Gravity

Entering into the months of the ‘awards season’, new releases hoping for nominations typically take a light-hearted route to the academy’s heart through a simple yet well told narrative. Alfonso Cuaron’s new release, Gravity, however couldn’t be further from the story presenting a film of aesthetic beauty but also narrative minimalism. Despite this, having already been praised worldwide by audience and critics alike, Gravity shows to live up to its hype being surprisingly deep in its narrative and breathtakingly astonishing in its visuals.

After an accident on a satellite sends debris hurtling through space a medical engineer ( Sandra Bullock) and astronaut (George Clooney) must work together to survive after being left adrift. Gravity is very much a film driven by its characters as appose to its plot, with the story being all but told in the opening 5 minutes. For this to happen the characters involved must be sufficiently ‘meaty’ in order to create a connection to the audience, and whilst this connection does form it comes with little help from the characters themselves. Instead the films impeccable visuals engross the audience into the film so much that the characters become instantly believable in a setting which is plastered with detail, looking like a duplicate of space itself. Perhaps shadowing over the impressive visuals is the pitch-perfect score, used terrifically throughout to amplify every emotion, as well as being used sparingly to allow times of silence to make the empty scenes of space even more uncomfortable.

This is a good job as whilst both protagonists are as interesting as each other, they both carry their unique burdens. George Clooney puts in a terrific performance, as to be expected from a veteran actor of his calibre however the screenplay does little to ground his character, being handed unrealistic comical jokes to perform in scenes of panic and fear which simply feel out of place, reminding us of the charming ‘Clooney’ and preventing us from getting more involved within the film. As for Bullock, her character is sufficiently explained and enough depth goes into her struggle to survive however she is at times let down by her own seemingly unenthusiastic performance, failing to reflect necessary emotions for certain scenes which downplayed moments of sadness as well as rejoice.

That said these issues only occur periodically throughout and are certainly minor issues within the artistic triumph of Gravity which tells a story of such perceived minimalism in a way in which makes the audience analyse every step of the narrative. Gravity presents its themes in a touching and subtle manner, allowing its audience to piece the messages together before there’re made more obvious and even invites debate into what these messages even are. Overall Gravity seems to be a film which contradicts typical Hollywood fodder, knowing exactly when to stop; being unnervingly realistic and subtle, detaching itself from its wonder to be a humble cinematic achievement.

8.5/10- An excellently told short story of great depth and power.

Calum Russell

Thor: The Dark World

Currently leading the superhero genre through its highly appreciated era, the MARVEL universe is quite literally leaving its competitors in the dark with rivals ‘DC comics’ adopting a dark tone in their films as oppose to the contrasting upbeat traits of the MARVEL films. Following in this light-hearted tone is the second in ‘Phase 2’ of the MARVEL canon, Thor: The Dark World, staring the Avengers’ favourite mythological superhero in the series’ most surprising addition yet.

Following off the events of ‘The Avengers’, we return to ‘Asgard’, Thors home planet, and residence to Thors royal family including his misguided brother, Loki, who has been encapsulated in prison to serve his punishment after the destruction of New York. However just as Thor returns to normality on Asgard, a bigger and more vicious threat dawns on his planet and mankind. Gifting us with only the impressive ‘Iron Man 3’ before this release, Marvel’s phase 2 has shown to be oddly more comical than its previous instalments and Thor: The Dark World very much follows this trait being arguably the funniest MARVEL release to date. Not only is it hugely entertaining humorously but Thors newest outing is also hugely refreshing and original in a franchise that is undoubtedly triumphant but certainly wrapped in cotton wool. The sense of threat in this release is far greater than ever, feeling as though any pivotal character could be eradicated at any moment, destruction is evident as civilians are clearly intimidated by Thors most recent foe and a general sense of peril is far more in the forefront of the film in comparison to previous instalments. This is partly due to the impressive direction of Alan Taylor with his previous works of fantasy TV series ‘Game of Thrones’ and its similar sense of peril coming through in his direction as he recreates a mythological world of wonder and conflict.

This mythology drains through the pours of the film and soaks the film with hearty characters and back story of far more structure than its series’ predecessors.  That said however, the modern storyline which Thor: The Dark World is handed is one of fair confusion with technological jargon being blindly mismatched together in the hope that they make even the littlest sense. This doesn’t stop all understanding of the plot altogether however as it is made fairly easy to follow through its linear nature and unfortunately tame motives of the antagonist Malekith. Played by the fantastic Christopher Eccleston, he is given frustratingly little material to work with and although he certainly does the best with what he has, the character could have been a far more memorable one if the story had been adjusted accordingly.

Thor: The Dark World’s sense of ambition is hugely admirable, being the only cosmic hero of the current Avengers; the film does a fantastic job in introducing the cosmic universe which will no doubt play a huge part in MARVELS upcoming releases. With bags of energy and creativity to boast in its outstanding unique action scenes and original script it’s just a shame that that it didn’t create a more fathomable plot with a more memorable villain to match.

8/10- Thor proves to be the most exciting MARVEL superhero, daring to be different with surprising action sequences and pinpoint wit.

