The Hundred-Foot Journey (2014)

Year: 2014
Running Time: 122 minutes
Director: Lasse Hallstrom
Writers: Richard C. Morais (book), Steven Knight (screenplay)
Cast: Manish Dayal, Helen Mirren, Om Puri, Charlotte Le Bon

The Hundred-Foot Journey opens in Australian cinemas on the 14th August and is distributed by Buena Vista. Now showing in the USA and opening in the United Kingdom on the 8th September.

The Hundred-Foot Journey is a charming film filled with culinary delight and glorious landscapes. In retrospect, a film featuring such a sweet and inspirational journey should actually be a lot bigger than what it actually is. The film takes it's audience on a incredible journey which should provoke awe and admiration, yet it feels a little too much has been hurriedly crammed into it's two hour running time to really grasp the power and emotion that it should. There is no denying that it is indeed a nice film with many delicious visuals, but it is a film which knows it is charming and doesn't want to be too adventurous.

After the Kadam family have a series of unfortunate events happen to them, they make a fresh start in a small town in the French countryside. The head of the family, Papa (Om Puri) decides to open an Indian restaurant in an abandoned house, which just happens to be across the road from the town's Michelin star restaurant run by Madame Mallory (Helen Mirren). A battle between the two restaurants follows , but things change when a terrible act of cruelty is performed against the Kadams. However, the biggest change comes when Hassan Kadam (Manish Dayal) makes the hundred-foot journey across the road to work for Madame Mallory.

While The Hundred-Foot Journey is a fine film with particularly memorable and attractive visuals, it is also a film which had so much more to give. The Hundred-Foot Journey is, as the name suggests, a journey film. Journey films in general tend to have a lot to cover and as a result, if they need a longer than average running time in order to achieve this, it is forgiven. This film does indeed have a lot to cover and while it does cover all it needs to, it is done in an extremely rushed fashion. This is most evident in the second half of the film where everything is done as quickly as possible so it is able to fit into the two hour theatrical run time. There are many things which could have been fleshed out more in order to create real emotion rather than just be spoken of in one sentence and then moved on to the next thing. It was an opportunity to make a real emotional impact with the film that was sadly missed. The characters are likable and the story is sweet and inspirational, but it is just a shame that there is not enough feeling evoked to make it a great film.

However, what The Hundred-Foot Journey lacks in depth and emotion it makes up for by what it does aesthetically. It is the food that is on show here and is absolutely glorious. There are a wide variety of edibles carefully displayed throughout the film in beautiful fashion and with these visuals, the viewer is also able to smell and even imagine exactly how everything would taste. This is turn does evoke hunger in the viewer. The shots of the French countryside and it's rivers, woodlands and small town are all exquisite, as are the night shots of the stars and fireworks in the sky. The Hundred-Foot Journey invests a great deal in it's musical score. A different piece of music is used for all the restaurants to symbolise the different atmosphere each venue holds. There is also music dubbed into the film when particular foods are on screen and when a character is trying an amazing meal for the first time to enhance the importance of this food, such as when Madame Mallory samples Hassan's omelette. However, there are moments such as these when the use of the music is a little too much. It does add a charm to the moment, but perhaps too much charm.

Helen Mirren is wonderful to watch in this film. Her character of Madame Mallory evidently has a number of layers (many which are unfortunately not explored in great detail) and does as much as possible with what has been given to her. Mirren is always thrilling to watching in a domineering role as she has the ability to be intimidating and frightening without even raising her voice, as she demonstrates when dismissing one of her staff. Manish Dayal is very likable in the lead as Hassan. However, he is the one who suffers the most from the rushed nature of the film, particularly in the last quarter. So much suddenly happens to him, but he is not given the chance to make all of this work for him and bring out the emotions of his changing situation. Charlotte Le Bon is also very good as Hassan's love interest, Marguerite. She is once again incredibly likable and works well with Dayal.

Coming away from The Hundred-Foot Journey you feel as though you have seen a great deal, but not felt a great deal. Just a pleasant way to spend two hours.

6.5/10

Burton and Taylor (2013)

Year: 2013
Running Time: 83 minutes
Director: Richard Laxton
Writers: Noel Coward ( excerpts from "Private Lives), Alexander Walker (additional research from book "Elizabeth"), William Ivory
Cast: Dominic West, Helen Bonham Carter

Burton and Taylor premiered on Australian television on BBC First on 3rd August 2014 and is now available in Australia from BBC /Roadshow DVD.

The Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton romance was and still is legendary for the way in which the relationship was driven by both intense passion and furiosity. Richard Laxton's made for television biopic, Burton and Taylor covers just one small period in the saga between the two stars and as a result doesn't give a complete portrait of the infamous relationship in the usual fashion. However, it does give a wonderful imprint of the undeniable chemistry between the two that was evident during and after their two marriages due to wonderful performances by both Dominic West and Helena Bonham Carter. The film is only a small snippet of a relationship that was still showing sparks after two decades, but still has quite an entertaining screenplay to keep it enjoyable and enthralling.

The year is 1983 and Richard Burton (Dominic West) and Elizabeth Taylor (Helena Bonham Carter) have been divorced for over six years when they both sign on to do the Noel Coward play, "Private Lives" on Broadway. While the two have both moved on and been married and divorced once more to other people, there is no denying that there is still a strong connection between the two which provides both comfort and inner turmoil. The run of "Private Lives" becomes tumultuous behind the scenes and although Burton and Taylor try to hold it together on stage for the public, their private life is once again open for everyone to see.

When making a film about real life events surrounding popular figures such as Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, there is an incredible amount of pressure put on the film makers. As is demonstrated in the film, Taylor had and still has an incredibly large fan base who are exceptionally defensive of their beloved starlet. The challenge for filmmaker, Richard Laxton was always going to be how not to offend this fan base in any way and not ostracise the audience who are not watching the film for the love of Taylor. Burton and Taylor does only focus on one part of their lives, which is after their two marriages and divorces to each other. This in itself is not a cause for anyone to get upset by, but what some will find problematic is that they don't give much of a run down of the history between the two of them besides letting everyone know that they are working together again after being married twice.  There is almost an assumption there that people already know who Taylor and Burton are and the basics of their history. It is a dangerous assumption to make as while this generation would know the two actors by name, they wouldn't necessarily know their history.

However, the way in which the characters of Taylor and Burton interact and the chemistry between the two says more about their history as a couple than words could. The screenplay allows for the characters to tell the story of why they fell in love and why it didn't work in such an unique and admirable way. It is such an art to be able to tell a story about the past and present at the same time without telling it in the obvious fashion. Burton and Taylor may be about two superstars of their day, but it is also a study of a relationship between two people which at it's core would be the same whether they were famous or not. The way we see Burton and Taylor interact with each other tells us how and why the two fell in love with each other, which is that the two had an obvious understanding of each other and as well as being wildly attracted to each other, they also adored each other as friends. One of the things that also worked for the Burton/ Taylor marriage was that they both (particularly Taylor) strived on drama, but this was also their undoing. While it is obvious that they enjoyed the spontaneous bickering and violent outbursts, this was also their undoing. This aspect of their relationship took too much of an emotional toll on the two of them and the marriage(s) could not survive. Taylor's substance abuse and Burton's alcoholism also played a large part in this. All this is determined just from the actions of the characters and not from what the viewer is told, which is a wonderful method of both storytelling and character development.

While many fans will notice there are a number of inaccuracies and some situations are enhanced for the sake of the film, the screenplay is really quite wonderful. The period in which the film is set is covered very well and the script rather witty and often hilarious, particularly the banter between the couple and Taylor's scatter-brained dialogue. Burton and Taylor is also quite nostalgic. As it is set in the early 1980's, the musical score and production and costume design all work well to flesh out the time period and give the film a playful feeling rather than it feeling like a rewatch of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Dominic West and Helena Bonham Carter are both perfectly cast as Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. The first scene of Burton and Taylor where the two are participating in a press conference for "Private Lives" is not a great representation of this perfect casting, but about 15 minutes into the film you are completely convinced that you are actually watching Burton and Taylor. West completely personifies Burton with his mannerism and his stance gives him the presence Burton once commanded. His final scene in the film is so beautiful and a wonderful piece of acting. Carter is a brilliant Elizabeth Taylor. Once again, she is the perfect personification of the Taylor of the 1980's physically and in the way she spoke with her British/American accent. While many would like to see more of the infamous Burton/ Taylor fights, their confrontations are really quite entertaining and powerful. The on screen chemistry between West and Carter is fantastic. They have no problems in convincing that they are two people who have known each other for decades and are unable to stop caring for each other.

Burton and Taylor is not just a film about Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, it is a film about a couple who could not be without each other in their lives despite knowing they could never live with each other. A wonderful biopic which tells as much about the past as it does the present.

