Invictus

Director: Clint Eastwood
Starring: Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon & Adjoa Andoh

A stirring drama, part-biopic/part-sports film, which portrays Nelson Mandela’s early years as President of South Africa with an excellent performance by Morgan Freeman in the role he feels perfect for.

Morgan Freeman is a star who has long admired Nelson Mandela and has stated, many times, his desire to portray the man on screen. Actor/director Clint Eastwood had also expressed interest in making a film about Mandela and his friendship with Freeman has led to this inevitable biopic. However, while not the adaptation of Mandela’s own autobiography Long Walk to Freedom that many might have hoped for, or another life spanning chronicle of Mandela’s life, Invictus instead narrows it’s focus to the first few years of Mandela’s presidency and, in his attempts to unify the people of South Africa, his plan to use the nation’s rugby team to unite them. While this may bother audiences looking for a greater, deeper exploration of Mandela, Invictus is still an enjoyable, satisfying film and Freeman’s performance as Mandela is excellent.

After his release from prison after almost thirty years of imprisonment and after being elected President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela (Freeman) looks to unite the people of his nation after years of Apartheid dividing the white and black populations. Upon seeing the struggling efforts of the nation’s rugby team, the Springboks, who seem unlikely to succeed in the upcoming World Cup being hosted by South Africa and opposed by the nation’s black population who see them as a symbol of the Apartheid era, Mandela decides to encourage the team to train harder and win the World Cup and hopefully win the support of all South African citizens in the hope that it will better unite the nation as a whole. The Springboks themselves, led by Francois Pienaar (Damon) must commit themselves anew, drive themselves to success and change their ideas about themselves, their country and their role in encouraging a united South Africa.

Invictus, taking its name from the poem by Henley which gave Mandela the strength to endure his long imprisonment, is not the Mandela film some might have expected, or wanted. Beginning with his release from prison and swiftly moving onto his election and beyond, Invictus does not delve much into Mandela’s life pre-presidency or into his family life. While this is somewhat disappointing and, to some, perhaps a disservice to an individual held in high esteem across the world, Invictus is still a strong and enjoyable drama that does justice to Mandela. While much of the enjoyment comes from Freeman’s portrayal of Mandela, the decision to focus on one of Mandela’s initiatives to unite a divided people with the use of the Springboks rugby team, is one that gives the film focus and direction with a clear idea of Mandela’s commitment to respecting and uniting all his people and in demonstrating the changes South Africa went through under Mandela’s leadership. Also, with much of the film’s action revolving around the rugby team and rugby matches, the film as a specific goal to rally it’s characters and the audience to support and this is handled very well to the point where even a non-sports fan will find themselves cheering for the Springboks to win, for Mandela’s goal to unite his people to succeed. The sport supports the plot as does the character arc of Damon’s Francois and his team who must also accept change in their country and themselves.

Of course the performances in Invictus are, unsurprisingly, strong. Morgan Freeman is excellent as Mandela and his determination to play the role well is evident as his performance, whilst bearing the mannerisms and expressions of the real man, is no mere caricature even if the film does not allow Freeman the chance to really delve deep into Mandela’s life and personality outside of his role as a leader (his family life is often avoided). Damon is also particularly impressive and, like Freeman, pulls off a believable South African accent that doesn’t become the focus of the actor’s attention when trying to deliver his performance. Damon plays Francois well and gets more of an opportunity to explore layers of his character who must find confidence in himself to achieve the task Mandela has given him. While some characters like Francois’ fellow rugby players, get little time to develop their characters, they are still fine though the roles of Mandela’s bodyguards get more moments to interact and shine, adding a little humour and drama to the life of those working around a president.

It might not be the life spanning tale that some Mandela fans might have hoped for and the rugby sequences may deter those that are not keen on sports in film, but for the rest, Invictus is a well made, well told and uplifting story of how a man can bring about change in a country with a good performance by Matt Damon and an excellent one by Morgan Freeman as Mandela.

Rating: 4/5

The Wolfman

Director: Joe Johnson
Starring: Benicio del Toro, Emily Blunt & Anthony Hopkins

A disappointing remake of a horror classic, The Wolfman has some fun with a few homages to werewolf movies of the past but offers nothing original or entertaining enough in its own right to satisfy.

