2020-2029, Film Review

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024)

Posted on September 6, 2024 by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

**© Warner Bros and The Geffen Company**

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice – Film Review

Cast: Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci, Jenna Ortega, Willem Dafoe

Director: Tim Burton

Synopsis: Decades after the events of Beetlejuice, three generations of the Deetz family return to Winter River, where a family member discovers a portal to the afterlife. This enables the return of the ghost with the most, Betelgeuse himself…

Review: In the vastly idiosyncratic filmography of Tim Burton, words like freaky, wacky, quirky, eccentric, and macabre often come to mind. Though, perhaps none captures these qualities more than the 1988’s Beetlejuice. A story about death and the afterlife had no business being as charming, bizarre and witty as it was, with a glorious scene-stealing performance from Michael Keaton as the titular character, despite only 17 minutes of screentime. An impressive achievement for what was Burton’s second feature film and represented the start of a long and lasting collaboration between Burton and Winona Ryder, including a certain Caped Crusader in the case of the former. Years after being banished to the afterlife (Betelguese, not Batman), the Juice is let loose for a legacy sequel that earns its stripes and does not deserve to be banished to purgatory forevermore.

It has been over 30 years since Lydia Deetz (Ryder) was almost married to a sleazy bio-physicist. Despite him being out of her life, Lydia is haunted by visions of the ghost with the most. A family tragedy brings Lydia, her stepmother Delia (O’Hara), and her daughter Astrid (played by Ortega) back to Winter River. During this time, Lydia attempts to reconnect with Astrid, who initially shows little interest. However, Astrid’s curiosity is piqued when she discovers an old model of the town in the attic. Their efforts to build a relationship seem to be making progress until a family member says THAT name three times, Betelgeuse is let loose on the world of the living, and he has some unfinished business to take care of.

When a significant amount of time has passed between films in a franchise, there is always the risk that the sequel will become nothing more than nostalgia bait for fans of the original and will lean too heavily into that, and forget to tell a story worth telling. A dangerous game, which this sequel thankfully is not interested in playing. In the years since, Lydia is the face of a TV show as a psychic mediator, trying to juggle a relationship with her producer Rory (Theroux), while Astrid is struggling to come to terms with the loss of her father. Meanwhile, in the land of the ghouls, Betelgeuse is up to his usual tricks in an attempt to win Lydia back, all while Dolores (Belluci) is on an intensely personal mission to track Betelgeuse down and will stop at nothing until she finds him, but not before she has to (literally) put herself back together. Burton’s gothic style is fully turned up to the maximum and he is absolutely in his element.

Speaking of people in their element, Keaton in the titular role is once again an absolute joy of chaotic energy, he slips back into that stripy suit effortlessly like he never took it off. Ryder and Ortega, the latter of whom you get the spooky sense might just be on a long journey as another frequent Burton collaborator, are a very effective pairing. Even though Astrid feels unhappiness and resentment towards her mother, they work together as schemes perpetuated by those on the other side threaten to have dire consequences for them both. Dafoe is fun, if a little underutilized as a deceased actor who really enjoyed playing a cop when he was alive. However, no one is more underserved by this sequel than Belluci. She makes her presence known with what precious little screentime and lines she has, but it is a real squandered opportunity that her backstory wasn’t further fleshed out.

Alfred Gough’s and Miles Millar’s script, from a story they wrote with Seth Grahame-Smith, strives to differentiate itself from its predecessor by spending more time in the Land of the Dead, rather than the living. As undeniably cool and enjoyable as it is to see this bizarre and unique portrayal of what life is almost certainly nothing like once we leave this mortal coil, there are so many different strands to this story at play. They have all been thrown into one big gigantic melting pot and ultimately, too many plot lines spoil the slimy afterlife broth, as it doesn’t always fully cohere and the plot becomes a little bit messy and unfocused.

