Alien: Covenant (2017) film review

Year: 2017
Running Time: 122 minutes
Director: Ridley Scott
Writers: Jack Paglen and Michael Green (story), John Logan and Dante Harper (screenplay)
Cast: Michael Fassbender, Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup, Danny McBride, Carmen Ejogo, Demian Bichir, Jussie Smollett, Callie Hernandez, Amy Seimetz, Nathaniel Dean, Alexander England, Benjamin Rigby, Uli Latukefu, Tess Haubrich, James Franco (uncredited), Guy Pearce (uncredited)

Alien: Covenant will open in Australian cinemas on May 11 and in cinemas in the United States on May 12. Distributed by 20th Century Fox.

Alien: Covenant takes the Alien franchise back to it's place of origin and does so in bloody and terrifying fashion which will delight loyalists and confuse and disgust non-familairs.

Ridley Scott's latest is the follow up to 2012's Prometheus, making it the second in the prequel series of the Alien films. Alien: Covenant resembles the Sigourney Weaver led Alien films a great deal more than Prometheus did, which should excite people as Prometheus was criticised by many for how little it resembled an Alien film. However, Prometheus was a smart origins story and more of a companion piece to the franchise rather than a prequel. Alien: Covenant could not exist without Prometheus, as much of it's story is directly connected to it. It goes without saying here that anyone who has not seen Prometheus will not benefit at all from seeing Alien: Covenant as there will be a great deal that is not understood or appreciated.

The newest film in the Alien universe has already been criticised for having too much happening in it and that it should be as simplistic as it's predecessors were. Yet, Alien: Covenant does not pretend to be a straight forward action film. It picking up where Prometheus left off and still attempting to tell the origin story of these horrific extra-terrestrials, while at the same time being suspenseful, terrifying and action-packed.

Unfortunately, at times it does feel as though the film is trying a little too hard to be visually shocking by using as much blood and violence as possible to get the point across and there are several times throughout the film where the CGI isn't as realistic as it should be, particularly in the outer space sequences. Yet the recreation of the aliens using CGI is superb and this is one area that has benefited from having the universe expanded in 2017. 

One of the things that Scott has excelled at since he and screenwriter Dan O'Bannon created the Alien universe back in 1979, is incorporating female empowerment into the futuristic world of horror. Sigourney Weaver played the incredibly bad-ass Ripley in all the Alien films up until Alien Ressurection in 1997 and it is argueably her most iconic role. Ripley was a hero ahead of her time and sadly, it is only now that females are starting to play a more powerful role in action films...although we admittedly still do have a long way to go.

While Noomi Rapace was at the helm in Prometheus as Elizabeth Shaw, it is Katherine Waterston who follows in the footsteps of her and Weaver and plays Daniels in Alien: Covenant. With this film, Waterston continues to impress with her talent and versatility. Her character develops throughout the film by at first seeming vulnerable due to the sudden death of her husband (who is played by James Franco in a not uncharacteristically tiny cameo), but shows how she takes that grief and uses it as motivation to keep those around her from harm. She is strong-willed, the voice of reason and not afraid to get the most dangerous jobs done.

Waterston as the female lead is not the only piece of stellar casting. When Kong: Skull Island was released earlier this year, one of the most disappointing things about it was that it had a fantastic cast who's talents went to waste as a result of a lack lustre screenplay and direction. Alien: Covenant does the opposite. The film makes the most of it's talented cast even though the majority of the characters are underdeveloped and given little to no background. The exceptions here are, of course, Waterston's Daniels and Michael Fassbender's Walter/David. Fassbender does a strong job of playing two different roles and his David is the most interesting character in the film, but his very existence attempts to tackle the now very tired and overused sci-fi theme of artificial intelligence manipulating humans.

Ridley Scott once again does a great job at continuing to make the Alien franchise one that supports female empowerment and makes sure that Alien: Covenant succeeds in doing what it sets out to achieve, which is to entertain and terrify.

7/10

X-Men: Apocalypse (2016) film review

Year: 2016

Running Time: 144 minutes

Director: Bryan Singer

Writers: Bryan Singer, Simon Kinberg, Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris (story), Simon Kinberg (screenplay)

Cast: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Oscar Isaac, Rose Byrne, Nicholas Hoult, Evan Peters, Sophie Turner, Tye Sheridan, Lucas Till, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Olivia Munn, Ben Hardy, Alexandra Shipp

X-Men: Apocalypse is now showing in Australian cinemas and is distributed by 20th Century Fox. To be released in the United States on May 27.

Just like the characters in the movies themselves, the X-Men franchise is truly one of a kind when it comes to the Marvel universe.

Juggling more than one protagonist in any given film is a complicated mission, let alone in a superhero action film as recent films of this genre have proved. Yet this has never really been a problem for the films of this Marvel franchise and X-Men: Apocalypse continues this tradition. Bryan Singer's fourth X-Men film is extremely character driven with themes that members of minority groups will be able to greatly relate to, but does not substitute emotion for exciting, high-paced and impressive action.

10 years after the group of mutants known as the X-Men were brought out into the open, much has changed in their lives and although mutants are greater accepted into society now, the more noticeably different are still treated as freaks. Professor Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) has opened his school for the gifted and it is one of his young students, Jean (Sophie Turner) who first sees the coming of the end of days. True to her vision, the being known as En Sabah Nur or Apocalypse (Oscar Isaac) rises to take the world as his own and cleanse it of humanity as we know it. He recruits mutants for his cause including the wounded man who tried so hard to leave behind who he was, Erik Lehnsherr or Magneto (Michael Fassbender). Xavier and his most powerful students and allies including Raven/ Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) take on this threat to mankind and also attempt to convince Magneto where he belongs.

What so many superhero films struggle to do in cinema these days is to find a way to reach out and tap into their audiences emotions while giving them spectacular entertainment in the form of action and special effects. X-Men: Apocalypse is one of the first hero films in a significant amount of time to be able to do this. The foundation which the whole franchise is built on is that of people who are physically or mentally different struggling to fit into society, which despite some of the fantastic mutations the X-Men have is something that many will be able to relate to and feel strongly about. Jennifer Lawrence's Raven puts it perfectly when she says that all may be happy and mutants readily accepted in Westchester, but out there people are still suspicious and non-accepting. The word "mutant" and destination of Westchester could be interchanged to incorporate any type of difference and any place where it is more accepted than others. There will always be groups of people who are afraid of what is different, but what X-Men also reminds us is that these minorities should never feel alone and that their families are not always people they are related to. Raven/ Mystique is also a wonderful example in this film of how sometimes by just being yourself and showing your difference, you are inspiring others who can relate to you even if you are often unaware of doing so.

X-Men: Apocalypse is also not afraid to shy away from more overt powerful emotions. Because of their mutations, characters such as Charles and Erik either intentionally push away the ones they love or lose their loved ones due to their point of difference. Both cases have particularly strong moments in the film which make one deeply feel their pain due to superb performance by both James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender. However, X-Men: Apocalypse doesn't remain serious and solemn for the full extent of the film as, like it's predecessors, Singer and screenwriter, Simon Kinberg have been able to incorporate some extremely amusing moments into the film. Although the film isn't completely free of some corniness, there are some very clever and witty moments of dialogue and Quiksilver's (Evan Peters) "Sweet Dreams" scene is absolutely hilarious and memorable.

