Tag: British

JOHNNY ENGLISH STRIKES AGAIN – Review

Rowan Atkinson as Johnny English and Ben Miller as Bough in JOHNNY ENGLISH STRIKES AGAIN, a Focus Features release.

Let’s get straight to it: If you like Rowan Atkinson’s loopy parody of James Bond, JOHNNY ENGLISH, you’ll have fun with JOHNNY ENGLISH STRIKES AGAIN, the third in the comedian’s series. If not, or you don’t care for Rowan Atkinson’s style of physical humor, particularly his “Mr. Bean” character rather than the one in the BBC show “Black Adder,” JOHNNY ENGLISH STRIKES AGAIN won’t change your mind. There you have it.

If you are still with me now, there is a lot of fine, typically silly low-comedy fun, of the type in which Atkinson excels, in JOHNNY ENGLISH STRIKES AGAIN. This time, Atkinson not only mocks the whole James Bond super spy franchise, but the fact that the James Bond character is so dated at this point. The premise is that a cyber attack has exposed all the names of MI-7’s spies, and now the British government is forced to call back retired agents to catch the villain.

Johnny English, still has confident as ever and just as clumsy, is teaching at a private school (what Brits call a public school) when he gets the call in to interview for the assignment. The ex-spy is supposed to be teaching history but he is really training his enthusiastic charges to be the next super spies. English is actually pretty good as a teacher, and his student’s adore him. But duty calls – or at least the Prime Minister, played by Emma Thompson.

English finds himself competing with a roomful of older spies, all more accomplished than him, played by an array of older male British stars. In his signature bumbling way, English manages to narrow the field down to just him.

Jake Lacy plays a tech billionaire named Volta that the Prime Minister is trying to recruit to help with the cyber attack and to partner with her on other high tech political projects. Meanwhile, traffic lights and other essential systems keep falling to the mysterious cyber attack.

Atkinson’s former spy is rather tech-challenged, so he conveniently decides the best way to catch the culprit is to go old school and analog. That choice allows him to reject the hybrid car offered to him in favor of a classic Aston Martin, giving Atkinson a chance to have a little fun with its gas-guzzling propensity.

Basically, the Johnny English character is really an Inspector Clouseau type, with the addition of the spy’s ever-present and supremely helpful assistant Bough (Ben Miller). But Atkinson whips up a bunch of clever and funny sight gags and routines within those confines. .In English’s absence, Bough has been stuck in a tiny office and consigned to doing paperwork, so he is thrilled to get back out in the field with his old boss.

In keeping with the Bond tradition, there are beautiful locations, fast driving and posh hotels, all of which the film does not skimp on. There are lots of gadgets (to go wrong), the requisite plot twists and betrayals, an evil genius villain and of course a “Bond girl,” played by Olga Kurylenko.

JOHNNY ENGLISH STRIKES AGAIN is all light and silly fun for Rowan Atkinson fans, as it pokes affectionate fun at the long-running Bond franchise.. At a brisk 88 minutes, the comedy is just the right length for a popcorn-munching distraction, and it is packed with Atkinson’s signature visual humor. It may be a digital-dependent world, but Rowan Atkinson’s analog-world spy shows the old dog still has some tricks up his well-tailored sleeve.

RATING: 3 out of 5 stars

BEAST – Review

(l-r) Jessie Buckley as Moll and Johnny Flynn as Pascal, in BEAST. Photo: Kerry Brown, courtesy of Roadside Attractions.

BEAST is a gripping, suspenseful film that mixes forbidden love, rebellion and murder, set on the English Channel island of Jersey, a place of natural beauty with a dark history, a stormy drama with a star-making performance by Jessie Buckley as the young woman at its center.

Moll Huntsford (Jessie Buckley) is a 27-year-old woman living with her parents in a stiflingly restrictive but affluent home on the island of Jersey. Her stern mother Hilary (Geraldine James) watches Moll like a hawk, and Moll spends her days is either supervising her mentally-confused father or working as a tour guide for the busloads of retirees who visit the picaresque island. By chance, she meets a stranger named Pascal Renouf (Johnny Flynn), a handsome, enigmatic man who makes his living as hunter and handyman. Pascal comes to Moll’s rescue after her night at the pub but the way he does it suggests he might be as much a danger as the man he drives off. With a mix of fear and fascination, she accepts a ride home from the mysterious stranger. Pascal is hard to read and has a whiff of menace to him but he also has a compelling mix of rough charm and sly humor, which sparks something long-buried within Moll.

When Pascal turns up at her family home the next day, Moll’s mother Hilary is hostile and clearly disdainful of this work-class character on her doorstep, yet Moll impulsively invites him to join them for dinner. At dinner, her mother asks Pascal if he is new to the island, to which he replies that no, he is a native whose ancestors have been on the island since the Norman conquest. He then adds, with a sly smile, “what are you doing on my land?”

