Part three of the infamous 'Cornetto Trilogy' the final act following the tough to follow, timeless Shaun of the Dead and the delightfully demented Hot Fuzz, it was never going to be an easy ride. Oh man, why was I so excited, why did I feel so disappointed. I'll level with you, it wasn't as good the previous entries to the 'Trilogy' of 'Blood and Ice Cream'. It would probably be enough to leave my blog right there, but I'll go into detail, largely because babbling on here is the most fun I can have sometimes.
Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz were flat out genius, how the hell do you compare to that exactly?
You quite simply can't it would seem because World's End just doesn't, but it's still a decent film, a slice of fried gold so to speak, but still when you're slapping it on the end of two excellent pieces of cinemas you're going to be sorely disappointed. The creators themselves invite the comparisons and therefore it's incredibly difficult not to see them and acknowledge them.
It's a funny film but it has the issue of telling most of it's funny jokes in the trailers and giving away the biggest conceit in the film. Shaun of the Dead - Zombies, Hot Fuzz - police/mad conspiracy, The World's End - Invasion of the Body Snatchers? Except... I'm not 100% on any motive. Zombies don't ask for motive, Hot Fuzz is one of the best written films without a doubt in years, and it also has the added bonus of Timothy Dalton overseeing proceedings.
Speaking of actors, there are so many damn cameos in this film! Mark Heap is barely in it, but there he is! Plus Rafe Spall has the tiniest of head nods and there are obviously the main players as Martin Freeman is bumped up to lead role position, as is Paddy Considine, so there's a few helpful nods from the past, not least a flash of a Cornetto wrapper. Except there are a few differences this time round, most of the characters are thinly drawn individuals, but the best character by and large is Simon Pegg's Gary King, the rest are just along for the ride, which is basically the main plot of the film. In fact, there is very little else going on in this film apart from one deluded man and his quest to reshape the past.
You can't just build a film around Gary King, although I'm sure Gary King
would bloody love that idea. A good chunk of all of the film's jokes come
solely from him, which is fine, he's funny, not laugh out loud funny
but he more than gives us enough to work with by being an arsehole and holy hell is Simon Pegg absolutely killing it in that role. But
the rest of the characters get short shrift, poor Martin Freeman, I
almost feel bad for him... Then there is Nick Frost, who in this
instance is forced to play the straight man to Pegg's maniac, usually
it's the other way around but this time Frost is devoid of anything
interesting to do aside from use some bar stools creatively in a brawl -
sure the bromance and their lover's quarrel is somewhat expected but it
doesn't feel particularly earned. Luckily the ineffable Paddy
Considine fares better as the epitome of 'the good looking one' -
which is fine, he's damn good looking, and talented. In fact I'm glad he
was taken along for most of the ride just so I could observe his beyond
gorgeous face and a flash of bum ('very nice'), he also gets some of the
better ensemble jokes, specifically one about a misspelled Gary King.
Eddie Marsan is the quiet meek rich kid that grew up to be the meek
silly quiet guy. Then we also have a female just because, well there has to be a female surely? Rosamund Pike fills the role and does... Well not a whole damn lot apart from be something for the boys to argue over, I don't think this film would pass the Bechdel Test, but it's a blokey film and I was more than prepared for that. Plus, I spent most of my time objectifying Paddy Considine... I am blatantly turning into a dirty old woman. I apologise.
There could be something interesting going on here but it's all a bit muddled. The film feels like pointing out that the robots aren't robots, there are just replacements, for the most polite invasion ever, except they chase people around attack them and try to force them to convert, well it lost me... It's also heavily emphasised that Gary King is a messed up man with delusions far beyond anyone's comprehension, he can't be trusted and he is above all else a raging alcoholic, and YET the characters follow him around, acknowledging that it's beyond ridiculous but it keeps the plot on the rail-road tracks. The film tries to hammer home the malaise of returning to a place called home and discovering it doesn't hold that same feeling, nor will it ever again. It has a crack at the troubles with growing up but then it also throws in, we're all fuck-ups and even into middle age should be allowed to have a good time and mess around, but then the end kind of just messes around with that and makes it seem less of a good idea. To be perfectly honest it's just a bloody mess! Which is a shame after the incredibly tightly scripted Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead. There is a lot of plates whirring but nothing really to care about and the end, oh god the end... It's just a mish-mash and it doesn't seem to care that it's not making any sense, in fact it acknowledges that, but it's more bothered about sinking another pint at the next pub.
In speaking to many people about this film it's apparent out of the Cornetto Trilogy, or the 'Blood and Ice Cream' films, everyone has their particular favourite, and some say The World's End surpasses it's predecessors, well I wouldn't say that, but some people think so. But my argument stands that the point of the previous films were loving homages to specific genres skewering them with a particularly British brand of humour, but The World's End doesn't really do that, not to my knowledge anyway, the core idea is flimsier, the story isn't as good and the references are if anything lost on me which is a shame.
But my main feeling from watching this film was that a lot of the jokes were based around nostalgia, the whole film in fact in steeped in nostalgia and there is a joy of picking out little notes from the previous films and seeing familiar faces, and similar jokes (as ever Simon Pegg has to jump over a fence), but it just wasn't the same, it didn't feel as good or as amazing as before. If anything that makes the film a work of sheer genius, making a film about returning to your home town where things are the same but just don't feel quite right and things just end up being disappointing - people go to see The World's End expecting it to be as good and amazing as the previous films, and it feels like them, but there's something missing, it doesn't quite click, things feel different in a bad way... If that is exactly what Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright were aiming to do, then 'Bravo' is all I can say. The whole film is a metaphor! I've blown this whole thing wide open, I figured it out! Still doesn't mean this film is the best they've ever made, but perfection isn't easy, and this is a good example, they've delivered up to this point and just stumbled at the finishing line.
I'm being so harsh because I know what these guys are capable of, and this just isn't their best. Damn, it's good, it's funny, but it's not as good as it could have been, although I wouldn't know what else to do with it or where to go... So hey, if you want a laugh it's still the funniest comedy I've seen this year so that's something, frankly I'll be watching Hot Fuzz/Shaun of the Dead on ITV2, ta very much.
Wednesday 24 July 2013
Thursday 18 July 2013
Emmys - 2013 Nominations
I just want to join the masses and voice my outrage that neither Hannibal or Orphan Black received any recognition. I get that Orphan Black is a less prolific show on a less acknowledged network but Tatiana Maslany should and must be recognised for her remarkable achievement, damnit she made that show not only watchable but outstanding! Then Hannibal, there are no words, neither Hugh Dancy or Mads Mikkelsen being nominated and then the cinematography, it was simply mindblowingly good!
Also a small shout out to New Girl and it's second year, building on a set of characters, the writers have crafted realistic and loveable people to root for, as well as the acting being top notch. Also Emmy Rossum has once again been snubbed for being the lifeblood that still keeps the US version of Shameless actually interesting.
But then again, I don't honestly know what I was expecting... The stalwarts and David Fincher pretty much took all the spaces. Also shout outs for Vera Farmiga and Jason Bateman for their nods, good times. I also hope Breaking Bad sweeps in it's final year, unless the second half of the season counts for next year?
