Film Review: Official Secrets

"Someone In This Building Has Betrayed Their Government And Their Country..."

Released during a particular time in the political stratosphere when whistleblowers are more over the news than your daily page three girl, Official Secrets is the latest from South African filmmaker, Gavin Hood, whose journey into the realm of mainstream blockbusters in the ilk of X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Enders Game ended a couple of years back with the impressively taut and overwhelmingly relevant independent drama, Eye in the Sky, featuring a career best performance from Helen Mirren. Following on from the discussion-heavy notions at the heart of his previous film, Hood's latest in the form of Official Secrets is equally politically centered, an engaging, if somewhat televisual big screen re-telling of actual events set into motion by Katharine Gun, a former British intelligence agent who during her time working for GCHQ within the era of the Bush/Blair administration at the turn of the twenty first century, leaked a top secret memo detailing America's attempts to eavesdrop on United Nations diplomats in order to blackmail them into agreeing a resolution into the much discussed invasion of Iraq. 

With Adam McKay already touching familiar political territory at the start of the year in the form of the thoroughly entertaining and cinematically manic, Vice, Hood's movie is essentially Britain's answer to the controversies which were happening on the other side of the pond at exactly the same time, with particular oodles of television based exposition directly mirroring similar set pieces seen in McKay's movie. Where Official Secrets differs however is in its' fundamentally frank storytelling, a cold-war esque spy thriller which takes more from the writings of John le Carré than say Oliver Stone, director of Snowden, as we follow Keira Knightley's (Collette) portrayal of Gun from quiet desk merchant to hotly publicised traitor after her leak is published by Matt Smith's (Doctor Who) wavy haired journalist and the stress of an official inquest forces her to admit to being the one responsible for such a breach of law. With the narrative engaging, the acting predominantly successful, aside from Rhys Ifans' incredibly shouty mouthpiece of justice, and the topic more than relevant, Official Secrets is a confidently executed piece of drama which suffers massively from one major downside; it shouldn't really be in cinemas, and with that in mind, expect Hood's movie to be on BBC Two in the eight thirty evening slot as soon as possible.  

Overall Score: 6/10 

Film Review: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

"I Do Not Know Which I Admire More. Your Skill As A Warrior Or Your Resolve As A Woman..."

Based on the best-selling novel of the same name, Burr Steers' adaptation pretty much adheres to the ridiculous nature of the films' title. You guessed it folks, it's Pride and Prejudice, just with added zombies, added gore, and a comedic element that owes much to the performance of the Eleventh Doctor himself, Matt Smith, whose turn as the incredibly pompous and teeth-shatteringly annoying Mr. Collins is the stand-out performance in an otherwise flat and simplistic zombie-fest. Although the film manages to get the Pride and Prejudice side right, with the major plot threads and notions of wealth, class and a rafter of prejudices all being adhered to within the films' rather over-long runtime, annoyingly, the zombie side of things begin to feel rather repetitive and irksome after a while, with continuous bouts of zombie-killing goodness not strong enough to contain the attention it believes it deserves. With this in mind, the final act of the movie in which we witness the apparent end of days with a Land of the Dead level of zombies, ultimately becomes a rather tedious set of affairs resulting in the audience leaving the cinema with a bad taste of wondering whether a lot more could have been done.

Sam Riley and Lily James both impress as the films' two leads, with both having enough lavish set pieces and script to sink their teeth into as it were, yet cameos from Game of Thrones centrepieces Lena Headey and Charles Dance are rather shallow and ultimately, unremarkable. Although strapped with a BBFC applied 15 rating, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies easily could have been turned down a notch or two in order to gain the much desire 12A rating, a classification which not only would have suited more of its' key audience, but would have definitely benefited from getting the wider audience it may need to be regarded as a box office success. Away from speculation and guesswork however, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies ultimately passes the time rather harmlessly, but is ultimately less memorable than the best-selling text on which it is based upon. 

Overall Score: 5/10

Terminator Genisys - Double Trouble Review - I'll probably be back

DAN - As soon as it was announced that a new Terminator movie was set to grace our screens sometime this year, the first thought that came to mind was "flogging the horse", with the annoyingly named Terminator Genisys (Erm, dictionary anyone?) being the FIFTH instalment of a series in which the first two both settle in the category of classics, whilst its' successors only manage to solidify themselves into the category of, "okay, but not brilliant". With Arnie taking a break off from the franchise in Terminator Salvation, his return in the Alan Taylor directed Genisys, was at least some sort of reconciliation with my personal love for the series, with Mr. Schwarzenegger always having that monumental feat of being a truly brilliant screen presence, regardless of how bad a film he is in may be (Think of "classics" such as Eraser for example). Unfortunately for Arnold and friends, including Emilia Clarke (Erm, Game of Thrones), Jason Clarke (Zero Dark Thirty), Jai Courtney (Die Hard 5), and the lovely Matt Smith (Doctor Who), the sign of how mediocre a film like Terminator Genisys actually is can be traced back to the first theatrical trailer in which for its' entire duration we are treated to echoes, lines, and even direct scenes from previous entries in the series and after finally watching the movie in its' complete package, that's pretty much what I took from it, with Genisys being a movie essentially jealous of its' better, older siblings and it subsequently attempting to mimic them into becoming something it most definitely isn't. Rant mode activated. 

