Over the lockdown, I became a big Downton Abbey fan. I was swept away by the good-natured charm of the characters and it really was a delight to watch each episode and continually be surprised by people just doing good things for one another despite some tough turns. So after six seasons and a 2019 big-screen film I was eagerly awaiting a return to Downton for the continuing escapades of the Crawley's and their familiars.
Last night (date night) we went along to a screening of Downton Abbey: A New Era and were not disappointed quite the contrary. What a corker of an evening.
This is a fitting review as shark week has just kicked off. I loved Johannes Roberts' 47 Metres Down it is a real popcorn edge of your seat film.
Ok, let's get it out of the way I scuba dive and have an interested in marine life – blame Jacques Cousteau's fantastic TV series The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau and my Gran for making sure we watched the show every Saturday afternoon. I have been fortunate to travel to some of the most incredible dive spots in the world seeking to explore and communion with nature. Amongst those travels I ended up in a cage under a boat whilst the most feared apex predator in the oceans chased a tuna head towards the cage I was in.
Earlier this week the lady & I had a special date as we kicked off 2017 by heading to the O2 Arena for the European Premiere of the third film in the XXX series, which sees Vin Diesel's return to the franchise - xXx: Return of Xander Cage.
After a delay, apparently caused by Vin Diesel's helicopter arriving late, yes, you read that correctly Vin Diesel arrived by helicopter and the rest of the cast arrived by taking a luxury speedboat out along the Thames.
Video: xXx: Return of Xander Cage | European Premiere in London | Paramount Pictures UK
A couple of weeks back I was fortunate to go along to an early screening of Shane Black's The Nice Guys starring Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling. By now you probably know it is a “buddy movie”. A sub genre that cumulatively led to, and, peaked with brilliance in the late 80s with some genuinely engaging films either benefiting or hinging on an odd couple pairing - tinged with drama and humour like; Gene Wilder & Richard Pryor continuing their hilarious partnership with Sidney Poitier's brilliant Stir Crazy (1980), Nick Nolte & Eddie Murphy in Walter Hill's 48 Hrs. (1982), arguably, as it was heavy on the humour and less focussed on the danger - Chevy Chase & Dan Aykroyd in John Landis' Spies Like Us (1985), Billy Crystal & Gregory Hines in Peter Hyams' Running Scared (1986), Danny Glover & Mel Gibson in Richard Donner's Lethal Weapon (1987), Arnold Schwarzenegger & James Belushi in Walter Hill's Red Heat (1988), Robert De Niro & Charles Grodin in Martin Brest's Midnight Run (1988) and Bruce Willis & Damon Wayans in Tony Scott's The Last Boy Scout (1991) since then there have been flashes every now and then of the old buddy magic like Robert Downey Jnr. & Val Kilmer in Shane Black's Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005), Sean Pegg & Nick Frost in their and Edgar Wright's Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy and Sandra Bullock & Melissa McCarthy in Paul Feig's The Heat (2013), there are probably many more but I can't think of them off the top of my head right now.
W hat a film! I was absolutely thrilled by and loved Zack Snyder's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice - it truly is an Epic Super hero film in every sense. I haven't felt this excited about a comic film since Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins and I have to say all things considered Zack Snyder's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice might just be my favourite DC film!
This is the first of two posts concerning Zack Snyder's Batman v Superman in this one I discuss my thoughts on the film and why I loved it so much. In my second post things get more interesting as I go a bit deeper and look at the set-up scenes; Knightmare, Ding, ding, ding, ding, Communion and Cyborg's birth and discuss what they could mean and their impact on the DC film universe.
Batman v Superman has very quickly settled into my minds eye as part of the mainstream continuity of the world created by the comics. Partly because Zack Snyder and writers Chris Terrio and David S. Goyer make such a such a great film that is respectful to the spirit of the characters and the source material, adding depth in such ingenious ways whilst taking it in new and surprising directions that I cant wait to see where they take us next.
And partly because this is the world I have wanted to see on screen for a very long time. Earth's mightiest heroes on screen in a credible modern world. 30 years in the making since Frank Miller's 1986 iconic The Dark Knight Returns mini series laid the framework for the clash of Earth's mightiest heroes.
Batman v Superman Frank Miller The Dark Knight Returns [+]
Prior to that, since there first meeting in 1956 (and subsequent first meetings) Batman and Superman have maintained a good, even close relationship. Batman recognising that a seemingly all powerful man, whose greatest power was never his strength but that he was the living embodied of idealistic hope never faltering in his belief that humanity was at its core good and needed to be protected, an alien that was always the best of us.
