in a seemingly unwinnable race to find the first key.

The sheer volume of pop culture references would normally distract from the story being told, but Spielberg maintains a grip on the action and lays out this new world and its many rules in a coherent manner. The novel by Ernest Cline (which I haven't read) was actually heavily inspired by Spielberg's movies, but aside from the appearance of Jurassic Park's T-Rex, Spielberg mostly avoids referencing himself. He is probably the best man for the job, especially when you consider how Spielberg's fantasy-based movies were so memorable because they kept at least one foot on the ground. Ironically, if there is a big criticism to be thrown at Ready Player One, it's that it struggles to engage when the action is outside of the OASIS, and only really comes to life when within the virtual world. Perhaps this is the point, but when the hero's ultimate quest is to save the real world from falling under the control of an evil corporation named Innovative Online Industries and its slimy CEO Nolan Sorrento (Ben Mendelsohn), it becomes difficult to truly grasp the stakes.

It's irresistible fun to be inside a world without limits, and the special effects department do an exceptional job of envisioning it. Each character can create their own avatar (Wade turns himself into a dashing hipster named Parzival), and purchase weapons and gadgets famous from pop culture. One character is even building an Iron Giant. Wade falls for a manga-eyed rebel named Art3mis (Olivia Cooke) who, as his best friend is keen to point out, could be a fat guy in his mother's basement for all he knows. He frets over what outfit to wear for their date, changing from Michael Jackson to Duran Duran before settling on Buckaroo Banzai. Spielberg has fun playing around with these elements, and it's all scarily believable. But Ready Player One isn't concerned with exploring the psychological and social consequences of such a widespread and immersive gaming experience, and asks that you simply enjoy the ride. And this is perfectly fine, since the ride is thoroughly entertaining. You will likely find yourself urging the movie to go deeper, but by the time Mechagodzilla arrives to battle an army that includes the likes of Bowser, Duke Nukem and Superman, you'll be too busy swimming in Nerd-vana to care.


Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Lena Waithe, T.J. Miller, Simon Pegg, Mark Rylance, Hannah John-Kamen
Country: USA

Rating: ****

Tom Gillespie

Review #1,309: 'Darkest Hour' (2017)

2017 saw cinema give us the complete Dunkirk experience: first with Christopher Nolan's ground-level, soldiers-eye view of one of the main turning points of World War II, and later with this, Joe Wright's Darkest Hour, told from the point-of-view of the stuffy politicians back at home shouting at each other in dark rooms. While over 300,000 brave men waited for evacuation as the German army closed in around them, Winston Churchill had just been sworn in as prime minister and was left with the unenvious task of dealing with Adolf Hitler, a man Churchill's predecessor Neville Chamberlain had been hoping to strike a peace deal with. As history tells it, Churchill knew the futility of trying to reason with a murderous tyrant and that the only outcome was war, but he had to rally his cabinet and deal with the Dunkirk situation at the same time.

Simply put, Darkest Hour is pure Oscar-bait. Ignoring the question of why yet another biopic of one of Britain's most iconic historic figures is needed in a year that had already seen the Brian Cox-starring Churchill, this is another shameless entry into the ongoing series of middlebrow British period dramas which also include fellow awards-favourites The Queen and The King's Speech. Sparing us the full biopic treatment, Darkest Hour starts in 1940 just as Churchill is chosen to lead the country in the wake of Chamberlain's ousting. Played by Gary Oldman in heavy prosthetics, the man who enjoys champagne with his breakfast and dictates his letters still dressed in his pyjamas charges into the situation like a bull in a china shop, out-shouting those who attempt to fast-track peace talks or undermine him. It's a good performance, and one that will almost definitely win Oldman an overdue Best Actor award. But it still feels like an impression, and despite some attempts to humanise the man with moments of self-doubt, we never break the tough, saggy surface.

Joe Wright has touched on the events of Dunkirk before with 2007's Atonement, a surprisingly moving and powerful love story that featured an impressive tracking shot along the battered beach. Atonement felt like it was created by a film-maker, while Darkest Hour feels like it was sculpted by a committee hoping to overcrowd their posters with lists of their awards nominations. It feels artificial to the point of patronising, with long shots of the smiling working class going about their business as Churchill cruises by trying to get a feel of the public's mood. This is later taken even further he ventures into the London underground on his own to chat with the common folk in a scene that is so out of place it feels like nails down a blackboard. Even worse are the brief moments of battle. CGI bombs are dropped and followed by the camera in a scene that harks back to Pearl Harbor. Impressive supporting turns by Ben Mendelsohn as King George IV and Ronald Pickip as a sympathetic, terminally-ill Chamberlain lighten the mood, while Kristen Scott Thomas, Lily James and Stephen Dillane do the most with what they are given as supportive wife, framing device and sneering villain, respectively. In these times of political uncertainty, Darkest Hour should have had me waving my fist with patriotic pride, but I could barely muster a twitch of the eyebrow.


