Run All Night (2015) film review

Year: 2015
Running Time: 114 minutes
Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Writer: Brad Inglesby
Cast: Liam Neeson, Ed Harris, Joel Kinnaman, Common, Boyd Holbrook, Vincent D'Onofrio, Genesis Rodriguez

Now showing in cinemas everywhere. Distributed in Australia by Roadshow Films.

Underneath it's hard exterior of action and suspense, Run All Night  is a dramatic film about the ties between family and friends that just misses it's emotional calling but is nevertheless entertaining. One time hit man, Jimmy Conlon (Liam Neeson) is haunted by the ghosts of his past to the point where he is unable to function in daily life. The only person he can still depend on and call a friend is mob boss, Shawn Maguire (Ed Harris). By a terrible twist of fate, Jimmy's estranged son, Michael (Joel Kinnaman) witnesses Shawn's son, Danny (Boyd Holbrook) shoot a man dead and Danny wants to make sure Michael keeps his mouth shut by doing the same to him. In order to save his son, Jimmy instead takes Danny's life, which forces Shawn's hand to go after Michael to even things up with his long time friend.

Run All Night has an interesting basis and one that could push the film in the direction of a psychological thriller. The opportunity was there for the film to express the internal battle the characters of Jimmy and Shawn should have been feeling having to do something so atrocious to people they are personally connected to. It is something that is touched upon to an extent, but Run All Night wants to focus primarily on the action and suspense. It succeeds in this department as the film is indeed action packed and thrilling, but would have gone from being a mediocre film to a very good film had there been a greater emotional connection to the characters and their situation.

Yet the family dynamics between the Conlons and the Maguires make an interesting case study. It is obvious who is the more responsible and loving son and it is the one who grew up with an absent father. Michael is incredibly hostile towards his father as he rarely saw him when he was growing up and left Michael and his mother to fend for themselves. He grew up to have a family he loves with two little girls and a son on the way and is an active member of the community. On the other hand, Danny has little respect and love for anyone besides himself and following in his father's footsteps by participating in illegal activities. Yet, Shawn was present for Danny's childhood. Run All Night provides a demonstration of how children will learn from their parents and this is part of who they become. As Michael's dad was absent, he learnt how it felt to not have a parent present and made sure he was there for his family and for others who were without fathers. He was immune to his father's violent world and he played no witness to it, while Danny grew up watching and learning from his mob boss father. This is not a case to make for all parents and children, but an interesting one to contemplate from this film.

Visually Run All Night has it's own character and is unique in it's own way. It's attempts to do something different with it's cinematography and has no lack of continuous camera shots and editing that creates havoc within itself. It is admirable that there is the intent to try something different and it does succeed in doing this, but these attempts do not add anything to the film. In particular the style of editing employed may try to support the high speed intensity, but it is creating more of a sense of craziness and mayhem. The film has plenty of fast paced action sequences which are suspenseful when the film as a whole is largely predictable.

Run All Night is a film that would have truly benefited from an emotional attachment to it's characters through the right direction and allowances in the script. What meek attempts it makes of being sentimental are lost in weak performances by fine actors. There is absolutely no doubt that Liam Neeson, Ed Harris and Joel Kinnaman are capable of delivering stronger performances with the desired level of emotion which their characters should have been granted. All the actors give borderline performances that are not bad for any reason, but not wonderful for a greater reason.

As an action film, Run All Night does enough to make itself watchable and enjoyable. However, the subject content not only allows for more, but demands more to be given as far as you can't be talking about killing your best friend's children in emotionally controlled circumstances.

5.5/10

Inherent Vice (2014) film review

Year: 2014
Running Time: 148 minutes
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Writers: Thomas Pynchon (novel), Paul Thomas Anderson (screenplay)
Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Josh Brolin, Owen Wilson, Katherne Waterston, Jena Malone, Reese Witherspoon, Joanna Newsom, Eric Roberts, Bencio Del Toro, Maya Rudolph
Inherent Vice is now showing in cinemas everywhere and is distributed in Australia by Roadshow Films.

Based on the novel of the same name by Thomas Pynchon, Inherent Vice is a wonderfully unique and nostalgic journey back to the very early days of the 1970's when Los Angeles was experiencing a change in identity. Larry "Doc" Sportello (Joaquin Phoenix) is a detective living the hippy lifestyle who the officials, including Lt. Det. Christian "Bigfoot" Bjornsen (Josh Brolin) ridicule and his friends rely on. When he is visited by ex-girlfriend, Shasta (Katherine Waterston), he becomes caught up in a web of illegal activities and cover ups in a world where everyone he meets is somehow connected. However, when Shasta goes missing, it all turns personal for Doc.

Paul Thomas Anderson's adaptation of Thomas Pynchon's novel is a fine one. Anyone who has read the book will find that the film mirrors the book in the best of ways and Anderson has overcome the features of the book that may have been problematic in the process of adaption with style. However, the novel "Inherent Vice" is one that has divided opinions which inevitably leads to the film being quite the same way. Many people enjoyed the novel for it's nostalgic and vivid imagery, but Pynchon's writing style and method of storytelling can be troublesome for others. Those who are troubled by the latter will find that the screenplay is much like the book and therefore will not understand the attraction that others feel to it as they will feel that there is too much going on with too many characters. The psychedelic drug fuelled and sexual nature of the film will also take away from the enjoyment of other viewers. Yet with an open mind, Inherent Vice is a lot of fun and rather hilarious. The script is incredibly witty with colourful dialogue and there are plenty of laugh out loud moments.