Also a small shout out to New Girl and it's second year, building on a set of characters, the writers have crafted realistic and loveable people to root for, as well as the acting being top notch. Also Emmy Rossum has once again been snubbed for being the lifeblood that still keeps the US version of Shameless actually interesting.
But then again, I don't honestly know what I was expecting... The stalwarts and David Fincher pretty much took all the spaces. Also shout outs for Vera Farmiga and Jason Bateman for their nods, good times. I also hope Breaking Bad sweeps in it's final year, unless the second half of the season counts for next year?
Pacific Rim
Let me tell you something immediately, why the hell is this film called Pacific Rim? I get it, there's a rift on the ocean floor of the Pacific Ocean, but in Britain, we use the word 'rim' for other purposes. It's a known fact that the English language can be melded into any kind of innuendo, everybody I've ever known has been a variation of the Todd from Scrubs, literally everyone can turn any given statement into something rude with enough thought and sniggering, if not, well they just aren't trying hard enough. Minds in the gutter. So here we are, Pacific Rim, it was literally just too easy. I mean come on. (See also: Snatch, Hurt Locker, Golden Eye, more may come to mind later...)
This was a halfway decent film. I would go as far as to say I actually enjoyed it. Guillermo Del Toro is one of those special people I would describe as an auteur, his fingerprints are all over this project and he has such massive creative control, it's so easy to collar this as one of his films, but there's a distinct difference, there's a huge massive crazy blockbuster budget! There are flashes of brilliance shining through the bellicose insanity taking place in this film. It's the biggest project Del Toro has had to date and clearly the most money he has had to play with and there is fight sequence slap-bang in the middle of this film which is sheer entertainment, it's jaw-dropping, it's thrilling, sure it makes no sense out of context, but the whole scene is so damn good I would let it off and pay for the ticket price alone just to watch that particular scene again. Unfortunately the rest of the film doesn't quite match up to that particular twenty minutes, which is a shame because when it's firing on all cylinders and we see such a good sequence which galvanises everything to this point and pulls us to the final act, it's quite disheartening to see the rest not quite match up.
Pacific Rim is big hulking concept, but who cares when all you have to understand is that there are giant robots scrapping with big bulbous crazy monsters from under the sea. According to my sources there is a whole wealth of exposition that was left out even from the well paced introduction, but hey overloading people with this stuff wouldn't be very thrilling. I described it to a customer as a big action film, much like Godzilla meets Transformers, she let out a loud squeal and said 'Oh no, not for me.' I think the very concept made her want to run away screaming, well she did let out a little scream and then tottered away. Oh right, just to add to that, Kanye West has declared it his favourite film, of course from his aesthetic, he would love something with neon colours and destruction; does this tarnish the film for me? Would I be that petty? Would you? Food for thought.
My point being, this film won't appeal to everyone, and for the most part it almost didn't really appeal to me, but hey Guillermo Del Toro did such a damn good job with Hellboy, and Pan's Labyrinth was such a dark delight, I trusted his judgement. But the lesson here is, bigger doesn't necessarily mean better. The magic of Pan's Labyrinth was how genuinely terrified the scene with the Pale Man made me feel, it was essentially a skinny bald guy chasing a girl down a corridor, it was so much cheaper but my god was it gloriously effective. Not once did I react as strongly Pacific Rim.
I don't want to call Pacific Rim mediocre because it's still a much more interesting concept than the standard popcorn fodder I've deigned to sit through the past few weeks. In fact out of the big blockbusters I would say it was the most interesting and visually immersing than anything wearing a cape I have watched of late.
There are too many spinning wheels too many cogs turning for Pacific Rim to be a fully realised experience, the main characters cause me a bit of a headache, there is the whole science-y part, there's the tentative but ultimately weak romance, there's emotional scars all the characters are trying to carry, there's the fact that the Kaijus are mostly indistinguishable and for giant monsters to not really see much of a difference can confusing, sometimes it's hard to determine just what is taking place on screen, but let's take all that and admit; you can't deny it's ambition.
Idris Elba, king of 'Don't you ever touch me again, oh and one more thing, don't ever touch me again.' Luther* excels at giving the film a level of gravitas that the giant rock-em sock-em robots don't quite manage, the man can literally fill the screen with his presence, he is something else and I'm so glad he's been given something meaty to work with after a scant role in the dreadful Prometheus. Obviously apart from him and the much loved Charlie Day from Always Sunny in Philadelphia, there is nothing exciting about the roles on offer in this film. The lead male is played by Charlie Hunman, he's actually a local lad from Newcastle which feels like home to me at least, I have great respect for anyone with Northern roots (see: Gina McKee), unfortunately all of that is stripped away and replaced with a gravelly standard American accent, that's fine, but he suffers the same fate as Emma Watson with her accent-changes, he literally cannot emote for the life of him with the voice. Which is fine, he's a standard heroic type with a deep pain to tackle and a knack for kicking people in. Then there is his romantic interest, she was in Babel, and as far as romances go this one is straining for credibility. Sure there is a wisp of chemistry between the pair but let's just back up a second.
A unique aspect of powering up the giant robots to contend with the big ole beasties smashing the Earth to pieces, they need two pilots who need to be connected by the brain to control the giant mechs, this is used satisfactorily to tie up the 'getting rid of the monsters for good' conceit and it's just overall a pretty nifty idea which is mostly well executed; it comes with a set of rules. One of the rules is that the two people combining their minds have to have a strong connection 'the stronger the connection the better the fighter' or something to that effect. The two leads barely have any contact apart from the walk and talk, the gaping at each other in a corridor flirting and whacking at one another with sticks, does that a strong connection make? Since when? Was there not enough time to throw in a tiny bit of body contact with out, ahem, wooden sticks? I know it's not that kind of a film, and hey getting horizontal does not a romance make, but I couldn't really see their connection very well, and for their partnership to work there had to be something more to grasp onto surely? There are brother et brother, father et son, a bunch of basketball chums (I think...) two old Ruskie chums, but the presumably most proficient machine is being manned by two people who barely know one another, sure, as it turns out they are pretty damn efficient in the end but godamn, the amount of time spent with them, we don't see much of their 'strong' connection, the film tries pretty hard to set it up, but it doesn't really work... Possibly because the material given to the actors wasn't enough, or perhaps the actors had so little chemistry it was just assumed we'd accept it. I just don't get it, call me idiotic. Never mind...
Then there is the whole science-y part, I'm not going to go into great detail about it but stock scientist archetypes working through their theories to provide a decent plan was just a bit bleh... Funny to a degree but still achingly standard.
Pacific Rim as a film certainly has it's problems, there are some timing issues which is hampered by a pretty much failed attempt at fleshing out some of the characters which mostly just falls apart. Then there is the fact that out of the action sequences the best one is in the middle of the film, we see all four Jaegers taking to the field and watch as two quite interesting monsters shred through them, then it goes from the ocean to the city, just basically the whole sequence was awesome, the film before that was set up, the film after that was just a bit disappointing. It also mostly set at night in the rain, it's a film that's desperate to be seen in 3D (which I avoided) and for once I was a bit disappointed I didn't see it in that form because I can imagine the added depth to certain sequences might have aided it, because damn it's a beautiful film, my brain will be filled with images of neon brightly coloured streets glowing in the midnight rain, as giant mechs attack indistinguishable squishy monsters. But hey just to change it up a tiny bit, why not see a sequence in the daylight? Or would that be more difficult...?