One of the only things that lets X- Men: Apocalypse down is the lack of a convincing villain which is a foreseeable problem to have at this stage of the franchise. The X-Men are an extremely strong unit when they are placed together with all of their abilities and the films need to produce exceptionally strong villains that can have an unpredictable and convincing battle with this large group. Therefore, the writers have resorted to a character who represents the end of the world to take on the group of heroes. Apocalypse, as portrayed by Oscar Isaac, starts off as an intimidating presence, but his impact decreases throughout the film and he appears to be more of a run-of-the-mill bad guy than the danger who could potentially end the human race. Yet, the final battle is fantastic in it's computer generated extravagance and well-choreographed combat sequences.

As X-Men: Apocalypse is so character driven, there are some very well fleshed out and interesting personalities which are heightened by strong performances. As previously stated, both McAvoy and Fassbender give wonderful performances though vastly different ones. Fassbender in particular is superb as a very different Magneto than we met back in X-Men: First Class as he is now walking wounded and very much a tormented soul that was once softened by his family. Jennifer Lawrence does fine with her reprisal of Raven/ Mystique who is still coming to terms with her physical mutation, but is also a type of celebrity in her natural blue form.

With this film comes a handful of exciting new players who are revisiting roles from the earlier X-Men films. Sophie Turner shakes away her "Game of Thrones" persona and gives an extremely convincing performance as Jean Grey where she reaches her peak towards the end of the film. Tye Sheridan starts the film giving an atypical moody teenager performance as Scott Summers (better known as Cyclops) but his character evolves to capture emotional depth as the film progresses. Evan Peters' Quicksilver had a small role in 2014's X-Men: Days of Future Past, but makes a much greater impact here and his is a character to get excited about. Peters has a fantastic on-screen presence and buckets of charisma which make him a character one greatly looks forward to seeing in future films. On the other hand, Olivia Munn's Psylocke has very little to do despite her prime location on the film's poster. One suspects she will have more to do in future X-Men films, but she is an incredibly empty soul in this one.

X-Men: Apocalypse once again proves that it is one of the best superhero franchise films in cinema at the present time with it's healthy balance of the dramatic and the fantastic. It's ability to be able to handle a number of protagonists and introduce new and exciting characters is outstanding and makes for a whole lot of enjoyable and impressive entertainment.

7.5/10



Steve Jobs (2015) film review

 

Year: 2015

Running Time: 122 minutes

Director: Danny Boyle

Writer: Walter Isaacson (book), Aaron Sorkin (screenplay)

Cast: Michael Fassbender, Kate Winslet, Seth Rogan, Jeff Daniels, Michael Stuhlberg, Katherine Waterston, Sarah Snook, Makenzie Moss, Ripley Sobo, Perla Haney-Jardine

 

Steve Jobs was released in Australian cinemas on February 4 and is distributed by Universal Pictures.

 

Danny Boyle's Steve Jobs breathes new life into the much told life story of the technological pioneer with his eclectic direction of Aaron Sorkin's crisp and creative screenplay setting this film apart from those that have come before it.

 

There has been much written about the man who is considered by many to have been the genius behind our current age of technology with such achievements to his name as co-founder and CEO of Apple and the development of innovative products including the iMac, iPod and iPhone. With over a dozen films to date which feature Jobs  (including features and documentaries), this 2015 feature film brings with it a point of difference with it's mode of storytelling that makes it anything but a straight-forward biopic.

 

Steve Jobs is a film sliced into three by what are seen as three of the most important and pivotal nights of Jobs' career. These nights are the launch of the Apple Macintosh (1984), the NeXT computer (1988) and the iMac computer (1998). During each of these moments in time, Jobs (as portrayed by Michael Fassbender) is faced with not only the pressures of ensuring that his presentations achieve the desired outcome for his products, but the pressures imposed on him by the people who have had a great impact on both his professional and personal life.

 

The mode of storytelling adapted in Steve Jobs is indeed intriguing and this is what sets it apart from other films which aim to document the life of Jobs. Unlike others, this film only focuses on a 14 year period of his life with references to his earlier life to explain his character. As one has come to expect from an Aaron Sorkin screenplay, Steve Jobs is extremely dialogue driven and incredibly witty. From the opening moments of the film, the delivery of the stunning dialogue by Michael Fassbender as Jobs, Kate Winslet as Joanna Hoffman and Michael Stuhlberg as Andy Hertzfeld is enthralling and thoroughly entertaining.

 

 

 

However, the fact that this film is so dialogue driven and not so much action driven may not be enjoyable to some as it will not feel as though much happens and that there is no real suspense or ongoing tension. This is also a result of the film being divided into three segments, as it is not traditional storytelling and therefore there is not one singular climactic moment of conflict and resolution.

 

Another example of how Danny Boyle's film is not like its predecessors is that it is not a reliable point of reference for the life of Steve Jobs, but it does not seek to be so. Steve Jobs is a film representing the life of Steve Jobs rather than documenting it. In other words, the events and discussions which take place are only based on reality. For example, Jobs and Steve Wozniak were indeed at odds with each other, but they did not have a public confrontation the way it was depicted in the film. In fact, there isn't a great deal in Steve Jobs that occurs the way it did in reality and the majority of scenarios are fictitious. Not only this, but there are many important aspects of Jobs' life omitted from the film. In the name of cinematic art, one can understand why Sorkin chose to pen this story of Steve Jobs the way he did. It is an interesting and entertaining portrait of a complicated and intriguing human being told in a creative way and using exquisite cinematography to enhance it. However, it should not be used as a point of reference for Jobs' life and Jobs aficionados will be unimpressed.

 

The depiction of Steve Jobs in Boyle's film has come under fire from those who knew him as they believe it is not a favourable representation of the man. However, Michael Fassbender's performance is wonderful. His Steve Jobs is a strong character who is able to control and command every scene in the film. His character is one who is not always likable and not overly glorified, which is always a challenge in biopics and a welcomed change.

 

Fassbender is supported by a cast who all give fine performances. Kate Winslet plays Jobs' right hand woman, Joanne Hoffman who stands by him throughout his trials and tribulations and she is his voice of reason. Winslet gives an exceptionally strong performance and the chemistry between her and Fassbender is wonderful. Michael Stuhlberg and Jeff Daniels both give solid performances and Katherine Waterston is very good as the mother of Jobs' child.

 

Steve Jobs defies the rules of the biopic by way of it's unique and commendable method of storytelling. There is great appreciation to be felt for the stunning dialogue written by Aaron Sorkin and the wonderful deliverance of it by the cast.