Directed by: Joe Wright
Starring: Gary Oldman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Ben Mendelsohn, Lily James, Ronald Pickup, Stephen Dillane
Country: USA/UK

Rating: **

Tom Gillespie

Review #1,173: 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story' (2016)

Following their procurement of Lucasfilm and the Star Wars franchise with it, it didn't take long for Disney to announce an all-new trilogy, continuing the legacy that was somewhat tarnished by George Lucas' terrible prequel trilogy beginning back in 1999. J.J. Abrams' The Force Awakens, aka Episode VII, predictably made a ton of money in 2015, despite being a thinly-disguised re-hash of Episode IV with a few new characters thrown into the mix, and soon enough announcements were being made of spin-offs and origin stories aplenty. Many rolled their eyes at what appeared to be an easy money-spinner, but many more were excited to see this vast universe - which had been explored to no end in books, video games and comic-books - come to life on the big screen, and Gareth Edwards' Rogue One is by far the finest Star Wars movie since The Empire Strikes Back.

Set some time after The Revenge of the Sith but just before the events of A New Hope, the universe lives in terror as the Imperial Empire, led by the feared Darth Vader, seeks to crush the Rebellion and rule the galaxy. Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelsen) is forced by Imperial weapons researcher Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn) to complete his work on the Death Star, a device the size of a moon capable of destroying entire planets. Galen's young daughter escapes the Stormtroopers and is raised by Rebel extremist Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker). Years later and now a young woman, Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) is freed from a labour camp by Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) and is taken to Rebel leader Mon Mothma, who convinces her to help persuade her father to defect so they may learn more about the weapon he is building. Joined by a rag-tag gang of fighters and criminals, Jyn unwittingly finds herself at the centre of an impossible mission to steal plans to the Death Star, and playing her part in rescuing the universe from oppressive rule.

Continuing the series' line of strong female leads after Carrie Fisher and Daisy Ridley, Jones' Jyn Erso stands out by not being a princess or a 'Chosen One' character, but a tough orphan without any stand-out skills other than sheer will and determination. She doesn't get any special treatment due to royal connections or suddenly start wielding the Force, but must shack up with an equally gruff and battered gang of unlikely heroes to stand any chance of survival. Her companions are as equally memorable and played by strong actors, without ever being defined for a unique attribute. With C-3PO off elsewhere, the comedy robot is K-2SO, a re-programmed Imperial droid voiced by Alan Tudyk who offers the movie such much-needed comic relief. There's also blind spiritual warrior Chirrut Imwe (Donnie Yen, who really looks like he's enjoying himself), his gun-wielding mercenary pal Baze Malbus (Wen Jiang), and defected pilot Bodhi Rook (Riz Ahmed).

Any fans who adored the Easter eggs barely hidden in The Force Awakens will be pleased to know that there's no change here. As the timeline inevitably crosses over with A New Hope, many faces and events will be familiar. Even Peter Cushing is brought back via some impressive CGI work as Grand Moff Tarkin. Edwards ensures that these crowd-pleasing moments of nostalgia don't distract too much from the central plot, and he really goes all-out with the action scenes. Apparently, futuristic helmets were placed upon the heads of real soldiers in old war photographs by Edwards as an idea of how he felt the aesthetic of the battles should be. They pulled it off, as there's a real immediacy and grit to the fighting. and a clarity in the way it is captured. Donnie Yen going to town on some Imperial soldiers with a staff provided, for me at least, the film's highlight. While the film does move too fast for its own good on occasion, this is a thrilling experience, with characters far more interesting than those involving in the main story. It will surely delight hardened fans and newcomers in equal measure.