Del Toro's personality shines through in each shot, visually it's a stunning film and it's sometimes quite breathtaking to observe, but it's also a film, lest we forget, about giant robots punching giant monsters, and that's all it will be remembered for, because for the most part, that's what it did best. I do believe we have learned that in this regard bigger isn't always better, but I would warrant that this is a learning curve for Del Toro, and he can only get better, it feels like he literally went mad with the amount of money he had to make this film and he enjoyed every second, and that beams through the screens, he's having a damn good time. Sure most people won't really see what all the excitement is about, but letting this man loose can only mean good things, and perhaps this is a step in a direction that could lead to great things. Pacific Rim has made me optimistic for the future, and it's just good to know that Del Toro has an infinite imagination and a good sense of humour, it'll serve him well because I really think this could lead to something very interesting.
*What do you mean you've never watched Luther, I implore you to go forth now and watch it!
This was a halfway decent film. I would go as far as to say I actually enjoyed it. Guillermo Del Toro is one of those special people I would describe as an auteur, his fingerprints are all over this project and he has such massive creative control, it's so easy to collar this as one of his films, but there's a distinct difference, there's a huge massive crazy blockbuster budget! There are flashes of brilliance shining through the bellicose insanity taking place in this film. It's the biggest project Del Toro has had to date and clearly the most money he has had to play with and there is fight sequence slap-bang in the middle of this film which is sheer entertainment, it's jaw-dropping, it's thrilling, sure it makes no sense out of context, but the whole scene is so damn good I would let it off and pay for the ticket price alone just to watch that particular scene again. Unfortunately the rest of the film doesn't quite match up to that particular twenty minutes, which is a shame because when it's firing on all cylinders and we see such a good sequence which galvanises everything to this point and pulls us to the final act, it's quite disheartening to see the rest not quite match up.
Pacific Rim is big hulking concept, but who cares when all you have to understand is that there are giant robots scrapping with big bulbous crazy monsters from under the sea. According to my sources there is a whole wealth of exposition that was left out even from the well paced introduction, but hey overloading people with this stuff wouldn't be very thrilling. I described it to a customer as a big action film, much like Godzilla meets Transformers, she let out a loud squeal and said 'Oh no, not for me.' I think the very concept made her want to run away screaming, well she did let out a little scream and then tottered away. Oh right, just to add to that, Kanye West has declared it his favourite film, of course from his aesthetic, he would love something with neon colours and destruction; does this tarnish the film for me? Would I be that petty? Would you? Food for thought.
My point being, this film won't appeal to everyone, and for the most part it almost didn't really appeal to me, but hey Guillermo Del Toro did such a damn good job with Hellboy, and Pan's Labyrinth was such a dark delight, I trusted his judgement. But the lesson here is, bigger doesn't necessarily mean better. The magic of Pan's Labyrinth was how genuinely terrified the scene with the Pale Man made me feel, it was essentially a skinny bald guy chasing a girl down a corridor, it was so much cheaper but my god was it gloriously effective. Not once did I react as strongly Pacific Rim.
I don't want to call Pacific Rim mediocre because it's still a much more interesting concept than the standard popcorn fodder I've deigned to sit through the past few weeks. In fact out of the big blockbusters I would say it was the most interesting and visually immersing than anything wearing a cape I have watched of late.
There are too many spinning wheels too many cogs turning for Pacific Rim to be a fully realised experience, the main characters cause me a bit of a headache, there is the whole science-y part, there's the tentative but ultimately weak romance, there's emotional scars all the characters are trying to carry, there's the fact that the Kaijus are mostly indistinguishable and for giant monsters to not really see much of a difference can confusing, sometimes it's hard to determine just what is taking place on screen, but let's take all that and admit; you can't deny it's ambition.
Idris Elba, king of 'Don't you ever touch me again, oh and one more thing, don't ever touch me again.' Luther* excels at giving the film a level of gravitas that the giant rock-em sock-em robots don't quite manage, the man can literally fill the screen with his presence, he is something else and I'm so glad he's been given something meaty to work with after a scant role in the dreadful Prometheus. Obviously apart from him and the much loved Charlie Day from Always Sunny in Philadelphia, there is nothing exciting about the roles on offer in this film. The lead male is played by Charlie Hunman, he's actually a local lad from Newcastle which feels like home to me at least, I have great respect for anyone with Northern roots (see: Gina McKee), unfortunately all of that is stripped away and replaced with a gravelly standard American accent, that's fine, but he suffers the same fate as Emma Watson with her accent-changes, he literally cannot emote for the life of him with the voice. Which is fine, he's a standard heroic type with a deep pain to tackle and a knack for kicking people in. Then there is his romantic interest, she was in Babel, and as far as romances go this one is straining for credibility. Sure there is a wisp of chemistry between the pair but let's just back up a second.
A unique aspect of powering up the giant robots to contend with the big ole beasties smashing the Earth to pieces, they need two pilots who need to be connected by the brain to control the giant mechs, this is used satisfactorily to tie up the 'getting rid of the monsters for good' conceit and it's just overall a pretty nifty idea which is mostly well executed; it comes with a set of rules. One of the rules is that the two people combining their minds have to have a strong connection 'the stronger the connection the better the fighter' or something to that effect. The two leads barely have any contact apart from the walk and talk, the gaping at each other in a corridor flirting and whacking at one another with sticks, does that a strong connection make? Since when? Was there not enough time to throw in a tiny bit of body contact with out, ahem, wooden sticks? I know it's not that kind of a film, and hey getting horizontal does not a romance make, but I couldn't really see their connection very well, and for their partnership to work there had to be something more to grasp onto surely? There are brother et brother, father et son, a bunch of basketball chums (I think...) two old Ruskie chums, but the presumably most proficient machine is being manned by two people who barely know one another, sure, as it turns out they are pretty damn efficient in the end but godamn, the amount of time spent with them, we don't see much of their 'strong' connection, the film tries pretty hard to set it up, but it doesn't really work... Possibly because the material given to the actors wasn't enough, or perhaps the actors had so little chemistry it was just assumed we'd accept it. I just don't get it, call me idiotic. Never mind...
Then there is the whole science-y part, I'm not going to go into great detail about it but stock scientist archetypes working through their theories to provide a decent plan was just a bit bleh... Funny to a degree but still achingly standard.
Pacific Rim as a film certainly has it's problems, there are some timing issues which is hampered by a pretty much failed attempt at fleshing out some of the characters which mostly just falls apart. Then there is the fact that out of the action sequences the best one is in the middle of the film, we see all four Jaegers taking to the field and watch as two quite interesting monsters shred through them, then it goes from the ocean to the city, just basically the whole sequence was awesome, the film before that was set up, the film after that was just a bit disappointing. It also mostly set at night in the rain, it's a film that's desperate to be seen in 3D (which I avoided) and for once I was a bit disappointed I didn't see it in that form because I can imagine the added depth to certain sequences might have aided it, because damn it's a beautiful film, my brain will be filled with images of neon brightly coloured streets glowing in the midnight rain, as giant mechs attack indistinguishable squishy monsters. But hey just to change it up a tiny bit, why not see a sequence in the daylight? Or would that be more difficult...?
