Circle of Life: Review of Boyhood

Boyhood

Director: Richard Linklater

By Alex Watson

There are some directions who have pet projects which can either make or break a career. For Michael Cimino it was his big budget disaster ‘Heavens Gate’ which failed to deliver either critically and commercially and effectively killed his career. Or the three years that Francis Ford Coppola invested making ‘Apocalypse Now’ which although legendary came at great cost to his finances. In 2014, Richard Linklater has outdone them all and delivered a picture 12 years in the making! Boyhood has been one of this years most anticipated, but will the long journey bring the desired result?

Mason (Eller Coltrane) is a six year old kid who lives in Texas with his mother Olivia (Patricia Arquette) and his sister Samantha (Lorelei Linklater). Over the course of the next 12 years, Mason learns some of life’s hard lessons and gets moved around continuously in search of a better life. Through this reconnects with his father, Mason Sr (Ethan Hawke), falls in love and in the course of things learns to become a better person.

Boyhood is a wonderfully realized masterpiece by Richard Linklater and I am proud to inform you that his passion and commitment to his project has paid off magnificently. Linklater takes his time to tell Mason’s story, but his transformation from being a shy and quiet young man into a self assured and confident young adult feels very naturalistic and the tale flows excellently as a result. There are many clever clues to the passing of time such as haircuts, Obama signposts and changing of motor vehicles- but throughout this tale we are transfixed by Mason. But this isn’t just any ordinary story and in some senses this is a movie about learning to become human and overcoming what obstacles block your path.

Adults and their influence play a vital role in this movie, Mason’s parents are not perfect by any means. Olivia is a smart woman who repeatedly gets together with alcoholic men who always turn out the same way- where his father is a fun loving slacker who is still himself learning to grow up. But although they have their flaws are guilty of dropping the ball on more than one occasion, they are still loving and devoted- because of this Mason becomes a better man. But these segments bring about some the movies most hysterical and emotionally charged moments, such as an awkward father/daughter talk about sex! 

Perhaps the most charming element of Boyhood though, is the fact how just about any person who views this can relate to any number of the scenes of Mason growing up. As we view him flicking through a lingerie magazine with his friend, or see him wandering around the streets of Austin slowly but effortlessly in love with his then girlfriend or even goofing off in a nearly renovated house with his slacker friends, all of this rings true for the audience. The result here is one that is effortlessly charming and with an excellent soundtrack including The Hives, Arcade Fire and The Flaming Lips- our hearts glow.

Eller Coltrane emerges a real star of the screen and his progressive performance from the age of six onwards is a joy to behold. Watching him rise to becoming a charismatic and thoughtful adult on the verge of something great marks him out a future star. Undertaking this type of a role could have either flown or crashed the film, but Coltrane ensures that it flies higher than we could have imagined!

Ethan Hawke is equally mesmerizing as his well meaning but slightly confused father, but his performance is so engrossing that we quickly grow to love this mans presence and he is the kind of person you would have to hang out with. A Linklater regular, Hawke succeeds in delivering the goods and we quickly forgive any misgivings this character may bring. Patricia Arquette is also suitably excellent as Olivia and although we have not seen her regularly onscreen recently- this wonderful impassioned performance more than makes up for lost time.

Boyhood was a big gamble for Linklater to undertake, but the end result has been his finest and most mature movie of his career. This movie will serve as one of the finest and most moving of the year and we will make us think over the moments of our childhood far more carefully- because the moments we hate the most are always the ones that can shape us!

The Polar Express: Review of Snowpiercer

Snowpiercer

Director: Boon-Joon Ho

By Alex Watson

Everyone hates a morning commute to work on the train, we are all penned in like cattle and pay fares which are always steadily increasing. Well imagine if you will actually having to live on one! This week Korean director Boon Joon-Ho shows us a radical version of the future where such a life actually exists in his movie, Snowpiercer. After mass controversy about its US/Canadian release due to Harvey Weinstein insisting on constant edits, Joon-Ho’s vision has finally made it and the anticipation has been high. But will two hours stuck on a train really make for good viewing?

