Review: Whiplash

(Dir: Damien Chazelle, 2014)

Synopsis for a film that's going to greatly appeal to me - an intense drama about a jazz drummer's aspiration and fight to be one of the greats. I'll freely admit, Whiplash had me won over before I even saw it. But don't think for a minute that the excessive levels of anticipation brewing on my part clouded my judgement. You've heard the word on the street right? Everyone's saying it. This film has impact. It hits until you're left with hands bloodied from fraying wooden sticks. Pounding like sweat dripping from a body flaying itself to push harder, faster, more savagely, just to keep that double-time swing rhythm going. It's insistent. Impossible to ignore.

It's a character study meaning success hangs, mostly, on the two central performances. Miles Teller's Andrew is arguably a little bit one note, never really fleshed out beyond a little parental back story and a girl introduced to serve but one purpose. But it's that sustained desire to prove himself and be something incredible that pushes him and makes him interesting. To throw in anything else to bulk up his character might just feel too distracting. His relationship with J.K. Simmons' Fletcher is what this is really all about. The jazz heavyweight, the perfectionist, the dominator, the abuser. This is a man seemingly nonchalant about the destruction he leaves in his wake as students line-up for the rare chance to impress him, never knowing what they're really getting themselves in for but unable to find the will to leave either. It's a towering performance made all the better by fleeting moments of humanity which almost come as a curveball and test our sympathies. Simmons is superb and Teller is thoroughly convincing in his pursuit and particularly behind the kit.

But it's musically where everything ultimately coalesces. The focus is of course the drumming and what we see on screen is utterly impressive, but all of the music we hear is brash and sinuous, providing a cadence that flows at a satisfying pace. Without spoiling anything it builds to a crescendo that is gripping, logical and oh so utterly satisfying, whilst also proving that not every piece of music or film needs a coda. In many ways it's a slight film but the volatility bubbling underneath every time Simmons and Teller are on screen together, mixed with the sparklingly barbed dialogue, make it an electrifying experience. Whiplash is most definitely my tempo.

Review: John Wick

(Dir: Chad Stahelski, 2014)

For such a seemingly inconsequential film, since seeing John Wick a few weeks ago I've not been able to stop scratching the small itch that dictated it needed a review. Some films just do that to you. This was a film riding high on a sustained buzz in the run up to its release in the US last Autumn, which was hard to ignore. And from a UK distribution point they definitely screwed up by letting it vanish into a black hole for months - by the time it eventually came out here a bunch of people I knew had already watched it online, mistakenly believing it had been and gone at the cinema already. But that buzz continued upon its release here, and I've got mixed feelings about that. Perhaps that's why I was so compelled to write about it?

John Wick is not as good a film as all of that excitement makes out. It is a good action film and it is a hell of a lot of fun, but this disparity exists more because of what's not seen rather than what is. The whole way through there are intimations to Wick's past and why he is so feared, even by the boss of a Russian crime syndicate (Michael Nyqvist). It's clear that there is a very rich story to tell here but it's constantly skated over or left teased to allow for more action, which really starts to feel repetitious as the film progresses. The initial fifteen minute set-up of what sets Wick off is arguably the best bit of the film - as ridiculous as the premise sounds (man exacts copious amounts of revenge on the people who killed his dog), it's handled in such an interesting and heartfelt way you fully feel why he's suddenly reverted back to his old death-dealing ways. But this also means that after swathes of action we need more of this, rather than a non-stop cavalcade of shooting and fighting. It's hard not to be struck by the similarities to The Equalizer reimagining that came out last year, but that ultimately ends up being a better film because it takes time to regroup and reload, whereas John Wick lacks the inclination to really do so.

