Cinema Review: The Tree of Life (2011)

Life, the universe and everything. That's the unambitious subject matter of Terrence Malick's fifth feature. Never one to think small, Malick has here made a bewildering yet beautiful dreamlike fusion of music and images. Apparently taking his cue from 2001: A Space Odyssey, the film spans from prehistory to modern times, yet this film is diametrically opposed to Kubrick's rigidly structured approach. The Tree of Life is a free-flowing, meandering, practically formless film, resembling the fractured non-linearity of memory, which is surely intentional. The result is even less mainstream and conventional than the director's previous films, none of which could be described by either of those terms. This is a pure expression of Malickness.

Say goodbye to dialogue, A-to-B storytelling, even an apparent aim. The beginning of the film is particularly mystifying, jumping between three disparate settings and times: leafy 1950s American suburbia, the glass-and-concrete modern city, and the birth of the universe. The beauty on display is inarguable, be it the lush woodland or the rupturing crust of the early Earth, but it lacks any sort of handle to give an audience member something to hang on to. It comes across like an art installation: striking, intriguing, but also a bit distancing, and yes, even pretentious. Malick overdoes some of his stylistic tics, such as the rambling inner monologues, and the gradual "tilt up to treetops" shot (seriously, there's a drinking game in there somewhere). The prehistoric scenes are spectacles to behold, but you're left to ponder the point of, say, the dinosaur flopping on the beach, any explanations unforthcoming from the film itself.

Eventually, some sort of focus does emerge. This is fundamentally the story of the childhood years of three brothers in 1950s America, who live in fear of their domineering father (Brad Pitt, as unlikeable as he's ever likely to be, while still remaining human). That's it as far as plot goes. We follow the characters through the short chapter of their lives, watching them interact, misbehave, and learn life lessons. It's hard not to see it as autobiographical in some way. However, Malick's unwillingness to concede to anything approaching convention at times seems wilfully obtuse; you yearn at times for a simple conversation between characters. Malick's mastery of the camera is still in evidence; his visuals tell a story with more potency than words could.

Of the three time periods, it's the modern day one that never finds an identity. Sean Penn wanders around streets and buildings looking a bit lost before he stumbles on some strange windswept beach. To detail further would spoil the ending of the film, but suffice to say, its religious and spiritual overtones, not to mention overall weirdness, may be too much for even those people who have made it that far.



Summary
Esoteric and maddening, The Tree of Life is certainly unique. To some, it will be like watching paint dry; to others, a thing of transcendent beauty. Its vision - and the suspicion that it will benefit from repeat viewings - earns it three stars, but its ambition is not quite matched by its distancing, mannered execution.

Blu-ray Review: Hereafter (2010)

Hereafter is a bit of an oddity, and certainly stands out from Clint Eastwood's previous directorial ventures. Normally a man who sticks to reality rather than fantasy, Hereafter represents a rare dip into the supernatural for him. It's a three-pronged narrative, following three characters, each of whom experience some connection with the 'hereafter': the afterlife. We first meet Marie (Cécile de France), a French journalist who survives the Indian Ocean tsunami of Boxing Day 2004. Next is Matt Damon's George, a clairvoyant with a genuine ability to speak to the dead, who's trying to leave his job behind. Finally, there are young Londoner twins Marcus and Jason (Frankie and George McLaren), the former left to fend for himself when his brother is involved in a traffic accident.

Each strand offers something of value, but each are also let down by serious shortcomings. Marie's introduction kicks the film off in spectacular fashion, with a stunning recreation of the tsunami that laid waste to so many coastlines. It's an incredibly well done sequence, merging stunning visual effects (earning the film its only Oscar nomination) with a visceral sense of danger, the camera being swept along by the current with the stricken characters. Frankly, these opening fifteen minutes are easily the best part of the film, and are almost worth seeing the film for on their own. However, the momentous event really has very little bearing on the rest of the film; even its status as a plot catalyst is only tangential (Marie nearly drowns and momentarily enters the hereafter).

George's thread is probably the most consistent overall, thanks in large part to Damon's committed, believable performance. He shares some endearing scenes with Bryce Dallas Howard, whom he meets at a cookery class, which are well written and played but unfortunately lead nowhere. The twins' storyline is sadly let down by very poor acting from the young performers; it's their first film role and it shows. Some line readings are so wooden they sound like they're from a school nativity. Clint must shoulder some blame - some of the takes used should never have been accepted, and you wonder whether his famous propensity for shooting at speed prevented him from getting the best from them.

