Author: Martin: Through the Silver Screen

Posted in 2020-2029, Awards Season, Oscars, Ranking

96th Academy Awards: Best Picture Nominees ranked

Posted on by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

Another awards season is poised to come to a close, in a year filled with terrific movies and one of the best years for cinema in several years. It was also a tumultuous year as Hollywood was ground to a halt for several long months due to the writers’ and actors’ strikes. Though with both strikes now in the rearview mirror, it is time for Hollywood’s biggest night. Another ten films are competing for the top honour and these include a gripping courtroom drama, an extremely idiosyncratic black comedy, analyses of some dark and disturbing chapters in human history, a beautiful love story, a future festive classic, and a film centred on one of the most influential toys of all time.

One of the most impressive batch of Best Picture nominees we’ve had in a long time, perhaps since the 92nd Acadamy Awards in 2020, with no film sticking out like a sore thumb.

So, without further ado, I present my ranking of these films from worst to best. Starting with…

10. Maestro

Usually, I find that whenever awards season rolls around, there is always one film that I don’t understand the hype for. There were some films that this applied to, but in terms of the nominees, this is not applicable as all ten of these films, for my money, thoroughly deserve to be here. Therefore being at the bottom of a list of ten very strong films is not a slight on Bradley Cooper’s passion project exploring the life of legendary composer Leonard Bernstein and his complicated marriage to his wife Felicia Montealegre Bernstein (Mulligan). While Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg were attached to the project, it eventually landed in Cooper’s capable hands. Cooper’s passion for Bernstein’s work and who Bernstein was as a person shines through, with Cooper and Carey Mulligan both dynamic in their performances which thoroughly merited Oscar nominations.

The film is absolutely beautiful to look at, with the incredible cinematography from Matthew Libatique and incredible work and from the hair and make-up teams that are so transformative to the point where you don’t see the actor, you see the maestro himself. It suffers a little bit in terms of pacing, and while accusations of the film being nothing more than Oscar bait are unfair, Cooper has composed a film that is a fascinating character study of one of the most legendary composers of the 20th century.

 

9. American Fiction

 

If you’re a writer, no matter your field, it can be a funny old business. Even if you are extremely successful, you can find yourself struggling to put the words on the page for any number of reasons, be it writer’s block, fatigue/exhaustion or frustration with the industry. The latter is most applicable for Monk (Wright), an author/professor who after being put on a leave of absence, writes a novel that leans to tired cliches/stereotypes, only for it to become a massive, runaway success, much to his immense annoyance.  Biting sharp and hilarious satire about the media we consume and the marginalisation of voices of colour, with moving and impactful family drama, and an arguable career-best performance from Jeffrey Wright. An impressive first foray into the realm of feature filmmaking from Cord Jefferson, and one which could well merit an Oscar at the first time of asking.

 

8. Anatomy of a Fall

In a historic first for Best Picture nominees, three of this year’s nominees were directed by women. That fact alone deserves to be celebrated, and all three films thoroughly deserve their status as Best Picture Nominees. The first of these is Justine Triet’s Palme D’Or winner at last year’s Cannes Film Festival, which does what all great courtroom dramas should do, in that it keeps the audience on its toes as to whether novelist Sandra (Sandra Hüller) is innocent or guilty after she is accused of murder after her husband fell to his death at their remote home in the French Alps.

Throughout two and a half gripping hours, the audience – like a jury in a courtroom – watches and listens with eagle eyes and ears to the evidence and witness testimony being presented to determine if Sandra is guilty of the crime or whether she is innocent, all while showing the crucial backstory of the relationship with her husband which led to the breakdown of their relationship and the fall which led to his death.  In an extraordinary year for Huller, who also appeared in another Best Picture contender this year (more on that very shortly), she carries the film on her shoulders with a captivating performance that makes you sympathise with the plight in her family life but also really makes you question if she committed the crime she is being accused of. Tremendously compelling.

 

7. The Zone of Interest

review

Cinema is so often designed to entertain, but every once in a while, a film comes along designed to chill us to our core and serve as a lesson for humanity, and Jonathan Glazer’s latest film is one such example.  The horrors of the Holocaust are well-documented in our history textbooks and in previous films which have captured the brutalities inflicted upon millions of Jews during the Second World War by the Nazis in concentration camps. By depicting these horrors from the perspective of a Nazi commandant and his family as they go about their daily lives while living right next door to the Auschwitz concentration camp, it serves as a reminder of how humanity can be complicit in the face of unspeakable evil.

The horrors of the camp are kept of sight but never out of mind due to the unmistakable and horrifying sounds of gunshots, orders being yelled, cries for mercy, and the sight of the Auschwitz chimney splurging out smoke, are used to chill the audience to their very core. It is horrifying to hear these, all the while the family, and in particular the matriarch (another impressive performance from Sandra Huller) show complete indifference to the suffering taking place mere yards away. It is easy to see why the film has been hailed as one of the most important films of the century, with a final few minutes that unmistakeably connects the horrors witnessed in the Holocaust to the present day. Definitely not an easy watch, and probably not one that will lend itself to many rewatches. But, in this messy and very hostile world, we live in, a necessary one.

6. The Holdovers

review

If someone told me that Alexander Payne is a time traveller, I’d be very tempted to believe them based on this film, because it genuinely feels as though it was made in the 1970s and has been preserved all these years later. From those retro opening titles to the cinematography which immediately transports us to the 1970s and to Boston USA, where three unlikely souls are made to spend the festive period at their boarding school, the last place on Earth they probably would want to be.

The most joyous time of the year in a place not usually known for its joy is a recipe for both witty and sometimes sombre dialogue, which is exactly what David Hemingson’s script delivers as these unlikely souls spend time together, learning what it means to be a family during Christmas. The trio of central performances are all wonderfully well-drawn, with Giamatti’s cantankerous teacher going toe-to-toe with newcomer Dominic Sessa, and the brilliant and soon to be with soon to be Academy Award winner Da’Vine Joy Randolph bringing warmth and heart to the group as she navigates a period in her life no one should have to go through alone. A film that evokes a warm fuzzy feeling whenever Christmas rolls around and one that is destined to become a future festive classic.

 

5. Poor Things

review

There is no director currently in the business who is making films quite like Yorgos Lanthimos, and honestly, all the better for it. Hollywood has been dominated by superheroes, reboots and sequels in recent years. Therefore you can always rely on Lanthimos, whether he’s adapting from existing source material or an entirely original concept, to make something wholly unique and thoroughly entertaining.

For his latest, it’s the former as he reteams with his The Favourite writer Tony McNamara to adapt the 1992 novel of the same name by Alasdair Gray in which an eccentric scientist brings a dead woman back to life by replacing her brain with that of an infant. A premise on the base of it, sounds so bizarre and disturbing, in any other director’s hands it would probably be exactly that and not remotely entertaining. Yet, the Greek auteur delivers (like another film on this list) an unashamedly feminist tale of a woman on an emotional journey of self-discovery as she takes control of her destiny. Visually stunning, with some of the most outrageously humorous dialogue, and a career-best performance from Emma Stone. Lanthimos and Stone are clearly having a ball being each other’s muses, with another film set to come out later this year. Long may their collaborative partnership continue.

4. Barbie

review

Hi, Barbie! The undisputed queen of the box office in 2023,  one-half of a cinematic phenomenon unlike anything we have seen for quite a few years, and the second film on this list to be directed by a woman. Right from the moment the first trailer for Greta Gerwig’s take on the iconic Mattel doll which changed the world forever dropped, you knew that audiences were in for something special that would not merely be a toy commercial. With one of the most impressively stacked casts of the entire year, the journey Gerwig took audiences on to Barbie Land, the real world and back again, probably went harder than anyone could have possibly imagined as it packs stark social commentary on gender roles, feminism, patriarchy and its treatment of women, and much more. Funny, full of heart, with no shortage of emotional and hard-hitting moments, and an endless amount of Kenergy. Life in Plastic is truly fantastic, especially for Greta Gerwig as every one of her movies has now been nominated for Best Picture. An incredible achievement for this filmmaker Barbie.

