Film Review: Flight

Flight   4/10
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Starring: Denzel Washington, Nadine Velazquez, Don Cheadle
Plot: a flight is saved by a pilot and an investigation unveils the truth.

Robert Zemeckis has produced some ‘classics’ during his career; Forest Gump and Cast Away are among them. Reviewers have classed these as Zemeckis’ career highlights – I would, however, completely disagree. Zemeckis’ ten year development of motion-capture has created the likes of The Polar Express, Beowulf and A Christmas Carol. Both The Polar Express and A Christmas Carol are visually stunning, well-paced and thrilling. Flight is Zemeckis’ return to live-action, which is a transition that fails.

Flight is a film which, as many are, marketed to the wrong audience. The ‘main event’ seems to be the crash sequence at the beginning of the film; people flying, screaming children and utter carnage ensue within a ten minute sequence, which is utterly compelling – Zemeckis at his best. As soon as the gigantic sequence finishes (a particular moment in which the plane flips upside down is phenomenally done), the film steadily declines.

Unfortunately, Flight becomes a terribly slow drama; a particular sequence in which Denzel Washington is pacing his hotel room goes on for far too long, and the dialogue scenes are tiresome throughout. Any scene which involves the talented and mostly funny John Goodman is ruined by an overly heavy script that is neither fun nor compelling. Washington’s performance is on this occasion uninspiring; the drunk scenes are convincing yet lack of emotion and the persistent staring isn’t enough to revive the performance. Kelly Reilly is the stand-out of the entire film; whilst her performance isn’t award-worthy, her addictions and antics add at least a little more to this film.

In Conclusion: Flight is 40 minutes too long; its script is dull and its finale uninteresting. A phenomenally realistic opening sequence shows just how Zemeckis entertains his audience – by thrilling! Let’s just hope Zemeckis returns to motion-capture as soon as possible.

Film Review: Les Miserables

Les Miserables    7/10
Director: Tom Hooper
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway
Plot: It’s the 19^th century, and Jean Valjean breaks his parole. However, he is being hunted by his enemy, policeman Javert.

Tom Hooper creates a film that’s dark, grand and comical. Hooper has loosened his belt significantly since The King’s Speech – a far more structured and tight production. Les Miserables is, despite its length, chaotic due to its many story lines; but somehow flows elegantly to its grand finale thanks to its cast.

The different stories that unravel are all captivating; Hugh Jackman’s rags to riches tale, Russell Crowe’s hunt and Anne Hathaway’s desperation, are all terribly grim at times; yet the stunning musical numbers are uplifting, punchy and powerful. Hooper’s decision to record vocals live is pulled off terrifically; Hathaway’s rawness is captured during a montage of having her teeth removed and hair shaven.

The talent of the cast cannot be questioned; highlights include the phenomenal Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen; Cohen has grown significantly from his gross-out comedy, and here merges himself with Carter in classy humour. The tale between Amanda Seyfried and Eddie Redmayne is endearing, and one of the highlights of the picture; Seyfried’s high-pitched voice is a beautiful contrast to the deep, grand voice of Jackman.

In Conclusion: Les Miserables isn’t smothered in glitter and neither is it completely grim. Non-musical fans may be put off by its running time, but its multiple storylines and diverse musical numbers are bound to convert many.

Film Review: Dark Shadows

Dark Shadows   6/10
Director: Tim Burton
Starring: Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Eva Green
Plot: a vampire called Barnabas Collins returns and visits his dysfunctional family.

Tim Burton has seen gigantic box office success recently with Alice in Wonderland, which grossed over $1 billion; whilst receiving lacklustre reviews. Dark Shadows, similarly to Alice, is a blockbuster with impressive visuals. However, Dark Shadows isn’t as safe as Alice, and proves to be a strange mix.

The genre of the film seems to consistently change; it’s horror one minute, then comedy, then action the next. Usually Burton pulls off a mix such as this, however in this film it comes across as chaotic at times. In all, the plot doesn’t go very far at all. In addition to this, the abundance of characters feels cluttered, with only a few in strong focus. I think that if the film had focussed on Barnabas’ journey more, and perhaps more family back story, it could’ve been a little more consistent.

Whilst the plot is a little sketchy, the characters and acting is fantastic; Johnny Depp doesn’t surprise yet doesn’t falter. Michelle Pfeiffer plays Elizabeth Collins perfectly, wielding a shotgun to cinematic perfection. Eva Green as Angelique is not only stunning but beautifully evil. A particularly raunchy scene between Green and Depp is executed well and very funny. Helena Bonham Carter plays a mad person, a role familiar to her and one she does well with her usual skill.

In Conclusion: Dark Shadows is a bizarre film which feels a little too long; yet it is redeemed by its fantasy action, intelligent laughs and interesting characters.

Film Review: Jack Reacher

Jack Reacher   7/10
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Rosamund Pike, Richard Jenkins

Plot: a man shoots five people at random; an investigator delves into the case further.

Christopher McQuarrie became a hit screenwriter with the likes of The Usual Supects, however critical falures such as The Tourist within recent years have been disappointed. However, McQuarrie has turned it around with Jack Reacher, a surprisingly entertaining action thriller.
 
Tom Cruise, despite failing to draw in audiences for Rock of Ages returns to what he does best, total annihilation. The action sequences are slick, fast-paced and terribly cool, something lacking from recent action flicks. A particular car chase makes use of ambitious angles and techniques, which are pulled off terrifically in the film (a zoom-in to Tom Cruise’s face while driving is just one of them). The film's trailer does, however, seem to market it as a full-on action film, yet the plot is surprisingly complex, with the different layers unfolding as the minutes tick by.

Rosamund Pike is also very good here; whilst her recent roles have been a little dry, Pike returns to the likes of Pride and Prejudice and Surrogates within her acting abilities. Her role is edgy and serious, something the film needed to keep grounded.

The plot, whilst being disturbing at times, doesn’t seem to take itself very seriously as it progresses. The film does, however, seem to change its angle and within the final thirty minutes, the plot drifts off and you soon forget who is chasing who. Yet in these moments, it’s the ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ moments which keep you hoping for more.

In Conclusion: Reacher plummets full-throttle from the start, proving that giant robots and superheroes aren’t the crucial ingredient to a great action film. There’s nothing Oscar-worthy here, and it’s all the better for it - a sequel is likely and deserved.

Film Review: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey   8/10
Director: Peter Jackson

Starring: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage
Plot: a young Bilbo Baggins sets out on a journey to the Lonely Mountains along with thirteen dwarves to rescue stolen treasure from the dragon Smaug.

Following the phenomenal success of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Hobbit has finally reached cinema screens with fantastic success and although the original novel by J.R.R. Tolkien was more child-like than the Rings trilogy,  Jackson’s addition of  a certain amount of darkness and action is extremely effective.

The acting is perhaps the biggest success of this film; Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins seems a little uncertain at first; however, as the film progresses, he really becomes the character we all love, with a particular scene with Andy Serkis (Gollum) becoming a highlight. Ian McKellen returns as Gandalf the Grey, giving us terribly emotional lines to will Bilbo on, as well as some moments of intense action. Also, we see some nice appearances from the likes of Christopher Lee and Cate Blanchett.

The film is also very successful in the way that it never slows down; once the group leave Bag End, we plummet above, below and within mountains, coming across all manner of creatures. All of the creatures, in fact, are done very well with spectacular special effects. However, some scenes are so covered in green screen it is sometimes noticeable; a distraction for dedicated film fans.

In Conclusion: with fantastic creatures, a stellar cast and a moderately exciting ending, An Unexpected Journey shows us that Peter Jackson rarely faults.