Film Review: The Purge: Election Year

"The Soul Of Our Country Is At Stake..."

With horror franchises seemingly being the norm of the recent cinematic climate, the release of The Purge: Election Year comes as no real surprise, particularly when looking at the success of its' predecessors, yet it is the underlying satirical dark nature which helps to justify its' very own existence in the battleground of the modern horror blockbuster which calls out for something different and something that may indeed stand out against the bulk of movies which ultimately are spoiled by common mediocrity. Although The Purge series is not exactly the Citizen Kane of horror, the fundamental premise of the series is one that is genuinely intriguing, if rather ludicrous, but also one that isn't truly absorbed into anything more than just vicious slasher-filled craziness. With Election Year however, the politics and principle of the series' original idea is met with some depth and discussion with Elizabeth Mitchell's Senator Charlie Roan hell bent on ending the horror of the Purge overall if elected to power, a notion of which the New Founding Fathers, the creators of the Purge, are not exactly best pleased about. Cue murderous rampage.

When I mean some political discussion, I literally mean some. Maybe a piddling ten percent with the rest of Election Year simply acting as a canvas for creepy masks and ultra-violent death scenes, something of which should indeed be expected when observing the rest of the franchise yet the appeal of the movie isn't in its' politics at all, it is the sheer crazy nature of a film which isn't exactly being cautious in its' satire against the gun-ho nature of the US's second amendment and the bewilderment at a situation which is so OTT it could indeed become a Trump-designed policy if such a nightmare does come to life in the near future. Is it groundbreaking? Not at all. Is it violently bonkers? Indeed. Election Year should indeed spring an end to the Purge series overall and it concludes such in an enjoyable if rather flawed fashion. 

Overall Score:6/10

Film Review: David Brent: Life on the Road

"On The Road Is Where I Really Come Alive..."

Hands up who has seen The Office? No, me neither, and although the critically acclaimed BBC comedy drama has been on the mental watch-list for some time now, it just happens to be one of those programmes that I have never got around to watching along with countless others that I'll probably get around to when I'm retired or out of work for any prolonged period of time within the near future. Not watching The Office however hasn't swayed anticipation for David Brent: Life On The Road, mainly due to the reputation of Gervais as a comedian but also down to the succession of trailers over the past few months, of which have been smirk-inducingly cringey, in a good way, to say the least. Whilst the finished article isn't exactly in the same league as classic mockumentaries such as This Is Spinal Tap and Borat, Life On The Road is a solid and somewhat heartwarming comedy that although may not be for everyone, hits the right notes for at least two thirds of the films' run-time yet struggles for the one third in which it begins to lose its' comedic appeal. 

How would you categorise the comedic appeal of David Brent's character? Cringe-inducing? Most definitely. Awkward. Definitely. Hysterically disengaged from social interaction almost altogether? Even more so, and it is these traits that Gervais plays upon throughout the film's modest 90 minute run-time, a run-time which for the most part allows Brent's character to grow and make its' mark upon the new arrivals to the character's behaviour even if sometimes the film seems to seep into a rather repetitive nature, particularly when we are taken from one musical venue to the next only to be treated to a repeat of almost the same gags. Although this particular weakness suggests a gag running out of steam half way through the movie, being in the company of Brent is welcoming enough to battle through and save the movie from perhaps being a slight drag. Amidst a few jokes that come and go with a sense of being completely unresponsive, Life On The Road is a solid cinematic debut for the character of David Brent, and although it may not find a wide enough audience to become the huge success the character of Brent wants to become within the film, it may indeed push new recruits to seek out Gervais' earlier incarnations of the same character. If I get time that is. 

Overall Score: 6/10

Film Review: Lights Out

"Ghosts Don't Exist..."

Although horror films of the 21st century that tend to lean more on the side of the theory that if its' dark and loud, people will find it inherently spooky, tend to be movies that are less inclined to be remembered as masterpieces of the genre, David F. Sandberg's Lights Out, the latest James Wan inflicted horror based upon the short film of the same name written and directed by Sandberg himself back in 2013, doesn't exactly break the mould of bang-average horror re-hashes, but it is most definitely one of the better additions to the genre in the past few years. Although Lights Out is yet another case of a horror movie that includes cliches galore and noticeable riffs from previous horror ventures, the film does manage to at least get the job done in the most effective time possible, swaying away from being dragged out long enough to delve into its' rather questionable plot devices whilst effectively playing out in the correct, logical fashion during its' final act.