 

 

3. Past Lives 

review

Completing the trio of best picture nominees directed by women, and the second directorial debut on this list, is Celine Song’s heart-achingly beautiful romantic semi-autobiographical drama of the meeting of two former childhood sweethearts who meet in person after nearly two decades apart. At its heart, it’s a simple story of three people, who are in a very complex and emotional love triangle, meeting and ruminating on the choices they have made in their lives and what might have been had certain things transpired differently. Yet, in no small part due to the tremendous performances of Greta Lee, Teo Yoo, and John Magaro, and given it is based on Song’s own life experiences, it has a lot more to say about destiny, love, regrets and what might have been, relatable themes as we all navigate this complex, messy and sometimes beautiful world we live in.

2. Killers of the Flower Moon 

review

Like The Zone of Interest, the latest epic from Martin Scorsese is another film which takes a look at a dark and disturbing chapter in human history. Over three and a half hours, Scorsese takes an unflinching look at how the ugliness of corruption, greed and white supremacy in the 1920s USA, a time known as the Roaring Twenties due to the economic upturn in the country, resulted in the white community systematically murdering wealthy Osage members just to secure their wealth, in a period that became known as the Reign of Terror. It’s not an easy watch, but seeing Leonardo DiCaprio share a screen with Robert DeNiro,  the latter of whom is chillingly terrifying in his performance, and the phenomenal Lily Gladstone outshines them both with masterful editing by Scorsese’s long-time editor Thelma Schoonmaker, and one extremely powerful ending, this is one film you will not forget in a hurry, and proof that even at 81 years old, Scorsese is still at the very top of his game.

 

1. Oppenheimer 

review

What more is there to say about the latest masterpiece from Christopher Nolan? Since his debut feature back in 1998, he has become one of the most recognisable names in Hollywood. There has always been an interest in science and scientific discovery with his films, and this biopic of J. Robert Oppenheimer, a man who the director considers one of the most important people to have ever lived, represents the culmination of his career.

It is a testament to his immense skill as a screenwriter/director, that Nolan made a film which is a very science-heavy dialogue-driven film about a very complex subject and yet made it accessible to audiences, primarily due to the phenomenal importance of the weapon built by Oppenheimer at Los Alamos and the consequences of the uses of such a weapon, consequences which are still being felt on the world stage today. Barbeneheimer defined cinema in 2023, so it is extremely fitting that one-half of that phenomenon will walk away with the biggest prize on the night and could well become the most successful Best Picture winner in more than a decade, since Slumdog Millionaire walked away with eight Oscars, a haul Oppy stands a very strong chance of matching.

And now he has become victor, the winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture… 

 

Could/should have been nominated…

That concludes my ranking of the ten films up for Best Picture this year. However, I always like to hypothesise what could have been, but given the quality in this year’s crop, this is considerably harder than normal as I can’t really say that none of these films deserve their place competing for the top prize. But, if push comes to shove, if I had a ballot to cast, I would eliminate Maestro and replace it with one of the following three films:

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – My favourite film of last year, the Academy’s tendency to not nominate animated films outside of the Best Animated category is starting to get particularly frustrating as with this year alone,  incredible film as well as displaying truly ground-breaking animation, could and perhaps should have got in for Best Picture, as well as Best Visual Effects, and certainly Best Score. Perhaps they are keeping those nominations for when Beyond the Spider-Verse swings its way into cinemas and blows our collective socks off.

The Iron Claw – The first of two films that absolutely broke me into a million pieces. I knew absolutely nothing about the Von Erich family going into this movie and by the end, I was uncontrollably sobbing in my seat. The mark of a great sports film is that even if you know nothing about the sport or the true story on which it is based, it still can have a profound impact, particularly if you have a brother. This was a stacked and fiercely competitive year for movies, absolutely. However,  how this didn’t, like a devastating wrestling move, leave Academy members floored and bestowing it with a tonne of nominations (Picture, Actor, Supporting Actor, Directing, Original Song) to name but a few is something I cannot fathom.

All of Us Strangers – The second of two films released in this awards season that reduced me to an absolute sobbing mess. As with The Iron Claw, how Andrew Haigh’s beautiful and devastating emotional drama of one man who makes a fateful journey to his childhood home, didn’t even get a single nomination at the Oscars totally eludes me. Seeing this at the London Film Festival, I genuinely don’t think there was a dry eye in the house. The experience after the film as everyone collectively processed their emotions after they were put through the wringer, was cathartic, to say the least.

Posted in 2020-2029, Film Review

Dune: Part Two (2024)

Posted on by Martin: Through the Silver Screen
© Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures

Dune: Part Two – Film Review

Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Dave Bautista, Christopher Walken, Léa Seydoux, Souheila Yacoub, Stellan Skarsgård, Charlotte Rampling, Javier Bardem

Director: Denis Villeneuve

Synopsis: After joining forces with the Fremen in the deserts of Arrakis, Paul Atriedes vows revenge on those who conspired against his family and murdered his father…

Review: “This is only the beginning”, as those words spoken by Fremen warrior Chani (Zendaya), with Hans Zimmer’s incredible score, rang in our ears by the conclusion of the first half of this adaptation of Frank Herbert’s revolutionary 1965 novel, it was a tantalising tease of what was to come. However, it might have all been for nought, as a second film was not guaranteed due to the decision to give it a simultaneous cinematic release and a day-and-date release on streaming. With a $400m haul at the box office (a mightily impressive feat given the pandemic) and viewed by 1.9 million households in the US on its opening weekend on streaming. The audiences spoke, as did the Academy with six Oscars, and the Spice Gods greenlit a sequel. After a few delayed release dates, the time has come to return to Arrakis, and  Denis Villeneuve has again defied the odds to deliver another magnificent demonstration of desert power.

Set immediately after the events of Part One, Paul Atreides (Chalamet) and his mother Lady Jessica (Ferguson) have fled to find shelter with the Fremen after his father Duke Leto and the majority of his House were murdered in a coup orchestrated by the villainous Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Skarsgård) aided by the Sardaukar troops provided by the Emperor Shaddam Corrino (Walken). Though Paul is determined to get revenge, he initially opts to put this to one side and seeks to learn the ways of the Fremen to gain their trust as they see him and his mother as outsiders. Meanwhile, given her status as Bene Gesserit, the Fremen give Jessica an extremely important role within their community. While Paul learns the ways of the Fremen, the work of the Bene Gesserit has convinced some Fremen that Paul is the Lisan Al Gaib or “Voice from the Outer World”. This puts Paul in a moral quandary as to whether he is the prophesied messiah for the Fremen as he simultaneously continues to have horrifying visions for what the future might lead to.

Adapting the first novel in Frank Herbert’s legendary series was always considered to be an unfilmable task, just ask David Lynch. It just goes to show that betting against Denis Villeneuve is never a good idea because he thoroughly proved all the naysayers wrong. With seriously impressive world-building to give any epic franchise of the like a run for its money, Part One immersed the audience in this universe as if you were walking on the sand dunes of Arrakis themselves. However, this was a mere prelude for what Villeneuve and returning screenwriter Jon Spaihts have in store.

Part One walked so Part Two could, like a native Fremen, ride a sandworm in tremendous style. Across 165 spice-fuelled minutes, Villeneuve and Spaiths take all the world-building and the foundations laid by the first film and turbocharge them to deliver an equally epic, but considerably darker, emotionally charged and more action-packed second chapter. Alongside Paul learning the ways, and language of the Fremen, Chani and Paul begin to develop a romance and furthermore, all-out war between the Fremen and House Harkonnen as the former works to disrupt the latter’s spice production. On another side of the Universe, the Emperor’s daughter Princess Irulan (Pugh), who is also a disciple of the Bene Gesserit, begins to grapple with the consequences of the Harkonnen’s attack on the Atreides and the part her father played in engineering their downfall.

Despite the extensive and star-studded cast, such epic franchises can live or die based on the central character at the centre of this journey. Once again, Chalamet demonstrates why he is one of the finest actors of his generation as he gives what could well be a career-defining performance. Part One was very much about Paul striving to learn from leaders around him, such as his father and others he looked up to. Now, he is very much thrust into the spotlight of becoming not just a leader of the Fremen, but something much more. Chalamet magnificently balances Paul’s desire to lead the Fremen to victory against the Harkonnens, but also shows hesitancy to embrace the path that has been put at his feet by the Bene Gesserit. Fremen leader Stilgar (Bardem) is only too eager to believe this notion of a messiah, much to Chani’s chagrin. Zendaya is thankfully given much more to do this time around, beyond the extended cameo she had in Part One. The chemistry between her and Paul, like the dunes of Ararakis,  is scorching hot, though there is a lingering doubt in her mind as to whether Paul could be this messiah-like figure and if he is willing to embrace that destiny.

