Oscars 2019: Part II

Free Solo

You may think someone climbing El Capitan without ropes would be the most compelling aspect of Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin's documentary but it is the climber rather than the climb that makes Free Solo what it is. Alex Honnold is risking life and limb when he solos, so what makes him attempt the insane? Looking closely at both Honnold and those closest to him, we get a glimpse into the mind of a major thrill seeker and it is exhilarating. By the time we get to the climb, you’ve already sweat a bucket and bitten all your nails off.

It’s a fascinating journey of one man trying to do the impossible and we’re along with him for all the very literal, and all too terrifying, highs and lows. It only really scratches the surface of man vs nature and why someone may want to do this, but it's beautifully shot, somewhat disturbing, and all-together captivating.

If Beale Street Could Talk

Barry Jenkins follows his best picture winning Moonlight with another close-up of life in the black community. He carefully dissects the institutional racism inherit in America, without ever abandoning the love story at the centre of his film. His camera paints poetry with a delicate and deliberate colour palette, capturing and commanding the eye. It glides through scenes like a dream, showing the joy and optimism amongst the pain and the suffering. Beale Street simply doesn’t need to talk when it looks this good.

Powerful performances ground Jenkins’ transcendent style, bringing human heart with strong but flawed characters. The chemistry and tensions on-screen are palpable, drawing the audience into the scene, seating them in the middle of the crossfire and forcing them into the conversation. Occasionally it may drag when indulging its vision too much, but it’s forgivable; ultimately, it’s powerful and emotive film making.

Christopher Robin

For many of us, Winnie the Pooh played a big part in our childhoods but none as big as the part he played in the childhood of his pal Christopher Robin. Also like many of us, Christopher grew up and forgot Pooh, filling his time with other things - work and family - until they reach breaking point with one another. It is at this crisis point that Pooh reappears to help his old friend once again. 

It's a charming film, though very familiar. The plot is ancient, though typically Disney, with some CGI Pooh Bears and Tiggers thrown in, and a goofily archetypal antagonist in Christopher's boss (Mark Gatiss) for good measure. And despite it's somewhat dark and dismal start for an excellent Ewan McGregor's Christopher, the film drips with joy and love for its source material. Pooh, who gets vastly more screen-time than the other critters of Hundred Acre Wood, is a delight, helped in no small part by Jim Cummings returning to voice the beloved bear. At it's worst, Christopher Robin is too plain and simple. At it's best, it's fun; plain and simple. 

Mirai

The true cosmic magic of family, the connections that transcend time, are on full display in Hosoda's Mirai. It's an adventure that plays with linear narrative storytelling, the best method to capture the jealousies, insecurities, need for love, and imagination of a young child whose space is invaded by a newborn sibling.

It's a touching exploration into memory and family, investigating the invisible links that hold the fabric of our lives together but it can be clunky at times. Mirai struggles to maintain its tempo, often too neatly tying up threads before they're suddenly unravelled again for the next mystical encounter. If nothing else, it's a refreshing reminder that animation is still alive and well if not flourishing, without feeling the need to adhere to the formats presented by the big western studios.

Oscars 2019: Part I

A Quiet Place

Alfred Hitchcock has long been deemed the 'King of Suspense' and many have tried to topple him from his throne. With so many worthy suiters, who would ever have thought that Jim from The Office would be one of those vying for the crown, but John Krasinski is more than a sitcom goofball. Director, writer, producer, and star - Krasinski takes 90 minutes and makes them unrelenting and unforgiving.

Featuring stunning performances from Krasinski, Blunt, Simmonds, and Jupe - a.k.a. the whole cast - a near immaculate screen-play, and sound-design to die for, A Quiet Place is a breakthrough for a promising young director. Also, it grabs the award for the best opening in years; if you're not gripped by it, then film-watching may not be for you.

Ready Player One

Steven Spielberg, one of history's most defining and versatile directors, is no stranger to the Oscars. He's won a couple, directed a couple of actors to win them, and been nominated for a couple of handfuls more. Whilst his eyes are normally on bigger prizes than Best Visual Effects, Ready Player One is a fun return to family magic for the veteran director. Set in a desolate future where a virtual reality system, Oasis, consumes everyone's times and lives, people (or rather their avatars) compete within the game to find the late creator's keys which open the doors to his enormous fortune.