The scene reveals something of Pascal’s nature, and also underscores the social gap between Moll’s family and him, establishing the tension between their two very different worlds. Meeting him reveals a wildness already within Moll that has been suppressed by her stifling family. Like Pascal, she has a history of violence, and they are drawn to each other like tamed and wild versions of the same species. While she recognizes they are kindred spirits, Moll is tore between her “dark side” and Pascal, and her family and a wish to “be good.”

BEAST is as brooding and haunting as the island it is set on, and powerful suspenseful tale that showcases some outstanding new talent.

One might wonder who is the “beast” of the title? Is it the raw, wild Pascal, a hunter who nearly blends into the landscape? Or is it Moll, tightly controlled by her family but with a hidden caged animal aspect? Or is it the killer stalking the island’s small rural community?

When Moll and Pascal meet, the island is gripped with fear and actively searching for a missing girl, the fourth one to have vanished. When her body is found buried near a farmer’s field, suspicion falls on Pascal, Moll is torn between defending the man she has fallen in love with or standing with her family and community.

There was a real Beast of Jersey in the 1960s, a child molester who evaded authorities for ten years. In his first feature film, writer/director Michael Pearce drew on his own experiences growing up on Jersey. The writer/director wanted to contrast the island’s wild natural beauty with its stifling small town conservative culture. Pearce describes Jersey as a place of stunning natural beauty where people feel safe but a place with a dark side, with legends of ghosts and witches, and a history of Nazi occupation and the Beast.

What fires up this film most is the riveting performance by Buckley, an Irish-born, stage-trained young actress with wild curly red hair and the capacity to morph from a shy innocent to a woman who might be capable of murder. Her chemistry with Johnny Flynn, an equally gifted actor, is electric yet it is Buckley who often dominates the screen.

Pearce wields his camera with impressive skill, offering formally composed and cramped scenes of Moll’s restrictive family gatherings and community events, and loose, impressionistic hand-held camera shot for scenes between Moll and Pascal. Among the most striking is a scene where Moll’s family gathers at the country club to celebrate her more-conventional sister’s engagement. The family is upset by Pascal’s slightly less formal attire. Pascal shrugs off their objections with a wry smile, as if he was aware he was pushing the limits, but Moll’s reaction is more emotional. A couple of other scenes where she engages with the community suggest that Moll is not always grounded in reality.

The film is not just about the murder mystery or the love story, but has layers of meaning about the balance between conforming to community expectations versus the impulse towards freedom, between an orderly built world and the wild natural environment. Pearce shot partly on Jersey itself, taking advantage of the island’s striking wild landscapes. That nature beauty was then contrasted against scenes of Moll giving the same scripted spiel about those landscapes to tour buses of retirees. While the story has a touch of “Wuthering Heights” at times, with the lovers and the landscape, this is its own unique tale.

The powerful performances of Buckley and Flynn keep us engrossed in this tale as it unfolds, although the ending is a bit of a let- down. Still, Pearce gets some much right in his atmospheric debut film, that one can look forward to more from him. Almost certainly, we will see more of the extremely-watchable and gifted Jessie Buckley,

BEAST opens Friday, May 25, at the Tivoli and Plaza Frontenac theaters.

RATING: 4 1/2 out of 5 stars

ON CHESIL BEACH – Review

 

 

Saoirse Ronan as Florence Ponting and Billy Howle as Edward Mayhew in On Chesil Beach, a Bleeker Street release. Photo: Robert Viglasky / Bleeker Street ©

Both romantic and searing, ON CHESIL BEACH stars Saoirse Ronan and Billy Howle as a couple whose marriage feels the impact that sex, and the sexual attitudes of a time period, can have on love. Based on Ian McEwan’s 2007 Booker Prize-winning novella. McEwan also wrote the screenplay for the moving, heartbreaking drama, in which Dominic Cooke makes his film directorial debut.

Saoirse Ronan plays Florence and Billy Howle plays Edward, a young English couple just married and spending their wedding night at a Dorset hotel near Chesil Beach in 1962. Both are nervous and virgins but they are in love. In 1962, Britain still has one foot in the stifling social restrictions and sexual repression of the post-war 1950s, with the changes of the ’60s just on the horizon, like the music of the upstart band, The Beatles, that Edward loves. As the couple awkwardly approach their wedding night, the film flashes back to their romance, and then flashes forward to tell the rest of the story.

The era’s toxic attitudes towards sex, particularly for young women, creates tensions between them. As Ronan plays the character, Florence is both fearful and excited, with little knowledge and rigid ideas about what little she does know. There are also hints about possible sexual abuse by her father to complicate matters further. Edward’s own inexperience and temper issues do not help matters.

The couple met in college where Edward Mayhew is a history graduate from a modest-income rural family, who attended on scholarship and plans to write history books, and Florence Ponting is a music major, a violinist from a wealth big city family, with ambitions to lead a string quartet. Florence loves classical music and Edward loves the then-new rock and roll, yet despite their very different backgrounds and different musical tastes, they seem a perfect match.

