Interstellar

A Film Completely Out of This World

Director: Christopher Nolan
Release Date: 2014
Rating: 12
Running Time: 180 mins
Genre: Sci-fi/ Drama
Actors: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine

"We use to look up at the sky and wonder about our place in the starts, now we just look down at the ground and worry about our place in the dirt."

I'll be honest, Interstellar is a hard film to talk about. There's no denying it's incredibly confusing and high complex stuff, but the real problem is, if you're talking to someone who hasn't seen it, there's so much you can't say in order to not give any of it away. I often say that if you're watching a film you haven't seen before, the best thing is to "go in blind". By this I mean, begin the film with absolutely no idea of what it's about besides perhaps the title, director and lead actors, maybe genre as well in case you're wondering if it's really going to be the one for you. Yet aside from that, by knowing nothing about the film, no twists or turns or anything that will sabotage the plot for you, you're guaranteed at least one surprise along the way. The problem is talking about films with huge spoilers, surprises or twists, you don't even want to know they exist in the film, because then they become anticipated and guessed to early on. Personally for me, if a person even mentions that a film has a BIG twist in it, then I will most likely hate them forever. It's one of the biggest pleasures I get from going to the movies and I'm sure I'm not the only one. Yes, some may say they hate twists and demand their money back for having just had the film "waste their time", but quite frankly, I don't see how they can say that. For me, you cannot beat a good surprise.

In the case of Nolan, you almost don't need to worry about spoilers..(almost!) because his films are just so god-damn complex and abstract. If you tried to explain the plot of Inception to someone, unless you're Nolan, you just won't be doing it justice. (Umm..it's basically about this dream in a dream inside another dream..and...they're trying to...) Let's face it, it's a hard film to get your head around, and it may even require several viewings to really understand, but it is absolutely incredible. (Only Nolan would think of having a city fold in on itself and bend the laws of physics in a way that we can still understand). I myself learnt the hard lesson that you cannot talk during a film, and in the case of a Nolan film, one word and you've missed something, even the tiniest detail and I was left bewildered and had to really pay hard attention to catch up with it all. It's been this way from the start, with Memento, we really saw a film you have to pay hard attention to (what with it going in a non-liniar, backwards order and everything) and Nolans genius was quickly unmasked. Now with the success he's had in the last decade and a half, and with the fresh success of his sci-fi epic, the man can probably approach any actor he pleases or any production company and will have a big sum of money pushed into his new project (so long as they don't mind working with Michael Caine that is).

So I should probably talk about Interstellar. But what can I say without ruining anything? It's not a love story, though maybe not a conventional Eros relationship we're use to. If it was any form of love it's a fathers love for his daughter (this applying to more than one character, but I'm giving too much away), the longing belief that the human race will survive like it always has done in the past, and the dream we all have, that one day we will find another play in the universe, not even in our galaxy, but somewhere out there, that we can find, explore and live. And once you get past the science (as there is a lot of it) that is the real raw drive behind this film. "Man was born on earth, but wasn't supposed to die here".

Although it wasn't all down to Nolan, as a completely non green screened film (so they're saying) the production team that worked on this film must've been incredible, and the time that would've gone into making even a mere few seconds of footage was most likely incredible. But for me, there were two genius' working on Interstellar. Nolan of course, but also the sheer talent that is Matthew McConaughey, and I think it's safe to say Hollywood has just banked it's new leading actor. Now I didn't know much about this man before last year when I saw him give his Oscar speech for Dallas Buyers Club, a film which at that point I had not seen. But what grabbed me about this guy was his charisma and clear love and appreciation of life, he just seemed like a genuine guy that had one hell of a story to tell. So I checked out the highly acclaimed film despite not knowing what it was about (I was expecting a film about southern race car driving, don't ask me why), and I was blown away. "This man can act", I thought. So after this I then set out watching his next project of True Detective, and for me, McConaughey was just exceptional, "This man is as cool as a cucumber". So expectations were high for Interstellar, and seeing him in the performance he gave, (one very different to what I'd seen him in before), he was incredible. The calm reassuring (Jimmy Stewart esc perhaps) protagonist we want to guiding us through. And now, there's surely no going back for this guy, I'd be surprised if I see him playing the guy who's in Tropic Thunder for 10 minutes any more, he's onto bigger things, and if Interstellar is anything to go by, the sky is definitely not the limit for him..(sorry I had to).