Nevertheless, the film boasts immaculate production design, a preference for practical effects for as many scenes as possible, and stellar work from the hair and make-up teams. All these elements, combined with, Danny Elfman’s memorable score, give this sequel enough juice to go wild and delight and horrify the audience in equal measure. Time will tell if Burton decides to venture back into the zany world of the undead to complete the trilogy, perhaps saying Beetlejuice’s name three times will do the trick, although please do so at your own risk.

It gets a little too bogged down by too many different plotlines. However, with Burton’s commitment to practical effects, and another committed and off-the-wall performance from Keaton as the ghost with the most, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice delivers a worthy follow-up to its predecessor.

2020-2029, Film Review

The Flash (2023)

Posted on June 16, 2023August 23, 2024 by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

The Flash – Film Review

Cast: Ezra Miller, Sasha Calle, Michael Shannon, Ron Livingston, Maribel Verdú, Kiersey Clemons, Antje Traue, Michael Keaton, Ben Affleck

Director: Andy Muschietti

Synopsis: Upon discovering he can use his powers to travel in time, Barry Allen/The Flash attempts to rectify a tragic incident from his past…

Review: Before taking the time to analyse the latest, and one of the last films in the DC Extended Universe as we know it, it would be remiss for anyone to not bring up the subject of the string of off-screen allegations which have followed the film’s star Ezra Miller since the film wrapped production in 2021. Such is the scale and extremely serious nature of said allegations of misconduct, they cannot be ignored and the art can no longer be separated from the artist. Furthermore, given we’ve known for a while that the DCEU as we know will be rebooted under the direction of James Gunn and Peter Saffran, these allegations will have to be addressed by the studios at some point in the future.

Barry Allen has settled into his day job as a forensic investigator while also helping to fight crime as a member of the Justice League. However, his dad is awaiting trial after he was accused of murdering his mother when Barry was a child. When he discovers by travelling at such high speeds he can travel back in time, he attempts to alter the past to prevent his mother’s death, only to realise he has landed in an alternate universe, where he encounters his younger self. Together, the two of them must work out how to fix the damage that has been done to the universe before it is too late.

Multiverse movies have become all the rage in recent years, so despite being centred on an extremely fast character who can travel at super speeds, it is somewhat ironic this has been one of the last films to get in on the action. Though, in all fairness, it has been stuck in development hell for a long time, with multiple directors being attached at one point or another. The dual performances by Miller are solid. It provides some entertaining moments seeing the older Barry get irritated by the antics of his younger self, though they are both overshadowed by the return of Michael Keaton’s portrayal of Bruce Wayne/Batman. Given his legendary status, and arguably being the best actor to ever don the cape and cowl, it would have been easy for Keaton to show up, film his scenes and collect his pay cheque no fuss no muss. But he commits to it, because he’s BATMAN, and the delivery of certain iconic lines from his Batman films are joyful to watch.

Unfortunately, what is not so joyful to watch, is the film itself. Any film which tries to dabble in time travel/multiverse adventures needs an airtight screenplay to prevent things from spiralling entirely out of control. Christina Hodson’s screenplay, working from a story by John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein and Joby Harold, is heavily influenced by the Flashpoint storyline from the comics. However, perhaps given the screenplay has presumably gone through numerous versions, the final product leaves an awful lot to be desired. It attempts to juggle too many different plot threads with Barry’s remorse over what happened with his parents, time travel, an adventure with an alternate universe Batman, and a climatic superhero showdown in the third act that it becomes severely muddled and unfocused. As if that wasn’t enough, it introduces a new iteration of Kara/Supergirl into the mix, portrayed by Sasha Calle making her feature film debut. Calle does an excellent job with the material she’s given, but she is severely underutilised and the same is true for the return of Michael Shannon as General Zod, whose presence feels nothing more than a glorified cameo to set the stage for the third act.

