Search
Pumpkin Cinema: The Best Movies for Halloween
9.0
Rate It
Book
People celebrate the magical holiday of Halloween in a wide variety of ways, but most will, at some...
Olivier Assayas recommended Desire (1936) in Movies (curated)
Olivier Assayas recommended Judex (1963) in Movies (curated)
Gareth von Kallenbach (965 KP) rated Fast Five (2011) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
The 2011 summer movie season kicks off in high gear with the release of Fast Five the latest installment in the phenomenally popular Fast and Furious series. The movie picks up exactly where the previous film ended with Brian O’ Conner (Paul Walker), orchestrating a daring escape for Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel).
The film quickly moves forward in time where Brian and Dominic’s sister Mia (Jordana Brewster), overall fugitives from the law, have taken refuge in Rio. Unsure of exactly where Dominic is, an old family friend offers Brian and Mia roles in a job which will surely score them some very easy and much-needed money. Although reluctant, Brian agrees to the job which involves the theft of three high-value cars from a train. Things go horribly wrong when they’re doublecrossed, the aftermath of which leads to the death of three federal agents. Only Dominic’s arrival, quick thinking, and a daring escape allows Brian and Mia to survive.
Although it is not their fault, the deaths of the agents is blamed solely on the trio, and an elite fugitive hunter named Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) arrives with his team with the sole mission of stopping Brian, Mia and Dominic, no matter the cost.
As if this wasn’t enough trouble for the fugities, it is learned that they have also fallen on the radar of the local drug kingpin named Reyes (Joaquim de Almeida), who will stop at nothing to retrieve an item now in the trio’s possession. Caught in the crossfire between Hobbs and Reyes, Dominic plots an epic caper that will allow them not only the money to flee Hobbs and disappear into a life of luxury, but allow them to settle the score with Reyes.
What follows is a nonstop action thrill ride that sprinkles in a nice mix of comedy and romance to keep things interesting. The film downplays the racing aspect of the series and instead saves the spectacular driving for key action sequences. While street racing scenes are alluded to they are not shown as director Justin Chin focuses squarely on his cast and allows them ample time to develop their characters. In doing so it strengthens the bond between them and allows the climactic sequence to have an even greater impact than your standard over-the-top summer film action scenes.
.
There are some really funny moments in the film as Dominic assembles his team to pull off the ultimate job. The new characters work very well with the established cast from the previous films and introduce characters which I hope will be a part of any future films in the series. Johnson was a very pleasant surprise, as his character could easily have been one-dimensional. He was given a few wrinkles which allowed him to walk the fine line between good guy and bad guy, which is an essential quality to many of the film’s characters. Johnson’s action sequences were solid and highly effective and once again underscores that he needs to be focusing more on action films and less on the family-friendly genre that
has dominated the bulk of his recent work.
Walker and Diesel complement each other perfectly and appear to be having a great time working with one another again. They have a very easy-going and natural chemistry with one another that works even when they’re not behind the wheel of a car or caught up in a frantic action scene.
While the plot of the film is fairly straightforward it provides ample framework for the characters to grow and propel the story forward. While the audience is asked to take some great leaps in logic it doesn’t derail from the finished product. The stuntwork in the film was absolutely amazing and the spectacular finale of the movie alone must be seen to be believed.
Many times during my press screening the audience was completely silent for a brief second following an action sequence before erupting into thunderous applause and cheers after they’ve fully processed what just unfolded on the screen. Larger-than-life characters combined with larger-than-life action, plus some very sexy cars and very sexy people make an extremely winning formula. If the rumors are true, Chin may be handed the reins to the Terminator franchise as well as the next film in the Fast and Furious series, then audiences are in for one hell of a ride.
I think my wife summed it up best when she said that movie was “Ridiculous…ridiculously good.” Reality is thrown out the window for pure adrenaline and testosterone fueled action.
The film quickly moves forward in time where Brian and Dominic’s sister Mia (Jordana Brewster), overall fugitives from the law, have taken refuge in Rio. Unsure of exactly where Dominic is, an old family friend offers Brian and Mia roles in a job which will surely score them some very easy and much-needed money. Although reluctant, Brian agrees to the job which involves the theft of three high-value cars from a train. Things go horribly wrong when they’re doublecrossed, the aftermath of which leads to the death of three federal agents. Only Dominic’s arrival, quick thinking, and a daring escape allows Brian and Mia to survive.