These threads never really complement each other, and they are cut together like a TV show, without any finesse. Of course, they ultimately have to converge, but when they do it feels arbitrary, rather than the plotlines all coming to a natural conclusion. Moreover the scene in question is just strange: a book fair at which Derek Jacobi, playing himself, reads from Charles Dickens. George is there because he's a Dickens fan, Marie because she's publishing a book on her near death experience, and Marcus because, er, it's convenient for the movie. The hints of the hereafter feel out of place, at odds with Eastwood's insistence on drab realism everywhere else; the film comes across as a sort of Sixth Sense without ghosts or any real conviction. Also the film suffers from its multi-character approach; Marie's and George's stories could both be better served if the film just concentrated on one of them and developed their arcs further.



Release Information
Country: UK / Region: Free / Version: Double Play / Discs: 2 / Distributor: Warner Bros.

Presentation
Despite the disc housing over four hours of 1080p content (see extras), the film looks pretty superb. Eastwood mercifully eases off his recent tendency to desaturate colours; here the palette is often vivid (particularly Thailand the film's opening), if still slightly tinted towards the colder end of the spectrum. Again, the tsunami sequence excels in its detail, and is also a high point in the soundtrack. The soundfield is fairly active overall, but dialogue is always prioritised.

Extras
The typical Warner Bros. no-frills approach: static menu, but no start-up trailers. There are 40 minutes or so of Focus Points - short featurettes that you can watch branched into the movie, for some reason, or alone - and some are more interesting than others. The ones that discuss whether the hereafter really exists may prompt eye-rolling, but there are interesting glimpses behind the scenes. Then there's the 90-minute documentary The Eastwood Factor, made by Clint obsessive Richard Schickel, narrated by Morgan Freeman. It's an overview of Eastwood's directorial career up to Invictus (no mention of Hereafter then), and it's a treat to see some of his classic efforts in 1080p, even if the doc is no more in-depth than a glorified clip show. Probably at least 60 minutes of it is footage from his films.

Warners seem to be experimenting with a new release strategy with Hereafter: You can only get it in Double Play (DVD & Blu-ray) or Triple Play (also Digital Copy) formats - not DVD only.



Summary
One of both director Eastwood's and writer Peter Morgan's weaker efforts, Hereafter never goes anywhere, despite highlights, mainly the tsunami sequence and the Damon/Bryce Dallas Howard scenes. Ironic that it's a film about the afterlife, because it's pretty much dead on arrival.

Cinema Review: Horrible Bosses (2011)

The latest shamelessly vulgar comedy to hit multiplexes opens by introducing its three longtime buddies at their respective workplaces. Nick (Jason Bateman) is a white-collar workaholic who has been slaving away for months in anticipation of receiving a coveted promotion from his dastardly corporate fuehrer (Kevin Spacey). Kurt (Jason Sudeikis) is a genial employee at a small chemical company whose fortune changes overnight when his boss suddenly (Donald Sutherland) dies, leaving him at the unfortunate mercy of his boss’ son, a coke-snorting, womanizing asshole (Colin Farrell) with a heinous comb-over. Finally, Dale (Charlie Day) is an engaged-to-be-married dental assistant who is constantly harassed by his sex-starved dentist boss (Jennifer Aniston) - which is ironic because he’s a registered sex offender for taking a post-carousing toilet break at an empty playground.

Unfortunately, that’s about as much character development as we are given from director Seth Gordon and a quartet of screenwriters, none of whom seem interested in dosing this adult comedy with even a trace of empathy or feeling. The trio of one-note, caricatured bosses fares worst of all, none more over-the-top than Spacey, who essentially reprises his role from 1994’s Swimming with Sharks, a sharper, darker workplace horror show. However, Gordon swaps characterisation for pure comedy and he pulls off the trade with aplomb.

Horrible Bosses is filthy, it has to be said. Even Jennifer Aniston, who isn’t accustomed to such a boisterous and overtly sexual character, utters some truly explicit desires she has in regards to Day’s Dale. Aniston proves she can depart from her typecast career role and tackle something a little more daring. Dentist Julia is a sexual predator and she aggressively preys upon Dale, which makes for great viewing. Aniston becomes extremely watchable (which is a charm lacking from her previous films) and the sexy dynamic to her character and nymphomaniac ways certainly had an effect on one FilmVerdict reviewer(!). Similarly, love-him-or-hate-him bad boy, Farrell, does a fine job as he epitomises the arrogant jerk and of course Spacey shines on his own, with unquestionable merit in the shallow yet hilarious part he is given.