Directed by: Gareth Edwards
Starring: Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Alan Tudyk, Donnie Yen, Wen Jiang, Ben Mendelsohn, Forest Whitaker, Riz Ahmed, Mads Mikkelsen
Country: USA/UK

Rating: ****

Tom Gillespie

Review #899: 'Slow West' (2015)

The filmmaker's obsession with the Old West never seem to cease, whether it be the rough-and-tumble tales of black vs. white of the 50's, the sweat-drenched stand-off's of the European low-budget efforts of the 60's and 70's, or the revisionist approaches that enjoyed a re-emergence in the mid-2000's, the harsh plains of America's darkest period seem to fascinate every new generation, all of which have a different take on a period that has taken on a mythic quality. Following a couple of successful shorts working with Michael Fassbender, Man on a Motorcycle (2009) and Pitch Black Heist (2011), director John Maclean from The Beta Band makes his feature-length debut with Slow West, a suitably slow-burning and simple tale of lost love, set to the backdrop of violence and a country in unrest.

Scot Jay Cavendish (Kodi Smit-McPhee) is an opportunistic young dreamer who arrives in America in the hope of claiming his lost love. We first meet him at night aiming his gun at the stars, pondering the possibilities of this new land. He then witnesses the execution of Native American's for sport by a gruff Union leader, who is then killed by a skilled bounty hunter named Silas Selleck (Fassbender). Silas agrees to take Jay under his wing, and as their story develops, we soon learn that they are hunting for the same thing for very different reasons. Through flashbacks, we learn that back in Scotland, Jay fell in love with a beautiful girl below his social class, Rose (Caren Pistorius), who could only return platonic love. Along with her father (Rory McCann), Rose fled her homeland after a bounty is placed on their head.

Slow West depicts an America that is simultaneously familiar yet unfamiliar. It is the dusty west of the revisionist westerns of recent years where violence comes as second-nature to its inhabitants, and the mountains and woods are filmed with the same sense of wonder and impending danger that has become synonymous with the genre. Yet, the landscape is also alive with colour and natural beauty, as if the flowers were blooming with as much fruitless optimism as Jay's quest to rescue his love, which is frequently placed in peril by the likes of Swedish bandits or the ever-looming Payne (Ben Mendelsohn), a fellow bounty-hunter in a ludicrous fur coat who clearly shares a history with Silas. The decision to film in New Zealand adds to the sense of displacement, as if Jay imagined the world he read about in stories only to discover that it's only half-true.

Although the film is as slow-moving as the title may suggest, the relatively short running time means that scenes are brisk and the narrative is never boring. It often feels surreal, like Jodorowsky on a mild day, producing some moments of oddball comedy juxtaposed with the spattering of bloodshed. It's also ludicrous at times - though not always in a bad way - and Maclean frequently explores the themes of man at their most primitive done many times before. But the climax is the work of a director with promise, as the bullets fly and walls become smeared in blood, it's a shoot-out that manages to retain control of the drama happening in between, as well as delivering a truly exciting set-piece. Fassbender says little but has the presence of an old soul, and Smit-McPhee, similar to his role in John Hillcoat's The Road (2009), is effective as the sad-eyed child caught up in a world he doesn't fully understand. Perpetually odd and surprising, Slow West is the melancholic work of a director to keep an eye on.


Directed by: John Maclean
Starring: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Michael Fassbender, Caren Pistorius, Ben Mendelsohn, Rory McCann
Country: UK/New Zealand

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 #779: 'Starred Up' (2013)

Us Brits' strange obsession with alpha-male's and the violent criminal underworld has led the film industry to churn out endless gangster and prison movies, with each DVD cover adorned with some meaty Z-list actor sticking his fingers up or trying to look intimidating. Starred Up, based on writer Jonathan Asser's experiences working as a prison counsellor, has Jack O'Connell's shirtless young offender staring menacingly out on it's poster, and you would be forgiven to assume this was yet another movie destined for the bargain bin. But you would be wrong, as Starred Up is a refreshing pitbull of a movie.

Eric Love (O'Connell) is transferred, or 'starred up', two years early to adult prison from a young offenders institution. It doesn't take long for him to become involved in a fight with another prisoner, and he is thrown in solitary as a result. In this world of macho men, he finds a surrogate father in therapist Oliver (Rupert Friend), a well-educated type who 'needs' to help these prisoners as a way of lending meaning to his own life. But Eric's biological father, Neville (Ben Mendelsohn), is locked up there with him, and feels a different approach is needed to conquer this animalistic young man. Eric, however, has his own plans, which is to take on everybody who stands in his way.