 

7.5/10

 

 



2014 Sydney Film Festival Round-Up

After a highly successful and wonderfully entertaining week and a half, the 61st Sydney Film Festival wrapped up in perfect style. The awards have been announced and the film fanatics finally have a chance to sleep and once again eat a home cooked meal. The Closing Night Gala provided the perfect ending the festival with the final film being the hilarious What We Do In The Shadows and a Q & A session unlike any other with Jemaine Clement, Taika Waititi and Jonathan Brugh.

 

Closing Night also saw the announcing of the winners of the 2014 Sydney Film Festival. It was Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne's Two Days, One Night which took out the coveted Official Competition Award and 35 Letters which won the Documentary Australian Foundation Award for Australian Documentary. It was announced earlier today that the Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or winner, Winter Sleep was the winner of the Audience Award and Love Marriage in Kabul the winner of the Documentary Audience Award.

 

Here at Movie Critical we were lucky enough to catch 26 films at this year's Sydney Film Festival. This included 19 feature films and 7 documentaries. We played witness to 9 out of the 12 films featured in the Official Competition and 2 of the 10 Australian documentaries. We had the privilege of seeing a true classic restored on the big screen, and in the space of a week and a half travelled via film to the United States, China, Iran, Bosnia, Ireland, Austria, France, England, Japan, Poland, Sweden, New Zealand and Turkey. It was such a hard job deciding which of these incredible films were our favourites of the festival, as there were so many that were enjoyable and entertaining. We have put together a one paragraph review of each of the films we saw and our top 5 films of the festival to follow.  Please note that the films which will be receiving a theatrical release in Australia will also receive closer to their release date.

 

 

The Battered Bastards of Baseball (2014)

Screened at the Sydney Film Festival on the 9th and 10th of June

Directed by Chapman Way, Maclain Way

In 1973, Bonanza actor and father of Kurt, Bing Russell bought the struggling Portland Mavericks baseball team, which became the only independent team in the USA and extremely successful during the 1970's. The Battered Bastards of Baseball is a highly enjoyable and often very funny documentary, which is also quite inspirational. The stories of the Mavericks players remind everyone to stay true to their dreams, and that true love of the game is greater than the love of the dollar. There is also a good amount of Hollywood and baseball history thrown into the mix here with some fascinating footage of the past. Definitely one for baseball fans.

7/10

 

Black Coal, Thin Ice (2014)

Screened at the Sydney Film Festival on the 11th and 12th June and was part of the Official Competition.

Directed by Diao Yinan

The winner of the Golden Bear at this year's Berlinale, Black Coal, Thin Ice is an extremely atmospheric thriller set in contemporary northern China. Police officer Zhang Zili (Liao Fan) is injured on the job during an investigation into a grisly murder and retires to live a quieter, but more self-destructive life. When murders start happening which are very much like the one which he was working on all those years ago, he is propelled back into the world he has tried so hard to escape. Although there are elements of Black Coal, Thin Ice which are similar to many other films of it's genre, it presents it's audience with a fresh take on these elements. There is a period towards the middle of the film which is really quite slow, but even in this lapse the film is still captivating due to the power of it's visuals.The film is beautifully shot in the snow and the cinematography exquisite.

8/10

The Case Against 8 (2013)

Screened at the Sydney Film Festival on the 9th and 14th of June.

Directed by Ben Cotner, Ryan White

When Barack Obama was elected President of the United States in 2008, there was reason for many to celebrate. Yet when Proposition 8 was passed in California, there was devastation for many in the gay and lesbian community who were planning to get married or were already married and were then informed that their marriage was in fact invalid in the eyes of the law. The Case Against 8 follows the court case against Proposition 8 and in particular focuses on the two couples, Kris and Sandy and Paul and Jeff who are propelled into the spotlight as part of the case. Although the documentary starts off slow and does give the impression that it is being staged rather than being filmed as actual events are happening, it soon kicks into gear and becomes a captivating and often suspenseful journey. It is also a beautiful story of two couples who are deeply in love which each other and the film is a great deal more personal and emotional than what a typical political courtroom documentary can be.

8/10

 

For Those Who Can Tell No Tales (2013)

Screened at the Sydney Film Festival on the 5th and 7th of June.

Directed by Jasmila Zbanic

When Kym (Kym Vercoe) travels to Bosnia and to the seemingly idyllic town of Visegrad, she is struck by the beauty of the place but experiences an overwhelming sense of dread and unease when staying at the Vilina Vlas Spa Resort. When she returns to Australia, she finds out that her hotel was the site of unspeakable horrors against women during the Bosnian War and decides to return to Bosnia to find out why this was hidden from her. The subject matter of For Those Who Can Tell No Tales is extremely interesting, but the film does not deliver the emotional punch that such a subject should give it's audience. It is the cinematography and the haunting musical score which give the film an eerie edge, but the thirst for an emotional attachment is left unmet.

6.5/10

 

Frank (2014)

Screened at the Sydney Film Festival on the 7th and 10th of June

Directed by Lenny Abrahamson

When struggling and uninspired musician, Jon (Domhnall Gleeson) is called up to replace the keyboard player in an avant-garde band led by the enigmatic Frank (Michael Fassbender), he believes he knows what it will take to make this band popular and more accessible to the public. Frank is a deep, but sweet film which explores how people learn to live with a mental illness and the realisation that what is best for you isn't necessarily what is best for everyone else. Although this film may be a little too quirky for some, it is entertaining, enjoyable and often very funny. Michael Fassbender gives an incredible performance which is not at all limited by the fact that he is wearing a giant paper-mache head the whole film.

7.5/10

 

The Great Museum (2014)

Screened at the Sydney Film Festival on the 7th and 8th of June.

Directed by Johannes Holzhausen

The Great Museum is a documentary about the world inside the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. It explores how items are chosen to put on exhibit, how they are put on exhibit and how they are maintained, as well as how the museum operates day to day. This documentary is an absolute must for any art history fan and is made in a rather unique fashion. There are no curators who speak directly to the camera, but rather the viewer finds out what they need to know about the museum by playing witness to conversations between museum workers and also by watching them go about their work. The museum is an absolutely beautiful institute in itself, but the cinematography enhances it's beauty and does the Kunsthistorisches complete justice.

8.5/10

 

Jimi: All Is By My Side (2013)

Screened at the Sydney Film Festival on the 5th and 13th of June

Directed by John Ridley

Jimi: All Is By My Side is John Ridley's tribute to legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix. The film chronicles Hendrix's (Andre Benjamin) life from when he was discovered by Keith Richards' girlfriend, Linda Keith (Imogen Poots) through to the beginning of his worldwide fame. Andre Benjamin does well as Hendrix, as does Poots as Keith and Hayley Atwell as his girlfriend, Kathy, and the soundtrack is also memorable. However, the film tries to do a little too much and believes it is amazing, and it is never a good thing when you can tell that this. There are too many elements of a documentary thrown into this biopic, such as captions informing the audience who is who and real photos thrown in when the character is talking about a particular event. Many of the creative choices of this film bring a film that could have been so much more down.

5.5/10

 

The Kidnapping of Michel Houellebecq (2014)

Screened at the Sydney Film Festival on the 5th and 6th of June and was part of the Official Competition.