Where the films' strengths inherently lie is the age-old idea that darkness is indeed not man's best friend, with the danger and ambiguity it brings being personified by the embodiment of Diana, a malevolent spirit latched onto the broken mind of Sophie (Maria Bello) whose children become the target of Diana's unstable nastiness. Although the film isn't exactly terrifying, the sense of threat that Diana brings with her every time she is on screen in the first hour or so is indeed quite startling. Of course, the fundamental notion of monsters in the dark isn't exactly original either, with films such as Darkness Falls and The Woman In Black coming to the forefront of my mind, yet before the big revelation of Diana within the films' dodgy final act, her presence alone was enough to be worthy of admission. Not groundbreaking, but surprisingly solid, Lights Out is popcorn-ridden horror from start to finish. 

Overall Score: 6/10

Film Review: Nerve

"Are You A Watcher Or A Player?"

Remember Black Mirror? Yeah, that's right, that simply brilliant jet-black satirical drama ran by the creative mastermind that is Charlie Brooker and featured weekly tales of horror and torment which ran incredibly close to the perils of modern day society in a fashion not too dissimilar from classic shows such as The Twilight Zone? Well, think back to "White Bear" from the second season in which our beloved heroine is chased through forests and streets by unknown assailants dressed in masks who appear to be following her through video capture on their mobile device as she attempts to figure out what on earth is going on, add into the mix a Hollywood style budget as well as the likes of Dave Franco and American Horror Story's Emma Roberts, and Nerve is pretty much a Black Mirror episode dragged out to 90 minutes, a notion that has both attractions and problems, yet still results in  becoming a solid style-infested summer slick flick. 

After swiftly becoming involved in the underground internet-based craze Nerve, a dare-based contest in which "players" compete for "watchers" and cash by accepting and then attempting to complete a wide range of dangerous tasks, Emma Roberts' Vee, soon becomes entangled with the motorcycle riding adrenaline junkie that is Dave Franco's Ian, who soon become a formidable pairing in the world of Nerve, racking up both popularity and wealth as they bond through night-time Staten Island. Does all bode well for our recently beloved pairing? Not particularly, and although the final act of Nerve can only be reduced to becoming a complete and utter cop-out, the middle act, in which we witness our power couple of Roberts and Franco compete in doing reckless and simply ludicrous acts of stupidity, is surprisingly addictive and ironically, nervy to watch. The sights out of long-distance heights from that of mobile devices is enough to make anyone squeal, yet Nerve manages to contain such drama effectively and keep itself reasonably low-key in order to adhere to its' underground nature, at least until the last act in which we are left with a finale so OTT and predictable, it nearly spoils the fun we were having before it. Nearly, but not quite. Stupid, dumb fun with some flashy cinematography is at the heart of Nerve, and for 60 minutes at least, it was some adrenaline pushing drama. Shame about the other 30. 

Overall Score: 6/10

Film Review: The Shallows

"It Is Paradise..."

Looking at the back catalogue of director Jaume Collet-Serra brings with it an overt sense of trepidation. I mean House of Wax, come one, who on earth thought it was a good idea to cast Paris Hilton in anything, whilst Goal 2 and the Liam Neeson helmed trilogy of Unkonwn, Non-Stop and Run All Night don't exactly ring the bells of excellence. With The Shallows however, Collet-Serra has brought to life "Jaws for the 21st century" as many have called it, yet my memory of Jaws was most definitely not one that included a rather silly screenplay, an overbearing sense of tin-eared dialogue and camera work so transfixed with its' leading star that it verges on the edge of creepiness. You've got it folks, The Shallows is ironically, rather shallow and inept, a survival drama with no sense of threat, no sense of danger whatsoever and whose only character with more than a one dimensional feel to it is a flippin' seagull. That's right Lively, you aren't the hottest bird in this particular movie. 

So The Shallows expects us to believe that a supposedly intelligent med-school drop-out would continue with her journey into the unknown titular secret beach without her friend who feels its' more important to hang out with cliched hot holiday dude. No, I don't believe that. Secondly, the camera is so transfixed upon said med-school drop-out that I felt a restraining order was only a court case away, with the constant close-ups and wide-angled focusing of Lively just plain creepy akin to the recent treatment of the character of Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad. Thirdly, every single character is just there for the sake of it. No smooth characterisation whatsoever, just mashed up sentiment which is enforced in order to feel for our beloved surfer chick. Does it work? No, but does the film work aside from it? No. Although the underwater shots are well done and Steven Seagull is the best thing in it, The Shallows is just meh, and meh is not how I would summarise my memory of Jaws. 