Despite being a film very dissimilar to what the director's made before, it was still incredibly Nolan-esc for so many reasons, both plot and actors, but because I don't want to talk about the plot too much I'll stick to the actors. Since Batman Begins in 2005, Michael Caine has appeared in all six of the following films Nolan directed up to now, making his mark as an official Nolan Veteran, and the actors not slipping, in Interstellar despite not embarking on the exposition alongside McConaughey and Anne Hathaway, he was one of the real stars in this film and I may have to leave it like that. Anne Hathaway also making her second appearance in a Nolan film after The Dark Knight Rises back in 2012, she herself becoming a very bankable actress alongside the other stars in this film (no pun intended). After already receiving an Oscar back in 2011 for Les Mis, it's looking like Hathaway may be heading for a second, and a very bright future indeed.

So how would I sum this film up, I suppose there really isn't only one way, but just a film that gives hope to the survival of humanity, shown in a completely awe inspiring and captivation way. If I had to sum it up in one particular way, I would refer to is as a modern and perhaps (controversially) a slightly polished 2001: A Space Odyssey, that even the everyday man can comprehend, just about. But like Kubricks masterpiece, this may well be Nolans, and rather than just a film, it's a sheer work of art. Total brilliance everyone should see.

10/10

The Trouble With Harry

A Typical Hitchcockian Comedy

Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Release Date: 1955
Rating: PG
Running Time: 95 mins
Genre: Comedy/ Romance/ Drama
Starring: John Forsythe, Shirley MacLaine, Edmund Gwenn, Mildred Natwick

"He looked exactly the same when he was alive only he was vertical"

The story of a dead body found, without evidence of how it got there, it's safe to say Harry causes a lot of trouble in this Hitchcock farce.

Hitchcock always has a way of playing with life and death. You'd imagine a film about a dead body found of the ground, everyone with a different idea of how it got there would make up quite the drama, you certainly wouldn't imagine it to be a light hearted comedy. Yet somehow Hitchcock was able to find a way of making this dark story in to a sweet, if not slightly quirky, tale filled with romance, friendships and the beauty of the little things in life.

When retired Captain Wiles (Gwenn) spends an early autumn morning hunting rabbit (despite all signs against shooting), he just about manages to fire at everything but, and in the process, consequently assumes he has shot a civilian, having found a body lying dead on the floor with a nasty head wound. It's not long before the Captain plans to bury the body so he's never found, but as if all at once, various villagers arrive at the scene, none seeming to especially mind or even notice the corpse lying stationary in front of them. With the help of an optimistic artist Sam (Forsythe), quirky young widow Jennifer (Maclaine) and  nervous Miss gravely (Natwick), the four set about burying then digging up the reburying the body named Harry throughout the day, still undecided as to how he really died or what to do with him.

Bernard Herman once again (like with many of Hitchcock's projects) provides a highly well crafted and enjoyable soundtrack to capture the humour, romance and tragedy in this film. Hitchcock, once again plays with his audience and creates such a farce throughout that by the end you wonder why the go to such lengths during. It's a very well thought out and crafted film, with multiple relationships created and mood changers, the film will keep you interested for the easily digestible hour and a half that it takes place. This, like all his other films are riddled with Hitchcockian stamps, fear of the police ("You're guilty until proven innocent" and "I'll get the jitters everytime I see a police car and there's no good saying I won't"), fear of falling in love, putting a spin on death, it's clear the man really did know what he was doing when he got behind a camera.

But for me, the real reason why I so loved this film is, I just enjoyed the characters. Edmund Gwenn portrayed a slightly cheesey, but very likeable and honest man. John Forsythe portrayed a loving, passionate artist who always thought different to everyone else and could appreciate the little things in life. And Shirley MacLaine made her début in this film, but straight away showed us all what she was capable of in front of a camera, acting so natural, right at home. it's a personal Hitchcock favourite of mine, so dialogue heavy that you could pick up little details after several viewings that help it remain so enjoyable.