Like Gurney Halleck playing the baliset, there is not a false note in any of the performances. Though out of all the new cast members, the standout by far is the ruthless and psychotic Feyd-Rautha played by Austin Butler, another actor whose rise to stardom is also on an unstoppable trajectory. The perfection of the cast’s performances is matched by the incredible work of Villeneuve and his crew. Whether it’s the roar of the sandworms or the thrum of a thumper, the work of the sound design team makes you feel these sounds with maximum force, especially in IMAX. Likewise, Greig Fraiser’s cinematography be it the bright oranges of Arrakis deserts or the harsh black-and-white palette of the Harkonnen homeworld of Giedi Prime never fails to dazzle. The VFX work once again reinforces what happens when artists are given time to perfect their craft, and of course, Hans Zimmer once again delivers another impeccable and evocative score.

It would be easy to get lost down the wormhole of lore the film throws at the audience and while it does teeter on the brink of buckling under all of the weight of said lore, one cannot deny the spectacle and visual majesty of what Villeneuve has brought to the screen. Ever since he broke into the Hollywood mainstream – with a run stretching from 2013’s Prisoners to now –  each passing film has shown Villeneuve to be a master at combining emotional human struggles, with the sort of spectacle which is absolutely worth the price of a ticket and a reminder of the sheer power that cinema can have. Villeneuve has made no secret of the impact the novel had on him in his youth and one that also changed science fiction forever. In what is an already superb filmography, this magnificent two-part adaptation will (like its source material) stand the test of time, as one of the most epic sci-franchises ever and perhaps the pièce de résistance of Villeneuve’s mightly impressive filmography so far. Power over spice is power over all, indeed.

Building on the epic foundations laid by its predecessor, this magnificent sequel is another visually majestic reminder of the unstoppable force of desert power and the force of nature behind the camera that is Denis Villeneuve.

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Posted in 2020-2029, Film Review

The Iron Claw (2024)

Posted on by Martin: Through the Silver Screen
© Access Entertainment, BBC Film, House Productions, A24 and Lionsgate

The Iron Claw  – Film Review

Cast: Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, Maura Tierney, Holt McCallany, Stanley Simons, Lily James

Director: Sean Durkin

Synopsis: Telling the true story of the Von Erich family as they forge their legacy in the world of wrestling in the 1980s…

Review: What comes to mind when you hear the word “wrestling”? Aside from the sight of impossibly muscular individuals wearing tight spandex, prominent wrestling figures from when the WWE was at the peak of its popularity in the late ’90s to early 2000s. Names such as The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, or The Undertaker may come to mind. However, for those who watched wrestling in the early to mid-80s, the names on everyone’s lips may well have been those of the von Erich family, whose rise to prominence and the subsequent tragedy that befell them is captured with raw and devastating emotion by Sean Durkin.

Opening in a car park after family patriarch Jack “Fritz” Von Erich has triumphed in a wrestling match at the peak of his career. After the fight, he impresses on his young sons Kevin and David the importance of being the toughest, the strongest, and the greatest they could be. If they can do this, nothing could harm them in the face of adversity, which is particularly significant as Fritz harbours a superstition that there is a curse on the family. Flash forwards several years later and the four Von Erich brothers, Kevin (Efron), Kerrie (Allen White), David (Dickinson), and Mike (Simons) are being coached by their father and pushing them to be the best wrestlers they can be, for a shot at the world heavyweight title that eluded Fritz. Each one of them exhibits the passion, the fire inside, and the determination to be the one that brings the title home while they establish their names in the world of wrestling.

An essential goal for any sports film, irrespective of the sport, is to captivate the audience with a compelling story, even if they have no prior knowledge of the sport in question. Durkin’s screenplay is a powerful combination of how the world of wrestling works and how even though matches have pre-determined outcomes, it emphasizes the immense physical and mental strain placed on professional wrestlers to perform regularly, which is what they will need to do if they want to have a chance of being the best. Such mental and physical tolls, combined with the weight of expectation placed upon their shoulders by their father, bring the brothers together to form the most unbreakable of brotherly bonds, which will resonate with anyone who shares a similar relationship with a brother. Each of them has their own unique personality, whether it’s David’s no-nonsense pre-match fighting talk, Kerry’s athleticism, Kevin’s imposing physicality, or Mike’s more reserved demeanour. They all share warm and loving chemistry with each other, making it all the more emotionally crushing when the Von Erich curse strikes the family once more.

In an ensemble filled with brilliant and layered performances to leave the audience on the ropes with the emotional weight of the tragedy of the Von Erichs’ story, it is Zac Efron’s leading performance that delivers the knockout blow. Aside from the awe-inspiring physical transformation (he gained 15 pounds for the role), it is a role that is as far from a cry from his early career as a star of Disney musicals as physically possible. However, with his almost impossibly imposing physicality, he delivers arguably the best performance of his career and showcases his talent as a dramatic actor. He strongly loves his family and wrestling, though the love for the latter is severely tested. Durkin’s script examines the brotherhood between the Von Erichs and the stern tutelage of their father. However, such was the weight of expectation and burden placed on their shoulders, where the pressure on them to perform was insurmountable and the culture of toxic masculinity, took a severe toll on them both physically and mentally. Unfortunately, this doesn’t leave much time to explore Kevin’s relationship with Pam (James) as they begin a life together raising a family of their own, while Tierney as the Von Erich matriarch is also left on the sidelines.

The heart-breaking nature of this story means it would be easy for the audience to become too overwhelmed by an overpowering sense of devastation and melancholy. However, Durkin handles these emotional moments with care and sensitivity so that, like a signature wrestling move, they leave the audience floored for maximum impact when they hit. Durkin and his cinematographer Mátyás Erdély recreate the ’80s time period when it comes to the wrestling scenes, beautifully with immaculately choreographed scenes that look authentic and pack a tremendous punch, particularly when it comes to the iron claw itself, the von Erich family’s signature wrestling move. Wrestling is a sport with such physical demands on its performers, often taking the lives of many wrestlers well before their time. Many members of the Von Erich family may have seen their time on this Earth prematurely cut short, but their achievements in wrestling have ensured the Von Erich family has built a legacy that will live forever.

Powered by a career-defining performance from Zac Efron, The Iron Claw‘s tragic true story of brotherhood, wrestling and legacy stakes its claim for the title of one of the most harrowing sports dramas that will leave you down and out for the count. 

Posted in 2020-2029, Film Review, London Film Festival 2023

Poor Things (2023)

Posted on by Martin: Through the Silver Screen
© Searchlight Pictures, Film4, TSG Entertainment and Element Pictures

Poor Things – Film Review

Cast: Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe, Ramy Youssef, Christopher Abbott, Jerrod Carmichael, Margaret Qualley, Kathryn Hunter

Director: Yorgos Lanthimos  

Synopsis: In Victorian Europe, a young woman is brought back to life by an unorthodox scientist…

Review: The task of boiling down the filmography of any director to just one single word would be a challenge, to say the least. However, if one were to apply this challenge to the filmography of Yorgos Lanthimos’s career, the most suitable word would unquestionably be idiosyncratic. From the unique and absurdist romantic drama The Lobster, the unnerving psychological revenge thriller Killing of a Sacred Deer and a period drama unlike any other in The Favourite. Every time he steps behind the camera, the final product is alwas something unique, and he emphatically continues that streak with his quirkiest, funniest and quite possibly best film to date.

Set in Victorian times, after a young pregnant woman (Stone) commits suicide, the unorthodox scientist Dr Godwin Baxter (Dafoe), resurrects her by transplanting the brain of her still-born baby into her body. Now going by the name of Bella, a fully grown woman with all the behaviours and characteristics of a toddler, Bella is keen to grow and learn more about the world. However, Godwin or “God” as Bella affectionately calls him, wants to keep his Frankenstein-esque creation inside to study her. Yearning for freedom and autonomy from her “father”, she runs off with the sleazy and debauched lawyer Duncan Wedderburn (Ruffalo) where she becomes increasingly curious about the beautiful, mad and complicated world around her.

Adapted from the 1992 novel of the same name by Alasdair Gray, within the first few minutes, it becomes immediately apparent as to how perfectly suited the source material is to the Greek filmmaker’s quirky and unique style. Reuniting with Tony McNamara, who co-wrote The Favourite, the script balances the dark and let’s be honest, horrifying nature of Bella’s origin story with some of the blackest and outrageously funny humour, with some of the most hilarious euphemisms you will have ever heard. Seeing a character, essentially a child in the body of a full-grown woman, acting in the unfiltered manner she does, is uproariously entertaining.