Superman acutely understood his friends loss and why he pushed himself past the point of breaking to fulfil his quest of protecting his city, and always maintained that he was the most courageous man he knew - despite not having any powers he put himself in harms way time after time to protect the innocent.
This friendship resulted in the the world's mightiest heroes teaming up as the World's Finest and eventually the Justice League. But as our world changed and readers needs transformed our heroes as they underwent their own character development. Resulting in idealogical differences. With Batman v Superman we explore what would happen if these two different characters were to meet for the first time in our modern world?
BEN AFFLECK as Batman and HENRY CAVILL as Superman in Warner Bros. Pictures' action adventure "BATMAN v SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE," a Warner Bros. Pictures release.[ZOOM]
If you take one thing away from reading this it is that Zack Snyder clearly loves the characters and has made a film for those who love the material, as well as those who want to come along and experience a thrilling and fantastical world filled with exceptional beings.
I wasn't bowled over by Man of Steel. There were many elements I really enjoyed and some I really didn't. But it is clear that Man of Steel had to exist to give us the characters that take the story forward in Batman v Superman. Zack Snyder is playing a long game and its paying off.
There are some spoilers below, even more in my second upcoming post – but for this post I've tried not to be explicit about the story.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice hacked poster [ZOOM]
With Valentine's Day coming up I thought I would put together some thoughts on what is obviously the only romantic tale worth watching with your other half (and that will bring you closer together over some popcorn) - Deadpool.
Deadpool Valentines True Love Never Dies Poster (ZOOM)
How do you frame something Deadpool? If you could the makers of the new Deadpool film haven't done a very good job because Deadpool is supposed to be un-frame-able in fact he breaks the frame and the fourth wall. It's kind of like his thing. But what I can try do is give you a framework for thinking upon Ryan Reynolds' latest film a big screen adaptation of Marvel's Deadpool. It's a love story, a horror story, a different kind of super hero story and it's damn funny too.
So what's the film about? Well, you know what's its about - you've seen the multitude of clips and trailers and any other super hero films in the last decade - and right from the jaw dropping establishing shots in the stunning title sequence of the film the film-makers let you know, that they know, that you know and they are going to have a lot fun with it - including references to: "starring God's perfect idiot", "a Moody Teenager", "Comedic side relief", "hot love interest" and "a British Villain" whilst also sneaking references to Green Lantern and the creators of the Deadpool comic character Fabian Nicieza or FZ and Rob Liefeld aka RL.
I had hoped to end last year with what I would consider a proverbial bang discussing a my cinematic highlight of 2015, instead I'm kicking off 2016 with that bang of a standard that will hopefully continue throughout the year.
There are many reasons as to why it was my cinematic event of the year if you read The Establishing Shot you'll probably be aware that I am all about the immersive experience and it's unlikely that I'll have as great viewing of a film for a very long time, if ever.
For better or worse I often struggle to appropriately articulate some of what I consider highlight or milestone experiences - words don't fail me rather I feel that these experiences are somewhat diminished when curating them for a broader audience. I have been fortunate to enjoy a number of extremely exceptional experiences that I have kept to/for myself as I have felt that in the end - they mean more to me personally than they would as just another blog post on the web. The irony being that was one of the reasons I started The Establishing Shot in the first place (add something here about moving over the festive season and losing a laptop with the original draft of this post).
Towards the end of last year I was extraordinarily fortunate along with a handful of others to see Quentin Tarantino's The Hateful Eight as it was meant to be seen in all it's gloriousness. That staggering experience was a highlight of 2015 for me and further turned into a milestone memory when I got to chat with Quentin Tarantino about the making of The Hateful Eight.
To be fair it seemed Legend was on the back foot with me from the get go. I am most definitely not a fan of straight up East End gangster films, especially if they are set in the 50/60s. The reality of post war trauma seems to bleed into every aspect of creativity and tales of this time seem mired in the bleak kitchen sink social realism that had become the mainstay sensibility of the day.
Sadly, this still proliferates the British gangster genre. And for me at least, it always seems that in an effort to show “how it really was/is” the entertainment value of the film is smothered, stuffed uncomfortably into a cement laden barrel and then dumped in the Thames. Don't even get me started on the authentically dark camera work and more often than not dank locations.
This is of course a sweeping generalisation and there is something inherently British about this combination that sometimes gives seed to masterful acting, great character studies, immersive style Cinéma vérité or poignant storytelling but more than not it's overshadowed by a noticeable diminishing of the entertainment factor. Some of my favourite noir films have sprung from this very combination like Jules Dassin's unforgettable Night and the City, Joseph Losey's Time Without Pity and more recently Paul McGuigan's Gangster No. 1 and more that I cannot think of off the cuff.