In the year 2031, the world has been a frozen wasteland due a horrific chemical experiment to stop Global Warming years before. The surviving humans are forced to live inside a large train called Snowpiercer. Each carriage is divided by class and ruled with an iron fist by President Mason (Tilda Swinton). The tail inhabitants led by Curtis (Chris Evans) and Edgar (Jamie Bell) are plotting a revolution to end the class rule and to do this, they will need to fight their way to the front and take the most sacred part- the engine!

Snowpiercer is a truly remarkable piece of work by Boon Joon-Ho and it has been worth every minute of its long delay. A visual masterpiece along with being an engaging thrill ride, early on the movie goes into overdrive and this exciting effect rarely drags. Despite the physical limitations, there are many heart stopping moments along the way and each carriage they make an assault on brings a newer and more dangerous challenge. such as the moment where our heroes stumble across an army of armed soldiers- cue bloody and limbs being shed as the cross a large bridge followed by a long black tunnel (also look out for the most bizarre New Year celebration you will ever see).

We are shown a future where hope is a dangerous thing and those who dare to dream are severely punished. There is an almost Stalinist type feel to early scenes where we the poor inhabitants crowded into cramp carriages living in squalid conditions. Class rule is one of the key elements of this movie and the message from Mason is “I belong to the front, you belong to the tail” Joon-Ho however doesn’t get lost in a political argument and instead gives us a simple but effective tale of people simply wanting to be free. The moment however, when the groups rescues junkie ‘Security Expert’ Namgoong Minsu (Song-Kang ho) this gives their effort massive (albeit drug related) shot in the arm.

Curtis is the default leader of the group but is nervous about doing so. But he beautifully sums up the struggles of the poor class in one wonderfully emotional monologue towards the films end and with one line “I know what people taste like and I know babies taste best.” suddenly his whole mentality devastatingly clicks into place. Such moments of simple humanity rarely exists in movies like these and this kind of thing elevates Snowpiercer above the norm.

Amidst the tension and continually building animosity between class, Joon-Ho finds moments of surreal yet hilarious humour. In one scene, our heroes visit a class room overseen by an overly peppy teacher (Alison Pill) who after showing a hammy propaganda film about unseen leader ‘Wilford’ she bursts into the zany sing-song ‘The Engine is Eternal’ which at the time will seem bizzare- but be prepared for a surprise afterwards!

But the real moment we are counting down to is the groups final confrontation with Wilford (Actor name to be withheld) and this doesn’t disappoint, because all the bitterness comes to fruition, particularly when we see just how his sacred engine is being run! But the end shot is the one that will stay with us as it suggests a beautiful new possibility for humanities future!

Chris Evans once more proves he is star material as Curtis, but this turn requires a lot more from his than usual and for once, Evans shows how diverse his range can be. This is one of the more emotionally complex performances he will show us and gives proof that this man is more than just Captain America. But its Tilda Swinton who perhaps steals the show as the Yorkshire accented leader Mason- almost unrecognizable underneath heavy make up- her buck toothed character is both gut wrenching but also great comic relief at the same point. 

Although it may have taken its time to reach North America, Snowpiercer is by far one of the most original and stunning concepts that 2014 will bring and offers a unique mix of playfulness, excitement and feeling. I have no doubt this will be among my top 10 list for the year! Just think about this movie on your next train commute.

Five Great Baseball Characters

1. Ray ‘Crash’ Davis (Bull Durham)

 

Kevin Costner and Baseball have always gone well together and his turn as veteran minor league catcher Crash Davis was a career best for the man. What makes Crash such an appealing character is the fact that he knows his career has past him by (except for his 21 glorious days in the majors) and he sets about becoming mentor to talent pitcher Ebby (Tim Robbins) to help him succeed where has failed. Also his superb speech about the things that he believes in will eternally rank as one of the most motivational ones in Baseball

2. Billy Beane (Moneyball)

A real life character yes, but Brad Pitt’s interpretation of the well noted Oakland A’s GM is truly fantastic. Managing one of the poorest teams in Baseball and placing his entire career on a risky idea involving sabre-metrics, Beane is literally living on the edge. But through all the uncertainty, we firmly root for this man due his steadfast approach to his idea and through this he changes the face of baseball forever- even if it means making tough choices and going against the people closest to him. His meetings with his scouts exemplify his attitude towards old time Baseball.

