As I missed a week last Sunday because of my latest Coming Soon post, there are lots of new releases reviewed this week, including 4* for the aca-awesome Pitch Perfect 2, a disappointing 3* for Disney's optimistic venture Tomorrowland, and 5* for the astonishingly good Clouds of Sils Maria and the hilarious Paul Feig-Melissa McCarthy action-comedy Spy.
PITCH PERFECT 2
* * * *
2015 // In U.K. cinemas now
"After a humiliating command performance at Lincoln Center, the Barden Bellas enter an international competition that no American group has ever won in order to regain their status and right to perform."
(ALL IMAGES SOURCED FROM www.imdb.com)
The Barden Bellas are back, this time well and truly challenging the assumption that sequels are always worse with this hilarious, up-lifiting and riotously entertaining follow-up to the 2012 hit comedy, Pitch Perfect. The first film was so uniquely brilliant that a sequel was always inevitable, and while it's pretty much the same film all over again Kay Cannon's script is effervescent and crammed with jokes, a cappella puns and enough girl power to make the Spice Girls proud. You'll be laughing from start to finish, and I defy anyone to leave without a humungous grin on your face.
In the wake of a highly embarrassing performance at the Lincoln Centre in front of President Obama the Barden Bellas are stripped of their titles and disbanded by their college. In an attempt to reinstate the group and their right to perform covers of songs using no instruments (only their mouths!) they enter the World Championships - a competition no American team has ever won - facing off against the leather-clad, terrifying and intimidatingly beautiful German team, Das Sound Machine. Add to that Beca's (Anna Kendrick) secret internship at a record label; Fat Amy's (Rebel Wilson) on-off relationship with Bumper (Adam DeVine); and annoyingly enthusiastic new recruit Emily (Hailee Steinfeld) there's an awful lot going on. Luckily director (and star) Elizabeth Banks handles it all with aplomb, navigating the somewhat intense choreography of the songs, energy of the riff-off, and side-splitting dialogue expertly. She's a wonderful actress but clearly has a lot of potential as a director too.
The beauty of Pitch Perfect 2 may be in its strength as an ensemble piece, but many individuals just soared and stole every scene they were in. The first film may have been dominated by Anna Kendrick, but Rebel Wilson has taken the mic here clearly relishing large set pieces such as the opening number featuring Fat Amy swinging from the ceiling while singing 'Wrecking Ball', just as much as having perfectly timed tiny one-liners in every single scene. Her brash and unfiltered Fat Amy always pulls the most laughs, but she's shown her range as an actress with a number of touching scenes with romantic interest man-child (and new campus security) Bumper. Plus, it's impossible not to mention the fearless leaders of Das Sound Machine, YouTube star Flula Borg and Danish actress Brigitte Hjort Sørensen (seen at the Donmar Warehouse last year in Coriolanus, and in this week's Game of Thrones as a Wildling elder - so mind-boggling after seeing this!). As physically beautiful as they are scary, their arrogance (confidence?) mixes fantastically with the Bellas, producing a number of excellent improvised lines during their confrontations as Sørensen gets inside Kendrick's head - "your sweat smells like cinnamon!" is a personal favourite... They're undoubtedly stereotyped and very Eurovision-esque, but in a film that takes a cappella so seriously a toned down American depiction of a European team really isn't necessary. If anything, it just adds to the fun.
There are more cameos than you can count - look out for the Green Bay Packers, Snoop Dogg, David Cross and Keegan-Michale Key - and as a result I'd say it's even better than the first film. In amongst the songs and the jokes there's a real effort to promote sisterhood and the values of friendship, giving the film a beating heart and adding much needed warmth to the hilarity. It's not ground-breaking but it's extraordinarily entertaining, and I see nothing wrong with that at all.
TOMORROWLAND
* * *
2015 // In U.K. cinemas now
"Bound by a shared destiny, a teen bursting with scientific curiosity and a former boy-genius inventor embark on a mission to unearth the secrets of a place somewhere in time and space that exists in their collective memory."
