Hidden Figures (2016) film review

Year: 2016
Running Time: 127 minutes
Director: Theodore Melfi
Writers: Margot Lee Shetterly (based on the book written by), Allison Shroeder and Theodore Melfi (screenplay)
Cast: Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monae, Kevin Costner, Jim Parsons, Kirsten Dunst, Mahershala Ali

Hidden Figures is now showing in the United States and will be released in Australia on February 16. Distributed by 20th Century Fox.

Like the incredible women in the film, Hidden Figures is smart, entertaining and inspirational. It's a wonderfully sharp film that provides a nostalgic and informative snapshot of history while never neglecting it's responsibility to pay the greatest tribute to it's remarkable heroines.

Set in 1961, Hidden Figures is the widely unknown story of how three extraordinary women overcame the unavoidable obstacles of race and gender to assist NASA in their quest to put men in space and ultimately on the moon. Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monae), all of who were close friends, made their mark on history in each of their fields at NASA at a time when racial segregation was still in place in the state of Virginia and women still struggled to be taken seriously in the workplace.

Hidden Figures is truly a marvellous piece of filmmaking by director and co-writer, Theodore Melfi. At 127 minutes, it is by no means a short film. However, it is still incredible how much it does and says in this amount of time without seeming heavy or overloaded.

Hidden Figures never once loses focus of it's primary goal, which is to tell the story of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson. Yet at the same time, the film also provides an intriguing and nostalgic historical imprint of early 1960's in the United States, a time when a great deal of interesting things were taking place. Tensions were high between the United States and Russia and were heightened when Russian, Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space. Being beaten by the Russians in such a time did not sit well with the country and especially not with NASA.

Of course, one of the glaringly obvious themes of Hidden Figures is racism and prejudice. In 1961, the state of Virginia was three years away from having segregation abolished under the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Even in the film, there is a sense that a change is in the air, but racial tension was very much alive and well. The film works as a reminder that despite growing rights for the coloured in the early 1960's, racism was inbuilt in society so much that it was not often even recognised by whites for what it was. It was just an accepted way of thinking, as was demonstrated by various characters in the film including Kirsten Dunst's Vivian Mitchell. In a memorable exchange between her and Octavia Spencer's Dorothy Vaughan, the following dialogue sums up this notion completely:-

"Despite what you think, I have nothing against y'all"

"I know you probably believe that"

This may look and sound like an insult, but it is not that as it is nothing but the truth. Hidden Figures contains numerous memorable and important pieces of dialogue such as this, but they can also feel as though they were included for people to comment on their importance. This may not sit well with some cinemagoers, but Melfi and Allison Schroeder have achieved their purpose as here we are indeed referring to them.

Yet as much as Hidden Figures is a beautifully made historical picture, it does not forget it's primary responsibility is to highlight the ways Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson overcame seemingly impossible obstacles to achieve incredible things. The screenplay allows for the character development and in depth study of all three of the main characters so that one feels as though they are satisfied with how well they know each of the women. Not only that, but each character has their own unique personality and they have been brilliantly cast in order to make the most of their glorious character traits.

Right from the first scene which the three women appear in together on the deserted road when their car breaks down, you feel as if you are already getting a sense of who Katherine, Dorothy and Mary are and they are all a sheer joy to watch in this scene. Taraji P. Henson is wonderful as Katherine in that she is restrained, but powerful. More importantly, she is relatable and completely likable. Octavia Spencer also gives a strong performance as Dorothy, who is also rather maternal not just around her children, but also over her workers. Janelle Monae is a particular standout as Mary. From that first car scene, one can tell she is the sassy, street smart one of the trio, but not in a way that is unnatural by any means or arrogant. She is great fun to watch and brings a certain sense of "cool" to the film, but in a mature and serious manner so not to take anything away from her achievements.

Hidden Figures is enjoyable and entertaining, but not overwhelming. The brilliance of this is that it does not detract from the enlightening, intelligent and inspiring story of these three incredible women.

9/10

The Divergent Series- Allegiant (2016) film review

Year: 2016
Running Time: 120 minutes
Director: Robert Schwentke
Writers: Veronica Roth (novel), Noah Oppenheim, Adam Cooper and Bill Collage (screenplay)
Cast: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Jeff Bridges, Miles Teller, Ansel Elgort, Naomi Watts, Octavia Spencer, Zoe Kravitz, Maggie Q

Allegiant is now showing in cinemas everywhere and is distributed in Australia by Entertainment One.

