London Film Festival: Don Jon

 

 

This is my seventh film review in seven days. I have to admit it hasn’t been easy especially when you consider finding the time to write these reviews along with the travelling back and forth to London each day, which takes me around an hour and half. While I still haven’t found my exact reviewing style, I’ve enjoyed writing these reviews the past few days and I’ve had a great experience at the London Film Festival. I’ll admit I find it easier to discuss the movies I feel more passionate about, perhaps because they stay longer in my head. I should probably bring a notepad with me and take some notes in the future. But hopefully you’ve enjoyed reading them too. I’d love any feedback. But thank you so far for your support. I’ve still got Twelve Years a Slave to view tomorrow.

Anyway yesterday I attended the premiere of Don Jon. I’ve been looking forward to this movie for a long time because it is the directional and writing debut of Joseph Gordon Levitt, who is one of my favourite actors. The first film I actually saw JGL in was 10 Things I Hate About You starring the truly amazing Heath Ledger but the first time I actually took notice of JGL was when he starred in 500 Days of Summer, which is one of my favourite movies. I’ll admit after I watched 500 Days of Summer, I went through a JGL phase in which I watched pretty much any movie I could get my hands on that JGL had starred in, movies such as Brick, The Lookout and Killshot. I’ve continued to follow his career closely ever since in which JGL has now begun working with amazing Hollywood directors such as Christopher Nolan and Steven Spielberg while continuing to collaborate with Rian Johnson. I was intrigued to see if working with these great Hollywood directors had any impact on JGL’s own directional style in Don Jon. I’d also like to mention that JGL has an online collaborative production company called hitRECord which uses video, music, literature, photography, performance, spoken word, screen writing, graphic art amongst other things from different artists around the world to make their own collaborative projects. It’s a very cool website and free to join, you should sign up and get involved. So I arrived at the premiere and waited for the security to start allowing people onto the red carpet. While I was queuing, a vehicle pulled up and out stepped JGL. The security let me onto the red carpet and I walked straight pass JGL who was happily signing autographs. Now I didn’t manage to get a picture of JGL on the red carpet, but I did promise that I would attempt to get a shot walking along the red carpet. I was successful so here it is.

 

 

 It’s pretty awkward to stop and take a picture while on the red carpet, so I had to take one sneakily while I was walking. The random girl in front is staring back at JGL. I don’t know who she is but hey, you made it onto my blog. Congratulations! If you read this, please don’t sue me. Anyway I took my seat inside the venue on the front row as per usual. They give you freebies; today it was a bottle of water and a bar of expensive chocolate. We got the routine London Film Festival and BFI Gothic trailers followed by Clare Stewart welcoming JGL to the stage. I actually thought JGL would do a proper Q and A session after the movie in which they open the questions to the audience, I was actually prepared to ask a question but sadly that didn’t happen. Instead Clare Stewart asked JGL a few questions before the movie and then JGL spoke for a bit. It was still cool; Clare asked the question I was going to ask anyway. JGL seems like a very down to earth person. He mentioned how it feels great to be inside a room of cinephiles in which he can mention certain filmmakers such as Hal Ashby and they know who he is talking about. Right back at you JGL, I feel the same way. Anyway it was great listening to JGL, such an inspiration for me personally. See I already feel happier writing about this, because I feel passionate about it. Here’s a picture I took of JGL, it’s not very clear and at a dodgy angle but that was due to where I was sitting, I wasn’t able to get a clear shot.

So let’s discuss the movie. To be honest when I first heard about this movie, I truly didn’t know what to expect or the reason behind JGL’s decision to make such a movie. Don Jon, which is a play on words of the legendary fictional womanizer Don Juan evolves around the story of Jon Martello, a modern day Don Juan in which Jon’s friends actually refer to him as “The Don” who only has a short list of things he actually cares about which includes “his body, his pad, his ride, his family, his church, his boys, his girls and his porn”. Yes Jon is addicted to porn, even with an active sex life; Jon still prefers to watch porn. The reasoning behind why he prefers porn over sex is hilarious in which I’d rather you watch it for yourself then if I ruined it for you. Jon regularly attends the local night clubs with his boys Bobby and Danny, where they score chicks out of ten with ten being labelled a dime before Jon makes his move and takes them home. Jon is always successful in picking up women, hence the name “The Don”. Bobby and Danny even comment on Jon’s pulling streak, but every streak has to come to an end and that is where Barbara Sugarman enters the equation played by Scarlett Johansson, who in Jon’s eyes is definitely a bonafided dime. Jon makes his usual play but it backfires and Barbara leaves. Jon cannot stop thinking about Barbara after her rejection and is determined to track her down. After finding her via Facebook, Jon sends her a message in which the two meet up and share a mutual attraction. Barbara insists on traditional long-term courtship including a month without sex. Jon agrees and they begin dating and the audience are left wondering if this womanizering, porn addicted bachelor can really change his ways?

 

Honestly Don Jon is hilarious. The movie is set in the Garden State itself New Jersey; I’ve personally never seen an episode of Jersey Shore but I’m familiar with Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino, who I believe JGL must have based Jon Martello on. I assume this movie must be what a regular episode of Jersey Shore is like. Anyway both Joseph Gordon Levitt and Scarlett Johansson nailed their New Jersey accents. Scarlett Johansson actually surprised me; she is definitely having career resurgence this year with her roles in Don Jon, Under the Skin and the upcoming Spike Jonez movie Her. I’ve always known Scarlett had the talent and acting ability to be successful and now she is beginning to prove it once again. Scarlett definitely needs to continue seeking roles like these instead of some of the other roles she has played for the past few years. The loveable and always amazing Julianne Moore plays Esther, a fellow class member of the night school in which Jon is attending. Esther catches Jon watching porn on his cell phone before class and attempts to help him try and cure his addiction. Other supporting roles include Tony Danza, who plays Jon’s father Jon Martello, Sr. along with Brie Larson who plays Jon’s sister Monica Martello. While Brie Larson doesn’t say a single word throughout the movie, until her final scene due to being too consumed by her mobile phone, which is humorous in itself. Brie Larson has a very bright future ahead of her, I saw her last week in The Spectacular Now and she is already attracting some awards buzz for her up coming role in Short Term 12 which is released next month. I look forward to seeing more from her.

The movie is actually very well written by Joseph Gordon Levitt in my opinion, which many might find surprising considering the movie evolves around porn addiction. In my opinion JGL is able to make the script work through not only his own bold confidence in what he is writing about but also a combination of JGL’s own intelligent witty humour along with the finer details of the script in which young adults would be able to relate too. I mentioned previously in my Spectacular Now review how the smaller details really matter and make all the difference on movies like this. That’s my personal script writing tip for the day. I’ll admit Don Jon isn’t perfect by any means necessary, some might argue the movie loses its way during the final act but I personally didn’t find that it did. I’ll mention some advice my own script writing teacher passed when commenting my own work before, claiming she didn’t feel my character had earned this moment or the right to say what they just did. Now at the time I didn’t quite understand what she meant but I feel that advice applies to one scene in Don Jon in which Barbara randomly starts an argument with Jon when he confesses that he enjoys cleaning his own pad. The argument felt out of place between the two characters especially after Barbara romanticises about the cliché Hollywood movies. Surely she’d appreciate a man who enjoys cleaning? Don Jon might not be the type of movie everyone will enjoy. I sat next to an elderly middle class couple, who didn’t laugh once throughout the movie. They even commented when JGL entered the stage to a thunderous applause, how shocked they were at the reaction because they had never heard of him. JGL I think you can tick off two people from the earlier cinephile comment you made. I’d just like to mention I loved the contrasting view point over cliché romantic Hollywood movies between Jon and Barbara, it’s something that I’ve personally wrote about myself. Barbara is smitten with these unrealistic fantasies of love portrayed in the movies according to Jon who stands by his completely opposite viewpoint that’s its all bullshit. The scene was really well presented with cameo appearances from Anne Hathaway and Channing Tatum.