This does have its moments, particularly around said final act and director Andy Muschietti does a capable job of trying to hold the film together through the chaos of this misadventure. However, as well as the opening action sequence, this third act is marred with some truly inexcusable sub-standard CGI, which should not happen when you have a $200m budget. While there have been some high points in the ten years since Man of Steel first took flight, ultimately, the current DCEU has got to a point where too many of its productions have been beset by too many problems, admittedly sometimes through no fault of their own. Nevertheless, the time is right for Gunn and Saffran to take charge and reboot the universe, but if this is to be the great reset for the DCEU it has been marketed as, a good starting point would be to unequivocally address the allegations surrounding Miller and hold them to account.

An adaptation of arguably the most well-known storyline from the comics should have been a slam dunk and the perfect way to bring this chapter of the DCEU to a close. Yet no amount of time travelling, or the glorious return of Keaton as the Caped Crusader, can save this multiversal misfire from becoming a jumbled mess.

2020-2029, Film Review

The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)

Posted on October 20, 2020October 20, 2020 by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

**Image is property of Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks Pictures and Netflix**

The Trial of the Chicago 7 – Film Review

Cast: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Eddie Redmayne, Sacha Baron Cohen, Daniel Flaherty, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Keaton, Frank Langella, John Carroll Lynch, Noah Robbins, Mark Rylance, Alex Sharp, Jeremy Strong

Director: Aaron Sorkin

Synopsis: In the run up to the 1968 Democratic National Convention, the organisers of several protests at the time, who later became known as the Chicago 7, are put on trial by the Government…

Review: It’s hard to get away from the fact that in this most chaotic of years, that the world of politics, especially in the USA, is a very fraught and bitterly divided arena. As politics becoming increasingly partisan in nature, society has been reeling from the riots and civil unrest that has stemmed from senseless brutality from law enforcement, and a fundamentally flawed judicial system that significantly disadvantages ethnic minorities and people of colour. The parallels between the current situation and the unrest of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s are extremely hard to avoid, lending increased relevance to the second directorial effort from seasoned screenwriter Aaron Sorkin. To say this is “timely” is practically doing the film a disservice, for the simple reasons that right from the start, there’s a real sense of urgency about the film, with a message that needs to be heard around the world, because as they say in the film: “The whole world is watching.”

With the 1968 Democratic National Convention taking place in Chicago, several different groups of people, with numerous leaders, converge on Chicago to protest the Vietnam War. With the Civil Rights Movement of the time in full swing, a tense atmosphere exists between the protestors and the police/National Guard who quickly arrive on the scene. It doesn’t take long for the situation to escalate into brutality and violence, leading to the arrests of the leaders, who would go on to become known as the Chicago 7. The Government, under President Richard Nixon, is eager to make an example of these protestors. Hence, they appoint a top prosecutor Richard Schultz (Gordon-Levitt) to seek prosecutions and lock these protestors up for allegedly inciting violence. The stage is now set for one of the most politicised trials in the history of the United States.

As he demonstrated with his slick and stylish debut feature Molly’s Game, Sorkin’s proved himself to be a confident director to combine perfectly with his skill as a master screenwriter. It’s to his great credit that he made stories about about numbers and baseball, and the social media company that would change the world, extremely compelling watches. It raises the possibility that Sorkin could craft something extremely riveting based on the most ordinary of tasks. Though, the events being depicted here are given extra significance by the politically charged nature of this story. There’s no holding back when it comes to its subject matter, and how these events that are being depicted over fifty years ago, are starkly relevant in today’s society. A society where those in positions of power seek to use the political and justice systems as weapons to punish those who dare to have a dissenting opinion. The dialogue, as you would expect from Sorkin, is sharp and engaging throughout, and he effortlessly blends the urgent and important drama, with some brilliant humour.