The biggest problem that the third film in the Divergent series, Allegiant faces is it's existence. This film that is filled with flaws exists only out of necessity considering the series has begun and must now be finished, which is particular worrying for the final instalment to be released in 2017, Ascendant.

Those who have read the books by Veronica Roth will know that the first book, Divergent starts the series in spectacular style, with the following two not able to follow in the original's footsteps. The same thing is happening with the films. They are progressively becoming less entertaining, enjoyable and successful overall. Allegiant is incredibly weak and does not have the ability to excite or provoke anticipation for the finale. What it does do is make one believe that Insurgent should have been the final film because even though it was definitely more entertaining, it did not have a strong cliff-hanger ending which made people look forward to the next two films.

With Jeanine now dead and the world of factions now at an end, it would seem that Chicago would now be at peace. However, the brutality continues and Jeanine's legacy seems to be carrying on in her absence. Divergents, Tris (Shailene Woodley) and her boyfriend, Four (Theo James) decide to escape this new Chicago by climbing the wall to see if the rest of the world can offer them solace. However, what is on the other side of the wall is not the peaceful world they were expecting nor that it is pretending to be.

The Divergent series (both the books and movies) draw much of their inspiration from other teen fiction film adaptations. Thanks to the Harry Potter series where the final book was split into two movies, both The Hunger Games and Divergent series have attempted to do the same based on it's success. One can understand why this would be a profitable venture for production and distribution companies when the series already has a massive fan base or the previous films have been extremely successful. Of course, the final book in a series does often have the most happening in it so having it split across two films also solves the problem of squishing as much information as possible into an appropriate running time.

The difference between Harry Potter and both The Hunger Games and Divergent was that it wasn't decided until late in series of films (which admittedly is a series with more films anyway) that Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows would be divided into two parts, while the other two series made this decision after the first film. Focusing primarily on Divergent, the series has really not taken off the way the film makers would have hoped and like the books, it is losing momentum with each film. The decision to make the book "Allegiant" into two films is now more than likely a fatal one as far as the film makers are concerned. Allegiant does not make the final film enticing to anyone and it is almost painful acknowledging that there is still another film to go after this.

Even if you have not read "Allegiant" and have only heard that it is the weakest book in the Veronica Roth series, one can still understand why. Allegiant feels as though it is far removed from the two previous movies and like a completely different story rather than a continuation of Divergent and Insurgent. There are absolutely links between with the past films and quite a few viewers who have not seen the previous films will not understand them, but the story itself doesn't feel as though it neatly connects to Insurgent. This is perhaps because the end of Insurgent felt so final without a clean cut cliff-hanger that the beginning of Allegiant is met with a feeling of "Oh, here we go again..." With this feeling, it is hard to take anything seriously in this monotonous film.

However, it is not just the story that feels weak, the visual aspects of Allegiant are quite awful. Slow motion is used to no benefit in a number of scenes and provokes more eye-rolls than feeling of awe. One of the worst parts about Allegiant is an issue which is a deal-breaker for any action film in this day and age. As this is a dystopian film, the majority of it is obviously filmed on green screen, but you should not be able to tell this by watching the film and it is a crime that the use of a green screen is obvious. Many of the special effects also come across as unrealistic. These things could be forgiven had Allegiant been a low budget film, but with a budget of $100 million this is far from the case. Only a tad of the production design of Chicago is somewhat impressive.

Much of the acting talent in this film is being wasted, particularly that of Shailene Woodley and Miles Teller. The two of them are of considerable talent which has been seen in their past films and the past two Divergent films, but their roles of Tris and Peter are not written to be as meaty as what they should have been. Tris lacks the courageous and strong personality we have come to know and Peter is basically repeating the same character patterns that he did in the past two films and becoming rather annoying in the process.

Naomi Watts as Four's mother, Evelyn probably isn't given enough to do in the film to make enough of an impact, but her scene with Four's father, Marcus (portrayed by Ray Stevenson) is particularly memorable for the hard emotion she shows in it. Casting Jeff Bridges as David was a rather awful decision as the character is supposed to assert authority over all he meets and be rather domineering and menacing, yet he comes across purely goofy. Every time he says the name "Tris" it is a moment that calls for unintentional laughter.