Add to that, that I am by no means a fan or have any interest in The Kray Twins. Ronnie and Reggie sound like wholly unlikeable chaps, again to be fair I have limited knowledge of the subject matter.
All that combined under the film's tagline: “The notorious true story of The Kray Twins” should have spelt cinematic disaster for me.
Legend
Legend tells the story of two twins, Reggie and Ronald Kray and how they became two of the most notorious gangsters in history.
Director: Brian Helgeland Writer: Brian Helgeland, John Pearson Stars: Tom Hardy, Tom Hardy, Emily Browning, Taron Egerton, Paul Bettany, Aneurin Barnard, David Thewlis, Christopher Eccleston, Chazz Palminteri
I don’t know what the truth is but I thought to find something in the middle of all of that would be the truest thing I could do and I was interested in humanising them in a way.” - Legend Director, Brian Helgeland
I didn't really have much expectation or knowledge of John Erick Dowdle or his film No Escape going in to see it. In fact I thought the trailer looked to be incendiary given the current state of affairs. Don't get me wrong it is a very well made trailer that definitely had me interested in the film but forced me into a crisis of conscience given the content - that is a seemingly wholly evil nation of bloodthirsty savages baying for the blood of wholly innocent Americans.
The shine of what is otherwise a very slick trailer was immediately replaced by the hope that No Escape was not an early indication that the mood in the air is manifesting itself in a return to the propagandist and exploitive, cynical style of 80s Hollywood cinema that had a regressive American foreign policy at his core, a policy that ultimately reasons that only the return of Rambo can save us from the great evil again.
Thankfully, even if it is - I didn't really care as pretty quickly I was swept away in the gripping tale of a family's harrowing flight through a danger fraught city. Just to return to the trailer quickly - it is one of those scenarios where the film is pretty much exactly what is promised by the trailer – a schlocky, albeit very slick schlock (did I just invent a new genre? slick-schlock pronounced like Hip Hop), grindhouse style film for the double bill - midnight crowd. Possibly an indication of whether you will enjoy No Escape (which I did) is watching the trailer first - if it's effective to you, you'll probably like the film. But it's a bit of a Catch 22 - as the trailer gives away vital plot elements which are better left discovered during the viewing.
No Escape UK Quad Poster in cinemas 4 September 2015 (ZOOM)
Marvel's latest big screen Summer blockbuster Ant-Man is still winning over audiences in the UK cinemas and is currently riding high in the UK box office but a couple of weeks ago I was fortunate to attend the European press conference for the release of Marvel's Ant-Man and had the opportunity to ask the lead cast as well as director Peyton Reed some burning questions about Ant-Man as well as hear some interesting bits from the Ant-Man team.
The Ant-Man European Press Conference was a grand affair held at London's Corinthia Hotel and in contrast to the small theme of Ant-Man it was rather big. Attending the press conference were most of Ant-Man's lead cast; Scott Lang / Ant-Man himself Paul Rudd, Mr. Michael Douglas who plays Dr. Hank Pym and Michael Peña who takes the role of a close associate of Scott Lang, Luis. The chat was moderated by the people's champion and all round film buff Empire's Chris Hewitt.
Further below I have outlined some of the interesting bits from the conference, which sadly does not convey the camaraderie, humour or quick fire wit on display on the day, so I will add videos from the conference as soon as they are uploaded.
I guess I should frame Ant-Man a little. Boom tish! Ant-Man is a lot of fun with big laughs but it wasn't my favourite Marvel film. I think, whilst different elements will most certainly engage and entertain different audience segments - so everyone will have some fun. I did however feel it was largely aimed at a much younger audience than myself. Much of the film whilst fun while it happens on screen was instantly forgettable for me, with novelty and conventionality overriding depth or meaning and the film feels a little piecemeal to me. But there is a story in there that has the hallmarks of Marvel's sparkling ingenuity.
Having said that - I felt exactly the same way whilst watching Guardians of the Galaxy a lot of fun but before the end of the film most of it was lost in a swirl of spectacle and explosions. Bear in mind Guardians of the Galaxy was a mega success across the board so if you enjoyed it - you'll enjoy Ant-Man. Also Probably worth bearing in mind that within the Guardians of the Galaxy comics story arc the film covers the start and in my opinion the weakest part of the larger story, it gets a lot better.
I thought I was able to easily manage my expectations of Ant-Man the film mainly as I was not really a reader of the Scott Lang era The Astonishing Ant-Man comics. But I am a huge *fan*, which is possibly not the right word if you know Hank Pym's turbulent history, let's say, I am very fascinated by Henry or Hank Pym as he is most well known. Along with many other wonderful characters he was a small part of my childhood and there is no doubt that he is certainly one of the most complex characters in the Marvel Universe.
