Nightcrawler (2014) Film Review by Gareth Rhodes

Nightcrawler (2014) Directed by Dan Gilroy. With Jake Gyllehaal, Rene Russo, Riz Ahmed and Bill Paxton. 

Written and directed by Dan Gilroy (his first directorial offering), Nightcrawler is a dark, disturbing thriller set on the night-time streets of Los Angeles, in which Louis Bloom (Jake Gyllehaal) seizes the opportunity to become a freelance cameraman – showing up at crime and accident scenes with a view to selling his footage to a local TV news outlet.

Straight off, the look and tone feels agreeably akin to the work of Michael Mann, as we’re introduced to the neon soaked streets of L.A. This is a hustlers world, brimming with madness around the edges. Gyllenhal’s Louis is a world-class weirdo. We know nothing about his past; only that he’s a loner – a bit like Travis Bickle from Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver, but with added powers of manipulation and self-control. His drive and determination are matched only by his strangeness, as he spends his nights listening in to police radio chatter, fishing for the next tragedy to exploit.

Gyllenhal is a tremendous actor, and like any great, he shows us a previously unseen depth of ability by giving a deeply committed performance. After only a few scenes, Gylenhaal the ‘movie star’ dissolves and Louis comes to life. Tearing up the tarmac of L.A in his red, shiny Dodge Challenger (complete with go faster stripes), the film echoes the likes of Drive as Louis and his ‘assistant’ (Riz Ahmed) race against the clock to get the job done. Louis views each crime-scene as an opportunity and sees himself as an artist.

The plot itself could easily be lifted from an instalment of the Grand Theft Auto video game series; one in which your missions are to carry out ‘jobs’ all over the city until you gain promotions to ‘up’ your social status and pimp your ride. Talking of promotions, Rene Russo is excellent as Louis’ boss (of sorts). She exists in the cut-throat world of TV-news, and her instincts are sharp enough to tell her that Louis has the ability to mine gold. They don’t, however, prepare her for the depths he will go to get exactly what he wants.

The manipulative world of TV-news is up for a bitch-slap, as we witness the depths of which they will go to in the name of ratings. News is edited to add drama to tragedy, much in the way we see it play out on the likes of FOX news. On this level, the film has a resonance that has the potential to leave a sickly feeling in your stomach.

Darker than dark and with Gyllenhaal giving a landmark central performance ranging from cartoon bad-guy to calculating monster – Nightcrawler is a highly impressive debut from Dan Gilroy. 4.5/5

A Simple Plan (1998) Film Review by Gareth Rhodes

A Simple Plan (1998) Directed by Sam Raimi. With Bill Paxton, Billy Bob Thornton, Brent Briscoe and Bridget Fonda.

Based on a novel by Scott B. Smith and directed by Sam Raimi, A Simple Plan tells the story of three men who stumble across the wreckage of a light aircraft, discovering a duffel bag containing $4.4m. Set in rural Minnesota, the Coen Borthers’ Fargo immediately springs to mind with the snowy landscapes acting as a backdrop to a catalogue of criminality.

Hank (Bill Paxton) is an honest, working guy with a newborn daughter to his wife, Sarah (Bridget Fonda). His brother, Jacob (Billy Bob Thornton) is a lost soul, living with the demons of his past. Together with Lou (Brent Briscoe), Hank and Jacob make the decision to form ‘a simple plan’ to keep the money. Of course, not all goes according.

While there’s little to trouble Fargo in terms of all-time classic status, Raimi handles the drama well, steadily turning the screw as the plot becomes more tangled. Casting Bill Paxton as the lead prevents the inherent distraction that comes with an A-list superstar, and further helps the audience place themselves in the shoes of the every-man to ask the overarching question – ” What would you do?”

In his supporting role, Billy Bob Thornton is excellent as Paxton’s troubled brother,  capturing a sense of unpredictability that serves the overall tension. Moreover, Bridget Fonda contributes a surprising amount of ‘spike’ to what initially seems like a bland supporting role.

Raimi takes the time to pay homage to his own horror roots, serving up shots of crows congregated around the site of the crashed plane. There is a deftly applied hint that they know more than we do, which adds a layer of unease.

As things stretch out, perhaps it does get a little lost in the tangle, while one particular aspect of the finale doesn’t entirely convince. Overall though, even if it feels somewhat incidental – with good performances, there are enough twists and turns to make A Simple Plan a sturdy pot-boiler. 3.5/5

Piranha 3DD (2012) Film Review by Gareth Rhodes

Piranha 3DD (2012) Directed by John Gulager. With Danielle Panabaker, Matt Bush, Katrina Bowden, David Koechner, Ving Rhames, Christopher Lloyd and David Hasselhoff.

