Film Review: Mandy

"What You're Hunting Is Rabid Animals. You Should Go In Knowing You'll Probably Die..."

With Nicolas Cage primarily confining himself to acting roles within releases of a more B-movie nature since the turn of the twenty first century, its' understandable when both critics and audiences alike approach the latest Cage-led flick with a slight tingle of trepidation, particularly one which heads onto the big screen following a widening level of support and critical praise, and in the case of Mandy, the second feature from Italian director, Panos Cosmatos, Cage's latest arrives with exactly that, with an array of extensive positive reports clinging to its' back after the film's debut showing at this year's Sundance Film Festival back in January. Blending supernatural horror with gross-out, exploitation levels of gore, Cosmatos' latest is as wacky and unpredictable as the temperament of its' leading star, a movie which synchronises a Death Wish-esque revenge plot with a beautiful, stylish design, accumulating in a wickedly entertaining genre piece which fully understands the nature of its' existence and completely runs with it, resulting in Mandy being not only the most impressive and original Cage-led movie in donkey's, but one of the most riveting visual and sensual cinematic experiences this year. 

Shot entirely with a blushing, blood red colour palette and smokey, dream like cinematography from the excellent hand of Benjamin Loeb, the film's stylistic approach to the revenge based narrative is a glossy mix of Dario Argento's Suspiria and strangely enough, the odd-ball, thematic craziness of The Void. Add into the mix an array of truly baffling camera shots which range from morphing, superimposed character close-ups to shadowy, nightmarish long shots, Mandy is a hazy, drug induced stupor of outlandish visual and audio delight, with Jóhann Jóhannsson's score, one of his last before his shocking premature death, managing to expertly supplement the crazed, florescent feel of the movie from start to finish. With an opening act which introduces the central relationship between Cage and Andrea Riseborough's (Battle of the Sexes) Mandy, a pair of reclusive outsiders who seem to be reeling from uncertain traumas from their past, the film's opening hour manages to assemble a true sense of empathy for what follows, as Mandy soon becomes embroiled in a seedy plan hatched by Linus Roache's (Batman Begins) Jeremiah Sand, the crazed leader of the Children of the New Dawn, a murderous and drug obsessed religious cult. 

Because of the first hour's willingness to allow the main characters of the piece to breathe and expand behind the backdrop of the sheer wondrous and mythical retro spirit which flows throughout the film's two hour runtime, the second act in which Cage's Red Miller is let completely off the chain does ultimately feel thoroughly deserved and immediately welcomed with open arms. Because of Cage's penchant for exaggerated performances throughout his entire career, Cosmatos seems to actively understand and embrace Cage's odd-ball nature, allowing him to basically play himself for the second half of the movie after a first act where he is somewhat subdued and second to the ever radiant and brilliant Andrea Riseborough. When the film does begin to hit the conventions of revenge genre cinema however, boy does it become a slice of over-the-top brilliance, with intentionally comical insane set pieces, including a truly unhinged chainsaw duel, and S. Craig Zahler levels of exploitation splatter violence all resulting in one of the most enjoyable second acts I have witnessed in a very long time, and with a final, haunting shot of a bloodied, gleaming Nicolas Cage after his mission has well and truly been accomplished, Mandy is a slice of euphoric, wacky unhinged excellence which will, with time, undoubtedly become a infamous cult classic. 

Overall Score: 8/10

Film Review: Battle of the Sexes

"I'm Done Talking, Let's Play..."

Fresh from her Oscar win in 2017's best film so far in the form of Damien Chazelle's La La Land, Emma Stone leads Battle of the Sexes, the latest from Little Miss Sunshine and Ruby Sparks directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, and a film which focuses on the titular infamous tennis match in 1973 between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs which ultimately lit the touchpaper for King's advocacy for feminism and LGBT rights within twentieth century America. With Steve Carell co-starring as Riggs and the likes of Andrea Riseborough, Sarah Silverman and Bill Pullman all making an appearance, the husband and wife directorial pair's return is one of rousing success, a brilliantly acted docu-drama with a hell of a lot to say, and whilst the film sometimes doesn't quite succeed in cracking open effectively all the notions evident on display, Battle of the Sexes is admirable in its' attempt to raise the same questions which were raised forty four years ago but are unfortunately still increasingly evident even today.

With Stone continuing to prove why she is arguably the most in-demand talent within Hollywood at this moment in time with yet another brilliantly nuanced performance as Billie Jean King, the film's strongest narrative thread is undeniably the relationship between her character and Andrea Riseborough's stylist love interest, Marilyn, a partnership which not only holds the most substance between any of the leading cast in the movie, but thanks to effective dialogue and intensely invasive camera shots is so authentic in its' design, the movie could have been good enough simply focusing on this particular plot thread alone. With a grainy, stylised 1970's aesthetic and a jukebox soundtrack accompanying the story, Battle of the Sexes is undeniably a crowd-pleasing ace, and with a final act which although is undeniably inevitable in regards to its' outcome, still manages to be rousingly intense, Faris and Dayton's movie is ironically one of the more timely releases in a year rife with discussions regarding women's liberation and the effect of feminism. Long may it continue.