In that regard many may acclaim and hold Alan Moore's The Watchmen as the tipping point in mainstream comics where it become acceptable for the good guys to also be afflicted by personal adult issues - but Hank Pym was there first. And I was really hoping that some of that came through into the Ant-Man.
My introduction to Hank Pym was in what I thought would be a quirky once off story, that became an ongoing strip in Tales to Astonish, the same title that later brought us the return of The Incredible Hulk and Namor the Sub-Mariner. And Hank Pym's adventures were of the weird, wonderful, astounding and unexpected kind. Along with his partner The Wasp they kicked ass and scienced their way out of some tricky situations.
Their adventures were always steeped in Science Fiction and in this respect the Ant-Man film plot does indeed capture the essence of those early comics.
Before seeing the film my approach was that - even if Hank Pym's presence isn't the focus it's OK after all it doesn't really matter who wears the suit it's a symbol – as long as someone is wearing it.
But after leaving the cinema I felt more strongly about the whole - anyone can wear the suit thing. For me in Ant-Man's case it really is the man in the suit that matters which made me remember why I wasn't that interested in the Scott Lang era Ant-Man comics.
Hank Pym was a brilliant man who built something and because of events in his life wanted to do good, sadly tragedy and fragmentation follows him. I was hoping that this would come through in the film. A little bit of it does but not enough - and this is all the more frustrating as director Peyton Reed made it clear that this element of Ant-Man is something that he was interested in as well. If you read on further below Reed makes it clear that if all the stars align and Ant-Man returns in a sequel the door may be open to expanding on Hank Pym's story and character. If so and all the signs are correct I'm guessing that we can expect some early Ant-Man with enough political intrigue and action to rival the brilliant X-Men: First Class/X-Men: Days of Future Past.
... Also it wasn't lost on me that Hank Pym in the comics is such a complicated character and we had a very complicated man playing that character, we had Michael that has an amazing career playing characters with a lot of grey area, and really we just wanted to deepen that character.” - Ant-Man Director, Peyton Reed
There is poetry in the tale of an ordinary man whose problems seem to big and insurmountable that sometimes putting on a suit that makes you small is the only way to overcome them. But Scott Lang comes across as just another victim of circumstance thrust by others into doing what he does, he doesn't seem to be a man of conviction, whilst occasionally cracking a joke. For me the hero by chance thing really doesn't work and I think may be the reason I wasn't so taken with the Scott Lang's Ant-Man comics in the first place. Even the new, new Irredeemable Ant-ManEric O'Grady who is a plain old bad egg has a fantastic universe and characters around him- making him entertaining.
Again this may all be a non issue for anyone who has not read a Hank Pym comic and will be swept away with the new Ant-Man.
I was fortunate to get an early look at some Ant-Man footage a while back and really enjoyed what I saw, granted the cuts I saw were all about the action which is something that Ant-Man does really well. However I did struggle with some of the characters motivations, rational and actions. The performers really aren't given enough time or substance to bring weight to their larger than life personalities. In previous Marvel films sleight of hand and dazzling us with something of a greater distraction minimised the effect these holes but not so much with Ant-Man.
The Establishing Shot: MARVEL'S ANT-MAN FINAL TRAILER - 17 JULY 15
Another highlight of the film I must mention is the introduction of the Quantum Universe or the Microverse as I know it - anyone who loves Science Fiction will be mesmerised or at least smitten by these scenes but – why, oh why were they so short?
Also it would have been absolutely brilliant if The Micronauts (The Avengers of the Microverse) made an appearance in the Quantum Universe. There is more than enough reason for another visit to the Quantum Universe but either spotting The Micronauts or even having them help Scott would have blown the bloody doors of the cinema and I would have tried to book my seat for Ant-Man 2 then and there. Or dare I say it? How awesome would would it have been if Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange was involved in Scott's return?
I was fortunate to get an early look at some Ant-Man footage a while back which I loved, granted what I saw was all about the action and that is something that Ant-Man does really well. But I did struggle with some of the characters motivations, dialogue and rationale, the performers really aren't given enough time or substance to bring weight to their larger than life personalities. In this respect it is worth reading further below to hear the cast talk about how they built their character's personalities.
Before we get to the good stuff further below I should mention the story of Marvel's Ant-Man does not start with the cinematic release - there are in fact two tiny sets of prequel comics that set events in the film up.
