"Inside Llewyn Davis" (15) Directed by: Joel and Ethan Coen. Starring: Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, Justin Timberlake and John Goodman. Running time: 105 minutes. Rated: 15 for containing strong language, sex references and implied hard drug use. Out now in UK cinemas. The Coen Brother's latest film follows six days in the life of a struggling folk singer Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac), who (in the year 1961) lives in New York's Greenwich Village, supposedly the home of Folk music. Despite his worthy intentions, Llewyn now lives his life on the basis of charity from his friends and family. Having eventually reached the point of extreme desperation, Llewyn ultimately decides to try his absolute hardest, to leave his mark on folk music.
Having not completed a screenplay or feature-length film for nearly three years, the Coens finally settled on creating a fictional film, inspired by certain events in Greenwich Village New York, in 1961. When readying the production, a memoir published after the death of Van Ronk (a famous folk singer) was used to establish the vision of the colour to be used in the film and certain scenes.
The 'bring your cat to work day' was more stressful than he anticipated...
The irony of Llewyn’s character is that even though he’s loosely based on Van Ronk and Jack Elliot, Llewyn is the complete opposite, mostly reflecting a simpleton. However, this is why we begin to root for Llewyn, as he is a fairly relatable person who is in desperate need of help. The film’s shoot was troubled, as a result of an early New York spring, which interfered with the winter setting, taken from the film’s script. The Coen brothers (Joel and Ethan) are in many ways the undisputed masters of cinematic comedy. Whether it's a film about gangsters ("Miller's Crossing") or a western ("True Grit"), these two brothers consistently provide an intellectual style of witticisms to all of their films; which has flooded into another star-studded achievement, "Inside Llewyn Davis"; which is unequivocally their finest piece of cinema since “No Country for Old Men”.
A still of Oscar Isaac, Justin Timberlake and Adam Driver.
Packed with vigorous supporting roles, the Coens once again create ingenious characters such as Carey Mulligan’s Jean, who has a first-rate line (“Everything you touch turns to ***t! Like King Midas’s idiot brother!”), which is screamed at Llewyn in a particularly amusing fashion. Justin Timberlake’s character of Jim is also charming, included in an especially hilarious scene, regarding a musical number sung by himself, Issac’s and a fairly odd man named Al Cody (Adam Driver), who continues to say “shout” every minute; much to the shock of Llewyn and Jim. Coen's regular John Goodman is also well cast, into a role which suits his character’s attitude quite well, along with some distinctly funny, one-liners. Not only was the supporting cast well-chosen, but the scene-stealing marmalade coloured cat, must be mentioned as contributing to one of the Coen brother’s funniest jokes of their career, involving the word ‘scrotum’.
A still of Stark Sands, Carey Mulligan and Justin Timberlake.
The performances are remarkable, with Isaac's finally receiving a lead role worthy of his acting talents, which he commands expertly well. Mulligan’s performance is yet again near-perfect, much like her character in “Drive”, but more developed, plus some added anger problems. The film’s music is exceptionally riveting, containing songs written previously by famous folk singers such as Van Ronk and performed live by a selection of the cast. Issacs and Mulligan both have resilient voices, which are used to effect in many of their songs including the hilarious “Please Mr Kennedy” and “Five Hundred Miles”. Verdict Easily the Coen’s best work in years, presenting an unrivalled reflection of a folk singer, who in spite of the hatred surrounding him, tries to prevail in a cruel and uncaring world. 8 Stars out of 10. Written by Scott Gentry.
Film Rating Key
1-2 stars out of ten = Awful. 3-4 stars out of ten = Average. 5-6 stars out of ten = Good. 7-8 stars out of ten = Excellent. 9-10 stars out of ten = Amazing.
So 2013 was an amazing year for film, releasing many outstanding examples such as Mathew McConaughey's phenomenal film "Mud", "Behind The Candelabra" from Stephen Soderbergh and my personal favourite, "The Kings Of Summer". Now that we've finally reached 2014, lets see what's on offer as Scott Gentry previews 13 of 2014's most exciting films...
1) Guardians of the Galaxy (TBC) Directed by: James Gunn. Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Michael Rooker, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper. Set in the far reaches of space, an American pilot named Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) finds himself in deep trouble, after stealing an orb coveted by the villainous Ronan. Now that Marvel have finally entered phase two, "Guardians Of The Galaxy" is tipped to become just as popular as "The Avengers" and perhaps more ambitious. After all, what could be better than having Bradley Cooper portraying a wisecracking, gun-totting Racoon? Absolutely nothing! "Guardians Of The Galaxy" is released in UK cinemas on the 1st of August, 2014.