Jumping in and out of its magnificent digital landscape, Ready Player One is a feast for the eyes. Almost immediately we're in the midst of a chaotic and reckless race; long lingering shots of computer generated mayhem dominate the screen and it is glorious. The narrative, whilst at times is contrived, is timely - grounded in the digital age - and littered with pop culture references. Occasionally this is the film's greatest strength (a particular scene should not be 'Overlooked'), but it may make the film irrelevant in five years time. For now though, it's a treat to be enjoyed today.

Ralph Breaks the Internet

Ralph Breaks the Internet is, to put it generously, a confused follow up to a great original. It doesn’t seem to know who it is appealing to; do the kids care about ebay’s bidding process, for example. It’s jokes about memes or YouTube videos being all about babies and cats are not satirical, but outdated. If there is a commentary about culture’s obsession with the internet, it’s lost amongst the backdrop of corporate identities and Disney’s intellectual properties. The film has no problem being explicit (it’s presentation of Ralph’s insecurities are like being slapped with a wet fish) but it never really approaches its subject matter with any sort of commentary or, more worryingly for a family film, any joy. At two hours in length, it’s overlong, underwhelming, and misguided.

RBG


Telling the story of a great woman does not a great documentary make. A good, if not simple, documentary that tells a great and important story, however, that may do. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the notorious RBG, is one of the most inspiring women in the United States and her story is one that people should know. That's where RBG comes in. It's a well structured, well presented documentary that fulfils its aims and its supreme subject's bubbling personality and fiery determination make for good watching.

Mary Poppins Returns

With franchises and sequels taking over the cinematic landscape and being green lit before their predecessor has even left the cinema, it’s a breath of fresh air to have a sequel that waited for its time. Whilst author P. L. Travers dismissed the original Mary Poppins, there’s no denying it is a classic, a family favourite, and was revolutionary in its day for combining animation and live action. It was begging for a sequel, as were its producers. But for over 50 years, despite plenty of efforts nothing came... until now.

Mary Poppins Returns is set 25 years after its original, featuring Jane and Michael Banks as adults in the midst of a family crisis and the bank wanting to repossess the Banks' family home. Michael, whose wife has recently passed away, has three children that he needs to look out for and no money with which to do it, but he has some shares in the bank which would pay off his debt. If only he knew where his father left them. With the Banks children, and their children, in trouble, Mary swoops in on a breeze and cryptically promised to stay until the door opens.

We’re swiftly returned to the magical landscape of the original Poppins: talking umbrellas, bigger-on-the-inside carpets bags, animated adventures, but with lamplighters taking the place of the original chimney sweeps. However, herein lies the problem. In retreading the path walked by the original, Returns builds expectations without delivering. There are set-ups without conclusion, familiarly dodgy cockney accents, unnecessary romantic subplots, and perhaps most damningly, homage to the original without the heart. 

The film’s nostalgia overload feels less like a tribute to the old film (though there are small but excellent moments that do this) and more like a cardboard cut out of its former self, looking the part but lacking depth. Mary is less a mystical magical nanny, wanting to help the Banks family overcome their problems and more superhuman ready to overcome their problems for them in a rushed climax that almost makes a lot of what came before feel unneeded.

But it’s not all bad, hardly so. The film is headed up with a sharp, practically-perfect performance by Emily Blunt. It’s a different interpretation than Andrew’s original nanny but not a lesser. Blunt is sterner but naughtier, with a mocking sense of humour stemming from a genuine care for the children. She easily holds the film together with a charisma and charm to die for. With her are a superb supporting cast, particularly Ben Whishaw's barley-holding-it-together Michael, but also Emily Mortimer, Julie Walters, Colin Firth, Lin-Manual Miranda (cockney accent notwithstanding) and an all too short appearance by the great Dick Van Dyke.

And there is a solid story here too, somewhere beneath the loosely intertwined and forgettable songs. A touching tale of family, of growing up, of joy and love. If Mary Poppins Returns main goal was to make you smile and feel happy, it succeeds even if some elements are lacking. There are a couple of scenes that could have been left on the cutting room floor (an underwater non-adventure and a rushed topsy turvy sequence), but otherwise there's nothing too harmful here, but rather harmless fun. There's some stunning set pieces, genuine laughs, and a sense that this film was made with love. Some who love the original will be let down by an attempt to recreate the magic rather than make it anew, whilst others will be joyful that there's still magic in Hollywood at all. 

