Baseball, racial tension, and garbage men; what do these things have in common? They are all heavily featured in Denzel Washington's fast talking, hard hitting, third directorial feature. This is Fences.
Life has been tough on Troy Maxson (Denzel Washington). He was once an aspiring pro baseball player but never made it due to his race, so he believes. He has a loving wife, Rose (Viola Davis) who supports him and guides him as he strives to support his family. He has a brother Gabriel (Mykelti Williamson) who has a mental disorder, an estranged son, Lyons (Russell Hornsby), who only comes by for money once a week, and a younger son, Cory (Jovan Adepo), who has the potential to be a pro football player. We see Troy juggle these relationships, but keeping up a wall, not letting anyone penetrate or get too close. But when you've seen life chew up people and spit them out, it's hard to share warmth and encouragement with your family when reality is not so kind.
There's no shortage of films about racial oppression at the Oscars this year (13th, Loving, Hidden Figures), but Fences is perhaps the most striking of them all. Its main narrative is one of family under pressure and beneath that is the undercurrent of a systematically racially bias society. This is also a film driven by powerful performances from every member of the cast. Denzel Washington is electrifying, rattling through his mini-monologues at a lightning fast pace and it is mesmerising. He is at his best here, fresh off an award winning run of Fences on Broadway with co-star Viola Davis, Washington delivers a monumental performance as Troy having been able to absorb the character during its time on stage. Davis too, in a supporting role here as the gentle housewife Rose, is on top form and this maybe her year to finally take the Oscar statuette home that she has deserved since The Help. Keeping up with her Broadway co-star and hitting every beat where he lets up his pace the film keeps moving and when those gaps in flow come, the audience notice. The leads' spectacular timing emphasise the narrative and power it forward.
This is film making. Stripped clear of unnecessary extras, Fences demonstrates what can be achieved when you combine a good screenplay with a talented director and an outstanding cast. There's no blockbuster special effects, no plethora of A-list names teaming up to fight a common evil, but what is onscreen is spell-binding. Washington's not only skilled in front the camera, but behind it too. He knows August Wilson's play like the back of his hand and his familiarity with it allows him to finely tune every element of his film adaptation to be the best that it can. Staged and blocked like a play, Washington's camera glides in and out of rooms in the small house, lingering rather than cutting, providing the feeling that we are often looking through that fourth wall. It is effective, allowing the actors to really get involved in their scene, together, without interruption or cutaway.
Washington's achievement is simply astounding. For only his third directorial feature, Fences is an accomplishment to behold. Simple and powerful with stellar performances all round. This is an intelligent piece of cinema that doesn't try to be showy. It uses its medium of film to do the basics of storytelling, but it does those basics phenomenally well.
If Best Pictures are not enough to wet your appetite for this weekend's Academy Awards, here are some other nominated films that I have reviewed just for you:
13th(Best Documentary Feature)
13th is a daring documentary. It doesn't deal with an isolated far away issue that we can sympathise with from a distance. It gets up in your face and deals with one of America's biggest contemporary and most contentious problems: mass incarceration. However, this is not a Louis Theroux documentary where they gently try to find answers, sweetly exploring what has caused this mess. Ava DuVernay presents us with a host of academics, activists, and ex-inmates who clearly explain the history of the States' systematic oppression of the African American population, centering the discussion around the 'loophole' in the 13th Amendment that, to paraphrase, says slavery is okay as punishment for a crime.
The documentary really hits home almost exactly half way through the movie when an image of Trayvon Martin fills the screen for an uncomfortably long fifteen-or-so seconds. We're no longer talking about slavery 150 years ago, or the civil rights movement 50 years ago, this is now. The second hour of the film is not easy watching, but it's not meant to be. DuVernay is drawing a big picture and it is an ugly one. We see the violence, the abuse, the police brutality happening in our time, today, on our streets. DuVernay plays these images alongside archival footage from the civil rights movement whilst Donald Trump's voice echoes over the images 'In the good old days...'. A powerfully moving piece of work. It's unpleasant and upsetting, but it is real, and that's probably the most heartbreaking thing.
The Lobster (Best Original Screenplay)
Imagine a world in which singleness is illegal, that those unable to find a mate must either go it alone in the woods or be it turned into an animal of their choice. This is the premise of The Lobster and it only gets weirder after that. Weird though it may be, it is also wickedly funny. Its finest moments of comedy are also some of its darkest, but for the laughs it produces it is completely justified. Kicking little girls in the shin, choking women, dead dogs - these things have almost never been funnier as Colin Farrell's David tries desperately to find a lover.