Del Toro's personality shines through in each shot, visually it's a stunning film and it's sometimes quite breathtaking to observe, but it's also a film, lest we forget, about giant robots punching giant monsters, and that's all it will be remembered for, because for the most part, that's what it did best. I do believe we have learned that in this regard bigger isn't always better, but I would warrant that this is a learning curve for Del Toro, and he can only get better, it feels like he literally went mad with the amount of money he had to make this film and he enjoyed every second, and that beams through the screens, he's having a damn good time. Sure most people won't really see what all the excitement is about, but letting this man loose can only mean good things, and perhaps this is a step in a direction that could lead to great things. Pacific Rim has made me optimistic for the future, and it's just good to know that Del Toro has an infinite imagination and a good sense of humour, it'll serve him well because I really think this could lead to something very interesting.
*What do you mean you've never watched Luther, I implore you to go forth now and watch it!
Tuesday 16 July 2013
Triple
I decided to react to three different films today, I went and see them and three failed blogs have been written, rewritten and scrapped. Even without any internet to distract I failed miserably at writing anything substantial, so I simply converted a singular entry into a dumping ground for the films I have little to say for in one easy to observe place.
It would seem that in my never-ending quest to find a perfectly crafted film, I have forgotten that films aren't there to be challenging, perfect examples of humanity and entertainment; instead cinema is about simply entertaining and, well, getting people to part with their disposable income and make shitloads of money. So here is a slew of films which are essentially easy-going and... Fun? None of them blew my mind, or made me say 'Wow! That was AWESOME.' But few films succeed in that regard, anyhoo, what are you going to do.
This is the End
James Franco is having a houseparty, everyone is invited, then the world ends, and well, all hell breaks loose. - wait, I think this might have been the tag-line.
The best part of this film is the fact that actors are essentially playing skewed versions of their public selves, just ruder and more obtuse than usual. James Franco could provide laughs a plenty by just essentially being his presumed self. Fine, I have a weird affection for James Franco, it's tempered with an eye-rolling irritation at his talent, but damn is he pretty... Seth Rogen and Jay Baruchel are along for the ride having a bro-lover's tiff. There is a tension between the three of them obviously because Seth and James starred in Judd Apatow's beloved Freaks and Geeks together, then Rogen went on to star in Apatow's follow-up Undeclared which also starred Baruchel. Bleh I know these things, and goes a lot towards explaining the kind of bro-love triangle. As I know very little about the intricacies of men and their bro-mances, I just determined all of their bickering and tension was basically because they essentially had a deep sexual longing for one another, because most men hope the same from women whenever they are having their arguments. I don't know what version of sexism I am consigning to with these thoughts. I just wanted James Franco to simply sigh and start kissing someone, anyone would do, in fact him and Danny McBride had some serious chemistry, that would have worked just fine. These are the things that concern me when I'm supposed to not be thinking and simply enjoying mindless action/comedy. Also along for the ride are Jonah Hill (I hate you the most) and Craig Robinson. Basically they all bicker and bounce of each other being generally idiotic, inappropriate and all around useless when it comes to survival.
Oh and mentioning the Freaks and Geeks history, Franco actually has some paintings of the old freaks and the geeks on his walls, they aren't addressed like his other artwork, (giant ceramic penis anyone?) but they are there and it made me feel warm and fuzzy. Another acknowledgement of previous collaborations would be the much needed, home/high-made version of Pineapple Express 2 with Paper Planes playing extremely loudly over famous actors dicking about and acting terribly. By far the funniest sequence in the film. Everyone loves reference humour, it's the new thing clearly, and this film is brimming with them, plus people love those who are happy to poke fun at themselves, I can see why this has been well received.
The film had some laughs, if laughs are wrung from people taking drugs and being extremely rude to one another. This is also with life-threatening circumstances and the bunch of actors reasoning out their purpose for existence is far more important than most others, they bring joy to people! They act like it's hot when it's cold, or cold when it's hot! They have to remember lines! They are the most important people in the world! So we all get some laughs out of their self-awareness, and the ridiculousness of the situation.
Any of the other jokes fall a bit flat in my mind, mainly because dick jokes are not the pinnacle of good humour - as amusing as it is to watch Franco and McBride argue about ejaculation it's not as funny as they think it is, the drug jokes and rape jokes just don't land, along with most of the film... I sniggered but I never actually laughed, apart from the bit with Pineapple Express 2, but that was just fun; the film tries to riff on The Exorcist but it fails miserably, the same joke twice is never a good idea especially when the second time round it's just rubbish. As with any film of this ilk, it goes on about thirty minutes too long for no reason, the material always starts to outstay it's welcome after a while and this is no exception.
The whole bit about it being the Rapture and the Hollywood gang don't get into Heaven because, well they are horrible people, means the end really rings hollow for me personally because, well they don't prove to be very deserving when it comes down to it, it's not particularly earned in my book. Perhaps my bleak outlook has led me to believe that low-beat endings are better, but I hate unearned happy endings, I don't like Forrest Gump either (see: history graduate). Just call me crazy but wouldn't it be funnier for everyone to be doomed to hell forever? HAHAHAHA! No...? Just me.
It had about fifteen minutes of funny material, the premise was a good one in theory, but it was long and stupid, and the testosterone was just suffocating, then again what was I expecting?
Oh! Apparently Backstreet's back, again.
Now You See Me
Someone asked me what this film was about the other day and I just waved my arms at my sides and hissed 'magic'. Surprisingly this was the most dense of my three film party, and it has been the best received out of the three. I say this, it's more public opinion at the cinema, everyone was really surprised by how much they liked it, how well the twist worked (it didn't really...) and it was entertaining, slick and interesting enough to waste an hour or two. So the general feeling is that it was good? My opinion, completely unfazed by this film.
Out of the three films it took itself the most seriously, and it tried so hard to be clever and interesting but it was pretty damn dumb. Also, the whole magician's conceit is a great idea, having magician's robbing banks is a good one, but when the film takes ten minutes to explain how they went about it, well my eyes nearly rolled into the back of my skull. The film goes to great lengths to make it seem like it's all happening in real time, but it's clear to anyone who has ever watched any film in the past twenty years, it's just part of the illusion or has an iota of scepticism in their system... This immediately soured the film for me as I realised the film didn't want to treat me like someone with half a brain, it just wanted to have some loud crazy fun.
Fine, I figured, let's have some pointless fun.
I hate big stage productions, scripted arena madness, crowd pleasing, theatrics, scripts! Blah, piss the crowd off with your incompetence and go home. Play a different song that no one knows and watch the audience shrink as they rush to the bar or queue for the loos. Forget the numbers, fumble the cards, let out a swear word when you stub your toe, get stage fright and look bewildered and in awe in the space of a few seconds then bolt. Fuck it up! Failing that, dress in drag and sing Viva Las Vegas. That's entertainment! Just me?
What was I talking about...?