Although it is not their fault, the deaths of the agents is blamed solely on the trio, and an elite fugitive hunter named Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) arrives with his team with the sole mission of stopping Brian, Mia and Dominic, no matter the cost.
As if this wasn’t enough trouble for the fugities, it is learned that they have also fallen on the radar of the local drug kingpin named Reyes (Joaquim de Almeida), who will stop at nothing to retrieve an item now in the trio’s possession. Caught in the crossfire between Hobbs and Reyes, Dominic plots an epic caper that will allow them not only the money to flee Hobbs and disappear into a life of luxury, but allow them to settle the score with Reyes.
What follows is a nonstop action thrill ride that sprinkles in a nice mix of comedy and romance to keep things interesting. The film downplays the racing aspect of the series and instead saves the spectacular driving for key action sequences. While street racing scenes are alluded to they are not shown as director Justin Chin focuses squarely on his cast and allows them ample time to develop their characters. In doing so it strengthens the bond between them and allows the climactic sequence to have an even greater impact than your standard over-the-top summer film action scenes.
.
There are some really funny moments in the film as Dominic assembles his team to pull off the ultimate job. The new characters work very well with the established cast from the previous films and introduce characters which I hope will be a part of any future films in the series. Johnson was a very pleasant surprise, as his character could easily have been one-dimensional. He was given a few wrinkles which allowed him to walk the fine line between good guy and bad guy, which is an essential quality to many of the film’s characters. Johnson’s action sequences were solid and highly effective and once again underscores that he needs to be focusing more on action films and less on the family-friendly genre that
has dominated the bulk of his recent work.
Walker and Diesel complement each other perfectly and appear to be having a great time working with one another again. They have a very easy-going and natural chemistry with one another that works even when they’re not behind the wheel of a car or caught up in a frantic action scene.
While the plot of the film is fairly straightforward it provides ample framework for the characters to grow and propel the story forward. While the audience is asked to take some great leaps in logic it doesn’t derail from the finished product. The stuntwork in the film was absolutely amazing and the spectacular finale of the movie alone must be seen to be believed.
Many times during my press screening the audience was completely silent for a brief second following an action sequence before erupting into thunderous applause and cheers after they’ve fully processed what just unfolded on the screen. Larger-than-life characters combined with larger-than-life action, plus some very sexy cars and very sexy people make an extremely winning formula. If the rumors are true, Chin may be handed the reins to the Terminator franchise as well as the next film in the Fast and Furious series, then audiences are in for one hell of a ride.
I think my wife summed it up best when she said that movie was “Ridiculous…ridiculously good.” Reality is thrown out the window for pure adrenaline and testosterone fueled action.
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated I, Tonya (2017) in Movies
Sep 29, 2021
Some Darwin award winners.
Man, I personally found this one to be an exceedingly uncomfortable watch.
“I, Tonya” is cleverly filmed as a pseudo-documentary, featuring re-enactments of the real-life interviews of most of the participants in this true-life drama. I recently bitterly criticised some film critics for spoiling the story of Donald Crowhurst, the subject of the recent “The Mercy”. But I was about to do exactly the same here, *assuming* that you all know the lurid tale of the rivalry between Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan that led up to an ‘event’ in 1994 that shocked the world. And of course, many of you younger folk don’t know: case in point my 26 year old son who I went to see this with, and who went into the story blissfully blind of the drama about to unfold. So I will try to keep this review spoiler-free.
Playing Tonya from a (not very credible!) 15 years old to her mid-20’s is Margot Robbie (“The Wolf of Wall Street”, “Suicide Squad”) in what is a BAFTA and Oscar nominated performance. And for good reason: the performance is raw, visceral and disturbing in reflecting a victim who still thinks everything at heart is her own fault.
Also BAFTA and Oscar nominated is Allison Janney (“The Girl on the Train”) as Tonya’s obnoxious chain-smoking mother LaVona. Janney is truly terrifying as the mother who abuses her daughter both physically and mentally in a driven attempt to make her the best ice-skater in the world.
