Killers, Gangsters, and Writers.

Four short years ago, director/writer Martin McDonagh released an almost immediate hit, In Bruges. A black comedy about assassins running around Belgium contemplating life and death. It is regarded by this humble blogger as one of the greatest films ever made. So imagine the film world's joy upon hearing that McDonagh was releasing a new film based around psychopaths, seven of them. A film that is so meta it hurts, this is Seven Psychopaths.

Out in America, Irish screenwriter, Marty (Colin Farrell) , is writing a new film called Seven Psychopaths. Anyone spot the meta yet? He is having trouble finding inspiration for the stories behind each of his psychopaths and eventually his good friend, Billy (Sam Rockwell), steps in to help, despite objections from Marty. Billy, however, does introduce him to his first psychopath, The Jack of Diamonds, and puts out an advert for any other psychopaths to share their story. This is how Marty gains Zachariah's (Tom Waits) story and two more psychopaths for his film. But Billy leads a life that is likely to get Martin in trouble; he kidnaps dogs for a man named Hanz (Christopher Walken), who promptly returns them for the reward money. Things get out of hand when Billy steals gang boss Charlie's (Woody Harrelson) shih tzu, Bonny (Bonny) and the dog-napping pair and Marty have to hide away from the gang after them. They head into the desert and, as a trio, keep trying to write the screenplay based on the people they've met, the stories they've heard, and what is happening to them in their lives.

This is Christopher Walken holding an adorable puppy.
You're welcome.

When you put several black comedy favourites in one film you are always going to have a good time with your cast. Rockwell shines brighter than the sun in and amongst the dark hilarity. Constantly funny and holds the entire script together by his longing for something more interesting to happen. Billy's peculiar ways of helping Marty only complicate everything further and Rockwell plays it with such a dark naivety that you cannot help but love him but also never, ever want to meet him. Farrell, Harrelson, and Walken all do their parts strong justice. Farrell, as Marty, is ideal for the out-of-his-depth straight man in a world that is too bizarre for him to comprehend. The exasperation, confusion, stress, and anger are all clearly and hilariously portrayed by Farrell to great success. Harrelson is a true psychopath. A soft natured man, caring only for his dog, but who will easily put anyone down who stands in his way, all without acknowledging his own insanity and judging others on theirs. And Walken. Well, everything he does is hilarious unless it is meant to be touching and if that is the case, then you will be touched. A fantastic comic ensemble.

An idea of what the film is not like.
Though this is a scene from the film... It's complicated.

In terms of writing, Seven Psychopaths is nothing short of a piece of genius. It should be nominated for Best Original Screenplay at least. The dialogue will have you constantly snickering and giggling and belly laughing but yet the film is extremely clever. Subverting every expectation of film making at some point and making it work so well is a rarity. As with a lot of McDonagh's work, it also analyses life and death, as well as sanity and people as a whole. How does it fit all that in one film without dropping in quality? It should not work, but it simply does. Some amazing twists and turns along the way but the whole 'film within a film' concept is used so brilliantly that you cannot hep but to want to watch more. The fourth wall is almost non-existent at some points - see Billy look to Marty, almost straight down the camera, and say, 'The film ends my way,' before doing exactly the opposite of what Marty had said he wanted to happen in his screenplay. The post-modernism can even hurt your brain.

A really funny, fresh film. An incredible comic cast and some amazing writing don't just make this a great film, but also likely to be one of your new favourites. Everything is so engaging and enjoyable that it is impossible not to want to watch it again. No doubt it will be a cult classic. (Also works as a perfect prequel to Harrelson's character in Zombieland.)

Best Bit? A lot of people's favourite moment I'm sure, but Billy's imagining of the 'final shoot out scene' is possibly the funniest thing in any recent film.

Movies That I Haven't Seen But Should Have - Part 7: Super Powers

There are a lot of movies I'm ashamed to admit I've never seen. But rather than pretend I've seen them or change the subject when they’re mentioned, I've decided to share them with you. These films that are cult classics or masterpieces that I have missed or avoided, I am sitting down to review. Today's film is the most recent in this series of unwatched must-sees. Released this very year, it takes a few different genre's and turns them on my head. High school flick, superheroes, teenage drama, psycho thriller, found footage, there's a whole range of film aspects that get played with. This is Chronicle.