8/10

Lucy (2014)

 

Year: 2014
Running Time: 89 minutes
Director: Luc Besson
Writer: Luc Besson
Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Morgan Freeman, Min-sik Choi, Amr Waked, Analeigh Tipton

Lucy is proof that sometimes a film doesn't necessarily have to make a whole lot of sense in order to be enjoyed. Luc Besson's latest is incredibly unrealistic and borders on ridiculous, but due to it's strong and intriguing female lead played by Scarlett Johnasson, it is forgiven. Johansson's title character provides intrigue and action which makes the film high paced and unpredictable. However, even Johansson's wonderful performance cannot take away from the fact that when you sit back and assess the story and screenplay, there are holes right through this film and a great deal of impossibilities. Yet, it may just be better to leave these thoughts be and just enjoy the fun that Lucy is.

When American living in Taiwan, Lucy (Scarlett Johansson) gets mixed up in her boyfriend's suspicious mission to deliver a mysterious briefcase to businessman, Mr Jang (Min-sik Choi). After being knocked unconscious, she wakes up with bandage across her abdomen and is informed that she has a bag of the new "it" drug called CPH4 in her stomach which Jang and his men wish for her to smuggle into the United States for them. Before she is sent back home, she is attacked by a group of men who kick her in the stomach, breaking the bag of CPH4 which flows through her bloodstream and gives her the power to open her mind to it's full capacity. Lucy escapes and with the notion that she will not last long, tries to find Professor Norman (Morgan Freeman) who she believes will benefit from the research he will be able to complete on her state of mind.

Lucy is an interesting combination of an insight into human existence film and action film. The basis for the film, which is that of the opening of Lucy's mind for her to use it's full capacity, is an original and very interesting one. How this links into the idea of what humans have done over time with this capacity and what we are supposed to do with it is represented well throughout the film. It is an enjoyable time coming to understand more about the way the human brain works through Lucy and Professor Norman's research, yet it doesn't take science degree to recognise where fact becomes fiction in order to make an entertaining action film. The principle which the film is based on which is that the average human brain uses 10% of it's capacity is actually more of a myth than anything else. The brain everyday uses a great deal more than this 10% and it's use depends on the activity or thought at hand. The idea of a human coming to resemble a superhero of sorts with mind control as their brain capacity rises in the way in which Lucy does is almost comical and does give the audience a few giggles.

While the screenplay is quite clever with great character development and clever dialogue, there are also quite a few holes there. Lucy clearly has no adaption period or stops to wonder how she came to be able to feel more once the bag bursts inside her. Of course her brain capacity has just increased so perhaps she is supposed to somehow automatically know what she is capable of, but still doesn't seem likely given the situation. Another piece of the screenplay which doesn't make sense is when Lucy walks into the hospital in Taiwan and into an operating theatre where the surgeon speaks perfect English and addresses her as soon as she steps in in English, and not his native tongue. He automatically correctly assumes Lucy speaks English and not another language. Other inconsistencies exist during the film, but choosing the look over them allows the viewer to be able to enjoy the film for it's entertaining and enjoyable qualities, rather than it's inaccuracies.

The high paced action scenes are extremely entertaining and well shot. Lucy really is quite suspenseful and quite unpredictable. The car chases are particularly entertaining through the streets of Paris as they are accompanied by colourful images of the strands of thoughts which Lucy can see going through people's minds. The cinematographic choices are interesting, particularly those of the shots of animals in the wild presented throughout the film to support what is being discussed in the film at that point in time. These pieces of nature photography make the film unique and remind the audience that this is not just an action film, but a film also about human existence.

Scarlett Johansson is wonderful as Lucy. She has a great deal of character development and there is a distinctive difference between Lucy before she is exposed to CPH4 and after she is. Through the film, you see the person she used to be fading away as her brain capacity gets higher and eliminates her human features such as feeling emotion. When we meet Lucy, it is understood that she is an American student in Taiwan who is looking for a good time with her friends and boyfriend. She is absolutely hysterical when she is put in danger's way, but as the film goes on she gets calmer and calmer as her human emotions fade away. Johansson is wonderful when she is overly emotional at the beginning of the film and when she is just a body who is processing information at a rapid pace later on in the film.

Lucy is highly entertaining, but gives you the impression that you cannot completely rely on all the information regarding brain capacity and human capabilities which it is trying to feed you. Taken for what it is, Scarlett Johansson once again proves that she is a brilliant action woman.

6.5/10