Keanu Reeves is perfectly cast as Wick - he has the physical presence and right look, as well as the action chops, but really he is so suited to this role because it requires him to wear a singular expression that works for him. That's not intended as a slight on the man's acting abilities because I am a fan of his, but he just carries the "I'm insanely pissed off and will wreak havoc on you" attitude so convincingly. An early phone call with Nyqvist's character exemplifies this perfectly (would that moment have worked so well with any other actor?), but when he does articulate why he is so hell bent on revenge it is exquisitely delivered. And then he kills some more bad guys. Nyqvist adds very little to the film unfortunately although his character's son, the catalyst for all this, is played in an effectively hateful way by Alfie Allen that means his comeuppance can't come soon enough. Whilst the array of recognisable faces that pop-up in fun supporting roles is a nice added bonus.

Recent news that a sequel will be forthcoming with Reeves reprising the role is good, as it feels like there's a lot more tell in this little world. But that's exactly the problem with John Wick, it's too content to constrain itself by going for all the action, rather than delivering on all the little teases to something better. The action is good, it's violent and bloody as it should be in a film like this, but all without offering anything we haven't seen before. We just need to see more of the man beneath. I hope that doesn't get forgotten next time.

Favourite 10 Films of 2014

So here it is... another year. It seems like a pretty decent twelve months of film even if I have been increasingly slack with my viewing and review writing. I will do a better job summoning the requisite inspiration and bursts of creativity next year. In the meanwhile, below are stats for 2014, thanks to my endless desire to maintain a viewing list on Letterboxd - everything watched in order of viewing here: http://letterboxd.com/davidhunt14/list/2014-films-watched/

221 - total films watched
75 - films watched at the cinema (the lowest since 2009)
100 - films released in 2014 watched
0 - films watched more than once in 2014

And so, in alphabetical order, these are my favourite 10 films of 2014 (favourite does not objectively equate to being the best, rather these are the films I liked the most:

12 Years A Slave

Off the bat this has to be said - Steve McQueen is easily one of the best directors operating in the business today. I was making such bold claims when lamenting his inexplicable lack of awards nominations for his superb work with Shame, but 12 Years A Slave finds McQueen in a more broadly appealing mindset, tempering some of his wilder creativity, but knowing exactly when to make things challenging for the viewer (one scene with a tree, rope and unflinchingly static camera still lingers after almost twelve months). Chiwetel Ejiofor superbly guides this man through utmost likeability, anguished pain and desperation. The power comes from avoiding that Hollywood righteous nobility that's usually applied, whilst letting the rawness take hold and making the audience work too. Again, I cannot wait to see what McQueen does next.

Birdman (or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

There's a cadence to Birdman. You can feel its pattern pounce around the scenes of Michael Keaton, Edward Norton and Emma Stone superbly sparring through some of the best dialogue of the year. There's wit, humour, intelligence and a pacing that never lets up. You can see its presence as the camera stalks its way around the backstage area of the theatre setting, constantly in motion, always voyeuristically following and shifting the focus of its attention. You can hear it through the incredible score of loose, free jazzy drumming, constantly modulating to the rhythm of the scene. It's a style like very little you've heard in a film before. This all coalesces into a roiling nest of creativity that's thrilling to experience, much like most of the films of director Alejandro González Iñárritu. Birdman marches to its own beat and that sets if loftily above almost every other film released this year.

Boyhood

Much has been made of director Richard Linklater's decision to film Boyhood over a twelve year period in order to keep the same cast, and sure it's a gimmick and a hell of a marketing angle, but it's key to making the film work. Why? Because you know you're watching the same cast and not another child actor of the right age, inserted at the right time to mildly distract. It gives the film the weight it deserves, even when much of what we see feels oh so slight. It's a snapshot of youth. The fleeting ennui of every year of our existence as we shape, grow and never really know it. The insouciance of Ellar Coltrane makes this all the more effective, as does seeing his parents gradually morph their own lives. It's a quietly affecting film that slowly creeps up on you and takes hold.

Cold In July

Three small, dark, somewhat under the radar thrillers stood out this year. I was a fan of Blue Ruin's brooding revenge plotting and The Guest's confidently obfuscating bluster, but the one that stood out the most, that I regularly recommended to people, is Cold In July. It's a film of two halves that's equally as good either side. Anchored by Michael C. Hall playing a nervy against type to the character that he's renowned for, it's pervaded by a gripping darkness that feels unclean as it reveals itself. Yet it operates with a confident slickness and an in-your-face eighties synth score that really drives all this home. The presence of both Don Johnson and Sam Shephard only adds to the quality that's on display here.