The plot of Terminator Genisys, if it can actually be called a plot, focuses on the war-torn John Connor's (Clarke) attempts to finally foil the Skynet invasion of Judgement Day by sending back good friend and fellow soldier Kyle Reese (Courtney) to the 1980's by use of a Skynet designed time-machine which has already sent back a Terminator to kill off Sarah Connor, the mother of John, in order to prevent the resistance of man from ever coming to fruition. Uh, hold up, isn't this just the plot from the first Terminator? Yes. It is. But wait! In an attempt to do something wholly original, Genisys attempts to make us believe that the events of the first two Terminator movies in fact never happened with a plot line that is one, completely ludicrous, two, not clear-cut or understandable in the slightest, and three, certainly abides by the 12A certificate by presenting no sense of threat, shock or horror throughout its' two-hour runtime and in fact, keeping with the Matt Smith casting, actually felt like a two-hour Doctor Who episode, solidified by the cheesy, saccharin sweet ending in which my love for the Terminator series was seriously put into question.

Aside from the nonsensical plot, Genisys was evidently a film in love with its' previous incarnations, with way too many in-house references to the first two Terminators, whether it be cheesy, over-used lines such as "get out", or "I'll be back", direct copy of villain choice, with the brilliant Robert Patrick portrayal of the T-1000 in Judgment Day being replaced with a shoddy, boring, no-one that thankfully was on screen less than I actually expected, or just the same characters, albeit in a much more boring and shallow reincarnation. I mean, I love Emilia Clarke as much as the next man but to be honest, she is no Linda Hamilton, and Clarke's portrayal of Sarah Connor just felt wrong and flat, with no sense of depth or a case for me to actually believe Clarke could be this character. I'm sorry Emilia, you have been miscast. Of course, in any case in which a film has so many negative attributes, there are some positives, with the film being rather silly and fun in some places, with some of the effects being so cool it actually produced a little snigger of joy now and then, but when it comes to the fulfilment of a movie, I personally need more than that, and Terminator Genisys may indeed be action-packed and explosive ridden on the surface, but its' depth is essentially non-existent, resulting in a popcorn movie for the masses rather than a much-loved classic like its' older, and indeed better, siblings. 

Dan's Score - 4/10

PETE - Well, it seems like Dan and I have swapped roles this week. Since Jurassic World's giant disappointment, I was left hoping that Terminator would do something different and dazzle me. Fortunately it did. Sure, its not the greatest movie in the series but it didn't simply repeat itself with a half-arsed money spinner with a plot that was vacant of any consistency.Terminator is another movie from my childhood that I actually feel was a decent reboot. Lets hope its not a new trilogy...

The plot was basic. It was a little complex and over convoluted with the general use of time travel but the rest of it is very simple. I wasn't expecting something with a story like Interstellar, I wanted something entertaining with a plot that wasn't ripped off from the previous generations. It was a creative use of the situation which tied the series up with a nice bow. Sure, its basic and the big surprise of the movie was ruined in the trailers, but this is one of the reasons I tend to avoid them. Its simple, but gives the originals enough of a twist to become different and have a creative angle on a series that's been drawn out for many years.

What really lets the movie down is the visual FX and CGI. On the Terminators themselves, it was fairly good but it tried to hard to use visual effects similar to that of the originals as some sort of fan service but it looks so blunt and disjointed amongst other good examples in the same scene! The way people fly off a rolling car isn't like a ragdoll, its more like a still being slid along the screen in animation closer to SNES Mario. Its as if one of the artists was being fired and just fucked with everything he could while the better in the group simply continued with everything they had without even a look to see just how bad some of it was.

Perhaps it was fan service, but the fan service I enjoyed was Arnie. Who doesn't love the man? He's a power house on and off screen, his acting is pretty poor which aids the whole robot thing and he's been given an element of humour to him rather than cold blooded killer we've seen before. Although not along the lines of the original but an enjoyable take nonetheless. As for the rest of them, meh. Emilia Clarke is a woman I've had little contact with in my consumption, her role in Game of Thrones seems to be the driving force behind her but her performance in this doesn't give me hope for when I eventually get around to watching GoT. Die Hard's Jai Courtney is another that suggests poor things about his other pieces of work and I'm extremely disappointed by Jason Clarke. His role in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes was a solid performance which put him onto my watch list, this is just weak and lacklustre. As the dominant villain, he should have been far darker and twisted to really suggest his power and ability. 