Victims seem to attract abusers, and Tonya is surrounded by people who are just plain bad for her: notably her husband Jeff (Sebastian Stan, “The Martian”, “Captain America: Winter Soldier”) and his slimy and pitifully self-deluded friend Shawn (Paul Walter Hauser). The end credits video footage of the real-life players show just how well these parts were cast.
Why so uncomfortable to watch? There is a significant degree of domestic abuse featured in the film, both in terms of LaVona on her child and Jeff on his wife. This is something I abhor in general, having been brought up to believe it is never EVER acceptable to lay a hand on a woman. To have these cowardly individuals sensationalised in the movie I found to be really upsetting. I strongly feel, for this reason alone, that the film should have had an 18 certificate. Violence in film should be related to the context as well as the severity. (Note that this is in stark contrast to my comments of recent BBFC decisions to make “Phantom Thread” and “Lady Bird” 15-certificates when I believe they should have been 12A).
The film is executed extremely well, with 4:3 framing for the staged interviews, and ice skating scenes that seamlessly cut between the professional clearly doing the stunts and Robbie (who must also be a half decent skater too). The soundtrack is nicely littered – “Guardians of the Galaxy” style – with classic hits of the early 90’s.
To think that this story actually unfolded in this way is nothing short of astounding… but it did! There is an astonishing video clip here (#spoilers) of the run up to, and the immediate aftermath of, the Kerrigan incident. I came out of the film with a deep feeling of sadness for Harding (at least, as portrayed) and utter disgust that the villains of this piece could be a) so cruel and out of control and b) so utterly stupid. These are individuals who really should have been sterilised to stop them polluting the gene pool any further.
Written by Steven Rogers (“Stepmom”) and directed by Australian Craig Gillespie, there is no doubting that this is a powerful film: played to an absolutely silent and gripped Saturday night cinema audience. And it has truly dynamite performances from Allison Janney and Margot Robbie. But be warned that you’ll need a strong stomach to go and see it without being affected by it afterwards. It’s a mental keeper.
“I, Tonya” is cleverly filmed as a pseudo-documentary, featuring re-enactments of the real-life interviews of most of the participants in this true-life drama. I recently bitterly criticised some film critics for spoiling the story of Donald Crowhurst, the subject of the recent “The Mercy”. But I was about to do exactly the same here, *assuming* that you all know the lurid tale of the rivalry between Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan that led up to an ‘event’ in 1994 that shocked the world. And of course, many of you younger folk don’t know: case in point my 26 year old son who I went to see this with, and who went into the story blissfully blind of the drama about to unfold. So I will try to keep this review spoiler-free.
Playing Tonya from a (not very credible!) 15 years old to her mid-20’s is Margot Robbie (“The Wolf of Wall Street”, “Suicide Squad”) in what is a BAFTA and Oscar nominated performance. And for good reason: the performance is raw, visceral and disturbing in reflecting a victim who still thinks everything at heart is her own fault.
Also BAFTA and Oscar nominated is Allison Janney (“The Girl on the Train”) as Tonya’s obnoxious chain-smoking mother LaVona. Janney is truly terrifying as the mother who abuses her daughter both physically and mentally in a driven attempt to make her the best ice-skater in the world.
Victims seem to attract abusers, and Tonya is surrounded by people who are just plain bad for her: notably her husband Jeff (Sebastian Stan, “The Martian”, “Captain America: Winter Soldier”) and his slimy and pitifully self-deluded friend Shawn (Paul Walter Hauser). The end credits video footage of the real-life players show just how well these parts were cast.
Why so uncomfortable to watch? There is a significant degree of domestic abuse featured in the film, both in terms of LaVona on her child and Jeff on his wife. This is something I abhor in general, having been brought up to believe it is never EVER acceptable to lay a hand on a woman. To have these cowardly individuals sensationalised in the movie I found to be really upsetting. I strongly feel, for this reason alone, that the film should have had an 18 certificate. Violence in film should be related to the context as well as the severity. (Note that this is in stark contrast to my comments of recent BBFC decisions to make “Phantom Thread” and “Lady Bird” 15-certificates when I believe they should have been 12A).