With a massively stacked cast, there’s always a risk that not everyone will get their moment in the spotlight, and while Sorkin does his level best to give each of the Chicago 7 a moment, some use their opportunity better than others. One of the brightest spots by far is Sacha Baron Cohen’s Abbie Hoffman. On first glance he might seem like nothing more than an eccentric hippie, but don’t let that fool you, for he is a man with razor sharp wit, with his finger on the pulse. While his accent wobbles in a few places, Eddie Redmayne’s Tom Hayden is another who uses his screen time effectively. He might seem like a more quiet and reserved individual, but he has his moments where he exhibits fierce passion for the cause that all of the defendants stand for. While there are clashes within the ranks of the Chicago 7, they remain committed to their goal of exposing this trial for what it is, a sham and politicised trial.

On the other side of the courtroom, Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s Richard Schultz is a little concerned about the Government’s position, but is determined to do his job to the best of his abilities. By contrast, Frank Langella’s Judge Hoffman is one character who will infuriate every time he’s on screen. The sheer contempt he exhibits for the defendants, their legal representatives, and the fact he fails to be impartial throughout illustrates how he’s unequivocally unfit to be a judge in this situation. Through his clear disdain for the defendants, it makes for some fiery (and sometimes entertaining) clashes between the Judge and the Chicago 7, as well as their legal counsel William Kunstler (a truly excellent Mark Rylance). Additionally, while they’re not in the film for sufficiently long enough, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s Leader of the Black Panther Party Bobby Searle and Michael Keaton’s, former Attorney General Ramsey Clark, both leave lasting impressions with their performances.

In this politically charged era that we’re currently living in, battlegrounds are being drawn between those on opposite ends of the political spectrum. Furthermore, as they were in 1968/69, those in power today are using the flawed justice system and the courts as a means of achieving their own ends. This powerful and urgent drama is an important reminder of the power of protest, and how people should use their voice to speak out and should not let government intimidation bully them into silence. Like they were fifty years ago, the whole world is watching, and it is essential to stand up for democracy, and ensure that people make themselves be counted.

Signature sharp Sorkin dialogue throughout, this urgent drama is a sharp and stinging look at social, legal and political issues that even after a generation, continue to be deep-rooted thorns in today’s society.

2010-2019, Film Review

Dumbo (2019)

Posted on April 10, 2019April 12, 2019 by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

**Image is property of Walt Disney Pictures and Tim Burton Productions**

Dumbo – Film Review

Cast: Colin Farrell, Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, Eva Green, Alan Arkin, Nico Parker, Finley Hobbins

Director: Tim Burton

Synopsis: When an elephant in the care of a struggling circus gives birth, the young creature is born with rather large ears. When it’s discovered that he can fly, the circus makes him its newest attraction to turn around its fortunes…

Review: It is very hard not to look at most of these live action re-imaginings of classic animated Disney films of yesteryear as nothing more than cynical cash grabs. For some of these films, you look at them and just think, there is no reason for these films to be remade. However, in the case of Dumbo, since the original film came out over seventy years ago, a remake does seem warranted. However, with three live action remakes set to grace the big screen this year, Disney is only just getting started, and everyone’s favourite big eared elephant is the first one in its sights.

It is 1919, and Holt (Farrell) has just come home from the First World War, a war that has taken a heavy toll on him. In his absence, his kids Millie (Parker) and Joe (Hobbins) have been enduring a difficult time, with their circus, led by Max Medici (DeVito) really falling on hard times. However an opportunity to revive their ailing fortunes presents itself with the arrival of an adorable young elephant, who happens to be born with unusually large ears. Initially the subject of much derision and ridicule, most notably from Medici, this turns to awe when it’s revealed that this young creatures’s ears give him the ability to fly. This soon attracts the attention of V. A. Vandevere (Keaton), the owner of a much bigger circus/theme park.