Overall Don Jon is a fantastic freshly felt comedy that will have you laughing out loud from the very first montage. You should definitely go and watch this movie in your local cinema when it is released on November 15^th in England. Joseph Gordon Levitt has a bright future ahead of him in both the directing and writing department, I’m not sure how many movies he will make over the course of his career but I certainly hope he decides to make a few more. There are two things I’ll never forget after watching this movie, the sound my computer makes when it turns on and blearing Marky Mark and The Funky Bunch out of a car stereo. Thank you for reading.

 

Captain Philips: Somali Pirates, Navy Seals and Dangerous Seas.

 

 

“Captain Philips can you hear me? Captain Philips can you hear me?” echoes over the radio in this tense, emotionally charged feature from Paul Greengrass, the director of movies such as the Bourne Supremacy/Ultimatum and United 93. The story follows the real life events of Captain Richard Philips who was taken hostage by Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean during the hijacking of the Maersk Alabama in 2009 adapted by Billy Ray from the novel - A Captain’s Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEAL’s and Dangerous Days at Sea which was co-written by Richard Philips himself. Paul Greengrass is no stranger to tackling real life events on screen after his successful portray of the events which occurred aboard Flight 93 which was hijacked during the September 11 attacks along with his work on the action packed Bourne movies certainly made Paul Greengrass the perfect choice to bring this adaptation to life. I hadn’t heard about the story before I saw the movie so I had no idea how the events would unfold but it’s certainly a nail biting finish.

The story begins in parallel circumstances with Captain Richard Philips saying goodbye to his wife as he prepares to board a flight to the destination of the Maersk Alabama vessel while the audience are also introduced to Muse a lower ranking member of the Somalia pirating crew in his home village. A Somalia convoy arrives in the village to declare they need to stop wasting time and go to work; the leader of the group selects his team which includes Muse as they prepare to set sail looking for a target. Philips has now arrived at the docking yard which I believe was based in Yemen, before Philips boards the vessel he already begins to show concerns and cautions regarding an imminent threat during their journey to Mombasa. After the ship sets sail, Philips orders a drill test for his unprepared crew members who seem unconcerned regarding any potential threat. The crew members are untrained and unarmed of any weaponry to defend themselves, should an attack occur. The Somalia pirates edge nearer with their attack on two separate docking boats, one which is lead by the leader and the other lead by Muse. Captain Philips spots the boats approaching and immediately begins to use protocol but the correspondent ashore is uninterested claiming it’s probably just fishermen, requiring Philips to take matters into his own hands. Philips is luckily able to fend the first boat off but Muse continues to press on showing his bravery, determined to board the vessel but Philips is able to out smart him as Muse retreats. The Somalia pirates re-group in which Muse confronts the leader of the crew, calling him a coward and threatens him, taking over leadership of the crew in which they plan their next attack. The second attempt is a successful one as four of the pirates manage to board the ship in which they take Captain Philips hostage with the rest of his crew hidden away. “Look at me, I’m the Captain now” as Muse demonstrates not only his confidence but his intellect by not being so easily fooled by Captain Philips. From this moment forward the movie becomes a tense, thrill ride and a battle of intellect and wits between Captain Philips and Muse, both captains in their own right but both with different agendas. Philips wants to protect the safety of his crew by any means necessary while Muse wants to support his own crew’s future welfare “No Al Qaeda here, it’s just business” proclaims Muse. I won’t spoil the rest of the movie for you, because you’ll be on the edge of your seat. A lot of what I have spoke about is shown within the trailer, so I haven’t ruined anything major, there is still a few surprise and nerve wrecking moments.

Tom Hanks expertly plays Captain Philips which you’d expect no less from an actor of his experience and talent. Hanks is able to demonstrate bravery, leadership and intelligence to try and save not only his crew but himself in a humanised fashion. You believe it’s real because Tom Hanks makes you feel like it is especially his ending scene which was outstandingly played by Hanks. I’m sure that scene alone will seal him an Oscar nomination. Barkhad Abdi who plays Muse more then held his own against Tom Hanks in his film debut, showcasing his own confidence and believe in what he was doing along with an intelligence of his own to prove to Captain Philips he wasn’t just a regular pirate. Paul Greengrass does a great job building the intensity combined with the original score to add extra dramatic significance but overall I personally was underwhelmed by Captain Philips. I’m sure audiences will love the movie and I’m not one hundred percent sure how accurate the portrayal of events truly is. It’s an enjoyable above average action movie with a dramatic pulse. But in the end I personally felt there was nothing game changing or note worthy to truly highlight from the movie apart from Tom Hanks’ performance but I’m sure the Academy will love every second of it.

So how do I feel Captain Philips will do with the Academy? Well in my predictions last month I was unsure over the movie and now after viewing it myself, I’m still in two minds about it. United 93 only earned two Oscar nominations for Best Director and Best Editing so I’m not entirely sure how’d they’ll response to Captain Philips. Tom Hanks is obviously loved enough to earn the film some recognition but how far can Tom Hanks take the movie, outside of himself? We’ll have to wait and see.

Oscar Potential

Best Picture

Best Director, Paul Greengrass
Best Actor in a Leading Role, Tom Hanks
Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Barkhad Abdi
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Cinematography
Best Editing
Best Sound Mixing
Best Sound Editing
Best Original Score

 

 

 

 

London Film Festival: Inside Llewyn Davis

 

 

Last night I attended the premiere of Inside Llewyn Davis which is the latest movie to be directed by the acclaimed Coen Brothers. The movie won the Grand Prix award at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. While I was walking along the red carpet, to enter the venue, I was lucky enough to pass both John Goodman and Carey Mulligan on the red carpet. Mulligan I must say is stunning in person. I was about five feet away from her when suddenly it felt like a million paparazzi begun taking her snapshot. Honestly that flash really does blind you; I don’t know how these celebrities cope with it. Anyway I entered the venue and took my seat on the front row, which I have for the past five days. I swear Clare Stewart who introduces all the premieres must be wondering who in hell I am by now. Also I must point out they play the exact same two trailers before each of these movies – a BFI London Film Festival and Gothic season at the BFI. I swear I literally know them both off by heart which isn’t surprising considering this was the seventh time I’ve watched them. I’ll give you a quick break down, it’s just a combination of clips from the different movies premiering at the festival with Scarlett Johansson saying “Do you like movies?” from Don Jon followed by Tom Hanks “I won’t disappoint you” from Saving Mr. Banks in which Carey Mulligan replies “Obviously” from Inside Llewyn Davis and it ends with George Clooney “Terrific isn’t it” from Gravity. Clare Stewart then welcomed the Coen Brothers onto the stage as they introduced each cast member individually. John Goodman came out first to a thunderous applause, in which he ended up walking straight past the Coen Brothers and standing on the wrong side of the stage. Next was Carey Mulligan, who went to join John Goodman but once she stood next to him, Goodman decided to move to the other side of the stage in the correct position in a playful manner. It was a funny moment, Carey Mulligan was giggling about it. Lastly Oscar Isaac was introduced onto the stage. Clare Stewart informed the audience a Q and A session would take place after the movie before mentioning this was the Mayor’s Gala, these premieres all have individual names I should mention. Clare said that while this was the Mayor’s Gala, Boris Johnson wasn’t in attendance tonight, which caused some laughter from the audience. Typical Boris! Instead Boris left us a short video clip. I won’t be talking you through the clip; it was tough enough sitting through it.

