Nothing like a varied week on the film-front to keep me on my toes!
BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S
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Film4 // 1961 // DVD
"A young New York socialite becomes interested in a young man who has moved into her apartment building."
(ALL IMAGES SOURCED FROM www.imdb.com UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE)
I love Breakfast at Tiffany's. I first saw it in the domed cinema at Madame Tussauds last year, and having finally jumped on the Holly Golightly bandwagon I've seen it countless times since. Film4 has upped its game recently and is delivering an excellent, varied programme of films at the moment, and I was delighted to see Breakfast leading the line up on Tuesday.
Ignoring Mickey Rooney's extremely offensive portrayal of the Japanese Mr. Yuniosi, it's a truly brilliant film. Audrey Hepburn is so strikingly graceful and glamorous it's easy to see why many view this as her defining role, and it's no wonder that her character has stood the test of time as a undisputed style icon. From the Oscar-winning 'Moon River' to the brilliant party scene to the classic opening sequence of Hepburn outside Tiffany's, it's just wonderful. If you haven't already seen it, then why not?
THE DARK KNIGHT RISES
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DVD // 2012
"When Bane, a former member of the League of Shadows, plans to continue the work of Ra's al Ghul, the Dark Knight is forced to return after an eight year absence to stop him."
Everyone has a defining film, and for me it's The Dark Knight Rises. I saw it 4 times at the cinema when it came out, and I know I'll never tire of it. Nolan's spectacular conclusion to the Dark Knight trilogy both inspired me to start a blog - my rambling and insanely long review was one of my first posts - and confirmed for me that I wanted to work in the film industry. It's an astonishing film that still gives me goosebumps just thinking about it: every time I watch it I'm reminded of how giddy I felt after the first viewing, how it's the first time a score really gripped me during a film, and how I'd never been on the edge of my seat and wide-eyed in wonder while watching a film based on a comic book before. It's the film that opened my eyes to how incredible movies could be, and even though I'm more than aware it's not technically perfect - after all, what film is? - as far as I'm concerned nothing can top it.
Before I saw TDKR Batman was a comedic and ridiculous figure for me: always Del Boy in little black pants and grey tights running through dry-ice. Luckily (?) I'd never paid much attention the earlier Batman films either, and although I've definitely seen the George Clooney version - among others - it's only ever been on as background noise. From my position of limited experience they seemed ludicrous, all bad acting and weird villains, and the type of films that fruitlessly tried to out-do Christopher Reeve's Superman on the superhero front and constantly failed miserably. Either Batman was a character to ridicule or one only truly nerdy comic book collectors could appreciate - it never crossed my mind that I would end up loving a film that told the story of a crime-riddled fictional town protected by a masked vigilante with a cape and 'bat mobile'. In many ways, TDKR completely changed my appreciation for film and my cinematic tastes.
Nolan created a deliciously dark universe that shined new light on a beloved hero. I was hooked from the tense and brilliantly shot opening plane scene (that still takes my breath away every time) till the credits rolled at the end, relishing in the intense performance from Christian Bale and imposing presence of Tom Hardy as formidable villain Bane. Heath Ledger's Joker may be the stand-out performance in the trilogy, but it's the concluding film that I find so satisfying. There's so much I love about TDKR that if I'm not careful I'll once again end up filling an entire post about it, but suffice to say I won't hear a bad word against it, and I'm not ashamed in the slightest to say it's my favourite film of all time.
FRANKENSTEIN
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Odeon: National Theatre Live // 2011 // Encore screenings available from October 30th
"Childlike in his innocence but grotesque in form, Frankenstein’s bewildered Creature is cast out into a hostile universe by his horror-struck maker. Meeting with cruelty wherever he goes, the friendless Creature, increasingly desperate and vengeful, determines to track down his creator and strike a terrifying deal."
(IMAGE SOURCED FROM www.thebarclay.org)
I hate scary films with a passion and I refuse to watch horror films as even the trailers almost have me in tears, but given how it was Halloween on Friday I knew I should watch something vaguely appropriate. Step forward Frankenstein, the recording of the 2011 Danny Boyle-driecetd National Theatre production, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller alternating roles as both the Creature and Frankenstein. It's a performance that won both men critical acclaim and numerous accolades, and having finally seen it I can fully understand why. It's an astonishing production, and one I now wish I'd seen live on stage.