Remaking a horror classic that made a legend of its star Lon Chaney, but with its production hit with many problems including changes in directors and the need for re-shoots, The Wolfman finally arrives at cinemas over a year past its originally scheduled release date with only its star, Benicio del Toro, seemingly still around left from the original vision of the film. The result is a film that lacks originality in plot or dialogue, feature too many under-written and over-acted roles and muddled special effects.

After receiving a letter to say his brother has gone missing, Lawrence Talbot (del Toro) returns to his father Sir John Talbot’s (Hopkins) estate after years of estrangement from his family to find his brother has been found dead, mauled and mutilated by either a beast or lunatic roaming the moors and whom locals believe to be a werewolf. When Lawrence confronts the beast and finds himself bitten, he realises he too is cursed to become a werewolf on the full moon. Lawrence then finds himself struggling with his curse, still determined to find who the beast that killed his brother is whilst is also being treat as a suspect in his brother’s murder himself by the visiting Inspector Aberline (Hugo Weaving) with only his brother’s widow Gwen (Blunt) supporting him.

The Wolfman is a film that seems too confused and undecided over what it wants to be to really satisfy. A remake of the Lon Chaney original, the remake retains many of the characters and plot points from the original film but when it attempts to strive for something different, such as where it begins to depart dramatically from the original film in its second half, it does so with events that are too predictable to enjoy, seems an excuse for excess of gore and cheap scares. Attempts to insert true life characters like Inspector Aberline (who investigated the Jack the Ripper killings) seem questionable and the emphasis on making the wolf man, or wolf men, savage and fast moving beasts that carve through victims with abandon mean that, unlike with the Lon Chaney original, there is little time given to make the beast, or its human half, sympathetic. It does feature some pleasures when the film attempts to make homage to other werewolf films such as a chase through the streets of London that feels like a period recreation of An American Werewolf in London's finale and, when not depicted as poorly represented CGI creation, the werewolf when a man in a costume in make up, looks quite effective and recalls the make up efforts past monsters. While occasional pleasures, these do unfortunately hurt the film as comparisons to better films reminds of this film’s weaknesses which, beneath several violent set pieces, leave The Wolfman a film driven by it’s thin plot, attempt to scare with gore and jump out of the shadows frights and not enough characterisation with Lawrence’s struggle and a romance with his brother’s widow feeling even more underdeveloped that the film’s plot.

The performances in The Wolfman are also fairly disappointing. Benicio del Toro does his best with a thin script to display Lawrence’s inner turmoil but his Lawrence is too emotionally restrained and serious to generate the feelings of sympathy and gentleness that Lon Chaney achieved almost 60 years before. Emily Blunt gets little to work with in terms of character and is unable to add anything memorable to the portrayal of her role while Anthony Hopkins chews up the scenery with such vigour in his performance as Sir John that he over-dominates to the detriment of other actors and characters in his presence. Hugo Weaving, also laying on the melodrama with ever line as Inspector Aberline, is somewhat more enjoyable but not particularly memorable.

The Wolfman might entertain those easily scared or enjoy their horrors more violent and physical than psychological but The Wolfman is predictable, too distracted by paying tribute to other classics (though occasionally enjoyable when doing so) with unimpressive CGI or acting from its cast. A disappointing entry into the werewolf movie genre.

Rating: 2/5

Edge of Darkness

Director: Martin Campbell
Starring: Mel Gibson, Ray Winstone & Danny Huston

Mel Gibson’s return to the big screen is a rather unimpressive thriller that while featuring a decent performance from Gibson, is too predictable to really impress and suffers in comparison to the 1980s TV drama on which it is based.

Edge of Darkness comes to cinema screens behind a wealth of expectation. Not only does it adapt a highly regarded BBC TV drama from the 1980s, but also marks the first acting role of Mel Gibson in seven years with him not only having to try and re-establish his credentials as a leading man but also to overcome the huge amount of negative publicity his off screen actions have gained in recent years. The resulting film, in spite of being adapted by the same director of the original TV drama, is unfortunately too predictable in its story and execution to make enough of an impression on audiences or Gibson’s career.