 

 

I haven’t seen as much of the Coen Brother’s work as perhaps I’d have liked too, I’ve seen Fargo, The Big Lebowski, No Country for Old Men and their last feature film which was a remake of the 1969 movie True Grit. I really should watch more of their earlier stuff. But Inside Llewyn Davis tells the story of Llewyn Davis a struggling folk singer navigating his way through the Greenwich Village music scene of the early sixties in an attempt to establish himself as a solo artist after the recent death of his singing partner Mike. Lleywn played by Drive’s Oscar Isaac is clearly talented; the opening shot of Lleywn covering Dave Van Ronk’s “Hang Me, Oh Hang Me” at The Gaslight Café demonstrates Lleywn’s potential and perhaps symbolises Lleywn’s emotion at this stage in his journey. It should be noted Dave Van Ronk is the real-life inspiration behind the character of Lleywn Davis. Lleywn is informed a man wearing a suit wishes to see him outside, but it turns out to be an assault from an unknown assailant. While Lleywn lays literally in the gutter, we flash back a week earlier in which the film’s narrative begins telling the story leading up to the event. The audience are introduced to Lleywn awakening on the Gorfein’s sofa. Lleywn lives out of a single bag, carries his guitar and looks for the next sofa to crash on. A great shot is shown of Lleywn admiring the Gorfein’s vinyl collection; I wish I had a vinyl collection like that. Lleywn pulls out a vinyl of his former duo partnership Tiplin and Davis symbolising Lleywn’s former success. A humours moment and theme for the rest of the movie occurs when Lleywn is exiting the Gorfein’s household in which their ginger tabby cat squeezes through the door just as Lleywn locks it. The cat whose name I won’t reveal becomes Lleywn’s new reasonability which is ironic as Lleywn just about copes looking after himself. A beautiful shot of Lleywn’s new feline friend staring at his own reflection on the subway may have been one of my favourite shots from the movie. Lleywn’s odyssey begins in which he encounters friends and strangers along the way including the aggressive Jean played by Carey Mulligan, who Lleywn has unexpectedly got pregnant. “Everything you touch turns to shit” which is Jean’s analyse of Lleywn. Justin Timberlake plays Jean’s husband Jim who manages to get Lleywn involved in a recording gig for a studio record along with army solider Troy played by Stark Sands. The trio’s rendition of “Please Mr. Kennedy” is hilarious; Lleywn doesn’t believe the record will be a hit, so decides to be paid up front without royalties, showing not only how desperate Lleywn is for money but also how determined he is to make it as a solo artist. Lleywn hitches a ride to Chicago with jazzman Roland Turner played by John Goodman and his valet Johnny Five played by Garrett Hedlund in an attempt to seek out Bud Grossman played by F. Murray Abraham to discuss whether he received his solo record “Inside Llewyn Davis”. While the film has an impressive supporting cast they each are limited to minimal screen time, only Carey Mulligan might make it past the ten minute mark. The film’s driving force is without doubt Oscar Isaac who successfully portrays the tough struggle along with the disappointing failure of an artist looking for his break inside the industry. It’s a tough industry to break into, I know myself. The Coen Brothers have successfully created a movie which deploys artistic frustration against the gloomy grey back drop of New York along with an insight into some wonderful folk music which I’m sure will stay in your head long after the end credits have rolled. You may even be tempted to purchase the album itself.

The Coen Brothers, Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan and John Goodman returned for a Q and A session. I didn’t take any notes so I’ll try my best to remember what was said. Clare Stewart asked each cast member about their casting process. Oscar Isaac and Carey Mulligan claimed it was just your regular audition process while John Goodman claimed he received an email from Ethan who asked whether he’d like to be a gas bag for a few days in which Goodman thought their usual gas bags had worked previously so it couldn’t hurt to do it again. John Goodman was quite hilarious with his responses. I’m not familiar with the term gas bag but apparently it means a person who makes many empty statements. Clare Stewart pushed John Goodman for how he developed his character, in which John Goodman responded it was all on the page. Also he created a small back story, which he doesn’t plan to share with anyone before laughing and saying “I really don’t know what to say”. Oscar Isaac spoke about how he had sung and played guitar for over twenty years, but when the rehearsals came and the guitar instructor showed him how to play the folk style music. The instructor quoted “Oscar had owned a guitar for twenty years, not played it”. Random question alert, someone asked Oscar Isaac what it was like working with the cat in which Isaac replied “Hell”. The Coen Brothers spoke about they had this image of Dave Van Ronk being beaten up in a back street alley for a number of years but never knew where to take the story until they decided to create the character of Llewyn. All the music was sung live on the set which is pretty impressive; Oscar Isaac and Carey Mulligan have better singing voices then many of the music artist workings in the industry today. Someone asked the Coen Brothers if there was an alternative ending for the movie in which they responded if there was an alternative ending, there would have to be an alternative beginning. Another question asked because regular collaborator Roger Deakins was busy filming Skyfall, how they felt working with Bruno Delbonnel. The Coens spoke how they had worked with Bruno Delbonnel before on their segment in Paris, je t’aime in which they raved about his contribution. I’ll admit the cinematography really did capture the mood of the movie. Lastly someone asked why their was such a long break in between True Girt and Inside Llewyn Davis after the Coen Brothers had regularly made movies every other year. The Coen Brothers spoke about how making a movie is hard work and takes it toll on you as a filmmaker. They don’t understand how Woody Allen manages to do it regularly, which I thought was a funny quote to end on. I apologise for the brief summary of the session, like I stated I didn’t take any notes so that was purely off memory.

So how do I believe Inside Llewyn Davis will do with the Academy? Well the Coen Brothers have earned thirty three nominations for their movies in the past winning six of them. Their biggest success came with No Country for Old Men which won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor for Javier Bardem, their only other two wins came from Fargo for Best Original Screenplay and Best Actress for Frances McDormand. While No Country for Old Men and True Grit earned eight and ten nominations respectively in recent years. I personally feel Inside Llewyn Davis will follow a similar route to A Serious Man which only scored two nominations. Overall the movie is quite low key and doesn’t posse the grand scale nature like some of the Coen’s other movies. Oscar Isaac is the only serious potential acting nominee but even he will struggle to earn a nomination in such a competitive year. The supporting cast’s roles are not big enough to warrant any kind of nomination. But the film might stand a chance of a nomination for Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design and Best Costume Design. It may sneak in for Best Picture but I wouldn’t keep my hopes up.

Oscar Potential

Best Picture

Best Director, The Coen Brothers
Best Actor in a Leading Role, Oscar Isaac
Best Original Screenplay
Best Cinematography
Best Production Design
Best Costume Design

London Film Festival: Labor Day

 

This is only going to be a short review. It’s late and I sadly won’t have time to write a full review before I see Inside Llewyn Davis tomorrow. I’ve just got home from the premiere of Labor Day, an adaptation from the novel of the same name by Joyce Maynard. I walked into the premiere without any preconception of the movie. The only information I knew regarding the film was it was directed by Jason Reitman and starred Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin. I’m a huge fan of Jason Reitman’s directional style along with his previous work which has included movies such as Juno and Up in the Air. If you asked me to describe a typical Jason Reitman movie, I would refer to them as dramatic comedies which focus on serious subject matters, for instance - teen pregnancy in Juno or the economic downturn in Up in the Air. But Labor Day is far different from any previous instalment of Jason Reitman’s work, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing; in fact I thought it was a step in the right direction. Labor Day is a hard hitting drama set over the Labor Day holiday weekend evolving around Adele played by Kate Winslet, a single depressed mother and her teenage son Henry whose path crosses with escaped convict Frank, portrayed expertly by Josh Brolin. Adele and Henry begrudgingly welcome Frank into their life, while he attempts to keep a low profile from the law. But over the course of the weekend Adele begins to slowly allow herself to become more intrigued by the mysterious nature of Frank becoming increasingly conflicted over not only whether Frank is truly guilty but also her feelings towards him. Jason Reitman, Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin were in attendance and briefly introduced the movie.