 

3. Ricky ‘Wild Thing’ Vaughn (Major League)

Pitchers don’t come more entertaining than the Wild Thing, from the moment we see him getting the call to join the Cleveland Indians (from prison no less) we know this is no ordinary man. The man has a fast arm, but no control and this becomes a burden for the team. But as he learns the art of throwing a strike- he becomes the man with the golden arm. One of Charlie Sheen’s better post Platoon performances and through his devil may care attitude- a baseball movie legend was born! After watching this, I guarantee you will be singing X’s version of ‘Wild Thing’ continuously in the coming days.

4. Bruce Pearson (Bang The Drum Slowly)

One of Robert De Niro’s most unknown performances, but nonetheless one of his most powerful. Bruce Pearson is a semi-literate catcher for the fictional New York Mammoths who is currently dying from Hodgkin’s Disease. The organisation wants of him, but his friend Henry (Michael Moriarty) is determined to fight for him, but cannot explain why! De Niro’s firmly captures our hearts and his turn as simple natured Bruce is one of the most compelling, but as the team begins to rally around him it begins to fill his final days with joy.

5. Kenny Powers (Eastbound and Down)

Based upon notoriously loud and foul mouthed pitcher John Rocker, Danny McBride’s turn as Kenny Powers has lit up all four series of this fine comedy show. With an ego the size of the US, this man is an ex star pitcher whose lousy attitude has seen him thrown out of most MLB teams. Now he is being forced to pick up the pieces of his ruined career- but still refuses to accept his career is done. Oddly his supreme arrogance succeeds in drawing him closer to the audience! Purely because we want to just how a second chance would treat him. Or maybe it just because we love hearing “You’re Fucking Out!”

 

 

 

The New World: Review of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Director: Matt Reeves

By Alex Watson

 

Planet of the Apes was considered long dead ever since Tim Burton’s disastrous (albeit wonderfully designed) attempt back in 2000. By after Rupert Wyatt’s well received re-boot effort ‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes’ back in 2011, it appears that this franchise has a new lease of life! This week our ape friends come hurtling back onto our screens again and they are gearing close to world domination in Cloverfield director, Matt Reeves’ film Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.

Set 10 years after the ALZ-113 virus has all but wiped out the worlds human population, Caesar (Andy Serkis) and his other ape companions live a contented existence in the forest of San Francisco, where they hope to be alone. But any hopes for peace between the two races are quickly shattered by mistrust and violence. Family man Malcolm (Jason Clarke) works in vain to prevent an onslaught, but his boss Dreyfus (Gary Oldman) has other ideas.

After Rupert Wyatt’s unfortunate departure, Reeves skillfully picks up the torch and delivers a great sequel and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is both thrilling and very emotionally real. The world we see if a very different one and San Francisco has been ravaged by war and humanity is barely holding on. The tone of this movie is somewhat more serious than previously and human/ape relations are continually on a knife edge due the previous violent and this provides the movie with a tense atmosphere.

Family is a major theme of this movie and Malcolm and Caesar are both equals. They are both family men striving for peace and to keep their families safe, but are continually thwarted by the people around them. Their bonding is the heart of the movie and an uneasy friendship is gradually born amongst all hell breaking hell loose. Caesar is the predominate feature of Reeves movie as he is a jaded warrior who although is willing to fight to protect his people, also wants the blood shed to cease which has caused friction among the ranks.

The main problems comes from human hating ape Koba (Toby Kebbell) whose slowly disintegrating respect for his leader takes his people into dangerous and more violent new territory. Dreyfus on the other hand is emotionally scarred man who wants rebuild the old world and sets about rallying the remaining survivors by telling war is necessary, despite Malcolm’s plea that the apes should be left alone, he disregards this advice with devastating results.

Matt Reeves shows great adaptability as a director and he easily slips into the role of blockbuster maker and brings us a visual stunning world. His greatest triumph on Dawn of the Planet of the Apes comes in a thrilling show down as the apes storm the human compound. One stunning revolving shot shows Koba capturing a tank and through the 360 degree chaos shown- humanities hopes hang by a thread as he nears their door! But its the end sequence that will have the most impact as we feel a new world looming, but may not be one of unity.

Andy Serkis is a long last beginning to get the credit he deserves for his motion capture work and as Caesar he gives a performances that is phenomenal! His is given a troubled persona as a conflicted leader, but Serkis succeeds in bringing this out on screen and his perfomance is incredibly moving and he shows a depth of emotion rarely seen in an animated character.