The Grand Budapest Hotel

Hands down the best cast of the year. And quite probably the most fun film of the year. Of course Wes Anderson's films can be an acquired taste for some, being an overload of quirk and whimsy, but with The Grand Budapest Hotel he just completely nailed that mysterious je ne sais quoi he possesses. A highly enjoyable story that plays up to his screwball sensibilities and fits this strange European mountainous setting of another era, there's the usual manner of weird antics and impressive technical skill. But where it really comes alive is in Ralph Fiennes' M. Gustav. This might just be the role Fiennes was born to play, darling - an indomitable character who you can't imagine any other actor coming close to bringing to life in such a fantastically convincing way. He is the glue that holds everything together, making this quite possibly my favourite film of the year. 

Guardians of the Galaxy

The other film competing for most fun of the year... Guardians of the Galaxy is the film Marvel has been needing to make for the last three years. A deliriously entertaining space adventure that offers the inevitable hyperactive glossy action, but really flies thanks to the superb characterisation. That we're made to care about a talking racoon, a tree and other misanthropes, is testament to the writing and perfectly judged humour. Not to mention the casting and voicework. Ignore the plaudits misdirected at Captain America: The Winter Soldier (lots of words on that here), this is Marvel finally cutting loose again in the exciting manner of their first films from 2008 -2011. The best big-budget blockbuster of the year.
[Read my full review here]

Her

Her represents something of a dystopian nightmare for the future - that is if the continued prospect of actual physical interaction and engagement with people offers any kind of importance for you. It's really a love story, buried within this perfectly utopian world of sunlight, comfortable success and technology intended to control our everyday existence. Joaquin Phoenix's sad-hearted susceptibility is equal part sympathy inducing and sweet, as Scarlett Johanssen's voice mellifluously worms it's way deeper into his being and around our ears. Spike Jonze orchestrates this balance with finesse as we can only ponder if this is a future we're setting ourselves up for - and if it's one we even want. If only more future based films (under broad strokes it can be called science fiction) were to strike such an appealingly low-key approach.
[Read my full review here]

Interstellar

Arguably the most anticipated film of the year, yet inevitably one of the most divisive. Regardless of your thoughts on Christopher Nolan, he is a director intent on making thoughtful, original, hugely-budgeted features and for that he should be applauded. Interstellar goes heavy on the spectacle with it's stunning visual approach and the most impactful sound design heard all year (honestly, what dialogue issue??), with 70mm IMAX experience mandatory. But thankfully it also elects to go heavy on the story and the physics. Is everything always completely understandable without a scientific degree? No. Do you have to suspend your disbelief at times? Yes. Is it emotionally overwrought? Sure. Would it be as good without all these aspects? Probably not. I came out the cinema feeling pretty much blown away. All these weeks later and I'm still a little in awe. 

Only Lovers Left Alive

Films that exist as a mood piece can either be devastating when they connect, or frustratingly boring when they don't. Only Lovers Left Alive bit me. It's slight gothic vibe married to the wastelands of Detroit and the exotic alleys of night-time Morocco present a different flavour for the vampire genre. This is the ethereal longing of hundreds of years lost in the darkness. The literate, suicidal emptiness of excessive existence when it's forever hampered by loneliness and the limitations of your power. Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton are perfectly cast, whilst Jim Jarmusch's typically laid back direction lets us wallow in this woozy atmosphere. The haunting soundtrack by Jarmusch's band SQÜRL and Jozef van Wissem lingers with a precipitous weight for a long long time. This is the romantic epithet of vampyric existence.