2) "Under The Skin" (TBC) Directed by: Jonathan Glazer. Starring: Scarlett Johansson and Paul Brannigan.
"Under The Skin" tells the generally odd and shocking tale of a female alien (Scarlett Johansson), who shortly after arriving on planet earth, begins by seducing unassuming men, using her feminine charms.
It's now been nine years since the release of Jonathan Glazer's film "Birth", and seeing as we've waited ever so patiently, Glazer is now treating us to the enigmatic "Under The Skin". According to critics, "Under The Skin" is a phenomenal piece of film-making, and received five star reviews upon it's releases at both the Venice Film Festival, and the BFI Festival. We just can't wait.
"Under The Skin" is released on the 14th of March, 2014. 3) "The Zero Theorem" (TBC) Directed by: Terry Gilliam. Starring: Christoph Waltz, Matt Damon and Tilda Swinton. Set in the near future, Qohen Leth (Christoph Waltz) is constantly sat at his computer, working. Never able to enjoy his life, Qohen is constantly waiting for a phone call, which he believes, will describe the very purpose of his life. When reassigned to work on 'The Zero Theorem' program at work, he finally begins to realise what life is really about.
Terry Gilliam ("Life Of Brian" and "The Brothers Grimm") has been directing films since 1968. Often thought of (by me anyway!) as the director who defines, 'cult' films and nicknamed Captain Chaos, Gilliam constantly surprises audiences with ambitious pieces of cinema; which really do entertain. In recent years, Gilliam's works have (arguably) become slightly worse, than his more fresh and original films, such as "Brazil". Thankfully, we can put certain mistakes behind him; as "The Zero Theorem" is a fantastic ride. For Utopia's review of Terry Gilliam's "The Zero Theorem", click on the link below! http://utopiareviews.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/scott-gentry-reviews-zero-theorem.html
"The Zero Theorem" is set to open in UK cinemas, on the 14th of March, 2014.
4) "Her" (15) Directed by: Spike Jonze Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson, Rooney Mara, Amy Adams and Olivia Wilde. Set in the near future, Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix) is an unhappy divorcee, who no longer enjoys life to the extent of when he was married. Now Theodore lives a solitary life, writing letters at a company for people who find it hard to express their feelings; but while bringing joy to others he ultimately feels pessimistic, until the very day he purchases a computer operating system, which speaks to it's user. Living inside Theodore’s computer with built in artificial intelligence, this equivalent of Apple’s “Siri” adopts a female personality and voice (Scarlett Johanssen). Before long his life begins to improve, as the seemingly inseparable pair soon develop a very deep and personal relationship.
Since it's directed and written by Spike Jonze ("Where The Wild Things Are") and having already received three Golden Globe nominations (winning one for Best Screenplay), five Academy Awards nominations (including Best Picture and Best Writing of an Original Screenplay)"Her" should be nothing short of excellent.
"Her" is released in UK cinemas, on the 14th of February 2014.
5) "The LEGO Movie" (TBC) Directed by: Phil Lord & Chris Miller. Starring: Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks, Morgan Freeman, Will Arnett and Alison Brie. From the makers of the 2009 surprise hit, "Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs", "The Lego Movie" tells the story of how an ordinary LEGO minifigure named Emmet (Chris Pratt) is mistakenly thought to be the extraordinary MasterBuilder, and is recruited to join a quest to stop an evil LEGO tyrant, from gluing their whole universe together. Expect tonnes of bricks. Even though we are fairly adult here at Utopia Reviews, we can't honestly wait for "The Lego Movie". Whether you're six or one-hundred and six, you're guaranteed to enjoy "The Lego Movie".
"The Lego Movie" is released in UK cinemas on the 14th of February 2014.
6) "The Monuments Men" Directed by: George Clooney. Starring: George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman and Cate Blanchett. Rated: 12A for containing, moderate violence, bloody injury detail and scenes of smoking.
Set during World War Two, "The Monuments Men" follows the true story of art historians who after joining a special operation during WW2, are placed in a bid against time to save some of the world's most precious pieces of art from Adolf Hitler and the Nazis. From the many trailers previously released, we can expect dry humor, a spectacular Bill Murray and a fair few explosions. My conclusion? It's "Inglorious Basterds" meets "The Wild Bunch".
"The Monuments Men" is released in the UK on the 21st of February 2014.
7) "Transcendence" (TBC)
Directed by: Wally Pfister.
Starring: Johnny Depp, Morgan Freeman, Kate Mara, Rebecca Hall, Cillian Murphy and Paul Bettany.
