Category: Disaster

THE IMPOSSIBLE – The Review

The release of the original AIRPORT in 1970 began a new type of cinema genre: the “disaster” movie. For the next ten years or so the big studios (and some small) hit upon the formula of throwing a whole bunch of stars together (often providing work for many former screen gods and goddesses) and have them try to survive a catastrophe. One producer, Irwin Allen, became known as the disaster movie king with THE POSIEDON ADVENTURE and THE TOWERING INFERNO. These films were thought of as grand escapist entertainments, popcorn flicks. But what about a disaster that really happened? True life disasters have been the backdrop for many Hollywood epics such as SAN FRANCISCO and IN OLD CHICAGO. Those films had fictional characters in stories set in those calamities. THE IMPOSSIBLE is the story of how a real family dealt with a real event that we all saw news reports of several years ago. It’s a more intimate tale than those Allen extravaganzas, but the emotions are as large as any of the cast lists and budgets as those 70’s box office champs. This is about the power of Mother Nature and the determination of a family.

This family consists of mom Maria (Naomi Watts), dad Henry (Ewan McGregor), teenage son Lucas (Tom Holland) and his grade-school aged brothers Thomas (Samuel Joslin) and Simon (Oaklee Pendergast). They’ve decided to spend the end of the year holidays at a gorgeous beachfront resort on Thailand. Everyone seems to be having a wonderful time except the sullen, surly Lucas (ah, the teen years!). Then the day after Christmas 2004, early in the morning as they frolic in the pool, a powerful tsunami hits. The gigantic title waves destroy everything and separate Maria and Lucas from Henry and Thomas and Simon. The story follows mother and eldest son as they try to get to safety, survive, and hopefully re-unite with the rest of the family in a faraway, foreign land that’s been transformed into a chaotic hellscape.

The heavy dramatics of this horrific situation require gifted actors to relay the characters’ raw emotions, and this cast is more than up to the challenge. Joslin and Pendergast are indeed adorable, but avoid the stereotypes of child actors. We want to protect these sweet tykes from all the evils and dangers. They’re naturals. McGregor showed a bit of his paternal nature in the Star Wars prequels, but here he gives us a fabulous film father, full of courage and determination. He’s not super-human, though. A scene in which he makes a cell phone call to England is heart-wrenching as all his emotions bubble up to the surface. Watts gets most of the parental screen time and this is some of her best film work. Maria may be the most physically battered of the family, but somehow she pushes through the pain to live on and bring the family back together. Amazingly, she’s also able to inspire her eldest son. Holland as Lucas has perhaps the most challenging role and gives one of this year’s best performances. In the opening scenes he’s snippy and rude to everyone. Lucas is almost an adult and is eager to distance himself from his much younger siblings and, especially, his parents. But when the tides rise he realizes how much he still cares for them all, particularly when he and his Mom encounter a six year-old all alone in the floating debris. Later, Lucas is able to put his selfishness aside and help those much worse off than himself. It’s great work from a remarkable young actor at the beginning of a hopefully long screen career.

Director Juan Antonio Bayona (THE ORPHANAGE) has done a masterful balancing act with this film. There is the grand scale tragedy, with incredible special effects topping the flood sequence in Clint Eastwood’s HEREAFTER. The tidal waves that approach the resort seem to crash forward like classic B-movie giant behemoth. But they are no fantasy, no guy-in-a-rubber-suit. Maria’s stunned confused stare turns quickly to horror and panic as she tries to get to her loved ones. Later, we wince in pain as the rushing waters batter her body and tear her flesh. And then there’s the confusion as she and Lucas try to communicate with the staff at the overwhelmed hospital (the wounded occupy every hallway and closet space). Bayona goes beyond the devastation to explore this family dynamic. It takes the fury of nature to make these people truly cherish their life together. The scenes of death and destruction are powerful, but just as memorable is the love and determination of this couple as they struggle to find each other. Yes, seeing the kids in danger may be tough for parents (well, anyone really) to watch, but its celebration of family will touch your heart. THE IMPOSSIBLE is a disaster film with a stirring paternal love story at its heart.

5 Out of 5 Stars

THE DARKEST HOUR – The Review

Studying and researching movies over the years I’ve come across an expression, ” A monster movie is only as good as its monster”. Well, I’d add that the fear level you have while watching said flick really depends on how fearsome the monster is. Well the beasties in THE DARKEST HOUR rank right up there with the walking carpet of the Grade- Z classic THE CREEPING TERROR. And I do mean rank. They’re floating balls of yellow light. Yup. Hence the darkness in the title ( they’re easier to see at night ). These energy balls may be pretty, but they’re deadly. Get too close and they’ll shoot out a neon-like lasso, pull you close, and smash your atoms ( disintegrate you into a clod of powder ). They’re relentless all right, just not that visually interesting ( they’re certainly no competition for the Predator, and H.R. Gieger’s Alien ). And 3D doesn’t make them any more frightening than a really aggressive swarm of lightning bugs.

The film at least has an interesting background for all the mayhem : Moscow. Things start out with two hotshot internet dudes ( Emile Hirsch and Max Minghella ) flying in to meet the investors in their great ” social network/hook-up while globetrotting ” website. But, man, their Russian connection dude has totally ripped them off. At least they meet up with two vacationing babes ( American Olivia Thirlby and Brit Rachael Taylor ) at a swinging nite spot. Then the power shuts down and the sky lights up in waves of yellow and orange. Then the yellow glowing orbs ( thousands of them! ) float to the ground and turn everybody to chalky dust. Except our heroes and their new gal pals. Oh, and that dude that stole the website!. After leaving the safety of the bar’s storage room ( ran out of food ) they try to hide during the day and scurry around the deserted streets at night in search of supplies, other survivors, and information.