Overall Score: 8/10

Film Review: The Death of Stalin

"Have A Long Sleep, Old Man. I'll Take It From Here..."

Before taking the reigns of the Tardis in Doctor Who, Peter Capaldi was best known for his unforgettable role as infamous spin doctor, Malcolm Tucker, in the critically acclaimed political satire The Thick of It, and whilst Capaldi undeniably made such an iconic character very much his own in the years on-screen, the orchestrator of chaos in the form of Armando Iannucci easily deserved as much credit for handling a show which went from strength to strength in attempting to depict a modern political system awash with daily chaos. Returning to the spectrum of cinematic political satire for the first time since 2009's The Thick of It spin-off, In The Loop, Iannucci's latest, The Death of Stalin, tackles the titular passing of the infamous leader of the Soviet Union in early 1953 and the subsequent days leading to up to his funeral, albeit with a hilariously played, blackly comic edge of which Mr. Iannucci is arguably the leading figure of in the current entertainment climate. Whilst The Death of Stalin is undeniably hilarious, with a number of well orchestrated set pieces resulting in leaving me in a fit of giggle inflicted tears, Iannucci's latest also includes a darkened hole at its' narrative epicentre, and whilst the mix of the bizarre and the bleak is interestingly played, The Death of Stalin doesn't hold together as smoothly as I would have liked, but its' undeniable comic streak makes it a worthy inclusion into the Scottish comic's impressive repertoire of political satire.  

Beginning with a scene which not only sets the tone for basis of the movie but outlines the terrifying balance between historical reality and outright fiction, The Death of Stalin uses the narrative essence of Aaron Sorkin-esque political dramas such as The West Wing alongside a mix between intelligent, quip-laden dialogue of Iannucci's own famous satirical shows and the slapstick, almost ludicrous comedy of which Monty Python made so famous in their lengthy run on and off screen, and whilst the plot does waver in places, with the script simmering up and down in terms of engagement level, the inclusion of a perfectly formed cast, each utilising either their own accents, or in the case of Jason Isaacs, one of Yorkshire descent, who are all at the top of their game in comically portraying leaders of a nation which in Iannucci's eyes is filled with utter chaos and political incompetence following the passing of a terrifyingly powerful leader. Whilst the comedy does undeniably work, the switch from light to darkness within the movie always doesn't, with the juxtaposition between humour and plot threads which feature murder, child abuse and rape seeming more than jarring at times, even when their inclusion was downright inevitable when effectively examining the workings of a Stalin-led Soviet Union, but with enough cracking one liners to put most contemporary comedies to shame, The Death of Stalin is highly enjoyable, just not in the same pedigree as previous Iannucci-led satires.

Overall Score: 7/10

Film Review: Nocturnal Animals

"Do You Ever Feel You're Life Has Turned Into Something You Never Intended..?"

With only his second feature after A Single Man, designer-turned-filmmaker Tom Ford returns to the cinematic spectrum this month with Nocturnal Animals, a gripping, white-knuckle thriller featuring a stellar cast on top of their form and a film which not only develops the reputation of Ford as an intelligent and sophisticated filmmaker but a film which resonates with you long after you arise from your sweat-covered seat and leave the cinema. Not only is Nocturnal Animals one of the most original films of the year, it is undoubtedly one of the toughest thrillers I can remember seeing in a long time, producing scene after scene of unbearable tension all the while mixing between a wide range of genres in an effective and unashamedly top-notch fashion. With an unbelievable bunch of A-List stars such as Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal and the always brilliant Michael Shannon at the film's core, Nocturnal Animals is an essential movie for anyone tough enough to withstand its' scorching sense of nihilistic suffering. 

After receiving the first print of former husband's latest novel "Nocturnal Animals", fashion designer Susan Morrow (Adams) begins to delve deep into the dark and twisted story that her former lover has created, all-the-while reminiscing not only her own, personal life struggles but the way in which her relationship with former husband Edward Sheffield (Gyllenhaal) came to an end. Mixing in a somewhat Lynchian nihilism to developments as well as a wide range of thrilling yet hard-going set pieces, reminiscent of films such as Lynch's Blue Velvet and even films such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre in terms of the film's relentless darkness, Nocturnal Animals will indeed not be for everyone, yet much like Winding Refn's The Neon Demon earlier this year, some will revel in its' extreme genre crossing boundaries; myself included. Whilst the film's rather off-kilter and entirely misjudged opening title sequence prevents the movie from being anything close to perfection, Nocturnal Animals is one of the most refreshing and original movies of the year.

Overall Score: 9/10