The first is Ant-Man Prelude a little two parter that introduces Cold War era Hank Pym to us and his first mission, in which he dons the Ant-Man suit and heads to Berlin, this mission is referenced a number of times in the opening scene of Ant-Man in the explosive discussion between; Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), Howard Stark (John Slattery), Martin Donovan (Mitchell Carson) and Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) which takes place at S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters. Ant-Man Prelude also introduces another mysterious character who will presumably play a bigger role in Ant-Man's story when they return, whether they are friend or foe is anyone's guess at the moment.
The second is a smaller story: Ant-Man Scott Lang Small Time which brings us to contemporary times and tells the story of how the Robin Hood like Scott Lang gets a little to carried away and ends up in San Quentin prison about to have his skull cracked which is where Scott Lang's cinematic adventure starts.
THE ESTABLISHING SHOT: MARVEL'S ANT-MAN UK TRAILER - 17 JULY 15
Enough waffling, here is the good stuff - The key questions I had lined up to gain some insight into Ant-Man's background were:
Where is Evangeline Lilly?
What was important to convey or bring to life with Ant-Man?
How did Paul Rudd get involved in Ant-Man and what drew him to the project. Leading into could he tell us a little bit about the early production history of Ant-Man?
Can you tell us a little bit about Edgar Wright's involvement in Ant-Man and did you guys collaborate at all after he moved on?
What drew Peyton Reed to the story of Ant-Man?
What happened with Peyton Reed's involvement in the Fantastic Four?
Henry or Hank Pym as he is now known has a complicated history with dark periods. I am curious about why that was not brought to the fore, he seemed to be more of a conventional character can you tell us a little bit about your thinking behind that?
Can you tell us a little bit about how Ant-Man fits into the Marvel Universe moving forward?
Can reed tell your favourite comics or favourite comic stories?
Our movie happens to have the structure and feel of a heist movie and I think that’s one of the things that Marvel’s really done well. Sometimes you’ll talk to Kevin Feige and he’s like, we don’t make superhero movies, we make genre movies. And I think that’s been a very smart thing.” - Peyton Reed
Sadly many of the burning questions I was hoping to get some insight into were not addressed, specifically what drew: Peyton Reed and Paul Rudd to Ant-Man and a frank discussion on the early production history and decisions which lead to the film we now have.
Fortunately I was spared some of the onus when the very first question from the floor addressed the Edgar Wright question.Other topics we managed to touch on at a high level included;
Paul Rudd on the pressure of Ant-Man leading into a new era in Marvel films
Peyton Reed on Edgar Wright's part in bringing Ant-Man to life
Michael Peña, Paul Rudd & Michael Douglas discuss the influences on their roles in Ant-Man
Paul Rudd on creating Scott Lang aka Ant-Man
Michael Douglas, Paul Rudd & Michael Peña discuss comics and their early cultural influences
Paul Rudd on getting into shape for the role of Ant-Man
Peyton Reed discusses whether the sub genre heist element of Ant-Man signals a change in the direction in Marvel films
Michael Douglas on the experience of making Ant-Man
Peyton Reed addresses the tone of Ant-Man
Michael Douglas & Michael Peña on the possibility of wearing the Ant-Man suit in an upcoming Marvel film
An acknowledgement of Evangeline Lily's absence
Peyton Reed further hints at possible elements that might be explored in Ant-Man 2 and confirms Paul Rudd will appear as Ant-Man in Marvel's upcoming Captain America: Civil War
Paul Rudd on his participation in Captain America: Civil War
Iloved Mr. Holmes so much that it is in my top 2 films of 2015. In fact, the only disappointing thing about the film is that I have not had sufficient time to write a review worthy of its ingenuity.
On that note, if an intelligent, charming alternative Sherlock Holmes mystery interests you - don't read any further Mr. Holmes is a subtle film that works really well knowing less and some bits I mention were a joy to discover watching Mr. Holmes. Not only do I recommend Mr. Holmes as my film choice for this week but it is my film choice for a long time to come. Bruce Wayne got the reinvention he deserved, James Bond got the reinvention he deserved and now the World's greatest detective Sherlock Holmes gets the reinvention he deserves. It is not only the Sherlock Holmes story fans deserve but the reinvention they need, especially as Sherlock Holmes has been seen on screen in so many variations previously. Mr. Holmes is easily the best Sherlock Holmes film from the last two decades possibly even longer.
A couple of weeks ago I had the distinct pleasure of seeing Mr. Holmes. Like many, many others I have a particular fondness for the world's greatest fictional detective - Sherlock Holmes (even more so after seeing Mr. Holmes) but had little expectation (or knowledge) of Mr. Holmes as whilst Sir Ian McKellen always brings a high-quality performance I am not overly familiar with the work of Director Bill Condon which veers from the high brow Kinsey, Gods and Monsters to the fun of the Twilight series via Candyman.