Taking nothing away from the pleasure one gets during such comedies, it’s instantly forgettable in a genre so saturated, and it becomes hard to pick out the great from the good and the good from the average. It is a shame, because Horrible Bosses is, for the most part, a very funny and solid film. It just does not distinguish itself as anything special. The comedy has all the initial characteristics of an Apatow/Rogen effort like Pineapple Express, including an endearing central bromance, trouble with some white powder and oddball characters, and is paced in much the same way. The one area where Gordon has struck gold though is with his three leads, Bateman, Sudeikis and Day, who are a comic tour de force of understated, observational and more mature humour, and who keep the giggles coming in the more serious moments. Like Bridesmaids, this summer’s other hilarious grown-up romp, the final act creates an all too convenient climax to proceedings and the whole premise of three sane men all wanting to murder their bosses is a little far-fetched, but guffaws save the day and audiences always forget trivial plot flaws when they are entertained.



Summary
Though not exactly original, Horrible Bosses is pleasant popcorn fun, surprisingly raunchy and full of laugh-out-loud moments.

Blu-ray Review: Up in the Air (2009)

Up in the Air doesn't immediately sound like a particularly appealing prospect. Who wants to watch a film about a man whose job it is to fly around the US firing people? Indeed, where is the film in that premise? Writer-director Jason Reitman answers those questions in the most convincing way possible. Not only does he identify a compelling arc for his protagonist, George Clooney's "Termination Engineer" Ryan Bingham, he also brings a warmth and humanity, building the film around a romance that is neither cliché nor predictable.

When we first meet him, Ryan Bingham is perfectly happy with his lot in life. A content singleton, he gets to travel the country for more than 300 days a year, and even dreads the short periods he has to spend at home in Omaha, Nebraska. His life's goal is to collect 10 million air miles. Then, though, he crosses paths with Alex (the luminous Vera Farmiga, relishing a fully rounded role), who has the same job. They immediately hit it off, both apparently happy with a casual relationship. The film tracks the development of their relationship organically and believably; it never feels like it has been shaped into the typical movie romance, or forced into a three-act structure. Moreover the chemistry between Clooney and Farmiga is electric, their fleeting moments together sparkling with charm and brilliantly written, yet never ostentatious, dialogue.

Also excellent is Anna Kendrick, as Natalie, a young career-driven upstart with big ideas for the industry. Soon her early bluster and forced chirpiness is chipped away to reveal another relatable character with insecurities and vulnerability. Although the film is mostly focused on Ryan and Alex, Natalie's thread is almost as important and provides the sort of uplifting narrative closure that the central romance does not. On first watch such lack of a conventional resolution may feel unsatisfying, but hindsight enriches it. This is far from the typical boy meets girl slushfest, and Reitman proves completely immune to the pull of sentimentality. That's not to say the film feels cold or impersonal, though; far from it, in fact. Up in the Air is a deeply personal, humanistic film, but also one that's content to face realities, be it the world economic crisis or the fact that not all stories in life end how you want.

Reitman nails the tone. A film about people losing their jobs is a sensitive subject in the current climate, but Reitman treats the firings with the utmost sincerity. This is not an ironic satire like the director's earlier Thank You for Smoking (when Reitman first started writing on the script years ago, it was). In fact, many of the firees are real people who have recently been made redundant, who do a good job re-enacting their emotions in front of the camera. The styling isn't what you'd call cinema vérité but it does feel similarly real, thanks to the honesty of the script and extensive location filming. Nevertheless, it's by no means a dour, humourless affair, one comedic highlight being the ubiquitous Zak Galifianakis as a particularly unhinged firing victim - not to mention the zippy repartée Clooney shares with Farmiga and Kendrick.



Release Information
Country: UK / Region: B (unconfirmed) / Version: N/A / Discs: 1 / Distributor: Paramount

Presentation
Paramount continues to impress with its high-def releases (just see Star Trek, The Lovely Bones, Shutter Island, Iron Man 2, and more - all demo quality material). Up in the Air, on the face of it not a movie that would hugely benefit from a 1080p rendering, looks great here. The image is largely naturalistic but colour (particularly blues) boast a realistic vibrancy and an untampered-with grain structure brings out immense detail. The frequent aerial shots are particularly striking. Meanwhile, the DTS-HD soundtrack is not often tested to the full, but on occasion - such as during a bass-heavy clubbing scene - it demonstrates excellent depth and dimensionality.

Extras
The disc lets the side down a little on the extras front, as what appears a decent list of supplements actually turns out to be relatively meagre. Best is the loquacious commentary with the director, DP and 1st AD. Reitman proves a great talker, delivering a huge number of anecdotes with humour and honesty. His commentary extends to the deleted scenes, of which there are about 23 minutes' worth. Some are the usual extraneous stuff, but there are a couple well worth noting. The longest cut sequence is an extended montage from late in the film of Clooney adjusting to life on the ground. It's excellent, and a puzzling omission. On the other hand, there's also a surreal sequence in which Clooney is walking around dressed as an astronaut. Needless to say, it's utterly out of place. There's really very little else on the disc, though: a short look at the title sequence, a music video, and trailers.