The always consistent Jason Clarke is a great choice as lead human Malcolm, after years of succeeding films such as Zero Dark Thirty, Lawless and TV’s Brotherhood, Clarke finally gets to show his leading credentials and he passes with flying colours. Malcolm isn’t the most interesting character that the series will show, but Clarke gives him a likeability that makes us want him to get through to Caesar and avoid the potential war. 

Although some may view this merely as a filler before the next installment, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is by far this years best sequel and gives more light to the fact that this series is back- and it sure means business! Caesar you’re welcome back any time!

Coming To America: Review of The Immigrant

The Immigrant 

Director: James Gray 

By Alex Watson 

 

Arriving in a new nation can be a very scary thing indeed. You have no knowledge or understanding of the culture before you and have no idea who to trust. I can relate to this fact twice over, but since I have recently moved to Toronto, my adaptation was perhaps less than some. Regular partners Joaquin Phoenix and director James Gray re-unite this year in their 2013 Palme D’or nominated movie, The Immigrant which gives a powerful example of a woman doing all she can to survive in the face of increasing odds. 

in 1921, Ewa Cybulski (Marion Cotillard) is a Polish who just arrived at Ellis Island, New York with her sister after escaping Great War Poland. But moments after arriving her sister is quarantined and Ewa is threatened with deportation!  Suddenly she is rescued by Bruno Weiss (Joaquin Phoenix), but things are not as they seem and it soon comes through that Bruno is a man of low morals. To survive Ewa is forced to become a prostitute to makes ends meet and begins to hate herself! Things also get complicated by the introduction of magician Emil (Jeremy Renner). 

The Immigrant is a journey that every emotionally taxing, but it is worth every minute of viewing time and through the magnificent direction of James Gray- we are given a potent and heart rendering example of a woman paying a terrible price to survive. There is an almost ‘Godfather Part II’ feel to the early Ellis Island scenes, particularly due to the bronze tinted cinematography by Darius Khondji. Here Ewa is thrown into a strange new world and within seconds her world is torn apart. Bruno at first appears to be a white knight, but soon his devious side appears and he forces to work in the erotic club he frequents to exploit herself for much needed cash. The worse part for Ewa, is that although she loathes this life, she depends on Bruno and has no way out! 

Ewa is a woman who is deeply traumatised (she even recoils at Bruno attempting to hug her) and all throughout her grief intensifies- her stage debut as an erotic dancer is like something from a horror film and we can powerfully feel her insecurities and doubts. Although she attempts running away, Bruno always seems to show up and eventually breaks her in to her new profession by making her her sleep with a scared teenager to prove to his father he is ‘manly’. After he snidely remarks “You helped your sister today.” The money she makes is slowly bringing her towards her goal of rescuing her sister, but she can only bide her time for this. 

At the centre is a bizarre love triangle, Bruno is a man with a twisted moral compass, but he seems to truly feel something for Ewa, problem is Ewa truly hates him as she informs him early on “I like the money, I don’t like you!” His inner pain of these rejected feelings causes him to act out violently and in some cases he is like a spoiled child. But in the films slower second half, his character goes through a severe change and as his cocky and bashful layers are stripped away, a sweeter and more considerate  man appears. 

Things in The Immigrant are given a dramatic change when magician Emil rears his head. We want to believe he is a decent man who really means to take Ewa away from the awful life that she has. But his introduction sparks a fierce war with Bruno and from the outset we can tell this will be civil war and collateral damage will be brought! But against all odds, James Gray gives an ending which is very gut wrenching but immensely uplifting- the final shot will stay with you for some time after as it shows just what different directions lives will take! 

Marion Cotillard is simply excellent as Ewa and she is able to brilliantly convey her sense of trauma in Gray’s movie. With a convincing Polish accent, Cotillard proves just why she is one of the finest European actresses today as she shows us a woman on the verge of a new phase, but will forever be marked by her horrific arrival to the States. Joaquin Phoenix is also a revelation as Bruno, a man brooding and desperate who his feeling for the girl he has exploited. But Phoenix strives to make him likeable somehow and his quality continually shines through.