The story of three teenagers, hopeful politician Steve (Michael B. Jordan), abused and unloved Andrew (Dane DeHaan), and Andrew's cousin, Matt (Alex Russell), who stumble across a hole in the ground which is home to, what seems to be, an alien relic. Andrew, fortunately for all, has recently decided to film everything - mostly due to his alcoholic father (Michael Kelly) and bullies at school. After documenting the finding of the relic, Andrew continues to film as the three boys discover they have powers that give them the ability to move things with their mind and even fly. But this is a realistic view on three rowdy kids developing power. They do not consider the concept of saving the world or doing good - who would? They do what any normal person would do: compete against each other to see who is the strongest and have some fun screwing with society. Like always, things get pushed, boundaries get overstepped, people change. How will they manage to stay strong as a trio before their powers overtake them?

Their powers allow them to build with Lego.
Let's see Superman do that.

Irritatingly, it is hard to describe the acting without getting into the realms of spoilers. However, as always, this blog promises to be as spoiler free as possible. Found footage films have a difficulty in terms of acting. the camera does not capture everyone and everything and so the actors have to perform a lot without being on screen, particularly Andrew. (The film does have interesting takes on this though. More on that later.) The three leading lads do exactly what's needed of them. DeHann deserves a special mention for being the abused outcast. He stays clear of the one dimensional loser that so many high school films offer these days and instead takes us on a journey. The highs of being accepted, the sadness behind suffering, and, most importantly, the corruption of power in the wrong hands. Jordan, as Steve, plays an interesting role. The most popular kid at school but, again, unlike conventional teen films, he has a genuine interest in helping Andrew. It is a fine line. Be cool but also be sensitive. Jordan manages it like few others do. Finally, Russell, playing Matt, becomes the hero of the story. There's a possibility that, as the movie progresses, you can see suffering within Russell's performance - not as much as is within Alex, but it is still there and evident. It is subtler. It shows Matt's hardened personality and his innate need to do the right thing. Good performances all around.

Quidditch without broomsticks is the next big thing.

Found footage films are nothing new. They are, admittedly, most related to horror films, and therefore have a negative name for themselves but this is different. First of all, due to Alex's power of telekinises, he has the ability to make the camera float nearby without paying it much attention. This allows a lot of scenes to take place as if there was another person filming. On top of this, it is not just one camera that does the filming, it is any. There's a scene in which Matt talks to a girl who is video blogging and the exchange is shown from both camera's perspectives. Also, as the film progresses, cell phone footage becomes crucial to showing all the different angles. Like any other good film, Chronicle has all the angles needed. Being filmed in this manner not only engages the audience like a good POV film, but balances the engaging perfectly with  distancing  in order to best tell the story. Despite some far too plastic looking CGI and other special effects, the visual nature of the film is superb.

A fresh, unique, and thoughtfully enjoyable take on superheroes. Gritty and realistic and has the rare 'watch over and over' feel towards it. It may not go down in history but it is likely to become plenty of people's new favourite film. A great watch.

Best Bit? SPOILER ALERT: Andrew's complete breakdown. It's really quite touching as well as being completely entertaining.

I'm Sorry.

We're almost half way through December and, after my best month blogging to date, I have posted nothing. I have no funny joke about a blogging coma. I'm genuinely sorry to all my readers. I don't want to go back to posting three or four posts a month. On top of apologising, I feel the need to let you know why I haven't posted. Obviously, I'm at university currently and December is ripe with a hundred different assessments but also I'm in three separate performances, fighting to prove myself to my Ultimate Frisbee team that I'm good enough to be captain next year, two singing societies with showcases, and a host of personal issues that are not to be discussed on this blog; this is for film talk, not my pathetic-ness.

I promise you will have a new post soon. I don't know what it'll be, I'll work something out tonight. In the meantime, feel free to visit the archive and see if there's anything you fancy reading there.

Yours apologetically,

Phil.

I have plenty of unwatched films to get through.
Yes my hair is getting long. I'm a hippy.

The Real Looper (Re-review)

Yesterday I put together an archive page of all the things I'd written on this blog. Whilst I did this I read back through some old blog posts and realised how bad some of them were. Here I am wanting to promote my blog and it has some terrible reviews. So, I've decided to re-review a few. Particularly ones on films that I want people to read about. This film was the first film that I reviewed after I underwent my first major blog redesign. Suddenly I had star ratings and pretty pictures. Today's film looks at time travel but in a slightly different way. Prepare to get your head around paradoxes, this is Timecrimes or Los Cronocrimenes. (The original review, should you wish to read it, is here)

