Film Review: The Beguiled

"You're Our Most Unwelcome Visitor, And We Do Not Propose To Entertain You..."

Although the inevitably of almost always being regarded as the daughter of legendary filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola more than anything else, Sofia Coppola has more than done enough to earn her stripes as an effective creator of film in her own right, with the Bill Murray starring Lost in Translation always being the first movie which really kicked off the critical plaudits for art and something which has continued through the likes of Marie Antoinette, The Bling Ring and this week's release of The Beguiled, a somewhat eclectic collection of previously used Coppola stars including Elle Fanning and Kirsten Dunst, all set within the confines of a Civil War-ridden Virginian school for girls which features Nicole Kidman's Miss Martha Farnsworth as headteacher. Featuring the smoky, charcoal cinematography of Philippe Le Sourd and some top-notch performances from its' wonderfully selected cast, The Beguiled is an interesting and wholly entertaining claustrophobic drama, one which dwells on the presence of the outsider and the battling nature of fundamental human emotions. 

After allowing the recovery of the wounded Irish mercenary, Corporal John McBurney (Colin Farrell) within the confines of her school, Farnsworth (Kidman) attempts to balance the safety of her fellow residents with the emotions brought up by the inclusion of McBurney's charming, elegant mannerisms and ways, emotions which are shared also by fellow teacher Edwina Morrow (Kirsten Dunst) and the youth infused innocence of Elle Fanning's Alicia. With an opening title sequence which completely sets the tone for the classic feel of Coppola's latest, The Beguiled mixes seething sexual tensions with a thrilling twist of ambiguity, bringing to light recent releases such as My Cousin Rachel and even It Comes at Night as obvious reference points, even when Coppola's script is wholly based upon the 1966 original novel by Thomas P. Cullinan and the 1971 Don Siegel movie of the same name. With brilliantly measured performances from Farrell, Kidman and the ever-radiant presence of Elle Fanning, The Beguiled culminates in a final act which is as juicy in its' execution as it is suitably fulfilling, something which could serve as a pithy review for the film as a whole, and whilst the drama is rather televisual at times, The Beguiled is a well-played, short and sweet drama which proves that not all remakes are destined for the bargain bin.

Overall Score: 7/10

Film Review: The Nice Guys

"You're The World's Worst Detective..."

Before venturing into the world of Marvel with Iron Man 3, Shane Black was perhaps best known for writing and directing Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, the neo-noir black comedy starring Robert Downey, Jr. and Val Kilmer, a film in which inevitably draws parallels to Black's latest, The Nice Guys, a film of unquestionable similarity in both tone and set-up, albeit starring the one-two of Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling and set slap bang in the late 1970's instead. After the sudden death of adult film star Misty Mountains, private detective Holland March (Gosling) is hired by the deceased's aunt to discover whether or not she is actually alive after seeing her days after her supposed death. Coincidentally, March is quickly intimidated by enforcer Jackson Healy (Crowe) who has been hired to prevent his search for Amelia, a suspect in the murder of Misty Mountains, and is told to leave her alone and end his quest for answers. After a quick-fire turn of events however, Healy convinces March to join forces in order to discover the seedy doings of the Los Angeles porn industry and discover the reasons behind the growing number of deaths that seem to be happening around them. 

Part Chinatown, part Lethal Weapon, The Nice Guys gives everything you expect from a picture helmed by the dark comedic mind of Shane Black, with laughs galore throughout the film's more than satisfactory runtime and a pitch black violent streak so reluctantly hilarious, you'll walk out the cinema wondering whether you should have laughed or not. The answer? Of course you should, with the one-two success pairing of Crowe and Gosling being the best on-screen duo in recent memory if being, at times, bettered by the remarkable talents of young Angourie Rice as Holland's daughter, Holly, who is presented as the real brains of the family and the one with the real talent when it comes to investigative pastimes. A long way away from the likes of his time with Marvel, Shane Black's The Nice Guys is a riveting success, one that will leave you with a embarrassingly wide grin for days, the hallmark of an effective comedy if ever there was one. 

Overall Score: 8/10