However, Inherent Vice lacks the thing that one has come to expect from an Anderson film as such and that is the presence of impressive cinematography with amazing visuals. The film is nostalgic and very atmospheric of the times, but the one thing that is missed in the film as opposed to the book is the love felt for the Los Angeles landscape. It feels as though an opportunity is missed in this respect, as Pynchon's book lovingly created these vivid pictures of Doc's home beside the sea. These lingering shots of the featured locations are missed, but the nostalgia is created by the costumes and production design which add to the overall atmosphere of the film. The soundtrack is also completely fitting for the year of 1970 and is unique in the way that it isn't a compilation of over played songs from that era.

While Inherent Vice provides a visually nostalgic imprint of Los Angeles in the year of 1970, it is also a snapshot of the times with a focus on a type of prejudice that was brand new. Throughout the film, the character of Doc is continuously ridiculed and insulted for being a hippy and living the lifestyle associated with being a hippy. The two girls of his life, Penny and Shasta were both once part of the hippy lifestyle, but they have both cleaned themselves up to seem more respectable in society and Penny in particular makes it no secret that she has conformed. This hippy hate in Los Angeles was the doing of Charles Manson and his band of followers known as The Manson Family. When the murders that shook Los Angeles were committed by this group of free spirits under Manson's spell, hippies were no longer seen as the innocent members of society they once were, but as sinister and a mark on society. Of course we see in Inherent Vice that this was not true of all hippies as there is nothing sinister about Doc and the movie does a fine job at demonstrating society's view on this sub-culture at this point in time.

The colourful characters and their wonderful dialogue are brought to life by way of perfect casting and fine performances. Joaquin Phoenix is truly brilliant as Doc Sportello. Phoenix brings a very natural comedic style to the role which is neither forced nor dull and it is a style which is perfect for the character. His character of Doc is incredibly likable and despite how much verbal abuse he receives throughout the film from almost everyone, remains so laid back (whether that be with some support) and harmless. It is a role which one can imagine Phoenix would have had a great deal of fun with as he is a real treat to watch.

Josh Brolin is also tremendously entertaining as tough talking cop, Bigfoot Bjornsen. Brolin's memorable character arguably gets some of the best lines in the film and is truly hilarious. Joanna Newsom, who's character Sortilege acts as narrator, does a wonderful job of holding her own in the film and is the personification of the typical carefree Californian girl of 1970. Benicio Del Toro and Owen Wilson are also very funny and entertaining.

Inherent Vice is not your average comedy and is completely unique. This uniqueness will be too quirky for some, but an open mind will lead to a rather fun experience at the hands of Paul Thomas Anderson.

7/10

Focus (2015) film review

Year: 2015
Running Time: 104 minutes
Directors/Writers: Glenn Ficarra and John Requa
Cast: Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Rodrigo Santoro, Gerald McRaney, Adrian Martinez

Focus opens in Australian cinemas on March 5 and is distributed by Roadshow Films. Now showing in the USA and UK.

Although Focus often resembles artistic mayhem and confusion, it may be exactly the movie experience that cinema goers are craving for. While it wants and tries very hard to be smart, sassy and stylish, its falls short but remains fun, witty and entertaining while doing so. When amateur con, Jess (Margot Robbie) meets big time con, Nicky (Will Smith) she begs him to teach her his methods and to accept her into his glamorous world of trickery. The two soon find themselves not only working together to increase their fortunes, but also in a romantic sense. Yet, Jess can never figure out what is real when it comes to Nicky's affections and his intentions.

Focus is a long way from being a flawless film, but it is remarkably entertaining and enjoyable due to the screenplay's original execution and it's constant surprise element. The film has the nature of the con artist and the audience plays the role of the unsuspecting victim as they are confidant in knowing what is occurring, but this is what the film wants them to feel while it buries the truth under multiple layers. Focus is particularly unpredictable, but at the same time does not have a clean cut story as it's screenplay is more concerned with the surprise element rather than a smooth execution. The actual story is not as enthralling as the twists which it provides.

However, the film does indeed install an unexpected sense of paranoia in it's audience. With the methods of deception employed by the characters in order to carry out their operations, one realises how simple a theft of one of their possessions such as a wallet or phone may really be. Some of the bigger con jobs in the film are not quite as scary for the everyday person, but seeing the simplest of thefts occurring just in a jolt from a stranger is frightening enough to make you suspect everyone when you leave the cinema.

Visually Focus is absolute havoc. Editing which is attempting to appear stylish comes across as jumpy and uneven. The vast array of entertaining and fun images throughout the film are projected onto the screen with a wonderful use of colour, but the way in which these images are arranged and the choice of music to accompany them does little to enhance them. The musical score feels over used and overdramatises particular moments in the film to produce humour at undesired intervals.

The pairing of Will Smith and Margot Robbie is somewhat problematic. The two do fine jobs in their roles as individuals and are really perfectly cast as their characters. However, the lack of romantic chemistry between the two is extremely evident and makes the scenes that should be steamy between the two not so. As individuals, Robbie has the upper hand on Smith as she plays her role of Jess with greater emotional conviction. Smith still does well and remains likable throughout the film despite his downfalls.

Despite it's faults, Focus is a fun time to be had. It contains a great deal of unpredictability thanks to it's twists and turns that it can be forgiven for it's downfalls with great ease and just enjoyed for what it is.

6/10