Directed by Guillaume Nicloux

In 2011, the author Michele Houellebecq did not turn up for his book tour and seemingly disappeared. His disappearance made a lot of people speculate as to where he could be, and this film is a fantasied answer to those questions which people have had. Houellebecq (who plays himself in this film) has experienced a kidnapping like no other where his every needs are attended to and he befriends his captors. The Kidnapping of Michele Houellebecq is an odd film with no real direction to it. It is quite funny at times and there is an interesting underlying theme of celebrity obsession, as Houellebecq's kidnappers are clearly impressed by his star status. However, the film doesn't seem to make a huge amount of sense and is not overly interesting for those who are not familiar with Houellebecq.

6/10

 

Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter (2014)

Screened at the Sydney Film Festival on the 9th and 10th of June and was part of the Official Competition.

Directed by David Zellner

Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter is a retelling by the Zellner brothers of the Fargo legend. Kumiko (Rinko Kikuchi) is a painfully shy, Japanese girl who travels from Tokyo to Minnesota in the belief that the Coen brothers film, Fargo is real and that there really is a treasure buried in the snow there. It is a wonderful retelling of the myth with some glorious images, particularly those in the Minnesota winter. There are some brilliant underlying themes of cinema obsession and the need for adventure and self-importance. Rinko Kikuchi does wonderfully to portray a character which is completely introverted, but there is a thirst to know why Kumiko is the way she is which isn't fulfilled.

7.5/10

Please see out exclusive interview with director, David Zellner here

 

The Last Impresario (2013)

Screened at the Sydney Film Festival on the 11th of June.

Directed by Gracie Otto

The Last Impresario is a documentary on the "most famous person you have never heard of",  Michael White. Gracie Otto's film explores the life of the extraordinary man who was known for defying the norm and breaking out to produce such controversial stage productions as Oh! Calcutta! and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. White has an impressive group of friends, many of who are featured in the film, including Kate Moss, John Cleese and Yoko Ono. The film is a load of fun and the party atmosphere which White's personality projects is felt throughout the film by the audience. It is an intriguing look at a man who has had an incredible life.

8/10

 

Locke (2013)

Screened at the Sydney Film Festival on the 8th and 9th of June and was part of the Official Competition.

Directed by Steven Knight

Locke is a film like no other. For the film's entirety, the lead character, Ivan Locke (Tom Handy) is in his car by himself and is faced with a number of challenges during his car trip. There is no physical appearance of any other characters, yet we hear them all during Ivan's phone calls. Locke is a minimalist film, but it demonstrates how much you can do with so little. The cinematography is quite beautiful and the way the lighting is used brings so much to the film. The story is unpredictable and the way which Ivan is trying so hard not to be the way someone was to him, that he becomes like that person in the areas of his life that he has taken the focus off. It is a theme which many can relate to. Tom Hardy gives an intriguing and wonderful performance as a man who is trying to hold it together in the most stressful of situations.

8.5/10

 

Rebel Without A Cause (1955)

Screened at the Sydney Film Festival on the 7th of June.

Directed by Nicholas Ray

Rebel Without A Cause is a classic which had been beautifully restored for the Sydney Film Festival. Nicholas Ray's film was completely ground-breaking when it was released in 1955 for the way which is portrayed rebellious teenagers. The film has survived the test of time for so many reasons, but one of the main reasons it is so memorable is because of it's three ill-fated and talented young stars. James Dean, Natalie Wood and Sal Mineo are all completely flawless in their roles and it is so saddening to see the three of them in the same shot in the scene at the mansion. Dean did not live to see the release of the film and his performance as Jim Stark reminds you of the talent and years of brilliance that was lost. Wood is also very good, but Mineo is an absolute scene stealer and his character, Plato had so many layers and was incredibly complex.

9.5/10

(As this was a restored classic, it has not been included in out top 5 of the festival)

 

The Rover (2014)

Screened at Sydney Film Festival on the 7th and 8th June and was part of the Official Compeition.

Directed by David Michod

The Rover is the long anticipated follow up to David Michod's highly successful Animal Kingdom. Set 10 years after the collapse in Australia, Eric (Guy Pearce) has his car stolen by three men and sets out to avenge the men who took it. He encounters Ray (Robert Pattinson), the brother of one of the men along the way and together the two men travel through the outback in search of the car thieves. The Rover is an angry, but completely subtle film which is highly character driven and enjoyably so. Pearce and Pattinson are a wonderful onscreen duo and both give wonderful performances. The cinematography is also outstanding and musical score wonderfully haunting.

8.5/10

 

Snowpiercer (2014)

Screened at the Sydney Film Festival on the 14th and 15th of June

Directed by Bong Joon-ho

Snowpiercer was one film which had completely divided the opinions of festival goers. Bong Joon-ho's film takes place in the future when the world has frozen over and the only survivors are on a train that runs continuously around the world. The train, like society, is class divided and during the film, the back carriages rebel and try to take over the front carriages. Snowpiercer is very dark and violent with a quirky sense of humour which could be read as being a terrible script or an acquired taste script. It is incredibly unpredictable and suspenseful, as nobody is safe on the train. The production design of the train and it's numerous carriages are very well done and visually intriguing. It is a very odd film which gives a twist on the action genre and is definitely not a film which will be enjoyed by everyone.

7.5/10

Tim's Vermeer (2013)

Screened at the Sydney Film Festival on the 4th and 14th of June.

Directed by Teller

Tim's Vermeer is an astonishing and intriguing documentary which is driven by passion and the search for the truth. Tim Jenison, a Texas based inventor, believes that 17th century painter, Johannes Vermeer used an optical apparatus in order to create such lifelike pieces of art, such as The Girl With The Pearl Earring. In order to prove this theory, Tim sets out on a highly ambitious project to paint his own Vermeer painting. It is a project which is a great deal more consuming than he, or anyone else could have ever imagined. This documentary plays out like a video diary of Tim's incredibly ambitious project and is completely intriguing and captivating. There is some incredible and beautiful pieces of art involved, but it is the beauty of this man's passion in his work which is just as entrancing.

8/10

 

Two Days, One Night (2014)

Screened at the Sydney Film Festival on the 9th and 10th of June.

Directed by Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne

Winner of the Sydney Film Festival, Two Days, One Night is a small film, but an incredibly effective one. Sandra (Marion Cotillard) receives a call informing her that she will lose her job, unless she can convince her co-workers to give up on their bonus for the year. Over the weekend, Sandra visits each of her co-workers individually and asks them if they will consider saving her by giving up their bonus. Two Days, One Night is suspenseful in an extremely subtle and unusual fashion, as it is unclear what is going to happen at the end and how Sandra, who is already a fragile person, will react to either situation. It is really quite an emotional film, and Marion Cotillard does brilliantly in a role which makes the audience feel a great deal of sympathy and care for her.

8.5/10

 

We Are The Best! (2013)

Screened at the Sydney Film Festival on the 8th and 15th of June.

