Film Review: Journeyman

"When I Come Back Through That Door I'm Still Gonna Be Champion Of The World..."

With boxing continuing to be the most visceral and cinematic sport to be successfully transferred onto the big screen in favour of others who have valiantly tried and failed, sometimes rather woefully in fact, that's right Goal!, I'm looking at you, Paddy Considine's second swing at directing after the critically acclaimed Tyrannosaur in 2011 in the form of Journeyman takes a rather well-worn format within the tradition of boxing movies whilst attempting to add a sense of genuine realism to proceedings which can be somewhat absent from the bigger, flashier Hollywood examples that audiences have been treated to in the past. Mixing together the cruel, life-changing risk of the sport seen in the likes of Bleed For This and Million Dollar Baby with an independent, Ken Loach-esque sensibility, Journeyman works best when the film pulls on the heartstrings in a way which fails to feel either saccharin sweet or cheap, and whilst the pacing and drawn-out nature of the movie does ultimately weaken the film as a whole even with a ninety minute runtime, Considine's second feature is a solid example of character acting at its' most dedicated. 

With Considine himself taking the lead role of Matty Burton, the recently titled middleweight champion of the world, a victory secured via default after his opponent was forced to back out of the fight, a chance for redemption and a true shot at retaining the title comes in the form of Anthony Welsh's (Black Mirror) youthful yet arrogant Andre Bryte. With the first twenty or so minutes wonderfully low-key and engaging as we our embraced in the film's attempt to juggle the relationship between Burton's relationship with his job and the personal life he has with the brilliant Jodie Whittaker (Doctor Who) as wife Emma and their newborn baby, the horrifying result of Burton's fight with Bryte sets up the remaining hour in which we see Burton's transformation from joyous, caring husband and father to the unrecognisable shell which has been put in his place. With outbursts of violence, mental incapacity and a terrifying "hide and seek" game within its' brightest points, Journeyman does include the raw, realistic sensibility you'd expect from a British independent film, but with not enough push and a lack of real development come the crucial change half way through, Considine's movie is a likeable but flawed second feature. 

Overall Score: 6/10

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: The Girl With All The Gifts

"You Can Save Everybody..."

Looking back at recent cinematic history, Danny Boyle's 2002 horror/thriller 28 Days Later arguably sparked the flame for the re-emergence of the zombie franchise, and whilst Boyle's film didn't actually include the classic notion of the zombie, with the creatures actually being regarded as infected, 28 Days Later arguably is the pinnacle of modern horror when it comes to a depiction of the classic monster-based genre of cinema. With The Gil With All The Gifts, the latest from acclaimed television director Colm McCarthy, famous for directing episodes of Doctor Who, Sherlock and Peaky Blinders, follows closely in the footsteps of 28 Days Later by introducing a threat which although doesn't entirely fit the mould of the classic idea of a zombie, could arguably be regarded as such in a dystopian near future where humanity has been thwarted by a fungal-like disease which turns people into "hungries" in a fashion rather similar to the infected within The Last of Us. In fact, plot wise, The Girl With All The Gifts bears a wide range of similarities with the critically acclaimed video game, and whilst McCarthy's latest falters at times due to its' similarities to other works in the genre, its' subversive ending and acting talents result in a solid and effective horror. 

Where The Girl With All The Gifts truly works is in its' desire to focus on development of its' leading characters rather than defunct to the well-worn choice of becoming yet another ultra-violent splatter-fest, with Melanie, the titular girl with all the gifts, acting as a conduit for the audience to understand a world in which a new species has arisen and what they ultimately bring to the fate of the human race. Newcomer Sennia Nanua is electrifying in the lead role as the uncanny, infected child, uncertain of her own existence in a world eroding through the curse of the parasite taking over the population, whilst British mainstays Paddy Considine and Gemma Arterton give the film a slight B-Movie edge to it which harks back to the rough feel of a film like 28 Days Later. Surprisingly, the one thing that does seem rather out of place is the inclusion of Glenn Close who simply acts as the all-american basil exposition character who arguably becomes the least accessible character within the movie. The concluding act is terrifyingly subversive and saves the film from falling into a complete genre cliche whilst the sense of fear you would expect from a film within this particular genre is agonisingly nonexistent making The Girl With All The Gifts more of a delicate touch of drama rather than the full-on horror thrill ride I personally thought it might have been. 