The film is executed extremely well, with 4:3 framing for the staged interviews, and ice skating scenes that seamlessly cut between the professional clearly doing the stunts and Robbie (who must also be a half decent skater too). The soundtrack is nicely littered – “Guardians of the Galaxy” style – with classic hits of the early 90’s.
To think that this story actually unfolded in this way is nothing short of astounding… but it did! There is an astonishing video clip here (#spoilers) of the run up to, and the immediate aftermath of, the Kerrigan incident. I came out of the film with a deep feeling of sadness for Harding (at least, as portrayed) and utter disgust that the villains of this piece could be a) so cruel and out of control and b) so utterly stupid. These are individuals who really should have been sterilised to stop them polluting the gene pool any further.
Written by Steven Rogers (“Stepmom”) and directed by Australian Craig Gillespie, there is no doubting that this is a powerful film: played to an absolutely silent and gripped Saturday night cinema audience. And it has truly dynamite performances from Allison Janney and Margot Robbie. But be warned that you’ll need a strong stomach to go and see it without being affected by it afterwards. It’s a mental keeper.
Gareth von Kallenbach (965 KP) rated Chernobyl Diaries (2012) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
What do you get when you pair the director of “Paranormal Activity” with a handful of unknown actors, a one-hit wonder soap-star-turned-singer, and a plot based upon the Chernobyl meltdown? You guessed it: a sub-par suspense film with a poorly executed ending.
Meet Chris, Amanda, and Natalie – a trio of pretty Americans touring Europe and en route to Russia to meet Chris’ older brother, Paul, in Minsk. Unbeknownst to Amanda, Chris confides in his older brother his plan to propose to her upon their arrival in Moscow, their next destination. However, Paul decides to intervene and proposes a new plan: an extreme tourism excursion in the abandoned city of Pripyat, just outside of the Chernobyl nuclear plant. Despite Chris’ pleas, the group decides to take up Paul’s offer and embark the next day to Chernobyl/Pripyat under the guide of Uri, an ex-Soviet Special Forces agent.
Piling into an assault-van of sorts and accompanied by a pair of last minute travelers – an Aussie named Mike and his blonde Norse girlfriend, Zoe – they set off on the 2-hour drive to Pripyat. However, it is upon arrival at their destination that they find the area restricted to tourists by the Soviet guard. Undaunted, Uri drives the van to another remote access point, stealing them into the abandoned city of Pripyat for their excursion. It is there, as one can imagine, that some unknown element intercedes and prevents them from leaving the city. Somehow wires to the van’s starter are cut and they are forced to stay overnight. It’s at this point, as you can imagine, the horror movie element sets in and the typical suspense-film-plot takes over.
Of course, people leave the van to investigate “strange noises” and, of course, they are picked off one by one. As the movie progresses and the horror-film starts to settle in, the plot unravels and you’re ultimately left with one of the lamest endings conceived. Basically, you’ve had almost two hour’s worth of build-up and suspense for absolutely nothing.
Suspense-wise, you’re definitely going to jump here and there; my poor date had to suffer through my grabbing his hand and leg on more than one occasion. Acting wise, there’s nothing substantial. Jesse McCartney draws upon his experience as a soap actor for the more emotional role and Devin Kelley who plays Amanda seems more adept at sticking out her chest than acting her way out of a bag. But I digress, horror movies aren’t exactly based on strong acting skills, right?
If you’re looking for a good suspense film, something that gives you an excuse to grab your date’s hand or squeal like a girl, then this is a good film for that. If you’re looking for something twisted, something akin to “The Hills Have Eyes” or “Silent Hill,” then this falls rather short in comparison. The director had so many opportunities to delve further into the Chernobyl mystery and play up the radiation/mutation stab, but failed to provide any substance behind his direction. For my taste, there were too many unanswered questions and vague allusions for me to be wholly impressed with the movie. The premise had a lot of potential and promise but honestly failed to deliver.
Meet Chris, Amanda, and Natalie – a trio of pretty Americans touring Europe and en route to Russia to meet Chris’ older brother, Paul, in Minsk. Unbeknownst to Amanda, Chris confides in his older brother his plan to propose to her upon their arrival in Moscow, their next destination. However, Paul decides to intervene and proposes a new plan: an extreme tourism excursion in the abandoned city of Pripyat, just outside of the Chernobyl nuclear plant. Despite Chris’ pleas, the group decides to take up Paul’s offer and embark the next day to Chernobyl/Pripyat under the guide of Uri, an ex-Soviet Special Forces agent.