The film is, in its own way, genius however it suffers from both a tonal problem and pacing problem. Its dry comedy, at first amplified by its drab and mechanical presentation, is later dulled as the gags come fewer and further between and yet the slow pace of the film remains unchanged. This leaves the second half of the film to begin to drag as it goes on. Secondly, the jokes move from dark toward vulgar. At somepoints this lands, using the same shock reflex that the darker jokes work with, but othertimes it feels out of place and uncomfortable.
The Lobster is a few strokes away from a masterpiece, but those missing strokes are not small ones. They are unfortunately noticeable and it is a pity because the film ends with the feeling that it could have been more.
Jackie (Best Actress, Best Costume Design, Best Score)
The story of Jackie Kennedy planning a funeral for her husband does not immediately spring to mind as one the most riveting biopics of our time, however Jackie, through its non-linear narrative and excellent performances, manages to be bold and striking. Director Pablo Larraín takes something simple, adds layers of complexity, jumping back and forth in time and even into a television documentary piece the Fist Lady starred, building one narrative to boiling point before switching across to something else. The audience keeps on their toes and becomes engaged in the story Larraín wants to tell.
But the defining feature of this film, as all the marketing suggests, is Natalie Portman playing the titular Mrs Kennedy. Portman is no stranger to playing strong female leads and this could be her peak. She fully embodies Jackie Kennedy, balancing heartbreak, mourning, determination, grief, vulnerability and a gritty drive to make the world remember her husband. It is an astonishingly good performance and one that will no doubt be remembered.
As a whole, the film lacks omph. The supporting cast are in shadows next to the powerhouse that is Portman. They're not poor or even average performances, there is just an inconsistency in quality. Peter Sarsgaard and the late John Hurt both put in a good show here, particularly Sarsgaard again showing his capabilities of being a top tier actor.
Hail, Caesar! (Best Production Design)
The Coen Brothers' latest outing is a comedy noir romp through taking place in the behind the scenes world of 1950s Hollywood. It follows Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin) whose job it is to fix things like press attention surrounding unwanted pregnancies or your lead of a huge blockbuster being kidnapped. When exactly that happens to George Clooney's Baird Whitlock, and he is taken to a group of communist thinkers' hideout, Eddie has to work twice as hard to find a fix.
The film is scattered with moments of excellence and brilliance. Some set pieces really steal the show, particularly an all out singing and dancing spectacular with Channing Tatum as a sailor. However, the film is a bit convoluted in it's delivery. There's quite a lot of intersecting story lines and the narratives sometimes lose their way - you may find yourself questioning when a performer changes into a soviet spy, for example.
Despite this, the film is hilariously funny. The Coens are masters of bringing out Clooney as a fool and a clown (see Burn after Reading and O Brother Where Art Thou?) and throughout, the jokes land as they're intended to. It makes for an enjoyable watching experience but it will probably leave you wanting to pull out one of the Coen's more acclaimed ventures and experience them at their best.
Suicide Squad (Best Hair and Makeup)
'I'll carry your ass if I have to' says Will Smith's Deadshot as we head into the final act of Suicide Squad. He is talking to Rick Flag, played by Joel Kinnaman, but he may as well be talking to the film makers. Suicide Squad is a messy film, and not in a good sense. There's an overwhelming sense of overnighters in the editing room before deadline day and nothing quite fits. It consists of several pieces from different puzzles that director David Ayer is trying to bash into a cohesive picture and whilst you can see what he is trying to make, it's clunky and broken.
There is some strength at the opening and in the final third of the movie, but shamefully for an ensemble piece, several of the supporting characters are left woefully underdeveloped and under-utilised, especially Jai Courtney's Captain Boomerang who is often found flailing in the background with no real substance. Suicide Squad seeks to capture the grit of the Batman comics and Nolan's films, but fails in being nearly as good as either.