Overall Score: 7/10

Film Review: Macbeth

"All Hail Macbeth"

Wow. Style and substance hand in hand usually results in a magnum opus of a movie for a particular director, actor, screenwriter etc, etc., and with the perfect synchronisation and combination of all things great and where everything hits top form in regards to what really makes a movie tick, whether it be the screenplay, the acting, cinematography or whatever, usually such a cinematic experience is one that will live long in the memory of not only those that watch it, but those wholly involved in its' creation. In the case of Macbeth therefore, director Justin Kurzel has developed something quite extraordinary on the face of it, a Shakespearean tragedy soaked two-fold in the dank, dark and deadly atmosphere of blood and fire, something of which could easily be mistaken for a work of art rather than a film with it already being the first film of the year to make me watch consecutively in the space of two days or so with its' sheer bravery and extraordinary execution being something remarkable and rather, out-of-this world. 

Following the classical Shakespearean tragedy of Mr. Macbeth and his scorpion-filled mind to a T, Kurzel's vision takes advantage of the blood-filled crazed tale of lust, power, greed and revenge by not only ramping up the violence to eleven, but also emphasising the eerie nature of the classic tale by use of picturesque cinematography which stylizes the film in an overly oppressive yet wholly magnanimous fashion, similar to that of Ben Wheatley's Kill List, a film so dour and ominous in its' nature that to sit through it is a rather pressing experience. Although Macbeth may fundamentally be a overtly depressing and tragic tale of traumatic proportions, Kurzel's vision of such a tale seems to take such tragedy to levels of enraged extremity, resulting in a film that inevitably will not be for everyone but for me was a beautiful and enlightening experience that was not afraid to take its' time or resort to slow-motion scenes of death and murder, all of which were signs of Macbeth's deteriorating conscious and psyche.

At the heart of the movie is two spellbinding performances by Fassbender and Coltillard as Lord and Lady Macbeth respectively, with each bringing their A-Game truly to the acting table, with Fassbender's pain-stricken King swiftly developing from the acclaimed war hero to the feared tyrannical madman in the space of just under two hours in superb fashion, whilst Coltillard's Lady Macbeth can only sit back and revel in the crazed creation of her own doing, much to her inevitable downfall. Oscar nominations I hear you say? I would have thought so, especially with the superb acting, flawless directing, art-house esque cinematography, and obviously brilliant script all combining in bringing a 21st century take on the Shakespearean classic to the big screen in glorious fashion. One of the best films of the year? Most definitely. Go check it out. 

Overall Score: 9/10 

The Worlds End - Quicky Review - SPOILERS

A triumphant return to the Cornetto trilogy by the threesome? This is certainly debatable.

As far as stories go, The Worlds End is quite an outlandish tale. A typical alien invasion uncovered by the most obtuse group of people on a weekend of downing pints across 12 pubs, or as they call it - The Golden Mile. Throughout this, Simon Pegg causes endless amounts of trouble and uncovers this invasion. Thus leads to them trying to complete the Golden Mile while staving off the hordes of "Blanks". It sounds fairly straightforward, yet the character back stories are fairly complicated. These backgrounds really affect each other and cause endless amounts of trouble, one of which that is most notably is Gary King's (Simon Pegg) drinking problems.

As a comedy, it was fairly good. A collection of jokes which made you giggle and a few made the cinema roar with laughter, yet nothing hugely substantial. The other side of the coin is the action portion of the film. It is dramatically sped up and it easily noticeable, but it is aggressive, full on and just great fun. It's also nice to see that Nick Frost played a different style of character in this instalment. Starting off as a dead beat ass with no job and no life causing controversy among the group in Shaun of The Dead, following it up with a dead beat cop with little understanding of full on police work but a love for violence to end up as a non-alcoholic whose life appears well and is still a strong, tank of a man.

Speaking of actors, the rest of the fairly large cast acted extremely well and it was a present surprise to find out the Pierce Brosnan had a role within the story for a few scenes.

Visually, there are very little special effects apart from the occasional face lighting up, a piece of modern art and a large incident at the end, so for what it is, they are good and stage effects and lighting were executed perfectly, especially at the end with a haze of oranges, blues and blacks that filled the screen and wisp gently across. The music and sound side was also very good. I'm still trying to locate the trailer music for its massive bass drops, but the music kept an powerful roar throughout, that set scenes up perfectly.

As a part of a trilogy, it is certainly the weaker of the bunch. It wasn't as stupid and over the top as the rest of the trilogy and appeared the action side of the story took a lot of the priority and then a few inner squabbles between the group that took the movie from comedy to a drama. I do recommend you see it and many of you will enjoy, but I think it shall get a 7/10. It's funny but takes itself a little too seriously at points and could have done with a few more jokes. Sorry for another quicky review but its been a a few late nights and early mornings!
(PS - It uses the word C**T. If you don't like this, you may have a little trouble dealing with the movie.)