Calum Russell 

The Kings of Summer

Currently In the groove of small independent ‘coming of age’ releases, with such films as ‘the way way back’ already having graced our screens, the newest addition for the sub-genre, The Kings Of Summer, hit very selected theatres earlier this summer only to gift us with a DVD release in October. Following very much the fanatical dream of the early teenager (if not the current one), The Kings Of Summer follows three friends as they embark on a woodland adventure to escape their parents and live self-provided in the wild. Whilst it’s a plot line that’s been walked countless numbers of times in some route or another, The Kings of Summer manages to create a strong identity for itself being sincerely heartfelt and true to life, launching surprises throughout as it consistently breaks genre expectations.

Being a film of standard running time it’s extraordinary to consider the great depths that each character is read into, with protagonist, Joe (Nick Robinson) being the most seasoned of the three main characters. Usually displayed with contrived gush in a conventional film of the genre, the protagonist here is instead hugely genuine, being presented in one of the most realistic portrayals of any teenage character to date. This comes with aid from the fantastic screenplay written by Chris Galletta who not only writes with incredible truth and charm but also does so with such effortless comedic flare. Being truly one of the funniest comedies of the year if not in recent memory, Galletta entwines ‘intelligent’ wit from the parental characters and contrasts it with the puerile humour of the teenagers; creating something for everyone either in the dead pan delivery of Joes father (Nick Offerman) or the bizarre antics of Biaggio (Moises Arias). Both of these performances are highly enjoyable with Offerman’s now polished cold humour and delivery standing out being consistently hilariously rude and obnoxious to every character he comes across.

With consistent surprises and realistic turns of events, The Kings of Summer never resorts to genre stereotypes or clichés making a recognisable brand for itself with its stunning cinematography and near flawless screenplay.  Moving the story along with some pace, at times certain events feel very contrived as the three characters find a knowledge of the woods from nowhere with skills to surprise even the most daring architect.

Watching The Kings of Summer is very much like going on the adventure yourself, part of the trio, despairing in their losses, grinning in their triumphs and consolidating with their damaged emotions; this is a truly heart-felt and genuine film that is assured to paint a smile across your face.

8/10- A portrait of young life, hilarious and painfully true.

Calum Russell 

Captain Phillips

Displaying Tom Hanks’ most terrific performance for years, Captain Phillips follows the true story of an American cargo ship which is hijacked by Somali pirates, as skipper ‘Rich Phillips’ defends his ship and crew.

Having an evident knack for the suspension of disbelief as well as the simultaneous maintenance of intensity, director Paul Greengrass bounces back from his slight 2010 miss step ‘Green zone’ to remind us of his directorial talent in his newest release. With a true to life narrative which works hard to keep close to its source material, Captain Phillips never refrains to entertain keeping an unbearable level of intensity throughout the whole course of the relatively lengthy running time. On occasion the story does slow down with repetitive scenes of nothingness as well as countless establishing shots of the boat used simply to fill time; however these moments are not significant enough to impact the overall intensity of the film. This intensity is heavily aided by the fantastic performances across the whole cast, with two in particular being deserved of momentous praise and perhaps award nominations. Protagonist Tom Hanks gives his best performance since arguably his Oscar nominated role in 2000’s ‘Castaway’ shoving every ounce of emotion into his performance with enthusiastic gusto as his character endures an emotional rollercoaster, emotion which is evident from even the smallest details of his performance. The antagonist ‘Muse’ played by first time actor Barkhad Abdi was hugely impressive playing an almost soulless pirate with a truly terrifying piercing stare and an equally unsettling monotonous tone. Unlike many films of a similar nature however Captain Phillips does an excellent job in humanising the pirates, giving them an identity to give them a motivation for their actions, this leads to the audience having a stronger connection to the villains at times feeling oddly sympathetic towards them as we witness them being almost forced to carry out the hijack.

As always in Greengrass' films the military is especially portrayed with extreme accuracy, making it seem as though we are following the actual occurrences of the time with real life navy troops, only adding to the already intolerable tension of the film. Captain Phillips shows that thrillers don’t need gratuitous violence and an offbeat storyline to stimulate the audience, only a gripping and fast paced narrative with complex characters and fantastic performances.

8/10- A hugely exciting thriller which will undoubtedly leave you fulfilled.

Calum Russell

Prince Avalanche

Coming perhaps unexpectedly from 'hit and miss' comedy director of ‘Pineapple express’ David Gordon Green, Prince Avalanche, his new release,takes a more subtle approach to humour than his previous 'in your face' style of filmmaking following two isolated road workers in their efforts to repair the surrounding area after a forest fire.