Ronan and Howle are both very good, making a convincing couple whose love warms us. The film also has fine supporting performances. The contrast between the families is part of the charm of this film. Edward’s family life is complicated, with his father Lionel Mayhew (Adrian Scarborough), the headmaster of a small rural school, struggling to care for his wife Marjorie Mayhew (Anne-Marie Duff), brain-damaged in an accident and prone to strange behavior, while raising his son and twin daughters. Lionel is warm-hearted and proud of his gifted son, but Edward occasionally struggles with anger. The family struggles financially and their modest home is chaotic, a stark contrast to the stifling restraint of Florence’s family, where her snobby, disapproving mother Violet Ponting (Emily Watson) and driven, successful businessman father Geoffrey Ponting (Samuel West) put enormous conformist pressure on Florence and her younger sister Ruth (Bebe Cave).

One cannot fault the production values of this film and its careful attention to details, historical and otherwise. In addition to the lush photography and well-chosen locations, the film features impressive make-up in scenes where Ronan and Howle play Florence and Edward in their 60s, where the actors look convincingly like how they might look at that age rather than just a few wrinkles and gray hair. Careful attention was played to Florence’s playing as the lead violinist in a string quartet.

The striking vistas of Chesil Beach heighten the drama in the scenes that take place there.  The film takes a warm romantic tone in the flashbacks of the budding romance, with touching and sweet lighter moments but that tone shifts to a more distant one for the wedding night. This couple is truly in love but things get awkward, for both them and the audience, as the pair fumble with consummating their marriage, with some shattering consequences.

ON CHESIL BEACH builds a touching but frankly-told period love story that underscores the power of social-sexual attitudes over love and how life can turn on moment to moment choices. But the film’s near-clinical awkward sex scene may cause some audience discomfort and the ending may divide audiences.

ON CHESIL BEACH opens Friday, May 25, at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Cinema.

RATING: 4 out of 5 stars

THE PARTY – Review

Patricia Clarkson as April pops a champagne cork before sparks start to fly, in Sally Potter’s darkly comic satire THE PARTY. Photo courtesy of Roadside Attractions ©

In Sally Potter’s THE PARTY, what starts out as a quiet little celebration rapidly transforms into a series of shocking revelations and emotional meltdowns in this delicious dark comedy. The resulting film crackles with energy, head-whipping twists, and whip-smart humor. What starts out as a happy occasion quickly devolves into shocking revelations, verbal fireworks and general debacle.

THE PARTY packs in a lot in its mere 71 minutes. Shot in a crisp black and white, writer/director Potter gets right down to business of introducing these sharp-witted and often acid tongue characters and hen upsetting what was supposed to be a quiet little celebration with old friends after a long-sought victory, along with everyone’s carefully built world.

Newly-elected British politician Janet (Kristin Scott Thomas) has invited a few other couples to her home for a little party in her London home to celebrate her recent triumph at the polls. Janet and her husband Bill have invited three long-time friends who share their political views and party. The election is a culmination of Janet’s career and all their ambitions for their political party. Well, for three of the couples. The fourth couple invited is a younger woman politician from the opposition party, with whom Janet will have to work, and her American banker husband. The stage is set for some fireworks.

First to arrive is Janet’s acerbic best friend April (Patricia Clarkson) and her German boyfriend Gottfried (Bruno Ganz), a smiling old-hippie “life coach” given to spouting aphorisms and Buddhist philosophy who is clearly on his way out in April’s affections. Janet’s husband Bill (Timothy Spall), an academic who sacrificed his own career to support Janet’s ambitions, seems remarkable subdued. Next to arrive are Martha (Cherry Jones), Janet and Bill’s radical feminist friend and her younger new wife Jinny (Emily Mortimer) who is now pregnant. The three couples then await, with a bit of dread, the arrival of the fourth, with the new co-worker from the opposition party, but instead only the American husband Tom (Cillian Murphy) shows up, saying his wife will join them later. The husband is clearly distressed, the reason for which we will eventually see.

As champagne corks pop, one after another surprise announcement ramps up the tensions in this evening of fun and games. The appearance of a gun boosts the potential for more than just people shooting off their mouths and verbal violence.

 

It is quite an assembly of acting talent and writer/director Sally Potter makes brilliant use of them all. Sally Potter, whose previous films include 2012’s GINGER AND ROSA, is known for intelligent and challenging independent films. She describes this film as “a comedy wrapped around a tragedy.” Janet and her long-time friends consider themselves, in the words of director Sally Potter, “morally right and politically left,” and have a sort of smugness about that view of themselves, a bubble that invites popping.