What is so fascinating about Starred Up is its attention to detail. Seconds after being locked into his cell, Eric sets about defending himself by creating a makeshift shank out of a toothbrush and a shaving razor, designed not to stab, but to slice (we see it's full effect later in the film). This is a world in which you have to punch, kick and head-butt to survive, and one in which Eric is clearly (and tragically) familiar with. But it's not only the violent nature and general feeling of unease that makes the film so thrilling, it's the father-son dynamic between Eric, Neville and Oliver, played out without a shred of sentimentality or a morality message. They both clearly care for Eric, but Neville is psychopath and Oliver finds his liberal approach frequently obstructed by the brutality of the deputy governor (Sam Spruell).

Towards the end, it struggles by thinking that the film needs to have a conventional climax. It moves over into dramatic thriller territory, and slightly betrays its roots in realism. Spruell's character throughout is rather one-note - a suited, arrogant political climber whose self-image always comes ahead of the needs of his inmates. Such clichés are not called for, but doesn't do much damage to the overall gut-punch of the film. O'Connell is a star in the making, handsome enough to be a superstar someday, yet talented and charismatic enough to actually deserve it. His performance here is outstanding, as are the ever-reliable Mendelsohn and a sensitive Friend. One of the most pleasant surprises of the year, injecting life into a tired genre.


Directed by: David Mackenzie
Starring: Jack O'Connell, Ben Mendelsohn, Rupert Friend, Sam Spruell
Country: UK

Rating: ****

Tom Gillespie

Review #626: 'Killing Them Softly' (2012)

Teaming up for the second time after 2007's masterpiece The Assassination of Jessie James by the Coward Robert Ford, director Andrew Dominik and star/co-producer Brad Pitt bring us another beautifully bleak piece of cinema with Killing Me Softly. Like Jessie James, Softly is very much a mood piece, full of astonishing imagery that speaks as much about its characters as the actors themselves. But where Jessie James was gripping and wholly absorbing over its 160+ minute running-time, Softly is ultimately quite dull at just 97 minutes, playing with an interesting economic subtext alongside a rather straight-forward crime story, full of characters seen many times before and even played by the same actors.

Two small-time crooks, Frankie (Scoot McNairy) and Russell (Ben Mendelsohn), are drafted in by a gangster known as the Squirrel (Vincent Curatola - The Sopranos' Johnny Sack) to rob a mob card game ran by Markie (Ray Liotta). Markie had robbed his own game in the past and later admitted to it, but was given a pass due to his likeability, and the Squirrel feels he will inevitably get the blame this time. The robbery is a success and Frankie and Russell go to ground, so the mob ask the mysterious Driver (Richard Jenkins) to bring in hired killer Jackie Cogan (Pitt) to find and kill the culprits, only Jackie likes to 'kill them softly' from afar, and realising he knows one of the targets, brings in over-the-hill trigger-man Mickey (James Gandolfini) to help.

With only one female character of note appearing in the film for the duration of about a minute, Killing Me Softly is very male-orientated, featuring a lot of hard men talking in rooms smoking cigarettes and getting down to business. This would be all well and good if the plot threw in any elements of surprise, but the film moves on with an almost resigned inevitability towards a rather straight-forward climax. But this is a film that strives for more than a bunch of criminals whacking each other - that is clear from the repetitive news coverage of the Obama-McCain presidential campaign (the film is set in post-Katrina New Orleans in 2008) - but it tries to hammer the point home. The big joke is that economic hardships even effect those who steal for a living (the robbery causes an imbalance within the criminal economy), but the point is not made with any subtlety - surprising given the care Dominik gave to Jessie James.

All that said, the film still has plenty going for it. The cast are superb, with Gandolfini stealing the film with a relatively small role yet again, as the boozy, sex-obsessed hitman who may have been something in his day, but has become a sad man full of self-loathing due to an unhappy marriage. Mendelsohn impresses as well as a junkie who makes his money from stealing dogs and selling them for profit. But the plaudits must go to cinematographer Greig Fraser, who injects a steely 70's feel to a film set mostly at night, and throws in a moment of ultra slo-mo when an unfortunate character gets riddled with bullets in his car, that is as beautiful as it is ugly. However, these plus-points do not manage to save the film from being a huge disappointment given the talent involved, and with a more interesting plot and less spoon-feeding of its social message, could have been outstanding.


Directed by: Andrew Dominik
Starring: Brad Pitt, Scoot McNairy, Ben Mendelsohn, Richard Jenkins, James Gandolfini, Ray Liotta
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