Directed by Lukas Moodysson

Swedish film, We Are The Best! is an ode to growing up and the time when adult ideas first start to enter the mind of a child. Bobo (Mira Barkhammar) and Klara (Mira Grosin) are two 13 year old girls who decide to start a punk rock band without any musical experience of their own. It is when they convince Hedvig (Liv Lemoyne) to join the band, that they finally find their feet as a band. We Are The Best! is a fun and sweet film about a group of girls who start to see the world differently than they did as a child, and believe there is more to this world than what the other girls who are their age believe. Yet, it is still wonderful to see these girls at an age where they are starting to see things differently, but still hang on to the fun parts of their childhood such a running around laughing and throwing food at each other.

8/10

 

What We Do In The Shadows (2014)

Screened at the Sydney Film Festival Closing Night on the 15th June.

Directed by Jemaine Clement, Taika Waititi

The hilarious What We Do In The Shadows was the perfect end to the festival. This vampire mockumentary follows four vampire flatmates in Wellington as they explain how they live in a modern world and the obstacles they face being an immortal beast, including their werewolf rivals and how they seek out victims and clean up after them. What We Do In The Shadows is universally funny and extremely creative. It is a new take on vampires living in the modern world and does well at interlacing history (both fact and fiction) into the film. All of the actors, especially Taika Waititi, Jemaine Clement and Jonathan Brugh do wonderfully well as their undead characters.

8.5/10

 

Winter Sleep (2014)

Screened at the Sydney Film Festival on the 14th and 15th June.

Directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan

The Palme d'Or winner, Winter Sleep takes place in the Cappadocia region where Aydin (Haluk Bilginer) runs a hotel with his sister, Necla (Demet Akbag) and his younger wife, Nihal (Melissa Sozen). The film focuses greatly on Aydin's relationships with the two women in his life and how in this beautiful land they live in, nobody is truly content. Watching the unravelling of these relationships can be draining and quite upsetting at times, but watching the film take place in this gorgeous region where the houses and the hotel are carved out of rock is so delightful. The cinematography is truly exquisite and absolutely breathtaking. However, at over three hours the film does feel rather dragged out and at many times rather slow and uneventful.

7/10

 

Wish I Was Here (2014)

Screened at the Sydney Film Festival on the 14th and 15th of June.

Directed by Zach Braff

Zach Braff fans have been waiting a long time for his directorial follow up to Garden State, and he does not disappoint with Wish I Was Here. Braff stars as Aidan, a family man who cannot give up his dream of being an actor while his wife, Sarah (Kate Hudson) works in a mundane office job. When Aidan's father, Gabe (Mandy Patinkin) falls ill, he can no longer pay for his grandchildren's tuition at their Jewish school and Aidan decides to home-school his son and daughter. Wish I Was Here is an incredibly sweet and funny film, which feels more like Scrubs than Garden State. It can fall into the trap of being oversentimental at times, but it is a welcome oversentimental in a harsh world. The soundtrack is enjoyable and there are some wonderful acting performances, particularly by Joey King and Josh Gad.

8/10

 

The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet (2013)

Screened at the Sydney Film Festival on the 6th and 7th of June.

Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet

The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet is a charming film told by the unique and magical storytelling of Jean-Pierre Jeunet. 10 year old child genius, T.S (Kyle Catlett) lives in an unhappy world where he feels like he is a constant disappointment to his family, despite his incredible achievements. He decides to leave behind his home on the prairie and travel to the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC, which is where his genius is recognised and exploited. This film is a sweet and often surrealistic film which can sometimes leave you pondering what is actually really happening and what is not. The cinematography and production design is exquisite and so intriguing to see on the screen. The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet is a rather emotional and often heartbreaking journey.

7.5/10

 

 Movie Critical's Top Five Films of the 2014 Sydney Film Festival

 

5. Jodorowsky's Dune (2013)

Screened at the Sydney Film Festival on the 8th and 14th June.

Directed by Frank Pavich

Jodorowsky's Dune is a documentary about the film that never was. Back in the 1970's, eccentric filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky started work on the extremely ambitious adaption of Frank Herbert's "Dune'. The film was to have an impressive cast including Orson Welles and Salvador Dali and had some wonderfully talented designers behind the scenes. However, it was never to be and became legend. This documentary is absolutely brilliant. Jodorowsky is such a passionate man and so full of energy that his love for the film radiates off the screen. After seeing Jodorowsky's Dune, you really do feel as though you did see Jodorowsky's Dune, even though it was a film which was never made. The depth of information of the pre-production of the lost film in this film is perfect and the whole documentary has the atmosphere of a science fiction film, just like it's subject matter. After watching the film, you are devastated that Jodorowsky's Dune never got off the ground, but still in high spirits after experiencing something so fun and passionate.

8.5/10

 

4. Once My Mother (2013)

Screened at the Sydney Film Festival on the 8th of June.

Directed by Sophia Turkiewicz

Once My Mother is the incredible story of director, Sophia Turkiewicz's mother, Helen. Turkiewicz was placed in an orphanage by Helen when she was seven years old and even though she came back for her when she married, she never got over the abandonment she felt. However, as Turkiewicz got older she found out the reasons behind her mother's decision to leave her there and with the knowledge she gathers finds peace and forgiveness. Helen's story is incredibly powerful and unbelievable. The way which Turkiewicz tells her mother's story is as though the film is a present of love for her, and this love is felt in an overwhelming way as the film progresses. The film is not just about Helen's amazing life, but also about the relationship between mother and daughter and how when daughter's become mother's, they see their mother in a whole new light. There is also a wonderful mix of history with this deeply personal story, which is supported with powerful video footage and photographs.

8.5/10

 

3. Fish & Cat (2013)

Screened at the Sydney Film Festival on the 12th and 13th of June and was part of the Official Competition.

Directed by Shahram Mokri

Fish & Cat is a truly remarkable film. What it does with the art form of film is spectacular. Shahram Mokri's film is a single shot film and what it does with one single shot is pure brilliance. Set on a lake in rural Iran, a group of university students are camping out while taking part in a night of kite flying. Little do they know that there are two very dangerous men nearby who have something else on their mind. Fish & Cat may not be to everyone's liking as it is very quirky and unless you are 100% committed to the film, it can be very confusing. However, the ways which the film avoids continuity problems that would arise from it being a single shot film is incredible and so well done. It truly challenges the rules of film making and is highly entertaining and atmospheric while doing it.