Piling into an assault-van of sorts and accompanied by a pair of last minute travelers – an Aussie named Mike and his blonde Norse girlfriend, Zoe – they set off on the 2-hour drive to Pripyat. However, it is upon arrival at their destination that they find the area restricted to tourists by the Soviet guard. Undaunted, Uri drives the van to another remote access point, stealing them into the abandoned city of Pripyat for their excursion. It is there, as one can imagine, that some unknown element intercedes and prevents them from leaving the city. Somehow wires to the van’s starter are cut and they are forced to stay overnight. It’s at this point, as you can imagine, the horror movie element sets in and the typical suspense-film-plot takes over.
Of course, people leave the van to investigate “strange noises” and, of course, they are picked off one by one. As the movie progresses and the horror-film starts to settle in, the plot unravels and you’re ultimately left with one of the lamest endings conceived. Basically, you’ve had almost two hour’s worth of build-up and suspense for absolutely nothing.
Suspense-wise, you’re definitely going to jump here and there; my poor date had to suffer through my grabbing his hand and leg on more than one occasion. Acting wise, there’s nothing substantial. Jesse McCartney draws upon his experience as a soap actor for the more emotional role and Devin Kelley who plays Amanda seems more adept at sticking out her chest than acting her way out of a bag. But I digress, horror movies aren’t exactly based on strong acting skills, right?
If you’re looking for a good suspense film, something that gives you an excuse to grab your date’s hand or squeal like a girl, then this is a good film for that. If you’re looking for something twisted, something akin to “The Hills Have Eyes” or “Silent Hill,” then this falls rather short in comparison. The director had so many opportunities to delve further into the Chernobyl mystery and play up the radiation/mutation stab, but failed to provide any substance behind his direction. For my taste, there were too many unanswered questions and vague allusions for me to be wholly impressed with the movie. The premise had a lot of potential and promise but honestly failed to deliver.
Mary Wickes: I Know I've Seen That Face Before
Book
The full story of one of Hollywood's most accomplished character actresses. Moviegoers know her as...
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022) in Movies
May 11, 2022
Everything Everywhere All at Once is one of those rare films where I can't think of the appropriate words to describe it. It's a thrilling and emotional spectacle brimming with unique visuals and is a true cinematic rollercoaster.
The narrative is part family drama, and part mind bending sci-fi. The family drama is well crafted and effortless to become invested in. It's gives the characters room to breathe whilst simultaneously wasting little time before shit goes off the rails. When I say mind bending, that's exactly what it sounds like. The sci-fi element is just bonkers. The alternative universes that are shown off are memorable and colourful, and the action set pieces are joyous to behold. There's some solid martial arts on display, and multiple scenarios where you can safely say "well I've never seen that in a film before".
Towering above all of the batshit insane fun however, is the very human centre that EEAAO carries with it. The last 40 minutes or so get unashamedly existential, and accurately convey the feeling of how easy it is to feel like a failure, or to feel alone and unheard in a bustling universe. It's hard hitting but is wholesome as hell (never thought a silent and subtitled conversation between two rocks would hit me in the feels but here we are)
Michelle Yeoh is wonderful and delivers a career best performance. Stephanie Hsu is also great and it's bloody lovely to see Ke Huy Quan back with a vengeance. Jamie Lee Curtis remains easy to love, even as a pain in the arse, pro wrestling tax auditer.
The Daniels have delivered and then some in their follow up effort to the equally weird Swiss Army Man and truly deserve all the praise coming their way.
Everything Everywhere All at Once is a phenomenal experience. I can't imagine anything will beat it for my personal best film of 2022. It's a bonafide, head fucking masterpiece.
The narrative is part family drama, and part mind bending sci-fi. The family drama is well crafted and effortless to become invested in. It's gives the characters room to breathe whilst simultaneously wasting little time before shit goes off the rails. When I say mind bending, that's exactly what it sounds like. The sci-fi element is just bonkers. The alternative universes that are shown off are memorable and colourful, and the action set pieces are joyous to behold. There's some solid martial arts on display, and multiple scenarios where you can safely say "well I've never seen that in a film before".
