Review: Life of Pi (2012)

★★★★★

Director: Ang Lee

Starring: Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Tabu, Adil Hussain

❝ YOU CANNOT KNOW THE STRENGTH OF YOUR FAITH UNTIL IT IS TESTED. ❞

Synopsis: After surviving a shipwreck, Pi Patel (Suraj Sharma) finds himself sharing a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. Pi begins to learn how to survive in the company of a dangerous carnivore, whilst having his spirituality and faith tested to the limit.

Life of Pi left me utterly speechless, on the brink of a breakdown. Again, another rare kind of film is the one where you, as the viewer can learn something too; something about tolerance, acceptance and belief but within yourself, rather than society (as so many films have recently attempted to show). Courageous, bold and beautiful, Life of Pi takes us on both the physical and metaphysical journey of a boy whose faith has already somewhat been shaken. I don't think I need to state how breathtakingly vibrant and colourful this film's cinematography is. It's there in the trailers you've seen. What the trailer won't show is the connection that Pi has to life. Suraj Sharma must be commended for his absolutely astonishing handling of Pi, having no real experience as an actor. I would believe he was already an A list star had I not known anything about him before viewing this. There are so many layers to Life of Pi, I honestly cannot begin to explain why this film is something that will stay with you for a lifetime. It just is. It's a film I would beg everyone to see, it's a film that redefines originality, it's a film that should make you want to read the book to find out more. It's a film you'll learn from, and if not, then it's a film you'll be mesmerised at from start to finish. I have such great respect for Ang Lee for crafting this masterpiece of cinema. 

Review: Argo (2012)

★★★★☆

Director: Ben Affleck

Starring: Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, John Goodman

❝ IF I'M GOING TO MAKE A FAKE MOVIE, IT'S GOING TO BE A FAKE HIT. ❞

Synopsis: When the US embassy in Iran is raided by militants, six fugitive American diplomatic personel escape and find refuge in the Canadian ambassador's home. The CIA and Canadian government work together in order to safely and discreetly extract the fugitives from Iran by constructing a fake movie and claiming they are part of the production company for the film. Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck), an expert exfiltration specialist heads the operation and carries the weight of the responsibility for these six lives. 

Argo is everything people have been saying it is - electric, intense and absolutely thrilling. The build up towards finally getting the six Americans out of Iran was excellently paced, giving you enough time to learn about Mendez's character. His two worlds, the personal and the professional welded together seamlessly and effortlessly, delivering us powerful scenes of the emotional trauma and implications of the operation. The script was packed with memorable quotes and the comedy relief set at the right times. Whilst the pace and thrill were constructed masterfully, the only part of the film that let me down was the acting - which is something I really need to get attached and drawn into the film. That's not to say it was bad, but it was average - these aren't performances of a lifetime, and as Ben pointed out earlier, no one was crying out that he was snubbed for Best Actor. If they had invested a litte more for each character, I think this could have been a knockout and the one to beat at the Oscars. As it stands, it's still completely open but Argo has it's foot in the door and is definitely not going to leave empty handed.

Review: Lincoln (2012)

★★★☆☆

Director: Steven Spielberg

Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tommy Lee Jones

❝ DO YOU THINK WE CHOOSE TO BE BORN? OR ARE WE FITTED INTO THE TIMES WE'RE BORN INTO? ❞

Synopsis: In the midst of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln (Daniel Day-Lewis) begins to rally up support and votes for his 13th amendment, which abolishes slavery and involuntary servitude (except as a punishment for a crime). Whilst he fights to procure his much needed votes, his personal life begins to suffer and Lincoln must balance his duties as the President and his duties as a father and a husband.

Lincoln might as well have been a documentary with reconstructed scenes featuring Daniel Day-Lewis. That was the problem with this very long history lesson. Whilst it did have charm and appeal in certain scenes, overall the film was brought down by the weight of all of the discussions that Spielberg felt needed to be shown. It dragged longer than it needed to and I'm not entirely sure if certain scenes had any effect on the narrative whatsoever. Although it felt long and laboured, the second half of the film had a much better pace than the first, and is where everyone really shone. Sally Fields in particular matched Daniel Day-Lewis' incredible abilities as an actor and Joseph Gordon-Levitt held his own in scenes with emotions running high. The thing this film excelled most at was the beautiful cinematography and editing; though admittedly the last 10 minutes or so of the film were subpar in comparison. In fact, the ending was possibly the reason I had to give this three stars rather than four. There was a scene right before the final one that would have given the film an iconic 'famous last shot' status in film history but Spielberg chose to tell instead of show throughout the whole film, and gave the ending the same treatment which was unfortunate. This is worth watching if you want to educate yourself on Lincoln's greatest achievement as President with some top notch performances. If you have no interest in America's history, you won't benefit from seeing this and will probably be (as many have stated) bored to tears.