Visually poor, acting was fairly flat and the story wasn't half bad. It is a popcorn movie and it always has been, I won't lie, but I can't see how the reincarnation of Jurassic Park using exactly the same basics of big bad dino, stupid people making a park and annoying children can be deemed as a good movie for the previous incarnations while Terminator is slated for daring to change the formula and wrap up its loose ends. I enjoyed it. Its funny, some great action scenes and a rather interesting take on the past.

For me, its a 7/10

OVERALL SCORE - 5.5/10

Film Review: Lost River

A Directional Debut Delving Into Darkness

After being the talk of the town when it comes to acting over the past couple of years, cereal hater Ryan Gosling has chosen to take the directors seat this time, with Lost River being based around a story of his own creation, and featuring a cast consisting of Mad Men's Christina Hendricks, Agents of Shield's Ian De Caestecker, the Eleventh Doctor, Matt Smith, and Ms. Gosling, Eva Mendes. With past directorial experience with directors such as Derek Cianfrance for The Place Beyond the Pines and Nicolas Winding Refn for Drive and Only God Forgives, the odds were stacked high in Gosling's favour for his directorial debut. Unfortunately for Gosling and Lost River, the director's career has got off to a bit of a bad start.

In terms of the story, Hendricks plays single mother Billy, who after being threatened by her bank manager Dave, played by Ben Mendelsohn, agrees to take a job offering in the darker side of her hometown in an attempt to make financial ends meet, whilst her son Bones is hunted down by Matt Smith's character, Bully, forcing him to also seek out the dark and dangerous side of the town along with Saoirse Ronan's character, Rat. Firstly, the tone of the film is so obviously based around the teachings of Winding Refn that it made me cringe in places, with the neo-noir tone that was so effective in Drive, being put to use here, but in a much pointless and boring way. I mean poor old Ben Mendelsohn, not only does he have to portray one of the most boring characters ever, he also has to do a bit of karaoke, a scene lifted straight from Only God Forgives, and dance like Richard Curtis in another scene for no particular reason whatsoever. Why Gosling, why?

Not only is Refn the main inspiration here, but David Lynch too, who unlucky enough for Gosling, happens to be one of my favourite directors. Lost River does attempt to be seen as  its' own Lynchian masterpiece, using all the dreamy, mystical tropes of Blue Velvet and Inland Empire, but ultimately fails. Not only is the plot actually really dull and uninteresting, but the sense of fantasy that tries to be implemented makes it comical at times. I think I counted three scenes at least where all Smith's character does is scream really loud. I mean, why? So Lost River is not the worst film of the year, it just seems like it (Lynch reference here, I'm clever too Gosling) with a cast as good as this being wasted in trying to fulfill Gosling's dream of being as good a director as Lynch or Refn. I'd give it a miss. 

Overall Score: 4/10

Feature: Doctor Who - Ten Years of NuWho

Doctor Who "NuWho": Ten Years Gone

Ten years ago I remember sitting down in front of my Grandparent's TV and getting ready for the resurrection of one of, if not the, greatest TV programmes of all time. My first venture into the magical world of the Doctor and his Tardis came when my father took me to the local market and purchased a load of Classic Who serials such as "The Planet of Evil" and "Kinda" on VHS which we subsequently watched over, and over, and over again until he was forced to purchase a load more. With my knowledge of the Whoniverse already well configured at the ripe old age of 11, to see my earliest childhood show return after 16 years of being off the TV was simply magical. It was to my surprise therefore to realise how ten years this week have suddenly passed since that moment, whilst my fondness and love for such a show not being undermined in the slightest. Therefore, it is only apt for me to celebrate the brilliance I have witnessed over the course of the past decade in this special feature dedicated to the magical genius that is Doctor Who.

When the show returned in 2005, the reigns of the responsibility of being the titular character was given to Christopher Eccleston, an esteemed dramatic actor, famous for roles in Danny Boyles' Shallow Grave, the police drama, Cracker, as well as a range of stage plays such as Hamlet and A Streetcar Named Desire. Although at the time, I was young enough to not understand the quality of acting Eccleston brought with him to the show, looking back after countless re-watches of his first and only season as the Doctor, it was clear that Eccleston gave the show the firm kick up the backside it needed after it's time off-screen, relaunching it's popularity with old fans, whilst simultaneously gaining new ones who were previously unaware of the story of the time-travelling Gallifreyan. In his first season, the 9th Doctor battled classic villains such as Autons and Daleks, whilst fighting new enemies such as the Gelth, the Slitheen and the wonderful gas-masked zombies with a knack of questioning, "are you my mummy?". Aside from foes, the 9th Doctor also introduced us to Billie Piper's character Rose, whose brilliance as the Doctor's companion laid the foundation for those who would eventually follow in what it took to be the Doctor's esteemed sidekick during the 21st century. A short-lived career as the Doctor was sealed for Eccleston during the excellent two-parter, "Bad Wolf" and "Parting of the Ways," but the sheer quality of the first series allowed it to continue without him, with Eccleston forever being celebrated within the Who fanbase for solidifying the return of sci-fi's most beloved specimen. 

