The Big Take (2018) film review

Year: 2018
Running Time: 83 minutes
Writer/Director: Justin Daly
Cast: James McCaffrey, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Zoe Bell, Bill Sage, Dan Hedaya, Robert Foster, Oksada Lada

The Big Take has a limited theatrical run at Cinema Village in New York City from September 7-13. Available on DVD and Digital on September 4.

Justin Daly's The Big Take is an intriguing, thrilling and original piece of cinema that is mesmerisingly atmospheric and an exceptional debut film from a filmmaker who is not afraid to take courageous creative chances.

At the centre of an elaborate plan by Vic (Slate Holmgren) to get money to fund a film by screenwriter, Max (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) is Hollywood actor, Douglas Brown (James MacCaffrey). Brown is under the impression that he is being blackmailed in order for a damaging video of himself not to be shown in public, but he is really part of a crazy scheme by Vic to fund a film and make himself a producer. However, Brown has access to people who can easily discover who Vic and Max are and when a visit by private investigator, Frank Maniscalpo (Dan Hedaya) to Max and his wife, Oxana (Oksana Lada) goes horribly wrong, things start to turn nasty for everyone involved. 

The Big Take  is a highly impressive directorial debut by Justin Daly. It is evident that he has a strong sense of who he is as a filmmaker and is uncompromising in the execution of his first film. Daly's style of direction is not unlike that of a younger Quentin Tarantino as The Big Take has an atmosphere reminiscent of that of Pulp Fiction. However, the screenplay (also written by Daly) cannot be compared to the 1994 film as it is a highly original piece of work. 

It's creativity in the darkly comical narrative allows for a heightened sense of suspense and unpredictability which is supported by a soundtrack that not just enhances the atmosphere, but excites and intrigues. The reason it is so intriguing is that types of music are matched with landscapes that it would not usually be associated with in film (such as reggae accompanying the image of a motorcycle on the streets of Los Angeles), but unexpectedly works so well.

It's flowing dialog is superbly written for the screen and delivered with ease by the impeccable cast. Ebon Moss-Bachrach as the unassuming Max who is the star of the film. James MacCaffrey's Douglas Brown is the Hollywood stereotype which people love to hate right from the word go, but Max is the underdog who could be the real hero of the film that everyone barracks for. He is the relatable writer trying to make his way in the tough world that is Hollywood and trying to get people to take notice, so when trouble in the form of attention comes his way he doesn't question it. Zoe Bell is also a standout as the girl who is way scarier than she initially seems, Edie.

The Big Take explores the side of Hollywood where people will do absolutely anything and question nothing to finally get their big break. Justin Daly breaks into the filmmaking scene with incredible power and is without a doubt one to watch in the future.

8/10

Cafe Society (2016) film review

Year: 2016
Running Time: 96 minutes
Director/ Writer: Woody Allen
Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Steve Carell, Blake Lively, Parker Posey, Corey Stoll

Café Society opens in Australian cinemas on October 20 and is distributed by Entertainment One.

Woody Allen's 1930's tale of two cities, Café Society lacks the lovely nostalgia that it should have with not only it's lukewarm screenplay and lack of strong plot, but also it's strange choices in cinematography that don't make the time period and locations anywhere near as exciting or wondrous as they should be.

In 1935, young and naïve Bronx native, Bobby travels cross-country to try his luck in the glamour town of Hollywood. He is employed by his uncle who is one of Hollywood's leading agents, Phil Stern (Steve Carell) and has one of his uncle's office girls, Vonnie (Kristen Stewart) show him around town. Bobby is instantly besotted with Vonnie, but she is already in a relationship with a mystery man who is already married. However, Bobby and Vonnie's story doesn't end there and spans over time and the two cities of Los Angeles and New York City in one of their most exciting times.

Looking at Café Society from the viewpoint of a fan of the golden age of Hollywood, the film does not hit the heights expected from the exciting prospect of Woody Allen making a period piece about the earlier days of the film town. Allen did such a great job with Midnight in Paris in 2011 with reconstructing Paris in the 1920's complete with personalities such as F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway that one would expect a film set in the 1930's with such a strong film basis to be successful. However, Allen does not do this period justice. Not only are there several historical inaccuracies (including architecture and costume design), but the screenplay features famous names from the time period such as Judy Garland, Errol Flynn and Joan Crawford being thrown around for the sake of it rather than to move the story along. While Café Society is also supposed to be equally focused on the New York City scene, it feels more focused on Hollywood and the New York world which the film's title is named after is left rather unloved.

While his films can often leave people trying to figure out what their point is, the usual consensus is that it doesn't matter if there was a greater meaning just as long as you were entertained and enjoyed the film. Café Society has no real direction, a tedious story and we can only have a guess at what Allen was trying to tell us as an audience, but not with any great confidence. It may be that the person we don't want to be is the person we are really longing to be inside, or it could be the idea that circumstances change us and our views on the world. However, it does really feel as though Allen wanted so greatly to make a film about this time period that the story wasn't as important as the visuals.