Summary
Up in the Air is a pleasant surprise. Even with its great reviews and Oscar nominations, that premise just doesn't sound promising. Against the odds, though, it turns out to be a compelling, romantic, and unconventional drama.

Blu-ray Review: The Green Hornet (2011)

Upon learning that a superhero film has been co-written by Seth Rogen (with Evan Goldberg, the pair having previously written the likes of Superbad and Pineapple Express), and features him in the title role, it seems pretty clear what you can expect: a bawdy, foul-mouthed comedy. That is, to an extent, what you get with The Green Hornet, though the language is slightly toned down from his usual tendencies (it's a PG-13, but only just). What may not be expected - though perhaps isn't so surprising after Pineapple Express - is that it also works as a pretty great action movie, and even something of a breath of fresh air in the stale superhero genre. It is yet another origin story, but mercifully the telling of the origin feels neither perfunctory nor extraneous. That's in large part thanks to the likeable sense of humour and an unabashed quest for fun, not to mention the sparky pairing of its lead duo.

The Green Lantern is a superhero in the mould of Batman, in that he has no powers but is rich enough to finance all manner of gadgetry. This Batman is not without his Robin, though, and indeed, the relationship between Rogen's Britt Reid and Kato, played with undeniable cool by Asian multi-hyphenate (director-writer-actor-popstar) Stephen Chou, is central to the film and key to its success. To some extent it follows the usual buddy movie template, but it is livened up by some key twists on the relationship. Here, Reid brings the money and no shortage of enthusiasm, but Kato is the brains and, indeed, the brawn (and makes a killer coffee to boot). His fighting skills are demonstrated by an eyecatching twist on Matrix bullet time, in which Kato continues to move in normal time while his adversaries slow down. Chou's English sometimes struggles but it's no real hindrance and even makes him a bit more endearing, while his evident star wattage means that he capably fills the shoes of Bruce Lee, the original Kato.

Also important in these films is of course the villain, and in this respect the film stutters slightly. Inglourious Basterds' Christoph Waltz is Chudnofsky, and is often enjoyable but the character never seems quite developed. Waltz was a last minute replacement for Nicolas Cage, who was apparently going to play the character with a Jamaican accent (!), so the casting change necessitated some late rewriting, resulting in a character that's never quite as defined or funny as he could be. His most memorable trait is his nifty double-barrelled pistol. Having said that, Chudnofsky's introduction in a scene with a cameoing James Franco lays a great foundation.

Pleasingly, there are no apparent budgetary constraints here: the film does not skimp on the action and pyrotechnics. Most of these sequences are very well handled, nixing any concerns that director Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) may have shortcomings in that regard. Admittedly Gondry's freeform styling is less evident than usual - for one thing, he tends to keep the camera stable and grounded here - but the director still brings some innovative touches, such as a nifty split-screen sequence in which the frame is continually divided into ever smaller windows. The film does fall down slightly in the final stretch - the previous emphasis on character descends into a predictably messy finale - but the wit remains present throughout, which pulls the film through any rough patches.



Release Information
Country: UK / Region: B / Version: N/A (2D release) / Discs: 1 / Distributor: Sony

Presentation
A reliably solid presentation from Sony, Green Lantern comes equipped with a very appealing, colourful transfer and a lively audio track in which all the speakers are continually active. Typical of a modern action film, the sound effects are on the loud side which does swamp dialogue, but it's never less than crisp and weighty. The picture seems unmolested, retaining subtle grain and a gratifyingly tangible look.

Extras
A fairly standard, but far from poor, selection covers all the usual bases. The commentary includes four participants - Rogen, Goldberg, Gondry and producer Neal Moritz (before he has to leave for a meeting) - is a raucous, honest affair and is an enjoyable listen. It is completely dominated by Rogen, who has an annoying habit of interrupting the others and talking over them, but whose passion is palpable and infectious. The half-hour's worth of deleted scenes mostly comprise added character beats and a much extended version of the car chase in the finale (some of the footage was repurposed for a montage in the finale film). A bunch of featurettes look at the writing, directing and so on, a highlight being "The Stunt Family Armstrong", focusing on the family of stuntmen who worked on the film, including the legendary Vic (Harrison Ford's double as Indiana Jones, amongst many others). It also becomes clear just how many of the set-pieces were done practically, which really adds to their impact. There's also a feature called the Cutting Room, which Sony are evidently very proud of, which lets you make you own edits of certain scenes in the movie. It's surprisingly complex and makes full use of Blu-ray technology, but is only mildly diverting for a short while.



Summary
A completely enjoyable, fresh take on an oversubscribed genre, The Green Hornet may do little revolutionary but it's laugh-out-loud funny at times thanks to a great central pairing.

