Public Enemies

The fastidious director of such hits as 'Last of the Mohican's' and 'Heat', Michael Mann, returns to cinema screens with his first effort since 2006 bomb 'Miami Vice'. 'Public Enemies provides Mann with the cops and robbers material he loves, exploring the psyche of men driven in the intense world of crime and catching criminals, he loves to get into the heads of both sides of the coin, never more so than in his classic 'Heat'. In this instance he takes on the real life bank robber John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) and the man that tracked him Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale), along the way taking in J. Edgar Hoover, the birth of the FBI and the beginning of the medias fascination with celebrity. The film focuses on the crime wave era of Dillinger in the early 30's and his eventual death. Dillinger was a man caught between the end of the wild west outlaw era and the beginning of the organized crime era.

The first thing to praise about Public Enemies is Johnny Depp, the film rests it's fedora firmly on his charisma and he doesn't disappoint, cutting a charming and charismatic figure as Dillinger, a fun loving and funny bank robber with an undoubted dangerous edge to him. Depp owns the screen and every second he is not on it the film is that bit weaker.

Now support wise everyone is good, Bale, who has come in for a lot of unfair criticism recently in my book, is fine as the square jawed, fastidious lawman, it's just that the role is a character type rather than a fully fleshed out character. We get to know Melvin Purvis is a driven and intelligent man who dressed in perfectly cut suits, but beyond that there is little delving into what makes him tick. Marion Collitard is excellent as Dilliger's girl Billy, her soulful eyes say more than her lines ever could and fortunately she strikes up an easy chemistry with Depp on screen to make that central relationship work because there really is not a great deal of time for development.

Time...that is the movies main enemy, there just isn't enough of it, the film feels like a lot of vignettes meshed together, kind of like snapshots of the characters as opposed to any meaningful development. bits of story are thrown in here and there, things whip along, bank jobs happen, then Dillinger has a dodgy stache and is at the races with Billy, it never feels like the film sets into a story driven rythym.

However this is not to detract from how entertaining and engaging these scenes are, indeed there are lots of wonderful scenes in the film and some big shootouts, although I still question the need to shoot partly in HD digital and partly in regular film, it gives an uneven feel to proceedings, one minute you are in a lavish 30's gangster era film and the next you are watching a 30's version of COPS. This is particularly evident in the well shot but jarring gun battles. Mann is a technically brilliant director and the film has some wonderful shots, but you can't help but ask "If it ain't broke why fix it ?"

The film flirts with the idea of the birth of celebrity and the techniques that were coming into law enforcement such as wire tapping, but these are brief and never more than a side diversion in between more charismatic scene stealing from Depp.

Public Enemies never quite reaches the heights of Mann's masterpiece HEAT or for that matter The Untouchables, it is good but I couldn't help but feel the great scenes could have been part of a greater movie with a longer run time. Still what is here is an erratic but entertaining gangster film with a magnetic performance from a true star in Johnny Depp.

7.5/10

Terminator Salvation

Ever since the flashback sequences in Terminator and Terminator 2:Judgment Day, Ive wanted to see the future war, to see humanity overrun by the machines and battling to regain control, this summer saw that dream come to life but did that dream turn into a nightmare ?

There is without a doubt a pacing flaw that prevents enough development of key characters. Marcus is the highlight and feels the fullest, his scenes with Kyle being the film's strongest point. Blair's interactions with Marcus are too hurried and render a key choice she makes unrealistic.

Connor.......ah John Connor, clearly the movie was not written as a John Connor movie and no matter how much tinkering Jonah Nolan did it was quite clear that certain scenes were added in once Bale took the part, the total lack of development between him and his men and his wife was evidence of this, despite him cutting a great figure as a badass leader and warrior.

The story itself, which was really the story of Marcus, was good and the twist with him and arc he went through were well executed, although we could have done with a bit more clarity on his past.

Action-wise the film is colossal with epic set pieces, none more so than the bravado chase sequence at the gas station, although the smaller sequences such as Connor battling an endo at the beginning were also excellent. As a huge fan of action I place the movies sequences at the upper echelon. The design of the future was also superb, melding elements from several inspirations effectively. The SFX were first class all the way through although I don't think the "Arnie cameo" worked all that well.