1001 Movies - The Devils (Les Diaboliques)

When the name of a film can be translated as 'The Devils' or 'The Fiends', you may think you’ll be dealing with a clear embodiment of evil but that’s not what Les Diaboliques offers. The film may be shot in black and white but the characters and narrative are anything but.

For example, we may be in support of the wife that teams up with her husband’s mistress to put a permanent end to his abusive and adulterous ways, even if the method is murder. Sure murder is wrong, but so are unrepentant patterns of abusive behaviour. At what point do two wrongs make a right? That is the first question begged of the audience. To what extent can we support this crime? We are sucked into a place of sympathy for the female leads, putting us on their side, so as their sadness becomes sinister, we are taken along for the ride.

It’s an ingenious ploy; the audience become culpable, a co-conspirator and supporter of the murderous act so when the body vanishes, we share the anxiety of our cinematic sisters in crime. For the rest of the film we’re stuck in a paranoid frenzy, pointing fingers in all manner of directions, piecing together an ever expanding puzzle to convince ourselves that Michel has not risen from the dead. But the shadows in the hall and faces in windows tell a different story as does Michel’s freshly dry cleaned jacket.

It’s a masterclass of suspenseful story telling. It lures the viewer into a murder plot, a tale of vengeful women, and then slaps them into the middle of a psychological thriller. Director Henri-Georges Clouzot feeds crumbs of information to his audience, teasing their hunger for answers but starving them of the full truth, at least until the film climaxes with a shocking final scene when all is revealed. It rewards the viewer for sticking it out, but it is a nervous job doing so. The uncomfortable uncertainty installs a quiet panic, feeding on a desperation for resolution, and as the tension builds, so do our apprehensions. Simply put, it’s a thrilling, perfectly timed and executed adrenaline ride.

A film that inspired Hitchcock’s Psycho, but certainly not a lesser film by any means. Les Diaboliques is daring, bold, and brave. A French phenomenon filled with fear, just like a good horror should be.

1001 Movies - Woodstock

3 Days of Peace and Music. That’s how the now notorious Woodstock festival was advertised and its legacy has lived on as a defining part of the 'hippy' movement; it even lent its name to a whole generation. But it also caused a state of emergency to be issued by the local county. Military airforce transport was recruited to ferry people in and out. There had to be notifications from the main stage about bad acid going around and the schedule was so badly delayed, The Who played at 5 am and Jimi Hendrix played the morning after the festival was due to finish.

Woodstock is a documentary that follows the festival from its hopeful beginning to the wet, muddy, and worn out end with every naked, tripping, loving moment in between. From building the stage to serious warnings about it collapsing on the festival goers. From the optimism of the fresh faced youngsters turning up for the festivities, to those in the medical tent, searching for the ones they love. There’s joy and there’s sadness. Pain and hope. There’s no real narrative, no dominant message or active voice, just a camera drifting through the peace loving chaos that was Woodstock.

It’s a testament to how narratively gripping life can be when pushed to the extreme; when, in essence, you voluntarily create a third world country within wealthy America for the purpose of celebrating peace and love through music. 400,000 people descend on New York which naturally brings with it health issues, social conflict with surrounding areas, and huge practical obstacles for everyone, from the festival organisers up to the government, to have to cope with and we get to watch selected highlights of these unique dramas. Intersperse this with some performances from legendary musicians, and you have three hours of utterly breathtaking film making.

As the morning sun gently shines down on Jimi Hendrix playing his psychedelic, ground breaking, era defining version of Star spangled Banner, you realise you’ve witnessed something historic. This was an event that defined a generation and, like the now diminished crowd on screen, you’re emotionally drained; you’re amazed that this incredibly ambitious event, plagued by almost every challenge known to mankind, came to fruition. More than that, the documentary demonstrates unprecedented foresight and intuition. Released a year after the festival, it captured something powerful on film - something inimitable, a once in a lifetime event. It had its fingers on America’s pulse and sensed the magnitude of what was coming and fought to ensure it was documented.

We talk about capturing the current zeitgeist in good documentaries but none have done it more successfully and, arguably, more powerfully than Woodstock. Woodstock the festival was legendary but fleeting, Woodstock the film: unforgettable.