I had such high hopes for Tomorrowland - even going so far as to seeing it in IMAX - but it really doesn't live up to the hype. Sadly Brad Bird's latest offering is average at best, and no amount of dazzling special effects and boundless Disney optimism can make up for a lacklustre script and disappointing acting. Everything about Tomorrowland seemed exciting and tipped for success: the plot was vague and mysterious; George Clooney was front and centre in a summer blockbuster; and it had the director of The Incredibles, Ratatouille and The Iron Giant at the helm. Why then, does it fall so short and appear so flat and - dare I say it - dull?
At the heart of the film is the unrelenting belief that children are the future, and that they contain endless potential for innovation, exploration and invention. Their imaginations know no bounds, and it's with this in mind that Walt Disney created the Tomorrowland zone in the original Disneyland theme-park in 1955. It was an area devoted to the notion that anything is possible, that the next day could be infinitely better than the last and that dreams really can come true. With this knowledge of the park and its values at the core, screenwriter Damon Lindelof crafted a plot fundamentally questioning why we became so scared of the future; so quick to accept a fate of global catastrophes; and so unwilling to embrace our inner-children and challenge the status quo with inventions and plans so far out of the box the box no longer exists. He harnesses this through the story, told via Casey (Brit Robertson) and Frank (George Clooney). As a child, Frank was filled with admiration and wonder for science and all he could discover, turning up to the 1964 New York World Fair with an almost-perfect jetpack of his own invention and a head brimming with ideas. Here he meets Hugh Laurie and is miraculously introduced to a futuristic world through the most annoying ride in existence - It's a Small World. For reasons not initially explained he develops into a grumpy old man, hiding away in the middle of nowhere having lost his thirst for adventure. Casey has what Frank lost - an unrivalled level of optimism that leads her to believe anything is possible. She discovers a mysterious pin that transports her to the futuristic world, and in looking for answers their lives collide. To put it into perspective, this is all revealed in the first 20 minutes or so...
At this stage, the premise sounds good. However, for me the rest of the film just didn't live up to the lofty ambitions of the plot, even taking into account that I'm not a child and my enthusiasm for life isn't quite as high as it used to be when the concept of spaceships, flying cars and the excitement of the future was almost too much to handle. This new world - the one that harnesses the creative power and innovation of the human race to create something spectacular - just isn't as exciting as Bird clearly wants you to believe it could be. It feels like you're constantly being told it's spine-tinglingly impressive and awe-inspiring, but it never actually elicits that reaction. The graphics are good, and the special effects of things like flying trains work well but they never make you catch your breath and think "wow". I don't think it helps that Brit Roberston is optimistic and overly inquisitive to the point where it's really, really annoying, but maybe if I was American and/or a child I'd think differently on that front.
Perhaps in an era of CGI and films that make creating exciting new worlds seem so easy, watching a film that's supposed to make this concept seem revolutionary is difficult one to get my head around. It doesn't seem special here as these sorts of visual wonders happen so regularly now on the big screen. I think I'm a little cynical with it all and thus very hard to impress, but sadly Tomorrowland did nothing for me at all. Going in knowing very little helps - so no more than I've said above - but even by allowing the mystery to unfold blind it really isn't great. Children will like it - it'll definitely appeal to their imaginations - but adults are best to approach with caution and lowered expectations.
MORNING GLORY
* * *
Netflix // 2010 // DVD
"An upstart television producer accepts the challenge of reviving a struggling morning show program with warring co-hosts."
Throughout university, Morning Glory was one of my go-to films when I felt like life was getting a bit too much to handle and I was losing my way. It's sweet, funny and heart-warming - nothing too bold or complicated, and didn't require much brain power to understand, and so for me it was perfect in those horrid moments when I couldn't cope.
Essentially Rachel McAdams plays an eager television producer hired to revive an ailing morning show, Daybreak (excellent timing as the film came out around the same time that Daybreak launched on ITV, and subsequently struggled too...). As the shows ratings continue to fall she has to deal with warring hosts veteran Daybreak presenter and former Miss Arizona Colleen Peck (Diane Keaton) and iconic serious newsreader Mike Pomeroy (Harrison Ford). It's as ridiculous and light-hearted as it sounds, and that's why it's so good: Morning Glory does exactly what it says on the tin and nothing more.
I may not need it to cheer me up any more, but it's still a personal favourite of mine perfect now as background noise while doing admin or baking. It's not going to win any awards, but to be watchable does it need to? No, not at all.
