Get Out (2017) film review

Year: 2017
Running Time: 104 minutes
Director/ Writer: Jordan Peele
Cast: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Catherine Keener, Bradley Whitford, Caleb Landry Jones, LilRel Howery, Marcus Henderson, Betty Gabriel, Lakeith Stanfield

Get Out will be released in Australian cinemas on May 4 and is distributed by Universal Pictures.

Jordan Peele's Get Out is the intelligent, yet terrifying horror we have all been waiting for. Not only does it do the incredible job of successfully combining features of classic and modern day horror, it is especially brave and socially important.

Get Out is something special that breaks through the confines of it's genre and becomes a film that is relevant, entertaining and enjoyable for a greater audience. Peele's story of a young man, Chris (portrayed by Daniel Kaluuya) who arrives at his girlfriend, Rose's (Allison Williams) parents' estate to find that a nightmare awaits him may sound straight forward and even like a somewhat atypical horror/thriller. Yet, what is built into this fairly basic plot makes Get Out a deep, layered and thought provoking film.

The film is one of the most interesting horrors to have been released in years. While the majority of horror films have an easily recognisable villain in the form of a supernatural being, a monster of some description or a psychopath, here it is a group of people characterised by their race who are the villains. Get Out shows people of colour as being the victims and the Caucasians being the villains, which has indeed been the case in many historical events over the years. The reasoning behind this (which is revealed towards the end) is incredibly empowering for people of colour.

However, Peele approaches this in such a careful and creative way that while Get Out is truly inspiring for people of colour, it is not disrespectful or hateful towards Caucasians and does not alienate anybody when it comes to the enjoyment of the film.

The way in which this major and ground-breaking theme has been incorporated into the film is brilliant and creative. Yet, it is not the only thing smart about the screenplay. Get Out is completely unpredictable, terrifying and edge-of-your-seat suspenseful. Throughout the film, anyone watching is just as confused as Chris, who is convincingly and endearingly portrayed by Daniel Kaluuya. There are clues as to who the villain(s) are, but as to why they are actually the bad guys and the reasoning behind it is unclear until just before the final tense and stressful act. When all is revealed, it becomes clear how clever and intriguing the screenplay truly is with all the pieces of the puzzle fitting together perfectly.

On the other hand, Get Out also draws inspiration from classic horror in it's production. At times it is reasonable to question whether the film is more of a thriller than a horror, but it contains far too many combined features that belong to the horror genre for it to be considered otherwise. From the introduction to the evils at work in the opening scene to the orchestration of the final scene, Get Out follows a traditional horror film formula. Adding to it's modern take on classic horror is the dramatic musical score by Michael Abels (which is reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho), haunting locations (remote home within the forest as has been seen in many a film over the years) and trance-like, psychedelic dream sequences (although not horror, reminiscent also of Hitchcock's Vertigo).

Get Out is an exceptionally strong directorial debut for Jordan Peele and makes one excited to see what he does next. It is a film that even those who dislike horror can appreciate and enjoy...maybe even have a bit of an unexpected laugh too.

9/10

Enough Said (2013)

Year: 2013

Running Time: 93 minutes

Director: Nicole Holofcener

Writer: Nicole Holofcener

Cast: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, James Gandolfini, Catherine Keener, Toni Collette, Ben Falcone

 

Enough Said will be released in Australia on the 14th November 2013 and will be distributed by 20th Century Fox. Now showing in the USA and the UK.

 

Enough Said is one of the most refreshingly real romantic comedies of recent times.

 

While not all of us will go through the same situation these characters go through, the film deals with some very real feelings dealt with when approaching a new relationship, while still hurting from the last one. Enough Said is a grown up comedy, which is still incredibly moving and can also be quite saddening at times. Not to mention it is an emotional experience in itself seeing the last of James Gandolfini on screen and especially in such a beautiful performance which reminds us what we have lost.