TRAILER

1001 Movies - Downfall (Der Untergang)

The largest loss of human life in modern history can almost be directly attributed to one man. A man that instructed the killing of Jewish people by the thousands and started a war with such devestating consequences, we still feel them today. Adolf Hitler was guilty of atrocious crimes against humanity yet was, without doubt, one of the pioneers of political celebrity. He understood the power of the filmed image and even produced astonishing, well crafted, films to push his agenda. How fitting, then, that the medium of film is also one that weakens him and his memory.

Whilst many may only know it for it's famously parodied bunker scene, in full, Downfall portrays an unsettling balance, a likely truth that we would rather not believe. It draws out Hitler the monster but also, even more so, Hitler the man. A man that was kind to his secretaries and loved his dog. A man that suffered from several health issues, physically and mentally. A man that felt the stinging arrow of a friend's betrayal penetrate the vulnerability of his emotional armour. All this to remind us of the horror that it was not, in fact, a monster that thought Jewish people were a plague on the face of the Earth, but a man.

It takes a truly brilliant screenplay to portray Adolf Hitler sympathetically, but that's what we have here. We hear him discuss his plans for the new Berlin, a hub of culture and art, and its not the embodiment of evil that we've come to think of when we think of the Nazi party leader. He's gentle and kind, frail and ill. But he's also madly paranoid, quick to anger, unrepentant in his treatment of those that disappoint him and proud of his headway in the annihilation of the Jewish race. Bruno Ganz plays the Führer constantly on the edge of this kind fragility and mania to make him unpredictable, adding menace to his meltdowns but also a softness in his quieter moments.

It's a delicate balance and one that's needed. The audience need to care for Hitler to keep them in the story, they have to be emotionally involved with his titular downfall, but also distant enough that they're not saddened by it. At the end of it all, Hitler's death is human and deserved. There's no superhuman death matching the superhuman evil, just a bundled up body in a blanket (note - something that the Harry Potter books nailed with Voldemort's death and the films completely missed. A helpful point to see why the slumped body is so effective in the narrative of Downfall) and that's it. After all he seemed to be, after the devastation he instigated, after the hatred he fuelled, here he is: a lifeless lump doused in gasoline to be burned by his final remaining followers.

Do not be mistaken when I describe the treatment as sympathetic - there is nothing here to suggest Hitler and his cohort are redeemable. The mass suicides, family deaths, child soldiers, and violent anti-semitism are all presented here as brutal reality and there's no pretence that the war produced anything positive. But we have to see the humanity of the great dictator to be reminded of the painful truth that it wasn't a supernatural evil that inflicted these terrible events on man, but man itself.

TRAILER:

A New Mission

Back in 2010, I bought a book. It was a big book and I had no real purpose for buying such a large book, but there was a check list in the first few pages that I was desperate to put a pen to. I remember sitting on a sailing boat, pen in hand ticking as many boxes as I could but shortly became demoralised at how few that actually was. Disappointed, the book ended up on a shelf collecting dust. However, when I moved house last summer, it was rediscovered and much to my wife's frustration, a new mission came with it.

That book was, of course, '1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die', the check list of all of the movies it contained which defeated me back in 2010 still bearing my few ticks and looking hauntingly incomplete. The book is frivolously and unnecessarily updated with a new edition every year with films being removed and added to the list, and as such, has actually hosted closer to 1200 films if we count all additions and removals. 

That is a lot of films to watch. In fact, if you had all of the films and watched one a day, it would take you close to three and a half years to get through them all. That being said, many have tried and then help one another in trying to complete the list. Me? I took the list of all films that have ever been on the list (the full 1211 at time of writing) and put them in a spreadsheet. A few colour coded rules later and my checklist has been upgraded from some sad pen marks in a book to a system that is mobile, pretty and, as basic as it is, keeps track of where films can be watched. 

While I want to complete the list, I'm not in any rush to work through it. I'm currently at 26% complete at 319 films, but some are harder to locate than others. But why tell you all of this? I'm planning to write something short about films of note, the ones that you may not have seen or even heard of, and hopefully encourage you to expand your cinematic horizon without having to work through 1200 films. I've made a page here where you can see anything I have already reviewed from the list and these new posts.

The first post is coming soon, but in the meantime, happy film watching!