The Sacrament

As a horror fan it's fair to say this year has been exceptionally lacking, but The Sacrament offered something related to the genre that impressed. My severe appreciation of Ti West's The House of the Devil is well documented (read that here), whilst the more subtle ghostliness of The Innkeepers satisfied too, so it's pleasing to see West shooting for something different. The Sacrament is pitched in a totally different environment, utilising a docudrama, found footage-esque approach (it works), yet he retains the very best element of his work - that masterful slow, slow, turn the screw tension. The best approach is of course to watch knowing absolutely nothing and let it do it's work. To say more would be a crime, other than this was the most disquieting film I saw all year, packing a punch like nothing else. Chances are, you will hate it.


Note:

To be considered, films must've been released in UK cinemas (or direct to home entertainment channels) within the calendar year of 2014. Birdman, although widely receiving a 1st January 2015 release in the UK, was released in a small handful of London cinemas on 26th December 2014, justifiably allowing it's inclusion on either years list. Leave a comment below if you want to tell me your favourites or commend / berate my taste. 

Review: The Guest

(Dir: Adam Wingard, 2014)

It’s curious how a film that doesn’t fully work can you leave you with a certain amount of hope for that director’s next film. That was definitely the case with Adam Wingard’s You’re Next, a well shot and mostly well executed horror film that too easily succumbs to genre tropes, frustrating plotting and tendency to throw in comedy at the very great expense of the horror. (That latter point is something that always frustrates as ‘horror’ and ‘comedy’ are two words that don’t go together.) But depsite those issues there was definite hope that something very good could come from Wingard. Say hello to The Guest, which happily proves that point to be so.

As with You’re Next, there’s a very satisfactory build up that wastes no time. We’re introduced to David (Dan Stevens) and although the Peterson family are welcoming when he says the right things and can prove what he’s saying, the audience always feels like this is a veneer, yet we’re not sure exactly what we’re looking for beneath it and how dark it might be. This is a strength that allows the film to take the viewer in whichever direction it chooses and where it eventually goes may frustrate some but it’ll inevitably delight others. Stevens imbues David with this beguiling appeal where you want him to be your friend, family member, partner, anything. The electrifying bar scene is the perfect example of this, offering an impudent confidence alongside the dutiful protectorate nature. Yet when he's on his own you never quite know what you're going to see. The character is engaging from his first appearance on screen until the last.

  

Where the story ends up is satisfying by playing back to the horror roots, whilst the explanation is less edifying, but that can be forgiven because the film still manages to deliver. It’s all shot with a warmth that makes it welcoming, but the score/soundtrack really adds a huge amount to the overall effect, channeling the classic synth work of the 80's it’s cleverly edited around the film and to see Steve Moore as the man responsible for that is hugely satisfying (check out the driving synthscapes of his band Zombi or his more ethereal synth based solo work). This all completes the package of a continually interesting and very entertaining film that wouldn’t be half of this if it wasn’t for the magnetism of the lead. The Guest is a very welcome visitor.

Review: Sin City: A Dame To Kill For

(Dir: Robert Rodriguez & Frank Miller, 2014)

Some films just leave you begging for a sequel. Some films leave you begging for a sequel that you think will never happen. Sin City was just that film. The closest anyone has come to replicating a comic on screen, with every frame looking like the panels from the page explicitly brought to life. It’s a visual tour-de-force that manages to resurrect the hard-boiled noir of a bygone era and supplant it into a hellhole full of corrupt cops, hookers and hideous hard-men with hearts. Nothing quite like it has come along in the nine years since it was released and director Robert Rodriguez long teased it would happen but continually failed to deliver. Suffice to say, the day Sin City: A Dame To Kill For arrived in cinemas, I was there for the first showing. 

Some films leave you a little disappointed when they don’t live up to their predecessor. The challenge for Sin City: A Dame To Kill For wasn’t a hard one – deliver more of the same and fans will be happy. It aims for that with gusto but manages to somewhat miss the mark. The distinctive visual style remains fully in place and watching the black and white, colour accented scenes unfurl on a big screen is a joy to behold. Thus the problem lies with the stories. Mickey Rourke’s Marv is a huge asset and his recurrence kicks the film off nicely, but none of these stories offer anything close to those in the original film. 