Whilst solid leads in Viola Davis, Will Smith, and Margot Robbie (as Harley Quinn) keep the film afloat, the messy narrative and lack of cohesion cannot be saved by a few fun filled action packed sequences to a rock song from the noughties. It would also be remiss not to mention Jared Leto's Joker, a modern age, grill teethed gangster who seems to be able to do the impossible without explanation. Overkill may be too strong a word, and the artistic vision may to be to blame over Leto, but it's hard to ignore the press surrounding his 'method acting'. If there's a silver lining, its that if there is a sequel, it can really only be better.
War. What is it good for? The great philosopher Edwin Starr would say 'absolutely nothing'. which is especially true if you are a pacifist. But does this view on violence mean you are unable to serve your country? This is Hacksaw Ridge.
Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield) is a Seventh-Day Adventist who holds the Lord's word as law and takes that seriously. After the outbreak of World War II and the United State's battles with Japan, 'Do Not Kill' becomes a conflicting ideology when you have a desire to serve your country alongside your fellow men. Desmond signs up as a medic but refuses to pick up a gun, earning him the label of a conscientious objector. The army hierarchy, primarily Sgt Howell (Vince Vaughn) and Captain Glover (Sam Worthington), try to encourage Desmond to leave the military, going as far as court marshalling him. But this is the story of Doss' bravery, of how, despite the opposition he faced, he saved 75 men's lives without ever firing a gun.
Hacksaw Ridge explodes onto the screen and rattles along with an astonishing handle on its pacing, never dragging for a second. Garfield is phenomenal and his performance is the glue that holds the film together; his Southern charm and humble faith contrast the blood shed of war and Garfield is absorbed into his character completely. Another stand out is Vince Vaughn. Far away from his comedy roots, but clearly drawing from and influenced by it. He plays the sharp-witted and hardened drill sergeant Howell and its unlike a lot of his other roles, yet here he is perfectly suited. His background in comedy gives him an edge with his insults to the privates but beneath his hardened exterior there is a tenderness to the performance; he truly cares about his men and their lives, their success.
There's always a battle (no pun intended) between realism and watchability when filming war and Mel Gibson does a remarkable job. Never sparing the gritty reality of war, Gibson tells a story of real heart and soul with one of the most likeable solider protagonists to date. War is brutal, but balanced with Desmond's faith in God (emphasised in the film no doubt due to Gibson's own faith) and his hope, determination, and compassionate selflessness, Hacksaw Ridge never falls into the trap of being violence oriented. Some have criticised the movie, stating that its violent portrayal of a non-violent message is counter-productive, but its not. Doss shines against a backdrop of carnage, his acts of bravery made more mammoth by the circumstances surrounding them. Whilst some films seek to express the darkness of war - think Apocalypse Now's 'The horror. The horror' - Hacksaw Ridge seeks to emphasise the good in man.
Hacksaw Ridge boasts stunning cinematography and an incredible visual landscape - the sheer extremity of the ridge itself is a sight to behold. It also has the most powerfully constructed World War II fighting since Saving Private Ryan. Make no mistake, this film hinges on the atrocities of war and does not pretend it doesn't, however it does not glorify the fighting, but condemns it. It offers hope, faith, and courage, and in a world that can often seem bleak, perhaps we could all do with a bit more those three things.
Around awards season, inspirational true stories are often in abundant supply telling the tales of those people in history who, despite the odds, rose up against societal oppression and made a name for themselves. Sometimes, however, they help make history from behind the scenes. This is Hidden Figures.
In the 60s, the Soviets and the USA were racing each other to put a man in space. The problem for the USA was that they were stuck on the ground whilst the Soviets had cracked the equations needed to get them into space. What the geniuses of NASA needed was something different and in a time of racial segregation and gender inequality, you cannot get much more different than a small group of extremely intelligent black women. Enter mathematician Katherine G. Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), engineer Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe), and not-quite-a-supervisor Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) who step up to the plate despite oppression and the egos of their white male counterparts to change the face of American history forever.
The film may be Hidden Figures in name, but not in nature. In fact, Hidden Figures' greatest strengths lie in its talented cast who dazzle throughout. The standouts come in the form of lead Taraji P. Henson and Kevin Costner who are the spearheads of the work at NASA. It is Harrison who makes movements to remove the segregation from NASA to allow his top computer to not have to run across campus to the bathroom, and Costner plays it with a cool authority; he is likeable and determined. Henson's Johnson, too, fights fearlessly for an equal workspace where her mind can be recgonised. Unlike other films this year (cough Suicide Squad cough) who let their supporting cast get absorbed by the background, Hidden Figures lets theirs shine. Monáe and Spencer are both delightful additions to the film and make it what it what it is. They balance the tone and add comic relief to an otherwise heavy subject matter.