She will blurt out anything and everything that comes to her mind, with no concept of manners or whether what she is saying is foul-mouthed or taboo while being blissfully unaware of the societal constraints that would have been expected of women at that time. As if that wasn’t hilarious enough, as her brain rapidly develops, the film gleefully extracts humour from the efforts of the men around her, particularly Wedderburn, from desperately trying to stop Bella from discovering herself. The film is unashamedly feminist and liberating in its celebration of empowerment and social discovery.

A bold and out-of-the-ordinary premise, featuring a character’s unique journey through the complexities of life could have completely fallen apart had the casting not been pitch-perfect. Fortunately, in Emma Stone’s hands, she rises to the challenge magnificently with one of the finest performances of her career, further reinforcing why she and Lanthimos have seemingly become each other’s muses. With her mannerisms and struggle to enunciate properly in the early stages, she expertly sells the early stages of Bella’s journey as a naïve and innocent soul who has effectively just been born. Furthermore, as the film progresses and her brain’s rapid development takes hold, to see her stifle the attempts of those around her to control her as she becomes her own woman who is firmly in control of her own destiny is endlessly satisfying.

Alongside Stone’s sublime leading performance, every member of this cast fully understands their assignments and are fully in tune with the film’s peculiar vibe. Having spent years as the calm and measured scientist in the MCU, who occasionally loses his cool and becomes a green rage monster, Ruffalo’s Wedderburn is worlds away from that. A slimy and rascally lawyer who seeks to use Bella as nothing more than an object to engage in sex to control his raging libido, only to become exasperated when her desires for education and discovery become too much for him to control is hilarious to watch. Meanwhile, Dafoe, who is no stranger to playing an eccentric scientist (albeit one is not quite so disfigured), is also on reliably excellent form with the screentime that he has.

Embracing the quirky madness of this dark and twisted fairytale (of sorts), Robbie Ryan’s cinematography visually dazzling blend of black-and-white and an extremely vivid colour palette, while regularly deploying fish-eye lenses (which is rather appropriate for this fish-out-of-water story) left the audience feeling disorientated through this fever dream of a journey through Victorian Europe. A journey that is beautifully complemented by Holly Waddington’s immaculate costume design and the production design by Shona Heath and James Price. The oddity of this odyssey from the perspective of one of the most unique characters will almost certainly rub some people up the wrong way. Yet, one cannot dispute that the world of Hollywood filmmaking is a better place with directors such as Lanthimos bringing one-of-a-kind films to the table, in every sense of the word.

Unabashedly bizarre and filled with riotous and offbeat dialogue, Lanthimos has made his most eccentric, darkest and funniest film yet, while getting a career-best performance from Emma Stone.

Posted in 2020-2029, Film Review

Anyone But You (2023)

Posted on by Martin: Through the Silver Screen
(c) Sony Pictures Releasing, SK Global, RK Films, Olive Bridge Entertainment and Columbia Pictures

Anyone But You – Film Review

Cast: Sydney Sweeney, Glen Powell, Alexandra Shipp, GaTa, Hadley Robinson, Michelle Hurd, Dermot Mulroney, Darren Barnet, Bryan Brown, Rachel Griffiths

Director: Will Gluck

Synopsis: A blossoming romance between a couple quickly sours and takes a turn for the worse when they find out they’re both attending a destination wedding…

Review: Perhaps it is Disney’s influence and the warm, fuzzy feeling that comes with a happy-ever-after tale, but there’s something refreshingly simple and effective about a good romantic comedy. They have an effortless appeal, which we as human beings lap up, because who doesn’t love a good romance when two people, after much will-they-won’t-they antics, finally come to the realisation they are destined for each other and fall in love? It definitely doesn’t hurt when the two people at the centre of this particular tale are two of the most attractive human beings on earth, with an equally beautiful setting to go along with it.

Bea (Sweeney) and Ben (Powell) randomly meet at a coffee shop and strike up a romance, leading them to spend the night together at Ben’s place. Despite what seems to have been a perfect first date, Bea decides to leave first thing in the morning before Ben has woken up. A change of heart leads her to head back, only to hear Ben verbally lash out at her for leaving without saying a word, to his friend Pete (GaTa), all while she is in earshot. The sparks which initially flew at their first meeting are soon replaced by uncomfortable frostiness when they find themselves again in each other’s company at a party several months later. The two are further dismayed when, after being invited to the wedding of Bea’s sister Halle (Robinson) and Pete’s sister Claudia (Shipp) in Australia, they will be staying in the same house. Amid possible schemes from other wedding guests to get them together, Ben and Bea decide to pretend to be in a relationship to get the other wedding guests, as well as their parents, off their backs. Who knows, maybe this will make them realise what made their initial connection so memorable?

Loosely based on William Shakespeare’s play Much Ado About Nothing, the script by Will Gluck and Ilana Wolpert does everything it can to channel the spirit of the Bard himself, as the central couple at the centre of this love/hate relationship sharing the names of the protagonists for good measure (Beatrice and Benedick). Seeing two people who would almost certainly prefer to be in anyone else’s company other than each other’s lends itself to some humorous moments. Despite this animosity, they try to make things as seamless as possible and avoid making a scene at the wedding of two people close to them. Shenanigans are had, with one particular highlight being when the wedding party is out on a hike taking in the scenery that the land down under has to offer, as well as a recreation of the iconic scene from Titanic while the wedding guests are having a party on a boat, what could be more romantic than that? Well until, it goes just a bit wrong and ends up with an unplanned dip while wearing fancy party attire.

It is a fundamental aspect that any rom-com needs chemistry between its leads. Luckily, when you have two of the hottest (literally) rising stars in the business, it counts for a lot as Sweeney and Powell’s chemistry sizzles like the hot Australian sunshine. Their charisma and charm are enough to carry the film practically all by themselves, and Gluck seems to recognise the easy on the eye appeal of his leading couple as much as possible, while cinematographer Danny Ruhlmann utilises the beautiful, picturesque Australian scenery to his advantage.  However, their blazing hot chemistry and on-screen charisma can only do so much to elevate the material, as it cannot escape the very formulaic nature of the plot. Despite their bitterness and resentment, they initially have, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that the hostilities between them will inevitably give way to a realisation that maybe these two have romantic feelings for each other after all.

While Sweeney and Powell dominate much of the screentime, Dermot Mulroney provides excellent comedy relief as Bea’s father, scheming with some of the others to get his daughter and Ben to realise what is staring everyone in the face. While they have the limelight stolen from them due to the antics of Ben and Bea,  Alexandra Shipp and Hadley Robinson get their time to shine, and so they should, what with them being the couple whose wedding is the reason for this gathering in the first place.  It doesn’t break any new ground, but if you’re looking for some glorious sunshine, some attractive people and a simplistic but effective story of two souls taking a long time to realise what the audience knew from the beginning, it certainly ticks all the boxes. But be warned, you will not be able to get Natasha Bedingfield’s certified 2000s pop banger “Unwritten” out of your head for several days afterwards.

It does not win points for its originality, but with Sweeney and Powell’s endless charisma, charm and attractiveness to swoon over, combined with the very picturesque backdrop elevates the material that will satisfy die-hard rom-com fans. 

Posted in 2020-2029, Film Feature, Ranking

Best Films of 2023

Posted on by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

Another year of cinema has drawn to a close, and to say it was an eventful year in the world of film would be something of an understatement. There have been great films aplenty, but the year will probably be most remembered for the Writers’ Guild of America Strike which began in May and was later followed by the SAG-AFTRA strike by the actors’ union in July. Both strikes combined brought Hollywood to a complete standstill for many months and thankfully the unions reached deals to bring their respective strikes to an end, and kudos to both unions for staying strong throughout those tough months and getting the deal they deserve. Simply put, without them we would have no films to celebrate. Now let’s get down to business and have a look at the best films of 2023, which was an excellent year for cinema.

My key criteria for determining films to consider for the list is if the film is listed as a 2023 release on IMDB. Though, as always seems to be, there are some films released last year elsewhere but didn’t come to UK shores until 2023, so there can be some exceptions. In addition, there are films which are 2023 releases, but don’t get UK-wide releases till next year. As I saw these at London Film Festival, they are eligible for inclusion on this year’s list. Also, though I wish I could, I have not seen every film released this year, so if your favourite film isn’t on here, it is possible I have not seen it, so please let me know if there’s a film you think I missed.