Given that humans didn’t feature in the original, and that the original film was just over an hour, Ehren Kruger’s screenplay has to expand on the source material. As such the human characters become the main focus of the film, and not the titular little elephant. Given that they’re the focus of the plot, the screenplay tries to give the humans something substantial to work with, and the results are mixed. DeVito is on reliably entertaining form as Medici, but it’s Holt’s daughter Millie who steals the spotlight as she is the most fleshed out character. She is a very strong willed young woman who has a keen interest in science, as well as taking care of Dumbo and helping him adapt to circus life, alongside her brother.

Parker’s performance shows that she has inherited those acting chops from her mother Thandie Newton. By contrast, none of the other human characters are really given much development, despite some of the stellar names in the cast. Michael Keaton’s character especially feels really out of place, with an accent so peculiar it’s hard to fathom what accent it is or why he’s speaking in that manner. One quick glance at the filmography of Tim Burton, and you would quickly realise that his imagination as a director is as dark and eccentric as they come. With that said, he doesn’t seem to be the most natural choice to bring Dumbo’s story to a new generation. Given the target market of the film, there’s obviously nothing as macabre or as freaky that Burton’s imagination has previously brought to the big screen.

Though, as one might expect with Burton, there are some dark undertones. Yet the direction for the most part feels very safe and doesn’t really take any risks, which feels like a missed opportunity as the scope was there to explore a dark side to the circus. The CGI for Dumbo is really well done and, as you would expect, Dumbo is completely adorable and above all else, in spite of the glittering array of talent in this cast, it’s this sweet little elephant that you find yourself rooting for the most, if only he had that little bit more screen time.

The cast try their hardest, but an indifferent script and the mismatch of tones prevent this live action re-imagining from soaring, but, thanks to the adorable titular elephant, it does get off the ground.

2010-2019, Film Review

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Posted on July 7, 2017August 15, 2018 by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

**Image is property of Columbia Pictures, Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures**

Spider-Man: Homecoming – Film Review

Cast: Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Robert Downey Jr, Marisa Tomei, Jon Favreau, Zendaya

Director: Jon Watts

Synopsis: Having played his part during the Avengers’ Civil War, Peter Parker balances school with his superhero duties. When a new threat emerges in the shape of the villainous Vulture, Peter seeks to use this as a chance to prove himself…

Review: As a character and a superhero, Spider-Man has unquestionably enjoyed a lot of popularity ever since his first comic book came out. Indeed, it’s highly likely that many see him as one of their favourite superheros. Therefore it would surely seem to be an easy task to translate the friendly neighbourhood web crawler to the big screen to make a film that Spidey fans across the world can enjoy, but that is a task that has posed its challenges for Hollywood. One trilogy of his big screen adventures had two gems but then squandered it all with a messy third chapter. A reboot then followed, which produced two more pretty lacklustre outings, and consequently poor Spidey got a third reboot, which this time has thankfully got the character back on course.

Of course, this third reboot only came about after Sony and Marvel struck a deal which enabled Spidey to crop up in the MCU. His MCU foray began with a tremendous turn in last year’s Civil War, and now with both Sony and Marvel’s input, the webhead has a new adventure. As Peter battles with the mundane school life, he yearns for something more and despite his tutelage from Tony Stark, Stark does not believe Peter to be ready. All the while, a new threat is emerging in the shape of the Vulture, a man whose plans turn nasty after seeing something slip out of his hands, and of course he clashes with Peter.

Tom Holland remains excellent as both Peter and Spider-Man, carrying on from his sublime turn in Civil War. The previous films really didn’t for the most part capture Peter as a high school kid, and all of the problems that high school kids go through. Though it is kind of ironic for Keaton starring as a bird-esque villain given his Oscar nominated performance a few years ago in Birdman, he is by far one of the most refreshing villains the MCU has seen, given that the MCU has had some well documented problems in terms of nailing down a villain to match the calibre of say Loki. His character is fleshed out and though he’s not taking the title of the best MCU villain, he’s not the sort of disposable bad-guy that past MCU flicks have given us.