Overall Score: 4/10

Film Review: Suicide Squad

"Seriously, What The Hell Is Wrong With You People...?"

Whilst we bask in the sweltering heat of the British summer, where anything over 10 degrees celsius encourages everyone to take their tops off and bathe in layers upon layers of sun protector, there still remains the favoured few who would much rather sink into the dark, cool surroundings of the cinema and escape into the minds of filmmakers for two hours or so, away from the pain-inducing sight of the sun and away from the sweaty masses of the general public and vast displays of chest hair. Anyhow, with Batman v Superman still sitting in my mind as perhaps one of the biggest cinematic comic flops of recent years (Fantastic Four included) the DC Extended Universe rolls on and this week gives us the hotly anticipated Suicide Squad, yeah, that's right, that film with the strange looking Joker and the one that has been plastered on every single screen for about two months continuously in some Nazi-esque propaganda fashion in order to not allow us to go without seeing some form of advertisement for at least 24 hours. With Batman v Superman still ringing through my mind like a hot poker, surely Suicide Squad is exceedingly better? Well, sort of, but not much, with Suicide Squad being a much more enjoyable experience in some sense but one that still contains a rafter of issues, some of which bear similarities to Batman v Superman and some that are brought upon itself from the latest offering of DC live-action mehness. 

If you're finely tuned into the world of comics, surely everyone is aware of the notion of the Suicide Squad in some form or the other. Although not strictly a fan of the literature form of such, I was first introduced to the team within Arrow in which we see one of the first live-action portrayals in one measly episode which gave the run-down on what the SS do and simply, how they do it. Now hitting the big time, the first major live-action display of the SS has been helmed by David Ayer, writer of the Oscar winning Training Day and director of movies such as End of Watch and Fury. So in terms of directorial choice, you would think Ayer would be the correct choice; a director attributed to dark, nihilistic action movies with a knack of not being swayed by the aspect of the twisted sense of togetherness of a team through sins of violence and crime, yet too many times through the film it felt as if we were back in the land of Zak Snyder. Limited characterisation followed by action set pieces with unbelievably cringey dialogue and a final act in which laughable CGI is meant to make the film include some sense of epic conclusion. Does it work? Not at all, yet the fault cannot be left solely at the feet of Ayer, with studio interference surely playing a part somehow. I mean a film this messy cannot be made without prodding and poking from a range of different areas, no more so than those throwing the money at it in order to see it succeed in one way or another.

So we've established problems with Suicide Squad that have been seen in previous DC Universe entries, yet one major problem that was extremely evident that I cannot say to have seen before is the unforgivable crass nature of the treatment of Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn in the movie. Although Robbie herself is one of the few saving graces of the movie, with her kooky, crazy and yet sympathetic portrayal giving the first cinematic appearance of the character some form of justice, the way in which she is portrayed and wooed upon through costume design and camera angles is downright creepy. I can understand that the fundamentals of the character within the comics is one of a femme fetale nature, but to portray her in this fashion is just wrong on so many levels. Adding to the displeasure of the film is Jared Leto's Joker, a character in which had so much exposure over the films' tiresome advertisement campaign and then ultimately is in the film no more than five minutes, a decision so utterly stupid giving how much anticipation there was for the character that you don't even get a full sense of Leto's portrayal. Because of which, the jury is out when it comes to Leto. Who knows, if we get more than 5 minutes with him next time maybe he will be the definitive Joker? Doubt it. 

Overall, Suicide Squad is a slightly more enjoyable DC flick than Batman v Superman, but one that still has a wide range of problems inherent in the extended universe so far. Although Robbie is the standout, Smith also gives a good interpretation of Floyd Lawton/Deadshot, yet acting talent alone cannot prevent Suicide Squad from being yet another achingly poor showing from Warner Bros. With a soundtrack so bipolar following throughout and a sense of absence when it comes to a directorial stamping, Suicide Squad may indeed do well at the box office like its' predecessors, but it still isn't the film I, and probably many others, were indeed looking for. Marvel, it's your batting next. Cumberbatch is calling. 

Overall Score: 4/10