It is not often that a final film in a series is met with a feeling of dread and not excitement and anticipation, yet that is exactly how Allegiant makes us feel about Ascendant. This extremely flawed film is almost the kiss of death for the series' next film, but one can only hope that there is no way it can get worse than this.

3/10

Zootopia (2016) film review

Year: 2016
Running Time: 108 minutes
Directors: Byron Howard, Rich Moore and Jared Bush
Writers: Byron Howard, Rich Moore, Jennifer Lee, Josie Trinidad and Jim Reardon (story), Jared Bush and Phil Johnston (story and screenplay), Dan Fogelman (additional story material)
Cast: (voices) Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, Jenny Slate, Nate Torrence, Bonnie Hunt, Don Lake, J.K. Simmons, Octavia Spencer

Zootopia is distributed worldwide by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. Now showing in the United States and to be released in Australia on March 17 2016.

When Disney talks, the world listens. Zootopia is completely and utterly relevant to the world in which it has been released into and so clever, witty and funny that it brings incredible enjoyment while delivering a vital message.

Zootopia is the world where animals have taken on human characteristics while still acknowledging their animalistic qualities. Meet Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin), the determined bunny who has defied all expectations and topped her class at the academy to become Zootopia's first rabbit police officer. She quickly learns that it is not as easy to bring happiness to others and make the world a better place as she thought it would be, and still has to prove herself worthy and not just a gimmick. Opportunity comes her way when she is given the chance to solve the mystery as to why certain animals in Zootopia are returning to their predatory roots and becoming savage causing havoc in their world. Judy teams up with the most unlikely of companions in sly, streetwise fox Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) and embarks on a dangerously intriguing quest.

Zootopia is far more than just another animated Disney film with talking animals. The world of Zootopia is an example of absolutely superb animation as a result of it's incredible attention to detail which rivals even the most professional town-planning. The production of the film required a whole metropolitan to be imagined with precision for the topic as it is ultimately the entire basis for the screenplay.

Very rarely will an animated film be released that is so complex, yet uncomplicated and enjoyable for both young and old. The screenplay for Zootopia is wonderfully written as it is enthralling and unpredictable in a style not unlike that of a detective mystery, but very much unique in it's mode of storytelling as a result of it's original, creative and likable animal characters. However, while deep and complex in so far as it's themes, Zootopia is absolutely hilarious with a brand of humour that is as unique as the film itself with it's clever humour that is derived from references to animals in everyday speech and popular culture (eg. the elephant in the room). The film is absolutely packed with pop culture references which bring with them many laughs, such as the unmistakable replica of The Godfather wedding, Guns n' Rodents and the bootleg Disney DVD's. Many of these references will go straight over the heads of younger audience members while they will be incredibly amusing to adults.

Disney animation has always had a flair for creating talking animal dominated films in which the animals deal with situations and problems not unlike humans. Zootopia perhaps does this greater than any past Disney film, as it deals with not just human emotions, but also human politics. The film says a great deal about the way in which humans socialize and stereotype in today's society. Zootopia opens with young Judy Hopps explaining how things were at the beginning of time and how animals were divided based on their genetics. Zootopia is a place where all animals live together in harmony and those who were predators are now accepted happily in society. Yet, the memory of the way things once were remain and make it easy for people to rationalize when things go wrong by accepting that that is just the way the predatory animals were created. The different animals in Zootopia are subject to stereotyping, such as the sly fox, dumb bunny, cheating weasel, slow sloth and savage, dangerous predators including tigers, panthers and lions. They are stereotyped in the same way that humans are based on nationality, religion, looks, occupation and so on. These stereotypes are mostly ignored when everything is in balance and the world is in harmony, but when that balance is disturbed that is when a tumultuous past is revisited and stereotypes are applied.

It is out of these memories and stereotypes that fear is born, something that there is a great deal of in this world at the present time. This fear is implanted into society by only a small number of people who understand that fear is the greatest weapon in disrupting harmony and forcing people to acknowledge differences that turn people against each other. Watching the animals fear strangers on the train and erupt into angry riots against one another in Zootopia is disturbingly similar to what is taking place in the world right now. This is what people both young and old need to see in a cinematic experience right now to make them realise what is really happening, as the way society is reacting and why is represented in a simple, yet effective fashion.