Almost a year after it wowed Cannes, Gray’s movie The Immigrant has been a wait worth having and we will struggle to see a more harrowing journey than this one in 2014. Phoenix and Gray and are partnership that is really starting to click well and it is wonderful to see them back together again. Just remember when you arrive in a new place- trust no one!  

Explosions In The Sky: Review of Transformers: Age of Extinction

Transformers: Age of Extinction

Director: Michael Bay

By Alex Watson

The Transformers franchise will never make any critics top 10 all time list any time in the next century. What it does do however is make money and judging by the $1 billion plus overhaul of the third instalment, they are safe bets box office wise. Mr Explosions himself, Michael Bay has now brought us a fourth adventure for Optimus Prime and co in Transformers: Age of Extinction. But this time Mark Wahlberg has replaced Shia LaBeouf (and everyone secretly rejoices). But will this change of direction mean better things for this series?

Set during the fall out the ‘Battle of Chicago’, Auto-bots are being hunted down by a secret CIA unit led by Harold Attinger (Kelsey Granmmer) and are slowly being wiped out. Meanwhile in Texas, failed inventor Cade Yeager (Mark Wahlberg) is faced with his farm being foreclosed and will fail to send his daughter Tessa (Nicole Peltz) to college. But one day when he brings home an old truck, he stumbles upon none other than Optimus Prime (voiced by Peter Cullen) and from there, events take a dangerous turn as a mysterious robot bounty hunter is intent on destroying the human race.

Die hard fans will no what be thrilled by the fourth instalment, but if you are expecting a new revolution with Bay’s franchise, then please dim your hopes right here because Transfomers: Age of Extinction provides same cheap thrills as it did before. Bay seems intent on distracting us from the plot by applying as many pretty looking battle scenes as he can. Although the visuals and the bots themselves impress- the plot seems dangerously thin on the ground and we spend the majority of the time wondering exactly is happening? For example, we never gain closure on just why the Autobots are being wiped out other than the fact that Attinger simply doesn’t like them.

Also like its previous counterparts, there feels like there is too much going on to quickly, within the first hour we meet the working class underdogs, the CIA killers, the Bots and the other killer space robots who according to Bay’s history wiped out the dinosaurs to make way for themselves! The film creaks under its long running time and despite and impressive finale set in Beijing and the anticipated (and impressive) introduction of the Dinobots, we begin to feel dizzy from the sheer overload that we are given and by the end you stumble almost drunk out of the cinema.

The introduction of new character Cade is refreshing for this movie because we see a desperate man who is literally doing all he can to survive. As we open, he visits an old and long closed movie theatre for anything he can make a buck from. Although we find the notion of him being an inventor quite far fetched, we still root for him to change his life and find a new meaning. When he stumbles upon Optimus though, the plot takes a turn for the worse and from there the logic becomes managed and the story only seems to involve the family permanently running away from things. Although he is welcome change from Shia LaBeouf’s irritating bleating throughout the past three adventures, he is isn’t enough to take this film to a new level.

Bay does find rare moments of charm in this movie, such as the introduction of billionaire inventor Joshua Joyce who is in a partnership with the CIA and has developed a super new metal originally called ‘Transformium’ Joyce’s quirkiness brings the movie to life when it threats to die out. His hysterical laughing fit in a Beijing elevator will bring a smile to even the harshest critic. The same cannot be said for Attinger who is disappointing one note and is given little more to do than have a poker face look throughout. With such a dark presence and a fine actor like Kelsey Grammer, this really could have been so much more.
Mark Wahlberg does well as Cade and although he doesn’t provide the lift we were hoping for, he feels better suited to Bay movie than many before him. One of today’s more consistent actors, Wahlberg does well to convince as struggling father and his gradual turn around from big dream to alien gun touting father is one of the films more impressive aspects. Stanley Tucci however, steals the show as Joyce and his pretentious moneybags persona is slowly chipped away. Single handled he gives the much needed comic relief and proves just why he is one of the most impressive supporting actors around.

To summarize, fans will love this new film, others most likely will not. The box office bell is already ringing loudly in North America so far and it seems certain we will see another outing for Optimus Prime and co soon. Transformers: Age of Extinction is far from being a terrible movie, but Michael Bay is still a lifetime away from having this being considered one of the great franchises.