There is a bit of a modern “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” to this story, in that what starts out staid and sophisticated becomes anything but as secrets are revealed. THE PARTY has the same feeling that the characters are trapped in this confined space until all the elements have played out. Bill starts the evening debacle off by throwing the first bomb but soon all the couples have revelations and shocks for the gathering.

The title is clearly a play on words for both the gathering and the unnamed political party which and her friends have long supported. Potter uses the sharp-tongued interactions between the characters to poke a bit of satiric fun at British politics, particularly the Labor Party. At times, the characters will talk about high-minded views and then undercut their own idealism with political maneuvering.

While politics are discussed, the real focus of the humor is on human foibles. All the cast are excellent but Patricia Clarkson nearly steals the show as the acid-tongued April. Time after time, April’s pointed criticisms and blunt views both underline absurdities and get to the real point that others are dancing around. Cherry Jones is a major culprit, dancing around generational differences in her relationship with her much younger wife. Bruno Ganz, as the goofy dreamer and would-be wise man is particularly funny, a perfect foil to April. Timothy Spall’s Bill and Ganz’s Gottfried engage in a bit of self-delusional lunacy that is as funny as it is horrifying. Cillian Murphy’s character starts out as an enigma but eventually is revealed as a linchpin of the drama under the comedy.

No spoilers but the film ends with a final shot that is the perfect cherry on the top of this satiric confection. This satire lets the air out of many sails as one revelation follows another in this bitingly funny film. It packs more dark comedy and satiric jabs in its brief running time than several the usual parlor drama. THE PARTY is an invitation you should accept.

RATING: 5 out of 5 stars

THE SENSE OF AN ENDING – Review

Jim Broadbent as Tony Webster, in THE SENSE OF AN ENDING. Photo by Robert Viglasky ©. Courtesy of CBS Films
Jim Broadbent as Tony Webster, in THE SENSE OF AN ENDING. Photo by Robert Viglasky ©. Courtesy of CBS Films

Memory is a funny thing. One can feel so certain of one’s own memories that it is jarring when others’ recollection of events does not match.

The tricks of memory are at the heart of the unforgettable THE SENSE OF AN ENDING, director Ritesh Batra’s screen adaptation of Julian Barnes’ short novel. In this American/British film, Jim Broadbent stars as Tony Webster, a curmudgeonly older man who lives alone, opening his tiny camera repair shop daily and seeming to live a joyless existence. His shop only sells and repairs old Leica cameras, and he seems to regard the occasional customer more as an interruption than the reason for this business. His dull routine is interrupted by the arrival of a letter, informing him he as been left something in a will. It is not money but a mysterious item that evokes memories of a long-ago girlfriend and his youthful days at college. The mystery soon becomes an obsession, driving him to take unlikely steps, but leading to insights on his present life.

Broadbent’s outstanding performance anchors this well-made, quiet little human drama. The mystery is not the real point of the film but what it reveals about his current life to the main character. Director Ritesh Batra handles this tale with a deft touch, as in his previous film, the wonderful THE LUNCHBOX, which also dealt with a man whose view of life is changed by a chance event.

The rest of the cast is strong as well. Charlotte Rampling, so excellent in 45 YEARS, has a smaller but significant role here as the present-day Veronica, Tony’s college girlfriend. Michelle Dockery, who many will recognize from her role as Lady Mary on TV’s DOWNTON ABBEY, plays Tony’s daughter Susie. Harriet Walker, as Tony’s patient ex-wife Margaret has a larger role, often playing a sounding board for Tony as he rethinks his own life. Long-divorced but still friendly, Margaret and Tony successfully shared parenting of their only child. Susie, single and expecting her first child at 36, is counting on her parents now for emotional support, but really expects most of that to come from her mother. Tony is hardly present in his own life, preferring to tinker with his cameras and avoid most social interactions. When the letter about the bequest appears, it opens the gate to a flood of memory, because it raises so many questions that do not fit with the narrative Tony has written of his life. Why has the mother of his nearly-forgotten girlfriend left him the diary of his college best friend, who was Veronica’s boyfriend after him? Why does the mother even have the diary of his long-dead friend?

THE SENSE OF AN ENDING alternates between the present day of the protagonist and his youthful college days. Part of the mystery is that it is actually the mother of his college girlfriend Veronica who has left him the bequest. Charlotte Rampling plays the present-day Veronica, whom Tony attempts to contact as the mystery consumes him. Her reaction suggests she remembers things differently, but Tony’s self-absorption keeps him from picking up on this.

In the flashback sequences, Tony’s voice-over narration often seems at odds with what we see on screen, adding to the intrigue. The flashbacks center on a brief time, when young Tony’s (Billy Howle) life revolved around his three friends, Alex (Timothy Innes), Colin (Jack Loxton) and Adrian (Joe Alwyn), and his beautiful girlfriend Veronica (Freya Mavor). Alwyn, the star of Ang Lee’s BILLY LYNN’S LONG HALFTIME WALK, plays Adrian who is the dazzling member of this group – brilliant, charismatic and handsome but with a dark world view.