From the acclaimed Christopher Nolan collaborator Wally Pfister, comes a new head-scratching sci-fi thriller, with not only an all star cast, but an exciting and intriguing plot line. The film follows the story of Dr Will Caster a scientist of artificial intelligence, who is striving to upload his consciousness into a computer, before his untimely death, at the hands of terrorists. Exciting stuff.
"Transcendence" is released in UK cinemas from the 25th of April 2014.
8) "Foxcatcher" (TBC) Directed by: Bennett Miller. Starring: Steve Carell, Mark Ruffalo and Channing Tatum.
Steve Carell plays John Du Pont, an American millionaire who killed his friend Dave Schultz (Mark Ruffalo), an Olympic wrestler, in the year of 1997. "Foxcatcher" explores the events leading up to the murder and presents Carell as we've never seen him before. Expect Oscar nominations galore...
"Foxcatcher" is released in the UK and US, later this year.
9) "Snowpiercer" (TBC)
Directed by: Joon-ho Bong. Starring: Chris Evans, Jamie Bell, Tilda Swinton and Ed Harris.
Set in the future In a future where a failed global-warming experiment kills off most life on the planet, a class system evolves aboard the Snowpiercer, a train that travels around the globe via a perpetual-motion engine.
Based on the French graphic novel Le Transperceneige and adapted by Joon-ho Bong ("The Host"), "Snowpiercer" boasts an excellent cast and possibly one of the most intriguing plot-lines in the last five years. It's going to be exciting, very exciting.
"Snowpiercer" is set to be released in UK cinemas later on, in 2014.
10) "Interstellar" (TBC)
Directed by: Christopher Nolan.
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Jessica Chastain, Anne Hathaway, Casey Affleck, Michael Caine and John Lithgow.
"Interstellar" follows the story regarding a group of explorers, who after making use of a newly discovered wormhole to surpass the limitations on human space travel, begin to conquer the vast distances involved in an interstellar voyage. Christopher Nolan + a cast this amazing = equals sheer blockbusting bravura. Nolan set the bar insanely high after releasing his hit film "Inception" back in 2010, and is now working on another mind-bending Sci-Fi film, revolving space travel. Unfortunately, we're going to have to wait ten months to see the outcome, but the trailer has put the film in good stead; and the end result can only be breathtaking.
"Interstellar" is released in UK cinemas on the 7th of November, 2014.
11) "The Raid 2: Berandal" (TBC)
Directed by: Gareth Evans.
Starring: Iko Uwais, Yayan Ruhian, Julie Estelle, Donny Alamsyah and Arifin Putra.
Set a short while after the events of "The Raid", this second installment sees Rama (Iko Uwais) leaving his family and going undercover with the thugs of Jakarta whilst planning to bring down the corrupt within his police force.
Back in 2011 "The Raid" made quite an impact not only on American cinema, but British as well, proving that Indonesian cinema was a force to be reckoned with. Nearly three years later, Gareth Evans and his team are back to entertain audiences with far more entertaining set pieces than ever before. It's the "Empire Strikes Back" of all martial arts films and it's going to be phenomenal.
"The Raid 2" opens in the UK, later this year.
13) "Frank" (TBC)
Directed by: Lenny Abrahamson.
Starring: Michael Fassbender, Domhnall Gleeson and Maggie Gyllenhaal.
"Frank" is an unusual comedy which follows a story about a young musician Jon (Domhnall Gleeson), who discovers that after joining an eccentric pop band led by the mysterious and enigmatic Frank (Michael Fassbender), he might regret it.
Michael Fassbender in a paper giant papier mache head? Count me in! "Frank" is loosely based upon the life story of the late British comedian Frank Sievey, who infamously wore a gigantic papier mache head cast, whilst performing on stage. Sounds ludicrous? You're not the only one.
"Frank" is due to be released in UK cinemas, on the 4th of May, 2014.
As part of our exciting 2014 Dystopian Fiction Affliction series, I've been reviewing some of the most famous of the 20th century's lengthy list of Dystopian books. As you may know, a Dystopia (derived from the word "Utopia", which, like our blog, means perfection in the world) is a world in which everything seems perfect (or people are told so), but in actual fact there's a horrible secret or truth lurking beneath the surface, like The Hunger Games series.