 

Eva (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) is a masseuse and single mother who's daughter, much to her dismay, is about to leave her to go to college. She has not had another serious relationship since her ex-husband, until she meets Albert (James Gandolfini) at a party and the two start dating. At the same point in time, she forms a friendship with a new client of hers, Marianne (Catherine Keener), who she very much looks up to. Eva soon finds out that Albert is Marianne's ex-husband, the man who Marianne has been telling Eva all these horrible things about, making life extremely awkward for her. Eva struggles to distinguish the difference between what she thinks about her new boyfriend and what Marianne thinks about her ex husband as a result.

 

Enough Said is a really beautiful film about human behaviour and relationships. Director and writer, Nicole Holofcener has done a wonderful job of constructing a screenplay with so much feeling and which brings out so much character in all the players. The only criticism that can be made about the screenplay is that it has a period in the middle of the film where it feels as though the film has started to chase it's on tail. The same conversation seems to keep taking place while Eva is trying to figure out what to do in her predicament and it takes awhile for the film to keep flowing, but when it does, it is well worth it.

 

Enough Said can be incredibly realistic at times and many people will see themselves in characters such as Eva and Albert. The films representation of divorced or separated parents can be quite haunting in it's realism. One of the most striking moments of the film occurs when Eva is trying to explain to Albert why she didn't tell him how she knew his ex-wife. She explains that she was trying to protect herself against getting hurt in the same way she did in her marriage, to which Albert replies "But you forgot to protect us".

 

This line and indeed much of the film will hit very close to home for those people who have been married (or have just been in a long term committed relationship) before and are trying to move on with a new relationship. As Eva does in the film, as much as you try not to compare your new relationship to the last one, you are continuously on the look out for signs why it could not work instead of  reasons why it should. It is frustrating to the viewer to see how Eva starts focusing on the negatives in her relationship with Albert, rather than seeing the positives, which are incredibly evident to someone looking from the outside in. Yet, people like Eva will be able to understand how it is incredibly hard to just take the good with the bad and move ahead. Once you have found yourself able to allow the good to wash over the bad, you can move on, but if you continue to see a new relationship as an extension of the failed one, it will inevitably reach the same demise as the first.

Another factor of the film which many people will find familiar is that of the children moving away from home for the first time. Both Eva and Albert are very close to their daughters and Eva especially has a very hard time saying goodbye to her daughter as she feels like she has no one else. As the film progresses, it is almost a grieving process for her and she tries to find ways to cope with the feeling of neglect that she is experiencing. Again, from the outside we know that Eva's daughter, Ellen is not neglecting her, but only undertaking a rite of passage of leaving home to go to college so common to American young adults. Yet, in Eva's situation, the separation is made even harder and she feels the need to again protect herself from the inevitable pain of losing her daughter to college. In today's society it is not an unfamiliar story where single parents try to find new love and are faced with feeling incredibly alone when their children leave home, and these themes in Enough Said will be quite saddening to some people, but will also cause relief in others who will finally realise that the way they feel is not all that uncommon.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus is wonderful as the leading lady in Enough Said. She completely embodies her character and is incredibly likable despite her bad decisions. Her Eva is a character who many people will be able to relate to. Louis-Dreyfus' comedic background helps her very much in the film and it is the little things with her dash of humour which make her performance so gorgeous.

James Gandolfini's whole performance is just so heart-breaking. Even without the knowledge that this was his last role before his untimely death, it is still terrible to see such a beautiful character as his being treated so badly on screen. Although Catherine Keener does give a good performance as his ex-wife, Marianne is an incredibly selfish and snobbish character. Albert on the other hand has flaws, but is so gentle and lovable. It crushes you as you watch events crush him throughout the film. Even though Louis-Dreyfus' is the star of the film, Gandolfini is the hero. His simple and subtle, yet emotional and charismatic performance is one which will be remembered.

Enough Said is a film that looks simple enough on the surface, but has a great deal of depth. This is achieved by a wonderful screenplay brought to life by perfect performances.