And that pretty much sums it up. Lots of hiding, arguing, and running about. Very much like SKYLINE and CLOVERFIELD. It’s attractive young actors scurrying about ( and having to wear lightbulbs as necklaces to warn them of the aliens ). I’ve enjoyed the work of Hirsch, Minghella, and Thirlby, but here they’re fighting a script that renders the male characters mostly obnoxious and the women shrill. The Moscow settings are interesting as are the local actors ( could’ve used the subtitles for some of their lines in English ) and at least it was shot in 3D. The main problem ( besides the space glow balls ) is that we’ve seen so much of it done better ( the deserted city in I AM LEGEND for example ). Perhaps this is why it was released on Christmas Day ( it’s not Oscar-bait like the other flicks opening that day ). If you’re looking for a good Russian travelogue the opening scenes of MISSION IMPOSSIBLE : GHOST PROTOCOL are a much better time at the cinema. Okay you three stars, hope you movie on from this tiresome, uninspired effort and treat us to much better works.

Overall Rating : One Out of Five Stars

CONTAGION (2011) – The Review

All right! Who’s up for a good ole’ fashioned disaster movie with a bunch of big time movie stars? I mean one where you can’t swing a cat ( or tainted pig ) without hitting an Oscar winner? Well Steven Soderbergh’s CONTAGION is just the flick for you! True there’s plenty of trophy holders, but this is not your Irwin Allen-style jeopardy movie. No need for fancy special effects with detailed miniatures ( or CGI like 2012 ). This isn’t about a flood, fire,or quake. It’s a disease that’s cutting a swath through the cast. And being a Soderbergh film, the tone is more quiet that the ” cast of thousands ” epics of years past ( kind of like TRAFFIC ) . This may be more of a thinking man’s disaster movie. Instead of climbing and leaping to safety, the people here are having to make moral choices and protect their loved ones while an air of doom surrounds them. The “feel good movie of the year” it ain’t!

The bad times begin with Beth Emhoff’s ( Gwyneth Paltrow ) unfortunate Hong Kong business trip. She returns to the states a sweaty coughing mess. Back at the Minnesota home she shares with her hubby Mitch ( Matt Damon ) and young son, her condition worsens. After she collapses and convulses on the kitchen floor Mitch rushes her to the hospital. Meanwhile reports filter in from Hong Kong. There’s an Internet video of someone convulsing, then dying on a public bus. Soon the Center for Disease Control ( the CDC) in Atlanta springs into action. Dr. Ellis Cheever ( Laurence Fishbourne ) sends Dr. Erin Mears ( Kate Winslet ) to Minnesota. Meanwhile the World Health Organization dispatches Dr. Leonora Orantes ( Marion Cotillard ) to Hong Kong to find patient zero. Scientists at the CDC ( Jennifer Ehle and Demetri Martin ) try to create a vaccine to battle this highly contagious new virus. A popular  blogger Alan Krumwiede ( Jude Law ) takes to his Internet soapbox to warn of government cover-ups and publicize a miracle herbal drug. As the bodies pile up, the citizenry becomes desperate and marshal law is enacted. Will this deadly disease hasten the end of days?

Soderbergh references the paranoia surrounding H1N1 of a few years back in telling this new tale ( he also mentions the great Spanish Flu Epidemic of 1918 ). With the fear of contact we’re also reminded of the early days of AIDS. While some scenes of desperation are harrowing, Soderbergh keeps things moving at a fairly low-key pace. Seems the sun’s never shining in the USA during this crisis. Some of the familiar actors who pop in can be a bit distracting ( There’s Elliot Gould! Look it’s Veronica Mars’s dad! ), though it doesn’t take you out of the fairly grim proceedings ( a few laughs are squeezed in ). The old horror movie trope of the camera lingering on objects works to great effect here. Instead of an axe or cleaver we see objects covered in virus germs ( That bowl of peanuts! The doorknob! ). All the subplots are kept moving and a few characters are revealed to have ulterior motives. Big kudos for the final flashback to the first day of the plague. It’s an interesting and , yes, entertaining exploration of the doomsday scenario. Oops, I’m out of hand sanitiser!

Overall Rating : Four Out of Five Stars

MELANCHOLIA Trailer From Director Lars von Trier

Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg play sisters whose lives are drifting apart as the universe spectacularly unravels in what Lars von Trier describes as “A beautiful movie about the end of the world,” in this first trailer for MELANCHOLIA.

In March, the Wagner/Cuban Company’s Magnolia Pictures announced that they had pre-bought North American rights to MELANCHOLIA, the eagerly awaited new film from legendary filmmaker and provocateur Lars Von Trier. According to Cineuropa, the film will show at the 64th Cannes Film Festival (May 11-22, 2011).

Boasting a stellar ensemble cast, including Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Kiefer Sutherland, Charlotte Rampling, John Hurt, Alexander Skarsgard, Stellan Skarsgard and Udo Kier, the film will be completed later this spring and is among the most highly anticipated films of 2011. The Danish release is May 26th 2011.

From Zentropa, visit the film’s official site HERE and on Facebook HERE.