Towering above all of the batshit insane fun however, is the very human centre that EEAAO carries with it. The last 40 minutes or so get unashamedly existential, and accurately convey the feeling of how easy it is to feel like a failure, or to feel alone and unheard in a bustling universe. It's hard hitting but is wholesome as hell (never thought a silent and subtitled conversation between two rocks would hit me in the feels but here we are)
Michelle Yeoh is wonderful and delivers a career best performance. Stephanie Hsu is also great and it's bloody lovely to see Ke Huy Quan back with a vengeance. Jamie Lee Curtis remains easy to love, even as a pain in the arse, pro wrestling tax auditer.
The Daniels have delivered and then some in their follow up effort to the equally weird Swiss Army Man and truly deserve all the praise coming their way.
Everything Everywhere All at Once is a phenomenal experience. I can't imagine anything will beat it for my personal best film of 2022. It's a bonafide, head fucking masterpiece.
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated Ad Astra (2019) in Movies
Sep 28, 2021
Impressive visuals, but rather disappointing as an overall package.
Like father, like son?
I really love sci-fi films with high ambitions. “Psychological” sci-fi like “Solaris” for example. And “Arrival” topped my movie list for 2016. In similar vein, “Ad Astra” is also a movie concerning attempted contact with alien life. So I had high hopes for it. But would this Sci-fi epic ultimately challenge my brain again, or end up in the “Crystal Skull” sin bin with a dodgy alien meeting?
The Plot
Set a few years into the future, Roy McBride (Brad Pitt) is the son of a legend. H. Clifford McBride (Tommy Lee Jones) was a space exploration pioneer. His picture hangs in the NASA hall of fame next to Buzz Aldrin’s. McBride senior went missing presumed dead near Neptune during a mission. The mission was to get outside the Sun’s heliosphere to scan for potential alien transmissions from nearby solar systems.
But something went badly wrong, and now the earth (and potentially all human life migrating into the solar system) is at risk from massive electromagnetic bursts arising from Neptune. Is Clifford alive and involved in the emerging crisis? The authorities send Roy on a secret mission to Mars to try to communicate with his father.
Majestic cinematography
Let’s start with a real positive. The cinematography here is first rate. Hoyte Van-Hoytema – well known for “Interstellar“, “Spectre” and “Dunkirk” – knocks this out of the park. In the same manner as “Blade Runner 2049“, many of the frames of this film could be blown up and placed on art gallery walls around the world.
Add to that some cracking film editing from John Axelrad and Lee Haugen, and some beautiful sound design and I predict the movie should feature strongly in the technical awards at the Oscars.
But “science fiction” has the word “science” in it….
I’d like to park my physics brain sometimes when I go to the movies, but I just can’t. So I really need sci-fi films to live up to the science part of their name. There are a number of areas, particularly at the back end of the film, when credibility goes out the window.
I can’t really say more here without giving spoilers, so I will leave them to a “Spoiler section” below the trailer…. don’t read this if you haven’t seen the film!
What IS this movie trying to be?
In my view the film is pretty schizophrenic in nature. This is what confused me about the trailer, jumping from a cerebral sci-fi vibe to moon buggy shoot-outs.
On one hand, its the standard (but always interesting) tale of a child abandoned by a hero-father and his attempts to reconcile what that’s done to his life and relationships. How can he ever square that circle without contacting his dad? As the film’s tag-line goes “The answers we seek are just outside our reach”.
On the other there are episodes of action that would fit happily into an action scene from Star Trek.
The two elements never really gel, leading to the feeling of the film having been written as a set of disconnected pages and the writers then saying “Hey, Jimmy, once you’ve finished making us the tea, could you just write a few lines to join those pages up into a shooting script?”. Then later, “What do you mean Jimmy you used BOTH piles of paper?!”.
The greatest sin of all
Unfortunately, the film commits a cardinal sin in my book. Those of you who follow my blog regularly might know what I’m going to say….
Voiceovers! I BLOODY HATE THEM!! It’s at the very extreme of what the great Mark Kermode calls “show don’t tell”.