Hector (Karra Elejalde) is a fairly average man who lives in Spain with his wife Clara (Candela Fernández). He is the sort of man who does the shopping at the weekend and then goes for a nap. His life is riddled with giant problems like dropping the phone, not quite being able to see what is behind a bush, and the car boot being broken. When his wife goes out, he ventures into the trees next to his house to investigate something odd he spotted through his binoculars: a stripping girl (Bárbara Goenaga). Suddenly, out of no where, he is attacked by a large man in a trench coat whose face is covered in pink bandages. After fleeing for his life he finds a building and is convinced into a strange machine by a man (Nacho Vigalondo) there. This machine just so happens to be a time machine. Hector gets zapped (or splashed?) back around an hour and begins the adventure of a lifetime (or three) in which he is told he must avoid causing a paradox. But it seems Hector has issues following orders and who knows what his actions may cause.

And everyone thought Hector was 'armless.

With only four characters, only two of which have actual names, this is certainly an example of less is more. Karra Elejalde is, essentially, a solo performer.  Occasionally there is another character to interact with, particularly the young man who runs the machine, but on a whole, Elejalde's Hector is not just the centre of the film but also an incredible character with an amazing journey. Elejalde take us with his character through a complex and detailed development which is constantly fascinating. At no point is Hector not engaging. We see him change from an every day man with nothing of interest into a darker character that is determined and strong. This is one of the most captivating character developments film has to offer and it simply goes to show that one should never ignore world cinema. There is no way to stress enough how great Elejalde's performance is and, no doubt, one of the main reasons the remake is taking so long to put together; no Hollywood actor could live up to Elejalde's already set standard.

Psycho mocks boy with glasses.

At no point should you think that the only major achievement here is Elejalde's. Nacho Vigalondo, the man who runs the time machine did something equally, if not more, impressive. He wrote, directed, and co-starred in the film. (Yes, despite being an unnamed character, he's still the second most crucial.) Now, this is no new feat by itself. However, the simply complexity of the film is in terms of both writing and directing. Time travel is not easy and there a a million different things you can do with it but somehow a lot of time travel films have common themes and ideas. Timecrimes is different. It is an original take on a complicated idea and will leave your brain racking for hours. There is simply no conceivable for one to get their head around the very concept of a casual time loop or a predetermined paradox. But the general idea of what happens is so basic that a five year old could get it. Some more intelligent viewers find this harder to accept because they want answers to the paradoxes and thus enjoyment of the actual story is lost. Forget answering questions, this film is brilliant as it is.

A near flawless sci-fi thriller. Sadly advertised - and edited - slightly more as a horror which may put people off but trust this humble reviewer when he says it is worth watching. It is less than an hour and a half so it will take up a fraction of your time so why not give it a watch. If you dare complain about subtitled films, we may have issues being friends. Just saying.

Best Bit? The most famous scene in the film. The scene in which two Hector's essentially play peek-a-boo. Both times. It is a masterpiece of not just time travel films but films in general.

Korean Cowboys? (Re-review)

Yesterday I put together an archive page of all the things I'd written on this blog. Whilst I did this I read back through some old blog posts and realised how bad some of them were. Here I am wanting to promote my blog and it has some terrible reviews. So, I've decided to re-review a few. Particularly ones on films that I want people to read about. Today's film is a western with a twist: it is Korean. It is a tribute to classic westerns, particularly The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, but it it is its own movie entirely. This is The Good, The Bad, The Weird. (Original review, should you want to compare, is here)

The plot plays tribute to the overall story from The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. Well, at its most basic level. Three men, one treasure. Leading to the treasure is a treasure map which is in the bag of a very important banker on a train somewhere. On that train is Yoon Tae-goo (Kang-ho Song), otherwise known as The Weird, with the intention of stealing a load of money from this banker. Also on the train is bounty hunter, Park Do-won (Woo-sung Jung), The Good, trying to make some money by catching criminals, like Yoon Tae-goo. Planning to stop the train is Park Chang-yi (Byung-hun Lee), The Bad, and his thugs in order to get his hands on the map. Havoc breaks out and, somehow, Yoon Tae-goo (The Weird) gets away with the map. Cue a wild goose chase to get the map and the treasure: the three men constantly battling for the map as well as being pursued by the Japanese Army and Chinese Bandits. With too many battles to count, who will get there first, and alive, to claim the treasure?

The expression, 'You're screwed,' springs to mind.