Lastly, as usual, while I have not reviewed every film here, grades do not matter in determining the rankings. This is my list to highlight and celebrate the films which resonated with me the most and defined the past 12 months of cinema, As usual, there are some honourable mentions, films which are excellent and worth your time but just didn’t quite make my list this year:

 

The Creator [review]. Discussions about artificial intelligence and its use have been plentiful since they were integral parts of both strikes which brought Hollywood to a standstill. In his first film in seven years, Gareth Edwards directs a visually striking film, which bears similarities to films which have tackled AI before, but most assuredly brings its own stamp on it, with a standout breakthrough performance from Madeleine Yuna Voyles.

The Marvels [review]. It’s no secret that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has had some stinkers in recent years, (see Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania), but after a certain group of galaxy-saving a-holes reunited for one last glorious adventure (more on that later), the latest MCU team-up proved the MCU is not at the crisis point many have seemingly gleefully said it was. Nia DaCosta’s energetic direction ensures this cosmic adventure is a delightful blast of fun thanks to the chemistry between its three leading ladies, especially Iman Vellani as Ms Marvel.

Puss In Boots: The Last Wish [review]. A sequel to 2011’s Puss In Boots was probably not high on anyone’s wish list when it came to sequels anyone was asking for, but when this film opened wide in the UK early this year, it was easy to see why it was so highly well thought of after very positive reviews across the pond. Another film (along with this year’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem) to be inspired by the revolutionary style of animation from Into The Spider-Verse, its mesh-up of Western flick meets fairytale worked a treat, for cats and humans alike.

All of Us Strangers. Death is inescapable to all of us, whether it’s the fact we’re faced with our own mortality or the agonising prospect of seeing someone we love pass away. However, this is just merely scratching the surface of Andrew Haigh’s beautiful and devastating film about the life of one writer who makes a fateful journey to visit his childhood home. To say this film is emotional would be an understatement and features awards-worthy performances from Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal.

The Zone of Interest. The Holocaust, one of the darkest and most evil periods in human history, is made all the more horrifying in this film from Jonathan Glazer depicting the everyday life of a family who live in a house right next to Auschwitz. A disturbing and urgent analysis of human complicity in the face of unspeakable evil, it’s certainly not the easiest watch, but its method of storytelling is devastatingly effective, will get under your skin and will not leave your mind for a very long time.

The Bikeriders. My final honourable mention is a film that was meant to come out this year but frustratingly has been delayed till next year after it was dropped by its distributor due to the actors’ strike, and reacquired by a new one. I was lucky enough to catch this at LFF, and is a powerful story about a biker gang through the decades, featuring top performances from Jodie Comer, Austin Butler and Tom Hardy. What more could anyone want?

 

Honourable mentions honoured. Now, here comes the best of the best…

 

15. Rye Lane

2023 saw a handful of new British voices make their mark with their directorial debuts, one such example being Raine Allen-Miller with her delightful rom-com, which in a refreshing change of scenery, was filmed entirely in South London. Charting the budding romance between David and Yas two souls who are recovering after break-ups, it doesn’t reinvent the rom-com wheel but it doesn’t need to when it is charming, funny, well acted and serves as a refreshing take on the British rom-com and as a loving tribute to the city of London.

14. The Holdovers

review

If you were to ask people to name the worst or least preferable place you would want to spend Christmas, chances are a school might be high up on that list. It is one particular example of that type of institution where three unfortunate souls must spend the holidays together in this heartwarming hug of a film from Alexander Payne as one student, a cranky professor and the school’s cook are forced to remain on campus throughout the holidays. From the moment the opening titles transport you to that special time of year, it expertly balances some very funny humour with a more poignant story of three unlikely souls forced to spend time together, while bonding and understanding one another’s perspectives on life. It is the perfect Christmas film, and for that, I cannot remotely fathom why is it getting a UK release in mid-January when it would have made much more sense to release it in the run-up to Christmas?

13. Godzilla Minus One

For nearly seventy years now, Godzilla, or to give him his proper title, the King of the Monsters has been a staple of Japanese cinema, and latterly in American cinema, appearing in 38 films in total. It is somewhat fitting that as the legendary monster will celebrate his 70th birthday next year, a film has come along that is one of the best Godzilla films that has ever been made and blows the US-produced films to feature Gojira out of the water. The film brings a new level of menace to the kaiju as he torments a post-WWII Japan, all while showing its US counterparts, how to provide rich depth to its human characters to make the audience want to root for them.

 

12. John Wick: Chapter 4

It is incredible to think a film which is not based off any existing IP back in 2014 has consistently produced incredible action scenes with each and every instalment and ripping up, or rather, (shooting up) the rule book on how to make action films. It is a testament to director Chad Stahelski and star Keanu Reeves, for the impact these films have made on the action film genre. While being a man of few words,  Baba Yaga is certainly a man of action and across four films, exhibiting endlessly creative ways to eliminate those gunning for him, has added yet another role to the many he has played across his incredible career and while a fifth film is said to be in development, Reeves certainly went out on the best possible note he could have.

 

11. Poor Things

There is no one currently working in Hollywood, who does eccentric filmmaking quite like Yorgos Lanthimos, and his latest idiosyncratic odyssey is easily the most bizarre film of his career and is also his best. Exploring the life of a woman brought back to life by an orthodox scientist and given the brain of an unborn infant,  it revels in its eccentricities with some of the hilarious dialogue all year, and a bold celebration of feminity and sex-positivity and an award-worthy performance from Emma Stone.

 

Now for the top 10…

 

10. Polite Society

review

Along with Raine-Allen Miller, Nida Manzoor is another director who announced herself as an exciting new voice in British Cinema with this action-packed and hilarious story of a budding young stuntwoman who must hatch a plan to save her sister after she gets engaged to a man she sees as deeply suspicious.  A joyful celebration of an unbreakable bond between sisters,  Priya Kansara’s brilliant breakthrough performance deserves to put her on the path to stardom. This film massively flew under the radar this year. So if you haven’t seen it, (UK readers, it is available on Sky/NOW), I would highly recommend seeking it out, as it even received former US President Barack Obama’s seal of approval! I mean, there is no higher endorsement than that!!

 

 

9. Joy Ride

review

Along with another film that will appear later on this list, there has been an increasing amount of Asian representation in cinema, which is wonderful to see and long overdue. Similarly on the rise has been an abundance of raunchy comedies that are unafraid to go all out to get audiences laughing, and no film went as harder or was as hilariously brilliant as Adele Lim’s directorial debut. Focusing on a group of Asian-American women who travel to China for a business trip, before one of them is persuaded to venture across China to find her birth mother. Such comedies live or die on the chemistry of their cast, and the chemistry between the leads is electric and is filled with side-splitting gags to make you laugh every single time, while also providing some touching moments along the ride. You will never look at a basketball and massage gun the same way again.

 

8. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3

review

For a long time, it really felt like the third and concluding chapter of the trilogy featuring the lovable rogues gallery of a-holes in the MCU was never going to see the light of day after James Gunn was fired by Disney. Thankfully though, the director who catapulted these characters from obscure comic book fringes to arguably the MCU’s most beloved team got to make his concluding chapter and a swansong for this team as we know them, and it was certainly worth the wait.

From the outset, Gunn made it clear that there was one key reason for him to come back to conclude this franchise, as it explores the tragic past of the smallest and the-wise cracking member of the team, Rocket. Some scenes are undoubtedly hard to watch and the film ventures into considerably darker territory than its two predecessors, but through that, Gunn brings the usual brand of humour and energy one would expect of a Guardians film. Plus, it takes some doing to outdo the Mad Titan Thanos in terms of being an evil villain, but in Chukwudi Iwuji’s High Evolutionary, you have one of the MCU’s most evilest of bastards, and of course another banging soundtrack. Gunn is now heading up things for DC in their rebooted cinematic universe, but we can be thankful that he got the chance to give these heroes the send-off they thoroughly deserved.