New character Johnny (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) offers the next most interesting story, probably because Gordon-Levitt is an actor perfectly suited to the noir style. Yet Josh Brolin, here reprising Clive Owen’s Dwight from the original, should work in this setting but struggles. Partly because the story is far weaker this time, but he lacks the electricity of how Owen played off both Benicio Del Toro and Rosario Dawson, and a lot of personality is lost in the process. It's a blunt imitation not aided by him having to work with Eva Green’s over-played and overly naked femme fatale (yes I’m complaining about a very attractive women being too continuously naked on screen). Whilst the less said about the new/continuing story with Jessica Alba’s Nancy the better, as it proves having the focus on Bruce Willis' Haritgan last time is what really made it so engrossing.

It's unfortunate that Sin City: A Dame To Kill For becomes a somewhat tiresome watch as none of these new stories offer the punch or intrigue of the original film and you quickly end up wishing it was that that you were watching instead. That’s not to say it’s bad, it’s just... lacking. Stunning visuals aside, having nine years to get everything right, rich source material to hand and the involvement of its creator, makes you wonder what got lost in translation. Some films leave you wishing you hadn’t built up a certain level of anticipation.

Review: Guardians of the Galaxy

(Dir: James Gunn, 2014)

What Marvel needed to do next was change up the pace a bit, mostly because the so called "second wave" of Marvel films have been struggling somewhat, with none of Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World or Captain America: The Winter Soldier getting close to matching their predecessors, either in quality of storytelling or overall entertainment value. The inability to sustain the high was an inevitability. The prospect then of a new picture based on a little known comic with downright unusual characters that originated nearly fifty years ago, and of course a mild fear of the ensemble angle that failed to cohere as successfully as envisioned with The Avengers, meant approaching Guardians of the Galaxy with a certain level of cautious expectation. Cautious expectation that it seems was not remotely needed, as this film blows the entire second wave (and The Avengers) out of the water.

Perhaps a fundamental reason why this is so is the very nature of the film - it's out and out sci-fi, no two ways about it. It never feels like a superhero film even though the characters inevitably enter world-saving mode (maybe it's the name that implies it'll be the ultimate superhero movie?). It's a key point of differentiation that means we see different worlds and creatures with Earth only ever proving relevant in the prologue and through the cleverly applied music choices. Spaceships are the norm, as are dazzling battles in the sky amidst a background of dramatically beautiful nebulae. Lately there seems to have been a dearth of science fiction films approaching the genre with such a sense of glee, making this all the more satisfying.

However, trying to pin this all on the genre is somewhat disingenuous. The real reason Guardians of the Galaxy works so damn well is the sharp writing and what that means for these hitherto unknown characters. We get to learn who they are, see them grow, bond and we feel for them as all this progresses. Joss Whedon should really take note for The Avengers: Age of Ultron, it was the lack of character development that really hurt the first film and James Gunn has proven here how things should be done. We feel pathos for a tree that can speak only three words, laugh with a gun-touting raccoon that possesses genuine feelings and sympathise with a muscle bound hardman who looks like he'd be happy to break you in half. Then of course there's the lead, Peter Quill (aka Star Lord) played by Chris Pratt in a typically inspired piece of Marvelian casting. He is instantly likable and is the easiest for us to sympathise with as the Earth man-cum-renegade outlaw. In fact, of these core characters the only one who seems unable to really light up the screen is Gamora (Zoe Saldana), who despite being given more back story than most and excelling at kicking ass, seems to offer less for us to cling onto. Maybe it's the uptightness of the character, or perhaps we're never really sure if we should actually like or trust her.