When the film was announced, fans of Korean action were sceptical towards Byung-hun Lee playing the bad, borderline psychopath, Park Chang-yi. Their worries were completely ungrounded. Lee does not just nail the role, he encapsulates it. He makes it his own. If there is ever an American remake of the film, there is no one who could capture the role quite like Lee. He is cruel, brutal, smart, vengeful, and sexy. He strikes a perfect balance with his co-stars. Both he and Jung (The Good) are calm, cool, and collected which contrasts wonderfully with Song's manic, weird, and crazy performance as Yoon Tae-goo. Song brings most of the comedy to the film, dodging bullets with a divers helmet, getting offended that his bounty is only the amount of a used piano. He never slips from his excitable persona but there is clearly something deeper, more psychotic there. Finally, Woo-sung Jung is the coolest of the bunch. Swinging through the skies on a rope firing at Chinese thugs, it doesn't get much cooler than that. He never raises his voice or does anything extreme, but at all times it seems that he is the one in charge. His interaction with Song's Weird shows his power, smarts, and also his wit.

'How to Look Good Whilst Killing' The latest novel from Park Chang-yi

Direction from Jee-woon Kim is possibly the most underrated that cinema has to offer. There is no film shot quite like The Good, the Bad, The Weird. Cameras follow the action closely but also give a feeling that the audience are involved. Spinning camera shots through action creates the illusion the the audience are now right there, experiencing it through a first person perspective. Not only this, but a lot of it is simply beautifully shot. The men riding through the desert on horses or motorbikes, shooting one another over long empty landscapes, riding horses at sunset, everything is just astounding. The script, too, is something that is completely underrated. It may be due to the language barrier but not only is it hilarious, it is also peculiarly philosophical - "People must know that they’re going to die, and yet they live as though they never will. Hilarious." There's a brilliant moment near the beginning in which the Chinese thugs are overlooking the chaos on the train and discuss how they have no clue what is happening. A very funny moment. Also, listen out for the tribute to The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly's iconic score during the visually breathtaking chase scene near the end. Super.

An incredible example of foreign films being better than a lot of the films that Hollywood produces. Specifically, it looks at remakes not being the only option for great films. This film is a tribute that has a similar base plot to The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, but solidifies itself as a classic without actually remaking the film it adores. A must see. If you're put off by the idea of subtitles, you are missing out horribly. Do a bit of reading and watch this fantastic film.

Best Bit? Well, it'll have to be the final chase scene. Everything about it is awesome. It is on such a massive scale, and yet it is easy to follow all the individual characters as they fight. Simply brilliant.

Vietnam Week 7: One Gun, One Round.

Out in the world of films there are more than a few war films. Perhaps this is because, as a species, we have so many wars. Whatever the reason is, it seems that we can never get tired of one war. The war that, if you weren't there, you can never imagine. Described by more than one solider as a hell on Earth and claimed 58,282 U.S. Solider's lives. The war in Vietnam. I stated that I didn't want to include films that were set mostly AFTER Vietnam with just a little bit about the actual war. However, today's film is an exception. It is one of the most famous Vietnam based films and so here it is, our final film: The Deer Hunter

In a small industrial town, a group of friends, three of which are going to Vietnam, are spending their last couple of days together enjoying themselves. Steve (John Savage) gets married and a going away party is thrown for him, Nick (Christopher Walken), and Michael (Robert De Niro). These three, along with Stan (John Cazale), John (George Dzundza), and Axel (Chuck Aspegren), decide they should deer hunt together for the last time before war. Sudden jump to Vietnam  The three friends are reunited as Michael burns an enemy alive but soon find themselves captured. The men are held in a half submerged pit until forced to play Russian Roulette for their lives. Michael gets them out of it alive, but returning home for him just is not the same.

The film gets red band towards the end.

Simply flawless acting from all sides. Firstly, at the beginning, the friends seem to be just that: friends. But the realistic aspect is how genuine that friendship feels. It balances between fights and fun just like a real friendship. The second half of the film, however, is almost a one man show. De Niro steps the fine line between psychologically disturbed and simply haunted. As a man trying to fit back into the society he once knew, De Niro shows that Vietnam never really leaves you, even to the point of putting a gun to one of his closest friend's head. It is also there in simpler terms such as his jumpiness when someone drops a tray. Christopher Walken, as well, is a genius piece of casting. Thrown way over the line of psychologically disturbed, we see his sanity, not slip away but get smashed completely to the point where he physically cannot escape Russian Roulette. But, overall, a superb cast.

The film, in many ways, acts as a tribute to John Savage, who died from cancer shortly afte filming. May he always be remembered for his fantastic performance as Stan.