Here, we don’t just have a little Brad Pitt set-up intro and he then shuts up. He just drones on and on and on with his inner thoughts. At least Matt Damon in “The Martian” got away with it by cleverly filming his video blog. And it’s not as if there isn’t a prime opportunity to use that device here! He is constantly having to talk to a computer to do his regular psychological tests! But that option is not picked up.
BIG BLACK MARK!
But the film has its moments
Bubbling under all of this are some stand-out moments where, for me, the film soared. One of them (ultimately setting me up for as much of a disappointing fall as some of the characters!) is the stunning opening shots aboard the “Sky Antenna” structure. Impressive and exciting, with falling bits of metal playing Russian Roulette with Roy’s iife.
Another strength for me is Brad Pitt. I’ve seen wildly differing views on this, but for me its a quiet but strong acting performance. There are many scenes when he has no lines, his inner (and our outer) voice gives it a miss, and he acts the socks off his peers. What with “Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood” its been a really good year for Pitt. I suspect “Hollywood” might be the one though that gets him his fourth acting Oscar nomination.
For a 2019 film, it’s actually a very male-heavy film, made more so by Pitt’s love-interest (Liv Tyler) being given virtually nothing to do other that look a bit sulky from a distance. I’m not even sure she gets a single line in the whole film! (“Miss Tyler – please sign for your script”. “But, there’s nothing in the envelope?”. “Quite Miss Tyler, Quite”).
The only decent female role goes to Ruth Negga as the Mars colony leader. Even then, she only has limited screen time and although having the title “Mars CEO” really doesn’t seem to have much power.
Elsewhere, its great to see both Tommy Lee Jones and Donald Sutherland back on the big screen again.
Final Thoughts
As any veteran RAF person will know, “Ad Astra” is Latin for “To the stars”. In space terms this is less “to the stars” and more “just beyond your front door”.
James Gray‘s film undoubtedly has high ambitions but, through its spasmodic script, never really gets there. It has the beauty of “Gravity” but none of the refinement; there’s an essence of “Space Odyssey” in places, but it never goes for the mystical angle; it has the potential to reflect the near-insanity through loneliness of “Silent Running” but never commits fully to that storyline. But if its novelty you’re looking for, it ticks the “floating monkeys in space” box!
I think it’s worth seeing on the big screen just for its visual beauty and Pitt’s performance. And as a major block-buster sci-fi film I enjoyed it to a degree. But for me it had just so many irritations that it failed to live up to my high expectations. A great shame and a frustrating disappointment.
But at least it’s great news for Richard Branson and Virgin Atlantic shareholders. They can be assured that the future is bright for their “long distance” flights in the future!
I really love sci-fi films with high ambitions. “Psychological” sci-fi like “Solaris” for example. And “Arrival” topped my movie list for 2016. In similar vein, “Ad Astra” is also a movie concerning attempted contact with alien life. So I had high hopes for it. But would this Sci-fi epic ultimately challenge my brain again, or end up in the “Crystal Skull” sin bin with a dodgy alien meeting?
The Plot
Set a few years into the future, Roy McBride (Brad Pitt) is the son of a legend. H. Clifford McBride (Tommy Lee Jones) was a space exploration pioneer. His picture hangs in the NASA hall of fame next to Buzz Aldrin’s. McBride senior went missing presumed dead near Neptune during a mission. The mission was to get outside the Sun’s heliosphere to scan for potential alien transmissions from nearby solar systems.
But something went badly wrong, and now the earth (and potentially all human life migrating into the solar system) is at risk from massive electromagnetic bursts arising from Neptune. Is Clifford alive and involved in the emerging crisis? The authorities send Roy on a secret mission to Mars to try to communicate with his father.
Majestic cinematography
Let’s start with a real positive. The cinematography here is first rate. Hoyte Van-Hoytema – well known for “Interstellar“, “Spectre” and “Dunkirk” – knocks this out of the park. In the same manner as “Blade Runner 2049“, many of the frames of this film could be blown up and placed on art gallery walls around the world.
Add to that some cracking film editing from John Axelrad and Lee Haugen, and some beautiful sound design and I predict the movie should feature strongly in the technical awards at the Oscars.