Blu-ray Review: How to Train Your Dragon (2010)

After riding on Pixar's coattails for so long, finally, with How to Train Your Dragon, Dreamworks Animation can claim to belong in the same ballpark in terms of quality and heart. Unfortunately, it happened to be released the same year as Toy Story 3, which overshadowed its success at the box office as well as keeping that little gold man out of reach. Nevertheless, Dragon is a real treat: a fun-filled family adventure with laughs, wit and a whole lot of charm. Surely it's a film that John Lasseter would have been happy to release from his Disney/Pixar empire. Ironically, it has been shepherded to the screen by two directors he fired from Bolt when he took charge of Disney's animation division.

Dragon is the story of Hiccup, a Viking boy who's the shame of his village and his father, the chief. These are the sort of Vikings who are built like trees and fight dragons for a living. Hiccup, however, manages to befriend one dragon, and discovers they're not the killing machines he's been led to believe. In the meantime, though, his father forces him into training to be a dragon slayer, which rather contravenes his new understanding of the beasts.

Of the many things Dragon gets right, three stand out. The voice casting is impeccable, the directors not just simply picking a bunch of big names. Jay Baruchel (Tropic Thunder) is perfect as the geeky Hiccup, pitching his voice up slightly and adding a bit of pubescent squeakiness, while gruff Gerard Butler is his barrel-chested father, Stoick. Kristen Wiig, Jonah Hill and Christopher Mintz-Plasse are standouts in smaller roles. The real achievement in the voice casting is never once do you think that it's the actor, not the character, speaking, so ideal are their voices for the roles. Even the fact that all the adult Vikings are Scottish and the kids American doesn't matter, despite sounding awkward on paper.

Secondly, the music. John Powell, a Hans Zimmer alumnus, has written a few noteworthy scores in his career (the Bourne series being a highlight), but rarely has he been given such an opportunity to write a grand orchestral affair. He grabs the chance with both hands, producing a rousing, catchy, theme-driven assortment that propels the action and emotion to greater heights. It's a rare film nowadays that gives music room to breath between dialogue and sound design, but there are sequences here - such as Hiccup's first dragon flight - where the music gets to drive the whole scene, to thrilling effect. Powell's Oscar nomination was great to see, and rewarded a wonderful effort.

The third standout feature of Dragon, and the most important of all, is the handling of the dragons themselves. Clearly keen to distance them from previous film dragons, the designers have gone for a looks that is slightly goofy in still images, but in motion the animators give them all huge personality. The various different 'breeds' of dragon encountered are all distinctive and fully rounded creations. The hero dragon, whom Hiccup christens Toothless (since he can retract his teeth), is a cross between a cat's appearance (mainly its eyes) and a dog's behaviour and loyalty. The relationship between the pair is hugely endearing and often funny, with Toothless' face proving remarkably expressive. Wisely, these dragons can't talk, and there's no Eragon-style telepathy either.

The beats of the story may all be foreseeable and set in stone as soon as boy meets dragon, but it's executed with exhilarating panache. Perhaps it doesn't quite boast the depth or complexity of Pixar's best efforts. Few even of their films get the adrenaline pumping as much, though, or leave you on such a high.



Release Information
Country: UK / Region: Free (unconfirmed) / Version: N/A / Discs: 1 / Distributor: DreamWorks

Presentation
CG animation has come to be a byword for technical perfection on Blu-ray, and Dragon doesn't disappoint. The visuals may not be the most layered or as richly detailed as some, but their rendering here is faultless, with great contrast and colours. The soundtrack comes in Dolby TrueHD, and is brilliantly powerful in the action scenes, with great use of directionality and LFE when called for. My only quibble is that sometimes voices during action scenes, such as Hiccup's narration in the introduction, are drowned out by the effects.

Extras
Two featurettes of ten minutes each are lightweight morsels. Most of the meat is to be found in the commentary, featuring the two directors and the producer, and the "Animators' Corner", a picture-in-picture feature that runs alongside the whole film, comprising interviews, artwork, and behind the scenes footage. Occasionally snippets of the standard commentary are edited in to provide a seamless, pause-free experience.



Summary
How to Train Your Dragon is wholesome fun for all ages. It's the best thing DreamWorks Animation have done since Shrek, while going for more straightforward charm rather than the in-jokes and sly references that define that series.

News: The Dark Knight Teases

Warner Bros aren't dumb. What do you do when you have a dead-cert runaway hit on the cards? Attach a trailer to the front of it for the next one. Yup, the final Harry Potter released this last weekend had the first teaser for The Dark Knight Rises attached to it. Now it's online...

Watch it here!

