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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.

See How They Run – Film Review

Cast: Sam Rockwell, Saoirse Ronan, Adrien Brody, Ruth Wilson, Reece Shearsmith, Harris Dickinson, Charlie Cooper, Pippa Bennett-Warner, Pearl Chanda, Sian Clifford, Jacob Fortune-Lloyd, David Oyelowo

Director: Tom George

Synopsis: Plans for a movie adaptation of a popular murder mystery play are thrown into chaos when a key member of the crew is murdered…

Review: There is arguably no one more associated with the concept of a whodunnit murder mystery than the legendary Agatha Christie. The creator of staples of the genre like Hercule Poirot or Miss Marple has spawned countless film and TV adaptations over many years. Given the resurging popularity of murder mysteries as of late, it would be so easy for the creative team behind this latest incarnation of the genre to be another in the long line of adaptations of Christie’s works. Still, a direct adaptation, this is not. It very much taps into Christie’s legacy and gives the audience a thrilling and brilliantly funny slice of murder mystery mayhem.

It is 1953, in the heart of London’s West End. The cast and crew of Agatha Christie’s popular play The Mousetrap throw a party to celebrate their 100th show. Present at the party is prominent American film director Leo Köpernick (Brody), who is attempting to convince the play’s producer John Woolf (Shearsmith) during the party to let him make a film adaptation of the play. However, later that evening Kopernick is found to have been murdered by a mysterious assailant. Charged with taking on the case are the jaded drunkard Detective Stoppard (Rockwell) and a very keen and eager new recruit Constable Stalker (Ronan) to investigate the circumstances surrounding Kopernick’s murder and apprehend the suspect.

The genre of the murder mystery/whodunnit has enjoyed a resurgence in recent years, so one might expect to see this one follow all of those tropes to the letter, because as one character goes at the beginning “It’s a whodunnit. You’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all.” However, what makes this feature film directorial debut from Tom George so delightfully entertaining is it manages to collectively follow these tropes, whilst also providing some witty meta-commentary about the genre as a whole. But crucially, it never once comes off as condescending or patronising, as Mark Chappell’s screenplay is sharply written, keeping things moving along at a brisk pace, leaving the audience constantly on its toes as to who could this mystery assailant possibly be.

Equally, what makes this film such a joyous blast to watch are its characters. In its two lead detectives, you have two characters who could not be more opposite to one another if they tried, very much the chalk and cheese of their profession. In Rockwell’s Stoppard is a detective who has grown to be very weary, almost disinterested in his profession, and would much rather be getting drunk. Meanwhile, Ronan (who gets to use her native Irish accent) is the complete polar opposite. She is extremely eager, armed with her notepad without fail ready to jot down any information that might help them solve the case. Her love of the arts, as well as her perfect comedic timing, ensures she steals the show, an impressive feat considering the array of talent that has been assembled amongst this super-talented cast.

Through Amanda McArthur’s immaculate production design, and the snappy editing from Gary Dollner and Peter Lambert, there is a vibe throughout the whole film that is very reminiscent of a Wes Anderson production. Yet simultaneously, due to George’s direction being so confident and assured, never once feels like a rip-off or a cheap imitation, as George very much puts his own stamp on the film. When you have directors like Tom George and Rian Johnson producing films that are able to follow the genre’s well-worn tropes, yet simultaneously provide some witty social commentary, it is no surprise that the genre is enjoying a peak in its popularity, Agatha Christie would be very proud.

With its extremely witty dialogue and wonderfully drawn characters, especially those portrayed by Ronan and Rockwell, See How They Run marks another splendid addition to the whodunnit genre.