But “science fiction” has the word “science” in it….
I’d like to park my physics brain sometimes when I go to the movies, but I just can’t. So I really need sci-fi films to live up to the science part of their name. There are a number of areas, particularly at the back end of the film, when credibility goes out the window.
I can’t really say more here without giving spoilers, so I will leave them to a “Spoiler section” below the trailer…. don’t read this if you haven’t seen the film!
What IS this movie trying to be?
In my view the film is pretty schizophrenic in nature. This is what confused me about the trailer, jumping from a cerebral sci-fi vibe to moon buggy shoot-outs.
On one hand, its the standard (but always interesting) tale of a child abandoned by a hero-father and his attempts to reconcile what that’s done to his life and relationships. How can he ever square that circle without contacting his dad? As the film’s tag-line goes “The answers we seek are just outside our reach”.
On the other there are episodes of action that would fit happily into an action scene from Star Trek.
The two elements never really gel, leading to the feeling of the film having been written as a set of disconnected pages and the writers then saying “Hey, Jimmy, once you’ve finished making us the tea, could you just write a few lines to join those pages up into a shooting script?”. Then later, “What do you mean Jimmy you used BOTH piles of paper?!”.
The greatest sin of all
Unfortunately, the film commits a cardinal sin in my book. Those of you who follow my blog regularly might know what I’m going to say….
Voiceovers! I BLOODY HATE THEM!! It’s at the very extreme of what the great Mark Kermode calls “show don’t tell”.
Here, we don’t just have a little Brad Pitt set-up intro and he then shuts up. He just drones on and on and on with his inner thoughts. At least Matt Damon in “The Martian” got away with it by cleverly filming his video blog. And it’s not as if there isn’t a prime opportunity to use that device here! He is constantly having to talk to a computer to do his regular psychological tests! But that option is not picked up.
BIG BLACK MARK!
But the film has its moments
Bubbling under all of this are some stand-out moments where, for me, the film soared. One of them (ultimately setting me up for as much of a disappointing fall as some of the characters!) is the stunning opening shots aboard the “Sky Antenna” structure. Impressive and exciting, with falling bits of metal playing Russian Roulette with Roy’s iife.
Another strength for me is Brad Pitt. I’ve seen wildly differing views on this, but for me its a quiet but strong acting performance. There are many scenes when he has no lines, his inner (and our outer) voice gives it a miss, and he acts the socks off his peers. What with “Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood” its been a really good year for Pitt. I suspect “Hollywood” might be the one though that gets him his fourth acting Oscar nomination.
For a 2019 film, it’s actually a very male-heavy film, made more so by Pitt’s love-interest (Liv Tyler) being given virtually nothing to do other that look a bit sulky from a distance. I’m not even sure she gets a single line in the whole film! (“Miss Tyler – please sign for your script”. “But, there’s nothing in the envelope?”. “Quite Miss Tyler, Quite”).
The only decent female role goes to Ruth Negga as the Mars colony leader. Even then, she only has limited screen time and although having the title “Mars CEO” really doesn’t seem to have much power.
Elsewhere, its great to see both Tommy Lee Jones and Donald Sutherland back on the big screen again.
Final Thoughts
As any veteran RAF person will know, “Ad Astra” is Latin for “To the stars”. In space terms this is less “to the stars” and more “just beyond your front door”.
James Gray‘s film undoubtedly has high ambitions but, through its spasmodic script, never really gets there. It has the beauty of “Gravity” but none of the refinement; there’s an essence of “Space Odyssey” in places, but it never goes for the mystical angle; it has the potential to reflect the near-insanity through loneliness of “Silent Running” but never commits fully to that storyline. But if its novelty you’re looking for, it ticks the “floating monkeys in space” box!
I think it’s worth seeing on the big screen just for its visual beauty and Pitt’s performance. And as a major block-buster sci-fi film I enjoyed it to a degree. But for me it had just so many irritations that it failed to live up to my high expectations. A great shame and a frustrating disappointment.
But at least it’s great news for Richard Branson and Virgin Atlantic shareholders. They can be assured that the future is bright for their “long distance” flights in the future!
Owl
Book
The owls are not what they seem. From ancient Babylon to Edward Lear's The Owl and the Pussycat and...