Oh right, poor Woody Harrelson... They gave him nothing, NOTHING! I have serious deep seated desire for Woody Harrelson and they gave him criminally little to do, in fact every line he said I could add up on my fingers, and most of them were cheap jokes. Then there was Jesse Eisenberg, hello young man, you are still playing the wise-ass, well done, it's working for you, as is that shirt/jumper combo, bravo, Oscar in the bag! Franco's little brother, being little and having a decent action sequence to show off his flexibility, good show! Isla Fisher, you look smoking hot... That's all. Melanie Laurent, french and beguiling. Mark Ruffalo... Oh Mark Ruffalo... Buff as a ... hulk-man thing... We never really spent enough time with any character to mark them as actual people, Laurent is a no nonsense Interpol agent but also has some weird belief that simply believing in some things is just... Fine? Ruffalo has a grumpy FBI agent to play, and does plenty of grumpy desperate FBI things as he becomes more harried and frustrated throughout, then he just suddenly flips a switch and becomes all Zen about all things. The four core magicians are basically sketched individuals but have little depth or time spent with them to make them actually interesting, the time spent with them give us nothing to actually care about. Actually there was nothing to care about, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman are there too, neither look like they actually give a shit, which is never more obvious when they are in a scene together, two of the greatest actors alive and not one shit is given, it's amazing! That aside...
It was far too up it's own deceit to care about the audience. It pulled certain threads, left others bewilderingly hanging, it didn't really explain some points, but puts masses of energy into exploring other irritatingly small parts which people could have figured out themselves. The twist at the end was as contrived as anything. As I say, it was trying to be really clever but only for some parts, others it was really dumb, there was no real consistency. It was dumb fun, polished until glossy and forgettable.
Despicable Me 2
A sequel takes what we love about the first instalment and expands and explores new dynamics in order to add a fresh look at the characters we have come to adore. Or, there's the Hollywood standard, the old adage, if it ain't broke don't fix it, don't change too much, make it bigger more explosive, but retread old tracks so as not to alienate the audience and make as much money as possible. I will grant that Despicable Me 2 does try to add more, do something different without drastically changing the status quo that everyone loved about the original but... Well it was just light on anything else really... It added a new element, it increased the exposure of the best part of the previous film (the minions) and tries to shoe horn some emotional beats in there; for the most part it works, but it's also incredibly formulaic and lacking in the 'freshness' department.
Single man raising three young girls, relatively adequately, alone? Not on your life. Introduce a female to complete the fictional family immediately! Kristen Wiig, well isn't she great, and her character is a lot of fun, she's sweet and funny, she wears a scarf too! Good times!
Obviously it's painfully formulaic, the jokes and story-lines leave threads open for nothing to be surprising. This is even more noticeable when you are at a late night staff showing for cinema staff only, there is free booze, everyone is a bit tipsy and we all have our shoes off and stretched out on the sofas shouting at the screen what is going to happen next. The accuracy was alarming considering how bloody tired we all were and how much beer had been consumed.
Ah, you say, 'It's a kid's film, it's not supposed to be challenging!' But come on! That's bull. Despicable Me was fun because it was unpredictable and fun, the best Pixar films are the ones where you literally couldn't guess what the hell was going to happen next - hence why since Toy Story 3 they have ushered their way quietly out of the Golden Era into a kind of creative slump as their stories become more and more standard...
The best kids films are ones that entertain adults as well as the children, and in this case a bunch of mid-twenties cinema workers, it didn't really make any when the best joke in the film is a little yellow tic-tac in dungarees sniggering at the name Ramsbottom* well you have a problem!
Sure it's funny, it's accessible, the minions get way more to do, and boy do that lot know how to throw a great party. A good test for a film is to acknowledge where the best material is, and that's either in the first twenty minutes or the trailer, it's a painful but true fact.
It was just ok, it was a good laugh, and I'm sure the kids will enjoy it, or even multiple times a day until the DVD is snapped in half by an irate older family member one afternoon after the fiftieth time in a row of watching it.
So revisiting these films took a lot more effort than I anticipated, I apologise for my lacklustre opinions. I promise to try harder next time.
* I knew a girl with that surname at a previous job, it took lots of self-control not to giggle, the amount of rudey surnames in the world astound even me.
It would seem that in my never-ending quest to find a perfectly crafted film, I have forgotten that films aren't there to be challenging, perfect examples of humanity and entertainment; instead cinema is about simply entertaining and, well, getting people to part with their disposable income and make shitloads of money. So here is a slew of films which are essentially easy-going and... Fun? None of them blew my mind, or made me say 'Wow! That was AWESOME.' But few films succeed in that regard, anyhoo, what are you going to do.
This is the End
James Franco is having a houseparty, everyone is invited, then the world ends, and well, all hell breaks loose. - wait, I think this might have been the tag-line.
The best part of this film is the fact that actors are essentially playing skewed versions of their public selves, just ruder and more obtuse than usual. James Franco could provide laughs a plenty by just essentially being his presumed self. Fine, I have a weird affection for James Franco, it's tempered with an eye-rolling irritation at his talent, but damn is he pretty... Seth Rogen and Jay Baruchel are along for the ride having a bro-lover's tiff. There is a tension between the three of them obviously because Seth and James starred in Judd Apatow's beloved Freaks and Geeks together, then Rogen went on to star in Apatow's follow-up Undeclared which also starred Baruchel. Bleh I know these things, and goes a lot towards explaining the kind of bro-love triangle. As I know very little about the intricacies of men and their bro-mances, I just determined all of their bickering and tension was basically because they essentially had a deep sexual longing for one another, because most men hope the same from women whenever they are having their arguments. I don't know what version of sexism I am consigning to with these thoughts. I just wanted James Franco to simply sigh and start kissing someone, anyone would do, in fact him and Danny McBride had some serious chemistry, that would have worked just fine. These are the things that concern me when I'm supposed to not be thinking and simply enjoying mindless action/comedy. Also along for the ride are Jonah Hill (I hate you the most) and Craig Robinson. Basically they all bicker and bounce of each other being generally idiotic, inappropriate and all around useless when it comes to survival.
Oh and mentioning the Freaks and Geeks history, Franco actually has some paintings of the old freaks and the geeks on his walls, they aren't addressed like his other artwork, (giant ceramic penis anyone?) but they are there and it made me feel warm and fuzzy. Another acknowledgement of previous collaborations would be the much needed, home/high-made version of Pineapple Express 2 with Paper Planes playing extremely loudly over famous actors dicking about and acting terribly. By far the funniest sequence in the film. Everyone loves reference humour, it's the new thing clearly, and this film is brimming with them, plus people love those who are happy to poke fun at themselves, I can see why this has been well received.
The film had some laughs, if laughs are wrung from people taking drugs and being extremely rude to one another. This is also with life-threatening circumstances and the bunch of actors reasoning out their purpose for existence is far more important than most others, they bring joy to people! They act like it's hot when it's cold, or cold when it's hot! They have to remember lines! They are the most important people in the world! So we all get some laughs out of their self-awareness, and the ridiculousness of the situation.
Any of the other jokes fall a bit flat in my mind, mainly because dick jokes are not the pinnacle of good humour - as amusing as it is to watch Franco and McBride argue about ejaculation it's not as funny as they think it is, the drug jokes and rape jokes just don't land, along with most of the film... I sniggered but I never actually laughed, apart from the bit with Pineapple Express 2, but that was just fun; the film tries to riff on The Exorcist but it fails miserably, the same joke twice is never a good idea especially when the second time round it's just rubbish. As with any film of this ilk, it goes on about thirty minutes too long for no reason, the material always starts to outstay it's welcome after a while and this is no exception.