8/10

Captain Phillips (2013)

Year: 2013
Running Time: 134 minutes
Director: Paul Greengrass
Writers: Billy Ray (screenplay), Richard Phillips and Stephan Talty (book)
Cast: Tom Hanks, Catherine Keener, Barkhad Abdi, Barkhad Abdirahman, Faysal Ahmed, Mahat M. Ali

Captain Phillips is to be released in Australia on the 24th October 2013 and is distributed by Sony Pictures. Now showing in the USA and UK.

Captain Phillips is a high paced, suspenseful film based on the true story of sea captain, Richard Phillips.

Being a true story, Paul Greengrass' latest film does what many suspense films fail to do and that is remain realistic while maintaining tension. It is also an incredible thing for a film to remain so suspenseful while being a true story, as being a true story will often mean that people know  how it will end. Although Captain Phillips is not a film without flaws, it is remembered far more for what it does right rather than what it does wrong.

In April 2009, an American cargo ship was making it's way along the Somali coast to Kenya at a time when there was an increasing number of pirate attacks. The Maersk Alabama is targeted by a group of Somali pirates as it is not travelling with a herd of other ships and therefore makes an easier target. Four pirates hijack the ship taking crew members hostage, among them being the ship's captain, Richard Phillips (Tom Hanks). While protecting his crew, Phillips risks all to make sure his men and his ship remain safe.

Captain Phillips does not for one moment feel like it is it's 134 minutes long. There is never a dull moment throughout the film and it constantly flows at a steady pace. Nothing is included in the film that doesn't need to be there as a result of a very clean cut screenplay and skilful editing. When the Maersk Alabama was hijacked now over four years ago, it was a huge event as no American cargo ship had been hijacked in 200 years. Therefore, the story of Captain Phillips and his crew is quite a well known one. It is not an easy thing to do to make a film out of a true story and generate suspense equivalent to what the audience would feel if they didn't know the outcome. By being a true story it does also avoid the pitfalls that many suspense films fall into, which is that of coming close to the end so many times that it loses it's realism. Although the story's credibility has recently come into question as a result of differing stories from the actual crew of the Maersk, Captain Phillips does not feel as though it is trying too hard to build tension and does do naturally.

Visually, Captain Phillips is quite well done. People who suffer from seasickness will not be bothered by the film, as there are far more things to worry about than the state of the water. There are some scenes in which you feel you are in the lifeboat, but there isn't the effect of feeling as though you are on the choppy sea. Some camera movements are a little too quick to be able to allow you to focus, but this doesn't do too much in taking away from the situation at hand.

The film is very much a one man film. There is really no time taken to get to know any of the other characters in the film besides Captain Phillips. This isn't really a major problem, but it does mean that the film lends itself to a type of Hollywood heroism in which they are trying to go above and beyond in glorifying the main characters. Based on many recent articles regarding the inaccuracies of the film in regards to Captain Phillips himself and his behaviour, it would seem as though there has been an attempt to make Phillips out to be more heroic than he actually was in the circumstances for the sake of a film. We gain tiny glimpses into the lead pirate, Muse's life and personality, but it feels as though we still don't really know as much about him as we should by the end of the film.

As it is a one man film, Tom Hanks has a big task in holding his own throughout the film. He does so brilliantly. He does have the air of being slightly arrogant and distant from his crew, but he is a very strong character. His best acting of the film is absolutely in the last 20 minutes when all his walls come down, but no one can deny that Hanks gives a solid performance throughout the film. He's beginning scenes with Catherine Keener, who plays his wife Andrea, are particularly enjoyable as they show the human side of his character away from the ship. Barkhad Abdi, who plays Muse, also is commendable, as is Barkhad Abdirahman who plays Bilal.

Captain Phillips is a suspenseful survival film which keeps you constantly wondering how things will eventually pan out, whether you know the answers or not. Tom Hanks' powerhouse performance is one of the must sees of the year.