The truth hits home hard in Zootopia, but the most wonderful thing is that despite these harsh and dark themes it is still an incredible amount of fun and a truly enjoyable experience. It is it's brilliant sense of humour that reminds one that there is always light in the bad times, and the cast of likable characters that keep the film light on the surface. Again, younger audiences won't understand the full extent of the underlying themes of Zootopia, but will resort to the classic theme of accepting differences which is still a very positive conclusion.

8.5/10

Fruitvale Station (2013)

Year: 2013
Running Time: 85 minutes
Director: Ryan Coogler
Writer: Ryan Coogler
Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Melonie Diaz, Octavia Spencer, Ariana Neal, Chad Michael Murray, Kevin Durand

Fruitvale Station will be released in Australia on the 7th November and is distributed by Roadshow Films.

Fruitvale Station is the heartbreaking true story of Oscar Grant, who was shot and killed by police at Fruitvale Station in the early hours of New Year's Day 2009.

While heartbreaking may well be a term overused when describing dramatic films, Fruitvale Station does indeed break your heart with it's extreme sudden change of emotion. It is a film which will inflict so many emotions on you in it's 85 minutes, but does so in such an incredible way that all these emotions are welcomed. While Fruitvale Station has the ability to both sadden and anger, it must also be embraced for it's wonderful characters and human spirit.

Oscar Grant (Michael B. Jordan) has a troubled past which includes spending time behind bars for drug dealing. He desires change to make a better life for himself, his girlfriend, Sophina (Melonie Diaz) and daughter, Tatiana (Ariana Neal), and it seems that on New Years Eve 2008, he may finally be really starting to make the right moves towards being a better man. All this comes crumbling down when on the way back from the city with his group of friends, he is held by police at Fruitvale Station in what is ultimately a misunderstanding with tragic consequences.

For those who are not familiar with what happened at Fruitvale Station on that fateful day, the first five minutes of the film will tell you everything you need to know with actual footage taken on a cell phone by a witness to the incident. After that shockingly powerful start to the film, the film tones down dramatically to reveal how although Oscar is still far from perfect, he is trying and you immediately feel a strong bond with him. The 24 hours leading up to the event in the film can easily be described as beautiful. There is so much human spirit and it shows Oscar trying to be a good Samaritan and making friends in doing so with a woman in need of advice at his old workplace and a stray dog he meets while filling up his car. The scenes with his family and with his daughter are just filled with so much love. While you are watching these exquisite scenes take place, there is still that niggling at the back of your mind of what is coming up. Just when you feel like you have pushed this out of your mind enough to sit back and enjoy the beauty you are seeing, the change comes. You go from feeling happy for Oscar (with a tinge of anxiety) to being shocked and dismayed.

Ryan Coogler has done an incredible job at building tension in such an unique fashion. Everyone knows what is going to happen in Fruitvale Station because if you didn't know about the actual events to begin with, you know about it from the beginning of the film. Coogler doesn't build suspense in the conventional cinematic fashion, but instead relies on bringing the audience closer to the character of Oscar and showing how beautiful life can be. It's this closeness that you feel to Oscar that makes you dread the event even more. The ending of the film leaves you feeling angry about the events that followed the shooting. The final shot reminds us that this is indeed a true story and that it is not only the subject matter of the film which makes it so heartbreaking, but also the fact that is a true story, and the final shot really hits this reality home.

Michael B. Jordan is perfectly cast as Oscar Grant. He is incredibly likable despite everything you know he has done, and he makes it evident that he is not finding change easy. He is still a man who is battling his inner demons, but also enjoying the moments when he knows he has overcome those demons. Jordan has wonderful on screen chemistry with all the co-stars he works closely with, particularly Melonie Diaz and Ariana Neal, who is just a treasure in her young age.

Octavia Spencer is an absolute stand out as Oscar's mother, Wanda. She is warm, but she is also an extremely strong female figure. She is superb in every scene she is in throughout the movie and is one of those characters you really just want to see more of.

One would almost feel as though Fruitvale Station is two movies in one as it makes you feel two extreme emotions which are at complete opposite ends to each other. It is a beautiful film with so much human spirit in it for the most part, but then switches to reveal the dark side of society where there is no happy ending.