A very sweet and slightly eccentric film, not one of his best known (though part of the five lost Hitchcock's, claimed to be his top films) but Hitchcock himself claimed that The Trouble With Harry was one of his favourites to work on and watch back. Certainly, if you're a fan of the director, it's worth giving a watch.

7/10

Gone Girl

Fincher's Latest Mindf*ck Is Under Way

Director: David Fincher
Release Date: 2014
Rating: 18
Running Time: 140 mins
Genre: Mystery/Drama
Starring: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Carrie Coon, Tyler Perry, Neil Patrick Harris

"Nick Dunne, you're probably the most hated man in America right now. Did you kill your wife Nick?"

If you could name one director that loves to see how much can he get away with on screen through misdirection, deciet and shocking twists and turns, then David Fincher is most likely your man. He's a man best know for toying with the audience and infamously causing them such sock surprises that it will be hard for them to have anything else stuck on their mind for the rest of the day. If there was a list of contemporary Hitchcockian directors that have taken the reigns from the late great director, Finchers name would comfortably be sitting pretty high up. I doubt there's anyone who could really spot the details that the director left nestled into Fight Club, Se7en or The Game, (three very highly regarded films that will probably mess your head up worse than a bottle of whisky) but I doubt anyone would be able to anticipate their endings, and if anyone did they would be just be lying.

So what was it about Gone Girl that lured Fincher in? After the huge success of the 2012 novel, it was not going to be long before a director would snatch up the opportunity to capture the incredible story on screen, and lets face it, who could've possibly done a better job (except maybe Nolan). This incredible battle of the sexes should read, packaged for boys and girls, (although maybe not one boys and girls should watch together). It has something for everyone, and so many alternating readings can be taken from it. It's one of those illusive (if not sometimes annoying) films where there's no truly right or wrong answer, but it just is what it is, and what it is is pretty incredible.

There are two main protagonists in this film, Nick (Affleck) and Amy (Pike) Dunne, a married couple of five years who are just about to celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary. Only trouble is, when Nick returns home after a morning of drifting around, his wife is no where to be seen, and it's not long before Nick is wound up in a web of conspiracies about the disappearance of his wife. With only his sister (Carrie Coon) and wonder lawyer (Tyler Perry) by his side, Nick has to really go all out in the hope his wife will return home and his name will be cleared. Set with flashback versus read by Amy from her diary, she establishes the couple's relationship and the lead up to her disappearance, just enough so that we are on the edge of our seats but without a clue of where she ended up. It's a film that constantly manipulates and changes our opinions of all the characters, so much so we really don't know who to suspect, believe or support. 'First they hate me, now they love me...' is a particularly strong line said by Nick as he manages to win over the people that were immediately accusing him, but should we love him? It's an answer we'll never really know at this point, and we the audience are placed in the exact same mind frame as the thousands of suspecting bystanders throughout the film.

So it's fair to say that with Gone Girl Fincher hasn't changed his style massively with well and truly screwing with his audiences minds, but I'm certainly glad he did because it made for such an incredible film. It's not one of those easy watching films, it does take some concentrating, but we are not lead through the film with a clear view of what may happen, you'll really have no idea. The way that we are manipulated and played with throughout leads for a fascinating two and a half hours that the film takes place in.

However, the credit cannot all go to Fincher, Gillian Flynn deserves to be mentioned as the author of this awesome story that's now flying off the shelves. And of course the acting in this is terrific, Rosamund Pike has established herself now as a highly talented actor pulling off such a complex character, and Ben Affleck has most likely now had hundreds forgive him for Daredevil (although personally I never really had a problem with that film), and maybe now people will look forward to seeing him squeeze into the bat-suit (after loosing a few pounds perhaps). Although for the assisting roles such as Carrie Coon, she too was able to carry the role of a complex character, and as for Tyler Perry, in a way for me, he stole the second half of the film. Everyone was good in this film, although I may never see Barney in How I Met Your Mother the same now due to Neil Patrick Harris' dark sinister ex-boyfriend character: Desi Collings, another character we don't know whether to like or dislike.