The quality of the writing extends to the comedy. Marvel films never seem to shy away from adding a layer of humour (think Stark's caustic put-downs or Thor's fish-out-of-water Earth bound experiences), but the comedic aspect feels integral to this film. It's bristling with little one-liners and jabs, alongside the odd look in a cut away or just plain funny visual gags. It feels natural and feels right as part of the growth of this disparate group that have bandied together and must learn to trust one another. Pratt, with his background in comedy (Parks and Recreation, etc), is suitably relaxed and full of playfulness, whilst Bradley Cooper's delivery of Rocket's lines totally brings the cynicism and biting snark right out. Also from a voicework perspective it'd be entirely wrong to overlook Vin Diesel's contribution to Groot, adding much more personality than one might expect from his continual repetition of the same three word phrase, but considering the sheer quality of his similar work in the superb The Iron Giant it comes as no surprise. 

 
The one place in which it feels like something is possibly lacking is the realm of the villains. There never seems to be one truly unifying bad guy - there's Ronan (Lee Pace) who is pretty perfunctory in the villain stakes, who might not actually be as bad as Thanos who we see very little of, whilst we have to consider the somewhat comedic Yondu Udonta played by Michael Rooker, who also offers some mild threat and is the more interesting of the three. Yet in the universe of comic book villains none of these come close to being memorable. Thanos clearly has a bigger role to play somewhere in future Marvel storylines but in some sense none of this matters when your actual heroes walk the line of being anti-heroes, in a milder sense of the term. The villains just give the film it's narrative drive, nothing more.

The actual story does very little that hasn't been seen before but plenty of extremely good films are able to make themselves work in such scenarios. And that's the point - Gunn does a superb job of shepherding this awkward band of misfits through a story that introduces characters we likely have never heard of before and bringing to them life in an entirely effective way as we quickly care about them. Guardians of the Galaxy works on a character level, works as an action film, as a science fiction movie and as a comedy. At no point does it ever feel like a spoof or unnecessarily derivative. Like the first handful of Marvel films it sticks to its convictions entirely and it's this belief in what it is presenting that turns it into what may just be the best film of the summer, if not one of the years most fun.

Review: The Purge: Anarchy

(Dir: James DeMonaco, 2014)

As if by magic the real issue with last year's The Purge is immediately dissolved in The Purge: Anarchy. Okay, not magic, but someone involved with the production was paying attention. These pair of films are grounded in a sci-fi concept that's ever so eerily plausible whilst gleefully ticking the high-concept box labelled "why has no-one thought of this before?".  So to waste this concept - once a year all crime is legal for a twelve hour period to allow citizens to purge themselves - on a bland home invasion story really misses the scope of what could be achieved. The Purge: Anarchy recognises this, shoots for better, and gets halfway there.

This time round we get to experience the streets during an annual purge. This is what our cruel sense of curiosity wants to see. There's the couple whose car breaks down at the worst possible time; the mother and daughter forced to flee onto the streets; the lone man with a very defined purging purpose. Sure it's another survival piece, but one on a grander canvas with all manner of ghouls living out their sick and twisted fantasies as this group desperately band together. The situations they walk into are inevitably rife with the cliché but that's never stopped something being an entertaining watch. Frank Grillo's lone man on a mission, armed to the teeth with more than just his sombre purposefulness, is far more intriguing than the rest of the cast combined. Why? Because he carries a no-nonsense man-of-action essence about him with a certain underlying cool. In an alternate story he could've made an awesome avenging angel taking down the worst purging perpetrators (perhaps in the vein of The Punisher's Frank Castle).

Without being remotely revelatory this core story is entertaining and is more of the ilk of what this idea deserves. But it unnecessarily loses it's way when determined to bring the classism and heavy-handed societal issues back into focus. Absolutely there's something interesting about the juggernaut with a man and a giant gun in the back and the mystery as to why it's on the streets. But shift to how the rich want to purge and how that affects our protagonists and it feels like the awkward shoehorning of ideas into the film. Couple that with fleeting hints of the resistance fighters who want to see an end to the purging (surely this is setting-up for a third film?) and some of this feels like a different film. Of course an over-arching idea like this deserves exploration, but in this world of creepy face-masks and over-the-top ideas of how people might approach killing, a different tact would've worked. So the overall concept is improving and we're getting more of what we want, but there's still a way to to go make it something special. This will do for now.