 

7. The Killer

review

If you’ve ever found yourself wondering what on earth the mindset of a deadly assassin possibly looks like, then look no further than the latest film from the master of the thriller David Fincher. Rigorous preparation, the removal of all emotions and endless patience (plus chowing on some McDonalds and listening to the Smiths) all while waiting for the opportune moment to strike. It is befitting of a character who utilises precise methods in his line of work, to come from a director who takes a similarly meticulous approach to the way he directs. The movie never ceases to thrill and provide moments of tension as it follows this assassin on his personal quest, all while getting a brilliantly chilling lead performance from Michael Fassbender after a three-year hiatus from the big screen.

 

6. Creed III

review

When it was revealed the ninth instalment in the Rocky franchise would not feature the involvement of the Italian Stallion, fans would have been well within their rights to have had a little trepidation going into this sequel. Yet they needn’t have worried, because with Michael B. Jordan’s Adonis Creed once again dusting off his boxing gloves stepping both into the ring as well as behind the camera for his directorial debut, to build on the legacy of both the previous Creed films, and the Rocky franchise as a whole.

The stakes are significantly heightened when Adonis is reunited with Dame, a childhood friend who after serving nearly two decades in prison is keen for a shot at professional boxer glory, to make up for lost time. This desire puts the former friends on a direct collision course. Jordan once again shines as the titular character as he grapples with the legacy of his father, as well as his own now he has a daughter with his wife Bianca. Furthermore, as a director, the passion he has for anime comes to the fore when directing the fight sequences. There may have been no Italian Stallion this time, but the franchise has got plenty of fight left in it.

 

Such was 2023 a fantastic year for cinema, deciding where to put these next five movies was REALLY hard because they are all excellent and I could have very easily put any of them at number #1. But, as this is a ranked list, sadly they can’t all share the crown of my favourite film of the year, and so on we go…

5. Barbie

review

The first of two films which generated the Barbenheimer cultural phenomenon. From the minute Greta Gerwig’s take on the influential Mattel doll, which changed the toy industry forever, began with a parody of 2001: A Space Odyssey, it was clear this was going to be a Barbie movie unlike any other.  Filled with those bright fuschia sets which caused a worldwide shortage of that particular paint colour, came a hilarious and moving story about feminism, consumerism, gender roles, and the patriarchy and its treatment of women. A stacked and flawless cast, led by another excellent performance by Margot Robbie, but it is Ryan Gosling who steals the movie with all his Kenergy. On top of all that, you had an irresistibly catchy soundtrack with Billie Eilish’s beautiful song “What Was I Made For?” tugging on those heartstrings. It is little wonder the film is the undisputed Queen of the box office of the year and the highest-grossing film ever from a solo female director. As Ryan Gosling’s Ken would say, “SUBLIME!”

 

4. Past Lives

review

At some point in your life, you might have remarked about what you might have been in a past life and what would have happened had you made different choices. It is this concept about a life never lived, through a uniquely Korean concept known as “in-yeon” that is the basis for Celine Song’s beautiful and emotional directorial debut. Having moved from her native Korea as a child and now settled in New York, Nora (a brilliant performance by Greta Lee) reconnects with her childhood sweetheart years later over the internet and then again later in person having seen over two decades pass. At its heart, it is a movie about a love triangle, but there are so many nuances and layers to this beautiful story, in particular about the immigrant experience, love, and regrets, as its three main characters ruminate on their journeys through life, and what might have been. Easily this year’s best directorial debut.  

 

3. Killers of the Flower Moon 

review

The Reign of Terror, a period of dark and violent history in the United States, in which members of the Osage tribe were systematically murdered by White people to obtain the enormous wealth the Osage had gained following the discovery of oil on their land. It’s a period that history, even in the region where these events took place has tried to bury and silence the Osage. However it should be taught in schools as an example of the poisonous and terrible impact of corruption, white supremacy and greed can have on society, which is still depressingly relevant even after a century has passed. After making films across six decades, Martin Scorsese continues to prove what a formidable filmmaker he is as across 206 enthralling minutes,  which fly by thanks to Thelma Schoonmaker’s masterful editing, he brings together his two muses Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert DeNiro for the first time on the big screen. Still, both of them are outshone by Lily Gladstone’s Mollie Burkhart, who steals the entire film with a powerful and emotionally devastating performance.

2. Oppenheimer 

review

“Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to man. For this, he was chained to a rock and tortured for eternity.” From the moment these words appeared on screen in the latest film from Christopher Nolan, against a backdrop of a big ball of flame and a thunderous ominous score, it set the scene for a thrilling and haunting thriller exploring the life and legacy of a man the director has called “the most important person who ever lived”, the American Prometheus, and the father of the atomic bomb, J. Robert Oppenheimer.

Across three riveting hours, jumping effortlessly between the perspective of his titular character and from a more objective perspective, this record-breaking biographical film explores Oppenheimer’s efforts to bring Nuclear physics to the US, his work on the Manhatten project to develop a weapon which would as one character memorably says “gave them the power to destroy themselves, and the world is not prepared”, which all leads to the incredible and nerve-shredding Trinity Test sequence, one of the most mind-blowing accomplishments of Nolan’s incredible career. Impeccably acted by all of its all-star cast, especially Cillian Murphy and arguably the best performance of Robert Downey Jr’s career, and a stunning score from Ludwig Goransson,  and you have a film which Downey Jr succinctly summmarised was the “culmination” of Nolan’s career  “and a freaking masterpiece”.  I couldn’t agree more with his sentiments.

What a marvellous double bill Barbenheimer made for countless cinema-goers.

 

And so my favourite film of 2023 is..

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1. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse 

review

What do you do when you’ve created one of the most ground-breaking superhero films of all time which redefined what was possible in animation and superhero movies as a whole? This would have been the challenge facing the visionaries behind Miles Morales’s first animated multiversal adventure when it was released in late 2018? A film which raised the bar for studios when it comes to crafting spectacular animation, as well as being ahead of the curve when it comes to films exploring the multiverse. The answer, is, that you somehow manage to outdo yourselves by creating a follow-up that manages to surpass its predecessor with even more incredible animation in so many incredible styles. Honestly, you could hang some of the shots from this film in a museum and they would not look out of place.

On top of the incredible animation, this sequel brings to the table another moving and emotional story which challenges what it means to be the hero who puts on the mask and whether is it within Spider-Man’s power to stop the inevitable or “canon events”? It also brings more jaw-dropping action sequences and allows Miles to grow in his role as Brooklyn’s one and only Spider-Man while exploring his relationships with his parents, particularly his mother, and those closest to him, namely Gwen Stacy, Peter B. Parker and more. A spectacular accomplishment and with the concluding chapter on the way, if it does stick that superhero landing it will thwip its way to become one of the finest trilogies of all time without any question of a doubt.

Between this and Insomniac’s Spider-Man games, it is an amazing time to be a Miles Morales fan and his live-action debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe cannot come soon enough.

————————————————————————————————

And that brings the curtain down on my list of the best the big screen had to offer in 2022. Thank you for reading, especially if you read all the way through! What were your favourite films of 2023? Let me know in the comments below or you can find me on the following platforms: X/Twitter, Facebook or Letterbox’d.

 

 

Posted in 2020-2029, Film Review

The Marvels (2023)

Posted on by Martin: Through the Silver Screen
© Marvel Studios

The Marvels – Film Review

Cast: Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, Iman Vellani, Zawe Ashton, Park Seo-joon, Samuel L. Jackson, Zenobia Shroff, Mohan Kapoor, Saagar Shaikh

Director: Nia DaCosta 

Synopsis:  Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel and Monica Rambeau team up after their powers become entangled…  

Review: Avengers: Endgame, a crowning moment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), concluded the Infinity Saga after ten years of building an all-encompassing cinematic universe. However, in the years since, the once-untouchable studio has had a few misfires. Such was the rarity of these prior to Endgame, that questions began to be asked as to whether the studio’s best days were behind it or whether audiences are indeed suffering from superhero fatigue. The jury is out regarding the former, and the case certainly can be made for the latter. However, coming off the high of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3, it is clear Marvel’s ability to entertain and provide an endless amount of fun for two hours or thereabouts remains very much intact.

Set after the events of WandaVision and Ms. Marvel, Carol Danvers, AKA Captain Marvel (Larson) is exploring a mysterious wormhole “jump point” in the deep of space where she realises, she switches places first with Kamala Khan AKA Ms. Marvel (Vellani) and also Monica Rambeau, the daughter of Carol’s best friend Maria. Deducing that the reason for the switcheroo is because of their mutual light-based powers, the three women team up to establish who or what is causing their powers to be entangled and in so doing discover a plot devised by the new Kree leader Dar-Benn (Ashton) to harness energy from other worlds to restore her home planet from the brink of destruction..