The whole bit about it being the Rapture and the Hollywood gang don't get into Heaven because, well they are horrible people, means the end really rings hollow for me personally because, well they don't prove to be very deserving when it comes down to it, it's not particularly earned in my book. Perhaps my bleak outlook has led me to believe that low-beat endings are better, but I hate unearned happy endings, I don't like Forrest Gump either (see: history graduate). Just call me crazy but wouldn't it be funnier for everyone to be doomed to hell forever? HAHAHAHA! No...? Just me.
It had about fifteen minutes of funny material, the premise was a good one in theory, but it was long and stupid, and the testosterone was just suffocating, then again what was I expecting?
Oh! Apparently Backstreet's back, again.
Now You See Me
Someone asked me what this film was about the other day and I just waved my arms at my sides and hissed 'magic'. Surprisingly this was the most dense of my three film party, and it has been the best received out of the three. I say this, it's more public opinion at the cinema, everyone was really surprised by how much they liked it, how well the twist worked (it didn't really...) and it was entertaining, slick and interesting enough to waste an hour or two. So the general feeling is that it was good? My opinion, completely unfazed by this film.
Out of the three films it took itself the most seriously, and it tried so hard to be clever and interesting but it was pretty damn dumb. Also, the whole magician's conceit is a great idea, having magician's robbing banks is a good one, but when the film takes ten minutes to explain how they went about it, well my eyes nearly rolled into the back of my skull. The film goes to great lengths to make it seem like it's all happening in real time, but it's clear to anyone who has ever watched any film in the past twenty years, it's just part of the illusion or has an iota of scepticism in their system... This immediately soured the film for me as I realised the film didn't want to treat me like someone with half a brain, it just wanted to have some loud crazy fun.
Fine, I figured, let's have some pointless fun.
I hate big stage productions, scripted arena madness, crowd pleasing, theatrics, scripts! Blah, piss the crowd off with your incompetence and go home. Play a different song that no one knows and watch the audience shrink as they rush to the bar or queue for the loos. Forget the numbers, fumble the cards, let out a swear word when you stub your toe, get stage fright and look bewildered and in awe in the space of a few seconds then bolt. Fuck it up! Failing that, dress in drag and sing Viva Las Vegas. That's entertainment! Just me?
What was I talking about...?
Oh right, poor Woody Harrelson... They gave him nothing, NOTHING! I have serious deep seated desire for Woody Harrelson and they gave him criminally little to do, in fact every line he said I could add up on my fingers, and most of them were cheap jokes. Then there was Jesse Eisenberg, hello young man, you are still playing the wise-ass, well done, it's working for you, as is that shirt/jumper combo, bravo, Oscar in the bag! Franco's little brother, being little and having a decent action sequence to show off his flexibility, good show! Isla Fisher, you look smoking hot... That's all. Melanie Laurent, french and beguiling. Mark Ruffalo... Oh Mark Ruffalo... Buff as a ... hulk-man thing... We never really spent enough time with any character to mark them as actual people, Laurent is a no nonsense Interpol agent but also has some weird belief that simply believing in some things is just... Fine? Ruffalo has a grumpy FBI agent to play, and does plenty of grumpy desperate FBI things as he becomes more harried and frustrated throughout, then he just suddenly flips a switch and becomes all Zen about all things. The four core magicians are basically sketched individuals but have little depth or time spent with them to make them actually interesting, the time spent with them give us nothing to actually care about. Actually there was nothing to care about, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman are there too, neither look like they actually give a shit, which is never more obvious when they are in a scene together, two of the greatest actors alive and not one shit is given, it's amazing! That aside...
It was far too up it's own deceit to care about the audience. It pulled certain threads, left others bewilderingly hanging, it didn't really explain some points, but puts masses of energy into exploring other irritatingly small parts which people could have figured out themselves. The twist at the end was as contrived as anything. As I say, it was trying to be really clever but only for some parts, others it was really dumb, there was no real consistency. It was dumb fun, polished until glossy and forgettable.
Despicable Me 2
A sequel takes what we love about the first instalment and expands and explores new dynamics in order to add a fresh look at the characters we have come to adore. Or, there's the Hollywood standard, the old adage, if it ain't broke don't fix it, don't change too much, make it bigger more explosive, but retread old tracks so as not to alienate the audience and make as much money as possible. I will grant that Despicable Me 2 does try to add more, do something different without drastically changing the status quo that everyone loved about the original but... Well it was just light on anything else really... It added a new element, it increased the exposure of the best part of the previous film (the minions) and tries to shoe horn some emotional beats in there; for the most part it works, but it's also incredibly formulaic and lacking in the 'freshness' department.
Single man raising three young girls, relatively adequately, alone? Not on your life. Introduce a female to complete the fictional family immediately! Kristen Wiig, well isn't she great, and her character is a lot of fun, she's sweet and funny, she wears a scarf too! Good times!
Obviously it's painfully formulaic, the jokes and story-lines leave threads open for nothing to be surprising. This is even more noticeable when you are at a late night staff showing for cinema staff only, there is free booze, everyone is a bit tipsy and we all have our shoes off and stretched out on the sofas shouting at the screen what is going to happen next. The accuracy was alarming considering how bloody tired we all were and how much beer had been consumed.
Ah, you say, 'It's a kid's film, it's not supposed to be challenging!' But come on! That's bull. Despicable Me was fun because it was unpredictable and fun, the best Pixar films are the ones where you literally couldn't guess what the hell was going to happen next - hence why since Toy Story 3 they have ushered their way quietly out of the Golden Era into a kind of creative slump as their stories become more and more standard...
The best kids films are ones that entertain adults as well as the children, and in this case a bunch of mid-twenties cinema workers, it didn't really make any when the best joke in the film is a little yellow tic-tac in dungarees sniggering at the name Ramsbottom* well you have a problem!
Sure it's funny, it's accessible, the minions get way more to do, and boy do that lot know how to throw a great party. A good test for a film is to acknowledge where the best material is, and that's either in the first twenty minutes or the trailer, it's a painful but true fact.
It was just ok, it was a good laugh, and I'm sure the kids will enjoy it, or even multiple times a day until the DVD is snapped in half by an irate older family member one afternoon after the fiftieth time in a row of watching it.
So revisiting these films took a lot more effort than I anticipated, I apologise for my lacklustre opinions. I promise to try harder next time.
* I knew a girl with that surname at a previous job, it took lots of self-control not to giggle, the amount of rudey surnames in the world astound even me.
Wednesday 10 July 2013
Bling Ring
Shallow, that is my main complaint about this film, and it's ironic because that's the point, I know. My inclination is to worm towards thinking perhaps it's brilliant in that regard, for literally having a bunch of youthful airheads spewing obtuse horrifying statements whilst maintaining expressions of complete obliviousness.
No idea where to start so, starting with the good.
A great soundtrack does not a good film make. The songs are achingly cool and apt in this film and I couldn't praise it enough. In fact just watch the trailer over and over with the soundtrack running in the background for an hour and you'll get the perfect vibe of the film without feeling short-changed at the cinema.