The movies acting ranged from solid to good. Much has been made of Bale doing his whispery badass thing but the writing of Connor was the reason the character was so basic, Bale's acting was fine and he is a convincing figure as a leader and intense fighter. Moon Goodblood did a decent job as a the tough and spunky pilot Blair but Bryce Dallas Howard was pretty much wasted as the mother of the resistance.

The stand outs though were Sam Worthington and Anton Yelchin. The former doing what Chris Pine did in Star Trek by announcing himself as a new leading man with his powerhouse portrayal of Marcus, the guy just exudes screen presence. Yelchin's Kyle Reese was a really well executed piece of acting, creating a totally convincing younger version of a classic movie hero without ever slipping into mimicry.

Overall 30 more minutes could have made this something truly special, as it stands it is still an exciting and well made sci fi action film that underachieves.

7.8/10

Knowing

The film starts in 1958 where a class of kids are drawing pictures to put in a time capsule, however a little girl in the class writes down a set of numbers instead as voices whisper in her head.

50 years later the capsule is opened and the current day students all take a picture each, only Caleb Myles gets the girls sheet filled with numbers, his dad is professor Ted Myles (Nicolas Cage), who after examing the numbers decides that they are predicitons of when terrible events will take place as they corrolate with tragedies of the past 50 years such as 9/11. He realizes there are three more dates on the paper that are yet to happen and sets out to stop them

I thought the film was utterly ludicrous with some great moments, kinda like a decent X Files episode with a budget.The plot holes are too numerous to mention them all but this film stretches "suspension of disbelief" to all new levels, characters don't react naturally to situations, the film expects us to believe that Nic Cage's character is the smartest man alive and that 2 kids are the best Massachusetts's has to offer, the film also was a testament to carpentry given that a key door in it had lasted 50 years, either that or it was a swipe at cheap budgeting in Massachusetts's schools.

Then we have the whispering men which in theory are cool but in the end are a huge blob of stupid sauce. Hello aliens, it may be wise if you want to tell us something you use your technology to do it in a pleasant way instead of having whispering albinos driving ppl insane.

Credit to Proyas, visually the film is great, some of the scenes of carnage are very powerful and the big plane set piece is truly spectacular, he also keeps things ticking at a good pace and keeps the atmosphere eerie.

Cage does his best to circumvent the script and I think this is his best mainstream performance in a while, but the movie goes from making his character look a genius.....]discovering the sun is about to kill us when everyone else in the world was late to the party.....to being an idiot....he is on the way to rescue his son from whispering albinos when he stops to have a calm conversation with Rose Byrne's corpse.....So it's an uphill struggle, but hey this is his best hair movie in years! :up:

All in all the plot is swiss cheese holy and contrived beyond belief, but if you put your brain in neutral and accept it on it's own terms it is an entertaining...though not always for the right reasons....slice of hokum.


OH!.....Btw very nice of the aliens to drop the kids off on Naboo!

6/10

Gran Torino

Ive tried to type this review in my head a number of times since I left the cinema, not b/c I need to get the seal of approval from anyone, nor b/c I feel my review is significantly important, I just want to convert emotions into words that convey them properly, and this is a movie that stirred up a lot.

I'll preface this by openly admitting I am a huge Eastwood fan, both as an actor and a director, he is one of the all time greats IMO. So if you feel that invalidates me, so be it.

Now is this Eastwood's best movie ? no, but it may be his best character and performance, not as iconic as Harry Callahan or The Man With No Name, but certainly richer.

Walt Kowalski is not really a racist, not in the true sense of the word, he doesn't befriend the Hmong family next door b/c he has a change of heart, he's a politically incorrect and bitter old man who has a lousy family and has lost his wife who was the only love of his life. He befriends them b/c they show kindness towards him and in return he shows them the good man beneath the cantankerous old bastard with a knack for an outrageous put down.

The themes explored within are pretty universal and have certainly been done before, however the effortless direction of Eastwood combined with his towering screen presence and the likable Hmong family he befriends kept me glued to the story. His relationship with Thao and his sister Sue are both warm and funny.

There are a couple of scenes that misfire, like the stupid white guy walking around the "hood" with Sue is a total misjudgment on Clint's part, as he seems to be from some sort of spoof movie, but he rescues it with his confrontation with the bullying would be gang bangers, spitting out the kind of dialogue that has made him an icon.