The movie which is set in 1987 begins with a beautiful montage drifting through the New Hampshire landscape in which the cinematography was stunning especially the tree sequence with the falling autumn leaves. Tobey Maguire, who portrays the older version of Adele’s son Henry, narrates us through the movie similar to his effort in Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby earlier this year. I personally felt it didn’t work there and doesn’t work here either, but the older Henry gives the audience a brief insight into the depressive state of his mother Adele. It is presumed the depression begun after her husband played by Clark “Agent Coulson” Gregg left her for his secretary but the issue is far deeper then that. Adele, who doesn’t leave the house very often, takes her son to purchase some new clothes in which Henry encounters a wounded Frank, who immediately requests he be introduced to Adele, an easy target potentially? Frank manages to talk his way into hitching a ride back to the Wheeler household, where he openly confesses he is an escaped convict, who is on the run after jumping out of a second story hospital window while having his appendix removed. Frank promises to leave once his leg has rested and healed. During his stay Frank takes it upon himself to play the father role in the house, demonstrating his domestic house skills for example fixing squeaking doors, washing the floor, teaching Henry how to play ball or my favourite sequence showing Frank preparing and cooking both chilli con carne and peach crumble. I made a chilli con carne the other day, very simple recipe. But both sequences were beautifully shot and directed by Reitman, cooking has never looked so artistic. Adele is clearly lost without a man in her life and Frank attempts to earn her trust by filling that void with both characters finding solitude in each other. But how much longer can they pretend to live out this fantasy before reality strikes?

Overall the movie is wonderfully directed with such precision and care from Jason Reitman in a more mature approach from his other directional efforts. I personally feel this is his finest work to date. Kate Winslet gives her usual outstanding performance in a more subtle manner easily portraying the nervous vulnerability of Adele while shining in the third act when it is revealed the real reason behind her depressive state. Josh Brolin perfectly executes and balances the rugged charming macho persona with the serious, firm survival instinct. The reason Frank was imprisoned isn’t initially revealed, intriguing the audience through a series of flashbacks leaving us like Adele to question throughout the movie whether we should trust this man or not? When the truth behind Frank’s imprisonment is revealed, the outcome is beautifully portrayed by Josh Brolin. He truly is one of the finest actors working in Hollywood. Gattlin Griffith while wasn’t anything special, he more then held his own against these two Hollywood heavyweights, while Maika Monroe brought some of the usual humours wit known from Jason Reitman into her small role. Overall the cast did a fantastic job but I do question the decision to cast a big Hollywood star such as Tobey Maguire for a small supporting role in which Maguire only makes one on-screen performance. Ang Lee decided to re-cast Tobey Maguire’s small role as “the reporter” in last year’s Life of Pi and I wish Reitman would have contemplated the same idea. Nothing against Tobey Maguire, I just felt he wasn’t necessary. I also wasn’t a huge fan of the decision to replace Gattlin Griffith during the final few scenes with Dylan Minnette, who seems to be Hollywood’s go to person for the son role. Henry had only aged by three years, which I felt Gattlin Griffith could have easily portrayed, especially considering the scenes, they were hardly a stretch. Dylan Minnette portraying Henry was not only pointless but may have been confusing for some viewers. Overall Labor Day consists of a beautiful score combined with stunning cinematography, strong lead performances along with a fantastic directional effort from Jason Reitman who demonstrates a powerful look at love and the art of freedom.

So how do I think Labor Day will do with the Academy? Well Jason Reitman has a good track record with the Academy in his short career. Juno earned four nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress in a Leading Role for Ellen Page and won Best Original Screenplay. Up in the Air received six nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor in a Leading Role for George Clooney, Best Supporting Actress for both Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick along with Best Adapted Screenplay. While Young Adult was completely overlooked by the Academy which is sadly the same fate I believe Labor Day will suffer. With a trailer yet to be unveiled and only a limited release late into December, I personally don’t believe Labor Day will create enough buzz to compete in such a competitive season. It’s unfortunate because like I already stated earlier, I personally believe this is Jason Reitman’s strongest directional effort yet and he would warrant a Best Director nomination more for Labor Day then his previous directional nominations. While I don’t think Labor Day will receive any nominations, if the Academy takes a liking to the movie, these are the categories it could have some potential success.

Oscar Potential

Best Picture
Best Director, Jason Reitman
Best Actress in a Leading Role, Kate Winslet
Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Josh Brolin
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Original Score
Best Cinematography

 

 

 

London Film Festival: The Spectacular Now

 

 

If there’s one thing I’m a sucker for, it’s coming of age romantic dramas with a quirky girl at the heart. I’ve been hugely anticipating The Spectacular Now for a while now; ever since it opened to rave reviews at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. The film is an adaptation of Tim Tharp’s novel of the same name by 500 Days of Summer writers Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber. 500 Days of Summer is one of my favourite movies, hence the excitement. Directed by James Ponsoldt, who directed Breaking Bad’s Aaron Paul and Scott Pilgrim’s Mary Elizabeth Winstead in alcohol abuse drama “Smashed” last year. The film stars Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley, who was outstanding in Alexander Payne’s The Descendants, her only other film performance. Woodley is going to be huge next year, mark my words. I had to grab a taxi to the premiere. When I arrived outside the venue, I think the people outside thought I was a celebrity arriving, you can obviously understand their disappointment when I exited the vehicle. The Mayfair Curzon is a beautiful old fashioned cinema, I’ve never been before but I wish I took some photos because it looked stunning. James Ponsoldt introduced the film and informed us he’d be around after the showing for a Q and A session.

The Spectacular Now tells the story of Sutter Keely, a charming, hard partying high school senior who prides himself on living in the moment, living in the now. While Sutter might be popular or likeable with his high-school peers, he has no ambition in life; he doesn’t want to grow up. Sutter is content with his clerk job, poor grades while drinking whiskey from a pocket flask, attending every possible party he can but when Sutter’s girlfriend Cassidy breaks up with him. Sutter starts to put his life into perspective or does he? After a hardcore night of partying Sutter is awoken on a random neighbour’s lawn by Aimee Finecky an innocent, shy, sweet, nice girl who reads science fiction and backwards manga in her spare time. Aimee is un-experienced at life, she has no crazy stories to tell, she doesn’t drink, she’s never had a boyfriend. So Sutter takes it upon himself to help her - live in the moment. While Sutter has good intentions, the more he attempts to help Aimee, the more he possibly destroys her. Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley were outstanding, it’s no surprise they both won the Special Jury Award for Acting at the Sundance Film Festival. The audience shouldn’t like Sutter Keely, but Miles Teller makes him likeable, with his confident charisma but Teller is also capable of portraying the softer side to Sutter when required especially in the more emotive scenes during the film’s third act. Shailene Woodley, wow this girl can act. If you saw The Descendants and The Spectacular Now back to back, you’d see two completely contrasting characters. In the Descendants you hate her because she’s a spoiled brat but here you can’t help but love her innocent nativity, the way in which Aimee views the world is completely different from Sutter. For instance when Aimee is completely oblivious a random guy is hitting on her, yet Sutter detects it immediately. Aimee’s main concern is Sutter while Sutter’s main concern is himself. They are from two completely different words and yet, they balance each other perfectly. The supporting cast is great too with Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Sutter’s sister Holly, Jennifer Jason Leigh as Sutter’s mother, Kyle Chandler as Sutter’s vacant father who hasn’t been around for ten years and lastly Bob Odenkirk aka Sual Goodman as Sutter’s boss Dan. The performances are outstanding but the script is perfectly written really capturing the heartache and complexity of not only first loves but the unknown worrying reality of what the future has in store for us. Like Sutter, sometimes we wish we didn’t have to grow up.