CLOUDS OF SILS MARIA
* * * * *
2015 // In U.K. cinemas now
"A veteran actress comes face-to-face with an uncomfortable reflection of herself when she agrees to take part in a revival of the play that launched her career 20 years earlier."
In February, Kristen Stewart became the first American actress to win a César Award for her role in Clouds of Sils Maria. It's an enormous achievement and particularly impressive given her awful performances in the Twilight saga. Clearly the world was finally catching on to the fact that she's actually a pretty good - if not excellent - actress when given decent material to work with, therefore it's no surprise that she triumphed when paired with Juliette Binoche and directed by Olivier Assayas. As far as I was concerned, Stewart was the reason I made it my mission to see the film last week (thank you Curzon Knutsford for showing an independent foreign film when no other cinema nearby would touch it!) and I'm really glad I did: it's outstandingly good.
Binoche plays veteran actress, Maria Enders, who at the peak of her international career is asked to star in a revival of the play that launched her career twenty years ago. Previously she took on the role of Sigrid, an alluring and selfish young woman who ultimately drives her boss Helena to suicide, but in the present day she is persuaded to step into the role of Helena. She leaves for Sils Maria in the Alps to rehearse her scenes with her young assistant (Kristen Stewart). Meanwhile, scandalous Hollywood starlet Jo-Ann Ellis (Chloë Grace Moretz) accepts the role of Sigrid, forcing Maria to come face to face with a young woman that is an unsettling reflection of herself.
There's no other way to describe it: Clouds of Sils Maria is just brilliant. As Maria rehearses the play with her young assistant in the Alps (who delivers Sigrid's dialogue) the lines between the script and her life become increasingly blurred, particularly as the plot of the play spills over into her personal life. In addition, Maria cannot let go of the fact that she played the opposing role before, making her both critical of her new co-star's performance in a role she clearly still holds dear, and unable to shake her previous understanding of her new character, Helena. It's therefore difficult for her to fully commit to the character, sparring deliciously with her assistant as they argue over her interpretation of both characters. It's such a wonderfully layered film that with each scene you feel like you're slipping deeper and deeper into the play until it swallows you whole and consumes you completely like it has with Maria. In many ways it's sort of like a fiercely intelligent French Inception, but you can't tell if you're dreaming.
The actresses are marvellous. Binoche is - obviously - wonderful, and she shines here as Maria unravels, becoming increasingly vulnerable as she opens up more to Helena and learns to let go of Sigrid. Her final scene in the theatre with Jo-Ann is chilling, and with very little dialogue Binoche manages to convey a myriad of emotions with the faintest flicker of her eyes. It feels like you've witnessed a great downfall in the most insular and intimate of ways as she slowly breaks down throughout the film, and it is beautifully done. Stewart, as I mentioned above, is sensational. She has a real knack for more subtle, grungey performances, seemingly more comfortable to hover on the sidelines than stand in the limelight, and Clouds allows her to do just that. Her Valentine is powerful, knowing her place as the assistant of a great actress yet unrelenting in her beliefs and unwilling to compromise herself or her opinions. She really hold her own against Binoche, which is clearly no mean feat.
Clouds of Sils Maria is packed with powerhouse performances, stunning scenery (the locations in the Alps are breathtaking), beautiful costumes from Chanel, and is so intricately layered it feels a privilege to have watched it. Assayas makes keen observations on the modern celebrity, blockbusters and Internet gossip throughout, having crafted a rare and precious melancholic drama with real emotional heft.
THE OTHER GUYS
* * * *
Netflix // 2012 // DVD
"Two mismatched New York City detectives seize an opportunity to step up like the city's top cops whom they idolize -- only things don't quite go as planned."
"I'm like a peacock, you've gotta let me fly!"
If you haven't seen The Other Guys then add it to your Netflix list: Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg make a genius team as mismatched, disgraced New York police detectives resigned to filling out paperwork for cooler cops Danson (Dwayne Johnson) and Highsmith (Samuel L. Jackson). Michael Keaton has never been funnier as the TLC-quoting police captain, and with Steve Coogan in the mix too as a dodgy business man it's easy to see why it's such a hilarious and quotable film.