When A Clockwork Orange was first released in 1961 a reviewer said that "if you don't like the first seven pages, you'll hate the book...if not, it gets much, much better". And that's exactly true. Make no mistake, this book is seriously messed up and seriously weird. The biggest thing to realize is that Antony Burgess wrote it in an invented slang called nadsat (an amalgamation of Russian and Cockney Rhyming Slang), so that the youth culture portrayed in the novel could never seem dated or out of touch. Clever, but odd. Really odd. Here's an example of some short sentences in nadsat:
I'm smotting like forward to viddying the like sinny of A CLOCKWORK ORANGE, O my brothers (and not to skazzy devotchkas), but the book was choodessy enough. Now where's the moloko for the sladky chai?
It's a bit strained, but here's what that means:
I'm looking forward to watching the film of A Clockwork Orange, by brothers (and not forgetting women). But the book was wonderful enough. Now, where's the milk for the sweet tea?
So there. If that's not too confusing for you, then you'll probably like the book. Here's a link to a nadsat dictionary; use ctrl-f to search for specific words (Nadsat Dictionary).
Clockwork Orange follows Alex DeLarge, a boy of fifteen who spends his evenings drinking milk laced with drugs, attacking and killing random pedestrians, and listening to Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. He soon attracts the attention of the new, less lax right wing government, and their radical new psychological techniques. The novel poses the question: Does a man cease to be a man if he cannot choose?
I won't say much more, but the book is very different to the film. For example, no-one is beaten to death with a bust of a penis in the book. Maybe that's a good thing. However, the ending to the film is much better than the book's, and that is most definitely a better thing. Whatever you do, make sure that you're not one to shy away from a little violence in your reading, because it features two murders and a rape scene. I thought I'd just mention that straight away.
It was a good read, and an interesting one. It takes so getting used to written in nadsat, but as soon as you get the hang of it it rolls off the tongue quite nicely. The final chapter was a bit of a let down, but I still enjoyed it. Ignore the socialist-bashing allegories, and enjoy the ride.
Next up, I'll be doing a review of George Orwell's classic Nineteen Eighty Four, as well as Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, the only acceptable use of the Fahrenheit system. Overall I'd give Clockwork Orange a solid 3.7 out of 5, as it was entertaining, but the ending and the confusing structure will probably make the book less palatable and more, well, weird
than anything else.
“12 Years A Slave” (15) Director: Steve McQueen. Starring: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Paul Giamatti, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Michael Fassbender and Lupita Nyong'o. Rated: 15 for containing, strong violence, injury detail, sex, nudity and racist terms. Running time: 134 minutes. Out now in UK cinemas. “12 Years a Slave” reveals the disconsolate tale of Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a free man from the year 1841, who was deceived, kidnapped and sold into slavery. Steve McQueen is particularly well known for creating works of fragility, including his last two pieces “Shame” and “Hunger”, which are both of an extremely high standard. Now having completed his third feature length film, Steve McQueen has decided to tackle a delicate subject, which requires the utmost respect; and received it. The film is at times extremely brutal, but delivers a completely honest insight into slavery and the effects it had on our society.
Benedict Cumberbatch and Chiwetel Ejiofor in "12 Years A Slave".
Placed in development for quite some time, it wasn’t until 2011 that Steve McQueen finally announced his next film would be “12 Years a Slave”, after the success of “Shame”. Originally, the screenwriter John Ridley was reluctant to join the film until his wife recommended that he read Solomon Northup’s book. Soon afterward, John began to collaborate with McQueen and the rest (as they say), is history.
Dealing with something so disturbing, needs a cast which can become the characters they are meant to be portraying, no matter how cruel. Chiwetel Ejiofor is a revelation in the role of Solomon, previously only portraying supporting characters in many of his roles including his performance in the stunning film, “Children of Men” (a film by Alfonso Cuaron) alongside Clive Owen. Finally receiving the lead role he was born to play, Chiwetel is not only convincing, but unbelievable as he physically degrades himself, by acting in many uncomfortable scenes; including a scenario where Solomon is strung up by his neck for a large amount of time.
Chiwetel Ejiofor in "12 Years A Slave".
The film’s supporting cast also includes Michael Fassbender, who plays a barbarous slave owner named Edwin Epps, whose uncontrollable hate leads to many vivid scenes of violence upon his slaves. Perhaps the actress given the most amount of attention during the current awards season is Lupita Nyong'o (Lupita only formerly acted in a short film named “East River”), with her interesting interpretation of Patsy (an abused slave) which is exemplary. It is only fair to also mention that Paul Dano and Benedict Cumberbatch both act vigorously in their roles. Other details of the film are designed to perfection, including the costumes, sets and the aspects of slavery. Composed by Hanz Zimmer (and including work from John Legend and Alicia Keys) the “12 Years a Slave” soundtrack is powerful, but unfortunately not Zimmer’s best work. Verdict A genuine classic that may appal some viewers, or teach others of a time when it was perfectly acceptable to exploit ethnic minorities. A requisite piece of cinema.