Along with the classy soundtrack I have to admit the film is cut together quite beautifully. Use of Facebook and some party sequences are a whole lot of fun, there is a well shot sequence of Audrina Patridge's home being burgled. There is a flair and daring to some sequences I found myself enjoying. But then this is just undercut by some sections in which interview clips are used at various points for voice overs to hammer home the points the film is trying to make. But wait? Wasn't this supposed to flesh out the story a little bit? Well, how much can we trust coming out of these people's mouths? An interview has certain constraints, and there is no honesty to anything these people are saying, they are just spouting the same crap. Sure it gives a little bit of insight but I just found it so difficult to engage with such vacuous shells? Plus voice-overs are pet peeves of mine when it comes to any kind of film in general.
Apart from our brief insights from controlled interviews all we really see is their inane conversations. This is where the film falls apart for me, the characters are so idiotic and two-dimensional it's alarming how little I cared about... well anything. Which brings me to the seemingly infallible Emma Watson; once again I find myself, distractingly underwhelmed. She's a beautiful girl, and she had so much less to work with here, she's got that American accent nailed and I can appreciate how hard it is to be airheaded and shallow when in reality you're a thoughtful and caring talented young woman, but it's not a performance I would rate. From the scant few things I've heard about this film everyone has raved about Emma Watson, from what I can see she simply got a plum role, she was given more fun stuff to work with, but any other actress could have probably done a pretty decent job - she had a few more interesting scenes and had to say obtuse things with a straight face. I just always feel like screaming at the screen 'EMOTE GODAMNIT!' Perhaps there are subtleties to her acting that I simply cannot see, or maybe this just wasn't a role which demanded any strong emotions besides the ocassional perfunctory statement and acting like a brat.
As for the rest of the cast there was about as much charisma among them as I would find simply standing next to line of lampposts*. Not the brightest bulbs it would seem and as their star-power combined couldn't compare to Emma Wattage, it would seem there's not much more to say than, they also failed to make any impact. It's a shame too because after much reflection I think the two main players had a chance to make a real go of it with the material; Marc for example is a unique character and we get the bare bones of his motivations but perhaps the constraints of moving the plot along and taking photos of themselves with their phones got in the way. He does a couple interesting things but it doesn't require any serious heavy lifting on the actors part apart from dicking about mostly...
Sofia Coppola is director famed for allowing the plot to take place and simply following through with the sequence of events, she doesn't get too involved in trying to make any statement, she simply allows what is happening to speak for itself; she's non-judgemental and therefore doesn't make a point of condemning or celebrating the actions of the Bling Ring. Is this fair? It would be fair to say, we spend a lot more time with the gang when they are robbing and living vicariously, rather than the fallout of their actions, but it's not a cautionary tale, Coppola simply is telling the story and the effective end is the gang being sentenced for their crimes and going their separate ways. (It's not a spoiler, watch the news.) In this regard it's quite a simple story, but one that hasn't really done like this before and for the most part it works in a kind of flashy Hollywood version of events, with those flourishes and awesome tunes playing. But hey for it to work for me as a good film it had to be more, more thought through, more interesting, more to chew over, and for what it was, it was pretty lean.
There is a stand-out scene for me, in which the girls, having just looted Paris Hilton's house for what would seem like the fifth time, they discover she has the same dress twice. Later we're at the club having a good old party, Emma Watson is throwing some moves on the dance-floor in a natty dress and her mate is pounding the tiles with her in the exact same dress. There is no giant arrow pointing this out, it's subtly done, but it spoke volumes to me. Hey all the money in the world isn't going to make you an individual, all these beautiful things exist and there are copies of them everywhere, because someone else has it you value it more, etc etc. It was a sly well done few seconds visual humour. There was also a funny aside in which Marc steals some pink Paris Hilton shoes and they make some reappearances through the film. These little flourishes made Bling Ring seem smarter than I would have initially given it credit for but then again, as Coppola isn't doing much more than showing us what happened rather than casting judgement, there isn't really much else going on beneath the surface.
The interest in this film lies in seeing what's happening in these celebrities homes, which all, apart from Paris Hilton's house, look like actual normal homes. What is quite befuddling is that with all the money in the world, people still forget to lock all their doors, or invest in better security, but hey when there Rolexes in the cupboard and Prada in the walk-in closet let's leave the back porch open! Also Megan Fox with a gun under the bed is just frankly alarming, especially when these people are rooting through her drawers... The good sport Hilton is, she actually let the crew film in her real house, with her real cushions with her face and her walls covered in her picture, clearly she has no issue with exposing herself to people, or her idiocy of leaving her keys under the mat.
So there are fun and games to be had. I won't deny the film has a good crack at trying to make a point as to why these people are how they are, with the interview voice-over work and some Leslie Mann school of crazy scenes, but it's so hard to care when the performances are flat and the trajectory of the plot becomes tedious.
I will probably always have this problem with Sofia Coppola's films, they simply don't have charisma. Lost in Translation, her best film by a mile was elevated to a different plane simply by having Bill Murray. Obviously Bill Murray is one of the greatest actors that ever lived and it's hard to cap the kind of quality he brings to proceedings, but even with a minimalist plot and a meandering sense of meaninglessness, Murray just brought so much to so little, he just effervesces charisma. Ever since Coppola has tried to recapture this, specifically with Somewhere, which was just awful. Bling Ring is witty in it's own way, it has those visual flourishes and there is food for thought there, but it's all buried beneath the fact that the actors/characters are nothing to get excited about, nothing to be interested in.
It's a shallow world we live in, it's a shallow bunch of people we are with, so it's only fair that I find myself disconnected from this particular lifestyle and sequence of events, there is no personal interest in there for me. Sure I like to read the gossip magazines, know who's with who, what beautiful dresses they are wearing, but I acknowledge the disconnect between that world and my own. The characters are Bling Ring are trying desperately to be a part of that world, but it's just so pointless, I can't begin to sympathise with them. This is of course unfair to all films everywhere as the rich tapestry of life and the film industry begs me to view other people's lives and views removing myself from my own assumptions - but in this case I find the disconnect from this world and my own too frustrating, it's so close yet so alien at the same time... It's fame money hungry youngsters wanting more from life, it's so easy to understand, and yet I intensely dislike the whole bunch of them. Coppola clearly doesn't want me to like the bunch of them but still. I want to understand, otherwise what's the point of basing this on real events? It might as well be fantasy; which is what these people are trying to attain, their own fantasies... I'm just talking myself into circles here. To me if there was something more there, perhaps better actors, better scripting, some better way of conveying the story to make it really pop out of the screen... I don't know what that is though and usually I have a vague idea what is missing from a film.
The soundtrack is cool, the editing is nifty, there are flashes of brilliance, but overall I can't find myself loving this film because there is nothing to galvanise this all together to make it great, it's just missing something, something special... And no it's not Bill Murray, although all films are made infinitely better with his presence, it's just something more transcendental, it just didn't click for me.
*It would seem when words fail me I just go with lamppost. It seemed apt here, they are all skinny bright young things...
No idea where to start so, starting with the good.