9/10

2. Dinosaur 13 (2014)
Screened at the Sydney Film Festival on the 7th and 15th of June.
Directed by Todd Douglas Miller
Dinosaur 13 does exactly what a documentary should do. It informs, entertains, inspires and rises emotions of the viewer. In 1990, the most complete and largest Tyrannosaurus Rex fossil was found and was moved by palaeontologist Peter Larson and his crew to Black Hills, a small town where they wanted to keep and display the dinosaur known as Sue. The FBI and National Guard turned up soon after and seized the dinosaur skeleton and a court case followed with an outcome which no one believed would have even happened one that happy day when Sue was first discovered. The amount of emotion which this film provokes is surprising considering one would not believe this subject matter would be so. Yet, it makes you happy, sad and angry. The way the people saw Sue was not as though she was just a group of bones, but as though she was still a living breathing dinosaur and it is a beautiful love the palaeontologists and the town of Black Hills had for her. It is an incredibly interesting subject and ultimately is a story of love against money.
9/10

1. Boyhood (2014)
Screened at the Sydney Film Festival on the 6th, 7th and 15th of July and was part of the Official Competition.
Directed by Richard Linklater
Richard Linklater's Boyhood is a beautiful and ground-breaking piece of cinema that's power lies in the subtlety of life's most meaningful moments. Twelve years in the making, Linklater's masterpiece is the true definition of a coming of age film and is revolutionary in it's production. Boyhood is made with a huge amount of love for life and for the process of growing up without any use of exaggeration. Mason is more than a character in a film, he is a boy you form an attachment to and cherish the opportunity to watch grow up.

9/10

 



X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)

Year: 2014
Running Time: 131 minutes
Director: Bryan Singer
Writer: Jane Goldman, Simon Kinberg and Matthew Vaughn (story), Simon Kinberg (screenplay)
Cast: Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Peter Dinklage, Nicholas Hoult, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Ellen Page, Halle Berry, Evan Peters

X-Men: Days of Future Past is the film all X-Men fans have been waiting for with bated breath. The idea of the old joining the new in one film is extremely exciting for any fan of the franchise, but also a very worrying one as it is an extremely ambitious and potentially complicated task for any filmmaker to successfully undertake. Luckily, director Bryan Singer and the writers have overcome the potential continuity problems that were foreseeable in such an endeavour and have created an entertaining and enjoyable superhero film. More for X-Men fans than not, X-Men: Days of Future Past has a clever script and suspenseful action sequences which are only intensified by the performances of the outstanding cast.

Due to the actions of the mutant Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) in the 1970's, the future of both human and mutant are in doubt as Earth has been taken over by Sentinel's, which were initially made to rid the world of mutants. Professor X (Patrick Stewart) and Magneto (Ian McKellen) decide that the only way to save the world from these machines is to send someone back in time to stop Mystique from killing the Sentinel's creator, Dr. Bolivar Trask (Peter Dinklage) and setting the wheels of destruction in motion. They choose to send Logan/ Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) back to find the younger versions of Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Erik Lenhsherr (Michael Fassbender) and alert them to what is to come if they do not stop Mystique.

It is an absolute dream come true for X-Men fans to be treated with a film like X-Men: Days of Future Past. To be able to have the original Professor X and Magneto in the same film as the younger versions of themselves and be joined by other X-Men favourites such as Wolverine, Mystique and Beast just seems too good to be true. The concept itself was actually quite worrisome, as there were foreseeable problems in regards to continuity and the overcrowding of characters in the film. These problems are successfully overcome as a result of a strong and smart screenplay. The joining of all these characters in the same film is very well done and continuity problems solved in slick and smart fashion. The first scenes which are shot in the present do feel quite rushed and are in a hurry to explain things so they can return to the past where the film solidifies. After this time travel takes place, at no point does it become predictable or dull as it is constantly moving towards a tense and explosive finale. This film is probably one of the better superhero films in recent times as it encompasses all the elements which make a great film, not just a great superhero film. The outcome of the film is something which has not been seen before and changes the rules of it's franchise and for it's future films.

Being that X-Men films have been gracing our cinemas for 14 years now, there is a great deal of reference to past X-Men films which people who have seen the past films will understand and obviously those who haven't won't. It is fair to say that it is the already existing X-Men fans who will enjoy this film a great deal more than those who are not. It is impossible to get this far into a franchise and audiences not be expected to take just a little bit of back information in with them. So for those who haven't seen the past films, there is a tiny bit of information given about the past films, but not a great deal so much of it will not make any sense. Yet, if you just watch X-Men (2000) and X-Men: First Class (2011) than you have most of the information you need.

X-Men: Days of Future Past may not have as many explosions and extreme action scenes as many other films in it's same genre, but the scenes which are the most intense are very impressive. The special effects in the opening scenes and when Erik/ Magneto unleashes his fury are fantastic. The cinematography in the Pentagon when Peter/ Quicksilver does his work makes the scene incredibly fun. The make-up used for Mystique and Beast are very well done and the costumes depict the time period perfectly.

The great thing about all of the X-Men films which sets them apart from so many other genre films is that they rely so greatly on character. There is always a great amount of character to all of the X-Men characters. Their mutation is just the beginning of what sets them apart from each other, they are all different in behaviour and emotion. These distinctive characters have wonderful and acclaimed actors portraying them which makes them all even more exciting. Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, Jennifer Lawrence, Halle Berry, Ellen Page and Nicholas Hoult all return to the roles they have played in previous X-Men movies.

Hugh Jackman is as ever charismatic as Logan/ Wolverine. He is a complex character, but one which the viewer loves. Jackman gives a hard exterior as Logan, but softens and shows his emotional side when heading towards the end. James McAvoy is wonderful as Charles Xavier. He plays a broken man in body and soul, who struggles with finding his way. His performance is heartfelt, but rough around the edges giving even more depth and personality to his character. Michael Fassbender is once again superb as Erik/ Magneto. Erik is a man with a tremendous amount of hurt and pain which he carries around, and that has been turned into vengeance. Fassbender does bad so very well. He is so subtle in his delivery and terrifyingly so.

Jennifer Lawrence has a very physical role as Mystique in this film, and even though her face is behind blue paint the large majority of the film and very rarely is shown without make-up, she still conjures a great amount of emotion in her key scenes. Peter Dinklage also does very well, as do Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen, particularly in their final scenes together. It is a shame that Anna Paquin's Rogue received an incredibly small amount of screen time, as she would have been as great addition to the journey.

X-Men: Days of Future Past is quite possibly the best X-Men film thus far. It gives endless possibilities of what is to come in future films of the franchise by doing something truly different and changing the rules completely.

8/10

12 Years A Slave (2013)

Year: 2013
Running Time: 134 minutes
Director: Steve McQueen
Writers: Solomon Northup (novel), John Ridley (screenplay)
Cast: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael K. Williams, Lupita Nyong'o, Michael Fassbender, Sarah Paulson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Brad Pitt, Paul Giamatti, Paul Dano

12 Years A Slave will be released in Australian cinemas on the 3oth January 2014 and is distributed by Icon. Now showing in the USA and the UK. Please see local guides for details on times and locations.

!2 Years A Slave is without a doubt the most powerful feature film of the year. It has everything one would associate with a perfect film and potential award winner as it is completely unforgettable and immaculately made. As a result of it's perfect direction by Steve McQueen and incredible performances by all the actors involved as well as a wonderful adapted screenplay, the film is overwhelmingly emotionally powerful and honest in the most brutal way. It is a painful, but wonderful cinematic experience which consists of so many best achievements for the 2013 year in film.