I absolutely loved Kar Wai Wong's The Grandmaster. It is a subtle and rare film that is a meticulously made period piece which looks absolutely magnificent, recalling both film noir and the marvellous sumptuous epics of Hollywood's golden era. Very much in line with Kar Wai Wong previous films.
But this time there is lots of spectacular Kung Fu fighting thrown in. Respected action choreographer Yuen Wo Ping the guy behind the fight scenes in The Matrix, Kill Bill and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon choreographed the action and the lead actors; Tony Leung, Ziyi Zhang and Chang Chen all undertook several years of rigorous and challenging Kung Fu training, with that kind of dedication you know the action is going to be well above expectations.
Before seeing The Grandmaster all I really knew is that it was a film about Ip Man (First name - Man, Family name - Yip or Ip as in the East it is customary to give family name first), the martial arts master that taught Bruce Lee and has several films and a TV series made about him, that it was set to the backdrop of political upheaval in China. The trailer hinted at a gorgeous epic style Kung Fu film and that the American release was cut differently from the original Chinese version. Subsequently I have found out there are actually three different versions of the film.
But what I was not expecting The Grandmaster to be as beautiful and as spirituality fulfilling tale of the times, lost values and as fitting tribute to the man. I can not verbalise with sufficient proficiency as to how moved I was by the story of The Grandmaster. Its an incredibly well made and subtle film of a land and people in turmoil.
Kar Wai Wong's vision is supported by dedicated craftsmen and performers to bring it to life. The astounding choreography, sumptuous set design and gorgeous period costumes are exquisitely shot by Philippe Le Sourd. Not only are the action scenes memorable but I was left with imagery of many rich sets including the Golden Pavillion, as well as an astounding smokey noirish silhouetted scene at a train station - which could have been lifted from a 30s Hollywood epic. Another standout scene was a subtle tinted seduction scene
It is a gorgeously shot film and I would struggle to think of another film that is as well composed in recent times. The version of the The Grandmaster I saw was I assume a standard definition streamed version of the film with security watermarks all over it and even that did nothing to take away from how beautifully shot The Grandmaster is.
It truly is a special film merging martial arts action with a seemingly timeless classic tale of a noble man whose life is thrown into flux and how he deals with it - is the real crux of the story, or that's what it was about for me anyway.
Acouple of weeks ago I was extremely privileged to go along to a BAFTA screening of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes AND chat with Mr. Andy Serkis conducted by Empire's Dan Jolin.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Ten years after a pandemic disease, apes who have survived it are drawn into battle with a group of human survivors.
Director: Matt Reeves Writers: Mark Bomback, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, Pierre Boulle Stars: Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Andy Serkis UK Release: On Blu-ray, DVD on 24th November 2014
I say extremely privileged as the evening turned out to be one of my most memorable in a while. The event was held at the Ham Yard Hotel, this was my first visit to the Ham Yard and WOW! What a hotel. Belying its very central London location The Ham Yard makes incredible use of its enormous double volume space to create an experience - not just another London boutique hotel. Any future hotels being developed in London Central would do well to take a leaf out of the Ham Yard's concept book. Their screening room doing justice to both the crisp, beautiful cinematography as well as the rumbling sound and Michael Giacchino's score which gives the whole film a backbone on which to stand.
This was my first viewing of the Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and I had been careful to stay away from anything that might be considered a spoiler as it was I had been looking forward to seeing it for ages, since Rupert Wyatt's absolutely marvellous Rise of the Planet of the Apes. I loved Rise of the Planet of the Apes it hit me right where it should and thankfully many others felt the same way as it won over the masses looking for blockbuster style fare, those looking for a film with substance and even the doubters wary of a another remake of Pierre Boulle's cautionary tale of a future society gone wrong.
Michaël R. Roskam's The Drop is an excellent film but I can’t help but think it could have been a great film.
In the opening shots of The Drop we see shadowy figures walking in a night lit Brooklyn street, we pan down to a puddle of darkened water to watch their reflections head towards Marv’s Bar.
This Establishing Shot warns us of the dark underworld, where like a mirror reflection the things we see are reversed, this is the world we have just crossed over to along with with The Drop's Cousin Marv played by James Gandolfini and Bob Saginowski, played by Tom Hardy.
At a high level the eternal struggle between good and bad, light and dark has always made good viewing and is the raison d'être of Film Noir, and Neo Noir as it is now known but all too often we do we get to delve into the grey psyche of what drives the characters beyond greed or the environmental factors that make them who they are and whilst The Drop doesn’t try give us all the answers it certainly paints a compelling and still surprising picture of this ambiguous dysfunctional world.