Coming two-years after the success of Alexandre Aja’s Piranha 3D, the cheekily titled Piranha 3DD shares a certain kinship with 1983’s Jaws 3D, in as much as they are both crap and they both use a theme-park/water-park location as a backdrop to the ‘horror’. To be fair, Jaws 3D was innocently crap – and at least had a certain amount of ambition. Planting itself firmly in the realm of gross-out-horror-comedy, director John Gulager’s film knows exactly what it is, and expects us to be along for the ride.

If mounds of boobies and buckets of blood are your thing – then you’re in the right place. The ‘plot’ conspires to see that the toothy fish from the previous film find their way into a newly opened water-park called ‘Big Wet‘ *sigh. The reprehensible park manager (an irritating David Koechner) introduces us to an ‘Adults Pool’, much to the disdain of his daughter, Maddy (Danielle Panabaker). It is here that we’re treated to the many lingering shots of naked women – gasp! It might as well be called Tits 3D – at least then we could credit it with a little more honesty.

If there’s any fun to be had here, it comes from the cameos and guest appearances. Gary Busey briefly plays on his larger-than-life persona, while Christopher Lloyd allows himself to be typecast by recalling Back to the Future’s ‘Doc Brown’.  The best, depending on your affection for 80’s/90’s TV shows, Baywatch and Knight Rider, is saved for David Hasselhoff – who at least provides a little self-deprecation, as the former TV-star continues to capitalise on his own bizarre popularity as an emblem of guilty pleasures.   

Ultimately crass, with no ideas to call its own – Piranha 3DD gets carried away with itself far too often. Beyond the blatant (and frequent) leering, the really sad thing, is that it thinks it’s better than it is. What’s meant to play as audacious and/or shocking, is just too daft to laugh with. It might be of interest to a certain percentage of horny 14yr-old boys, or those who consider page 3 of The Sun newspaper to be some sort of religious publication, but for most people – it’s little more than cheap trash. As David Hasselhoff succinctly puts it –  “Welcome to rock bottom.” 1.5/5

Play Misty for Me (1971) Film Review by Gareth Rhodes

Play Misty for Me (1971)

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Directed by Clint Eastwood • Written by Joe Heims and Dean Riesner

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With Clint Eastwood, Patricia Walter and Donna Mills.

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Clint Eastwood directs and stars in Play Misty for Me, a tense thriller about a radio disc jockey who becomes victim to a vindictive stalker (Jessica Walter). Released in 1971, sixteen-years before Glenn Close took up the hobby of boiling bunnies, Eastwood’s directorial debut is an occasionally silly, yet serviceable enough late-night watch.

The film begins by setting the scene. Eastwood’s character (Dave, for what it’s worth) is a bit of a playboy, although he has a relationship bubbling away with Tobie (Donna Mills), the nice girl of the piece. He lives a simple, largely uncomplicated life in his beautiful home by the sea. One night in a bar, he meets Evelyn (Walters) and shenanigans ensue. Unbeknownst to him, Evelyn has more than a few screws loose.

A percentage of Eastwood’s performance and overall demeanour seem awkwardly transplanted from a mix of Dirty Harry and one of Sergio Leone’s Spaghetti Westerns. Of course, many of us are drawn to Eastwood’s films because of his tough-guy persona, but it would be fair to expect his character to be a little more nuanced. One thing is for sure, Harry Calahan wouldn’t have stood for some of the shit his character has to endure.

As the stalker, Patricia Walter is suitably unnerving and strange. The title of the film alludes to the song, Misty – which she frequently requests on Eastwood’s radio show. We feel the sense that her obsession with him will stretch to any length. After just one meeting, she is oddly intrusive – turning up to his house unannounced, sitting in his parked convertible car, waiting for him to finish work. As you might guess, it isn’t long before her behaviour escalates.

Amid all of this, Eastwood’s direction gives the impression of an artist learning his craft and the influence of Leone is clear to see (sharp zooms on people’s eyes). The film also has a weird middle 8 slump as it veers off course with a section that features Eastwood and his on/off/on girlfriend (Mills) cavorting around a Garden of Eden-type setting. They snog, they roll around in the grass, they snog again – this time next to a waterfall. They take a sunset walk along the beach to the soundtrack of The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face (full song) by Roberta Flack. I think it’s all meant to symbolise some kind of cleansing for Eastwood’s character, away from the insanity of being stalked, but it just plays as a bit odd and overstated.