While I enjoyed The Spectacular Now, the film isn’t perfect. The film has some melodramatic moments, especially an incident which occurs with Aimee leading into the third act which I felt really stood out as unnecessary. The reason I felt it was unnecessary is because the incident occurs, then it’s quickly forgotten about with nobody learning from the consequences. Personally I felt the film portrayed an honest look at the subject of teen alcoholism, relationships and sex in a sensitive and realistic way that young adults should be able to relate too. While It would be unfair to be compared to movies such as 500 Days of Summer and The Perks of Being a Wallflower because those films have had time to imbed themselves in our memory, I certainly feel in a few years time The Spectacular Now will deserve to be mentioned alongside those movies.

 

 

 

James Ponsoldt re-appeared for the Q and A session. Now I don’t want to offend anyone who attended the screening if you’re reading this, you’re all entitled to your own opinion, that’s what makes the movie industry so great. But honestly this was one of the worst Q and A sessions I’ve attended, and it wasn’t James Ponsoldt’s fault, I actually felt bad for the guy because the audience were terrible. James Ponsoldt came across nervous and that was understandable, I would be too but this audience were brutal. One guy asked “How do you expect to gain distribution for this movie, what was the point of the movie, you didn’t attempt to represent the location and culture we live in. Who is going to see this kind of movie?”. The question was something along them lines and that guy is entitled to his opinion. But in my opinion if you’re unhappy with the film, keep it to yourself, complain to your friend afterwards, don’t insult the director of the movie to his face with a lack of respect. If that guy was a filmmaker and had made a movie, then I would understand and he can discuss distribution all he wants, but he clearly wasn’t and he is trying to tell an actual filmmaker how to do his job. What a joke. James Ponsoldt actually handled the question well; he replied “He didn’t want to create stereotypical opinions which are associated with Georgia such as racial abuse for a movie of this nature. He went on to discuss how the movie premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and gained distribution in the United States in which it had already been released and grossed 7 million while the Walt Disney Company were distributing the film here in the UK.” The audience actually applauded Ponsoldt because he just put that guy in his place. The room was filled with an older higher class audience, which is probably why they struggled to appreciate the movie, which is understandable because a movie like this wouldn’t be aimed at them on general release. Another guy claimed he didn’t know Ponsoldt directed Smashed, once Ponsoldt mentioned he had. He gave my favourite quote of the session “I watched Smashed on iTunes” before asking whether because Smashed dealt with alcohol abuse was that the reason he was chosen to direct The Spectacular Now? Seriously where do they find these people. The Spectacular Now might highlight alcohol abuse but it isn’t the major plot point and certainly not the soul reason Ponsoldt was chosen. Some sensible questions were asked such as did James Ponsoldt choose Kyle Chandler, to go against his usual type of character. For those that don’t know Kyle Chandler plays the idealistic father on an American TV show called Friday Night Lights but in The Spectacular Now, he plays the complete opposite. James Ponsoldt commented that was his intentions, and claimed any actor who has portrayed a long term television character will immediately wish to play against type once their show has ended. He claimed James Gandolfini of The Sopranos did it; Bryan Cranston of Breaking Bad will probably do it. You’ve got to love a Breaking Bad reference. Another question asked was the casting decision of Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley and the experience of their character development on set. An actual intelligent question! James Ponsoldt spoke about 90% of the director’s job is the casting decision. The second time I heard that quote in one evening after Alexander Payne said it. He spoke about how he saw Miles Teller’s performance in Rabbit Hole and how he dealt with the emotional aspect of that performance compared to his performance in the Footloose remake, which made he realise Teller could confidently portray both sides of Sutter’s character. Then he spoke about how he watched The Descendants and hated Shailene Woodley’s character for the first ten minutes but by the end of the movie, she had broke his heart. Ponsoldt described them both as two of the best actors of their generation, which is a huge compliment. He went on to discuss how he discussed the character of Shutter with Miles Teller for hours in a bar, which is exactly how I approach directing. Then how Shailene Woodley knew more about being a seventeen year old girl then he ever could, so if she didn’t feel something sounded right then he would allow her to change it. Ponsoldt quoted that he allowed his actors the chance to improvise on set as long as they were willing to do anything they asked of him. He also pointed out that during takes, if a bug landed on one of the characters or they walked into a tree branch then they carried on rolling the camera because that is what naturally would happen in life. I noticed these small aspects while I was watching and I agree, they help add to the realism of the movie, it’s the little details that count, which is why I felt the incident of Woodley felt so out of place, like I mentioned earlier. Anyway I’ve brought the book of The Spectacular Now; I look forward to reading it.

James Ponsoldt if you ever read this, I just want to let you know you did a great job. You’re a director I aspire to be like myself and you have a bright future ahead of you. As for Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber I will continue to anticipate their future work, they are currently working on an adaptation of John Green’s novel The Fault in Our Stars, which will be directed by Josh Boone who directed the brilliant Stuck in Love earlier this year. The film will once again star Shailene Woodley. They are also rumoured to be working with The Perks of Being a Wallflower director Stephen Chbosky on an adaption of While We’re Young staring Emma Watson. So look out for both of those in the future. While The Spectacular Now doesn’t yet have a UK release date, it will probably be released around February time. Be sure to go and see the movie, it won’t disappoint you. Thanks for reading.

London Film Festival: Nebraska

 

 

Alexander Payne’s Nebraska portrays the family dynamics between an elderly, alcoholic father and his alienated, unsympathetic son as they travel from Montana to Nebraska to claim a million dollar Mega Sweepstake Marking prize. Alexander Payne’s movies usually evolve around the theme of his protagonist’s endeavour for self-fulfilment and individualism which is exactly where Nebraska begins with Woody Grant played by Bruce Dern walking along the busy high way alone, when the police pull over asking him what he is doing, Woody replies “Walking” when they ask where, he replies “Nebraska”. For those who are unaware, Montana to Nebraska is around 800 miles, but this is a common theme throughout the movie, no one will stand in Woody’s single minded determination from collecting his prize money, even if he has to walk. His son, David Grant played by Will Forte, knows the whole thing is a scam but eventually gives into his father’s fantasy due to his own wish to escape the realities of Montana for a few days. This is where the pair’s road trip begins in which they encounter friends, family and acquaintances along the way in this heart warming story of family value and show the repercussions of loyalty and greed when money is involved. Money changes everything and David tires to penetrate his impenetrable father, but Alexander Payne attempts to demonstrate that sometimes change isn’t for the better, some things are best left the way they are. The film is shot entirely in black and white, which I felt perfectly symbolised the overall tone of the movie, a timeless effect to present the downbeat memories of these character’s lives from a previous era. The cinematography was beautifully shot and looked even more stunning in black and white, especially the various mid-western landscapes we encounter along the way. Most of the film’s narrative takes place in the town in which Woody grew up as a child, David encounters various figures from Woody’s past and finally begins to make sense of his father’s erratic behaviour. The town loved Woody; he was a very likeable kind hearted man. So what changed? Because this certainly isn’t the father David has known.  