My take? Well, there's not much to have an opinion on, but the very brief glimpses of new footage (most of it's actually from Batman Begins rather than The Dark Knight) are suitably tantalising, and the logo made out of buildings is nifty. The allusions to Begins are hopefully suggesting a stylistic connection - I preferred that one in terms of its visuals and atmosphere. Certainly new big bad Bane (Tom Hardy, from Inception) looks suitably menacing. No hint of Selena Kyle/Catwoman (Anne Hathaway), however.

Really, trailers are almost redundant for this film. You could just put the title on the screen with the release date for two minutes and people would applaud.

On that subject - I don't like the title. It sounds awkward, especially grouped with the other two (it really should have been The Dark Knight Begins, in retrospect). And everything is 'Rising' these days. Including those damn dirty apes.

Still, BIG EXCITEMENT!

Blu-ray Review: Animal Kingdom (2010)

With a name like Animal Kingdom, you'd be forgiven for expecting a Disney family comedy. Perhaps it stars Adam Sandler alongside a bunch of talking CGI critters. A hundred million dollars in box office, guaranteed. But no, Animal Kingdom is in fact a crime thriller from Down Under: a character-driven examination of the workings of low-level career lawbreaking. Inevitably it's attracted comparisons to American gangster films - it's the Australian Goodfellas! - but any such descriptions seem trite and over-simplified. It has a character, pace and mood all its own, for which its Antipodean origins may be partly responsible, but it hardly wears its nationality on its sleeve. Rather, it feels distinctive and innovative due to its director's vision, and the application of its little known cast.

Most impressively, this is writer-director David Michôd's first feature. Based on this, it can't be long before he's snapped up by Hollywood. Animal Kingdom is a relatively restrained affair, but the handling of its large cast and ambitious scope is confident and engaging. Michôd, as he admits in his commentary, has basically made a film about bank robbers in which you see no bank robberies. It's never spelled out how these hoods get their money; it's unimportant. That isn't to say that there's no action - in fact, it's some of the violent moments that really stay with you. The director ensures that these moments are always sudden and brief; indeed, the film has some of the more shocking and surprising deaths in recent memory. The impact of the violence is increased exponentially by its unexpectedness and reality: these are not glossy movie kills.

Michôd hangs his story around central character J (James Frecheville), a 17-year-old who's taken under the wing of his ne'er-do-well relatives. He's an unusual protagonist in that he's monosyllabic and passive for most of the time; he has a permanently glazed, half-asleep expression and can't even muster up emotion when his mother dies. In the film's first scene, his mum sits unconscious on the couch having overdosed on heroin; he's more interested in watching Deal or No Deal on the TV than the paramedics trying to revive her. Clearly, though, these character traits are not shortcomings in the performance; in fact, the character's lack of histrionics could make him extremely difficult to like, but newcomer Frecheville strikes precisely the right note of believability. (On watching the bonus features on the disc, J's mannerisms turn out to echo the actor's; Frecheville hardly proves an effusive talker himself.) Eventually, when that emotionless facade breaks, it's a truly moving moment and very well played.

It soon becomes evident that the world of alpha males he has found himself plunged into is actually dominated by the double X chromosome. The real boss here is Jackie Weaver's Smurf, the family matriarch. Animal Kingdom is at times as much a study of family dynamics as the criminal underworld, and the unlikely-monikered Smurf is at the heart of it all. Come the end, it's clear that she can be as ruthless as any of them too. Weaver was nominated for an Oscar, which was well deserved, as she dominates proceedings even when doing little. The rest of the ensemble is a checklist of Aussie machismo, but the testosterone never overflows, the script retaining subtle character beats to offset the intensity elsewhere.

Michôd often holds the camera back as if not wanting to intrude, but the concurrent shallow depth of field lends a certain intimacy and dreamlike haze. Although shot in Melbourne, the city's sights are barely glimpsed; it's a suburban saga. The director rejects obvious dramatic lighting or composition but the film remains truly cinematic, perhaps owing to the widescreen frame and 35mm lensing. Its distinctive look is allied to a superbly ambient synth-driven score by Adam Arkapaw, in which recognisable themes are absent but the music subtly intensifies and attenuates when suspense builds and thaws. It all contributes to the unique atmosphere that proves so instrumental in setting the film apart from its ilk. How long can it be until a Hollywood film comes around dubbed the American Animal Kingdom?



Release Information
Country: UK / Region: B / Version: N/A / Discs: 1 / Distributor: Optimum

Presentation
This Blu-ray from Optimum sports a thick, fine-grained image with excellent texturing. Colours are mostly subdued but strong on occasion, particularly nighttime blues and dawn oranges. It's a pleasing presentation with a commensurately high bitrate. The DTS-HD soundtrack is superb too, environmental sounds and the score gently enveloping you, punctuated by sudden, jolting gunshots.