With such a constrictive narrative, Gordon Green allowed little space for comedic movement and rightly so as in a few ways Prince Avalanche is not a comedy at all, sure it has a lot of hilarious moments, but for the most part these moments are simply entwined with the day to day interactions of two hugely likeable, honest characters. This creates for a film which never ceases to put a smile on the audiences face, despite its lack of narrative material it consistently holds interest through its sheer realism and depiction of people in an atmosphere riddled with cinder and contrasting wondrous greenery. With the cinematography to match any ‘cinematic spectacle’ Prince Avalanche often feels like a nature documentary, with its truly inspiring shots of nature continuing the struggle through a beaten up area of collapsed forestry. This certainly builds the themes of the film sufficiently but perhaps lectures for a little too long; lasting for an unnecessary duration of time they occasionally felt like they were simply filling time until we revisited the two protagonists.

Alvin and Lance, the films two lead characters played by Paul Rudd and Emile Hirsch are absolutely fantastic effortlessly displaying a realistic relationship of two people almost forced into friendship. This chemistry allows for the film to offload its messages and themes without being even marginally whimsical at any point, which is impressive considering the almost kitsch situation of the two characters and their personal lives. Gordon Green orchestrates his comedic lines with precision and realism, being inserted into comments at the most appropriate times, with the performances of both leads making the lines all the more hilarious until eventually their sheer screen presence paints a smile across your face.

With the plot unable to run its simplicity throughout the whole 90 minutes, new strands are added to the tale towards the end and throughout making it all the more interesting. These new elements are ambiguous in there meaning and sometimes slightly puzzling adding a wholesome undertone that leaves you thinking, acting as a relevant sub-plot to the films central narrative. Prince avalanche is a consistently surprising and heart-warming film which zigzags across the linear line of filmmaking, displaying two outstanding central performances and a tightly woven narrative, Prince Avalanche is a total joy to watch.

9/10- A refreshing and truly touching view at the lives of two begrudging friends.

Calum Russell  

Side Effects

Having already decided upon a perhaps premature retirement from film making, prestigious director Steven Soderbergh has released his 'last' film following his surprising 2012 hit, 'Magic Mike'. Side Effects follows the story of Emily (Rooney Mara) who due to her increasing depression following her husbands (Channing Tatum) return home from prison, is given a new drug to help cure her, little to her knowledge however the drug has unexpected side effects.

 Sustaining a high amount of intensity throughout the film, Side Effects proves to be a hugely enthralling drama concerning a subject matter which is both interesting and intelligent. With the background business of drugs being relatively illusive, by tackling this topic the film showed to be instantly engaging. This comes with thanks to the fantastic acting talent on board with Rooney Mara giving an excellent performance ( the best of the year so far) as a complex woman in disarray who is doctored by Mr Banks, played by Jude Law, who also gives a performance of similar credibility. As the plot continues and becomes entwined with one of a legal lawsuit, the story only becomes increasingly engrossing as realistic twists make the occurrences more complex than originally perceived.

 Side Effects never falls into being ridiculous despite coming dangerously close at times due to certain rushed and contrived events occurring in the films final act. Consistently 'upping itself' as the film progresses, Side Effects never becomes boring despite its bulky material and whilst perhaps you may have to stretch your imagination a little at the films conclusion, this doesn't prevent it from being a hugely enjoyable and surprising drama.

8.5/10- A gripping drama which delivers in spades.

Calum Russell

Insidious: Chapter 2

Arriving seemingly unnoticed in 2011, Insidious was quickly picked up by horror fans and film fans alike after receiving an oddly positive reputation for a low-budget horror flick. Directed by the once unpredictable (but now certifiably impressive) James Wan, Insidious brought something that few other horror films had ever brought before...a good story; and was quickly brandished with a future sequel after being the most profitable film of the year. Now in 2013, straight off the back of the hugely impressive 'The Conjuring', Wan returns to direct the second in the soon to be franchise, as Insidious: Chapter 2 hails its audience with intelligent and vast storytelling leaving us drooling for more.

 Being very much another chapter in the 'Insidious story' the sequel continues straight where the first one left off, cleverly explaining the cliff-hanger left at the end of its predecessor before delving into Joshes (Patrick Wilson) past in order to severe links with the 'spirit world' and return to normal family life. Doing a fantastic job to immediately immerse the audience within its fanatical world of horror, Insidious: Chapter 2 benefits hugely from not being a simple product of its predecessor. Instead of delving into the horror of the unclear and convoluted 'further' the sequel prefers to flesh out the films mythologies with the continuation of a gruesome story touched upon in the first. Through this story a more sophisticated source of scares emerges within a story-line which is uncomfortably realistic and unnerving, playing with its mythology and planting its feet on the ground to provide a slightly more believable tone.What remains however is still a largely ludicrous plot whereby rules are consistently broken and new ones are made in a flash. With this the audience becomes restless and some scares soon become a source of comedy instead of horror, being marginally less scary than its popular predecessor. 

Insidious: Chapter 2 is not a breakthrough in the horror genre, but its franchise soon will be with the vast expanse of possible story which this sequel has laid down. Explaining the bizarre goings on in the first film, Insidious Chapter 2 veers away from the frigid story-line and finds its unique tread, fleshing the mythology out as it truly creeps under your skin and effortlessly plays with the ordinary and  makes it terrifying. 

7.5/10- A surprisingly ambitious sequel with gusto and intelligence.   

Calum Russell