Review: Zero Dark Thirty (2012)

★★★☆☆

Director: Kathryn Bigelow

Starring: Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler, Jennifer Ehle

❝ IT'S COOL THAT YOU'RE STRONG, AND I RESPECT IT. I DO. BUT IN THE END, EVERYBODY BREAKS. ❞
Synopsis: After the 9/11 attacks, Maya (Jessica Chastain), a CIA officer is reassigned to the US embassy in Pakistan to help the search for Osama bin Laden, possibly the most notorious and deadly terrorist in the world. A decade long struggle to find leads tests Maya's capabilities as an officier on one of the hardest manhunts ever, her ability to not let her emotions take her over in the face of tragedy and the strength of her voice and convictions against those who doubt her. 

Zero Dark Thirty is one of those films I'll never really be sure about - and not because of the ambiguity of the ending. The ambiguity lies in what we're meant to take away from this dramatisation of a real life manhunt. Sure, it sticks to the facts more or less, but is this about Maya being a strong female power in a world dominated by men? I'm not so sure that was the intention but that's what I took away from this. Maya is strong, fierce, independent and pushes her colleagues to persistently hear her and focus on the task at hand but ultimately she takes entirely too much credit for finding Bin Laden simply because she feels that she hasn't been taken seriously enough. Jessica Chastain definitely plays this role well but I feel like she can do so much more than this and this role limited her to being completely stone-faced and not dimensional enough. Other characters also seemed to float in and out with no real motive or inner conflict that made them interesting or even needed. At times, the script fell apart and included bizarre dialogue that didn't really have any purpose (or failed at whatever it was intended for). Almost every character was some kind of catalyst for the narrative and that really put me off. I did enjoy this film but it was far too long and the payoff was only okay. There was no real punch. Entertaining but disappointing.

Review: Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012)

★★★★☆

Director: Benh Zeitlin

Starring: Quvenzhané Wallis, Dwight Henry, Gina Montana, Levy Easterly

❝ I SEE THAT I AM A LITTLE PIECE OF A BIG, BIG UNIVERSE, AND THAT MAKES IT RIGHT. ❞

Synopsis: A young girl named Hushpuppy's (Quvenzhané Wallis) relationship with her father, Wink (Dwight Henry), is strained and put to the test when the icecaps begin to melt, threatening their small community named the Bathtub. Hushpuppy begins a journey of learning how to be self reliant and courageous in this chaotic and unpredictable world that she lives in.

Very rarely do we get to see a film with such spirit and originality, that when one does come along, it's voice isn't heard. Often, films such as Beasts of the Southern Wild, remain shrouded in mystery and tucked away in a small part of the film world that not many people care to venture to. That's why Beasts of the Southern Wild being nominated for Best Picture at an awards show such as the Academy Awards is a surprising but much needed signal boost. Enchanting, mesmerising and heartbreaking, the film explores a father and daughter's relationship strained by the absence of a mother and the oncoming flood set to destroy their homeland. Quvenzhané Wallis' Best Actress nomination might baffle many, due to her young age, but once you see this performance her nomination is justified. At nine years old, this youngster demonstrates an understanding of her character, her circumstances and her innermost desires playing her with a furious stubbornness that charms you scene after scene. The metaphorical symbolism for Hushpuppy's fears and strength also make this film one of a kind. Though still rough in some places (in particular for me, I found the handheld camera a little bit too much at times) this can easily be forgiven as the film delivers a beautifully crafted story of a community and young girl's spirit that cannot be broken. Do yourself a favour and see this.

Review: Les Misérables (2012)

★★★☆☆

Director: Tom Hooper

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried

❝ TO LOVE ANOTHER PERSON IS TO SEE THE FACE OF GOD. ❞

Synopsis: Several years after the beginning of the French Revolution, Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) has just finished serving his sentence for a crime he committed. When he breaks his parole, he is hunted by Javert (Russell Crowe), whilst trying to change his ways and become an honest man. In this journey he meets Fantine (Anne Hathaway) and agrees to take care of her child, Cossette (Amanda Seyfried). An epic journey of romance, justice, tragedy and self-realisation in the midst of a passionate revolution begins.

This film - what can be said about it that hasn't already been said? It's loud, it's obnoxious, and it demands to be seen and heard. However, whilst the story itself is one of the greatest stories ever written, that doesn't mean that a film adaptation will give it the voice it deserves. Les Misérables asks us to pity, constantly pity each character to the point where they just didn't feel human anymore. I think the problem was each unnecessary camera angle, the laboured singing, the godawful cinematography as a whole made it feel like a film and just that. Nothing more, nothing less. It didn't even attempt to pull the audience into an experience of a lifetime, which this had the potential to be. There were at times gentle and quiet moments and these revealed small fragments of hope that the film may calm down and just believe in itself. With a story like Les Misérables it already has the power deeply imbedded in it that there really doesn't need to be such a grand spectacle made of it - it can make a quiet understated film and be just as much of a triumph as this kind. It's a shame Hooper chose to make this a grand epic, because the runtime felt too long and thus felt like he didn't understand the story well enough. That being said, the performances in this were absolutely breathtaking, and in particular Hugh Jackman giving, what could very well be, the performance of his career. In fact, Hugh really carried this film well; yes, the supporting cast did a wonderful job too, but Jackman had a presence and really stripped his real identity to become Jean Valjean. I don't think Les Misérables is the roaring success that it should have been simply because of Hooper's choices as a director. Still, I think it's worth watching because these actors really pour their hearts and souls into giving their characters life, and that is such a rare thing to see in mainstream cinema today.