This is a world that crime writer Dennis Lehane is a master of. As well as his considerable body of written work he is the mind behind films like Clint Eastwood’s Mystic River, Ben Affleck’s Gone Baby Gone and most recently Martin Scorsese’s Shutter Island (rather watch William Peter Blatty’s Ninth Configuration).
Last week Director Susanne Bier and Screenwriter Christopher Kyle were in London to preview their latest film Serena (as well as Bier's A Second Chance) to London Film Festival audiences and I was fortunate enough to be invited along to a roundtable chat with them - an opportunity I quickly snapped up and happily so, as it was a privilege to be in the company of such talented creators and as Serena has had as almost as much written about it as speculation on its history this only added to my eagerness to hear directly from the film-makers about the making of Serena.
I'm not going to sweeten it - I struggled a bit with Serena. There is no denying that it is very much its own film a throwback to dark noir and doesn't pander to any expectations that may arise from the casting of a Hollywood golden couple as its leads. But wait! Maybe I should rewind a bit - let me start earlier - possibly my feeling towards Serena has more to do with my only frame of reference for the works of Susanne Bier her 2006 Mads Mikkelsen starrer - After the Wedding (Efter brylluppet).
It is a remarkable and subtle piece of filmmaking wherein Bauer eschews technique to rely on her casts performances to tell an utterly compelling and original tale of; well optimism and hope - but even more surprising it that it is told in an unsentimental and realistic way. Something sadly lacking in modern film rosters. Even my wife who bears the brunt of my experimental cultish tastes was pleasantly surprised at how human and wonderful After the Wedding is.
Serena UK Quad Poster
This is possibly part of the reason as to why I struggled as much as I did with Serena as it heads in the other direction, completely the other direction, so much so it took me by surprise. Possibly I'm a little more forgiving than some as Serena is dark and as close to the real spirit of Film Noir that we have seen on screen in a long time. And I have a strong affinity with the genre. Possibly my feelings about Serena have much to do with the fact that I have been waiting for it – ever since I heard Darren Aronofsky was helming it, creating certain expectations. But then Susanne Bier sat down in the Directors seat and all that changed and I was very interested to see what she made of it. Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper coming on board in roles playing against type made Serena one of my most anticipated film of the year and this year.
E arlier this week I was fortunate to go along with several Establishing Shot readers to a gala screening of Anton Corbijn's latest (and third) film, an adaptation of John le Carré's 21st novel A Most Wanted Man. At a certain point in the film I was unexpectedly shocked - it felt like the cinematic version of a cold slap or a punch in the gut. This would not have been possible had Corbijn not carefully and meticulously seduced me into the world of his lead character Günther Bachmann, masterfully played by Philip Seymour Hoffman.
A Most Wanted Man puts a human face to politicking in our post 9/11 world a world that has sadly become closer to the vision that the engineers and perpetrators of heinous terrorism would like, a world in which decency slowly ebbs away as it becomes more polarised with punitive cookie cutter solutions being attempted to address dynamic and nebulous issues.
If you read the Establishing Shot you will no doubt be aware that I am a fan of master of the spy genre John le Carré's works and that I have been eagerly awaiting Anton Corbijn's version of A Most Wanted Man.
So going along to the screening and introduction by Anton Corbijn was a real treat, as was briefly chatting with one of the stars of A Most Wanted Man - Daniel Brühl whose performance as Niki Lauda in Ron Howard's Rush absolutely blew me away and is up there in one of the most outstanding and electric performances in recent years and made Rush one of my top 10 films of last year.
A Chechen Muslim illegally immigrates to Hamburg, where he gets caught in the international war on terror.
Director: Anton Corbijn Writers: Andrew Bovell & John le Carré Stars: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Daniel Brühl, Rachel McAdams, Willem Dafoe, Robin Wright
But A Most Wanted Man is very much Philip Seymour Hoffman's film as he breathes life into the complex character of Günther Bachmann the sharp, slightly broken, cynical but ever hopeful head of a non existent anti terrorist organisation based in Hamburg. A city that the 9/11 attacks were planned in and hawkishly makes sure that it never happens again.
But as this is a John le Carré tale, a man who worked for several years in the British Intelligence service and is loosely based on actual events - nothing is straightforward or black and white - even our heroes employ questionable tactics to get the job done as the net from internal governmental competition, politics and larger external forces draws tighter on them.
This is the world in which Issa Karpov (Grigoriy Dobrygin) along with the audience are dragged into as the young Muslim, a suspected Chechen terrorist climbs out of the Elbe river and into the Hamburg shadow world.