The version I saw had Cumberbatch playing the Creature and Miller as Victor Frankenstein. It was as brilliant as I expected from a play at the National but simultaneously more incredible than I could ever have imagined. The stage was sombre and dreary with the auditorium wrapped in grey cloth, but from the round emerged beautiful sets of the Frankenstein family home and an Orkney croft. Overhead hundreds of lightbulbs pulsed with energy, and in a rather jaw-dropping and typically Danny Boyle moment a steam engine burst from the back of the stage for a scene only to disappear and not be seen again. Despite it already being a visually rich production, somehow it didn't detract from the powerhouse performances at the heart - Cumberbatch and Miller are nothing short of sensational.
Luckily, it works well on a cinema screen thanks to NTLive. Yes, it would probably be better live on stage, but it's wonderful to be able to see such an adored performance 3 years after it left the stage. There are encore screenings in UK cinemas over the next few weeks, and I'd definitely recommend popping along and having your mind blown courtesy of the National.
SHAUN OF THE DEAD
* * * *
DVD // 2004
"A man decides to turn his moribund life around by winning back his ex-girlfriend, reconciling his relationship with his mother, and dealing with an entire community that has returned from the dead to eat the living."
Pegg. Wright. Frost. Zombies.
How's that for a slice of fried gold?
MR. TURNER
* * * *
Everyman Selfridges // 2014 // In cinemas now
"An exploration of the last quarter century of the great, if eccentric, British painter J.M.W. Turner's life."
I've wanted to see Mr. Turner since Timothy Spall rather fantastically won the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival for his interpretation as British painter J. M. W. Turner. There's no doubting that it's a wonderful film. Mike Leigh has produced a visually stunning masterpiece that if paused at any moment the resulting shot would be reminiscent of a Turner painting. There are so many scenes and images that are so unquestionably beautiful I can't stop thinking about them - it's a work of art on so many levels. Spall is more terrific than he's ever been in a role he was clearly born to play. He seems so confident coughing, spitting and grunting his way across the screen that it's easy to forget you're watching an actor: he's inhabited the character so perfectly Spall simply is Turner. It's extraordinary - albeit a little slow at times - but Spall's performance is enough to make you forget about the lack of a plot and just admire the film for what it is: a majestic and ridiculously beautiful film that revels in the small tender moments.
MARVEL'S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D
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2013-2015 // Series 1 DVD // Series 2 on Channel 4 now
"The missions of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division."
While this isn't a film per-say, given how I've chosen to obsessively watch this series this week instead of watching films I'd say it's worth a mention.
I've not watched many films this week, mainly because I haven't done much baking and I was rocked by the bombshells dropped by Marvel on Tuesday. I love Marvel. I've watched the Avengers hundreds of times; done a 180 on my opinion of Captain America and now adore it; and saw Guardians of the Galaxy so many times this summer I think I could quote the whole thing all the way through now. On Tuesday at a "secret" event in L.A. Marvel announced their plans for Phase 3, outlining projects and release dates for the films in the pipeline over the coming few years. Needless to say, I'm beyond excited, and have spent the last few days beside myself with glee. Not only are there sequels to Captain America, Thor, Avengers and Guardians, there are new projects in the form of Black Panther, Doctor Strange, Captain Marvel and Inhumans. I've fully embraced the superhero/comic book film genre so these dates are now in my calendar!
A recent Marvel development I never took much interest in, however, was the spin-off television series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. I found Series 1 on SkyGo this week so decided to try it out in the midst of a Marvel meltdown, and I am now totally obsessed. When I would have been watching a film I fit in a couple more episodes and now I'm hooked. It fills in a lot of the gaps between Avengers/Thor 2/Captain America 2, and seems almost like a behind-the-scenes take on the Marvel franchise as the series addresses the humans - specifically the brilliant Agent Coulson - in the films and gives them centre-stage. It's definitely a series for fans of the films, but even if you're not it's very easy to get swept up in the plot as they take steps to make it a lot more inclusive and accessible than I thought it'd be.
I love it. Hail Hydra.
Not much this week, but it's been one of my favourites by far! Do you have a favourite film that you think can't be topped? What are your thoughts on the Marvel news? Let me know in the comments below!
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