When police detective Thomas Craven (Gibson) reunites with his estranged daughter after many years only to see her brutally gunned down shortly afterwards by an attacker, supposedly, out to hurt Craven; Craven, in his grief, goes on the hunt for the perpetrators and for revenge despite being warned off by his colleagues and soon finds his daughter was really the target as she is revealed to have been involved in an attempt to expose the unethical practices of a corporation dealing with nuclear materials. Confronted by a man named Jedburgh (Winstone), hired to stop Craven from finding the truth, Craven’s situation endears him to Jedburgh who, instead, appears to have a change of heart and decides to aid Craven in uncovering the truth and getting his vengeance.

First of all, as an adaptation of the 1980s TV drama, Edge of Darkness disappoints and does so more given that is adapted by the director of that TV drama, Martin Campbell. Whilst retaining some elements like the involvement of nuclear materials and corporate cover ups, Campbell’s attempts to streamline the plot into a straight revenge thriller and exorcising much of more complex and political elements that made the original drama so engaging, Edge of Darkness becomes to simplified and predictable with many character’s left undeveloped including their motives. With the exception of Winstone’s Jedburgh, there is little doubt over who can or cannot be trusted, who is guilty and, given the levels of violence, how the guilty will suffer. As a thriller, there are action sequences that are fairly decent and quite brutal but, again, don’t offer anything particularly memorable.

Being Mel Gibson’s return to the big screen, his performance is fairly decent and his presence bearing enough weight to drive the film and remind of why he has been a popular leading man in the past however, Gibson’s performance isn’t particular memorable even for Gibson who has performed similar revenge driven roles in films like Ransom and Payback and did far more effectively and memorably. The role and performance presents a Gibson restrained. Ray Winstone performs decently in a role more enjoyable than Gibson’s though, like Gibson, offers nothing particular memorable from Winstone and compares unfavourably with the role as performed by Joe Don Baker in the 1980s (with Gibson’s also less satisfactory or well developed than Bob Peck’s original performance). In the role of main villain, Danny Huston is effectively slimy and cruel but it too is a role that offers nothing new for audiences or Huston.

Overall, Edge of Darkness is a decent but generally underwhelming adaptation of the original BBC drama. Gibson and Winstone put in average performances but the film and performances don’t stand up to the quality of the original TV drama or compare favourably with similar revenge dramas. The film might satisfy some audiences and fans of Gibson but it is too average to be memorable.

Rating: 2/5

A Single Man

Director: Tom Ford
Starring: Colin Firth, Julianne Moore & Matthew Goode

An excellent drama and directorial debut for Tom Ford featuring an impressive performance from Colin Firth and is a film both impressive in design and in emotion.

Following the migration of music video and TV advert directors into the world of filmmaking, A Single Man sees the move of fashion designer Tom Ford into film. Any concerns filmgoers might have of a fashion designer directing a film are almost immediately dispelled at the results as A Single Man is an excellent drama that, unsurprising, is aesthetically beautiful but is also filled with emotion, a gripping story based on the novel by Christopher Isherwood with an excellent performance by Colin Firth in the lead role which is, perhaps, Firth’s finest on screen performance to date.

In 1962, just after the Cuban Missile Crisis, English professor George Falconer (Firth) is deep in mourning over the loss of his lover, of 16 years, Jim (Goode) to a car accident several months earlier. Tired of the day to day routine of pain, George decides this day will be different; this day will be his last. As he goes about his day and getting his affairs in order, he observes the beauties that he will miss, visits old friend Charley (Moore) and unexpectedly finds others reaching out to him including a student named Kenny (Nicholas Hoult), a drifter and Charley but will it change the ending he has planned for himself?

An impressive and emotionally engaging drama, A Single Man is filled with feeling beneath its beautifully presented surface. Unsurprisingly for a film made by a fashion designer, A Single Man is a very well presented film. With attention to period detail that recalls that of the critically acclaimed TV drama Mad Men (and set within the same era), Tom Ford also infuses the film with many visual cues. Often portrayed with George and his surroundings in faded colours, objects, people and whole scenes experience sudden rushes in colour when George is confronted with something of beauty that shapes him, however temporary, from his depression whether it be a flower he is smelling, the red lips on his assistant or the blue dress of a young girl who approaches him. The colour is even more present in scenes George shares with his student Kenny whose interest in George and his welfare touches the character and is especially present in his memories of good times spent with his lover Jim, all of which contrast with the gloom of the rest of the film which also reflect George’s emotional state. In a way, while sometimes a little too perfect or glossy, the look of A Single Man bears much in common with George himself as, in his mourning, he has retreated to a smartly presented, emotionally aloof British stereotype amongst the people he encounters in his day hiding his real feelings and depth below the surface.