Now I know this might sound a bit depressing but I assure you this movie is far from depressing. Bob Nelson’s screenplay is hilarious; the dialogue and interaction between Woody and David is fantastic. June Squibb, who plays David’s mother Kate, will have you crying with laughter, they definitely gave her some great material to play with. Kevin Kunkel and Devin Ratray deserve a mention too for their comedic portrays of David’s two idiotic brainless cousins. David’s brother Randy is played by Bob Odenkirk aka Saul Goodman while Stacey Keach portrays Ed Pegram, Woody’s former co-worker in which Woody has been fixated stole his compressor all them years ago, which is just hilarious in itself. But Bruce Dern and Will Forte are the heart and soul of the movie, you believe every moment of their relationship because it is played and written perfectly especially their closing scene when they finally reach Nebraska. Bruce Dern’s performance isn’t flashy; he doesn’t really say much throughout the movie, but his dry delivery throughout the movie is outstanding. It’s also the moments in which Dern doesn’t say anything that really capture the true nature of his performance. Will Forte is equally outstanding in his portray of trying to deal with his father’s irresponsible delusion along while defending the honour of his family from the vultures trying to claim their share of Woody’s winnings. Alexander Payne expertly balances the dramatic elements of the script with the more comedic tone which really helps bring to life these characters. I believe Payne has succeeded in creating a movie closer to his critically acclaimed hit Sideways exceeding his previous effort The Descendants along the way.

 

Alexander Payne joined us for a Q and A session. The BFI host asked Payne a long question regarding the use of time during the movie which I didn’t quite catch but Payne replied “Couldn’t you of asked me that before we came on, so I had time to prepare”. Payne came across as a very likeable guy; you can see his personally shine through his work. The point was raised that this is the first movie in which Alexander Payne didn’t originally write the screenplay, so what made him choose to direct Nebraska. Payne replied that he is sent hundreds of screenplays all the time but this screenplay caught his eye because it was called Nebraska, which is where Payne is originally from and was only ninety pages long. He went on to explain that once he read the script he could picture the movie entirely and knew he wanted to direct it. A women then gave a long speech about her own personal family experiences before asking Payne directly if he could relate to any of the characters in the movie. Payne went on to explain that while he didn’t originally intend to create a relationship between himself and the characters that he believed the themes shown in the movie are universal and anybody could relate to these family situations, which I agree completely. Payne discussed the filming process and how directing is 90% about the casting, he spent around a year looking for the right people for the roles because once you’ve cast the right person, the role is brought to life naturally. He spoke about how he likes to use non-actors in his movies, so he searched for real Nebraska farmers and workers etc to be in the movie, putting adverts in newspapers around Nebraska for families to send in video tapes of their elderly mothers, fathers or grandparents because he knew they wouldn’t themselves. He truly wanted real Nebraskan faces in the movie. Another question highlighted the music used in the film, which I didn’t mention was great. Payne mentioned he was introduced to music of an acoustic chamber music group called Tin Hat in which they temporarily used as the music for the film during production until they found the music they wanted. But during filming Payne felt the music style fitted the film perfectly, so he contacted band member Mark Orton whether he’d like to compose an original score for the movie. Payne spoke how the studio originally disagreed the movie should be shot in black and white, because they felt it wasn’t commercial enough. Payne replied that it didn’t seem to be an issue for movies such as Manhattan, Raging Bull and Schindler’s List and most of the movies he watches are in black and white, so it’s always been his ambition to shoot a black and white movie. When Nebraska came along he felt this was the perfect movie to do this. The last question asked was does Payne think that the movie Nebraska will help re-boost the economy in Nebraska like Sideways did for California. Payne replied “Yeah it will make people not want to go there” which I thought was pretty funny.

So how do I think Nebraska will do with the Academy? Well Alexander Payne seems to be a likeable guy with them. Jack Nicholson and Kathy Bates were nominated for Best Leading Actor and Best Supporting Actress for About Schmidt. Sideways was nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Thomas Haden Church and Virginia Madsen nominated for Best Supporting Actor and Actress respectively and won Best Adapted Screenplay. Paul Giamatti was robbed of a nomination but that’s another story. While The Descendants was also nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Editing and George Clooney for Best Leading Actor. Once again Alexander Payne won Best Adapted Screenplay which is where I believe Nebraska stands its strongest chance. Bob Nelson’s screenplay was fantastic and surely deserves to not only be nominated for Best Original Screenplay but win. The rest of Nebraska’s success depends on how well it’s received by the Academy, Bruce Dern and June Squibb stand a chance at a nomination by they face stiff competition. Nebraska may sneak in for Best Picture mainly due to Alexander Payne’s status with the Academy but only time will tell. Either way Nebraska is a joyful experience that you’d be stupid to miss out on.

Oscar Potential

Best Picture

Best Director, Alexander Payne
Best Actor in a Leading Role, Bruce Dern
Best Actress in a Supporting Role, June Squibb
Best Original Screenplay
Best Editing
Best Cinematography
Best Original Score

London Film Festival: Gravity

 

 

Finally the BFI London Film Festival is here. I was successful in my ticket ballot application to attend the Opening Night Gala of Captain Philips but unfortunately I had to work so I couldn’t attend. The movie is released next week nationwide so I’ll catch it then. This is my second year attending the festival, last year I managed to see The Sessions, Seven Psychopaths, End of Watch and eventual Best Picture winner Argo. This year I’ve gone one better and I’m seeing eleven film premieres over the next eight days. So if you want to follow all the London Film Festival coverage then feel free to check back here over the next eight days, I’ll have it all covered. As I mentioned last year I was lucky enough to attend the premiere of eventual Best Picture winner Argo, could history repeat itself? We’ll have to wait and see.

 

 

So last night I attended the premiere of Alfonso Cuaron’s highly anticipated Gravity starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney. To access the venue on these events, you have to walk down the red carpet with the stars, which is a pretty cool experience. I didn’t manage to see Sandra Bullock or Alfonso Cuaron unlike last year where I literally walked right next to Ben Affleck and Bryan “Walter White” Cranston, maybe I’ll bump into someone on the carpet over the next few days. Once I entered the venue I took my seat front and centre. I don’t know why people hate sitting on the front row at the cinema; it gives you the best possible experience. After examining the freebies left on my seat, Sandra Bullock, Alfonso Cuaron and David Heyman, who is the producer the film along with the entire Harry Potter series, were welcomed to the stage to give an introduction to the movie. Sometimes at these events the cast speak before the film briefly other times they stay longer afterwards for a Q and A session, it just depends really. David Heyman begun and mentioned he’d previously worked with Alfonso Cuaron on Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, which in my opinion is the best Harry Potter movie and Cuaron’s direction plays a huge part in that. Heyman discussed how the film had been in production for around seven years in which Cuaron joked was mainly due to them not knowing what they were doing. Heyman spoke about some of the filming techniques, including how Cuaron created a lighting box which was rigged with different cameras. Sandra Bullock would be strapped into the box with robotic camera moving around freely to gain the best possible shots. Heyman joked the day before shooting begun, they tested the lighting box with a dummy in which one camera didn’t stop and crashed straight through, but they didn’t mention that to Sandra, who just glared back. You could tell these guys had fun working together. Sandra Bullock discussed the physical nature of her performance and said she may have moaned and complained for hours on set but in the end it was worth the experience. She went on to talk about her experience inside the lighting box, in which the room would be completely pitch black and when she called out to Alfonso Cuaron, she could only hear him, not see him. So it really helped her to gain that feeling and sense of being literally alone, trapped, speaking into the darkness. Alfonso Cuaron discussed working with Tim Webber, who was the visual effects supervisor and how they put the frames and cuts of the film together before thanking us all for attending and hoped we enjoyed the film.