In his voice-over and present-day comments, Tony downplays his relationship with Veronica, making it seem more casual, but the flashbacks suggest otherwise. When Tony goes to meet Veronica’s parents, he is clearly nervous and is surprised by what he finds. Veronica’s mother Sarah Ford (Emily Mortimer) is surprisingly young and vivacious, looking more like a sister, while her older father David (James Wilby) is a pale presence. Jack (Edward Holcroft) introduces himself as “the older brother,” and seems to be testing Tony, as if evaluating him for membership in the family. Tony leaves with a sense of unease.

Peter Wight and Hilton McRae play the older Colin and Alex, whom Tony enlists in his effort to unravel the puzzle. Much of the mystery is born of Tony’s own flawed memory, distant events and feelings he has reshaped over time. Uncovering the truth leads to shocking realizations, about both the past and the present. While Batra unfolds events like a mystery, it eventually becomes clear that reclaiming the past is less the point than is self-knowledge and awareness of those around us in the present.

Like in real life, not all questions about the past can be answered but the film reaches a satisfying conclusion. THE SENSE OF AN ENDING is a memorable exploration of the fallible nature of memory and a lesson on being present in one’s own life.

RATING: 4 out of 5 stars

PADDINGTON – The Review

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Just what we need, another cute kids’ movie about a lovable, talking animal. Children can’t seem to get enough of these movies, despite how dreadfully awful they usually are, by most adults’ standards. Spy on parents some time while they treat their little ones to these chatty creature films and you’re likely to find most of them struggling to grin and bear the experience. Yeah. See what I did there?

Normally, you’d be hard pressed to find me caught anywhere near one of these movies. There are, of course, always those rare exceptions that lead you to eat that bitter N word… “never.” This is why I try and never say never about a film, unless its in the title. PADDINGTON (2014) is a family-friendly film, and by that I mean its friendly for the entire family, children and adults. The film is based upon the beloved books by author Michael Bond, who wrote his first Paddington piece n 1958, inspired by the childrens programs he worked on for the BBC at the time.

I will be honest. When I first heard about the new PADDINGTON movie, what went through my head was the cliched assumption that they’ve yet again — or, still — run out of original ideas. This ended up being an unfair assumption about a movie that works surprisingly well. The reason for the film working out this well is simple. PADDINGTON is written and directed by the same person — always a promising sign — and that person is Paul King. For the coolest of our readers, you’ll likely know this name as the director of the quirky British series The Mighty Boosh (2004-2007). For a show recognized as possibly being created while on acid, and could be described as the love child of Wes Anderson and Pee Wee Herman, parents may be alarmed to learn it eventually led a feature-length PADDINGTON film. Fear not. The only addictive substance being consumed here is freshly made marmalade.

Those familiar with The Might Boosh will notice the little influences of this style from the very beginning, as PADDINGTON opens with an old newsreel about an explorer named Montgomery Clyde, who ventured out into “Darkest Peru,” where he stumbled upon a rare species of highly intelligent bears. Befriended a young bear cub (Paddington), his Aunt Lucy (voiced by Imelda Staunton) and Uncle Pastuzo (voiced by Michael Gambon), Montgomery Clyde left more of an impression on the bears that he could have ever imagined. Fast forward several years, and natural disaster in Darkest Peru has Aunt Lucy sending Paddington (voiced by Ben Whishaw) off to London to find a nice family to take him in and raise him as their own. London is about to host its first ever talking bear, and with him all of his accompanying adventures.

The Brown family are an average lot, but display a familiar hint of dysfunction. Mr. Brown (Hugh Bonneville) is a work-aholic risk analyst with a tendency towards OCD, while Mrs. Brown (Sally Hawkins) is a loving, free-spirited illustrator of childrens stories. Judy Brown (Madeleine Harris) is a typical angst-ridden teenage girl and Jonathan Brown (Samuel Joslin) is a curious, adventurous adolescent boy. One day, the Browns happen upon a young talking bear whilst walking through Paddington Station, hence the origin of the title character’s human name. His bear name becomes one of a handful of low-key running jokes that are sprinkled delightfully throughout the film. Under pressure from Mrs. Brown and Jonathan, Mr. Brown caves and Paddington finds himself the newest addition to the Brown family.

As Paddington assimilates into his new family, he must also avoid the fiendishly obsessed desires of Millicent, the villainous taxidermist set upon capturing Paddington and adding him to her personal collection of permanently preserved wildlife specimens. Millicent, played by Nicole Kidman, is portrayed as a more modern Cruella Deville. Kidman relies heavily on textbook villain tactics, providing an acceptable but minimally impressive performance. Even her name Millicent is strangely similar to Maleficent, and despite being a family film, she offers little in the way of believable danger. As for the remainder of the supporting cast, here lies one treat after another. Mrs. Bird (played by Julie Walters) is a tough, but oddly grounding force within the Brown household. Mr. Gruber (played by Jim Broadbent) is a funny old survivor who helps Paddington find what he’s seeking. Mr. Curry (played by Dr. Who‘s Peter Capaldi) serves as a sort of sub-villain turned anti-hero and strange neighbor to the Browns.