Even before any hint or suggestion of superhero fatigue had begun to set in, there has been an unconscionable level of backlash from certain sections of the internet directed towards this film since it was announced. The criticism largely stems from the decision to cast three women in the lead roles. Team-ups have been aplenty throughout the history of MCU, from small pairings such as The Revengers to the massive ensemble teams featuring the likes of Earth’s mightiest heroes and the Guardians. Yet, none of those had quite the absurd level of backlash. More fool them because you can add this trio of powerful women to that marvellous list.

Without a shadow of a doubt, the film’s brightest spark and the reason you should go out and watch this film is the chemistry between these three superpowered women. The performances of all three leads are wonderful to watch and the chemistry between them is fizzing with an abundance of palpable cosmic energy. Kamala Khan, in particular, exudes such joyous and blissfully happy emotion at getting the chance to partner with her idol that it is impossible not to love her, and she steals the entire show. Of course, Monica does not share such overwhelming adulation for Carol given the tragic fate her mother Maria endured and for not being there when she promised, which adds a complex emotional layer to the dynamic of the team.

The screenplay by Nia DaCosta, Megan McDonnell, and Elissa Karasik shines when focusing on the relationships between these superheroes. Witnessing them share the screen and kick ass provides delightful popcorn entertainment at its best. The ensuing adventure which takes the trio across a plethora of unique worlds all in search of the villainous Dar-Benn is and to stop her from targeting the natural resources of these worlds. DaCosta (the first black woman to direct an MCU film) stamps her authority on the action scenes and injects them with an effervescent and joyous energy. Furthermore, at just over 100 minutes, the pacing is kept tight and whooshes by, which is befitting for a film featuring a character who can travel faster than the speed of light.

While it is extremely fun to watch, the script does have its flaws with a plot involving possible talks regarding a peace treaty between the Kree and the Skrulls – previously seen throughout the MCU in other projects such as The Guardians of the Galaxy, Secret Invasion and of course, the original Captain Marvel – coming to an abrupt before it really got going. By keeping the pacing so laser-focused, there’s not much time to expand on Dar-Benn’s motivations, which could have made her a far more compelling antagonist. Zawe Ashton gives everything she has to make her a formidable adversary, but like so many MCU villains before her, she is not developed beyond her revenge-driven goals and fails to leave a lasting impression.

Given the MCU was riding higher, further and faster than all its competitors trying to build their own cinematic universes, cracks in the armour were bound to appear sooner or later. The recent projects, released in the last two years, have widened the cracks in the MCU’s armour, bringing the franchise back down to earth.. However, with the last adventure with the Guardians and now this utterly delightful team-up, there is every indication that the studio has learnt from its mistakes and paid heed to the criticism which has been levelled at it in recent years. Hopefully, as Phase 5 continues to progress, it will prove that its recent wobbles were a mere bump in the road and is ready to fly high and regain its former glory.

After an emotional last ride with the Guardians, this latest team-up is just what the MCU needed to get back on track, in no small part thanks to the palpable chemistry of its leading ladies and DaCosta’s vibrant direction. Naysayers be damned! 

Posted in 2020-2029, Film Review, London Film Festival 2023

The Killer (2023)

Posted on by Martin: Through the Silver Screen
© Netflix

The Killer – Film Review

Cast: Michael Fassbender, Charles Parnell, Kerry O’Malley, Sala Baker, Sophie Charlotte, Tilda Swinton, Arliss Howard, Emiliano Pernía, Gabriel Polanco

Director: David Fincher

Synopsis: An assassin on a mission to eliminate a target finds himself up against his employers after the mission goes awry…

Review: “Empathy is weakness, weakness is vulnerability” narrates the nameless assassin at the centre of the latest film from the master of suspense David Fincher. It is probably a requisite in that particular line of work that one would need to not allow their feelings or emotions to interfere in the name of getting the job done. Cinema has seen no shortage of films centred on the worlds of espionage and paid assassins. In the hands of a director whose methods are as targeted and as precise as its titular hitman, he brings an entirely unique perspective to this genre, unlike anything we have seen before.

The eponymous assassin (Fassbender) is contracted by his employers to eliminate a target by any means necessary, even if it means waiting for days on end for the opportune moment to present itself. While he lies in wait, he will prepare meticulously to ensure he is ready, but he will also find time to engage in regular day-to-day activities, such as ordering fast food and doing yoga. The precise and methodological approach he takes towards his job is procedural, and he will merely bide his time waiting for the moment to strike. When the moment does arrive, a rare mishap leaves him wondering who might now be after him and if he is about to be the one in the crosshairs of his employers.

Adapted from the French graphic novel series of the same name written by Alexis Nolent, the script by Andrew Kevin Walker (reuniting with Fincher after the duo worked on Se7en) wastes no time getting down to business. It whizzes through the opening credits almost quickly as a speeding bullet, though it slows back down again as through an extensive period of narration by The Assassin as he gets ready to carry out the assassination he has been paid one presumes an exorbitant amount of money for. From there, once the planned hit has been botched, the film is divided into chapters as he goes across the globe to confront his employers and seek retribution against those who may have targeted him, or those close to him in response to the botched job. He does all this while having a penchant for destroying mobile phones and listening to The Smiths. Who knew that listening to Morrissey is the perfect ambience an assassin requires to commit brutal acts of violence?

Before taking a three-year break away from the big screen, Fassbender was in something of a rut having starred in a series of films which did not have the best of receptions either critically or commercially. Therefore, it is immensely satisfying to see him return to form in a big way as he is electrifying here. Given he’s in just about every frame of the film, he commands the screen with a presence with an intensity and an aura of someone you absolutely do not want to mess with. He’s a man of few words but has an icy death stare that would make anyone’s blood run as cold as the deepest depths of the South Pole during a long and dark winter night. For understandable reasons, Fincher keeps his camera trained on Fassbender to the extent that pretty much every other member of the cast is given very little or sparse screen time. However, each one, especially Tilda Swinton makes their screentime count.

There’s a foreboding nature running through every frame of the film thanks to the atmospheric cinematography from Erik Messerschmidt, and an intense score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. It is all overseen by a director who like his main character, is methodical and meticulous in how he shoots his films. His command of the craft is never in doubt, particularly when it comes to what is one of the most brutal fight scenes in a film this year or in a good long while for that matter where every punch and blow is strongly felt. While the story itself is light on substance and could have delved more beyond the surface level of the assassin’s psyche and what makes him tick, it is hard to count that against it when everything is so slickly and stylishly presented. This should come as no surprise given that like his titular assassin, Fincher shoots to thrill, and thrill he most certainly does.

Gripping from the word go and never letting up due to a phenomenal leading performance from Michael Fassbender, the master of the thriller once again delivers a pulsating and intense ride which does not miss.

Posted in 2020-2029, Film Review, London Film Festival 2023

The Zone of Interest (2023)

Posted on by Martin: Through the Silver Screen
© A24, Film4, Access, Polish Film Institute, JW Films and Extreme Emotion

The Zone of Interest – Film Review

Cast: Christian Friedel, Sandra Hüller, Ralph Herforth, Johann Karthaus, Luis Noah Witte, Nele Ahrensmeier, Lilli Falk, Medusa Knopf

Director: Jonathan Glazer

Synopsis: A Nazi officer and his wife look to build their idyllic family life in a home right next to Auschwitz…

Review: One does not have to have picked up a history book, or to have studied World War II in extensive detail, to know between 1941 and 1945, the Nazis systematically murdered European Jews during the Holocaust. Around six million Jews, two-thirds of the Jewish population on the continent, were slaughtered. Cinema has often turned its attention to this dark and evil chapter of human history, capturing the horrendous conditions of the concentration/death camps. It seems impossible for a film to find a new way to illustrate the appalling atrocities committed by the Nazis, yet this is exactly what writer/director Jonathan Glazer does with this haunting and unnerving examination of human indifference towards unspeakable brutality.

Loosely based on the 2014 novel of the same name by Martin Amis and set in 1943, the film explores the life of Nazi SS officer and Commandment of the Auschwitz concentration camp Rudolf Höss (Friedel) and his wife Hedwig (Hüller) as they seek to build their family life in a house, right next door to the camp. The mere description of the film’s synopsis is enough to fill anyone with fury and anxiety, and anyone could reasonably think that the film’s opening shot would be an unsettling scene from inside the camp. Instead, after a lengthy black screen with only Mica Levi’s score to fill our eardrums with a terrifying sense of dread, the opening shot is one of the Höss family, having a family day out by a lake. The jarring juxtaposition of joyous family fun, in the immediate vicinity of callous acts of genocide is an immediate jolt to the senses to horrify you beyond measure.