Hidden Figures tells a nice story. It's a feel-good narrative of the underdog fighting oppression and segregation that appeals to our humanity and our morality. However there is little new or exciting about it. Whilst the performances are powerful and the film is well constructed, it often feels like we are hearing a story we have heard before and director Theodore Melfi plays it safe, keeping the story accessible and familiar. This has its advantages: the story is an important one, and its crucial that as many people as possible can enjoy it so that these women can be remembered. The disadvantage of course is that it doesn't feel special, courageous, or different and these are all adjectives that describe the protagonists; rather than embrace what made these women great, Melfi tells a great story with as little risk as possible.
Enjoyable but forgettable, which is a shame. A typical film for this time of year: a well produced, socially challenging piece of cinema that does a bit of everything, but not quite enough of anything. Its cast pull the film out of the realms of mediocrity, but not enough to excel it to greatness.
Hollywood. The land of dreams is no stranger to appearing on the big screen and being presented from many different angles, but it has been a long time since it was quite so colourful and quite so musical. This is La La Land.
Seb (Ryan Gosling) and Mia (Emma Stone) are both dreamers. The former longs to own and manage his own jazz club, the latter sees her name in lights, her face on the big screen. Their paths are interwoven and they can chase their dreams together with encouragement and support but the world we live in isn't easy for dreamers. There are expectations to live up to, finances to organise, and the proverbial 'man' keeping our protagonists from their ultimate success. Also, the film teaches us that sometimes success and dreams do not come hand in hand, that one does not necessarily equate to the other. This is not just a story of Seb and Mia, of their love and dreams, this is a story of how Hollywood engulfs those who wish to chase their dreams, how it forces compromise and conflict, how small decisions can change everything. And this story is told through song and dance.
The film opens with a traffic jam - welcome to Hollywood. But one by one, the commuters begin to sing; they step out of their cars and dance down the road in a spectacularly flowing set piece. Welcome to La La Land. The tone is apparent and the stage is set; we are thrown into a two hour rush of colour, music and movement. Director Damien Chazelle glides through his narrative with confidence, the film dancing along with its stars, helped in no small part by cinematographer Linus Sandgren. Chazelle and Sandgren choreograph each scene to the beat of the film, their camera as one of the performers. It weaves in and out of cars and bars, it swings around the piano that Seb plays, it circles Mia as she sings her heart out; it captures every ounce of emotion and, more importantly, soul that the film has to offer. If Chazelle's last feature Whiplashembodied the intensity of jazz, La La Land captures its warmth.
That warmth is amplified by the charisma and chemistry of the two leads. Both Mia and Seb are instantly and overwhelmingly likeable and their pairing slowly builds, eventually blossoming into love. From the gentle touch of finger tips in a cinema to helping plan each other's visions, their relationship is electrifying and full of life. The two powerful performances from Stone and Gosling over the course of the film culminate in a riveting and emotional climax with one of the most charming sequences in the film, leaving you smiling despite being metaphorically punched in the gut. The talent of the whole cast cannot be overstated with cast members learning new instruments (for their roles, Gosling learned piano from scratch and John Legend learned guitar), as well as dancing and singing live onset. No doubt you will be leaving the cinema tapping along to the catchy songs now permanently etched into your brain.
La La Land is a musical adventure into fantasy. It's more universally appealing than Chazelle's Whiplash, it's more charming and a lot less bleak, and also harks back to the golden age of Hollywood. This is almost a guaranteed formula for critical success (see The Artist's Best Picture win in 2012), but it also makes for a wonderful piece of cinema. It lacks the depth and power of some arguably better films, but it is inoffensive and totally captivating. It is a glimpse of what happens when a skilled film-maker decides to create something joyous; La La Land does not need to be dark to be brilliant.
Back in 2010, Ryan Reynolds starred in a particularly good claustrophobic thriller called Buriedwhere he was trapped on his own for 90 minutes and survival seemed unlikely. Now, in 2016, his wife is doing a similar thing. This is The Shallows.