I believe to truly appreciate A Most Wanted Man you have to go in knowing nothing, unless you have read the book in which case you know what to expect, and even then Corbijn's approach needs much thought or at least a second viewing to catch up with events portrayed – as A Most Wanted Man shares much with Tomas Alfredson's earlier adaptation of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and eschews the Hollywood mainstream emotional touchstone tropes of sex, violence, nudity, expository flashbacks and the obligatory romance to lure us into the story.
A Most Wanted Man is a pot boiler as Günther Bachmann's detective work slowly reveals each piece of the puzzle and builds to its conclusion.
And whilst some of the dialogue may seem a bit stilted and reactions arbitrary, when contrasted with the clever or witty Don Draper like intelligence we have come to expect from our self referential culture – the characters in A Most Wanted Man are more like authentic people caught in a fraught filled world where there is a constant threat of sorts at their heels and they think and react more like real people without some grand master plan that is going to save the day (apart from Günther Bachmann that is) and are in genuine fear of consequences.
Anyway that is a long way around of saying don't read the synopsis below or even watch the trailer just go see the film and let the the story roll out for you.
Below is a clip of Anton Corbijn introducing A Most Wanted Man and explaining why this film was important for him on the evening.
The Establishing Shot: DIRECTOR ANTON CORBIJN INTRODUCES A MOST WANTED MAN
Hamburg, the present day. The city - where the 9/11 bombers lived and plotted - remains on high alert. When a brutally tortured immigrant, identified by Interpol as a possible terror suspect, turns up and lays claim to his father's ill-gotten fortune, he attracts the interest of a secretive anti-terror unit headed by Gunter Bachmann (Philip Seymour Hoffman). Working with the CIA and forming an uneasy alliance with spy Martha Sullivan (Robin Wright), Bachmann must uncover the truth about the man's identity and his possible connections to high level terrorists. As the clock ticks down and the stakes rise, the race is on to establish this most wanted man's true motives – is he an oppressed victim or a militant jihadist bent on destruction? Based on the novel by the master of the spy genre, John le Carré, A Most Wanted Man is a gripping espionage thriller that prickles with tension right through to its last heart-stopping scene.
There are further similarities to Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy as the central character Gunter Bachmann is pivotal to the narrative, as is the charismatic performance needed to bring him to life in this world and Philip Seymour Hoffman is absolutely mesmerising in the role. So much so that I wondered what the characters life was like when not on screen, thankfully we see glimpses of this life as well. Bachmann rivals George Smiley's esoteric knowledge and sparkles with intelligence but has one up on him as he lives in our post modern world - I can only marvel at the possibilities of how Philip Seymour Hoffman would have brought him to screen in further tales - that in my opinion are very much needed.
As with Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy the cast is made of a formidable talent in smaller roles most notably Robin Wright and Willem Dafoe. Sadly I feel that whilst Robin Wright shines in her role as US diplomat Martha Sullivan, Dafoe isn't given enough to set his banker Tommy Brue, a critical role, apart with his customary aplomb. Possibly I was hoping for so much more as Dafoe crackles with an energy that needs more space and could have fleshed out Brue into one of, if not the most interesting character of the film.
A Most Wanted Man is a film about issues, ideologies and personalities in a post 9/11 world and should at the very least make us think about the world we live in, if not spark debate on where we are going as a people.
The Establishing Shot: A MOST WANTED MAN UK TRAILER - 12 SEP 2013
The A Most Wanted Man cast is led by Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Master, Capote), Rachel McAdams (Sherlock Holmes, Midnight In Paris), Willem Dafoe (Shadow of the Vampire, Platoon) and Robin Wright (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Moneyball).
A Most Wanted Man is in UK cinemas from 12 September 2014.
For more information about A Most Wanted Man head over to their Facebook page here: www.facebook.com/MostWantedManUK or Twitter here: @MostWantedManUK information about John le novel can be found on his site here!
Slideshow: A Most Wanted Man
The Establishing Shot: ANTON CORBIJN INTRODUCES A MOST WANTED MAN AND DISCUSSES WHY IT WAS AN IMPORTANT FILM FOR HIM - EVENT REPORT
Craig is a retired superhero, an obsessive hobbyist, comics fan, gadget lover, flâneur & epicurean who knows an unhealthy amount about Ian Fleming's James Bond. When not watching or making films he takes pictures, eats, drinks, dives, tries to connect to nature whilst mentally storyboarding the greatest film ever made. He also sometimes utilises owl-themed gadgets to fight crime. A list of his 132 favourite films can be found here! If you would still like to contact Craig please use any of the buttons below:
