Movie Reviews
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'Avatar' - BOOK NOW showing in 3D
'The King of the World', James Cameron, triumphantly returns after a self-enforced, 12-year hiatus following the colossal
success of 'Titanic', amidst boastful assurances of purpose-built technology which will change the future of
film production. For once, the hyperbole and excited praise are justified.
Cameron has achieved a milestone in cinema history, in much the same way as 'The Abyss' and 'Terminator 2: Judgement
Day' developed a morphing technique which became the standard for C.G.I. effects ever since. He has also crafted
a film so ravishingly beautiful and jaw-droppingly crammed with a non-stop barrage of special effects - making the
fantastic and surreal so real ( If you're in any doubt about this, just witness people's satisfied expressions leaving
the cinema following the screening of this film ). Whatever your preconceptions or reservations, you will be amazed by
what's on screen.
The story develops quickly. After the death of his twin brother, paraplegic ex-marine Jake Sully ( Sam Worthington )
enlists in the 'Avatar' programme. Overseen by a corrupt corporation ( SecFor ), and aided by 'tree-hugging'
scientists ( 'Aliens' star Sigourney Weaver is Dr. Grace Augustine ), Jake Sully volunteers to have his soul ( or
consciousness ) injected into a genetically grown alien body. His mission is to infiltrate the Na'vi race for
scientific study, but the Corporation ( as represented by a totally wasted Giovanni Ribisi ) and Colonel Miles Quaritch
( the excellent Stephen Lang ) have a different agenda : they intend to displace the alien tribes by force and seize
possession of their precious natural mineral ore resources ( a single kilo fetches $ 20 million dollars ! ). The latter
is worthy of especial mention : the villainous, battle-scarred Colonel steals the show as a marine so
hard-bitten and grimacing that he looks like he chews tree bark for breakfast. Witness the scenes wherein he fights
on, nonchalantly patting his blazing arm or firing after a retreating aircraft, without an oxygen mask. The 'Fast &
the Furious' star Michelle Rodriguez alos reprises her tomboyish image, this time flying gunships rather than
drag-racers, and Zoe Saldana provides a sensual sight as Neytiri, Jake's feisty ( half-naked )concubine warrior.
Over-obvious comparisons have been made with themes already covered in 'Dances with Wolves' : an American frontier movie
that dealt with the invasion and attempted displacement of an indigenous race; and the inner conflict within a soldier
who must choose a side / race to defend and betray. But this does not detract from any potential enjoyment as
nothing quite prepares you for the exotic scenes in this Science-Fiction-Western.
The alien world of Pandora fully encapsulates your attention, whether it's showcasing the massive mechanised
might of the military or its lush nature in all its Pantheistic splendour. Honestly, every scene boasts
flamboyance, originality and an unparallelled scope of imagination. Reawakening as a nine-foot alien with cerulean
skin, indigo tattoos, massive green eyes and elvish ears, Sully's facial expressions and movements are still utterly
convincing. We also regularly see : fleets of gun-ships ( helicopters with twin circular rotors for wing-spans );
alien hybridized beasts such as black viper-wolves and hammer-headed, armour-plated beasts; massive mountain ranges
floating in mid-air with cascading waterfalls; soaring and careening points-of-view astride the back of winged,
sky-diving dragons scraping the sides of cliffs; and the lush, alien, jungle vegetation becomes even more vibrant at
night, with all its purples, pinks and aquamarines of luminescent flora. This is a fantastic, surreal world that
looks believable, rather than cartoonish or animated. The plethora of action scenes also transcend any expectations of
an intense video game experience : they are simply better. This film has a running time of at least 2 hours and 40
minutes, which honestly just zips by. But do yourself a favour : savour this film in the most maximum of comfort or
at least appreciate it in its intended format, 3D. The latter is a richly rewarding experience, heightening the
realism and placing you in the middle of the action. In a year replete with effects-laden blockbusters ( 'Star
Trek'; 'Terminator:Salvation'; and 'Transformers 2'), Avatar easily eclipses the aforementioned, raising the bar to a
stratospheric level that even his contemporaries ( George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson ) will struggle to
exceed or match. James Cameron appears to have a talismanic gift for
blockbuster entertainment, as his half dozen films have become progressively epic in scale, imagination, ambition
and ground-breaking effects. Rather like the cerebral Stanly Kubrick, he is obsessed with redesigning technology
or at least waiting for it to catch up with his fertile imagination. Judging by the effects on the screen, the 12 -
year wait was worth it, but let's hope we do not have to wait too long for his next master-work.
By William Marcus
'Alice in Wonderland' - BOOK NOW
Yet another adaptation of ‘Alice in Wonderland’? Tim Burton’s choice of projects have always been bizarre and
left-field, but he has the alchemist’s touch of turning them into commercially lucrative, mainstream fare. And this
is actually a perfect marriage of director to source material, suiting Burton’s warped, surrealistic
sensibility.
Purists of Lewis Carroll’s nonsensical, literary whimsy may be dismayed, but for the rest of us, it is yet another
visual treat. Truth to tell, it is not a slavishly faithful adaptation of either ‘Alice in Wonderland’ or ‘Through
the Looking Glass’ as it merely chooses to incorporate elements, scenes and characters from those two slim stories.
It plays like a re-visitation or sequel ( rather like Stephen Spielberg’s ‘Hook’ was a continuation of Peter
Pan – only this cannot be derided as much ). After the opening ten minutes, wherein a nubile, nineteen
year-old Alice is forced into an engagement with an unpleasant, domineering, ginger-haired noble man, she is
finally given an excuse to escape from the real world and tumble once again down the rabbit hole. This is when the
film becomes visually spectacular. And being a Tim Burton pic, the dark fairy tale elements are very much in evidence
: gnarled, skeletal trees in flamboyant landscapes are darkly shaded in detail, as if by an HB pencil; a bombastic
Danny Elfman score resounds in the background ; and there’s a warped Brothers-Grimm fairy-tale quality,
without being too nasty or scary – a miniature Alice traipses across decapitated heads floating in a moat. The
scenes are bewitching and Dadaistic.
The cast appear like a roll call of honour for British and international talent : newcomer Aussie Mia Wasikowska is a
likeable enough heroine, all pale-faced and shadows around the eyes, trying to assert herself and make her own
decisions; Burton’s real-life paramour, Helena Bonham Carter plays the Red Queen as a bobble-headed caricature of
Elizabeth I, a harpie from hell; Crispin Glover is a scarred, cycloptic Captain of the armour-plated,
card-guards; Anne Hathaway is gracious and whiter than white aswell, the White Queen ( but looks more like a Goth/
punk groupie with her black eyebrows, lipstick and nails ); and Johnny Depp, unrecognisable as the Mad Hatter, lisps and
lapses into an unintelligible Scottish brogue, allowing himself to be transmogrified into another of Burton’s
lovable grotesques with his orange hair, lime-green eyes and airbrushed pallor. This is his seventh collaboration with
Burton and it’s easy to see why it won’t be his last. Oh, and I haven’t even mentioned the vocal talents of
Barbara Windsor as a feisty Dormouse, Alan Rickman as Absalom, Christopher Lee as the Jabberwocky, Timothy Spall
as a bloodhound and a velvet-voiced Stephen Fry as the rictus grinning, cheshire cat, constantly swirling and
disappearing. And with a head like a cue ball, Matt Lucas is slightly digitally altered and duplicated into the
spherical twins, Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee. Burton’s films may never have been strong on their
story-telling ( in this case, it may be the fault of Narnia scribe Linda Woolverton ), but he is a supreme imaginative,
visualist. But this is an original, visually imaginative take on old material. It merely reaffirms Burton as an
individualistic talent. Quite simply, no one makes films like him.
By William Marcus
This slow-burn, psychological, chiller-thriller leaves an indellible, haunting impression for days afterwards. In a
welcome departure from his gangster flicks, director Martin Scorsese’s oft-delayed fourth collaboration with Leonardo
DiCaprio (‘Gangs of New York’, ‘The Aviator’, and ‘The Departed’ ) is one of the must-see films of the
year.
Set in 1954, the story begins with a slight film-noir feel. When we first see U.S. Marshall Teddy Daniels ( DiCaprio )
with his partner Chuck ( Mark Ruffalo ), he is being sea-sick on the ferry carrying them both to Ashecliffe
Asylum, on a remote island. Approaching the mist-shrouded, jagged rocks, a deep, bass, cello-stringed score strikes
forebodingly, which soon reaches a nerve-jangling crescendo of hysteria. As you would expect, DiCaprio is earnestly
committed to his performance, intensely stressed and coiled up like an over-wrought spring. Despatched to investigate
the disappearance of a dangerous patient, Rachel Solando ( Emily Mortimer ), who was guilty of infanticide, they find
catatonic patients roaming around whilst reticent guards bush-whack the grounds and a distinctly resistant, if civil,
Dr. Cawley ( Ben Kingsley ). Accompanied by the serenely sinister Dr. Naerhing ( veteran Max von Sydow – ‘The
Exorcist’ ), they dismiss such tell-tale riddles such as "The law of 4. Who is 67 ?" Pharmacopoeia, savage
surgery and inhumane experiments are hinted at , and there is a gothic feel to the storm-swept cliff scenes and the
spiral staircase within the lighthouse.
As a hurricane approaches the Island, a prolonged stay is inevitable. But the longer Daniels remains, the line
between what is perceived to be reality and imagined, recollected horror becomes indistinguishable. Daniels is
haunted by his war-time experiences, chiefly liberating a concentration camp at Dachau. There are also disturbing,
surrealistic dreamscapes wherein his dead wife seems to be sending him messages and portents concerning her killer (
Elias Koteas ) and the danger awaiting him inside the Asylum. One particular scene manages to be simultaneously
moving and disturbing. He is talking to his dead wife and there is ash floating around inside their house. He holds
her just as her back turns to charred embers and blood gushes from her abdomen.
There is also a cameo appearance from Jackie Earle Haley ( ‘Watchmen’ ) but to discuss his role would be to reveal
too much. Suffice to say, you can understand why he was chosen to play the maniac Freddy Kreuger in the new
‘Nightmare’ remake. Also worthy of mention is Ted Levine ( Buffallo Bill from ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ )
who delivers an intimidating and disquieting speech. The film abounds with several creepy scenes, but one is
particularly memorable – Daniels is constantly striking a sputtering match which quickly extinguishes as he walks
slowly down a flickering asylum corridor, with dripping water, maniacal laughter and distant screaming in the
background. You are constantly waiting for the surprise jolt but Scorsese has the jump on you ( Christopher Nolan
must be taking notes for his new Batman film, rumoured to be set in Arkham Asylum ). Scorsese is such a master
manipulator of psycho-drama that DiCaprio’s nervous exhaustion, paranoia, debilitation and hysteria seem not
only real, but infectious. Also, he is adept at slyly referencing such classic films as Psycho and The Manchurian
Candidate.
As with all great disturbing psycho-dramas, your subsequent thought runs to who could have penned such a story. The
friends of novelist Dennis Lehane ( ‘Mystic River’ ) reputedly said that he needed help after viewing this film
- a glowing endorsement, indeed ! After having your nerves serated for over two hours and
having reeled from that savage sting-in-the-tale ending, you feel compelled to rewatch this film in a different light and
piece together the clues. The twist in the tale is a rewarding, satisfying pay-off, deliciously ambiguous, and
guaranteed to leave you debating your own interpretation of events for days afterwards. Shutter Island gets under the
skin, into your mind and stays there, like one of its own in-mates.
By William Marcus.
So confident are Universal of the promising, pulling power of Matt Damon reuniting with his old director, Paul
Greengrass, that a grainy black-and-white poster of the aforesaid actor ( in typical Jason Bourne pose ) is
sufficient to sell this picture. And you just know that expectations and demand to see this film will be huge, based
on thieir past credentials with ‘The Bourne Supremacy / Ultimatum’ films.
Certainly, there are obvious comparisons : a lone agent goes rogue in pursuit of the truth concerning his corrupt
controllers; and there is a plethora of pulse-pounding, tense, quickly edited action scenes – a hand-held,
documentary-style jerkiness that invests every scene with urgency, intimacy and realism. But it soon transpires that
this is a different film from your expectations, perhaps even exceeding them. It plays like a political conspiracy
thriller, succeeding in raising intelligent, topical observations about the Iraq invasion without sounding
pedantic.
Opening on the night of 13th March 2003, during the bombing of Baghdad, General Al Rawi is fleeing his palatial
headquarters. Four weeks later, Chief Warrant Officer Roy Miller ( Damon ) is searching potential sites for weapons of
mass destruction – the first of which is guarded by a sniper. These tip-offs amount to bogus intelligence,
stemming from a mysteriously elusive source, known as ‘Magellan’. Constantly questioning the source and
veracity of this intelligence, and defying orders from his superiors to stand down, he embarks on a dangerous quest
to find General Al Rawi in order to find the truth. Aided by an impassioned Iraqi contact named ‘Freddie’ ( Kalid
Abdala ), a Wall Street Journalist , Lawrie Dayne, and C.I.A. operative Martin Brown ( the bear-like Brendan
Gleeson ), he inevitably faces opposition from Clark Poundstone ( Greg Kinnear ) – an amoral eminence-grise
working for the administration. And at the heart of his investigative chase, he exposes an unpalatable truth that
requires accountability. The supporting cast help to drive the action forward but you
can’t help wishing they had more screen time. Brendan Gleeson has his operations consistently counter-manded and
is left grimly fuming. Jason Isaacs, an exceptionally gifted and versatile actor, makes an impressive entrance as
Miller’s arch-nemesis, Major Briggs, flooring and subduing Damon in an arm-lock. But the stars of the show
are Greengrass and Damon. Clearly, this is the type of the picture people will want to see Damon in – and not
something like ‘The Informant’. The closing shot of the burning oil wells have a lingering
significance. As Freddie says, "It’s not for you to decide what happens here", it will be interesting to see
how this film performs in America, what with its damning inditement of U.S. foreign policy and its fabricated
justification for going to war. Or you could just take it at face value, and enjoy it as an exciting and tense
thriller that makes you yearn for yet another Jason Bourne film.
By William Marcus.