After directing 2015’s Cop Car, Jon Watts calls the shots here, and while some of the action scenes that he helms here are certainly very enjoyable to watch at times, there are moments where it does falter a little bit. It’s not exactly weaving any new webs but it does manage to be for the most part a lot of fun to watch. However, you never come close to feeling the anxiety or the tension of the situation in the ways that Raimi’s first two films in particular pulled off so spectacularly. The rest of the cast do a fine job and as you might expect RDJ is there to provide a considerable proportion of the laughs, a role he shares with Peter’s best mate in high school Ned (Jacob Batalon). Concerns that Iron Man’s appearance would be overbearing are thankfully wide of the mark, as he is used sparingly, but when he has screen time, it’s used to great effect.

After the lull that was the Amazing Spider-Man films, to see Spidey back on track will undoubtedly be pleasing to long time fans of the character be back in a really entertaining film that really explores his high school years in ways that perhaps hasn’t been seen before. Yet at the same time, offering nothing really new and or innovative in terms of what has come before it, both in terms of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and indeed, previous Spider-Man movies.

A familiar premise and characters, but with a refreshingly interesting villain and some well filmed action scenes, but at the same time, not breaking any new ground.

2010-2019, Film Review

Toy Story 3 (2010)

Posted on March 27, 2017 by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

Image is property of Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios

Toy Story 3 – Film Review

Cast: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Blake Clark, Don Rickles, Jim Varney, Ned Beatty, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Michael Keaton, John Morris

Director: Lee Unkrich

Synopsis: With Andy now grown up and heading off to college, having not been played with for several years, the toys face a tricky decision, whether to remain in the attic or move on to pastures new, or more specifically: Daycare.

Review: When you have made two films, the first of which redefined the genre of animated movies, and then you followed that up with another supremely well made and heartfelt sequel that built so successfully on the world that its predecessor established, that is quite the feat. Therefore, when you decide to complete the trilogy, let’s just say that you have an almighty task ahead of you to try and top what came before it. Leave it then to the animation powerhouses Pixar to complete their Toy-tastic trilogy in tremendous style!

Toy Story 2 had quite the superb intro scene, but here they somehow top it with an incredible action scene of sorts that immediately reminds the audience that there is no limit to the imagination when it comes to a child and the toys they have, whilst immediately hitting you in the feels with the “You Got a Friend in Me!” tune, arguably one of the finest songs ever written for a Pixar film. Though Pixar continues to make their films that work on both levels, it’s evident that this is a film that is geared towards those grew up with the first two movies, as they more than others will relate to the feeling of growing up and having that dilemma of what to do with the toys you once cherished more than anything else in your life. Yet as time progresses, that undying love, just slowly just fades away.

**Blissfully unaware of what’s coming…**

Indeed, this is the very situation Andy finds himself in, what with being off to college and all. Despite a last ditch effort to get attention, Woody and the gang realise that maybe now is the time to find a new life for themselves or risk never getting played with ever again. through a mixture of unfortunate events sees the gang end up at a children’s daycare. Their excitement at a new lease of life quickly turns to horror though as these kids have a VERY different take on the word playtime, and life with Andy is a distant memory now.

In Michael Arndt’s capable hands, the screenplay continues down the path that the first two films walked down. The characters continue to be well developed and compelling, including all of the gang you know and love with a couple of significant new additions. These being a Ken doll (voiced brilliantly by Michael Keaton) and Ned Beatty as Lots-O’-Huggin’ Bear (AKA Lotso) who is the leader if you will of the Daycare. Smell of strawberries he might, but he’s not as sweet as he comes across. The humour is also maintained throughout the film with a truly hilarious moment in which Buzz is once again convinced he’s a Space Ranger, except he’s gone a bit European! The dialogue is all vintage Pixar and it’s simply joyous to watch.