Yet the visuals are not as striking as they possibly could be. The type of lighting used throughout the film mirrors what the lighting would have been like in such a location, but on screen it can look particularly unattractive at times, especially in Phil Stern's office. The production design for the outdoor locations is really quite lazy. Old Hollywood enthusiasts love seeing old venues recreated for the screen, don't expect this to be the case in Café Society. All the locations appear the same as they would if you visited them in Hollywood yourself today and no effort is made to show locations that once existed and now do not. The Hollywood history film is almost a sub-genre in itself and Café Society is a particularly weak member.

Jesse Eisenberg does fine in the lead role of Bobby and is enjoyable and charismatic. However, it is obvious that Allen has once again directed his leading actor to be a clone of himself. Once upon a time when Woody Allen was playing himself in his own films, it was nowhere near as tiresome as it now is watching a series of films with big name actors giving their best Woody Allen impression. On the other hand, Allen's female characters remain as diverse as ever. Kristen Stewart is luminous as the woman everyone is falling for, Vonnie. Stewart continues to impress with each film she is in and show how versatile an actress she truly is. However, she has little chemistry with Steve Carell. who is her primary love interest of the film.

Café Society is an incredible shame of a movie. Woody Allen could have done so much more with the film by way of screenplay depth and got really inventive and gritty with the time period, but the film feels lazy and uninspired.

4.5/10

Trainwreck (2015) film review

Year: 2015
Running Time: 125 minutes
Director: Judd Apatow
Writer: Amy Schumer
Cast: Amy Schumer, Bill Hader, Brie Larson, LeBron James, Colin Quinn, Tilda Swinton, Vanessa Bayer, Ezra Miller

Trainwreck opens in Australia on August 6 and is distributed by Universal Pictures. Now showing in the United States and opening in the United Kingdom August 14.

Trainwreck is unapologetically funny with it's witty and uncompromising screenplay brought to life by a superb cast driven by Amy Schumer, but it also surprises with it's depth of human relationships. Amy (Schumer) is living the life, or so she believes. She has a great job at S'nuff magazine where she is up for a promotion and has a different love of her life every night who she says goodbye to before they are able to wake up the next morning with her. When she meets Dr. Aaron Conners (Bill Hader) on a work assignment, she is perplexed to discover that she may have met her match...the thing that she was brought up to believe was only going to lead to unhappiness and being trapped for the rest of her life.

Trainwreck breathes new life into the romantic-comedy and breaks through the stereotype of this being a female audience dominated genre. The wonderfully witty script (also written by Amy Schumer) celebrates the world as a place where not everyone wants the same things out of life and love while at the same time seeing the comical value in the differences. Although the screenplay is not entirely airtight, it is forgiven due to it's comedic value as the laughs come at a rapid pace in every scene with no lapses in humour including in the more serious scenes. While there are many a sexual joke, there is also much well-timed general and situational humour that doesn't rely on tired and uncreative methods to get one laughing.

However, despite Trainwreck containing many a crude sex joke which may not be to everyone's taste, the film also has a great deal of heart and says a great deal about the dynamics of family. Amy and Kim (played by Brie Larson) are almost polar opposites as sisters which comes down to the fact that their parents were seemingly complete opposites and while Amy idolised her father (Colin Quinn), Kim idolised her mother. The two take after the parent they worshipped and in Amy's case this includes the worst parts of her father. From the first scene we see this where Amy listens to her father's views on marriage and we then see her living up to this view herself in her 30's. She is even aware of what these negatives are and hates these aspects of him, but without even realising it replicates his bluntness, negativity and addictive nature, particularly to vices such as alcohol and sex. It would seem that Gordon is the original trainwreck with his adoring daughter mimicking his behaviour, which can often happen in children.

Amy Schumer may well be the fastest rising star in comedy this year and Trainwreck gives one a valid understanding of why. Not only is her script hilarious, but she shines on the screen in a performance that is natural and heartfelt. When she is hilarious she is hysterical and when she is emotional she is heartbreaking. She is the perfect comedic leading lady for the present and regardless of the fact that the role was written by her for her, she is believable and has an effortless sense of comedic timing. While her Amy may not always be completely likable due to her self-destructive nature, she is still a character one loves to watch.

Schumer is surrounded by a superb supporting cast who raise plenty of laughs themselves. Bill Hader is completely endearing and immediately likable as Aaron. His dead pan sense of humour works so well in Trainwreck as it makes his delivery of humorous dialogue unexpected and catches one by surprise. His on-screen chemistry with LeBron James, who plays himself is superb and also hilarious. Brie Larson almost sneaks under the radar as Kim, but still gives a solid performance and Tilda Swinton is almost unrecognisable as Amy's difficult boss, Dianna, but shows that her wonderful acting ability also extends into comedy. Watch out also for a hilarious cameo by Leslie Jones and cinema veteran Norman Lloyd.

Trainwreck has a fantastic awareness of self and may well be the best comedy released in 2015 so far. Amy Schumer is the leading lady which cinema-goers have been yearning for and here she proves why she is fast becoming a household name.

8/10