Review: Amour (2012)

★★★★★

Director: Michael Haneke

Starring: Jean-Louis Trintignant, Emmanuelle Riva, Isabelle Huppert

❝ YOU ARE A MONSTER SOMETIMES. ❞

Synopsis: Georges (Jean-Louis Trintignant) and Anne (Emmanuelle Riva) Laurent are a married couple in their eighties. When Anne suffers a stroke, the repercussions of the attack test the love between the two and the bonds between friends and family.

Amour is hard watch for all the right reasons. It's painful and uncomfortable. Those who are familiar with Haneke's work should know what to expect, but in this case, he surpasses his earlier work by giving us something much more honest and in turn, much more powerful. Haneke lets us see what happens behind closed doors when someone has a serious illness. With each frame we are given another emotion to contend with. The performances are spectacular without being loud and Emmanuelle Riva's is so hauntingly quiet that it still manages to echo through each scene. The complexities of each character's emotional state makes this film one of the best character studies on coping with the stress of a life changing event. Unafraid to be honest and trying, Amour is a brilliantly accomplished film that deserves every single peice of recognition it receives. 

Review: Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

★★★☆☆

Director: David O. Russell

Starring: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Chris Tucker

❝ THE ONLY WAY TO BEAT MY CRAZY WAS BY DOING SOMETHING EVEN CRAZIER. ❞

Synopsis: When Patrizio Solitano Jr. (Bradley Cooper) is released from a mental institution he begins the task of adjusting to normal life once again. Whilst trying to find ways of communicating with his estranged wife (who has a restraining order on him), he meets a woman called Tiffany Maxwell (Jennifer Lawrence) who has problems of her own. A deal they both make takes them on a journey into understanding and controlling their chaotic behaviour and their problematic lives.

I have got to start this off by saying, the film had a solid first half and I did enjoy it. The potential for a great film was there. Bradley conveyed the true turmoil and seriousness of Pat's illness, whilst Jennifer really excelled in understanding Tiffany's motivations behind her behaviour. Somewhere along the way, however, the film broke down and became a dry, dull cliché. Normally, I don't mind romantic clichés as long as it doesn't damage the experience of the film as a whole. But this one did. For some reason, the film suddenly became safe and began to walk on eggshells. This didn't feel like an honest experience. The resolution felt forced for the sake of wrapping everything up in a nice little bow and I felt like it had completely disregarded how much work it takes to deal with someone who has bipolar disorder. I understand the film is called Silver Linings Playbook for a reason, but there are other ways to demonstrate how Pat could have gotten over or at least found his disorder easier to deal with. However, despite these negativities, the film isn't terrible. Oscar worthy? No. Not for me at least. That's what the letdown here is. It's not brutally honest with itself enough about the core of each of these character's problems, but it's a nice story of two people who fall in love.

Review: Seven Psychopaths (2012)

★★★★★

Director: Martin McDonagh

Starring: Colin Farrel, Sam Rockwell, Christopher Walken, Woody Harrelson

❝ YOU CAN'T LET THE ANIMALS DIE IN A MOVIE...ONLY THE WOMEN. ❞

Synopsis: Marty Faranan (Colin Farrel) is trying to write a screenplay called (surprise, surprise) Seven Psychopaths. His friend, Billy Bickle (Sam Rockwell) works with a man named Hans Kieslowski (Christopher Walken) to kidnap dogs and after a few weeks or so, return them to their owners to claim the reward money for 'finding' their lost pup. This all goes horribly wrong when Billy kidnaps a dog belonging to crazed psychopath Charlie Costello (Woody Harrelson) who will stop at nothing to get his precious Bonny back. Marty gets sucked into their world and lots of mayhem surrounding this unfinished screenplay and this adorable shih tzu follow.

This is a must see. Putting the screenplay in a film about the screenplay (stay with me here) was a smart way of showing the struggles and chaos that comes with writing a script. Marty is essentially Martin (the hint is in the name, obviously) showing us how he struggled with himself as a writer trying to be innovative and original without falling into typical cliches for the genre. At one point, Billy is offered to write a version of the screenplay and conforms to all the typical thriller-esque cliches - the bloody shootouts, the copious amounts of blood and death - basically any Tarantino film of late. There is a lot on what McDonagh feels about cinema and more about how he feels trying to be an alternative kind of action/thriller filmmaker. This film overall is a complete breath of fresh air. The characters are wonderfully three dimensional and complex, all played spectacularly well by the cast. My personal favourite was Tom Waits; in the short time he was on screen to tell his tale, he left a deep scar on the narrative. There are plenty of criticisms of the stereotypes of an action/thriller film in mainstream cinema here but it's not a harsh one. McDonagh is known for his twists and unconventional methods of storytelling since his well received debut In Bruges (2008), and Seven Psychopaths continues his experimentations of the bloody and messy world of this genre.