A great soundtrack does not a good film make. The songs are achingly cool and apt in this film and I couldn't praise it enough. In fact just watch the trailer over and over with the soundtrack running in the background for an hour and you'll get the perfect vibe of the film without feeling short-changed at the cinema.
Along with the classy soundtrack I have to admit the film is cut together quite beautifully. Use of Facebook and some party sequences are a whole lot of fun, there is a well shot sequence of Audrina Patridge's home being burgled. There is a flair and daring to some sequences I found myself enjoying. But then this is just undercut by some sections in which interview clips are used at various points for voice overs to hammer home the points the film is trying to make. But wait? Wasn't this supposed to flesh out the story a little bit? Well, how much can we trust coming out of these people's mouths? An interview has certain constraints, and there is no honesty to anything these people are saying, they are just spouting the same crap. Sure it gives a little bit of insight but I just found it so difficult to engage with such vacuous shells? Plus voice-overs are pet peeves of mine when it comes to any kind of film in general.
Apart from our brief insights from controlled interviews all we really see is their inane conversations. This is where the film falls apart for me, the characters are so idiotic and two-dimensional it's alarming how little I cared about... well anything. Which brings me to the seemingly infallible Emma Watson; once again I find myself, distractingly underwhelmed. She's a beautiful girl, and she had so much less to work with here, she's got that American accent nailed and I can appreciate how hard it is to be airheaded and shallow when in reality you're a thoughtful and caring talented young woman, but it's not a performance I would rate. From the scant few things I've heard about this film everyone has raved about Emma Watson, from what I can see she simply got a plum role, she was given more fun stuff to work with, but any other actress could have probably done a pretty decent job - she had a few more interesting scenes and had to say obtuse things with a straight face. I just always feel like screaming at the screen 'EMOTE GODAMNIT!' Perhaps there are subtleties to her acting that I simply cannot see, or maybe this just wasn't a role which demanded any strong emotions besides the ocassional perfunctory statement and acting like a brat.
As for the rest of the cast there was about as much charisma among them as I would find simply standing next to line of lampposts*. Not the brightest bulbs it would seem and as their star-power combined couldn't compare to Emma Wattage, it would seem there's not much more to say than, they also failed to make any impact. It's a shame too because after much reflection I think the two main players had a chance to make a real go of it with the material; Marc for example is a unique character and we get the bare bones of his motivations but perhaps the constraints of moving the plot along and taking photos of themselves with their phones got in the way. He does a couple interesting things but it doesn't require any serious heavy lifting on the actors part apart from dicking about mostly...
Sofia Coppola is director famed for allowing the plot to take place and simply following through with the sequence of events, she doesn't get too involved in trying to make any statement, she simply allows what is happening to speak for itself; she's non-judgemental and therefore doesn't make a point of condemning or celebrating the actions of the Bling Ring. Is this fair? It would be fair to say, we spend a lot more time with the gang when they are robbing and living vicariously, rather than the fallout of their actions, but it's not a cautionary tale, Coppola simply is telling the story and the effective end is the gang being sentenced for their crimes and going their separate ways. (It's not a spoiler, watch the news.) In this regard it's quite a simple story, but one that hasn't really done like this before and for the most part it works in a kind of flashy Hollywood version of events, with those flourishes and awesome tunes playing. But hey for it to work for me as a good film it had to be more, more thought through, more interesting, more to chew over, and for what it was, it was pretty lean.
There is a stand-out scene for me, in which the girls, having just looted Paris Hilton's house for what would seem like the fifth time, they discover she has the same dress twice. Later we're at the club having a good old party, Emma Watson is throwing some moves on the dance-floor in a natty dress and her mate is pounding the tiles with her in the exact same dress. There is no giant arrow pointing this out, it's subtly done, but it spoke volumes to me. Hey all the money in the world isn't going to make you an individual, all these beautiful things exist and there are copies of them everywhere, because someone else has it you value it more, etc etc. It was a sly well done few seconds visual humour. There was also a funny aside in which Marc steals some pink Paris Hilton shoes and they make some reappearances through the film. These little flourishes made Bling Ring seem smarter than I would have initially given it credit for but then again, as Coppola isn't doing much more than showing us what happened rather than casting judgement, there isn't really much else going on beneath the surface.
The interest in this film lies in seeing what's happening in these celebrities homes, which all, apart from Paris Hilton's house, look like actual normal homes. What is quite befuddling is that with all the money in the world, people still forget to lock all their doors, or invest in better security, but hey when there Rolexes in the cupboard and Prada in the walk-in closet let's leave the back porch open! Also Megan Fox with a gun under the bed is just frankly alarming, especially when these people are rooting through her drawers... The good sport Hilton is, she actually let the crew film in her real house, with her real cushions with her face and her walls covered in her picture, clearly she has no issue with exposing herself to people, or her idiocy of leaving her keys under the mat.
So there are fun and games to be had. I won't deny the film has a good crack at trying to make a point as to why these people are how they are, with the interview voice-over work and some Leslie Mann school of crazy scenes, but it's so hard to care when the performances are flat and the trajectory of the plot becomes tedious.
I will probably always have this problem with Sofia Coppola's films, they simply don't have charisma. Lost in Translation, her best film by a mile was elevated to a different plane simply by having Bill Murray. Obviously Bill Murray is one of the greatest actors that ever lived and it's hard to cap the kind of quality he brings to proceedings, but even with a minimalist plot and a meandering sense of meaninglessness, Murray just brought so much to so little, he just effervesces charisma. Ever since Coppola has tried to recapture this, specifically with Somewhere, which was just awful. Bling Ring is witty in it's own way, it has those visual flourishes and there is food for thought there, but it's all buried beneath the fact that the actors/characters are nothing to get excited about, nothing to be interested in.
It's a shallow world we live in, it's a shallow bunch of people we are with, so it's only fair that I find myself disconnected from this particular lifestyle and sequence of events, there is no personal interest in there for me. Sure I like to read the gossip magazines, know who's with who, what beautiful dresses they are wearing, but I acknowledge the disconnect between that world and my own. The characters are Bling Ring are trying desperately to be a part of that world, but it's just so pointless, I can't begin to sympathise with them. This is of course unfair to all films everywhere as the rich tapestry of life and the film industry begs me to view other people's lives and views removing myself from my own assumptions - but in this case I find the disconnect from this world and my own too frustrating, it's so close yet so alien at the same time... It's fame money hungry youngsters wanting more from life, it's so easy to understand, and yet I intensely dislike the whole bunch of them. Coppola clearly doesn't want me to like the bunch of them but still. I want to understand, otherwise what's the point of basing this on real events? It might as well be fantasy; which is what these people are trying to attain, their own fantasies... I'm just talking myself into circles here. To me if there was something more there, perhaps better actors, better scripting, some better way of conveying the story to make it really pop out of the screen... I don't know what that is though and usually I have a vague idea what is missing from a film.
The soundtrack is cool, the editing is nifty, there are flashes of brilliance, but overall I can't find myself loving this film because there is nothing to galvanise this all together to make it great, it's just missing something, something special... And no it's not Bill Murray, although all films are made infinitely better with his presence, it's just something more transcendental, it just didn't click for me.
*It would seem when words fail me I just go with lamppost. It seemed apt here, they are all skinny bright young things...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)