PADDINGTON exploits modern computer technology to bring the talking, accident-prone bear to life. Even ten years ago, it’s unlikely this film could have succeeded on any respectably mature level. Its this technical mastery that adds half of the character’s charm, from his appearance to his mannerisms to numerous sight gags, but the other half is courtesy of Paul King’s playfully odd sense of humor. Subtle puns, plays on words, silly observations and misunderstandings, these are all tools in King’s box of tricks that are used to give the film its well-rounded appeal. On many levels, I could stretch my analysis and call PADDINGTON an analogy for immigration and society’s difficulty in accepting change and the arrival of outside influences. There is definitely a correlation there, but I’ll let you read into that as much or as little as you feel comfortably inclined.

Visually, PADDINGTON is thoroughly engaging, filled with action, visual gags and no shortage of hijinks put innocently into play by the well-meaning Peruvian bear cub, struggling to adapt and find his place in a foreign land. The 95-minute running time falls nicely between being too long and feeling rushed. With all this said, there is still clearly the element of filmmaking for kids, which is only to be expected. Fortunately, these elements are well incorporated and never overwhelmingly present. Combine this with a vivid color palette and you have a film that should do remarkably well with boys and girls alike.

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

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THE OUTSIDER – The Review

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Action movies typically fall within a finite number of formulas. For this reason, the success of an action movie generally relies a great deal on how well the filmmaker adapts to creating an original story within that formula. Acting is rarely a significant factor in an action film because, well, most viewers are not expecting an action film to win any major awards of a thespian nature.

To put it simply, action films rely greatly on the filmmaker accomplishing two very specific criteria. The first are riveting, exciting action sequences that are masterfully choreographed and meet the bare minimal qualifications for us to willingly suspend our disbelief. The second would be a storyline that is engaging and as unpredictable as possible. This second criteria is so very often the most difficult to achieve and this film just sort of glides along, content to earn that low-to-mid C grade, not ambitious enough to secure the solid B, but with just enough self-respect to avoid slipping into a D grade.

THE OUTSIDER is as original and engaging an action film as its title. Simple, unassuming and vague. Director Brian A. Miller serves up his fourth action offering as director, starring Craig Fairbrass as Lex Walker, an aging but formidable British military contractor currently on mission in the Middle East. When Lex finds out his daughter Samantha (Melissa Ordway) is dead, he throws away his lucrative career as a private soldier and heads to Los Angeles to retrieve his daughter’s body.

Jason Patric plays Detective Klein, the cop working the case, but when Lex arrives stateside, he discovers the body is not his daughter’s and immediately embarks on a mission to unravel the mystery and find his daughter. Lex’s first stop is Most Industries to visit Samantha’s former employer, Schuuster, played by veteran James Caan. It doesn’t take long before Lex is ruffling feathers and finds himself up against nameless security guards and henchmen, busting heads and cracking bones… all in the name of finding his daughter at any cost.

Miller manages to capture an essence of the 90s era action genre. THE OUTSIDER looks and feels like so many of the action films I remember from the late 80s and early 90s, but is missing something. Those films had a certain level of machismo, an element of masculine flamboyance to their central character that says “Hey, I may be a cocky badass, but I’m getting the job done, saving the day and/or the girl.” Fairbrass certainly portrays a confidence in technique. No one is questioning his ability to perform these simulated fight sequences, but there’s no flair. As an action hero, Fairbrass has far less visual appeal than Lorenzo Lamas and slightly more emotional investment than Steven Seagal. In comparison, Jason Patric fairs better in both camps as the detective, but with far, far less screen time.

Eventually, Shannon Elizabeth enters the story and offers up some B-level eye candy as Margo, an added asset to Lex’s mission to help Samantha take down the ruthless criminal businessman Schuuster. Coincidentally, its James Caan and his experience in portraying textured, three-dimensional villains and anti-heroes that outshines the rest of the film. While having a very limited amount of screen time, Caan manages to lift us out of an otherwise lackluster, uncommitted movie-watching experience for a much needed adrenaline boost. Hell. At one point, the now 73-year old James Caan actually gets his fists bloody and beats down one of his own goons! Tell me that doesn’t get your testosterone pumping!

When it’s all said and done, THE OUTSIDER is not a bad film, but its also not a good film. The movie coasts along, riding that mediocre money train that doesn’t turn heads but accumulates enough interest that it most likely will do well enough by investors’ standards. I’m not opposed to this philosophy and methodology of filmmaking. After all, today more than ever, filmmakers of all persuasions have the ability to make the films they want to make and even make a living out of it, but when it comes to what I prefer to see, what I go out of my way to find… THE OUTSIDE resides well outside of my standards for creativity and entertainment. If you enjoy generic, formulaic popcorn movies with minimal personality, you may just enjoy this film.