Extras
An ample selection for such a low-key film includes two commentaries, a comprehensive hour-long documentary and several separate interviews. The talk tracks comprise a solo affair with the director (initially hesitant, before becoming informative and insightful) and a second in which he teams up with several cast members (humorously rowdy at times but none of the participants seem particularly willing, and conversation totally dries up half way through). The Making Of, which runs the gamut from early development to post production and the film's debut at Sundance, is, like the film, measured and understated. Rather too long is spent on the casting but thereafter it's an interesting watch. Sadly there's no hint of a deleted scenes section, despite it being discussed in the Making Of that a whole chunk of footage was removed from one section of the film.



Summary
Prepare yourself for a relatively sombre, minimalist affair and Animal Kingdom may come as a pleasant surprise. It's totally engrossing, twisty, often unexpected and ultimately rewarding.

News: Trailerama

'Tis the season to release new film trailers at the moment - trailers for the big films set to light up our screens come awards season and early next year. Since there have been a boatload of very tantalising first looks released in the last few days - with more imminent - I thought I'd collate them all here, with a few of my own thoughts. As ever, the relase dates refer to the UK.

The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn

What is it? Steven Spielberg's collaboration with Peter Jackson (the former directing, the latter producing) of Herge's very popular - outside the US - comic book character. It's the 'Berg's first ever wholly mo-cap effort.
When's it out? 26 October in the UK - 2 months before America.
TrailerVerdict: They're still evidently nervous about the popularity of the motion capture style, so there are only brief glimpses of faces, and most importantly, eyes. Nevertheless I quite like the look of it - it seems to be Spielberg having the sort of adventurous fun we haven't seen in a while. It seems like Andy Serkis is again going to steal the show - his Captain Haddock looks like easily the most convincing character. Jamie Bell's Tintin sounds a bit dull though.

War Horse

What is it? Spielberg's been a busy boy - this is his film adaptation of Michael Morpurgo's story, currently receiving raves on stage too. Set during World War 2, it's about the relationship between a boy and a horse, but is apparently much better than it sounds.
When's it out? 13 January.
TrailerVerdict: Looks pretty stunning. Great to see Spielberg filming in Britain again, and giving plenty of exposure to our beautiful countryside. Certain to be a Best Picture contender.

Hugo

What is it? Martin Scorsese's first 3D film, apparently a family fantasy film about a kid who lives in a train station. Originally called the infinitely less bland The Invention of Hugo Cabret.
When's it out? 2 December.
TrailerVerdict: It'll be fascinating to see what the Maestro does with 3D, and whether he can reinject some excitement into an already fading novelty. The trailer looks interesting, with an impressive scale, although you'd never guess it was from Scorsese.

John Carter

What is it? Pixar's first live action venture, directed by Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo, Wall-E). It's the adaptation of Edgar Rice Burrough's A Princess of Mars, the first in his John Carter of Mars trilogy, 100 years since its publication. A romantic sci-fi/fantasy epic, by the looks of things.
When's it out? 9 March 2012.
TrailerVerdict: Ugh, what a boring title - what's wrong with John Carter of Mars? And why the obsession with just putting a name in a title? I was actually more excited about this before seeing the trailer, as it looks a bit... naff, but I'm well prepared to be won over. It certainly has an original design aesthetic and the retention of period setting is a welcome touch. I love me a good sci-fi epic. (Is it just me, though, or should Mars be a bit, well, redder? It just looks like a desert on Earth...)

The Thing

What is it? A prequel to John Carpenter's 1982 masterpiece, in which a shapeshifting alien nasty is dug up in Antarctica, then goes about killing people and impersonating others. Cue lots of paranoia and suspicion.
When is it out? 14 October.
TrailerVerdict: It's apparently a prequel, but looks a lot like a remake with a woman in the lead (Mary Elizabeth Winstead, trying to be the new Ripley it seems). They seem to have nailed the look, but it concerns me that the phenomenal practical effects of the original - still amazing - will be dumped in favour of generic CGI. I can't help but notice too that despite being set in a Norwegian base, everyone seems to speak American. Nice shout-out to Carpenter's theme music at the end there.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

What is it? Sequel to Sherlock Holmes, again directed by Guy Ritchie, this time with added Moriarty.
When is it out? 16 December.
TrailerVerdict: I've grown into quite a fan of the first Downey-as-Holmes flick, so I'm looking forward to this one a lot. The trailer sells a much larger, more international scale for this one, but still with the emphasis on humour and that great steampunk look. Anachronisms abound and I'm not expecting high art, but this should be the hit of Christmas - especially with no Avatar to go up against this time.