A Single Man’s story is strengthened by the performance of Colin Firth as George. It is an excellent performance from Firth and, perhaps, the best of his career to date. He portrays George with weariness and pain and his attempts to portray a stuffy British demeanour around his American colleagues do not hide the emotional turmoil, the vulnerability lying beneath the surface. George’s pain is obvious as is his love for Jim. It is also impressive that Firth is able to show, not only in flashbacks of happier times, but through encounters during his ‘last day’ that there is warmth, humour and an appreciation of life at the heart of George’s character seen most in his time spent with Charley and in later scenes towards the end of his day with Kenny. Firth however, is not the only strong performer as Julianne Moore puts in a strong performance as the ageing party girl with whom George once had a relationship before admitting his own homosexuality and whose love for George and what might have been is also clear and is the vulnerability at her core now that she, like George, is separated from her partner. Matthew Goode demonstrates confidence and warmth as Jim in flashback scenes and Nicholas Hoult is likewise impressive as George’s student who bears many similarities to George and Jim.

A Single Man is an excellent drama that looks beautiful and is brimming with emotion beneath the surface. It is a film that is very honest and stirring and Colin Firth’s performance is worthy of every award or nomination it may receive. Excellent.

Rating: 5/5

Youth in Revolt

Director: Miguel Arteta
Starring: Michael Cera, Portia Doubleday & Ray Liotta

A very funny comedy, off beat in its tone and featuring an enjoyable performance from Cera who manages to subvert his usually nerdy persona with impressive and hilarious result.

While seemingly another teen comedy featuring Michael Cera in the neurotic, nerdy persona he crafted in TV series Arrested Development and employed, mostly, to good effect in films like Superbad and Juno, Youth in Revolt, directed by Miguel Arteta (of Chuck and Buck fame) surprises by being somewhat more dark and daring than what has been expected from Cera previously. Based on the novel of the same name, Youth in Revolt is surprisingly witty, enjoyable and features an impressive cast of indie and comedic talent.

Shy, neurotic virgin Nick Twisp (Cera), is unhappy with his lonely life and in living with his mother and her latest boyfriend. When one of that boyfriend’s business ventures goes bad, the family get away for a while at a trailer park where Nick meets Sheeni Saunders (Doubleday), a smart, beautiful girl who, unlike other girls, actually enjoys spending time with Nick. When Nick finds his feelings surprisingly returned by Sheeni, he finds himself dragged away when his mother moves him back home. Nick realises his only way to get back to Sheeni is to get kicked out of his mother’s home so he can live with his father and be closer to Sheeni so creates an alternate bad boy persona in Francois but Nick soon finds himself in trouble with the law and the road to being reunited with Sheeni filled with obstacles including Sheeni’s ex-boyfriend, her devoutly religious parents and those out to punish him for his misdeeds.

Youth in Revolt is an expected delight. Much of the enjoyment is had from Cera’s onscreen persona being twisted to find new depths in the creation of his character Nick’s alter ego Francois (also played by Cera). Nick, a boy who considers himself to be cultured and finding enjoyment in foreign films of an older era, crafts his alter ego to appear louche in the style of French New Wave bad boys. Effeminate in his walk, with a pencil thin moustache and a dislike of authority, Francois contrasts Nick perfectly leading to many hilarious moments when Nick loses control over his alter ego to the detriment of his own life. While some situations Nick finds himself border on unbelievable, they are delivered in an almost dead pan style that it enhances the humour more than crude slapstick delivery could accomplish. With a sharp script too, Youth in Revolt features many scenes and lines to be fondly remembered.