THE OUTSIDER opens in theaters on Friday, February 7th, 2014

Overall Rating:  2.5 out of 5 stars

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Review: MADE IN DAGENHAM

When most folks think of Great Britain in the 1960’s they remember the Fab Four and Sean Connery keeping the world safe from S.P.E.C.T.R.E., and not the same social upheavals that were happening here in the states. One of the great 60’s movements, sexual equality, is the main focus of director Nigel Cole’s new docudrama MADE IN DAGENHAM. I must admit that I had never heard of this story, so I was ready for a dose of history during that swingin’ time.

The town of Dagenham was the home of one of several British based Ford automobile plants. After a few minutes of introductory newsreel footage and vintage commercials, we see the women bicycling into the factory to start their work day. The working conditions are not ideal as we see many of the women strip down to their undergarments (Caution! Possible eye injury! Bullet bras!) due to the lack of air conditioning. Not complaining, the ladies sit down to their sewing machines and produce interior upholstery for the new Fords. Their supervisor Albert (Bob Hoskins) enters, diverts his eyes, and reminds them that they must take action or they’ll be designated as unskilled laborers. At a party that evening, we get to know the women a bit more, particularly Rita (Sally Hawkins) who’s married to one of the Ford machinists, Eddie (Daniel Mays). The next morning, back at their meager apartment, Rita rushes to get their son and daughter off to school. She notices welts on the boy’s knuckles. Seems his teacher, Mr. Clark, took a cane to him for not having his protractor. When Rita confronts the teacher at school, he cruelly dismisses her.Later at work,Albert selects Rita to accompany him and elected employee rep Connie (Geraldine James) to a meeting with their Union rep and plant management. After being dismissed at the meeting, Rita throws several pieces of cloth on the table. “If you think we have no skill then turn these into a car seat!”, she states before heading back to the plant to tell her co-workers that the strike is on! Eventually their protest spreads to other factories and auto production ceases. They soon attract the attention of Ford in Detroit who send out Robert Tooley (Richard Schiff), and Employment Secretary for the Labour Government,Barbara Castle (Miranda Richardson). Will the women prevail in getting equal pay?

The filmmakers do an excellent of recreating 1968 through fashions, hairstyles, and settings. My main problem with the film was making out the thick cockney accents. At times I was almost reaching for an imaginary remote so I could click on the subtitles. Hawkins makes for a plucky “Norma Rae” type heroine to root for. She gets great support from Mays when the strike puts a lot of strain on their marriage. Eddie really struggles to keep the household functioning while Rita’s on the picket line. We also see the strain at Connie’s house as she deals with her husband who’s still affected by his war experiences. Jaimie Winstone is terrific as Saudra, who’s tempted to break the strike in order to fulfill her dreams of modeling stardom. It’s always a pleasure to see Roger Rabbit’s pal Hoskins on the big screen again. His Albert beams with delight as he sees his beloved gals standing up for their rights. Richardson brings a great deal of authority to her role as Castle. I must admit that when I first saw her in her red bouffant, I thought she was playing Margaret Thatcher (maybe she worked her way up to PM!). Her scenes with her clueless young male assistants are hilarious. Schiff (of TV’s West Wing) does a great job as a 60’s businessman who might prefer having a martini with Don Draper. Rosamund Pike is memorable as a factory exec’s wife who’s sympathetic to the working gals. I know it’s an important story, but very few surprises are in this telling. The pace really drags in it’s final act. I just wished that some of the scenes had the pizazz of the opening montage. This is a middling attempt to show how working class British women were treated in those “go-go” 60’s. Be sure and stick around for the end credits and see old news reports and recent interviews with the ladies from the old Ford plant. Their stories seem more compelling that some of the characters invented for this film.

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars

Review: ‘Death at a Funeral’ on DVD

Shanna:

Death at a Funeral is one of my all time favorite comedies. I was laughing so hard it made me cry. This dark adult comedy should be on everyone’s must rent list.

Directed by Frank Oz, Death at a Funeral tells the story of a dysfunctional family gathering to mourn the death of one of their own. There are too many interwoven sub storylines to justly depict, but here is a summary: Daniel (Matthew McFadyen) is arranging the funeral proceedings for his father while at the same time trying to write the eulogy. Daniel’s wife Jane (Keeley Hawes) is constantly on Daniel’s case about starting a life of their own outside of his parent’s home. Daniel’s missing in action older brother Robert (Rupert Graves) shows up from America as a successful Novelist. Daniel is therefore plagued by everyone throughout the movie bluntly asking why his more eloquent brother Robert had not prepared the eulogy, adding to Daniel’s snowballing stress. Then there is Daniel’s cousin Martha (Daisy Donovan), who is secretly engaged to Simon (Alan Tudyk). Martha chooses this inappropriate gathering to announce her engagement before her disapproving father. Poor Simon, nervous about meeting his future father-n-law, takes what he thinks is anti-anxiety medication, but is actually an ecstasy like designer hallucinogenic. Simon winds up exposing himself in outrageous, unbearable, yet entertaining behavior, culminating with a nude suicide attempt off the roof. Meanwhile, a mysterious dwarf, Peter (Peter Dinklage), appears at the funeral. Peter tries to blackmail Daniel and Robert into giving him a large amount of money or he will make several embarrassing photos of their father public.