Though the first two movies had plenty of emotion in them, there’s a couple of scenes here that really pack the emotion in such quantities that if it does not generate an emotional reaction among the watching audience, in which they’re fighting back the tears, one would have to question whether they are indeed human. Pixar films are littered with such moments, but two in particular here, might just be the best of the best. With a superb ending that continues to pack that emotional weight and one that wraps up this trilogy in just about the best way possible. Trilogies tend to have the one film that trips them up, but when a trilogy comes along, with each film being about as close to perfect as it could, that is a rare feat, and kudos to Disney and Pixar for pulling it off.

It’s been quite the journey with Woody, Buzz and co, but as third films in trilogies go, this is one of those rare films that is as good, if not better than what preceded it. Another masterpiece from the brain boxes at Pixar.

2010-2019, Film Review

Spotlight (2015)

Posted on February 7, 2016October 15, 2020 by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

Image rights belong to Anonymous Content, First Look Media, Participant Media, Rocklin/Faust and Open Road Films

Spotlight – Film Review

Cast: Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, John Slattery, Stanley Tucci, Liev Schreiber, Brian D’Arcy James

Director: Tom McCarthy

Synopsis: Telling the true story of a group of journalists working for the Boston Globe newspaper who uncover the horrific details of child molestation at the hands of Catholic priests and the subsequent attempts to hush everything up.

Review: Every so often in the world of news and current affairs, along comes a story that is so shocking and galling for a number of reasons, it would cause you to read your newspaper, watch your television, or listen to the radio with just disbelief and horror that such an event came to pass. Many stories revealing such wickedness often slip under the radar, and do not see the light of day, and that may have been the case for the subject of this powerful drama of the scandal that rocked not only the Catholic Church, but the entire world to its core. It may well have not reached the public’s attention, if it wasn’t for the grit and graft of some brave journalists.

The screenplay, penned by McCarthy and Josh Singer, which was on the 2013 Black List of unproduced screenplays pulls no punches whatsoever. The story is gripping, and disturbing at the same time. When nudged by an incoming new editor in the direction of the scandal, the team of journalists quickly begin to find something deeply disturbing, and as the film goes on, interview after interview, the full extent of the scandal emerges on the team and the full realisation of the crimes that have been committed come into view. The dialogue scene to scene keeps the attention of the viewer transfixed on the screen. With each conversation, whether with a lawyer, some victims, some people within the church, or whoever it may be, the team show great tenacity to dig deeper and deeper scratching every surface they can until there’s a story for them to run. It’s a dialogue driven film, but when it’s written this well, it’s riveting to watch.

The ensemble cast each deliver truly excellent performances, but it’s the performances of the Spotlight team in particular that shine the brightest. After his Oscar nominated turn as a washed up superhero in Birdman, Michael Keaton delivers another excellent performance as the editor of the team that comprises of Rachel McAdams’s Sacha Pfeiffer, Mark Ruffalo’s Michael Rezendes and Brian D’Arcy James’s Matt Carroll with John Slattery’s Ben Bradlee Jr. and Liev Schreiber’s newly appointed editor Marty Baron keeping a watchful eye over things. All excel but the standout performances are that of Mark Ruffalo and Rachel McAdams, who have both gained well earned Oscar nominations for the Best Supporting Actor and Actress respectively. Ruffalo in particular has an almost Hulk-esque moment at one point when the full depravity of the scandal comes becomes very crystal clear.

With such a delicate and controversial subject matter, approaching this film cannot have been easy for McCarthy and Singer, yet it is handled tremendously well. The direction is subtle but it emphasises is firmly on the need for justice for the victims. The reporters are not patting themselves on the back and having a drink celebrating at such a big scoop, instead they’re just aghast at what they have observed during their investigation. It is uncompromisingly brutal when the penny drops and there is a need and a desire to print their story and bring the perpetrators to full justice. In this day and age when the internet is taking over the journalism and publishing industry, it just goes to show that through real grit, determination and hard work, shocking truths such as these, can be brought to the attention of the public, and full credit to the brave journalists who did so.