 Honestly before I give my actual review, all I can say about this movie is just wow. I don’t think any words or description I give can do this movie justice. You really have to see it for yourself, especially in the cinema because it isn’t a normal viewing, it’s an experience. I was attending a 3D screening in which I usually hate 3D but I must admit the use of 3D on Gravity is the best I’ve ever seen. Not only did you feel like you were actually in the movie, but there were certain scenes in which the camera movement subtly moves inside Sandra Bullock’s space helmet and you see the movie from her perspective. Alfonso Cuaron waited years so more advanced filming technology could be created, so he could create a realistic portrayal of space. After James Cameron’s Avatar was made, Cuaron knew he had the technology to create his vision. The visual effects are stunning, the best I’ve ever seen and more advanced then Avatar. James Cameron even called Gravity, “The best space movie ever made” which is certainly a huge compliment from someone like James Cameron. The movie begun with a stunning single shot sequence, if you’re not familiar with a single shot sequence, it’s basically a long uninterrupted shot without the camera cutting. Alfonso Cuaron used the technique when shooting Children of Men, here’s a quick example.
 

It’s an extraordinary technique that takes a lot of pre-preparation, with the actors having to remember every movement along with dialogue because there are no cuts. It makes the action feel real because the scene flows as if you were really there. Anyway that example was only four minutes long, which is a rare single shot in itself. The opening single shot of Gravity lasted anywhere between twelve and seventeen minutes long. Truly fascinating stuff. We are introduced to Ryan Stone and Matt Kowalski played by Sandra Bullock and George Clooney respectively, who are the only two actors in the entire movie. Dr. Ryan Stone is a Bio-medical engineer and Mission Specialist on her first space shuttle mission while Matt Kowalski is a veteran astronaut who is commanding his final expedition. The interaction between Stone and Kowalski are great with Bullock and Clooney cast perfectly. Kowalski is the macho, confident and outgoing while Stone is nervous, insecure and would rather be by herself. The script itself is actually quite witty during Kowalski and Stone’s interaction helping to bring some light hearted moments to an overall tense ride. After the brief introduction to the mission and allowing the audience time to familiarise themselves with the space surroundings, disaster strikes when high-speed debris from a Russian missile strike damages the shuttle creating a chain reaction of destruction including losing all communication from Mission Control on Earth and separating Stone and Kowalski with Stone only having a small amount of oxygen left in her tank to survive. The audience follow Dr. Ryan Stone from this point, in which you truly feel like you apart of this journey with her. You feel trapped and alone yourself due to the masterful direction from Alfonso Cuaron. This may sound boring to some regular moviegoers but I assure you it isn’t. Don’t expect huge action sequences and things blowing up because Gravity has created a realistic portray of being in space alone. Cuaron has created enough tension during some sequences to keep you on the edge of your seat. It’s a very difficult task to perform alone on screen for long durations; James Franco did a fantastic job in 127 Hours a few years back but Sandra Bullock really demonstrated the intensity of her character’s situation. Whether it was the immediate panic, the fear of being alone, the acceptance of death or the determination to survive, she portrayed them all beautifully. Cuaron created a heartfelt back story for the character too, which really highlights the insecure nature of Bullock’s character, which only makes the audience more attached to her. Sandra Bullock has some real stand out moments throughout the film, while a lot of her role is very physically demanding; she also has some emotion dialogue that could really seal a second Oscar for her.

The film is technically breath taking; I’ve already mentioned the outstanding visual effects along with the stunning cinematography but sound also plays a huge part in the movie. Some moments are pure silence, because there is no sound in space and you can just sit back and admire the beauty of the cinematography. Steven Price’s Original Score beautifully plays in synch with certain heartfelt or intense moments throughout the film which really help draw the audience in further. Like I mentioned previous this isn’t your usual movie viewing, it feels more like a stimulation experience and once the credits roll, you’ll be thankful you’ve been on solid ground the entire time. Do yourself a favour and see this movie, I promise it’s worth it. I don’t really want to spoil too much for you.

So how do I think Gravity will do with the Academy? Well the film has already received universal acclaim and has scored 96 out of 100 on Metacritic based on reviews making it one of the highest rated films ever. Gravity and Twelve Years a Slave seem to be the two early front-runners for Best Picture but the Oscar ceremony is still five months away, so a lot could happen between now and then. If Gravity won Best Picture it would not only be the first Sci-Fi movie to win but also the first 3D movie along with the fewest cast members. I’m certain the film will be nominated for Best Picture, along with Best Director, Best Leading Actress, Best Original Screenplay along with a bunch of tech awards including Best Visual Effects, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing and Best Original Score leading to a potential total of ten nominations but how many of these awards could Gravity win? Only time will tell. But if anything we know one thing for certain; Gravity has helped to restore our faith in cinema.

Oscar Potential

Best Picture

Best Director, Alfonso Cuaron
Best Actress in a Leading Role, Sandra Bullock
Best Original Screenplay
Best Original Score
Best Cinematography
Best Editing
Best Visual Effects
Best Sound Editing
Best Sound Mixing
.

 

Prisoners and Blue Jasmine: Desperation and Despair

I haven’t written for a while, I’ve been busy working but I managed to see both Blue Jasmine and Prisoners on Friday. Its funny some people wouldn’t dream of attending the cinema twice in a month let alone twice in one day, but hey. I was busy over the weekend, so these movies aren’t as fresh in my mind as they could be so I’ll keep my thoughts brief and casual. Just to note for those interested, I’ll be attending the London Film Festival in two weeks time. I’ll be attending nine movie premieres, if you wish to hear about my experience along the red carpet, mingling with the stars and information from the Q & A sessions then feel free to check back here. I’ll have it all covered.

 

Firstly let’s begin with Denis Villeneuve’s Prisoners, a film which has been on my radar for a very long time. The script by Aaron Guzikowski first came to my attention when it appeared on the 2009 Hollywood Blacklist along with Aaron Sorkin’s The Social Network. For those who don’t know, The Blacklist is a list of the best unproduced screenplays in Hollywood. I just double checked my laptop and I’ve had the original script for Prisoners on my laptop since 17^th July 2009, fours years ago. If anyone is interested in reading it, let me know and I’ll send you a copy. I probably have other undiscovered gems too but after years of pre-production which included various directors and actors linked to the project including Christian Bale, Mark Wahlberg and Leonardo DiCaprio, the film was finally made. Amazing! I’m surprised it took so long; I don’t remember exact details of the script when I first read it but I remember thinking it was very good. I’ll probably re-read it in the next few days to see if any changes were made, which is usually the case from a first draft, so it’s always interesting to read. I read a draft of Django Unchained a year before it was released in the theatre and the ending was completely different, it happens. Anyway remember in my Oscar Prediction post when I said, sometimes a film comes out of nowhere in the Oscar race? Well Prisoners could very well be that movie. I had my suspicions whether to include it in my predictions but personally I thought Prisoners would just be another regular Hollywood style thriller without much substance. But I was completely wrong; the film successfully absorbs the audience with countless brilliant performances combined with an intense, suspenseful, haunting portrayal of how far are we willing to go, to protect the people we love?

The film evolves two families, the Dover’s (Hugh Jackman & Maria Bello) and the Birch’s (Terrence Howard & Viola Davis) who’s daughters Anna Dover and Joy Birch are abducted on Thanksgiving after they were spotted playing near an RV driven by Alex Jones (Paul Dano). Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal) is assigned to the case, but when Loki cannot convict Alex Jones due to lack of evidence. Keller Dover(Jackman) takes the law into his own hands, kidnapping and imprisoning Jones, determined to find out the truth himself. The film is two and half hours long, I know some viewers have complained about the duration but I personally felt it flew by, the brief synopsis I just described to you, all takes place within the first twenty minutes so there is a lot of twists and turns along the way, that will keep you at the edge of your seat. Many viewers have described their surprise at the performance of Hugh Jackman during the film; the actor portrays a huge range of intense emotion and rage, fully embodying his character. Jackman was looked at differently by the majority of audiences after last year’s Oscar nominated performance in Les Miserables, but I assure you Hugh Jackman is a lot more then just Wolverine, he is a phenomenal actor. I’ve been a huge fan of Hugh Jackman’s work for a number of years, many people have suggested Prisoners is a career best for Jackman but I disagree, while he is very good, his work in Darren Aronofsky’s The Fountain is exceptional. One of my favouritemovies, if you haven’t seen it then please do. The range of acting Jackman displays in The Fountain is some of the best work I’ve ever seen on screen, which is probably while I am not as surprised and applauding Jackman’s performance like other critics. Don’t get me wrong, Jackman is fantastic in the movie, the interrogation scenes with Paul Dano are disturbing to watch at times with Hugh Jackman beautifully displaying the lengths his character is willing to go, to find his missing daughter. The desperation and rage are balanced perfectly that only an actor of Hugh Jackman’s ability could successfully pull off naturally. I’d love the Academy to show Hugh Jackman some love but I won’t get my hopes up.