American Hustle promised to be an interesting and intelligent blend of complex storytelling and quality acting from a great cast. And I'm sorry to say that that just wasn't the case.
When I first heard of American Hustle, I was really excited; when was the last time that a decent (non-magic based) heist movie came out? But once again, big budget Hollywood decided to take my dreams and crush them underfoot like yesterday's jam.
Christian Bale plays a man of confusing morals, with a secret double life. I'm not sure which one was the secret life--the multi-million cheque scam business with sexy partner in crime Amy Adams, or his hectic and dysfunctional marriage to Jennifer Lawrence, including her son. The first scene is non-chronological (it's actually half-way through the movie when this scene should actually happen) and from there onward until about half an hour in, American Hustle promised to be a smart and slickly entertaining con-movie.
But after making this first hurdle (and with flying colours, I might add) Hustle flounders. It managed to take many motifs that I personally enjoy (slick comedy, cool con-men, the 70's) and smash them to pieces, with an extraordinarily long run time and such boring storytelling that it was actually quite astounding that I didn't fall asleep. I nearly did, believe me.
Or maybe I'm just being cynical. There were a few decent laughs in there--Jennifer Lawrence and a Science Oven--and when the film was working, it really was working well. But it was almost as if the director (David O. Russel) wrote the good scenes, and then shoved the rest (about 3/4 of the film) as filler. Toward the end, I felt as though I was watching a farce. The plot thickened--as it should--but instead of bringing in moral dilemmas, unconsidered angles or the rarest breed, the catch-22, it just seemed to be so--outlandish? that as soon as Robert DeNiro showed up, I was sold on Hustle's terrific disappointment. I'd like to believe that this was purposeful, but considering that the whole thing was based on the real life ABSCAM FBI story, I can't kid myself.
It really is a shame. When it was good, it was good, but there simply isn't enough of that to save the film. I suppose the poor plot twists can be blamed on the actual events of ABSCAM (American Hustle is mostly a true story), but that's not an excuse. Maybe if the ABSCAM story included boring scenes and a farce about the FBI's middle men then clearly American Hustle should not have been attempted, or tarted up to be more flavoursome and palatable.
Overall the acting and the cast was solid, but the events of the film and the plot line were just too far gone to be saved by this. Jennifer Lawrence was probably the best character, and the kernels of humour really were funny, but they were too few and far apart. A diamond opal in the rough.
"Delivery Man" (12A) Director: Ken Scott. Starring: Vince Vaughn, Chris Pratt and Cobie Smulders. Rated: 12A for containing moderate sex and drug references, and one use of strong language. Running time: 104 minutes. Out now in UK cinemas.
"Delivery Man" follows the story of David Wozniak (Vaughn), an underachiever who after donating close to 600 specimens of his sperm to a fertility clinic (20 years ago); realises that he has inadvertently become a father to the largest family in the world. When 142 of his children set out to find the identity of their father, David is faced with two choices, accept the challenge of parenthood, or remain anonymous. Will he do the right thing? Typical Vince Vaughn comedies are rude, crude and extremely unfunny, but from the offset "Delivery Man" proved to be a better film than I believed it to be. After viewing the film's trailer, I wasn't really sold on the idea, and felt it was just another pay-check for Vaughn. However, it seems as though I was wrong. By all accounts, I'm not saying it's perfect, but it definitely is entertaining. The one thing I can't quite understand is why Ken Scott has remade his already popular Canadian film "Starbuck". Using the exact same plot-line, the original film is far more popular with American audiences than his re-make "Delivery Man" is. I suppose it's just another case of Michael Haneke's "Funny Games". Personally, I'm finding it quite hard to understand why "Delivery Man" is classed as a comedy, because it's quite the opposite. Sure there are funny scenes, but the film relies on often sad and dramatic stories which sometimes don't fit in well with the 'comedy' genre. A feel-good film yes, but not really a laugh out loud comedy.
Vince Vaughn in "Delivery Man"
Vaughn acts considerably well in his role, which proves he can act when given a reasonable script and character. Cobie Smulders ("The Avengers") is fairly convincing as Vaughn's girlfriend but her talents seem wasted, as the actress is not given a large amount of screen time. Chris Pratt however manages to steal both Vaughn’s and Smulder’s thunder, by contributing an enjoyable supporting role, which is both hilarious, as it is touching. Verdict Sweet, funny and just right, a film like this is hard to pull off, but it seems Ken Scott and his crew prevailed. 6 stars out of 10. Written by Scott Gentry.