A lot of the enjoyment of Youth in Revolt lies with its cast and their performances. While featuring an impressive line up of talent in supporting roles such as Steve Buscemi (as Nick’s father), Fred Willard, Justin Long, Zach Galifianakis and Ray Liotta, Michael Cera manages to impress more than any in the leading roles of Nick and Francois. While the more familiar aspects of Cera’s on screen persona are ever present in his portrayal of Nick which does, on occasion, remind you of Cera’s other roles, Cera’s performance as bad boy Francois is superb. Cera seems to relish the chance to be bad and gives Francois plenty of arrogant swagger in his movements and disdain for others in his attitude that, in comparison to Cera’s performance as Nick, we are given a highly enjoyable double act. Portia Doubleday is also excellent as a French New Wave style love interest oozing intelligence and sex appeal being both seductive yet also frustratingly aloof and difficult to satisfy. It is a fun performance and one that sets Doubleday apart from usual nice girl roles and actresses usually appearing in teenage comedies.

An excellent performance from Cera exploiting and subverting his on screen persona to excellent, hilarious effect, Youth in Revolt is a highly enjoyable and sharp comedy and proof that Cera is not a one trick act.

Rating: 4/5

Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire

Director: Lee Daniels
Starring: Gabourey Sidibe, Mo’Nique & Paula Patton

A bleak, yet well performed and memorable drama. Hard to like but filled with impressive performances and provokes strong feelings.

Based on the novel Push, by Sapphire (included in the film’s full title), Precious is a film that seemingly surprised audiences on the film festival circuit in 2009, getting much acclaim for the performances, the film’s subject matter and Lee Daniel’s (producer behind Monster’s Ball and The Woodsman) execution of the story that the film has become an unlikely success despite it’s difficult subject. Precious does live up to much of the acclaim it has gathered as it is certainly memorable though still a difficult film to like.

Claireece Precious Jones (Sidibe) in an obese, illiterate 16 year old girl living in 1980s Harlem. Already tormented by her peers due to her size, education and background, Precious suffers even more at home. Emotionally bullied by her mother (Mo’Nique), being sexually abused by her father resulting in one child already and with Precious discovering she is pregnant with a second, Precious finds her only escape from the horrors of her life in fantasies where she imagines herself whisked away from her pains by handsome heroes or sees herself as a beautiful white woman. When she is kicked out of her current school, Precious is sent to a school for difficult children and finds, in her teacher Miss Blu Rain (Patton) and her social worker Miss Weiss (Mariah Carey) the help to get better educated and build a life away from her parents.

With such difficult themes as rape, incest and the usual themes of kitchen sink style dramas of abusive households and troubled upbringings, Precious is a film that is frequently too grim to like and sometimes runs the risk of being too bleak with the life of Precious Jones feeling unbelievable at times if not for stories that appear in the media highlighting such cases like these in real life. What sets Precious apart from other such films is in its honesty in the emotional damage such lives have upon those living them. Precious Jones is presented as a well realised character and the portrayal of her fantasy life as an escape from her troubles not only adds very interesting and memorable departures from the realities the character faces (one scene where she sees herself in the mirror as a pretty, slim, white girl is particularly memorable in Precious’ belief that such people don’t suffer as she does) but is also a very believable coping mechanism for those suffering emotional and physical abuse. Unlike rags to riches stories like Slumdog Millionaire where suffering leads to a happy ending for the protagonist, Precious doesn’t offer any false attempts at a happy ending though Precious’ life ends in a much better state than it begins, that, along with the strong performances throughout make Precious a film that you will remember, even if you’d rather not dwell on the issues portrayed.

The performances in Precious are mostly quite impressive. Newcomer Gabourey Sidibe gives a strong performance in the lead role of Precious Jones balancing the character’s sadness and depression in her real life with believable joy in her fantasy life and keeping her character sympathetic despite her own flaws and not just because of her character’s experiences. Mo’Nique puts in a frightening performance as Precious’ overbearing mother, a performance at odds with the actress’ stand up comedienne persona and very believable. Paula Patton is fine as the teacher Miss Blu Rain though, perhaps, too nice at times and less memorable amongst the other performances which includes a quite surprising dramatic, and strong, turn from singer Mariah Carey as a tough social worker dealing with Precious’ situation.

Precious is not a feel-good movie but it is an impressive and memorable film with a heart-breaking story and generally strong performances from it’s cast. It is too bleak to really enjoy but is still a stirring drama.

Rating: 4/5