Another solid case for the female of the species being more deadly than the male, Play Misty For Me has some good moments of suspense, which are let down slightly by some of the aforementioned elements. It doesn’t have quite the same impact as 1987’s Fatal Attraction, but nevertheless makes for a competent late-night TV thriller. 3.5/5

The Theory of Everything (2014) Film Review by Gareth Rhodes

The Theory of Everything (2014) Directed by James Marsh. With Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones and Charlie Cox. 

With a host of Oscar nods under its belt, and a win for actor Eddie Redmayne playing theoretical physicist, Stephen Hawking – The Theory of Everything tells the story of the relationship between Hawking and his wife, Jane (Felicity Jones). The film begins when the couple first meet and covers Hawking’s diagnosis and struggle with motor neuron disease, as well as his success in physics and subsequent celebrity.

It’s an obvious, yet inescapable comparison, but the first sight of Redmayne as a young Hawking immediately conjures Mike Myers as Austin Powers. With a mop of reddish-brown hair, thick black-rimmed glasses and a wide toothy smile, all that’s missing is the customary – “Yeah baby!“. Once we get our bearings, however, we quickly realise that this is a beautifully observed performance that is at pains to ensure absolute authenticity. No-one could argue that Redmayne didn’t deserve his Oscar statuette. His performance is utterly convincing, portraying a deeply intelligent, yet playful man. Indeed, it’s refreshing that despite the sadness and struggle – there is still room allowed for Hawking’s sense of humour to shine through.

The film itself is an adaptation of Jane Wilde Hawking’s memoirs, Travelling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen. As Jane, Felicity Jones is very good. We see her loyalty and her determination to build a family and stand by her man, whatever the odds. Her strength and courage fuel her husbands. Her devotion is tested when she meets Charlie Cox’s, Jonathan, a widower who forms a bond with the Hawking family upon meeting Jane through the local church choir. It creates an awkward love triangle that acts as a significant part of the films overarching plot.

Benoît Delhomme’s photography goes out of its way to romanticise us (you will wear rose-tinted specs), and it often feels like we are skimming over important details. However, it is worth remembering that the film is about the private relationship of a man and his wife, and that the success of Hawking as a physicist is not the central direction of the plot – as much as we might wish it were.

Considering my great expectation, I found the film slightly dissatisfying – almost as if there’s a better story behind the story we’re being told. On the whole, though, it has enough to recommend it by and Eddie Redmayne is a true revelation.  3.5/5

Out of the Furnace (2013) Film Review by Gareth Rhodes

Out of the Furnace (2013) Directed by Scott Cooper. With Christian Bale, Casey Affleck, Woody Harreslon, Zoë Saldana, Sam Shepard, Tom Bower, Forest Whitaker and Willem Dafoe.

Co-written with Brad Inglesby, Scott Cooper’s ‘Out of the Furnace‘ is a heavyweight drama-thriller that tells the story of two brothers (Christian Bale and Casey Affleck) and their life struggle in small-town, Eastern Pennsylvania.

Photographed by Masanobu “Masa” Takayanagi, the film captures the of decay and beauty of a part of the forgotten real America. Even before the global financial recession of 2008, we see a town struggling to make ends meet. Christian Bale’s character, Russell works the local mill, striving to make an honest living to look after his girl (Zoë Saldana) – who wouldn’t!? His brother, Rodney (Affleck) – a veteran of war in Iraq, suffers from post-traumatic-stress and makes the decision to enter into a world of bare-knuckle fighting as a source of income. It is here that the main thrust of the plot takes hold.

The film is alive with fine performances. In the lead role, Christian Bale is excellent, once again demonstrating commitment with a natural presence that shows sensitivity and great depth. Although we’re very much grounded on men-being-men turf, the script affords Bale’s character the room to be more rounded, by serving up an affecting sub-plot involving his relationship with his girlfriend. This is, though, a very bleak tale of struggle and strife that manages to be gripping, despite a sense of inevitability about the ultimate destination of the plot.

The environment is very much present in the feel of the overall narrative here, which allows the film its authenticity. You can smell the sweat and dirt and the supporting actors are given more to do than just support. Forest Whitaker plays a local policeman with a complex association with Bale’s character, while Willem Dafoe’s conflicted interests make him more than just a bit-part player. It is, though, Woody Harrelson, as the scumbag leader of a drug-dealing fight club who stands out the most prominently. Harrelson ensures there isn’t so much of a whiff of benevolence to his character, creating a dangerous monster who feels genuinely threatening.