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

What is it? Mission: Impossible 4 in everything but name, directed by Brad Bird. Can Tom Cruise revive his A-list career? And the biggest question of all, where do you put the colon in the title? Jeremy Renner looks like he's about to step into Cruise shoes in this franchise.
When's it out? 26 December, the first non-summer M:I movie after the lacklustre showing of the last one.
TrailerVerdict: Yep, looks like a Mission: Impossible movie all right, and a pretty impressive one at that. I remain surprised that Brad Bird left Pixar to make a third sequel, but he definitely has the skills to produce a cracking action spectacular. Looks like Cruise's love of scaling tall things continues - this time he's on the world's new tallest building in Dubai.

The Pirates! Band of Misfits

What is it? Aardman's first feature film since Flushed Away ended their DreamWorks deal, The Pirates! is a claymation comedy of piratical proportions.
When's it out? TBC Spring 2012.
TrailerVerdict: Looks fan-bloody-tastic, and absolutely hilarious! Funny that no-one's tried to cash in on the success of Pirates of the Caribbean, but this looks altogether more loony and delightfully British too. Great to see Aardman back on the big screen, and loving that they're keeping hold of the old-fashioned physical animation - it has a character and artistry all its own.


Phew. That's all for this instalment of Trailerama. Coming soon, The Dark Knight Rises and The Amazing Spider-Man, amongst, no doubt, many others!

Blu-ray Review: Winter's Bone (2010)

Winter's Bone is the sort of film that deserves to benefit from the Academy's decision to enlarge the field of Best Pictures.* As a low-key independent effort, it could easily have been overlooked come awards time, but instead it earned its place as one of the ten shortlisted; an impressive achievement for a film with a meagre budget, no stars and a hard-to-categorise tone. Winter's Bone has been called 'Hick Noir' - it's set in rural mountainous Missouri, one of the poorest regions in the US, and its investigative plot bears certain hallmarks of the classic detective style. However, its comprehensive rejection of melodrama and absence of a specific visual style places it more in the vein of naturalism than that most cinematic of genres.

Perhaps because the film shuns overt stylisation or narrative propulsion, it can be hard to warm to. The setting is Grim with a capital G; heroine Ree (the hot-right-now Jennifer Lawrence, who is superb) inhabits a horrible world where all the adults are chronic crystal meth abusers, and the code of silence surpasses any blood ties. 17-year-old Ree has to look after her younger brother and sister, as well as her practically comatose (through drug use) mother, in an environment only a notch or two above squalor. She's forced to plunge into the closed-off world of her neighbours (and, often, relatives) to search for her absconded father, but no-one's willing to talk. Her sheer dogged persistence, though, makes for a gripping watch, the viewer finding themselves willing her on in her Odyssean quest through blasted, leafless, overcast landscapes.

The pacing is extremely slow and the lack of narrative movement does initially test one's patience. (It sums up Ree's existence, a constant downward spiral from which there appears no escape.) But when Ree does start making some headway it becomes impossible to turn away. The central mystery, the whereabouts of her father, drives the narrative effectively, leading to a memorable, can't-look denouement. Director Debra Granik's handling of the oppressive atmosphere in the later stages makes for an intense watch, and the release of the end is both a relief and a catharsis. Possibly not a film that you'd rush back to watch a second time, Winter's Bone is nevertheless powerful and engrossing. Just don't expect feel-good.

*Incidentally, the number has changed again - it's not fixed at ten any more; rather, it's between five and ten depending on how many films cross a certain votes threshold.



Release Information
Country: UK / Region: B / Version: N/A / Discs: 1 / Distributor: Artificial Eye

Presentation
Winter's Bone's stark palette of mostly blues and browns dampens the 'wow' factor but the transfer here is technically sound, boasting very good detailing and clarity. It has the expected grainless look of a film shot with the ever more popular digital Red One camera, with few of its sometimes associated shortcomings (like waxiness and aliasing - see The Book of Eli). For some reason the disc has two English 5.1 tracks, one in DVD-quality 448 kbps Dolby Digital, and the second in lossless DTS-HD Master Audio. The disc puzzlingly defaults to the former, but clearly the DTS-HD is vastly superior. The track itself is subdued and quiet - I had to turn the sound up further than normal - but faithful, with limited use of the surrounds to enhance the windswept ambience.

Extras
The Making Of runs over 40 minutes and is in a fly-on-the-wall style, which gives an honest and unvarnished inside look but lacks much of a structure. The deleted scenes mainly comprise a sequence where Ree camps in a cave, which would only have slowed down an already methodically paced film unnecessarily, and an alternate opening consisting of Ree's family videos. Finally, there's a sort of music montage set to shots of the Missouri wilderness.



Summary
Tough going and gripping, Winter's Bone is the antithesis of a popcorn movie. Probably not one to revisit but well worth a rental for the open minded. (Note: I would give it 3.5 stars if I could.)