 Based on a true story, Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is a free man from upstate New York who lives a happy life with his wife and two children. When he ventures to Washington DC with who he believes to be two businessmen interested in his talents on the fiddle, he is abducted and sold into the slave trade in the deep south. His first master is the sympathetic Ford (Benedict Cumberbatch) who treats Solomon, who is now known by his slave name of Platt, with respect, but after giving one of his paid workers, Tibeats (Paul Dano) trouble, he is sold to notorious hard man, Edwin Epps (Michael Fassbender). Epps is known for "breaking" his slaves and when questioned by those who advise him otherwise such as Bass (Brad Pitt), he insists that he will do whatever he wants with his property. Soloman exhibits an incredible amount of strength and resilience to make sure her survives long enough to see his family and be free once again.

12 Years A Slave is an incredible and heartbreaking tale of one man's fight for freedom in the slave trade. Flowing at a perfect pace where nothing feels rushed and nothing feels left out makes the film consistently captivating and allows for a great deal of attachment to take place between the viewer and the characters on screen. McQueen's film is extraordinarily memorable for it's incredible tale of the fight for freedom and it's welcomed but full-on intensity.

The film itself does not sugar coat the issue of slavery and gives perhaps one of the most brutally honest cinematic looks at slavery in pre-Civil War in the deep south of America. While films such as 1939's Gone With The Wind has given us a slightly distorted or best possible outcome look at slavery in the past where the masters are sympathetic to and treat their help well, 12 Years A Slave looks at the true terrors many had to go through. The film is extremely graphic in certain scenes and this can be very upsetting for some and extremely uncomfortable to watch. A great deal of the ways which the slaves are treated in the film are not censored in any way, shape or form and will upset and dismay many viewers. Yet, you feel true appreciation for Steve McQueen not holding back and wanting to show people this terror to give them a real perspective of what slavery could be like. The film is so powerful in the way that it makes you feel shocked, disgusted and heartbroken, but you are also overcome with how beautiful the film surrounding the hard emotions are.

Although visually confronting at times, 12 Years A Slave is just a pleasure to the eye. There are some absolutely stunning shots of the Louisiana plantations and their surrounds of the cotton fields, bayou and woods. The amazing sunset shot over the top of the trees and the scenes which naturally such as these are accentuated by the amazing musical score. The score itself gives such an impact and as the same haunting music appears throughout the film, it starts to increase emotion more each time each time you hear it.

Chiwetel Ejiofor is magnificent as Solomon Northup. He completely personifies the character and changes as the film goes on as a result of his circumstances. Although you see a man who is being worn down by what he is going through, you also see a man with an incredible amount of spirit and so much fight left in him despite what he is going through. One of the most powerful moments in the film is when the camera is on Ejiofor as he sits and looks around the plantation and at one moment he looks straight down the lens of the camera and it is as though he is really looking at you personally and pleading with you to help him.. It is an amazing moment because looking into his eyes you forget that this is an actor and is really a man of unfortunate circumstances looking for help from anyone who will listen.

Newcomer Lupita Nyong'o is absolutely incredible in her first film appearance as slave girl and object of Edwin Epps' affections, Patsey. She is another character who has an incredible amount of strength in her. Although she does have a death wish as she believes it is her only way out of that way of life, she is still full of life. It is such a sweet scene where you see her in the field making her own dolls, as you see the young girl who is still there and dreaming of happiness. Her final half an hour in the film is just overpowering and heartbreaking. She is a true star and if Patsey is anything to go by, her future career is going to be legendary.

Michael Fassbender gives a perfect performance of such a complex character. Epps is absolutely brutal and a real monster, but there is something else there. It is almost as though he struggles to maintain his brutality and has moments when he is on the verge of giving into being sympathetic, but pulls himself back into believing that his slaves are his property and that he must do what he can to make his assets work for him. There is no denying that he is evil, but his evil is felt greater in some scenes than others. Fassbender is so interesting to watch and every scene he is in brings both a sense of dread and a sense of intrigue. The scene between him and Ejiofor chasing each other is a great piece of cinema and the two have a great chemistry in the oppressed slave and tough master relationship.

Sarah Paulson, who plays Epps' wife, is also very good. Her character also has many layers which are to be examined when deciding what type of a woman she is. Like her husband, she has her moments when she borders on sympathy, but feels she has to reason to make it seem like she isn't sympathetic. Of course, she isn't sympathetic towards Patsey and here she demonstrates how fiercely loyal she is towards her husband by sticking around even though she threatens to leave. Paulson is quite scary at times and another very charismatic character. Benedict Cumberbatch also does well and Brad Pitt's performance is brief, but very effective.

Steve McQueen's 12 Years A Slave wants to show everyone the extreme hardships and horrors those in the slave trade had to endure, and that being free in the north didn't mean you were always free from danger. Intense and beautiful, 12 Years A Slave will be praised and remembered for years.

9.5/10

The Counselor (2013)

Year: 2013
Running Time: 117 minutes
Director: Ridley Scott
Writer: Cormac McCarthy
Cast: Michael Fassbender, Penelope Cruz, Cameron Diaz, Javier Bardem, Brad Pitt, Rosie Perez, Natalie Dormer

The Counselor opens in Australia on the 14th November 2013 and is distributed by 20th Century Fox. Now showing in the USA and will be released in the UK on the 15th November.

Ridley Scott's The Counselor has all the potential in the universe. Scott provides the film with a critically acclaimed and respected director, Cormac McCarthy a successful writer and a stellar cast make up the reasons why one would be forgiven for being excited about this film.

After the film's 117 minutes, what you are left with is an air of confusion. Confusion as to what went wrong when you put together so much of what is right. However, at the same time, there are some incredible things about The Counselor, which makes it all the more confusing.

Counselor (Michael Fassbender) has just got himself engaged and cannot resist the draw of earning just a bit more money to set himself and his fiancé, Laura (Penelope Cruz) up. He gets caught up in the business of drug trafficking by the hand of his friend, Reiner (Javier Bardem) and Westray (Brad Pitt). As a lawyer, Counselor is at the same time still conducting his business with his clients, until him doing his civil duty seems to intersect with the people he really didn't want to mess with in his money making scheme. Counselor is faced with a very real danger and must try to figure out how to save both the lives of himself and those close to him.

What really causes The Counselor to suffer is it's screenplay. We have come to expect so much more from Cormac McCarthy than what he has given here. It is one of those stories you see play out on screen where you aren't quite sure if you are missing some important plot point, or if it is really a simple story pretending to be complicated. It is in this way that The Counselor find's it's confusion. It is a simplistic film pretending to be something more and confusing everyone in the meantime. The dialogue isn't particularly entertaining, with the exception being the unforgettable "car and catfish" scene. The majority of the dialogue is so dull that it affects your concentration levels, particularly in the first 20 minutes. Yet The Counselor is thankfully not completely void of suspense and intrigue, these moments just aren't as prominent as one would have liked. A fun game to play when Counselor and Westray meet for the first time, is to count how many times Westray un-necessarily says and oversues the word "Counselor" in the scene.