While it might offer nothing new, Out of the Furnace nevertheless packs a punch on the way to being a highly accomplished yarn with a range of top-drawer performances, fleshed out in a mix of understated sub-plots that give it life beyond its central narrative. 4/5

Layer Cake (2004) Film Review by Gareth Rhodes

Layer Cake (2004) Directed by Matthew Vaughn. With Daniel Craig, Kenneth Cranham, George Harris, Colm Meaney, Burn Gorman, Sally Hawkins, Sienna Miller, Jamie Foreman and Michael Gambon.

Anyone familiar with Guy Ritchie’s guns n’ geezers films, can have a reasonably good idea of what to expect from Matthew Vaughn’s debut offering, Layer Cake. Adapted by J.J Connolly from his own novel of the same name, the film stars Daniel Craig as a successful cocaine dealer, intent on tying up loose ends and “quitting while he’s ahead” – only, there’s one last job…isn’t there always!?

While it can’t escape its kinship with the likes of Snatch and Lock Stock, Vaughn applies a glossier finish to his film, which is rubber-stamped by the casting of a smooth-talking Daniel Craig in the central role. This is a pre-Bond Craig, although it could easily be viewed as the audition that landed him the iconic 007 role. Although his character is guilty of serious crimes, he is a loose-fit in the criminal world; preferring to deal with his customers at arms length while his operation runs efficiently under the radar. Just as he’s getting ready to pack up and call it a day, trouble comes knocking in the form of mob boss, Jimmy (Kenneth Cranham).

What is refreshing about Craig’s character (and the underlying narrative of the piece), is that this isn’t a gangster film about someone pursuing greed. This is about someone recognising the pitfalls of the lifestyle and trying his best to divorce himself from it…only it won’t let him. On paper, it sounds like a recipe ripe for comedy to thrive, although Vaughn never opts to go down that road – keeping his film edgy and focused ahead. The supporting performances are a range of colourful stereotypes and familiar faces. Jamie Foreman, Burn Gorman and Sally Hawkins play a ragtag trio of drug dealers, clearly heading for disaster on one level or another, while Michael Gambon brings a little Godfathery weight to proceedings.

As with Vaughn’s subsequent work on Kick-Ass, the soundtrack choices play a significant role. The Rolling Stones’ Gimmie Shelter will add a certain va-va-voom to any seduction scene while Duran Duran’s Ordinary World and The Cult’s She Sells Sanctuary are also given generous airtime. In a sense, using such instantly recognisable music is employing the exact same method of impact-through-music that your average Manhattan-set chick-flick aims for.

Amid graphic shows of violence, sex appeal and mountains of drugs and cash – this isn’t a film that is in any way trying to glamorise the world it depicts. The contrary, it’s message is loud and clear – the personal, physical and psychological cost of being involved in organised crime vastly outweighs the dubious financial gains. With that, Layer Cake is yet another confidently made British gangster film. 3.5/5

Fargo (1996) Film Review by Gareth Rhodes

Fargo (1996) Directed by Joel Coen. With Frances McDormand, William H. Macy, Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare. 

Officially directed by Joel Coen, with brother Ethan on co-writing and production duties, Fargo is a violent crime drama-thriller, told with the brothers’ signature sense of  jet-black humour. The plot is kick-started by William H. Macy’s Jerry Lundegaard, who hires two men (Buscemi and Stormare) to kidnap his wife in order for him to claim the ransom from his father-in-law. Things go a little awry, which draws Frances McDormand’s tenacious and heavily pregnant Sheriff Marge Gunderson into the tangled plot.

Aside from being a brilliant film, Fargo’s success has recently spawned a successful, critically acclaimed television series, which many will now consider to be the definitive telling of the story. For those people, I would encourage seeking out the original film, as there is so much that makes it worthwhile. Outside of the main narrative thread of the bungled crime job, there is much woven into the subtext. Through Frances McDormand’s excellent performance, we have an honest, loveable character to root for – yet we somehow feel complicit in the wrongdoing and are given opportunities to empathise with the plights of some of the more morally dubious characters. 

There is something cartoonish about Steve Buscemi’s two-bit criminal here. Bits of his performance could be straight out of a Hanna Barbera production, yet don’t let that fool you. Amid the comic delivery, there’s a dangerous lunatic. That’s another rare thing about the Coen’s – they serve us these absolute whack-job characters, then somehow make them appealing. As Buscemi’s partner in crime, Peter Stromare is much less the ‘comedy gangster‘. Imposing in stature and not the most talkative, we feel Stormare is the real threat here (imagine Javier Bardem in No Country for Old Men but with less scary hair).