The acting in this film is ideal. Alan Tudyk stands out as the drugged up Simon. He had me rolling on the floor with laughter. I have no idea how these actors kept a straight face. This film can be compared to Four Weddings and a Funeral, but with much more wit and laugh out loud fun so if you need a good chuckle please check out this brilliant dramedy.

Special DVD features include a gag reel during the credits and commentaries from Frank Oz, Dean Craig (Writer), Alan Tudyk, and Andy Nyman (Actor).

Rated R for nudity, drug references, and language.

(4.5 out of 5)

Zac:

Frank Oz’s newest film is a British ensemble that is full of laughs and was one of the funniest films of 2007.
The films entire run time takes place over the course of one funeral for the father of a pair of brothers, Daniel and Robert, when a collision of drugs, hidden agenda, and infidelity all culminate on the absolute wrong day to do so. The cast is huge and filled with a wide array of personalities and problems among the family and friends that are attending.
The issues that pop up at this funeral are many here is a small sampling, scandalous love affair, hallucinogenic drugs, nudity, geriatric bathroom issues, kidnapping, black mail, and this list could go on. I hate to spoil any more as the outrageousness and surprise of it all is half of the fun, so I will have to be brief on the plot.
The cast is enormous with a few familiar faces but the stand outs are brilliant among a great cast. First mention should be to Peter Vaughan as Uncle Alfie who is just great as the crotchety wheel chair bound old man. He is hilarious and sells the role perfectly. Peter Dinklage also deserves props for his excellent role as the mysterious attendee of the funeral that raises a lot of questions for everyone involved. Andy Nyman is also excellent as Howard a cousin of the family who has to deal with Alfie and a few of the other “messes” that come along.
The cake most really go to Alan Tudyk though, who plays the accidentally drugged fiancà © of a cousin to the deceased that is trying to win over his future father in law. He is just absolutely amazing and must be seen to believe, and I will not dare to spoil anything he does.
Oz’s pacing and direction is wonderful, capturing the insanity of the day in a way that it feels like it isn’t such a farce even though it is incredibly ridiculous. And Dean Craig’s script is smart, unpredictable, and full of wit. The film is a perfect of example of how you should make a comedy, quick pace, variety of laughs, and doesn’t over stay its welcome.
My review is brief, but that is only because I wish not to spoil. I can not recommend this enough, even if you’re turn a nose to British humor. Rush out to rent this wonderful film that should have been on my best of 07 list and may have even cracked the top 10 had I seen in time.

(4.5 out of 5)

[rating:4.5/5]

Review: ‘”Extras” The Extra Special Series Finale’

Zac:

The feature length finale to one of the funniest television shows ever is a very well done piece but can be extremely sad and depressing at times for some of the characters we have grown to love. Now, that is not to say that there aren’t moments of hilarity as well, there are some amazing bits in here, but the film is more of a focus on people changing and growing up and dealing with coming to terms with what they have become.
Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant wrote and directed this finale, along with the entire series, as well as staring in it as Andy Millman (Gervais) in the lead and Daren Lamb (Merchant) the bumbling agent from Bristol. Also staring in the show is Ashley Jensen in the co-lead as Maggie, Andy’s best friend, and former extra buddy.
By the time the special begins Andy has risen from extra to star of his own BBC One show, “When the Whistle Blows,” a camp, catchphrase filled, piece of crap adored by millions. Andy wants out and wants to be a star after the recent successes of his arch-enemy, and another former extra, Greg is joining the A-List in movies with Clive Owen. We follow Andy as he whines and complains, never happy with where he is at while paralleling his ridiculous self flattering with Maggie and Daren’s falls from grace. It is really tragic and extremely sad at times, but Merchant and Gervais have always been proponents of keeping things real so the funny is that much better.
The shows awkward moments are still intact and just as good as ever and the guest appearances are great as usual. Clive Owen is amazing in his short scene as is George Michael in a quick but funny scene. Other celebrities pop up here and there keeping the shows authentic feel of being in the industry.
When all is said and done, this special is about 60/40 laughs to reality, which isn’t that far off from most episodes, and the touching finale is the ideal way to send this show off into history. Merchant and Gervais have successfully created another memorable series and ended it on about as perfect note as possible.

[rating: 4.5/5]