The cinematography doesn't quite fail in the way that the screenplay does. There is some stunning photography and camera angles used throughout the film. Scott opens the film with an amazingly filmed bed scene between Counselor and Laura which feels graphic, but shows nothing to suggest that it is.

Michael Fassbender does well with what has been given to him. His best moments on screen are towards the end of the film when his and Laura's lives are in danger. Fassbender still remains natural on screen and 100% believable in his execution. This is perhaps Cameron Diaz's best role to date. She plays Reiner's dangerous girlfriend, Malkina. Malkina is a particularly interesting character. You never know quite what she is up to and she has a tremendous amount of character. She is so different to any other role Diaz has previously done and shows Diaz at her very best. Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz also do quite well, while Brad Pitt really isn't given too much to work with in order to turn out a notable performance on his behalf.

The Counselor is not by any means a complete failure, but is not the masterpiece it could be with so many artists working towards it.

5/10





You may have also seen Michael Fassbender in....
X Men: First Class as Magneto
Prometheus as David

You may have also seen Penelope Cruz in.....
Nine as Carla
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides as Angelica

You may have also seen Cameron Diaz in.....
Shrek Forever After as Princess Fiona
Bad Teacher as Elizabeth Halsey

You may have also seen Javier Bardem in.....
Biutiful as Uxbal

You may have also seen Brad Pitt in....
Moneyball as Billy Beane

Prometheus (2012)

Prometheus

Year: 2012

Director: Ridley Scott

Cast:  Noomi Rapace, Charlize Theron, Michael Fassbender, Guy Pearce

Before I begin my review….

                Honestly, this review for Prometheus is probably one of the hardest reviews I have ever written.

                I’m not quite sure how to put into words why I have found this so hard to write, but my actual experience with the film was that I left not knowing how I am supposed to feel about it. Well maybe that is the wrong way to put it. I left the cinema and I wasn’t sure whether I liked the film or whether I didn’t like it. I needed time to gather all the information I had and pile it together to get an informed opinion. I really didn’t feel like I could write this review if I only half-heartedly believed that I liked it or didn’t like it. What good is a review when you are telling people “I’m just writing this review for the sake of writing a review because I really don’t know whether I like it or not so therefore I can’t inform you as to whether you should go and see this film or not”?

My husband and I are big fans of the original Alien and Aliens and the one big thing I felt like we missed out on with Prometheus was I wanted to know more about the aliens which are in these films. If I looked at it that way, I was going to be disappointed. Ridley Scott has gone about Prometheus  from a completely different angle and really, as a stand alone film, I am very impressed.  So my initial thoughts were that fans of the original were going to be disappointed.

                Yet, many Alien/ Aliens fans really loved Prometheus. There is really a divided thought among all the sci fi fans out there. I guess the big thing is that Prometheus is very different compared to what people, including me, were thinking it was going to be. This is probably where the disappointment some people are experiencing came from. I see similarities between Prometheus  and Alien, but it is a different sort of blockbuster than we are used to. I use the word ‘blockbuster’ here because of the massive marketing and promotional activity surrounding the release of this film. The majority of blockbuster releases are action films, with the rest of them really being animation. Have you also noticed that many blockbusters happen to be sequels or prequels? Maybe many of us where expecting an action packed prequel, and it isn’t that.

                I believe that Prometheus is the thinking man’s sci-fi film. It does have some pretty spectacular special effects, but not really any action packed battle sequences. What Ridley Scott wants you to do is leave the cinema and keep thinking about the film long after you have left the car park. Considering I left and had to really dissect Prometheus, this worked with me!

                So bottom line is if you want action galore out of Prometheus and those terrifying aliens running everywhere throughout the film, open your mind a bit before buying your ticket. An open mind will get you many places.

Review

                Prometheus may well be the most highly anticipated movie release of the year. The question is, does it live up to the expectations installed in us by the crazy promotional campaigns you have seen at every corner and those expectations held by Alien fanatics?

                The answer is it definitely depends what you want out of the film and also if you like to be challenged mentally by a film.

                That is what makes Prometheus such a great one of a kind film. Ridley Scott may not have given some people the action packed Alien prequel which some people were expecting, but he has given us a science fiction that makes you contemplate some of the questions humanity faces going into the future with some pretty spectacular special effects and cinematography thrown in.

                In the future, a group of explorers travel on the vessel Prometheus to the far reaches of the galaxy to where they believe lies the key to finding out where the human race came from. However, when they arrive there, they realise that unlocking the secret to human existence also means unleashing danger on the human race in more than one form.

                The important thing to point out firstly is that Prometheus, even though it is a prequel to Alien, shouldn’t be approached with the mindset that it is going to be an updated version of Scott’s 1979 Alien. There are several links to the film, but it is better as a stand alone film than a link to the Alien films. It is almost as though Scott has just used the ship that is seen in Alien as a setting for a separate film that covers a whole set of new factors.

                What makes Prometheus so intriguing is that it is not merely a film about a ship travelling to an unknown planet and being met with their dangers. It is a film about the friction between faith and human engineering, that is, the belief in God creating human life vs the idea that humans and science are the creators. The way the film pans out with these two ideas is perfect as both sides are presented in the beliefs of the two of the main characters, Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green). The films conclusion shows what these two ideas can result in as far as human behaviour is concerned.

                Scott does quite a good job in direction. The cinematography is extremely impressive as is the editing. The script by Jon Spaihts and Damon Lindelof can tend to lack in parts and although the concept for the film is great, the script can let it down a bit.  Some things aren’t carried as well by the characters as they should be and there are still some questions left unanswered. Such as the depth and nature of Meredith Vickers (Charlize Theron) and Peter Weyland (Guy Pearce). Also Shaw and the “pilot” of Prometheus, Janek (Idris Elba) seem to form an unbreakable bond in about 2 minutes. One would think a relationship with a result like theirs would take a bit longer to form.

                Scott couldn’t have possibly assembled a better cast for Prometheus. The three lead actors are three of the best actors around at the moment and are all having a huge year thus far. Noomi Rapace has confirmed with this role that she has made the move to English speaking roles with brilliance. Her character goes through a transformation throughout the film from being almost timid to being a strong woman and her character development skills are stunning.

                Charlize Theron is very good as Meredith Vickers. She is a character who you know you should hate, but it is almost impossible too as she is just so good to watch as a hard woman.

                Michael Fassbender’s portrayal of the android, David is brilliant. He is such an interesting character. Yet, he is extremely disturbing. Peter O’Toole will never be seen in the same light again after David’s imitation of him. The character carries the “Is he a good guy or is he a bad guy?” tag which is possibly the most intriguing tag a character can carry.

                Guy Pearce is also very good and almost unrecognisable as the elderly Peter Weyland.

                Prometheus is a win for movie goers who like to be challenged in their thinking by a film, but like to have it done in as interesting a way as possible, not just in a film which consists primarily of two characters sitting on a park bench having a philosophical discussion.

                Just remember, stand alone film. Not an Alien with 2012 technology.

7.5/10

Sources
Itsfilm.com