William H. Macy’s increasingly nervous character has perhaps the most boo-hiss-ability, yet even he gains a small fraction of our empathy as he goes from one disaster to the next.

In a film so rich with fine performances, Fargo also boasts the sublime photography of the great Roger Deakins – a long running collaborator with the Coen’s. Deakins captures weight and mystery with his striking depictions of the icy landscapes of Minnesota. There is something so matter-of-fact, yet so hauntingly beautiful about his shots . With so many colourful characters intertwining throughout the drama, the film also serves up a semi-homely look, amid the shocking flashes of violence that occur regularly throughout.

With striking visuals and a great script served by a collection of excellent performances, Fargo is one of the Coen brothers’ best films to-date. Considering their impressive catalogue, that is really saying something. 5/5

Lucy (2014) Film Review by Gareth Rhodes

Lucy (2014) Directed by Luc Besson. With Scarlett Johansson, Morgan Freeman and Choi Min-shik.

Written and directed by Luc Besson, Lucy is a mind-bending science-fiction action film starring Scarlett Johansson as a woman who is unwittingly exposed to a drug (CPh4) which gives her access to untapped brain power. It is commonly known that humans use just 10% of our potential brain capacity –  Besson has a great deal of fun showcasing what might happen if the other 90% were to be unlocked.

Amid the draw of the high concept, Besson opts to set his film up against the backdrop of underground crime as the mysterious Mr. Jang (Choi Min-shik) is introduced as a (kind of) Korean version of Gary Oldman’s character in Leon. From there, the film fires its boosters, throwing itself headlong into its own mayhem, adding the credibility of Morgan Freeman in the role of a neurological researcher to help validate the exposition.

Of course, after her experience playing Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Johansson is on home turf in this kind of role – a role which requires her to look in complete control, while offing bad guys without so much as a bat of her pretty eyelashes. It is a testament to her that she can make it all look so effortlessly convincing.

With 1994’s Leon as a shining example, Luc Besson has previously demonstrated more than an adeptness for delivering thrilling action, and he briefly recaptures some of that magic here, albeit without the crucial emotional gravity of his signature film.

With all of its wacky ideas in tow, Lucy is one of those films that you are better off going along with. The action is well staged (one car chase through Paris looks particularly impressive) and everyone involved commits themselves. It does go utterly bonkers, at times, but if your’e along for the ride, you’ll probably enjoy the madness.

3/5

Le Week-End (2013) Film Review by Gareth Rhodes

Le Week-End (2013) Directed by Roger Michell. With Jim Broadbent, Lindsay Duncan and Jeff Goldblum.

The poster for Le Week-End boasts “From the director of Notting Hill” as if that might in some way indicate a reassurance of cosy ground for fans of slushy fairytale romance. And while Roger Michell’s film is set in Paris,  the romantic capital of the world, there isn’t so much as a whiff of anything approaching a Ronan Keating ballad. No, this is an inverted romance – told with a scabrous wit, that in many ways aims to subvert the likes of Notting Hill.

The film stars Jim Broadbent (Nick) and Lindsay Duncan (Meg) as a pair sixty-something’s on a weekend break to Paris to mark the occasion of their wedding anniversary. Of the pair, Nick is the one intent on building bridges, whereas Meg seems to view the trip as an opportunity to break free and rediscover herself. This clash of intentions gives way to some spiky relationship humour from which Broadbent and Duncan deliver two wonderfully contrasting turns. Amid their harsh personal critiques of each other (Duncan is the most snappy), we are able to sense a deep and profound connection between these two people, who have in a sense worn each other down to a nub. Duncan especially seems to blame everything that’s wrong in her life on her husband, who in turn feels invisible to the person he adores the most.

With plenty of accordion in the soundtrack, coupled with the cobbled streets of Paris, chic hotel and restaurant interiors, Roger Michell ensures his film has at least the look of a contemporary European rom-com. In a sense, it recalls Richard Linklater’s ‘Before’ trilogy only turned on its head and given a healthy dash of thorny, fed-up-of-it-all British humour. Midway through, Jeff Goldblum arrives to deliver yet another one of his infectiously eccentric turns, which adds a welcome air of upbeat energy to compliment the piece.

Thanks to a fine script, Le Week-End is a prime example of a simple idea made endlessly complex by its focus on two people and the infinite reasons that have led them to be who they are when we meet them. There are some aching truths about the nature of long-term relationships that range between bitter-sweet and dagger-in-the-heart sharp. There is also the suggestion that true love conquers all. Ahh. 4/5