One person who could capture the Academy’s attention and was the biggest standout surprise for me was Jake Gyllenhaal, who in my opinion actually managed to upstage Hugh Jackman which is a big challenge in itself. Gyllenhaal has had successful roles in movies such as Brokeback Mountain, Zodiac, End of Watch in which he has displayed his acting ability tremendously well but I personally felt his portray of Detective Loki was his finest work to date. A compelling, subtly layered performance of a man tasked with the impossible mission while dealing with his own personal demons. If Jake Gyllenhaal is campaigned in the supporting category, like Daniel Bruhl from Rush it would be category fraud as Gyllenhaal is clearly co-lead but I could definitely see him stand a chance of scoring an Oscar nomination.

Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal were clearly the two stand out heavyweights but with a supporting cast of two former Oscar nominees Terrence Howard and Viola Davis, an Oscar winner Melissa Leo, Golden Globe nominee Maria Bello and finally Paul Dano whose portray of the mentally handicapped Alex Jones also deserves some praise, it’s no surprise the film was brilliantly acted. The cinematography was beautifully shot by Roger Deakins, after his outstanding work on Skyfall last year, this was equally impressive. I hope he scores a nomination with the Academy. A scene in the final half of the movie involving a car sequence with Jake Gyllenhaal’s character in the pouring rain; portrays how outstanding the cinematography was. The film score by Johann Johannsson was masterfully placed during the movie, adding to the overall intensity of certain situations while Joel Cox and Gary Roach did a great job editing. Like I stated earlier, this 153 minute movie flew by. I was impressed by some of the directional shots by Denis Villeneuve, I’m not familiar with his work but a few interesting shots throughout the movie including the car sequence I mentioned earlier and a scene which included Paul Dano’s character imprisoned caught my eye and stood out but overall a great job. I look forward to viewing more of Villeneuve’s work in the future. If I had to criticise any part of the movie, I would point out the lack of character development for the women. Viola Davis and Maria Bello are two great actresses, who were able to bring something to their characters, but I felt a lesser actress might have struggled, because both characters felt very flat on paper it seemed to me personally as a writer.

So how do I think Prisoners will fair with the Academy? Well it’s received positive reviews from critics but can the buzz last until January? Denis Villeneuve’s 2010 film Incendies was nominated for Best Foreign Film at the Oscars, could he go one better and score a Best Picture nomination this time around? While I thought the film was a brilliant achievement on all fronts, I personally feel its chances with the Academy are quite slim due to the competition surrounding it. The movies biggest chances stand in the Original Screenplay and Cinematography categories with a chance of Jake Gyllenhaal landing a nomination if he is campaigned supporting. Depending on how loved the film is, it could stand a chance at Best Picture along with a nomination for Hugh Jackman but I find that very doubtful.

Oscar Potential

Best Picture
Best Actor in a Leading Role, Hugh Jackman
Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Jake Gyllenhaal
Best Original Screenplay, Aaron Guzikowski
Best Original Score, Johann Johannsson
Best Cinematography
Best Editing

 

 

 

Moving on to Woody Allen’s latest movie Blue Jasmine. While Prisoners will no doubt draw audiences in due to the star power of Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal, its unfortunate Blue Jasmine will probably go unnoticed by the general moviegoer because not only is the film an enjoyable watch, it has handed us our first genuine Oscar contender of the season in Cate Blanchett. I love Woody Allen but his movies are usually hit or miss, which is not a surprise since he seems to have a new one out every year. It always amazes me how Allen is able to capture the beauty of the various cities, he shoots his movies in whether it’s Paris, Rome or San Francisco, he never fails. Blue Jasmine focus on the story of a New Yorksocialite, deeply troubled and in denial arrives in San Francisco to impose upon her sister while dealing with her unprecedented past. The films narrative structure evolves around the tale of Jasmine shuffling between past and present time frames. Cate Blanchett, brilliantly portrays the difference between the glamorous high life in which Jasmine, bathed in privilege is willing to turn a blind eye to certain circumstances in contrast to her subdue reality of shacking up with her adoptive sister Ginger (Sally Hawkins) above a Mexican café in San Francisco. “Anxiety, nightmares and a nervous breakdown, there’s only so many traumas a person can withstand until they take to the streets and start screaming” quotes Jasmine, who is on the verge of a breakdown herself, in a booze filled desperation to build some hope of a new life in San Francisco. Jasmine is clearly lost and struggling to adapt to life without her businessman husband Hal (Alec Baldwin) whose whereabouts and Jasmine’s feelings towards him in the present timeline are hinted at but not made clear until the third act. Jasmine claims to be flat-out broke but arrives in San Francisco flying first class with a full set of Louis Vuitton baggage shows how deluded to the harsh realities of life, Jasmine truly is. But during her stay with Ginger and her Stanley Kowalski inspired boyfriend Chili (Booby Cannavale), Jasmine begins to learn the true realties of life, or does she?

While there might not be any screams of “Stella” during this movie, Woody Allen clearly takes some inspiration and puts his own modern spin on Tennessee Williams’ stage play A Streetcar Named Desire which was successfully adapted into a movie starring Marlon Brando. While the story might not be completely original, it’s surprising to think at seventy seven years old Woody Allen was able to write something which is quite relevant and impactful to the youth of today’s society. While Cate Blanchett steamrolls her way through this brilliant portrayal, and is clearly the highlight of the movie, the strong supporting cast shouldn’t go unnoticed either. Sally Hawkins brought the warmth and tenderness to her character Ginger to balance Blanchett’s self loathed character. Note I saw Sally Hawkins on stage last year; she’s a phenomenal British actress, who nailed her American actress. Alec Baldwin, Booby Cannavale and Peter Sarsgaard all performed well in their roles too but the main male standout for me personally was Andrew Dice Clay, who played Ginger’s ex husband Augie. While it wasn’t a major supporting role, I felt Dice Clay successfully portrayed the anger and emotion of his character, after feeling deceived by Jasmine and her husband. His final scene with Jasmine in the third act was beautifully executed. While I personally preferred Woody Allen’s last successful hit Midnight in Paris, Blue Jasmine is an overall stronger, more polished movie which Woody Allen certainly brought his A-game. Woody Allen may have written a truly fascinating character but only an actress of Cate Blanchett’s talent could bring the full range of Jasmine to life and still make her some what likeable, dare I say.

So how do I think Blue Jasmine will fair with the Academy? Well Woody Allen himself has four wins and twenty three nominations. He won Best Director and Best Original screenplay for Annie Hall along with best Original Screenplay for Hannah and Her Sisters and Midnight in Paris. That is where Blue Jasmine stands it biggest chance of scoring a nomination outside of Cate Blanchett, who will surely be nominated for Best Actress. The early release date could potentially damage her chances if stronger competition appears later in the season but if anyone is capable of carrying the highly claimed buzz thorough until January it’s certainly Cate Blanchett.

Oscar Potential

Best Actress in a Leading Role, Cate Blanchett
Best Original Screenplay, Woody Allen