It is such a disturbing and startling contrast that makes your stomach churn, setting the tone for the rest of the film. Throughout, we see the Höss family go about their daily lives. Banal acts such as getting ready for school, coming home, tending to your garden, having a meal, spending a family day by the pool, and sleeping safe and sound in your bed at night. The sorts of regular activities families will go through day after day. All the while, the audible sounds of gunshots, indiscernible orders, screams and cries for mercy, combined with the horrific sight of the Auschwitz chimney splurging out smoke as a result of the gas chambers being used. Yet these horrific sounds do not remotely faze the family in the slightest. They go about their lives while countless innocent souls have theirs ended in such an inhumane and callous manner. The sounds coming from the camp are deliberately kept out of sight but never out of the minds of the audience.

In what cannot have been easy roles for any of these actors to play, Christian Friedel and Sandra Hüller’s performances are both chillingly effective. Friedel portrays Hoss as a man driven by the wellness and comfort of his family while being heavily invested in his disturbing work concerning the efficiency of the camp to please his superiors. Meanwhile, Hüller as the Höss household matriarch also shows a complete lack of emotion to the situation mere yards away from her house. She is far more preoccupied with attending to the flowers and plants in her garden and trying on clothes that belonged to Jews who were housed at the camp. Both their performances are frightening due to their complete indifference to the barbaric acts of violence being inflicted upon other human beings beyond their garden wall, simply because they didn’t acknowledge the people who were housed in those conditions as people at all. Their shocking coldness in the face of the unspeakable screams with furious urgency to the audience, particularly in a world which finds itself in a seemingly never-ending continuous trend of horrific violence being inflicted on people all over the world on a day-to-day basis.

The filmmaking on display is immaculate. Glazer’s use of extensive long takes illustrates the mundanity of the everyday life of the Hoss family, while Lukasz Zal’s stripped-back cinematography is devastatingly effective. Using only practical and natural lighting, the garden scenes exude the warmth of a plot of land filled with love and care. Yet, in the very same shot, the cold, ominous, and unforgiving presence of the concentration camp’s buildings lingers in the background and serves as a glaring reminder of the horrors contained within those walls.

The art form of cinema can so often be a place for audiences to have fun and enjoy themselves, but this is emphatically not one of those instances. Glazer’s intention is absolutely to horrify the audience, to chill them to their very core as to how people can sit idly by while horrific crimes are committed in broad daylight. As the old saying goes: “Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it”. Such appalling acts of depravity should be forever confined to our history books and museums, never to be repeated. However, as recent years have shown, unspeakable atrocities are being committed due to blind hatred, while bigotry is rearing its ugly head across the world. Glazer’s message rings loud and clear. We cannot and must not be complicit in the face of evil.

An unflinching analysis of the human complicity and apathy in close proximity to the unimaginable brutality inflicted on countless innocent souls that will get under your skin and not leave your mind anytime soon. In time, this will become essential viewing for all.

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Posted in 2020-2029, Film Review, London Film Festival 2023

Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)

Posted on by Martin: Through the Silver Screen
© Apple Films, Paramount Pictures and Imperative Entertainment

Killers of the Flower Moon – Film Review

Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Lily Gladstone, Jesse Plemons, Tantoo Cardinal, Cara Jade Myers, Jillian Dion

Director: Martin Scorsese

Synopsis: Telling the true story of what became known as “The Reign of Terror” where a series of murders of members took place in the 1920s against of the Osage Native American tribe in the 1920s, sparking a major law investment investigation…

Review: The 1920s, or the Roaring Twenties, was defined by economic prosperity across Western society where certain sections of the population gained enormous wealth. However, as history has shown us time and time again, for some people, the wealth they have acquired is somehow never enough. They are driven by insatiable greed, which as the trailer summarised is “an animal that hungers for blood” and will be willing to commit appalling acts of violence to obtain such wealth. It is this greed and corruption, as well as a series of brutal murders which forms the basis for the latest epic from one of cinema’s greatest living directors.

Ernest Burkhart (DiCaprio) returns to Osage County, Oklahoma after serving in the First World War. In 1898, the discovery of huge quantities of oil underneath the land belonging to the Osage Native American tribe instantaneously made them some of the richest people in the world. Yet, the possession of this wealth provokes the Caucasian members of the community to conspire against the Osage tribe, to swindle them out of this money so that the wealth can come to them. To that end, Burkart is persuaded by his ruthless uncle William Hale (De Niro), to marry Osage member Mollie Kyle, so that were anything to happen to Mollie’s family, the lucrative wealth of this oil money would be passed on to Burkhart, and by extension, Hale.

Based on the book of the same name by David Grann, the screenplay by Scorsese and Eric Roth frames its story from the perspective of the Osage people. We see through their eyes how the viciousness, corruption, greed, as well as white supremacy, drove people to systematically kill off the Osage community. As one Osage leader puts it “they’re like buzzards circling our people”. Over 206 enthralling minutes, the film combines the love story between Mollie and Ernest, the central plot to eliminate the members of the Osage community, and the ensuing Bureau of Investigation (BOI) inquiry into the murders.

Marking the sixth collaboration between himself and Scorsese, DiCaprio is excellent as Burkhart. On the surface, he comes across as a bit dim-witted and extremely naive. Yet, he is also ambitious and is spurred on by his uncle to do some truly terrible things all in the name of acquiring more wealth. Even though she could sense from the start what his ulterior motive was, the romance between him and Mollie is genuine and causes Burkhart to be severely conflicted about the plans his uncle has put in place. In what is De Niro’s tenth feature film collaboration with his long-time friend, he is as thoroughly loathsome and reptilian as Hale. On the outside, he comes across as this charming and friendly soul towards the Osage. Yet, on the inside, he spouts white supremacist ideology which feels eerily reminiscent of modern times. It’s a scaled-back performance in many respects, as he does not need to raise his voice to cause other characters, especially Ernest, to be immensely afraid of a deadly reprisal given the power he holds in the region. Both actors have become Scorsese’s muses over the course of his glittering career, and to see them act opposite each other in a feature film for the first time is a special sight to see.

However, both are outshone by the film’s heart and soul, Lily Gladstone’s Mollie. She initially displays a quiet and restrained performance, even as members of her family and the Osage are being killed. Yet, as the film progresses, that restraint turns into something much more potent and fiercer when it comes to seeking justice for those Osage members who have been cruelly murdered, which results in the Bureau of Investigation sending agent Tom White (Plemons) down from Washington D.C. to lead an inquiry into the murders.

Having been given the largest-ever budget on a Netflix film with his previous film, Scorsese has followed suit with his move over to Apple (with a reported budget of $200m) and the results are as immaculate as one would expect. The filmmakers worked extensively with the Osage tribe to ensure authenticity and were permitted to shoot in areas where the events depicted happened. Similarly, the length gone to recreate genuine Osage costumes, particularly the blankets, demonstrates the tremendous level of care which went into the production. It gives the Osage community a voice which history has often tried to silence. Under the trusted eye of his regular collaborator Thelma Schoonmaker, the film’s editing is meticulous and keeps the film’s pace briskly moving along so that those 206 minutes whistle by, reinforcing the idea that no film is too long if it is paced correctly. Having served as cinematographer on his films since The Wolf of Wall Street, Rodrigo Prieto’s cinematography is visually striking in capturing the Oklahoma oil fields bathed in sunshine and when required,  shifts gear when it comes to the abject horror the Caucasian community wrought upon the Osage.

He might have now reached the age of 80, but for Scorsese age is clearly just a number. He continues to not let his age get in the way of producing stunning pieces of cinema which can shine a spotlight on an important piece of US history that should never be forgotten. It reminds the audience of the horrors and evils that can come with rampant corruption and greed, a lesson which still holds true in modern society. Cinemagoers across generations have been able to watch a master at work for over 60 years, and for that, we can be immensely grateful.

An epic and all-encompassing rumination on the perils of rampant greed, the ugliness of white supremacy and the US’s shameful history when it comes to the treatment of the Native American people. Another stunning achievement from one of the best directors cinema has ever seen. 

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