I hope that we're going to see more from Fincher, I don't think it's unfair to say he dropped a bit in the 00's after an incredible run in the 90's, but lets hope he's back with plenty more up his sleeve. A truly fascinating film.

9/10

'71

Jack O'Connell Turns Rambo

Director: Yann Demange
Release Date: 2014
Rating: 15
Running Time: 95 mins
Genre: War/Action/Drama
Starring: Jack O'Connell, Sean Harris, Sam Reid

"I won't even be out of the country"

I think it's fair to say we give a lot of credit to the big films, the ones that churn the big bucks and fill every seat in the cinema for the month or so that the film is out on the big screen for. We spend our times watching either the films that are going on to win the Academy Awards, The BAFTAs, The Golden Globes or in other cases the complete trash that's only out because it has that one funny actor in it and they can afford to push their film to success, no matter how awful. But there's no denying that us Brits have managed to produce some unforgettable independent films, some that have in fact gone on to win awards, like The Kings Speech, but also some that just didn't get the publicity they deserved. I suppose these days its fair to think that the best gritty British films that are being released are films like Essex Boys and some of those gangster films that seemingly try and compete with the likes of Lock Stock or Snatch. Yet credit where credits due to Film 4's production companies, they've made some pretty exceptional films in recent years. In the case of '71, this is no different. It's one that has ultimately verified my love for Film 4 and proves that we know what we're doing behind a camera. '71 is a film that depicts recent British History in a way that can still hold it's own as a wholly original and compelling film that undoubtedly will fill up seats and be well received by audiences.

We are introduced to Jack O'Connell, who in quick succession of his last big screen project, returns to our screens, this time as a young private thrown into the IRA war between the Protestants and the Catholics in Belfast. The hope being that the British may be able to save the Irish from any more bloodshed and rioting that had been going on prior for far too long on the undeniably violent and dangerous streets of Northern Ireland in 1971. During the height of all the fighting, Private Gary Hook (O'Connell) is separated from his squad and has to stand alone to find his way back to his units base after a riot lands him on the brink of death and away from any friends he may have had. Left on the run from two particularly angry IRA boys prepared to do whatever it takes to find him, (after one of the most fantastic chase scenes I've ever witnessed) we find our hero ditch the soldier and turn into a young Brit Rambo as he fights not only to get home but just to survive the night.

It's not necessarily a film that shows the Catholics or the Protestants to be the villains nor the Brits for that matter, and it could be interpreted as a fairly unbiased film due to their being mistrust and hate filled on both sides. It not only highlights the danger that existed and still goes on today, but also highlights the crookedness and the corruption of war. I doubt it will go on to offend anyone as this is clearly not the intention of the film, it's just a story that's worth telling, and furthermore needs telling.

The are some unbelievable scenes that fill out the film, with some unbelievable cinematography, (I am a sucker for a long period tracking shot). Yet all this incredible talent came from a director credited for being involved with UK TV dramas; The Secret Diary of a call girl, Dead Set and more recently Top Boy. Hopefully there's more to see from this director as he seems to know exactly what he's doing behind a camera. The acting as well in this was brilliant, particularly from the young Irish boys that were cast, making for the perfect and detestable villains/freedom fighters...villains.  After only 6 months of being off screen, since the hard-hitting brutal prison drama Starred Up, O'Connell returns in a more diverse role to ones he's been seen as previously in other projects like Harry Brown or Skins. It could be said that Gary Hook has a certain innocence to him that O'Connells previous alter egos haven't possessed and there's no denying that this time, he's a character we can really get behind and hope will come out on top, though in the circumstances he faces in the day that the action takes place in, it becomes more and more unlikely that we will see our hero succeed. Although this isn't the last we'll see of O'Connell this year as he'll be returning at the end of 2014 in  Angelina Jolie's next directorial film Unbroken and hopefully he'll just keep getting better.

I've seen a few newly released films this year, but '71 exceeded expectations (perhaps a reason why I have praised it so highly), it is definitely sitting as one of the best I've seen so far and I imagine it may stay there a good while longer. A true masterpiece, certainly worth a watch,

8/10