8/10





You may have also seen Octavia Spencer in......
The Help as Minny

The Help review- Is it wrong for a serious matter to be beautified?

Year: 2011

Director: Tate Taylor

Cast: Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Bryce Dallas Howard

In My Own Words

                Ron Howard has got one talented daughter.

                Don’t get me wrong, I think all the actors in The Help are very talented women and I have a tremendous respect for each one of them, but Bryce Dallas Howard is one actor I have kept my eye on for the past few years.

                I know M. Night Shyamalan’s The Village has a lot of haters, but I didn’t mind it. It was one of those films people went into expecting a horror film with a lot of blood and guts, monsters and ghosts. So if you were expecting that and weren’t open to anything else, then yes, you would be disappointed. I liked it because it was actually a really good period piece film and it had a difference to it. And Ms Howard’s breakout performance as the blind, wise girl was extremely memorable.

                Since then, I have been waiting for another performance like that from her. Manderlay and As You Like It weren’t bad, as wasn’t The Loss of A Diamond Teardrop. However, I had been waiting for her to take on meatier role to show her true talents. In The Help, she does a great job at the sweet but evil Hilly Holbrook and I was so pleased to see her in this role. I still believe she has more in her than what we have seen though. Get her in the right role and she is one of the future Academy Award winners. How’s that for a big prediction?

                These are my own words and here is my review.

Review

                If you want to see how perfect character development in films should be done, it is right here in The Help.

                The characters in The Help are so well constructed that you as the viewer truly feel as though you have made true friends and enemies in the space of 146 minutes. The acting is brilliant, as is the background of the south in the early 1960’s. The only drawback is that it can be a little bit too pretty at times for a film which has very serious undertones. It isn’t all doom and gloom though.

                Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan (Emma Stone) is an aspiring writer in 1960’s Jackson, Mississippi, a time when women weren’t supposed to want a career, just a husband. After approaching, the maid of one her friends, Aibileen (Viola Davis) for help with her column, she realises how much Jackson’s help has to tell. Skeeter undertakes the ambitious and dangerous task of writing a book from the point of the Help about the white families they work for. The further Skeeter explores, the more she sympathizes with the Help and realizes the evil that is all around her in Jackson.

                Kathryn Stockett’s novel is brought to life in brilliant fashion. The time period of the 1960’s in the south is very well represented. It is startling revelation to many that this time of unease and cruelty was not so long ago. There are some startling and very emotional moments throughout The Help, but also some comedic and triumphant moments. The script provides some memorable moments as well, particularly when the Help are telling their stories.

                Visually, the film is rather gorgeous. The town of Jackson is picturesque and the town’s milk bars make you long for that part of the 60’s with the music of the times blaring while you drank your milkshake. The classic Cadillacs are a novelty and the costumes for the women are stunning.

The only problem is that these things can make the film a little too pretty. The poster for The Help is bright yellow, which is a funny colour the make a poster of a film where the main subject is the cruelty towards the coloured Help, as yellow normally symbolises happiness. The lives of the white women in Jackson come across as enviable as visually everything looks so perfect and fun and pretty for the female audience. It turns The Help into a chick film based purely on the visuals. It does seem strange for Tate Taylor to make a film with content like this so pretty, but it does open it up to a larger audience of females of all ages by doing so. However, making the film so “pretty” does take away the seriousness of the full picture.

                The characters are wonderful. The best thing is you know exactly who all the characters are and where they have come from. Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer give tremendous performances and they are so real. You know the background of each of the characters and you feel connected to the two of them and feel everything they go through.

                Emma Stone does well in a role that is unlike her comedic roots. She has one very touching moment when she finds out the truth about her old maid. Bryce Dallas Howard is great as the sweet and sour Hilly Holbrook. Her character is the type of person every fears, the one people feel they have to be friends with because otherwise they will tear you to shreds. Both her and Stone are completely natural in their roles.

                Jessica Chastain, who plays Celia Foote, does well at times, but her character does come across as a bit too silly and plays the dumb blonde stereotype a bit too over the top. The small roles in which the men of the film have portray the white men of Jackson to be just as much dumb blondes as what Chastain’s character is.

                Enjoyable and visually fun, but is it wrong for something of such a serious matter to be visually fun?

7/10