SPY
* * * * *
2015 // In U.K. cinemas now
"A desk-bound CIA analyst volunteers to go undercover to infiltrate the world of a deadly arms dealer, and prevent diabolical global disaster."
Please don't judge me if I go and see this again tomorrow (hello, Cineworld Unlimited card...) as it's just so good! The Heat and Bridesmaids are two of my favourite comedies, so any film that reunited director Paul Feig with Melissa McCarthy was always guaranteed to be a success given their track record, and Spy does not disappoint. It has all the trappings of a traditional Bond film mixed with spoofs such as Johnny English and Get Smart, but wonderfully never falls down in either camp, instead taking the best bits from both and creating something magical. This isn't pure, serious action and nor is it a silly comedy with a clumsy, inept protagonist. Spy consciously pokes fun at the genre whilst simultaneously triumphing within it: Feig may never be given the opportunity to direct a Bond film but he's more than proved his action credentials here in spades.
Desk-bound CIA analyst Susan Cooper (Melissa McCarthy) is the brains behind many of the Agency's most dangerous missions, directing field agent Bradley Fine (Jude Law) through his assignments on the ground. When he falls off the grid and the identity of other top agents are compromised, largely invisible Susan volunteers to go undercover to infiltrate the world of a deadly arms dealer and prevent the sale of a nuclear bomb.
The whole film feels like Feig wrote a list of scenes, gadgets and set pieces traditionally found in espionage films and he's just gleefully ticking them off, one by one, as the plot unfolds. There's the high-tech CIA headquarters; glamorous casino scene; motorbike chase; hilariously good-looking leading man; speedboats; helicopters; new identities; ingeniously hidden gadgets (for example poison antidotes disguised in a tube of laxatives, obviously); flash, fancy cars; and a truly international plot that takes the action from America to Europe. It shouldn't work - Feig's plan should be unbearably unsubtle and thus too cheesy to handle - but it really, really does. Maybe it's because Feig is so aware of what he's doing and makes no effort to hide it, or maybe it's because he's just such a talented writer, but Spy seems like a genuinely fantastic, normal action film upgraded with enough jokes to make standard comedy films jealous.
The best part of Spy is that the protagonist, Susan Cooper, isn't a bumbling idiot that falls over thin air and mistakingly fumbles with ejector seats, but instead she's an analyst that's brilliant at her job but lacks confidence in the field and with her abilities. It's a joy to see her confidence grow over the duration of the film and for her to use her talents in a practical sense rather than through a computer or via barking orders into a headset. If anything, the actual spies are the incompetent ones, with Jude Law's Fine accidentally killing a key asset because he sneezes and pulls the trigger of his gun, and Jason Statham (who has never been funnier and demands attention in every scene he's in) running around like a petulant toddler trying to save the day but looking like a total fool in the process. It's also a real pleasure to not witness a makeover - McCarthy doesn't need to be sexy to succeed - or have McCarthy's size be the butt of all the jokes. It makes for a refreshing change and shows that these sorts of films can be fronted by a woman and can still hit all the right notes perfectly without having her look like a hungry Victoria's Secret model.
Spy is so funny. The humour is crass and vulgar at times but it works so well that it's inexplicably easy to look past it. The ensemble cast, too, are wonderful and deliver the razor-sharp wit of the script excellently. British comedian Miranda Hart has much more screen time than I anticipated as fellow analyst Nancy and weaves her own brand of humour subtly into the film. Allison Janney has fun with the serious head of the agency; Rose Byrne is delightfully unhinged as the villainous Rayna Boyanov; and Peter Serafinowicz stands out for all the right reasons as an Italian agent - seriously, he's hilarious. Plus, look out for so many other actors who've featured in Feig's previous work.
If it's not already obvious, I loved Spy! The comedy and action are both on point (a fight in a kitchen is the epitome of this with McCarthy blocking a knife with a frying pan) and it seems like Feig and McCarthy have finally clicked as a creative pair. If the Ghostbusters remake wasn't already exciting enough, then Spy really does a stellar job in building the hype: if it's as good as this then they're on to a winner.
What have you seen over the last fortnight? Do let me know of any recommendations in the comments below!
No comments:
Post a Comment