8/10

Where The Wild Things Are

Where The Wild Things Are

Year: 2009
Director: Spike Jonze
Cast: Max Records, Catherine Keener, James Gandolfini, Paul Dano, Forest Whitaker

In My Own Words
This is one of the movies that I was really looking forward to, but I came out of it feeling confused. I’m completely confused whether I should be liking it or not. However, one reason for liking it outweighs all the reasons I have for not liking it. I loved the feeling of seeing things through the eyes of a child again. It made me recall how I had been as a child. I was continuously making the most of my imagination by writing stories and, even though I looked extremely freaking doing so, acting them out in my lounge room by myself. I also would like to play in the garden outside and make little cardboard cut outs of people and pretend they lived in the garden. Very few adults still have an imagination like that. I doubt any grown ups really use their imagination like this anymore, and if they did, they would be considered crazy. That’s what makes the child’s imagination and their way of using it so special. You can only take advantage of it in that way for a certain amount of time. From that time on, the only way to use your imagination the way a child does is in story-telling and writing.

I never really thought about this that much until I saw this movie. I saw “Where The Wild Things Are” as being a metaphor for this. The tagline “There’s one in all of us” I believe is a representation of how the imagination of a child still exists in all of us, but we can’t express it the way a child can anymore. “Where The Wild Things Are” reminded me so much of my childhood imagination, and for that I am thankful. It brought back some memories of a time when I was oblivious to the real world and lived in my own world where everything was made by me, and therefore perfect. In this movie, all is not perfect for very long, which I interpreted as being the point where he grows up and accepts that things may not always be perfect in the real world, but there are always people who will love you no matter how imperfect you or your world may be. This was my interpretation anyway. Maybe I am reading too much into it.

There are my own words and here is my review.

Review
Who would have ever thought that the 338 page book, “Where The Wild Things Are” could be made into a 101 minute film? Spike Jonze is the man to do it. Obviously, quite a bit is added into the film that is not in the book in order to make it appropriate for a feature length film. The long awaited film will be appreciated by adults as long as they go into the film ready to see the world through the imagination of a child. In saying this, children will see this film and enjoy it as it is imaginative and a story with big friendly (and other times not so friendly) and fluffy monsters.

Max (Max Records) is a young boy who is full of imagination. He spends his days creating new worlds for himself to escape the troubles he experiences with his older sister and her friends, and his single mother (Catherine Keener). One day after getting himself into trouble, he runs away from home and sails to a new land, which is inhabited by large and unusual creatures. Max tells the creatures that he is a king, and he immediately becomes the flavour of the month, especially with Carol (voiced by James Gandolfini). Max tries to make life happier for all the creatures, but ends up finding out that it is impossible to make everyone happy all the time.

“Where The Wild Things Are” is the story of a child’s imagination. The visuals of the land where the wild things live are perfect for this theme, as they are both imaginative, as they are abstract, unreal, large and full of detail. The visuals are unlike any other seen in a recent film and the recreation of Carol and his friends is fantastic. The cast that lends their voices to these wild things does a great job in bringing to life these characters from the book. The soundtrack is also commendable, as it reflects the childlike behaviour and emotions presented in the film.

However, the film can be dull at times. There are some scenes that seem slow and quite tedious, as it seems as though the film is not going anywhere. The conflict in the film is not strong, which is where the film loses its strength. The moral of the film and visuals are there, however at times they just do not seem to work. It is first and foremost a children’s book and ultimately is seen as a children’s movie, but this is no excuse for lack of strength in a movie. Records gives a good performance as Max, but he can come across as forced. His best performance is as happy Max, but sad Max is not convincing. Yet, he is a very young actor so he can be forgiven. Still, the film almost feels too basic, even for a children’s film.

The moral of the film is fantastic, that there is a world like the one in the movie inside all of us. Most people are not aware of this world or have forgotten it, as it is evident mainly in children but not in adults. Therefore, children will love this movie as it will tap into their imagination. For adults, it will only do this if they are aware of the morals and themes of the film and are willing to go into viewing it with the mind of a child. A child’s imagination is far greater than the average adult as it knows no limits, yet there does come a time in everyone’s life when reality becomes greater than the imagination and this is what “Where The Wild Things Are” presents.
7/10