It's from this point that the film comes into it's own and certainly mirrors the last film of John Wayne's career 'The Shootist' to a degree. The relationship that is built between Walt and Thao is nicely done with simple things that make an altogether more important picture, the banter between Walt and Sue is a joy and newcomer Ahney Her is great opposite the grizzled vet.

Fellow newcomer Bee Vang who plays Thao does not fair quite so well, struggling in the heavier scenes to convey his emotions with total conviction, but Eastwood never lingers on it long enough for this to be an issue.

The build up and pacing is perfect as Thao and Walt grow closer, but the threat of the gang still hangs over Thao and you know the moment will come when things must be resolved. Now I will openly admit to getting a huge thrill from seeing Walt beat the snot out of the gang banger that burns Thao with the cigarette, but the aftermath with Sue was the scene that got to me.

Ive truly never felt my heart or stomach sink as fast as when Sue comes back to the house after the drive by attempt, you feel uneasy when she can't be found immediately but the mess she is in when she enters the room really shook me, and that sick feeling was replaced by anger and I connected into Walt's rage, I was baying for their blood as well, and it made me think of the age old adage of "Violence begets violence", very powerful and all beautifully done by Eastwood.

The finale will probably not appeal to the "Clint is a badass" brigade, but I knew it was coming, and yet felt that it was the right way to do it, mirroring my own reflections i mentioned above. The lead up to the climactic showdown is also like 'the Shootist' and when Eastwood finally comes face to face with the scum, his stance is classic Man With No Name going into one last stand.

The very last scene of the movie, accompanied by Eastwood's haunting and lethargic score, is a perfect cap on the story.

The film is not perfect as I mentioned above, and it is a simple and done before tale, however it is a film for me that sent me on an emotional journey and that is the greatest thing a film can achieve, I laughed, I smiled, I felt good, I got an adrenalin rush, I felt anger, I felt sadness and I questioned my feelings as I watched, and to me that is movie making at it's best.

If Clint never acts again then this is a fitting last performance and film from a true cinema icon.

Critically - 8.5/10
Personally - 10/10

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

From the reviews I have seen I thought it would be a "love it or hate it" type of film, but it wasn't. I didn't love it but I did like it and found it a fascinating watch.

It's a beautifully crafted fairytale that I am sure some feel spends to long smelling the roses, however I found it a very engaging and odd watch. The seamless effects are a thing to behold and each scene is like a lush painting.

Each period is created lavishly but it's the pre war period that feels like it came out of a musty old book of fables, the type which you see on old book shelves in big old mansions. In particular the days on the tugboat way out in the sea with the mast frozen, followed by the picturesque city in which Button meets Elizabeth, the scenes here are simply magical.

The movie is primarily a love story, a true love story I'd say, other themes are touched on such as how we are moulded as people by our interactions with others, and how you should live life to the fullest you can, however none of these themes are very subtly woven into the fabric of the movie, but that is not necessarily a negative depending on your point of view.

The acting is all very good, Blanchett as always is magnificent, just pure class throughput, creating a love interest that has an air of the fairytale love to her but with enough human earthiness to make her real. Tilda Swinton also has a brief but highly enjoyable supporting role that she plays to the hilt. Taja P Henson is blustery and warm hearted as Queenie but I don't see her performance as golden statue quality.

Now Pitt, Ive seen many describe his performance as one note, and it is true to say that the character of Benjamin Button is not emotionally a varied one, and I'd also say that the character is at his best when he is young but looks old and the amazing effects can be used as a crutch, however I think the way Pitt alters his voice and delivers his lines in these scenes add a lot to the visual of the Curious looking Mr Button.

Fincher's direction is a mixture of painstaking detail, technical brilliance and visual delight as always, combining with heart on this occasion, a trait I was unsure he could muster. However there is certainly a case to be made that he could tighten up the pacing, but for every length argument there is a counter argument.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a fairytale journey centered around a romance that lasts a lifetime, whether you enjoy taking that journey is another matter, it's not a thought provoking movie and it's not exciting, I can see those that think it's to long and that Button could have more exciting experiences, but at the same time I found the leisurely pace rewarding and his life experiences to be a mix of entertaining, humorous and touching.

8/10