Uncompromisingly brutal when it comes to the subject matter, with terrific performances and excellent well written dialogue, Spotlight will shake you to your core.

2010-2019, Film Review

Birdman (2014)

Posted on March 20, 2015May 29, 2017 by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

Birdman – Film Review

Cast: Michael Keaton, Emma Stone, Edward Norton, Zach Galifianakis, Andrea Riseborough, Amy Ryan, Naomi Watts

Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu

Synopsis: When a former Hollywood actor seeks to re-establish his stagnating career in the form of a Broadway play, all sorts of things start to go wrong as he battles with family, career troubles and snobby critics…

Review: When hearing of the title of this film, you could be forgiven for thinking this is yet another Hollywood film about superheroes to go along with the domination of Marvel and DC films that we have witnessed in recent years . Yet you would be mistaken (sort of.) This is not an action movie based on a man with extraordinary powers. Instead this story finds itself depicting former Hollywood actor Riggan Thomson (Keaton) the once legendary star of the Birdman superhero franchise, who’s seeking to re-establish himself in the entertainment business via a Broadway adaptation of Raymond Carver’s play What We Talk About When We Talk About Love.

He used to be all about the big bucks and the superhero genre, but not anymore. Yet his efforts are encountering road block after road block, with things going spectacularly wrong. The film has so much to say about superhero movies, actors, critics, life and modern technology among many other things. Through a wonderful screenplay by Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris and Armando Bo, the messages on the plethora of topics talked about in the film are rammed home in a way that really gets the audience thinking long and hard about who they are and where they stand in society.

Sniping at real life Hollywood events such as Robert Downey Jr in the Iron Man franchise, Ryan Gosling and Jeremy Renner. He sneers vehemently at the former, or rather his somewhat wacky alter ego does, “that clown doesn’t have half your talent” snarls the Birdman with such strong disdain. The contempt for the state of the modern movie industry he has is raw and although many modern superhero films are fantastic pieces of cinema loved by audiences the world over, the audience almost always connects with our lead man and his wing wearing alter ego. It delves deep into art, and what is art, how good an actor are you if you make over-the-top superhero movies? Or are you a better actor if you choose those smaller, not-so-big budget roles?

Michael Keaton, once the wearer of the great cape and cowl of the Batman, is on top form in a role that finally landed him his first Oscar nomination. His performance is invigorating and refreshing, like a phoenix rising from the ashes of what was once a stagnating career. Edward Norton, likewise is equally fascinating to watch. A method actor who really gets into the part he plays, in more ways than one. His back and forth with Keaton is some of the most enthralling dialogue that emerged from cinema in 2014. With two excellent male performances, one Emma Stone fights the ladies corner, and she definitely more than holds her own against these two accomplished actors, giving the performance of her career. The other key cast were all equally excellent in their roles, including a remarkably more laid back turn from Hangover funny man Zach Galifianakis. Keaton, Norton and Stone were well deserving of their nominations, with Stone arguably the most unlucky to lose out.

Visually, the film is extremely engaging and in many ways, revolutionary as it is made to look as if it is one single shot. The cinematography by Emmanuel Lubezki is magnificent, following on from his magnificent work on the Oscar winning Gravity. Lubezki is again on form here, delivering another visual sensation, and deservedly added another Oscar on top of the one he bagged for Alfonso Cuaron’s space drama. Evocative and incredible imagery are packed throughout the two hour run time. There are more than a few scenes that will get your mind racing and leave you breathless with the incredible technical skill that is on show.

The theatre setting would make the audience believe that the film is taking a stance on the theatre industry, but the messages are without a doubt about the film industry. Birdman is a must see for any fans of film, as it is smart, intelligent, original and humorous. The script packs lots of punches and provides audiences with a film going experience like nothing else we have ever seen before, and may never see again.