On a travelling holiday, Nancy (Blake Lively) finds herself on a beach that her late mother visited many years before and the beach is home to one of the most phenomenal surfs around. Grabbing her board, Nancy hits the waves, makes some friends, and catches some waves. As the sun begins to set she decides that after the next wave, she will call it a day. That is, until a great white shark knocks her off her board, bites her leg, and leaves her stranded on a small rock with no rescue in sight. With the tide against her, and having invaded the shark's territory, she will have to get inventive in order to survive.
Solo movies are hard work. The lead performer has to be captivating enough to hold the audience's attention between the action and engaging enough for us to care about them when danger approaches. If you fail in this respect, the film will instantly fall flat. Fortunately, Blake Lively is in fine form. She's smart, strong, and resilient, and whilst the filmic landscape around her may lack clarity, she performs with all of the conviction required of a leading role. In this day and age, it is so crucial to portray women in a way that does not treat them as secondary to men and if The Shallows has one major success, it is Blake Lively. Whilst some of the early shots are not dissimilar to soft-core pornography, as the film progresses Lively overpowers the male gaze of the camera. Not only does her character, Nancy, fashion her own tourniquet out of a wet suit, she also demonstrates a far greater survival instinct and understanding of her surroundings than any of the men that appear throughout the film.
One part 127 Hours, one part Jaws, but not quite living up to the standard of either, The Shallows struggles to balance realism or logic with the story the film makers want to tell. Whilst the action is consistently exciting and suspenseful, characters' reasonings get lost at sea. From inexplicably located flare guns to straight up strange decision making, from disappearing dead bodies to never-turning tides, the film suffers from a sloppy approach. A few extra hours editing the script and a bit more focus in shooting and post-production would have helped hugely. The essentials of a great film are all there but it feels like they've been torn apart by the film's aquatic antagonist and messily pieced back together by Jaume Collet-Serra, the film's director.
A sloppy script and a lack of care has left The Shallows feeling a bit washed up. It is not beyond redemption - the keen survival film fan will find plenty to enjoy - but for the rest of us, the film is little more than shallow entertainment.
Sometimes in life, there are things that are difficult to comprehend and events that are almost beyond words. Today's film is one of those occurences. This is Swiss Army Man.
Hank (Paul Dano) is at the end of his tether. He is marooned on an island with no food, nowhere to go, and no sign of rescue. The camera pans down a rope to his face, a noose fastened around his neck, and he surveys the hopelessness of his situation. Then just before he kicks the stool out from beneath him, he notices a corpse (Daniel Radcliffe) on the beach which is passing wind powerfully enough to propel it through the water. Cue an ingenious plan to use the corpse as a jet ski and as Hank hurtles forward on the corpse, the narrative follows suite. We follow Hank and the corpse (later named Manny) as they discover new things about Manny's exceptional body and then bound, roll, drag, and fart through the forest trying to find civilisation; the results are spellbinding.
It is hard to know where to start with Swiss Army Man; there is something special and unique about it whilst also being hugely referential with massive pop-culture influences. It seamlessly blends together crude comedy and heartfelt moments that are exceedingly touching. Dano, known for his strength as a troubled individual (Little Miss Sunshine), really shines here. This is, after all, his journey and we instantly captivated by his story. He is the worm and Radcliffe's Manny, with his limitlessly skilled body, is the hook. Together, they drag you into their tale of friendship, fellowship, of life and death. Radcliffe's performance too cannot be understated. This is one of the finest physical comedic performances in years. The strength of the two leads may even force you to shed a tear of sadness, and they are guaranteed to bring on fits of laughter.
Swiss Army Man is gloriously grotesque but disgustingly delightful. Chuckles turn to belly laughs, belly laughs turn to tears. For a film about a farting corpse that wants to understand pooping and masturbation, Swiss Army Man is surprisingly philosophical and thought provoking. Veiled beneath the crude humour is a deep analysis of societal norms and the nature of life and living and, strangely enough, it is almost impossible to imagine a better vehicle for the topic at hand. Directors Dan Kwan, and Daniel Scheinert take films like Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life and, along with their superb script, drags them through the digestion track of cinema and excrete something magical and special. With a powerful and moving acapella soundtrack, often originating as diegetic singing, the film overwhelms the senses in the best way possible. It is hard to imagine anything like Swiss Army Man existing again and it's difficult to recall anything like it existing before.
There is something special here. It is stupid but intellectual, crude but beautiful. Whilst some have found the ending a bit jarring, the journey more than justifies it. You have to see it to believe it.