Somehow, despite being the longest of this week's films, The Deer Hunter also contains the most tension. From start to finish, the relationships built up in the group of friends (especially around Stan and Linda (portrayed by Meryl Streep)) constantly change and adapt as real friendships would, but also in terms of 'action' - I use the term in its loosest sense - which constantly builds up for perfect catharsis. The two (and a half) Russian Roulette scenes will leave you on the edge of your seat thanks to brilliant direction from Michael Cimino. Also, there are so many simple story lines overlapping that it adds a real depth to the film without over complicating it. Not just a good movie, but a truly fascinating analysis of the different effects of war on different people. Cimino did a lot of things to increase realism on set including real slapping, real loaded guns, keeping in scenes that were not the actors performing but actually complaining (See Savage complain about the rats. He was actually complaining to Cimino who kept it in.) These small things all paid off.

Completely deserving of its five Oscars (including: Director, Supporting Actor, Best Picture) and truly a film to live a  long life. Despite not focusing purely on the war, watching this film last almost gives a sense of how Chris Taylor and Captain Willard and Private Joker might have all felt after returning home alive at the ends of their films. The psychological aspect is thrilling. A must see.

Best Bit? Obviously, the two main Russian Roulette scenes are simply masterful film making. However, another moment that I'm sure is under appreciated is when Stan is messing around with his gun after Michael has returned from the war and Michael flips, proceeds to load the gun with one round and give Stan a glimpse of the hell he experienced in 'Nam by putting the gun to his head and pulling the trigger. The tension, acting, and general concept of the scene are simply outstanding.

Vietnam Week 6: Comic Relief

Out in the world of films there are more than a few war films. Perhaps this is because, as a species, we have so many wars. Whatever the reason is, it seems that we can never get tired of one war. The war that, if you weren't there, you can never imagine. Described by more than one solider as a hell on Earth and claimed 58,282 U.S. Solider's lives. The war in Vietnam. Considering the subject matter of most Vietnam films, it is understandable that there are not a whole bunch of laughs. Even Good Morning, Vietnam had very serious undertones. Today's film goes full comedy. This is Tropic Thunder.

British director, Damien Cockburn (Steve Coogan), is making his first feature length film based on a book by Four Leaf Tayback (Nick Nolte. This book tells the tale of a near suicide mission that happened in Vietnam in which only four out of ten men that went on the mission returned. Cockburn has to direct a misfit cast consisting of blockbuster star Tugg Speedman (Ben Stiller), multiple Oscar winner Kirk Lazarus (Robert Downey Jr), comedy star and drug addict Jeff Portnoy (Jack Black), rapper Alpa Chino (Brandon T. Jackson), and newbie Kevin Sandusky (Jay Baruchel). Deciding that his crew are too up-their-own-arses for their own good, Cockburn, with the help of Tayback, rigs the forest with cameras and explosives to create an all too realistic experience. Method acting to a new extreme. But almost straight away, things become too real; it is no longer just a film.

It was a black day for Robert Downey Jr

Comedies, not renowned for for being prestigious in acting terms (for a more detailed look into comedies and how they are viewed in the overall world of films, read this feature) Tropic Thunder gained Robert Downey Jr an Oscar nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. He completely deserves it of course for his portrayal of an Australian actor (Lazarus) playing an African American troop and with such conviction, it is hard to tell that it is the same man that plays Iron Man or Sherlock Holmes. The other actors are what you would come to expect of them. Not to say they are overly typecast, they are just as funny as you would expect them to be. Steve Coogan, an actor in particular who simply is not in as much as he should be, is hilarious as the dimwitted director. His timing and reactions are so perfect, it is impossible to see anyone else playing that role.

The cast soon lost their heads

Shot like any other Vietnam films - with plenty of parody shots - the colour of the film is completely captivating like the serious films. The many explosions contrasting beautifully with the blue sky and green trees. The pyrotechnics, thanks to the advancement in technology, are simply brilliant. But really makes this film outstanding is the hilarious writing.  A wonderful twist on not just the Vietnam genre but also the meta-comedy. This isn't a film of a film, this is a film of a film of a film going wrong. It is so post-modern it hurts one's brain to think about it too much. Everything about the film is comically perfect and you will be laughing from start to finish, no doubt.

A hilarious film that will round off a Vietnam movie session perfectly. After all the brutality and grit, it is nice to see a gentle mockery of the genre and a poke at film making itself. A range of different humour to tickle any audience's funny bone. A must see.

Best Bit? Having recently watched Platoon, the teasing of the famous scene in which Dafoe runs out of the forest and falls to his knees suddenly has a new found hilarity.