So what was needed after the heartbreak of losing our much loved, leather wearing, proper northern, 9th Doctor? That's right, David Tennant, whose first 40 or so minutes as the Doctor saw him in his pyjamas, comatose from his sudden regeneration, whilst the Tyler's and Co. battled the hideous Sycorax on Christmas Day. Nice way to spoil the turkey. As soon as Tennant appeared however, the Whoniverse was sold. His quick quips and cheeky demeanor presented a Doctor that was much more user-friendly than maybe Eccleston's, whilst the relationship between himself and Rose was explored upon much deeper than the series previously, resulting in cry of the decade when the two were forced to part ways during the series two closer "Doomsday". Aside from his ability to be simply brilliant, Tennant's take on the Doctor was enhanced by the ability of the writers around him, with show-runner Russel T Davies, Steven Moffat, and Paul Cornell creating classics such as "Midnight", "Blink" and "The Family of Blood/Human Nature", all of which seemed to result in producing the strongest levels of acting from all involved. 

Another success during the 10th Doctor's reign was the decision to bring back arch-enemy, the Master, first played by the wonderful Derek Jacobi and then John Simm, whose erratic, yet creepy take on the Moriarty to the Doctor's Sherlock, was a sheer triumph. With the Master returning, it was only inevitable for the return of the Time Lords, who along with the Master brought about the end of the 10th Doctor when he courageously inhaled the radiation that was about to kill Bernard Cribbins' Wilfred Mott during "The End of Time". With a cry of, "I don't want to go", the Tenth Doctor was history. Where Eccleston had established a return of Doctor Who, Tennant had enhanced it to levels of preposterous popularity and will forever be remembered as one of, if not the, best Doctor of all time. Allons-y.   

Replacing Tennant and show-runner Russel T Davies, was the youthful Matt Smith, and the not-so-youthful yet renowned, Steven Moffat, famous for writing previous freaky-filled Who episodes such as "The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances", "Blink" and "Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead". Where Moffat was rather popular and highly regarded in the world of Who, Smith was an more of an unknown, although he had previously appeared in Secret Diary of a Call Girl with ex-companion Billie Piper. The Eleventh Doctor's era therefore began with a strange sense of regeneration (pun intended) with a new writer, new Doctor, and even a new companion in the form of Karen Gillan's Amelia Pond appearing on our screens. Any doubts were suddenly erased soon after however with Smith solidifying his role as the Doctor in classic series five episodes such as "The Eleventh Hour", "Vincent and the Doctor" and the series closer "The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang". Smith's childish attitude and sometimes OTT performances made this era of Doctor Who much more accessible to the younger generation than ever before, although the introduction of the hideous Silence reinforced the fearful nature of Moffat's ability to make absolutely anything simply terrifying. It was also within this era that Doctor Who celebrated a whopping 50 years since it first appeared on the black and white screens of 1963 by treating the fans to the glorious "Day of the Doctor", featuring Smith, Tennant, Piper, new companion Jenna Coleman, and even acting legend John Hurt as the 8.5th "War" Doctor. It was within this particular serial that Doctor Who celebrated all things that made Doctor Who, well, Doctor Who and was a real triumph of British television, much to the relief of writer, Steven Moffat. Smith's era as the Doctor was soon to be concluded however in the following episode "The Time of the Doctor" where he let the bow tie loose and began the next phase of regeneration, leaving an era of Doctor Who behind that continued to breed strong viewers and brilliant tales of the time-travelling madman. 

If Smith's era of Doctor Who was suspect of being childish at times, then Peter Capaldi's first season as the 12th incarnation of the time lord was a drastic change of tone, evident from the offset with cult-director Ben Wheatley being at the helm for the first two episodes of the eighth NuWho series which dealt with murderous clockwork droids, a psychotic dalek, and the new Doctor seemingly not having a care in the world when witnessing the death of a helpless soldier. And I loved it. Capaldi's take on the Doctor has been very reminiscent of classic Doctors, such as my all-time favourite Jon Pertwee, the jelly-bean loving, Tom Baker, and even the very first, William Hartnell, but also had enough differences to make the role his own. Although we have only had one series with Mr. Capaldi, the signs so far are is that Doctor Who is better than ever, even after ten years of continued airtime on the BBC. In a nutshell, it is simply marvelous to witness a much loved programme continue to prosper across the world, and may it continue to do so. Happy 10th Birthday NuWho.